I’m now back on home soil, the ground has stopped moving (did you know that happens after a long haul flight?!) and I’m already over the 30 degree plus weather Melbourne is experiencing. Yes, it’s good to be back.

Our final two days in Paris were special because I got an, albeit small, taste of Paris Fashion Week and the sun finally came back out for our last day, shining a spectacular light on the city. 

My fashion experiences in Paris were somewhat hindered by the fact that a) I live in Australia and b) Paris Fashion Week is for the really big names – the Anna Wintour’s and Anna Dello Russo’s of the world. Whilst seeing fashion anywhere in the world is exciting, Paris is truly one of the greats and my invitation to a showing was wonderful enough to have me be grateful for any involvement whatsoever.

Saturday morning, Sarah and I put on our fashionable best and headed to the showroom of Basil Soda, a contemporary Couture Fashion House from Beirut. Held at the very sophisticated Hotel de Crillon, the sumptuous surrounds of the hotel and the gorgeous dresses made for stunning and opulent experence. A model showed a number of buyers the collection whilst we were at the venue, and the PR liaison informed us about the many time consuming techniques involved in creating the beautiful garments. We popped into the original Chanel store on Rue Cambon for a visit (when in Paris…) and finished off our fashionable morning with a call past the Paris Fashion Week collections marquees in the park.

Our final night in Paris was fabulous – we were invited by our newest friend Kasia Dietz to her friend’s house, who lived on the street we were staying in. Kasia, Delphine, another friend Suzanne, together with Sarah and I, enjoyed Moet champagne and canapes of the fancy variety in Delphine’s magazine worthy Marais apartment and chatted all things French, love, real estate and film. It was a wonderful end to our vacation.

We then ventured to a local bar, where red wine together with cheeses and meats made for a late supper. Sarah and I toasted our trip, and met several locals – one who insisted we do shots of absinythe and chartreuse with him. Not being one for shots, I declined, but did enjoy the laughs over the following hours with our companion, finally falling into bed close to 3am.

The sun finally returned after a week of grey days on Sunday and Sarah and I, together with hangovers, headed up to Montmartre when the Sacre Coeur and an unmissable view of Paris awaited. Several hundred stairs (and a brilliant breakfast at American diner, Koff) later, the watery sunlight shined over all of Paris, barely allowing us to see the Eiffel Tower from the top – a perfect end to our travels.

Many hours of packing and repacking later, one very long drive to the airport and exactly 22 hours spent on planes later, we arrived back in Melbourne, dying for a decent cup of coffee. Greeted (very enthusiastically!) by my boyfriend and our friend Marissa, bearing signwork and floral offerings, it was wonderful to be so welcomed by our loved ones – we missed them too. While Paris is always a good idea, there is nothing like coming home.

My thanks to you, dear reader, for following my travels in Paris! More thanks to Sarah for having the idea to go in the first place and for managing to put up with my general lack of common sense and inability to read maps for two weeks. But most of all, thanks to Breece for the most amazing gift I have ever received, for your ongoing love and support, and for always making me feel special. I am truly the luckiest girl in the world.

With the last of the Autumn sunshine beaming down, last Saturday presented perfect conditions for a day at the races. The 7-Eleven Pink Ribbon Cup bought a mostly young crowd to Caulfield, dressed fittingly in pink, to enjoy the picnic atmosphere and enjoy a Slurpee and Krispy Kreme donut.

Jess and I: Jess wears Siren Shoes, Runway Australia dress, Karen Hamilton hat and Chanel bag. I’m wearing Wittner shoes, Cue dress, homemade hairpiece and op-shop find bag.

Hanging with Jess, from What Would Karl Do, we perused the fashions whilst sipping a traditional raspberry slurpee.

The frocks were mostly fabulous – our personal fave being the fashions winner, as selected by Jess – while some others took the pink theme a touch too far in dresses that were more suited to a nightclub than a races marquee.

Fashions Winner Madeline Jones

It felt a little early for dancing at 11am, but the DJ played, the photobooth flashed and girls queued for fake eyelashes and hair extensions. The 7-Eleven young members marquee felt like a teenage dream birthday party – complete with bubbly champagne, an ice cream freezer and horse races just out the window.

Dan and Dani, from Channel 9’s The Block

Milinery by Danica Erard was on display and was a much coveted prize for the best dressed, while the teams from The Block provided a few celeb spotting opportunities.

Thanks to 7-Eleven for a fab day out, to support a wonderful cause!

Pictures thanks to Andre Elhay Photography.

WHAT A WEEK! I sure could use a holiday….

As you know my absenteeism this week was a result of some crazy days at work and the inevitable December cram to get everything done before Christmas. The long days are nothing a glass of wine won’t fix, but come December 26, I’m thinking some sun, sand and surf will be more up my alley.

