Men will be gaining inches this season in one of the most sought after places – their height.

In response to customer demand, Debenhams has introduced a range of platform shoes for men which have leapt to the top of the bestseller list in the menswear department since hitting stores on Monday of last week.

The shoes which are half an inch higher than the average shoe are outselling expectations by 85%.

Spokesperson for Debenhams Lizzie Singleton says, This will come as welcome news to shorter men everywhere. Now there is a stylish way to boost your height whilst still being on trend, as opposed to opting for the dreaded Cuban heel.

In recent years we have seen womens heels go to extreme lengths and now men are finally able to measure up.

Mini celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Nicolas Sarkozy, Simon Cowell, Bono and Robert Downey Junior are rarely spotted on the red carpet without their height-boosting footwear. Even 6 4 David Hasselhoff has been spotted recently in some extreme heels.

The shoes hitting store are significantly higher than the retailers average footwear and can boost a mans height by a crucial 1.2 inches. They have the appearance of a classic brogue and are also available in a boot option. They dont have an obvious heel and allow the wearer to boost their height in a subtle manner whist still being on trend.

Continues Lizzie Singleton; We havent seen a trend for platforms since the 1970s however we are urging men to leave their vintage heels in the loft and opt for a more stylish 2012 version.

Height-boosting footwear was first used in Ancient Greek theatre to boost the height of important characters but did not become mainstream until the 1970s when popularised by rock stars and models.

The retailer is looking to expand the range further for Autumn Winter 2012 and has a range of different styles that will be introduced later in the season, Including brogues and loafers, giving a modern twist to these classic styles.

The shoes are from the J Jeans by Jasper Conran range, prices start at

(PRWEB UK) 18 November 2011

Ursula Kemp, like many women of the time made a humble living through attending births, wet nursing babies and treating the sick with herbal potions and lotions. Unfortunately when Ursulas services were rejected by a pregnant neighbour in favour of another midwife, she exchanged such harsh words with the mother to be that when the young baby went on to die by allegedly falling from its cradle it was suspected a curse had been placed on the infant. After that villagers began to suspect that Ursula could treat or induce sickness and lameness at will and she soon became a prime target for the Witch Hunter, landowner and magistrate Brian DArcy.

Elizabeth Bennett was also implicated and according to archives the two of them along with twelve other St Osyth natives, were tried at Chelmsford Court on 29th March 1582. Although held in Colchester Castle and tried in Chelmsford, the place of their execution is not clear. It may have been Chelmsford but it wasnt unusual for women accused of witchcraft to be hanged in their village and then buried in local unconsecrated ground.

In 1921 two skeletons were discovered in a garden by a Mr Brooker, a tenant in St Osyth carrying out some building work. One skeleton was badly damaged. The bodies were clearly not near a burial ground and Mr Brooker having some knowledge of the history of witches in the village decided to cash in by arranging visits from local people wanting to see the witches skeleton. Only the house burning down in an unexplained fire in 1932 halted the interest in what was now believed to be the body of Ursula Kemp and the remains were reburied at the site.

More than 30 years later redevelopment prompted the deliberate, but now believed illegal, exhuming of the skeleton but this time there was little interest in it becoming a local attraction and the bones were sold to the Witchcraft museum in Boscastle owned by witch and pagan Cecil Williamson who promised he would safeguard her and not allow her exploitation again. However, before Williamsons death he sold the museum but interestingly Ursula was not included in the sale. Her last owner was the artist and eccentric Robert Lenkiewicz who had a fascination for obsessions including witchcraft and the occult. Lenkiewicz kept Ursula on display in his library along with the embalmed body of a local tramp. A prolific painter and also lover, Lenkiewiczs life was rather complex and when he died heavily in debt the skeleton of Ursula became tied up in the wrangles of his estate.

