Vanity Fair goes GREEN

I love that alot of magazines are now joining in the hype of putting out green issues. Especially this months Vanity Fair. I have never previously read a copy of Vanity Fair, but I saw this on the stand today and thought, well I may as well support them, right? I made a good decision. This issue was so informative, my brain doesn't know how to process all this new information. It's full of useful tips, tasty exposés, profiles of celebrities who are helping to save the planet, and showing how much you're really contributing to the Global Warming Crisis.
I also was glad to see that Leo DiCaprio's upcoming GW documentary was mentioned alot, and a sneak preview was even included. I'm looking forward to the doco and I'm so happy that people are becoming more and more aware of his environmental acitivism, and will hopefully follow in his footsteps.



I thought I'd include a very meaningful quote from David Suzuki (like the car ;-), from the issue:

Economists don't include all of the things that nature does for us for nothing. Some technologies would never be able to do what nature does. For example, pollinating all of the flowering plants. What would it cost us to take carbon dioxide out of the air and put oxygen back in, which all the green things do for us for nothing? It's possible to do a crude estimate of what it would take to replace nature. Well, it turns out, (one researcher) estimated it would cost us $35 trillion a year to do what nature is doing for us for nothing. Now to put that inot perspective. If you had added up of the annual economies of all the countries in the world at that time, it would come to 418 trillion . So, nature is doing twice as much service for us the economies of the world. And in the madness of conventional economies, this is not in the equation.

Too true...

*Romany*

Victoria's Secret: no make-up still equals Beautiful

I was looking on People's website yesterday and came across this video. I thought it was really interesting. The angels are fairly natural, sans their wings and hair done. I think they might be wearing a tiny bit of make-up though. They still look beautiful, because they look like really nice girls, very friendly and just happy to be there.
The Models of Victoria's Secret

They've landed themselves on People's Most Beautiful list this year. I think they definitely deserve it. They're all healthy girls, none of them look emaciated in the slightest, and they're all about natural beauty and happy being women. They may be lingerie models, but it's all very tasteful.
I've always loved Karolina and Adriana! I'm so glad they're on the list this year.
P.S. Did anyone else notice the absence of Gisele??

*Romany*

Calm before the storm

Ok so by now most people have probably heard about the whole Stella-McCartney-for-Target-opening-fiasco...Something I would have probably been present at, had I known about it...If you're looking for that footage, look no further Stella McCartney Launch YouTube
But I had a different idea...I thought some might want to actually see the clothes as they are meant to be (on the catwalk), instead of the clothes, at the height of the chaos of the opening, ripped in half, hanging off a woman who has bite marks on her arms...?



Sorry, the photos are really small, but I though it was worth a look anyway...
There was alot of grey and black, very Stella McCartney.



I went into Target a few days after the craziness died down, and I don't remember seeing any clothes like this...maybe I wasn't looking hard enough...?

*Romany*

Music to an aspiring designer's ears...

I was searching online for a competition to post on here, for fashion designer's looking for their big break, and came across this one:

Nolcha Fashion Week International Fashion Design Competition: Silhouette

It seems a bit low-key, but they've name-dropped enough to have me convinced...besides, exposure is sometimes just what you need.

Click Here to enter

The entering process is kind of confusing but if you have any questions, ask me, or email someoene from the official website....good luck all!

*Romany*

More bags of the future...

Anya Hindmarch has made and environmental tote bag. A fashionably cute one too. And it's currently sold out. But I'm not worried...this bag will be hanging off my arm in no time :-)



Soon we'll (hopefully) be saying "gone are the days of strolling in the park and getting smacked in the face with a used and dumped plastic bag. No more marinimals"(Ha I just made that up)"dying from swimming in polluted waters."
It's heartwarming to see people doing their bit for the environment. At least now we're on our way to having a Green Earth to look forward to.

Click Here to keep your eye on it

*Romany*

How do you say that?

Ok, so earlier I said I'd be giving help with pronunciation...well I thought I'd round up a few names of designers that are commonly struggled with:
Let's start with the seemingly simple Givenchy: I was clueless up until about a year ago, but if I had a dollar for every time I heard a story about someone getting into trouble (with some sort of fashion authoritarian) for pronouncing this one the way it looks (gi-ven-chee)...
Correct pronunciation: jhee-von-shee
Guy Laroche: You'd think it'd be simple enough wouldn't you? You'd be wrong...
Correct pronunciation: Gi La-rosh
Hérmes: the h is silent, and the s at the end is said like a z....er-mez...(some like to say 'air'-mez to make it sound fancier)
Christian Lacroix: christian (stays the same) la-qwa
and last but most definitely not least Yves Saint Lauren: eve-sahn-lore-ohn

Until next time...
Hope it helps!

