Citizens Kane

christophe kane FW1314 via wwd.com

First Gabby Dover was 'blessed by Victoria Beckham', making her international runway debut at Beckham's Victoria, Victoria Beckham show at New York Fashion Week last week, a matter of mere weeks after signing up with Sydney model agency Priscillas. Now Dover has been booked as a London Fashion Week exclusive by one of that city's hottest new designers, Christopher Kane. Only increasing the buzz factor of Kane's camo de luxe show overnight was the fact that last month, he sold a 51 percent stake of his company to French luxury goods conglomerate PPR, the parent of, among other brands, Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney. But there is a connection between the Beckham and Kane shows which could mean even bigger things for Dover - not to mention the four other Australians cast in Kane's show. 

Comeback queens - London Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2013/2014

cassi van den dungen backstage at giles FW1314 via style.com

London Fashion Week is in full swing and the ranks of the Aussie model posse have swollen – from 15 at the New York shows to at least 20 22 23 24 by our count. Who’s on deck? New to the circuit this season are Jess Gold, Eva Downey, Amanda Ware, Kye d’Arcy, Stephanie Carta, Rhianna Porter, Kaila Hart, Lola van Vorst and, perhaps the biggest surprise of all, Cassi van den Dungen, who is finally making her move on the international runways (and who changed her original plans to head straight from London to Paris on Monday after a callback from Love magazine editor - and Giles Deacon stylist -  Katie Grand). Carta, meanwhile, a Balenciaga fave five years ago, has been out of action for so long her Fashion Spot thread has not been updated in 14 months. In addition to Saturday night’s International Woolmark Prize show, she has popped up in a number of top shows, including Richard Nicoll, Antonio Berardi and L’Wren Scott. 

Christian Wijnants wins the International Woolmark Prize

hugh stewart/australian wool innovation

Congratulations are due to Belgium's Christian Wijnants, who has just been awarded the International Woolmark Prize in London. Competing against finalists from five other countries - Dion Lee, Sophie Theallet, DressedUndressed, Pankaj& Nidhi and Ban Xiao Xue - Wijnants was awarded the AUD 100,000 grand prize by a prestigious judging panel that included Diane von Furstenberg, Donatella Versace, Victoria Beckham and Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani. Wijnants' Australian merino capsule collection will now head into production and be stocked by international retailers including Bergdorf Goodman in New York, London's Harvey Nichols, Milan's 10 Corso Como, China's Joyce, Germany's Eickoff and Australia's David Jones.  

Australia's next top models

montana cox at bottega veneta FW1213 getty via daylife.com

So how is modelling's so-called 'Aussie invasion' going? The Fall/Winter 2012/2013 Paris shows kick off today and so far, by our count, 31 Australians have turned up on the runways of New York, London and Milan, with one notable newcomer making her mark in the latter city. That is, Australia's Next Top Model Cycle 7 winner Montana Cox (above). Fresh off the ANTM 2011 winner's podium, Cox has yet to even make an appearance at Australian Fashion Week. In her first ever runway season, however, she has already bagged five shows, including some of the most prestigious Italian luxury names: Bottega Veneta, Pucci and Etro. Frockwriter hears that the casting directors of some of the bigger Paris brands may be equally interested. ANTM Cycle 6 winner Amanda Ware was also in Milan, ditto the 2010 winner of the Girlfriend Model Search, Jemma Baines. Julia Nobis meanwhile - who of course never emerged from any modelling competitions - is up to 48 shows already this month. Will she close the Paris shows next week as the season's top catwalker for the second consecutive season? Updated lists below and a photo gallery of the showgirls of London and Milan. The NY shows are in black type; London, blue; and Milan, red.  

Time out London

abbey lee kershaw backstage at burberry SS12/burberry's twitpic

The Spring/Summer 2012 shows rolled on at London Fashion Week, traditionally a bit of a breather between the far bigger and busier New York and Milan schedules. The latter put further than usual strain on the London event this season, with Marc Jacobs pushing his show back by three days, prompting many models to miss LFW's first day. Further demands were made by Gucci - whose show is today - dragging many girls to Milan at the end of the week. Nevertheless, 14 Australian models did the London shows, with Abbey Lee Kershaw, Catherine McNeil and Bambi Northwood-Blyth touching down in the SS12 season for the first time. Contrary to reports that McNeil had not done a runway show for two and a half years, in fact September 2010 was the last time we saw her on the circuit. Expect to see more antipodians in Milan and Paris, where many are already positioned attending castings and fittings.

