I’m lucky because I was diagnosed with a skin disease when I was little.   I have Cutaneous Lupus, which basically means I have always been aware of the sun and it’s effects.  I must admit on a general day-to-day basis I don’t quite see it as a blessing.  But as four smart 21-year-old women discussed how best to get a tan I realised my disease may be my saving grace.

My friend Lydia* started it all with this question: was it healthier to use fake tan on a regular basis or sporadically go to a solarium?

Lydia believed the chemicals within fake tan made it much more unhealthy than using a solarium on an irregular basis.

I was dumbfounded.  How could four smart women get onto such a stupid debate?  The question shouldn’t be which product does less damage, but instead it should have been: why do people still seek a tan after all these years of sun awareness?

The even bigger question here is: can too much knowledge and fear actually increase the risk of doing something stupider?  Lydia’s reasoning that fake tan has really bad chemicals may be spot on.  Her knowledge of this however results in her making, what I think, is a really stupid decision.

I’ll be the first to admit that a tan can make your body look nicer.  So I pose to you this; instead of actively seeking a tan why don’t we just put on some sunscreen and go out for a walk, or take a group of friends and have a picnic?  Therefore you can get some exercise or catch up on gossip, while you get some vitamin D. We can’t forget the sun has benefits for our body too!

*name has been changed

Today I get to prove myself right; I found a brand, which truly is, pretty special. It’s a rare occurrence when I know I’m right, so forgive me while I take a second to soak up this moment.

Ok, now onto the good bit; the designer.

Alice + Olivia presents a collection with everything you want for Winter/Autumn this season.  It presents some wonderful basics, but the outfits are spruced-up with lots and lots of texture.

The collection also showcases a delicious and huggable range of knit-wear.  The styling is nearly better than the products.  Stay with me for a second.  Remember the days – lets be honest, remember last weekend – when you would go out in Winter and freeze your non-existent willy off?  Not anymore.  Designer of Alice + Olivia, Stacey Bendet, shows how-to throw a knit cardigan with a sexy outfit; you can now look great and stay toasty all night long.

If only I knew this when I was 18!

(Photos: Elle.com)

Have you ever had a spare hour tormenting you?  You know, when it is too short to start a new project but at the same time it is way too long.  Well I’m here with a suggestion; get online and start strolling through the many runway archives.

Thanks to the major fashion magazines everybody can take a gander at collections from designers all over the world.  Yes this is the moment when you must dig up your grandmother’s phrase and say: bless them!

Their websites make it so easy to know what fashion trends are expected for next season, or even the next two seasons.

What I like even more is I can scan ready-to-wear collections – and then wonder how the designer could possibly consider their garments wearable – or begin my gushing ritual, and ‘ooo’ and ‘ahh’ over couture.

It is the perfect way to procrastinate, and if you master the art of blocking-out the room around you, then you can even feel as though you’re sitting front-row at the biggest show of the year… well, kind of.

My favourite sites to procrastinate on: Elle and Vogue Australia

Atlas of fashion designers

The majority of people know the famous fashion designers from America, Paris and Italy but very few of us could name a single designer from South Africa, Argentina, Poland or Germany.

It’s a shame really because these designers have so much spunk and sophistication to them. Atlas of Fashion Designers profiles designers from all over the world.  Author Laura Eceiza says the book is about “looking beyond the epicenters of fashion, yet without losing sight of them”.

If you’re like me and constantly crave fashion knowledge then this book is a rare opportunity to learn and soak up as much information as you can.  I promise, you’ll never want to let this book go.

Loreal Melbourne Fashion Festival was on just last week and wasn’t it awesome!  I was lucky enough to be chosen as an assistant to Tegan Sewell (Head Dresser on Alex Perry and Loreal Runway 5 and 6).  The experience and knowledge I gained was simply fantastic.  I’ve been a volunteer at fashion week’s before but it is a totally different experience helping in the lead-up and the pack-down.

