Braudia does it Frankie Style

Frankie Magazine L’Oreal Runway:

Melbourne Experience

Frankie Magazine L’Oreal Runway Melbourne: Experience

Written by Claudia Sorace - Braudia GM Creative Director 

On Saturday I was released from hospital on the grounds that I would “go easy”.  I knew, as did Bryn that there was one Runway I could still make, and in keeping with last year’s tradition, I would try and make it to the Frankie Magazine Runway Event.

Braudia Directors Bryn Thomas & Claudia Sorace 

Bryn and I had planned our outfits for this one for quite sometime. We were privileged enough to have VIP tickets, which gained us unlimited access to the VIP room. Still trying to recover from our ‘Mad Men’ fever, in light of our affliction, we decided to present in 1960’s attire. Mimicking a ‘Pete Campbell’ blue suit, Bryn strutted the red carpet, and holding onto his arm; I fancied myself as Betty Draper in my paisley printed, retro inspired, Hollywood starlet dress.

The Frankie Event seemed to be the perfect place to unleash our feverish passé; hopefully the tone of ‘artistic’ and ‘slightly alternative’ would favor our efforts to blast from the past. That’s not to say that the Runway was outdated… or was it? That will come later.

The Braudia duo, never ones to shy away from bubbly and canapés lingered in the VIP room only for a matter of minutes, as it conjured stifling air of insipid mediocrity. The inside is well marketed, the room is well groomed with beautiful orchids and the ‘Chambord’ bar depicts something out of a television commercial. The wait staff are all incredibly attractive and attentive (coincidence?).

However, the VIP outdoor area is far more to our liking, bathing in the afternoon sunlight and sipping on unlimited champagne; Bryndabello and myself soon found our laughter getting louder and our general social number going from the mere two of us, to a whole group laughing and engaging around us.

Retro regurgitated; when the VIP’s we were standing with realized they couldn’t light up, due to all misplacing their lighters, they jumped the VIP barrier and asked the ‘common goers’ for a light. Consequently then, without flinching (separating the social tiers) they naturally jumped back over to our side of the wall, light heartedly noting “Thanks for the light, now back in your place”.

Am I painting a negative picture? I shouldn’t. It just is how it is. Now on our umpteenth flute of champagne and barely being able to feel our cheeks, a gentle but assertive voice alerts us “The Frankie Runway is about to start, please kindly take your seats”. We were particular lucky, scoring seats in the suite booth that sits you almost in the ‘Rich and Famous’ alcove staging a birds eye view above all other fashionista’s. To top it off, more free champagne, cocktails and our own waitress with a cheese platter (by this stage I had to contain my giggles from raucously yelling “Cheese Gromit!”).

Imagine this, a skinny Runway, seating either side. The Runway heeds humongous screens, this is where our tiny framed models entrance and once they have walked the length, weaving themselves through the wheat bales, they disappear.

Karen Walker – This Autumn collection is what you would expect from this kind of designer. This season Karen Walker boasts a variety of ‘Little Red Riding hood’ inspired peplum coats that range from somewhat fitted to draping and gaping. This collection was my personal favorite for the evening and it was an Orange wool suit that had me at ‘hello’. The overprinting ingests like a pajama party, Karen Walker, using this minimally, compared with the other designers who seemed to run out of creativity and use, only one fabric ream (budget cuts in the rag trade?) for an entire collection.

Designers Lime Drop and Kuwaii were guilty of this throughout their Runway presentations, which at times left Bryn and I feeling slightly uninterested and irked by the lack of ingenuity.

Kuwaii challenged a concept that we felt resonated ‘Crocodile Dundee marinated in Western Chic’ which essential sounds like an intriguing concept, however delivers a little confusing. Floppy hats adorned with flannel-esque shirts or oversized tee’s gave Kuwaii the ticket to meet commercially with their contenders, but alas did not prove anything ‘cutting edge’.

Lime Drop visualized a somewhat elusive collection. As mentioned, an over kill on the prints chosen, the variety wasn’t exactly there; the blazers did have a beautiful cut and I was most impressed with the Runway look ‘seven’ which consisted of a cut off lace jacket; accompanied with a leather skirt and simply finished with a plain black boob tube that sung ‘Billie Piper’ in ‘Diaries of a Call Girl’.

