OZTUBEs report on MBFF09

Its a few months old now but I found this little video of the '2009 Mercedes-Benz Brisbane Fashion Festival' created by a company called ‘OZTUBE.com.au’. They are a Brisbane based production company that reports on the goings on around this here city of ours and releases it to the world Wide web. They also do commissions for privet companies like restaurants, bars, clubs, shops and other such things as a marketing tool. Quite a clever business Idea I think.

The company’s fairly new but that doesn’t come out in there videos, I think it looks like anything you would see on TV as the quality of the presenting, camera work and editing goes.

The only thing that raised my eyebrow in this video was when the presenter ‘Joel Brisblat’ ( is that his real surname?) asked ‘Lindsay Bennett’ “ is this the first year you’ve been involved” when if he did the most simplest research about the event he would know that Lindsay Bennett created the event so has been the director of it since the beginning, but besides that he was fine as a presenter but I thought that Katherine Feeney was great in the video as the interviewee to the point where she practically took over as host.


enjoy.

My Sartorialist moment

Well it's 2010 already can you believe it? Time for new beginnings, adventures and meeting new people.

Really I see the start of the year as the time for rest and recovery from the month just past As well as rest and recovery from a certain time in all shoppers lives that we Waite eagerly for 'THE BOXING DAY SALES' I still say I will wear that grey bodysuit with a cape someday soon....Hell maybe I'll wear it tomorrow.

Anyway back to December, with all the Christmas partys I was sober long enough to be able to capture some people who I believe stood out when it comes to what they're wearing. So this as the title indicated is My Sartorialist Moment (The Startorialist is a fame fashionista who captures people on the streets of New York and is listed in time magazines 100 top design influences)



I love her skirt and I'm a sucker for accessories so I thought this daring necklace fitted perfectly with the look she was going for.



We all need flowers in our hair sometime or another and the caftan is from the wearers own soon to be released caftan label. Not for the shrinking violets.

One way to dress up a white shirt is a beaded belt and frilly skirt.

Yes, this is a bespoke 'Leigh Buchanan' puffball dress in white. Loves it.

Stand out accessories.

This amazing feather collar behind the wine glass is from local label 'Yes Vincent' who also do other feathered accessories like cuffs and headband. I hope to profile more of the label on a later date.



I love the contrast of the simple 'Karen Walker' necklace with the busy print of her dress.



You can never go wrong with a vintage bag


'Heven'


Lovely silver beaded shoes

Oh and if you like what you see pleas become a fan on My Facebook fan page.

All I want for Christmas is George Wu

George Wu has become a powerhouse of Brisbane fashion since launching in 2005, which is also the year he finishing a fashion bachelor degree at QUT.

After only a few seasons George was invited to showcase at Mercedez Brisbane Fashion Festival, with more invitation to prestigious fashion events around Australia to follow like Sydney Australian Fashion Week, and Melbourne Fashion Festival which all put George Wu into the international Fashion Market.

He was even asked to be a representative of young Australian fashion in the G’Day USA annual trade event to show America What Australia has to offer. All this resulted in him now stoking in stores around LA and NY.

Including gathering some celebrity fans like Cat Deeley who wore a George Wu on her show Americas version of ‘So you think you can dance’, Kate Miller-Hedike who wore him to this years ARIA Awards (And I’m loving the new hair color by the way), to one of the gossip girls been snapped around town wearing George Wu.

Not bad for someone who’s only been around for 4-5 years, but to George I’m sure it seems longer, considering he still does a lot oh his own production form pattern cutting to sewing and beading. which in hearing a well established designer is still doing themselves is really a breath of fresh air.

I would like to thank George Wu for taking the time to send me his photo’s of the current S/S 09/10 collection which is in stores now. I can't make up my mind so Ill just have to take it all for Christmas.

Marry Christmas everyone and hope it's safe and fun and all that jazz.

Something that's daring and a fun play of drapery.

This Is the one I want the most.


I think this says I'm daring but
sophisticated at the same time.























I do like a good twist or in this case a tie
at the front.




I want this one the most as well.


Love the color and I think the pleated scarves is
going to be a must have.


Perfect for the party girl with some class.
lovely use of color for someone who
doesn't usually wear it.

Fashionistas for Leigh Buchanan

Last Friday 'Fashionista Events' held a Christmas Luncheon with a Exclusive premiere showing of Leigh Buchanan's Project Runway Australias finale collection.

The even was held at 'Freestyle Tout' in west end. Freestyle tout is a Popular restaurant in Brisbane that specializes in Deserts.

The whole show was held like they use to do back in the day when lady's have lunch while models walk around there tables dressed in the latest dresses and the lady's would be able to take a closer look at the garments and take a feel of it as well. It was very "Lady's who lunch"

A big thank you to Natalie D'Alessandro of Fashionista Events for organizing EVERYTHING and To Leigh Buchanan for being a Total inspiration and an Amazing Designer. The event was such a highlight I had the best time, BEST LUNCH EVER.

