GRLmobile

iSpyStyle Fashion Workshops: learn about a career in fashion from the professionals

2010-02-19T10:19:00.002+11:00

If you’re looking at a career the fashion industry, you’re likely to have a bunch of questions piling up, and possibly no-one to answer them all. iSpyStyle Workshops will leave you feeling inspired, informed and connected about your foray into fashion.

Inspired - A group of industry panel experts will share their knowledge and experiences

Informed – Get realistic tips, advice and guidance about a career in fashion

Connected – Understand the importance of networking and how to connect with others

iSpyStyle’s panel of industry experts come from a variety of fields within fashion, from designing, visual merchandising, styling and marketing. The workshop is split into two 2.5hr sessions:

Creative

Designer: CATHRYN WILLS, Creative Director, Mimco

Styling: PHILIP BOON, Celebrity Stylist

Visual Merchandising: AIMEE McCALLUM, Freelance VM, Husk

Business

PR/Marketing: JADE ROBERTS, PR Manager, Sportsgirl

Media: KATE McKIBBIN, Managing Editor, Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily

Production/Events: RACHEL TUFFERY, Director, Pronto Productions

Tickets are only $35 (+booking fee) per session, or $55 for the whole day.

Click here for more info, or to buy tickets.

Tickets include a fashionable gift bag.

GRLmobile has FIVE TICKETS TO GIVE AWAY for both sessions of the iSpyStyle Workshop on 13 March at the Whitehouse Institute of Design in Melbourne.

To WIN, simply go to the GRLmobile iSpyStyle Competition page and answer in 25 words or less “What question about working in the fashion industry would you most like answered in the iSpyStyle Workshop?” The most creative answer will win!

Costes: Hôtel / Restaurant / Bar / Musique

2010-02-15T12:57:00.001+11:00

When it comes to innate chic, you really can’t beat the French. Their deeply ingrained respect for glamour is clearly evident in Paris’s ultimate place to lounge, dine, see and be seen, Hôtel Costes. Nestled into the famous Rue St Honore, Hôtel Costes is the meeting place of Parisian aristocracy, international oligarchs, celebrities, the fashion set and anyone else who could be classified as one of ‘the beautiful people’.

The complex is decadent and luxurious. When the Costes family, who own over 40 esteemed establishments throughout Paris, commissioned architect and designer Jacques García to create and decorate the hotel, the design brief was “all things in excess”. García surely delivered. Every detail is attended to with perfection. Rooms, which range in price from €400 for a single suite up to €2,900 for a night in the maxi-suite (that’s about $4,550 Australian!!), boast hand-carved furniture, silver candleholders, voluptuous velvet drapes, fresh flowers and king-sized beds.

The Italian-baroque style courtyard restaurant and café serves a melange of tasty morsels like smoked salmon, spring rolls and foie gras or you can pick up a club sandwich for a very healthy €24 (AUD$38). One can spot a variety of social x-rays – those size 0s who order “salad, no dressing” or nibble on small pieces of melon as they gush about their latest shoot or scroll through emails on their iPhones. Over-sized sunglasses are a must, and provide great coverage for your deer-in-the-headlights shock when you get your bill for the most expensive coffee in town.

Inside at the Costes bar, black lacquered furniture and mirrors reflect the rich and famous, who lounge around dripping in jewels, draped in couture, sipping cocktails. The BQ (beauty quotient) is astronomical. Every room is theatrically decorated with art deco, renaissance, boudoir and Middle Eastern influences. It is opulent, sumptuous and sexy.

Although you may need to stop, revive, survive after realising you’ve just spent your next five days’ budget on mojitos, and while the catwalk-ready waitstaff may be a little cavalier at times, the atmosphere at Hôtel Costes is an experience not to be missed, and should be on the list as a travel requirement for any jet-setting fashionista.

WANT MORE?

The Costes empire extends beyond hotels and cafes to a vast portfolio of enterprises – a magazine, watches, accessories, luggage, perfume, candles, even a range of ready-meals! Perhaps the most recognised element is its music releases. Hôtel Costes is renowned as Paris’s mecca for lounge music – in-house DJs blend smooth beats with floating vocals to create a den of aural delights for patrons. A CD has been released once a year since 1999, mixed by resident DJ Stéphane Pompougnac, and the series has become a must-have collection in café and lounge bars around the world.

Check it out at http://www.hotelcostes.com/index.html

The legend of Valentine's Day

2010-02-12T09:39:00.002+11:00

Back in the 1st Century, the Roman Emperor Claudius II believed married men did not make good soldiers because they were too distracted by their wives and families. To assure his empire maintained a strong military force, he issued an edict forbidding marriage. Legend has it that a priest named Valentine, seeing their anguish, would perform secret marriage sacraments for desperate young lovers.

When Claudius was alerted to this treason, he had Valentine promptly arrested and placed in confinement. He was offered salvation, if we were to renounce his beliefs and recognise the Roman gods as his sole faith. As an ardent believer in Christianity, Valentine refused and had the audacity to try to convert the angry Emperor in return! Claudius immediately condemned the priest to be executed.

While awaiting the fateful day in prison, Valentine is said to have fallen deeply in love with Claudius’s daughter, who was blind. He prayed for her night and day until the girl’s blindness was miraculously cured. Just before his execution on the 14th day of February, he wrote her a love note, which he signed ‘from your Valentine’. And thus the practice of sending notes to the one you love on February 14 began.

Kung Hei Fat Choi: Happy (Chinese) New Year from GRLmobile!

2010-02-09T16:52:00.003+11:00

The Chinese New Year festival begins this Sunday. It’s the longest and most important of all traditional Chinese celebrations, the origins of which go back centuries, into the realm ancient myth.

During the festival, families decorate their houses with red coloured paper and banners with messages of happiness, wealth and longevity. People dress in red which is considered to bring the wearer a bright and sunny future, and fire is believed to drive away bad luck.

It’s traditional to clean the family home thoroughly, so as to clear out bad fortune and make room for good luck. All cleaning tools must be put away before new year’s eve though, and no more cleaning can continue, in case good fortune is swept away.

On new year’s eve, families gather and feast on extravagant meals together, setting off fire crackers to send out the old and ring in the new. On new year’s morning, children are given money in red envelopes, to bring them good fortune.

The Chinese believe your status on new year’s day will set the precedent for the new year. So all debt should be paid off by this time, loans should be avoided, and people resist punishing their children to avoid them crying for the rest of the year.

Some abstain from using bad language or negative words, and refrain from talking about the year just passed. People aim to be happy and maintain a cheery attitude, in the hope that the feelings will stick for the next twelve months. New Year celebrations provide the perfect opportunity to lift grudges and sincerely wish for peace and happiness for everyone.

The festival ends after 15 days with the Lantern Festival, where people hang lanterns round the home and local temples. The highlight is the dragon dance, a favourite of children and adults alike.

Many Australian cities celebrate Chinese New Year and the dragon dances, firecrackers and lanterns draw huge crowds annually. Find your city’s celebration this year and join in with a spirited ‘Kung hei fat choi!’

