Wholesale Designer Jeans

Fashion handbags online designer handbags shop-information about designer handbags brand names history.

kooba Designer handbags.

Kooba is the answer to every woman’s desire for a designer handbag with distinctive characteristics and features that reflect her mood. Known for their signature shapes, dominant hardware, and vast color range, Kooba is about creating individual style, and celebrities from the streets of New York City to the Hollywood Hills have heard the call of the modern, vintage-inspired leathers and deep colors. These bags work with every style and will definitely get you noticed. From the streets of New York City to the Hollywood Hills, the demand for Kooba continues to grow amongst both style icons and Hollywood’s fresh faces. Fans include— Mischa Barton, Sienna Miller, Lindsay Lohan, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Longoria, Courteney Cox, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Simpson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rachel Bilson, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Jennifer Aniston.

Prada Designer handbags.

Prada, lead by fashion designer Miuccia Prada, is perhaps best known for its lovely black nylon designer Prada handbags and signature triangle logo.

The Prada label was started in 1913 by Mario Prada who sold handbags, shoes and trunks. His granddaughter, Miuccia Prada, was born in 1950, and even though she earned a doctorate in Political Science and was an active communist, her claim to fame is the signature Prada nylon handbag, which is made out of a type of nylon fabric called ‘Pocone’ and it helped turn the family company into a billion-dollar-business.

Prada nylon shoulder bags are streamlined, simple, chic and classic and they come in different shapes and sizes - including totes, backpacks, clutches, etc. Even though the price tag on a Prada purse often limits them to celebrity consumption, many women are willing to sacrifice other wardrobe necessities in lieu of a $350 to $1,200 status-symbolizing Prada bag. Prada also designs luxury men’s and women’s shoes - including everything from stilettos and boots to strappy sandals and even sneakers.

Chloe Designer handbags.

Both edgy and feminine, Chloe’s clothes and accessories are for women who dress and live on the cutting edge. The French design house resides in Paris and has been making luxurious ready to wear fashion for women since 1956. With top designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Martine Sitbon and Stella McCartney as alumni, Chloe has established itself as one of the world’s top design houses.

When Stella McCartney joined Chloe in 1997, she brought with her a “new classic” feel and blended it with the edgy Chloe chic to create a modern and exciting collection. This marked the reinvention and renewal of the design house, which landed the Chloe name on the lips of everyone in the fashion world. As well as bringing her “new classic” feel to Chloe, Miss McCartney brought her assistant Phoebe Philo, whose rock-n-roll sensibilities helped Stella revamp the Chloe style. In 2001, the one time assistant Phoebe Philo stepped into Stella McCartney’s shoes as creative director at Chloe.

Gucci Designer handbags.

In 1906, a leather craftsman named Guccio Gucci founded the House of Gucci, a saddlery shop in Florence, Italy where Gucci sold genuine, handcrafted leather goods. The success of the Florence shop led to the opening of a luggage store in Via Condotti, Rome, in 1938, which attracted international fanfare. In 1947, a famous Gucci icon was born - the leather bag with bamboo handle.

The 1960’s brought Gucci into the global spotlight with its signature “GG” monogram logo and drew the attention of celebrities such as Grace Kelly, Peter Sellers and Audrey Hepburn who helped make Gucci synonymous with Hollywood chic. America’s most-beloved first lady, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, did her part for Gucci by being photographed with the Gucci shoulder bag. Afterward this handbag was renamed the “Jackie O”.

Thanks to its celebrity status, the name Gucci became synonymous with high-end fashion and Italian made luxury. And the “GG” monogram bag, fashioned from the highest quality calf leather and twill fabric became a symbol of chic couture.

Balenciaga Designer handbags.

Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga got his start in fashion at the young age of thirteen, when he charmed the Marquise of Casa Torres with a compliment on her elegance. The Marquise encouraged Cristobal to design a dress for her, and the rest is history. Cristobal Balenciaga traveled to Paris and encouraged his already burgeoning talent by exposing himself to the then popular design houses of the early 20th century; Doucet, Worth and Drecoll.

