An Homage To Street Fashion Photog Bill Cunningham

I love Bill Cunningham. He's the original street fashion photographer - the one who mastered today's trend - and a New York institution. For years, he's been documenting fashion trends on the streets of New York, which he traverses on his trusty Schwinn, reporting for The New York Times.

Cunningham does a regular feature for the Times called "On the Street" in which you hear him talk about the photos he's taken. He's always so unabashedly enthusiastic.

Who knew you could be so happy about trench coats, leggings, and leopard print? Ok, so I've been happy about those things (maybe not the leopard print). But Cunningham's appreciation for statement and expression makes fashion seem like a place for everyday adventure instead of a consumer trap.

A new documentary called "Bill Cunningham: New York" opens in San Diego this weekend. In it, we learn that Cunningham's life is his work. He's in his 80s and has lived something of monastic existence in the name of fashion - or as he might put it - the pursuit of beauty.

He's never had a romantic relationship. He attends church every Sunday. For years he lived in a tiny apartment above Carnegie Hall packed with file cabinets where he stores copies of every photograph he's ever taken (he's still shooting film). The apartment had no kitchen and a public bathroom down the hall. He stored his bike in a hall closet, retrieving it daily to hit the streets with his camera and rolls of film.

Cunningham and the last remaining tenants (paying rent-control prices) at Carnegie Hall moved last year, forced out by the owners who wanted to expand and renovate the apartments into offices and classrooms.

The film also introduces us to Cunningham's former and eccentric neighbors at Carnegie Hall. The most fascinating is Editta Sherman, a 99-year-old photographer who was once a muse for Andy Warhol. Sherman has been called the "Duchess of Carnegie Hall" where she lived for over 60 years.

For all the artifice and pretense of the worlds he covers (fashion and New York society), Cunningham is humble and completely without airs. He's a chronic smiler and his sense of humor is refreshing in an industry known for pouty lips and raised eyebrows.


Enlarge this image
Above: Shail Upadhya, a former U.N. official from Nepal, and one of Bill’s regular subjects.
On rainy days, Cunningham wears a plastic poncho to stay dry. At one point in the film, we see him duct taping a hole in the poncho and laughing about it. This is one of those moments where you understand that Cunningham is truly an observer and chronicler of the fashion world, not an insider. He keeps a journalistic distance. He won't even accept a glass of water at the society functions he covers.

Cunningham's also not a poser, which is my impression of fashion street photog of the moment, The Sartorialist. The latter would never be caught dead wearing a cheap poncho, much less duct taping it.


Enlarge this image
Above: Patrick MacDonald, self-described dandy and one of Bill Cunningham's regular subjects.
The Sartorialist is also a slave to chic and luxury clothing, what Cunningham refers to as "cookie cutter" clothes. We meet some of Cunningham's regular subjects in the film - the eccentric heiresses, the dandies, drag queens, and one U.N. official who is as soft-spoken as his clothes are loud. On the streets, Cunningham searches for their daring choices in sea of conservative blacks and greys.

Cunningham is also clear he has no interest in photographing celebrities. While in Paris for Fashion Week, he rolls his eyes at the photogs rushing to get a picture of Catherine Deneuve. By the end of the film, you realize it's a level playing field for Cunningham, the fashion on the streets are his muse. There is no caste system.

But that doesn't mean the fashion world doesn't court his notice. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour sums up the influence of Cunningham's editorial eye when she says "We all dress for Bill."

Alexa Chung, Stella McCartney, and Cara Delevingne Win British Fashion Awards

Thirteen lucky fashion folk took home trophies from this year's British Fashion Awards, held at the swanky Savoy Hotel in central London this evening. Stella McCartney was the night's biggest winner, with both the Designer of the Year and Designer Brand of the Year awards going to her. Guests at the event included Samantha Cameron, Sarah Burton, Valentino, and outgoing British Fashion Council chair Harold Tillman, who received a Special Recognition award for his work growing the country's fashion industry both at home and internationally. Princess Beatrice presented his award; no confirmation yet as to whether she braved another big, pseudo-vaginal hat. (But fingers crossed.)