*Romany*

FEEDing the world...one bag at a time

Now you may or may not have heard about this, but none-the-less I think it a very worthwhile investment.
Lauren Bush, Honorary Spokesperson for the World Feed Program, has designed an everyday bag with a difference. By buying this awesome bag, you'll be feeding an impoverished child in school for one year.
19 cents a day or 34 dollars a year can transform a child's life and provide the tools for a lifetime of self-reliance. School feeding is a simple but effective way to beat hunger and poverty.
Designer Lauren Bush says "...the most hopeful thing I have seen during my travels is WFP's school feeding program, where kids are given a lunch meal in school each day. This is incentive enough for kids to attend school when they might not normally, and the meal is nutritious enough for kids to stay healthy and engaged in their studies. It is truly inspiring to see kids, who are born into extreme poverty, in school eager to learn and improve their lives!"
It's a sturdy and fully reversible bag, made out of natural materials, such as cotton and burlap.
The bag costs $59.95 and can only be purchased here on amazon.com
$59.95 is all it takes to save a young child's life...(wow there I go sounding like an ad voice over again.)


*Romany*

All hail Alannah Hill

As you can probably tell from the name of this blog, i love femininity! Especially feminine fashion...It's is the ultimate expression for a female.
So it should come as no surprise that my favourite designer is the über feminine fashionista Alannah Hill. Hailing from Tasmania, before moving to Melbourne at 17 and was almost immediately snapped up to work in a fashion store, this glamazon started her mega successful label 9 years ago.
Ok so i know this is the SS collection from last years Mercedes Australian Fashion Week, but I just loved it so much I had to show it. Alannah describes this collection as being "inspired by love, sex, glamour, chocolate and ornaments on a mantle piece. The collection is opulent with beautiful long florals frocks, which go on forever..." Couldn't have put it better myself...:



(sorry if you can't see it that well) This opening outfit (left) is so original...Elegant, yet fun and flirty at the same time. The hair sort of bothers me though. I love the colours of the second one. They work so deliciously together. The necklaces are perfect, and the shoes are devine.



These two dresses are my favourites from this collection. The black one is feminine, chic and with a hint of vamp. The brown one is playful and could be worn anywhere with the right accessories.



These ones are a little less my style. I originally thought the girl in green was wearing a skirt, but then when I looked closer I noticed they were high-waisted shorts, and that put me off a little, but the colours are lovely, and the shoes and necklace are pretty cute. I like the purple outfit more. This is more of an everyday/work outfit. I fell in love with the colours the moment I saw them.



I love love love this floral dress! There were quite a few dresses like this in this collection, but this was my favourite. It's very country club brunch on a sunday afternoon type of dress :-). The blue dress, I'm not sure you could actually wear this out. It's more of a nightgown. But it's still the cutest nightgown I've ever seen.



What I love about Alannah Hill is that she's daring. You wouldn't find many headpieces like this in an ordinary SS collection. This dress is so cute, but again you probably couldn't wear it out.
And the designer herself. Instead of the usual jeans and t-shirt with a headset, she's dressed to the nines at her own fashion show. Gotta love that.

*Romany*

Mascara of the Month

I've always had really long eyelashes so it's hard to find a mascara with a brush that doesn't clump...I found the answer last year in a magazine.
Rimmel Extreme Definition Mascara has changed my life ;-) this new, original brush shape glides across your lashes and leaves them smooth and clump free, but still sexy (wow i sound like an ad voice over).
Head down to the nearest K-Mart or Target right now and snap up this beauty find for only $14.95 (also available in Waterproof, and Clear.)
Seriously, it's amazing...


*Romany*

The year's best trend..:

PINAFORE'S

Yes you heard me, pinafore's. We've been seeing
them everywhere.

From catwalks, to ad campaigns, to catalogs, to photo shoots, and even stars such as Jessica Biel, Molly Sims and Isla Fisher have caught on!
Want to get your hands on the hottest dress of the season? Try any shop in your nearest shopping district. Short on cash? Target is always the way to go for a gal with a budget.


Advice: If you're going to wear a top underneath (turtleneck looks the best), leave your legs bare (above), adding a belt looks great but is not essential.
Or: Pair the dress with some black opaque stockings, and black pumps... so hot.





