Love, love, love...

...these shoes. (And, if available, you can throw in a set of those legs for me too)
 

Photo from Jak & Jil - one of the greatest blogs for high-end fashion photography 

These ankle boots are by Louboutin & I also have a slight obsession with the similar ones from last season's Camilla & Marc collection... Holding out for a sub-$300 version. Somewhere? Anywhere?

Speechless. Utterly.

Whilst browsing Go Fug Yourself on a quiet Saturday night in, I stumbled across this corker of a shamozzle, incorporating those scary Alexander McQueen shoes.

As described by Heather on her blog, "This is totally Lady Gaga plus Annie Lennox plus Elvira with a touch of Nefertiti and a splash of Anna Wintour -- just a splash -- multiplied by a head injury and then divided by a vat of absinthe."

I have to agree.

Too much, even for me.

Image @ Daily Mail UK

Beautifully decorated Mr McQueen, but practical? No, not in the slightest.

Umm... Awesome!

What do you get when you combine a mojito and a shoe?

Awesome non?

Designer Julian Hakes has taken the art of shoe construction to the max with this single-strap style. There are more images available at his Flickr.

The shoe is made of carbon fibre, rubber and leather and makes the arch of the foot do all the work.

As Hakes said: "It's not artificially supporting your foot where it doesn't need support so it's good for core stability."

As yet I haven't seen someone trying to harness them but I'd say there'll be a celeb, or a fashion designer, floating around to give them some promo time soon.

Body Beautiful

Did you know that, in the fashion industry, if you are bigger than a US size 6 (so an Aussie size 10) you are considered to be "plus-size"? Even being a US size 6 can see you left out of designer gear. 

Since I blogged about British Vogue's Alexandra Shulman way back in June, the UK has been awash with real-woman hype.

Glamour magazine published this picture of 20-year-old model Lizzie Miller in its September 09 issue and were flooded with encouraging responses from excited readers.

  (Image from The Age)

Since this, Glamour have committed to showing more diversity across their pages. Four plus-size models, and the magazine's editor in chief Cindy Leive spoke to Ellen a few days ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2I8dSHURSk

It's not all been roses though. Obviously many fashion alumni don't appreciate their domain being overrun by women who are built bigger than an Olsen. But as the screen grab above from Ellen shows, these models aren't exactly flying the flag for obesity with their Aussie size 12-14 frames. The fashion industry has always supported rail-thin models, and this has provided a great opportunity for the love of fashion and beauty to be shared across all healthy women.

Designer Mark Fast followed suit at London Fashion Week during September by throwing a few size 12-14 girls in his model mix, which certainly ruffled a few feathers. After watching The September Issue though, I'm pretty sure we won't see Anna the Great doing such a ghastly thing in US Vogue. The horror!

It's not about being skinny, it's not about being huge. It's about healthy bodies - not just healthy body image, but healthy, strong, fit bodies. It's about sharing the opportunity to love fashion and clothes and beauty with more than just a tiny tiny percentage of people.

 

Nice... Ahhhh... Shoe?

Get on the train with this fashionable slideshow. Just don't start working shoes into your do... I'm thinking it's one of those things best kept to the catwalk.

Mid-June Madness

After two crazy weeks of too much work, too much booze and too much sickness (strangely the last too were found to be unrelated) my time spent whining about the ways of the world has been limited. Thus, here is a round-up of the best of the rest:


Utes vs. Prostitutes - While Australian politicians from both sides of the table have been embrolied in the called "Utegate" affair, Italy's old seedy Silvio has been at it at again. And I totally agree with Leo Shanahan's article Our scandals suck, just ask Silvio Berlusconi. Somehow seedy Silvio's ability to run the country is not questioned, even though his moral standards are decidedly lapse.

Stars and Strife - I don't have a tattoo (I think I'd get bored of it too quickly) but from what the cool kids tell me, they sting a tiny bit too much to ever fall asleep during their application. Was anyone really surprised when she admitted she was lying?



