Stylin' 926
NEWS
While Manhattan blog Gawker runs headlines like “Is this the most boring fashion week since 9/11-” and the rest of the media has a collective aneurism over the economy, we’re beginning to wonder if a single interesting story is going to emerge from the rubble of NYFW. Cashed up European buyers are going to town thanks to the weak US dollar, and while America may not love what Russia is doing to Georgia, American fashion certainly loves the post-Soviet country’s overstuffed wallets. The usual contingent of Aussie models and designers have hawked their wears, and as reps of the event are keen to remind us, there were more designers on show than ever before. Of the clothes on display, Marc Jacobs was an unsurprising standout, as were other big names like Proenza Schouler. Bring on London, Paris and Milan please!
Speaking of Americans, we’ve fallen in love with Sarah Palin. Not in the way where the thought of her running the world doesn’t make us want to wet ourselves and move to Mars, but in the way where we find her infinitely compelling and watchable. We aren’t the only ones, with several websites reporting that Google searches for “Sarah Palin naked” are now rivalling the number for younger celebrities like Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Hayden Panettiere. It’s not surprising really – who wouldn’t want to see naughty pictures of a gun totin’, moose shootin’, abortion hatin’ beauty queen-
Naomi Campbell recently announced to the press that she wants babies. While this is nothing new, the shocking part is, she plans on conceiving and raising said babies herself, rather than just bathing in their blood like she and her model cohorts normally do. The 38 year-old supermodel recently underwent an operation that has made her fertile for the first time, and she told journos that she “can’t wait” to procreate. We think its excellent news – babies are a lot softer when thrown than Swarovski studded Blackberries.
Anya Hindmarch may not be a plastic bag, but the new queen of it bags hasn’t been all that lucky lately either. For the third time in a matter of months, one of her high-end boutiques has been robbed. Heading straight for the more expensive pieces, thieves made off with tens of thousands of pounds worth of new season handbags. Damage from the three London robberies is now totalling well over £100,000, or $219,000AUD. While one hundred grand may seem like a wealth of handbags, the thieves wouldn’t have had to steal that many to ring up the astonishing bill – Anya Hinmarch bags retail from between £500 and £2000, with limited edition pieces fetching even higher prices.
FEATURE
SANNA
Here at Stylin’ we like shoes. You know the kind of like we’re talking about – we like shoes like our ten year-old cousin likes kissing a poster of the Jonas Brothers when she thinks no one is watching. We like shoes like our best friend in high school liked it when our mum wore a low-cut top. We like shoes like Katy Perry likes pretending to like kissing girls – which is almost as much as Tatu liked to but not as much as KD Lang actually likes to. The point is; if it were legal for us to marry inanimate objects, we’d be polygamously wed to a pair of towering heels. With that in mind, we thought we’d talk to someone who also likes shoes, to the point where they make a living from them. Raimonda is the designer behind covetable new footwear label Sanna, and let us tell you – we really, really like her shoes.
Tell us about your label-
Sanna shoes was established in 2007, it’s sophisticated, sleek and sexy. It is targeted towards young women between 16 and 38, and can be worn on a lazy Sunday afternoon shopping on the promenade, or at work in the office for the corporate but trend conscious woman. The range has a strong European influence, tweaked to suit the Australian way of life. Every Sanna shoe is made by hand from the finest imported sheepskin leathers.
How did you get into shoe design-
I fell into it actually; my partner started the men’s shoe label Antoine & Stanley and saw that there was a huge demand from his buyers for “something different” in the way of women’s shoes too. Knowing my love of shoes, I was asked to get involved, and haven’t looked back since!
Have you had design experience in any other areas- How does it compare-
As a child I grew up watching my mum design and make all her own clothes and ours, she worked for various Australian labels and being around her helped me gain a better understanding of creating and styling fashion. It is difficult to compare to shoe designing, as there are so many different aspects that go into creating a shoe. From the shape, to the sole, the leathers used, and the treatments of the leathers, there are so many facets of shoe design that I had to learn.
Describe your latest collection-
Soft leather slave sandals are the in-thing for this summer. We have a large range with a variety of bold summery colours. In the collection you will also find our signature gold plated heels, and platform party shoes. As usual our handmade sheepskin heels are a winner, because they are stylish and extremely soft and comfortable.
What music have you been listening to lately-
A mixture of things, from Amy Winehouse to AC/DC.
What’s your biggest inspiration-
High end European fashion
If you could put your shoes on anyone in history - past, present or future – who would it be and why-
Twiggy, she is truly amazing, her achievements are phenomenal and she has been a style icon for trillions of women across the globe for decades.
What’s one footwear mistake that everyone makes-
Wearing shoes that are too small… never ever do this, it’s terribly damaging.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a designer-
I would be pursuing my career in psychiatric rehab.
Any tips on how to survive in towering heels-
Yes, learn how to walk in them… oh, and make sure they are the correct size!
Tell us where Sanna will be in 5 years time.
On the feet of every girl that appreciates style but dares to be different.
MOSSIMO
A lot of effort goes into advertising campaigns and look books – effort that, because look books are only seen by a few people in the industry, and some curious customers, sometimes goes unacknowledged. This week we decided to put Mossimo’s SS09 campaign under the microscope.
Shot by premier fashion and portrait photographer Harold David, the inspiration behind the shots – and the collection - is a tactile mixture of ‘60s prints and textiles and Bauhaus architecture. The campaign uses saturated colours for a youthful, grainy effect and was shot in locations selected especially by the photographer. The shoot was art directed by freelance designer and street wear aficionado Emma Koster. Emma admits that, despite being surrounded daily by hi-tech multimedia gear, she takes great pleasure in using simple tools like paper, scissors and glue. The retouching and artwork that surrounds the shots was created to match the lines and environment in which the photos were taken, working in synch with the images’ pre-existing properties. As you can see, the final result is eye-catching and full of character; just like the Mossimo brand.
EVENTS
What: Highway Rock n’ Roll Disaster
When: Wednesday 17 September at 8.15
Where: STC, Pier 4 Hickson Road
What: Van She Album Launch
When: Wednesday 17 September from 6.30pm
Where: The Forum, Bent St & Errol Flynn Blvd Moore Park
What: Maurie and Eve one-day warehouse sale
When: Saturday 20 September from 10am til 5pm
Where: 33/14 Polo Ave, Mona Vale