Spring and Summer Frocks from Miss Lyndel Yeo

Well I have to say I love these designs and I've been hankering for my own ever since I was lucky enough to get my first glimpse! Miss Lyndel Yeo is designed by Melbourne based Lyndel Yeo. Following a successful launch as a finalist at the Mercedes Benz Start Up parade in Melbourne in 2005, this unique fashion label has been going full-steam ahead. Winning the 2005 'Designer of the Year' at the Federation Square fashion showcase was just the beginning. Since the inaugural collection in 2005 this fiercely feminine fashion has gained a number of avid fans and continually succeeds in producing compellingly unique frocks that women love.

The label is described as a combination of "Tokyo Street Chic and School Girl Innocence". The words that came to my mind when I first clapped eyes on this season's frocks are "cute, cute, cute"! These gorgeous dresses have quirky details and I love the reversible options. The Spring 2008 frocks bring together a limited edition range of soft silks with oriental prints; combining bold colour and dramatic cuts. Being from a Melbourne based designer, the obvious destination to wear a frock like this is none other than the Melbourne Cup. If the Spring Races are high on your social calendar, then the cute Rose fascinators are the perfect complement for just such a destination!

Here is just a taste of what to expect for spring 2008 at Miss Lyndel Yeo:

Earth Dress

Wrap Top

Silk Tie Dress

Silk Cloud 9 Dress

Reversible Earth Dress

Silk One Frill Dress

The Miss Lyndel Yeo range is available from selected boutiques in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. For those in other states or overseas visit http://www.misslyndelyeo.com/ to view the collection and purchase your own MLY frock online.

Tom, Dick and Harry - New season collection

Tom, Dick and Harry is the men's fashion line from designer Faydi Saddik. This Australian designer label was started in 2004, with the debut collection presented in 2005. Following a showcase at the Mercedes Australian Fashion Week in Melbourne in 2006, Tom, Dick and Harry hit the international stage in 2007. The launch of the label in London and Tokyo in 2007 coincided with a four part documentary series being aired on Fashion TV, following the label's journey and success.

Last week those lucky enough to make it to the Blue Hotel in Sydney's Woolloomoolloo (incidentally one of my all time favourite spots!) got to see the launch of the forthcoming Spring/Summer collection. The collection features a blend of tailoring and style that encompasses the many elements that complete the overall wardrobe, from casual sportswear to three-piece suits. The inspiration for the new season was the fusion of Japanese Art and Rock; with Japanese art forms highlighted in prints and embroidered work, as artsy graphics and abstract patterns dominate the collection, alongside sharp, tailored suits.

So today I've got some pictures to give you a taste of what to expect this season from Tom, Dick and Harry!

I also managed to get these behind the scenes shots with designer Faydi Saddik right in the thick of things! The backstage buzz of a runway show has a unique vibe all of it's own and I thought these few shots here really capture a glimpse of how it all looks behind the scenes at the shows....

Tom, Dick and Harry can be found online at http://www.tomdickandharry.com.au/

Love is Treason is one of the hottest new labels around this season. I'm loving this ultra-hip range of women's clothing is the latest from designer Andy Wilson of Rufus Green. Launched at this year's Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, the women's collection features dramatic prints, bold styling details and a fresh take on high-end urban fashion. Here are some favourites from the forthcoming Spring/Summer 2008 collection.


Sweet Confection Scoop Neck Low Tee Shirt Dress in Black Zee's print

Don't Sing At My Wedding Dress in Fishbones print

Whoop Di Scoop Neck Low Tee Shirt in Black and High Above Burma High Waisted Skirt with Frills in Fishbones Print

Sweet Confection Scoop Neck Low Tee Shirt Dress - Black

Whoop Di Scoop Neck Low Tee Shirt White and
Margot Tago Pleated High Waisted Skirt in Black Silk Linen

The Love is Treason range blends soft cottons with the finest silks, creating a sexy couture designed to offer a unique alternative in day to night dressing for women. I think these are seriously hot clothes, totally wearable and luxe at the same time.
This groovy new label is coming to stores around Australia, so to find out where you can get your own Love is Treason fashion, visit the website at http://www.loveistreason.com.au/

Fleur Wood Spring/Summer

This week is all about what's happening for spring/summer 2008 in Australian fashion, while the weather outside is still looking pretty wintery round here, I think it's time for a sneak peek at what is coming this year in the 2008 spring and summer collections. For today's post I've found these gorgeous dresses from the Fleur Wood collection, coming soon to Vivienn.

This ultra-feminine, floral creation is one of my favourites, and with the dramatic impact that florals have been making in the Northern Hemisphere this summer, I'm sure it's highly likely this trend will follow through here making this a sure style winner.

Bella Dress with Removable Cape

This hand-embroidered dress is simply stunning, the marigold colour is one of my favourites and these cute hand-crocheted cardigans are a soft and sumptuous option to keep you warm in the cooler spring days and summer evenings.