*Romany*

Come as you are...

NOLITA is a fairly unknown fashion brand, but have just released another collection at a Debut Runway Presentation in New York City. It's quite different to what we're used to (the 'old school' stuff is more flirty, fun and and an abundance of layers), but it's still quite classy.
Here are a few that caught my eye from the collection:
This is definitely the most interesting outfit, out of these 4...nice bright colours, belt (that's good, belts are very in right now), simple shoes (a must with a busy outfit like this)...but the shape of the mid section is somewhat unflattering, but it could just be on this models body shape?

Probably my favourite out of these...Love the bubble cut on the top, the pants are slim yet flattering, colours are perfect together. My only critique would be that it's a little too safe, but that's ok because it's better to be safe than sorry in alot of cases.

This is one is actually quite plain, but could easily be dressed up with some nice accessories... a long necklace, a bag (red might look good) and some fancy heels perhaps?

This is one is essentially quite simple, but the subtle layering gives it an interesting kick.

Overall, a nice collection. I prefer their older collections, but this is all very wearable, always a plus. :-)

Like what you see? Nolita stocks in Cactus Jam stores (Melbourne) or
COME AS YOU ARE store: 138 Oxford St
Paddington, NSW
sorry but I'm not sure about stockists outside of Australia.

*Romany*

Do you have good jeans?

Everyone needs a great pair of jeans they can wear all year round. Last year i bought myself 2 pairs of Calvin Klein Jeans, and they're still fabulous!
I suggest heading down to your nearest boutique and picking up a pair or two. Try a type with flared legs, they flatter any body shape.
Tight for cash? Check out the CKJ outlet at BrandSmart in Nunawading (Victoria).



*Romany*

The World's Next Top Models

ok so this is the cover every fashionista is talking about. The May 07 US Vogue Cover, featuring (what they consider to be) the World's Next Top Models.



who are they?
(L-R) Lily Donaldson, Hilary Rhoda, Doutzen Kroes, Sasha Pivovarova (tricky eh?), Caroline Trentini, Raquel Zimmerman, Jessica Stam, Chanel Iman, Coca Rocha and Agyness Deyn.

Lily Donaldson:
20
IMG
First discovered: while shopping in Camden, by Select models, in 2003.

Hilary Rhoda:
20
IMG
Big break: after landing in Paris for SS06 collections, was cast by none other than Nicholas Ghesquiere of Balenciaga.

Doutzen Kroes:
22
DNA
Campaigns: Gucci, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Escada, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Versace, Neiman Marcus.

Sasha Pivovarova:
21
IMG
If she wasn't modelling..: "I love to draw! I want to be an artist!"

Caroline Trentini:
19
Marilyn New York, Paris, Sao Paulo
First discovered: when she was 13, walking down a street in Panambi, Brazil, by the same agent who scouted Gisele.

Raquel Zimmerman:
26
DNA
Big Break: In 2003 after walking with the likes of Gisele, Heidi and Tyra in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Jessica Stam:
21
IMG
Campaigns: Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Vera Wang, Valentino, Miu Miu, Gucci, Prada, DOlce & Gabbana, Versace, Armani, BCBG.

Chanel Iman:
16
FORD
Born to walk: "I used to dress up as a model for Halloween, like every year," she laughs. "I would study all the magazines and practice all my poses and my walk."

Coco Rocha:
18
ELITE
Plans: Coco plans to quite the industry when she's 20 and go to university.

Agyness Deyn:
20
DNA
Idols: Joe Strummer, of the Clash...and Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols.



Honestly? I'm not sure what I think...I like the actual cover, but i'm not sure that I agree with all of these models. The lack of Lily Cole, and Gemma Ward for a start just irks me, but I'm just not sure these girls are all ready to take on the world...? Only time will tell...

*Romany*

Haute Couture

Hey everybody

this is my new blog...my name is Romany, or Rom. I've started this blog because i love fashion...it's my life ;-). And i thought i'd share my love with everyone.
I'm going to include pronunciation posts cos i know I have trouble with some words/names, so i thought i'd start with the ever important, Haute Couture...:
the 'haute' can be tricky: "oat" and "ought" mixed together, say it quickly and there you have it.
couture differentiates with accents: us aussies would "ko-chew-uh" (or "ko-chew-er") except a little more elegantly.
Hope that helps.
See you next post!

*Romany*