Zara owner sees soaring profits on expansion

Spain's Inditex, the world's largest fashion retailer and owner of the Zara brand, Wednesday posted bumper profits for the first quarter as it pursued an ambitious programme of international expansion.
Profits for the February-to-April period totalled 332 million euros ($447 million), up 10.3 percent from last year.
Sales leapt 11 percent to 2.96 billion euros, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, or EBIDTA, was up 7.0 percent at 601 million euros.
The group said it opened 110 stores in 29 different countries during the quarter, bringing the total to 5,154 as of April 30, 2011, "providing a snapshot of the global growth potential of the Inditex Group?s retail concepts."
They included the opening of Zara?s first store in Australia, which increased the number of countries where Inditex sells its products to 78.
Inditex, whose other brands include youth label Bershka and the upmarket Massimo Dutti, also plans its first stores in South Africa, Taiwan and Peru before the end of the year.
It said e-commerce operations of Zara, currently present in 16 European countries, will begin in the United States from September 7, 2011.
In the financial year ending January 31, Inditex reported a 33 percent jump in profits to 1.73 billion euros. Asia was the fastest growing revenue source during the year, expanding its share to 15 percent from 12 percent

 

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MULTI-Grammy Award winner George Benson is set to make a triumphant return to the Costa del Sol.

The jazz legend, who enjoys a strong fan base on the coast, will play a one-off show at the Puente Romano Hotel in Marbella on June 25.
“I love Marbella, it’s such a beautiful place with so many great memories for me and I can’t believe that it’s nearly six years since I last performed there,” the triple-platinum artist said. “Time flies I guess.”
The former child prodigy, best known for his 1976 hit album Breezin’, is famous for never having a set list.
“I play it by ear, it all depends on the audience,” the 68-year-old said.


“You gotta give them what they want. Some want to sit and listen, some want to dance but knowing how Marbella loves to party I’ve got a pretty good idea which one it’ll be,” he joked.
Benson was discovered at an early age by jazz great Wes Montgomery and has an eclectic musical style including soul, jazz and R&B.
The American’s hits include On Broadway, Turn Your Love Around and Never Gonna Give Up On a Good Thing.

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MASSIVE golf development has moved a step forward in the Guadalhorce Valley after a group of Russian investors expressed an interest in the project

MASSIVE golf development has moved a step forward in the Guadalhorce Valley after a group of Russian investors expressed an interest in the project.
The 60-hectare site in Coin would include a golf course, hotel and 250 villas according to the town´s recently-ousted mayor, Gabriel Clavijo.
The site, designated in the regional development plan as being for ‘tourism use’, would also provide a professional training facility for top Russian players.
With the recent change of mayor it is not known if the project will now be shelved.

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HALF of Britain’s wealthiest crooks have links to Spain, it can be revealed.

Five of the UK’s Top Ten criminals – estimated to be worth around 920 million euros between them – have made large chunks of their fortune out of drug smuggling through Spain.
The majority also have a string of properties on the Iberian peninsula, as well as yachts and luxury cars.
In the case of one, Mickey Green he is said to have buried his millions in a series of safe deposits in the hills above Marbella.
Green who has been on the run for 20 years is still believed to live in Andalucia.


Known as ‘the Pimpernel’ for his amazing ability to evade capture, he has been trailed by police through Morocco, France and America.
But detectives now believe he is currently living in Malaga province, ‘probably near Marbella’.
Three of the top five in the News of the World poll have particularly strong connections to Spain.
Mickey Green, 69, 85m
Still on the loose after evading capture for more than 20 years and thought to be living near Marbella. The authorities believe he has buried some of his millions in the hills there.
Brian Wright, 64, 115m
Known as the Milkman because he always delivered, Wright is currently serving a 30 year sentence for drug dealing after being arrested in Spain, where he had been living since 2005.
Curtis Warren, 47, 350m
The only drugs trafficker to appear in the Sunday Times Rich List, ‘Cocky’ is locked up in Belmarsh top-security prison but is known to have a vast property portfolio including a string of Spanish casinos.
John Palmer, 60, 350m
The fake timeshare tycoon and ex-market trader is understood to be living on his £6 million yacht off the coast of Tenerife. He was banged up for selling non-existent holiday homes to 17,000 tourists and is also suspected of masterminding a criminal gang in Tenerife.
Brian Charrington, 55, 23m
Charrington built up a vast international drugs empire and subsequently spent time in jail for drug smuggling but is now a free man with a home in Calpe, Costa Blanca.