Matilda Embroidered Dress and Hand Crochet Knit Cardigan

Fleur Wood's flowing, rosy take on the maxi dress is typical of the feminine and floaty style that is popular in this year's spring/summer style trends. Dress this one up or down for great summer style and feminine dressing when the weather warms up.

Keira Plain Maxi Dress

The crochet garments in the Fleur Wood collection are a unique element to the summer season, and the warmth in the crochet dresses and cardigans are a great addition during spring while the weather is still transitional. This cute dress with the a-line skirt, paired with the contrasting crochet cardigan fits the bill perfectly.

Wool Embroidered Cocktail Dress and Hand Crochet Knit Cardigan

For a fresh take on the little black dress, this cocktail number is ideal for evenings out. Providing stylish design with wool embroidered details, this is a beautiful dress that is sure to make a big impact this spring.

Wool Embroidered Swift

The Fleur Wood collection is fabulously feminine and offers unique statement dresses, cardigans and fabulous design.

To find your own Fleur Wood dress, visit Vivienn.com - this great Australian retailer is one of my favourites. Vivienn is dedicated to promoting Australian fashion and delivering the best of our Australian designers to the world through the online retail format. Please visit them at www.vivienn.com

Aussie Celebrity Style - Kylie Minogue

Now as much as I don't want to give everything away about my age, I'm old enough to remember Kylie Minogue doing the 'Locomotion'. This was the start of a musical career that has taken a lot of twists and turns along the way; and seen this Melbourne girl transition from the tomboy Charlene on Neighbours to a pretty fabulous woman who has overcome breast cancer, recently celebrated her 40th birthday and been awarded an OBE in June. There are a few noteworthy fashion moments along the way, but boy has Kylie become fabulous! So today I've decided to take a look at a few moments along the way, and reveal how Kylie Minogue has found her own sense of style.

Well as I mentioned, Kylie had us all doing the 'Locomotion' in the late 80s, and at around that time a girl called Charlene (Kylie) married a guy named Scott on Neighbours. Of course, in true 80s style she had puff sleeves, a perm and a wicked song by Angry Anderson - wow, there wasn't a dry eye in the place!

So following this there was of course the aforementioned 'Locomotion', and no child of the 80s in Australia could have possibly missed this one. Here the look was fluorescent tights, stilettos and figure hugging mini-dresses (and yes, that was tres cool!)


Well the hype around Kylie continued into the early 90s, and the (probably unfairly) nicknamed 'singing budgie' caused quite a stir when she appeared on the arm of the late rocker Michael Hutchence with this blonde crop. Such was the buzz around her at the time that speculation was rife for days, and debates about whether this was a wig or the real thing made it into every newspaper and television news bulletin nationwide. This period also served to somewhat cement Kylie and ensure her transformation from bubblegum pop to where she has ultimately ended up.



Fast forward a few years and an older and wiser Kylie was strutting her stuff in the video for the song 'Spinning Around' when her gold hot pants started to make a big impact. Yes, Kylies bum was suddenly the stuff that PR dreams are made of and the release of the 'Spinning Around' video had the world this time buzzing about what good shape the girl from Down Under was in.

Not long after this the Showgirl tour that Kylie was taking around the world was cancelled with the news announced that this was due to the fact that Kylie had developed breast cancer. After time spent away from the spotlight, the singer re-emerged looking fabulous and feminine in her first public appearance sporting a short crop and a great smile, despite the difficulties of the disease.

This year it marks 20 years since the launch of Kylie's first single, and shortly after her 40th birthday, Kylie was presented with an OBE (Order of the British Empire), for her career achievements. More stylish than ever the so called 'pint size princess' of pop was dressed in a gorgeous frock from Yves Saint Laurent, broke protocol during a brief chat with the Prince of Wales and looked sensational.

So there you have it people, the abridged version of the stylings of Ms Kylie Minogue. I think this is a woman who has hit her stride and truly embodies the idea that 'forty is the new thirty'. I'm eagerly awaiting more fabulous style moments in the future.

Photo Credits
Kylie and Jason 'Neighbours' wedding courtesy of SMH.com.au, 'Locomotion' from BBC.co.uk, 'Spinning Around' and photograph taken while being treated for cancer courtesy of Telegraph.co.uk, Kylie with Michael Hutchence courtesy of Ninemsn.com.au, Kylie receiving OBE courtesy of ThisisLondon.co.uk

The best boots for winter

With winter well and truly upon us I've abandoned my study in favour of putting the laptop on the sofa in front of me to keep warm near the fire! We had the coldest day in 3 years the other day, and ok, I know I just recently got back from Europe but please! Anyway, in the midst of this miserable weather we all have to venture out, even those lucky enough to work from home like me! So one of the most essential items for winter is a great pair of boots.

My fashion stylings tend to lean towards looks over practicality, but I've generally found there are loads of boots out there that are perfect for winter, combining style with practicality. A pair of boots can be worn with almost anything; making them a truly versatile element for every woman's wardrobe. Since I own three pairs and really basically think you can never have too many shoes - here are some ankle boots and high boots, because we all love options. (My personal pick are the Elvira boots from Sydney designers Andrea & Joen.)