When Balenciaga returned to Spain in 1915 at age 16, he opened the first design house in San Sebastian under his own name. Balenciaga couture was born. Some of Balenciaga’s most dedicated supporters were the best-dressed women in the world. The Duchess of Windsor, Princess Grace of Monaco, the Queen of Belgium, the Queen of Spain, all regularly wore Balenciaga’s creations.

Fendi Designer handbags.

Fendi is an Internationally known, highly fashionable handbag creator.

Designed with both flair and imagination, it is a brand name that is known, admired and respected throughout the world.

The Fendi brand name is synonymous with good design, high quality, luxury and style.

Handmade in Italy, with artistic skill by craftsmen dedicated to the production of an individual product with such personalised charm and appeal that there will almost certainly be, ‘the one’ within their range especially for YOU !

Mulberry Designer handbags.

Mulberry is a British design company renowned world-wide for its craftsmanship and quality. The brand’s backbone is an extensive line of luxury bags for men and women that combine stylish, stand-out design with the finest leathers and detailing.

In addition to leather goods like the rugged, sexy, Roxanne and the “all rounder” Bayswater which have become covetable fashion classics, Mulberry has grown to encompass womenswear, menswear and interior design . The design ethos, whether a loveable vintage print chiffon blouse, “old friend” soft leather field jacket or weekend bag in distressed Darwin leather, has its roots in the heritage of the company which was established by Roger Saul in the 1970s in rural Somerset.

Jimmy choo Designer handbags

Jimmy Choo, maker of glamorous accessories favoured by international stars and elegant women worldwide, was launched in 1996.

As accessories editor at Vogue UK, Tamara Mellon sensed a real demand for stylish but wearable shoes and approached Mr Jimmy Choo, a couture shoe-maker based in the East End of London, recognized for his excellent craftsmanship.

Tamara partnered with Mr Jimmy Choo to start the ready to wear company and sourced factories in Italy to produce the shoes on a larger scale. Consequently, plans were made to open the first Jimmy Choo stand alone boutique and to develop the wholesale business throughout the fashion capitals of the world.

In April 2001, the expansion of Jimmy Choo took a significant step forward with the announcement of a new partnership with Equinox Luxury Holdings Ltd. Equinox acquired Mr Choo’s share of the ready to wear business with Robert Bensoussan, Equinox’s chief executive becoming CEO of Jimmy Choo. Within 3 years, the company opened twenty six new stores, (in addition to the existing four) and introduced both handbag and small leather goods collections.

This was followed by another dramatic move on 19th November 2004 with Lion Capital announcing the acquisition of a majority shareholding in Jimmy Choo, in a transaction valuing the company at ￡101 million.

In February 2007, Jimmy Choo once again made the headlines after being acquired by TowerBrook Capital Partners, a deal which valued the company at ￡185 million. Whilst TowerBrook hold the majority stake, Tamara Mellon will continue to oversee the company’s creative direction, working in close collaboration with Creative Director, Sandra Choi.

Christian Dior Designer handbags

Christian Dior was born in Normandy, France in 1905, and channeled his love for art by opening an art gallery.

In 1938, he entered the fashion world as a designer for Robert Piquet. After serving in World War II, Dior returned to Paris and had a very successful collaboration with Pierre Balmain at Lucien Lelong. With the help of Marcel Boussac, Dior was able to open his own fashion house in 1946. His opulent designs made him successful in the post-war era, and his brand quickly expanded into furs, perfumes and accessories.

In 1957, Dior suddenly died and Yves Saint Laurent became the head designer. Since Saint Laurent, other well-known designers at this fashion house include Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, and John Galliano.

