1. Not all fashion weeks are created equal
2. It doesn’t matter how much you pack for 5 days, it will never be enough, or the right thing
3. Sydney or Melbourne: rain is rain and its still wet and still a disaster for your hair
4. Sydney has the added bonus of humidity – also a disaster for your hair
5. Having a spa at 9am is not conducive to a productive day
6. Sydney shopping sucks
7. All the good volunteers are from Melbourne
8. In 2010, bloggers reign supreme
9. Blogging takes longer when being done in the middle of the night after a full day of volunteering
10. The ‘do not disturb’ sign should be on the door of the hotel all the time when you are in the room
11. The Ellen show should be screened in prime time
12.  There is no such thing as a working holiday

Three days in and this is what I know so far of Sydney and Rosemount Australian Fashion Week. Amusingly, I am currently sitting in my hotel room, watching Ellen while it rains outside and I’m blogging – proving that this working holiday is pretty much just work and the stuff that happens in between, like sleep.

(OMG – is that thunder? Or a plane? Actually I think its wind. Sounds scary on the 51st floor!!)

My observations of fashion week thus far are country influences; lot’s of colours that are traditionally Autumn such as browns, tans, creams and caramels; and that the shoe boot is here to stay. Following LMFF just 6 weeks ago that showcased AW10, it is hard to comprehend this transition to SS10/11 in such a short space of time but the smooth slide into the warmer seasons has been seamless. The colours and styles all seem to create a year round wardrobe that will work now and over the coming months. I know I want some of the things I have seen on the catwalks this minute even if the weather is not yet up to the challenge but will have to wait until the stores catch up and stock the most popular of items, those featured in the magazines as spotted by editor’s front row at this week’s RAFW.

Meanwhile, the volunteer uniform of a black tee shirt adorned with the RAFW logo on the front and some random branding (in orange!) on the back is miles ahead of the LMFF uniform in terms of shape and colour, but miles behind when talking prints and the overall effect. I imagine that in Melbourne, we are required to wear a white tee because Melbourne is black. Black is Melbourne. No one would ever be able to find the volunteers among the fashionistas. In Sydney, people wear colours. There is black, but not to the extent of Melbourne. Everything I packed for this week is black. I am Melbourne and am pleased the tee is black (so much more flattering!) but at the same time, hasn’t anyone ever heard of a V neck in the fashion industry!! Round neck tees only suit a handful of people and generally, they are GUYS! Given the majority of vollies are girls, who have boobs, a V neck would be a nice change for a volunteer tee shirt.  

Now Day 3 of RAFW is bearing down upon me and I am hoping to get into the Cargo theatre again, as much as most people hate the venue, because the chance of seeing the shows from a good vantage point is higher and because the production coordinator guy is a bit of alright. Fingers crossed the rain clears!

Image One: Magdalena Velevska finale
Image Two: Fellow vollie Miss Y and I in our uniforms