‘Wheat’ were carried away with the bags of grain that the models from Leonard St adorned. ‘Beanie dreams’ along with heavy knits were given spotlight. I was particularly a fan of the ‘swanning about’ (swan print) that was used cleverly throughout this collection. The ‘indie’ types will not find the bird prints ‘hard to swallow’. In fact, this collection in particular will appeal to the ‘Frankie’ readers who want to couple slightly alternative with mid to high-end fashion.

The ‘alternative’ continues with the Jolet collection. An Armish stunner? City slicker meets paddock preacher. The overkill of the city skyline lights was generated and then generated again. The black cut out blazer shows a Paris sleek, however it begs to differ (in my opinion) how wearable the collection actually is. Jolet certainly wants the Rubik cube to make a comeback.  Unlike the Rubik’s cube, I don’t see ultimate timelessness in this collection.

Secret South had a collection that was faultless, wearable and versatile. East meets west in orange town. The snood returned in festooned Bollywood patterning. A maroon jacket had onlookers reacting with “Moves like Jagger”.  Secret South is the only collection that decided to stay away from marginal difference and stayed with sleek and slinky.

Gorman was a collection that for my own personal taste was the most appealing. A leather dress that could be wiped down with a pino-clean cloth after a big night out seemingly was one of the crowd favorites. I ‘spotted’ lots of leopard print, which was the highlight – we can regenerate our wardrobes from seasons before, it is still in!

Overall the Runway was combined well. The collections blended effortlessly, even though the Runway design was a bit of a letdown. Last year Frankie Magazine presented their runway with teepees staggered, not straying far from this – we see hay and wheat bundles.

Wrapping up this season; Secret South, Gorman and Karen Walker will be seeing some of their pieces hanging in my wardrobe.

Limedrop 

Leonard St. 

Karen Walker 

Jolet

Kuwaii

Gorman

Secret South

All photography provided by Kismet Studios, All Rights Reserved.  http://www.facebook.com/KismetStudioAustralia more photos from the evening at http://www.facebook.com/BraudiaGm

Designers: we want choo!

The HAMPTONS 

Summer is coming - AMERICA! 

Sunning in 'The Hamptons' and the heat is on.

Let it be on your clothing.

Braudia is lucky enough to be working on a 'Hamptons' campaign. 

As designers - we want your HAMPTONS summer wear. 

Contact us at bryn.thomas@braudiagm.com or claudia.sorace@braudiagm.com

Food Critic without a face - Alex Beazley

...and What a Vue it is!

There is something quintessentially ‘James Bond cool’ about the whole Vue de Monde experience.

From zooming in an elevator to the umpteenth floor, to the well suited wait staff who glide around with impossible charisma and then the sudden urge to proclaim “yes, my martini will be shaken, god damn it”!

Vue de Monde probably wins the award for the most expensive restaurant I have ever been to in Australia, and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. Indeed Vue de Monde probably wins several ‘most expensive awards’ e.g. most expensive views in Melbourne (and they are breathtaking), most expensive cutlery (rumoured to be over $600 apiece), most expensive decorative table pebbles, most expensive bathrooms, most expensive cellar, most expensive kettle chips/dipping puree and the list goes on...

Located on the 55^th floor of the Rialto South Tower, Vue de Monde is a ‘special occasion’ type of place. So when the waiter asked if there was an occasion for the evenings meal, the Blonde’s response of “I woke up today... you know how it is”, probably wasn’t what he was fishing for. Dressed in our best refinery, the Blonde, the Business Partner and the Queenslander (who actually donned a tie for the occasion) all agreed that dinner plans at Vue de Monde was a special occasion. We were fortunate enough to literally have a window table (at sunset too), but the floor space is so thoughtful, that even ‘back’ tables would find it hard not to feel as though they had the best seats in the house. It’s rarity for a restaurant in Australia to be in the position, where they can focus on the small details like these.

