Voxfrock’s week progressed nicely, thank you. We clotted with the cream of Melbourne media at a preview of the city’s Spring Fashion Week, met the delightful general manager, Australia, for US homewares conglomerate Williams-Sonoma for a swanko lunch at Cumulus Up, found two frocks worth mentioning and wrestled the merits of a bit of Bingled bling. How was yours?
(Longform post: allow 7 minutes read time.)
Spring (Almost) Sprung
Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle presided over the customary pre-pre-launch-launch before the pre-launch before the official launch of the city’s 19th Spring Fashion Week, scheduled from August 31 to September 8.
The initimitable Richard Nylon and Gwendolynne Burkin with irrepressible Melbourne lord mayor, Robert Doyle.
The customary champagne was served at the customarily ungodly hour of 10 am., and the customary fashionpassionates waved a flute or two while the working media stuck to the customary papercup coffee.The venue was picked for its “Melbourne-ness”, an underground cavern off the tiny fingerling Campbell Arcade off the little fingerling Degraves Street off the bigger fingerling Flinders Lane.
Bubbles at 10am. Why not?
All in all; perfectly Melburnian as promised.
The morning’s most enthralling event apart from the customary rundown of MSFW’s imminent shows, workshops, seminars and shopping treats, was a screening of Reflections, a mini film by award winning local production company Folie A Deux. Dozens of Melbourne’s Fashion Elite had been pressed into service for the film including accessories doyenne Christine Barro, social commentator (and Voxfrock guest columnist) Shiva Singam, celebrity stylist Philip Boon and avante garde design legend Jenny Bannister.
A series of evocative vignettes, from a bleak cafe to a Mad-hatterish town hall tea party, were linked by scenes of model Kate Peck, dashing gracefully through Melbourne’s iconic streets her gowns by the city’s top designers fluttering behind her. Reflections was styled by Dean Drieberg and was commissioned to cement the week’s many disparate events, from emerging designer exhibitions, to business forums and luxury fashion shows. The film will be screened for free on Friday, August 30 at three venues across the city, one day ahead of the official MSFW launch.
Models model TS14, Aurelio Costarella and YB J’Aime, three of hundreds of labels showcasing at Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, August 31 to September 8
Chic sheath
The side-pannelled sleeveless knee-length or mini sheath dress has clung on fashion’s top trend list so long it’s a rare collection without a version in it. Why do we love this frock? Voxfrock has a theory. The spliced-in or printed side panels trick your beholder’s eye, “slicing” away several illusory centimetres of your figure and exaggerating that boom-shacka bombshell kink into your waistline. On more linear sheaths the illusion is less boom-shacka than lean but just as desirable; a Hepburn-esque optical trick of slimness that can be gobsmackingly convincing provided your frock is fitted to skim, not cling or grip.
Diana Ferrari Louisa dress $179.95
The side panelled sheath’s longevity is testament that we demand what we want from fashion and get it, season after season, often for years.
This week, we stumbled on a marvellously spring-loaded version of the frock for an excellent price from Diana Ferrari. Yes, the shoe brand that diversified into clothing is doing a cracking job identifying key trends and putting up its own, very presentable versions. Its Louisa dress, pictured, is being delivered into stores this week for $179.95. The side panels are crowded flower prints in joyful colours that suggest racewear but really, you could also tone it down with complementary dagger-toe pumps, belt, kelly purse and cardie or sharp little jacklet for a memorably chic city work ensemble. The Louisa is one of several floral garments in a DF substory that also includes notable fancy pants, a border print pencil skirt and matched blouse. Have a squiz:
www.dianaferrari.com.au and 1800 101 285
And another.
David Lawrence will also truck stocks of a particularly useful and attractive frock to its eponymous stores during the next couple of weeks. It is black and chic in the extreme and fashioned from mini ottoman, a fabric with a satisfyingly fleshy handle. Designer Anthony Cuthbertson incorporated a pleated panel to skim the ribcage and amplify that boom-shacka waistline kink mentioned earlier (see Chic Sheath). He cut the neckline square, structured the shoulderline to softly rounded caps, and tapered the skirt to a neat mid-thigh mini hemline.