'Leigh Buchanan' with the MC for the day 'Kath rose', introducing his collection that was about to come out.
This is the first piece that came out, It's from the episode that the contestants were given a surprise challenge of making a bridesmaid dress to complement there wedding dress from a previous challenge, only using the materials from the garments they already made in other episodes.

School Boy Chic. Inspired by Rufus Wainwright's "Release the Stars" album which the designer dedicate this to his mother.

"Barb's Frock!" Inspired by a pleated organza dress by leigh's Nanna dress that she made and wore to his uncle's wedding in the 70's.

This is noted as leigh's mum's favorite dress.


More of the 'School boy Chic' look with a close up of the crystal detailed embroidery on the vest.


" The little fringed cabaret corset". I tryed this on after the show and it didn't even reach my back. :'(



Leigh Buchanan's signature kilt look and the Egyptian collar corporate inspired outfit. With a little nipple action.


This dress was originally adorned with a gold and crystal cobra, posed to bite the breast. The cobra was the initial inspiration for the whole collection, but broke at the finale Project runway Australia after party.



"The Puff Ball" or as it's also know as "The Powder Puff" Dress.


This is literally my dream wedding dress. My mum will kill me for not wearing white but it would be worth it, now all I need is a groom.

A behind the scene shot of the clothes on the rake .



Just had to take a photo of the famouse Freestyle deserts but couldnt wait to dig into my Vanilla Crème Brulee topped with fairy floss & served with mixed berries, nut biscotti & blackberry sorbet. The person next to me had the White Chocolate Raspberry Brioche Dumplings with liqueur raspberries, vanilla bean ice cream & dark chocolate dipping sauce.


This guy was the entertainment for the afternoon, he was SO FUNNY. A true entertainer.



For more photo's of the event Click here to go to my facebook photo album.

The raven call of Emma Rea

Since lunching her label in 2008 Emma Rea has been the person to “keep an eye on” and “a name to remember”. She’s being featured in publications such as Oyster, Russh, Fallen, and Grazia, to name just a few.

Emma Rea is also a favorite amongst the fashion bloggers of Australia, so it was only a matter of time before I featured this local talent. Just in time for her A/W10 collection to come out.

Ever up for a challenge Emma Rea still hand makes every piece of clothing in the range herself, and ever the creative being this collection is called “ The Raven” with every piece of garment been named after the word raven in defend Languages.

I would describe Emma Rea’s range as being Poetic, Romantic, Feminine, dark, Ethereal, earthy, organic, and any other worlds you could think of when imagining a world of raven haired porcelain skin high priestess worshiping on the alter of both light and dark magic, under a full moon of an enchanted forest. I'm really quite obsessed with her use of flowing fabrics and organic shapes.

Emma’s range is stocked at both ‘Bessie Head’ ( City) and ‘Fallow’ (Fortitude Valley) in Brisbane as well as ‘Ricarda’ ( in both the Albany and Dalkeith stores, WA), ‘Dorbry Den’ (Surry Hills, NSW) and ‘Tuchuzy’ (Bondi Beach, NSW) with international stores to follow I’m sure.

Here's some choice garments from Emma Rea's Raven Collection.



All Photo's courtesy of Emma Rea

The madness of Simon Degroot

When I first looked at Simon Degroot's paintings my first thought was it looked like it was the artist representation of his internal feelings, as if it had to come out in one way or another and this was the result "Emotional throw up" I call it.

Having the words "throw up" by the way is by no means how I feel when I look at his work. Just to clear that up.

It wasn't until later on that I read, he sees some of his paintings as “being about spending time inside yourself and how sometimes there's something, a bit like a screaming beast inside, that's yearning to get out". This would explain why he named his self-publishing book “The Happy Mad"

I would describe his style as being childlike play of symbols and scribbles. It's something you would believe a child would do if he/she knew about playing with shading and had an interest in street art.

The local independent artist has had his work allover the place you would have seen it everyday and not know it. His had commissions from painting a whole side of a building to having a few traffic signal boxes dressed in his designs. In the past few years he's star has started to rise a bit more with several of his work been shown in Sydney, Melbourne and London.

Simon Degroot's latest show is a solo exhibition of new work called "Paper planes" (an obvious reference to his child like style and the name of one of his paintings. It's currently showing at the nine lives art gallery located upstairs of Mellinos Italian Restaurant. 330 Brunswick St Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia. until the 11 of December 2009.

Simon Degroot's traffic signal box in corner of Brunswick and Mclachlan, Fortitude valley. Photo courtesy of 'bandido of oz' on flicker

More of Simon Degroot's traffic signal box in the corner of Melbourne and merivale st south Brisbane. Photo courtesy of 'Rae A' on Flickr

Some Photos I took at "Paper planes" opening night