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!

Graduate Fashion Designers at PHM

If you haven’t done already then you should go and visit The Powerhouse Museum’s annual Student Fashion exhibition. Well, so we're told anyway.

While promising an interesting feature display, we're assuming that the 3D-geek glasses aren't really part of the installation. Three of the top graduating students from fashion design schools in Sydney will show case their work: Kim Deters from The Fashion Design Studio at the Sydney Institute of Technology, Amy Yong from The Whitehouse Institute of Design, and Sophie McGinn from UTS. The exhibition runs until 3 June.

“The six outfits vary in style and technique with inspiration drawn from a diverse range of sources, from classic children’s books and French perfume bottles to the theory that we are all connected through ‘six degrees of separation’.

Accompanying each student’s outfits is a display that reveals the creative process behind the designs from concept to fruition, including design drawings, methods of fabrication and fashion photographs.”

Sydney Italian Festival

Hidden in "fashion PR City", is where the likes of Spin Communications, and The Arc Factory are located. This is the rim of the entertainment crater for next weekend. Primo Italiano 07 is held on Sunday 3 June.

Fast becoming known as Sydney’s “Little Italy”, the area is rich in 1800’s architecture, epicurean delights, and of course, fashion abounds – though you don’t have to be one of the “beautiful people” to be there.

Around the city fashion wise: Bulgari has opened a new store at 64-68 Castlereagh Street, and the Italian Trade Commission were recently invited to the Sydney Italian Festival, via an evening of iconic Italian brands including Ferragamo, Zegna, and Cavalli. So expect to see again some of these wealthy, dark, tall handsome types.

Like the parks around Firenze, this tiny complex of streets is scented by herbs and car fumes in the day time, and by garlic, jasmine and cigarette smoke in the evening. We recently visited both Trovata and Giardinetto, on Stanley Street. For superb quality, our favourite is Trovata, but for big gargantuan portions and cute atmosphere, go for Giardinetto.

Take your time here next Sunday, and between 11.00am and 5.00pm (& probably later) you’ll find al fresco dining, fresh food markets, music, dancing, street performers, and wine tasting. Be patient – you’ll be one of many.

Immacolata and Her Friends

Talking about Swedes... Stina Persson (lovely name, great artist!), is holding an exhibition at the Gallery Hanahou, New York, named Immacolata and Her Friends. The exhibition, which is held between 24 May until 6 July, will feature works of Sicilian women Persson chose to feature for the German magazine Squint. Apart from her brillinat water colour paintings, there's also a separate section of fashion - check it out.

The Swede-st Thing

Well, a picture says more than a thousand words, so we’ll shut up for once, and let you all enjoy The Sartorialist’s shots of these uber-cool guys in Stockholm. His images, as always, capture ordinary folks off and about on the streets. Fantastico! Not that we're getting home sick or anything, but don't you think that these guys totally rock? Check out more about Scott Schuman's musings at Style.com.

Turning Back Time at Dolce & Gabbana

Normally you wouldn’t expect to find much in the way of quirky retro-design at Dolce & Gabbana, but it's actually the animal-print-loving designer duo, who are behind this weirdly wonderful “Test Card watch”. Inspired by the first ever BBC “electronically generated test card” (test card G, to be really geeky), it’s certain to get people talking - probably about their childhood. As if a cool design wasn’t enough, this watch has a quartz movement, one-touch backlight, and is water-resistant to 50m - expect flashbacks of Sesame Street on your scuba dive.

Oyster Magazine

We’ve said before and we’ll say it again – the guys over at Oyster Magazine are continuously making the fashion-music-&-arts-genre a more and more innovative space to dwell in. If you can avoid a seizure at the home page, it's worth delving further into the site.

The Renaissance issue 69 covers the adventures of pop indie band New Young Pony Club, who’ve recently completed a tour in Australia. Their excellent tunes are on myspace too - very “Siouxsie and the Banshees meets Shampoo” if you'd ask us. There’s also an interview with the founder and curators from All Tomorrow’s Parties festival, and a couple of interesting designer features - Balmain’s Christophe Decarnin, and E’s lauded designer Sadaharu Hoshino, and a list of New York’s best vintage hotspots.

