Southern designs on northern exposure

Local designers hope to custom-make their mark at Australian Fashion Week.

MELBOURNE designer Dhini Pararajasingham recruited Premier Ted Baillieu's daughter, Eleanor, 17, to open and close her Australian Fashion Week show in Sydney next Wednesday.

''She's a beautiful person,'' Pararajasingham says. ''A well-brought-up girl, a good girl to represent me.'' Even more compelling than the young model's pedigree however, Baillieu stands a lissom six feet three inches (190.5 centimetres) tall in her stockinged feet and will unfurl a further six spectacular inches in Pararajasingham's brick-high heels. She is, in other words, a dream opportunity for the diminutive (five feet, two inches, 157 centimetres) designer, a gob-smacking catwalk stunt poised to make headlines.

Only picture their end-of-show bow. Classic Australian Fashion Week schtick or, another sparkling marketing moment for one of the country's best small-fry fashion brands? This is the nature of AFW now.

Simply beautiful new looks from Carla Zampatti

The 16-year-old event, which was founded as a trade-only forum, has evolved into a glorious fashion circus closely monitored by an incalculable global audience through its website, YouTube channel and legions of blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking followers.

Daniel Hill of IMG, which owns AFW, says ''the social universe'' has stepped up the event's value, not only to buyers and media who can't - or won't - get here (''It's a numb-bum-'n'-crooked-spine day and night away from home,'' whinged one New York buyer), but to consumers more ravenous every year for future frock news. ''We create a legacy online, right across the digital universe,'' Hill says of the frock-by-frock coverage.

This year's list of 110 international delegates is a few less than last year, but he's not worried.

There are more than usual online web store buyers among them to reflect our changing retail environment, he says, and thousands of local delegates who come regardless of the economic weather or strong Australian dollar.

For Pararajasingham, one of eight Melbourne-based brands including Toni Maticevski, Limedrop, Yeojin Bae, Arnsdorf, Amber and Thomas, Friend of Mine and White Suede in next week's show schedule, sales are becoming less relevant than that ''legacy online'' Hill mentioned, plus any chance for one of those splashy headlines.

For Melbourne designer Teale Talbot and business partner Letitia McLean, the so-called ''trade event'' is also vital in their strategy to bring their barely two-year-old brand, Friend of Mine, into the lives of its cool-as-ice girl market.

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Fashion dos and don'ts

Fashion dos and don'ts for wedding guests

NEW YORK—The biggest fashion faux pas for a wedding guest—to any wedding—would be to upstage the bride.

Of course, with all the attention and speculation surrounding Kate Middleton's gown for Friday's royal wedding in London, that would be nearly impossible to do.

But there are other unwritten rules for guests to consider: Don't wear white, anything too revealing or a hat so wide or tall it would block the view of the person behind you.

You can wear tasteful black, and be sure to cover your arms.

"This is not a place to make a fashion statement for yourself," said Sally Kilbridge, deputy editor of Brides magazine. She ticks off more don'ts, including no miniskirts, plunging necklines and novelty socks, which have become a surprising trend at least among guests at American weddings.

The attire worn to a British royal wedding is appropriate daytime wedding attire kicked up many, many notches, Kilbridge said. Everyone's outfit should be chic, elegant and suit the very formal, traditional occasion while not letting glitzy, black-tie, eveningwear trappings creep in, she advises.

Designer Reem Acra, who makes both red-carpet and bridal gowns, thinks Westminster Abbey could be the place for cocktail frocks, though. (Celebrities and fashion editors, after all, have long found reason to wear them before noon.)

The female guests should wear cocktail dresses to the upcoming wedding," she said. "It's a very understated and classical look but very young and modern at the same time."

The fashion role model here should be "high society's ladies who lunch" in well-cut, luxe-fabric skirt suits for the older women, while Middleton's younger friends could pull off slightly retro, Hitchcock-inspired sheaths or pencil skirts paired with nipped-waist jackets, suggested celebrity stylist George Kotsiopoulos, co-host of E!'s "Fashion Police" on TV.

