Harper's Bazaar Runway, L'Oreal Fashion Festival

The Friday night shows of the L'Oreal Fashion Festival were buzzing.

I was delighted to finally meet Carly from Lady Smaggle in person, recognising her wildly fierce hair from across the room. Love it.

She and HarbourMaster had rushed in from the Mimco show in the city, while I was seated next to the lovely Patrick Price from Fjorde Magazine.

I learned that media accreditation means you can get high quality photographs of the event (brilliant!) so I was able to enjoy the shows rather than fretting too much about my digital camera.

Scanlan and Theodore are a favourite at my office, so I watched with interest to see what designs might appear on my colleagues in the coming months. Turtlenecks, apparently, and thin belts. Turtlenecks are a style I would be happy to leave in peace, along with the feeling of suffocation they evoke. Each to their own, though.

Dion Lee, last year's winner of the Woolmark Designer of the Year award, is now sponsored by Pacific Brands - a controversial move sure to evoke reactions on both sides of the fashion fence. His designs this year were arguably less outrageous than previous shows, but I felt his creativity shone through nonetheless.

Dion Lee (I actually took this photo, thank you very much.)

Jason Brunsdon was hit and miss: I loved his vivid palette of tropical shades, but was less enamoured by the cuts.

Jason Brunsdon

Aurelio Costarella. My favourite designer from this particular show. Lots of leather, corsetry, and fitted white raw silk. Plus, he bucked the prevailing trend to favour sturdy, waist-cinching belts that served to define the torso. Delightful.

Aurelio Costarella. Photo by me.

Collette Dinnigan.  Too much lacy gothic princess. The velvet 80s-style floor length black gown (complete with bows and diamantes) was eye-catching for all the wrong reasons.

Toni Maticevski finished the show with a plethora of Grecian off-the-shoulder gowns in a palette of white, cream and ivory. Elegant, understated, and a delightful way to wrap up Runway 5.

Toni Maticevski

Then, it was off for drinks in the Westfield Bar before dashing back for Runway 6, hosted by frankie magazine. Stay tuned.


Get my updates via email

Fifth birthdays, the earthquake, and why I love Twitter

Twitter is celebrating its birthday this week, and as an adjunct to my previous post, I thought I'd jot down how useful I found social media during the earthquake in Tokyo.

The evening of Friday the 11th of March was spent darting between my hotel room to watch the ever-sensationalist CNN, and the hotel lobby where I used the wifi to stay abreast of what was being said on Twitter. TimeOut Tokyo did an incredible job of updating English-speakers on the situation as it turned from an earthquake into a tsunami, and then to a nuclear crisis. Their updates were fact-based, without sounding like an automated news service.

Twitter was invaluable during this time for information, and it was a relief to be able to access Facebook and update friends and family back home that I had not been crushed in a stampede of people, nor disappeared into a crevasse in the ground.

Without Twitter I would have had access to CNN, true - but I didn't want to listen to the event unfold through the lens of an American news station. For example, when it was announced that a tsunami might strike the west coast of America, a significant portion of the coverage shifted back to the States. and reporters began showing webcams of Hawaiian beaches, with waves crashing in the dark. 

Twitter allowed me to choose who I wanted to trust as my information source. As the nuclear situation developed, this included a number of scientists and a food blogger with the Twitter tag @Makiwi.

Since returning home, these Twitter accounts have enabled me to stay in touch with what is happening on the ground in a manner that was unthinkable just a few years ago. I can read blogs such as Shoot Tokyo and see what's left on the shelves at the local Family Mart. I can learn that parents should avoid letting their children drink tapwater in Tokyo due to unusually high levels of iodine.

The online communities we engage with can suck up a lot of our free time, but when push comes to shove, they can reward us in the most unexpected manner.

So thanks Twitterverse - and happy fifth birthday!

Get my updates via email

Poppy and the earthquake

If you are hoping for a sensationalist retelling of the earthquake that hit Japan on the 11th of March, you probably won't find it here.

I was in Tokyo at the time, it's true. But I was very, very lucky that my experience of the 9.0 Richter earthquake was tempered by my location when it struck. And like many things in life, first impressions count.

