MEDELLIN, Colombia (AFP) ― All that glitters is gold under a new thermochemical process developed by Colombian engineers for colour-tinting the precious metal to make it look like sapphires, rubies or emeralds. The tinting can increase the value of gold by a factor of five, meaning the chemically-altered precious metal is likely to appear in jewellers’ display windows worldwide soon, according t...

PARIS (AFP) ― From au pair to television chef of the moment, Rachel Khoo has come a long way since she landed in Paris from London six years ago, armed with schoolgirl French and a love of cooking. With a bestselling recipe book and BBC series, “The Little Paris Kitchen,” now under her belt, the 31-year-old looks well placed to be the next big thing on the television chef scene. Or rather, the n...

PARIS (AFP) ― Luxury and sustainable development may sound like polar opposites, but green pioneers gathered at a Paris show at the weekend were betting on a cleaner, fairer future for the industry. Created in 2010, the four-day Paris event, dubbed “1.618 Sustainable Luxury,” brought together some 40 firms, inventors and foundations, that aim to reconcile luxury with ethics and environmental goo...

Seoul mayor to model at Donation Runway The nation’s 12-year-old fashion week is being reenergized this season with a new organizer and venue, and a lineup of designers that includes several new names. Co-hosted by Seoul Metropolitan Government and global fashion consulting company IMG, Seoul Fashion Week will showcase 2012 FW collections at Olympic Park’s World Peace Plaza in Bangi-dong, south...

Scientists said Thursday they have cloned a rare Himalayan goat in Indian-controlled Kashmir, hoping to help increase the number of animals famed for their silky soft undercoats used to make pashmina wool, or cashmere. The March 9 birth of female kid “Noori,” which means “light” in Arabic, could spark breeding programs across the region and mass production of the high-priced wool, said lead proj...

PARIS (AP) ― “Fashions fade, style is eternal,’’ Yves Saint Laurent once said. An immutable fashion list must include the Ls Vuitton bag, on display demurely but proudly in Paris’ Decorative Arts Museum like the historical artifact it should be. The bag pattern was first patented in 1877 but it can still be seen ― almost unchanged ― on the Parisian boulevards more than 130 years later. This is ...

PARIS (AP) ― With only one day to go, the final furlong of Paris’ roller coaster nine-day long fashion week has produced strong and fantastical ready-to-wear offerings from the houses of Alexander McQueen and Chanel. Inspiration for the collections spanned the terrain, and beyond ― from a cosmic ice palace to the organic depths of the earth. Sarah Burton further consolidated her position as one...

PARIS (AP) ― The standing ovation from Anna Wintour said it all. Such rare, visible acclaim from the powerful U.S. Vogue editor capped Monday’s Yves Saint Laurent show, an emotional farewell to designer Stefano Pilati after more than a decade at the helm of one of the fashion world’s most famous brands. The sometimes temperamental Italian designer divided critics from the start of his tenure as...