July 2008

Demelza the Bully

Unless you've been living under a rock, you have probably read a thing or two about Demelza Reveley, the Winner of Australia's Next Top Model 2008. Her appearance on the show was anything but flawless as we witnessed her being the Head of the Bully Mafia who ruthlessly attacked her fellow contestant, Alamela. This in turn stalled her career before it even began. The Australian Vogue editor, Kirstie Clements, didn't approve of the bullying and although she had to go ahead with an 8 page spread that was contractual, she stunned everyone by pulling Demelza from the cover. I probably would've done the same but it's not here where I have the issue. I keep reading articles about her horrible personality and alright, we all condone this type of behaviour but we keep forgetting that Demelza is only 16 years old and although this does not excuse her actions, can we at least wait until she's 18 before we crucify her? She is a teenager and she can learn from this. Why squash the caterpillar when it has the potential of becoming a beautiful butterfly?

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Harper's Bazaar Launches Runway Report

Harper's Bazaar has launched a new publication titled 'Runway Report'. The magazine gives its readers a closer look at all the runway shows of fashion week and categorises the collections by city and designer. The magazine has a total of 220 pages - although 81 pages are advertisements - and retails for US $6.95. The first run of the 'Runway Report' has a circulation of 200,000 copies and will be on newsstands until November 1, 2008.

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Jennifer Hawkins Makes A Splash

Jennifer Hawkins is launching her own swimwear label named 'Cozi' next month. If you haven't heard any whispers about this, it's because she has intentionally kept quiet about it. She revealed that she has been working with the Myer production team for six months in order to bring her designs to life. The former Miss Universe will model her own swimwear at the launch that will take place at the Myer Sydney City store on August 28, 2008. Don't miss it!

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Posh's Favourite New Designer Keeps Climbing

Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano won the 4th season of the American Project Runway and since then, many doors have opened widely for him. He has designed for Heidi Klum and Victoria Beckham, who expressed her support on the show by saying that she would wear his clothes anytime. Beckham also invited the 22 year old to her LA pad for a private styling session. 'First in, best dressed' must apply here. Just wait until his new collections start coming out and let's see if Posh gets papped first wearing the gear.

From the Autumn 2008 Collection

After successfully playing himself on the TV series 'Ugly Betty', Siriano and his creations will also appear in the film 'Eloise in Paris' starring Uma Thurman. He plays a stylist whilst his creations will be on the runway in a scene featuring Paris Fashion Week.

He is an extremely talented designer and success is only a natural path. Look out for him at New York's Spring Fashion week but for now, check out the gorgeous Christian V Siriano Autumn 2008 Collection. I love his work!

Lindsay Lohan Maintains Her Lustre

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Lindsay Lohan may have been linked to negative publicity in the last two years but all the dirt seems to have bounced right off her. She has successfully launched a leggings line named '6126' after Marilyn Monroe's birth date. Marilyn was Lindsay's inspiration for the collection. The leggings steer away from the usual plain ones that we see everywhere and incorporate trendy styles and a price tag between US $42-$132. The leggings have apparently been extremely popular with customers and Jaye Hersh who owns the famous LA boutique 'Intuition' has stated that she sold out in the first week of stocking them. Check them out or purchase a pair at Intuition.

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'Go Fresh' with Dove for $20,000

Dove have released their 'Go Fresh' product range and they are giving you the chance to win $20,000.

The Product Range consists of 3 'Go Fresh' scents of beauty bars, body washes, deodorants and hair care products.

'Go Fresh' Energise (Yellow)

This is the Yellow range with a scent of grapefruit and lemongrass. I tried the deodorant and body wash which have a citrus-like scent and they had a freshness to them that gave a feeling of Spring. I had also tried beauty bars by Dove in the past but this one didn't just leave my face supple, it was invigorating. They're cheaper than Clinique but if you're not a fan of lathering, place them in your wardrobe because these little beauties smell great.

'Go Fresh' Fresh Touch (Green)

This is the Green range with a scent of cucumber and green tea. Now, don't let the green tea scare you. I didn't think I was going to like this one because I'm not a fan of green tea in products but they have balanced it with cucumber which has given it a smooth and very pleasant scent. I have tried the shampoo and conditioner from this range and I particularly liked the conditioner. If you have long hair - like I do - you will certainly notice a lasting softness.

'Go Fresh' Fresh Cool (Blue)

This is the Blue range with a scent of waterlily and fresh mint. I tried the deodorant and body wash and this is the scent for females who require something a little bit stronger. If your mornings are a bit slow, this body wash will certainly wake you up in the shower.

To launch the 'Go Fresh' range, Dove are running a Fresh List competition where you have the chance to win $20,000. The Fresh List is a compilation of photos showing your fresh and fun side to the world. To enter, you must upload a photo of yourself that shows you doing something that refreshes your spirit. This could be a photo of you hanging out with friends, at the beach or even in a bubble bath. Entries close on Friday, 12 September 2008 so, visit the Dove Go Fresh website now.

