A Coveted Christmas Wishlist

With my last Gloss Posse entry written over five months ago, I've decided to jump back into the world of Gloss Posse online socialising and kick it off by sharing a fantastic competition I've just discovered! The only down side is that this competition ends tomorrow so you better start clicking!! So in true Christmas cheer I'll now share how you can be in the chance to win a $5000 Covetish Wishlist..

I discovered this special competiton through the Covetish website and it's actually a lot of fun - slightly dangerous fun! Because now that I'm in the process of selecting amazing designer pieces to go into my wishlist I've also fallen in love with a lot of them along the way! The competition is unique in that you open a 'Wishlist' account with a 'credit' of $5000 where you can browse through hundreds of beautiful fashion labels and select all of the items you wish for up to the value of $5000. From leather handbags to swimwear, cocktail dresses and heels and designer labels such as Zimmerman, Ruby Rose, Tigerlily, Peeptoe, Kuku and Seduce its a great way to find some online bargains as well as try your luck at winning them!

A

Enter the Covetish Wishlist competition!

3 nights in NYC!

 > Review of NYC by Australian interior designer, Arielle Spratt 
Tips for students & travelers on a budget 2010

If you haven't made your way to New York City  yet I suggest you set a date and start planning a week or two away. The following blog is an insight into my very recent 3 day solo stay in NY. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my OS trip and already I can't wait to go back!

As an emerging designer and musician I soaked up the electric atmosphere and made the most of every second.

I opted to stay at the Hi-NY youth hostel and was pleased with the accommodation and prices. It was good to be staying in a fun and vibrant hostel with lots of other young travelers. I made some great new friends and ended up out on the town with them.

The hostel is only a couple of blocks from Central Park so I kick-started my NY adventure by walking through the beautiful park early in the morning . I'd made friends with an English fine-artist called Clairie and we headed towards the Guggenheim Museum. After realising that it didn't open till 10am we walked another block and found ourselves on Madison Avenue where we had a cup of tea at a decadent coffee house/deli.

It was so exciting to finally walk through the Guggenheim Museum after studying it at Uni and the current exhibition was titled, Haunted: Contemporary Photography/Video/Performance . It was a dark display as of works by artists such as Bernd and Hilla Becher, Sophie Calle, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Zoe Leonard, Robert Rauschenberg, Cindy Sherman, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Andy Warhol as well as works created since 2001 by younger artists. 

With only three days to spend in NY I decided to  let the random experiences take place instead of going to all of the 'touristy' destinations and so headed straight to the life of the party , for a cosmo in Times Square. I suggest grabbing a MetroCard 1-day fun pass for around $8 so you can jump on as many subs as you want and see as much as possible on a budget. 

Later that night I met up with some friends in Soho and we explored the night-life...

Some great places I discovered in New York are:

1. A secretive word-of-mouth cocktail bar whose name I really 'can't tell'... Definitely a unique experience. Given careful hand written instructions on the back of a paper napkin by a local, we arrived down a rather quiet street about 5 minutes out of Soho by cab and found the hot dog shop, Criff Dogs. Sure enough, inside the hot dog shop, hidden in the back corner was a vintage phone booth. Intrigued I went into the booth, picked up the phone & pressed the button. Suddenly a secret panel slid open and a girl with a clipboard appears, guarding the front of this exclusive little bar hidden behind the wall. We had to wait for about half an hour before we could go inside as there are strict numbers allowed in, but once inside it was a fabulous experience and the cocktails lived up to the expectations...

2.  Hotel Gansevoort.  

The stylish penthouse Plunge Bar + Lounge was a great place to see the lights of New York and enjoy a martini or two. More of a mainstream rooftop bar with house music but definitely worth seeing while you're in the Meatpacking district. The interior design was a delicious mix of texture and colour and a bar of b&w voyeurism to vamp up the scene.

 

3.Pravada. 

