An Indulgent 'Pop-Up' Store

I noticed a cool little idea for any of you Christmas shopping in Sydney this Christmas season... On the East end of Oxford St there is a set of new and sleek looking shopfronts (across the road from the Lightbrigade and Morrison's)- worth mentioning, is that in the past year they have had a roundabout of new labels/shops moving in and leaving.

Finally someone in brand marketing has come up with an ingenious example of a very useful 'Pop-up' store for the holidays. After a great day shopping for christmas gifts on Oxford St (at the markets or shops) you can saunter up the street to the 'Ferrero Rocher' pop-up store and get your gifts wrapped, all for the purchase of a Ferrero Rocher product.... The store is set up in the yummy gold and brown colours of Ferrero and the women working in the store are wearing luxurious gold satin uniforms.... If you have a lot to wrap you can even keep shopping across the street or have a cupcake at the 'Cupcake Bakery'.

It is actually a no brainer because every person has the use for a Ferrero Rocher gift- be it for a friend, your child's piano teacher or for dessert after Christmas lunch.

I love the gorgeous uniformity of having all my gifts ready wrapped and all matching in exquisite gold.... This is truly a great service for the customers and great thinking for a brand that is willing to think out of the (chocolate) box!

SQ

Forget what I want for Christmas...what do I wear?

I don't know about anyone else but I haven't even thought long and hard about xmas presents...that's for the week leading up to xmas. Hey, I work best under pressure ok!

My main concern is finding ample outfits to wear during the Xmas party season without rehashing the same numbers in the same company... I am quite sure I am not the only girl around that racks my brain as to whether I have worn that dress out with that group of friends before... It's all about keeping up appearances I know and it may be a trivial thing to worry about in the whole scheme of life and the credit crunch!

Back in the days of Beverly Hills 90210 -the old one, many fans would remember the confession of Tori Spelling aka- Donna Martin spilling the beans that she possessed a revolving wardrobe like that featured in the movie 'Clueless'. More importantly she has a computer attached to the wardrobe that has been updated with any party or event she's been to and what she wore to it, so she never wears the same outfit in the same company.


Ok that was like 15yrs ago- I was sure a little piece of computer software could be created by now for all of us to keep abreast of our wardrobe changes... I do appreciate that some may think this a little trivial for the worlds IT nerds but if Microsoft or Apple want to improve their profit margins in the credit crunch surely it all comes back to women wanting to look their best with the wardrobe they have?

Let me know if I'm the only person with a finite shopping income that can't keep on top of this!

SQ

An updated range into summer...Yay!

Currently we're waiting for an off load of more fabulous items for the run-up to summer...!

You know there is nothing more off-putting than a store with the same clothing on the racks after a good 6week interval and I have to say that our new additions from Lot 11 and Nude Soles ranges are very much anticipated, despite the great things we already have in stock....!

The Nude soles range is a new offering from Nude Footwear for spring/summer. All styles are flat sandals for $79.95 and we've picked up styles that our customers are always asking for! That is metallic thong(in this case platinum- which looks like silver) and a white snakeskin/silver interpretation of the gladiator sandal... You know we don't like you to blend in with the masses!

Lot 11, possibly unknown to many of you is a brand from Perth and I am hanging out for their Tahlia sleeveless dress which is a modern twist of last years shirt dress mixed with the sleeveless jacket trend so big overseas for spring/summer. Obviously it can be worn as both and I am hanging out for the opportunity to get my hands on one! The stand out buy of their range is the gypsy dress and gypsy blouse, both in light cotton and perfect to show off bronzed shoulders!

Keep your eyes peeled!

SQ

Global Shopper

Sorry for the delay in posting as I have been abroad for a buying tour in the last few weeks encompassing New York, London and Hong Kong. It was quick and action packed but I must say that fabulous trend-watching aside I am very excited to be back for more warm weather!

As all global shoppers would know, there is nothing better than travelling about and seeing first hand the trends as the take shape, the season before we move into it! New Yorkers in winter were predictably sporting the usually polished, tailored look but with a lot more colour and metallic accents for the winter months. The shopping was a little disappointing I thought... Too many chunky knit sweaters on the high street that didn't demonstrate the same tailoring as seen on the pavements, but loved the thick and ribbed tights in natural shades. As usual the department stores were awe inspiring, and so were the pricetags with the poor Australian dollar!

