Got plans to attend a fashion show? I have put together some tips to consider before you step into the world of fashion.

At my recent attendance at the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, I discovered a few things that might assist any newbie fashion show attendees out there.

See our "From the runway" coverage from the 2010 Melbourne Spring Fashion Week:, including photo galleries.

Tip 1.    Don’t worry if you’re running late. It’s fashionable to be late.
I had my travel plan all worked out, arrival time with 15 minutes to spare, however due to some misguided directions and rush hour, I ended up on the wrong tram which abandoned me in a deserted building district a kilometre away from the venue.

Quickening my pace as I realized the time, I started into a light jog in my stilettos with the blistering heat of the afternoon sun to finally arrive sweating and flustered 15 minutes after the listed start time of the show.

However, I needn’t have bothered with my feeble attempt to ‘speed on foot’, as after I entered and took my seat, I still waited another 15 minutes before the show began.

Tip 2.    There is no such thing as being OTT at a fashion show.
I stood in front of my bedroom mirror, tried on several different outfits, fussing over what to wear, is this too dressy, too much metallic? The silver dress with wing detailing on the front panels or the golden silk dress, cinched in with a black leather belt with gemstone buckle?  

What I realized afterwards is that you shouldn’t worry if you think you might look a bit too dressed up because once you arrive, you’ll see so many artistic fashionistas trying to compete for the most ‘out there’ looks that you won’t have to fret about blending into the crowd.

Tip 3.    You simply must wear heels, darling.
Your feet are covered in blisters that look like you’ve been trekking the Kokoda track, burning like you have been walking on hot coals, aching like you’ve been on the dance floor for 12 hours straight.

But no matter how much pain your feet are in, you must endure it and heel it up. High heels are a must for attending a fashion show, the higher the better.

Tip 4.    Make sure you bring your iPhone!
Jimmy Choo heels – check, Prada handbag – check, black Gucci sunglasses – check, Apple iPhone – check! Is it just me, or does every single person have an iPhone these days?

As I was queuing to get in, the person in front of me had an iPhone. Then when I received my ticket, the girl behind the registration desk had an iPhone. When I sat down I noticed the people sitting to my left, right and in front all had iPhones!

Everywhere I looked I saw them, the models had them, the designers had them, the media had them, iPhones are definitely the fashion item of the moment, luckily I had mine with me so I could pass through registration.

Tip 5.    Short and Sweet. Blink and you’ll miss it!
Don’t be surprised when you spend more time sitting in your seat, waiting for the show to begin than the time the actual show lasts for.

It amazed me how much effort goes into one show, the production, the equipment, the models, hair and make-up, the VIP’s, the tickets, the venue, the promotion, the countless painstaking hours to put outfits together for the parades. Hundreds of hours of work go into each show, which can last as little as 15–20 minutes. 

So make sure you take in every detail, the colours and shades, patterns and textures, accessories and shoes, hair and makeup. Soak up every minute of your fashion experience and most of all have fun and enjoy yourself!

See our "From the runway" coverage from the 2010 Melbourne Spring Fashion Week:, including photo galleries.

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The Prada fashion bible is a must-have for fashion lovers. The incredibly dense book, (known simply, as Prada) a gastronomic display of delicious Prada masterpieces! 

It chronicles development of the global icon that is Prada and the various stages in production of its fashion, art and architectural designs.

Thousands of photos are included from sketches of designs, construction of garments in workshops, runway shows and retail displays - all beautifully photographed and guaranteed to leave you eager to flip the next page and discover even more.

See images from pages within the book.

The book not only chronicles the development of the fashion label from a clothing perspective, but also its influence throughout film, industrial and architectural design through renown architects Herzog & de Meuron. What Prada also focuses on is its impact on consumers and the general public.

Taking this book from simply beautiful professional photographs, it includes paparazzi snaps of celebrities wearing Prada on red carpets and everyday people in the street, as well as blog postings of fanatic Prada lovers and their devotion to the iconic brand.

It concludes with presenting plans to open the first Prada museum on the outskirts of Milan - a fair step for such an amazing label and for people to fully respect the work Prada has produced and its impact so many creative areas.

Learn more about the book.

Until the museum opens, this book will give you all you need to quench your Prada thirst! Or visit the official Prada website and this article from The Art Newspaper.

The book is a collaboration between Miuccia Prada (Creator), Patrizio Bertelli (Creator), Michael Rock (Designer), and Sung Joong Kim (Designer). www.facebook.com/album.php

Get your copy now on Amazon!

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The career of famed costume designer Theodora Van Runkle, began with similarities to that of Givenchy (Read more about this in A Single Man: Couture meets celluloid, Fashion meets film).

Then when it came time for Faye Dunaway to star in The Thomas Crown Affair, alongside Steve McQueen, Dunaway suggested her friend Van Runkle. Audiences were again mesmerized with Dunaway’s dazzling look. Van Runkle’s costumes gave Dunaway a sophisticated yet hip appearance, with fabulous wide brim hats, small handbags, and big sunglasses.

Theadora Van Runkle’s impact might be hard to measure now, but the costume designer can be credited for bringing a vintage ’30s era look to modern fashion in the sixties. Suddenly everything old was new again. Van Runkle’s designs were at the height of 60s chic. She is responsible for both trendsetting and for cementing Faye Dunaway’s place as a style icon of the decade.

 

 

Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design, is a treasure trove of Hollywood’s most tantalizing costumes.

