Rising numbers of British women are asking the NHS(National Health Service) to provide cosmetic surgery on their genitals, doctors said on Friday.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, they said the number of "labial reductions" carried out in NHS hospitals had doubled to 800 a year over five years.

"More and more women are said to be troubled by the shape, size or proportions of their vulvas", wrote Lih Mei Liao and Sarah Creighton from London's UCL Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health.

Articles in women's magazines about "designer vaginas", the rising popularity of cosmetic surgery and Internet promotion by private health clinics were all fuelling demand.

The authors said women seeking surgery were being influenced by idealised images of genitalia shown in pornography and on private genitoplasty Web sites.

Liao said research was needed into whether surgery was bringing long-term benefits to patients, before the NHS started routinely offering the cosmetic procedure.

A model presents a creation from Hannibal Laguna collection at Barcelona Bridal Week fashion show May 30, 2007. REUTERS/Albert Gea (SPAIN)

Liz Hurley has the body women want, according to a new survey.

The 41-year-old Estee Lauder model first showcased her curves in the famous Versace safety-pinned dress.

She was named the number one British Body Idol in a poll of 5,000 women for New Woman magazine.

Maintaining the Hurley figure is hard work. She once confessed to eating just one full meal a day and snacking on six raisins, while watercress soup is a staple of her diet.

Hurley's win does not prove that curves are in.

Actress Natalie Portman's publicist has fired back at reports the actress is upset she wasn't invited to attend the 30th anniversary celebrations of Star Wars in Los Angeles.

British tabloids ran with the story yesterday, with Portman quoted as saying the apparent snub was "upsetting" as she would have loved to have been a part of the five-day Star Wars Celebration IV earlier this month.

But the 25-year-old actress' publicist insists the story is untrue, Portman was misquoted and she wouldn't have been able to attend the party even if she had been invited.

The rep says, "Natalie wasn't even in the country... The story is false and all the quotes are made up."

A model presents a creation by Italian designer Valentino appears as part of his Spring-Summer 2007 Haute Couture fashion collection show in Paris, January 22, 2007. [Reuters]

Nicole Richie accessorised with different dark shades

Jessica Alba -- ranked No. 2 on this year's "Hot 100" list by Maxim magazine -- has a rebellious side.

"I love challenging authority," the 26-year-old actress tells InStyle in its June issue, on newsstands Friday. "It probably wasn't easy being my parents. The second somebody says 'no' to me is the second I'm going to jump up and say 'yes!' "

Alba, whose screen credits include "Sin City" and "Into the Blue," reprises her role as Susan Storm/Invisible Woman in "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," set for release June 15.

"My experience in this business is that if people think you're going to put people in seats because you have a fan base, it's more important than anything," she says.

She's finally "getting to play characters and dive into things and not just be sort of this version of 'this girl,' " says Alba, who found she was typecast as "some kind of little tart."

"Because obviously, if you have a womanly figure, you're not allowed to have a brain or any idea of the world whatsoever. You just have to be hot and use your body to get ahead."

But that body helped win her countless male fans, and, in turn, increased her value to movie producers and casting directors.

"I had womanly curves at a young age," says Alba, who starred as a mean high school student in 1999's "Never Been Kissed." "Usually kid actors are a few years older than the roles they play. I was two or three years younger."

"Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," a Twentieth Century Fox release, also stars Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis.

British Supermodel Kate Moss poses in a window beside dummies as she promotes her new range of clothing at a Topshop store, London.

With its dark furniture, high-tech gadgets and model jet plane, Philip Green's London office feels like the work space of an investment banker or hedge-fund manager. On the wall behind his enormous desk, there's even a photograph of Wall Street antihero Gordon Gekko. But on this May morning, the daytime television show flickering on his sleek, flat-screen set betrays his role as a master of an entirely different universe: women's fashion.

Green, the billionaire owner of the Arcadia Group, which controls a clutch of British clothing chains including Miss Selfridge and Wallis, is watching a spot about the latest fashion collection to hit Topshop, the jewel in Arcadia's crown. The much ballyhooed line inspired by Kate Moss--the supermodel's wardrobe formed the basis of the designs--went on sale the previous night at the chain's flagship store in London. Basking in the nonstop Moss-fueled coverage, Green can't help smiling: "You couldn't dream for a better start," he says. On May 9, the hype crossed the Atlantic when Barneys, one of New York City's toniest department stores, sold out of its special Topshop collection of Moss's striped blazers, skinny jeans and hot pants in four hours. Even the mannequins were stripped of their dresses.

Fired up by demand like that, Topshop is all set to go it alone. Days after the Barneys launch, Green announced plans to invest $100 million in Topshop's first three stand-alone stores in the U.S.--including a 70,000-sq.-ft. flagship in New York City--next spring. Topshop's U.S. adventure is the latest charge for growth among fast-fashion retailers, which specialize in constantly updated collections of cool clothing at prices so low the clothes are almost disposable. Over the past nine years, Topshop has carved an enviable niche atop this sector in Britain by appealing to a broader demographic than its competitors, by getting its new designs quickly to market and--in a category where inexpensive too often equals cheap--by emphasizing quality. This combination of fashion and value has "changed the way we dress," says Lauretta Roberts, editor of Drapers, the British fashion-business bible. That mix has also made the retailer a hit not just with the masses but with celebrities and fashion bigwigs as well. No American fashion editor's trip to Britain is complete, for example, without a pilgrimage to Topshop.

The Topshop formula is proving not just popular but profitable too. The chain made around $200 million in pretax profits last year on revenues of approximately $1.14 billion. That's about half the total profits and a third of sales at the privately owned Arcadia Group. It wasn't always this way, says Nick Bubb, a retail analyst at Pali International in London--less than 10 years ago, profits were as little as a tenth of last year's.

How did Topshop turn it around? By heading (relatively) upscale. Tired of its reputation for tackiness and losing out to budget chains in the '90s, Topshop's managers decided to stop competing just on price. "The decision was made to create a fashion authority," says Mary Homer, a joint managing director of Topshop who's been at the retailer for 20 years. (Green, a retail entrepreneur with years of experience in various types of businesses, acquired Arcadia in 2002 and helped execute the strategy already under way.) The company now employs 22 of its own designers, up from about a dozen in 2002, and they aim to create new looks just as deftly as the designers can copy those from the catwalks.

Getting new fashions into stores even faster than before also became a central part of Topshop's revival. While traditional clothing retailers might take six weeks to get a design to sales floors, Topshop's trucks are delivering new pullovers to its outlets usually just two weeks after suppliers have received the order. The result: Topshop debuts hundreds of new pieces in its London flagship outlet every week. And if the emphasis on speed and stylishness means Topshop's togs are a bit more expensive, then so be it. "If we can get it in four weeks in the U.K., we'll buy it at four weeks in the U.K. rather than buying it cheaper" elsewhere over a longer time frame, says Karyn Fenn, Topshop's other joint managing director. That's a premium the chain's customers have come to expect and are willing to pay for. A halter top, for example, might cost three times as much at Topshop as a comparable piece from H&M.

With 300 stores in Britain and 100 international outlets (all franchises) in Asia, Europe and Latin America, Topshop is looking to expand further overseas. Even after opening its biggest international store in Stockholm, Green says, Scandinavia still holds tremendous potential. But to grow much larger, Topshop will have to make some radical changes. Today, no matter where Topshop's smock dresses or miniskirts are stitched together--or where they're destined--they all pass through Britain. "The existing franchising model and supply chain would not work for significant global expansion, and will need to be adapted," Green says. To construct an efficient, decentralized distribution system is a logistics puzzle that management is attempting to solve.

As the company retools its supply chain, Topshop is beginning to focus on the U.S. The track record of British clothing retailers in the States is not particularly auspicious. Several British retailers, including the ubiquitous British chains Next and Marks & Spencer, have retreated after failing to come to grips with the ultracompetitive U.S. market.

Still on a budget? Try these cheap fashion tips:

1. Keep your store receipts and product tags for at least two months. You never know when you might want to return something because your tastes have changed, you have found a defect in the garment or the color is all wrong. Most chain stores have a very forgiving return policy. Of course, if you have worn it ... don't be a chiseler, it's yours.

2. Take a strapless dress or tunic and wear it over a turtle neck for winter or over a tee shirt or thin blouse in warm weather. You get two looks for the price of one, and when traveling, packing these items can double your wardrobe.

3. Wearing mule style shoes this summer? Try a spritz of hair spray on the inner sole so your feet don't slip.

4. Are your shoes scuffed? Dab the spot with a small dollop of Vaseline and blend into the entire shoe for instant shine. Or, polish the shoes with a little hand cream poured onto a paper towel.

5. For dry cuticles, rub either Vaseline or A&D ointment into each cuticle. On top of this slather your hands with your favorite hand lotion. Your hands and nails will stay moisturized for hours.

6. Another nail tip: For drying wet nail polish quickly, dip hands into ice cold water or spray nails with cooking oils such as PAM.

7. Stop paying top dollar for makeup removal pads. Try generic brands of baby wipes to remove makeup.

8. If you are a thin, petite-sized woman, don't overlook the children's department for casual clothing such as shorts, capris, cargo pants, denim jackets and basics such as T-shirts.

9. This is the season of fake tans. Try using Nair or other hair removal creams to remove any self-tanner streaks on the sides of your feet, palms, elbow and knees. Rub it on, then immediately wipe it off with a washcloth or tissue.