Helen Mirren's Pink Bikini

At the age of 62, Dame Helen Mirren has been snapped by the paparazzi in a hot pink bikini and is making headlines around the world. If you thought this was going to be about her flabby body, you thought wrong. Helen Mirren appears extremely toned and has put women who are half her age to shame. The most favourable thing about the image is that - unlike others her age - she doesn't look nipped and tucked. She looks healthy and very sexy.

Sydney Fashion Festival 2008 Tickets

The Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival is on next month from 13-17 August 2008 and the tickets have just gone on sale. The tickets provide you access to the Martin Place marquee where you will be able to watch a show featuring the new Spring/Summer collections that will be available in stores around Sydney. So, if you want to be part of the catwalks and wish to do a bit of front row star spotting, purchase your tickets now. Following is a list of the available shows and you may order your tickets through Ticketek - Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival 2008.

Wednesday 13 August

12.30pm - Charlie Brown
1.30pm - Charlie Brown
6.00pm - David Lawrence
8.30pm - RAFW Review Show #1

Thursday 14 August

10.00am - Little Ones
12.30pm - David Jones
1.30pm - David Jones
6.00pm - Jets
8.30pm - RAFW Review Show #2

Friday 15 August

12.30pm - Hot in the City
1.30pm - Hot in the City
6.00pm - New Guarde presented by Oyster
8.30pm - RAFW Review Show #3

Saturday 16 August

12.30pm - Men's & Women's Spring Collections by K-Mart
1.30pm - Men's & Women's Spring Collections by K-Mart
6.00pm - Coming Soon
8.30pm - RAFW Review Show #4

Sunday 17 August

12.30pm - Coming Soon
1.30pm - Coming Soon
7.00pm - RAFW Review Show # 5

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Having A Bad Hair Day?

If you're having a bad hair day, you'll be pleased to know that you're not alone. The experts at Dove Hair Therapy in Britain have revealed their results from research regarding women's bad hair days and the figures are shocking. They have stated that more than 85% of British women have damaged hair and more than 88% are damaging their hair on a daily basis. The most common causes are excessive colouring, daily hair washing, daily blow drying and daily heat straightening. The most common types of hair damage are split ends (57%) followed by frizz (43%) and hair breakage (35%).

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Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza Crowned Miss Universe 2008

Dayanna Mendoza from Venezuela has snatched the Miss Universe 2008 title out of 80 hopefuls in the city of Nha Trang in Vietnam.

Our very own Aussie girl, Laura Dundovic, made the semi-finals and got as far as the final 10 ladies.

The 21 year old is a psychology student from Sydney and although she walked away empty-handed, she was graceful and will surely enjoy a wonderful career in modelling. Unfortunately, Miss USA was not so graceful and either were the American newspapers. Crystle Stewart from Texas realised her worse fears as she tripped on her evening gown's train and hit the ground. She maintained her composure but the media have been extremely harsh as this is the second year in a row that the Miss USA contestant has slipped at this pageant.

The 15 semi-finalists were :
Australia, Colombia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Spain, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam

The Final 10 :
Australia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Italy, Kosovo, Mexico, Russia, Spain, United States, Venezuela

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Project Runway Australia

Project Runway Australia went to air last night and admittedly, I was pleasantly surprised. For those who are shamlessly not familiar with this television show, it consists of 12 aspiring fashion designers who compete on their creativity for a prize to be awarded at the end of the 12 week process. A contestant is eliminated each week and the last standing will win AU $100,000 to put towards launching their own collection. Kristy Hinze did an exceptional job as the host and most of the designers came up with amazing evening dresses which under the very tight time restrictions and with a limited choice of fabrics, is commendable. The show flowed well and it was great to watch but it didn't feel very Australian. The foreign accents and the unfamiliar faces didn't bring it home. Other than that, it gets my nod of approval for episode one. My prayers go out to Jason Brunsdon who is my favourite panelist and is currently battling cancer. Project Runway Australia is on Arena on Mondays at 8:30pm. For more information, visit Project Runway Australia.

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Model Health Inquiry Release Interim Report

The Model Health Inquiry was created by the British Fashion Council (BCF) in March 2007 after concerns about the health of models working at London Fashion Week. They wanted to ensure a safe and healthy environment for models working at the event and so, they have gathered an experienced panel that will research and debate the pros and cons of the fashion industry. They have currently released an interim report where they encourage feedback so, they can compile their final report which will be released in September 2008. They will enforce stringent rules in order to make sure that the industry behaves responsibly.

Potential actions include:
- A drug-free environment backstage, where smoking will not be permitted
- Models will need a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 18.5, as they feel that weighing them is inappropriate and hasn't been effective in other countries
- Models aged under 16 will not be permitted to work, while those under 18 must be chaperoned at shows
- Underage models will have restricted working hours
- Models will have to provide Good Health Certificates in order to participate at London Fashion Week

These sound great but some agencies are opposing them, feeling that they will miss out on income because many models will not make themselves available. I believe that these agencies need regulations as well. If you would like to make a submission, you may send your information with accompanying evidence to info@modelhealthinquiry.com before the end of July 2008.

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