10.31.07

Part-Time MBAs: Job Fairs for Us, Too
As more part-time students pay their own way, they're asking for the same access to recruiters traditionally reserved for full-timers Kelvin Gary, an engineer, wanted to explore new career paths. In 2005, as a part-time MBA student at the New York University Stern School of Business' Langone Program for Working Professionals, he had investment banking on the brain and wanted to attend the IB presentations at his school. However, he was turned away at the door and told these programs were only for full-time students.

It is a fact that part-time students are often excluded from various academic and future career opportunities. Being a part-time student myself and only in my second semester I have already experienced the disadvantages. BMCC frequently organizes workshops for its students however, those sessions do not cater for their working/part-time student population. This is where prioritizing comes into play and figuring out what is of the most importance.

Pink My Pad

THINK PINK - News
The PINK My Pad contest, which visited campuses across the nation to build hype for Victoria's Secret's college-geared line, PINK, awarded Gutman an entire room renovation in her South Campus Commons apartment. The once-drab room, which Victoria's Secret representatives kicked Gutman out of yesterday, is now decorated from ceiling to floor with new furniture, a photo printer and a guitar - not to mention the flat-screen TV, pastel pink Nintendo system and a plethora of new PINK clothing options.

Personally I cannot fathom the thought of an entirely pink room but I think it was a very good means by which the company chose to promote its product(s). It zoomed in directly toward the consumer demographic it wanted to appeal to.

Gap Threatens India's Clothing Boom

Child rights activist and lawyer Bhuwan Ribhu, center bottom, talks to child workers during a raid at a sweat shop. Saurabh Das / AP The Gap clothing chain has withdrawn a line of embroidered blouses and ordered an internal investigation after a news ...

Another misdemeanor resulting from outsourcing. When companies such as the Gap employ foreign manufacturers to produce their goods, how do they oversee production so incidents such as this do not occur? Or do they even really care (well at least up until they are caught)?

Shopping Tips Fact Sheet

I stumbled upon a Victoria's Secret website called "Victoria's Secret Pressroom" whose purpose is to promote any and all new products the company may have to offer. The information on the site is deemed "exclusively for the media" but I came across some information that may be useful for the upcoming shopping season. Guys take notes. To view please click on link below.
http://www.vspressroom.com/pop_shoppingTips_factSheet.html

Victoria's Secret announces Heidi Klum Very Sexy MakeUp Collection

Victoria's Secret chose their star supermodel Heidi Klum to create her first signature collection for their line of "Very Sexy" makeup. Klum worked with Victoria's Secret makeup artist Linda Hay for the premier signature collection.

The limited edition makeup features the "Very Sexy" logo in bright pink, and Heidi Klum's autograph on each piece.

I can appreciate employers who provide their employees with the opportunity to grow, express themselves and provide ideas toward the ultimate success of the business. A great example of the "Democratic Leadership" style.

Another Successful College Dropout.

The ever popular social networking website "Facebook" was started in February 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg a Harvard College dropout. Zuckerberg now 23, has successfully managed to build what started off to be a local networking platform into a company with a current net worth of approximately $15 billion within a mere 4 years. Microsoft recently won the bid to purchase a small percentage of Facebook over Google and Yahoo for $240 million.

Facebook is currently ranked 2nd not too far behind Myspce which holds the number one spot.

As my Intro to Business professor often says "you do not have to know much about business to be successful at it. Just a bright idea." This is a site I use quite often and the atmosphere, though simple is very enticing and fun. I can definitely vouch for its success maybe because like many others 'I'm addicted'. My only question is why didn't I think of it first?

Dylan appears for Cadillac

Bob Dylan has licensed his image and music to Victoria's Secret and Apple iPod for ads, and he's now actually speaking in a new spot for Cadillac's bling-worthy Escalade SUV.

The Cadillac ad, released this week, shows Dylan driving a black 2008 Escalade in a rural setting as an instrumental clip from one of his tracks plays. At the end of the ad, produced by Boston's Modernista agency, Dylan gets out and is heard saying, "What's life without taking a detour?"

Dylan's Victoria's Secret ad showed him walking toward a lingerie-clad model as his song Love Sick played. The iPod ad depicted him, mainly in silhouette, singing Someday Baby, from his 2006 album, Modern Times. That ad ended with a plug for the CD.

Preacher in Favor of Sexy Undies...

In an interview with Larry King a couple days ago, preacher Joel Osteen was quoted as being all for wives shopping at Victoria's Secret. He stated "don't go look good and dress up to go to work and dress up to go to events for everybody else. Dress up for your own husband. I mean look good at home."
See link below if you're interested in viewing the interview. Ada Calhoun (the writer of the article) of AOL new bloggers stated "Of course, we think you should dress up for your spouse, but the implication here seems to be that women's role in the outside world isn't that important ,and also that it's up to women to keep the spark alive."

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2007/10/17/lkl.joel.osteen.cnn

I get what Osteen is trying to say but I must agree with Calhoun. Is more pressure placed on women in society to keep their marriages/relationships vibrant and fresh? It certainly appears to be that way most times. I would like to know what others think.