Rosemary Smith and Emilia Skuza hop on fashion's trans Tasman locomotive

  

She was optioned for another big show, but Rosemary Smith pulled off the next best thing in Milan overnight: Fendi, alongside some of the biggest runway names in the business. Not bad for a first international show season, but Smith has got a long way to catch up with some other downunder newcomers, like Dempsey Stewart, whose already stellar first show season now also includes the blue chip Prada and Burberry shows. New arrivals to this already blistering antipodian show season are runway veterans Abbey Lee Kershaw, who has, not unexpectedly, been cleaning up with big name shows such as as Gucci, Fendi and Burberry; Myf Shepherd, after a year’s hiatus, walking so far for just Angelo Marani; Jessica Hart, who appeared at Matthew Williamson in London; and brand new Adelaide face Emilia Skuza. First emerging on the Paris haute couture runways last month, Skuza turned up at Aquascutum, Antonio Berardi, Mary Karantzou, Amanda Wakeley and Emelia Wickstead in London. The rise and rise of “trans Tasman models” has captured the attention of not only the blogosphere, but also the mainstream media. Today, The Australian ran a story about Bambi Northwood-Blyth and The Sydney Morning Herald covered the plethora of Australian models currently working the show circuit. 

The Kob crosses the Pond - Charles Anastase Spring/Summer 2011

charles anastase SS11/style.com

No sign yet of Australian supermodel Abbey Lee Kershaw at London Fashion Week. But frockwriter did do a double take while watching this video, below, of yesterday’s Charles Anastase show. Not only were the models showcasing the collection's fluid chemises, floral teadresses and silver foil clamdiggers and shifts, every last one was sporting what looks very much like Kershaw’s new haircut (which has now of course been dyed peroxide blonde). Described by various Australian beauty aficionados as a long choppy bob, aka "the Kob" or "Chanel Bob", as we previously reported, it’s caused a bit of a run on local salons from consumers wanting Kershaw’s look. Supposedly inspired by 60s/70s icons Jane Birkin, Francoise Hardy and Jane Fonda, Anastase’s hair stylist Lyndell describes the look as being “like virgin hair...a backlash against try-hard, dip-dye, pastel and over bleached hair, this girl is cool without trying”. To achieve it, the wigs were dyed four times and then razor cut. Frockwriter suspects that we might not see Kershaw in London until Tuesday morning at 9.00am. That’s the show time of iconic British brand Jaeger London and Kershaw is of course its Fall 2010 face. In the meantime, a new video of the Jaeger campaign has surfaced starring Kershaw and male model Ollie Edwards, below. And for those who can’t get enough ALK, here’s another new video - taken backstage taken at last week’s Anna Sui show in New York, which shows Kershaw, together with model mates Freja Beha Erichsen and Behati Prinsloo.

Caribbean queens: sass & bide Spring/Summer 2011

Sass & bide’s roots lie in London’s Portobello Road, the world’s largest antiques market, where designers Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke sold their edgy customised jeans to the city’s early fashion adopters back in 1999. Yesterday, for their third season back at London Fashion Week after a few years in the sportswear-nosed wilderness of New York Fashion Week, they returned to slightly more auspicious digs: the Royal Opera House. Entitled Papa Sucre  - French for 'sugar daddy' and possibly named after the 1995 instrumental track by Brit alt rock outfit Supergrass (but with a definite Creole undercurrent) - the collection saw a slight detour from the brand’s trademark heavy embellishment to explore the moment’s digital print trend in a monochrome palette of black, sepia and white, popped with watermelon and a hint of utilitarian khaki. 

London Fashion Week, New Zealand Fashion Week - and a sneak peek at World Autumn/Winter 2011

 

Another day, another Fashion Week. Yes, New York Fashion Week wraps today, giving the most gung-ho fashionistas/os the chance to hop the red eye to London for tomorrow’s kickoff of London Fashion Week, which runs September 17-22. Here is the British Fashion Council schedule, with some collections at Somerset House and others off-site. Here is the digital schedule of shows to be live streamed. And here is the On/Off schedule (an off-schedule event staged in Bloomsbury). Vis-à-vis Australians, jewellery designer Jordan Askill will present a film on Friday 17th at 15.00, with sass & bide showing at 17.45 that day and UK-based Richard Nicoll and Antipodium showing on Sunday 19th at 19.30 and Tuesday 21st at 09.30 respectively. While LFW is in full swing, New Zealand Fashion Week will kick off in Auckland (September 21-25). Frockwriter will be attending for the second time as the guest of the organisers. Click here for the NZFW schedule, which includes Zambesi, Nom*D, Karen Walker, Trelise Cooper and World, with New York’s Nicole Miller this year’s international ringin. What’s Miller doing downunder?

