Whilst dashing between MSFW Industry events, I managed to pop into the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week Hub to catch the Ben Sherman parade – and honestly? I was impressed. This high street label usually known for their menswear is stepping up and I can see myself buying many of their Spring Summer offering to be dressed up for the races, or dressed down for a Sunday BBQ.
Here are a few of my faves. You can find all these looks in store at Ben Sherman now.
The sun has come out and spring racing is just around the corner. I couldn’t be more excited. Watching the selection of David Jones racewear at the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week Hub Parade this week has inspired my creatvity for the coming season, and allowed my mind to wander towards headpieces, facinators and frocks for Flemington.
It’s very rare I get invited to an event that my boyfriend wants to come along to. Apparently high heels and tiny sandwiches are not his thing, but when I received an invitation recently to participate in a couples massage class, run by $30 Date Night duo Emma and Denis, he could hardly say no.
So on a very chilly Sunday morning, we arrived at the Como Hotel ready to learn how to ‘make your partner melt’ (all fully dressed of course!). Together with four other couples, we were welcomed to the session and made to feel quite at ease (which, given we were there to learn how to massage each other, was a good way to start!)
I promise the class is far more modern than this. But this image amuses me.
Denis, a qualified masseuse himself, demonstrated some of the techniques on his partner Emma, before each couple in the class would have a go themselves. Taking it in turns, we each spent ten minutes massaging our partner and perfecting our skills, before switching places.
An hour or so later, we were all good and relaxed – the only thing missing was some candles and a bit of bom-chicka-wow-wow music. The group laughed easily as Denis made suggestions as to how a relaxing massage at the end of a hard day could easily turn into a romantic night for two.
By the end of the session, we were all armed with a few techniques designed to make our partners turn a little stress into a big smile, though I don’t think any of us will be charging for our services anytime soon.
Feel like taking your own partner along to learn a thing or two about massage? Simply enter the code SARSTY01 when booking your own couples massage class and you’ll save $61 off the cost of the session.
And if you are looking for more ideas to spice up your relationship, visit the $30 Date Night website, where there are plenty of ways for you to have a night out on a budget.
You may have noticed that things have been a little quiet around here of late. Don’t you be thinking I’ve been sitting at home watching Sex and the City reruns in my tracksuit pants all day though – my words of wisdom have appeared in other places, much to my delight.
My brain has been ticking over penning ‘Is Retail Out of Fashion?’, a feature piece for the industry bible, Marketing Mag. As an avid reader of this publication over my years in the biz, it gives me a great thrill to see my byline on an article and my words in print.
So, go out and buy Marketing Mag (I don’t get any more money if you do, but it’s nice to know someone is reading it) and sign up to The Urban List on facebook and such so you know where to eat and shop.
Psst! The countdown is on til the new website and home of Sarah’s Style Emporium launches. Two weeks and counting kids!
While the sun might be shining outside, the chill of the air proves that we are still a little way off those balmy days and sultry nights. Plus I’m heading to the snow this weekend and not yet ready for the white stuff to melt.
Meanwhile, the fashion houses of the world are starting to bare their skin, and Spring Summer collections are appearing in our stores while we shiver looking through their windows at bikinis and tank tops.
So what will we be wearing? A few little previews I’ve been privy to in the past weeks include the delicate beading and bright colours of the Megan Park collection, the pastel delicates of Ted Baker’s Spring Racing frocks and some amazing (gorgeous!) modern eyewear at OPSM.
Sarah Wilcocks (Style Melbourne), Megan Park and I at the Megan Park Spring Summer Showing Image thanks to Urban List
Megan Park shared her latest designs with us over a luxe morning tea at her Armadale flagship store, explaining the delicate intricacies of the pieces, and the number of days spent working on the beading of an individual garment. The fluoro colours seen in the divine new jewellery collection complements the collection beautifully (and I suspect would go perfectly with my neon Antipodium jumper too!).
At a beautiful Carlton mansion, we were educated on the latest from Ted Baker, with stunning soft colours for Spring setting the bar for Spring Racing fashion very high. Over champagne and canapés, the Ted Baker team played out a clever school graduation set up, with live vignettes, and entertained the enthralled crowd with lots of laughs. Learning has never been so much fun.
