A Diamond Is Forever Unveils Five One-of-a-Kind Red Carpet Looks by Today's Most Innovative Designers at The Chateau Marmont in Celebration of Oscar Fashion

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Diamonds and fashion have always been synonymous with Hollywood glamour. From the first days of starlets walking red carpets, their ensembles have gained worldwide attention. The visual unveiling of a celebrity appearing at the Academy Awards, the ultimate Hollywood moment, is unique in its far-reaching impact. The clothing and jewelry chosen for this debut are works of art rivaled only by the stars themselves. To celebrate the 2008 Academy Awards, the Diamond Information Center is thrilled to present a unique collaboration with select fashion designers that have created an original red carpet piece accessorized with and inspired by incredible diamonds. Sally Morrison of The Diamond Information Center observed, "There is a truly symbiotic relationship between diamonds and Hollywood fashion. Nothing complements the glamour of the red carpet like the brilliance of timeless diamond jewelry."

A Diamond Is Forever will be hosting a week-long celebration at the Chateau Marmont, displaying five incredible red carpet looks paired with exquisite diamond jewelry. Rodarte, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Jovovich-Hawk, Alabama Chanin, and Libertine have each created a one-of-a-kind design for this event. Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Camilla Dietz Bergeron, Munnu/The Gem Palace and Neil Lane are providing the diamond ornamentation respectively. To honor these innovative and acclaimed designers and their creations, there will be a series of invitation only viewings. In addition to the five original looks, there will be millions of dollars of exceptional diamond jewelry worthy of an Academy Awards appearance, including one-of-a-kind diamond pieces, important vintage pieces, and a never-before-seen diamond collection presented by international jewelers.

  About the Designers

	

	  3.1. Phillip Lim

	

Phillip Lim debuted his eponymous collection, 3.I phillip lim, in the fall of 2005 to instant success, both critically and commercially. Now entering its third year, the line is available in over 250 boutiques and department stores nationwide, and represented in 26 countries worldwide. In January 2006, Fashion Group International awarded Lim first place in the Women's Designer 'Rising Star' category. Then following in July, the Council of Fashion Designers of America and Vogue magazine nominated Lim as a finalist for the prestigious 2006 Fashion Fund Award. 3.l phillip lim's raison d'etre is making beautiful clothes with added touches of madness, striving towards the imperfection. The result is a creation of individual looks that are unexpected, unplanned, but completely relevant.

Alabama Chanin

Natalie "Alabama" Chanin is best known as the co-founder of the American couture line Project Alabama. Her designs for hand-sewn garments constructed using quilting and stitching techniques from the depression-era south have been lauded for both their beauty and sustainability. Made from recycled materials by artisans located near Natalie's home in Florence, Alabama, Project Alabama designs earned accolades from peers as a finalist for the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Fashion and was selected as one of 10 fashion companies for the Council of Fashion Designers in America/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2005. In late 2006 Project Alabama ceased operations in Alabama. Natalie left the company and launched Alabama Chanin where she continues to create limited edition, rendered-by-hand, jewelry, clothing, home furnishing and textiles using a mixture of recycled and organic materials with local talent. Based on the thought that good design should be a part of everyday living, Alabama Chanin gives modern context to techniques that have been passed down through generations of women and men.

Jovovich Hawk

Jovovich-Hawk was established by Milla Jovovich and Carmen Hawk in LA in 2003. Milla Jovovich and Carmen Hawk design clothes that encompass the belief of 'feel good, look great, feel bad, look great'. Friends for over 10 years, they share the view that clothes have to be wearable, comfortable and need not make a spectacle of the wearer. Jovovich Hawk makes clothes that are relevant to the lives of independent, hard working, creative funny, elegant and romantic women. The atelier is based in LA. Within three seasons Jovovich Hawk has built a considerable following among fashion editors and actresses with the label now stocked in the US, Europe and Asia.

Libertine

Libertine, the maverick label of collaborators Johnson Hartig and Cindy Greene, was launched in the fall of 2001. Citing influences as diverse as romantic literary icons, skateboard culture, and Brooks Brothers, Hartig and Greene's bicoastal collaboration turns vintage cast-offs into renegade fashion for both men and women. One of a kind pieces-- with details such as frayed seams and macabre graphics--create a sophisticated, yet disheveled quality that sets the line apart from other labels. The collection has been widely appreciated among some of the most discerning and educated authorities in the fashion industry. They have also been fortunate enough to be supported by a handful of the bests retailers in the world including, Barney's, Colette, Maxfield, Harvey Nichols, and Joyce in Hong Kong.