After some serious shopping the day prior, on Friday I decided to slow my sightseeing pace and visit some of Tokyo's parks and shrines.

Shopping in Ginza with the Chanel and Cartier stores in the background

After my sashimi lunch, eaten on a bench in Yoyogi Park, I headed towards the Meiji Shrine entrance. My glasses were a bit smudged, so I took them off to give them a wipe. I'm very shortsighted without my glasses, and the world was a blur.

Blossoms in Yoyogi Park

All of a sudden I felt faint and the world around me started to sway. Hurriedly, I pushed my glasses back onto my nose. On re-assessing the situation I realised that I wasn't feeling faint at all. In fact, the world around me was shaking.

The trees made an enormous noise, as if a huge wind was rushing through the leaves. The ground turned to putty and felt like it was rolling up and down. It was so severe that I almost lost my balance. After about thirty seconds the vibrations abated, and, a little shocked, I continued on my way, still a little unclear whether my first earthquake would be something to write home about, or whether this was the kind of thing Japan deals with on a daily basis. (Okay, so I realise this sounds mad - but how was I to know for sure?!)

By the time the first major aftershock hit, I had gathered in the square that leads into Meiji Shrine and made friends with some other Australians. My initial uncertainty was replaced with the realisation that this was a BIG DEAL. Seeing well-dressed Tokyoites crouched down on the pavement in fear during that first major aftershock was unsettling, and made all the tourists feel very uneasy.

Crowds gathered near Harajuku bridge

Being told to sit during the first major aftershock

But I was so, so lucky - earthquake drills instruct those caught in a quake to head for open spaces, and Yoyogi Park was ideal. I wasn't traumatised by being on the wildly swaying 52nd floor of the Mori Tower (which I had visited the evening prior), and I was also, incredibly, only about two kilometers away from my hotel, with a wifi offering that proved to be vital later that afternoon when the phone networks all jammed.

View from the 52nd floor of the Mori Tower, Tokyo

The walk back to the hotel proceeded at an enforced leisurely pace: Toyko carries over 12 million people on its public transport system each day (that's equal to everyone in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth), and once the train lines closed, there were a huge number of transport refugees left to walk the streets.

Queuing for replacement bus services

The atmosphere was one of repressed anxiety: no-one was panicking and people were courteous and helpful to those seeking assistance. Japan was probably the safest place to experience a natural disaster of this magnitude.

The only signs of damage we spotted on the walk from Harajuku to Shibuya were these broken windows, which were taped up the very next morning:

The crowds walking to Shibuya bus station were mind-boggling.

I spent the evening ensconced in the hotel lobby, calmly trawling through the web to find out more information (more on how helpful Twitter was later). I'm seriously glad I came home two days later, but wasn't overly affected by the actual earthquake itself. So thanks must go to Fashion Hayley for suggesting I visit Yoyogi Park, possibly the safest place in Tokyo during an earthquake!

Sorry for the lengthy post - if you've made it this far, you deserve a gold star.


Get my updates via email

Vogue Runway, L'Oreal Fashion Festival

I remember the excitement with which I attended my first LMFF runway show last year. This year was no different really, although for the first time I have media accreditation!

The show opened with a stunning advert for Vogue Australia, featuring their latest fashion shoot, "Edge of Forever" with Anja Rubik.

Bassike opened the show with loose, cropped jackets, sweaters and turtlenecks in muted, earthy shades. Pants were prevalent, and continued to be a staple item throughout the show. Start putting aside those dresses and skirts, ladies - this season pants are key!

Ellery followed, awing the crowd as always with her structural skirts that drew inspiration from Alice in Wonderland's Red Queen with their stiff, starched departure from a high waistline. Shoulder sections were sliced into relief, and sleeves were long. Relaxed pants with high waists were teamed with open jackets with wide lapels. Black feathered panels, sequins and thick, detailed fabrics lent sophistication to the collection, which was probably my favourite. The models walked to "Bad Things" by Jace Everett, which you might recognise from the opening credits of True Blood.

