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LeesaLu launch at Sarajevo Fashion Week (LINK)

November 17th 2007 11:00
Forget skimpy swimsuits, the closing show of Sarajevo Fashion Week proves that hour glass curves are back with the launch of my new luxury "LeesaLu" limited edition
collection.

After styling Miss World for a year both as beauty queen and international celebrity, I have learned that packing everything a girl might need into one 20kg suitcase is not always practical. So this LeesaLu Designer collection fits the international girls all in one gymwear, swimwear, eveningwear requirements and takes us back to the glamour of the fifties screen sirens featuring classic cuts. Team with elegant pants and headwear or a long flowing skirt and belt, this collection features pieces that can be worn from morning through to night on a bold colour palette of navy, black, white, bordeaux and purple.


I wanted to illustrate my latest Parisian inspiration with delicate french lace embellishments and take you from poolside to dinner with matching footless tights and handbags.
Bold belts were used to accentuate the classic hourglass look in blue leather, cream and black with bright berets and turbans adorning the models. Our models of all different shapes and sizes included 2007 FTV model of the Year Delila, Miss Worlds, Bosnia Top Models of the Year and other Balcan beauties.



My show also featured a brief insight into MaraJoara's transeasonal collection of bright brazilian basics on models of all shapes and sizes with mixed and matched pieces under bright coloured footless tights for those young girls wanting to take the beach to the pavement. Marajoara Men were not forgotten with classic black, white and grey blanket stitched unitards and basic marine inspired euro style pants as a tribute to Australia's 2007 Year of the Surflifesaver.


Closing a Fashion Week is always stressful - no matter how organised as a Designer you are. But add to the mix a french transport strike, a meeting with the head fashion editor of TF1 WITHOUT your real collection, and a new factory for manufacturing with an entire team who barely speak your language - and one could say you have a serious challenge on your hands!

Thankfully we were able to make an entire collection in five days and pull off the closing show of Sarajevo Fashion Week without a hitch!!!




I also managed to spend a few days in Sarajevo and finalise agreements with family owned factories that could produce the highest quality swimwear for LeesaLu and share an international workload. Factories that had good working conditions, eight hour shifts, breaks for lunch, bathrooms and employee benefits. Factories that did not pollute the environment with their dyeing techniques and could guarantee on time delivery to my department stores. Small simple things it may appear - but these are the things that matter to a designer.

I spoke to the workers who were aged 30 and up. They had years of experience sewing lingerie and swimwear and were always looking for better techniques and methods to improve their production. The families I met were lovely. They had manufactured before the war and continued production after the war. One factory run by a young man and his parents had been manufacturing a product for the local market for more than 40 years. This factory supported fourteen families in the local community. One of the employees was home with their sick child. "It's life," the owner said. "We need to take care of our workers."

I left Sarajevo a happy Designer. No sweat shops. No pollution. No inhumane treatment. Reasonable wages to deliver a quality product. Factories that spoke english, had a reputation for delivering on time and who care. Not only that the local Eastern European countries loved my new Collection.

Stay tuned!!! Lots more exciting news to come!

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Autumn Trends (LINK)

September 26th 2007 16:33
Its the holy grail for every high street fashion chain boss - take the cream of the best catwalk designs from London, Paris, Milan and New York and turn them into speed chic, affordable fashion that flies off the shelves.

In the golden years of Haute Couture (1947-1957) Dior, Fath and Balenciaga had a one month publication ban on all images of their runway, as the exclusive sale of one calico toille to a Ready to Wear house was often enough to fund the beginnings of their next collection; Those caught sketching in public faced public prosecution. Today copying is rife, and it seems that not an Australian Fashion Week goes by without another young designer being accused by the media of copying


[ Click here to read more ]
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Ultra thin is not 'in' (LINK)

September 15th 2007 15:16
There was a time when a woman's wealth was recognized by her rubenesque figure. Today Paris Hilton lookalikes are revered and every womens magazine don't print without them. Governments around the world are now taking action to address the unrealistic body image expectations placed upon the worlds modelling industry. The Australian Fashion Council hosted a forum in March to discuss and debate whether or not industry guidelines are necessary to discourage the use of extraordinarily thin models on Australian runways and to ensure the health and wellbeing of Young Australians working as fashion models.

More importantly it raises the discussion that Designers and media have an ethical obligation to set the right role models for the youth of today


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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


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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


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Unraveling the weird!

July 23rd 2007 05:24
"What the hell was that designer thinking?"

"Who the hell would wear that?!"

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More Mouret

July 5th 2007 08:28
Only a few posts ago I was bemoaning the lack Roland Mouret in my life after that galaxy dress (worn rather well by Demi Moore). But Style.com has informedme that he has returned, view their article here.

And here's my favourites of the aforementioned collection


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In this rainy wintry weather looking at Junya Watanabe’s men’s collection in Milan I was reminiscing about college. For those of you unfamiliar with the Canberra education system, years 11 and 12 at public schools are called colleges, are located on their own grounds, have no uniforms and the teachers are called by their first names. There’s no HSC, assessment is close to the university system and generally they’re far nicer places to be. Anyway when I was at college the boys used to dress like this, themselves nostalgic for some sort of 80s punky/motorcycle rider style.

Junya watanabe chequered pants
From Vogue.co.uk

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Gucci sucks

June 13th 2007 00:43
Just about anyone with any style steers clear of Gucci on the whole and their Autumn/Winter 07 collection only affirms that general principle. Let’s take a look at some examples.

Lily Donaldson in Gucci
From Gucci.com

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One of the most striking models of the contemporary brat pack is Jessica Stam, a statuesque Canadian who has the kind of natural physique required for catwalk shows. She is indeed long and slender but there is nothing painful about the proportions of her legs or the position of her clavicle. My general rule is that if the knee is wider than the thigh there’s a problem but Stam is in proportion as you can see from the Stella McCartney show.

Jessica Stam in McCartney
From Style.com

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Balenciaga, Vernacular Fashion

May 31st 2007 00:33
Gemma Ward Balenciaga
From Style.com
After using Balenciaga as an example in my white shirt post I remembered what a stand-out collection Nicolas Ghesquière produced for Fall 2007 collection and I was reminded by our very own (why are we so patriotic when it comes to beautiful people) Gemma Ward wearing Balenciaga at Cannes.

Balenciaga Dress
From Style.com

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I love Marc Jacobs

May 21st 2007 00:22
What I really wish I had right now is the entire Marc Jacobs Fall 2007 Ready to Wear Collection. So rarely do I view a collection and consider that not only would I wear just about every piece therein but would look exquisite, savvy and elegant in the process. This collection is a sort of blend of Gatsby-esque 20s chic and slender 70s day-wear. Jacobs manages to create a collection so rich in detail and pleasurable in palate that I just want to eat it all up.

Blue-grey coat
From Style.com

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