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McLaren MP4 -12C is the next street model that launched the brand after the F1 of the 90's but the concept is totally different.

 you can imagine is a fair dedicated to the luxury in which they have jewelry, mansions, yachts, clothes, and what interests us most, cars.

The truth is I was very excited in spite of not being able to drive the wonders he would see. It was the first time I approached the McLaren MP4 -12C and as for the Pagani Huayra could see it in the Geneva Motor Show a few minutes but this time I could see it under natural light and contemplate it for several hours.




The Guarnieri Group is responsible for distributing the exclusive vehicles of these two brands. We could keep an interesting conversation with several product managers and its CEO, Mario Guarneri that told us his impressions of both cars.

The stand was at the end of the port. To get there we leave stores like Cartier and Armani, the truth, we are not interested. Instead, they do look at various Ferrari, Lamborghini and especially struck us find several units of Rolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley Continental GTC enrolled in a variety of countries.



McLaren MP4 -12C
You know almost all the technical details of this car after the presentation in Madrid at which my companion went Sergio Alvarez , therefore, I will concentrate on my impressions to see it live and discuss some peculiarities of the English sports car.

The McLaren MP4 -12C is the next street model that launched the brand after the F1 of the 90's but the concept is totally different. The McLaren F1 was a race car fitted out for use on the road and 100 units were manufactured. The MP4 -12C is a performance car for use every day , 1000 units will be built in the first year reaching more than 3,000 units year with the new factory in Woking.





When I saw the first pictures of the McLaren MP4 -12C , its design seemed simple, low risk. Seeing him in reality, I thought it's still a spectacular car and that the silver gray color is the one that best suits him. This unit came to be exhibited in the paddock at Montmelo and Monaco may be the reason to be painted in color similar to the cars of the brand.

The side view is perhaps the most attractive. Has a profile similar to the McLaren F1 and adds a huge gills cool the motor. The black rims and carbon fiber mirrors create a pleasant contrast to the body. In the rear highlights the twin exhaust pipes on the bumper and spoiler mobile.





And raise the door open to get inside. Openness is not a handle but with a modern touch. I settle into the driver's bucket and watch. The interior is simply designed in full accordance with the exterior, for example, the steering wheel is sporty with carbon fiber inserts but does not have a button. It uses small levers behind the hoop.

The dashboard is covered in Alcantara and leather center console is dominated by a rectangular screen located along, not as wide as usual. If we find the buttons down only enough to change the various parameters of the driver, then look no air conditioning controls are located on the side of each door.



After detailed analysis within, Fernando García-Herreros , Sales Executive of the mark, start the engine by pressing a red button on the attractive center console. The 3.8 biturbo V8 comes to life and noticeable vibration at idle on my back. The impressive sound emanating from the exhaust makes me take the wheel, put your foot on the pedal that handles 600 hp and want to reach the red zone on the tachometer that begins in the 8,500 rpm

No, I could not drive it all was that, in a desire to feel its benefits in circuit or Autobahn . Hopefully one day have that opportunity. From then on I loved standing quietly and sporting appearance. For the € 223,100 it costs, is a tough rival for the Ferrari 458 Italy , the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570 Superleggera -4 , and the Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS .



Pagani Huayra
In autumn last year I went to Circuit Ascari a co-pilot the Pagani Zonda R , a laboratory car where they put to test some innovations by that time called Pagani C9. After hearing the words of Horacio Pagani , the expectations on the new model were very high, but still without having taken I dare say she has passed.

The result is the Huayra Pagani , a radical-looking sports car, a real racing car with which to enjoy or road circuit . From outside, the interior looks like the cockpit of an airplane game that sits on a body with original design features as the shape of mirrors, tires, rear lights and the quadruple exhaust outlet.





Fit inside, the perceived uniqueness is even greater than the outside . The dashboard is lined in leather and all buttons are polished aluminum, but what is most surprising in a car of this type, mix design technology with a retro . Many functions are operated by switches, the odometer is analog and some actions such as regulation of the steering wheel are mechanically by a lever.

