MARRIA® Fashion Blog

Tara Reid's MANTRA

Tara Reid has been critised for being a party girl and she has been frowned upon for accepting small amounts of appearance money for some events but nobody cared to mention that this girl has been struggling for a while to get regular work. So, what do you when Hollywood stops calling? You become a fashion designer. Tara got fed up with her lack of job offers and decided to focus her energy on Mantra, her very own clothing line. The collection includes swimsuits and casualwear decorated with coloured beads and charms. Every piece has a special bead and its colour signifies something. Red is for love, pink is for friendship, green is for luck and black is for protection. She launched the label in Las Vegas on Monday, 25 August, 2008 and if you'd like to find out more information, go to Mantra by Tara Reid but be patient as there is not much there yet.

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Carla Zampatti Wins Australian Fashion Laureate 2008

The Australian Fashion Laureate 2008 has been awarded to fashion designer, Carla Zampatti. The award is given to an individual in the Australian fashion industry who has made a significant contribution in the growth, development and promotion of the Australian fashion industry. The candidates must carry out their work within Australia and the award is not limited to designers.

Zampatti migrated from Italy to Australia as a child and launched her label in 1965. She currently owns a retail chain of 30 stores (incl. concept stores) across the country. She is also chairwoman of SBS.

The event took place at the Heritage Ballroom of the Westin Hotel Sydney and she accepted the award from Akira Isogawa who was last year's winner.

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When You Just Don't Cut It

Larry King wearing a pair of Ed Hardy shoes

Barbara Walters wearing an Ed Hardy hoodie on The View

What do you do when those who don't fit your image are wearing your gear? I'm referring to Larry King who was spotted - not for the first time - wearing a pair of Ed Hardy shoes while having coffee at Rodeo Drive and Barbara Walters who appeared in one of their hoodie tops on The View. Christian Audigier (the designer) is happy to bonjour everyone and hand out freebies to many celebrities but what happens when people don't fit the look? Would it damage the image of the brand?

Ed Hardy is a contemporary street wear label (they call it tattoo wear) that has mainly focussed on a youthful target market. We are used to seeing pictures of Paris, Beckham and Ronaldo in Ed Hardy as opposed to demure journalists of a certain age. It's been a highly successful brand over the last few years but could the wrong image affect its performance? Would younsters feel that the line is not cool anymore or would they simply - like Audigier - not be bothered? Burberry, on the other hand, are extremely bothered. If you're not Burberry material, they want you to pack it up and move it elsewhere. That is, your cash. According to recent articles, if you don't have the look, they don't want your money.

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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.