As a regular coastal dweller during the summer months (with thanks to those whose holiday houses I invade), there are a few things that are essential to any girls beach bag – sunscreen and a good book; the perfect swimsuit (one pieces are ok!), plenty of water and sunglasses.

A little Prada perhaps? Prada sunglasses as OPSM $370

Given my recent laser eye surgery, I am certainly looking forward to the Summer of 2012 where I will finally get to go shopping for AMAZING sunglasses, and not just the $2 shop kind that I seem to lose or break on a regular basis just because I don’t seem to value them.

I look forward to trying on frames, colours and styles; finding something Jackie O-esque and vintage; perhaps a pair with wow factor for when I need to make a splash.

OPSM have a great range of sunnies in store (not just the kind that you put corrective lenses in!) including Chanel, Prada and DKNY and this summer, they are bring the styles to you.

The Sunshine Tour is hitting twelve locations and bringing hundreds of styles to the people, letting them be tried and tested out of the back of a custom ice cream van. The team will take your pic in some hot specs, upload the shots to facebook and if you get the most likes – wait for it – you get to be the face of their summer campaign!

The van will be in Melbourne town, at Southbank, on December 9 from 11.30am til 3.30pm, just waiting for all of you to head on down and give them a go. The weather will be a perfect 32 degrees and you know you need sunnies in that kind of sunshine!

Check out the video below to see what all the fuss is about and I’ll see you at the van (or the beach)!

The Spring Racing Carnival is a fashion mecca. While girls dress to the nines to impress the judges at Fashions on the Field, others put on half a frock and expect to be taken seriously. The races is not the place to wear your nightclub dress or your ballgown – the races require careful planning, considerable thought and a LOT of effort. But there are still those who are effortlessly gorgeous.

One of these people is my ‘boss’, for all intents and purposes, Emma, at Fashions on the Field. Emma and I go way back – she is a front of house event manager extraordinaire who has managed everything from fashion week to the Logies and I can only dream of being as efficient and fabulous as she is.

Four days of extreme weather, a fainting spell, a little flu and and the sorest feet I have ever experienced are done. Melbourne Cup Week 2011 is over.

It started with excitement and anticipation, champagne filled days and canape filled nights, yet ended in a haze of sunscreen and bottled water. I have never been so grateful for a cool shower and my couch in my life.

Last Saturday kicked off in divine style at the Derby, a pleasant low 20s start to Cup Week where the traditional black and white came out to play and I had a glorious day in the sun after my first shift at Fashions on the Field.

Derby Day – Dress by Camilla and Marc, shoes by Wittner, facinator by Morgan & Taylor, watch by ASOS, bracelets, earrings and ring by Diva

The feet didn’t fare so badly on the first day but the back of my neck showed the effects of six months of Winter and my iPhone didn’t take well to being bounced off the temporary floor.

A two day break and we were back at it for the race that stops a nation – Melbourne Cup Day. A breezy 19 degrees but we toughed it out, braving the elements in just a shawl and enjoying the atmosphere that Melbourne provides, unlike anywhere else in the world.

Melbourne Cup Day – Dress by Basque at Myer, shoes by Lipstik at StyleTread, facinator by Kasmo Design, ring by Lovisa, earrings by Diva

My shoes were the casualty of the day, slightly tarnished after a little trip on the stairs, however no one noticed a little scuff in the Lexus marquee where my collegue and I partied until the music stopped.

Oaks Day is traditionally ladies day and I’d had the frock planned for this one a long time coming. With the arrival of Sarah Jessica Parker in the birdcage, I was planning on looking my most Carrie Bradshaw-esque just in case the most fashionable one of them all pop by our enclosure.

Oaks Day – Dress by Cue at Myer, belt by Peter Lang for Cue, shoes by Wittner, facinator by Morgan & Taylor, earrings by Chanel

But it wasn’t meant to be. Not long after starting my shift I was taken ill after a fainting spell and spent the rest of the day rugged up in my coat and scarf perched on a chair at my post, shivering my way through the 18 degree chill and an oncoming fever.

It was straight home to bed where my temperature topped 39 degrees and I feared not being able to make the final of the four days. 24 hours in bed (on the laptop of course) rendered me well enough to head back to the track for Stakes Day but for me there would be no final day parties.

Day four of the Cup Carnival greeted us with soaring temperatures – the first day over 30 degrees since March. It was all I could do to stay in the shade, let alone stay upright in my heels, but a fashionista must go on and that’s what I did.