But here there are not only exquisite design and perfect materials, let us not forget that this is a true driving machine. The engine cover is opened by releasing two leather straps with signed buckle brand and exposes the V12 Biturbo to 700 hp with the proper signature of the engineer of AMG who oversaw its production.





Actually, the Pagani Huayra more than a supercar, is a work of art made ​​car . The artist is Horacio Pagani , and his disciples in San Cesario sul Panaro in Modena are the hand made ​​it perfectly with every detail chosen by the lucky buyer, you can drive it or consider it as if in a museum.

Only manufacture 20 units per year at the price of a work of art in Spain talking about something more than a million euros - approximately € 1,072,000 - Taxes already included. Currently, the waiting list is two and a half years so that each client, plus a lot of money, you will need lot of patience to enjoy the power gem.

I invite you to be careful to observe in detail the full gallery of photos that I leave and then opinéis on these two cars have their place in the history of the motor. For my part, I have two more members in the garage of my dreams.

Pagani Huayra and McLaren MP4 -12C, two gems together in Marbella

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Hatton Marbella gala dinner a hit

MORE than 300 people attended a gala dinner event with former boxing champion Ricki ‘the Hitman’ Hatton as the star guest in Marbella on Friday. The event which was held at the gardens of Hotel Gran Melia Don Pepe included many celebrity guests, including those from the world of football, was a sell-out.

Appearing with Ricky was Big Joe Egan, a former sparring partner of Mike Tyson and Jimmy Bright, one of the UK’s favourite comedians.

The music was supplied by the Rat Pack.

Dermot Craven, the organiser, said that he was overwhelmed with the generosity and the efforts that the guests had made to attend the function, many of them came from the UK especially.

He said that they supplied hundreds of gifts for the Cuidad de los Niños orphanage in Malaga and the balance of the proceeds will help refurbish and equip the sports hall there.

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Marbella’s lap of luxury

RENOWNED violinist Yi-Jia Susanne Hou performed using a €10m violin at the Inauguration of the Marbella Luxury Weekend. She also performed for the presentation of Guarnieri luxury car dealership’s new McLaren MP4-12C car which has a starting price of €158,500 (plus taxes and extras).



Hou is the first ever violinist in history to capture three Gold Medals with unanimous decisions at three International Violin Competitions.


At 17, Hou performed the most challenging pieces ever written for the violin: Paganini's Twenty-four Caprices for Solo Violin, in live recitals in Toronto and Aspen.




Both her mother and father are violinists, and at the age of 4, Hou began studying violin with her father. Less than a year later, she gave her first public performance and was received with a standing ovation.

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Spain's Zara the model of the successful retailer

SPANISH fashion juggernaut Inditex will shake up Melbourne's retail scene with the opening of its second Australian Zara store in the Bourke Street Mall next week.

Mall matriarchs including Myer, David Jones, Cue, Portmans and Sportsgirl, already struggling in a severely depressed retail market, will have their brand mix, trend choices, garment quality and prices compared to the affordable, good-quality, bull's-eye fashions for which the 1900-store chain Zara, once described as ''the most innovative and devastating retailer in the world'', is famous.

Zara's first Australian store opened in Sydney seven weeks ago and it's rumoured 80 per cent, or $1.2 million worth, of stock sold out that day.

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Amid chaos, customers queued for hours then swarmed into the store, grabbing garments out of the arms of staff attempting to restock shelves and racks. The Westfield store is still averaging 14,000 customers a day, according to reports, and they're still queuing at peak times.

Yesterday in Melbourne, Zara's chief communications officer, Jesus Echevarria, attributed the chain's mind-boggling success to a fast-fashion strategy that is the ''complete opposite'' to traditional manufacturing and retail models. ''It's a matter of customer feedback,'' he said. ''They decide what they want, what they don't want; we're pretty quick to react.'' Speed and accuracy are key to Zara's success, not original or innovative fashion design.

Zara's stores, Mr Echevarria said, could be replenished with small-batch fashion choices twice a week. Customers learn to be quick, or miss out.

