Monday Runway: Dolce & Gabbana F/W 2014

The fall/winter ready-to-wear collection from Dolce & Gabbana, entitled "Enchanted Sicily", is one that brings to life a fairytale fantasy complete with knights in shinning armour, woodland animals, chain mail hoods, bejewelled gauntlets and kings in crowns. This is by far one of my favourite Dolce & Gabbana collection and not only because it brings my philosophy of fashion to life, but because it is a truly beautiful collection.

Dolce & Gabbana's Knights in Shinning Armour for the shows finale

This collection is another exploration by the pair into the Sicilian way of life, one of several the pair, Domenico Dolce (a Sicilian by birth) and Stefano Gabbana have created over the past few seasons.

Click below to see my favourites from the runway as well as the campaign for the collection shot by Domenico Dolce including supermodel Claudia Schiffer.

Haute-To-Trot: The Magic of Haute Couture

The magic that is Haute Couture Fashion Week wrapped up last week in the glistening city of Paris. It is an event which occurs twice a year, once for Spring/Summer collections in January and a Fall/Winter collection in July, and is the time when the dreams of fashion grace the runways, unbound by the needs and demands of ready-to-wear (prêt-à-porter) fashion.

These two weeks a year I always sit fascinated on my computer watching seemingly impossible works of art grace the runways. Being able to actually watch these shows live and have my own piece of Haute Couture both have proud places on my fashion bucket list. But what is Haute Couture really?

A backstage photo from Chanel Haute Couture S/S 2014

Monday Editorial: Hyoni Kang by Chris Nicholls for Flare

It's Monday and that means editorial time. This time it's from Flare Magazine December 2011 starring Hynoi Kang. This is a beautiful wintery editorial that I just adore.

Photographs: Chris Nicholls

Fashion Editor: Elizabeth Cabral 

Makeup: Simone Otis

EDITORIAL: The Red Lady

Because I'm still stuck in bed my posts are a little off-timing at the moment - no apologises for the extra pretties. This is one of my favourite editorials because I've been a dancer my entire life and I love the blurring of fashion and ballet. Enjoy.

The FIFA World Cup Trophy is cooler than me

At the last FIFA World Cup in 2010 I was bullied into watching the final rather than going to bed. Obviously, I'm not a particularly big sports fan (the only "betting" I do is on eBay  and I consider my exercise walking around in my new pumps). Regardless, I sat down to watch the football/soccer match (I’m an Australian so it’s soccer down here since we’ve got our own version of football and it’s too confusing to think about otherwise!). And the one thing I noticed about the match that night (I fell asleep about half way through - much to my friends chagrin - only to be awoken by the cheers of victory) was that the trophy was presented in a Louis Vuitton custom designed trunk.

It was official. The FIFA World Cup Trophy was cooler than I was.

2010 was the debut of the Louis Vuitton trunk as the custodian of the FIFA trophy, being presented to the Spanish victors on the final field. The trunk itself is handmade in Louis Vuitton’s historic and infamous Asnières workshop and designed specifically for the trophy’s requirements.

Unlike you or I, the FIFA World Cup doesn’t need to worry about clothes, toiletries or accessories – instead the trunk is built to protect the beautiful trophy which is made from solid 18-carat gold! The trophy stands at 36cm and weights around 6kg and has a green malachite base. The trunk is fitted with the traditional Louis Vuitton Monogram canvas and brass locks and opens at the front so that the trophy can be easily removed and presented to the World Cup Winners for 2014 on the 13^th of July. 

FIFA is by no means the first to order a custom built Louis Vuitton trunk. The infamous luxury brand was originally known for its trunks before later branching into bags, clothes, shoes and other of life’s essential non-essentials. The trunks crafted in the Asnières workshop are renown for their quality, skillful craftsmanship and the innovation in their design. Their other commissioned projects include the trunks and bags featured in Wes Anderson’s film The Darjeeling Limited, the fold-out bed trunk of the African explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza and the trunk Karl Lagerfeld uses to carry 40 of his iPods and his speakers in.

The trunks from The Darjeeling Limited and Karl Lagerfeld's iPod trunk.

I have to say I an endlessly jealous of whoever got to discuss with Louis Vuitton about the trunks creation – it is on my fashion bucket list to both (1) visit the Asnières workshop and (2) have my own custom built trunk. Both are pretty unlikely but a girl can dream. I’d love a trunk that would be big enough to hold a small selection of clothes, shoes and jewelry, but also have room for books and my laptop!  What would your dream trunk be?

The Louis Vuitton Mansion and Anières Workshop

Fashion is a weapon, use it dynamically

Model Citizen: Grace Simmons

Fresh face alert!! I love hearing about new Australian talents getting out there into the worldwide fashion scene and today the news is all about 17-year old Queenslander Grace Simmons.

The willowy 5ft11in teenager breezed across the runway at Dior Haute Couture like she’d done it a thousand times before (I didn’t actually see the show of course, I’m not cool enough for that yet! But imagine so), in front of Hollywood icons like Emma Watson, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlize Theron and Marion Cotillard.  Grace was first discovered through the Girlfriend magazine Model Search for 2012, giving her a start in the modeling career. She told the Daily Mail Australia: “Walking in Dior Haute Couture show was an absolute dream come true. I’d come to Paris with the intention of merely experiencing Haute Couture Week and learning all I could, so to be cast in one of the biggest and most prestigious shows of the week is something I’ll never forget”. Simmons has signed onto Next Model Management in New York, Paris, London, and Milan, Bravo Models in Japan and Chic Model Management here in Australia.

Like all of us she too had issues with the way she looked, admitting in the article that she used to hate her red hair the most but admits to loving it now. Let’s hope we see so much more of Grace in the upcoming fashion weeks and maybe even the face of a campaign!

Congrats Grace!

RUN(a)WAY WITH THESE!

The Chanel Super Marche 

When Karl Lagerfeld puts his mind to something, it appears anything is possible. Guests to the Chanel Autumn/Winter 2014 Ready-to-Wear show in Paris entered the city's Grande Palais with a sense of wondrous trepidation; what could Chanel possible have to do with the loud, brightly coloured supermarket scene laid out before them? With its shopping trolleys, cheese stall, hardware section, boxes of tea and bottles of wine (all with Chanel inspired names), how could it possibly be fashion or fashionable? How could a supermarket be as glamorous, luxurious and as classic as Chanel?

I don’t know how, but all I know is it can, thanks to Mr. Lagerfeld.