Flamethrower

I am currently a tad obsessed with red hair. (Yes, Jenny - you have a natural advantage, damn you!). Here's 3 good reasons why:

Kate Walsh, Cate Blanchett (in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and a random model from Garance Dore are all gorgeous redheads. I'm so tempted, so tempted. But blondes do have a lot of fun!

I'm With Armani

Very amused this morning to read Armani's take on certain aspects of New York. Here is an extract from his guest blog piece on The Moment:

On Saturday night, I went to dinner at an Italian restaurant called Scarpetta with my niece Roberta and a small group of my close Italian friends. I liked the décor and the food was pretty good, but you know the service was a bit slow. I ate spaghetti con pomodoro and basilico — and, here, I must interject something for your benefit. Americans overcook their pasta. Always. And there’s too much sauce. Too much of everything! Please, try to control yourselves.

The fun thing is that the group I was with thought I wanted to go home right after dinner but I said, “What are you talking about? I want to go out and see what’s going on.” They took me to a club called Cielo. We stayed until 2 a.m., and many people were surprised to see me and asked for photos and autographs. Such friendly people. The music was incredible and I had a lot of fun. While I sipped on a vodka, I noticed that the crowd was dressed in a rather basic way. In Europe, the people you see at clubs are extremely beautiful to look at and are wearing very elegant clothes. I don’t know, maybe I went to the wrong club.

I have marked in bold all his statements which I am 100% in agreement with, and which I think makes New York and the USA such a fun place to visit (the vodka - I kid, I kid).

One of the most interesting things I noticed about New York was that - yes, the people were dressed in a fairly basic, and I suppose all-American kind of way. That said, it was winter: coats hide fabulous outfits, so I may not have realised. For someone fed on a diet of Sex & The City, I thought everyone would be super-stylin' the whole time. Not so much (although I've got a great shot of some stylers hanging in Central Park). Not that I ever saw a badly dressed person the way I see it here in Brisvegas on a far too regular basis (oh, and Brisbane's penchant for manufactured "cool" which actually translates as robotic following of the same trend resulting in failure to attain the uniqueness I can only assume they think they are - so irritating). But what Americans lack in terms of uber-elegance (like Armani's Europeans - honestly, I haven't seen a lot of Europe but the French are killing it with their impossible coolness and classiness), they more than make up in friendliness.

More on New York later.

Oscars Night: Best Dressed

Michelle Obama in Peter Soronen. Not at the Oscars. In Washington. Love the sparkle, the colour, and the daring necklace. Bravo. Barack - still looking at her with that wanderlust/love look.

Melissa George

For the love of God, get a stylist.

I'm going cheap.

Oscars: Pretty Earrings

It Doesn't Get Much Better Than...

Sequins. Beyonce. Hugh Jackman in a tux. Top hats. Long gloves. Leotards. Song. Dance. Lights. Camera. ACTION, darling!

Oscars Round-Up: Brides-to-Be, Mermaids and Block Colour

We were told to expect a tone down in terms of the extravagance and general frivolity in outfits being paraded along the red carpet at today's Oscar's ceremony. And Hollywood has really delivered in the not-pushing-the-envelope stakes. The red carpet was clogged with unimaginative dresses, particularly of the strapless variety. Sure there were a few one-shouldered numbers, but this is hardly groundbreaking following on from the SAGs and Golden Globes where they were practically everywhere. There was colour on the carpet, but not in a way that was particularly interesting. It was block colour, with no contrast. Disappointing.

Most ...interesting.... of all was the wannabe bride trend: so much white, so much strapless-ness. It was a tad disconcerting. Maybe they were selling an image of purity and back to basics simplicity? Is our fantasy land of fashion now supposed to be littered with brides? I thought Penelope Cruz looked lovely as always, although I prefer the champagne/oyster colours of previous awards seasons on her. White is almost too stark on her lovely Spanish skin. Anne Hathaway finally managed to get a strapless dress that didn't make her breasts look like they started at her belly button, which is a huge achievement in any stylist's book.

Taraji Henson, Nancy O'Dell, Marisa Tomei and a very frumpy Jessica Biel (is she pregnant?)

The biggest surprise of the "wedding dresses" was the cleavage enhancement offered by SJP's dress. I had no idea!


Then we had a long line of mermaids shuffling along the redcarpet in what I can only imagine was a slow, fondue-like pace. Beyonce (at least her dress fit her better this time); Vanessa Hudgens (although I thought she was looking very edgy yet again, with the black fingernails and the splash of white against all-black). Miley Cyrus looked like she was covered in enormous oyster shells, and I suppose it was age appropriate, but I find it very difficult to look at this little chipmunk without being awash in waves of annoyance. I can't comment in an unbiased fashion. I thought she looked frumpy and unstylish, however I'm not sure if I'm thinking straight when I say this.


Melissa George was a disconcerting - and disastrous - hybrid of the mermaid/bride look. It was a train crash to look at, and this girl seriously needs a stylist (hi! my name's Rachel. I'd be happy to be your stylist, provided I can be based in New York. Call me!).

You're still not far from Summer Bay, circa 1989 my little Angel

Then we had the boring congo-line of block colour (at least there was some colour - in the case of Natalie Portman, Lisa Rinna, Heidi Klum and Amanda Siegried and some chick in blue, I suppose). Oh God help me, would someone come up with something more interesting than strapless, dangly earrings and clutch handbag. Please! Headpieces? What about the 1920s trend that has swept the catwalks? Nothing - not a skerrick of style, and certainly not a mini-dress to be seen (although I haven't seen Cameron Diaz or Drew Barrymore slink along the carpet yet). Freida Pinto from the marvellous Slumdog Millionaire came close to a nod to the 1920s in her electric blue drop waisted number, however I still can't decide how I feel about the lace sleeve.