                                                                                                                                                                      

Moving away from my usual drink of choice, the Negroni, I was tempted by the waiter’s suggestion of Champagne. Not just any champagne, but one of my favourite ‘grower champagnes’ Larmandier-Bernier. These types of Champagne differ from so-called ‘Grand Marques’ e.g. Bollinger, Ruinart etc because they are typically more terroir or cru focussed, a more recent but exciting phenomenon in Champagne (just for your information!). Naturally, we chose the degustation menu with matched wines, and it didn’t disappoint. Amuse kicked off almost immediately, including Salt Cured Wallaby, Smoked Eel, Kettles with Macadamia, Natural Oysters, and a most pleasantly unusual dish of Peas, Pistachio and Strawberries which required you to literally crack into it. Very fun indeed; it certainly kept the Blonde and the Business Partner busy and brimming! 

A dish of Roasted Marron and Tarragon Butter really got my juices going, but it was the Melbourne Onion Soup dish’s combination of flavour, theatricality and sublime wine pairing (2009 Domaine Huet ‘Clos de Bourg’ Vouvray) which hit the highest note. Duck Yolk, Broad Beans and Mint was also fondly received by the table as was a dish of Lamb, Anchovies and Mustard, all of which played a gentle symphony of well balanced, but pronounced flavours. 

To be honest, desserts were our least favourite although still very much exceptional. A chocolate soufflé with crème analgise might sound a little generic, but this was a ‘proper’ soufflé. Fluffy, rich and well risen, it made for a delicious albeit slightly heavy final course. A plate of petit-fours to finish showed real imagination and despite being completely and utterly full, I obliged for research purposes. Tough gig.

Above all, despite the sometimes ‘show off-y’ presentation of the food, the produce and their flavours remained the focus. The obscure foams, drops, puree swirls and seemingly random smacking of petite herbs was kept to a minimum and if used, deliberately and thoughtfully done so. Again, the produce was clearly first rate and amalgamated to create well conceived dishes with a strong sense of Australian provenance. 

Vue de Monde is a fantastic example of what ‘Mod-Aus’ dinning actually is. At around $500 per head the bill was by no means cheap, but I can’t think of many places I’d rather spend that sort of money. The breakfast bag on departure was a nice touch too and as the Blonde folded the Business Partner and myself into a cab home, even she exclaimed that "It was the best dinner we've done yet". 

Need to Know

Bookings are essential. I mean, very essential. Did I say Essential? 

Dress for the nines or the ten's if you can. 

http://www.vuedemonde.com.au/

Alex Beazley 

Food Critic without a Face 

Nationally recognised on paper, but never recognised by face

With a long history in food, he lives for fine consumption; join his adventures. 

#REUBENFANATIC TREADS FOR STREET THREDS

LMFF2013 - FAMOUS FOR FASHION SERIES: 

THE CHAPEL ST EDITION

MALVERN TOWN HALL

Melbourne’s famous fashion shopping strip, Chapel St (spanning three suburbs from Windsor to South Yarra) in conjunction with the City of Stonnington plays host to another eclectic and rather unconventional fashion show. Featuring the new season collections from retailers located in the renowned shopping strip, the hall-room of the beautifully heritage Functions on Chapel building was split down the middle with a bi- zarre array of flags, dirty old dolls, odd furniture pieces set around large kitschy green cacti.

Not exactly knowing what to expect, the musical duo CLIENT LIAISON performed an electrifying set that harked back from an 80’s electronic one-hit wonder band. Brash and bold and sporting mullet hairstyles with silver jumpsuits, the credited “music directors” and excessive showmen blasted electronic-synth chords and the first retailer, SHAG surprised everyone by opening the runway show.

SHAG, Melbourne’s premier eclectic and eccentric clothing store stocks a dynamic mix of vintage and new. For the fashion uninitiated, stepping into a SHAG store is like stepping into your nanna’s house. Or a Narnia wardrobe - filled with fur coats, retro clothing in blindingly bright colours, sparkles, sequins, tie-dyes and pat- ters. You’ll possibly even uncover one jumpsuit with every element aforementioned at one of their retail stores.

SHAG’s showcase surely did not disappoint - mixing baby blue tutu dresses with colourful confett, teamed with busy-patterned tights, a psychedelic umbrella and a red velvet cap. It was definitely a feast for the vis- ual senses! Pattern and colour clashes with an abundance of accessories were the trend of the day. Chunky feather-inspired neck ties, rope belts, 70’s bandanas used as arm bands spared no skin left bare.

