Super Saturday

What a wonderful Saturday in New York Saturday! It started out with another fantastic brunch at The Neptune Room on the upper west side, this time with Dane, Danni and Drew. We sipped out Mimosa's and enjoyed our round of creme brulee battered french toast. It is STILL the very best french toast I have eaten laid eyes on!
Dane was still craving something savoury, so after a short shop down Fifth Avenue we headed to a secret hidden burger place called the Burger Joint. Hidden away in an ultra swish hotel, down a flight of stairs you are almost transported to the mid-west in some cheap almost sleazy diner. There was no official sign boards with prices etc, it was all hand written in all the colours of the rainbow, and the queue went right out the door. I was a bit dubious as to whether this place would be any good, but it turned out to be one of the best burgers I have had while here. Not only cheap, but delicious too! We escaped the small claustrophobic room and opted to have lunch in Central Park.
Later in the afternoon Dane and Danni invited me to Jersey, to visit a couple that they have met through Julliard School. They have just recently moved across the water and invited us to come and see their new place. I almost decided not to go, but was so glad I made the effort, even after an already jam-packed day! The apartment was a warehouse style studio that was HUGE and it has SO much potential. Brent (a trumpet player) and his girlfriend Cathy were lovely and amazing hosts. They are both Australian so it was nice to be around true blues hehe. I almost got to meet another friend of D&D's, Evan who is a composer who also attends Julliard. These three belted out tunes on the grand piano for us, and Brent did some trumpet work for us. We headed up to the roof and continued a wonderful afternoon late into the night. With such wonderful people like this living in this amazing city, its hard to consider the idea of leaving so very soon!

Monday: MEETING KAREN WALKER!

So with fashion week fast approaching, my first gem in the crown of opportunity bestowed on me is almost here. I will meeting KAREN WALKER on Monday! I am working with KW during her stay in New York city for her runway show. The show is in just one week, and I am so lucky to have the opportunity to work for her and be involved in the pre-production side of things.
I hope I do not faint/fall over/make an ass of myself when I meet her, her team and beautiful new bub Valentina.
And now for some interesting information on KW!

"Phaidon have included her in their recent book Sample which curates the 100 most influential designers to emerge in the last 6 years, and Taschen have also included her in their recent book Fashion Now 2 which highlights the world’s most important 160 designers as selected by i-D magazine."

WOW Go Karen!

I look forward to Monday!

The cream of the crop...

I want to wake up in the city that doesn't sleep.....oh wait thats what I have been doing for the last fourteen weeks!
A brand new start of it indeed! This song totally resonates with me now, and it even makes me a little sad and teary to think that in just two weeks I will be leaving this fantastic city that is New York. Make sure to watch the video to see Liza really rock out.
You certainly came through for me New York!

Xanadu & Tattoo

Hilarious, kitch, funny and fantastic! Tonight I fought my way through the tourists once again along Broadway and went and saw another show. This time I went with Drew and we saw XANADU. Some may recall a disgracefully bad movie of the same name. This production was born from that, but thankfully had the script was completely overhauled. We had wonderful cheap seats (YAY for rush tickets once again!) and enjoyed a mirror ball filled ninety minute show full of laughs, disco moves, roller skates and a very over the top yet somewhat accurate Australian accent (hahaha). Oh and we were lucky enough to catch the show while comedian Whoopi Goldberg has joined the cast for a six week stint. She was hilarious and her comedic background really shone right through!

Earlier in the day, accompanied by Danni Lam, I went down to midtown to Red Rocket Tattoo where Betty Rose helped me with my token memory to take away from this truly life changing experience in New York. Almost two hours later and just wouldn't you know it, just like the city, Betty blew away any expectations I might have had about how the tattoo would turn out. It is truly a work of art and I am so happy that I made sure to get it done before leaving! Stayed tuned for pics once it has healed up.

Hello Janice!

While minding my own business today in Soho, running errands for Karen Walker's upcoming runway show at New York fashion week, who should I pass but none other than the self-proclaimed first supermodel JANICE DICKINSON! The model turned fashion photographer, actress, author and agent was looking very good for her age, although it was very apparent that she had had work done ;-)
And would you know it, she flashed me a smile as I passed. I must say this is probably the first time I have been a little starstruck upon passing Janice today!

