You may have heard the rumors. You may have felt the excitement. I am going to Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, May 3 to 7, in Sydney, Australia. I will be there as a volunteer, working as an usher at the onsite venue for the whole week – which means access to shows I would never to get to see as a member of the public, or even as a small time fashion blogger.

Stay tuned to Sarah’s Style Emporium for lot’s of news, fashion and behind the scenes news – and also happenings in Sydney – I have only ever been once before and that was some time ago!

The flights are booked, the accomodation is secured and fellow vollie Jen (Twitter: @lookitsjennie) and I are making our plans to rock the Sydney fashion scene. One week to go!

http://www.rafw.com.au for official schedules and news.

Possibly, some of you remember the Shopping Tour I went on just prior to Spring Racing season last year, and the bargains I procured? Perhaps not. I do seem to get a lot of bargains so if your memory needs refreshing visit the post here and then be inspired to return to some of these fabulous outlets just in time for Mother’s Day and thanks to Jackie’s Shopping Tours Trade Secrets. All outlets are open to the public on May 1, 2010 only for your shopping pleasure.

NATIO COSMETICS
17 MARINE PARADE, ABBOTSFORD
10.00AM – 3.00PM
Large warehouse full of discounted and overstocked lines.  Perfect Mother’s Day gifts available at 50% off retails.  Be early as some stock is limited.
Body care, cosmetics starting from $2.00, fragrances and a great range of gift packs as seen in David Jones and Myer.

SIX DOLLAR WAREHOUSE
FACTORY 6 / 2D INDWE STREET, WEST FOOTSCRAY
8.30AM – 4.00PM
By popular demand, the Six Dollar Warehouse is back with massive savings on quality clothing for the whole family.
Get more bang for your buck for mum this Mother’s Day with great specials including;
Ladies casual tops were $44.99 now JUST $6.00
Maxi Dresses were $69.99 now JUST $6.00
Ladies business pants and shirts down from $39.99 to $6.00

BEACHES FASHION
CORNER LYGON STREET & BRUNSWICK ROAD, EAST BRUNSWICK
8.30AM – 3.00PM
Thousands of garments under one massive roof. Up to 70% of recommended retails prices!  Men’s, women’s and children’s wear including a huge range of great sleepwear at bargain prices.
Mother’s Day Specials
Selected ladies pyjamas from only $10.00
Selected kids pyjamas starting from $7.00
 
CLASSICA KITCHEN
FACTORY 2 / 12 LINCOLN STREET, EAST BRUNSWICK
8.30AM – 1.00PM
Classica wholesales top quality kitchen brands such as Pyrex, Wilshire, Salter, Tefal and many more.  Non-stick saucepans, frypans, baking dishes and cake tins, kitchen accessories, utensils, glassware, crockery, cutlery.

LE VON LINGERIE WAREHOUSE
FACTORY 19 TRADE PLACE, COBURG NORTH
8.30AM – 1.00PM
Hundreds of lingerie bargains for mum including underwear for kids and men.
Brands include, Bendon, Davenport, Le Von, Diamond Cut, Triumph.
Bras, knickers, sleepwear – you name it!  You’ll find it at Le Von. 

NINETEEN NINETY NINE
96 ROKEBY STREET, COLLINGWOOD
8.30AM – 3.00PM
Predominately women’s wear, including larger sizes from brands you’d find in major retailers.  Limited children’s wear available. 
Over 20,000 garments to choose from with nothing priced over $19.99.

This last outlet was one of my personal favourites from the Shopping Tour last year and you can be sure i’ll be sneaking in a visit on May 1!
Visit /www.jackiesshoppingtours.com.au to register to be in the know for all future sales and specials from Jackie!

This past Saturday I frocked up in the middle of the day to attend a Bridal Shower for my friend and editor of Onya Magazine, Sandi. After a fabulous morning of shopping – the Satch sale was to die for! – I wore a daffodil yellow silk dress purchased at the aforementioned sale, with gunmetal grey Betts heels and purple Faith quilted clutch. Heading to the Langham hotel in Melbourne for High Tea in a cab (and running a tiny bit late because of roadworks) I couldn’t help but feel a bit special. The Melbourne sun was shining, I had an excuse to get dressed up when it wasn’t evening and I was about to spend an afternoon doing glamorous and refined things with a group of wonderful women. When the concierge at the Langham opened my cab door, I wondered how much better the day could get.