The constant churn of stock also keeps their interest piqued, and the likelihood of several friends buying the same frock or men's suit is reduced. ''We get inside the skin of the customer,'' Mr Echevarria said.

Zara also has a reputation for getting ''inside the skin'' of designer brands it has long been accused of copying. However, Mr Echevarria emphatically denies this. ''No, no. It's not like that; it never happens like that,'' he said. ''We are quick in answering what the customer is doing, not translating fashions from anything outside.''

He described the Zara model as more organic, cyclic and season-less, based on feedback and reactive manufacturing. ''You cannot fake this,'' he said. ''It is a very honest process.''

Zara can convert customer feedback and daily sales analysis from its 1900-odd stores into manufacturing plans within 48 hours, convey these to 1500 factories in Asia, Spain, Brazil and other countries, and truck or fly the bull's-eye response fashions back to stores in less than three weeks.

Yesterday, Mr Echevarria showed the edited, Melbourne-bound collection, including military belted jackets, vivid knitwear and slim trousers for men, and slouchy silk kimono dresses, tops and tailored casual jackets in fuchsia pink and black for women. ''It's very elegant,'' he said. ''We are very proud, very excited for our store here.''

Zara's gargantuan holding company, Inditex, employs more than 100,000 in about 5200 stores in 78 countries, roughly 1900 of which are branded Zara outlets.

Reclusive billionaire Armancio Ortega, among the world's 10 richest men, founded Inditex in Spain in 1963 as a garment manufacturing business. He opened the first Zara store in La Coruna in 1975. He has never spoken to the media.

 

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Port Al Thani will undoubtedly change the face of Marbella.”

Puerto Banús attracts up to five million visitors each year and simply oozes wealth and glamour.  With 915 berths, the marina provides an address for some of the most elite boats, bars and boutiques on the whole of the southern Spanish Costa.  However, Puerto Banús is set to face some serious competition from none-too-distant neighbour – Marbella. 

Just 8km to the east, La Bajadilla marina has played a nondescript second fiddle to Puerto Banús attracting neither celebrities nor millionaires.  Yet thanks to a consortium led by Qatari Sheikh Abdullah ben Nasser Al-Thani, current owner of Málaga Football Club, the fishing port has been rubber stamped for a 400 million euro makeover. 

Plans for an additional 500 berths arranged on a spectacular circular pier, 200m quay for cruise liners, a waterfront five-star hotel as well as a raft of bars, restaurants and shops will catapult La Bajadilla into the spotlight.  With the Marbella Town Hall holding a 3% stake in the project, the marina is obliged to be ‘emblematic’ in order to attract elite clientele and is being billed as the most important urban development in Marbella’s history.  Puerto Banús has every reason to worry that one day it will be outshone by one of its own.

Hadleigh Bolt, Director of boltpropertygroup.com creating elite bespoke homes in La Zagaleta  country estate just 20km from Marbella, comments, “I am a huge fan of Marbella and believe that it’s symbolic of this prestigious coastline.  Marbella’s Golden Mile is where it all began back in the 1950s when the five-star Marbella Club Hotel first opened its doors and today the area needs to up the ante to once more compete with the best resorts on the Côte d’Azur and Amalfi coastline.  This new marina is a great initiative and I believe it’s a correct decision to create a fresh new landmark for Marbella rather than to simply remodel near-neighbour Puerto Banús.  With the old industrial estate set to be demolished and the AVE high speed rail link destined to stretch to Marbella in the not too distant future – Port Al Thani will undoubtedly change the face of Marbella.”

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Marbella Club Hotel, whose guests have included Audrey Hepburn and Laurence Olivier. Found on the Golden Mile

Marbella Club Hotel, whose guests have included Audrey Hepburn and Laurence Olivier. Found on the Golden Mile – a prime piece of Marbella real estate flanked by the mansions of millionaires – it was originally built as a private residence by the legendary Marbella playboy and founder Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe.

With Beverly Hills-style villa accommodation and an on-site Thalasso spa, it's hardly surprising that the guestbook has held its own despite a deluge of bad press tarnishing Marbella's shine (political scandals have plagued the town since its mayor, Jesús Gil, was imprisoned for embezzlement, and a tasteless show following the lives of bored housewives did it no favours either).

