With the Miss Universe Contest 2009 all wrapped up, ICC International PCL can give themselves a pat on the back for their contribution to the success of the event. After all, they provided the BSC swimsuits for all the contestants during the sunshine days in the Bahamas.
This is a source of pride for BSC, a local Thai company, whose swimsuits and bikinis have adorned the Miss Universe set for the past five years. This year, they sent almost 600 swimsuits for the 84 contestants. The design theme this year was "Natural and Environmental Conservation" with the colour theme being turquoise and coral, the hot colour trend for 2010, which also reflected the beauty of the Bahamas.
Highlight of the swimsuit collection was the hand-embroidered coloured stones and coral beads to add to the luxury look.
Two different designs were provided for the event: the Competition Suit in coral and the Fun Suit in turquoise.
The competition suit was available in both one-piece and bikini. The bikini had a white embroidered top while the onepiece suit was coral with embroidered stones. Needless to say, all the contestants chose the bikini for the competition.
The Fun Suit in turquoise was worn during activities and photo shoots.
Apparently, the swimsuits were so attractive that even Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe pageant, asked to take one back with her as a memento of the event in the Bahamas.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
ICC helps Speedo build Asian sales
ICC International Plc, the fashion, cosmetics and swimwear distributor of the Saha Group, is expected to become a production hub for Speedo swimwear in Asia over the next two years.
Speedo expects Asia to contribute its highest growth in the next five years,and recently set up a regional office in Hong Kong.
ICC vice-president Chailert Manoonpol said the company was developing Asian sizes for Speedo, which before offered only international fits.
Speedo will move 20% of its production capacity from Sri Lanka to Thailand next year. Saha Group's capacity will rise to between 1.4 million and 1.5 million Speedo suits per year,from 1.2 million. About 70% of the output will be exported to Europe and Asia. Speedo has three production bases in China, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
"Thailand has good infrastructure and Saha Group provides better services and delivers products on time," Mr Chailert said.
Apart from Speedo, ICC is taking its own BSC swimwear brand international. BSC has been an official swimwear sponsor for the Miss Universe pageant for five years, including the one to be held on Aug 23 in the Bahamas.
"We have spent almost 100 million baht on sponsorship but got back more than that. The result is not only for swimwear but also for other products under the BSC brand," he said.
Sponsorship marketing has brought BSC an international brand image. As well, the company has learned more about women's body shapes globally and can adapt products accordingly.
"Through the Miss Universe contest,each year people in more than 84 countries see our products. We believe the BSC swimwear brand will be etched in consumers' memories," he said.
To strengthen its global image, ICC has renamed the brand "BSC International" and is dealing with foreign partners to export BSC swimwear.
Currently, BSC offers products in more than 10 categories from lingerie,to jeans, cosmetics, handbags, swimwear and food supplements.
BSC cosmetics and lingerie are exported to Vietnam, the Philippines,Indonesia, Laos and Burma and will be available in Japan, Singapore and Malaysia soon.
Currently, the market value of swimwear sold through department stores is estimated to be worth one billion baht. ICC sells four brands - BSC,Speedo, Streamline and Elle - with Speedo accounting for half of its sales.
Speedo expects Asia to contribute its highest growth in the next five years,and recently set up a regional office in Hong Kong.
ICC vice-president Chailert Manoonpol said the company was developing Asian sizes for Speedo, which before offered only international fits.
Speedo will move 20% of its production capacity from Sri Lanka to Thailand next year. Saha Group's capacity will rise to between 1.4 million and 1.5 million Speedo suits per year,from 1.2 million. About 70% of the output will be exported to Europe and Asia. Speedo has three production bases in China, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
"Thailand has good infrastructure and Saha Group provides better services and delivers products on time," Mr Chailert said.
Apart from Speedo, ICC is taking its own BSC swimwear brand international. BSC has been an official swimwear sponsor for the Miss Universe pageant for five years, including the one to be held on Aug 23 in the Bahamas.
"We have spent almost 100 million baht on sponsorship but got back more than that. The result is not only for swimwear but also for other products under the BSC brand," he said.
Sponsorship marketing has brought BSC an international brand image. As well, the company has learned more about women's body shapes globally and can adapt products accordingly.