Melbourne’s FAT, a street cool brand that sells everything from clothing to homewares put on another col- ourful array with a neon yellow striped jumper teamed up with an elegant flora-inspired pants with bright green socks and girly gel shoes for the women, but toned it down with basic T’s, camouflage jackets or muted leopard print shorts worn over tight grey “meggings.”

New-comer, cylk presented beautiful silk jumpsuits and peplum tops with skirts in understated metallics, greys and mottled galaxy swirls that looked ultra-chic and sophisticated. Teamed up with simple black pumps and chrome arm bracelets, cylk definitely honed in on women looking for a contemporary twist of the LBD or cocktail attire for this year’s cooler season.

The renown international stylist-come-fashion-designer, ALICE MCCALL launched her eponymous brand in 2004, is known for combining elements of feminine charm and bohemian flare, with a dash of rock and roll. Her autumn/winter collection was monochromatic - like the simple printed blouses with bold line pattern, high waisted comfortable shorts with tiny square cut-outs and a gorgeous lightly quilted hooded grey cape jacket with a contrasting white lining and trimming.

In another outstanding ensemble, McCall utilised the same bold monochromatic design on an elegant sweater that could only be labeled as “sports luxe,” one of this season’s predicted trend with billowy sleeves in a quilted grey fabric with the chest plate cut out and replaced by a black lattice lacework. The black skirt followed the lattice lacework that provided a “peek-a-boo” look at the model’s slender legs whilst showcasing its intricate design.

SHAKUHACHI’s designer, Jessie White sophisticated autumn/winter collection wowed the audience by closing the runway collection with garments consisting of elaborate metallic detailing and colourful geometric prints on a black background. Her attention to detail was evident in the two-piece ensemble that looked like a modern take on the gladiatorial theme with golden bullet studs arranged in a geometric pattern that looked heavy, yet delicate and luxurious. 

Not only did it look authoritative, the garment’s loose cut also hinted of it’s delicacy. The second standout piece was in the form of a simple black buttoned blouse with a zany colourful floral print that started at the collar and progressively bloomed further down the blouse. Teamed up with tight, black horse riding chaps with leather patches covering the front pockets and knees, the bright blossom of floral print manifested in both the fabulous boots and matching tote bag in a glorious display of careful considerate thought and style matching.

All up, The Chapel St Edition didn’t fail in delivering a strong runway show with a broad range of commercial fashion retailers located on the famous shopping strip. What it did do well is surprise us with a quirky, playful and fun collection that anyone and everyone could appreciate. 

"VIVA LA CHAPEL STREET"

FAT

FAT

SHAG 

SHAG

CYLK

CYLK

McCALL

McCALL

SHAKUHACHI 

SHAKUHACHI

ML DENIM 

JACK LONDON

GORMAN 

AUTONOMY

ALL IMAGES USED WITH PERMISSION FROM LUCAS DAWSON FOR AMPR www.lucasdawson.com.au

Reuben Cheok - Stylist - is an internationally recognised stylist and TV personality. He is covering L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival as part of Braudia GM Pty Ltd. 

To Contact: 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ReubenCheokStylist

Email: contact@reubencheok.com

Twitter: @reubania

Instagram: @reubania

The Melbourne International Airshow

“I feel the need… the need for speed” – Top Gun

When I arrived at the Avalon Airshow with ‘My Mumsy’, ‘The Giant’ and ‘The Jewish Lawyer’, we were energized and undoubtedly awe struck at seeing the F-22 fighter jet roaring above.

‘The Jew’ looks at me and says with shock value “Do you have a towel and a change of underwear Claude? I’ve made a mess downstairs watching that thing”. ‘The Jewish Lawyer’ is always bold and uncensored, but we were all feeling a little like that. We hadn’t even made it to the actual show yet; we were merely walking through the gargantuan car park. ‘The Jewish Lawyer’ (as he is fine to be aptly named, just so any of you politically correct folk were wondering) and the rest of us simply felt the need…the need for speed.

The thing is, you don’t really need to see much else, once you’ve seen the F-22 in action. It’s an experience in itself. After watching the Pilot fruitcake aka. Mr. Awesome (at left); fly it, you’re feeling romantic and invigorated enough to quote top gun, no matter how many have done it before you.