If you fancy an underground, Russian 'vodka Caviar bar' experience this is worth a late night visit. Tucked away down a flight of stairs off the corner of Lafayette St just outside of Soho, we pushed open the big carved timber doors and entered a dimly lit scene of vaulted ceilings, lamps and people clustered in the rustic looking booths. We didn't stay here for too long, but long enough to try some fruit infused vodkas. It was a nice way to have a nightcap with friends and laugh about the events of that night.

4. 8 Mile Creek.

As an Aussie, 8 Mile Creek is a great home away from home. Owned and run by 3 Aussie expats, I was lucky to perform an acoustic set there one night at the downstairs bar and the atmosphere was fantastic! Located in downtown Manhattan, the food, cocktails and service was a lovely, genuine & welcoming Australian flavour.

5. Walking across Brooklyn Bridge! 

Grab a subway to Brooklyn and take the time to soak in the views of New York from the Brooklyn Bridge. It's also interesting as its one of the oldest suspension bridges in the USA.

Overall New York was a fantastic experience. There was so much to see.. I could easily spend 3 months there instead of 3 days. Times Square was incredible and I found the people of New York happy and friendly. I <3 NY.

Arielle.

SHOP Brisbane_Interview with founder, Kelly Poulter

1. Kelly, 'Shop Brisbane' is an exciting online fashion concept! Can you tell us more about it and what it is you do?
Shop Brisbane is a Facebook portal that showcases the highlights of the fashion and shopping scene in Brisbane. We aim to provide regular updates on Brisbane designers, stores and events, and link through to our websites -www.followthefashion.wordpress.com, www.queenstreetmall.com and www.visitbrisbane.com.au.

I work for Brisbane Marketing, Brisbane’s economic development agency, and our job is to simply do that – ‘market’ Brisbane. We promote Brisbane as ‘Australia’s New World City’ in all its facets - events, investment, leisure tourism, conventions, study, film, and of course retail (with a particular focus on Brisbane CBD and the Queen Street Mall) – it’s such a big part of Brisbane’s offering to locals and tourists.

2. How did you come up with the idea of Shop Brisbane?
I use Facebook quite a lot and saw that it was becoming an increasingly used tool by Brisbane businesses, in particular retail stores. So I formed Shop Brisbane in April 2009 as it was a logical and easy way to connect with these businesses. The natural progression was then to connect with Brisbane people, and obviously Facebook allows you to do this very easily, so now I have made over 3,000 friends (growing every day!) and they love to hear about our emerging fashion and shopping scene. It’s very nice to see that Brisbane is evolving so much.

3.How do you stay on the pulse of the latest fashion trends, exhibitions or sales?
A lot of the content on Shop Brisbane comes about by researching and relaying information on behalf of Brisbane designers and stores, there is so much to talk about. I research designer and store websites, Facebook pages, magazines etc. Plus I do have a love for fashion so that makes my job easier! I have been finding lately that more and more stores and designers are contacting me as they are obviously realising the benefits of being a part of Shop Brisbane and Brisbane Marketing – this is so great to see.

4. What are the highlights of having an online fashion site?
The highlights and benefits of having an online presence are ever-growing. It allows you to be up-to-date with content as you can edit and upload information quickly, and of course, being the world wide web means that it allows you to reach a world audience, and this helps us really put Brisbane on the world map. Any fashion designer or store has to have an online presence, be it a website, blog or Facebook page, these days as it is fast becoming the sole means of advertising and promotion.  

 

 5. Which Brisbane designers or shops should we be looking out for right now?
This is a hard question as there are so many, especially as the Brisbane fashion scene continues to grow before my eyes every day! ... I would say Gail Sorronda, Miss Unkon, Vanguard, Chelsea de Luca and Paula Walden are definitely Brisbane designers that will make it big nationally. Natalie Denning’s stores (Bessie Head, Dirt Box and Bam & Juju) continue to dress Brisbane in fashion-forward pieces – Natalie has done wonders for Brisbane. It is also so exciting to see the growth of the number of fashion events in Brisbane.

