40 this month with two children under 4 and never felt so fabulous!

40 must be the new fabulous. I am feeling more empowered and comfortable in my being than ever before. Racing Fashion is forever evolving and with a shoot with the amazing Madam Virtue, JC and Dean with Matt Wren at the lens I knew I would be taken care of.

Certainly I was shocked when recently I have been asked to model and do couture fashion shoots, but it seems that with Lanvin taking on ladies the right side of fabulous and Advanced Style being such a hit, 40 is the new fabulous.

This shoot has been brought together with the genius of Madam Virtue with their abundance of talent and couture garments which made me feel Racing Fashion Fabulous. We have incorporated this shoot with 'Racing Fashion TV, Season 4, Behind the Sash', to bring a brilliant product.

This advert does bring me to a bare minimum, but Racing Fashion will represent the most beautiful designers this year with colour brimming and marvellous millinery adorning our heads.

Milliners have never been so busy with one new comer telling me “no need for advertising”, as she has practically sold out before Spring has Sprung.

The colours this year will be representative of the Pantone Fashion Palette as well as well fitting couture garments that are one of a kind.

Remember the dinner set that only comes out for visitors, well I think you are worth being the 'VISITOR' every day. Everyday as a woman we should, (when we are not playing mum) give ourselves the time to wear that fabulous dress to lunch. We should wear those special pieces. If we are not good enough for them right now, when will be good enough?

Yes, we are doing it tough financially, but really to get dressed up and have a coffee, does not cost much. I miss the days of sitting with my friends for coffee and catching up on the latest news and shoes. We would always admire one another’s outfits and stroll looking at shops musing, we did not have to purchase. I love blogs, but sometimes I feel that we are spending too much time on the phone and even when I go to a cafe I see people sit down at the table and bring out their I phones. This is taking away from conversation and the art of keeping company.

Big changes are happening in Racing Fashion and ladies, grace, elegance, and classic couture is never out of fashion.

Vintage Christain Dior Dress encrusted with Pearl and Porcelain, Jonathan Howard Hatmaker Swarovski Headpiece, Christian Louboutin Heels, Vivienne Westwood hosiery, Vintage Handbag, Vintage Chanel Pearls with Cross, Vintage Pearl Ring.
Photography, Matthew Wren
Styled by JC, Madam Virtue

Madam Virtue Couture Gown, Pearls are a private collection.

Vintage Hat from Madam Virtue, Vintage Chanel Earrings, Vintage Givenchy Scarf and Vintage Fur all by Madam Virtue.

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Mila Kunis for Dior 2012

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Saint Laurent, I think it is a publicity pitch for a younger market!

It has hit the news today and been confirmed, but really why???

Yves Saint Laurent was a pioneer of the fashion industry and kept designing almost right up until his death.  He is an icon of the fashion industry.  Not only did he take on the naming right of 'Champagne', to have to have the name changed to 'Yvresse', or 'My Tribute to Women who want to Sparkle', the bottles of 'Champagne' perfume are not a collectors item.
Now it all comes around again.  Someone wanting to take away from the genius and turn it into theirs when he has departed our world.
Are we going to now be collecting all our bottles with the old Logo, personally I just think it is a publicity stunt as Christian Dior has now just forged on with the Title of 'Dior' for a younger market.

I am old school and I love Yves Saint Laurent just the way it is, but I am not the campaign manager.  One thing is for sure if you check out the latest adverts from Dior and Channel, their business is booming, so I am sad that today we have to say goodbye to the Christian name of 'Yves'.
You may be gone, but people who have followed your fashion through the years will know you will never be forgotten.

New hot off the press from Fashionista.com Click Here

It’s understandable for a new creative director to want to make a few changes at his new label–wouldn’t that kinda be why he was hired in the first place? But we just heard a rumor about a major change new YSL creative director Hedi Slimane is considering–and it’s pretty drastic.

A reliable source tells us there may be talks within the company of having the “Yves” taken out of Yves Saint Laurent. We hear the issue was brought up by Slimane in the interest of giving the brand more of a fresh, modern feel as he begins his tenure there. Thus, our source said, the iconic YSL logo shall be no more. (Though we suspect, if this really ends up happening, YSL SL will come up with something better than the above.)

Of course, this is nothing more than a rumor, but could you imagine? Calling the brand Saint Laurent won’t be too much of a stretch, as people already call it that, but will we really call it SL (for SLimane?) for short? What about all the stores and beauty products and that iconic logo? Won’t changing everything be incredibly expensive and confusing? Would the value of vintage or pre-Slimane YSL then go up?

We also wonder if YSL co-founder Pierre Bergé, who has worked tirelessly to keep Yves Saint Laurent’s memory alive with expansive archives and a foundation, would approve of such a huge change.

If true, this is a surprising statement for Slimane to make, given his past at YSL (he designed menswear from 1998-2000) and the fact that Bergé, who has been quite critical of previous creative directors, seemed pleased to have him on board and called him “a member of the YSL family.”

