Akira, Zimmermann and Josh Goot @ FGI

john galliano SS09/sonny vandevelde


Did someone say FGI roadshow? Lordy, the spring/summer 2009 collections seem light years away now. Even though they only finished up in Paris six weeks ago. For anyone interested in a quick refresher course – not to mention the opportunity to hear the insights of some of Australia’s best-known fashion names – the Sydney chapter of Fashion Group International is staging its next Fashion Flash trends forecasting breakfast on Wednesday 26th November at 7.15am in the Grand Ballroom of Sydney’s Sofitel Wentworth Hotel. Right after FGI’s four-cities SS09 trends wrap video, I will be moderating the panel discussion once again – with, I have great pleasure in announcing, an extra stellar lineup of panellists.

On deck to offer their thoughts on the season, the buzz, the biz, the retail climate and the challenges inherent in showcasing a collection offshore, will be FGI panel newcomers Nicky Zimmermann, Akira Isogawa and Josh Goot, along with vet Arthur Galan.

At 5.45pm on Thursday 27th November, a smaller presentation will be staged at Melbourne’s RMIT Brunswick campus. Joining me on that panel once again will be Arthur Galan and Vicious Threads’ Ivan Gomez, along with Madonna Melrose from M Studio.

In between the two, on the evening of Wednesday 26th, I have been asked to MC the Ragtrader Fashion Retailer of the Year Awards at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

It’s going to be a busy week...

RELATED:
FGI ROADSHOW PART I
FGI ROADSHOW PART II
FGI ROADSHOW PART III

Akira, Nick Cave's son and more Michelle Leslie

MAFW swings into action at 9am this morning with Akira's show down at a martial arts studio in Surry Hills called the Kung Fu Headquarters. Last year, Akira previewed his new spring collection on members of the Sydney Dance Company. Will he do it today on Jet Li, Sonny Chiba and Jackie Chan? Now there's an idea for a fashion show...

Actually Jethro "son of Nick Cave" Lazenby is probably the closest Akira is ever going to get to a celeb module.

As of last week, The Good Son - or Bad Seed, take your pick - was due to make his Sydney modelling debut in today's Akira's show, after first popping up on the fashion radar earlier this year down at the Melbourne Fashion Festival.

For those who are clearly obsessed with Michelle Leslie, you'll be thrilled to hear she is due to make four catwalk appearances this week.

Heard that last night at the little do at the State Theatre to welcome the four Kiwis who are showing: World, Zambesi, Keucke and Cybele.

This time last year of course Leslie was the model-who-was-everywhere-but-who-noone-knew, except for the designers who employed her to walk for their shows.

After the Bali brouhaha, all these Fashion Week photos suddenly started appearing and you realised just what a volume of runway work she had. People now seem quite nervous about using her.

Someone said last night that she may be doing Zimmermann. If that's the case, it will be interesting, Zimmermann being yet another swimwear brand like Azzollini. She could of course just model the ready-to-wear - and avoid the inevitable burka-to-bikini comments which she copped last week. With Zimmermann also slated to have Fashion Week ringin Lily Cole, the photographers could be very busy at that show.

What else did I hear last night? Oh yes, that David Jones is corralling designers together today for its biannual DJs family happy snaps. And that one DJs designer has had a word to management about how "matronly" her clothes look hanging on the racks there.

FYI David Jones goes quite hard during MAFW, completely taking over the Cruise restaurant down at the Overseas Passenger Terminal as its buying office by day and schmoozing saloon by night.

David Jones has also apparently stocked the Fashion Week/Azimut superyacht that is being moored nearby with cashmere blankies and toiletries.

The yacht is being used to ferry 25 "VVIPs" around for an hour at sunset each night. I'm calling it HMAS MAFW and hope that someone does a Tsubi at some stage over the course of the next five days and makes the VVIPs walk the plank into Sydney Harbour.

I'll be reporting in this blog from various shows using my Blackberry, so check back later today.

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Akira, door bitches and pregnant women

I'm at the Akira show and inevitably, it's late! It doesn't matter whether runway shows are on-site, or off, they invariably run past schedule... especially when the TV crews haven't arrived.

The issue with off-site shows is of course that there's usually no excuse, because there wasn't any show in the same venue beforehand.

Models can be an issue - if some haven't arrived from the previous show. But the first show of the week?

According to Akira's PA Penny Culliton, Channel Nine is the culprit.

Nine news reporter and aspiring fashionista Pete Stefanovic - who says he is Karl's little bro - has been calling Culliton every five minutes to say the crew is caught in traffic on the harbour bridge and begging her not to start without them.

Pete, don't be a luvvie. Get with the program - and out of bed a bit earlier tomorrow.

There are 11 shows today, we're going to be here until the wee hours I fear.

The usual outside schmozzle while we waited to get in.

So far I have spotted two well-pregnant women. Can pose problems if there's a squash at show venues.

I asked the door bitch outside Akira whether he would let one in who was being squashed against the wall. He said, "Sorry, she's GA". I responded, "Yes but she's also P.R.E.G.N.A.NT.".

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