November 2007

Beckham Launches New Fragrance in Sydney

David Beckham may have left for New Zealand but Sydney is still buzzing with Beckham fever. David arrived in Sydney for a friendly football match between LA Galaxy and Sydney FC. It took place on Tuesday night and excited fans got to watch him play for 90 minutes without any complaints, even though he took a hit on his troubled ankle. Yesterday, this eager to please gentleman launched his new fragrance at Myer's city store in Sydney. He took time to answer questions and did more than enough for the fans and the media. He told everyone that he would love to come back to Australia with his family and that his wife Victoria couldn't be here as she is preparing for the Spice Girls tour. The new Posh and Becks fragrances are called 'Intimately Beckham Night'.

Karen Millen heads to New York

Karen Millen is an upmarket British label for women and one of my favourites. They have great ensembles, they don't skimp on the quality of their fabrics and their clothes are well made. No threads or crooked stitching to be seen here folks. I wore a Karen Millen top during one of my birthday dinners last week and several people commented on it. The detail was simply stunning. If you haven't been into one of their stores, you can expect to walk in, find a beautiful dress and before you leave, you will probably pick up a matching bag and shoes in the same fabric or colour. When I lived in High Street Kensington in London, I used to walk past Karen Millen everyday and their windows changed so often that it was hard to resist the temptation to buy something new. They just reeled customers right into the store. I suspect the same will happen to the ladies of New York who are about to have their first Karen Millen experience next month. The company plans to open up to 75 shops in the US within the next 3 years. In Australia, Karen Millen has already been embraced in the shopping capitals with more shops due to open soon.

The December Covers of Fashion

December may be just around the corner but the buzz surrounding the fashion magazine covers for the last month of the year has already begun. The December issues have been packed with great content and the celebrity of their choice but some seem to be in a league of their own. Have a look at the following covers. I'm sure you'll agree.

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Harper's BAZAAR US features Renée Zellweger .............British Vogue features Sienna Miller

Tommy Hilfiger rumour... NOT TRUE

If you are still receiving emails or reading stories on the internet about Tommy Hilfiger being a racist, allow me to untangle the story for you.

The rumour states:
"I'm sure many of you watched the recent taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show where her guest was Tommy Hilfiger. On the show, Oprah asked him if he had said, 'If I had known African-Americans, Hispanics, Jews and Asians would buy my clothes, I would not have made them so nice. I wish these people would not buy my clothes, as they are made for upper-class white people.' His answer to Oprah was a simple 'Yes' when she asked him, and she then immediately asked him to leave her show."

The truth:
Oprah has been on the air for 21 years and Tommy Hilfiger had never appeared on the show. He was invited to make his first ever Oprah show appearance in May 2007 because of this rumour that has been circulating the internet for 10 years and they decided to set the record straight. They both clarified that he never made such a statement and that the rumoured Oprah show where she kicks him out never happened.

The rumour has some humour.
Here is the latest. It is now being circulated amongst the Greeks around the world who seem a bit numb to discover that Hilfiger who is extremely popular in Greece, hates them. The email comes with an attached article from a Greek publication written by a journalist who decided to add a little twist to the story. She stated that Hilfiger also mentioned 'Greeks' in the list of those that apparently shouldn't buy the Hilfiger clothes and makes a closing statement for people to think well and hard before they purchase Tommy Hilfiger products. The article has a picture of Oprah on the left and Jennifer Aniston on the right. As you probably know, Aniston is Greek and now it appears as if Tommy also hates Greece's favourite girl, Jen.

The Tommy Hilfiger rumour is NOT TRUE yet it is still spinning out of control. If you wish to find out more, there is a clip and transcripts on the Oprah site about it.

Chocolate Couture Collection 2007

"What's this all about?", I hear you ask. The 2007 Haute Chocolate Couture Collection took place in New York and it is a fashion show where models walk the runway in edible clothing made out of chocolate. No, I am not having you on. One of the models, Ashley Moss, wore a dress made of chocolate cookies. The very patient model strutted 6 pounds of chocolate, 8 pounds of butter and 600 cookies. Hopefully, they fed everyone beforehand because surely, they wouldn't want their guests to get hungry prior to this show or they could chew on a couple of dresses and it'd be all over.