Yet Marbella still keeps the A-list rubbing shoulders with the D-list. Michelle Obama flew in for a four-day visit in 2010. Her stay of choice? The five-star Villa Padierna, another prestigious place to slip between high-threadcount sheets at night and look out towards Morocco in the morning.

A classic reservation is Villa Tiberio, where Dame Shirley Bassey, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sean Connery have chowed down on Italian cuisine against a backdrop of scented botanical gardens.

The hottest table now is La Sala, recently opened but already famed for its wooden decking that is more people-watching perch than terrace. The food? Who knows. The stick-thin socialites who flock there in barely-there Carolina Herrera creations come to see and be seen, eschewing solids for sustenance of the liquid variety.

While Marbella's new generation of "slebs" head to beachside drinking dens such as Nikki Beach and, more recently, Buddha Beach, the A-list still prefers the more elegant environs of the quayside playpen that is Puerto Banús (or "Port of Abuse", as insiders call it).

Here size is everything, and super-yachts, supercars and supermodels jostle for space in a marina crammed with designer labels. Thankfully, the young 'uns stick to one end while the older crowd enjoys more sophisticated tipples at Sinatra's at the other.

Nightclub queen Olivia Valere retains its crown as the chic-est place to mingle when you're single (just ask Mariah Carey and Naomi Campbell, who love the paparazzi-free secrecy of its 1,001 Arabian Nights-inspired courtyards).

Those gorgeous places to sleep, eat, drink and dance, those white-sand beaches and a cobbled Old Town juxtaposed against a super-sleek marina – all are still there for the taking. Trashy flash in the pan it ain't.

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French rock from Malaga

THE ‘On Echegaray’ performances will get a taste of something different tomorrow (Friday) night with a local trio called L’Avalanche which perform ‘melancholic rock’ music, in French. The group, which claims to have many different influences, is currently preparing their next album in Marseille with French musicians.

 

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IVANA TRUMP, considered to be the richest woman in the world, is following in the footsteps of Michel Obama and will be staying in the same suite as the First Lady at the Villa Padierna Hotel.

IVANA TRUMP, considered to be the richest woman in the world, is following in the footsteps of Michel Obama and will be staying in the same suite as the First Lady at the Villa Padierna Hotel. She has been invited by Countess Alicia de Villapadierna, and her husband, the President of Urbanizadores de España, Ricardo Arranza, and will be followed by a small army of the US press.

Ivana Trump and a group of celebrities will be dining and partying with the Marbella jet-set, as well as shopping in Marbella town centre, and lunching with Rudolph Schonburg and his wife, Princess Maria Luisa of Prussia (cousin to Queen Sofia of Spain), before attending the ‘Children for Peace’ Gala at the Villa Padierna, sponsored by the owner of La Cañada Shopping Centre, Tomas Olivo, on June 4.

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See Heather Small at The Polo House - June 7 & 8 KNOWN for the soulful voice behind 1990s' pop sensation the 'M People', Heather Small is visiting Spain for a concert in Marbella next month.

KNOWN for the soulful voice behind 1990s' pop sensation the 'M People', Heather Small is visiting Spain for a concert in Marbella next month. She tells EWN reporter Nicole Hallett about stage fright and her favourite dance as a contestant in 2008 Strictly Come Dancing.

Born and raised on a West London council estate, Heather Small joined her first group, Hot House, as a teenager in 1987. She later moved to Manchester after a chance meeting with Hacienda DJ Mike Pickering and shot to fame in the 1990s as the lead vocalist of  M People with hit songs including ‘One Night in Heaven’, ‘Search for the Hero’, and ‘Moving on Up’.

In 2000, she released her debut solo album ‘Proud’, a critically acclaimed collection of self-penned soul and gospel anthems, followed by her second album ‘Close to a Miracle’ in 2006. Heather has visited Spain on several occasions:  “I have been to Barcelona and done the Gaudi thing; I took my son to see the big games in Madrid, La Manga, and I spent New Year’s Eve 2010 in Palma de Mallorca with my son. 

“We stayed in the old part, which I loved and we spent New Year’s Day walking around the harbour.  I love looking at the water and the boats. I do not like actually going in the water, but the water from a distance is very nice.”

