FASHION FUTURE BLOG

Victoria & Maude Luxury Travel Accessories – The Perfect Travel Partner.

Victoria & Maude is a new Australian luxury travel accessories brand providing luxury, functionality and quality for travelers and those who take pride in owning exceptional handcrafted leather goods.

Just like the care required in planning the trip of a lifetime, Victoria & Maude have invested in world-class design and materials to guarantee quality and durability in this flagship range of luxury travel accessories.The collection showcases exceptional original designs using the highest quality materials and hardware to create beautiful pieces. Crafted by hand in Sydney from luxury materials including Ostrich skins, Napper leather and custom-made Swiss zippers, each piece is first and foremost highly functional with exceptional longevity.

The eight-piece collection comprises a Lady Bag, Man Bag, Evening Clutch, Passport Holder, Men’s Wallet (streamlined or with coin holder), Coins (coin holder) and Straightening Iron Travel Roll.

Victoria & Maude website is now live at www.victoriaandmaude.com and is currently securing boutiques and independents to stock the brand nationwide.

View and shop the full collection at www.victoriaandmaude.com

-ends-

Editors Notes:
For further information and images, please contact Victoria Maude.
design@victoriamaude.com.au

Coach Hearts NY By Sharon Smith

Iconic American handbag company, Coach celebrated its 70th Anniversary with a VIP event in association with Harpers Bazaar at the stunning Westfield Bondi Junction store.

The invitation had me at “gift bag” however it was the 20% discount that persuaded my husband to attend – hoping to find something special for my Santa stocking this Christmas.

Harpers Bazaar Editor, Edwina McCann gave a warm welcome to the attendees as we swooned over the stunning collections including Chelsea, Madison and the limited edition original collection and vying for turns at the mirror.

She announced that Harpers Bazaar were very pleased with the close relationship they enjoyed with Coach, both being strong New York brands and how special it was to be celebrating the 70th anniversary of the leather goods company with the fabulously styled Gwyneth Paltrow ad campaign, photographed by legendary fashion photographer, Peter Lindberg. Gwyneth, a proud New Yorker was specifically chosen for the brand due to her attainable and minimalist brand of chic.

Her natural understanding of style has ensured she is a permanent fixture on every best dressed list worldwide, while her lifestyle blog, Goop proves everyone wants a little piece of what she has!
The evening was intimate yet provided an insight into what such a soiree can do for the ever flailing local retail market: the sales team knew their product, the store was inviting rather than intimidating and having the Harpers Bazaar team on hand for additional styling tips was bound to be a positive shopping experience. Unfortunately the store only carries about 40% of the Coach range, and the Men’s collection is only available in the City store.
Not included in the discount was the capsule collection made to mark the 70th anniversary – returning back to the origins of the brand, with a mix of matt tan and black, the bags available in a variety of styles were based on Coach’s best sellers – be quick!

The gift bag included a sample of the new Coach fragrance, Poppy Flower, a youthful fragrance that reflects the pop bright prints of the latest leather goods in the Poppy collection. Also included was a leather ID wallet and of course Coach catalogues and the latest Harpers Bazaar issue. A Coach voucher for $50 off any purchase over $300 was also highly prized by guests.

IMAGES CREDITS:
Coach fragrance: thefumehead.blogspot.com
Gwyneth Paltrow for Coach: Fabsugar.com
Edwina McCann: belindablog.com
Coach Westfield Bondi Junction store: phorums.com.au
Flagship bags: handbagstake.com
Anniversary Logo: shirlyphelia.com
Anniversary store layout: beauterunway.com
Peter Lindberg: Models.com
Angel: foto-critique.com

The devilish world of sweet treats and fashion will collide in an exciting dessert inspired fashion show as a MasterChef patissier guru Adriano Zumbo teams up with Australian label Mossée and IM Boutique to launch Zumbo’s new menu, book and official opening of his new patisserie at The Star on 12th October.

Sight and taste buds will pop in a delightful showcase of Mossée’s bright summer dresses and skirts matched with bold magical desserts designed by Zumbo for his new summer menu.

“From chocolate raspberry handbags to bold cake jewels, guests will be enthralled in a whimsical world display of sweet treats and fashion, then will taste the magic for themselves later in the evening,” states Zumbo.

