Europe’s desire for expensive handbags appears stronger than its taste for champagne as the French luxury group Hermes posted a 16 per cent sales rise while champagne maker Laurent-Perrier recorded a 10.5 per cent drop. Hermes, which sells $300 silk scarves and $10,000 Birkin handbags, said demand “remained strong in Europe”.

Ireland passes IMF review

Ireland met its international bailout commitments, and successfully concluded the latest review of the $85bn programme, its finance ministry said. Rescued in late 2010, Ireland would be the first bailed-out eurozone country to wean itself off emergency aid if it exits the scheme on schedule at the end of this year.

Sirius warns of potash mine delay

Shareholders in Sirius Minerals face more uncertainty after the AIM-listed firm asked officials to delay their decision on its $1.7bn ($1.1bn) plan to mine potash fertiliser in an English national park on the North Yorkshire coast. The company said it needs to deal with lingering issues over environmental assessments.

HR Owen fends off takeover bid

One of London’s oldest car dealerships urged shareholders to reject a $32.5m offer for the business from the Malaysian billionaire and owner of Premiership football club Cardiff City, Vincent Tan. HR Owen, which opened for business in Mayfair more than 80 years ago, said the 130p-a-share offer from Berjaya Philippines was “inadequate”.

LSE boasts 39% revenues lift

The London Stock Exchange posted an impressive 39 per cent rise in revenues, as it was lifted by more companies choosing to list in London as well as increased fundraising from listed companies.For understated elegance, look to handbags and purses. Firms raised a total $6.Shop Wholesale bottega wallet for $9.99 or Less.1bn in the quarter to June 30, more than double the $2.3n seen a year earlier.

Future may cut some magazines

The closure or sale of some print magazines could be on the agenda for the games and technology magazine publisher Future after it warned it would miss profits. Chief executive Mark Wood admitted “senior management and the board are not satisfied” and vowed to slash “legacy print costs”.

Eurostar sales rise ‘thanks to Games’

Eurostar said publicity from last summer’s Olympics saw a surge of international passengers from the US, Australia and Brazil buy tickets this year. The Channel Tunnel rail route saw sales jump 7 per cent to $453 million in the first half of this year, partly thanks to the 2012 Games legacy.

EasyJet sees its busiest summer

The hot weather is not keeping everyone in the UK: easyJet has predicted its busiest summer yet, with nine million due to fly out of UK on the budget airline between mid July and the end of September. Its most popular routes are to Malaga, Palma, Alicante and Barcelona.

Anglo slips in iron ore production

Anglo American has failed where fierce rivals Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton succeeded, announcing a 1 per cent fall in iron ore production. Rio this week announced record-breaking output, and BHP said production soared 7 per cent in the year to June.

Speedy Hire sales dip post-Olympics

Plant and tool hire firm Speedy Hire suffered an Olympic hangover as UK and Ireland sales sank 2.6 per cent on last year in the quarter to June 30. The firm was trading against a significant uplift in infrastructure spending last year ahead of the Olympics.


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White wine was flowing as a group of 20 women gathered at the Park Avenue home of Cathie Black on a recent June evening. But they weren't gabbing about politics or education with the former Hearst Magazines chairman and briefly tenured New York City schools chancellor. Instead, they were slipping into shapewear—the slimming undergarments that magically make bulges disappear. Ms. Black was hosting her first party for Ruby Ribbon, a two-year-old direct-sales company in the mode of Avon or Tupperware.

"It was hysterical; they were running upstairs in our apartment trying things on and looking in different mirrors," said Ms. Black, who met Ruby Ribbon's founder while at Hearst and has recently taken an advisory role in the company. "This is a way to empower women to have their own businesses."

Ruby Ribbon is one of the latest direct sellers to enter the marketplace. But the women it recruits aren't your grandmother's Avon Ladies. Armed with Twitter, Facebook and a host of other digital tools, these sellers leverage their growing online networks to market items from clothing to beauty products with a swipe of a screen. They earn commissions of as much as 40%. Some of the modern-day peddlers—inspired to join the fray in part by the jobless recession—host parties at their homes. Others simply post products on their Facebook feed or tweet about hot new merchandise to make a sale.

