feel completely empowered and free within it

LATEX SUIT BANKER KILLED BY BRITISH MADAM'S VICE GIRL DETECTIVES investigating the murder of leading international banker Edouard Stern yesterday revealed his self-confessed killer worked as a Pounds 700-an-hour vice girl for any notorious British madam.  Cecile Brossard confessed to French police a week ago that she murdered Mr Stern, who had previously been found shot dead in a latex catsuit at his penthouse in Geneva.  Brossard's name appeared 'over and also over again' which has a star next to it in notebooks seized from convent-school educated madam Margaret MacDonald, who was jailed in France in 2003 for running Europe's biggest prostitution agency. A police  source said: 'We spent a lot of time wondering exactly what the star signified.  The other of our multilingual detectives talked about the German word for star is "Stern".  'Those entries often gave flight numbers to Geneva, Zurich and even Nyc and Tokyo.' Brossard was recruited for sex with wealthy businessmen and also other high-flyers. 'Madam Margaret' is thought to have got a 40 percent cut of her fees. Mr Stern's killing was for this Russian mafia and also the mysterious death in 1999 of billionaire Edmund Safra.  The married Frenchman had helped to prepare the controversial Pounds 6.7billion sale of Safra's Republic of the latest York bank to HSBC. Police believe Mr Stern, 50, formed a long-term sexual relationship with all the call-girl, flying her worldwide, nonetheless it resulted in his murder as soon as they had a row. ASK Halle Berry what she likes most about her Catwoman costume and she or he waxes lyrical about her whip. 'It's so sexy and empowering. The whip is often a big part of Catwoman,' she says. The costume she is discussing will be the by-now infamous skintight catsuit which she wears after her character becomes the film's heroine. 'I feel completely empowered and free within it,' she says. 'I execute a lot of fighting in that costume and yes it allows us a lots of freedom and agility, just like cats.' Unfortunately, the outfit has spawned a torrent of heated online discussions and continues to be the objective of negative com-mentary, much like the movie itself. 'It's hideous,' says stylist Lionnel Lim. 'It doesn't do justice to Catwoman's character in any way. As an alternative to looking sleek, she seems like she's in an S&M get-up.' The S&M look is characte rised by scanty leather outfits. Veteran stylist Vik Lim adds: 'Instead of resembling a superhero, she looks more like a pole dancer. I find Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman costume a lot sexier.' Unlike Pfeiffer's costume, which has been made out of skintight latex, Berry's costume is really a combined leather plus a new silicone fabric created specifically for that movie. While Pfeiffer's catsuit covered her head to feet, Berry's leaves little for the imagination, with slits on the thigh and enormous cut-outs that leaves the majority of her torso exposed. 'When you're wearing leather, there's a little difference between looking stylish and looking like a hooker,' says Wykidd Song of Song Kelly 21. 'I wouldn't suggest putting it on head to feet.' PAIR IT RIGHT CREATED by Australian Angus Strathie, who won an Oscar for his designs in Moulin Rouge, Berry's catsuit was de-signed to represent a cat's feline sleekness and agility. Those who feel inspired to be seen likewise should remember that when teamed while using right combinations as well as the right occasion, the leather look may be chic, sporty and also sexy. Though the climate this is not exactly perfect for leather wear, you may either opt for the lighter weight variety, or save it for rainy days or night-time if it is cooler. Lionnel Lim recommends buying items made out of calf-skin leather, and that is 'fine, thin and feels butter soft'. p> Vik Lim suggests pairing leather items using a lighter fabric: 'It's like when you've got leather and lace - that unexpected com-bination creates a softer look.' A Wing Tai Clothing spokesman says the leather look is usually popular because 'they are fashionable and follow cat-walk trends'. The distributor, which handles brands like Warehouse, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Karen Millen, adds that leather minis sell primarily because these are more practical. Prices range between $200 to $400 for leather and synthetic leather garments. Song says any time it comes to wearing leather in Singapore, it's a couple of locating the time and place. He has an audio lesson Kelly 21 jacket slung around the back of his chair as part of his 'freezing' office. 'It's a very utilitarian material. In terms of material, it ages well. Because it wears on, it looks better,' according to him. A lot of the brands under Club 21, including Emporio Armani, Calvin Klein, Dsquared, Jil Sander, Paul Smith and Dolce & Gabbana also carry leather. Prices cover anything from $1,000 to $4,000. 'As far as fashion goes, leather is definitely a vital material for apparel internationally, regardless of season,' says a Club 21 spokesman.