He expects a lot of hats, but, he says, he hopes they'll be toned-down cloches or a pillbox with a veil. "I hope they're not cartoon-y, but I do think we'll see some cartoon-y hats."

British milliner Vivien Sheriff, who has made several dozen custom headpieces for wedding guests, said many guests will follow the lead of Middleton's mother, Carole—a fan of substantial hats.

The hats Sheriff has made feature some feathers and crystals—and are quite celebratory, she described—but they're not oversized. "You can't show off too much. You don't want to overdo it, but there is a lot of expression in the headpieces."

Sheriff added, "People aren't going to want to hide their faces, so the brims won't cover them. This way, everyone can get good photos and you can greet other guests looking them in the eye."

There is going to be more black than one might expect, Sheriff said. She certainly had more orders for black than she expected. "I guess fashion has changed and a lot of young guests want to wear black."

Middleton herself was photographed earlier this year attending a wedding in a black outfit.

Black is fine as long as it's not funereal, according to Brides' Kilbridge, although you won't see the Middleton family wearing it. Prince Charles' wife Camilla won't wear it either, she predicted.

Camilla will likely pluck something she already had in her closet, Kilbridge said, probably something not unlike the tailored dress and lovely coat she wore to her own wedding.

Most of the male guests will likely don a navy or gray morning suit, which is basically the daytime equivalent of a tuxedo including a vest or waistcoat, and all of William's military friends of will be in uniform, she said.

Kotsiopoulos notes this is a chance for London's famous Saville Row to show off the fine, crisp tailoring it has long been known for. "If there was ever a place to get a great suit, this is it."

A guest with a well-known personal style, however, has a little more flexibility, said Kilbridge. It would be perfectly acceptable for Elton John, for example, to wear a flashy, embroidered vest under his jacket.

Fashion fans will be eager to see David and Victoria Beckham, and Kilbridge thinks they won't disappoint, although she wonders how Victoria Beckham will dress her baby bump. "They've had some crazy fashion moments, but this won't be one of them. She'll probably look fantastic. They want to create the impression that she belongs there. I think most people will be striving to look like they belong."

That might have singer Joss Stone, who is famously barefoot almost everywhere she goes, digging to the bottom of her closet looking for a pair of shoes.

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Fashion's Night Out

Fashion's Night Out: Naomi and Gisele battle it out on the catwalk (but all eyes are on a pair of Gossip Girls)

It's one of the most highly anticipated fashion moments of the season and with a who's who of the industry turning out for the event, Fashion's Night Out did not fail to disappoint.

But while supers Naomi Campbell and Gisele Bundchen battled it out on the catwalk, all eyes were planted elsewhere - on the glamorous front row as Gossip Girls Leighton Meester and Blake Lively stole the show.

Leighton, 24, wore a cutaway Versus by Versace dress paired with Christian Louboutin shoe-boots. The bold sartorial choice failed to pay off however as she looked out of place next to the more elegant outfits on display.

Leightom Meester's sartorial statement failed to pay off as electric blue Versace dress lost out to Blake Lively's sunny Marchesa creation at Vogue's Fashion Night Out in New York last night

Unfortunately for Leighton, it was co-star Blake (on-screen frenemy Serena Van der Woodsen) who got the doyenne of U.S Vogue Anna Wintour's approval - and when it comes to fashion - that's the only vote that counts.

Blake looked stunning in a tribal print yellow print minidress with full skirt by Marchesa teamed with Christian Louboutin platforms at the event, which kick starts New York fashion week.

To cement her A-list style status, Blake was strategically placed between Wintour and the editor's other pet favourite - tennis champion Roger Federer - the hottest seat in the house.

Naomi Campbell demonstrates her fiercest walk on the runway at the Lincoln Centre

It's hard to believe stunning model Gisele Bundchen gave birth less than a year ago

Meanwhile, Naomi and Gisele put their best foot forward modelling some of the autumn/winter's hottest trends last night.

Sporting flamboyant dresses and elegant evening gowns, the pair showed off their fiercest walks at the champagne-fueled evening, created by Wintour last year in a bid to lift morale during the recession.

