Roberto Cavalli for H&M

High street-designer mania is not settling by any stretch of imagination; while the Josh Goot hysteria at Target yesterday was mildly busy, Swedish chain store H&M today declares the rumours of an H&M cooperation with Roberto Cavalli.

“Fancy yourself as a Cavalli babe next winter – for next to nothing? The Italian designer most famous for dressing Gwyneth, Madonna, Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez is next up to design a one-off collection for H&M – following sell-out-in-seconds collections from Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Viktor & Rolf. "Roberto Cavalli has created a world of his own, iconic and full of fantasy, when it comes to colours, prints, and style," says H&M creative director, Margareta van der Bosch. "There is no place for shyness and no possibility of ending up with a mainstream wardrobe of everyday basics. The Roberto Cavalli collections represent an exuberant, successful lifestyle."

Modette – Letter from Sydney

Pre-fashion week we were asked to do an article for Swedish fashion magazine Modette. The result, “Brev från Sydney” (translated “Letter from Sydney”) in issue number 3, is available now at news stands in Sweden. So what’s the angle of the article, you might ask? Well, as the article suggests, it primarily talks about general recent trends in Sydney and labels “in the now”. Zimmermann, LIFEwithBIRD and Bettina Liano are some of our favourites.

From a Swedish perspective it covers the difference of the (Australian) wardrobe compared to that in Sweden. Because of the short winters in the southern hemispheres, your average winter wardrobe has a different meaning. A trench (hi Burberry!) could be a perfect Sydney winter coat, whereas you couldn’t survive wearing the same coat in the Swedish winter. Essentially this means more money to spend on dresses and cool open-toed shoes – outfits that on average are worn only 2 months of the year in Sweden.

Having said all of this, we’re sat here frozen s***less cuddling up next to a mobile radiator. Thankfully Swedes know how to implement central heating and triple glazed windows!

Look Book - Carl

Thanks to SJ+Hat we were introduced to Melbourne-based fashion designer Carl , whose clothing line recently has been snapped up by American Neiman Marcus. In Sydney, his items are stocked at Duck Egg Blue.

His spring/summer 07/08 collection presents clean lines in silk and satin, and complements his super minimalistic website.

Check out the complete look book in pdf-file here.

Gareth Pugh at V&A

British designer Gareth Pugh, who debuted with a rather dramatic collection at London Fashion Week in 2005, is now set to launch his first selling collection in various stores including Liberty and Barneys New York. Pugh is inspired by shape and proportion, but his previous creations have also included slightly more alternative features; a rubber bunny suit, latex gimp masks and something that looks more like Christmas tinsel decoration.

To complement his debut collection this season, the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in London will host four live shows featuring Pugh's work as part of this summer series Fashion In Motion. The shows at the V&A are on this Friday 15 June at 12noon, 2pm, 4pm and 7.30pm.

YSL Edition 24

Arriving less-than-fabulous-looking after a long haul flight could soon be part of history as YSL’s Edition 24 hits the shelves this month. Stefano Pilati, Head designer of YSL, is responsible for the “Edition 24” collection, which can be assembled into 24 looks, comprising all the elements a woman might need for an overnight trip. Key words are “timeless-ness” and “versatility” which translate into pieces such as patent trench coats, cool safari jackets and tailored tuxedos jackets. There’s also oversized sweaters and chiffon dresses that can be rolled into a ball and tossed into a roller suitcase. Edition 24 will hit all 61 freestanding YSL boutiques worldwide.

“It's not a second line,” says Pilati, and adds “Edition 24 is a way to address fashion in a more accessible way. It's about building a wardrobe; finding everything you need. And it's not necessarily linked to the direction of a season. It will appeal to a broader and younger clientele.”

Cartier: Declares June 8 The Love Day

Cartier, who has recently added a new piece to its LOVE Collection, has another reason to mark early-June an essential part of their history. With their newly released website, it’s interesting to see that the site is lightning-fast. Despite advanced designs, it actually does what it’s supposed to do, so none of the usual crap of over-designs and waiting half an hour for a page to download. In the Love Collection, brought out to support charity, Cartier has worked with eight celebrities, using the bracelets to promote a specific charity. The silk bracelet colour signifies their charity choice:

Rosario Dawson: Youth AIDS, Red Bracelet
Salma Hayek: The Salma Hayek Foundation, White Bracelet
Scarlett Johansson: USA Harvest, Baby Pink Bracelet
Spike Lee: Kanbar Institute of Film and Television, Purple Bracelet
Edward Norton: Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, Green Bracelet
Sarah Jessica Parker: UNICEF, Blue Bracelet
Michael Stipe: Mercy Corps / Gulf Coast Recovery, Black Bracelet
Liv Tyler: The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Deep Pink Bracelet

So Many Sales, So Little Time

Well, winter’s a mere 7 days old, and we’re already drowning in invitations to winter sales left, right and centre. The Country Road sale on Wednesday morning, was a particularly interesting experience, with a 100 meters worth of mad fashionistas who’d all set out to get their hands on the Country Road stuff. Followed closely was the evh sale which offered the fabulous stuff from Scanlan and Theodore, Superfine and Megan Park. In Darlinghurst, Madame Marie offered 30% off, and as if this wasn't enough more sales are starting next week.

Look Book: Jessie Hill

Fashionistas and film noir lovers unite! When Jessie Hill first caught our attention at RAFW not long ago, we were impressed by the cool pieces and the fact that the inspiration came from a film that we've been watching over and over again - Blade Runner. So, in an attempt to pick one favourite look from Hill's look book, we landed with 6 favourite pieces. Download Jessie Hill's lookbook here.

Above
1. Moto shirt - silk cream polka print

2. Slinky vest & Darryll Hannah pants
3. Aztec dress - cream polka print


























Above
1. Sky blue Materialize dress and Breeze jacket
2. Aztec print Sean Young shoulder dress
3. Blue-grey Turn over shirt dress

Donna Karan Joins The Blogosphere

“This has been the most incredible week of my life. I suppose I've simply gotten to a point in my life where I want to “address” people, not simply “dress” them. When first my husband Stephan became ill with cancer, and then my best friend Lynn Kohlman, I realized something was terribly wrong with the way they were being treated.” 19 May, The Huffington Post

Queen of cool, and American designer Donna Karan’s blog is far from an ode to fashion designs, but rather, an amazing insight into a subject that Karan feels very strongly about – the US health care system. Karan, known for her fund raisal for AIDS awareness, has also been co–chairing several cancer research charity events such as the annual New York “Kids for Kids”, and “Super Saturday” to name but a few. While the blog reveals details of Karan's private life, and her personal view on the health care system, some of the comments have fused some pretty lively conversations . Good for you, Donna!