6. What advice would you give to women who want to have more of an online presence and be a part of the fashion industry?
The great thing about Brisbane’s fashion industry is that it is so new, we want more and more people to be involved and we really encourage innovation. There is so much opportunity here in Brisbane, unlike other places in Australia and the world that are more established.

If you are a journalist or just a fashion lover then I would definitely suggest starting a blog – they are a great way to allow you to be creative, have a voice and showcase your talent. And the ‘blogger’ is gaining recognition the world over as being highly influential within the fashion industry. There aren’t that many blogs that focus on Brisbane either, so there is definite opportunity here that will then allow you to move into fashion jobs in journalism and marketing.

If you are a designer or store then having a website is vital as this allows you to create a strong brand for yourself. And of course having a Facebook page is essential - they will soon be a vital element to the fashion industry, and every industry for that matter.

Thanks Kelly! Add Shop Brisbane on Facebook so you can stay up to date with the lastest in fashion and shopping in Brisbane as well as Kelly's blog, Follow the Fashion.

Arielle, Gloss Posse

Aussie Media presenter, Liana Ladner!

1. Liana, can you share with Gloss Posse who you are and what it is you do?

Well that certainly depends on the day and what it is I'm doing! I'm certainly a fun loving, free spirited character and pour my whole self into anything it is I'm passionate about.

Professionally I work full time as Promotions and Marketing Manager for Southern Cross Media – Sea FM, Southern Cross 10 & One HD in the Wide Bay area. Here I do everything from promos to voice overs & a bit of production. (Bundaberg mainly & Fraser Coast) I'm currently filming a local ‘whats on segment’ with Ch 7 across the Wide Bay region each Friday night and, in addition to this, I'm enjoying working on projects with Adam, Dave & the crew at PDA Studios, based in Brisbane…. Oh & I dabble in a bit of abstract art on canvas (Lyl Creations)

2. How did you become a professional presenter and media personality for the Wide Bay area?

That’s a nice question. I think I've been able to grow and learn so much by getting involved in as many ventures as I can. I'm continuing to grow as a presenter, there’s still so much to learn! Believe it or not, I used to be quite shy… the girl who would hide in the back in dance & drama class… it wasn’t until I got to perform I could really be the character I wanted to be! Over the years, I’ve learned to use this nervous energy to grow as a person, harness my craft and get involved in any opportunity that could benefit the community and those I represent. I’ve been so lucky to work with some wonderful people throughout the Wide Bay area, from community groups to large businesses. I jump at the chance to learn more with my craft and reach new heights!

3. What projects are you currently involved in and where do you see yourself in two years time?

I recently completed my first professional documentary gig for Foxtel with PDA Studios. ‘On Air’, a feature on the Wide Bay Australia International Airshow. The largest general aviation airshow in Queensland, it was a complete rush and an amazing project to be involved in. So I guess in 2 years I hope to have more presenting gigs under my belt and be lucky enough to work in this industry im so passionate about.

4. Who/what is inspiring you at the moment? Do you have a favourite media personality that influences you?

So many things inspire me! At the moment I'm really loving the new collaboration between Cheryl Cole & Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas. I feel music is my greatest influence, it can take you to a special place, or time…a moment, a memory or vision. Its something that definitely soothes the soul…and takes me to the place I need to be me.

Fav AUSSIE personality at the moment would have to be Shelly Craft – she the ultimate bubbly Aussie with that warm smile enough to make anyone feel welcome and at home.

5. What advice would you give to women pursuing marketing and the media as a career?

Go for it! Take every opportunity to grow, learn and meet new people. Get involved in your community groups & charities. Keep an eye out for those events you may be able to bring that extra element to and apply to get involved! Every project counts and you’ll make some lifetime friends along the way. Remember to love whatever it is you do… because at the end of the day, ‘Success isn’t anything with out happiness’.