Yaaaawn. Ladies. Inspire us, please! It's a recession! Fashion's role in a recession is to create fantasy and enable the unemployed to derive small pleasures from clothes on other people. Give it up!

There will be no awards for this yawn-inspiring piece Kate Winslet!

Natalie Portman is gorgeous enough to get away with the block colour thing, but I thought Olivia Wilde at the Golden Globes did it better.

A nod to the ladies in red. Heidi Klum a saucy-looks and all-legs glamour girl as always.

I'm Your Barbie Girl / Living Doll

Barbie celebrates her 50th birthday this year (check out her blog! she's very internet savvy for an old bird!), and to celebrate a whole bunch of designers have created a collection for a fashion show just for her at New York Fashion Week. Ken even showed up, which is very sweet, given they only just got back together on Valentine's Day after being split since 1994. What a doll! (Even if he doesn't actually have balls, it takes a lot of balls to face your newly non-ex girlfriend's friends again!). In addition to NYFW's Barbie show, FAO Schwartz also has a section devoted entirely to Barbie, where you can even custom-dress (i.e. STYLE!) Barbie yourself! Too exciting!!

The runway looked like a lot of fun, however the show wasn't without its issues. Apparently hundreds of little girls queued for hours to see the show, only to be denied at the door. Tears aplenty.

While I adored the clothes - they had that ironic retro twist which I adore - I was a little disappointed not to see a real Barbie-esque body on the catwalk. The runway was a smorgasboard of excruciatingly thin popettes tromping down the runway in clothes that deserved some *gasp* shape. I'm thinking - hips, breasts, some meat to cover the ribs and clavicle. There's no doubt these models are gorgeous and a science exhibit in their own right in their ability to deprive themselves of adequate nutrition. However, while the homage to Barbie was suitable in that it raised the timeless issue of what body image is the right one to communicate to all those little girls crying to get into the show, it wasn't the right body image that communicates Barbie. Barbie has fed the crazy breasts-waist-hip-slender legs "ideal" female body to millions of little girls (and their brothers) for 5 decades. I never had a problem with it, but then again I was denied a Barbie until age 7 so I didn't grow up with that as the promised land for the female form from age 3. I also don't think I was ever suitably impressionable enough to look at the little plastic figure and wish I was like her (OK - a pink Cadillac, yes and maybe a dream home with the pony and Skipper as my friend... hmmm...). While it is unrealistic for a lot of girls, with a bit of plastic surgery in the right areas (and I'm not condoning this!), a fake tan, false eyelashes and plenty of blue eyeshadow and some exercise and lots of peroxide Barbie as we know her is a lot more attainable a dream than the Barbie of the catwalk with her razor-like knee caps and protruding ribs. (**PS: I loved the big hair beyond belief - I know I'm being uber-critical).

Is the plastic doll version better than the real doll version?

Maybe skinny Barbie is the sign of a broken relationship? Maybe the pressure of her relationship and break-up with Ken - with his questionable sexuality, lack of anatomy (we all know lack of decent sex can drive a girl mad) and so on - destroyed Barbie and behind closed doors she is a drunken wreck, gorging on boxes of chocolates and bottles of champagne, only to throw them up later in a fit of self-hatred and remorse, mascara smeared across her face as she scrapes the tears away. Maybe this is a cry for help for one of the Western world's best loved icons? I doubt it.

Happy birthday, Barbie. Eat some birthday cake for God's sake.

That can't be the real Ken, can it? He looks anatomically correct!

My favourite:

super short, colourful, tassles and a belt. dress-up heaven

Daydream Believer

I'm still too tired and jetlagged and mind-swept to make sense. I saw this, and it's exactly how I feel at the moment.

listen to the mustnts, child

listen to the donts

listen to the shouldnts,

the impossibles,

the wonts

listen to the never haves

then listen close to me...

anything can happen, child,

anything can be.

-Shel Silverstein

The Moment

Eric Ray Davidson, has been photo diarising this year's New York Fashion Week on The Moment.

My favourite photo so far is the above shot of Sarah Jessica outside the Alexander Wang show. I love how he has captured her. It just seems so normal and doesn't at all look like some cheap celebrity or papparazi shot that we would see sprawled all over perezhilton.

Sarah Jessica just looks like an ordinary girl standing outside a building (which could be anywhere) on the phone chatting to a a close friend, a lover or her mum. The little cute yet mysterious half smile says it all yet raises so many questions at the same time...

Such a lovely moment...

B Mine St Valentine

Now you probably all know that I am not the biggest fan of Valentine's day. I think it is all commercial hoo ha that forces people to show gestures of affection to each other and is an excuse for restaurants to double their prices for that night!

That aside, Kate Spade has put out a set of e-valentines from their favourite artists that you can send to your sneaky crush, your lover or your friends.

From the quirky (one features two faces with moustaches and it reads "Everyone else is wrong. I think your stach is hawt. Be mine baby") to the downright adorable (another one reads "Reminder: today we make out".) - I even have to admit that I wouldn't complain if I received one of these e-valentines...

Dear Friends..

When will we all be reunited again?