Here are a few great boots available right now for this season:

Andrea & Joen - Elvira boot

Zu - Arc boot

Midas - Ester boot

Nine West - Kabibe boot (now available at 50% off)

Andrea & Joen available online at www.andreaandjoen.com

Zu shoes available around Australia or visit them online at www.zushoe.com.au

Midas shoes available around Australia or visit them online at www.midasshoes.com.au

Nine West shoes available around Australia or visit them online at www.ninewest.com.au

ClintonCharlie

Designer Clint Webster is the driving force behind Australian fashion label ClintonCharlie. The label is synonymous with its signature item 'Booty Huggers' jeans. These jeans are designed for real women and are popular for their trademark tailoring that ensures each woman's shape looks fabulous.

Clint Webster began his career in fashion in 2002, establishing the '88ounces' label. Not limited to jeans alone, this urban/street wear label included a range of limited edition screen printed tee's, along with jackets, hats, singlets and cuffs sold in local markets and stores in Sydney, Melbourne and Byron Bay. Following the success of this first foray into fashion, Clint submitted a leather fashion outfit for the 2004 Youth Fashion Design showcase, where he placed fourth out of 150 entrants. This cemented his desire to move into the area of women's fashion design, to which end he spent a period of time studying fashion design at both the East Sydney and Ultimo colleges.

The desire to work on women's fashion saw the establishment of high-fashion label ClintonCharlie in 2005. The label first showcased at the Sydney Northern Beaches Fashion Show and the development of a range of clothing with leather and different fabrics was presented under the moniker 'f.rock05'. ClintonCharlie attracted interest among the shows VIP attendees, media and fashion industry representatives; with the success of this showing lead to the opportunity for Clint to work with celebrity designer Jason Chetcuti. Working with Chetcuti, whose past clients include Jessica Simpson and Natalie Portman. Clint had the opportunity to refine his techniques and develop further skills to be applied in the formulation of the ClintonCharlie range.

After the year long period spent learning alongside Jason Chetcuti, the 'Booty Huggers' jeans were released under the ClintonCharlie label. The stylishly cut jeans are designed to ensure that there is no sagging or the dreaded flashing of the g-string. Booty Huggers are designed to fit snugly and provide shapeliness to the woman's silhouette. Available in a variety of styles and different denim shades the Booty Hugger jeans have become firm favourites with celebrities and received a lot of positive attention in the Australian fashion magazines and media.

Clint Webster cites his influences as Roberto Cavalli and Karl Lagerfield, and the influence of the latter is visible in the dresses that hold elements of Chanel styling. Currently the range can be viewed on the recently revamped website Clintoncharlie.com, and the clothes can be purchased directly there or at landmark Sydney destination, Paddington Market. The website will shortly be relaunched to increase the convenience for potential customers and further increase the accessibility of this up and coming label.

The future is positive for this talented Australian designer, with a recent visit to the US seeing him secure an agent in New York to help in the transition to the American market. Alongside of this Clint is working on a new project with model Silvia Grenova, creating a movie called Sky which is focussed on high-fashion art. This movie is testimony to the increasing buzz around the ClintonCharlie brand, and has the attention of entertainment heavy weight David Letterman.

To find out more about this exciting fashion label then be sure to visit the website, which will be expanding soon to include new videos, refreshed designs and increased options for online buyers.

www.clintoncharlie.com

Cool Jeans to Keep you Warm this Winter

I love my jeans. Nothing probably that unique there, but I love how versatile this one simple item of clothing can be. A good pair of jeans is probably one of the most forgiving items of clothing around, and they work day or night, summer or winter. The great Yves Saint Laurent himself famously stated that he wished he had been the one to design jeans. So here are my top picks in both men's and women's jeans for this winter.
Being down under and out of step seasonally with the northern hemisphere offers us one advantage - we can plan ahead a bit with our looks. Right now faded, vintage style jeans are making a huge comeback for summer 2008 in the US and Europe. Jeans are the kind of thing that just get better with age, so I say why not get in early? With the shift away from the dark denim that has been hugely popular the last few years why not buy a pair of faded jeans to 'wear in' for this summer.

Here are my favourite Australian designer jeans for women:




Ksubi - Super Skinny Jeans (vintage indigo)




Sass & Bide - New Worlds of Art (quadra drive)




Alice McCall - First to Dance Skinny Jeans




Nobody - Relaxed Bootleg




18th Amendment - Lollobrigida Jeans

And a few for the guys:

Denim and Thread - Men's Rogue Straight Leg (aged blue)

Ksubi - Men's Raval (worn grey)

Nudie - Average Joe (rough dark)

Pictures courtesy of MyCatwalk.com.au
All the jeans featured are available from the fantastic online Australian designer retailer - MyCatwalk.com.au. So no matter where you live, you can buy great Aussie fashion online!