After decades in the spotlight, Heather admits she still gets stage fright. “It is terrible. I know that the best thing for me to do is to know my steps and to know what I am doing inside out. To get on that stage and do well I have to be confident that I know my song well. 

“As the years go by I have realised that what an audience will forgive is a bad note; but that ain’t gonna happen. What they want is 100 per cent commitment. 

“They want you to go for it and I have always gone for  it, you know, and with experience you learn how to do that night after night without damaging your voice. You look after yourself.

“I actually have this little ritual I do to learn my songs. I am a bit superstitious ... I have this really old Walkman where the back has fallen off. I have to cover the backwith paper. When I go to the gym people look at me like they are thinking "that poor girl, she cannot even afford an iPhone."

"I do have an iPhone, my son puts stuff on the re for me, but I just feel more comfortable doing it the old way. When at home i just put my CD on.

"I drink herbal tea before going on stage. I do breathing techniques and relaxation."

But, once on stage, her stage fright disappears: "I love it", Heather says.

"When you get out there and you say the first few words and the sound is good, especially when you go out there with a band, it's amazing.

"There is no experience like it. It is well documented that I do not smoke, drink or do drugs. I understand the life you lead as a musician, the highs are so high and then you come off the road it is hard to come down from touring.

"I can understand how sometimes people can get into bad habits, but I have got a really solid family."

When asked which of her songs contain the most important message to her personally she is quick to answer. "'Proud', because I wrote it to myself. I have been able to put a roof over my head and I have been happy through singing. For me that is success.

“People think you can just measure it from what is in your bank account. I do not want to be known as a rich woman, but as a singer.” 

She admits she has always admired Gladys Knight,  Mavis Stapels, and Nina Simone.  

“I like heartfelt singers that have that element of something...” Heather was a contestant in the British television show Strictly Come Dancing in 2008. 

“The dancing and the training were absolutely wonderful. Getting up in front of the judges and being on TV was nerve-racking, she recalls. 

“I am glad I did it because I met some people who are now friends for life. 

“The waltz was my favourite dance. I didn’t have a least favourite but the judges might have done!”  Heather laughs.

 

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Corinthia Hotel London, London’s newest five-star luxury hotel, recently hosted an A-list charity gala evening in support of the Gender Rights and Equality Action Trust (the G.R.E.A.T. initiative).

Corinthia Hotel London, London’s newest five-star luxury hotel, recently hosted an A-list charity gala evening in support of the Gender Rights and Equality Action Trust (the G.R.E.A.T. initiative). Trustees Mariella Frostrup, Jason McCue, Karen Ruimy and Marc Carter hosted international and UK celebrities, influencers and philanthropists at the celebratory gala including Colin and Livia Firth, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Chris Evans, Jemima Khan, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Laura Bailey.

Upon arrival, the evening’s guests were warmly received at a reception in the hotel’s specialty Mediterranean fish restaurant Massimo where champagne and canapés designed by Chef Patron Massimo Riccioli were sampled inside the spectacular space of soaring ceilings and original columns. Guests were then ushered into Corinthia’s majestic ballroom and treated to a private performance by Mark Knopfler, who played classics to the assembled lucky few that had managed to get tickets for the sell out gala. A three-course dinner created by Corinthia London’s Executive Chef Garry Hollihead was served, followed by a welcoming address by Mariella Frostrup, who presented G.R.E.A.T.’s recent missions, achievements and objectives. Two short films presented by Renée Zellweger were shown, from her trip earlier this year on a G.R.E.A.T. mission with Mariella and Karen Ruimy in Liberia.

The highlight of the evening took the form of a spectacular auction, featuring one-of-a-kind lots donated by the stars and G.R.E.A.T. supporters, including Mark Knopfler’s guitar from his evening performance, a role as an extra in the upcoming Bridget Jones 3 film, and art work from leading artists such as Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Jonny Yeo. The bidders were spurred on through a video message from G.R.E.A.T.’s patron, Annie Lennox, who urged all to support G.R.E.A.T. and gender equality around the globe. Proceeds from the auction will directly support the G.R.E.A.T. initiative’s goals including the FAS NGO Pan African Centre for Gender, Peace and Development and specific grass root projects on the ground.