10. To create the illusion of cleavage, apply a bit of dark colored bronzing cream to the area between your breasts where the cleavage is supposed to be. Another technique: Try bronzing blush powder and apply with a brush. This sure beats the tip we learned that beauty pageant contestants use: Apply masking tape under their breasts for a quick lift.

“The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize,” said a character in Robert Harling’s play “Steel Magnolias.”

She could be shopping at Coldwater Creek at Stonebriar Mall to demonstrate her high place on the evolutionary scale.

Had she been there last Sunday a portion of the cost of her purchases would have been donated to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, an organization that searches for the cure for breast cancer.

This is the third year for Coldwater Creek to partner with the Komen Race for the Cure as a national series partner.

At an in-store fashion show held at the Coldwater Creek store in Stonebriar Mall in Frisco 10 percent of the proceeds from that day was donated to the Komen Race for the Cure. Four breast cancer survivors participated in the fashion show.

Cindy Bush was one of the organizers of the event and she is also a Coldwater Creek employee as well as a breast cancer survivor. “Through the efforts of Coldwater Creek and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure we act as enablers for women to acquire knowledge and information about this disease,” said Bush. “I have a passion for finding a cure.”

Martha Still of Van Alstyne and Christina Henry of Flower Mound, both breast cancer survivors, each modeled several outfits.

Henry urged women to get regular checkups. She was only 30 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I will be the first in four generations in my family to beat the disease,” said Henry.

“Early detection saved my life. That’s one reason I’m so involved and I want other women to be saved too,” said Still.

Paulena McAnderson-Weathers of EDS spoke at the event. She said her journey beginning from the time she was diagnosed with breast cancer has been a rollercoaster. She also said that women who are diagnosed with breast cancer must have friends and family and, most importantly, faith in God to get through the process.

Helene Swartz, visual co-ordinator of the Coldwater Creek store in Frisco demonstrated how a basic outfit could be changed with different accessories.

Sales associate Heidi Oracion also modeled several outfits.

Punch and refreshments were also available during the fashion show. Customers and store staff toasted the breast cancer survivors with champagne. Cindy Bush read a poem she had written about her experience with the disease.

The Coldwater Creek store helped to raise $800,000 for the North Texas Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure last year.

This year’s Race for the Cure will be held at EDS in Plano on June 2. Call the North Texas Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure hot line at 972-378-4808 for information.

FINAL preparations are being made for the charity fashion show being organised by Seventh Heaven at the Al A'ali Shopping Complex.

The Perfect Prom Date fashion show will be held under the patronage of Children and Mothers Welfare Society secretary-general Shaikha Hind bint Salman Al Khalifa. It will take place from 5pm on Saturday and is free to all.

The show will feature some of the latest prom wear collections from internationally renowned fashion house American Retro and includes creations from celebrated fashion designers like Milli, Nanette Lepore, Manoush, Tracy Reese, Betsey Johnson, Tibi and Blugirl.

The event aims at extending support to the society towards its efforts to assist in funding university education of underprivileged students.

"The future of our nation lies in the hands of our youth and it is up to us to take all possible efforts in giving them the solid educational grounding they deserve," said organisers.

The event follows a fashion show held last month with London-based handbag designer Zufi Alexander. Contact 17822229 for further information.

A model presents a creation by fashion design students of the National Academy of Arts during a fashion show in Sofia May 29, 2007. [Reuters]

Jaslene Gonzalez's heart and soul can rest easy.

A year after failing to make the cut, the 20-year-old Chicago native was named America's Next Top Model Wednesday, becoming the first Latina to win the competition and easing Tyra Banks' worries about what the leggy raven-haired beauty would do if she didn't win.

"Every little girl has a dream to be something," Gonzalez said, eyes brimming with happy tears. "And to be here, I overcame so much. I didn't make it the first time, but now look at me...That shows to all young women, if you have that drive, keep going. Second time around, and I'm America's Next Top Model!"

Gonzalez, who said earlier in the season¡ªTop Model's eighth¡ªthat modeling is what she was meant to do and that every fiber of her being was wholly devoted to taking the top prize, beat out fellow finalists Renee Alway, 20, and Natasha Galkina, 21. She wins a year's representation from Elite Model Management, a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl and a cover and six-page spread in Seventeen magazine.

And she doesn't have to pull out Natasha's hair, like she threatened to do if the bubbly Russian won.

(There's a reason they call it the catwalk.)

After 13 weeks of posing like corpses, dressing up as men, faking Australian accents and otherwise subjecting themselves to uncomfortable-looking scenarios that somehow never failed to produce seemingly flawless photographs (to a normal person, anyway), the top three girls had to make it all come together in a print ad and commercial for CoverGirl.

Alway nailed her "My Life As a Cover Girl" spot and easily transferred her "easy, breezy, beautiful" look to the subsequent photo shoot but, as the judges have been saying throughout the competition, she ended up looking older than her fellow contestants, prompting one CoverGirl exec to remark that she almost seems "too mature to be starting out in the modeling industry."

"I've seen this face before," photographer and judge Nigel Barker said as the panel deliberated after round one. "It's not the freshest face for me. And we're looking for America's Next Top Model."

Galkina, who almost went home in week two but spent the rest of the season taking better and better pictures and charming the judges' pants off, took her usual buoyant approach to the task at hand. But something was lost in translation, and ad-libbing the spot required left the very vivacious yet heavily accented Galkina sounding mechanical.

Which was fine, considering the judges just adored her.

"Your imperfections are often what make you so beautiful," Barker told her. "You have all the bits and pieces that you need."

"I personally think she is the most beautiful of the three," 1960s-era modeling icon Twiggy said.

Jaslene took a surprisingly sweet and soft photo¡ª"She knows how to take a fierce picture!" Tyra exclaimed¡ªbut she didn't exactly shine when it came to the talking part of the top model business, turning in a choppy commercial.

Not that the judges minded, with Barker calling her "amazing, spectacularly pretty."

So, washed up before 21, Alway was eliminated in the first round¡ªand she looked stunned.

"I'm completely blown away by the judges' decision," she said. "I had the best commercial, I had the best picture, which apparently wasn't enough for them...I'd rather have wisdom in my eyes and knowledge in my head than be blank and stupid and have nothing there."

At least spending all that time as the competition's resident be-yotch wasn't for naught.

That left Galkina and Gonzalez to strut their stuff on the runway.

"She is more fierce, and I am more exciting and fun," the ever-exuberant Galkina said, touting her own runway prowess.

"I'm the Latin spice here!" Gonzalez added. "I'm the edgy girl. I'm not the girl next door, but I'm the girl down the block in your hood!"

"Strong but not stiff," Banks reminded Galkina. "Strong but not drag queen," she told Gonzalez.

Done and done. Both finalists changed clothes and strutted like pros, with Galkina even losing her skirt at one point but managing to make it look like a deliberate striptease.

But when it came time to dish out the spoils, Tyra & Co. felt that Galkina had lost a bit of her edge as the fashion show wound down and Gonzalez had the most potential as both an edgy, unique-looking presence and as a commercial model.

Barker summed it up with his critique of Gonzalez's runway show: "Jaslene, you didn't start with it.

"You ended with it."

More than 1,400 children have taken part in the regional castings for mini models, organized by Visages Agency all across Bulgaria.

The candidates, selected by a special committee, will be given the opportunity to participate in Visages Mini Models 2007 contest.

Their names will be announced after the last casting in the capital city of Sofia on May 19.

The children eligible to join the fashion show should be at the age between 4 and 15.

Students from Well Spring Community High School will model creative costumes on Sunday at the school’s annual fundraiser.

The event, “A Fashion Bash of Trinkets and Trash,” will feature an auction, raffles, food and the fashion show. Proceeds will go to school projects, including Wellspring’s ECO House Science Center and a new studio arts space.

The event is at The Majestic, 1027 N. Forest St., from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for teens. Children age 8 or younger are free. Tickets can be purchased at the door or by calling Well Spring at 671-5433.

VERONICA WEBB has become the latest supermodel to land her own reality show after teaming up with America's Project Runway fashion king Tim Gunn for a new contest. Pretty Webb will front Tim Gunn's Guide To Style, which helps the "stylistically challenged" get hip and trendy. Heidi Klum and Tyra Banks have already turned their catwalk careers into new TV roles - Klum fronts Project Runway, while Banks presents her own talk show and model contest America's Next Top Model.

Botswana Confederation of Commerce Industry and Manpower (BOCCIM) will give local fashion designers a platform to showcase their designs at this Saturday's fashion show and gala dinner in Francistown.

The event will also act as a curtain-raiser for this year's Northern Trade Fair. BOCCIM regional manager (north) Eileen Van Der Est said in an interview yesterday that the function is an important event in their trade fair preparations.

"It acts as a precursor to the trade fair and there will be seven local fashion designers who will be showcasing their designs. It is no doubt a prestigious event in that while there is the glamour of the fashion styles, there is also an elaborate spread of Tswana and Western cuisine. The environment created at this function allows guests to leisurely discuss business issues against the trade fair."

One of the fashion designers who will be showcasing their designs is debutant Mosimanegape Tshiamo. The 27-year-old is based in Francistown and his company is called Mos-gape Fashion and Design.

He conceded that he was not an avid fashion enthusiast when growing up. "After not doing well at school my aunt advised me to go study for a fashion course in Zimbabwe and I have fallen in love with fashion designing since then."

Tshiamo completed his fashion and designing course at the Methodist College in Bulawayo in 2001, after which he worked with various fashion designers and houses in Gaborone, like Lorraine and Adam and Eve. In 2004, he relocated to Francistown with the aim of getting a government youth grant, which he eventually acquired last year.