Manolo Blahnik won 2012's Outstanding Achievement in Fashion award; Cara Delevingne's meteoric rise got her crowned Model of the Year; and Erdem landed the New Establishment title. Oh, and for the third year running — out of three years total, no less — Alexa Chung won the British Style award, beating the likes of Florence Welch, David Gandy, Daphne Guinness, and Kate Middleton. But don't worry about the duchess — at least she made the short list right off the bat this year. Onward and upward, third time's the charm, tallyho, etc., etc.

Utah Jazz instant analysis: Jazz battle back in dramatic fashion to stay unbeaten at home

In dramatic fashion, the Utah Jazz battled back against an offensively potent Denver Nuggets squad to earn their sixth straight home victory. The Jazz made many big plays down the stretch en route to the nail-biting 105-103 win over their division rivals.

The first half belonged to the Denver Nuggets, as they executed extremely well. Propelled by a steady diet of dunks, leak-out fast breaks and solid perimeter marksmanship, the visiting team was shooting a stellar 75 percent at the break. It appeared that Utah was headed toward its first loss at EnergySolutions Arena this season.

The Jazz had other ideas, however. Riding the wave of a dynamic 30-19 third quarter, Utah knotted things up going into the fourth. Led by the heroics of Al Jefferson, Derrick Favors, and numerous others, the Jazz made the necessary plays they needed to eke out the victory.

Big Al Does It: Jefferson’s sparkling play in the second half was a big catalyst in the change in momentum. The Jazz center was aggressive and effective, taking it right at Denver counterparts Kosta Koufos and JaVale McGee. He was dialed in from outside, which helped free up his post-up game and subsequently got him to the free-throw line. Jefferson shot 8 of 10 from the charity stripe. Only once last season was he able to garner 10 or more free-throw attempts.

All in all, Big Al shot 10 of 15 from the floor, closing things out with a game-high 28 points in just 33 minutes.

Running Reserves: Denver came into the outing sporting one of the most impactful bench units in the NBA. And while the Nuggets’ bench corps had a fine collective performance, it was the Jazz reserves who had the final say.

Favors led the way with his usual stout defense. He also was able to make some smooth plays on offense. He tallied 19 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Following recent occurrences, the third-year pro played the entire fourth quarter (while starter Paul Millsap sat). His free-throw shooting was huge.

While the rest of the Jazz reserves had more pedestrian stat lines, they each added to the win. DeMarre Carroll, Earl Watson, Enes Kanter, and Gordon Hayward all were energetic and fearless on defense. Each contributed to some crucial stops.

High fashion and heartfelt charity combine at Red Charity Gala

The Philippine National Red Cross’ Red Charity Gala this year was a night of elegance and sophistication what with couturier Cary Santiago presenting his origami-inspired collection.

Santiago showed a different side of his art with his très elegant gowns that had intricate pleating and lavish draping, which moi watched from the main table in the ballroom belonging to Fila’s awesome first couple, Cris Albert and Butch Albert, who were the main sponsors of the glitzy happening, palanggas.

Another highlight of the event was the auction for the benefit of the Red Cross and Assumption High School Batch 1981 Foundation, natch!

THE FILA family,major sponsor of the event: Ana Abad Santos, Cris
Albert, Carlo and dad Butch Albert

Big-ticket items included a Lancel bag, an exquisite Jul B. Dizon jewelry ring, a pair of business-class tickets to Bangkok courtesy of Philippine Airlines, a Sun Life package, and VIP tickets to Jennifer Lopez’s concert on Nov. 26, which were won by Cris Albert, but of course!

The highest bidder won the baccarat-crystal bottle of the ultra-premium Louis XIII Cognac, dahlings.

This was all thanks to the tandem of traffic stopper Tessa Prieto-Valdes and philanthropist Kaye Tinga.

Red Cross’ dedicated chair, former Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon, no less, welcomed the country’s hottest A-listers from business and commerce to the ball.

Before the main fashion show, there was was an avant-garde presentation from Fila, naturellement, featuring the brand’s ambassadors Georgina Wilson, Fabio Ide and Tim Yap, superbly directed by Ariel Lozada, with styling by Noel Manapat, and hair and makeup by the master, Patrick Rosas, palanggas.