Tavi: the new girl who’s now firmly established in the neighbourhood

2010-02-03T14:15:00.002+11:00

It was only a matter of time before we blogged about Tavi, who some tout as the next Anna Wintour. In case you’ve been living under a blanket of fash-apathy, here are a few facts about Tavi Gevinson, the new girl in town:

1. Her blog, Style Rookie, is rumoured to get around 1.5million hits a month.

2. She mingles with fashion royalty, and sits in the front row at NY and Paris fashion weeks, while celebs and editors sit behind her.

3. She worked with Rodarte (and was their muse) on their diffusion range for Target.

4. She describes herself as a “dork that sits inside all day wearing awkward jackets and pretty hats".

5. Everyone is talking about her. From Vogue to the Guardian to everyone on the blogosphere.

6. She is only thirteen years old.

Style Rookie is a playful commentary on Tavi’s obsession with fashion, replete with collages, runway photos, videos, ‘screensnaps’ from TV, and ripped out pages from books and magazines. Her cute-as-pie writing style is complemented by automatic-timer self portraits in vintage outfits she’s found when out ‘thrifting’, coupled with a spackle of high-end designer pieces. Her latest statement was dying her hair blue, which turned out “way too green” and “kinda soccer mom-ish, only a soccer mom that is a smurf, an anime character, and not the one you want to carpool with because she may be housing rats in the glove compartment.” Pow!

Tavi started Style Rookie when she was only 11 years old. Her parents were unaware of exactly what it was, or of her appeal, until she asked their permission to be featured in and article for the New York Times magazine. Most of her friends at school still don’t know about her blog, but the rest of the fashion world is falling over itself to get to her. Her insights into fashion are so discerning that some even doubt her genuineness, believing the blog must be written by her parents.

But designers like Rei Kawakubo, Marc Jacobs, Yohji Yamamoto and the Rodarte sisters feel differently. Pop magazine has commissioned her to blog for them – she attended Dior’s runway in Paris on their behalf, and Tommy Ton (another blog sensation) has taken a bunch of photos of her for Paris Vogue. It would seem her future is on a steady course to severe success in the fashion industry, but when questioned on it, she replies with a youthfully unconcerned “fashion I think I could imagine, but I'm not really sure.”

Whatever she does, we sure hope we’re invited along to watch, read and absorb. For now, best find out what the hype is all about. You can check out Style Rookie here: http://tavi-thenewgirlintown.blogspot.com/.

Mwah Mwah

From MissGRLmo

Data Privacy Day: keeping our online identities safe

2010-01-28T09:17:00.003+11:00

Today is Data Privacy Day, an annual initiative to raise awareness of online privacy, celebrated in the US, Canada and Europe, with a focus on educating young people and their parents in the matters of online safety and security.

Although Data Privacy Day is not officially recognised in Australia, the matter of online privacy is still a very important issue here. There were around 8.4 million active internet subscribers in Australia as of June 2009, and a study on social networking usage found that over 70% of Australians visited a social networking site in June. Social networking is fast becoming one of the largest networks in the world. In fact, population wise, if Facebook was a country, it would be the fourth largest in the world with over 300 million active users. This is only a few million less than the population of the US!

In Australia, 93% of kids from 12-17 are online. Of these, 55% have profiles on one social networking site or another, 78% play online games and 64% upload content such as photos, videos or blogs. And perhaps not surprising, although shocking, children today spend more time on the phone, online, texting, watching TV and movies, and playing video games than they do at school and with their parents.

With these activities now playing such a predominant part in children’s lives and a major part of adults’ also, we need to consider how the information we share online can be kept safe from misuse. Here are some basic pointers:

Create a dedicated email account, (like a Gmail or Hotmail), which is separate to your personal email address. Email addresses that are posted online are an easy target for spammers. Use this email address when entering competitions, joining mailing lists or any public online space like chat rooms or forums. If your account gets overloaded with spam, simply kill it off and create a new one. This will leave your personal address free for use only by trusted friends and business contacts.

Don’t reply to spammers, even if you want to request ‘STOP’. This will only confirm that the email is being received by a real person, and the spammers may pass or sell your address on to more spammers.

Don’t reveal personal information to strangers or new “friends”. Details such as your full name, place of employment, street address, phone number and of course credit card should be kept private. What you post online can be found by anyone, including identity thieves. They make their living out of stealing information, so they know how to find it, if you upload it.

If you choose to meet someone in person who you’ve met online, do so wisely. Meet in a public space and bring a friend along. Remember, you can never be sure that the person is who they say they are.

Be wary of sites that offer a prize or reward in exchange for your personal information. In most cases, your details will be on-sold to other marketers.

Make good decisions about what you upload. What might seem like a hilarious photograph from your friend’s birthday party might not seem so funny if a potential employer sees it. If you have personal information to share, consider sending it in a text message instead of online.

Manage your privacy settings. Some social networking sites like Facebook allow you to put privacy locks on your account, so that only your “friends” can view your photographs and information.

If you found this article useful, make sure to forward this link to family and friends: [http://grlmobile.blogspot.com/2010/01/data-privacy-day-keeping-our-online.html]. Let’s stay web-safe in 2010!

References:

Nelson, D. 2010Some 2009 Social Media Internet Statistics, Corporate Blogging, viewed 22 January 2010 [http://www.wiliam.com.au/wiliam-blog/some-2009-social-media-internet-statistics].

Dellinger, J. 2010 Data Privacy Day 2010 Blog, Data Privacy Day 2010, viewed 18 January 2010 [http://dataprivacyday2010.org/blog/].

Dawson, R. B. 2009 Facebook is the 4^th Largest Country In The World + Why It Matters To You, Top Search Result, viewed 22 January 2009 [http://www.topsearchresult.ca/facebook-would-be-4th-largest-coutnry-world].

KISS MY GRASS MELBOURNE 2010 (a long blog...)

2010-01-23T20:26:00.002+11:00

The daytime

The day started out a crisp 20°. We arrived at 10am for set up. A light mist of rain fell, but it wasn’t too annoying, so we zipped around and checked the place out. An annual Australia Day tradition, Kiss My Grass follows an Aussie Day theme, and this year, stages were named after Australian icons, like the Lamington stage, the Bindi Irwin stage, the Lifesaving stage and the Neighbours VIP area. Aussie fun!

GRLmobile was at Kiss My Grass in our big pink shipping container, with our DJ Skool ready to rock the hizzo and our promo crew armed with condoms and tattoos to keep the punters amused. We had a mini VIP area, decked out with astro-turf, blow-up palm trees and bean bags.

Guys and gals started filtering in as soon as the gates were open – it was still a little cold, so we sold a few hoodies straightaway. For the rest of the day it was top fun seeing girlies and dudes decked out GRLstyle!

We had a steady crowd at the trailer all day – not surprising – DJ Herbie J and DJ KC from the GRLmobile DJ Skool, and DJ Dirty Diggs were slammin’ out some of the phattest beats at the festival (remember last year? Same thing!).

By 1.30, chicks were coming up to have a spin on the decks. By 2pm, the container was packed and pumping. Chicks were stoked to have a go. “I’ve always wanted to be a DJ, but I never knew how – this is so cool!” one spunky diva said. We love watching how much everyone enjoys it. We reckon some of our budding DJs would have seen their time in the spotlight as the highlight of their day, by the looks on their faces after they finished!