The 12th Annual Victoria's Secret Show got all Spiced Up

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Victoria Beckham... ..Geri Halliwell ................Mel C................ Emma Bunton..............Mel B

There is always a lot of anticipation before a Victoria's Secret Show but this year, it was seriously spectacular. The Spice Girls took the stage for their long awaited reunion and they seem to have won over the American public. Maybe this is why they have sold 55 million albums worldwide. The girls were dynamite.

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Heidi Klum & Seal......Karolina Kurkova

The beautiful Heidi Klum was also there to strut the runway in an amazing outfit while her husband, Seal, performed on stage. If you noticed the girl in the huge wings, that was Czech model, Karolina Kurkova. The collection was fantastic but I was mostly delighted to see an absence of malnourished looking girls whose legs look like they require fat injections. This show was refreshing and reminded me of the old days when supermodels looked hot and healthy. Remember Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer, Elle MacPherson? Take note designers. Size 0 is so passé. On another note, CBS will air the 12th Annual Victoria's Secret Show on December 4, 2007.

Manolo Blahnik honoured with a CBE by the Queen

Manolo Blahnik, the London based shoe designer that Carrie from Sex and the City always raved about, was honoured with the Commander of the British Empire (CBE) award by Queen Elizabeth II. This award is given to those who have a significant role in their industry. He was recognised for his long term contribution and services to fashion but also for being one of the most successful and influential designers of our time. Manolo was born in the Canary Islands (Spain) and opened his first store in Chelsea (London) in 1973. He is 65 years old and his Manolo's are more popular than ever.

Warehouse settled Jimmy Choo dispute over Marin clutch bag

   
.Warehouse. ..... .................................Jimmy Choo

Jimmy Choo took copyright action against the UK chain, Warehouse, over the similarity of a clutch bag that they were selling. The Jimmy Choo 'Marin' clutch retails at £650 (AU $1500 / US $1350) compared to the Warehouse version which retails at £20 (AU $45 / US $40). Warehouse were apparently embarrassed by the news and managed to reach an out-of-court settlement with Jimmy Choo. Additionally, they withdrew the bags from their stores and were forced to destroy them.

Barbie Luxe by Patricia Field

Patricia Field, our favourite stylist of TV's Sex and the City, collaborated with Mattel to create 'Barbie Luxe by Patricia Field'. It's a Barbie-inspired collection for adult women which includes dresses, sportswear, jewellery and handbags. It is available from Macy's East and Patricia's 'House of Field' boutique in New York. The high-end line will be available in Spring 2008 (USA) and as Barbie and Patricia have been influencing fashion for decades, the price is right up there.

PC Game 'Fashion Cents' goes Deluxe

'Fashion Cents Deluxe' is the enhanced version of the PC fashion game for girls. It is a dress-up game where you have a selection of clothes and accessories in several colours and styles and the objective is to mix and match clothing items to create colour co-ordinated outfits. You receive bonus points by adding accessories such as glasses or purses and there are also special items such as bleach or scissors to style your clothes. It was developed by the family-owned My Game Company and though it is a simple game, it is really addictive. You can download a trial of ' Fashion Cents Deluxe' (Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP) and if you enjoy it as much as I did, you can purchase a copy for US $19.99 (AU $22.75, UK £9.75). The game is also available for Mac and Linux users.

MARRIA® Fashion Blog makes Top 10 in Fashion News

Customized Girl has listed MARRIA® Fashion Blog in the Top 100 Fashion Blogs. MARRIA® Fashion Blog has made the Top 10 in the 'News & Tips' category and as there are thousands of fashion blogs floating around the internet, this is wonderful. Wait for it... Here comes the speech. I would like to thank all the people who have emailed this site to express how much they love it. It is read by people from around 70 countries worldwide and the list keeps growing. Thank you again for your continued support.

Excerpt from Customized Girl: Top 100 Fashion Blogs
MARRIA® Fashion Blog: Maria Patapis brings on the fashion news from Down Under in Australia with panache.