Thanks Liana, Gloss will keep a look out as your media profile continues to grow throughout Australia! Keep in touch and congratulations on all of the positivity you contribute to the media!

Vancouver's Actress, Lindsey Angell

1. Lindsey, can you share who you are and what it is you do? 

Lindsey Angell. I'm an actress/creator/collaborator, currently working within the Canadian Theatre community. Specifically Vancouver, Canada!

2. How did you become a professional actress? 

I became and continue to grow into the role of "professional actress" by taking risks and by attempting to say no to nothing. I started in my hometown community theatre, from there I attended a performing arts high school and have two separate diplomas from college's in BC and Alberta.

3. You recently presented medals at the Vancouver Winter Olympics! Can you tell us about your experience?

The Olympics was an epic experience and I'm so proud to have volunteered my time and energy. I met incredible athletes from all over the world as well as volunteers and Olympic staff who, like me, were simply looking to share in something that was truly remarkable. At the women's gold medal hockey game I stood off-ice holding seven medals. I couldn't take my eyes off of them...yes, they were beautiful but more than that, they represent greatness and the weight of their meaning will far outlast the pain in my forearms once the tray was empty. I also volunteered as a medal presenter for the Paralympics where the athletes are not only excelling in their sport but are doing so with against the challenges of disabilities. I can't explain the sound of the stadium when the Canadian pairs skating team won the gold medal or when Charles Hamelin took his final lap in short track speed skating but I can say that I will never ever forget the power and emotion I witnessed throughout the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games.
 

4. Who/what is inspiring you at the moment? Do you have a favourite actress that influences you?
 At the moment, I'm inspired by ordinary people. I'm all about witnessing great moments in real life. Whether its someone devouring a sandwich on the bus, or a couple having a loud fight in the mall. I'm inspired by how reckless and vulnerable and funny people are and how there is a character around ever corner if I just open my eyes. I love watching Kate Winslet, she seems to wear her heart outside of her skin and you can see every beat. I love that.

5. What advice would you give to women pursuing acting as a career? 

Well...I'll just give you the advice I give myself...often. Be brave, keep your head up and love every minute.

Thanks Lindsey and good luck with your creative career as an actress in Canada! Arielle

Jessica Lambert of Je Ne Sais Quoi, Brisbane's fashion entrepreneur, photographer and creative.

"je ne sais quoi"- meaning an inexplicable quality; a certain something…. The ‘X- factor’.

JE NE SAIS QUOI is a unique, collaborative fashion exhibition, bringing some of Queensland’s most innovative and inspiring emerging artists together to explore the concept of 'fashion as art'. Through photographic works, film, installation and illustration the artists interpret the craft of hair styling, make-up, fashion design, and styling.

Founded by Brisbane fashion creative, Jessica Lambert, the Je Ne Sais Quoi exhibition was held on Friday night the 12th of February, 2010, at Studio Thirteen in West End. I made sure to be there on the exhibition night and went with a group of friends who are also interested in the creative industries and fashion design. The turn out was fantastic with the entrance resembling a dream-like catwalk. As you entered Studio Thirteen you felt as though you had finally discovered an underground melting pot of local designers, fashionistas, musicians and artists all in one big room. There was a buzz in the air and a sense of anticipation as the models prepared to parade through the crowds, stopping at various artworks to model their unique outfits and hair styles. If you weren't able to make the event be sure to keep an eye out for the future and check out the website.

 Team JNSQ: Ruwan De Silva, AJ Jones, Jessica Lambert, Jessica Hutt, Romesh De Silva

1. Jessica, as the founder of Brisbane's fashion exhibition, Je Ne Sais Quoi, can you share with Gloss Posse who you are and what it is you do?

I’m a fashion photographer, stylist and a dabbler in design. I’m always surprising myself and others with my continuous, ever evolving, whacky ideas.