But it did. As I walked up the wide staircase at the Langham, water fountains and chandeliers abound, I entered the Aria lounge where the chocolate bar is located and the High Tea was to take place. Tiny sandwiches, scones, jam and cream covered our tables (gluten free sandwiches and fresh fruit for me!) with linen napkins wrapped in Alice in Wonderland inspired napkin rings and plenty of tea for the table. Only a hop and skip away, the glorious chocolate bar – an indulgent table covered in gourmet chocolate goodies of all types, shapes and sizes – lay in wait for us to collect our plates and succumb to the lure of tarts, tortes and tea.

The afternoon was all things fabulous and just the kind of thing I love to do. In fact, we did discuss the possibility of undertaking this kind of thing more often, perhaps taking up a life of leisure and enjoying High Tea of a daily basis. Unfortunately this soon seemed unlikely due to monetary constraints.

As our High Tea drew to a close, six of the lovely ladies continued on to Left Bank, a lounge/bar located at Southbank. With the weather being as brilliant as it was, the balmy atmosphere while we strolled by outdoor street entertainers and Melburnians enjoying their Saturday made you wish the day could last forever. Left Bank has a spectacular cocktail list, of which I enjoyed a Raspberry and Vanilla Collins followed by a Left Bank Iced Tea. I could have stayed for hours. The décor is muted and with curtains, cushions, mirrors, opulent fabrics and earthy colours and the bar is a great place for relaxing and casual catch ups.

Unfortunately my Hawks got run over by the Magpies on Saturday night, but nothing could really take away from what was an amazing day. I still secretly hope one day I might be able to live a life where high tea and cocktails are the way I spend my days, but I think I have more chance of the Hawks having at least one win this year. I can dream.

Image One: Chocolate Bar at the Langham, Melbourne
Image Two: Cocktails at Left Bank – Peach and Basil Martini and Left Bank Iced Tea
Image Three: Bride to be Sandi and I at Left Bank
(all images thanks to Sandi Tighello)

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

Coco Chanel

After a quite long day at work, last night I attended the National Breast Cancer Foundation Fundraiser at the Hotel Barkly, St Kilda. Having attended a similar event last year (http://sarahsstyleemporium.onsugar.com/Girls-Networking-Night—support-National-Breast-Cancer-Foundation-4370679) I was quite looking forward to a night of champagne, mingling and fashion!

Hosted by Blondies Fashion Boutiques (and Gloss by Blondies), for just $40 (with all proceeds going to the National Breast Cancer Foundation) you would receive a night of fashion, a glass of champagne (or a cocktail!) on arrival and a gift bag on departure. In addition to supporting a very worthwhile cause, any of these was reason enough to come out on a chilly Thursday night.

The champagne went down a treat and it wasn’t long before Amber Renae of Project Runway fame graced the runway with her presence to welcome the ladies in attendance to an exceptional evening of fashion. The first parade, featuring Gloss by Blondies, was targeted at the younger set – younger being the right side of 35. Animal prints, furs and bright colours were all the rage – oranges, purples and reds making a particular statement. With a hint of metallic, the models made the parade fun with lot’s of smiles, hamming it up and overzealous jacket removal.

After some more champagne and a lucky door prize draw, the show continued with labels featured under the Blondies brand. Targeted at the ‘other’ side of 35 (although totally wearable pieces for all ages), we saw lot’s of layering, draping and jackets, counteracted with pieces that included structured shoulders and corporate frocks. With a few more ‘out their’ pieces in bold colours and fabrics, the parade certainly left nothing to be desired and had something for everyone’s taste and style.

There was a final flurry of sales for raffle tickets while Amber Renae thanked all the sponsors for their support, then owner of Blondies, Joanne Griffin drew the prizes. I’d like to say it was totally unexpected but no one would believe me – I won first prize in the raffle. I truly have no idea how I continue to win so many competitions but I am grateful. I received a $750 gift voucher for Blondies to pick out a complete outfit by label Found By. I look forward to my little (or big!) shopping adventure soon!