The OPSM eye hub in Hawthorn is a mecca for everything eyewear, with thousands of pairs of sunnies to suit your style. We tried on DKNY, Prada, Persol, Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana, Vogue, Coach, Versace, Burberry, Armani and Ray-Ban. Between Erica from melbgirl, and myself, we tried on most of the shades in the store – and settled on our favourites. I think Erica can rock some of the more unusual designs, but perhaps I should stick to the simpler styles!
Finally, I’ve been spoilt with this pop of colour that rocks my wrist – the Baby G! A range of watches sure to brighten up any outfit. I love the blue from the Marine Collection, which is adorable! I’m usually a ‘metals’ watch kinda girl, but this one is right up my alley. My boyfriend tells me Baby G was all the rage back in the day – it seems like they are making a comeback!!
‘If you’re depressed, you’re living in the past. If you’re anxious, you’re living in the future. If you’re at peace, you’re living in the present.’ (Lao Tzu)
I very much live in the future, worrying about the endless ‘what ifs’ that come with it. I worry about things so much, so often, they can become a self fulfilling prophecy – and then I spend my time depressed about the things that could have been (living in the past) because I spent so much time being anxious (iiving in the future). Its a horribly vicious cycle.
The days when I am truly at peace, and calm and happy, are the ones where I am focussed on the now and not thinking about what could or should be.
And only the anxious people of the world can understand exactly how hard it is to live this way, and how when those good days happen, you want everyone around you to be in the exact same mood of excitement and enlightenment as you are, in order to prolong that feeling. Because as soon as someone brings up something that might have been lurking at the back of your mind, or emits any kind of stress, you are thrown right back to the place where the worry grows (because there appears to be something to worry about).
It’s kind of like the damp spots in the bathroom. You can’t see them most of the time but you know they are there. If you ignore them too long, they start to mould and grow larger and you become more aware of them. You need to manage the mould on a day to day basis – turn on the fan, or open a window – rather than ignoring it til its too late. Cause once you let it get out of control, you have to repaint the bathroom. And no one likes painting.
If you are a worrier, take it one day at a time. When the What Ifs start to creep in, take a deep breath. You don’t know what will happen tomorrow, or the day after that, or five years from now – so whats the point in creating wild and unrealistic scenarios that are only causing you stress and sleepless nights? Instead, think of bathroom mould – laugh – and take another deep breath.
Worry is a misuse of your imagination. And you are far too clever and creative to waste your time on that.
If you or someone you know is living with anxiety (like 3 million other Australians), visit http://www.beyondblue.org.au/ or call 1300 22 4636.
Ever since I turned 18, my driving career has been a series of unfortunate events. My first car accident involved me turning out of a McDonalds – with my Mum and brother in the car – and promptly sideswiping the length of my 1984 Toyota Corona along a Keep Left sign.
This accident has been the cause of many, many jokes over the years, obviously jokes aimed at making fun of my scary ability to hit inanimate objects whilst driving. You might rightly assume the Keep Left incident was the first of many fender benders, very few of which have actually involved other cars, on the road (which I suppose is a good thing?).
Let it be said that I think I’m an okay driver. When it comes to actually driving on the streets, I know my hook turns and how a roundabout works; I know you should stay in the left lane unless overtaking and I’m aware of 40km zones around schools. My Dad taught me how to drive, and I think he is an excellent driver, while my mother is a little more timid when behind the wheel. I imagine I got the best of both of them whilst on my Ls, so it’s hard to work out where I got this complete lack of spacial awareness from.
Following on from the Keep Left incident, I reversed into Dad’s 4WD in our driveway, a week after procuring a 1997 Toyota Corolla. I mowed into a brick letterbox whilst housesitting a place with a scarily narrow driveway a few years later. Then there was that time I sideswiped a street blockade in a city laneway late one night. Oops!
So yesterday, when I turned too sharply and left a significant impression on both the passenger door of my Toyota RAV4 and the trolley bay at Officeworks, I finally had to accept that perhaps I’m not such a good driver after all.
At least there were no tears this time – just a lot of cursing and the worry of who would be more upset about this particular accident – my boyfriend or my Dad. A text message to Mum to advise her of my latest incident proved just how much this kind of thing is now expected from me. Her simple reply?
How quickly six months flies by in the wonderful world of fashion, as we gathered this morning in Campbell Arcade, beneath Flinders Street Station, to launch to the ‘other’ Melbourne Fashion Event, Melbourne Spring Fashion Week.