Let’s start at the beginning.  The day I got my timetable.  8am-11pm was written in tiny numbers in front of me.  What were they thinking?  If they made it small enough I wouldn’t be able to really see my lovely 15 hour days? I wouldn’t be able to piece together that I got roughly $1.30 an hour?  I have to admit that hurt a little.  But then I thought, a little sleep deprivation was worth it in the end.  Plus, I haven’t been paid for a day of work in over 2 years so at least I was getting some money.

DAY ONE: taping shoes.  Need I say more.  The upside was Tegan’s other assistants were all nice and not total plebs.  We chatted happily away while we did this darling little task.

DAY TWO-SIX: These got so much better.  The “uniform” volunteers came in and they were handed the torture that is shoe taping.  I got to work on the Loreal Paris Runway 7 fittings with stylist Fernando while the other assistants and Tegan worked on Runway 5.  I was in charge of taking down all the intreget notes on how each outfit was styled and what shoes the model was wearing etc.  Seems easy, right?  Wrong.  When you have 3 to 4 models being dressed all at once and every second they’ve switched shoes, switched outfits, had jewellery added and then had jewellery taken off, tops have been tucked and then untucked, dresses over dressed, zips on pants undone and others not, well, it becomes a brain mush like no other.  A fun brain mush but still a total pounding.

Apart from fittings we did all those little tasks you forget someone has done; like making up model spec sheets, running order boards and mood boards.  We sorted out all those fine details that the stylist requested and then feel into bed every night about 11pm.

DAY SEVEN: Alex Perry Day.  Yay!

Today I learnt the difference between a suit dress and a shift dress.  I learnt to only ask questions to particular people, even if that meant them going to the real person to ask.  I learnt how to iron an Alex Perry gown.  I saw how bloody gorgeous Megan Gale is in real life… basically what you see if the photo is all her.  I learnt how to look after a group of volunteers.  I learnt being nice is easier than being mean.  I learnt Alex Perry makes fantastic gowns and places lace and bows effortlessly into his dresses.  I also learn’t he should never add an oriental floral pattern in large quantities to an outfit,  or mix bright orange and red unless his theme was Bollywood crashes Hollywood.  I learnt after parties are for much cooler people than me.

DAY NINE: Collette Dinnegan, Dion Lee, Jayson Brunsdon and many more surrounded me.  It was high class elegance today and I loved it.  The outfits were hard to put together and the change times were quick.  Everyone was so pumped and ready to get the show on.  I was in charge of four models getting out on time.  The stars were on my side because I had some awesome volunteers who made this job really easy.  We had our plans, we knew when we needed to help our neighbour, and which shoes would have our in near tears.  The show flew-by so quickly and then it was home time.

DAY TEN:  My last day at fashion week.  Today it was on me.  I had done all the prep work and I was the one who knew the collection.  White Suede, Maurie and Eve, Talulah, Joveeba, Bettina Liano, Wayne Cooper and Alannah Hill were our featured designers.  To celebrate our last day we hopped over to the Loreal Makeup Room and had our hair done and our nails and our lips painted.  We were looking hot and ready to get this show over and done with.  The rehearseal didn’t go so well.  Alannah Hill was our killer.  Her accessories, although absolutely gorgeous and perfectly put together, were piled on and made the quick changes a nightmare.  But what fun would it be if there wasn’t a little hiccup?

The show closed and then it was all over.  Time to rip down the spec sheets (yes the ones that took hours to make) and box up all the clothes.  I was happy it was over because I needed sleep, but really, I could have stayed for many weeks to come and kept the smile on my face.

Pierre Hardy Peacock Shoes

Dear Katy Perry

Do you own a magical wand?  I only ask because the lyrics to your song Peacock perfectly describes Pierre Hardy’s latest creation.  Now I know you would never write a song as crude as the critics are claiming, and instead was inspired by a sneak preview of these absolutely delicious shoes.

