ARAB TIMES, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2013
33
‘Original boot style most popular’
Ode to Ugg: In or out, boots have staying power
By Samantha Critchell
T
ake that, trend-watchers: Ugg
Australia’s now-classic boots in
their comfy, cozy glory are still going
strong after 35 years, having just celebrated their anniversary this month
at all the company-owned stores.
The sort-of-clunky sheepskin boots
have been declared “in” and they’ve
been called “out” — many times
over. They’ve been knocked off even
more. But their loyal fans keep buying them.
“Have you ever tried one on? If
you did, you’d know,” says Tacey
Powers, national merchandise manager for Nordstrom. “They are part of
the everyday wardrobe. You own a
sneaker, you own a flip-flop, you
own an Ugg.”
The original boot style is still the
most popular, but Ugg has branched
out to include more fashion-y silhou-
ettes and loungewear. Home products
such as blankets and decorative pillows will be offered this holiday season. Almost every item is touched,
even if it’s hidden at the base of the
heel, by the signature sheepskin lining.
Feel
“You have to be comfortable in
Ugg. You have to feel good. Our tag
line is, ‘Feels like nothing else.’ We
want them to be the go-to pair in
your closet for everything,” says Ugg
Australia President Connie Rishwain.
“We don’t want to be the pretty pair
you never wear.”
The peak of Ugg’s pop-culture
trendiness was in the early 2000s,
when Hollywood starlets made them
part of their uniform with short
denim miniskirts. Never mind that
they were cruising the sunny beaches
of Malibu, California.
Now it’s evolved into a “GoldieHawn-in-Aspen look,” says Adam
Glassman, creative director at O, The
Oprah Magazine, and that’s how you
should wear them: with leggings and
a long sweater, or jeans and a furtrimmed parka. Or like you just don’t
care.
“Ignore the rest of your outfit. It’s
nearly impossible to build an outfit
around them,” he says.
However, don’t wear them with
socks. Not because they’ll look bad,
but you’ll be missing out on the
sheepskin sensation that makes them
special.
Backstory
The beach bums actually had a
similar idea to Ugg Australia founder
Brian Smith, who brought these boots
from Down Under to southern
California in the 1970s. They were
particularly popular with male
the Deckers deal. With success came
a confidence to create clogs, slippers
and the cardigan knit boots that are
almost as popular as the original. Ugg
needed that depth of merchandise
before opening its first stand-alone
store in 2006. Now, there are riding,
high-heel and combat boots.
Loyalty
Ugg Australia’s Bailey style added a button to the brand’s classic boot. It was
part of a successful formula to keep core customers while wooing new ones.
(AP)
surfers.
But Deckers Outdoor Corp. bought
Ugg in 1995 and saw its potential
with young women. “We inherited its
inventory and its customers,” says
Rishwain, “but what blew my mind
was the sell-through. We were pretty
much a fourth-quarter brand, but it
pretty much sold out year-round.”
Ugg wasn’t going to be a one-hit
wonder, however, says Rishwain,
who has been with the brand since
Nordstrom’s Powers says part of
Ugg’s staying power comes from
consumers who replace worn-out
products with new ones. Since the
line isn’t dictated by “trends,” shoppers come back for the same thing
over and over again. She compares it
to a favorite running shoe.
Also, notes Powers, people always
refer to the brand name — it’s never
the fuzzy moonboot or shearling slipper. The products are pricey, she
allows, but she has no complaint
about quality or cut corners. (AP)
Fashion
Fatima Lopes –
Portugal
Luis Buchinho –
Portugal
Luis Buchinho –
Portugal
Luis Buchinho – Portugal
Miguel Vieira – Portugal
click
Latest
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for a long period of time in Sweden and in
Kuwait. For her, it is extremely important
to inspire and help people to achieve better health where diet plays a vital role.
She is convinced that with the knowledge
of how to prepare the food in a tasty and
healthy way, combined with physical
exercise, we can lead a happy, healthy
life. According to her, food must taste
good and be healthy at the same time.
This passion for food and health that she
has is expressed in her book “Food to
enjoy & remember”. Please join us at the
TIES Center on Nov 26, 27 and 28 at
6:30pm. The fee for this course is KD 30
and maximum capacity is 10. Prior registration is required because seats are limited.”
For more information, please call
25231015/6 or e-mail: [email protected]
Models (above) present creations by
Fatima Lopes, Luis
Buchinho and Miguel
Vieira during Portugal
Fashion event in
Porto, Oct 26 and
models (below) display
creations from the
Kopenhagen Fur collection during China
Fashion Week in
Beijing, Oct 25. (AP/AFP)
Miguel Vieira – Portugal
please go through the Website:
http://www.indiais.org/
Miguel Vieira – Portugal
Nov 1
ISCON 2013: Kuwait Kerala Islahi
Oct 29
Study in Canada exhibition:
Organized by the Embassy of Canada, the
eighth annual Middle East Education
Initiative (MEEI) will be visiting Kuwait
from Oct 28 to 30, 2013. Representatives
of 15 leading Canadian universities and
colleges will be available to meet students, parents, teachers and guidance
counsellors to present the advantages of
studying in Canada. On Tuesday, Oct 29,
2013 a Study in Canada exhibition will be
held at the Marina Hotel, Salmiya from
6:00-9:00 pm for potential students and
their parents to attend. The Canadian
institutions will also be visiting local
schools to speak to interested students
about opportunities to study in
Canada.For more information:
www.kuwait.gc.ca
Oct 31
GUST to host musical evening:
The Gulf University for Science and
Technology (GUST) will be hosting a
musical program entitled “My Favorite
Things” on Oct 31, 2013 at 7pm, performed by Steinway Artist, TaiwaneseAmerican pianist Dr Stephanie Shih-yu
Cheng, who has performed extensively in
the US, France, Italy, Japan, and Taiwan
to great critical acclaim.