The Burberry revolution: streaming live, in 3D AND via the blogosphere's long tail

Well unless you’ve been living under a rock in a galaxy far from Planet Fashion – perhaps Pandora – then you might not be aware that iconic British luxury label Burberry is about to make fashion history in just over six hours' time. In a season in which seemingly very second runway show has been live streamed to the net, Burberry is taking this new fashion concept one step further by not only streaming live for the third consecutive season, but additionally, broadcasting in 3D. Teaming up with SKY Television, Burberry will broadcast a 3D version of the show to guests in five global locations: Skylight Studios in New York, the Beaux-Arts in Paris, The Address in Dubai, La Fabrique in Tokyo and Milk Studios in Los Angeles. In another first, Burberry has moved beyond its own website and provided various websites and blogs with its embeddable video player. So, beyond Burberry's own site, there will be a plethora of net destinations via which you will be able to watch the show live at 16.00pm GMT (3.00am AEST) - with, by all accounts, 15 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage prior to that. These sites include frockwriter. Many thanks to Burberry for including us.

But frockwriter does have to chuckle at the naiveté of some of the other Burberry code recipients.

Underneath its player, Grazia Australia for example has advised readers they can check out “exclusive interviews and red-carpet coverage via Grazia.com.au”.

Click on the email icon to the side of the player and anyone can copy and paste the embed code onto their own blog - a function that has been disabled on the player on Burberry's own site.

According to Burberry, to add to the festivities, the Twitterific ELLE US creative director Joe Zee, along with our buddy Bryanboy, will be “taking over” Burberry’s Twitter feed for the show duration.

Meanwhile, Burberry creative director Christopher Bailey has been busy recording these video meet-and-greets on YouTube and The Daily Beast (which is affiliated with the New York live stream).




Things are moving so quickly in Fashion 2.0, you have to wonder what the Spring/Summer 2011 season holds in store.

Eighteen of the coats and 33 of the bags are available for pre order from Burberry's website for three days following the show.

Burberry was not the only brand to offer its collection to consumers straight off the runway this season, nor was it the first to do so.

In September, Burberry sold two trench coats from its Spring/Summer 2010 show straight from the live stream and website, with consumers receiving their orders in three to four weeks, approximately three months ahead of their arrival in store.

Needless to say, the retail revolution has only just begun

sass & bide's cutting edge chic

"A visual collision of nature and industry; an all-consuming collective celebrating the drama of contrast and contradiction" is how sass & bide describes its Fall/Winter 2010/2011 'Tomorrow the Great' collection that was shown at London Fashion Week on Friday night. But it seems there was a little too much drama for some, with the glass shard-like invitation, above (which appeared to be echoed in some intriguing saber tooth-shaped metal clutches), reportedly drawing blood from more than one attendee. Let's hope they didn't get any on the collection, which heavily featured white and ecru.

There was lots of embellishment, as we have of course come to expect from boho de luxe queens Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke. On this occasion, they added shell and bone to their already well-rehearsed repertoire of metallic sequins and braids, creating a Pasikifa pastiche of ornamental cummerbunds, capelets and breastplates.

Tarty bodycon microdresses - which would be right at home in the fictitious Russian strip club which apparently inspired the accompanying silver vinylite platform shoes - were counterpointed against demure blouses with Victorian necklines, fluid, full-legged trousers and one stellar ivory sheath with a seed-encrusted yoke.

This is sass & bide's second season back in London after a hiatus of several years showing in New York and the city's rich creative/craft heritage, not to mention its far more personalised show schedule, are a much better fit for the label's quirky cool girl vibe.


























collection photos: sass & bide
invitation photo: fashionista

Andrej Pejic Storms London

Frockwriter predicted that 2010 could be Andrej Pejic's year. So far the androgynous Melbournite is off to a flying start. We mentioned that he was heading to London Fashion Week, which starts tomorrow. Well according to Chadwicks booker (and Model Mania scribe) Joseph Tenni, Pejic arrived in London last Wednesday, went to see agencies on Friday and at his first appointment, with Storm - the agency that famously discovered Kate Moss - he was signed on the spot. Started doing appointments on Monday, on Wednesday shot with both Dazed & Confused and Libertine Magazine. Meanwhile, here is Pejic, above, on the cover of a supplement inside the new issue of Australia's Culture magazine. And here is LFW's digital schedule, which includes 26 live streamed shows - including Friday night's sass & bide show. Stand by to see Pejic on the runway.