Documentary maker John Worland and co-director of the 2007 film Witch Finder, based on the Matthew Hopkins witch trials, has been tirelessly researching the history of Witches in East Anglia in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is thanks to him that now Ursulas rather unfortunate life, death and subsequent journey has been unearthed. John spent many hours negotiating to have her remains released by the trustees of Lenkiewizcs estate and from then he began to explore the process of what he and many others believe is the right end to Ursulas journey a peaceful reburial back in St Osyth. John, with the help of carbon dating, can prove that the skeleton does date back to the 16th century and that there are indeed remnants of iron nails in her bones.

Working closely with St Osyth Parish Council, a plot with a north-south orientation was located in unconsecrated land and on April 15th with both Pagan and Christian representatives present, the skeleton of Ursula was finally laid to rest as a poignant and symbolic gesture for her and her fellow accused.

For more information about this extraordinary project, for feature articles, images, interviews with John Worland or details about the film preview please contact: Kate Everett (press office) on 0845 5272801 or John Worland on 01206 241820

Editors Notes

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Everyday a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. Both Ana and Debby Boe have had some of their close family and friends diagnosed with breast cancer over the past couple years and have been touched deeply by their courage, hope and fight to live.

“Walking in the upcoming Susan G. Komen 3 Day breast cancer walk is a way for us to give back, to walk in honor of all WOMEN past, present and future in hopes that a cure is found very soon.” says Debby Boe.

The women have planned an event on October 22nd to help raise even more funds for the cause and their walk. With some determination they canvased the San Diego downtown area, and were able to secure the Bamboo Lounge for their event.

After securing different vendors to provide designer clothes, Miss Diva purses, Gold Canyon Candles and ZRII Health and Wellness to participate, they approached Air Feathers and were greeted with open arms.

“We are always happy to help at events like this,” says Art Director Mandy Florez, a cancer survivor herself. “We’re so happy that we can take our Think Pink Sphynx items downtown to help raise awarness and funds, and to make people smile.”

Air Feathers “Think Pink Sphynx” Breast Cancer Awareness Kit has been doing well, and both Florez and Air Feathers founder Airie McCready are glad they placed an order for more product.

“This way,” says McCready, “we can provide fundraising items right up until the last day of October, and even further if needed.

The Air Feathers team has chosen Airie’s own sphynx cat, Daisy, to be their think pink mascot.

When asked why, Florez, smiles and replies, “Well, she’s pink, she makes you think, and if you look closely at her picture, she’s a great representative for Breast Cancer awareness.”

Daisy herself was diagnosed with cancer at only 3 months old. The kitten, who weighed only 2.5 lbs did not have a great prognosis, and Airie was not sure Daisy would pull through. But with a lot of love, care, and effort, Daisy made it.

McCready and Florez acknowledge that Daisy does not compare to a Mother, Sister, Daughter, or anyone you may know that is fighting and surviving Cancer. But the little pink cat certainly is attention getting, and you can’t help but smile when you see her on the cover of the new kit.

“Laughter is an immune system stimulant,” says McCready, “and Daisy is about the cutest and funniest thing most people have ever seen!”

McCready believes that there’s nobody better than her hairless cat to represent the new line of “AirMazing Fakes,” a hybrid synthetic hair extension that’s taking the industry by storm. The synthetic looks and acts much like real hair, at only a fraction of the cost. It’s heat resistant up to 300 degrees and curls nicely with a moving tool like a flat iron. It comes in every color in the rainbow, but in the new kit stylists get an large amount of the pinks-solid light and hot pink, as well as “Grizzly” or striped light and hot pink that mimic the popular feather extension trend.

McCready also loves the fact that this kit does not lock stylists in to any particular charity or event-it leaves them free to raise funds however they see fit.

The new pink hair extensions, as well as a few items that have not hit the market yet will be available to purchase for a donation amount at the event.

Where: Bamboo Lounge, 1475 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

When: October 22nd, 2011

Time: 3:pm-7:pm

Stylists wanting to get the kit can contact Air Feathers by going to their website, http://www.airfeatherextensions.com

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New York, New York (PRWEB) February 13, 2012

InnovationExcellence.com, the largest crowd-sourced innovation website in the world, is featuring an exclusive interview with the creators of a groundbreaking new blueprint for innovation.