“Our weather ain’t perfect, but damn, is it hot today!” (Commentated a very rotund, albeit enthusiastic and pleasant American), being Melbourne’s second day of autumn one would expect slightly cooler, however mid twenties conditions. Not today. A dry, crunchy (the ground) and a stifling 34 °C which converts for my American friends to approximately 93.2 °F. Basically, when you are walking through an airfield with nothing but, tarmac, dust and sheep around you, your enthusiasm begins to wane. One because nothing can compare to the F-22 and secondly because although 34 °C is just dandy if you’re sitting inside air conditioning, it’s most definitely not when roasting your bare arms in the Australian UV rays.

The families. They cometh in droves, all of different demographics and socio-economic statuses. Personally, I don’t really see the appeal in taking a 2 year old along to an air show, trying to force ear plugs repeatedly in said toddlers ears and every time said child takes them out patiently, yet exhaustedly repeat (overheard by another American mother who by 3pm looked harebrained and wearied) “Chester, you have to wear them. Coooomme onnnn do it for Mommy!” 

But, don’t take my opinion on this one; everyone knows where Bryn and I sit when it comes to families. I will recommend this though, for those singles or couples wishing to enjoy a more child-ambush free Avalon Air show, try and arrange yourself a trade show ticket. This will cut out the ‘family’ factor in replacement of aviation professionals. However for the families wishing to brave the flies, heat, loud noises and inevitable temper tantrums, with patience (I applaud you, I really do) simply logic follows that ‘families like other families’ so really, you’ll be just fine.

So, instead of trying to sound very technical and give you my own wrap up of what clearly was the highlight of the show for me, here is an exert from the Avalon Air Show website (link credited below) on what the F-22 is actually capable of (it's baby brother the F-16 Featured below):

“The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor – the world's premier 5TH generation fighter.

The F-22 is the only fighter capable of simultaneously conducting air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions with near impunity. This is accomplished with a never-before-seen standard of survivability even while facing large numbers of sophisticated airborne and ground-based threats.

In addition to being America's most prominent air-superiority fighter, the F-22 evolved from its original concept to become a lethal, survivable and flexible multimission fighter. By taking advantage of emerging technologies the F-22 has emerged as a superior platform for many diverse missions including intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic attack.

The Raptor is operational today and combat ready for worldwide deployment”.

Needless to say, this Aircraft is incredible. The show? It is worth it to see the F-22 (see picture below for the Pilot's pressure suit) and the vintage aircraft “Connie” that was built between 1943-1958 (she is surprisingly quiet for her age). Also, if you’re a plane fanatic you will be animated by being able to walk under a B 52 Bomber, which has been employed and run by the United States Air Force since 1950.

The Australian Air force and Australian Army ground displays and demonstrations did leave a lot to be desired and ultimately acted as ‘space fillers’. However, they lacked severely in being able to achieve this. The food available was sufficient, however the wait times (I’ll blame this one on the families) is appalling and once you have finally got your juicy ‘Grill’d Burger’ there is literally no where to sit and eat it, unless you are prepared to violently remove some pensioners and families from the limited seating available, and trust me when it’s this hot and there is limited seating they will fight back – with a vengeance.

All plane fanatics will enjoy the show, and although ‘The Giant’ who unlike ‘My Mumsy’ and ‘The Jewish Lawyer’ was not an aircraft enthusiast, he couldn’t help feeling thrilled by… of course the F-22. The Australian Air Force Roulette’s display played a sweet and lovely touch to the wrap up of our day. At this point though, I was too tired (having walked kilometers in the heat and spending the entire day staring at glaring fuselage) to give my full attention. All I wanted was a shower and a nice cup of tea and to luxuriate in air-conditioned comfort.

A fact filler is though; whimsically the Australian Biblical Society fly and display their own Cessna aircraft which ‘The Jewish Lawyer’ pointedly exclaimed “At least you know if you’re going down in it, you’re actually going up”. 

Claudia Sorace - Creative Director & Profesional writer (Reviewer)

Photography provided by Andre Elhay 

http://www.elhay.com/