Kylie's Sparkling Deal with TOUS

Kylie Minogue is back and our Aussie girl evidently missed her professional life so much that she has launched herself right into it. In a matter of weeks, she attended and was honoured with a Q Idol award at the Q Awards, she released a new single called '2 Hearts', she performed and was also honoured with the Music Industry Trusts (MIT) award, her 'White Diamond' documentary entered cinemas around the world, she created Kylie Konnect, a social networking site for her fans and now she has signed a 3 year deal as the face of the luxurious Spanish jewellery brand 'Tous'. Some of you may remember that she wore Tous jewellery to the premiere of her documentary in London and at the MIT awards. The 2008 campaign is being shot this month and will be rolled out worldwide next year.

Stylish Mum, Fashionable Daughter

It seems that style is inherited through your genes and if your mama has some, the odds are definitely in your favour. Have at look at some of the mother and daughter teams that the paparazzi just can't get enough of.

Ivana & Ivanka Trump

Madonna & Lourdes

Goldie Hawn & Kate Hudson (left)

Blythe Danner & Gwyneth Paltrow (left)

Bianca & Jade Jagger

Priscilla Presley (left), Lisa Marie Presley (right), Riley Keough (centre)  

The ACE Awards 2007

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The ACE (Accessories Council Excellence) Awards were created in 1996 to honour individuals and companies that bring awareness to the accessories industry. Awards are given to designers, retailers, journalists, celebrities and emerging companies. The 11th Annual ACE Awards took place in New York and Marc Jacobs was awarded 'Designer of the Year'. We all know that his accessories are amazing but what some people may not be aware of is that he also designs accessories for Louis Vuitton. Project Runway producer and host, Heidi Klum who also has her own jewellery line won the 'Fashion Influencer' award and Mandy Moore won the 'Fashion Innovator' award. The ladies were honoured by peers and the industry for their influence and personal style respectively.

Melbourne Cup Fashions on the Field Winner 2007

New Zealander, Lorraine Cookson is the winner of the Melbourne Cup: MYER Fashions on the Field 2007 at Flemington Race Course. Her stunning outfit was a classic ivory silk skirt combined with a grey jacket and matching hat, shoes and bag. Cookson who is pictured above wearing the MYER sash, created the outfit herself and has previously won other fashion competitions at the races. Perhaps, it's time she considers a business. The award was presented to her by former Miss Universe and current face of MYER, Jennifer Hawkins.

Maria Callas at Sotheby's London

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The original diva of Soprano, Maria Callas, may have died 30 years ago but La Divina's presence still surrounds us. To mark the anniversary, Sotheby's in London is holding an exhibition titled 'Maria Callas and Her Pygmalion: Her Life with Giovanni Battista Meneghini' between 11-13 November, 2007. She was married to Meneghini before she left him for a lengthy love affair with her compatriot Aristotle Onassis, the Greek shipping magnate. The collection of paraphernalia was released by the late Meneghini's estate and includes jewels, evening dresses, love letters, photographs, paintings and furniture. The items will be auctioned at Sotheby's Milan on 12 December, 2007 and I hear that the Greek goverment will attempt to purchase as many of Callas' last remaining items as possible.

NIKE iD in London

NIKE iD has finally opened a London studio under the roof of Nike Town at Oxford Circus. For those who are not familiar with it, it is a service where you customise the style of NIKE shoes that you want. You choose the colours, fabrics and laces and you can even add your name to personalise them further. Your one-off design is sent to the factory and shipped to you a few weeks later. The London studio offers 54 different shoe styles and a wide variety of options that will drive sneaker freakers mad. I can't wait until Sydney gets its own. Check out NIKE iD online.

Brooke's heels cause crash

Brooke Shields was driving home while wearing a pair of platform patent leather heels. She allegedly got her heel wedged under the accelerator and while in a state of panic managed to press the pedal but it was the wrong one. She hit the accelerator instead of the brake and crashed her car into her house. Ladies, be careful when driving in heels, especially stilettos. They're not safe and the heels can get damaged.