The clothing produced under the Loxion Kulca label seeks to project “street feel” and initially involved clothing with a loose fit

Loxion Kulca

The Loxion Kulca brand offers a case study of a radically different character to

that of either Sun Goddess or Stoned Cherrie. What is distinctive about Loxion

Kulca is that it is an enterprise that is centrally focused on brand construction and

232 URBAN FORUM

development rather a direct focus on design, production and distribution processes.

The Loxion Kulca label was established as recently as 1999 and presently is

owned jointly by Sechaba Mogale and Wandi Nzimande, both of whom were

born in 1976, the year of the Soweto uprising. Close school friends, at age 24 the

two founders, with no formal education in fashion, were looking for ways to

make money in the late 1990s. As representatives for a fashion business known

as ‘Fashion Fever’ selling hats their awareness developed of the importance of

branding. The pair wore crocheted close-fitting skull caps and local people began

asking them where these caps could be purchased. This provided the impetus

for the two partners to encourage friends and family and others to produce the

hand-knitted ‘beanies’ which were sold either out of plastic bags or car boot.

An important turning point in the growth of the enterprise was the taking-on

of a white business partner, a former successful clothing manufacturer, who assisted

the two black entrepreneurs to grow Loxion Kulca into a mass market

brand. The brand collection diversified from the initial focus on hats into urban

street-wear, mainly of denims, printed T-shirts, and sport shoes and later to include

branded overalls and men’s suits (Nuttall, 2004). The clothing produced

under the Loxion Kulca label seeks to project “street feel” and initially involved

clothing with a loose fit with pockets “in the right place’ for keys or cell phones.

Marketing was a critical factor for the early success of Loxion Kulca as the clothing

label was surrounded by kwaito and hip-hop music and street culture (art and

graffiti) that allowed the brand to capture and retain ‘street cred’ (Rubin, 2003).

The name Loxion Kulca was created out of the belief of its designers that

urban locations or townships (Loxion) were similar in their cultural vibe (Kulca).yanzic0626.

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Steve Biko and shebeen queens have enabled a blend of traditional design

Stoned Cherrie

blends images of boxing champions, beauty queens, and musicians from Drum,

a magazine that was extremely popular in the 1950s, integrating them into contemporary

fashion styles (Nuttall, 2004: 436) Various emblems and prints depict

Steve Biko and shebeen queens have enabled a blend of traditional design, South

African history and modern urban design, which is projected at “an expressly

cosmopolitan target audience” (Nuttall, 2004: 436). For this unique blend of design,

Stoned Cherrie has been hailed as “a true South African brand” by the

Programme Director of the South African Fashion Week, Dion Chang (2005).

In terms of business development, whilst Nkensani believes that black economic

empowerment must be a central feature of the Stoned Cherrie business

strategy, the core criteria for employment is level of skill rather than racial considerations.

This approach is emphasized by Nkensani’s philosophy that ‘being

African is not about being black’. Indeed, until recently, one of the major designers

employed at Stoned Cherrie was a white woman (Cameron, 2004). All production

of Stoned Cherrie clothing is outsourced to local manufacturers either in

Johannesburg or Cape Town.

The domestic high income South African market is the core of Stoned Cherrie’s

current business. Currently, Stoned Cherrie does not export its products. Nkensani

has taken the strategic decision to first build the enterprise and brand with a solid

foundation in the South African market. Future planning for Stoned Cherrie does

include potential initiatives to market their goods, particularly in Japan and the

USA. Overall, the main business goals of Stoned Cherrie, going forward, are to

grow their market, both locally and internationally, as well as to diversify into the

home-ware market. yanzic0626.

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KARL LAGERFELD, known for his versatility, creativity, and graceful design aesthetic