The City of Melbourne led festival, now in its 19th year, will host over 100 events from August 31 through to September 8, showcasing trends, the hottest looks for the warmer seasons and the gems in Melbourne’s fashion crown. This mornings launch unveiled a film, starring Kate Peck and a who’s who of the Melbourne Fashion Scene, entitled ‘Reflections’, and is a glowing tribute to Melbourne and all things style.
Hosted by Rebecca Madden and Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, this years festival is again a celebration of all things Melbourne – Rebecca quoting Chanel and adding her own twist by saying ‘Fashion in Melbourne is not something that exists in dresses only. It is in the air we breathe.’
Reflections is a reflection (no pun intended!!) of this love of Melbourne, the Lord Mayor saying that the festival is not about frivolity or indulgence, but about smart manufacturing and smart design. With over 90% of the MSFW content being Melbourne derived, we can be sure this is true.
The MSFW: Designer runways will again be hosted at the Melbourne Town Hall, and will this year include a Resort collection runway. Over four nights (and at the bargain price of $35 a ticket), the best of Australia’s designers will strut their stuff on the catwalk and consumers will have the ability to shop the look in stores around Melbourne.
The MSFW: Hub returns to City Square, providing a live site where your lunch break can be filled with beauty, fashion and a retail wonderland. MSFW continues to support the up and comers in MSFW: Emerging, a platform where students from a variety of Melbourne Fashion Schools can exhibit their talent.
The industry events are one of my favourites and 2013 sees MSFW trial a new style of event for the business minded, a full day of thinking and opinions. MSFW: Industry provides the opportunity to learn and share, and is my weeks’ highlight.
Finally, the MSFW: Curated will pepper the week with cultural highlights. Fashion, art, food, film, design and culture will allow visitors to explore the city and discover what exactly makes us tick. Hidden in laneways and around corners, these events are both ticketed and free.
Aka: I don’t have to cook tonight. Or perhaps ever, again.
As I am sure you are all aware, by my incessant whinging, I recently moved house. A process I wouldn’t wish on any of you. Weeks of packing things into boxes, then onto a truck, only to carry those boxes into the new house and unpack them. A month long pain in your shoulders, back, head and wallet. Yes, it’s hideous. So my one saving grace during this period was the fact that there was no way I was cooking, you know, since half of my kitchen was in boxes and the one cooking implement I might have needed was always going to be already packed. Ah well, take away for us!
But after several nights of Thai and Pizza, even I get bored and crave veggies. Actually, pretty much anything home cooked. The timing of Gourmet Dinner Service could not have been better. Did I want to test their dinner service? Um, hell yes!
I envisioned a Lite ‘n’ Easy esque delivery of pre-prepared meals – things I could easily microwave and serve in the plastic with a fork and be done with it. I had thought how easy it would be whilst moving house to not have to worry about pots and pans and the like. And when the delivery arrived, a polystyrene box filled with ice and food, I was partly right. But this was going to be so much better than the likes of Lite ‘n’ Easy (and I know this because my old housemate used to eat it).
Even the names of the meals sounded exotic. Arabian Beef and Cinnamon Scented Lamb… and these were the ‘microwaveable’ dinners – there were also meals that required some ‘proper’ cooking, but all the prep had been done – Greek Lamb and Peri Peri Chicken, together with a collection of sides like sweet potato mash, broccoli with garlic oil and chana dhal. And the most impressive feature of all? Everything we were sent was gluten free (one MASSIVE shortcoming of other pre-prepared dinner services!!)
Amidst the moving boxes, we ate the microwavable dinners with plastic forks, and upon moving into our new abode, we served up the meals that required some cooking without the need to venture to the supermarket after a hard day unpacking. By simply adding rice to some of the meals (which I already had in the pantry), I could stretch them to feed us both and one thing on my list of ‘all the stuff I have to do today’ was ticked off.
Gourmet Dinner Service was obviously my saviour during a major life event, but for the everyday person, or couple, who is working hideous hours or trying to feed children or get to the gym after hours, this kind of service gives you the flexibility to have microwaveable, decent food, ready to go in the freezer, or saves you that 6pm run to a busy supermarket with every other person who has waited til on the way home to pick up what they need for dinner. It’s just EASIER. And the food tastes great, Win-win.
Image thanks to 
I promise the class is far more modern than this. But this image amuses me. 
Sarah Wilcocks (S
Image thanks to 