Victoria's Secret Catalog cover from 1990

I don't think I can remember ever seeing a fully covered model on the front of a VS catalog.

Luck of the Draw?

After our last class discussion about the different types of business we somewhat deviated from the topic to a common fact that "you do not have to be business educated in order to create and operate a successful business.
We spoke about Martha Stewart's success as a business woman and the fact that she did not go to school to study business. Stewart attend Barnard College in NYC and initially intended to major in chemistry but switched to art and European history and then later to architectural history. She spent some time working as a stockbroker before starting a catering business in her basement in 1976 which later evolved into the successful business it is today.
However, Victoria's Secret founder Roy Raymond attended Stanford Graduate School of Business and later came up with the idea of starting a lingerie company specifically geared toward lessening the embarrassment of men shopping for intimates for wives and girlfriends by creating a more private shopping setting. Unfortunately, only after 5 years of operation, Raymond sold the company to Limited Brands. It is also stated that he tried unsuccessfully to start up other business ventures.

Notable Facts

• The very first Victoria's Secret Catalog was printed in 1978.
  
• In 1993, after several failed attempts to start a new business, Victoria's Secret founder Roy Raymond committed suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California.
• On December 7, 1998 victoriassecret dot com launched. The URL was printed on catalogs starting November 1998.
• First National Broadcast of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show occurred on November 15, 2001 on ABC 9 pm Eastern Time.

Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra 2007

Every year it's a challenge to see how Victoria's Secret will top themselves with their latest Fantasy Bra. They couldn't possibly put any more diamonds on the bra itself so this year's selection is a full set. The 2007 Fantasy Bra, modeled by Selita Ebanks includes a thong, garter, cuff bracelet and matching barrette with a holly and poinsettia theme. The entire collection is composed of $4.5 million worth of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and yellow sapphires embroidered into a push-up bra created by jeweler Mouawad.

Since 2003, Victoria Secret has teamed up with diamond houses to create and showcase fabulous diamond studded lingerie.
Each year at the event, a different model showcases the Victoria Secret "Fantasy Bra" studded with major bling! Below are Fantasy Bras from 2003 to 2007 respectively.


































They say diamonds are a girl's best friend but I have to wonder who really purchases and wears these things. This is Victoria's Secret fifth year creating the fantasy bra however, I'm not quite certain if they ever sold any. I think its a waste especially since they make cheaper and exact versions of the real thing which a lot of us still can't afford. VS should probably consider showcasing them in a museum. The bras look more like art to me.

'No Regrets' for Wexner: Chief of Limited Brands Glad to Be Out of Apparel
How does Leslie H. Wexner feel about shedding the apparel businesses he founded and built into national retail powerhouses before they fell into a prolonged slump?

Back in July of this year Limited Brands finalized the sale of 67% interest in its Express brand to affiliates of Golden Gate Capital for $548 million, leaving the company more room to focus on their more successful brands like Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works.

Bra Power! Spice Girls Selling New Album at Victoria's Secret

Forget the record store. For their Greatest Hits album, the Spice Girls have chosen a retailer with products considerably closer to their, uh, hearts. The sexy pop group has partnered with Victoria's Secret to sell the 15-track album exclusively through the lingerie giant's stores and Web site, PEOPLE has learned. "They do great bras, and every girl wears a bra. And they should – at some point in their life. Unless they don’t need to wear one," Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown told PEOPLE Monday night. The CD, due Nov. 13, will not be available at traditional retail outlets but will be downloadable at various music sites including iTunes. (Fans can also pre-order hard copies of the CD at http://www.people.com/people/article/www.victoriassecret.com for 24 hours between midnight on Oct. 17 and 18.) The album features 13 of the group's biggest hits, plus two new tracks: the album's first single "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" and "Voodoo." The partnership also extends to television: Baby (Emma Bunton), Ginger (Geri Halliwell), Scary (Mel B.), Sporty (Melanie C.) and Posh (Victoria Beckham) will perform during the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show, which tapes in Los Angeles on Nov. 14 and airs on CBS Dec. 4.

I can see where the Spice Girls are coming from with their collaboration with Victoria's Secret. Associating themselves with such a well known brand can assist in boosting their image and resurrecting them from wherever they disappeared to but, not sure how much good that'll do for them. I see VS gaining more from this venture. Exclusive rights to the sale of the Spice Girls greatest hits album equals additional revenue. That too I guess depends on how well the album sells.

Victoria’s Secret Angels Update: The Show and The Cover

Virgin America has been named as the official “Airline of the Angels” for the 2007 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The airline and the lingerie magnet will be hosting the first Supermodel in-Flight Pajama Party in November. So to all fashionistas out there...don't miss this show.

Quite an interesting collaboration I think. We shall see how successful this turns out, come November.

Ownership-Limited Brands

One thing I failed to mention when I first established this blog was that Victoria's Secret is one of the six brands owned by Limited Brands. Victoria's Secret was purchased by them in 1982 for $1 million.