DJ Nugget (our fave chick on the decks) took over from 3pm and amped up the crowd like a superstar with some smooth, driving beats. The crowd was digging the tunes and dancing shoes were out in force. It’s funny how otherwise shy people will come out of their shell when there’s a maxxin’ PA system and a stage to get up and dance on. The front of our container became a springboard for aspiring Pussycat Dolls and hot rock chicks.

The only time our music stopped rocking was when one of our GRLfrnds lost their mobile phone – we turned off the music so we could hear it ring. Our phones are our lives, so that’s a good enough reason to put the party on hold, right? P.S. she found it!

The evening

As the sunshine turned orange and slowly subsided, the DJ Skool boys jumped back onto the turntables and welcomed some new wannabe DJs up onto the stage. The audience was still psyched from Nugget’s set, and DJ Herbie J and DJ KC kept the vibe electric with more deep ‘n’ dirty beats, perfected by some sweet scratching by our new BFFs.

To be honest, our container was bouncing up and down so hard that it was difficult to write this blog [I’m writing this from inside the container, behind the decks. It feels like we’re on the high seas the amount this thing is moving at the moment! I can hardly control my mouse…]!! I also uploaded over 400 photographs to our Facebook fanpage. You can check the pix out here. There are more to come, which I’ll put up on Monday.

At ten to eight, we started ushering people out of the container. We were actually scheduled to finish at eight, but the power cut out at five minutes to. There was much booing, and the crowd started up with a chorus of We Are The World to encourage us to stay. Yes, people were begging us for one more song. Yes, people really, really wanted us to keep the party going – what can I say? For one more year we rocked the house…

The crowd finally filtered away, and wandered off to find their next aural adventure leaving us to deflate our palm trees, roll our cords and stack our boxes for our next festival journey (Future Music in Brisbane anyone?). The festival was another unbridled success, with thousands of new GRLfrnds getting to know how rad GRLmobile is, and us gaining a whole bunch of street cred all over again with a new fan base.

Kiss My Grass? We’d love to. Bring on 2011.

Mwah mwah

From MissGRLmo @ KMG 2010

New Year’s Blues & Breakthroughs

2010-01-21T17:05:00.003+11:00

New Year’s Resolutions can be an inspiring and exciting way to enter the new year. But it’s almost customary to allow your newfound enthusiasm to fade as the weeks roll by and everyday life gets in the way again. You could say ‘oh well, that resolution was a bit ambitious for me anyway’, but there are ways to make it easier on yourself so your New Year’s Blues become New Year’s Breakthroughs:

1. Make it fit your life

Tailor your new goals to fit into your existing lifestyle. If you’re not a morning person, don’t plan to go for a jog every morning. Figure out your high-energy times (maybe you have heaps of energy just before bed, or on the weekends?) and schedule small tasks toward your goals into those times.

2. Do one simple task every day

Although you’re enthusiastic to get your life overhauled, you don’t have to re-strategise your whole bedroom set-up, you just need to take down that broken blind – and do it today! Write your goal down and work backwards with the steps you need to do to get there. When you first get going, it may be hard to remember to actually do the task! Set a recurring reminder in your mobile phone until you’re in the habit.

3. Reduce temptation

If you’re trying to cut down or give something up, stay clear of places or situations where you may be tempted. Clear the cookies out of your cupboards and fill up the fruit bowl. If you’ve quit smoking, avoid outdoor bars. If you’re a spend-a-holic, don’t go into the shopping centre unless it’s for a specific purpose.

4. Track your progress

Create a Success Map for yourself by writing your goals down the left side of a page, and dates across the top:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
Eat healthily	ü	û	ü
Exercise	û	ü	ü
Less drinking	ü	ü	û

Each day, give yourself a big pink tick if you’ve stuck to the plan, and a red cross if you haven’t. Filling your page with ticks will motivate you, and a page of crosses will indicate you may need to re-think your plan of attack. If you’re out ‘n’ about, send an SMS to yourself with your results and update the Map when you get home.

5. Handle your bad days

It’s natural to have days where you couldn’t be bothered, but these are the times you need to pick yourself up and keep going, before your resolution gets laid by the wayside! Firstly, accept the task as a simple and essential step in achieving your goals. Keep some motivating music on your phone so you can pump yourself up whenever you’re feeling lazy. Then just do it. Remind yourself that the actual task won’t take long and you’ll be so proud when it’s done! If you do have a few ‘failures’, don’t let it break you. Have a think about why you didn’t stick to your plan and figure out how to avoid it happening again.

What's your new year's resolution?

WIN A DANGLE YR DONGLE MOBILE BROADBAND + IGB DATA!!

Become a fan at GRLmobile’s Facebook page and leave a comment with your New Year’s resolution by 31 January. The best resolution will WIN a Dangle Yr Dongle + 1GB data! Details @ Facebook.com/GRLmobile.

I apologise if I hit you with a flag last night :: Festival Annual 09

2010-01-18T15:09:00.002+11:00

The UK festival season runs for a mammoth 96 days – from June to September each year. For a group of countries whose frigid temperatures usually keep inhabitants snuggled indoors cradling cups of tea, the practice of getting loose in a field full of beer, bands, and babes has become an annual pilgrimage.

Documenting the memories of festival folk from the Isle of Whight to Glastonbury, Reading to Bestival and all those in between, Festival Annual 09 is a glossy retrospective of the 21 major festivals held in the UK in 2009. ‘Rain cannot dampen our spirits and we laugh in the face of mud. When we have to tighten our belts there are many things in life we’d sacrifice before giving up on a weekend at a festival.’ writes the introduction, and what truth.

Burning sun or slippery mud, the energy at every festival is the same, even though the music isn’t – a fantasy world where one can dress up in a horse suit or paint their face without judgement. Where every move is in sync with the pulse of a drumbeat or the grind of guitars. Where night becomes day without the party stopping, until all that’s left is an empty field strewn with stomped bottles, cigarette packets and other scraps.

Our fave inclusion of the book is a collection of tweets from festival goers, including gems such as If you’re called matthew and your dad’s called howard and you’ve lost your wallet at leeds, call your dad. or @JBenni is hanging, burnt to a crisp and has no voice… and I LOVE IT!! Roll on next year! and Rougher than a badger. I apologise if i hit you with a flag last night.

It was kind of hard to get a hold of (thanks eBay!) but if you live and breathe music festivals as much as we do, you’d best get your hands on a copy. As soon as you start flicking through the 300-odd pages, you’ll be aching to book your ticket to whatever’s coming up first!

Festival Annual 09 is published by Independents United and 10% of all proceeds go to Oxfam.

GRLmobile is rocking Kiss My Grass Melbourne this weekend. If you partied with us last year, you’ll know how maxxin’ it was. HURRY! Tix still available for $48.70 + BF @ Ticketmaster or call 136 100.