London, New York's more bohemian sister did not disappoint in the style stakes...despite the drizzly weather. The winter trends were more diverse on street level including the remergence of the laced up shoe boot for the coming fall season, the prominance of tweed, tartans and opulent brocade pieces. As usual, the high street stores in London did not disappoint either with Zara, H& M, Topshop and Urban Outfitters inspiring the many fashionistas clogging the streets. When visiting London, first stop was Portobello Rd to see one of our favorite labels 'Ducie' in the markets and pick up a few pieces for the E-boutique. The check out the silk dresses in the camisole pocket style- the perfect jewel shades for the sunshine!

Hong Kong was a good winter style comparison for most parts of Australia. Winter garments are romantic and cosy but most parts of Australia would be wasted on the over abundance of thick knits. There was plenty of beaded winter beanies, embellished cardigans and metallic ballet flats over opaques. Girls were wearing chain strap handbags; some had the authentic Chanel swingtags and others were the cheaper Zara 'tribute' but both looked chic and fabulous!

Any travelling fashionistas, I would love to hear your interpretations overseas at the moment...

Ciao for now,

SQ

The not so great haircut...

Like the great story from history; Sampson and Delilah... Some people have a great amount of strength in their hair and should not go messing with it...

Don't get me wrong I think there are enough haircut success stories out there- Linda Evangelista in the 90's, Posh's Pob lately and even copycat Katie Holmes was rescued from a style rut with a chop.

However, the reason this came to mind was witnessing a new shot of Kate Moss with her haircut... Whilst not a drastic step and only marginally short enough to be called a bob I think Kate's lost it!

Rather than looking like a style icon/legend, I think these new pics make Kate look like a bit of a rough girl on the street with a very nice Birkin bag.

The only thing I can attest is stylish (other than the Birkin) is the presence of Kate in stripes this week... As we here at DS are currently in a frenzy about stripes and stocking many styles of tops and dresses, I think her style star is still there- if not a little faded....

Extensions will be the order of the week I feel....

Ciao,

SQ

Pic courtesy of Fabsugar.com

To Skirt or not to Skirt....

We creep our way towards summer and it's high time that we pay attention to our skirt wardrobe this season. A few months back one of our brand managers referred to this Spring/Summer as the 'Season of the skirt' and I believe they're not wrong.

There are some fabulous trends out there in particular our favorites are the high waisted full trend helped along by Sarah Jessica Parker in the Sex and the City Movie and the fabulous 'Ra ra skirts ' once worn by those of us around in the mid 80's... We're actually waiting with baited breath for a cute ra ra style from Bebe (below) in November!

Otherwise there may be a problem finding other flattering styles...! We here at DS don't buy in to the trends that are in reality unwearable...there are quite a few of these around this season including those terrible mega short tulip styles that I like to call 'the pumpkin'. Many of us don't need to add any volume or padding to the area around the derriere....and for those that do- knock yourself out!

The new pencil skirts on the international catwalks with outer baggy pockets on either sides of the hips are also hideously unwearable for anyone bigger than a prepubescent boy...

Country road and witchery actually have a great selection of skirt 'seperates' this season also made for 'real' women....

No excuse, don't skirt the issue,

SQ

Online Magazines the way of the future...!

I'm afraid my entries in the last week have been obsolete due to my workload! With the end of the month all the brands decide they need to get the various ranges out the door and delivered asap...Unfortunately we haven't gotten all the new stock up on the site yet but we are working on it!

My lusthave with fashion at the moment due to this lack of time is no longer the Fashion glossies (although I still love them) but rather the online equivalent available online at http://www.mylookbook.com.au/ and the great aspirational weekly magazine at http://www.netaporter/. My Lookbook in particular is an Australian online mag covering fashion and trends and compiled by the fabulous Krista Epplestun, of which I was fortunate to get to meet at a Sydney Morning Herald photo shoot.

The best thing about MyLookbook is the compact size, perfect for flicking through (silently) at work with top trends outlined and where to get them!

Check it out- let me know your thoughts!

Ciao,
SQ

It's back to winter already?

I'm currently doing buying appointments for winter ranges already and I feel like I can't even get my head around this until I've had some summer to speak of!

Obviously here at DS we watch the overseas fashion markets with great interest and it wasn't going to take a rocket scientist to work out that the plaid/trucker shirt was certainly going to be present in what's to come! We will warn you that we like to pick up impressions of trends but we don't want to slavishly follow them too closely so you will find the checked shirt present but not in every colour check and style!