In the beginning…

Early in 1984, Nike was a struggling shoe company. The running shoe phenomenon that has fueled their sales in previous years was slowly dying and they needed a way to revitalize and reinvent themselves in order to appeal to another segment of the market. At the same time, rookie player Michael Jordan was already endorsing several products, but Nike hoped that his appeal would generate sales. Jordan, though, had other ideas. He had always preferred Adidas or the Converse shoes endorsed by North Carolina Coach, Dean Smith, and hoped to sign on with either company. Converse, with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson on board as spokesmen, were not interested in offering a better deal than Nike, and Adidas wasn’t interested at all at the time; perhaps due to Kathe Dassler’s death the same year. While Jordan, himself, did not initially see the significance of Nike’s offer, his agent, David Falk, saw a golden opportunity in Nike’s offer to create a new line of shoes called “Air Jordans.” and urged him to give Nike a chance.

Really Not That Interested..

At that time, there was not a tremendous impact from a shoe endorsement, and few companies were willing to risk so much of their marketing budget to bet on one athlete to promote their products. An athlete as paid for wearing the products but little else resulted from an endorsement. It’s possible that Jordan’s reluctant attitude stemmed from this fact as much as his allegiance to Converse and Adidas products.

Nike saw something special in Michael Jordan, though. They saw a chance, an opportunity. He was a champion with personality, charisma, and heart, and they were willing to put the company on the line. They knew from the beginning that he would be a star and wanted to help him get there. Finally, after much persuasion from his manager and parents, the reluctant rookie agreed to fly to the Nike headquarters in Portland, Oregon to view a special video presentation and proposal though he later stated in retrospect that he went with no intention of signing with Nike.

The video presentation featured slow-motion clips of Jordan’s college career and some of his high-flying Olympic moves with a background of then hit music “Jump” by the Pointer Sisters. Nike Head Designer, Peter Moore presented sketches of AJ1 shoes, jumpsuits, and sports apparel, all in black and red. Michael’s remarks upon seeing the designs were less than enthusiastic. He is reported to have said,

“I can’t wear that shoes, those are Devil colors”

Throughout the entire meeting Jordan was reported to seem disinterested and bored, but as he and Falk left the meeting, Jordan said to his agent, “Let’s make the deal.”

A Legacy (and a Controversy) is Born

With those four words, the Air Jordan legacy was born. Nike signed Jordan to a $2.5 million deal for 5 years, plus royalties and other fringe benefits. Peter Moore created the first AJ Logo with a basketball with wings lifting it. The introduction of the Air Jordan I turned the athletic shoe industry upside down. Before the AJ I, most basketball shoes were white, but the bold black and red styling of the Jordan I flouted this convention. The NBA banned the shoe from the league in response, but Jordan wore them anyway, racking up serious fines of up to $5000 a game. Nike, of course, was more than happy to pay these to keep the shoes on Jordan’s feet and in the public eye. All this controversy and Jordan’s spectacular numbers that year served to put the Air Jordan line on the road to becoming a household name.

Changes

After winning 1986-87 Slam Dunk competition at Seattle Coliseum, the Jordan logo changed to the familiar Jumpman logo of today, but when it came time to talk about the Air Jordan III, Michael was ready to bolt. Reaction to the Air Jordan II, due in part to the high retail price, hadn’t been stellar and designers Peter Moore and Rob Strasser had left Nike to start their own company. They began to court Jordan, hoping to develop the business around him This was a turning point for the line; a make-it-or-break-it moment. It was at this time that Tinker Hatfield stepped in to help the struggling shoe line. Immediately, Hatfield did something completely new and unheard of. His first instinct was to sit down and talk with Michael one on one and ask for his input about the design. Hatfield has stated that this was a very tense time. No one had ever approached the business of designing a shoe like this and Jordan had never had anyone ask his opinion until that time. Ultimately, though, it was the good advice of Michael’s father that saw it through. It’s reported that he advised his son to stay with the people who had done a good job for him. Eventually the process of designing the shoes and matching apparel drew Jordan in and helped reinforce his commitment to Nike. At Jordan’s request, the Air Jordan III was a three-quarter cut basketball shoe made of high quality, lighter than average materials. This non-standard approach to the process of designing basketball shoes led the Air Jordan III to rocket off the charts with its popularity, and Tinker went on to design all the Jordan models up to the Jordan XV. With the release of the Air Jordan XV and Jordan’s second retirement, both Hatfield and Jordan stepped back from the Jordan line and other designers took the reigns to continue to the legacy.