KARL LAGERFELD CHANEL Born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1938, Karl Lagerfeld was mesmerized by art and fashion even as a child. When he was only 15, he went to Paris to enter a competition with a coat he had designed and walked off with first prize. It wasn't long before the talented young designer was snatched up by the couture houses of Paris. In 1963 he started his own line of clothing and began a longstanding collaboration with Fendi, for which he still designs. In 1983 he became artistic director for Chanel. Known for his versatility, creativity, and graceful design aesthetic, he's won praise for bringing new freshness to the classic label with out altering it too dramatically.
The lavish, theatrical elements in many of Lagerfeld's designs make them a natural for the Oscars. In fact, his clothes have been stars themselves as costumes for European and American movies and operas.
When he's not designing gowns for the world's most glamorous women, Lagerfeld devotes himself to restoring old houses, collecting 18th-century furniture, and photography, which he has turned into a second career. He also recently completed a collection of illustrations for a new children's book based on--appropriately enough--"The Emperor's New Clothes."
MIUCCIA PRADA PRADA
The Prada trademark dates from the early 1900s when Miuccia's grandfather Mario opened two leathergoods stores in Milan. He stocked them with designs created from the exotic materials he collected during his travels--rare fish skin and tortoiseshell from the Orient, and parachute nylon from the United States. Although the business declined after Mario's death in the 1950s, Miuccia took it over in 1978 and made it her mission to infuse new life into the family label.
She's done that--and more. Miuccia introduced her first collection of shoes in 1985 and, in 1989, launched her debut women's collection. Her sleek, sophisticated, modern edge was a perfect fit with the understated, minimalist climate emerging in fashion, and it wasn't long before the Prada name gained cachet with the young and fashionable crowd. Among her devoted fans are Caroline Bissette Kennedy (Mrs. JFK Jr.) and Uma Thurman. In fact, the elegant lavender Prada gown Thurman wore to the 1995 Oscars is hailed by some as a bellwether in the simple-chic Oscar-fashion trend.
Prada herself describes her style as a blend of practicality and whimsy, stemming from her dual background in political science and theater arts. Whatever the inspiration, her work continues to earn accolades and celebrity clients.
JOHN GALLIANO CHRISTIAN DIOR
Sure, critics are praising understated navy silk pantsuits these days, but there's always room for flair and flamboyance on a glamorous night like the Oscars. And that's where fashion impresario John Galiano comes in. He was already a force int he couture world when the took the helm at Christian Dior in 1996. His Oscar-night creations are among the boldest and most unforgettable, and it takes a bold, confident start to wear them (Madonna, Celine Dion, Nicole Kidman, for example). A chartreuse gown with mesh back, Chinese embroidery, and fur tassels might sound like a potential disaster--but when Galliano conceives it and Kidman carries it off, the fashion press swoons.
If, as some say, the most innovative designers in Paris are British, galliano. certainly fits the mold. Born in Gibraltar in 1960 and raised in England, he combines the best of British tradition with thoroughly modern and wildly imaginative designs that have been called everything from "poetic" to "eccentric." for inspiration he has drawn on such diverse sources as Mata Hari, Japanese art, Toulouse-Lautrec, Napoleon and Josephine, and the Scottish Highlands.
Galliano introduced his first collection in 1985 and, after enjoying success on his own, was lured to Givenchy in 1995 to help give the classic label a fresher, more modern image. His collections won the British Designer of the Year award as well as Spain's most prestigious fashion award. However, a year later he was lured to another of haute couture's most prestigious houses--Dior.
So far it seems like a perfect fit.
OSCAR FACT: How the Oscar got its name: In 1931 Margaret Herrick, an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences employee, commented that the statuette "looks like my uncle Oscar." Other employees picked up on the nickname, and in 1934 it appeared in a newspaper column for the first time. yanzic0619.

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wear padded clothes and full-face helmets