McCarren Park Pool Sunday

The last sunday of summer of free concerts at McCarren Park and what a way to end it! The sun was shining, the weather was just perfect, and there we were in Williamsburg soaking it all up. Topshop provided some great little freebies and the musicians on stage gave us a great mellow relaxing sunday vibe to chill out to and enjoy. The highlight of the afternoon was definitely Yo La Tengo, whose summer tunes just hit the right spot! Athough they thought it appropriate to dabble into some of their other genres which included heavy rock which burned the ear drums, overall it was the perfect way to laze in the sun on such a beautiful day.

HAIR

It is great to be in New York in the summertime as they really go all out to to make the most of the weather.
Last night Ruthie and I checked out 70's broadway hit HAIR at the Shakespeare outdoor theatre in Central Park. FOR FREE! Although Ruthie did start lining up for the tickets at 6am! Thats dedication, and we were definitely not disappointed!
The show was great and the performances by the cast were top notch broadway worthy!
Man I am spoilt here in New York!

View from the top....

Thanks to my great new friend Drew, I have a place to stay now that Dane and Danni have returned to New York city. Its a really neat place on the upper west side, and just check out the view!!!

Isacc Mizrahi

Because of disorganisation in the Malandrino camp, Barbara has offered me a spot at the Isaac Mizrahi show!
WOOT WOOT!!!!
Isaac is a well known New York designer who has done everything from television and movie appearances (sex & the city!), to theatre, to successful diffusion lines for Target and high end couture.

http://www.isaacmizrahiny.com/

Moonstruck

A brisk (very uncommon for August in New York!) Friday evening Ruthie and I decided to once again head to Central Park for a free cinema experience. Last time it was Staten Island, this time it was the borough of Brooklyn on the big screen, with another 80's gem, Moonstruck starring Cher and Nicholas Cage. Great movie, full of laughs and things to make you ponder on.

My fairy godmother

I thought it about time that you all get to put a face to the name. This wonderful lady, Barbara B, who has just been so kind and helpful in giving me such fantastic opportunities here in New York. Although me experiences here have been amazing, Barbara has certainly helped them to skyrocket beyond any expectations! Apart from the menswear shows, fashion week, the Ishii photo shoot, and front of house work at Behnaz, Barbara this week has given me some advice on working in the industry over here as I am most definitely considering it as an option. In fact, she has put me in touch directly with a fashion PR/marketing company that have a vacancy!!!! Who knows if anything will come of it, but its just another thing to thank Ms Barbara for!!!

Front of house

Thanks to another opportunity brought to me by the wonderful Barbara B, I will be working front of house at the runway show of young New York designer Behnaz Sarafpour. I will be working with my friend Allison who interns at Wise & Co PR!

http://behnazsarafpour.com/

Welcome back

Welcome back welcome back welcome back! Dane and Danni Lam, the happily freshly married friends of mine return to New York looking stunning and super excited to be back (who wouldn't!!). It is so great to see them so happy and in love. We went to a Japanese restaurant just around the corner and had delicious sushi. New Yorkers definitely know a thing or two about sushi....

Cinema in Central Park

Celebrating 100 years of cinema in Central Park, last night I went along with Ken, Ruthie and Tammi to catch a classic 80's hit, set in New York City and Staten Island, WORKING GIRL with Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver.
The beauty of the park made a wonderful backdrop for some 80's gold, and the weather had just a slight chill to it with added to the atmosphere.

Fashion week count: NINETEEN!

Well I am close to the magic twenty, which was my aim for the amount of shows I got to work at and two great additions to my schedule to New York Fashion week.

On Thursday 10th September in the evening I will be helping backstage for

* Christian Siriano; Any of you that watched Project Runway last season will know that he won it. His collection will be a lot of fun for sure, and it great to see that he made it to Fashion Week under his own label just after winning PR. Especially when most of those designers bomb out straight after.
http://www.christianvsiriano.com/

* Ray Costarella; Head designer for Aurelio Costarella, is a Western Australian based company fast becoming the hottest new international luxury brand. His evening dresses are exquisite and has followers like Rihanna, Sharon Stone and Tina Arena. My mum told me all about this guy about a week or so ago, so when I got invited to work his show I HAD TO DO IT FOR MY MUM!
http://www.aureliocostarella.com/

The Blonds

I am up to seventeen shows now! WOOT!
Newest additions:
Joanna Mastroianni
http://www.joannamastroianni.com/
Brian Reyes
http://www.brianreyes.com/html/main.html
Pamella Roland
http://www.pamellaroland.com/collection.php
The Blonds
http://us.geocities.com/theblitzkids/theblonds.html

I was secretly aiming to reach twenty shows at Fashion Week, but didn't think I would actually be this close to it already!