Wh@ 2 do w/ yr phone @ a music festival

2010-01-14T09:17:00.004+11:00

In this age of mobile-everything, we’re continually reminded of how mobile phones have made our lives easier and more fun. There are a number of situations where we’re forced to question ‘how did we used to do this without mobiles?’ Like when you lose your friends at a festival…

To commemorate our sponsorship of Kiss My Grass 2010, we’ve compiled a list of neat ways you can use your phone at a music festival, for those who still have the cognitive capacity to operate a piece of electronics after two hours of drinking Breezers in the sun:

Set reminders 4 the DJs u wanna C

Before the festival, get a hold of the set list from the festival’s website and set reminders so you don’t miss your fave acts. Nothing worse than realising that you’ve missed a sick DJ coz you’ve been waiting in line for the toilets for half an hour.

Cre8 a festival contact group

Create a Group in your phone’s contact list with everyone who’s coming with you. That way if you need to contact everyone (ie “Where r u all???”) you can just send one Group txt.

MMS yr mates 2 explain where U R

If you get a “Where r u??” txt, take a shot of a landmark near you and MMS it back as a visual reference: “I’m @ that big ferris wheel thingie!”

Take a video of yr fave DJ

Grab some footage of your fave DJs to show your friends who couldn’t make it. Take note though, some artists will ask not to be filmed. Be cool and respect their request.

Use yr notes to write down nu DJs that u discover

If you find some sweet beat mixers, use your mobile phone’s Notes to write down their names, coz you probably won’t be able remember them the next day.

Bluetooth gr8 photos 2 yr BFF

No doubt you’ll be snapping pix all day. Exchange the best ones by Bluetooth.

Get online & tweet about it

You’ll have some of the funniest experiences of your life at a festival. A day’s craziness in tweet form makes for great reading for your followers.

Hold it up like a lighter @ night 4 the songs th@ rock

If a DJ is just rocking out (and it’s dark enough), show your appreciation by holding your phone up like a lighter, just like they used to do at rock concerts. From the DJ’s perspective, it looks awesome to see a sea of lights in front of them.

Use a photo from the day 4 yr wallpaper

Choose your fave image from the day and use it as your phone’s wallpaper, so you can keep the dream alive for a little bit longer.

Log on to Facebook 2 C yr pix

If you get snapped by the GRLmobile team, log on to Facebook.com/GRLmobile and check out the pix!

GRLmobile is Rocking Kiss My Grass again in 2010!

2010-01-11T13:32:00.001+11:00

The sun was beating down, the tunes were pounding and we were all jumping up and down. Yep, GRLmobile rocked the house at Kiss My Grass last year. Our shipping container was pumping out some of the phattest beats at the festival and the crowd was amped! We were packed; bumper to bumper good times.

This year, we’re back to rock it again!

Our DJ Skool will be back with a vengeance, and like last year, YOU CAN COME UP AND HAVE A SCRATCH ON THE DECKS. Tell your friends you played at KMG! ANYONE CAN HAVE A GO – it’s fun-as to get the crowd dancing. Seriously, though, how many festivals can you get up and be a DJ at? Like, none! So come on down and show us how you rock out.

The GRLmobile team will be there of course, HANDING OUT LOTS OF FREE GOODIES for you. We’re not going to tell you what they are yet…it’s a hot secret! We’ll also be TAKING HEAPS OF PHOTOS THROUGHOUT THE DAY and UPLOADING THEM STRAIGHT TO FACEBOOK! We’ll also be Tweeting and Blogging on-site as well.

Show us your GRLmobile phone or sign up as a BFF and YOU CAN CHILL OUT IN OUR SWEET VIP AREA! Nothing like being behind the velvet rope and crashing out on a beanbag during a festival! For more neat ways to get the best out of your KMG experience, check out our Music Festival Survival Guide @ GRL A-List.

Totally can’t wait.

Kiss My Grass at Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne on Saturday 23 February.

Grab your tickets now from Ticketmaster

Happy New Gear!

2010-01-06T15:27:00.002+11:00

Ah, I love the smell of a brand new year. We’re all amped up on our resolutions and champing at the bit to get our new selves started. But before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s say thank you:

For your ongoing dedication to reviving a whole bunch of trends we thought we’d never see again after 1993… we salute you, mighty 2009!

The way we were

Forget GFC gloom, 2009’s obsession with all things vintage was a nod to the ostentatious eighties and innocently dagwah nineties. This was the over-arching theme of the year and all other trends followed. Most importantly, the vintage craze allowed us to have fun with fashion again.

Rumble in the jungle

Animal print took off in a way that would make Maria Venutti proud. From swimmers to leggings, bags to jackets, this timeless classic usually reserved for wealthy European women finally filtered back in the mainstream – and flooded the place!

Bold shoulder

Operation shock and awe – shoulder pads came back. Met with utter confusion at first, then denial, and finally a timid acceptance, the pad fad turned into a catwalk staple and aspiration for girls worldwide. With an upwardly pointed and slender silhouette, the modern shoulder-pad design is bringing the power-woman back, sharper than ever!!

Cold shoulder

All over the red carpet, the Grecian one-shouldered gown lends a subtle sexiness and refined femininity to any body shape. Floor length or above-the-knee, the one-shoulder look has never really gone out, but it was bigger than ever in 2009.

Smells like teen spirit

Just when we thought grunge was behind us, in walks its younger cousin, Glunge (glamour + grunge). Torn jeans and ripped black stockings are coupled with faded band t-shirts and Wayfarers to create a look that says ‘um… whatever. It’s from Top Shop’.

Grin and bare it

Another one to add to the ever-growing ‘if I had the body for it, I’d wear it’ list is the resurrection of the 1990s midriff top. A loose fitting t-shirt, cut just above the belly-button teamed with denim short-shorts and a leather satchel across the shoulders will create this Pixie Geldof inspired look.

Form one lane

Women around the country are wiping away tears of joy. The one-piece swimsuit is back. And no, it’s not a blue and yellow racer-back, we’re talking serious seaside sophistication that’s sleek and (yay!) slimming. Embellished or fringed, cut-out or jewelled, this craze is big and one of the few that will be here to stay.

How they do it in Finland… Whacky Xmas fun around the world

2009-12-24T10:24:00.000+11:00

Xmas is tomorrow, so here are some fun facts from around the globe, including a variety of unpronounceable ways to say ‘Happy Xmas’!

Happy Christmas! (Britain)

Christmas was once illegal in Britain! In 1647, English military and political leader Oliver Cromwell considered feasting and general merry-making (getting drunk) on a holy day was inappropriate and immoral. It remained illegal for 13 years, until his party lost power in 1660.

Medieval Britain’s gluttony is well known. One celebration featured a nine-foot pie, with filling that included four geese, two rabbits, four wild ducks, two woodcocks, six snipes, four partridges, two neats' tongues, two curlews, six pigeons, and seven blackbirds. Yummy?

Srozhdestvom Kristovym! (The Ukraine)

The Ukrainian Christmas Eve dinner table is set with two tablecloths: one for the living members of the family, and one for ancestors who have passed. It is believed that if ancestors are acknowledged and shown respect, they will bring good fortune to the family.

Christmas trees in the Ukraine are traditionally decorated with an artificial spider and web, as a spider web found on Christmas morning is believed to bring good luck.