Mark Fast's stylist didn't quit over the casting of three size 14 models, she was fired - source

erika kurihara via dear nike

While the models were still walking Mark Fast's SS10 runway show at London Fashion Week, Twitter - and this blog - were abuzz with the news that the designer's signature embellished bodycon knitwear was being showcased on a cast that included three size 14 girls. One Twitterer hinted that Fast's stylist quit over the casting. Well an insider has claimed on a comment on this blog that the stylist did not quit but was let go over her position on Fast's choice of larger models. Frockwriter is waiting to hear back from Fast but in the meantime, it emerges that Fast's favourite stylist is Erika Kurihara, better-known as the fashion editor of iconic London style magazine i-D (and we have also attempted to make contact with her). Another studio insider, Amanda May, has since tweeted that the names of the three models in question are Hayley, Laura and Gwyneth and that the company is "so happy we stuck to our guns about the casting". Update 20/09: This story has now been picked up by The Guardian. Click here to see the complete collection on wwd.com. Still no response from either Fast or Kurihara.

The Fast and the furious: Mark Fast casts size 14 models, loses stylist at London Fashion Week?

matches fashion twitpic


Some claimed that City Chic’s recent plus size fashion show at the Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival was an “historic” moment, because it was the first time larger models had been included in a major fashion event. Given that City Chic has not traditionally been integrated with the regular fashion industry, but remains a plus size retailer, frockwriter is not convinced. Myer recently made a lot of noise about including plus size models in its suburban spring fashion shows – but refused to incorporate them into its most high profile media showcase in Sydney. Why? Your guess is as good as ours. Well London-based Canadian knitwear designer Mark Fast has just broken with fashion tradition - and may well have made history - not by making a big song and dance about creating specifically for larger sizes, or by incorporating a token fat girl, but by simply including several size 14 models in his Spring/Summer 2010 show, which has literally just wrapped at London Fashion Week. The remainder of the cast included Aussie Rachel Rutt, who continued her assault on the SS10 season by closing the show. With even Vogue UK editor Alexandra ‘No size 0’ Shulman expressing doubts just one week ago that she would be seeing larger sample fashion sizes any time soon, frockwriter predicts we are going to be hearing a lot more about this show in the days ahead. Particularly since one hilarious early Twitter report suggests that Fast’s stylist may have quit over the casting. Related: Fast's stylist didn't quit over the casting of size 14 models, she was fired - source. Click here for the complete collection on wwd.com.

The gaucho club: sass & bide SS10

sass & bide SS10/reuters via daylife


The venue might have been half empty due to a schedule ambush engineered by no less than the British PM – who was staging a fashion reception at Downing Street – but some are hailing sass & bide’s return to London Fashion Week after a six year hiatus, as “totally awesome” and even, the label's "best”. According to the show notes, designers Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke were inspired by both futurism and Argentinian gaucho cowboys, the latter evidenced in a swathe of full-legged harem pants – short versions of which were dubbed “sharems” by one wag. Teamed with the full lower silhouettes: a suite of heavily-embellished tunics, signature harnesses and singlet-like vests with elongated bretelles, as seen in the top of a male dancer’s leotard. Bodycon enjoyed a lookin via a series of embellished microdresses and a knockout pair of embellished tulle leggings. All up, a dazzling collection, and one that was accompanied by accessories from new hire Pip Edwards, including vertiginous pumps and sandals with chopine platform soles. With a new London store on the agenda, and talk of even moving to London, the duo may never return to the runways of New York. Click here for more images on the LFW website.










all images: reuters via daylife

Burberry to stream live from London Fashion Week

burberry FW0910/burberry

Surely everybody knows by now that Burberry is ditching its regular Milan show digs this season to help celebrate London Fashion Week's 25th anniversary by closing the event with its Spring/Summer 2010 womens runway show at 6.30pm on Tuesday 22nd September. Well officially, there is another day of shows after that but it sounds a little like the Milan show schedule, which drags on with a few lowkey presentations, while the larger fashion caravan moves on to the next city. What you may not know is that Burberry is planning to take a leaf out of Dolce e Gabbana's books and stream its show live to the net. Just head to live.burberry.com, where apparently there may be even be some form of comments facility. A fantastic move on Burberry's part and one that frockwriter predicts we will be seeing a lot more of in seasons to come.