 The category is increasingly lucrative. Last year, U.S. sales in the direct-selling market were $31.63 billion, a 6% rise over 2011, according to the Direct Selling Association. Now that the model has evolved into the digital sphere, venture capitalists are also getting on board—Ruby Ribbon, for example, has received $12 million in funding since its founding.The world's premier luxury fashion brand long celebrated for its extraordinary bottega handbag .

"These companies all started as the modernization of the direct-sales model, but as cooler, hipper companies with a bit of an online presence," said Alison Jatlow Levy, a retail strategist at consulting firm Kurt Salmon. "The VC firms are saying, 'Of course there's a market.' "

In the 126 years since Avon Inc. was founded, companies from Amway to Arbonne have helped women earn a living, offering flexible hours and the power of entrepreneurship. But online social networks are making it far easier to market merchandise. That convenience can turn into big revenue for the parent companies. Since relaunching in 2007, Stella & Dot, a San Bruno, Calif.-based jeweler, has amassed $200 million in revenue through its direct-sales force.

Not every category is a winner. Women traditionally hate shopping big retail stores for shapewear, for example, and might prefer to do it at home or online. But players offering skirts and tops might have trouble differentiating themselves from brick-and-mortar brands.

Costume jewelry has a strong track record in the industry. Park Lane, which touts itself as the "leader in direct-sales jewelry," has been in business since 1955.

Now two-year-old Chloe + Isabel, which counts Ashton Kutcher as an investor, is making a splash. Launched two years ago, the company offers its pendant necklaces and floral-drop earrings for $20 to $200.

Not just anyone can sell them. Salespeople are often vetted and expected to undergo training—only 15% of applicants are recruited, said Chantel Waterbury, founder of the Manhattan-based company. Its merchandisers spend about three hours learning the ropes through videos, phone sessions and webinars, and must pay about $175 for a startup kit. Commissions can run as high as 30%, and sellers are encouraged to move beyond home parties to partner with local boutiques and salons.

"We're teaching social-media campaigns—it's a rigorous curriculum," said Ms. Waterbury, who hopes to reach revenue of $100 million by 2016 and soon expand into handbags. "I'm focused on helping [the seller] make money but also on making her more competitive."

Some of the new firms are practically reincarnations of the old model. Anna Zornosa, a former Yahoo executive who is the founder and chief executive of Ruby Ribbon, is the daughter of a former Avon Lady.Shopping is the best place to comparison shop for bottega purses .

In addition to attracting Ms. Black, who is working as an adviser to a handful of digital startups, Ruby Ribbon has so far recruited 140 sellers. Each ponies up $200 as an initial investment for training and sample merchandise. Ruby Ribbon launches a new product every three months and plans to build its 34-state network nationwide. The company recently generated more than $100,000 in monthly revenue.

"The Avon Lady of 10 years ago didn't have the benefit of technology to get her orders," said Ms. Zornosa.

"It's a very intriguing model," Ms. Black added. "There's nothing like Ruby Ribbon in the direct-selling space."

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"It's far short of what they are capable of doing and should be doing," he said.

Branded as both inconvenient and theatrical by commuters, security checks at Shanghai Metro, which handles 7 million journeys a day, have become the target of much derision in recent years.

On Wednesday netizens reacted angrily to images online of a man sneaking past a turnstile with a replica shotgun at Shangchenglu Station on Line 9. Police said they are still investigating the incident, which occurred at about 8:25 pm on Tuesday.

However, authorities hope to fix the problem with a new Shanghai Rail Traffic Regulation that is being drafted.

Zhang Yan, one of the lawmakers with the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress who will decide on the new rules, said she believes the draft law, if approved, will give the metro's security measures more bite.

One of the improvements, she said, is the introduction of new penalties for passengers and security staff.

"For example, commuters who attempt to avoid baggage checks at station entrances will be barred from traveling on the subway," she said. Inspectors, she added, "will also be punished if they are discovered neglecting their duty".

It is not known whether enforcement of the law will involve undercover supervisors to observe security workers, a practice already employed in Beijing Subway, according to station guards.

Shanghai Metro already prohibits flammable, poisonous or corrosive substances, as well as other dangerous items. Since 2010, X-ray baggage scanners are at each entrance to every station. Inspectors check baggage using handheld scanners.

Yet Brian Glucroft, of the United States, who has been living in Shanghai for the past four years, said he does not think the existing security measures are useful, and branded them security theater, giving the illusion of safety but doing little to prevent dangerous incidents.