" The youth grant helped a lot because I managed to buy industrial machines and good quality materials. I enjoy fashion because I live it everyday and maybe if I grew up in the city I could have identified it much earlier. I simply love this profession," he added.

He said he designs mostly for weddings and individuals who phone and come to his place of work. " I prefer men's wear especially denims, which I play with to give different looks and as my own signature."

About the BOOCIM fashion show, Tshiamo said even though it would be his debut he is not nervous about the show and fashion enthusiasts should expect beautiful designs. " I find it a challenge and I am ready for it. I will showcase both male and female designs. This show is a platform for us to sell ourselves to the public and it will make us grow."

He stated that he had plans to organise a fashion show of his own but postponed it when the opportunity for the BOCCIM show was presented to him. He believes the fashion industry in Botswana is growing and as long as one produces quality products one can survive the competition.

Other local fashion designers, at the BOCCIM show include Chawa Mankunzini of Chawa Creations, Lucia Tshwanetse of Fashion Tips Designs and Twincy Tabushwa, whom are previous participants and winners of the show respectively.

Copyright © 2007 Mmegi/The Reporter. All rights reserved.

Decolletage is definitely not de rigueur in the workplace.

As for exposing skin on any other part of the body -- pleease, says Barbara Pachter.

"Recently, a manager asked me to talk to one of his employees about professional dress. At her recent performance review, he said that her top was so low, he couldn't look at her," Pachter said.

"Sexy is not a corporate look."

And just because the weather warms up doesn't mean your wardrobe should cool down.

"No flip flops or sandals. It's not the beach; it's work," Pachter said.
*

She offers these and other tips in her just-released book, "NewRules@Work: 79 Etiquette Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead" (Prentice Hall Press).

In it, Pachter warns that dressing seductively can severely damage a woman's credibility in the workplace. The key, she said, is to ask yourself what you may be drawing attention to via your clothing.

"Are you promoting your ideas and your competence or your sexuality? Regardless of your company's policy or the particular item of clothing that you are wearing, your clothing still needs to project professionalism," Pachter writes.

In a telephone interview, Pachter said clothing is even more important as people -- women especially -- move up in an organization.

"It's a reflection of them," she said. "The difficulty comes in when companies don't have very specific dress-code policies. If they do, then you need to enforce them. If you are relying on (employees') good judgment, well, sometimes people have good judgment and sometimes they don't."

And what about men? They're not exempt, Pachter said, just more limited.

"They have less opportunity with their clothing so they have less opportunity for mistakes," she said.

As for those companies where the atmosphere is more laid-back -- such as Google -- because the owners believe it inspires creativity, "relaxed doesn't mean sloppy," Pachter said.

"Relaxed doesn't mean inappropriate. You're talking about how an item is worn. Do we need to see their belly? It becomes a distraction. Casual is fine if that is appropriate dress for an organization, but it doesn't need to send an unprofessional message," she said.

Pachter isn't much of a believer in "casual Fridays," either, in which companies let employees dress in jeans or other less formal attire.

"Employees have a tendency to like it, but I'm not sure why. There are lots of opportunities for error," she said.

Marvelyn Stout, who recently opened Stout Executive Search in Springdale, said she occasionally gets calls about what an applicant should wear to an interview or at the office. Stout said she first reminds them that "this is 2007, she doesn't have to wear a dress."

"A nice well-groomed pantsuit is fine ... we call it business casual," she said.

Impeccably dressed herself, Stout said she and her colleagues used to wear jeans on Fridays when she worked for a Wal-Mart supplier. But they had limits when it came to fashion, she said.

No shorts, no flip-flops and no holes in a T-shirt.

"Basically, the women I worked with had a rule of thumb. You didn't wear open-toe shoes to a meeting, and I'm still of the old school a little bit. I would rather err on the side of the conservative. Most women are not going to go very far if they dress (seductively). It's better to be covered than not," Stout said.

But at least one successful female professional took all these fashion rules and threw them out like last year's shoes.

Erin Brockovich, immortalized in film by Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts, became known as the "environmentalist with cleavage." Her wardrobe is still a topic of discussion seven years after the movie came out and 16 years after Brockovich joined the Masry & Vititoe law firm in California, she said in a telephone interview.

"It's a question that comes up a lot, and I'm sure (her co-workers) would still have a comment about how I dressed for work. I couldn't win for losing over there. But they don't pay a whole lot of attention to me," Brockovich said.

In the movie, Roberts shows Brockovich wearing short skirts, low-cut blouses and high heels as she doggedly pursues a utility company in Hinkley, Calif., on behalf of her clients.

Brockovich said the movie depiction is accurate, but her wardrobe was largely due to the weather.

"Hinkley is like a blow-dryer, so the fewer clothes I had on, the happier I was. But I also had a jacket in the car that I could put on (when needed)," she said. "I do enjoy the shorter skirts, and I think you can spice up any outfit in a corporate office with wedges or stilettos or a nice belt. You can get away with more with accessories.

"There's nothing wrong, in my opinion, going to work and feeling good about yourself. You don't have to dress like a pole dancer, but just have a little fun. There's no reason why you can't be strong and sexy and intelligent and work in a corporate office."

Brockovich's work helped the law firm win a $333 million settlement for Hinkley residents in 1996, after it was proven a utility company had knowingly polluted their water. It was the largest toxic-tort injury settlement in U.S. history.

Although warmer weather is often to blame for unsuitable work attire, Pachter also blames inappropriate television role models, fashion designers and a lack of self-awareness as some of the reasons why many women dress seductively. But, she stresses, you can still be feminine -- just without flaunting your figure.

Pachter said she has never met Brockovich but saw the movie. She said she thinks Brockovich might have gotten a job quicker if she had dressed more appropriately.

"She's working against herself. But these (tips in her book) are guidelines. You can break these rules, but you can't break them out of ignorance," Pachter said.

Eight suggestions to ensure your business wardrobe stays professional:

1. No cleavage -- period.

2. Avoid short skirts.

3. Don't skip the stockings.

4. Less really is more.

5. Stay away from skintight outfits.

6. Pay attention to color.

7. Shoes count.

8. Know that sex appeal has it limits.

SOURCE: New Rules@ Work by Barbara Pachter

It's easy to see that chocolate cake and lemonade combined with live doo-wop music and vintage clothes have all the makings of a Saturday afternoon getaway right in Sioux Falls.

The Banquet, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Savers and St. Vincent De Paul are working together to put on a 2 p.m. style show focusing on thrift store clothing. The fundraiser will support programs for The Banquet, which provides meals to homeless and low-income people.

Vintage clothing shopper Rory Boyer had the idea for the fundraiser and has helped put the pieces together, says Madeline Shields, special project coordinator for The Banquet. "We talked about it and thought it would be fun."

What's not to like? The clothes are economical. The models are volunteers. The food is donated, and the music is gratis. The Banquet and participating thrift stores are selling the $4.50 tickets, which will be available at the door.

"The money raised will go into our general operating budget," Shields says.

Volunteers, guests and employees will model spring and summer outfits culled from the thrift store racks. The 30 outfits worn by women, children and men are for sale and will include a bridal gown and dresses for attendants.

Christie Ware and her daughter Meloydie, 11, will be modeling at the show.

"I'll be wearing a pink top with yellow buttons and a skort. It's like a jean color, with red sandals that are really pretty with silver flowers on them," Meloydie says. "I will be carrying a pink purse with black stripes and also wearing two bracelets. One is orange and yellow. The other is blue with flowers." A pink and white hat completes her ensemble.

Meloydie is so enchanted with her new duds that her mom plans to buy the outfit when the fashion show is over.

Christie Ware's outfit includes green pleated shorts, a knit jersey shirt, earrings and straw slides.

So far the shopping has been fun, but neither has modeled before, and they admit to some pre-show jitters. They're glad the show will be on familiar turf at The Banquet.

"Sometimes we help out there, and sometimes we eat there," Meloydie says.

The new Banquet has plenty of room for visitors. "The dining room seats about 180 people," Shields says.

Door prizes are planned, and entertainment will be provided by Joyous Harmony, with four women and a piano.

"We've been singing together a couple of years. We just do it to have fun. We sing for anyplace that wants to have entertainment and don't charge anything," says Shiloh Oorlog, pianist and singer for the group. She also works at The Banquet.

"We sing oldies, popular, folk and Christian," she says. "There will be music the whole time, with piano music during the modeling and more songs during the food."

Organizers haven't made plans to turn the style show into an annual event, but they know it shows promise.

"This won't be our last one, but we're going to take it a little slow," Shields says.

"I think it's going to be exciting," says Christie Ware.

Her daughter agrees. "I'm excited. It's going to be really fun."

Reach reporter Dorene Weinstein at 331-2315.

Building on the success of the Centre's fashion offering, Mall of the Emirates is running an exciting sales promotion.

Mall of the Emirates, the world's first shopping resort, is home to over 200 international, regional and local fashion stores under one roof. The mall provides a wide variety of brands ranging from major high street names to exclusive boutiques offering the latest trends and styles for any occasion at affordable prices.

Building on the success of the Centre's fashion offering, Mall of the Emirates is running an exciting sales promotion offering the style conscious the chance to win a break from the summer heat and a trip to one of the fashion capitals of the world - London, Paris, Milan or New York. By spending a certain amount at any of the mall's fashion stores customers receive coupons entering them into a draw which will take place after June 9 resulting in 4 lucky winners, one to each destination.

