Reddy, Set, Go!

So, it's no Paris, New York or Milan Fashion Week, but Melbourne's L'Oreal Fashion Festival has been running over the past week and it is important to us Aussie chicks because this is what we're going to be seeing in the major department stores for the next few months as winter stretches its legs in anticipation of its annual stroll through May-June-July.

Winter doesn't excite me. Winter clothes don't excite me. Being wrapped in layers, wearing opaque stockings and whinging about cold winds brings on a bout of depression. Nevertheless, pending a move to New York in time for the northern hemisphere summer, I must embrace the onslaught of chilly times and stop being such a big baby. After all, it's not like we even get negative temperatures here in Brisvegas, anyway.

Big trend off the runway was red lips. And red nails! Mon dieu - such a change from the dark fingernails we've been seeing for years now. And here was me thinking that Chanel's new navy blue fingernail was the colour to have (except me - my fingers are already blue due to crap circulation - I never thought that would be fashionable). Wait, it's not. Red is back! Observe:


I love this icy princess look from Kate Sylvester. I also happen to love Kate Sylvester, and I'm glad to see she has avoided the negative publicity she stirred up last year when she plastered her models in war medals. I think someone had died in Afghanistan the day or so before her runway show, and it was very poor timing. She later explained she'd been madly preparing in those final days and hadn't seen the news.

See also below the lovely feathered shrug thingy draped across Lisa Ho's models. Lisa Ho is always such a consistently strong performer - OK, she's not breaking any new ground, but her stuff is not only covetable, but also wearable. Assuming Kevin Rudd's stimulus package comes through, it is also relatively affordable.


Also below, Manning Cartel (a definite 20s slant), some more Kate Sylvester ice queens, and Ginger and Smart. Click here for Allure's guide on how to wear read lips.