Hervé Léger by Max Azria SS2010

Super body conscious, braiding, crochet, plaits, denim strips, tie die...it was all part of the sexy 'bare your legs' collection. White, - my fave colour (or should i say non-colour) of the season, and other neutral shades, grey/green tie dye and black and blue were used. I loved their last collection, of bandage-stripped swimwear. This is an evolution from that - with dresses that are both blacktie, but could be worn with leather jackets or made more low key and grunge. Love it.

Beachwear print trends...

After browsing the resort and also spring/summer latest collections - for chic beach resort wear, im seeing bold interesting florals, new geo/digital looking animal skin prints, just to name a few. there are many other print trends, but here are just two mini story boards i put together. bring on summer...

Wild Hair!

French born l'enfant terrible and hair maverick Charlie Le Mindu's latest collection on the London catwalk was, well, pretty crazy - but the hairdresser who began a career cutting hair in Berlin nightclubs and moved to London over a year ago, exhibited pretty some amazing looks. His career has skyrocketed and he's even done special edition looks for Barbie, been a muse for accessories designer Tatty Devine, and exhibited several collections of his wild 'looks'. Check out the shots below, truly artistic and visually stunning, but get me to a salon, I don't think so... 

www.charlielemindu.com

Sorbet Colours and Reef Knots...

Just in,.. Burberry Prorsum's SS2010 range which sparkled as it ended London fashion week yesterday. Usually shown in Milan, designer Christopher Bailey brought it back to London, and his front row was abuzz with the likes of celebrities such as (face of winter campaign) Emma Watson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Daisy Lowe, Mary-Kate Olsen, Freida Pinto and Victoria Beckham. Bailey made Burberry fresh, and younger - and brought to London a range that still touched on the iconic Burberry shapes such as the trench coat, updated and re-worked with reef knot twisted fabric detailling. Overall a beautiful, youthful range that I would HAPPILY wear every single piece of...

Spring Summer 2010: Proenza Schouler

Inspired by activities from their childhood that was youthful and fresh, - skating and surfing, partners Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough have created a range that is very eye catching and edgy. The prints alone are eye popping, - not hippy tie-dye but rather acid wash and interesting animal prints and textures. Tropical fish, peacock feathers, animal skins, you name it...very cool.

Spring Summer 2010: Willow

Kit Willow-Podgornik's latest gorgeous range....

Spring Summer 2010: Alexander Wang

This season, It-designer Wang ran with an All-American Sportswear theme - where the models looked like they just stepped out of the locker room. Using leather, merino wool (from his collaboration with the Australian Wool Innovation using Australian merino wool), casual jersey, and canvas amongst other fabrics - he aimed to "create clothes that are timeless and classic. Our girl wants investment pieces."

oh hedi...

Welcome to the blog, ex-Dior Homme designer-come-photographer Hedi Slimane. Introduced to me several years back when in Berlin I saw his exhibition 'Sweet Bird of Youth', i've since learnt more about this french designer. Actually, he didn't always want to be a designer. He studied art history in paris, got into the nightclub scene and was inspired by many things around him. he then was introduced to Jean-Jacques Picart (largely behind success of Christian Lacroix), and Pierre Berge from Yves Saint Laurent to name a few. He then was hired by YSL and got some experience - and he later began choosing models for the collection, not from the regular male-model circuit, but from the streets of Berlin, slim, real non-manly, and edgy. It took the then 27 year old a mere 6 mths to go from assistant to head designer of Saint Laurent Homme. He injected personality and and his style. Three years later he left when the Gucci group lead by Tom Ford bought out Saint Laurent ready-to-wear. He then joined Dior Homme as head designer after a stint of offerings, and he saw it as an opportunity to make his mark on the historical label. He has since left Dior Homme - and concentrated on photography. Beautiful and interesting shots, some of famous celebs and models - or of slim male subjects. You can see his work at: www.hedislimane.com