'Fashion represents 18% of gross leaseable area (GLA) and currently constitutes 28% of sales at the mall, representing AED 350 million in the first quarter of 2007. Footfall figures for the first 3 months of the year show 6.01 million visited the mall, a 16% increase on 2006 with sales shooting-up by over 70% year on year and re-affirming the mall's recent string of accolades including Retail Destination of the Year at the World Retail Congress ', said Fuad Mansoor Sharaf General Manager Mall of the Emirates.

Recognising that everyone can find their own style, regardless of income or age, the mall has developed a Style Guide in association with ITP. Building on the growing need for expert fashion advice, the guide informs shoppers about key trends, different fashion options from high-end to high-street, the latest catwalk looks, and how to dress for different occasions. The guide will be available in the mall later this month and via selected ITP titles. Through this guide, style conscious consumers will get valued and needed advice from Mall of the Emirates and its fashion guru's.

'Mall of the Emirates offers a depth and breadth in its fashion offer that allows anyone to truly find their own sense of style. We want to urge our shoppers to express themselves and have the confidence to become their own fashion icon', added Sharaf.

It’s the dress of the spring season: Look No. 2 from Phillip Lim’s runway show. White dresses were everywhere during the collections last September. But the dress Lim co-designed with Koi Suwannagate – a simple T-shirt style with clusters of hand-sculpted rosettes, a bargain at $510 – spawned waiting lists and secured Lim’s status as New York’s newest fashion star.

After just two years in business, Lim’s women’s, men’s and accessories collections are sold in 250 stores worldwide, including, come July, his own boutique in SoHo. He’s been nominated for an award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, has a slew of celebrity fans (Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams, Amanda Peet), and Vogue won’t stop calling.

His romantic style has been influenced by everything from the perennial fashion film “Grey Gardens,” about the decaying socialite Edith Bouvier Beale, to the elegance of a rosebud, but always with the kind of dressmaker details more typically associated with high-fashion designers such as Alber Elbaz for Lanvin.

So it might be surprising to hear that Lim actually grew up in Orange County, Calif. – not the over-privileged “OC,” but the working-class town of Westminster, where his family moved from Cambodia and where his mother Hannah still lives.

Lim lives and works in New York now, but visits his mother often, most recently last month when we caught up with them. His old bedroom has been converted into a storage space, but from the stack of fashion magazines spilled on the floor next to the couch, you can tell he still bunks there.

Lim has never invited his mom – or any of his family – to his runway shows. Or told them how much his clothes cost. (His line falls in the contemporary category, so most pieces are less than $1,000.) His mother only recently learned that his work has been featured in magazines when a French relative phoned her after seeing his name in Jalouse.

Like so many immigrant children who don’t go into professional fields, Lim thinks he’s disappointed his parents, for whom going into fashion was on par with becoming a small-time seamstress. He’s not estranged from his mom, but they have a mutual understanding. He lives his life in New York, she sends him her famous garlic sauce, and they rarely, if ever, discuss work. But it could be the intersection of her make-do mentality and his more sophisticated, city-wise aesthetic that has made his collection such a hit.

“Vogue magazine doesn’t mean anything to her,” Lim says. “She doesn’t know who Anna Wintour is or what Barneys is. She doesn’t know that it’s all about the little white dress.”

The truth is, Asian designers are making a mark on fashion the likes of which we haven’t seen since the 1980s, when Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake and Rei Kawakubo first landed in Paris from Japan. Except that this second wave is Asian-American. Derek Lam, the new creative director for Italian luxury goods brand Tods, was born in Hong Kong and raised in San Francisco, where he first learned about clothing at his grandparents’ bridal wear factory. Doo Ri Chung, who emigrated from South Korea when she was 4 and started designing out of her parents’ dry-cleaning shop, won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award in November and has designed a special collection of white shirts in Gap stores nationwide now. Thakoon Panichgul, of Thai descent, Peter Som, of Chinese descent, and Richard Chai, of Korean descent, also are turning out consistently strong collections on New York runways.

Still, working in fashion, or more specifically sewing clothes, was not the life Hannah wanted for her son.

More than 30 years later, she tears up talking about the summer of 1975 when she and her late husband Pary escaped from Cambodia in the middle of the night, huddled in a boat with their six children who were all under the age of 13. The Lims are Chinese, but their ancestors migrated to Cambodia after Japan invaded. When Pol Pot took over, “I was afraid he was going to draft my boys as children soldiers,” Hannah says, as her daughter Lisa translates.

They escaped to a refugee camp in Thailand, where a Christian organization sponsored their move to San Diego. Pary worked odd jobs while Hannah sewed simple garments at home for 5 to 10 cents apiece.

“To her, clothing was to protect and cover the body and put food on the table,” Phillip Lim says. “It was never about a fantasy where you can get dolled up and change your personality. It wasn’t a luxury; it was a necessity.”

A few years later, the family moved to Westminster, and Hannah began working in a garment factory.

“She would work 10-hour days, cook dinner for us, then go to the sewing machine she saved up money to buy and sew until she fell asleep on the machine,” Lim remembers. “Looking at my work now with the tedious hand stitching, I remember it from the clothes she was making. Somehow it comes through, the respect for the people who put it together.”

Mom and dad always dressed conservatively. Even today, Hannah wears a green twin set and black slacks from Target, along with Tiffany pearls, a birthday gift from Lim.

Not that Lim’s collections are that wild. The trapeze dresses with lattice collars, tiered organza blouses and high-waist trousers from the all-white spring collection were demure with a twist, as were the shadow tartan skirts and bow-front blouses he showed for fall. You could almost see his mom wearing them, if it wasn’t for the prices.

“To her, why would you pay $800 for a suit if you can make it for less?” Lim says. “That’s money you could send back to your relatives, and they could live for a year.”

The family goal was for every child to go to college and, eventually, become a doctor or a lawyer.

“I was afraid of blood – that was my excuse to go into business,” Lim says. It didn’t take. Not long after arriving at California State University, Long Beach, he switched majors to study fashion merchandising.

“My heart broke,” Hannah, 67, says. “I couldn’t believe we sent him to school to do that.”

When Phillip graduated in 1997, he didn’t invite his parents to the ceremony. “I had a degree, but it wasn’t in what they wanted.”

He moved to Los Angeles to be a design assistant for Katyone Adeli. “I just told them I was working. I never told them where or on what because if it hadn’t worked out, they would have said ‘I told you so.’ ”

He launched the clothing label Development with a few friends and received six figures’ worth of orders the first season.

When Lim left in 2004, he was unemployed for only a few hours before his current business partner, Wen Zhou, bought him a plane ticket to New York. “I told my mom I was moving on Tuesday and left on Thursday.”

They named the business 3.1 because they were both 31 years old at the time. And now it’s a $30 million company.

In the realm of runway fashion, his clothes are not expensive. And he plans to keep it that way, even as his profile rises.

“Price is important to me,” he says. “It’s all about where I come from. I’m in a privileged profession now, but I hate the feeling of being spoiled. They are just clothes. They should make you feel good and look good, and I hope you can still pay your bills after you buy them.”

But in the centuries since our ancestors first wrapped their feet in woven grasses and animal skins to protect them from rough surfaces, function has clashed with fashion in the design of our shoes. The crocodile-hide loafers and cowboy boots that cross paths with dress oxfords on today's city streets are often chosen for what they say about their wearer rather than for comfort.

Among women's shoes, fashion has truly trumped function. As the summer months approach, colorful sandals, flip-flops, wedges, high heels and ballet flats dot the sidewalks. One of trendiest shoes this season is YSL's platform "Tribute" -- with a tottering 5 1/2-inch heel.

Often painstakingly selected to complete outfits, shoes like these put stress not just on feet, but on ankles, knees and backs, contributing to the approximately $3.5 billion spent annually in the United States for women's foot surgeries, which cause them to lose 15 million work days yearly.

Experts warn against what one group of foot doctors calls "cruel shoes," Shoes with "pointed toes, shoes with thin soles, and shoes with high spike heels" are of the cruel variety, according to the Web site of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, because they can "cause crowding of the toes and increased pressure," which can result in hammertoes and bunions.

When humans walked barefoot, "societies seemingly had a low incidence of foot deformities and pain," according to a 1994 essay published in the Journal of the Southern Orthopaedic Association. The first shoes were made in the shape of the foot and were sandals.

Today, despite mounting evidence of the damage ill-fitting shoes can cause, women squeeze their toes to fit into oh-so-popular pointed-toe shoes, and they readily break the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' rule of thumb: no more than three hours in three-inch heels. Wearing heels causes your foot to slide forward, "redistributing your weight, creating unnatural pressure points and throwing your body's natural alignment out of whack," according to the Mayo Clinic. High heels have "been linked to overworked or injured leg muscles, osteoarthritis of the knee and low back pain," continues Mayo.

For those women who want fashion plus function, so-called comfort-brand shoes claim to offer the best of both worlds. Among them: Naturalizer, Ecco, Aerosole, Cole Hahn and Taryn Rose, created by a former orthopedic surgeon who brought her first line of luxury shoes to the market in 1998.

Foot doctors often recommend these lines to patients. "Comfort shoes tend to have a rounded toe box, more cushioning (and) more arch support," said Theresa Fahy, a podiatrist with offices in Virginia. T

But when it comes to properly fitting shoes, women often find fewer options than men. As a result, women are at greater risk for shoe-related health problems than men and account for about 90 percent of surgeries performed for the most common foot ailments.