Costume ball

MAKATI Shangri-La GMReto Klauser, Sun Life business manager Vangie Tiu, INQUIRER president Sandy Prieto and husband Philip Romualdez

Beautiful people checked in at the “Opus Murder Motel” in their most colorful costumes during the Opus Halloween Ball at Resorts World, dahlings.

DJs Marie Garcia, Funk Avy and Clyde Harris kept the witches and ghosts shaking the place till the crowing of the rooster.

Opus’ very own board of directors participated in the costume ball: GP Reyes came as Iron Man; Louie Ysmael had intricate face paint; Erik Cua was Sweeney Todd; Marco de Guzman and Manolet Dario were zombies; and chef Carlo Miguel was a skeleton, would you believe?

The other guests were TH (as in trying too hard or pretentious) in their costumes, but they didn’t make the eye-catching list, oops! Well, there’s always next year, when they can jump into their broomstick and fly in front of a full moon.

Our town’s hottest faces and bodies came in full glamorous force, dahlings, when the Professional Models Association of the Philippines (PMAP) marked its silver anniversary with “25 Years of PMAP: The Grand Reunion.”

The awesome fashion happening was supported by Pond’s Age Miracle as well as Marriott Hotel Manila, Belvedere Vodka, Jing Monis Salon/F&H Salon, Century Properties, and Opus Club Lounge.

Among the features of the event was a photo exhibit showing the beauty of the Filipino and the Filipina across generations, “Three Visions,” by top photographers Jun de Leon and Jim and Miguel de Leon.

The exhibit also showed PMAP’s history from its humble beginnings 25 years ago.

The organization’s old and new members took part in a fashion presentation wearing the latest designs by some of the country’s most promising designers. The show was directed by Jackie Aquino, palanggas.

NICOLE and MannixOrtega with daughter Natalia Ortega; Ian Umali

Host was Eric Quizon.

Special awards were given out. Paolo and Rissa Trillo were Couple of the Night, presented by Marriott Hotel Manila; Marco Lobregat and Jing Monis were Belvedere’s Most Stylish Man and Most Outstanding Man; and Danica Magpantay was Tresemmé’s Most Fashionable Female.

“PMAP has been the only nonprofit organization established by models and run by models,” said PMAP president Phoemela Baranda, dahlings.

“The organization has continued to (work) on protecting, uplifting and professionalizing the modeling industry, as well as highlighting the best that the country has to offer.

Après that, everyone dashed to Opus to party, where they got their adrenaline higher than a kite can fly. That’s totally partying with a vengeance, ’di bala, palanggas?

FashionPlaytes Unveils Trendy, Festive Holiday Clothing Line that Lets Tweens Sparkle and Shine

FashionPlaytes, the first girl-driven fashion and style destination, today announced its fresh and fabulous Holiday Line of designs, fabrics, color and embellishments especially for FPgirls (www.fpgirl.com). The Holiday Line will empower fashion-forward tweens to create their own signature look for the holidays. The upcoming season presents plenty of opportunities for FPgirls to shine, including school events, cookie decorating parties, piano recitals, and celebrations with family and friends. FPgirls can mix and match tops, skirts, a wrap, dresses, outerwear and accessories for the perfect look for any occasion. 

"Tween girls are increasingly fashion conscious and know that they need to look their best during the holidays," said Sarah McIlroy, founder and CEO of FashionPlaytes.com. "At FPgirl.com, we've created a fabulous collection that our girls can use to showcase their own signature style and be the belle of the ball during any event this season."

FPgirl has a wide variety of fun and festive holiday clothing for girls, including skirts, tops, dresses, leggings and outerwear to choose as base garments that can be customized with everything from a shimmering star, a red sequined heart and even an FP wish for holiday peace. From sparkles to plush fabrics with a few animal prints sprinkled in, FPgirls are sure to have the right look for every holiday party and event.

FPgirls can customize accessories for the holidays with the charming Hair Fling™ and other jewelry and new pieces, including fun and funky scarves. To make sure these custom-designed outfits are here in time for the holidays, orders must be placed by December 12, 2012 (with express shipping).

BFFs can also shop for gifts for girls in FPgirl's new Gift Shop, with items including Designer Must-Haves, Things That Sparkle, BFF Gifts Under $10, Accessories, Stocking Stuffers and Holiday Fashion.