Keep an eye on the National Breast Cancer Foundation Website for more exciting events to attend.

www.blondies.com.au
www.nbcf.org.au

Can you tell this was my favourite model? More pictures to come in a facebook album!!

I know I have already bought two pairs of shoes this week. And two tops. And a jacket. I know. But when someone says SALE, I just can’t make my credit card behave.

So here are three of my favourites for this weekend. Happy Shopping ladies (and gentlemen!)!

SASS AND BIDE Melbourne Warehouse Sale
Collingwood Town Hall
140 Hoddle Street
Collingwood

Friday 16 April 10am – 9pm
Saturday 17 April 10am – 5pm
Sunday 18 April 10am – 3pm

Cash, EFTPOS and major credit cards accepted, reductions of 50% to 70% off RRP

(Upcoming sales in Adelaide – 30 April to 2 May, Brisbane – 13 May to 16 May and Sydney 27 May to 30 May)

SATCH Warehouse Sale
100 Langridge Street
Collingwood

Friday 16 April 12pm – 8pm
Saturday 17 April 10am – 6pm
Sunday 18 April 10am – 6pm

Mens and Womens clothing all UNDER $100

ONLINE – COCO LEE Ben Sherman Sale
www.cocolee.com.au

Image: Sass and Bide Designers Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton, thanks to Daily Telegraph

Lot’s of people who have met me say I have stunning blue eyes. I am very lucky in this respect – my eyes truly are a feature I am proud of, which is why I can’t stand wearing my glasses and opt for contact lenses. With my vision (or lack thereof) I’m always going to need some kind of magnification device but for ten years now I have been a contact lens devotee and putting on my glasses just manages to make me mad.

Glasses make it harder to put on makeup, and you can’t see most of it behind the frames anyway. I find it impossible to wear a headband because the arms of the glasses rest on the plastic and dig into my scalp (or perhaps I just have a big head?) Making coffee fogs them up and at night the light reflection from oncoming cars is just downright dangerous.

But what of contact lenses? I truly couldn’t live without them but then all the nights I have gone to sleep with them in by accident come back to haunt me, or getting halfway to work and realising one is torn and being blind in one eye for the rest of the day or discovering I forgot to order a new box when I used up the last set. Too much make up will irritate and everyone always assumes I am wearing lenses because of the intensity of the colour of my eyes.

I can’t win!

Which is why, I am considering laser surgery. I hear it’s expensive. I also hear there are two ways to do it – one easy and the other painful. Have you experienced laser eye surgery? Have you thought about it? I need anecdotal evidence that this is a good idea!! HELP!

We would probably never have dreamt that 2 and a half minutes of footage could dictate the next 6 months of shopping trends but when it comes to Sex and the City, anything is possible. While our favourite foursome run around NYC in sky high heels then jet off to Abu Dubai to don maxi dresses and sandals, the adoring public will be hitting the stores to get their look faster than the labels we love can make them.

Here are a few key looks from the new extended trailer (view the old and new here if you haven’t yet!)– something for everyone no matter which character your personality embodies!

Charlotte – This pink ‘50s style ensemble with Dior bag is gorgeous but Charlotte is definitely the only one who could pull it off (although having said that, Gossip Girls’ Blair would give it a roaring go). Prim and proper housewife-esque, the outfit screams Upper East Side and the double pink is a Patricia Field signature.

Miranda – In a jumpsuit/onesie. Usually a questionable choice and I’m still not sure it works. The colours kind of blend too much with her hair colour and the print seems to have too much going on for an all in one piece. Even the jacket is all matchy-matchy. Love Charlotte’s candy stripe skirt though.

Samantha – The queen of cool, gold, and embellishment. Love, love, love the statement shoulders on this red number, bring on the bling! Sam works colour really well, the boldness matches her personality and style. Note Miranda in green this image and the one up top – green with red hair is a winner.

Carrie – What can we say about Carrie? Never a foot wrong, eccentric, girly, classy, cool – the fabulous fashionista has done it again. My favourite look thus far is the casual Dior tee with the full circle purple skirt, which from what I can tell is knee length in front and floor length at the back, as seen when Carrie runs into Aidan at the street market. I’d also love to know how that girl managed to get all that tulle into her suitcase. In other looks, Carrie channels Diane Keaton for Stanford’s nuptials and a country getup reminiscent of the Aidan/Big country house episode for a stroll down the street in NYC.