A gearhead's guide to hardtails, wheelie drops and fall's hottest outerwear
Name: Kim Steed Age: Twenty-seven Hometown: North Vancouver Sponsor: Santa Cruz Bicycles Day job: Owns a bike shop. Major recent injuries: Hip hematoma, broken rib, back knocked out of alignment. Going on a free ride: "Free riding is a bit of a circus. You find the most rugged terrain that you can and do as many stunts as possible: 360 drops, wheelie drops, spins. Hardtails -- bikes without shock absorbers on the rear wheel -- are more maneuverable and better for stunts, but they're pretty painful on the drops." Location, location, location: "Moab, Utah, is Mecca for free riders -- such nice, slick rock there that you can ride for hours and hours. But many of the top pros are now coming from what we call the north shore of Vancouver. We've got some of the biggest drops you'd ever want to see, and because it's so wet, it's incredibly challenging." Organ donors: "My friends and I will take six-hour helicopter rides to try out some untested trail. We wear padded clothes and full-face helmets, but there's always somebody who gets loaded onto the helicopter and rushed to the hospital. In the last six months, four of my friends have had to have their spleens removed. But the injuries aren't slowing anybody down. The risk is part of the thrill."
"By the time I was nine, I was already burned out on BMX. Mountain biking is more adult."
Name: Brian Lopes Age: Twenty-eight Hometown: Laguna Beach, California Sponsor: Volvo-Cannondale Professional ranking: 1998 U.S. champion in the downhill; 1999 U.S. champion in the dual slalom. Major recent injuries: Torn ligaments, broken collarbone, a dislocated shoulder. Silly rabbit, BMX is for kids: "I made the move from BMX racing to mountain biking seven years ago, because there are too many kids in BMX. Mountain biking is more adult and more of a technical challenge. You have to remember that I started racing in BMX events when I was four years old. By the time I was nine, I was already getting burned out. I quit and played the normal sports that all my friends were playing, like baseball. Boring." Breaking the speed limit: "Every course is different. The fastest is probably the Kamikaze, in Mammoth, California. You hit about sixty miles an hour there." Give me land, lots of land: "If I'm in an office on the phone for three or four hours, I start going crazy. I have to get outside." The simple pleasures of the good life: "For me, the best part of mountain biking is doing something you love and getting a chance to hang out with your friends."
Name: Wade Bootes Age: Twenty-five Hometown: Dallas (by way of Sydney, Australia) Sponsor: Trek-Volkswagen Professional ranking: Placed eighth in the 1999 dual-slalom World Cup in his first year on the circuit. Major recent injuries: None. Folks said, "Wade, move away from there:" "I first came to the United States to do the BMX circuit. I bought a van for $350 and drove from race to race, living from whatever prize money I could take. Now I travel the world and own a house on six acres of land, with a practice track in my back yard. I'm probably going to move now that I'm doing mountain biking. California is the place to be." Survival of the fittest: "It's so hard, the downhill. People fall and get hurt all the time just walking on the courses. It's always in the back of your mind that if you hit one rock wrong, you'll hit a tree and really fuck yourself up. But you have to stay positive, because if you keep thinking that way, then you will hit the tree. I just try to get down the course. That's a big part of the thrill of a good run: getting to the bottom and saying, 'I made it! I beat the odds.'"
Name: Maya Labat Age: Twenty-nine Hometown: New York Sponsor: Brooklyn Machine Works Major recent injury: Blown-out anterior cruciate ligaments in one knee. NYC blue: "It's very rare to find a top cyclist from New York. I mean, forget mountains. Here, training means chasing the crackheads trying to steal your bike. I started out by setting up jumps in Washington Square Park with some friends. But it's tough to get the attention of sponsors or magazine editors unless you live out West." Sign o' the times: "Downhill biking is hot now -- just look at Busta Rhymes in that Mountain Dew ad." Head over heels: "You're consistently taking huge shocks, hitting baby-head-size rocks at full speed, and you have to adjust just to keep going. When you're gripping the brakes so hard, you sometimes get 'eagle claw': Once you stop, you just can't get your hand to release the grip. One time I caught a flat in my front tire, but I was going so fast, I didn't realize it. The tire didn't roll up onto the next rock I hit, so I flew over the bike by about fifteen feet and landed on a rock. I opened up a gash in my leg like a bellybutton pierced open. The problem is, you take so many falls, you're not immediately sure if you're hurt badly. In every big race, some cat leaves on a stretcher." yanzic0619.

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David Hasselhoff dressed as a road warrior, still looking hopelessly geeky