Australia REPRESENT

Well I feel bad because I almost forgot to include another addition to my fashion week schedule on my blog, and it is one I am very much looking forward to.
Michael Angel is a Melbourne native and former creative director of Oakley! AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE! He will show his third collection at Bryant Park in the TENTS and will be the first show kicking off New York Fashion Week.
His last collection was amazing, so you must check it out http://michaelangel.net/

Malandrino!!!

Malandrino is one of the newest additions to my schedule for New York Fashion week, and one I am really looking forward to! It will be a fantastic show for sure, and a great end to a busy Monday.....those fashionista friends of mine will definitely know Catherine Malandrino from her appearance in Project Runway Season 3.
http://www.catherinemalandrino.com/

Other new additions include;

Sunday 7th
Staerk by Camilla Staerk
http://www.camillastaerk.co.uk/Danish designer Camilla Staerk is a three-time Topshop winner. She recently relocated to NY to promote her designs which are an eclectic combo of Danish modern and dark romanticism. She already has a celebrity following and the support of supermodel Helena Christensen.

Monday 8th
Twinkle by Wenlan Chia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wenlan_Chia
Christian Cota
http://christiancota.com/

12 weeks....

Not in my wildest dreams would I have guessed that I would still be in New York city in August 2008! WOW! I am so blessed and lucky to be still here in the most amazing city I have seen so far in my life. Things go from strength to strength here.

This past week I had my second experience as a stylist on a photoshoot. Being on location, and having animals in the shoot posed some challenges, but it was a fantastic day with the best weather over Central Park.

I have added more shows to my schedule for New York Fashion Week thanks again to Barbara B my fairy godmother here.

And then to mark my twelth week anniversary here in New York, Teen Vogue decided to FINALLY return some Umbro by Kim Jones shoes......and seeing as the collaboration is over.....more free shoes for LYLLE!

Perfect Day

A song from the 90's which I think is very appropriate in summing up days in New York city!

WICKED!

Thanks to Ruthie's luck in the lottery ticket draw, tonight we sat front row centre at the Americana theatre production of WICKED!
WOW if you see one show when visiting New York, I can understand why people are recommending you see Wicked! It was a fantastic show with amazing costumes, set design and a full orchestra.
The actors performances were top notch and the story, which is like the prequel to when Dorothy and Toto arrive, is so cleverly thought out and adds a major twist to the whole Wizard of Oz story.

Ishii

Yesterday I was a stylist on location in Central Park!!! OMG I know!
I helped style the photoshoot for Tamae Ishii, a new york fashion designer who needed to shoot her Spring/Summer 2009 collection for a new lookbook, and editorial shots for the PR firm that represents her brand Ishii.
It was a brilliant day, the weather was on our side, and the collection was beautiful. The photographer Katrina was very talented and our model Carlotta was super cute.
The shoot went for most of the day, but it was a wonderful day and it was such fun being part of the whole experience. I'll be getting a reference from Tamae, a credit in the lookbook and will be able to use the photos in my folio!

www.ishiinyc.com

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=47359&l=928d8&id=607920924

Brad's 30th

Tuesday, Brad had a BIG birthday and he was lucky enough to be celebrating it in old New York. And I was lucky enough to celebrate with him and his friends!
We went to Holy Basil for dinner, a great Thai place Danielle and Brad had been to a few days previous after they had got lost while going to meet friends for dinner. GREAT FIND. The chicken Pad Thai was delicious, the restaurant had great ambiance and I think the birthday boy had a magnificent time there!
Afterwards we went to a bar we had seen (and stopped in at) on the way to Holy Basil....the best part about the bar was ANY 5 shots for $10!!!! FANTASTIC
Surprisingly there were no sore heads in the morning.....go figure. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAD!!!

APW

Danielle and Brad convinced me to hang out with them at All Points West on Sunday.
It was the last day of a three day festival in Liberty park in New Jersey. The views of Manhattan and Liberty Island were breaktaking and the venue was so huge you didn't feel packed in ever. They had loads of amazing art installations all through the place, along with amazingly high quality food vendors. Makes a change to most festivals!

The music, ah the music. We were treated to CAT POWER, Ben Harper, a little bit of the Screaming Machines, and Jack Johnson. It was brilliant to FINALLY see Cat Power live and doing their thing! The voice of Chan Marshall entranced us all, if for only a moment.
The vibe was chilled and bright eyed; they had imposed a drink limit of only five beers, so unlike other festivals I have been to no one was off their face drunk. It made for a very different but far better atmosphere in my opinion.

