H A P P Y N E W Y E A R

Happy New year to all!! As I sit here in Adelaide with the beautiful sunshine all around, I wish you all a very healthy and prosperous 2010, may it be a good one for you!!

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Magical moments with friends and family filled the year with smiles and laughter. I hope the festive season sees you all in the company of loved ones. For those who are traveling, please stay safe. This may be my last entry before Christmas, but not before the end of the year. So I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. All my love, Tegan.

***

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

***

Donna Hay Gift Ideas

If you're still stuck for Christmas gift ideas, I may have the solution you've been looking for. It's no secret that Donna Hay has well and truly mastered the art of home cooking in style. And I'm a big fan of her packaged baking goods that you can buy online if it's more convenient for you, otherwise they're in David Jones or her stand alone boutique in Woollara. The brilliance here is that even if you can't have dairy products like me, her mixes are dairy free. I've had the Brownies (only catch is to minus the choc chunks that she supplies, but you could use Lindt dark chocolate and never know the difference), they're sensational and it's impossible to stop at one. The Oat & Cranberry Cookies are also too tasty for words and the Vanilla Cupcakes melt in your mouth.
Quick, easy, affordable (all these around the $15 mark) and the effect? Mouth watering.

W Magazine | Jennifer Garner

I've always admired Jennifer Garner and her completely down to earth personality. She always has the air of being approachable and as though she really is just one of us. This never more evident than when you see images of her playing in the park with her adorable children, so she must have felt pretty special on this shoot for W Magazine. Who knew she had this in her? To be primped and pampered, all dolled up, this incredibly glamorous shoot shows her versatility and in case we ever forgot she really does belong in Hollywood.
Let it be a reminder to us all that with the magic of professional make-up artists, hair stylists, fashion editors and an entourage of photographers, we too could look like this. Let's face it, hopefully everyone will be able to experience a festive Christmas with family and friends, filled with love and laughter and no need to look this 'done' anyway. Keep it natural, make sure elastic or empire lines are somewhere in sight for third helpings of pudding, and enjoy the day.

W Magazine

Craig McDean is a visionary fashion photographer and his latest collaboration in the January Issue of W Magazine is no different. The fantastic idea to group models together to create these images gives the effect of movement through the garments and colour combination's galore. It's a visual feast.
Speaking of a feast, it's Christmas in 5 sleeps but who's counting? The blogs will be slowing down a little through the festive period, but please don't worry, I'll be back next year.

Showstudio | Nick Night | 100 Portraits

Right here, right now, Nick Knight is shooting 100 Portraits for i-D magazine. As you can see in this image, some of his subjects include Alexander McQueen, Bjork, Tracy Emin and Kate Moss and the greatest thing of all is that the shoot is completely interactive. You can view it all online at showstudio.com as we speak. Forget Harry Potter, for me the internet and the access we can gain to projects such as this is like being in the most wonderful magical realm.
If for no other reason that this sort of photo shoot would interest you, have a look at the project titled Naomi and use the mouse to draw or write over her silhouette, the result is something not short of spectacular.
Say cheese.

Rachel McAdams | US Vogue January 2010

Rachel McAdams is that rare breed of actress who has completely honed her craft and couldn't care less about the parties and freebies that go along with it. She's much more devoted to finding a solution to making the environment more sustainable and living in Toronto sharing a house with her brother, away from Hollywood, away from anything even remotely fake.
If you're anything like me, you adored her in Wedding Crashes, laughed at her in Mean Girls, still yet to see her opposite Eric Bana in The Time Travellers Wife, excited to see her on Boxing Day in Sherlock Holmes and last but not least, wanted to be her in The Notebook. Her stand out role this year also stretched her emotional connection on screen with Russel Crowe and Helen Mirren in State of Play; an absolutely brilliant movie where she couldn't have convinced the audience more that she was an emerging journalist with big egos to compete against.
She's hitting fashion jackpot as the cover story for US VOGUE though, and as you can see from these selected images, the styles and shades of red suit her to a tee. You can tell she's not afraid to have fun and take daring risks when it comes to fashion, and I love that her personality comes through these images.
I can't believe she's thirty-one. I can't wait to see what she'll do next.