Moving Out

Air Jordan Shoes were a part of the Nike, Inc. family until late in 1997 Nike unveiled a new marketing plan and Jordan became its own sub-brand of Nike. To mark this change, the new Jordan Brand released the Air Jordan XIII, Air Jordan Team, and Air Jordan Trainers. From this point on, Jordan Brand products no longer featured the Nike name or Nike Swoosh, and their only connection to Nike,Inc is a fine print address for Nike headquarters to be used for insurance purposes.

The Shoes Changed the World

Air Jordan shoes have consistently been among the best selling basketball shoes since their creation in 1985. The Jordan brand is a household name and people of all ages and social strata line up eagerly for the release of the latest model. Some of this success can be attributed to the fact that the shoes, from the Jordan III to the most recent model, have always started with their namesake, Michael Jordan. The designers take his ideas, hobbies, and life into account and incorporate these feelings into the shoes. A number of Jordans have been designed after Jordan’s cars and some of the more recent models, like the Jordan XXI (Jordan 21) on the way, some wonder when the Air Jordan line will be retired while others speculate that, in honor of the man, the last Air Jordan will be the Jordan XXIII (Jordan 23). No matter what happens to the signature Air Jordan line, it’s a good bet that the brand and its tradition of quality, high-fashion basketball and athletic shoes will continue long after Air Jordans have retired.

Nike, Inc. (NYSE: NKE), headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, is the largest and most successful brand of shoes, sports equipment, clothing, and controlling more than 60% of the market and becoming a pop culture icon. One might say that the Greek Goddess of Victory for which Nike was named is actually the Goddess of Shoes. Nike may be one of the youngest of the major brands, but it is the dominant brand around the world.

In 1963-1964 when University of Portland track coach, Bill Bowerman, and Phil Knight, a mid-distance runner joined forces to import and provide low-cost, high tech running shoes from Japan in order to provide alternatives to the German-dominated athletic shoe market. Operating under the name Blue Ribbon Sports, Bowerman and Knight began to sell the Japanese Onitsuke Tiger (now known as ASICS) running shoes. Jeff Johnson, a former rival of Knight, joins the company in 1965 as their first full-time salesperson and sells shoes from the back of his van at local and regional track meets until opening Blue Ribbon Sports’ first retail outlet at 3107 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica California. Click here to see a picture of the Blue Ribbon Sports location in the present day. This store is no longer in existence, but the address remains.

Blue Ribbon Sports officially incorporates in 1967 and does business under this name until approximately 1970 when Bowerman’s desire to improve on the shoe designs of Onitsuke Tiger and Knight’s ambition to do more than simply import and resell running shoes. Inspiration must have struck Bill Bowerman over breakfast one morning because he borrowed the family waffle iron and pour rubber into to create the prototype for the now famous Nike Waffle Outsole. This invention led Bowerman and Knight to begin designing other shoes, and the company’s new name, Nike, Inc. was born when Jeff Johnson, dreams of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. A succession of shoes, many based on the waffle outsole follows. Some of the most famous are the Waffle Racer, Air Force One, Air Max 93, Max 95, and Air Max 97.

1971 Nike’s Swoosh design logo was created by Portland State University graphic design student Carolyn Davidson when asked by Knight. He needed a logo to put on the side of his company’s shoes. At the time she was paid $35 (US), and also worked for Nike for a few years until they needed a full ad agency. Twelve years later, in 1983, Ms. Davidson received a gold Swoosh ring with an embedded diamond at a luncheon honoring her, along with a certificate and an undisclosed amount of Nike stock, in recognition of the Swoosh design logo.

1979 Nike’s Air technology patented by inventor M. Frank Rudy is introduced in the Tailwind running shoe. Gas-filled plastic membranes are inserted into the sole of running shoes to provide cushioning.