Then again, perhaps the company had already been considering it. It’s not at all uncommon for storied fashion houses to go by their founding designer’s last name: Chanel, Versace, and Armani are just a few examples. We can also understand Slimane wanting to distance himself from the label’s inimitable founder, whose legacy, as some of Slimane’s predecessors have expressed, can be difficult to live up to.

We’ve reached out to YSL (if that’s what it’s even called) for comment and will report back when we hear more.

What do you think? Could Yves Saint Laurent just be Saint Laurent?

Update: This is really happening!! An Yves Saint Laurent spokesperson has confirmed to WWDthat Slimane plans to change the name of the house to Saint Laurent Paris. And that’s not all.

Slimane’s inspiration for the house’s branding makeover reportedly comes from 1966, when the company first introduced its ready-to-wear line under the name Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. He plans to use similar fonts and wording from that time. However, the Yves, along with the iconic YSL logo, won’t disappear entirely. The full Yves Saint Laurent name will continue to be used for “institutional purposes” and the logo will remain the same. Phew!

The changes are being positioned by YSL as “restoring the house to its truth, purity and essence – and taking it into a new era” while “respecting the original principles and ideals,” according to the trade. The new branding is expected to be introduced by the time Slimane’s spring 2013 collections hit stores.

Are you becoming Brand a Phobic, Fashionista.com came up with some substitutes, what do you think???

Invest Dress

In this land of social media and living in Melbourne at the moment, I do get this feeling that I am incredibly dull. I really don't mind, it is just a fact. Since arriving to Melbourne from Far North Queensland I have been fighting off bugs and been tested for everything under the sun! 5 weeks of being horribly ill and maybe it is just Melbourne that is making me ill, or let us say the weather.

When stepping back to the hub of fashion and fabulocity, one thing comes to my mind. Like death and taxes, age is taking hold and I am feeling well lets say mature. One other thing comes to mind when reading Facebook, (Stalkbook) with everyone catching up for coffee and lunch and heading out in fabulous outfits, talking about how fabulous their lives are and how wonderful their lives are, I am either telling the truth or I am really really boring and dull.

Instead of being bothered about it, I now see my life is evolving as my life is totally about my children and I have chosen to be sent photos from fashion week rather than going to the events to talk with people about what I have just seen. I prefer to make up my own mind. One thing is for sure, nothing is moving fast. Although we love our fashion and we are all wanting to look our best, we are all opting for vintage and the best price we can get. Being back in Melbourne, I see that most stores have crazy sales trying to move stock and I am receiving about 10 text messages a day where all the major sales are. To tell you the truth, NO ONE is spending. Everyone in Australia thinks we have not been touched by the GFC, but news for you all my pretties, it is coming. As I know allot of what is coming in and out of the country right now, we have come to a major halt and it is because consumer confidence is at an all time low. Personally I think if Julia and Krudd decided not to have a public spatt it may not be a quite the crisis point, but please, another election! QUICK SMART!!!

Despite who is in power, we are not getting out of this consumer slump for some time. Even though I hate being a clone in a shopping centre I have decided being in Melbourne I will go to shops and spend my $$$ in shops as with Katies and Millers (I must admit, I cannot remember walking into either store) going under with 160 stores closing their doors and Fletcher Jones going belly up, we have to get back to our stores in order for people to keep their jobs. It is easier to purchase online, but we are forgetting the human factor of the economic crisis. I still want people to purchase Australian Made and Designed, but even Sass and Bide are made in China and blocks sent over seas. I will let you know there is going to be a big shift about products coming out of China as well. A country that Australia depends on for their cheap labour. All in all, when I live in FNQ, I live in a very small wardrobe mostly swimwear as about 4 hours a day is spent in the water and then workout wear. I love purchasing millinery as it is no secret, but we are so blessed as beautiful millinery is hand made and I never mind purchasing what craftsmanship has been hand made with blood sweat and tears. Although I know and am told that everyone thinks I have endless purse strings, it is far from the truth as I am a very savvy shopper and I am not scared to wear something twice, thrice or even once a month. The way to keep your wardrobe current is to make sure your accessories are up to date. Belts, gloves, and cheap handbags can instantly update an outfit. One thing is for sure in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, you need a fantastic coat to get you through Winter, and I have been known to wear fur during Spring Racing Carnival and many a contestant and compare have been grateful when they walk off stage. Be mindful of your purchases and I will be interested to see what LMFF has to offer but one thing is for sure, we want to invest dress. We will be purchasing 'classic' and one wonders if that is why 'Dior's' latest 'Safe' collection was purposely designed that way in order that the customer will not take chances on high ticketed items that are a fash flash in the pan although gorgeous, but just won't make it through the test of time. Back to the classics I say!

Recently I did make the comment that Dior's latest collection was safe.  True, but when you look at the lines that work as classics, maybe these are the new classics.  It is probably better to have a line that has more sale appeal than something so fashion forward that is will stay on the shelves.  

Something to ponder upon. 

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Diorable

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