BEST French Toast EVER

On Sunday it was BRUNCH time and I took Danielle, Brad and Ruthie to The Neptune Room on the Upper West side.
There I had what I consider the best french toast I have ever had in my life! The thick slices of fresh baked bread were battered in a vanilla bean creme brulee batter. Yes that's right, creme brulee batter! They must have baked the french toast as it was wonderfully crunchy on the outside yet moist and soft on the inside. And the flavour, WOW what a discovery! Throw in some maple syrup and fresh strawberries for good measure and there you have another delicious Sunday brunch in New York city!

Saturday FUN

Another fun filled Saturday here in New York city!
Jacinta, Casey and I went to Eatery (my fave!) Friday night and we got seated straight away.
Fantastic meal, I finally tried the Mac and Jack and it was divine.
On Saturday Ruthie, Jacinta's friend from BrisVegas arrived. We all hung out in the west village and went to The Spotted Pig for lunch. A great little gastropub that makes the best hamburgers, and we discovered also the best devilled eggs!

Sushi with the Aussies

Wednesday night I hung out with Drew and the Aussies again! YAY! Loads of fun, and when we FINALLY got to dinner it was well worth the wait!
Mmmmmmmmm fresh sushi at Sakura in Soho!

Only in AMERICA

Canine Companion

A new intern joins us for a few days......AC the puppy!
What a cutie! He is a border collie and is almost three months old. Cathy is looking after him while his parents holiday in Mexico.
x

Sunday Shows...

More shows coming my way! HURRAH!

SUNDAY 7th

Costello Tagliapietra 10:30-1pm
Costello Tagliapietra, the boys from Brooklyn who specialize in jersey, are a Vogue favorite and previously have been nominated for the prestigious CFDA/Vogue Award.
http://www.costellotagliapietra.com/

Preen 1 - 3pm
Preen, the 10-year old, hip British label has shown for the past two seasons in NY. A stylish mix of classic silhouettes with an interesting flair is what Preen does best. The husband-wife design duo are expecting a baby during Fashion Week, so Thea is staying home while Justin oversees the show.

Sari Gueron 3:30 - 6pm
Sari Gueron, a 1997 graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, has always favored designing simple dresses. Young Hollywood has taken an interest in her eveningwear which is “unfussy.” Sari has been both a UPS and Genart winner.
http://www.sarigueron.com/

And so it begins...

Thanks to Barbara B, The offers to help out backstage at New York Fashion Week are starting to trickle in......So far;

Friday 5th
Vincente Villarin
http://www.vicentevillarin.com/
Jason Wu
http://www.jasonwustudio.com/

Saturday 6th
Karen Walker
http://www.karenwalker.com/
Alexandre Herchcovitch
http://herchcovitch.uol.com.br/index_en.html
Rock & Republic
http://www.rockandrepublic.com/

And we're only into day two of the week long event!!! Will keep you all updated about who I'll be working with next

x

Ishii

Thanks to Barbara B, next week I will be a styling assistant on a photoshoot in Central Park! The shoot is for the Spring/Summer 09 lookbook for designer Tamae Ishii. Her designs are comfortable, refined and still very feminine. Check out her collections at her website.

http://www.ishiinyc.com/site/home.html

Sunday = BRUNCH

Another great Sunday brunch with new friends Drew, Danielle and Brad. Drew took us to 7A in Alphabet city. Great vibe to the place and area surrounding it. There was a local market in Tompkins Square along with a hardcore PUNK band playing. 7A was fantastic and the food was scrumptious!
Spent the afternoon hanging out with the Sydneysiders, and then we all went to HOOTERS for dinner hahaha!

Flea Market Fun

Early hours of Saturday morning I hung out with a new NYC friend Drew, and his friends who are all the way from......SYDNEY......hahahaha. Although to be fair they are living in Canada at the moment :-)
We went to this flea market, called THE GARAGE that I was first told about at my FIT courses. Its a hidden gem where stylists/wardrobers/designers and enthusiasts go to find amazing pieces.
Danielle picked up some vintage MANOLOs for $45! OMG! And Brad got a great book of old school photography. My second time here, I was still on the hunt for a fantastic compass but alas no luck this time.Still we had lots of fun and then it was time for breakfast!