Kala Christouyenna! (Greece)

At Christmas time, according to Greek legend, creatures called Kallikantzaroi sometimes come out and wreak havoc around town. It is said they are apparently repelled by the stench of a burning shoe or salt. Other traditions to keep the Kallikantzaroi at bay include hanging a pig's jawbone by the door, and maintaining a fire to stop them sneaking down the chimney. On a larger scale, the local priest may go from home to home, sprinkling holy water, or he may throw a cross into water.

Some Greeks do not use Christmas trees or give presents at Christmas.

Hyvaa joulua! (Finland) and God Jul! (Sweden)

The twelve days of Christmas are decreed by law to be days of civil peace in Finland and Sweden. Crimes committed during this time may be punished with a harsher sentence than normal.

Nollaig chridheil huibh! (Scotland)

Christmas can be a sombre time in some Scottish homes. Historians theorise that this is because Christmas is considered to be a Catholic celebration. Scottish Presbyterians tend to reserve their celebration for New Years, which is known as Hogmanay.

Gledelig Jul or God Jul! (Norway)

After the Christmas Eve dinner and gift-giving in Norway, all the brooms in the house are hidden, as it was once believed that witches and mischievous spirits would steal them to ride.

Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! (The Netherlands)

Before bed on Christmas eve in the Netherlands, children leave out their shoes, hoping Saint Nicholas will fill them with candy.

Buone Feste Natalizie (Italy)

Italian legend says a nice witch named La Befana was sweeping her floors when the Three Wise Men stopped in and asked her to come and see the baby Jesus. She said, ‘No I’m too busy.’ Later, she changed her mind but it was too late. It’s now said that every Christmas Eve, she rides on her broomstick looking for the holy child. On the way, she pops down chimneys to deliver toys to children.

Gr8 Xpect8ions

2009-12-22T11:47:00.000+11:00

After an afternoon of Christmas pressie snatch-and-grab on the weekend, I got to thinking about presents and our expectations.

I’ve asked around, and can confirm that I’m not the only one who whimpers a succession of ‘oh…wow. Thanks…’ as I open my gifts. From the ball of string I once received from my father to the Décor storage containers I received from my partner last year, it seems like Christmas-gift-receiving is fraught with disappointment.

We can’t hold it against the present buyer though. It’s hard to find a unique and special present for someone year after year. Of course, there is a solution *blatant product plug*! If you need a fun and practical present for the chick in your life, GRLmobile has a really cool range of phones, broadband and fashmo to check out. Most of our products come with an included gift, like full-sized perfumes, hair stylers and other neat stuff, making them the perfect gift for Xmas, birthdays, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. Best thing is that nearly all of them are under $100.

We sell our phones, broadband and prepaid top-ups at stacks of retailers, including Australia Post, Myer, Target, Dick Smith, Crazy John’s or GRLmobile.com, and we’ve just discounted a bunch of products just in time for Xmas.

Xpect8ions met, Xcitement guaranteed!

(Pictured is GRLmobile's Style+Dial: Nokia 2680 + FREE Hair Styler ONLY $79! and TxTribe: One Touch Tribe + FREE GRLmobile reusable foldable shopper bag, notebook with phone pocket & txting Chick-tionary ONLY $149!)

Kid Sister: Ain't so little no more.

2009-12-17T10:55:00.000+11:00

Growing up in suburban Chicago, Melissa Young lived through the financial struggle so common in the American ghettos. To help her get through the hard times, she wrote raps. In October 2005, she began performing at local dance parties under the alias Kid Sister and was quickly signed to Kanye West’s DJ’s record label.

Kanye featured on her first single, Pro Nails, which met with rave reviews. In 2008, this gorgeous African American, Native American, and Caucasian rapper was nominated for Best Female Hip Hop Artist at the prestigious B.E.T. Awards. That’s no small feat for someone who’s only been on the scene for three years!

Kid Sister’s freaky-fresh sound is born from an inherent confidence. Classed alongside Janelle Monae and Santogold as the new wave of female hip hop, she understands that the key to musical innovation is to be unique. ‘It’s okay to be weird’ she says. ‘It’s okay to be smart and strong, and decisive, I think that’s how we look at things.’

With big, fat beats plus weird electro sounds, her rhymes are melodic and off-beat, laid over a bed of deep bass lines. But there is an element of fun in all her songs. ‘I’m trying to take the cheesiness out of professional music. Everyone is so full of themselves, with the egos, and it’s so silly! I think only a woman can do that! A woman is going to be the one to put a new face to things because with you men – and I love you all, so much – but with all the egos, come on! It kinda has to be a woman to make that pivotal change.’

Despite her tough upbringing, she’s a big fashion fan. She says, ‘I’m a tomboy that loves to shop.’ And what store does she love the most? GRLmobile’s original retailer, Target! ‘[It’s] my favorite place!’ she says, ‘You can find me here several days out of the week. Target is so addictive!

GRLinsider Xclusiv! If you’ve got a GRLmobile Prepaid mobile phone account, you can download Kid Sister’s hot hit Right Hand Hi now from GRLmobile.com/Insider. Just enter the promo code we texted you. Or call 1300 GRL GRL if you’ve lost it. For more info, or to hear some of Kid Sister’s killer tracks, check out http://www.myspace.com/kidsister.

Mwah mwah

From MissGRLmo

Is Miss GRLmo the next Layne Beachley? Um… no.

2009-12-15T09:19:00.000+11:00

The GRLmobile team drove down to Torquay on the weekend to join the fun at Play It Safe By The Water Surfing For Girls presented by GRLmobile and Oakley.

Threatened with a dark and stormy day, we were stoked to find sunshine beaming down from a blue sky. There were stacks of girls already there, and the music was pumping thanks to the Oakley Rolling O Lab’s massive sound system. But I was not there to dance. Ever-ready to give anything a go in the name of a good story, I was there to surf!

Having never surfed before, I was told with almost a laugh that the GRLmobile surfboard – a DHD Steph Gilmore Pro design – was totally inappropriate for my skill level. It was suggested I start out on a “G board”, which turned out to be a foamy beginners’ longboard. I asked for a pink one and renamed it the “GRL board”. Close enough.

Far from my city-wardrobe staples of silk dresses and pencil skirts, wetsuits are like something from another world. I pulled a muscle in my behind trying to put it on. Once in, I slipped my GRLmobile rashie over the top, grabbed my board and made down to the beach to join the beginners’ group. We learned the basics of surfing, including water safety and rescues. Then we had a few practice runs of how to stand up on your board. It all seemed very achievable, but I knew once we hit the waves, it would all go out the window.

To my surprise, I actually stood up on the first wave I caught! It was a great feeling. With the wind blowing past me, I declared myself a professional surfer. I bounced through the breaks to catch my second thrill. Turns out my glory was short lived. On my second wave, my arms were too weak to lift me into a stand. Too many warm-ups perhaps? I did manage to stand up a second time. But I ate wave more times than I’d like to admit.

