Laura Brown hosts The Look

laura brown's twitter

Elle Macpherson has hosted the first season of Fashion Star on NBC in the US and two seasons, so far, of Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model on Sky Living. Now another Sydney expat, Laura Brown, is getting a crack at hosting a broadcast fashion show beyond these shores – at least, a mini online version. Here is a preview of The Look, which will debut on the new Hearst/YouTube channel Hello Style tomorrow.

A salute to Kirstie Clements

vogue.com.au

The Australian fashion industry had a reality check yesterday, with the announcement that Kirstie Clements had been unceremoniously dethroned as editor of Vogue Australia. Unceremoniously is putting it kindly. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Clements - up until yesterday the second longest-serving editor of the current Australian mainstream fashion magazine pack after Marie Claire's Jackie Frank - was escorted from the premises by security, with her phone confiscated [update 19/05: although Clements made no effort on Thursday or Friday on Twitter to correct this version of events - which we understand were witnessed by third parties - she has since denied to the SMH that her phone was confiscated or that she was escorted from the building]. The axing of two other senior NewsLifeMedia editorial executives at the same moment might have helped assuage the humiliation. This was business, after all, for News Limited, nothing personal. Given the accompanying press release, it was pretty clear that new News Limited ceo Kim Williams and his axe-woman, new NewsLifeMedia ceo Nicole Sheffield, had no idea just how personal a matter it would have been for Clements. They stated she had been Vogue's editor for 10 years, out of a total 13 years with the magazine. In fact, Clements was Vogue's editor for 13 years - but she originally joined the title in 1985 as a receptionist, before moving up through the ranks and briefly defecting to the newly-relaunched Harper's Bazaar in 1998. Some thank-you for almost 30 years of service to one of the world's greatest publishing brands.

Katerina Chang is the bomb

Frockwriter first noticed Katerina Chang at the David Jones show in Sydney last month. As it emerges, it is no surprise that we haven't seen that much of her. Living in Australia for four years, initially studying a marketing degree at the University of Western Sydney, this 21 year-old Taiwanese beauty with Marlene Dietrich cheekbones first walked into the Sydney offices of Chadwick Models in July last year. She has been quietly building a body of work.

First look at Tahnee Atkinson in Bettina Liano's new Curvy jean on TT

Two weeks ago frockwriter revealed that Bettina Liano was about to launch a more amply-cut jean - notably up to a size 16 - and that she had booked Australia's Next Top Model Cycle 5 winner Tahnee Atkinson to promote it. Pierre Toussaint shot the new campaign on Monday and Today Tonight was there. The story went to air last night. I produced/wrote, Sally Obermeder is the reporter, Ray Munro edited.

“There is such a culture of entitlement in New York, kids who work hard are a breath of fresh air” – Laura Brown, Harpers BAZAAR

On the eve of the launch of the Australians in New York Fashion Foundation, a chat with Laura Brown. For those unfamiliar with the name, Brown is the dynamo responsible for US Harpers BAZAAR's most press-worthy “cover coups” and conceptual editorials. Highlights have included a cartoon fashion spread depicting The Simpsons guided through Paris fashion salons by Linda Evangelista, Tyra Banks posing as Michelle Obama and the first interview with Katie Holmes following her wedding to Tom Cruise, with shots styled by Victoria Beckham. With Brown now also the public face of all BAZAAR's tv appearances, including a stint as guest judge on Bravo's The Fashion Show, her television franchise is building.



Describe your current position and what the job involves.
Laura Brown: I am the Features/Special Projects Director at Harper’s BAZAAR. I book our covers, conceptualise and produce our major pop culture/fashion portfolios, run the features department, coordinate our public relations strategy and represent the magazine on television.

How difficult was it to break into the New York media environment? Briefly describe the career trajectory which led you to your current position.
I left Australian Bazaar in 2001 and turned up here a week before September 11, so it was tricky. I knew precisely two people – one at The New York Post and one at Talk magazine (RIP). But that’s all you need if you’re passionate enough about succeeding here. I freelanced for a year, became senior editor at W, then to Details, then to BAZAAR four and a half years ago.