That risk can include bunions, stress fractures, joint pain in the ball of the foot, Morton's neuroma, "pump bumps" (enlargement of the bony area on the back of heel), corns and calluses, hammertoe, toenail problems and tight heel cords (shortening or tightening the Achilles tendon).

Nexia Holdings, Inc., a diversified holding company with operations in real estate, health & beauty and the fashion retail industry, announced today its record net retail sales results (unaudited) for Black Chandelier and Landis Lifestyle Salons for the month ended April 30, 2007 and total revenue, including income from its real estate holdings, for the first four months of 2007.

In the first four months of 2007, Black Chandelier reported net retail revenues increased 329% to $338,821 from $78,904 reported in the first four months of 2006. Retail sales for Black Chandelier include four retail stores and online sales in 2007. During the first four months of 2007, four retail locations were operating compared to the single location during the first four months of 2006.

Black Chandelier reported net sales increased 219% to $70,844 in the month of April 2007, compared to net sales of $22,215 reported in the month of April 2006. Black Chandelier reported a 26% year-over-year same store net sales decrease in its Trolley Square location, due to the large renovation project currently in progress at the center. Andy Montana, branding director for Black Chandelier, said, "A key to creating long-term success in Black Chandelier centers on our web-store business. We re-launched our online store several weeks ago and our marketing efforts are increasing traffic and sales at an extremely promising rate."

Landis Lifestyle Salon ("Landis") reported net sales grew 53% to $570,004 in the first four months of 2007 compared to $373,191 reported in the first four months of 2006. For the month of April 2007, Landis reported a 34% increase in net sales to $144,907 from $107,951 reported for the same month in 2006. Including Nexia Holdings' total rental income from three properties in the Salt Lake downtown region, total revenue in the first four months of 2007 grew by 83% to $971,610 compared to total revenue of $530,091 reported in the first four months of 2006. The addition of three new Black Chandelier stores during 2006 account for $233,377 of the $441,519 increase in revenues reported by Nexia's operations during the first four months of 2007.

President of Nexia Holdings Richard Surber commented, "Our net sales results continue to show impressive growth. Since November 2006, we have achieved consecutive month-to-month growth in revenues from Black Chandelier and Landis Lifestyle Salons, proving our strategies are working. We are on track to meet or exceed overall sales projections of $3.2 million, including our rental properties, by year-end 2007."

About Nexia Holdings Inc.

Nexia Holdings Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: NEXA - News), headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a diversified holdings company with operations in real estate, health & beauty, and fashion retail. The Company has been acquiring undervalued properties in the Salt Lake City area since the early 1990s. Nexia owns a majority interest in Landis Lifestyle Salon, http://www.landissalon.com, a hair salon built around the world-class AVEDATM product line. Through its Gold Fusion Laboratories subsidiary, Nexia owns the innovative retail and design firm Black Chandelier and its related brands. Black Chandelier is expanding nationwide, and currently operates four retail locations and online operations at http://www.blackchandelier.com. For more information, visit http://www.nexiaholdings.com.

Nexia strongly encourages the public to read the above information in conjunction with its Form 10-KSB for December 31, 2006. Nexia's Disclosures can be viewed at http://www.nexiaholdings.com and http://www.sec.gov.

This press release reports information gathered on a preliminary basis for the first four months of operations during 2007, the numbers are not audited, have not been reviewed by our independent accountants and are subject to change and further review as more information is gathered. The information does not reflect costs of operations and does not predict profitable operations for Nexia and its subsidiaries. This press release also contains forward-looking statements that are based on a number of assumptions, including the successful completion of the marketing plans and expansion of Gold Fusion Laboratories, Inc. operations in a short period of time. The above statements further assume that Nexia can obtain sufficient capital to execute expansion plans through outside investments including but not limited to obtaining significant leasehold improvements and sufficient lines of credit to fund the opening of additional Gold Fusion Laboratories, Inc. locations. Nexia's assumptions are further contingent upon Gold Fusion Laboratories, Inc. being able to properly staff its additional locations. There are no assurances that such assumptions will prove correct. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including an expectation of substantial increase in sales. The actual results that Nexia Holdings may achieve could differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Richard Surber, President
Nexia Holdings, Inc.
801-575-8073 x 106
RichardSurber@nexiaholdings.com
or
For Investor Relations:
OTC Financial Network
Rick McCaffrey
781-444-6100x625
rick@otcfn.com
http://www.otcfn.com/nexa


Source: Nexia Holdings, Inc.

Following its round table discussions with leading women in Jeddah and Riyadh, Dove this week gathered key industry opinion formers in Dubai for a similar roundtable discussion on the local relevance of its global Campaign For Real Beauty which aims to change current perceptions of beauty and offer in its place a broader, healthier, more democratic view of beauty. Local experts, such as plastic surgeon Dr Buthainah Al-Shunnar, fashion designer Meher Mirchandani and dietician Lina Khalil, with key regional media attended the debate on real beauty.

“The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty challenge to widen the definition of beauty has touched the lives of women across the world,” said Dove spokesperson, Rola Tassabehji, Corporate Communications Manager - Unilever Middle East.


“Following the launch of the award winning campaign in the Arab world last year, we are continuing to spread the message of real beauty in the Arab region. This year’s campaign focuses on revealing what really happens behind the scenes of ads with perfect looking models. We hope by using this ad and the promotional activities around it, we can help women foster a healthy relationship with their bodies and their looks - a view of beauty that all women can own and enjoy every day.”

During the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty roundtable, most women agreed that real beauty is derived from self confidence.

“The most beautiful woman can feel ugly if their self confidence is shaken,” said Dr Al Shunnar. “Whereas a plain woman who walks with pride and elegance can look far more beautiful than she initially appears.”

“I have had women coming into my surgery asking me to ‘do whatever I like’ and when I dig deeper I discover that the woman’s husband has left them that day for a younger woman. In these cases, I say no to the surgery because I know that the issue is deeper that what they look like – it is how they feel that needs correcting.”

However, not all surgeons are as scrupulous as Dr Al Shunnar, the group commented, as the lines of plastic surgeons along Dubai shopping strips and the recent plastic surgery loan advertisements that came out in Lebanon testify to.

“In some Arab countries, it is becoming a status symbol to wear the nose bandage that follows plastic surgery. Women are undertaking this surgery to look like the celebrities they admire, Nancy Ajram is the most common request,” Dr Shunnar added.

Dr Shunnar also discussed the worry trend of young teenage girls coming in for surgery. They do not see it as a dangerous surgery, as women over 30 tend to view cosmetic surgery, they see it as a simple procedure that is a real option and are aggressive about that option.

These comments are echoed by a Dove study conducted among 3,300 girls and women aged 15 to 64 in 10 countries, including Saudi Arabia, which found that 37% of Arab girls between the ages of 15-17 would consider cosmetic surgery in the near future. This contrasts to a much lower 27% of women between the ages of 18-64 who considered surgical procedures as an option.



The study also found that 63% of Arab women are threatened to feel attractive amidst the beauty ideals portrayed in the media, fashion catwalks and entertainment industries. The earliest influencers on feelings about beauty and body image are mothers with 47% of KSA woman saying that their mothers played a pivotal role in their opinion of their beauty. Husbands also play a key role with 19% of women aged18 to 64 saying their romantic partners’ view of them play a powerful role in their opinion of their own beauty.

However, Ms Mirchandani commented on the need for women to accept responsibility for themselves, saying “it is up to women to assert themselves, not to blame men or the media.”

The latest Dove campaign highlights how the use of computers and heavy make-up can distort the image of beauty in advertising. This concept is rolled out in a tv commercial as well as in a number of key consumer activities held in select cities across the Gulf region.

“I hope that by continuing to spread the message of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty among Arab women through various channels, we further reinforce the importance of a wider definition of beauty and help more women across the world enjoy their real authentic beauty and reach their full potential,” concluded Ms Tassabehji.



Dove conducted two global reports in 10 countries in 2004 and 2005, including Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, for the second study.

The research was conducted by StrategyOne, a research consulting firm, in collaboration with Dr. Nancy Etcoff (Harvard University), and Dr. Susie Orbach (London School of Economics/ Sociology Department).

Methodology: International phone surveys among 3,300 girls and women aged 15 to 64 utilizing the field services of Mori International. Depending on respective country size, 100 girls (15 to 17 years) and 200 to 300 women (18 to 64) were questioned per nation.



The first global survey discovered that only 2% of these women describe themselves as “beautiful”.



In the second study, where Saudi Arabia was one of the ten countries that was covered:

• 9 in 10 Arab females revealed they are unhappy with their physical attributes. A further 64% of those questioned admitted to avoiding activities due to feeling self-conscious about their appearance
• 63% of Arab women are threatened to feel attractive amidst the beauty ideals portrayed in the media, fashion catwalks and entertainment industries.
• 46% of young Arab girls, whose ages range from 15-17 years, wished they would see more girls and women in the media that looked like them.
• The Dove survey also revealed a generational shift in the way women perceived beauty. With 37% of Arab girls between the ages of 15-17 considering cosmetic surgery in the near future, a much lower 27% of women between the ages of 18-64 deemed the beauty procedures as an option.

Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am has partnered with Blue Holdings Inc. to create "i.am Antik," a new denim line to compliment Blue Holding's Antik Denim Collection.

The line, which is slated to debut in Aug. of 2007, will be distributed to high end specialty stores and upscale department stores.

will.i.am attended the Fashion Institute of Design in Los Angeles prior to becoming a superstar rapper and Grammy Award winning producer.