Gisele, 30, looked stunning as she showed off her toned legs - despite having given birth to a baby boy less than a year ago.

Naomi, Alessandra Ambrosio, Karlie Kloss, Chanel Iman, Sasha Pivovarova, Caroline Trentini, Jourdan Dunn, Lara Stone, Lily Donaldson, Coco Rocha, Karolina Kurkova, Adriana Lima, Gisele and Angela Lindvall

The world's biggest names in fashion, 150 models, including Naomi, Gisele and Adriana Lima strutted their stuff with tickets costing from $10 to $10,000.

Earlier in the day Leighton tweeted:'I’m so excited!!! Can’t wait for #NYFW. It's a beautiful day for a fashion show!'

But she may have been disappointed not to get the coveted front row seat next.

Leighton sat alone while Blake had the company of fashion's First Lady event organiser
Anna Wintour

Gisele was the first on the complicated in-the-round runway

Blake has won plaudits for her fresh style, and her flowing blonde locks are said to be the most copied in salons, taking over from Jennifer Aniston’s trademark glossy look.

She has said: 'It’s crazy,' says Blake.

'It’s very flattering, it’s weird knowing that because here I was when I was a kid wanting my hair to look like Jennifer Aniston so it’s really weird.

'I had layers and a straight-ish look when I was younger but I was too young to really copy it too much. I’m stunned girls now want to copy me.'

Singer Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes entertained the crowd, left, while the stunning fashion kicked off fashion week nicely

Blake, and Leighton were among a celebrity audience which included Julianne Moore and Serena Williams, along with designers Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schoulder, Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa, and Carolina Herrera.

The Neptunes producer and singer Pharrell Williams serenaded the models, and music used in the show included a mash-up of Frank Sinatra's New York, New York and Alicia Keys' Empire State of Mind (Part II).

But some of the audience, many of whom paid to attend, never saw the supermodels up close.

Hellcats Ashley Tisdale, The City's Olivia Palermo and fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg

They took off on a bus as part of the finale with Angela Lindvall, Karolina Kurkova, Coco Rocha, Adriana Lima and others without making the full loop.

Even Diane von Furstenberg had to stand from her front-row seat to get a close-up view of them.

Still, there were plenty of models to go around.

The in-the-round runway was constructed outdoors around the fountain

The show was divided into trends deemed by Vogue editors to be the must-haves for the fall. Missy Raider wore a '50s-inspired look — complete with beehive hair — while Alek Wek endured a fur hat on the warm, humid evening to show off Go Global style.

For a recap of the star-studded fashion show, tune in next Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 10p.m., 9p.m. for a prime time special right here on CBS.

Lisa Snowdon launches Vogue London's Fashion Night Out, which starts tonight

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London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week kicks off in style with a swinging collection by Paul Costelloe

Paul Costelloe opened London Fashion Week today with a very wearable collection of swing coats and shift dresses.

Twenty-four years on from his first appearance at the event his autumn/winter designs stayed loyal to his established customer base.

Colours were bright but not garish; terracotta and pink were fused with gold and silver brocade.

A champion of workwear, the Irish designer used a dark brown tweed to create a series of skirts and jackets all finished with an exposed zip.

'A safe bet' is how Paul Costelloe sees his regular role firing the starting gun for London Fashion Week.

'You can put your money on it. I'll do a collection that will be quite nice and on time,' he said.

And true to form, Paul Costelloe's collection was indeed quite nice, filled as it was with sweet swing-hemmed flared mini dresses and coats in thick brocades and knits.

Super high collars which many of the models hid behind added flamboyance to the wearable Park Avenue collection.

Costello said the credit crunch had given him 'the kick to move it on'.

'It's a time to be more aggressive and express yourself and be noticed,' he said.

His autumn/winter 2009 collection - Park Avenue - is inspired by New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

'It's got a touch of Jackie O definitely, but with a Costelloe handle,' he said.