Dr Cheng will be performing at the
GUST grand auditorium where all students, staff, faculty and general public are
welcome to attend.
She will be performing the following
pieces: Prelude in B minor by J. S. Bach
Kopenhagen Fur –
China
Kopenhagen Fur –
China
Kopenhagen Fur –
China
Kopenhagen Fur –
China
Kopenhagen Fur – China
and trans. by Alexander Siloti, Twelve
Variations on “Ah, vousdirai-je, Maman”,
KV 265 by W.A. Mozart, Nocturne, Op. 9
No. 2 by Frédéric Chopin, Claire de Lune
by Claude Debussy, Liebesträume, No. 3
by Franz Liszt, “My Favorite Things”,
from The Sound of Music by Richard
Rodgers and arr. by Stephen Hough, and
Caprice Espagnol, Op. 37 by Moritz
Moszkowski.
Dr Cheng has appeared in such prestigious settings as Carnegie Hall in New
York, Dame Myra Hess Series of
Chicago, National Gallery of Art in
Washington DC, Kravis Center in West
Palm Beach, Florida, National Concert
Hall of Taipei, and Opera City Hall of
Tokyo.
Dr Cheng holds performance degrees
from Peabody Conservatory and the State
University of New York at Stony Brook
where she earned a Doctor of Musical
Arts degree. Her principal teachers were
Ann Schein and Gilbert Kalish. Much
sought-after for masterclasses and as an
adjudicator, Dr Cheng was on the faculty
of City University of New York and
Manhattan School of Music, and joined
the faculty of American University of
Kuwait as an Assistant Professor of Music
in the fall of 2012.
GUST prides itself in hosting great talents and tries to give the university and
Kuwait community as a whole a variety of
events to attend and enjoy. We look forward to welcoming you, your family and
friends to the event. Admission is free.
Further information and musical offerings from Dr. Cheng are available on
www.stephanie-cheng.com.
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Indian photography contest: A
global photography competition is being
conducted by Public Diplomacy Division
(PDD) of the Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA), Government of India to showcase
the country’s growing ‘soft power’– factors that influence the opinion of individuals and organizations towards India
through the medium of culture and per-
sonal experience.
Entry for the global competition is free
and open to all those who are 18 years of
age or above as on Sept 1, 2013.
Photographs for the competition must be
submitted on or before Oct 31, 2013.The
themes of the competition are: (a) India is
— Youthful (b) India is — Timeless (c)
India is — Undiscovered.
The jurors include scholars and professionals from the fields of photography,
culture and the related. Based on the
scores by individuals on this panel, the
winners will be awarded grand prizes
including exotic getaways with Taj
Holidays.
For more details about the competition,
Center is organizing an Islamic Students
Conference-ISCON2013 on Nov 1-2,
2013 at Grand Mosque Auditorium. As a
part of this great event, an essay contest is
organized for the following topics.
Topics:
1. Knowledge for Enlightenment and
Salvation
2. Internet: Use and Abuse
3. Science and Religion: Parallel and
Paradox
Conditions:
1. The participants must have the age
between 12 and 20 years
2. Minimum 2 pages in printed A4
pages-12 size fonts Times new Roman or
4 pages hand written.
3. Any one of the above topics can be
selected.
4. The article must be submitted to the
school office or KKIC Office before Oct
30, 2013; or send email
[email protected]
5. The first, second and third winners
will be awarded KD 40, KD 30 and KD
20 respectively.
6. Awards will be distributed at the conference on Nov 2, 2013 at Grand Mosque
Auditorium
ISCON 2013 is a unique conference
organized by KKIC for teenage students
which is first of its kind in Kuwait. The
work shop for students will be started on
Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm which consists of various informative, educational
and career oriented classes to be presented
by renowned trainers and scholars from
abroad. Those who are interested can register on line www.islahikuwait.org or prescribed forms. The details will be available in the program notice or in sites. For
more queries please contact on phone
50775545, 66977038, 97200750.
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KKIC conduct ISCON: Kuwait Kerala
Islahi is planning to conduct Second
Islamic Students Conference (ISCON) on
Nov 1 and 2 at Grand Mosque. Scores of
students had participated last year in students workshop and other various activities. The two-day program will commenced with inaugural ceremony on
Friday evening. Renowned guests from
Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Heritage
Society apart from the renowned educationists, experts, guest lecturers from in
and out of Kuwait. There will be various
sessions in the program students work
shop, parenting, butterfly meets and presentations. A souvenir will be released on
this occasion. Students will be admitted
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