Out of the water, we met up with our GRLmobile Ambassador, Nikki Van Dijk (pictured). She was fresh from winning 2nd place in the Arnette Australian Junior Surfing Titles. She was such an awesome chick, and we were in awe of her surf-star physique! Seven-time world champ Layne Beachley was also there (she's pictured above, surfing in the dark wetsuit), and she signed some t-shirts just for us! We interviewed both girls for GRLtv – keep a lookout for the video, which will be uploaded soon!

I went home rather salty, crusty and rusty, but with a smile on my face. Although the fitness level required to surf is perhaps slightly beyond my capabilities, the rush you get when you’re cruising on a wave makes it 100% worthwhile. I’ll be surfing again at the earliest possible opportunity and I’d encourage any GRL to give it a go.

Thanks to the Play It Safe By The Water Surfing for Girls team especially Max, Liam and Girv from Surfing Victoria for the sweet experience.

Lots of Red Bulls and Lots of smiles :: Managing Fashion Week with Miro Kubicek

2009-12-02T16:17:00.000+11:00

If you’ve got enough acclaim or the right accreditation, you’ll have no problem getting into the right shows at fashion week. If you don’t, you have absolutely no chance …unless you know Miro.

Dressed in his signature silver suit, kitted with a Secret Service headset and armed with a troop of impeccably polished minions, Miro Kubicek is ready to take a fashion bullet for anyone important enough. Just ask Anna Wintour, the notoriously supercilious editor of American Vogue, who he saved from an increasingly aggressive legion of paparazzi at the last New York Fashion Week. ‘She joked with me and she smiled a lot… maybe she liked what she saw’, comments Miro with a charming lack of modesty.

Russian-born Miro grew up in socialist Czechoslovakia, but fled to West Germany at the age of 14 where he slept under a bridge by night and studied during the day (he now has a Masters in Economics). He started modelling – underwear – part-time, before six months of compulsory military training lead him into personal security. He immigrated to Australia with $1,000 in his pocket and no English. These experiences set him on course for his career in high-end security and VIP wrangling, an area he is beginning to monopolise in the Australian fashion scene.

Miro’s company, MIRo HoUSE is the guest management agency of choice for many Australian and international designers including Toni Maticevski, Collette Dinnigan, Max Azria and Calvin Klein. From greeting guests and ushering the right butts to the right seats, to consoling the damaged egos of those condemned to the back bleachers, Miro is fast becoming the undisputed king of fashion’s front-of-house.

Our own Fashion Maverick caught up with Miro backstage at the Collette Dinnigan SS10 show in Paris, where he posed for photos and filled her in on what he’s been doing lately.

Mwah mwah

From MissGRLmo

Vote #1 Aussie GRLs 4 the shiny, pointy doorstop :: Powerful chicks all over the ARIAs

2009-11-25T10:52:00.000+11:00

Any chick who’s had a go at becoming a ‘somebody’ in the music biz will appreciate the hard work and dedication required to make it there. It’s a really, really hard slog for anybody but it can be harder for a girl to break into this male-centric world. Echoes of ‘boys’ club’ would be heard amidst any group of female musos discussing the industry.

Perhaps the times are a-changin’. As although the majority of ARIA nominations are still given to guys and guy bands, 2009 has seen a wave of women come onto the list. And we’re not talking pop fluff here. These chicks are strong songwriters and performers, confident musicians and savvy business women.

Sarah Blasko, who has admitted to using her ARIA as a doorstop, is nominated for the big one, Album of the Year for As Day Follows Night. She’s also been nominated for Best Female Artist, alongside Kate Miller-Heidke (yay!), Jessica Mauboy, Ladyhawke and Lisa Mitchell. A little more underground, SIA, Little Birdy and Bertie Blackman are also nominated for Best Breakthrough Artist, Best Adult Contemporary and Best Independent New Release respectively.

These chicks are full of substance, offering us powerful lyrics and stuck-in-your-head melodies. It’s refreshing to see these genuinely brilliant songwriters and vibrant performers up for the honours. Good luck to all these beautiful chicks for the awards tomorrow night!

CHICKS IN TUNE :: ARIA 2009 NOMINATIONS

Sarah Blasko (Album of the year, Best pop release and Best female artist for As Day Follows Night)

Kate Miller-Heidke (Single of the year for The Last Day on Earth and Best pop release and Best female artist for Curiouser)

Jessica Mauboy (Highest-selling single for Burn, Highest-selling single and Best breakthrough artist – single for Running Back, Highest-selling album, Best pop release,Best breakthrough artist – album and Best female artist for Been Waiting,)

Ladyhawke (Single of the year and Best breakthrough artist – single for Delirium and Best pop release, Best breakthrough artist – album and Best female artist for Ladyhawke)

Lisa Mitchell (Best breakthrough artist – single for Coin Laundry, Best breakthrough artist – album and Best female artist for Wonder,)

SIA (Best breakthrough artist – album for Some People Have Real Problems, Best music DVD for TV is My Parent)

Little Birdy (Best adult contemporary album for Confetti)

Bertie Blackman (Best independent new release for Secrets and Lies)

Bindi Irwin (Best children’s album for Bindi Kidfitness 2)

Georgie Parker (Best children’s album for Here Comes The Sun)

Zoe Badwi (Best dance release for Release Me)

Felicity Urquhart (Best country album for Landing Lights)

Jasmine Rae (Best country album for Look It Up)

The ARIAs are broadcast at 8:30pm tomorrow night, Thursday 26 November on the Nine Network.

Are you a Fauxgan, Nogan or flat-out Boganista? Celebrating your inner bogan (or not)

2009-11-23T14:34:00.000+11:00

Slide into your Havvies, pull on your trackies and tie that tangled hair up in a saggy bun. It’s time to pick up a DVD from the local vid store and maybe grab a choc top too.

Most Aussie chicks have headed down to Bogan Town at least once. So are you a proud Boganista or a secret Fauxgan who appears normal, but secretly indulges in bogan delights? Or are you a Nogan who would rather lock yourself in a cupboard than leave the house in sneakers? Take our easy quiz to find out!

1. Your favourite lunch is:

a. Sushi

b. Chiko Roll

c. Chicken and Vegie traveller’s pie

2. For a haircut and colour, you normally pay:

a. $150 - $300

b. $15 at Just Cuts

c. Your hairdresser friend does it for you for $50

3. You are currently reading:

a. Bringing Home the Birkin

b. Instructions on the Easy Mac packet

c. MX magazine

4. The song that best describes you is:

a. Marci X’s Power in My Purse

b. Men At Work’s I Come From a Land Down Under

c. Vanessa Amarossi’s This is Who I am

5. Your drink:

a. Vodka martini

b. Rum and Coke

c. Pure Blonde

Mostly As: NOGAN

Trackies – are you kidding? You’re in the latest Ksubi’s with a Chanel over your shoulder. The closest you’ll ever come to being a bogan is catching the train when you’re on the way to Flemington.

Mostly Bs: BOGANISTA

Babe, you are SO BO, and fully proud of it. You like drivin’ fast and muckin’ about with the boys. You’ll stick up for what you believe, and you believe that boganism is the ultimate girl-power. WHOOO!!

Mostly Cs: FAUXGAN

It’s not that you’re living in denial, you just like to select your style according to your environment. Sure, you’d potentially melt in shame if a colleague spotted you at the supermarket with no make-up, but then again, whatever. You’d rather be comfy.