Emirates Stakes Day – Dress by Target (Vintage from Op Shop), shoes by Tony Bianco, bag by Glomesh (Vintage from Op Shop), facinator by Kasmo Design, watch by ASOS

I served my time, said my farewells and headed home to rest my tired feet and aching body, wash off the sunscreen and get ready to go back to the real world. Another fashionable event is over and we now look forward to the (hopefully!) quieter Christmas period before LMFF early next year.

I hope you had a win – either on the horses or in the fashion stakes – this Cup Carnival!

Images thanks to Olivia; my thanks to Kasmo Design for all my headpieces this week.

It’s been many months since I visited Paris but I still think about it every day.

I was given the chance to pretend for just a few hours, at the L’Heure du The French High Tea, held at the Langham Hotel and a mecca for all things French over the weekend! The event also supported the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Besides delicate sandwiches, tiny cakes and macarons, styled by the lovely Pierrick Boyer of Le Petite Gateau, the afternoon bought a collection of French inspired retailers together for a mini market known as the Petit Emporium.

Together with many fashionable friends, we sipped on Madame Flavour teas while listening to a harpist and ogling the most divine dresses in a couture installation supplied by Dean and JC at Madam Virtue & Co.

Thom from Everyone’s Celebrity; Cecylia; JC from Madam Virtue, Chian and I at the Langham. This photo was taken by the lovely Lisa from Stylus Muse, where you can see lot’s and lot’s more photos from our afternoon in Paris!

It was so lovely to see so many girls (and guys) dressed in their most Parisian outfits in the middle of a Saturday afternoon (so much Chanel in one place!) and the sun shining just enough to make it warm enough for a spectacular selection of dresses.

The Peony Melbourne Haute Parfumerie provided sweet smells (and a gorgeously fitted out booth), while reworked vintage jewels from Ghost & Lola and pearls from Francoise Esterhazy showed off plenty of bling. A favourite was the leather cuffs from Dimacci and Marie Claire Paris parasols.

I wore my couture dress from Vivianna Lorikeet, worn first to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and today to the chocolate Eiffel Tower in the ballroom at the Langham. Divine.

My thanks to Kyra at Pybus PR and Cecylia for a wonderful day!

It’s nearly 11pm and it’s not Melbourne Spring Fashion Week. What am I doing blogging, you might ask?

Well, besides the fact that although the blog is looking rather pretty lately with all the photos I have posted in the last week, I haven’t been able to write much general blog happenings since life took over.

And by life, I mean Melbourne Spring Fashion Week.You have seen all the pictures, hopefully read the reviews I penned for Onya Magazine and now are probably a bit over fashion week? I know I am tired. A bit lethargic. And of course, totally broke and not able to afford any of the treasures that paraded the catwalk last week.

What’s a girl to do? Well, tonight I went to Fashion Business Chics, an informal gathering of girls (ladies, women) that have an interest in the fashion industry. Photographers, designers, retailers, bloggers, stylists – anyone who knows the difference between Chanel and the Channel.

And that is why I am writing at 11pm. Because these women (girls, ladies) inspire me. They encourage me to be my best, to follow my dreams, to pursue my passion. They don’t let me talk myself down, they share stories of their own and they laugh at my jokes.

They make me feel like I can succeed at anything I try, that there is more out there and that I deserve to achieve it.

I have not known these ladies (girls, women) long – some just a week, others only a year, one I just met tonight – but they seem to know me better than people I have known nearly my whole life. They understand. They get it.

I want to thank them for words of wisdom, support and sisterhood. For smiles, cups of tea and beautifully written postcards. For random gifts, invites and tweets. To all my fashion friends, from tonight, last week and the past year – Thank You.

Today marks the start of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week 2011.

The next 7 days will bring you the best of Melbourne fashion, the trends for the coming season and the best bit? All of it can be bought right now.

Breakfast meetings before work, City Series on your lunch break, Designer Series in the later hours – this will be one hell of a week.

Are you ready for the ride? Plan your week, stay hydrated and always carry flats in your purse.

Chanel on my fingers and Chanel on my toes – its time for Fashion whereever I go.

Follow my week on twitter @sarahstyle

This article first appeared in Onya Magazine

The L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival kicks off today, and I thought it timely to pause for a moment and have a think about what the festival really means to Melbourne. Yes, the fashion is the centrepiece – it’s certainly the reason I go – but what about the wider audience? Who else comes from far and wide to see Melbourne on show?

This year, they will come not only to see the clothes, shoes and accessories but also the music, dance and excitement that makes the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival the largest consumer fashion event in the world. New creative director for 2011, Grant Pearce, says the festival is no longer just about what we will wear next season, but a celebration of Australian talent.

‘This was a small friendly event that has become a real business. We support industry and new designers but also to encourage consumers to be involved in retail and get excited about the event.’