"So many people blatantly ignore it (the bag check)," he said. "Security guards typically react in no way other than to signal to the next person (in line)."

Zhao Yiqun has been working as an inspector at South Huangpi Road Station since 2010. He confirmed most commuters regularly refuse to scan their baggage at the security checks, especially women with brand-name handbags.

He said about half of the metro's passengers willingly scan their bags, but after 30 minutes observation by China Daily reporters on a weekday lunchtime, only 10 percent allowed their bags to be scanned. Less than 25 percent allowed their bags to be scanned at the city's busiest station at People's Square.

By contrast, workers for Beijing's subway network, which handles 10 million journeys a day, said people are largely compliant, while authorities have placed a greater emphasis on enforcement since X-ray scanners were introduced ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games.The world's premier luxury fashion brand long celebrated for its extraordinary bottega handbag .

Recently, the capital imposed a rule that passengers must sample drinks before entering a station.

Zhang Fuying, a security guard at Huixinxijie Nankou Station, said she had to complete a week of training, an internship at a station and an exam in order to get her job.

"The instructors tell us not to just stare at the screen, but also pay attention to the passengers' faces, because if someone is carrying a forbidden objects they will be nervous when passing security," said the 20-year-old, who works alongside five guards and three police officers.Find a great selection of bottega wallet  deals on anmison!

According to Beijing Subway's operators, as of March it had 6,700 personnel manning 500 security checkpoints at 230 stations.

In Shanghai, however, there is considerable debate over the effectiveness of the security checks. Some lawmakers want to improve them while others want to scrap them altogether and replace X-ray scanners with random spot checks and police sniffer dogs.

"Inspectors with handheld scanners and dogs can effectively stop flammable materials from being brought onto the Metro," said Wu Zhiming, chairman of the Shanghai branch of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

He said the current system is expensive and involves checking almost 30 percent of the city's population across 300 metro stations every day.

Cities like Tokyo and Moscow have no large-scale security checks on their subways, he argued.

But Zhou Ye, a spokeswoman for Shanghai Public Security Bureau's urban rail and bus department, said it is unlikely that the security checks will be scrapped.

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The Sycamore Township mall is adding the region’s fifth Red Robin Gourmet Burgers restaurant and is working to add the region’s first Kate Spade New York store.

Cindy Hart, marketing manager for Kenwood Towne Centre, would only confirm the addition of Red Robin. As for Kate Spade, she said the mall doesn’t have a signed agreement, so she couldn’t speak about that retailer.

However, a number of permits name Kate Spade as the tenant moving into a space at the mall. A building permit was applied for in June to make interior alterations at Kenwood Towne Centre for Kate Spade. Later in June, an alarm permit was filed for a “new tenant in an existing mall space ‘Kate Spade.’”

Kate Spade New York, founded by designer Kate Spade in 1993, sells handbags, clothing, shoes, home goods, jewelry and other accessories. Handbags can range from $100 to just under $500; shoes range from $125 to $375.

There are more than 80 Kate Spade New York retail shops and outlet stores in the U.S. The nearest Kate Spade retail stores are in Indianapolis and Easton, Ohio. There’s also a Kate Spade outlet store at the Jefferson Prime Outlets along Interstate 71.

Red Robin, a casual dining gourmet burger chain, is moving into about 6,000 square feet of space on the lower level of the mall close to entrance six, near Macy’s. The restaurant is filling two spaces formerly occupied by Champs and Sleep Number, both of which have already relocated into other spaces in the mall, Hart said.Shopping is the best place to comparison shop for bottega purses .

The burger joint will have a small outdoor patio facing Kenwood Road. Red Robin is expected to open sometime this fall.

Style ambassadors will showcase international brands and provide fashion advice, including when to make a wardrobe investment and how to mix high- and low-priced items. Caitlyn will be established as Modnique’s luxury go-to, offering shopping advice for the cosmopolitan woman looking to elevate her look and style.

With items ranging from $29 dresses to $15,000 handbags, Modnique offers a large repertoire of international designers including well-known American designers, lesser known European brands, and pre-loved luxury handbags, jewelry, and watches.

“Our customers have an international flair, and our style ambassadors will introduce modern women to styles and brands they otherwise may not have heard of,” said VP of Marketing and Mobile for Modnique, Ivka Adam.