London Fashion Week snags sass & bide

getty by daylife

So it’s official. Confirming an August 7 report in frockwriter that sass & bide was close to securing a slot on the SS10 London Fashion Week schedule, the British Fashion Council has just confirmed the brand will show on day one of its 25th anniversary event: Friday 18th September at 7.15pm. Sass & bide also celebrates a milestone this year: 2009 marks 10 years since Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke first launched the brand, and coincidentally, in London. The duo then returned to Australia, debuting at Mercedes Australian Fashion Week in May 2000 in a group show, before making their solo runway debut the following year at the event. In 2002 they began showing at London Fashion Week and in February 2004, joined the New York Fashion Week schedule. London sales have been particularly good and the city is to be the location of the brand’s first offshore boutique, Middleton recently told frockwriter.

Four Australians to show in New York

anthony adamson

New York Fashion Week runs from September 9-17 and after several quiet seasons on the Oz front – with Toni Maticevski making the pilgrimage alone last season - things look to be picking up. Which is interesting, given the ongoing problems of the US retail sector. WWD reports that 4,600 retail outlets are tipped to close this year, on top of 6,913 closures last year, in what the paper has dubbed “the Great Retail Rationalization of the Great Recession”. Nevertheless, as frockwriter can reveal, four Australians will be showing in New York next month. Joining Kit Willow Podgornik, Toni Maticevski and New York-based Michael Angel is Sydney’s Anaessia, designed by Lisa Vanikiotis (pictured above) – first spotted at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in May. Maticevski, Podgornik and Vanikiotis are in fact showing on the same day: Tuesday 15th September.

Anaessia’s romantic cocktail dresses and embellished skull print sheath – which we dared sheath otaku Michelle Obama to wear – were in fact this journalist’s pick of brands in RAFW’s group shows.



Sold in Australia exclusively through its own boutique at the Sofitel Wentworth hotel and, from October, a second boutique in The Strand, the five year-old highend label, whose Australian retail prices range from A$800-3500, has been wholesaling for just over a year.

Anaessia has 10 international stockists so far, from the US to Jakarta to Kuwait.

The brand’s first US client, interestingly, was the head of wardrobe for ABC TV, who has purchased outfits from three collections for All My Children’s Susan Lucci – and according to Vanikiotis, to wear on the show.

Anaessia will show in New York as part of an umbrella event called Nolcha Fashion Week.

London Fashion Week, which runs September 18-22, also looks to be shaping up as a major Australian fashion showcase.

Josh Goot will show at LFW for the third consecutive season, on September 21st at 3.30pm, venue TBC.

It also seems likely that sass & bide will return to the event after numerous seasons showing in New York

At the David Jones show on Tuesday morning, Sarah-Jane Clarke told frockwriter that she was awaiting confirmation on a time slot from LFW organisers, who have a bumper season on their hands due to the event’s 25th anniversary. Burberry and Clements Ribeiro, among others, are returning to the London runways to help celebrate the milestone.

A second show venue has just been announced for the event, 180 The Strand - which is located adjacent to LFW's brand new main venue this season, Somerset House.

The second venue will house, among other initiatives, On|Off, LFW's regular off-schedule showcase.

According to a series of reports about the new venue, Ksubi is planning to show at 180 The Strand.

At the same venue, the Robinson Pfeffer Showroom is also due to showcase a number of Australian brands, including Tina Kalivas, Alpha 60 and Arnsdorf.



For your reference, here are the Australasian shows at New York Fashion Week:

September 10 at 09.00 – Michael Angel, The Salon, Bryant Park
September 12 at 16.00 – Karen Walker, the Altman Building
September 15 at 12.00 – Toni Maticevski, the Altman Building
September 15 at 18.00 – Willow, The Salon, Bryant Park
September 15 at 19.30 – Anaessia, Bohemian National Hall

Also, a first draft of New York's Fashion Calendar:


fashion calendar via COACD

Here is the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week schedule (to be opened for the second time by Angel).

And here, the London Fashion Week provisional schedule.