It’s Lucire versus Vogue and Dolce & Gabbana

It’s Lucire versus Vogue and Dolce & Gabbana as Kiwis are nominated for

Best Fashion Web Site

New Zealand site a finalist in International Webby Awards

Wellington, April 9 (JY&A Media) First it was The Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers at the Oscars, now New Zealand has another one of its own in the running for another international award in California.

Today, the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences announced that Lucire http://www.lucire.com, the Wellington-based online fashion magazine, has been nominated for a Webby Award, the most prestigious international recognition of web technology and creativity.

Lucire will be fighting for top honours for Best Fashion Web Site of 2003 against Vogue and W's Style.com, New York fashion title Hint, British fashion webcaster SHOWstudio and street fashion site Japanese Streets. Among the People's Choice write-ins, Lucire will also go head-to-head with Dolce & Gabbana's international web site.

'I am thrilled by this international recognition,' said Lucire publisher Jack Yan, who founded the site in Wellington in 1997. 'It shows that New Zealand excels not only in filmmaking, but in other creative endeavours.

'We've got by on a shoestring budget, especially when you compare us against our fellow nominee Style.com, the American home of Vogue. 'We'd be honoured to have the nation's support behind us,' said Mr Yan. As a nominee, Lucire is eligible to win a People's Choice Award. Voting is open to the public from April 8 to May 23 (California time) at < http://www.webbyawards.com/peoplesvoice >.

In London, New Zealand-born editor-in-chief Simone Knol shared Mr Yan's joy at the nomination. 'I'm delighted about the news, especially to be amongst such illustrious company. When you consider that only 150 sites worldwide get a nomination, then we are already winners.

'Our dream of producing new brand extensions, such as an interactive television programme, will come that much closer,' she said.

Hailed as the 'online Oscars' by Time magazine (May 13, 2002), the Webby Awards are determined by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a diverse organization that includes over 420 members such as musicians Beck and David Bowie, The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening, the Body Shop's Anita Roddick, internet inventor Vint Cerf and political columnist Arianna Huffington.

'The Webby Awards honours the outstanding web sites that are setting the standards for the internet,' said Maya Draisin, executive director of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. 'Lucire's Webby Award nomination is a testament to its great contributions to this increasingly powerful medium.'

The winners of the Seventh Annual Webby Awards and People's Voice Awards will be announced on June 5, 2003 in San Francisco.

Last year, Lucire was among the support sponsors of L'Oréal New Zealand Fashion Week and was the event's official web partner, a status it looks set to repeat this year with its frequent promotion of the nation's fashion outside the country.

Founded in 1996, the Webby Awards are known worldwide for limiting winners to five-words-or-fewer acceptance speeches.

About Lucire

Lucire, the global fashion magazine, is one of the world's leading fashion titles on the web. Founded in 1997, it covers fashion, beauty, travel and lifestyle, with a global perspective for today's woman. It is known for providing in-depth, quality journalism. The magazine is targeted at the woman who is tired of the offerings from established fashion players, and chooses to be herself. Lucire is available at < http://www.lucire.com >. In August 2001, Lucire received 13,000 unique visitors daily. According to Alexa, Lucire is one of the top-ranked pure-play fashion titles in the world.

About the Webby Awards

Founded in 1996, the Webby Awards is the leading international honours for consumer web sites and individual achievement in technology and creativity. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences selects the nominees, winners, and presents the awards event. Sponsors of the Seventh Annual Webby Awards include media partners Business 2.0, Fortune and Fortune Small Business magazines; event partners PricewaterhouseCoopers and Nielsen//NetRatings; official sponsors The Creative Group, IDG, Absolut Vodka, Comstock Images, and Rackspace Managed Hosting. For more information visit < http://www.webbyawards.com >.

About the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences is dedicated to the creative, technical, and professional progress of the Internet and evolving forms of interactive media. The Academy's goal is to assemble a brilliant panel of leading new media experts, visionaries, journalists, and luminaries to propel the Internet and Interactive Technology into the future. The Academy is an intellectually diverse organization that includes over 420 members such as musicians Beck and David Bowie, internet inventor Vint Cerf, political columnist Arianna Huffington, Real Networks' CEO Rob Glaser, The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening, Smart Mobs author Howard Rheingold, Oracle chairman Larry Ellison, and the Body Shop president Anita Roddick.

Members also include web developers, internet experts and technology writers and editors from publications such as The New York Times, Wired, Forbes, Spin, Fast Company, Travel & Leisure, The Los Angeles Times, Dwell and Wallpaper. For more information, visit < http://www.iadas.net >.

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