Other brands owned by this company include Bath and Body Works, C.O Bigelow, The White Barn Candle Co., Henry Bendel & La Senza.

e-Commerce

E-Commerce can be thought of as business transactions (whether it be selling of goods/services or as a source of making information available to consumers and/or other businesses)via the internet. It has made day to day business transactions easier to accomplish. Although there are pros of e-Commerce such as the provision of convenience, there are a few cons. One in particular being fraud. It has become easier as well for consumer information to fall into the hands of thieves. The link below takes you to the Victoria's Secret web page, under their customer service section. Here you can find answers to some FAQ's including "Help for preventing fraud"
www2.victoriassecret.com/html/custsrvc/fraudhelp/

Uplifting Birthday: Bra Turns 100

Celebrating 100 Years of Support


Elastic_bra_from_1907 The bra turns 100 years old this year. Women for centuries have been wrapping and uplifting their assets by varying means, but it wasn't until 1907 when Vogue first coined the term 'brassiere' establishing it into the modern day lexicon and everything went bust from there.


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Converging into public and private mystic, bras have established power and followed the culture mores of its time. In the 1930's bras provided lift with a pointed structure; the bikini débuted on the Paris catwalk in 1946, designed by fashion designer Jacques Heim and engineerFrenchbikinis_4 Louis Réard. During the late 1960's, feminists burned their bras in an act of shedding its perceived oppression; in the nineties the Wonder Bra blew the bust back up with sexy uplifting bras that sparked a cultural phenomenon; and Victoria's Secret brought sexy back to middle America and million-dollar diamond encrusted bras down the runway as show pieces.


Madonna_2 The formidable bra tipped the scales of fashion moving from behind the scene as an undergarment to a stylish outer garment. Jean Paul Gaultier's infamous conical-shaped bra worn by Madonna during her Blonde Ambition tour was a particular high-note for the bra on public display. Designers have followed suit with chic bra tops from Chanel to Proenza Schouler.
Adriana_lima0007_4

Bras encase a woman's most visible sex characteristics. Filling the sculpted cups commands a heavy task- including their cultural significance, to the adoration and dissatisfaction we have with our breasts. Happy birthday to the most powerful, uplifting accessory of all time.

There is a book called "Uplift: The Bra in America" by Jane Farrell-Beck & Colleen Gau which talks about the birth of the brassiere. It states that the "breast supporter" made its debut in 1863 when Luman Chapman patented his corset substitute. I was just surprised that this invention was the brainchild of a man and not a woman.

Green is the New Pink

Victoria's Secret to launch eco-friendly collection

(NEW YORK) Victoria's Secret, which last December agreed to adopt eco-friendly alternatives for its mass-mailing businesses, is about to go one step further come spring, The Daily has learned. That's when the brand, along with Victoria's Secret Pink, a more whimsical line of lingerie and lounge wear aimed at the younger set, will further their environmental awareness, launching mini collections of environmentally conscious apparel. Key items will include fleece tees, tanks, and accessories made from organic cottons. "This is definitely the right next step," a spokesperson for Victoria's Secret Pink confirmed to The Daily. "Customers love our brand and are very aware of the environment right now. Everyone is conscious of it." Don't expect to see a "Pink goes Green" tag line, however. Though the pieces will be an ecologically sound option for consumers, it will only make up a small portion of the retail giant's overall assortment. According to the spokesperson, the brand is still exploring other ways to enhance public consciousness.
NOLA WEINSTEIN (Aug. 2007-www.fashionweekdaily.com)

Victoria's Secret Back in Fashion on CBS

by Natalie Finn
Mon, 13 Aug 2007 03:38:00 PM PDT

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is returning to prime time this winter, albeit the outer limits of prime time.

CBS will be bringing sexy back Dec. 4 at 10 p.m., late enough, execs are hoping, to placate those concerned viewers out there who worry that all that low-cut lace is a little much for those whose bedtimes fall in the 8-10 p.m. range.
Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, Karolina Kurkova and Selita Ebanks will be among the professional lovelies taking part in the nearly annual event, which was temporarily replaced by the Angels Across America tour in 2004. The lingerie showcase was booted from the airwaves in 2004 in the wake of Janet Jackson's nipple slip and then again the following year, to avoid antagonizing the FCC.
Ebanks and Kurkova joined Victoria's Secret president and CEO Sharen Tuney Monday at the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street to ring the bell that opens the day's trading and announce the plans for this year's program.
Notably missing from the catwalk this year will be Giselle Bündchen, who parted ways with Victoria's Secret in May after being a frequent catalogue fixture for several years. While neither party gave a particular reason, the breakup reportedly occurred after the upscale undies purveyor refused to raise the leggy Brazilian's $5 million annual salary.
Justin Timberlake headlined last year's special, which returned to CBS after its aforementioned two-year absence, but there's no word yet on what sort of musical accompaniment is in the works for 2007.

Globalization

Globalization can be referred to as "international trade". Although Victoria's Secret stores are based solely in the United States, customers from all over the world can purchase their products via the Victoria's Secret website (www.victoriassecret.com).