The 80s are a major influence as well as multicultural styles – think turbans, maxi dresses, scarves and COLOUR! Grab yourself a pair of aviator sunglasses now – these will definitely not be around for long!!

Thanks to www.sassybella.com; www.aceshowbiz.com and www.sexandthecitymovie.org for movie stills – visit these guys for more SATC2 shots and style!

I like to think I know a bit about fashion, but when it comes to beauty, I’m not the one you should talk to. A high school friend is my go to girl for hair, a former housemate a makeup queen and an expensive system of buying skincare products just to give them a go is usually how that area works. I generally wear the same make up to work as I do for a night on the town (with a second coat of mascara) and arrive at my look through a ‘that’ll do’ type attitude. Sometimes it’s just a fluke that it turns out so well.

This is where www.primped.com.au comes in. A website with the tagline ‘The go-to for the how-to in beauty’, former Cosmo and Harpers Bazaar girl Zoe Foster brings together everything you might ever want or need to know about hair and beauty trends and products – in the same way fashion magazines do. With an excess of articles, videos and reviews, PRIMPED has everything the average girl needs to know about beauty, without knowing much to begin with. 

It was my pleasure to attend the PRIMPED look book event at David Jones Bourke Street Mall this past Friday, held twice yearly to coincide with the release of the seasonal mini magazine highlighting the products and trends of the moment. Presented by Zoe herself, we tour the beauty floor at DJs while Zoe tells us all about the new colours, styles and products we should be using for Autumn Winter 2010.

While everything Zoe tells us fills my brain with ideas and new things to try, by time our tour is done I am feeling overwhelmed with all the stuff we girls are meant to know. Luckily we were given a copy of the current PRIMPED mini mag (get yours at your local David Jones) and an amazing gift bag filled with all products we had talked about to try and test. Now when I say amazing – I mean BRILLIANT. Fantastic. Awesome. Insert other adjective here. WOW.

So here it is, the list of products I was lucky enough to receive on Friday. Watch this space for my favourites and I look forward to seeing the PRIMPED team again in six months!

– dermalogica shave sample pack
– dermalogica clean start sample pack
– YvesSaintLaurent Radiant Touch sample
– YvesSaintLaurent mascara sample
– Ojon Hair restorative treatment sample (2)
– Ojon Hair shine and protect 60ml shampoo
– Ojon Hair hydrating thickening 60ml conditioner
– Endota Spa nail file
– Endota Spa organic hand cream 20ml
– Dr LeWinns pure essence eye gel sample
– Dr LeWinns pure essence day and night fluid 20ml
– Rimmel After Dark Eyeshadow compact
– Rimmel mascara
– Rimmel lasting finishing minerals loose powder foundation
– Rimmel royal gloss Lipgloss
– Ultraceuticals professional ultra A Smoothing Complex sample
– Ultraceuticals professional protective daily moisturiser sample 
– David Jones ultra shine lipgloss (2)
– Napoleon Auto Pilot sample
– Burt’s Bees beeswax lip balm
– O.P.I Rapid Dry topcoat nail polish sample
– Bobbi Brown colour gloss sample
– Abahna white grapefruit and may chang 50ml body lotion
– Terax haircare trial pack
– Dr. Hauschka rose day cream sample
– Kora hand cream treatment sample
– Kora organic rich body lotion 200ml
– Natio glow skin brightening balm 50g
– Becca mineral SPF primer 15ml
– Model Co liplights ultrashine lipgloss
– Gucci Flora perfume sample (2)
– Sally Hansen lip inflation extreme
– Sally Hansen airbrush legs 75ml (2)
– Evodia Australia passion des tropiques parfum 200ml
– Living Nature vitalising cleanser 10ml
– A’kin cleanser and toner 30ml
– A’kin vital hydration gel crème 50ml
– Dior Miss Dior Cherie parfum 5ml sample
– Hissyfit sample pack

I love the show. I love the movie. I love the clothes, the shoes, the bags. I love Sex and the City. The sequel opens in less than 2 months and Reading Cinemas are offering the first on sale tickets, plus the option to watch the first film immediately before. I’m so excited I can barely breathe! Watch the trailer here and get on the bandwagon.