RAFW: Armchair Critique

I have a shiny new laptop, super comfy pj's and no desire to spend all day teetering in heels, air kissing people*. And I'm typing this while simultaneously watching the Biggest Loser (Bob rocks!). I'm also in the wrong state to be at RAFW, but thanks to the wonders of twitter and the blogosphere I have no need to be. I've also finally found a use for Grazia magazine aside from something to read at the dentist's - their website has all the pics and the occassional review of all the goings-on. I'm not sure how often it will be updated cos everybody is apparently out hoping to be shot for The Sartorialist, but still, it allows for a copy and paste job not too dissimilar from most weekly mag 'articles'. So, thanks, Grazia (seriously, and excuse the poor grammar). You can also keep up to date at Chic Report.

(Just as a completely irrelevant aside, does anyone else find it cruelly amusing that Masterchef starts just as Biggest Loser is ending?)

Anyhoo, back to business. Grab a nice hot milo, and check this out:

The week opened with Camilla & Marc, and Paul Keating in the front row. I guess with a slick bob, he'd make a passable Anna Wintour. I'm taken with the fluid tops and dresses in nude and metallic tones, and gotta say that 7 models all in black stomping the runway in unison would be a sight to behold indeed. All in all, the show has been hailed a success, though I'm not sure what occassion would call for this outfit:

I do like that jacket though. And these pieces just makes you (well, me anyway) go, "ooooh...shiny and luxe...oooh"

I'm a bit of a fan of the dark, androgynous styles at Friedrich Gray, though I would get considerably miffed at my partner if he started wearing my tshirt.

And if he came home wearing this, I'd be...confused, to say the least.

Ginger & Smart is one of my fav labels-I-can't-generally-afford. Apparently one half of the duo (Alexandra) gave birth 6 days ago and still rocked up looking fab. Their collection is whimsically colourful - the inspiration came from a kite - with lots of tough black and chic navy. I'm quite glad to see minimal florals and overdone prints this S/S - winter's tougher looks, pared down a little with a softer colour palette, will look awesome for Spring. Most of the buying for next seasn at Frock You has been done, and it's all refreshingly grown up, with the occassional burst of bright colour (bright pinks, some stunning blue and a nice dollop of purple for good measure, alongside peach, dove grey and creamy white...mmm...). But I digress:

Zippers rock. Love the fit of those pants. And even though I spent a fair amount of time last week convincing one of our labels that you Frockers probably won't go for a pleather bra top, this gold Xena-esque version somehow works. The pic makes it look like the top still has a security tag laced around it but, dang, it's a chic security tag.

All pics from Grazia's website.

*Disclaimer: Not intended to sound catty because I'm not there. I'm just shit at air kissing.

Twitter rhymes with Fritter

The Web is a mind boggling place. You (or maybe it's just me) can spend hours going from one link to the next, discovering a plethora of new sites and directories and shops and god knows what else. I'd heard of Twitter before but not really bothered with it, dissing it as something I'd stick to for a few days and then forget about. Which, tbh, is probably still true. It's yet another (albeit very cute) site where you can update your status for all your 'followers' to see - the cynic in me smirks: what a world we live in, constantly needing to be reassured that people care about what we had for brekky, that we are worthy of being 'followed' in our never ending quest for social acceptance and reverance. Pft. - from a business point of view however, it is a nifty tool. You can follow the Frock's updates, mainly about new stock becuase I don't think you want to hear about "Sharyn is spending half an hour comparing flights to the Whitsundays" or "Laura is STILL trying on the new Motel stock" etc etc; here: http://www.twitter.com/frockyou . If you must have the latest before anyone else, then this is the way to do it! (See nifty update box thingy there----->)

I'm following, among others, Richard Branson, and The Cut, and am sorely tempted to add Britney Spears. It's sorta like Facebook except you can be 'friends' with, or at least by gossip mag standards a 'source', for celebs! And, naturally, you can link your Twitter updates with your Facebook updates (I did this with the Frock You facebook page, though I haven't checke dif I did it right). That way, EVERYBODY, EVERYWHERE can know about your itchy foot or the fact you are on the loo! Hurrah!

Currently there's alot of updates from NY Fashion Week, which is great and actually mostly interesting, but if there's particular blogs or sites or stores you are a fan of (not FB fans, genuine fans) it's a great way to keep updated and quench our zealous Gen-Y flavoured thirst for new information. I'm not sure it has caught on enough yet to make random people you went to primary school with suddenly interested in your doings (thankfully, let's keep that as a thinly tolerated Facebook quirk), but it's definitely made me fritter away many minutes following link after link...and giving me that smug cyber-reassurance one can only get when Shopbop is your first follower. Kudos.