Model creators Jane Stevenson and Bilal Kaafarani are innovation pioneers and co-authors of the book “Breaking Away: How Great Leaders Create Innovation That Drives Sustainable GrowthAnd Why Others Fail”. (McGraw-Hill 2011)

The interview is available at http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2012/02/13/breaking-away-a-new-way-to-look-at-innovation.

In the interview, Stevenson and Kaafarani discuss the four timeless categories of innovation presented in their book; current trends in innovation; how the uncertainty and contraction of the global economy is impacting innovation; the most profitable type of innovation; and their very best advice to CEOs.

The authors were interviewed by Innovation Excellence Managing Editor Julie Anixter, co-author of “The Big Moo” with Seth Godin, and the former Managing Director of R & D for the Tom Peters Company. The team leadership of Innovation Excellence includes Anixter and two of the worlds leading innovation expertsBraden Kelley and Rowan Gibson.

Stevenson is Vice Chairman, Board & CEO Services at

Coles brush with fashion royalty came during this years Fashions Night Out celebration Sept. 8 in New York City. Cole staged an exclusive performance at Bergdorf Goodman and also chose the date for her first limited edition single release, Aint Gonna Letcha. Copies of the single were given out to customers at the store during Fashions Night Out festivities.

During the celebration, Cole met Jim Gold, President/CEO of Bergdorf Goodman and The Neiman Marcus Group; and Faith Hill, country music icon; among others.

Hill, in fact, took home an autographed copy of Coles new CD and posed for a picture as the disk was signed. Fans who werent as fortunate as Faith Hill can receive a FREE download of the single Aint Gonna Letcha for a limited time on Coles website at http://www.audriannacole.com.

In the spirit of the fashionable celebration, Cole had her hair done for the performance at the world-famous John Barrett Salon, arrived at Bergdorf Goodman wearing Lauren Conrad’s Paper Crown-Degas Tunic in Gunmetal, and for her performance, she dazzled wearing Theyskens’ black dress and pump platforms.

It was only fitting that Cole chose Bergdorf Goodman as the site for her release. After all, the upscale stores windows featured her song Follow Me during the 2010 holiday season.

Cole was honored to take part in this years Fashions Night Out. After the performance, Cole said “I was blown away to find out that Faith Hill and Jim Gold were amongst my fans.”

That party is one of the most anticipated fashion events of the year. Fashions Night Out is a multi-store celebration that encourages people to get out and explore the newest collections of some of the worlds top designers. It featured celebrity appearances, visits by designers themselves and plenty of live music, including Coles performance.

The annual event began in 2009 as a way to not only kick off New York Fashion Week, but also to encourage consumers to get out and shop to bolster the struggling economy. It has since grown into an international event with mirror Fashions Night Outs staged all over the world.

Up next for Cole is a national tour of schools to promote a new anti-bullying campaign for The Shinin Bright Foundation. The tour starts in Florida and will make its way across the country this fall. It is being staged to shed the light on this problem that affects children throughout America and beyond.

For more information about Coles appearance, pictures, or the tour, contact Kelly Newton at jacknjillmanagement(at)gmail(dot)com

“FNO Highlight of the Day: Bergdorf Goodman-Audrianna Cole performs on the fifth floor.” – Vogue Magazine

“We meandered to 5F where Audrianna Cole, the soulful voice of our Holiday Windows video, dazzled us with songs from her forthcoming album.” – Bergdorf Goodman

“Michael Kors will step into the Fifth Avenue window displays to mark his three decades at the specialty store. Bergdorf’s will also feature live performances by Audrianna Cole.”

Rachel Zoe Celebrity News

“FNO Highlight of the Day: Bergdorf Goodman-Audrianna Cole performs on the fifth floor.” – Vogue Magazine

“Audrianna Cole will top off the evening performing.” – Glamazonsblog.com

“We meandered to 5F where Audrianna Cole, the soulful voice of our Holiday Windows video, dazzled us with songs from her forthcoming album.” – Bergdorf Goodman

“A live musical performance by Audrianna Cole while you rub shoulders with designer guests Alexandra Vidal, Badgley Mischka, Bibhu Mohapatra, Cushnie et Ochs, John Barrett, Joseph Altuzarra, Kimberly McDonald, Laurence Dacade, Lela Rose, Nicholas Varney, Pamella Roland, Reem Acra and Wes Gordon.” – Haute Living Magazine

“Michael Kors will step into the Fifth Avenue window displays to mark his three decades at the specialty store. Bergdorf’s will also feature live performances by Audrianna Cole.”