FPgirl.com is offering special deals for shoppers on November 23 (Black Friday) and November 26 (Cyber Monday). On November 23, FPgirl.com shoppers will receive free shipping, plus a $25 Free Egift Card for every $50 spent using Code FF2012. On November 26, FPgirl.com shoppers will receive 25 percent off merchandise storewide, plus a $25 Egift Card for every $50 spent using code CM2012.

High Fashion Meets Whimsy - Tonner Doll Company Takes on Dr. Seuss

If you have a passion for fashion and colors galore, you’ll love this new Dr. Seuss line - Just wait and see what’s in store

Tonner Doll Company, a cornerstone in the collectibles industry for more than 20 years, in partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P., has introduced a vibrant, high-fashion take on the colorful, poetic whimsy that has entertained children and adults alike since the late 1930s.

“This has been a tough one to keep under our hats,” said a giddy Robert Tonner, CEO, company namesake and doll artist extraordinaire. “There is a lot of excitement about this project internally, and we had so much momentum going into it, so we are really excited to finally show you the finished product.”
Tonner Doll is known for their elaborately detailed and high-fashion collectible dolls and outfits, as well as their ability to authentically capture popular characters such as Scarlett O’Hara and Dorothy Gale and bring them to life in vinyl form.

“This collection will be a marriage of what we do best: High fashion and pop culture,” said Tonner. “In this case, though, we’re not re-creating the Seuss characters, per se, but instead, what we’re doing is inspired by the colors and the shapes that are at the essence of what we all love about Dr. Seuss’s art.”

There are 3 pieces in the Dr. Seuss Collection: The Cat’s Hat, Sam I Am and Truffula, and each is inspired by the timeless, ageless art included in Dr. Seuss’s books. Each doll is 16” tall, adorned with inset eyes, rooted Saran hair and includes multiple points of articulation for imaginative and dynamic posing and play. Only 500 pieces of each doll will be made.

Fashion mags steal the spotlight in ad sales

The glossy monthly magazines continue to make noise about the trend to digital versions of their brands — but ad sales at their bread-and-butter print editions for the most part are still eroding.

While most sectors saw declines, fashion titles were a bright spot, according to Media Industry Newsletter, due to release full-year ad page results today for the 100-plus consumer monthlies.

Overall, ad pages sold by the group fell 4.1 percent in 2012 from 2011, MIN reports.

InStyle finished No. 1 in ad pages sold — with 2,684, according to MIN.

“It was a case of fashion and the seven dwarfs,” said Steve Cohn, editor of MIN. He did note that the decline in December was under 3 percent, suggesting that erosion in print may be slowing down.

“I think the numbers are not terribly surprising given what has been happening with print the past few years, but they are balanced with significant gains in digital, on tablets and on smartphones,” said Chris Kevorkian, the chief marketing and digital officer for e MPA, the association of Magazine Media.

InStyle, edited by Ariel Foxman with Connie Anne Phillips, publisher, used a strong December issue with 302 ad pages, to finish atop the heap with a 5.47 percent increase from a year ago.

That December surge enabled it to nose out Condé Nast flagship Vogue, where editor Anna Wintour is teamed with publisher Susan Plagemann. Vogue had 2,601.21 ad pages, up 3.65 percent on the year.

Elle, edited by Robbie Myers with publisher Kevin O’Malley, had 2,453 ad pages, a 6 percent jump.

Harper’s Bazaar, edited by Glenda Bailey who teams with former Elle publisher Carol Smith, was up 11 percent on the year, to 1,838.12 pages.

W, thanks to a strong 40th anniversary issue in November, finished the year up 10.07 percent with 1,198 ad pages. Stefano Tonchi is the editor, but it just lost its publisher, Nina Lawrence, to the WSJ Magazine (owned by News Corp., which also owns The Post).

Other women’s magazines had a tougher go of it.

Glamour, normally the second-most profitable title at Condé Nast, dipped 3.82 percent to 1,445 while Cosmopolitan, usually the brightest star in the Hearst constellation, slipped 5.62 percent to 1,379.24.

Luxury magazines seemed to fare surprisingly well. American Express Publishing reported that its bimonthly, Departures, was up 12 percent on the year while Town + Country, edited by Jay Fielden, was up 6.45 percent — a nice sendoff for outgoing publisher Valerie Salembier.