"I produce and write my own music, and the same creativity, energy and imagination I put into making music is the same creativity, energy and imagination I put into designing clothes," will.i.am said in a statement. "I am excited to collaborate with Antik to create a fresh remix of denim."

will.i.am said his goal was to fuse different eras with various styles of music and fashion.

"I want to design the line and score it the way a composer scores a film and tour the collection like a band will tour an album," will.i.am continued. "I want to make a fresh stylistic collection that everyone wants but limited and special to keep them looking for more."

Blue Holdings, Inc designs, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes and sells high-end fashion jeans, apparel, and accessories under the Antik Denim, Yanuk, Taverniti So Jeans, and Faith brands.

WGSN (Worth Global Style Network; www.wgsn.com), the leading global online service providing research, fashion trends analysis and news to the fashion, design and style industries, continues to expand its operations in the U.S. with principal management appointments and the promotion of key staff members to oversee editorial content, product development, sales management and new business development.

Sally Lohan has been named content director overseeing WGSN's West Coast editorial operations. The announcement was made today by Stephen Morgan, WGSN's newly appointed president of the Americas. In her new role, Lohan will have editorial oversight of all of WGSN's West Coast based fashion and lifestyle reporting, fashion trends analysis, trade show coverage, news reporting, and WGSN's in-depth coverage of all fashion industry and entertainment-related industry events. Lohan's appointment signals the beginning of WGSN's increased editorial content team in its offices in Los Angeles and its new offices in New York City located at 110 Fifth Avenue.

“Sally is a talented journalist and an accomplished designer whose unique background will serve us well as we continue to increase our coverage of the Los Angeles fashion industry, and expand our celebrity, pop culture and entertainment-oriented features,” said Morgan. “Among her many responsibilities, she will continue to play a pivotal role on our trend forecasting research team, and as well, oversee the immediate expansion of our Los Angeles editorial content staff. Our plans are to add a number of new full-time content editors in Los Angeles and also grow our network of freelance photographers, researchers, journalists and contributing editors.”

Lohan has a wealth of experience in fashion trends analysis, as well as print and online media. She has developed and designed online properties for clients in the fashion industry and the entertainment industry, and has written and contributed to numerous publications in the United Kingdom and the United States, both daily newspapers, including The Sunday Times and Daily Express, and consumer fashion magazines. Lohan joined WGSN in 2005 as senior editor. In addition to her editorial reporting, she has served as a leading presenter at WGSN's prestigious fashion trends seminars, and spoken at a number of conferences worldwide, including the recent Future Trends symposium in Miami.

Lohan's promotion follows several key appointments and the announced expansion of WGSN's management team in the United States. In March, Stephen Morgan was named president of WGSN Americas and was given principal operating responsibility for the United States, Canada and South America. Morgan is widely acknowledged for his successful management of the growth and development of WGSN's European sales operations since its introduction in 1998, and his subsequent oversight of WGSN's global sales operations. Most recently, while continuing to direct WGSN's worldwide expansion throughout the Asia Pacific rim, Morgan directed the booming escalation of WGSN's U.S. client roster in 2006 and its dramatic increase in market share.

In addition to Morgan and Lohan's appointments, WGSN recently promoted Nick Wright to vice president, West Coast sales. In WGSN's New York office, Robert Guadalupe was promoted to vice president, East Coast sales.

About WGSN:

WGSN (www.wgsn.com) is the world's premiere online research, trend analysis and news service for the fashion industry. Owned by Emap plc, one of the U.K.'s leading media companies, WGSN is regarded as the most dynamic and successful global services to emerge online for the fashion industry. Its 150-plus worldwide team of notable professional creative and editorial staff travels extensively on behalf of its subscribers and works with a network of experience writers, photographers, researchers, analysts and trendspotters in cities around the world, tracking the latest trends, brands, stores and business innovations. WGSN has 2,200 subscribers worldwide - retailers, manufacturers, designers and style makers -- who utilize WGSN's detailed current and archived information and extensive photo and image library to stay ahead of the trends in the global fashion and design industry.

DAZ 3D, Inc. a leading developer of professional quality 3D models and software, today announced their cooperative effort with OptiTex, LTD, a leading provider of software for the textile and fashion industry, to develop a 3D dynamic clothing solution which will be included as part of the version 2.0 release of DAZ/Studio, the free 3D art software.

Powered by the proprietary OptiTex physics engine, this virtual clothing solution allows anyone to load in the DAZ 3D figure and clothing of their choice and experience real-world cloth simulation, including the ability to quickly alter the clothing's fabric type, garment size, and style variations.

"We are extremely excited to release this new line of dynamic clothing," said Dan Farr, president of DAZ 3D. "Historically, there's never been a virtual clothing solution that has provided users this level of realistic interaction with 3D garments, nor has such realism ever been accompanied by a straight forward interface like what is available within the DAZ/Studio 3D software."

Using the Dynamic Clothing Control plugin, DAZ/Studio users may see first-hand how making subtle changes to the 3D clothing such as altering the fabric type, number of buttons opened, and garment size directly affect the drape of the virtual fabric. Available for free download, DAZ/Studio provides an ideal solution for budding 3D artists as well as professional 3D designers, photographers, filmmakers, animators and illustrators. With the addition of this new dynamic clothing plugin, users can work with virtual objects to create images and animations of any genre with a level of realism that was previously not available to the general public.

"Pushing garment simulation technology to its limits has become increasingly important to OptiTex over the recent years," said Ran Machtinger, president of OptiTex, LTD. "Everyone wants the ability to quickly and easily manipulate a convincing virtual person wearing realistic clothing without the need for a Hollywood budget. Now virtually everyone can experience exactly that."

Pricing and Availability

The dynamic clothing solution for DAZ/Studio and the accompanying line of new clothes is scheduled to be released in the upcoming weeks in DAZ 3D's online store. The release will consist of the Dynamic Clothing Player(TM) plugin (included within DAZ/Studio 2.0 for free), and the Dynamic Clothing Control(TM) plugin (available for $49.95) which will provide an extended set of controls over cloth panel properties, wind, and gravity. A dynamic clothing creation tool, the Dynamic Clothing Designer(TM), is also in development and will be released later this summer.

DAZ/Studio 2.0, with the Dynamic Clothing Player plugin, will be available free of charge at http://studio.daz3d.com. DAZ/Studio works with Windows 98® SE or higher and Mac® OSX 10.3 or higher, including the Intel-based Macintosh computer systems. DAZ/Studio comes with three pre-configured 3D scenes, including the popular Victoria model, an extensive user manual, and easy-to-follow tutorials for getting started. To obtain a free copy of DAZ/Studio, users must register for a free account on the DAZ 3D website. For more information, please visit www.daz3d.com/.

About DAZ 3D(TM)

Founded in 2000, DAZ 3D, Inc, a privately-held company located in Draper, Utah, is a market leader in 3D software and digital content creation. The company's model library is renowned for its high-quality 3D content at the industry's most competitive prices. DAZ also develops powerful software applications that support its content, including Bryce®, a 3D environment and animation package; Carrara(TM), a complete 3D modeling, animation and rendering solution; DAZ/Studio(TM), a free 3D digital art creation tool; Hexagon(TM), polygonal modeling software for the creation of 'ready-to-render' 3D models; and Mimic(TM), a lip-synching application. For more information, visit www.daz3d.com.

About OptiTex(TM)

Founded in 1988, OptiTex specializes in the development of innovative easy-to-operate 2D 3D CAD/CAM solutions for sewn products and other related industries. Our native Microsoft Windows based software packages for digitizing, pattern engineering, grading, marking, advanced automatic nesting and draping, are specifically designed to meet the needs of today's manufacturers of industrial fabrics, apparel, upholstery, transportation, composites, home furnishings, and other sewn products. OptiTex's open architecture system comes amply equipped with a multitude of import/export formats, enabling OptiTex users to interface with a wide range of software and hardware. OptiTex also offers the convenient option of purchasing a completely integrated CAD package, including OptiTex software solutions, digitizer, and pen or ink jet plotter. Available in 20 languages, OptiTex products are sold and supported around the world through certified distributors and OEMs. For more information, visit www.optitex.com.

© 2007 DAZ 3D, Inc. All rights reserved. DAZ and the DAZ 3D logo is a Registered Trademark of DAZ Productions, Inc. OptiTex is a Registered Trademark of OptiTex, LTD. All other brand names, product names, service marks or trademarks belong to their respective holders.


Contact:

DAZ 3D, Inc., Draper
Steve Kondris, 801-495-1777
steve@daz3d.com
Drew Daniels, 801-495-1777
ddaniels@daz3d.com
Reader Contact:
800-267-5170 or 801-495-1777
Fax: 801-495-1787
www.daz3d.com
or
OptiTex International
Tania Fuchs, +972-3-9049979
Fax: +972-3-9042710
optitex.int@optitex.com

Source: DAZ 3D, Inc.

For years, top designer Bradley Bayou used super-thin models to sell his clothes.

But, reports national correspondent Tracy Smith on The Early Show, his own daughter was overcome by the binging and purging of the eating disorder known as bulimia. Ironically, she was seeking to fit into his clothes.

Now, says Smith, Bayou is changing his look, and outlook, pressing for change in an industry gripped with controversy over the use of super-skinny models.

The issue, she says, got truly personal for the Beverly Hills designer for the stars.

Marilyn Monroe, Smith reflected, was a 1950s sex symbol — and a size 12, close to average.

But now, the standard of beauty in the fashion industry has shrunk to a size zero, as designers demand thinner and thinner models.

Bayou is bucking that, telling Smith, "Fashion and beauty are not just about the skinny girls."