EVENTS WE ALWAYS SEEM TO MISS
The Philadelphia Museum of Art featured 100 photographs of men's feet taken during orgasm. No thanks, we see enough of our own feet during sex.
ConFurence, the "original full-furry convention" held yearly in California for folks who are interested in "furry" characters. Here you really could wake up next to a dog.
The 1,600-person tug-of-war contest in Taiwan. Reportedly, two men had limbs torn off and 45 other people were injured, including a few ambassadors. You should have seen the three-legged race.
OUR KIND OF GUYS
Major General Perry Smith (retired), above left, military consultant to CNN, who quit after the network broadcast a shaky report that the United States had used lethal nerve gas against American defectors during the Vietnam War.
Alan Greenberg, an executive who donated $1 million to buy Viagra for impotent men who can't afford it.
Michael Collins, above center, Command Module Pilot of Apollo 11, who did his job, stayed in orbit while Nell and Buzz played golf, never complained, and as a result has been completely forgotten.
Katsuo Katugoru, a Tokyo problem-solver who designed rubber briefs that could inflate to 30 times their normal size as protection in case of a tidal wave. The underwear, it was reported, inflated in a crowded train, causing pandemonium.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Jean-Noel Charolais of France, above right, broke the world record for resistance to cold and pain (narrowly beating Barbara Boxer's husband). Charolais spent 42 minutes and 31 seconds sitting in a small hole filled with ice and snow, lined at the bottom with ground glass.
NOT OUR KIND OF GUYS ANYMORE
David Hasselhoff dressed as a road warrior, still looking hopelessly geeky.
Sean Connery reportedly doing karaoke in Paris, forever shattering his cool image.
Best Health News
You can stop fretting about the undead. British researchers examined a handful of zombies in southern Haiti and found that they were actually mentally ill, wandering strangers who only resembled dead people. Couldn't the same be said about people at those Renaissance fairs?
Pork chops may hold the secret to a healthier, longer life. A common type of fat found in meat, called conjugated linoleic acid, may help prevent diabetes, according to Purdue and Penn State researchers. Their findings suggest that this fatty acid is as effective as some new drugs in preventing the disease. One researcher hopes that someday, "We'll have a value-added pork chop that could help fight cancer and diabetes." Pick it up in the meat section of your local pharmacy.
Ever wonder why tickling yourself doesn't work? You're not alone, strange one. With the help of magnetic resonance imaging, researchers found that the brain warns you beforehand when you try to tickle yourself.
Marijuana may help cure a stubborn case of hiccups, suggests a researcher writing in the Lancet, a medical journal. After hiccuping for nine days, a patient took a few tokes, and the spasms stopped permanently. Of course, now he can't stop giggling.
Omelets may prevent scrambled vision, Two key nutrients with hard-to-pronounce names (lutein and zeaxanthin) have been found in egg yolks. The nutrients may protect the eye from age-related damage that leads to vision loss.
Worst Health News
According to the USDA Livestock Behavior Research Unit at Purdue University, earlier castration reduces stress. We'll say!
Our brains apparently shrink more rapidly than women's do, according to researchers. We're happy to take that kind of shrinkage over others. yanzic0617.

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It's a goofy synthetic shell you shove down your pants to make your package appear larger than it is

Not the worst, but certainly the most creative: The Hot Dog Snow Mobile. Like the name says, it's a snowmobile made from a hot dog. The recipe features cottage cheese (for the snow), cheese spread (for hair and flames), and pretzels (playing the part of the steering wheel). Joe Kita, one of our editors, fetched this from his mom's recipe box. You should see what she does with fish sticks.
Worst fashion statement
The Bulge. It's a goofy synthetic shell you shove down your pants to make your package appear larger than it is. Great for Speedos, spandex shorts, underwear, and pants. Save the 20 bucks and stuff a sock in it.
Were tired of...
Cargo pants
Coffee as religion
Nicolas Cage and dumbass action movies
The flood of bogus herbal workout supplements
Thinking about the stock market
Talking about the Web
Hearing about Viagra
Hot-air balloonists
Size does matter."
South Park
People who still believe soccer will catch on in America
Beanie Babies
Ben Affleck
SCARIEST SEX DEVICE ON THE PLANET
Even the name is scary. The Eroscillator is a mechanical aid developed to "help women achieve faster, more intense orgasms." lit comes with four interchangeable heads--all of which look like they came straight out of Alien Resurrection. This device, which operates at 3,600 oscillations per minute, is recommended by Dr. Ruth Westheimer, who also operates at 3,600 oscillations per minute.
OFFICE STUFF
Coolly intimidating: An office chair made of antlers, from Crystal Farm.
Ominously intimidating: The Anytimer executive organizer. The top half appears to be an appointment book, complete with binder and pen. Beneath it is a foam insert, shaped to hold a handgun. Makes a real impression at year-end reviews!
Stupid: Billed as a "silent business partner," the MotivAider is an electronic device that vibrates as often as once a minute to remind you to "take action, so you follow through like you've never done before." It reminds you to stay focused, praise employees, and avoid injuries. It also reminds you that you spent S 5 bucks on something really stupid.
More Stuff to Worry About
Vibration-induced white finger. It's a disorder linked to "hand-transmitted vibration." From now on we're cutting back to three times a week.
Cuddling a kitty could give you an ulcer. In a recent report, doctors described a man who had 10 stomach ulcers caused by an animal strain of bacteria. One genetic sequence of the bacterium was 100 percent identical to that found in his cat. This may also explain his compulsion to bury his doo-doo in the sandbox.
Some Disneyland employees can wear their theme-park suits to and from work. How can we give Mickey the finger if he cuts us off?
TV violence is bad. But is it as bad as the TV itself? Two studies document injuries sustained by kids when large TVs fell on them. Parents, take your kids to the park; Frisbees are easier to catch.
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus is no longer just a book. It's now a magazine, too.
It may really be over when the fat lady sings. Listening to opera while driving can kill you, according to Britain's Royal Automobile Club, which claims that listening to "Ride of the Valkyries" can stir up a driver's emotions and lead to accidents. The only thing worse: listening to those ads for Ensure.
Cocaine use may be even more dangerous on hot days, say doctors. Is that why all the young actors are moving to Anchorage? yanzic0617.