Letter to the blogger, in response to our last post, txting: the gr8 db8

2009-11-20T13:06:00.000+11:00

Dear blogger

I read your piece on texting, which drew from the work of the renowned grammarian David Crystal. But he is not the only older person who supports texting. I am 68, and my job has included copyediting school examination papers and government reports.

People have always used abbreviations, acronyms and initialisms when they needed to save space or time in communications. Our elders in World War One coined “anzac” from “Australian and New Zealand Army Corps” and “ack-ack” from “anti-aircraft” — and “awol” for “absent without leave” dates back to the 1800s. The mothers and fathers of World War Two invented and constantly used “UXB” for “unexploded bomb” and “ARP” for “air-raid precautions” — and don’t forget that “TTFN” (“ta-ta for now”) first appeared in a British radio show in the late forties. Oh, yes, and what about our current leaders who, among other things, find “24/7” and 9/11” quite acceptable?

If your elders complain again, ask them to read this txt and T+ B4 they condemn SMS txting as a CWOT.

txting: the gr8 db8... Studies from renowned linguist, David Crystal

2009-11-18T15:43:00.000+11:00

David Crystal, Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor, is fascinated by the debate on whether using text slang is leading to the degradation of the English language and stunting young people’s literacy skills. He’s written a book tackling the subject, with the aim of opening the minds of txting-naysayers.

So next time your mum / dad / teacher / colleague tries to diss txtspeak, hit ‘em with some of this info taken from Crystal’s book, txting: the gr8 db8…

Y ‘Texting actually improves your literacy, as it gives you more practice in reading and writing.’ David Crystal.

Y Crystal’s research shows that 90% of SMSs are written in normal, standard English.

Y Crystal and other linguists believe textspeak adds dimension and new dynamics to the English language, and suggest that it encourages creativity and wordplay.

Y Crystal also reminds us that abbreviating words has been around for centuries, and that poor literacy has been reported throughout the ages, and pre-dates texting.

Y ‘Emoticons allow another layer of expression, making the message more conversation-like.’ Dr Jean Mulder, linguist and senior lecturer at Melbourne University.

Y In studies from 2006-7 by Coventry University, pre-teenage children who were better at spelling and writing were found to use the most texting abbreviations.

Y The study also found that the younger the children received their first phone, the higher their literacy scores.

Wh@ r yr thoughts? WeRex txtspeak is c%L, coz it’s phun 2 play w/ words!

From Crystal, D. txting: the gr8 db8 New York, Oxford University Press 2008

Coco Cocoon + Lily Allen... Bring on the billboards.

2009-11-16T12:25:00.001+11:00

We are jumping with joy about Lily Allen being the new face of Chanel.

Lily has wowed us since releasing her explosive debut album Alright, Still in 2006. A perfect mixture of glamour, humour and street-smarts, Lily has enamoured us with her cheekiness and I’m-just-a-normal-girl insecurities about body-image. She’s rejected the plastic pop world, instead focussing on developing as a strong songwriter and unassuming fashion icon.

‘I love Lily Allen’, said Karl Lagerfeld on his shoot for the new Chanel Coco Cocoon range, comparing her to Gabrielle Chanel. ‘She is a self-made woman. She is cool, young and extremely witty.’ She’s been an unofficial advocate for the brand forever, always toting around the latest quilted must-have, but now it’s official and we couldn’t think of anyone better suited.

The Coco Cocoon range was developed by Lagerfeld for Fall/Winter 2010. The bags are designed to transition seamlessly from city to weekend getaway, with some styles being reversible. Made from nylon or washed lambskin, the puffy style defines quintessentially-relaxed chic.

Check out Lily, the range and photo shoot at ChanelCocoCocoon.com.

Mwah mwah,

MissGRLmo

Alex Box :: Fashion + Nature + Illustration = This is 2010

2009-11-13T12:49:00.001+11:00

The international fashion circle has been resonating with one name since Paris Fashion Week. Alex Box. She is the new make-up artist of choice for a range of designers including Gareth Pugh, Collette Dinnigan, Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney and has been named the new Pat McGrath.

Alex uses pens, brushes, pigment, paint and pencils to create precise sculptures and designs on the face. Her signature style is a mash of fantasy, gothic, vintage and magic – a far cry from the naked and natural look of many recent shows.

She liberates the viewer from reality with her fantastical and surreal make-up, which often challenges conventional concepts of beauty. She believes in magnifying the essence of each model, stating ‘the minute you obliterate somebody’s spirit, you’re abusive’. Her creations are vivacious, sometimes disturbing and absolutely arresting.

Check out some of her work at the Collette Dinnigan Printemps/Ete 2010 Paris Fashion Week show and check out the GRLtv video, featuring Alex and her spunky-famous skeleton hairclip.

Mwah mwah

From MissGRLmo

Real Life of a Fashionista Part 3... Words We Heard

2009-11-08T18:42:00.001+11:00

There were a bunch of buzz words, phrases and trends that have come out of Paris Fashion Week’s Spring / Summer 2010 shows. Here are a few of the faves that we heard:

1. Ruffles, feathers and frills (think Collette Dinnigan)

2. The super shoulder

3. The new shoe (think Alexander McQueen, Vuitton, Givenchy)

4. Post-recession ostentation

5. Cyber-gothic (think Gareth Pugh, Rick Owens)

6. Ladylike leather

7. Rustic Fantastic (think Chanel, Prada)

The Real Life of a Fashionista Part Two... Top 5 Things To Do With Your Mobile Phone At Fashion Week

2009-11-04T12:24:00.000+11:00

1. Put the show details in your phone’s organiser to make sure you get to the right hall at the right time!

2. MMS your BFF for outfit approval before you leave the house

3. Snap the models with your phone’s camera as they arrive for the show to steal their street style

4. Tweet your favourite outfits as you watch the show

5. Call your besties to gush about the unbelievably good-looking male models

Madeleine Vionnet, puriste de la mode

2009-11-02T08:35:00.000+11:00

In 1952, French couturier Madeleine Vionnet donated 125 dresses, 750 patterns and 13,000 photographs from 1912 to 1939 to Les Arts Decoratifs museum in Paris, to educate future generations about her work. The museum is currently exhibiting this legacy and proving the enduring influence this pioneering designer has had on the world of couture.

The House of Vionnet opened on the Rue de Rivoli in 1912. Inspired by the draping cloth of Greek art and the fluid, modern movement of dancer Isadora Duncan, Madeleine Vionnet was dedicated to the liberation of the female body through design. She turned her back on buttons, zips and corsetry, instead designing garments to float around a woman’s body, exuding a femininity that was strong and unconfined.

Her designs were a rigorous study of circles, squares and triangles. She was fascinated by the Grecian formation of clothes, knotting square fabric at the shoulder or tying the waist with cord and has been credited as the creator of the modern Grecian dress, the bias-cut, handkerchief dress, single-seam dress and the cowl neck. She did not use sketches to design, but would drape live models or a 2ft wooden mannequin with luxurious and sensual materials, which she twisted, knotted, pleated gathered and slashed to explore ways to best accentuate the natural beauty of the female form. These stylistic principles have become an intrinsic staple in fashion as we turn into the new generation, post millennium and post GFC.