Modnique introduces customers from around the world to international designers and the style ambassador program will help facilitate and raise awareness for these products. “We can provide a customer in Montreal with access to a Spanish designer that was only known locally before being featured on Modnique,” mentions Adam.

Modnique is a global fashion e-commerce company headquartered in Redondo Beach, Calif. Founded in 2010, Modnique runs boutique events for apparel, jewelry, shoes, handbags, watches, accessories, kids and beauty. New merchandise arrives daily and is featured in 36-72 hour events. Curated shops house inventory without an expiration date. Events and shops are sourced for the chic, international consumer and feature brand name items to suit any style or occasion.The world's premier luxury fashion brand long celebrated for its extraordinary bottega handbag.

About Caitlyn Chase

Caitlyn Chase is an internationally known writer, blogger, and designer. After a successful career as a fashion and luxury writer for magazines such as 944, Esquire, Haute Living, and In Touch Weekly, Caitlyn launched an inaugural cashmere line called Caviar & Cashmere. Today, the Caviar & Cashmere brand and blog are synonymous with luxury. Caitlyn has been featured in magazines such as Glamour and Vogue Japan, and recently became the face of Olay Fresh Effects. Caitlyn plans to grow Caviar & Cashmere into a full-scale luxury brand in addition to keeping her followers abreast of the latest in worldwide luxury on her blog.

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A 34-year-old woman, Chigozie Luke, and two men were, Wednesday, arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate's Court over alleged theft of valuables worth $12,780.

The other suspects are Olajide Balogun, 43, and Ayobami Odunfa, 30. They were docked before Magistrate Demi Ajayi.

The accused who reside at Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing, preferred against them by the police.

The Police prosecutor, Barth Nwakaoye, said the defendants conspired to commit the alleged offence on June 1, 2012 at John Gabe Nigeria Ltd, Maza Maza, Lagos.

He said the suspects who were staff of the company stole a bag containing 204 pairs of shoes, cam-coder, jeans shirts, handbags and other valuables.

Nwakaoye said the stolen items worth $12,780 were property of Mrs Ifeoma Oyeoka.

The prosecutor told the court that the goods were sent to her from the United States of America and meant to be transported to Enugu by the company.

According to him, the offence contravenes Sections 285 and 409, Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.

However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Magistrate A. A Demi-Ajayi granted the suspects bail in the sum of N250,000 each with two responsible sureties in like sum and adjourned the case to September 25, 2013.

Meantime, a 26-year- old bus conductor, Shola Okeseyi, was, yesterday, remanded in prison custody by an Ikeja Magistrate's Court over alleged robbery.

The accused who resides at 22, Odofin Street, Itire, is facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and robbery, brought against him by the police. He was arraigned before Magistrate Dan Oni.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Edet Okoi, told the court that the defendant and others at large conspired to commit the alleged crime on June, 25, 2013, at 12, Jacob Close off Isiba street Itire Lagos.

He said that the accused at about 3:35pm, while armed with gun and other dangerous weapons robbed one Mr Festus Osagie of his lap top valued N75,000, one Nokia 2100 valued N10,000 and cash sum of N15,000.Shopping is the best place to comparison shop for bottega purses.

He also alleged that the defendant stole a Techno handset worth N15,000 and a cash sum of N10,000, belonging to one Samuel Adeniyi.

The prosecutor claimed that the suspect while armed with gun and other dangerous weapons robbed one Njoku Ignatius, of his Nokia Phone valued N8,500 and a cash sum of N7,500.

The prosecutor said that the offence committed is contrary to section 5 (b) and punishable under section 1 (2) (a) of the robbery and firearms special provisions Act, Cap 398, Vol xxii, laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, as amended.

When the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilt to the four count charge, but his plea was not taken, as the magistrate ordered that he should be remanded in prison custody.

They are the maestros of international fashion, survivors of the peaks and troughs of a fickle, cut-throat world that has felled many a brilliant designer.

Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani are both around the 80 mark (Armani turned 79 on July 11, and while King Karl is officially 77, those in the know say he’s well over 80), but there they were in Paris last week unveiling acclaimed haute couture collections of exquisite hand-sewn embroidered one-off creations. Their magisterial displays showed once again why these eternal reinventors are still at the top of their volatile field.