Once called "the man for all sizes," Bayou rose to the top by mastering the art of concealing a woman's flaws and revealing her beauty.

But even the man for all sizes knew that skinny sells. Thin was in.

Bayou's oldest daughter, Alexis Bayoud, noticed.

"I never fit into any of his sample sizes," she says. "As a teenager and as a young adult, I thought I should be able to fit into his certain size (the tiny sample sizes) … because I was his daughter. And I just — didn't."

Bayou observes that the message the fashion industry "is sending to everybody is, 'If you're not thin, you're not going to be happy.' "

"I wanted to be thin," Alexis recalled. "I wanted to fit in. You know — I wanted to be beautiful. … I've always been so proud of him, and I always ... I always kind of wanted to fit into his world."

When Alexis started college, she started taking diet pills — binging and purging.

To Bayou, she looked great: "All of a sudden, like, she was like she could wear my clothes. She was like model thin."

"I was like, 'You know I'm working out,' " Alexis says. "I'm eating right. And really — no — that was a lie."

The truth came out when Alexis had a breakdown, and had to tell her father she was bulimic.

"She was literally collapsed on the floor, and was hysterical, like, out of control, and saying things like, 'I want to die,' " Bayou remembers.

"It was that serious," Alexis says. "And I think, if it had kept progressing, it would have been really bad."

Alexis, Smith points out, is like millions of other women striving for the unattainable image of beauty created by skinny models.

"Potentially, tens of thousands of girls may develop an eating disorder because of the fact that they're trying to live up to this," observes Sean Patterson, president of the famous Wilhelmina Models in New York, the setting of the reality show called "The Agency."

Patterson says the show's scenes of models being pressured to be thin are "pretty real. … If we don't find the models that fit into the clothes … we go out of business. We can't exist. … And the talent that a designer's looking for is going to be a size zero or a size two, at the most."

Like Bayou, Patterson says he misses the models of the early '90s. Those size sixes and eights looked healthy.

"As a reaction to the supermodel era," says Patterson, "there was a certain group of stylists and designers who said, 'You know what? It's not about these girls anymore. We want to make it about us and the clothes.' "

Bayou and Patterson assert that recommendations the Council of Fashion Designers of America (www.cfda.com) issued this year, calling for healthy snacks and for designers to look for signs of eating disorders in their models, won't fix the problem.

Says Patterson, "I don't believe, necessarily, that having a guideline that says, 'Have healthy snacks' backstage at the show is gonna change the fact that the girls have to get on to that runway and squeeze into size zero dresses."

Adds Bayou, "I think we have to do more, because it's not gonna change with those guidelines."

Bayou has written "The Science of Sexy" and now he's telling aspiring designers it's up to them to take the initiative and use larger models.

"Just because a small, elite group has told us that thin — skinny, forget thin — emaciated is in doesn't mean it's in," he declares

Alexis, says Bayou, "is one of many, many, many people out there — millions — who have this problem … where they don't feel like they fit in … and that can be changed."

Can skinny models be made passé, Smith asked.

"I think they're gonna go out," Bayou responded. " … More than half the women in this country have got to speak out, you know, 'We're not hideous.' "

Alexis fought for six years before asking for help, and she's doing great now, Smith adds.

Bayou, a member of the CFDA, has a fashion show later this year in London, and his samples will be in sizes four through 10.

He says he'd like to see models pass a physical to prove that they're eating properly. That's what they started doing in Italy, but doctors in the United States say eating disorders are so complex, with so many physical and mental elements, there's no simple, reliable way to diagnose them, at least for now.

Bayou also points out that, if the average woman is around a size 12, there's a huge market out there that is underserved, with lots of money to be made designing clothes in larger sizes.

RWE AG, Germany's second-largest utility, said first-quarter profit jumped 50 percent after the company earned more trading power in markets including the U.K.

Net income increased to 1.57 billion euros ($2.13 billion), or 2.79 euros a share, from 1.05 billion euros, or 1.86 euros, a year earlier, the Essen-based company said today in an e-mailed statement. Sales were 13.4 billion euros, less than the median forecast of analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

RWE paid less for natural gas supplies in the U.K., lowering company costs. Better margins in the U.K. and increased trading profit compensated for a milder-than-average winter which capped sales. RWE shares had their biggest gain in four years last week on speculation Electricite de France SA plans to buy the company.

``These numbers are better than the market was expecting and all areas of the company did well,'' said Matthias Heck, an analyst at Sal Oppenheim in Frankfurt who has a ``buy'' rating on RWE stock.

Net income was expected to climb to 1.23 billion euros, according to the median estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. Sales were expected to rise to 13.6 billion euros.

Prices Fall

RWE and competitors including E.ON AG, Europe's largest utility, have benefited as gas procurement prices fall more quickly than their selling prices. E.ON said on May 9 that first-quarter net income jumped 50 percent to 3.07 billion euros as U.K. gas profit gained and securities sales added to earnings.

``The group generated higher income from the trading business in particular,'' RWE said today in its statement. ``UK subsidiary RWE npower also experienced above-average growth.''

The company reiterated that it expects full-year net income to be lower than a year earlier and said profit excluding one- time items will probably rise about 10 percent.

RWE shares gained 36 cents, or 0.4 percent, to 82.36 euros in Frankfurt. The stock jumped 6.1 percent on May 11, its biggest gain since April 2003, after German radio station SWR said Electricite de France was planning to buy the company.

`Targeted Fashion'

BaFin, Germany's financial services regulator, is analyzing the radio report to determine whether RWE's share price may have been manipulated. The company said yesterday it notified BaFin after indications the report was distributed in a ``targeted fashion.''

Chief Financial Officer Rolf Pohlig reiterated today that the company hasn't seen any evidence that EDF is planning to bid. RWE wants to boost its share price in order to make it a less-attractive target and isn't pursuing other takeover defense plans, Pohlig said today in a conference call with journalists.

Utilities have been the subject of takeover speculation as power providers seek acquisitions ahead of the full opening up of European markets to competition in July. RWE shares jumped in November on reports OAO Gazprom might consider buying part or all of the company.

European utility deals have risen 45 percent this year to $124 billion, compared with $85.7 billion in the same period of 2006, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Italy's Enel SpA and Spanish construction company Acciona SA announced a joint bid for Endesa SA last month, valuing Spain's largest power company at 43.7 billion euros.

RWE may also be an attractive acquisition target as divestments generate cash. The company sold its Thames Water unit last year for 4.8 billion pounds to a group led by Macquarie Bank Ltd., as part of Chief Executive Officer Harry Roels' plan to focus on power sales.

The company reiterated today that it aims to sell its American Water Works Inc. unit by the end of 2007. RWE plans to buy back stock once that sale is completed.

To contact the reporter on this story: Thom Rose in Frankfurt at trose5@bloomberg.net

"Old Fashion Days," the first of several Sesquicentennial Celebration events in Troy, will kick off on Saturday, May 19.

There will be a Pie and Cake Baking Contest, entertainment from the "Nice and Easy" Band, hamburgers and hot dogs served up by Troop No. 38, strawberry shortcake from the Troy Historical Society, fresh kettle corn and much more.

Everything will take place in the parking lot at City Hall from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. All in attendance will receive a souvenir of the

event.

This event is sponsored by the Troy Sesquicentennial Committee and funded through Troy's tourism funds.
For more information, contact the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce at 667-8769 or visit the chamber's Web site at www.troycoc.com.

The following month, a car show, crate races, entertainment, barbecue and a blood drive are just a few of the things taking place in downtown Troy on Saturday, June 16.

"We have a jam packed filled day set for National Road

Days on June 16," said Chamber Executive Director Dawn Mushill.

The car show will be co-sponsored by the Auto Collector's Car

Club. Cars through 1975 will be accepted. The entry fee is $15 or for

display only the cost is $10. Registration is from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. with with judging at 11:30 a.m. and awards given out at 2:30 p.m. Dash plaques will be given out to the first 100 participants. There will also be goodie bags for all who enter and food available.

For more information on the car show, contact Denny at 344-2802, 667-0042, 560-8152 or visit the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce website at www.troycoc.com for a complete schedule of activities.

Troy History courtesy of the chamber:

Fertile soil and good water sources attracted settlers to the Troy area as early as 1811. Troy was officially platted and named in 1819, and by 1820 had "120 residents in 17 households."

Frontier Troy became a stop for stagecoaches and wagon trains along the National Road. Troy continued to grow, with traders, craftsmen, doctors, retailers, teachers, preachers, and builders. Farming remained the main business of the local area, utilizing all the services of the bustling town.

Troy was incorporated as a city in 1892, and had a population of 1,080 by 1900. The railroads and mines were the major employers. In 1895 Troy advertised itself as having good building sites, low taxes, good rail facilities, cheap coal and all the necessities to make it "as good a place to live as any in the world."

Today, Troy has a population of 8,700 and continues to develop and expand with new businesses, new subdivisions, and new city services. There are still great building sites, the taxes are comparable to other towns its size, there is good access to interstates, 2 airports, Metrolink and all the necessities of life. Troy remains as convenient and "as good a place to live as any in the world."

Naomi Campbell says community service almost ruined her looks.

The British supermodel - who was sentenced to work at New York's sanitation department for throwing a mobile phone at her former housekeeper - was terrified five days of sweeping and cleaning had taken their toll on her face.

Naomi wrote in The Naomi Diaries for US W magazine: "I start to feel the wear and tear of the week. I see bags under my eyes. I think, 'Oh my god. I need a good night's sleep.'