David Lawrence DL Initiative dress, designed to generate profits for styling charity, Fitted For Work.
David Lawrence will pitch the frock, its DL Initiative black dress, to working women, not only because it is usefully chic, slim cut and offered in the classic, corporate palette, but because it was conceived specifically to assist charity Fitted for Work, an organisation of trained stylists who work with disadvantaged women. Like Victoria’s Wear for Success charity, Fitted for Work composes corporate-style outfits from the cream of donated pre-loved garments, enabling women to attend job interviews, court appearances and return to work. FFW also offers mentoring, counselling and ongoing support.
The DL Initiative dress is $279. All profits will go to Fitted for Work.
www.davidlawrence.com.au
Lunch Up.
Pennie Rende, Australia general manager of US homewares conglomerate Williams-Sonoma, hosted a media lunch at Melbourne restaurant Cumulus Up, chosen because its artisan/crafty chic slots so easily into the company’s West Elm brand aesthetic. The glamourous American impressed a quirky mix of guests with her easy charm and girly laugh, often lapsing into fascinatingly passionate explanations about West Elm philosophy.
Glamourous and disarmingly charming: Pennie Rende of US homewares brand cluster Williams-Sonoma
Words like artisan, moderne, craftmanship, sustainable, ethical, original – you get the drift – peppered lunch. Miss Rende will oversee the opening of a stand alone West Elm homewares and furniture store at 464 Chapel Street, South Yarra in September, another gratifying commitment to Australian retail after the launch of four Williams Sonoma brands including Pottery Barn at Bondi Junction in May.
Lunch at the hip Flinders lane restaurant Cumulus, hosted by Pennie Rende
Sydney PR consultant Tracy Baker and her Baker Brand team picked the lunch guest list and, testament to their clout down south, some extremely busy people bothered to turn up including uber-caterers Bruce and Chyka Keebaugh, celebrity jeweller Adrian Lewis, food guru Cindy Coade, fashion designer Arabella Ramsey and brand consultant Robert Buckingham among 40-odd others.
Clam chowder
The nine courses were also a delicious revelation, notably a delicate and creamy clam chowder, and an all-in shared-plate main course of roast chicken, meltingly sweet pumpkin and micro-brussel-sprouts. “I like this,” said Miss Rende approvingly, “This is the way we eat on Thanksgiving.”
www.westelm.com
Bingle Bling
The ear cuff is a perplexing little blinglet. In certain stylish circles, juries are still out: gaudy bit of flash? Or, bona fide micro-evolution of the ear-ring? Lara Bingle’s famous embrace of an early incarnation of the cuff for a David Jones kneezup (pictured) complicated the issue for Voxfrock. Miss Bingle’s own celebrity credentials weighed in: gaudy bit of flash? Or, bone fide Kardashian-esque trend-pumper? (Hmm.)
Voxfrock admires the ear cuff, Bingle or no Bingle, but also acknowledges, it’s a micro-evolution on the showy side of style. Voxfrock suggest cuff fanciers best keep their ensembles simple and their credentials classy to exploit its elegant potential.
THOMAS SABO – not your average ear cuff
Pictured, we particularly like the THOMAS SABO Glam & Soul sculpted feather cuff in 18k rose gold with a salting of zirconias and delicately draped filigree chain. Its quality and finish are many cuts above the mainstream swill of cheaper versions available, yet its $299 price is still accessible with a bit of scrimping on the grocery budget. Its design of draped chains creating delicate vertical lines level with the chin, also has potential to create an illusory elongation of the average feminine neck. Can’t fault that.
(Main picture, top, an assortment of THOMAS SABO love lockets and pendants)
Compiled by Janice Breen Burns, jbb@voxfrock.com.au with research by Candice Burke and Terry Carruthers, intern@voxfrock.com.au