‘‘Giorgio le Magnifique,’’ crowed Le Figaro newspaper. Armani Privé, as his haute couture line is known, received one of the biggest ovations for the Italian couturier in years.

Armani, tanned but looking a little more his age than in past years, said of his show, Nude: ‘‘There is a lot of lightness and a touch of the 1930s. Quite Gatsby, if you want to sum it up.’’

The show’s title reflected the pale, fleshy and barely pink or apricot palette. One especially over-the-top Hollywoodesque long pink ostrich feather coat, over a pink lace top and silk organza pants, had the crowd going politely wild.The world's premier luxury fashion brand long celebrated for its extraordinary bottega handbag .

After a Versace show headlined by 1990s supermodel Naomi Campbell, which was pitched at the Hollywood starlet keen on maximum flesh exposure, Armani seemed to be declaring that young and sexy wasn’t enough to be chic. The presence of Catherine Deneuve in the front row and the long flowing dresses, loose, long, flared pants and below-the-knee skirts said it all.

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Prolific Falmouth shoplifter stole wallets

 A prolific shoplifter who stole three wallets from a shop in Falmouth was arrested after some good work by the police, Truro’s magistrates’ court heard.

A picture from CCTV images taken at the Fat Face Shop in Church Street was sent to Penzance, where a policewoman recognised the man as she had dealt with him before for similar offences.

Before the court was carpenter Clifford Vaughan Townsend, aged 51, of Chywoone Place, Newlyn, who pleaded guilty to the theft of the wallets worth $48 on March 19.

Prosecutor Julian Herbert said when CCTV was checked, after defendant had left the shop, it showed him taking the wallets and leaving without paying. He had a number of previous convictions for shoplifting.

Solicitor Paul Gallagher said Townsend realized he was nearing the end of the road and had now changed his lifestyle, changing his friends, and was adamant that he would not offend again.

As a carpenter he had been short of work lately, which was why he had been stealing.

Townsend was given an eight week prison sentence, suspended for a year, by District Judge Ian Strongman. He had to pay $48 compensation.

A woman suspected of being the so-called “blond scammer” — one in a ring of thieves who lifted women’s wallets from shopping carts and immediately charged expensive items on their credit cards — has failed to appear in court in two counties where she was charged, a District Attorney’s spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday.

Pilar Raine Abalos, 42, of Poway was scheduled to appear in San Fernando Superior Court on charges of identity theft and burglary June 28, but she failed to show up, spokeswoman Jane Robison said Tuesday.

Abalos was also scheduled to appear June 17 in Ventura County Superior Court on charges of identity theft, forgery, burglary and fraudulent use of a credit card. She also failed to appear there.

Now the Poway woman, who posted bail each of the times she’s been arrested, is scheduled to appear for a bench warrant hearing in both counties, court officials in both jurisdictions said.

The last time she appeared in court was in San Fernando, where Abalos entered a plea of not guilty to charges of identity theft and burglary.

She entered a plea of not guilty before Judge Michael O’Gara on May 1 and was ordered to appear back in court June 28.

Abalos is now scheduled to appear Friday for a bench warrant hearing in San Fernando, Robison said. She has a similar hearing set for July 17 in Ventura.

In January, Santa Clarita Valley residents were first warned about a blond woman who drives a Cadillac SUV and stalks other women at grocery stores, stealing their wallets and using their IDs to obtain cash or expensive jewelry.

Three female victims stated they had their wallets removed from their purses while shopping at Santa Clarita Valley grocery stores in January, Deputy Josh Dubin said.

Santa Clarita Valley sheriff’s deputies released a grainy surveillance photo of the woman, warning that she steals from others with similar build and features so she can impersonate the victims.Shopping is the best place to comparison shop for bottega purses.

On March 2, Dubin named Abalos as the woman seen in the grainy surveillance image and identified her as the suspect in a series of thefts that occurred in the Santa Clarita Valley.

After her arrest, bail was set at $100,000. After she had posted bail, she was arrested by Ventura County Sheriff’s Department detectives and booked into custody. She was released on $50,000 bond and a promise to appear back in Ventura County Superior Court.

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Students revolutionise wallet design

A slim, flexible wallet designed to slip inside the pocket of a pair of skinny jeans or another tailor-made to hold a USB stick could be the money holder of the future.