AFI Awards 2009

I'm a proud Australian and our talents on screen, off screen, in fashion and all other cultural pursuits are synchronizing with the words 'endearing', 'glamorous', 'hard-working' and 'talented' at an international level. Our film-makers and acting troups are silencing critics with sheer enigmatic performances and these were recognized at the AFI Awards last week.
We're also very well trained to show class and sophistication on the red carpet. Asher Keddie stands out as a role model to be copied, it's the highest form of flattery after all. But she really does stand out in her elegant red dress and proves that not all skin needs to be on display for a dramatic effect.
I'd also never heard of Kathryn Beck until her Collette Dinnigan gown and beautiful smile caught my attention. I have the same gown in santorini blue minus the jewels and it's a testament to the ever present style that won't date. Give me one shoulder any day.
Holly Valance thought so too. She looked great in her Herve Leger bandage dress, it was just the right length to not look out of place among the sea of gowns. LA seems to agree with her, she looks radiant and the colour of her dress is perfect with her skin tone.
Maeve Dermody is also a name I'm not all that familiar with, but she chose for high stakes glamour in this Lisa Ho gown. She's in show business and it works, not too many people could pull this look off but ten points to her for bravery.
And lastly, Sophie Lowe couldn't be more popular right now. She's been in all the papers and magazines lately, and it seems as though no one can get enough of her contagious friendly personality. Her Camilla and Marc outfit, although safe in black, shows she knows how to attract attention for all the right reasons. Portraying elegance in spades, I can't wait to see what becomes of her career in the future.
The sad prospect is that we loose many of our talented exports to the more prosperous markets overseas. It was refreshing to see so many of them return for the awards. Australia is still most certainly home.

Banana and Pecan Bread

With a very, very long drive looming for Christmas holidays next week, I took to preparing a banana and pecan loaf that will freeze and then be fresh and ready for the trip. It's a really easy mix and although it took a little while to cook, it was well worth it and the house had that homely baking aroma that I wish stayed around all the time. I thought I'd substitute a few ingredients for gluten and dairy free options as well and it's turned out perfectly. You might want to pre-heat the oven before you start to 160C.
1) Place 125g butter (I used dairy free Nuttelex again), 2 eggs and 2 bananas in a food processor and process until smooth.
2) Add 2 cups plain flour (I used Organs gluten free all purpose flour), 1 teaspoon baking powder (I used gluten free baking powder), 1 cup caster sugar and 150g pecan nuts and process until smooth. At this point I also added a teaspoon of cinnamon, purely because I'm a cinnamon junkie and add it to everything anyway. It's certainly added to the flavour and aromas.
3) Pour the batter into a rectangular loaf pan line with baking paper.
4) Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. The skewer should come out relatively dry.
5) Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before placing on a wire rack.
Delicious.

Pre-Collection AW 2010

There was a reason US VOGUE editor, Anna Wintour showed excitement in The September Issue through her botox about Thakoon. He's a designer that's generating a lot of buzz with his clever cuts and simple fabrics. For Pre-Fall 2010, the colours mixed back with a black base colour palette show that he knows exactly how he wants his wearer to look for every occasion from work to play.
I'm also excited about Alexander Wang's collection. Although very black and some might say nothing new, he's still showing that with the right use of a cinched waist or white chiffon, there's a sophistication to every look for every body shape. What I'm trying to say is that he doesn't discriminate, and this will take him very far in an industry that influences us all, whether you are aware of this or not.
However, showing everyone how minimalism is done was Francisco Costa at Calvin Klein. The collection couldn't have been more edited to the most minute detail and each look shows that the brand name big in the 90's is ready for the whole new decade ahead. Transition is the key and anyone who likes to keep their look clean and elegant will find the maxi dresses unavoidable.
Let's all still enjoy summer though, we're too lucky to have such beautiful days as this. All this black wool is enough for the moment.