“It’s great to be working with an Australian label, the opportunity to work with Mossée came through Phoebe Garland of Garland & Garland Fashion who was able to recommend a brand that is known for bold colour which I could use for inspiration for my menu,” he says.
At the invitation only event, guests can also get their Zumbo cook book signed by Zumbo himself, as well as being one of the first to indulge in treats from Zumbo¹s new dessert ‘train’ at his patisserie at The Star.

By Sharon Smith

With luxury brands defying both the global financial crisis and those who have prematurely mourned the death of the “mortar” or traditional retail environment, it is clear that authenticity has enabled many designer labels to remain relatively unscathed.

People love a good story, of the eponymous Salvatore Ferragamo frangrance bottle, fashioned like a twist of leather, a nod to his humble beginnings; or perhaps the recent court case between fashion powerhouses Christian Louboutin and YSL over who “owns” the rights to red heels

(incidentally it was ruled that no designer had exclusive rights over a Pantone colour, in spite of Louboutin’s trademark claim), which may have had you researching their respective archives for who had a better entitlement?

Many brands fall into the trap of using the latest “face” to sell their brands,

however savvy public now see this as too calculating – I worship at the altars of Kate Moss and Gisele,

however it is hard to feel the uniqueness for a brand when Kate models Rimmel one season and Dior the next campaign, or Gisele who has posed for both D&G and Vogue Eyewear previously. A company ends up buying her recognition, rather than selling the brand’s merits, with the advertising adding to the model’s portfolio and media clutter.

It is however not purely the domain of iconic horsebits and blue boxes which capture the market’s imagination. It is the sense of authenticity that will enable the brand to survive a downturn, Peter Alexander is a brilliant example of this, while his co-brands at The Just Group (including Dotti and Portmans) have recently suffered huge losses in revenue, his brand has been singled out to expand over the next three years. Who would have thought some pjs and a daschund

could be so endearing!

Sharon Smith

The rumour mills have gone into hyper-drive with the breaking news that Marc Jacobs,

rock star designer, has been signed to Christian Dior in the wake of John Galliano’s disastrous anti Simitic rant which led him to be dropped from the major fashion house – with his first showing since then being the ethereal creation of Kate Moss’ wedding gown.

Marc Jacobs famously burst onto the fashion scene with a 90s grunge collection for mainstay brand Perry Ellis, which had him simultaneously fired and receive the Women’s Designer of the Year award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America!

He launched his eponymous line and currently heads mainline Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc and Louis Vuitton. His incredible trend foresight has led to some ground breaking collaborations for Louis Vuitton since commencing in 1997 as Creative Director. Most memorable include Steven Sprouse (who didn’t covet a graffiti LV bag?), Takashi Murakami (Japanese anime floral designs), the paint splattered Richard Prince collection, and Kanye West’s sneakers.

In a breathless report by www.fashionweekdaily.com, it is believed that the commercial value Jacobs would bring to Dior would be worth more to LVMH than continuing at LV.

Marc Jacobs’ strengths lie in his ability to set trends and generate sales and it is universally believed that these attributes would likely give Dior the distance needed from the Galliano scandal. Interestingly though, back in January, before the debacle, LVMH chair Bernard Arnault, was quoted as saying Jacobs wouldn’t work for Dior, while Galliano wouldn’t be right for Louis Vuitton, that each captured their brand’s spirit and a “swap” would not be appropriate.

Subsequently, it is believed that Phoebe Philo, the celebrated designer for women, is likely to be Marc’s replacement. At this stage it is possible that she would also remain at Celine where she has been Chief Designer since 2009 while Louis Vuitton would scale down their first collection. Philo’s worth in the industry has been via her low key, precise yet feminine cuts, revealed first when she replaced Stella McCartney at Chloe between 1997-2006.

LVMH has yet to announce any movement within his stable, however it is believed the moves are a done deal, with The Australian newspaper citing a source claiming Arnault admitted that Jacobs was top of his wish list for Dior.

LV Stephen Sprouse – wordpress.com
Prince LV – blogspot.com
LV Murakami – purseblog.com
MJ for Dior PP for LV – Stylefrizz.com
Galliano and Arnault – nymag.com
CDMJ ? – okmagazine.com
Arnault – fashionphile.com
MJ with LV bag – tumblr.com
Kanye West for LV – blavish.com

The brainchild of fresh new label, Uscari, Krystel Davis, put on a brilliant show last night for her loyal VIP’s in the sparkling Sydney Mid-City Centre flagship store.