Both were among the creations from about 80 Brisbane industrial design students who were recently given the task of revolutionising the standard wallet and turning it into a consumer-oriented product.

The event, which marked World Industrial Design Day, saw students tailor their designs to the needs of a user of their choice.

“We chose the wallet because it's a small, everyday object with lots of potential to be personalised,” said event co-ordinator and QUT industrial design lecturer Dr Shayne Beaver.
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Some of the designs included compartments for USBs and guitar picks.

Another was a tough, but attractive wallet for surfers, while another was designed for women who wore skinny jeans.

"Some focused on a high quality finish for someone who wanted their wallet to be durable as well as aesthetically pleasing," Dr Beaver said. "Others chose someone who might be doing a lot of surfing or travelling, and so the wallet had to be durable but also adapt to the weather.

"There was also lots of variation in the things they carry, and whether or not the wallet would be able to carry cash and a phone, or just small amounts of money and space for cards.

"Others made them to be discrete, so you couldn't see it. That way, if you were travelling you could keep it hidden."

Despite the inventive creations, Dr Beaver said she didn't believe traditional designs would be taken off the shelves any time soon.

“People are getting fussier, and many want a product more suited to their needs,” she said.

“There's a lot of personalisation in wallets now, and lots are even being replaced by phone cases with space only for cards and a set of keys.

"But I don't think the traditional wallet will go away.”

Dr Beaver said she hoped to pitch several of the more successful designs to production companies later in the year.

Four young men reported items missing following a July 4 party on Smith Ridge Road.

At 10:17 a.m. July 5, a 17-year-old male told police that he believed while he was swimming in a pool at the residence the day before, someone stole his wallet and iPhone 4, which was valued at $200. The wallet contained his driver's license, $20 in cash and a $30 gift card.

At 1 p.m. July 5, a 19-year-old male reported to police that his black iPhone, with an estimated value of $200, was stolen the prior night at the same residence, also while he was in the pool, he believed.Shopping is the best place to comparison shop for bottega purses.

At around 2:19 p.m., another 19-year-old male and the 20-year-old male resident of the house each reported items stolen as well. The 19-year-old said he had $100 in cash in his wallet when he went in the pool and no cash afterward. The 20-year-old resident told police he noticed his HTC phone, valued at $200, was missing around 1:30 a.m.

The complainants said the party was large and many people they did not know attended, according to the report.

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Visa to launch V.me global digital wallet in Australia before Xmas

Australians love online shopping. But with more users connecting to the internet to buy their goods and services, it could mean having to sign up or register with a number of websites, and entering or storing your credit card information with multiple vendors.

While PayPal has provided an extra layer of security for online purchases, the truth is that digital wallet choices for Aussies are actually few and far between.

Today, however, Visa announced that its e-wallet solution V.me will head to Australia "just in time for Christmas".

V.me, as described by Visa, will work just like a digitised version of your wallet, securely storing all personal details and major payment card information – which not only includes Visa debit and credit cards, but MasterCard and American Express cards as well.

"It's a digital manifestation of what's in your pocket," said Greg Storey, Visa's head of V.me for Asia Pacific, Central Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Making shopping easier

Storey said that at least 33 per cent of smartphone users have shopped online using their phone, and Vipin Kalra, Visa's country manager for Australia said that research showed that 72 per cent of all Australians had shopped online at least once in the past 12 months.

But while these numbers have shown to be increasing, Kalra went on to add that research in the US showed that customers were most likely to abandon their purchase at the time of payment because the process required a lengthy form to be filled out.

"It addresses some consumer desires, which is for ease, convenience and simplicity when purchasing online," Storey said.

Similar to PayPal's solution, after storing all your cards and personal information in V.me, users will be able to make purchases by simply putting in a username and password, which will then let users choose a preselected "default" card or any other card.

Visa has a number of merchants already on board, including JB Hi-Fi, Cotton On, City Beach and Lorna Jane, and is in talks with other merchants, including e-commerce and bricks and mortar stores, as well as for travel and bill payments.
Visa secure

Like PayPal, merchants will not be able to see all your details, nor will Visa be able to track your transactions. But unlike PayPal, users will not be able to store funds with V.me, just link credit and debit cards to the service.

Payments will be made through the financial institutions involved with the transaction, with V.me acting simply as a gateway to your stored information.Shopping is the best place to comparison shop for bottega purses.