2. How did you come up with the concept of Je Ne Sais Quoi?

I wanted to really push myself and those in the emerging fashion creative industry in Queensland, to show what we are capable of. The talent behind the scenes are often lost so I wanted to uncover these artists and bring them to the forefront. Brisbane is over-flowing with fresh talent, I wanted to do something to help showcase part of a growing industry.

3.What is your vision for Je Ne Sais Quoi?

You’ll have to wait and see....!

 

4. Who/what is inspiring you at the moment?

The world wide web and its bloggers are always inspiring to me. I take my hat off to those who have a passion and want to show it to the world. Even if it is completely self-indulgent....thanks for sharing...it was entertaining! I don’t really have a favourite designer. There are many creatives past and present who I am in awe of. I strongly believe that creatives make the world go around.
 

5. What advice would you give to women pursuing a career in the fashion industry?

If you’re not going to be 100% committed, have a backup plan. You’ll work, what seems, harder than most for less. You won’t get your break in the first 6 months, year, 18 months or even 2 years. Although the people and clothes are pretty, the work is not. It’s a lot of hard work and at times you will feel as though you can’t give it any more.

HOWEVER the hard work does pay off and the money will come in. People will pay top dollar for good creatives. CREATE everyday and don’t let your ‘day-job’ get in the way of your ‘dream-job’. The fashion industry is very competitive so prepare yourself. If you’re scared someone will steal your idea, they will! Just make yours better! Go where the work is- it’s giving yourself the best chance to grow.

 

Thank you Jessica for having the vision to create Je Ne Sais Quoi and support emerging artists. Keep us up to date with what happens next with Je Ne Sais Quoi and your photography! You can contact Jessica by email or visit the website.

Arielle

Stockholm Furniture Fair 2010, by designer Rae Underhill

 This ex-QLD girl/interior designer, Rae Underhill, got her first taste of an international design fair, braving crazily cold and snowy conditions to visit the Stockholm Furniture Fair. Things were bright and warm inside with both exhibitors and visitors saying it was the best fair in years. There was a real sense of optimism, belief in the future and the economic turn around which was exciting after 12 months of pure GFC gloom living in London.

The following is Rae's personal experiences and review of the Stockholm Furniture Fair.

"Lighting was the stand out with Northern Lighting leading the way introducing cool and quirky pieces that made me laugh, like this favourite the "Moo" light. 

Hot lighting trend spotted at both Gubi and House of Light - grandeur in repetition. Simple shades, lots of shades, scattered or arranged into giant rectilinear pendants or table lamps on simple benches. Very simple scandinavian styling.

Swedish flooring company Bolon was completely ubiquitous at the show. Launching their gorgeous new Bolon GREEN Botanicals range with a killer stand complete with man eating style flora, and the sexy herringbone at their newest designer friend Paul Smith's whimsical lounge exhibit, they were a major presence. I counted almost 20 stands using in unthinkable imaginative ways, and that many creatives cant be wrong! 
My favourites are the newly recoloured metallics. 

Not afraid to mix intellect with their fluoro string, Moroso's heated spidersweb wins the award for best stand by a leading international furniture exhibitor. The highlight, FRONT's Moment Collection of sofas, the Soft Wood Sofa, Cushion Sofa and Draped Sofa, are a confusing but fabulous feast for the eyes. A specialised textile allows the use of photographic images to create an illusion of movement on the surface of the products. If you get the chance to view the pieces in person you wont be disappointed. 

And finally Greenhouse, the area allocated to student and up-and-coming designers was an impressive aside from the main hall. Designed by Jens Fager, star student designer of the minute, the simple looking response originated from the geometric theories of Vitruvius allowed the work exhibited within to remain the focus." Rae Underhill

welcome to NorthernLighting :: Moodmakers

www.northernlighting.no

northernlighting

Thank you so much Rae for sharing your inspiring experience at the 2010 Stockholm Furniture Fair in Sweden! Keep us up to date with the design world via London! Arielle, Gloss Posse x