Eponymous mags, for the most part, still struggled — although Everyday with Rachael Ray seemed to benefit from its shift to Meredith from Reader’s Digest. It posted a 3.86 gain in ad pages, to 608.

The lack of a daily syndicated TV show by Oprah Winfrey seemed to crimp O, the Oprah Magazine, where ad pages dropped 14.59 percent, to 1,161.18.

That decline wasn’t as big as that of Martha Stewart Living, which fell 29.04 percent to 766.58.

Allure was a standout at Condé Nast, jumping 18.43 percent to 1,396.55; meanwhile, Food Network Magazine shined at Hearst, jumping 17.27 percent to 1,041.35.

Budget blues

Condé Nast stills seems to be suffering aftershocks from the demoralizing budget cuts it was forced to make last month.

Laura Brounstein, who is the fashion and entertainment director at Self, is packing it in to leap across the Hudson to become editorial director of Bauer Publications’ teen titles, which include M, Twist and J-14.

“You don’t leave [Self Editor-in-Chief] Lucy Danziger unless it’s something really good,” said Brounstein.

Bauer, which owns celeb mags In Touch and Life+Style, makes most of its money from newsstand sales. The teen titles sell more than 800,000 copies a month collectively.

AMI jump

Even American Media, publisher of the National Enquirer, has been poaching from Condé Nast. Patrick Connors, who was the associate publisher of Glamour, is jumping to Men’s Fitness to replace John Grane y, who was just given the heave-ho yesterday, sources said.

I Love Ugly wins DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship

The designers of New Zealand fashion label I Love Ugly have been awarded the $10,000 DHL Express Fashion Export Scholarship for 2012, establishing them as New Zealand’s top emerging fashion exporter.

Designed to identify the country’s hottest up-and-coming fashion exporter and assist them in achieving international growth, the scholarship paves the way for I Love Ugly to make a big impact on the global fashion scene.

Mo Kheir, marketing director from I Love Ugly says, “We are so happy to have won this award, words can't express how thankful we are for the constant support and belief that people have in our brand. We hope to use this prize to push our international exports and get our name out there. Thank you for believing in our brand and to our followers for being an important part of our journey."

The scholarship has been running for five years but new this year, DHL Express and Fashion Industry New Zealand (FINZ) also allowed online exporters to enter. This means fashion exporters who may not have a traditional retail front, but who export online were eligible for the scholarship.

Megan Wildermoth, national strategic account manager (fashion and textiles) DHL Express says, “For the last five years of the scholarship we’ve seen the proliferation of entrants who are embracing the online environment and we wanted to reflect this.

“I Love Ugly presented an overall compelling submission. They have a strong, strategic online presence that compliments their traditional retail offering, and with the fashion industry heading online, this approach will allow them to grow”.

Iconic fashion designer and scholarship judge Kate Sylvester says, “I Love Ugly has a great vision. They know exactly what they want and what they have to do to achieve it. It’s an aspirational brand that appeals to young consumers as well as the 35-40year olds. My teenage sons are big fans of theirs.”

Erica Crawford, prominent entrepreneur, exporter and judge says, “I’m impressed with their business model and strong use of online and social media. I Love Ugly’s design aesthetic is entirely suited to their business model and they won’t have to dramatically change it be successful in different markets.

“Their garments are well made, well presented and they have tremendous export potential”.

Fashion commentator Carolyn Enting says “I Love Ugly has an excellent brand that is very clever and they have a firm grip on social media. Their design aesthetic is very now, with an international look. And with their online and export goals they are targeting where the growth is and has international appeal.”

Paul Blomfield, Chairman of FINZ has a ringing endorsement of this year’s scholarship winners. “A company like I Love Ugly is exactly why we have the scholarship. They represent the future of the fashion industry and they’ve been very strategic in their export focus. Their export success to date has been achieved using online combined with a comprehensive interactive multi-media approach to the business which is refreshing.”

One man's first visit to Tel Aviv Fashion Week

My partner for the Israel Fashion Week opening event, fashion writer Shachar Atwan, came down from the press room in overalls whose shoulder straps were rolled down. It seems that this is going to be the new look for men in the spring and summer of 2013: to let their shoulder straps slip deliberately, as if you’ve just come out of the bathroom and haven’t had a chance to put them back where they belong.