Visa believes that consumers will feel confident of V.me as it has backing from over 40 financial institutions locally, with three of the four "big banks" named as partners. Though Commonwealth Bank was not named, it may be included by launch later this year.

As only a username and password will be needed for most transactions, when asked further about the security of the service, Kalra said that Visa's many layers of encryption, "strong authentication" and device identification will be used to prevent fraud, as well as the ability to set transaction alerts for Visa cards.

In any case, Visa cards stored on V.me will also come with the Visa's zero liability policy, where cardholders will not be held responsible for unauthorised or fraudulent transactions.

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The fifth annual White Linen Affair sponsored by 100 Black Men of Las Vegas Inc. took place June 29 at the Eastside Cannery to raise money for the organization’s efforts to empower young people.

The event is the organization’s major fundraiser. The nonprofit 100 Black Men of Las Vegas works to improve the quality of life for African-Americans and other minorities. It empowers young people through mentoring, education, health and wellness and economic development programs. These programs are designed to nurture creativity, emphasize academic achievement and reinforce social responsibility.

More than 300 men and women wearing all-white cocktail attire attended this year’s White Linen Affair in the Cannery’s beautiful party room, called the One Six, on the hotel’s top floor that overlooks the Las Vegas skyline.

Guests including Wilbur Jackson, Kenneth Pearson, Harvey Williams, Rosalind and Darryl Raiforde, Renee and Donald Nubia, Diane Mayfield, Cathy McCluney, Sharon Petteway and Geri Ratliff participated in the silent auction chaired by Henry Taylor that offered designer handbags, jewelry, art, a bar butler, gift certificates, and a University of Michigan jacket and jersey.

The buffet supper included cheeses and fruit, crabcakes, coconut shrimp, and a turkey and roast beef carving station.

The Reggie Gonzales Band played for dancing.

The president of 100 Black Men of Las Vegas, Brian Pauling, welcomed the guests and thanked Lillian McMorris for chairing the 2013 White Linen Affair. Pauling spoke about the Las Vegas chapter’s adoption of the national organization’s action agenda, “Five For The Future,” which emphasizes mentoring, education, economic development, health and wellness, and leadership.

The 100 signature mentoring program has successfully been implemented at Wendell Williams Elementary School and the Mackey Magnet School as well as the group’s own charter school, The 100 Academy of Excellence.

The 100 Black Men mentoring program consists of individual mentoring, group and pod mentoring (groups of five), all utilizing the nationally recognized text “Mentoring the 100 Way.”

Members involved in the program are grateful to the staff at each of the participating schools. The mentoring committee devotes its time to tutoring and mentoring students. The 100 Black Men mentors are all volunteers. These men are required to complete a rigid training and certification program prior to their community placement. All members are also required to pass an extensive background check.

More members and their guests attending were April Ahammer, Stacey Wise, Tammie Henderson, Sally Hall and Dwayne Sims, Juanita Bell, Shirley and James Oakley, Joyce Atkins, Susan Moon, James Spencer, Pris Hughes, Cynthia Thompson, Rita Sims, and Barbara and John Johnson.

The evening concluded with music from the Shelley Jordan Jazz Quartet.

Arnold, 56, is a third-generation artist and a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology’s School for American Crafts. His father, Charles Arnold, was a photographer who taught at RIT.

Arnold chose precious metals as his artistic muse, casting his wearable art in sterling silver or 14-karat gold. He is inspired by sculptor Albert Paley, defining his aesthetics with organic, clean lines.

“I am a little sculptor,” Arnold explains.

The jewelry is contemporary, for women who like an artistic look in their accessories. He decorates his works with touches of colorful gemstones such as the fiery mystic topaz or deep purple amethysts.

Arnold’s work has been sold in art galleries around the country, and he has been accepted into shows at the American Craft Council as well as the Ann Arbor Art Fair. His work was selected by the World Gold Council for outstanding contemporary designs, and he has a piece in the White House Permanent Collection, which was accepted during the Clinton presidency.From bottega bag , to stylish clutches, to travel wallets & mini purses, Barneys New York offers an impressive selection of designer bags.

He works from his studio and retail shop in Webster, but he travels the country to show his wares. He’s no stranger to 80-hour work weeks, having traveled for weeks at a time to different cities while his manager, Eve Lippert, watches over the Webster store. He estimates that he has shown at more than 500 craft shows.