"Through the Miss Universe contest,each year people in more than 84 countries see our products. We believe the BSC swimwear brand will be etched in consumers' memories," he said.
To strengthen its global image, ICC has renamed the brand "BSC International" and is dealing with foreign partners to export BSC swimwear.
Currently, BSC offers products in more than 10 categories from lingerie,to jeans, cosmetics, handbags, swimwear and food supplements.
BSC cosmetics and lingerie are exported to Vietnam, the Philippines,Indonesia, Laos and Burma and will be available in Japan, Singapore and Malaysia soon.
Currently, the market value of swimwear sold through department stores is estimated to be worth one billion baht. ICC sells four brands - BSC,Speedo, Streamline and Elle - with Speedo accounting for half of its sales.
GEAR UP FOR THE BIKE
August is high season for cyclists as millions of people inspird by the eic rides of the Tour de France get out on two wheels themselves.
But without the right preaparetion and equimment, a cold or sunburn might be the consequeneces of an afternoon in the saddle.
The basic rule for buying cycling gear is that it must be lightweight, notes Bettina Cibulski of Germany's ADFC, an organisation government transport policy.
"A cotton wool shirt," she adds, "will absorb sweat and then the wind absorb sweat and then the wind will cool you down. Synthetic fibre jerseys, on the other hand, direct the sweat outwards."
Peter Nickel of the German cycling association Bund Deutsche Radfahrer says the best jerseys are
those with climate zones. They ensure you sweat less and that moisture dries faster.
Jersey maker Gore manufactures the Xenon brand, with a mixture of five differnt matrials and is attuned to the body's climate zones.
The Fission jersey from Vaude is supposed to provide good ventilation on hot summer days. It jersey has fine mesh sections on the back and under the arms to allow maximum ventilation.
To achieve the least amount of wind resistance on a bike, you need to pick the right-sized jersey. Helmut Loetzerich, a cycling expert at Cologne's sport high school, points out that many beginner cyclists make the mistake of following their T-shirt size when buying a new jersey.
"A jersey must tightly fit the body-otherwise it will flap about in the wind."
And it should leave no part of the back exposed when you're bent over the handlebars.
Loetzerich says cyclists should choose shorts that have as little stitching as possible, especially when it comes to areas where friction will occur.
Another aspect to consider is padding. In a normal seated position, most of the body's weight is resting on the sitting bones, but while cycling weight is spread across the posterior and public bone.
To allow for more comfort, most cycling shorts have integrated padding. "Not everyone likes that," says Cibulski, so some dodels allow you to remove the padding. Gore places extremely thin padding in its Xenon shorts.
The sports clothing company X-Bionic makes a unique pair of shorts called Fennec, using a silver
reflective material that reflects the sun's rays to keep the body cool.
As to cycling shoes, a smi;le rule applies - the lighter the shoe, the more expensive-but all models are compatible with the three standard pedal systems.
Nickel also favours wearing gloves with padding on the palms to prevnt sweaty hands for losing grip on the handlebars. During long trips in the summer, gloves also protect the backs of hands from sunburn.
Clothing maker Roeckl makes a model that allows sunrays to pass through the material, thus preventing the formation of tan lines as can happen with short-fingered gloves.
But without the right preaparetion and equimment, a cold or sunburn might be the consequeneces of an afternoon in the saddle.
The basic rule for buying cycling gear is that it must be lightweight, notes Bettina Cibulski of Germany's ADFC, an organisation government transport policy.
"A cotton wool shirt," she adds, "will absorb sweat and then the wind absorb sweat and then the wind will cool you down. Synthetic fibre jerseys, on the other hand, direct the sweat outwards."
Peter Nickel of the German cycling association Bund Deutsche Radfahrer says the best jerseys are
those with climate zones. They ensure you sweat less and that moisture dries faster.
Jersey maker Gore manufactures the Xenon brand, with a mixture of five differnt matrials and is attuned to the body's climate zones.
The Fission jersey from Vaude is supposed to provide good ventilation on hot summer days. It jersey has fine mesh sections on the back and under the arms to allow maximum ventilation.
To achieve the least amount of wind resistance on a bike, you need to pick the right-sized jersey. Helmut Loetzerich, a cycling expert at Cologne's sport high school, points out that many beginner cyclists make the mistake of following their T-shirt size when buying a new jersey.