And indeed, with their shoulder straps slipping meticulously, the male models of the Moschino fashion house marched up the runway where they, incidentally, got much louder applause than their female counterparts at the evening’s event. It’s an open secret, after all, that the overwhelming majority of fashion-show attendees are women, who tend to prefer the men, particularly men whose pants look like they’re going to fall off any minute.

For a moment, with a little imagination, the Station compound in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, which was chosen to host the Fashion Week events, looked a bit like elegant Milan, designed and contoured, liberal and post-modern, in which gender boundaries had been removed and men dressed like women who were dressed like men mixed with women who dressed like men who were dressed like women.

The only ones in the crowd who looked like old-style men were, to be honest, the photographers, those proletarians of the entertainment industry who are sent at impossible hours on photo shoots that bore them. One of them, a particularly muscular guy, sat with his huge video camera on a reserved seat in the first row, which generated a rather ugly argument with the security people, who are also among the last survivors of the old male genre. The fight got heated, and who knows -- perhaps it ended in blows outside the venue.

That’s because there is a clearly defined hierarchy here that separates the aristocrats who got front-row seats from the middle-class in the second row, the indigent relegated to the third row and the riffraff in the back. Personally, I would have been happy to switch seats with Karen Dunsky, a former model and former star, who sat behind me and didn’t stop complaining loudly about how the place looked like Gaza, that she was cold, that she was sick and taking antibiotics, and that she still couldn’t figure out how a celeb of her status had been give a side seat in the second row.

Some of her complaints were justified, including the fact that the fashion show started more than half an hour late, and such a thing would never happen somewhere else that wasn’t Gaza.

She actually said something that was totally logical: “Fashion is expensive. If you don’t have money, don’t do a fashion week.” The reference was to the fact that the organizer of Fashion Week had had a dispute with his business partner, and all the snafus were the result of this rift. As she said this, she patted me on the shoulder, to encourage me to write down everything she was saying.

Then suddenly, to my left, another celeb unceremoniously sat herself down: Judy Nir-Mozes Shalom. But almost as soon as the lights went down before the start of the fashion show, the heiress of the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth and wife of Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom suddenly dropped her head to her chest. I asked her worriedly what was wrong, but instead of answering she rushed to the exit.

It turned out that she had accidentally swallowed a large candy and was choking on it. But so as not to cough in public, since there is nothing less proper than engaging in a natural physical activity like coughing up something in such a rarefied setting, she made a beeline for the door. Until the end of the show I was uncomfortable and even feeling slightly guilty – perhaps it was shock at my decidedly unfashionable look that had made her choke?

Indeed, I had dressed for the occasion in a manner not in keeping with the latest jackets from the house of Moschino, which are made from detergent bags or from knits in loud colors. My jacket, poor thing, had been purchased in a men’s fashion store on July 26th Street in Cairo four years ago and it’s a nondescript dark solid color, just like the pants that came from another fashion house on the same Cairo street.

To be honest, I had never been at a fashion show before, unless you count the fittings that my mother and grandmothers would do at home, when they would summon the Turkish seamstress, the affable Madame Abuav, to sew them dresses from material they’d order from Istanbul. Those fashion shows consisted of dressing and undressing and walking up and down the narrow hallway between the bedrooms to see how well the dresses fit.

So where are you now, Madame Abuav? You would faint if you could see how some of Moschino’s long dresses are sewn, with threads dangling between the models’ legs. There was something cheap and totally classless in the way the clothes hung on the rail-thin, tired-looking models. The huge silver platform shoes on their feet lacked any charm and looked as if they had just been bought at the central bus station.

Still, there were some nice flowered Sixties-style dresses. My mother once had a dress like that, with pockets in front, big buttons and a straight cut. She bought it from the designer Bat-Adam, for a wedding of rich people for whom the attractive dresses made by Madame Abuav simply would not have been fancy enough.

Orlando Fashion Square, West Oaks Mall being sold

Orlando Fashion Square is under contract with a company considering redevelopment, including apartments on vacant parcels of the property. Ocoee officials say West Oaks is going to a firm that plans to make it a "Class A mall.''