What do you know now that you dearly wish someone had told you when you first arrived in New York?
That just because everyone speaks English, it doesn’t mean they’re just like you! That, and a complete list of reliable doctors and real estate agents.

Best part about working and living in New York.
Working with people I never thought I’d meet, and seeing your ideas manifest themselves on a global stage. At the beginning of the week, never knowing how it’s going to end. And walking past the MOMA sculpture garden every morning on the way to the office.

Worst part about working and living in New York.
The size of apartments. My shoes are fighting for their life.

Where are you from in Australia and what do you most miss about it?
I’m from Sydney. Apart from friends and family – it’s the sea air from the harbour. I feel like I exhale when I get home, and take another deep breath to last me for a year!

What prompted you to participate in the launch of the foundation and how will it operate?
It’s just really gratifying for us to build a network of Australians who are really there for each other – alongside assisting the winner of the foundation prize, selfishly it’s been so encouraging to have that bedrock of people around. And anything to increase awareness of Australian design talent in New York is always worthwhile.

What advice would you give young Australians hoping to break into the New York media/fashion/beauty business?
Work hard – and keep focussed. I really believe that if you are passionate about something, and you’re good at it, you will do well. If you follow your interests, you will meet people organically that can help you achieve your goals. Don’t expect anything – there is such a culture of entitlement in New York, that kids who work hard are a breath of fresh air! Get a visa and get on a plane – I arrived here at possibly the worst time in history, and I’m still here.

Describe your typical day at Harpers Bazaar.
Wow, there really is no such thing as a typical day at BAZAAR. It feels often like we are making a film and are all producers instead of editors. The majority of time is spent coming up with concepts for stories – both written and visual – and finding the best teams to achieve them. Then it’s a matter of putting all the puzzle pieces together to achieve the most amazing result. Nothing like coming up with a crazy idea and having Karl Lagerfeld shoot it. The rest of the day depends on whether we are shooting something (I am on set often), on deadline to ship the issue, or coordinating our PR strategy. Then there’s the TV appearances! It is certainly not dull. I think my next job will be at the U.N.


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Model ID fail @ ACP

myf shepherd, not shepard, at christian dior haute couture SS09 - and definitely not alexandra agoston-o'connor/getty

Frockwriter doesn’t want to be too hard on the poor old worker bees over at ACP, especially in the wake of today’s news that this week’s edition of Grazia carries a mere 11 pages of ads and advertorial. Whilst Woolworths reports that it is moving Grazia from the prime checkout position in “the majority” if its 780 stores to the general magazine section, due to slow sales - amidst predictions that circulation figures for the December quarter, due for release next month, are expected to be lower than the 70,000 of the initial audit. But look for all the time that the “acp.com.au” domain name spends on this blog every day, we are disappointed that a few key details seem to be getting lost in translation.

Firstly, accompanying Grazia's online haute couture diary from Alexandra Agoston-O’Connor today, is an image from yesterday’s Christian Dior show in Paris, together with the caption:

“Alexandra walks in the Dior haute couture spring 09 show in Paris”.

screengrab grazia.ninemsn.com.au

Guys, that is not Agoston-O’Connor at all, but in fact another Australian model, Myf Shepherd.

FYI this is Agoston-O'Connor in the same show:


christian dior SS09 haute couture/getty

Memo to ACP stablemate Harpers Bazaar moreover, that is in fact the correct spelling of Shepherd's surname, as distinct from “Myf Shepard”, as is reported today by the Harpers' team re Shepherd's new incarnation as muse for the Superfine denim brand (which frockwriter reported last week):


screengrab harpersbazaar.com.au

We all make mistakes. But, you know, if indie blogs and web forums which don't have your gargantuan resources (not to mention advertising) can get it right, then why on earth can't you?

It's not like you spend so many hours newsgathering your own original stories that you don't have the time to check.

Sadly this is neither the first time that Harpers has called Shepherd Myf "Shepard":


screengrab harpersbazaar.com.au

Nor even the second occasion:


screengrab harpersbazaar.com.au

Thanking you.