"A jersey must tightly fit the body-otherwise it will flap about in the wind."
And it should leave no part of the back exposed when you're bent over the handlebars.
Loetzerich says cyclists should choose shorts that have as little stitching as possible, especially when it comes to areas where friction will occur.
Another aspect to consider is padding. In a normal seated position, most of the body's weight is resting on the sitting bones, but while cycling weight is spread across the posterior and public bone.
To allow for more comfort, most cycling shorts have integrated padding. "Not everyone likes that," says Cibulski, so some dodels allow you to remove the padding. Gore places extremely thin padding in its Xenon shorts.
The sports clothing company X-Bionic makes a unique pair of shorts called Fennec, using a silver
reflective material that reflects the sun's rays to keep the body cool.
As to cycling shoes, a smi;le rule applies - the lighter the shoe, the more expensive-but all models are compatible with the three standard pedal systems.
Nickel also favours wearing gloves with padding on the palms to prevnt sweaty hands for losing grip on the handlebars. During long trips in the summer, gloves also protect the backs of hands from sunburn.
Clothing maker Roeckl makes a model that allows sunrays to pass through the material, thus preventing the formation of tan lines as can happen with short-fingered gloves.
Head seals debt deal
The sporting goods manufacturer Head NV struck a crucial bond deal yesterday, allowing it to slash its debt levels and cementing gthe hedge fund Octavian Advisors' position on its board.
Investors supported an exchange which reduces debt levels at the Austrian maker of skis and tennis racquets by almost 40 million ($57.1 million) and which offers them a mixture of new bonds and shares.
The company was over-leveraged and its performance depends on the economy and snow conditions, making it a difficult credit, said one credit analyst, asking not to be named.
Head said 85.7 million of its 135 million high-yield bond had been tendered, which would be exchanged for
43.7 million of new secured notes and 22.5 million ordinary shares in the group.
The success of Head's exchange comes days after Germany's Escada failed to secure the support of bondholders for a similar exchange, forcing it to file for insolvency.
The deal solidifies the position of Octavian Advisors, a distressed debt fund with a major holding in Head's bonds,which now sits on the company's board.
Head's Swedish chief executive and major shareholder Johan Eliasch will provide the company with a 10 million ($14.3 million) liquidity line as part of the deal, a source with knowledge of the situation said.
"The environmental campaigner and film backer's credit line will allows Head to build up stocks ahead of the European winter season," the source said.
In July Head said it would require additional liquidity of 10 million to see it through the third and fourth quarters of the year.
The exchange deal, organised by Merrill Lynch, cuts the company's annual interest payments by about 3 million and its leverage ratio (net debt to earnings before interest, depreciation, taxes and amortisation) from about 8.5 times to 6 times, said the analyst.
First announced in April, the bond exchange was repeatedly extended as the company negotiated terms with bond holders.
Investors supported an exchange which reduces debt levels at the Austrian maker of skis and tennis racquets by almost 40 million ($57.1 million) and which offers them a mixture of new bonds and shares.
The company was over-leveraged and its performance depends on the economy and snow conditions, making it a difficult credit, said one credit analyst, asking not to be named.
Head said 85.7 million of its 135 million high-yield bond had been tendered, which would be exchanged for
43.7 million of new secured notes and 22.5 million ordinary shares in the group.
The success of Head's exchange comes days after Germany's Escada failed to secure the support of bondholders for a similar exchange, forcing it to file for insolvency.
The deal solidifies the position of Octavian Advisors, a distressed debt fund with a major holding in Head's bonds,which now sits on the company's board.
Head's Swedish chief executive and major shareholder Johan Eliasch will provide the company with a 10 million ($14.3 million) liquidity line as part of the deal, a source with knowledge of the situation said.
"The environmental campaigner and film backer's credit line will allows Head to build up stocks ahead of the European winter season," the source said.
In July Head said it would require additional liquidity of 10 million to see it through the third and fourth quarters of the year.
The exchange deal, organised by Merrill Lynch, cuts the company's annual interest payments by about 3 million and its leverage ratio (net debt to earnings before interest, depreciation, taxes and amortisation) from about 8.5 times to 6 times, said the analyst.
First announced in April, the bond exchange was repeatedly extended as the company negotiated terms with bond holders.
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