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Ode to an Italian Dress

October 1st 2007 01:52
DOlce and Gabbana Summer 08 PAINTED BLACK DRESS
All images from http://eng.dolcegabbana.it


Flamboyant and theatrical, Dolce and Gabbana’s Summer 2008 collection is indeed replete with works of art. From the hand-painted fabrics, the obsession with intricate embellishments and details to the matte velvet lips, D & G invoke a Keats-ian realm - instead of a Grecian urn, this is my ode to an Italian dress.


Dolce and Gabbana Summer 08 grey dress
Delicate but commanding.


In nearly each of the ensembles that traversed the runway the accessories near clashed with the colour and the style of dress. But instead of conflicting, the juxtaposition enriched the overall vision, the brocade on this bag is entirely different in tone, texture and connotation to the delicate silk and painted flowers on this geisha-like dress but through the symbiotic contrast a fascination arises.


Dolce and Gabbana Summer 08 lady in grey dress
Beauty through contrast


Again with this dress the fabric is delicate, the cut lady-like but the size and genre of the bag, the suggestion of gentlemen in the shoes balance the style and save it from being too feminine or frivolous.

Dolce and Gabbana Summer 08 lily donaldson
Never has dainty Lily looked so spectacular


But the real highlight of the show were these spectacular gowns for the finale which really conjure notions of walking art. Their sheer scale and massive meter-age of fabric are not simply opulent but create beauty of the kind to which haute couture should aspire.

dolce and Gabbana Summer 08 purple and yellow painted dress
The grandest of finales


For some action shots see Style.com, the video of the collection is certainly worth a look (despite the occasional vapidity of the interviews). I also highly recommend Dolce and Gabbana's website, which reflects the attention to detail in their garments
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Tristan Blair - What Else! (LINK)

September 11th 2007 17:56
It's fair to say after trawling boutique after fabulous boutique in this beautiful city, there is noone aside from Massarro of course, who quite puts the same shine on a pair of shoes than Australian Designer Tristan Blair.

He is elusive, demure and completely humble about his creativity. I once attempted to help him source a shoe manufacturer in Brazil. He had become great friends with a man and his chicken in Bali and was loathe to change. Given my experiences in working with Brazilian timeframes I can understand why. Nothing quite happens fast enough in that country. Needless to say in a Summer that sports cotton candy and casual style you cant go past his new collection "Wonderful Armour


[ Click here to read more ]
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He may not have won the International Hat Designer of the Year 2007 competition but this is one Finalist whose pure talent already rates number 1 in his own country.

Steve Harrison is a Brisbane based milliner who only began his craft last year. He was announced a top finalist in the International Hat Designer of the Year 2007 - a prestigous international competition being held in the world's fashion capital of Paris. 47 year old, Steve Harrison has been recognised for his three extraordinary millinery entries all aptly entitled, Fashion Burqa, Question Mark Cocktail Hat and Japan - Then and Now. These creations have been showcased in an installation at the world's most exclusive accesories trade show - Premiere in Paris. An event that attracts more than 45,000 visitors from all over the world


[ Click here to read more ]
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Melbourne Cup Carnival Fever 2008 (LINK)

September 10th 2007 15:35
Whilst Sydney's spring carnival racing may have been bought to a standstill, the Stylist whose Celebrity was voted one 1 of 9 best dressed at the Melbourne Cup, this very blogger shares her tips as she prepares the 2008 VRC Ambassadors wardrobes for this years Melbourne Cup Racing Carnival...

What’s In


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Who's Hot for Summer 2008 (LINK)

September 7th 2007 16:15
Who's Hot for Summer 08

Forget the unwearable items you see strutting down some fashion runways, european fashion speaks to the sillhouette and moves us back to the real aim of fashion - expressing ourselves AND flattering our body shape


[ Click here to read more ]
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VivienneWestwood.com
From Viviennewestwood.com


After visiting the Victoria and Albert exhibition which travelled to the National Gallery in Canberra a few years ago, I’ve been obsessed with Vivienne Westwood. It’s not just that she’s sixty and has a beautiful thirty-year-old Italian lover, although that does impress me, and it’s not just that she’s been an inspiration for generations of fashionistas, mostly it’s because for Westwood, fashion is thought


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