Abbey road: Australians on the Spring/Summer 2011 runways (New York)

So we know how at least one Kiwi went at New York Fashion Week - Calvin Klein's exclusive Jessica Clarke (head to Isaac Likes for full documentation on NZ models in SS11) - but how did the Aussies fare all up? A pretty good effort. Congrats to all the girls. Abbey Lee Kershaw, not surprisingly, pulled off the most shows: 13 in total according to frockwriter’s calculations. Great to see the return of Catherine McNeil, although with just five shows under her belt (including several big names and opening one show), one might have expected to see her do a little better. According to (reliable) backstage sources, McNeil came very close to booking the blue chip Tom Ford presentation, but was cancelled at the last minute. Julia Nobis, Ajak Deng and Georgie Wass powered ahead. We’ve already talked about the expected/unexpected success of Bambi Northwood-Blyth. Although her mother agency, Chic Management, did report that Nicole Trunfio was heading to the event, beyond turning up in Michael Angel's front row, Trunfio did not, apparently, walk in any shows. Here are the show tallies. Anything we’ve missed, thanks for a headsup. On to London, Milan and Paris.  

Betty Blue

They don’t call them blue jeans for nothing it seems. Here is a first look at Bettina Liano’s brand new Autumn/Winter 2009 denim campaign video. Shot by David Gubert in Long Reef, it stars upwardly-mobile Oz mod Jess Hart in Liano’s hot new jean, a distressed version of her year-old O Leg, the O Leg Shredded – a distressed, semi-highwaisted skinny leg jean in a new wash called Nil Blue Shred. The jean drops in Liano's 10 Australian boutiques and Myer next week and at A$380.00, it’s of course a hell of a lot cheaper than Balmain’s shredded denims. Hart finds herself in very good model company here, following in the footsteps of Liano’s other campaign stars Alyssa Sutherland (2001), Gemma Ward (2003) and Nicole Trunfrio (2004). Although no doubt due to be played at full blast in Liano’s boutiques, somehow frockwriter can’t see it being screened anywhere near Myer with the sound up – the soundtrack being “Fuck your soul” by Melbourne chanteuse Paris Wells.