Check out the stunning shoots from Sam Borich, Renya Xydis, and Izabella Demavlys. To top things off, they’ve got a nice added feature on the website – a few guest blogs where you can read musings from Alice McCall and Romance was Born.

Nautica Jeans Co.

So we finally got him some Nautica Jeans. The Nautica Jeans Co. started up in 1999, just about the time when the other big names in jeans were cutting back and worried that desires for denim were dying. And now we know why. Difficult to say anything about jeans which hasn’t already been said. But thanks to Nautica, “him indoors” now looks like Brad Pitt (well, OK, from the waist down anyway). You really have to see these jeans to appreciate the quality. Fantastic denim fabric which feels like it was made for your body. Extreme comfort, awesome looks, perfect stitching, and retro-style buttons and rivets. The belt quality leather label on the back adds the final touch. NJC’s innovative website shows off the brilliant range of glacier cool styles and colours. The advertising is really fun too. We went for the Easy Fit Pacific Blue – smart enough for casual Friday at the office – casual enough for blowing froth off the amber nectar at the local bar. We don’t rave about men’s fashion very often, but these jeans are so sexy, we want to grind our rivets together, flashing sparks into the night. Go get your guy a pair right now and he’ll adore you forever.

Designer Rugs

Feeling particularly generous and want something unusual in your house? Then Designer Rugs might have exactly what you’re looking for.

Twelve of Australia’s leading fashion designers have been asked to design an original and exclusive rug, in a unique single edition. Each designer has chosen a charity they feel passionate about - the different choices include anything from Greenpeace to Amnesty, and Unicef to Meals on Wheels. All money raised by the silent auction will go to the charities.

The auction is in full swing already but will continue until Thursday 10th May 2007, so join now to be part of the bidding. 6 of the designs are displayed here, but our favourite is Akira's design, at the top left corner.

The Fashion Week Has Now Left The Building

Oh the chutzpah of fashion! The number of Zoolander expressions, poker faces, and larger-than-life attitudes involved at an event such as RAFW is over powering. Despite a fantastic week, we’re quite happy to have it all over and done with. So, finally back to a normal life...

RAFW - Alice McCall

Zips are the new buttons. We’re jumping to the conclusion here simply by looking at Camilla and Marc, Jessie Hill and Dhini to name but a few. So when zips are the new buttons, then neon is undoubtedly the new black.

Yesterday afternoon in the Cargo Hall, Alice McCall included both zips and neon to balance the grey and timid tones in her “Welcome to the Dollhouse” collection. McCall’s show was a tight, smart display of fresh and youthful looks. Acid lime appeared on dresses, shoes and accessories in a variety of different ways – as inserted stitched patchworks, as zig-zagged lines on high heels, as bold giant plastic waist belts.

But as ‘cool’ and streetwise as this collection was, there was also a refreshing playful side to McCall’s show - geeky sunglasses, stripy hooded dresses, and dungarees. How could you not love this woman?

RAFW - Jessie Hill

While launching her first RTW show at New York Fashion Week 2005, Jessie Hill’s debut in the home-arena took place yesterday at RAFW 2007.

Fuelled by the 1982 film classic “Blade Runner”, Hill’s work presented an eclectic mix of Ready-To-Wear meets couture in a European style. True to the inspirational theme the pieces were daring and feminine, but always with a dark twist, which provoked the feeling of a Sin City woman. Dresses were tailored with tight pleats, and fabrics such as Japanese micro-fibre cotton and satin, dominated the show. Hill had mostly worked with solid colours in cream, white, silver-grey and black, but some pale aztec prints were used to create a worn-out, rebellious effect.

More spectacular pieces had complex designs such as a lizard-collar, very cool. Hill's pocket dress in silver-grey – literally covered in zipped, round pockets across the lower part of the body – was quite exquisite.

The whole collection felt new and avant-garde, some pieces you’d expect to see in Japan. To complement the fabulous film-noir look, the make-up artist had done a fantastic job with sharp dark eyes and black glossy nails. We absolutely loved the show and we're sure that Rick Deckard would have loved it too.