Rodarte

Kate and Laura Mulleavy founded Rodarte in the fall of 2005. Despite their passion and desire to become designers, both sisters decided to pursue a liberal arts education. Falling in line with their family tradition, the girls chose to attend UC Berkeley. Kate majored in Art History with an emphasis on 19th and 20th century art. Laura focused her studies on Literature and the modern novel. After graduation, both Kate and Laura returned to their home in Pasadena where they would formally launch Rodarte. After bringing their first collection of 10 pieces to New York City, they found themselves on the cover of WWD and in a meeting with Anna Wintour. They followed up their first season with a 16 piece collection, which won them the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award, and continued to gain support from retailers including the likes of Bergdorf Goodman, Colette, and Barneys. They have also received tremendous editorial support from publications such as: Vogue, French Vogue, German Vogue, Italian Vogue, Vogue Nippon, Chinese Vogue, Purple, ID, Dazed and Confused, WWD, W, Elle, Harpers Bazaar, Marie Claire, V Magazine, the New York Times Style Magazine, Time, Rolling Stone, Glamour, and In Style.

  About the Jewelers

	

	  Camilla Dietz Bergeron

	

Camilla Dietz Bergeron is an international antique jewelry dealer and lecturer. Formerly a Wall Street executive who turned her passion for buying antique jewelry into a business. She and her partner, Gus Davis see clients privately in their Madison Avenue Salon in order to give them the utmost attention they deserve regarding antique, period, estate and contemporary jewelry.

Cartier

Cartier, one of the world's leading luxury goods companies, designs, manufactures and distributes all of Cartier's products. The company markets a broad range of luxury products including jewelry, watches, eyewear, fragrance, writing instruments, lighters, leather goods and scarves. In the United States, there are 35 stores including two in Canada. Founded in 1847, the House of Cartier has long been identified with quality, prestige and history and has served as crown jeweler to 19 royal houses.

Munnu/The Gem Palace

The world famous Gem Palace was established in 1852 by the Kasliwal family of Jaipur. Jewelers for 8 generations, the Kasliwals have the distinction of having been the court jewelers to the Mughal emperors. Their current clientele includes present day Royals, movie stars and prominent members of international society. A member of the eighth generation of Kasliwal family, Munnu Kasliwal is known for using traditional craftsmanship and old techniques in his designs that reveal contemporary interpretation of Indian motifs. The Gem Palace has worked with prestigious institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York where they have supplanted Jewelry for the MET, inspired by it's permanent collections and new Exhibitions. Munnu has worked exclusively with the MET by creating and supplanting pieces for several such Exhibitions in the last several years. The Gem Palace has also done a solo Exhibit at Somerset House, London in 2007.

Neil Lane

Neil Lane is a designer extraordinaire. As an established jewelry impresario with transcendent influence and impact, his work, vision and presence is everywhere. His passion, cultivated eye and modernity is universally acclaimed. Neil Lane has become synonymous with "Hollywood Glamour," Hollywood stars, fashion aficionados and movie directors seek his advice and jewelry to create distinctive and award winning looks for films, the Oscars, and other Red Carpet events.

Van Cleef & Arpels

Founded in 1906 by Alfred Van Cleef and his brothers-in-law Charles and Julien Arpels on the Place Vendome in Paris , Van Cleef & Arpels has a long and storied history as one of the world's most celebrated jewelers. Each new collection from Van Cleef & Arpels is inspired by facets of longstanding themes of the House including nature, couture and the arts. This creativity combined with the jewelry-makers' masterful use of only the world's top- quality gemstones has left the Van Cleef & Arpels legacy ripe with iconic creations. Inextricably linked to the Van Cleef & Arpels name are motifs such as the Alhambra-the legendary quatrefoil design that brings luck and happiness to all who wear it, and the innovative Mystery Setting which allows precious gemstones to be set in a close pattern without any trace of prongs or metal.

About The Diamond Information Center/A Diamond Is Forever

The Diamond Information Center (DIC) is a public relations organization that works closely with diamond retailers and designers to promote diamonds on behalf of A Diamond Is Forever. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, as well as eight other cities around the world, the DIC is the premiere diamond resource for celebrity stylists, fashion designers, media, film and television industries.