The charitable night is reflective of Corinthia London’s core values of warmth and hospitality, which are the basis of its exceptional service. General Manager Matthew Dixon said, “We are honoured to support such an important cause as the G.R.E.A.T. initiative, and hope that tonight’s gala event helps raise the profile and funds that enable the organisation to reach a global audience. As one of London’s newest leading five star hotels, we are delighted to open our doors to G.R.E.A.T. and offer them our hospitality on such a significant occasion.”

Jason McCue, Trustee of G.R.E.A.T., thanked Corinthia London during his speech to the guests saying, “Thank you, Corinthia, not just for your charitable support of GREAT, not just for providing us with a wonderful and undoubtedly the best venue in London, not just for all your exquisite hospitality but for also giving our event some style.”

Corinthia Hotel London is fast becoming the capital’s hottest luxury destination, having already hosted a number of celebrity events during its pre-opening period this spring. The exquisitely designed restaurants, bars and ballroom provide the perfect setting for London entertaining at its finest. For further information, visit www.corinthia.com/London.

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Jimmy Choo bought by luxury goods firm Labelux

UK shoe maker and retailer Jimmy Choo has been bought from TowerBrook Capital Partners by luxury goods group Labelux.

The size of the deal, which should be completed in June, has not been disclosed.

Jimmy Choo was founded in 1996 in London by current chief creative officer Tamara Mellon, a former Vogue editor, and shoemaker Jimmy Choo, who sold his interest in 2001.

Labelux was founded by Germany's billionaire Reimann family in 2007.

It is based in Vienna, Austria, and its other investments include shoemaker Bally.

Ms Mellon and chief executive Joshua Schulman will stay on in their current jobs as part of the deal.

TowerBrook Capital Partners bought Jimmy Choo in 2007 for £185m.

It has developed the company into a global brand, which last year reported net sales of £150m.

The brand was founded in 1996 by Jimmy Choo and Tamara Mellon

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HEATHER Small former M People singer perform at an exclusive concert at restaurant Polo House.

HEATHER Small is set to make Marbella proud.
Fans are being given the chance to see the former M People singer perform at an exclusive concert at restaurant Polo House.
The star – who shot to fame during the 1990s as the lead singer of the Manchester band – will be performing hits such as Moving on Up and One Night in Heaven alongside tracks from her solo albums, including Proud which became the theme for the Oprah Winfrey show.


Guests will have a five course dinner followed by an intimate concert at the event which takes place on June 7 and 8.

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They are among the world's wealthiest power couples with an estimated fortune of £165m. Homme by David Beckham, which will come out later this year.

But it seems that there is no stopping the Beckhams as David has revealed he will be following in his wife's footsteps by releasing his own fashion range and scent.

The 36-year-old footballer is to launch a men’s bodywear line and fragrance, called Homme by David Beckham, which will come out later this year.


Latest venture: David Beckham, has been working on a men's clothing line and scent

Making the transition from pop star to fashion designer has been a relatively smooth transition for Victoria and her designs have been hailed a global hit with celebrities from Jennifer Lopez to Halle Berry pictured in her creations.

But far from being threatened, Posh couldn't be happier with her husband's new plans.


 'David announced today he is launching his own bodywear range!!! x'

With their combined earnings boosted by £20 million this year alone it appears that Mr Beckham is keen to get involved in the industry.

He told WWD: 'I have had the idea of doing a bodywear collection for some time now.


 David fronted the Emporio Armani campaign in 2007 which helped double profits for the Italian company from around £14.1 million to £38.7 million in one year

'The push to do something of my own really came as a result of my collaboration with Armani.'

David fronted the Emporio Armani underwear campaign in 2007, appearing on giant billboards and magazine spreads, which resulted in a doubling of profits for the Italian company in one year, from around £14.1 million to £38.7 million.

Taking note, he has stated that he too will be the 'face' of his new brand which will sport a specially-designed logo, created by fashion designer Stella McCartney's husband Alasdhair Willis.

His Armani experience gave him insight into the fashion industry and he soon spotted a gap in the market for well-cut T-shirts and fitted boxer shorts.

He said: 'It proved to me that there is a real market for good-looking, well-made men's bodywear.'