Make and Model - British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman sent a letter to some of the world's biggest fashion designers, blasting their creation of teeny tiny doll clothes that are somehow supposed to be purchased and worn by fully-grown adults. She argues that the women required to model the clothes are now so incredibly skinny, Vogue regularly retouch images to make their models seem less creepy-thin. Good on her I say. There's skinny models and then there's just gross and unwell.

Baby in da House - Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young decided to take her toddler to work for the day. To Parliment House. During a vote, two-year-old Kora had to be removed from the house, obviously distressing both mother and child. Of course it sounds a bit mean by the powers that be to do such a thing but, when you think about it, could you take your kids to work? Check-out chick? No. Lawyer? Probably not. As Tory Maguire wrote, the senator had a multitude of other options available to her, apparently including a child care centre complete with marble sand pit.

Procrastination #471

Although I wish I was important enough to hire someone else to do my laundry, I'm not. The washing machine in my building requires $1 coins, and as I didn't get to have a slap (on the pokies) this week, I have no gold coins. Why can't they be some kind of swipe card business?

So instead of going to a pub or begging on the street or pestering shop assistants, I have decided to do a round up of online good times until I feel inspired enough to tackle the aforementioned situations in the pursuit of clean clothes.


* Visible toes under stockings still kinda freaks me out. I know it's fashionably ok at the moment but...
* Cute dress that is so so so cheap!

* I wish I was this cool.

* Freaking hell! Here's something not to wear to dinner with the in-laws!

* Why so serious? - Givency's bringin' bowl cuts back...Yeah!

* I love Overheard in New York:

"Childrearing, in a Nutshell"

Four-year-old: I don't like you.
Angry mother: Well, that's fine, I don't like you very much either.
Four-year-old: That's mean.
Angry mother: That's life.

* Awkward Family Photos is seriously the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.

* Marry Me Jo?

Canapes + Cocktails = Chivalrous Chic

To launch their new marketing campaign, global liquor giant Chivas Regal hosted a week of glamourous parties in Sydney's The Rocks.

The strictly non-transferable invite stated that the evening would hold "exuberant luxury, gastronomy, mixology and entertainment". It also stated that the dress code was cocktail.

I donned glamourpuss outfit with giant heels and chic beaded headband, only to be greeted by a fellow guest wearing:

• Black footless tights: Don't get me wrong, I own heaps of them but hey, so not cocktail!
• Jungle print oversized t-shirt: Um. No. Hell no.
• Black masseur sandals: Yes, suspiciously similar to these ones: "Hello! My name's Sven!"
• Black (fake) Chanel bag: Lady, we ain't falling for that when you're wearing that outfit.

The cocktails were incredible.

The canapes superb (especially when compared to the party pies and sausage rolls served up at another Sydney party last month).

Everyone else looked smokin' hot so why was this woman allowed in when she was clearly mocking the dress code?

Maybe the bouncers were feeling chivalrous.

K-Rudd's Cold Hard Cassssshhh

Now that the High Court have decided they're cool with it, the K-Rudd cash can begin to flow into shoe stores nationwide, stimulating the soles of many a lady (or man that may prefer to dress like a lady).

Of course the cash should go on the credit card bill but don't you think these precious Peeptoe gems would be super dandy with an all-black, winter knit-fest?

And if they make a mistake with your $900 cheque and plonk an extra digit on the end, it might be a good opportunity to track down these Givenchy stunners, perfect with a pair of harem pants I think.

Photo from JAK&JIL

No Secrets Here

Is it just me or does anyone else think it'd be a bit weird letting everyone else see inside your handbag?

It'd definitely be a way of making sure everything is always neat and tidy but really ladies, does everyone need to know why you've been a bit cranky at this particular time in the month?

I don't think I'll be lining up for King Karl's latest offering.

I love JAK & JIL BLOG for a number of reasons. Here's one of them:

As a rule, I'm not much of a Louis Vuitton fan (probably due to the horribly ubiquitous fake Speedy bags) but these shoes are A.MA.ZING.

Men In Tights

So this is a man.

In tights.

Lace-up tights.

Sure, they're Givenchy.

And yes, the wearer is probably some uber cool French boy...

But really? Tights?

I'm all for fashion forward, and I don't mind a dude clad in skinny-legged pants, but I don't think I could date a boy that wears lace-up leather leggings.