Dress Up was a delightful new discovery for me - I adored designer Stephanie Downey's trench coats in navy, cream and finally grey, not to mention the wide leg camel pants that finished just below the knee. Her decision to slice necklines deeply contrasted beautifully with the looser fitting pants that dominated the collection.

Men's label From Britten P/L showcased high-necked shirts with thick, grey tweed jackets. Turtlenecks made another appearance, hinting to the return of a trend that was laid to rest a number of years ago.

Lui Hon wowed the audience with his space-age fabric which appeared to have the points of thousands of stars scattered across the fabric. If that sounds poetic, you should have seen this stuff - it was incredible.

Laurence Pasquier featured thin belts across a number of her designs. One of the few labels to feature a patterned fabric - a blue-based silk across which spots of colour were scattered - which manifested itself as a dress and loose shorts. Hems were short and waists were high.

Song for the Mute, winners of the coveted Woolmark LMFF Designer Award for 2011, presented their menswear collection - a dark, brooding selection of loose, softly draped pants and jackets. 

Arnsdoft, another of my favourite labels, impressed with their fur vests and jackets, and the inclusion of a vivid royal blue fabric teamed with a soft salmon which appeared across a number of designs. Bright shades were underrepresented in general throughout the show (unsurprisingly, being Melbourne-based), so these more colourful designs were a welcome relief.

And thus the show concluded.

Apologies for the lack of visual relief - my DSLR struggled for some reason last night. Instead, here is a quick video featuring Song for the Mute, the 2011 winners of the LMFF Designer Award.

[Note: This is my first upload from my adorable Flip video camera - still working out how to improve the quality of the footage once it ends up on YouTube.]

Get my updates via email

Home, after an unexpected turn of events

Hello my dears! So, I am back from Japan, safe and sound. The holiday was fabulous, although the tail end was marred by the 9.0 Richter earthquake that struck on the third day I was in Tokyo. Thank you to everyone who enquired after my wellbeing via Twitter. The relevance of social media during emergency situations really came to the fore while I was there, and I'm going to write separately about my experiences in Tokyo.

However, as frivolous as it may seem in the face of Japans continuing humanitarian difficulties, my first real post since returning will be about the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival (LMFF) that is taking place in Melbourne at the moment. I'd like to write about the Festival while it is still happening, and I just haven't had the time this week to get down my thoughts about Tokyo - to be honest, I'm still digesting what happened over there, and continue to watch carefully as the situation unfolds.

In the meantime, if you want to donate to support the work of the Australian Red Cross in Japan, there is a secure online donation portal here. Overseas readers might like to review the ways you can help on CNN's Impact Japan page.

Japanese cherry blossoms in Yoyogi Park, taken just before the earthquake struck.

Get my updates via email

Takashi Murakami: contemporary Japanese art

Some weeks ago I came across the name Takashi Murakami. I was at work, and the conversation was focussing on the need for a design that embodied a bright, colourful and optimistic energy.

Murakami is a Japanese artist, so I'm hoping I can see some of his work while I am here in Tokyo.

Image credit one, two and three.


Get my updates via email

Tokyo travels

I am flying down to Tokyo tomorrow morning. I can't wait to see this bustling city with my own eyes, and have booked a hotel in Shibuya so I am as close to the action as possible.

Have you been to Japan's capital before? What is the most exotic city you have travelled to?

Image credit.


Get my updates via email

Happy Friday from Japan!

Happy Friday my dears!

I am in Niseko, a number of hours north of Tokyo, probably enjoying some sake.

I had my first taste of warm sake at Haku on Flinders Lane a few weeks ago. Surprisingly, I quite enjoyed it.

What plans do you have for the weekend?

Image credit.



Get my updates via email

A snow adventure

As you read this, I will be revelling in a snowy winter adventure in a town many miles north of Tokyo.

Niseko is a popular tourist haunt for Australians seeking a winter vacation during our hot summer months, and I expect that I won't enjoy a taste of true Japan until I travel to Tokyo a week later.

That being said, I am really looking forward to enjoying some of the snowy vistas shown below.

Don't they just make you want to snuggle up with a blanket and some hot chocolate? (Or, more likely, some mulled wine?)

Image credit one, two and three.

Get my updates via email