December 2007

Maria's Favourite Things for 2008

'Lipstick Queen' lippy in 'Saint Red' by Poppy King. It's a hot red for ladies that thought they could never pull it off.

'Evisu' Jeans from Japan. A high-end denim label from the land of sushi.

'Toywatch' by Marco Mavilla. Designed in Milan and loved by celebrities like Madonna. It's the IT watch and there are many styles to choose from.

Nokia N81 8Gb, the mobile phone that does it all. It's promoted as a music player and gaming device but it's equipped with everything you need. Get your emails on the go and read your files with QuickOffice. I love it!

Nintendo Wii, the most exciting gaming console to date.

Jodhi Meares Sells Tigerlily to Billabong

Jodhi Meares has decided to sell her swimwear label, Tigerlily, to Billabong for an undisclosed amount. The sale is estimated to be around $8 million australian dollars - which doesn't sound like a lot of money - but she will be staying on with the company to steer it creatively so, she's still on the payroll. For the immediate future, they plan to focus on the Australian market with a scope to expand to other countries as well. Billabong should enable Tigerlily to shine brighter than ever. It should be interesting to watch it grow.

AFI Awards 2007 - The Best Dressed

Last night, Melbourne was the host of the AFI Awards (Australian Film Institute). The awards honour people of the Australian film industry who were exceptional in the past year. It is an opportunity for our talent to feel appreciated and for those who are not well known to introduce themselves to the public. Naturally, you can understand then that a great frock is very important. That's right! YOU can understand it but not some of the ladies who walk the red carpet. Did someone forget to mention that shoes are part of the outfit? One particular starlet wore a light fabric which was not unsavoury until I noticed something that resembled a weapon of mass destruction, her shoes. Perhaps she needs a few tips from Cate Blanchett who stole the show...and the mic for a while. She wore a beautiful dress with a bare neckline that flattered her pregnant figure immensely. She looked radiant and just like a goddess. In all honesty, she could've been draped in a sheet and she still would've glowed. Have a look at some of our Best Dressed ladies who also shined.

Cate Blanchett

Joan Chen - Winner of 'Best Lead Actress' for 'The Home Song Stories'

 
Emily Barclay

Delta Goodrem

Jolene Anderson

Nadine Gardner

Luxury Brands Need a Conscience

WWF (World Wildlife Fund), the global environmental conservation organisation, has released an alarming report that grades Luxury brands by analysing their social and environmental responsibilities followed by performance and opportunities. They selected the ten largest luxury brand companies that are publicly traded and ranked them. Luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Bulgari are all part of the list. The ranking is based on what the companies themselves report to the ethical investment community and on what the media and non-govermental organisations state about them. The score is out of 100 and represented as a grade from A (Best) to F (Worst). The results are disturbing. No luxury goods company scored higher than a grade C+ and according to the WWF, most luxury brands are not as socially and environmentally responsible as they could be. If they are to achieve sustainability, they must adopt new strategies.
Here are the best ones followed by their grades.
1. L'Oreal (includes Lancôme, Helena Rubenstein, Kiehl’s) - C+
2. Hermès - C+
3. LVMH (includes TAG Heuer, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Guerlain, Kenzo, Givenchy) - C+
4. Coach - C
5. Tiffany & Co - D
6. Swatch (incl. Breguet, Blancpain, Omega, Rado, Longines, Tissot, Certina, Pierre Balmain) - D
7. PPR (includes the Gucci group which also controls Yves Saint Laurent, Sergio Rossi, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Balenciaga) - D
8. Richemont - D
9. Bulgari - F
10.Tods - (includes Hogan, Fay, Roger Vivier) - F
The report is called 'Deeper Luxury: quality and style when the world matters'.