They’re exactly as you describe; they’re magical, colourful and mysterious.  Even more so are they jaw dropping, head turning, body shocking and groundbreaking.

I must agree with you when you say they’re the finest architecture and should be treated as a treasure.

Katy you haven’t exaggerated at all when you say these little babies are worth the wait.  For some strange reason though you seem to believe they’re all for you.  Forgive me for my slight chuckle but not even the $2260 price tag is enough for you to exclusively snag the hottest heels around this season.

Just thought you needed to know.  Cheers.

The cast of Satisfaction Season 1

Holidays have just started and as a result the amount of television I’m consuming has grown exponentially.  Satisfaction has wormed its way into my world (25 hours of it to be precise). It’s a fictional drama about a melbourne brothel, its about the sex workers and the clients.  I may need my psyche evaluated at some point for what I’m about to say, but this world of sex work and fetishes is so utterly fascinating to me that I was hooked as soon as I read the blurb.  Even more exciting about this show is the costumes.

Clothes allow for you to become whoever you want.  If a bogan is what you’re feeling, then a bogan you can be!  Slutty is also another valid option, as is looking outrageous, childish, withdrawn, depressed and sophisticated.  The costume department explored this idea of clothing as they changed the characters personas with every outfit they put on.

The pretty underwear weren’t really intriguing, not compared the some of the other costumes.  You can see pretty underwear anywhere, just jump onto YouTube and watch a Victoria Secret Runway Show to view the latest in gorgeous bras and nickers.  The BDSM worker had the best costumes; leather, rubber, feathers and slutty police uniforms were all apart of her repertoire.  The designers were able to explore material that is rarely seen on television and therefore constantly has you wanting more.

For new clothing ideas in the bedroom just go down to your local DVD store and rent a season of Satisfaction.  I promise you’ll be inspired as you learn to mix classy with smokin’ hot.  Or you can simply watch Satisfaction and wish you had the guts to try one of their daring costume ideas.

And to the writers, producers and costume designers of Satisfaction, you may want to start your own line of underwear.  Or should I say, please start your own line, please, please, please!

National Swap Day in Melbourne

“I imagine it will be exactly like that moment in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory… the first one (aka Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory).  You know when Veruca gets her dad to stop the factory and everyone has to look for the golden ticket?  Well this swap, I so hope it’s just like that.”

The world according to my friend Emma is an interesting place to be, but in fact when I attended National Swap Day it was sort of reminiscent of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  I wouldn’t say Emma drew parallels on particularly the right scene, however when we started swapping I did feel I was in the middle of a stampede of women trying to find the golden ticket.

Amazing pieces were hidden amongst the racks; it was our job to find them.  The problem was; were you going to find it first?  And then if you did, was it in your size?  Unfortunately for me I found loads I wanted, it’s just someone else had found it first.  Luck was not on my side but this didn’t put a damper on my evening.  I was able to pick up a few pieces in need of a tweak here and there, but will be very valued within my wardrobe.

Some found their golden ticket, some not so much, but as far as I could tell everyone was having a good time.  In the end, isn’t that the most important thing?  It may have been a little over crowded and it was hard to move, but you can’t fault the atmosphere within the room and National Swap Day’s ethos.  I would definitely go back again.  Next time I’ll sit further up the front so when the swap begins I’ll be the first person on the floor, not the 100th.  Move aside bitch’s that golden ticket will be mine!

For more info on National Swap Day and The Clothing Exchange events head to their website.

I’m branching out today and making a quick dabble into the beauty world.  Across my travels I stumbled across a lip balm made from Fair Trade and organic products; Nilla Nilla is doing the seemingly impossible and making sure every time we pucker up we do it guilt free.

The lip balm is made from Fair Trade Cocoa Butter, Jojoba Oil, Honey and Triple Folded Nilla Nilla Vanilla Essence.  The product itself is even made in a solar powered workshop!  Now you can wear environmentally friendly products head to toe as you work eco-friendly beauty products into your regime.