It’s over. Pause for sobbing and uncontrollable crying. Another year over and twelve whole months until the glamour and gloss returns to our fair shores. How on earth will we cope?
The L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival bought with it a week of sunshine, lollipops and rainbows – together with frocks, shocks and scarily high heels – and we loved every minute of it!
Fabulous fashion friends Miss E and Miss S rocking their festival glam (Miss S in Kookai, pics thanks to StyleMelbourne)
My week started on Monday at Fashion Full Stop, the launch event of the festival for 2011. I reviewed the event for Onya Magazine and you can read all the sordid details here, but suffice to say while the event was quite spectacular, it didn’t live up to what I was expecting.
Tuesday and Wednesday I managed the front of house at BMW Edge for the Fashion Industry Forums – Retail Detail, and eTail Detail. Both events were fascinating, providing expert opinions and views of the fashion industry and how the future looks.
Resting at the Woolshed Pub (Friday Night, wearing Country Road, pic thanks to Cecylia)
Runway One and Runway Two on Tuesday evening bought me right back to the very reason I love fashion. There was the return to a traditional catwalk, Melissa George and Andie McDowell in the front row and that amazing feeling I can’t describe when the lights and music start up and the girls start walking. The clothes were equally as impressive, magically syphoning cash from my credit card without my wallet even leaving my bag.
Both parades were reviewed for Onya Magazine (guess what, you can read them here!) but it was the time in between the shows that really made my night. A quick drink at the Woolshed Pub with two lovely ladies from Twitter and we suddenly found ourselves well connected and on the L’Oreal boat.
The L’Oreal boat you ask? It’s more than a boat – it’s the party to party at if you are anyone who is anyone at LMFF. There is champagne, music, quaint canapes and the people!! Sarah Murdoch and Carrie Bickmore were in my eyeline on Tuesday but below decks the real celebs (Andie!) enjoyed their champers.
With Beauty Writer for Onya Magazine, Miss K, at the GPO show (wearing Satch top and United Colours of Benetton skirt, pic thanks to Katie Found)
After having Wednesday night off, I returned to my day job on Thursday only to be whisked away on the dot of 5pm to Melbournes GPO for more champagne and the Pret a Porter winter collections. More prettiness ensued before a short walk up the road to the Tony Bianco Melbourne Central store opening party. 3 macaroons? Don’t mind if I do! And hello to Matt and Melissa Hetherington, Brynne Edelston and Andi Lew!
I stumbled into bed, ready for a 5am start as Friday was the Herald Sun Marketing Breakfast and one of my favourite events of the week. The speakers were inspiring – I discovered I am a ‘hauler’ without even realising it – and I sat with Karen Willis Holmes, couture wedding dress designer.
Another day of ‘the real world’ job and Friday night culminated with Runway Five – spectacular – drinks with the Twitterati at the Woolshed Pub and dinner at Va Bene before a quick visit to the L’Oreal Powder Room and another night of falling into bed.
Friday night at Runway Five with Miss F (wearing Country Road, picture thanks to Cecylia)
And in case you were not tired already, Saturday morning sleep ins are not for the fashionista, it was off to the Malvern Town Hall for the Ready to Wear Trunk show starring Premier of Victoria Ted Ballieu’s daughters and the Miss World winner and runner up.
I sighed as I left my last runway, taking my earrings out on the walk to the car, and already feeling the sweet relief of a good nights sleep, flat shoes and a meal
that comes on a plate. Fashion week is never as easy as the fashionistas make it look but at the end of the day, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