Rachel Zoe Celebrity News (Aug 15, 2011)

“Misplaced – February 4, 2011 Audrianna Cole – Misplaced Audrianna Cole is a indie pop artist out of Salem, Oregon who recently collaborated with Andrew Boss. Audriannas new single Misplaced was produced by HighJAC and tells a heartbreaking tale of a persons refusal to give up on love.”

Ohh So Famous

“Plus see a live fashion show featuring the hottest prom looks from Camille La Vie, catch a performance by Audrianna Cole and look for her as a guest judge at the Prom Search”

Z100 New York

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(PRWEB) December 12, 2011

The increasing affinity that shoe lovers exhibit for iconic luxury footwear brands is highlighted in the latest analysis of the Luxury Shoe Industry by Digital Luxury Group (http://www.digital-luxury.com), the first international company exclusively dedicated to the digital success of luxury brands.

We have been analyzing the online behavior of affluent consumers for almost a decade and have recently identified a significant surge in the demand for renowned womens shoe brands, confirming the sustained growth of the luxury shoe industry, explains David Sadigh, founder and CEO of Digital Luxury Group. According to the Italian luxury association, Fondazione Altagamma, the Leather Goods, Shoes and Accessories product category currently represents the highest international growth ratio (+12.5% in 2011) and is expected to grow by an additional 10% in 2012.

Based on millions of intentions expressed by shoe aficionados searching for luxury footwear products online, Digital Luxury Groups analysis which covers 57 brands in 7 markets outlines the following trends:

Market coverage

The US is the most important market for the industry, generating 40% of the demand related to luxury shoes, followed by the UK (14%).

Search patterns

91% of the searches are related to brands.
35% of non-branded consumer intentions are related to shoe styles (boots, ballerinas, high-heels, etc.)
40% of the demand expressed by the US clientele relates to sneakers, even though most of the 57 analyzed brands do not sell sneakers.

Most popular brands

Prada and Gucci combined represent nearly 50% of the demand related to brands listed in the category MAISON.
Christian Louboutin is conquering he Web, with nearly 45% of the demand expressed for brands listed in the SHOE HERITAGE category.
Alexander Wang and Brian Atwood generate 60% of the demand in the NEW PLAYERS category.

Facebook / Twitter

Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin communities on Facebook both are 4 times larger than all the other luxury shoe brands (multi-products brands excluded)
Charlotte Olympia and Alexander Wang generate the highest discussion rate on Twitter.

Digital Luxury Groups Luxury Shoe Industry analysis is based on the same methodology as the World Watch Report (http://www.worldwatchreport.com), the baseline market study for the watchmaking industry created by Digital Luxury Group since 2004.

The analysis can be downloaded for free on: http://dlgr.com/shoeanalysis

Additional and custom data related to specific brands and markets are available on request. Please contact shoes/at/digital-luxury.com

Luxury shoe brands included the analysis have been sorted into three main categories:

MAISON (brands created before 2000, shoe business representing less than 50% of their revenues) : Alexander McQueen, Azzedine Alaia, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Celine, Chanel, Chloe, D&G, Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Givenchy, Gucci, Isabel Marant, Kenzo, Lanvin, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Marni, Miu Miu, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, Valentino, YSL
SHOE HERITAGE (brands for which shoe making is their core business) : Bally, Casadei, Cesare Paciotti, Ferragamo, Fratelli Rossetti, GianMarco Lorenzi, Gina, Giuseppe Zanotti, Hogan, Jimmy Choo, Kurt Geiger, LK Bennett, Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Pierre Hardy, Pura Lopez, Ren