In 2011, the festival has made a number of changes – positive ones – that allow Grant to put his stamp on the event (and a big thanks to Karen Webster for the past five years) and move with the times. This includes the spectacular launch event planned for opening night – a fusion of fashion and music with a few surprises on the way.

Enlisting the help of stylist Michelle Jank and former Vogue Australia editor Nancy Pilcher, Fashion Full Stop is touted as a fusion of music, fashion and dance. Grant claims it will be ‘huge’ and celebrate Australia like never before. Sixteen dancers, thirty models and hundreds of crew (with more to be announced) will join the likes of Josh Abrahams, ballet dancers and a who’s who of the Australian music scene for a theatrical event covering over 50 years of Australiana.

Over 7000 garments in all shapes, colours and sizes have been submitted to form part of a designer retrospective where labels whose outfits have never graced the catwalk together before will walk side by side and celebrate every era – intertwining today and yesterday – representing all of Australia with a twist.

This very different fashion experience also shows how relevant the fashions and music of the past are today while proving once again that everything old is new again. ‘It’s a pretty big show’ says Grant. ‘Actually, not a pretty big show, just a big show!’

Grant also mentions the importance of the business events to the festival and how the LMFF Business Seminar and Marketing Breakfast are now world renowned. This year the festival has again drawn a number of brilliant speakers to share their opinions and knowledge to Melbourne, including Jefferson Hack who will be talking about the future of communications – especially in the online space – and magazines.

The two newest talents at luxury label Bally will be sharing their insights and bring with them an installation of designer garments that will be displayed in the foyer of the Sofitel, allowing ticket holders the opportunity to touch and feel exactly why the Switzerland based label is as coveted as it is.

Previously known as the Independent Runway, the Offsite Runways, managed by Kate of Penthouse Mouse fame, will be hosted at Shed 4 in the Docklands – a space known for its back to basics approach (as opposed to the polished Shed 14 of Central Pier). This raw space will be transformed and feature Melbourne favourites Leonard Street, Alexi Freeman and Trimapee, together with new finds, among others. Electronic outfit Hidden Suns will provide the sounds for the event with a soon to be announced band also taking centre stage.

The final point of note is the changes to the Menswear show. As in, previously there wasn’t really one. Grant’s vision for the festival encompasses everyone – fashionistas and boys in Bonds alike – and so the Menswear show will be introduced this year with a special international guest – Helena Christenson – who will grace the catwalk in a yet to be determined ensemble.

Inspired by Naomi Campbell walking in the Dolce and Gabbana show in Milan, Grant engaged Helena (who is visiting our shores as a photographer for a Specsavers campaign) to attract a wider audience. What better opportunity to put an international supermodel on an Australian catwalk? (And genius for the mens show!). Dancers will also be an integral part of this show, rather than the ‘filler’ act they have been in the past.

This years’ L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival is not about fashion for fashions sake – the event has a purpose and will attempt to engage more than your girl on the street who aspires to wear Chanel while settling for Cue. The audience has a much greater scope and will enthral by being a visual experience.

Yesterday, I lost my Chadstone virginity. (Yes, I know its shameful I have never been before!) I spent hours at the Fashion Capital with my fabulous Onya Magazine editor (and tour guide) browsing and trying things on. It was heaven. As you all know my income stream has halted somewhat, so it truly was a day of window shopping but the experience was fun and a welcome respite from hours on the computer job hunting.

We perused the David Downton fashion illustration exhibit, the wonderful window displays making up part of a current promotion Chadstone is running and enjoyed trying on the many wares the centre has to offer – then walking away.

We dined – twice – at Capital Kitchen opposite GAP, having lunch and returning mid-afternoon for cupcakes and juice. We visited Chanel – twice – talking away advertising material I will cherish (current season poster and postcards now adorn my inspiration wall).

But my discovery of the day was the hat. The straw hat. Trilby or Fedora to be exact. Nothing spring racing or fancy, just a simple, summer hat that seems to suit my face shape, colouring and hair length.

I have always been a fan of the hat, I have just never been able to pull it off all that well. A cute felt bucket style hat I wore to work one day had co-workers calling me Inspector Gadget while a blue beret never seemed to sit right. A floppy wide brimmed beach number left a mark on my forehead and while I managed to pick up wearing an Irish cap, the guy never called so I blame the hat.

But the simple summer straw hat could be my saviour. I envisage myself in a strappy summer frock, walking down Collins Street in fabulous shoes and my casual hat, the envy of passers-by.

I am now on the lookout for the perfect one to suit me. Yesterday’s visit to Chaddy did throw out a few to try, but at $50 are perhaps slightly out of my unemployed price range. The search continues. Where have you seen awesome straw trilbies and fedoras?

Image One: David Downton Illustration, courtesy of Chadstone
Image Two: Straw Trilby by Quicksilver