Written by Academy Award-nominated costume designer and former President of the Costume Designers Guild,  Deborah Nadoolman Landis,  who draws on years of extraordinary research, including original sketches and photographs—many of them previously unpublished.   

At Luscious, we have a new love: jewelry designer Samantha Wills and her exotic and beach-inspired designs.

Since her first collection, Samantha has only gathered steam and momentum, particularly in the US where her collections have been adopted by a plethora of admirers including several Hollywood A-listers including Eva Mendes, Rhianna, Ashlee Simpson and Pink!

The items below are from the Samantha Wills SATC Closet:

There’s no denying that fashion trends are taking a step back in time, where old is now new again and vintage is the new ‘must-have’.

Sensing the shift in fashion trends towards vintage clothing and apparel in 2009, she founded her own blog and online store that has since grown in popularity to amazing proportions.

By July 2010, she had already accumulated well over 50,000 facebook fans and offers designer giveaways each month to a lucky few to reward them for their loyalty and support.

Not bad for a Sydney girl. Perhaps it is not so surprising when she not only offers unique and high quality items, but models them herself on her blog, Facebook page, Twitter and eBay store.  

Nicole uploads new pieces regularly and sells every single piece, so be sure to check her ebay store and make regular bids to secure your favourite piece. 

See our Gary Pepper Vintage photo gallery.

We’ve fallen in love with John Galliano all over again after his Haute Couture collection for Christian Dior was presented in Paris.

The 2010 spring/summer extravaganza played on the fine-grooming and elegance of equestrian sports and ‘dressage’ before developing into a presentation of some of the most gorgeous romantic dresses we’ve seen in years!

Galliano embraced his true romantic with oversized ball gowns, layers of lace, cinched waists and above the elbow length gloves, all of which just screamed early 20th century beauty queen! 

Focusing mostly on pastel colours and precision detailing, not only are these dresses absolutely dreamy, we can’t keep our eyes off the oversized jewellery put with them! 

Huge drop earrings, multiple-stringed chokers and enormous bangles were giving each couture dress an edgy, modern revamp. If Cinderella were alive today, she would have bought the whole collection!

If you’re like me and cannot imagine affording haute couture (or even having an occasion to wear it), try out Galliano’s amazing fragrance appropriately named, John Galliano.  It’s floral, flirty and positively delicious!

Learn more about John Galliano and Christian Dior from Wikipedia.
 

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Watch Part One of the show, below, from YouTube, and Part Two here.
 

Learn more about Dior thanks to this delicious book, Backstage Dior, by photographer Roxanne Lowit (Photographer) and Valerie Steele (Contributor). John Galliano wrote the Foreword. 

It would make a gorgeous present for a fashionista friend.

See also this biography by Colin McDowell, not surprisingly entitled, John Galliano. And these Diptyque John Galliano Candles.

Find out who else makes it onto our Luscious List of people in the world of fashion, beauty and homewares. Or read up on style icons - more icons being added each week.

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As excited as I might be about Tim Burton’s new masterpiece Alice in Wonderland, I have to admit I was a little more excited back in 2003 to see Grace Coddington’s Alice in Wonderland shoot for American Vogue, starring Natalia Vodianova as Alice Liddell.

The superwoman of a stylist collaborated with renowned fantasy photographer Annie Leibovitz to create a fashion spread of glamour genius.

Featuring a stellar cast including Karl Largerfeld, Viktor and Rolf as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, John Galliano as The Red Queen and Christian Lacroix as the Mad Hatter.

Take a step through the looking glass (and away from your day) by checking out the images here (small versions) and at the Vogue website (larger versions).

The Vogue version includes the names of the participants and designers of the fabulous frocks.

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Apparently one in ten of us have atleast six unworn items hanging in our wardrobes. And with the Credit Crunch constantly on our conscience, it is becoming harder to not feel guilty about these ‘still with tags attached’ items hanging in our wardrobes – along with other ensembles you know you will never wear again.

The answer: Why not host an ingenious, girls-only shopping soirée known as a ‘Swap-Shop’. It’s a great way to acquire coveted clothes, get together with your friends, and leave the purses at home for the night. Style will save us all: money, the environment and wardrobe failure!

Planning: Make a night of it by inviting all of your girlfriends to attend. Send out invites asking them to clean out their wardrobes and bring all their unwanted clothes to the party. Remind them to check the quality of each garment to ensure there are no holes or stains etc.

The best dates for these kinds of events are at the end of a season when you switch your closets around and wardrobe cleanouts are necessary.

On the night: Set the mood of the night with some cocktails and tapas for your guests. Try to create a virtual-store atmosphere. Make sure there are rooms for people to try on and place some full-length mirrors in your entertaining area. If possible, have the clothing on hangers so that it is easy to view for all of the guests, clothing racks can be purchased for a reasonable price at stores such as Ikea. If you are unable to hang the clothes simply place all the clothing into a central pile, making it easy to rummage through.

To avoid catfights, have each guest pick a number out of a hat giving first choice to the person with the lowest number. Alternatively, the owner of each item of clothing could hold up each piece allowing everyone to view the item. The people who want the clothing raise their hands. If there is only one hand raised, that person gets the treasure. If there is more than one hand raised, play a fashion themed trivia game to settle who gets the clothing. Then simply continue to eat, drink, and trade merrily.

Aftermath: After hanging up the clothes (and your hangover), donate any leftover clothing to charity organisations or op shops. No doubt you will also start to plan next season’s Swap-Shop!

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