I have to say that at first I was a fan when Kate Moss introduced the look months back but think now it's a little too 'present' in everyones wardrobe and I'm a great believer in Coco Chanel's saying that 'For a woman to be fabulous she must always be different'... Personally I think the gladiator sandal is definitely going down the same path here...

What is the general consensus on this?

Diane Kruger wears the plaid beautifully in a different style, head to toe in Tommy Hilfiger and my personal style icon Elle MacPherson looks fabulous as a farmer....

Let me know your thoughts,

Ciao,

SQ

PICS- Courtesy of http://www.stylefinder.com/

The Hills Hair Effect

I'm happy to uncover my embarassing little indulgence into US reality tv now that it's back for the fourth season! It's the show 'The Hills' following some Orange County 20-somethings living a fabulous life in LA. I'm sure there is a large percentage of you that has realised that by bypassing MTV on foxtel (which only has old episodes anyway..) You can tune into all the episodes you like direct from the US through the MTV website just as long as you have a reasonable speed broadband connection!

For those of you oblivious to the real delight of watching rich girls with side ponytails, navy finger polish and Chanel handbags cruising around in Mercedes Convertibles... Check it out! My biggest interest with the show at the moment is how Lauren gets her hairdo in long voluminous waves.

My reason for this post is to share with you a little bit of info that I was sent by http://www.whowhatwear.com/website/wwwtv.php. Daily I receive info on what people are wearing around the world but yesterday I received a video clip explaining how to achieve the loose wave hairdo's on the catwalks and on celebrities! This clip was done and explained by a brand ambassador for 'Aussie' haircare which is pronounced Aus-si in the US, and although this is a little annoying the clip is actually very useful for women that don't know the ins and outs of hair tongs. It actually explains to me how LC and her pals acheive the manes of hair that frame their face (by curling sections behind the hair pieces).

Thought I'd spread the knowledge anyway as this blog is supposed to be all about being 'Stylish' after all!

PIC- Courtesy of mtv.com.

Online networking event

Just wanted to let you all know about a great event that we're involved with taking place in Sydney in October. It's a networking event for women entrepreneurs with online businesses and any women interested in starting their own business online. There are also going to be talks from many top Australian online women. Check it out at http://www.onlinedivas.com.au/ .

At the moment the event is Sydney only, but then any interested parties for other cities should send in their interest to the event organisers. I'd love any feedback from you if this is something you'd be interested in??

ON DS- This week we've received stock from Andrea and Joen including the in-trend summer wedge and Sunday, including the perfect gold summer sandals for $69.95... Check these out!

Ducie has arrived!

Dear Customers, please find the fabulous brand Ducie (discussed below) from the UK has been placed online!

We have added two of the summer dresses onto the site- they are a one size fits most (size 8-12) as the waist of the dress is elasticated and easy to wear... Watch for the smock blouses in the next couple of days!

Get in quick ladies!

SQ

Spring has Sprung...

Well the spring weather has finally started to appear with all the spring deliveries we've been receiving in the past few weeks...! One thing is for sure- quite a few of our spring items have been selling out quickly..... so keen fashionistas have been keen to shop whatever the season!

Watch out for some new labels we have this season including 7th Vision which is a diffusion label (ie.fashion speak- diffusion is a cheaper range- thank god!) from Australian designer Natasha Gan... She designs killer smart frocks with a tailored fit and they are ideal to take a girl from work to evening...

My personal excitement is fueled by a range delivered yesterday from UK label, Ducie (direct from Portobello Rd markets). This range is getting photographed today and we hope to have it up by the end of the week... Think cute and flirty cotton summer frocks and tops and we have the silk range arriving in a month or so... Would love to get some ideas from customers out there whether they bought from Ducie whilst visiting or living in the UK. I must say that I have no doubt the feminine, wearable styles are perfect for the Australian lifestyle!

I have to apologise too to our Style Members as we have had a total redesign of our newsletter and this has taken a mammoth 7 weeks! That means 2 newsletters have been missed and many things left undiscussed about the world of fashion... Earlier in the year we were inundated with interest in our profiling of celebrity wardrobes and our 'wearable alternatives' and we think the new outlay of our newsletter will make this topic even better for you! Apologies again for the wait...

Anyway, had better sign off as much to do...

Ciao,

SQ