1980 Nike completes an initial public offering of 2,377,000 shares of Class B common stock on December 2.

1982 The Air Force 1 basketball shoe becomes the first Nike court shoe to make use of the Air technology.

1984 Nike signs Michael Jordan to an endorsement contract and releases the first model of his signature shoe, the Air Jordan. Originally, the NBA banned this new shoe, drawing a tremendous amount of publicity. The introduction of the Air Jordan shoe was a key event in Nike’s successful development.

1986 Nike revenues surpass $1 billion for the first time.

1987 The Nike Air Max shoe is introduced, which uses a much larger Air cushioning unit, and for the first time is visible at the side of the midsole. This was the first of many generations of Air Max-branded technologies. A television ad featuring the Beatles’ song “Revolution” was the first and only time that a song performed by the Beatles was used in a TV ad.

1988 Nike introduces its “Just Do It” slogan.

1989 Nike introduces a new type of footwear designed specifically for cross-training, and features two-sport athlete Bo Jackson in a series of memorable ads called “Bo Knows.”

1990 Nike opens the first Niketown store in downtown Portland, Ore., and the store quickly earns numerous retail design and business awards. Over the next 10 years, Nike will open 14 more Niketown stores across the USA and in England and Germany.

1993 Nike introduces an innovative sustainability program, Reuse-A-Shoe, which collects athletic shoes, separates and grinds them up into Nike Grind. this is used in the making of athletic courts, tracks and fields.

1994 Nike signs a long-term partnership with the Brazilian national football (soccer) team, launching a company-wide effort to become the world’s leading football brand.

1996 Nike signs Eldrick “Tiger” Woods soon after the young golfing phenomenon gives up his amateur status. Woods becomes the standard bearer for Nike Golf as that division gains market share.

1996 Nike causes controversy with advertising campaign at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta which features the slogan, “You Don’t Win Silver ?You Lose Gold.” Nike’s use of this slogan draws harsh criticism from many sources, including several former Olympic silver and bronze medalists.

1996 Nike opens Niketown New York, its signature ‘flagship’ store located in midtown Manhattan.

1998 Phil Knight formally commits Nike to strict standards for manufacturing facilities used by Nike, including: minimum age; air quality; mandatory education programs; expansion of micro loan program; factory monitoring; and enhanced transparency of Nike’s corporate social responsibility practices.

1999 Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike, dies on Dec. 24 at age 88.

2000 Introduction of the Shox athletic shoe technology.

2002 Rap Star Nelly releases a chart topping song about Air Force Ones.

2003 Nike makes a successful bid to buy bankrupt rival Converse Shoes for $305 million.

2003 For the first time in the company’s history, international sales exceed USA sales, as Nike continues to develop into a truly global company.

2003 Nike is named “Advertiser of the Year” by the Cannes Advertising Festival, the first company to earn that honor twice (also 1994) in the festival’s 50-year history.

2003 High school basketball star LeBron James signs with Nike, while Syracuse University star Carmelo Anthony signs with Jordan Brand. James and Anthony finish 1-2, respectively, in rookie-of-the-year balloting.

2004 Phil Knight steps down as CEO and President of Nike, but continues as chairman. Knight is replaced by William D. Perez as CEO of Nike, effective Dec. 28.

2004 Annual revenues exceed $13 billion.

2004 In June, Chinese animator Zhu Zhiqianq, of Xiao Xiao fame, files a lawsuit against Nike for plagiarizing his cartoon stickmen in their commercials. Nike representatives deny the accusations, claiming that the stickman figure lacks originality, and is public domain. Zhu eventually wins the lawsuit, and Nike is sentenced to pay $36,000 to the cartoonist.

2005 Nike launches the Air Jordan XX, the 20th edition of the iconic Air Jordan basketball shoe series.

2005 Nike launches the Nike Considered line, an effort to reduce waste and introduce eco-friendly products.

2005 Business Week Magazine features an article about the enduring popularity of the Nike Air Force One.