Fashion Targets Breast Cancer

When posed with significant adversity, the support, friendship and unwavering strength that often follows provides integrity in even the most difficult situation. To anyone who has ever known anyone or had a personal experience with breast cancer, they might know of the incredibly positive work that Fashion Targets Breast Cancer provides. This initiative was first established by Ralph Lauren and has grown to raise over $22 million for research, campaigning and education.
Sienna Miller, Claudia Schiffer and Kylie Minogue have all sat for fashion photographer Mario Testino in the hope of raising over $2 million through auctions of unique designers from various British designers.
Kylie's own personal experience with the disease shows that you can never give up, and a happy and healthy outlook can be taken one step at a time. Support the cause.

C H O C O L A T E

Well overdue for a mention is my little haven, Colefax. With Easter right around the corner, all attention turns to chocolate. I have no other excuse for the other 361 days of the year except for the fact that I love Colefax, it's my drip, and I can't go more than about a week without a fix. Hello my name is Tegan and I'm a chocoholic.
The other boutique chocolatiers conveniently scattered around my area are also upping the ante this Easter; Belle Fleur, Kimberly Chocolates and Haigh's all providing dark, milk, white or all of the above little tastes of heaven. Adora in Earlwood cannot be denied and is completely sweeping up in publicity at the moment with a mention in the (sydney)Magazine yesterday.
Get in quick as these special ranges won't last long. Easter egg hunts are begging.

I Told You So

See, there was no long and short about it, the ankle grazing dress or skirt is here for to stay for the coming season. It's an elaboration on the maxi dress trend that swept through Sydney last summer, and it couldn't be more stylish if it tried. Nautical or nice, these are going to spice up your wardrobe because you can still afford to show a little skin around your shoulders if you so desire. I adore the combination with a tailored jacket though, nothing beats the juxtaposition and it's a silhouette that only gives more length (if you're tall to begin with), be careful of appearing swamped and weighed down if you're petit. In that case, make sure you scrunch the sleeves up, or layer they look with a white t-shirt and a belt slung low to give the whole ensemble the lift it needs to stand tall.
And stay tuned, I've taken a leaf out of Elle Nippon's book and will start to document the garments we wear in order to re-educate and have a little fun. If people keep a food diary, why can't we keep a diary of our daily looks. A little reflection will only help us build our own p r o f i l e just like the title suggests. Watch this space.

Sweet Infinity Hot Cross Buns

There are advantages I'm so fortunate to experience at work, and a delivery of fresh hot cross buns today was one of them. With their sticky glaze and spicy mix, they definitely hit the spot. Easter is coming up quickly and it couldn't be more exciting. These bunnies didn't disappoint and another order is definitely in for next week, get yours in too, before it's too late. You won't be able to resist some of the other pastries head chef Leanne Beck has to offer as well, as seen here on her website.
One a penny, two a penny...

Net-A-Porter Photoshoot

When the sun beams through the window and hits the most graceful garments, the result is this incredibly beautiful shoot that also directly links to net-a-porter.com online shopping. One word, dangerous. The elegance of this shoot is leading the way for the digital revolution in the fashion industry.
When Burberry streamed their AW10 show live around the world and then released a selected range from the show that could be ordered immediately afterwards, cutting edge just evolved past the tactile realm into one that's only a click away.
This shoot shows that if you see something in the digital pages, you can click to purchase in moments and the garment's all yours. Could it get any easier or more accessible?
Lead the way.

Pretty Woman | 20th Anniversary

Happy Birthday Pretty Woman. Has it really been 20 years? With every slippery little sucker reference or retail shunning experience, we can cast our memories back to the most fun and flirtatious scenes in a very feel good movie. The chemistry between Julia Roberts and Richard Gere sizzles throughout this movie, and with a looming trip including a stop in LA in only a matter of weeks, visiting the sight of the final scene where Gere's character climbs the stairs may just be a must.
Indescribably captivating, Julia Roberts learned her craft in this movie and it has only developed further since. She uses timing and that face to pull in someones attention and then boom, out comes the laugh. It works like a charm.
I think it's safe to say we'll all be enjoying this movie another 20 years from now, classic til the end.

Coco Avant Chanel

Picture it. Come home from work to a parcel. No sender details. What could it be? With enthusiasm and curiosity I peeled back the opening and to my great surprise, Coco Avant Chanel on DVD fell out. Oh the joys. This movie is a beautiful representation of one of the most talented and forward thinking designers of our time. Emotions are triggered and visual confections fill every void for the few hours that it captivates audiences. I can't believe I entered a little competition and won, I've never won a competition in my life. It's not a bad way to start and I couldn't be more grateful. In 25 words, I had to write what Chanel means to me and now I'm devastated I can't remember what I wrote. The suspense was fabulous because I'd forgotten all about it, they never notified me and voila, the beautiful dvd in my letterbox. Tres jolie, merci beaucoup.