Pre-Collection AW 2010

Brace yourselves, I have some catching up to do! How'd you be that the American's have blazed ahead in the pre-collection stakes? Take the simple line always evident in Narciso Roderiguez, gracefully edged around the body. And then there's a personal favourite in Donna Karan, she's used her draping techniques to completely flatter the body for all ages in typical colours for autumn, but the collection is still overall very well executed. And here's one of the most stunning images captured in a Carolina Herrera red gown. Red is a colour used to evoke power, and yet the model still appears effortlessly fragile in her showstopping gown.
Stars and stripes aligned.

Harem Me Out

What a complete feeling of remoteness, with no access to the internet for 5 days. I was reading (a lot more coincidentally) the brilliant article in The Australian Women's Weekly about the navy diver who survived a shark attack in Sydney Harbour on February 11 this year. He explained that it wasn't until he started to swim back to the boat that he realised he'd lost his hand. I'm not usually one for drama, but I've certainly realised how significant the internet has become to my daily life and I apologise for my absence more than you could know. This is my creative outlet and even after the biggest day at work, I feel calm sitting at this keyboard as a wave of words washes over me (sans shark hopefully!).
The brilliance of spontaneity caught a friend and me today as we headed to Mona Vale on a whim in sight of the Lee Matthews sample sale. Her signature cotton and silk garments, with the ease and air of the true northern beaches always excites. However, I kept it pretty simple surprisingly. The lead up to Christmas is always a time of navigation over budgets and desires. I've loved the idea of "Hammer Time" harem pants on others, and as I've been keeping an eye out for a pair of black pants for a few months now, my anticipation as I was trying them on was one of sheer skepticism of how horrible they'd look mixed with a fingers crossed expectation that maybe, just maybe, these would be ok. After a quick glance in the mirror, I was elated to find that they were more than ok, they were flattering. I've admired the style from afar, and now I'll be set to step out this summer in my very own (bargain) pair. Dollars per wear, I could wear them twice and still be in front. You've got to love that.
It's certainly been the season for sample sales, and it's a great time to go along with an open mind. Wait until the Boxing Day sales for the true impulse buys, but if you're going to a sample sale, try and think of something you've been looking for, and if you happen to see the diamond in the rough, it's yours.
Thank you Lee. It's hammer time.

Chanel Pre-Collection AW2010

Shanghai equals the inspiration behind Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel Pre-Collection for Autumn Winter 2010 and what better setting than the place itself? It had the glittering Shanghai skyline in the background, lights a blazing and traffic providing movement and colour. These reflected back into the range with black predominately used, followed closely by red, yellow and green. The evening dresses at the end combined a stunning mix of chiffon and jewels, one of which worn by none other than our very own Abbey Lee Kershaw. She opened the show as well, and just goes to show that Australians are a permanent fixture in the international fashion world; we're really not going anywhere now, the scene is stuck with us.
This won't come into international stores until around August, so you can see the cycle emerging, Haute Couture in January is next and I can't wait. Chanel's picking up the pace and the world's following.

Sass & Bide hosts The Sartorialist

Oh my goodness can it possibly be true? THE Scott Shuman, THE man I've been mentioning here and there, THE man behind Gorance Dore in my previous post is going to attend his own book signing in Paddington. This popped up in my inbox, and thank goodness for Sass & Bide mailing lists because otherwise, we'd never know the wonderful news that we could meet the sartorialist in the flesh. Exciting times people.

Gorance Dore

In all her brilliance, Gorance Dore illustrates the most beautiful drawings and takes street shots like her partner (none other than Scott Shuman, the Sartorialist himself).
I could have gone on for hours, lost in her magnificent coverage of all the fashion weeks, but I'd lose you somewhere around October. The simplicity of her sketched line is what I focus on most, and most effortlessly without getting into the whole new category of her photography. The website she has created itself is an absolute treasure trove for all in the name of gorgeous at http://www.garancedore.fr/en/
Hours and hours and hours could be spent trawling the sight heavy in backstage shots from fashion shows and people walking the streets of Paris in the fabulous Margeila suits. I just can't get enough, but for those not so interested in all this, it's nice just to look at people how do find it all interesting. Love.