Levi Strauss & Co has launched their 2007 collection of jeans with Dangerous Liaisons. A 90 second TV advert with a couple pealing off layers of fashion from the 1870s to 2007. It’s amazing to see how they’ve translated the last century of fashion in relation to denim.

The ad begins with a woman in her denim work wear looking through a window. Horse and buggy sounds alert us to a nineteenth century setting. The man and woman take off a layer of clothes to reveal a early twentieth century outfit. The next strip leads to the 1970s complete with a boho top and long hair.

The pair soon end up on the bed with the clothes revealing 1980s grunge jeans to match her white print shirt and a punk hair-do. The final strip shows the couple in the new 2007 Levis range.

Very creative – and I especially love that it’s on YouTube. All hail YouTube for around the world access to things like this.

Trust those Dolce & Gabbana boys, they really know how to put on a show.

Every models were sent down the runway in prints, mainly leopard prints, to the rocking song Disco Inferno. In their D&G winter 2007 collection models were dressed in leopard print chiffon dresses with full sleeves and pussy-bow necklines. Dotted throughout the collection were tuxedo suits, finished off with skinny pants and long black cigarette holders (they mustn’t have known about the whole uproar in Australia over Beyonce’s concert promotional poster).

The whole collection was a mix of disco and a 1940s siren.

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A few fashion bloggers and I who are based in Sydney (or happen to be in town) are having Sunday brunch one weekend.

Are you a fashion blogger who’s in town in the next few weeks and want to pop along? Send me an email ASAP and I’ll let you know the details.

xx

– Covering Australian fashion because we’re an Australian blog

1. Is the short crop a new trend? We know all about Britney shaving her hair off, but Michelle Williams and Selma Blair has also had the scissors to their long locks. Who do you think will be next to get the chop?
2. Can you name the beautiful girls on the cover of US Vogue, UK Vogue, French Vogue, Italian Vogue and Australian Vogue?
3. Which fashion magazine has featured Australian “bloggers” in their current issue? There’s a small paragraph on how they started blogging as well as some q & a. It’s interesting to note that they seem to be well connected - all but one “blogger” featured is current or ex employee of the publishing company.
4. Do you know what is the other fashion blog Helen is now also blogging at?

[EDIT MAR 5 - MORE PHOTOS HERE]

How gorgeous are the Stella McCartney for Target Australia clothes? I want them all!

Captions:

1. Stella McCartney for Target Taffeta trench, in ash – 199.99
2. Stella McCartney for Target Washed silk satin embroidered front dress with belt in dusk/midnight $179.99, worn under a Stella McCartney for Target long jacket in oat mélange $189.99
3. Stella McCartney for TargetV-neck knit jumper in oak, $119.99, worn under a short wool/cashmere jacket $199
4. Stella McCartney for Target Zip thru knit jumper in dusk $149.99; Stella McCartney for Target Washed silk satin pleated front tie waist blouse in dusk.

For a list of Australian Target stores that will be stocking the Stella McCartney for Target range, visit: www.designersfortarget.com.au/stella_menu010207.htm

You can catch the pieces on the catwalk at the Target Rocks Red market show at the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival on March 10. Tickets are only $20 so you had better get in quick….

(images from the L’Oreal Fashion Festival official magazine)

[Edit - March 12, 2007]

Want to know what happened? Well, Target stores sold out within the first few minutes with girls and women lining up hours before the stores open!

Read more about it here:

• Fists fly in Stella frenzy (theage.com.au)
• Mayhem at Target as Stella goes on sale (news.com.au)
• Stella McCartney Target mayhem (news.com.au)
• McCartney’s bullseye in Target frenzy (smh.com.au)

– Covering Australian fashion because we’re an Australian blog

A little spin on the luxe to less with some beautiful lace trimmed cocktail dresses marked down by up to 40% off their retail price. Lace trimmed dresses are perfect for functions with a “cocktail” dress code or a school formal or prom. Lotta Stensson has three that are perfect for all different body shapes – unless you have a perfect model like body.

Take the Lotta Stensson black lace double v-neck ‘Chic’ dress for example, it would look absolutely sexy on an hourglass body or someone with a large bust with the empire waist and delicate lace trim making your womanly curves seem softer. It’s been marked down to $179, from $300.

The Lotta Stensson black lace trim jersey babydoll dress is a good choice for a woman with a small bust or is small in stature. The lace trim jersey babydoll dress will soften your look and add subtle curves. This is practically a steal at $108, down from $180.

Men beware if you see a woman wearing this Lotta Stensson black lace strapless tube dress on, especially if she has curves. The sheer lace strip at the bottom of the dress will add a bit of a midnight-mistress feel to this sweet but sexy number. Marked down to $165 from $275, it’s a dress you could wear over and over again.

So much fashion tidbits, so little time. Here’s a quick round up!

• Go backstage to see the beauty happenings at Proenza Schouler thanks to the Beauty Addict.
• The Teen Vogue Beauty Buzz blog by beauty director Eva Chen muses about how Christina Aguilera makes waif like Mischa Barton look large.
• The Bargain Queen reveals the fashion industry’s biggest secret that magazines won’t tell you.
• CatwalkQueen lets u know that Lily Allen is joining the celebs for fast fashion designing gig by signing up to design a capsule collection for New Look.
• Fashion Verbatim reveals the Zac Posen Barbie and Ken platinum set.

As we posted in December, the Kate Moss fragrance deal with Coty has been signed.

And according to the press release, the first fragrance in the fragrance line will “capture her unique style and deepen her appeal”.

“As a one-of-a-kind modern beauty icon, Kate Moss carries clout and credibility among photographers, fashion designers and the beauty industry. This has made her a leading beauty face of the new millennium,” said Bernd Beetz, CEO, Coty Inc.

“There is no one better to embody a new fragrance than Kate, who epitomizes the look and feel of today’s fashionistas. We are very excited about this fragrance collaboration and look forward to a longand fruitful partnership.”

The Kate Moss fragrance line will include eau de toilette, eau de perfume and ancillary products. The announcement means that she will join the likes of Gwen Stefani, Victoria Beckahm, Kylie Minogue and Sarah Jessica Parker in the Cot ycelebrity fragrance stable.

“For me, Coty is the ideal partner to create my own scent,” commented Moss. “I’ve been delighted to work with Coty over the years (with Rimmel) and am pleased to collaborate with them on my first fragrance.”

The collection is set to debut in Fall 2007, to be launched throughout Europe, the Middle East and Australia first, then extending to the United States, Canada and Latin America.

(image from PR Newswire)

[Edit 9 August, 2007]

Click here to see a advertising campaign image and read about the fragrance notes.

Honestly, who isn’t designing a capsule collection for a big chain store?At least the designers being snapped up have been getting better and better. Think Stella McCartney for Australian Target, Roland Mouret for UK GAP and Victor & Rolf for H&M. Well Australian department store, Myer, have teamed up with Melbourne designer Toni Maticevski to design a “a more … affordable” collection exclusive to Myer.

With Maticevski making waves every time he shows at New York Fashion Week, his contract to be stocked in Myer must be paying off big time for the department stores.

The Maticevski for Myer collection of dresses will debut in the department store next month with the dresses to be priced from $400 to $700. Maticevski dresses usually sell for over $1,000 due to the quality of the fabric and embellishments used in the designs. But rest assured the cheaper range will still be “keeping the integrity of what my brand is about, but making it more accessible,” Matecivski says.

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