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I see more cases where a customer who normally only buys cheaper items like T-shirts is now buying art

Consumers have embraced the new offerings. "I see more cases where a customer who normally only buys cheaper items like T-shirts is now buying art, which costs more than 100,000 yen [$810 at current exchange] without hesitation," said Yuichi Yoshii of Loveless, a specialty store in the Aoyama district here.
Boutiques that simply sold photography books or art tomes have begun mounting art exhibits and selling artwork. At Loveless, for example, art events are held regularly. During a recent photo exhibition by Stephane Queme of the French band Daft Punk, 20 works ranging from 49,350 yen to 165,900 yen, or $399 to $1,342 at current exchange, sold the first day. At a subsequent exhibition at Loveless, "Stones," by lacquer artist Akito Akagi and pottery artist Kouichi Uchida, 60 out of 200 pieces sold with prices ranging from 180,000 yen to 650,000 yen, or $1,456 to $5,257.
Meanwhile, Wut Berlin, owned by H.P. France, earlier this year exhibited photographs by Anna Schlaeger. During the show, 10 out of 23 pieces were sold, including large prints priced at 17,750 yen, or $144, and medium prints for 12,600 yen, or $102.
While art hasn't performed as well as fashion, Loveless' Yoshii said the results are still quite good. "It has the effect of cultivating new customers since we have new people who had never been to the boutique visiting for the art exhibitions," he said. "Also, we can use art as a topic to open communications with our customers. It adds to the intimacy factor."
For some boutiques, art is an important tool used to convey the store concept. Restir, for example, said it will hold exhibitions at the entrance of its midtown boutique. Other stores are featuring artists who worked on their catalogues and mailings. Tomorrowland, a specialty store, sold works by Valerie Roy and Fabrice Moireau at its Shibuya boutique and Maison Galerie Vie, its boutique and cafe in Aoyama. Since Roy and Moireau are well-known for their collaborations with major luxury brands, devoted fans from Tokyo and beyond came to the opening reception this spring.
"It is our philosophy to introduce lifestyle products, not only fashion," said Akira Ueno, general manager for the shop development division of Tomorrowland. "The name of our Aoyama store, Galerie Vie, means 'lifestyle gallery.'"
Tomorrowland has been selling items such as home and decorating products, stationery, posters and postcards for more than 20 years. It became more aware of the potential for selling art when prints by photographer Arthur Elgort blew out during the boutique's Shibuya opening. "Originally, art could not be purchased outside a limited number of places such as galleries," Ueno said. "There are more people looking for real art now, yet many are not aware of where to go. We are hoping such customers enjoy art through stores like ours when they visit."
Tomorrowland works with artists to ensure prices are affordable. For example, at Maison Galerie Vie, an exhibition of Graldine Gonzalez's works on paper in June was priced at 31,500 yen, or $255, for small pieces, and 47,250 yen, or $382, for large pieces, which was well within Tomorrowland customers' budgets.
Competition is stiff in the Tokyo specialty boutique arena, which makes enhancing a store's image with art increasingly important. At Loveless, sales of CDs and books are booming and the shop believes it's possible for half the stockkeeping units to eventually shift to nonfashion products. Boutiques such as Loveless have also found an added benefit to selling art: regular exhibitions provide excitement during off-peak selling periods when there's a lull in the stores. yanzic0613.
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