Brook Astor "Lady of Grace" Philanthropist Dies

The death of philanthropist Brooke Astor at the age of 105 has hit me profoundly. She was a women of class and her path was not always "easy" and she suffered many disappointments. As a role model to all women, nonetheless, she found her great satisfaction in personal restraint, public service, conversation, and nature. She lost many friends and family along her life's journey. Mrs. Astor living to 105 left the real life lesson to "girl everywhere" that yes, do everything you can to make your surfaces shine, but nothing enhances outer allure like the inner acceptance and appreciation of life on life's terms. Her approach to philanthropy in New York had an almost revolutionary effect on the way things were approached and done.

Mrs. Astor was all grace in action. She gave away nearly $200 million. Her life's motto summed up her generosity: "Money is like manure, it should be spread around."

Her funeral will be held on Friday. August 17, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. at St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue. For the first time in 150 years, New York does not have a "Mrs. Astor" as its social mentor. We shall all miss her, she had her own way she had a deep impact on society.

Fashion And Luxury Turn To Online Video

Enhancement in online video and the growing prevalence of broadband access are encouraging luxury brands to create glossy new Web sites that better reflect their elite appeal on a medium that can make things look equal. Find shoes from Marc Jacobs online and they sell for $499 and then find some shoes from Target, they are $14.99. They look almost the same online. Now with the help of interactive features the luxury product imagery can be very beautiful. Every component, every detail can be carefully crafted on the Web, exactly as their products are.

A 2007 survey by market research firm Luxury Institute found that 99% of those 21 years and older with a minimum household income of $150,000 had Internet access at home and 94% said they used broadband connections, which are amenable for video viewing. Similarly high numbers were reported for the use of the Internet in researching shopping and products. As you would expect, as high-end consumers have gone on the Web, more luxury brands and high-end retailers have opened up online flagships.

Sophisticated imagery can help high-end brands validate the price discrepancy with lower-end products. The luxe site has to do a better job of romancing it, using additional audio as well as visual inspiration to really get you excited. They have to make consumers feel that they can connect and relate to this site, otherwise why would they spending so much money? Not relying on retailers or on traditional advertising, and adding streaming video is a type of "three-dimensional branding" that adds life to the product and its message in a way not possible with "flat" advertising in magazines.

Many luxe sites also aim to give visitors a sense that they are getting insider information. Those not invited to Fashion Week's members-only tents can watch the runway shows online.

Christian Dior's Fall/Winter Haute Couture extravaganza, in honor of the fashion house's 60th anniversary, was available online the morning after the show. High fashion sites are also adding behind-the-scenes viewing to differentiate themselves. Chanel.com features interviews with Karl Lagerfeld, while MiuMiu.com has footage of its May 2007 photo shoot with model Laetitia Casta for its Fall/Winter 2007 campaign. Documentary filmmaker Seraphin Ducellier directed Balenciaga.com's suggestive time-lapsed movies of four handbags; the brand also plays up its fashion heritage by featuring archival footage from the 1960 Spring/Summer runway show. The reaction people have is this real emotional connection with video, much more than still images. A woman looking at the video feels, “I need that bag.'"

Prada.com's site, showcases nearly 20 short films on the production process, including clips of the making of a Prada ballerina slipper, artists sketching bags, and the hand-finishing of a perfume bottle. Showing the hands behind the luxury object only burnishes a brand's image, says CEO of the Luxury Institute, Milton Pedraza. "Luxury consumers want to know that they are paying for craftsmanship," Mr. Pedraza says. "And it's a little more subtle but it's also important, they want to know that people who are making the product are treated well.”

MarcJacobs.com features elaborate Fashion Week mini-documentaries used cameras which swooped 30 feet over the audience and 24-hour time-lapse footage of set-building. The site also posts insider news and gossip uploaded by employees. The new features also keep viewers on the site longer. However even Mr. Jacobs, the online trendsetter in the industry, must continue to add new features to his site to maintain an edge. According to industry sources, one prominent designer is planning on streaming live video -- a first -- during New York Fashion Week this September. “Bring it on” says Publisher Barbara Segal of www.Blondeheiress.com this is what all us fashionista have been waiting for,” says the Blondeheiress!