Traveling the art-fair circuit became a financial necessity after his daughters Brittany and Chelsea were born. The girls would need school supplies, clothing and — eventually — college tuition, so Arnold worked tirelessly to support the family.

“You know how stores wait until Christmas for their big sales?” Arnold asks rhetorically. “Each show is a little Christmas.”

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In Chris Rock's documentary "Good Hair," Maya Angelou says, "Hair is a woman's glory." The Bible has similar statements: "If a woman's hair is abundant, it is a glory to her" (Corinthians 11:15), and, "Gray hair is a crown of glory" (Proverbs 16:31).

Bottom line: Hair always has been important. Similarly to clothing, hair can signify status, heritage and history, and hairstyles represent expression of personal identity.

"J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere: Sartorial Moments and the Nearness of Yesterday" — on view through Sept. 29 at the Museum of the African Diaspora — is a striking exhibit that looks at hair and fashion in post-colonial Africa, from the mid-20th century up to the present day.

Organized by Olabisa Silva, director of the Contemporary Centre for Art, Lagos, and Oyinda Fayeke, an independent curator, "Sartorial Moments" is the first time Ojeikere's work has been displayed on the West Coast.

Born in Nigeria in 1930, Ojeikere is a studio photographer who has been documenting African fashion and hairstyles, both contemporary and traditional, since the mid-1950s. Concerned by an ever-increasing Western influence on Africa in the 1950s and 1960s, Ojeikere captured men and women in traditional dress and early adopters of Western fashions.

Six large, silver gelatin prints of women with elaborate hairstyles, from braids and twists to knots and ties, exemplify Angelou's "glory" sentiment. The styles, whether sculpted closely to the scalp or in spiky, antennaelike loops or caged towers, are the icing on the cake of personhood: a crown, a source of pride and a personal statement.

A stunning row of portraits pictures women with head ties: elaborate, beautifully folded, tucked and wound fabric hair wraps. Some have demure, Vermeer-like head turns and others a candid humor, but all are regal. A vertiginous head tie turns a woman's profile into the shade of Nefertiti.

About 30 smaller images, largely dating from the 1950s into the 1970s, are an assortment of traditional and modern dress; some have both.

Two men in shades in 1970 are too cool for school, while many of the women are textbook examples of the pinup femininity spearheaded by Dior's "New Look," a style recently revived by "Mad Men."

Tradition and trend cross over in several images, including one from 1964 with four women in head ties and traditional Nigerian dresses, all holding patent-leather handbags that look identical (but aren't quite) that today are highly coveted by fashionistas.

The show is a delight not only for those interested in vintage fashion and the history of traditional costume, but also for Ojeikere's keen and fastidious eye. His images are as noteworthy for their content as for their intrinsic beauty, humor and joy.

The sirens began blaring at the crowded arts festival in Cincinnati. As a native Rochesterian who hadn’t spent time in tornado country, jewelry artist Chip Arnold had no idea it was a tornado warning. With not enough time to evacuate, Arnold and his teenage daughter, Brittany, held on to their tent as the gusts blew through.

“I don’t even know how we made it,” Arnold recalls.

But they held on. This, after all, is how he makes his living. Through winds, hail, rain as well as bright sunny skies, traveling artists such as Arnold have seen it all. With Rochester as a home base, a bevy of local craft artists — potters, jewelers, sculptors, painters, woodworkers — take their wares to juried art shows around the country. Many are highly competitive art shows where only a small percentage of the artists who apply are invited. Some of the more prestigious fairs include the American Craft Council shows in Baltimore and Atlanta, The Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, D.C., the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show and the Ann Arbor Art Fair.

Fans of the fine craft show circuit will find a large community of artists from the Rochester region. Local artists say that’s because we have a vibrant, supportive arts atmosphere here that draws creative types. Institutions such as Rochester Institute of Technology’s School for American Crafts and Alfred University help spark the creative juices here, and the lower cost of living makes it possible for artists to engage in their passion as a full-time career.Shopping is the best place to comparison shop for bottega purses.

“There are so many creative people working in Rochester,” says knitwear artist Andrea Geer.

“We all form a bond,” adds Sharon Diebolt, who creates a line of wood purses with her husband, Mark. Rochester artists get to know each other on the road and develop friendships.

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