the last emperor

After seeing and loving 'The September Issue', I am now eagerly awaiting the next fashion behind-the-scenes documentary, Vanity Fair writer Matt Tyrnauer's affectionate first film, "Valentino: the last emperor". This fly-on-the-wall documentary was made over the last two years of acclaimed couture designer Valentino Garavani's career, leading up to his exit and retirement from his fashion house he created 45 years ago. Valentino, one of the 20th Century's finest fashion designers, has dressed everyone from Jackie Kennedy to Audrey Hepburn to Princess Diana. At the centre of this film is a love story, - the 50 year relationship between Valentino and his best friend, lover and business partner Giancarlo Giametti. In cinemas September 17th

www.valentinomovie.com

kill pixie

From the streets of Sydney, where he started as a graffiti and street artist - artist Kill Pixie (Mark Whelan) has come a long way. His unique and dizzying candy-coloured canvases full of geometrics, odd little characters and humour have been exhibited from Australia, to LA, to Berlin and London. Now based in LA, a week or so ago he had an exhibition down the road from my house at Sydney's Monster Children Gallery together with LA artist Cleon Peterson. I have actually met Whelan a couple of years ago through a mate, and i think from memory (a little hazy) he let me put a 'dot' on one of his paintings. haha..

www.killpixie.net

www.fecalface.com

bittersweet nightshade

Zimmermann's latest ss 2010 collection, titled 'Bittersweet Nightshade' is so on the money. I want every piece! Designer Nikki Zimmermann says she of her inspiration behind the range: "Our starting point was to create a range of prints that reflected contrasting moods. As we worked on the collection, we came up with a name 'Bittersweet Nightshade'. It's a plant that flowers at night. The plant is really beautiful but all parts of it are toxic"

www.zimmermannwear.com.au

still-life

Adelaide born, but Melbourne based Sam Leach's still-life paintings are stunning. He says "I paint still-life mostly of animals, using 17th century Dutch art as a point of reference." The result is an interesting CV of work that mixes contemporary art with the 17th Century techniques

www.samleach.net

blue blood

I love the new SS 2010 collection by luxury dutch brand Blue Blood. The collection is inspired by three of director Wes Anderson's classics: The Royal Tennenbaums, A Life Aquatic and The Darjeeling Limited - and uses graphical images of thunder and lightning and the universe

www.bluebloodbrand.com

'hyper' - work by denis darzacq

A photography exhibition that caught my eye a couple of

months ago up the road from me in Paddington at the

Australian Centre for Photography was that by French photographer

Denis Darzacq. 'Hyper' is a series of photographs of young

dancers and sportspeople as they jump for the camerain bright

supermarket and shop aisles. No digital manipulation has been used,

& the result is a series of beautiful, almost spiritual & surreal images

http://denis.darzacq.revue.com/

http://www.acp.org.au

white obsession

Im going through a white obsession of late - my flat is now a mix of all things blanc. Ok, so can be mistaken for antarctica, but i see it as a clean base to work from and add hints of colour through photography, artworks etc. A work in progress yes, and every week i am painting and sanding furniture to add to it and scouring little antique shops and flea markets for quirky pieces. Take the 60yr old 'shell dog' sculpture for example. Picked up for $10 from Rozelle markets. One thing however, being all white - drink red wine at your own risk ...

images from my flat (woollahra, sydney)

acne ss 2010

One of my all-time favourite brands, swedish label Acne's Spring Summer 2010 range is futuristic sci-fi meets Woodstock. Pants with metal knee pads...wow

www.acnestudios.com

fixed in time

Breathing new life into an old artform - artist Polly morgan (uk), is pushing the boundaries of taxidermy and creating her own sculptural pieces that challenge perceptions of nature and death. She says "I wouldn't call myself a taxidermist, I'm not trying to make the animals look alive. I'm more interested in the moment after death but before composition"

http://www.pollymorgan.co.uk/

one to watch

Dutch fashion designer Iris Van Herpen's last collection at London Fashion Week titled 'Mummified' was full of texture and embellishment. Using a palette of neutrals with brass and gold touches, and interesting detailing including lace leggings, eyelets, metal chains, bandaging and ruffles - Van Herpen is definitely one to watch

www.irisvanherpen.com/

Images of nature

Exhibited recently at Melbourne's Helen Gory gallery, young Adelaide based artist Morgan Allender's oil paintings have caught my eye. Allender has drawn from Dutch and Flemish painting traditions but put her own dark and melancholy spin on images of nature

www.helengory.com