The understated designer, who was born in Ireland but now lives in Putney, south west London, said he is 'reasonably pleased' with the tailored coats and dresses which make up the collection.

Costelloe's classic autumn palette of olive, grape, terracotta and the ever popular black is brightened by silver, gold and fuchsia.

'The shapes are very slightly A-line, a trapeze shape,' he said. 'It's quite kind to most people.

'They can still go to McDonald's and still enjoy wearing these shapes.

'Most of the girls I use have some shape. I want the skirts to sit on them. I don't want them to look gaunt and exhausted. I like people to look healthy.'

Although he has cut the number of models for today's show from more than a dozen to only 10 and admitted to being 'very careful' with this year's catwalk costs, Costelloe said business is strong with the wintry start to February helping sales of his current autumn/winter collection.

'I'm still showing about 40 outfits. They just have an extra change,' he said.

'I think people are looking at the material and much more they are looking for quality and something that maybe is an investment to some extent.

'But two months later, they will walk into a store and say 'I must have that'. That's women and that's why we love them.'

The five-day schedule - London Fashion Week's 25th anniversary showcase - promises to be filled with all the usual glamour, despite the bleak economic climate.

The British Fashion Council (BFC), which organises fashion week, said designers were asked if they wanted to scale back their catwalk shows and replace them with less expensive presentations.

But most designers declared the catwalk shows must go on, and despite a handful of names who have pulled shows at the last minute, the London schedule is as packed as ever.

Extra drama prompted a collective gasp during British Fashion Council (BFC) chairman Harold Tillman's opening speech.

As he officially declared Fashion Week open, Mr Tillman said it would be the last time it would be hosted by the Natural History Museum. It will move to Somerset House, in central London, in September.

Mr Tillman said the new venue was "iconic and more central'. 'We plan to take London Fashion Week into a totally new era,' he said.

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Fashion Forward:

The glitter has barely settled on the most exciting London Fashion Week ever, and we're still buzzing with the thrills - and origami frills - of it all. Here are the trends that'll put the zing into spring...

SUGAR RUSH

Spring’s shades are candy-sweet pastels: think lemon sherbet, marshmallow pink and parma violet.

Luella and Burberry

John Rocha Roksanda Ilincic

PEEK-A-BOO

Sheer panelling, exposed corsetry and conical bra cups that paid homage to 80s Madonna… underwear as outerwear is spring’s most seductive trend.

Louise Goldin and Jasper Conran

Antonio Berardi and Christopher Kane

STATEMENT SWIMWEAR

Banish the bikini – the only swimwear choice for the next sunny season is a statement one-piece. Fiercely sexy with cutout details, they are sure to send temperatures rising.

Topshop Unique and Matthew Williamson

Danielle Scutt and Issa

SHORTS CIRCUIT

From micro-mini at Twenty8Twelve to chic culotte style at Jaeger, shorts will bring your legs back into focus for spring. The unifying factor? A high waist and A-line shape.

Jaeger and Paul Smith

Twenty8Twelve and Peter Pilotto

MOLTEN METALLICS

These are not for the faint-hearted! There is nothing subtle about the new metallics. The liquid lamé that rippled down the catwalks is set to make summer 2010 blinding.

Matthew Williamson and Richard Nicoll

Amanda Wakeley and Betty Jackson

TOUCHY-FEELY

Crumpled, gathered, corrugated, concertinaed, gauzy, perforated, origamied textured fabrics bring a whole new dimension into play.

Burberry and Pringle of Scotland

Eun Jeong and Marios Schwab

PEPPY PRINTS

It’s been a sizzling trend for some time now, but spring’s prints will be the most vivid by far. Abstract and psychedelic at times, they brought a kaleidoscope of colour to the LFW catwalks.

Basso & Brooke and Mary Katrantzou

DIG THE TRENCH

Aquascutum’s long-standing presence on the London catwalk and, of course, Burberry’s welcome return ensured that the trench, one of our wardrobe staples, took centre stage. They were most traditional at Margaret Howell and reinvented in lace at Erdem.

Aquascutum and Erdem

Margaret Howell and Burberry

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