The 36-year-old admits she was also shocked to discover many of her community service co-workers had never left the US.

She said, "Two of the people in the room have never been on a plane. They ask me what it's like and I'm embarrassed to tell them I was on seven planes the week before alone."

Naomi also revealed her addictive personality got her hooked on sweeping during her community service.

She wrote in one diary entry, "I keep on sweeping. I'm moving so fast they tell me to slow down. I'm getting very protective of my pile of rubbish - kind of the way I feel about my Hermès handbag. I keep looking around to make sure no one is crossing into the area I was assigned to sweep.

"I guess that's my all-or-nothing behaviour again. Once I start sweeping, I have to sweep everything."

The fiery-tempered model admits she started taking drugs when she was 23 to deal with being thrust into the fashion industry at such a young age.

She said: "I started taking drugs to escape or deal with some disaster, like when someone died. I lost a lot of friends in 1997, and that was the year I really fell down emotionally."

She's seen her ups and downs in the last year, but still she's come out on top. Lindsay Lohan has knocked Eva Longoria from atop Maxim Magazine's list of the hottest women in the world.

The magazine announced its eighth annual Hot 100 List this week. Longoria held the crown for two years in a row. This is Lohan's first time to be honored as the No. 1 hottest woman.

"There is no other star in the world that causes more of a stir in the public eye than Lindsay. Her every move is watched and reported on," said Maxim editor in chief Jimmy Jellinik. "She is a huge star in the truest meaning of the word and everyone at Maxim, including our 14 million readers, is obsessed with her."

Joining Lohan on the Top 10 list are Jessica Alba, Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Biel, Ali Larter, Eva Mendes, Rihanna, Eva Longoria and Fergie.

The magazine said that each year, editors choose 100 of the most successful women of the year in film, television, music, sports and fashion. They said the women all have several things in common: a tremendous amount of buzz and heat surrounding them, undeniable beauty and a promise of greater things to come over the next year.

"These women are currently on everyone's minds and will only continue to become more popular as the year progresses," added Jellinik.

Lohan said she was thrilled by the news.

"I couldn't be more flattered to be honored as the No. 1 girl in Maxim's Hot 100 list." Lohan said.

Lohan joins past No. 1 picks, Longoria (2006 & 2005), Jessica Simpson (2004), Christina Aguilera (2003), Jennifer Garner (2002) and Jessica Alba (2001).

Lohan debuted on the Maxim Hot 100 list at No. 4 in 2005, and was No. 3 on the list last year.

Maxim pointed out other "notable selections," including Ashlee Simpson (No. 16), Megan Fox (No. 18), Kate Beckinsale (No. 21), Hilary Duff (No. 23), Sophia Bush (No. 24), Kate Hudson (No. 27), and Ashley Olsen (No. 37).

Also raising eyebrows this year are some of the women who didn't make the cut, including Mary Kate Olsen, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Aniston and Britney Spears.

The Maxim Hot 100 supplement will be sold with the June issue the magazine, which will feature comedian Sarah Silverman (No. 29) on the cover. The June issue also features a layout with Ocean's Thirteen actress Noreen DuWulf (No. 100) and a profile on Hong Kong Hero Chow Yun-Fat.

VH1 will be airing a one-hour special on the hot list, which will be hosted by Megan Fox on May 22 at 9 p.m.

The A-list turnout at John Galliano's 2008 cruise collection for Dior in New York this week confirmed that fashion's "other season" is now the place to see and be seen. Charlize Theron and her Head In The Clouds co-star Penelope Cruz, dancer Dita Von Teese and Kylie Minogue - who was modelling her new hair do - had all taken up front row positions. And they won't have been disappointed. Galliano's sartorial vision for next year is simply made for glamour-loving celebrities, whether on the beach, aboard a yacht off St Tropez or dazzling at an evening do.

Everything from the bouffant hairstyles and vintage-look sunglasses to the womanly silhouettes suggested Fifties sophistication. Bikinis were dressed up with elaborate silk coats, feathers, babydoll tops, broad-brimmed hats and teetering stilettos, while tight floral-print trousers and colourful jackets provided a statement-making day look.

An Indian summer theme also ran through the collection from a layered, azure blue tunic over trousers embroidered with matching gold thread, to a summery white skirt over trousers picked out with intricate Indian designs. Animal prints also continue to be a strong influence for chic daywear.

Galliano's eveningwear, as usual, pulled out all the stops. In varying sherbet shades of lemon, raspberry and lime, the frocks exuded old school elegance worthy of Rita Hayworth. Silhouettes ranged from slinky slit-to-the-thigh shifts to the goddess-style one-shouldered affairs that Jennifer Lopez loves so much.

With the beginning of every new season, fashion trends come and go. But the summer of 2007 marks the year of the trend spin-off. Watch closely within the next few months as New York’s finest fashion-followers trade their blue-and-white nautical stripes for stark-white gear.

As the warmer weather draws near, the city will be flooded with the crispness of white shirts, shoes and accessories. Save the white suit or white slacks for your Caribbean vacation, though.

Rest assured that color is and always will be in style, so don’t go chucking those bright Ts just yet. Try contrasting your colored apparel with white accessories or vice versa, and you’ll still be pulling off this refreshing trend in high style.

An ex-girlfriend of a fashion writer accused of sexually abusing another woman in 2005 told a jury Wednesday that her former lover once taped her to a chair and threatened her with a knife.

Manhattan prosecutors brought out details of Peter Braunstein's dysfunctional relationship with the witness, W magazine editor Jane Larkworthy, in an effort to illustrate a pattern of violent and abusive treatment of women that culminated in an alleged attack on a co-worker on Oct. 31, 2005.

Braunstein, 43, faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted of sex abuse, kidnapping and other charges listed in a 13-count indictment that stemmed from the alleged attack on a former colleague at Fairchild Publications.

The victim, who also worked with Larkworthy at W magazine, testified last week that her attacker gained entry to her home by dressing as a firefighter and setting off smoke bombs in the stairwell next to her apartment.

Once he was inside, the woman said, he put a gun to her head and knocked her out with chloroform. She claims she awoke two hours later, tied naked to her bed. Her attacker groped and fondled her throughout the evening, the woman testified.

Prosecutors allege Braunstein was motivated by a desire for revenge against Larkworthy and the fashion industry for "turning their backs" on him. Lawyers for Braunstein claim the relationship had a "toxic" effect on him, which exacerbated a pre-existing mental illness and caused him to spiral out of control.

On the witness stand, Larkworthy faced the jury in an apparent effort to avoid looking at her ex-boyfriend, whom she met in August 2001 in the offices of Fairchild Publications. Braunstein, a reporter for Women's Wear Daily at the time, broke off a nine-year relationship to be with Larkworthy, whom he refers to as "Biohazard" in jou rnal entries he wrote while on the run before his arrest.

Braunstein stared intently at Larkworthy as she recalled her initial fondness for the journalist and aspiring playwright, whom she described as "incredibly charming," flirtatious and intriguing.

"I have been waiting for you all my life," Larkworthy wrote in a letter to Braunstein that she read aloud in Manhattan Supreme Court. "It gives me such joy to be in love with you."

Dressed in a black dress and white blazer and carrying a Chanel bag, the witness testified that she became a willing participant in Braunstein's sex games, which included bondage, role-playing and frequent photo shoots.

In one of the bedroom scenarios, which was similar to the accuser's account of the Halloween attack, Larkworthy testified that Braunstein would sneak up on her and pretend to knock her out with chloroform. In another scenario, he would play a mental patient and she would be a nurse who took advantage of him.

But it did not take long for Braunstein's jealous and controlling side to emerge, leading to frequent arguments, break-ups and reunions over two and a half years, Larkworthy said.

"I didn't have the guts to say, 'This isn't working,'" Larkworthy recalled, shaking her head.

In one instance, Larkworthy said Braunstein taped her to a chair and threatened her with a knife when she stated her desire to end the relationship.

"Why didn't you report the incident to police?" prosecutor Maxine Rosenthal asked the witness.

"I was afraid of him," Larkworthy said, choking back tears. "I thought I could resolve this and fix this in a calm manner."

After the incident, Braunstein tried a different approach, threatening to hurt himself and report it as an act of domestic abuse, Larkworthy testified.

The couple finally broke up in 2003, after Larkworthy went to police and reported that Braunstein was threatening to harm them both. That same day, Braunstein was taken to Bellevue Hospital for a mental health evaluation.

He was released the same day, and the situation only worsened, just as Braunstein promised her it would, Larkworthy said.

She immediately began receiving phone calls and e-mails from Braunstein seeking an apology for being a "bad girlfriend," which Larkworthy said she attempted to provide, with little success.

In early 2004, Larkworthy received a message from a reporter with the New York Post's gossip column, Page Six, asking her for comment on allegations that she had sent her ex-boyfriend to Bellevue.

After she did not return the call, a story appeared in the newspaper alleging that Larkworthy, dressed in black pumps and Victoria's Secret lingerie, chased Braunstein around her apartment and clawed at him before calling police.

Later, Larkworthy said, nude photos of her appeared on a Web site for swingers.

Larkworthy fought back tears as she described how her bosses received an e-mail from a reader expressing concern over finding the pictures on the Internet. Several co-workers received invitations to view her online profile, which, she alleged, Braunstein had set up using nude pictures he took of her.

The harassment finally ended, Larkworthy testified, when she got an order of protection against him in September 2005, one month before the attack on his former colleague.

Cross-examination of Larkworthy is scheduled to resume Thursday.