UP Development of Franklin, Tenn., hopes to close the sale of Orlando Fashion Square by year's end. It referred questions to Scott Corbin, a representative for its broker, Colliers International Central Florida.

UP is considering several plans, Corbin said, but "It's obvious it needs to be redeveloped." He would not disclose the sales price.

UP has already purchased property near Orlando Fashion Square, including a vacant Toys "R" Us, for $4.5 million, Corbin said. UP also has under contract 2.5 acres of vacant land behind Toys "R" Us, where it would like to bring in big-box retail outlet.

Get your exclusive digital membership for ONLY 59 cents!

The company has already talked to potential tenants, Corbin said, and is considering a mixed-use project that would include apartments. He said it's too early to give details but tenant desires will have a major impact on the final plan.

The deal does not include the Sears, since that retailer owns its own stores at malls including Orlando Fashion Square.

UP's other Orlando projects include Shoppes at Alafaya Trail and Millenia Plaza. At Millenia, UP redeveloped an old Expo Design Center into a new Dick's Sporting Goods and combo Babies "R" Us/Toys "R" Us.

Corbin said the company's specialties include redevelopments and "difficult retail projects."

Orlando Fashion Square would fit that bill. The oldest major shopping mall in Central Florida, it has lost many national tenants over several years. Despite its challenges, Corbin said, the area "has very good demographics." The upscale community of Baldwin Park, for example, lies nearby.

The mall's owner, Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, said earlier this year it would sell Orlando Fashion Square and four other struggling centers to pay down debt. A PREIT spokeswoman could not be reached for comment.

In Ocoee, assistant city manager Craig Shadrix said West Oaks is under contract with a new owner and that someone representing that company contacted the city and plans to meet with officials soon about its plans.

"They plan to turn it into a Class A mall," said Shadrix, who put the purchase price at $15.5 million.

West Oaks' current owner, General Growth Properties, would not comment.

Shadrix did not know the name of the company buying the mall but said the person who contacted the city about the deal is Shawl Pryor of Atlanta, who identified himself as the buyer's partner.

Pryor could not be reached for comment but his LinkedIn page identifies him as senior vice president of Infinity Property Fund.

Swirl Becomes First Fashion Shopping App to Bring Leading Retailer Offers to Apple's Passbook

Swirl, a mobile personal shopping assistant for fashion, today announced the integration of Apple's Passbook with the newest version of its iPhone app. The integration allows Swirl users to easily save offers from over 200 leading fashion brands directly to Passbook, providing them with easy access when and where they shop.

Swirl is reinventing the fashion shopping experience by helping consumers discover, organize and shop for their favorite styles at nearby retail stores. The Swirl iPhone app brings together hundreds of thousands of products and offers from top retailers, allowing users to monitor fashion trends, receive sales alerts and find the nearest retail store locations. Passbook integration provides Swirl users with location-aware reminders from their favorite brands when they are out shopping.

The Passbook premise is simple. It provides consumers with a single place to access offers, event tickets, boarding passes and loyalty cards from multiple brands, all of which can be accessed with the tap of a finger. The convenience of Passbook as a true mobile wallet is a perfect complement to Swirl.

"Early analysis from our app's first eight weeks in market shows that some of the most popular activities include saving products and offers for future reference," says Swirl founder and CEO Hilmi Ozguc. "By extending saved offers directly into Passbook, our users will now be automatically reminded of sales when they pass by one of the 30,000 retail locations covered by Swirl."

Swirl users on Apple's recently-released iOS 6 operating system simply click the save button attached to any of the hundreds of current offers that are refreshed on a daily basis in the Swirl app. Users are then offered the option to save those offers to Passbook. Since Passbook is time and location aware, users receive an automatic notification on their iPhone whenever they have an active offer in Passbook that is valid at a store nearby. Swiping the notification provides easy access to all of their saved offers.

"Our goal at Swirl is to create a better shopping experience for consumers," says Ozguc. "Whether it's browsing for fashion inspiration, planning a shopping trip, or trying on outfits in a store, we want Swirl to be an indispensable shopping companion. Our integration with Apple's Passbook is a great extension of the personalized experience we are creating for Swirl users."