Derek Blasberg | Photographer

The candid creativity behind Derek Blasberg's lens cannot be denied in these fabulous images taken over the course of the recent fashion weeks internationally. New York provided the ultimate backdrop, along side London, Milan and of course, the wonderful Paris.
When an evening concludes with none other than a flower fight at Cafe de Flore, life is good and it was captured for evidence, can't beat that.
The Love Ball was organised by model Natalia Vodianova for her charity and it's no doubt that the playful duo in Kate Moss and Mario Testino were having a grand old time. Charlotte Casaraghi and Stella McCartney also appear to be enjoying the festivities held amongst the heavy schedule of the shows.
Victoria Beckham clearly proves that her precise eye runs over the intricate development process for her label with a great deal of attention paid to the execution of her name sake designs.
And new mum, Karolina Kurkova so innocently looks up with the childlike gaze as though caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar, "Who me?"
Yes you.

Philadelphia Philpot Millinery

Home from the most magnificent weekend filled with friends, races, sun filled pub balcony conversations, the Hunter Valley, gelato, wine, seafood, crackling from roasting pork on a spit, I could go on and on but words just don't do it justice. It was fabulous.
And as the aforementioned races means fun and fashionable facinator's, Wendi Nutt of Philadelphia Philpot has all the news and wares to make the races just that more exciting. Wendi Nutt was a mentor to me many years ago when I undertook a major design project in millinery for Design and Technology for the HSC. Her undeniable energy and enthusiasm for millinery and styling is contagious and seen in the images available if you click on her link above, I'm sure you won't deny that her imagination is a creative gold mine.
Enjoy.

Water & Movement

Giselle Bundchen graces this months cover of US VOGUE for their annual shape issue. It shows her with her new baby boy Benjamin, and the article talks about how she wanted his name to reflect 'running water'. River was a name quickly vetoed by her husband Tom Brady, and so his middle name is Rein, after Brady's father Reinaldo but with 'references to water' as a compromise.
Giselle's career continues to go from strength to strength and she still holds the ever elusive title of the world's highest paid supermodel. She's a new role model now though and these gorgeous images show she's a natural.

Banana & Walnut Muffins

'Muffin's' is probably too delicate a description. These little bad boys are like rocks so play nice, no food fights now. They definitely need icing of some description as well, or served warm with butter would do the trick nicely, it's up to you.
1) Place 125g butter, 2 eggs, 1 very ripe and mashed banana in an electric mixer and beat until combined.
2) Add 2 cups plain flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup caster sugar and 150g crushed walnuts and mix until combined.
3) Spoon the mixture into greased muffin tray or if you'd prefer to make a loaf, line a rectangular loaf pan and pour in batter.
4) Bake in a pre-heated 170C oven for 1/2 hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
5) Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire cooling rack.
6) To make icing, combine icing sugar and lemon juice until the desired consistency.
Not the best batch in the world but there's always room for more practice.

Beetroot Risotto

Call me crazy but I attempted beetroot risotto during the week. Risotto is just about the only thing I can cook with my eyes closed, I love it, and have mastered a few different varieties over time, but it's nice to change things up every now and then wouldn't you agree?
1) Wearing gloves so as not to stain your hands, grate tinned baby beets into a bowl.
2) Boil 1L water and add 1 teaspoon vegetable stock in a heat proof pouring jug.
3) Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 clove of peeled and crushed garlic and 1 finely chopped onion.
4) Cook until the onion is soft, then add beetroot and stir for 1 minute.
5) Add 1 1/2 cups aborio rice and stir for a further minute until grains are well coated and glossy. It's hard to see if they're translucent due to the stain from the beetroot.
6) Add one cup of stock and simmer, stirring until absorbed. Repeat until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice has become creamy and starchy.
7) I had to take mine off here, but for everyone else, fold through 70g grated Parmesan cheese and remove risotto from heat.
The trick is to continue stirring, it'll take patience but is well worth the result in the end, you'll get a risotto that oozes creamy textures to perfection.

A R C H I B A L D P R I Z E 2 0 1 0

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of my favourite places. There's always something new to see and who can deny that view over Woolloomooloo when you stand in the corner of that little room off to the left of at the end of the main entrance hall, do you know the one I'm talking about? There's a floor to ceiling window tucked behind a wall and it's hands down got to be the best view, it's so secretive.
Finalists for the Archibald Prize were released yesterday and the Packing Room Prize winner also announced. Sydney artist, Nafisa, has won the prize for her portrait of Glenn A. Baker, with incredible attention paid to light and shade, line and sketch. The overall effect is enthralling and I can't wait to see the others, opening at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on 27 March.

Tilda Swinton

Love her or hate her, you can't escape the fact that there's something undeniably enigmatic about Tilda Swinton. Her androgyny is always a focal point, and in these images taken by one of my favourite photographers, Paolo Roversi, she appears ethereal and feminine. The lighting is always a quality that can be fully appreciated in a Roversi image and the colours here bounce of her translucent complexion. She's taken a more public role lately by endorsing this jewellery line as well as Pringle of Scotland's mini movie. There's nothing wrong with seeing her in a more conventional movie star role where she puts her face to a brand, people will slowly start to understand her quirky nature with time.

Street Style

The shows are over but the style will remain. These five looks were captured on the streets during New York, London, Milan and Paris fashion weeks respectively and show that the inspiration for what's in vogue doesn't always spill over the edges of the runway.