The drinks and nibbles event attracted the stragglers on their way home from RAFW day one. Aching soles and an armful of gift bags didn’t deter the fashion savvy crowd from lapping up the new Uscari Winter 2011 collection now available in store.

The new collection didn’t fail to impress, with everything we’ve come to love about the emerging brand included in the latest offering. Davis stayed true to her ethereal and earthy aesthetic, showcasing comfortable tailored pants, fitted blazers, mini and maxi dresses in a range of neutrals and soft prints ready for a stylish yet relaxed and comfortable winter wardrobe revamp.

The foundation neutrals on natural fibres, which Uscari aficionados have come to adore were offset by animalistic prints and textures in complementing colours, suggesting the fashion industries obsession with prints isn’t about to end anytime soon.

Uscari have extended their range of unique accessories as well, which is refreshing in the centre of Sydney where necklaces and rings are all from either Diva or Tiffany’s. The statement-making wood neck pieces resemble African inspired pieces of high-end designers, without the price tag. The substantial pieces compliment any of the basics in the Uscari range nicely for accessory junkies.

In a week filled with endless runway shows and PR events, an intimate evening with a truly promising emerging talent goes down as well as the Sky Blue Vodka on offer.

In its 120th year of vocational and educational training, Ultimo TAFE will reflect upon its heritage with its exhibition “Style, Scissors and a Fantasy: the Alina Galasso retrospective.” Held in the College’s historic Muse building, visitors will experience the life of a major contributor to the Australian fashion industry.

She supplied European fabrics for notable films such as “Star Wars”, “Moulin Rouge” and “Proscilla, Queen of the Desert” as well as dressing the likes of Kylie Minogue, Rhonda Burchmore and Eileen Bond. Her work in the fashion industry also boosted the careers of prominent Australian designers such as Christopher Essex and Mel Clifford.

The event will run from Fri. 3 Jun 11- Fri. 10 Jun 11, 10am –4pm, daily. It is a free event. For bookings visit www.sit.nsw.edu.au/imagine

Two global super-brands have crossed paths with the release of a limited edition Diet Coke bottle designed by Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld. In 2010 the fashion icon created a limited edition for Coca-Cola Light for Germany and France. This year, the three new designs will be sold globally.  Self confessed Diet Coke –aholic, Largerfeld was filled with nothing but just at the thought of another collaboration: ”It was pure pleasure to do a campaign with people I like and for a product I love” he said. The “Love It Light” designs will hit supermarket shelves in June. Look out for bottles in pink, white and black patterns with a Lagerfeld signature silhouette, as well as the retro-chic advertisements featuring models Coco Rocha, Heidi Mount and Jeneil Williams.

By Monique Friedlander

Four talented Tafe NSW Fashion Design Institute graduates have been selected to show at ‘The Innovators’  show at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week. The selected designers are Charlotte O’Carrigan, Leah Hibbert, Emma Mulholland and Anna Westcott who will present their works on 5^th of May.

O’Carrigan is set to showcase a range of hand-knitted pieces in earthy tones inspired by the interface between nature and people. Hibbert also opted for a natural aesthetic in her works, having created her garments out of organic fibres and embellishments. Mulholland’s ‘Cruel Summer’ collection will jar the audience with its exuberant take on 90s surf culture. Westcott’s collection ‘PHOS’ is inspired by light play and surrealist aesthetics.

Fashion Design Studio Director Nicholas Huxley has expressed full confidence in the abilities of these designers. “With their strong work ethic ,their delightful and caring manner and their great design approach I am sure their future success and respect in the industry is a given,” he said.

The opportunity for graduates to show at RAFW is highly coveted, with designers Dion Lee, Luke Sales and Anna Plunket, Alex Perry, Lisa Ho and Nicky Zimmerman all having graduated from the institute.

By Monique Friedlander

If you absolutely love the chic and sophisticated offerings from the powerhouse fashion dynasty Carla Zampatti and Bianca Spender but are a bit short on cash at the moment, don’t go chain store shopping just yet.

The designers are holding a rare warehouse sale where you can pick up previous season stock and samples from the Spring/Summer 2010 collections for heavily reduced prices.

Carla Zampatti and Bianca Spender are brands synonymous with high-end class, and looks, which are easily transformed from a day in the office to a cocktail party in the evening.

When:
Thursday 14th April: 12pm-8pm
Friday 15th April: 12pm-7pm
Saturday 16th April: 10am-4pm

Where:
Ground Floor 439-441 Kent Street, Sydney (Between Market and Druiit St)