The new fragrance meanwhile will join two existing Beckham-branded scents: David Beckham Instinct, and Intimately Beckham, co-launched with Victoria in 2006.



The London-born footballer, has been working with his and Victoria's business manager, Simon Fuller to launch the venture.

Fuller said: 'David and I have a number of ambitious and exciting ideas in development across a broad range of categories.

'The next 10 years will see David evolve into being recognised, not just as an iconic sports figure, but also as an important entrepreneur.'

If Victoria's fashion success is anything to go by this will be a lucrative move for the power couple.

It will also help secure the family, who are expecting their first daughter this July, long after David retires from his footballing career.

He said: ‘I'm getting older now and I don't have many years left. This is my last contract year, but who knows what will happen.’

And to ensure that everything goes to plan Mr Beckham, father of Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, eight, and Cruz, five, has been involved in the process from start to finish.

'With my team we have spent time working on the fit, the fabric and the style to ensure the product looks and feels the very best and I am hugely proud of the end result.

'I can't wait to show people the collection - although I'm not sure my mum will be too happy seeing a billboard image of me in underwear again.'

There is no launch date set for the clothing range but the scent will be released in September.

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US fashion retailer Hollister is poised to open a Regent Street flagship

US fashion retailer Hollister is poised to open a Regent Street flagship, its first central London store, after having agreed to take an assignment of National Geographic’s lease.

The retailer, which is the sister brand of Abercrombie & Fitch, is understood to have agreed to pay a significant premium to take the store at 83-97 Regent Street.

Hollister is set to move into the three-storey, 20,000 sq ft store, next year with 11-years remaining on the lease.

National Geographic opened its Regent Street store, which was its first in the world, in November 2008.

It is understood that the store was too big was National Geographic and the rent was too high. The retailer is understood to have been considering a move for some time.

CB Richard Ellis advises the Crown Estate; Capita Symonds acts for Hollister. Savills acted for National Geographic. All parties declined to comment.

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The Beckhams look set to celebrate American Independence Day in style – with the birth of their first daughter.

According to The Sun, Victoria has preliminarily booked a C-section on July 4 at an exclusive LA hospital.

David and Vic were originally planning to come back to the UK so the baby could be born in London’s private Portland hospital, but now it seems they want their little lady to be an all-American girl.

A friend told the paper: "It's going to be a massive family affair in America. While the date hasn't changed, it was decided an LA clinic would be best for the immediate family.

"Vic and David love America, its culture and her people, who have welcomed them with open arms.

"The most important thing is the health of mother and baby and things can always change last minute.

"But if it's possible for the baby to be born on Independence Day, Vic and David will be thrilled."

While Indie would seem like an appropriate name for baby Beckham, Atlanta is tipped to be top of the family’s wish-list.

‘Atlanta’ (or whatever they choose) will be a little sister for Brooklyn, 12, Romeo, eight, and Cruz, six.

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ICON launches London restaurant site

After Rome’s celebrated La Rosetta and 40 years of culinary excellence, chef Massimo Riccioli brings to London the exclusive specialty restaurant that bears his name.

Massimo Restaurant and Oyster Bar is all about style and Italian passion. Set in an inspiringly elegant ambient that combines fine marble decorations with richly-textured fabrics, the restaurant offers tantalising dishes that satisfy the very best of gourmets.

Teaming up with ICON, a Malta-based web development firm, Massimo has once again served excellence, this time in the form of a beautifully-crafted website that matches the restaurant’s interior in artistry. Using ICON.snap, a flexible content management system, ICON’s talented designers have embedded a winning blend of water-colour splashes and free-hand drawn illustrations into the restaurant’s portal. An eclectic blend of colour and fully optimised pages to ensure positive search-engine rankings make the site chic and easy to use.

www.massimo-restaurant.co.uk is a website fine-diners should not overlook. With ICON’s e-News module Massimo can keep in touch with its clientele through their newsletter by sending regular gourmet updates on seasonal food choices. Integrated with OpenTable this Whitehall Place restaurant can also accept online booking making sure you always have a table ready for delicious culinary discoveries.

ICON’s collaboration with Massimo showcases success in ICON’s own internationalisation efforts as well as its ability to develop high-end, creative portals that brim with gusto.

 

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