At the approach of World War Two, she chose to close her fashion house and held her final showing in August 1939. But her influence is as long-lasting as the architecture of her designs. ‘Like it or not, everyone is under the influence’, admitted Karl Lagerfeld on the effect Vionnet has had on generations of modern couturiers. High-end names such as Gaultier, Galliano, Chanel, Valentino and Balenciaga are all recognisably influenced by Vionnet’s timeless designs. And the dresses in the collection at Les Arts Decoratifs could easily be walked down a 2010 runway without a flutter of an eyelash.

As she clearly stated herself, "what I do is not fashion - it was designed to last forever".

The Real Life of a Fashionista Part One...Top 10 Fashionista Injuries for Spring/Summer 2010

2009-10-30T13:18:00.001+11:00

After two weeks swanning about in eight-inch platform pumps, wearing skinny jeans so tight they’d make a straight-jacket jealous, GRLmobile’s Fashion Maverick has confessed that coping with the numerous injuries sustained while being a fashionista-en-Paris can prove to be a genuine battle of wits and grace. We’ve realised that there’s a gap in the safety protocol and hereby declare that the status of ‘fashionista’ should come with its own OH&S manual. To get the ball rolling, here are our Top 10 Fashionista Injuries for Spring/Summer 2010, how to avoid them, and how to handle them if they happen:

Injury #1

The sky-high heel fall

How to avoid it…

When descending stairs, think Princess. One hand lightly resting along the balustrade will guide you down safely. If you’re simply walking along, just be confident! And there’s nothing wrong with a bit of practice at home before you leave the house.

How to handle it…

Grace and humour. A coquettish blush and gracious smile will excuse even the clumsiest collapse.

Injury #2

The push and shove at colette in Rue St Honore

How to avoid it…

If you’re agoraphobic, shop from colette online.

How to handle it…

Just enjoy it – you know we’re all jealous back home!

Injury #3

The bruised and bashed mid-calf, arm-band rings and welts from carrying too many large designer shopping bags.

How to avoid it…

Buy less.

Um, are we serious? Of course not. Hire a driver for the day, you silly girl!

How to handle it…

Hemorrhoid cream will relieve the bruising fast enough to get you off to the front row without too much evidence.

Injury #4 The power-shopping amnesia, when you forget what you bought the day before.

How to avoid it… Use your phone to make a list of what you’re looking for and cross things out as you go.

How to handle it… That extra pair of Chanel clogs will make a valuable vintage hand-me-down for your daughter / niece / protégé in years to come.

Injury #5 The super-skinny jean suffocation

How to avoid it… Couple relaxed fit jeans with a t-shirt and tailored jacket and fedora for a real supermodel look.

How to handle it… Just deal with it. You look hot.

Injury #6

The short black coffees at the original Rue Cambon Chanel store for ‘the special clients’ (served by the Moroccan Chanel-clad waiter) that blows out your brain and you spend more.

How to avoid it…

Don’t ask for decaf, as you may be shunned. Just drink half of it.

How to handle it…

Handle that gorgeous waiter with the classic sideways glance from smoky eyes and a slight pout of muted, red lips.

And hey, if you’re buzzing on caffeine, and spend more than you planned to, well, remember that Chanel will always increase in value (asset / investment / nest-egg)!

Injury #7

The arctic nest – suffering from heat exhaustion and severe sweat slick by wearing your bespoke Maticevski plumage jacket and knee-high Miu Miu boots du jour in unseasonably warm weather.

How to avoid it…

Check the weather report before you plan your WHAM BAM POW outfit.

How to handle it…

A handbag-sized baby powder is your BFF for absorbing moisture and creating a silky-smooth feeling throughout the day.

Injury #8

The paparazzi blinding as you arrive at the show

How to avoid it…

Whip out your oversized sunglasses before you run the gauntlet.

How to handle it…

You can’t avoid it, especially as long as you’re carrying that Chanel Cocoon puffy bag. Anyway, you’re a fashionista, dahhling. Your public needs you.

Injury #9

The ‘I just nearly dropped my…’ technology heart attack – when juggling the BlackBerry, phone, camera, handycam, iPod, notebook etc.

How to avoid it…

Combine, combine, combine! Most devices now can to all those things in one package.

But far be it for us to discourage you from using technology… we say BRING IT ON!

How to handle it…

Oh, this is so easy. Dropped your phone? Your dongle? Your iPod? Log on to GRLmobile.com. We’ve got ‘em all at rad prices. And if you’re a GRLinsider, you get free P&H within Oz. Sweet!!

Injury #10

The credit card statement aneurysm

How to avoid it…

Set your credit card limit to a level that you can afford if you max out.

How to handle it…

VAT (value added tax) justification. The more you spend, the more you save. It’s simple mathematics. Don’t question it. Just go with it.

Bonjour, mes amies! ... Living vicariously through GRLmobile’s Fashion Maverick

2009-10-28T09:35:00.000+11:00

We’re all aspiring fashionistas. Some of us are just starting out, some of us are well on the way there. And then there are the few who have actually made it. Full-blown, unadulterated, style-saturated fashionistas. The women who evoke fascinated stares and double-takes as they waltz by. Are they wearing that the Prada jacket I just wet my pants over in that magazine? Yes. Have they already bought the cuff that you just gushed over on the UK Vogue site. Uhuh. How do they do it? How do they stay so fresh? So evergreen…

Over the coming months, we’ve got exclusive footage, photos and competitions from Paris Fashion Week Spring Summer 2010, courtesy of our incognito fashionista, Fashion Maverick. Sure, she was papped by hungry photographers when she exited the Hotel Costes in Paris. Yep, she left the Rue Cambon Chanel boutique with a big camellia bag. To her, fashion jet lag is just part of life. Not that she shows it!

Our first instalment is an exclusive video from backstage at Collette Dinnigan’s Paris Fashion Week show. Exclusive footage? You know we’ve got it! Check it out at http://grlmobile.com/GRLtv/ and keep checking this blog and GRLmobile.com for more!!

Mwahs

From MissGRLmo

It’s not what u kno, but who u kno.

2009-10-22T09:52:00.001+11:00

We’ve all had a friend who got us backstage to THAT show, or the pal who knew the band. That friend who makes you feel glamorous and special coz they seem to have a connection to everyone who’s anyone.

Well, we’re gonna be that friend. GRLmobile Insider is an exclusive club for every fashionista on the GRLmobile network, to reward them for using Australia’s Mobile Phone Service for Chicks. But GRLinsider is a far cry from your standard loyalty clubs. Yep, forget pointless point systems and disappointing discounts.

We’re all about LOTS of BIG benefits. So we offer you 20% bonus credit on every 3^rd top-up, and 10% bonus credit for online credit card top-ups. And coz we’ve got such a sweet range of goodies online, we also give you free postage & handling on all online purchases. We also have regular exclusive comps for you to enter.

But the hottest thing about GRLinsider is that we give you money-can’t-buy content. Yep, we’re talking backstage access to fashion, music, film and sporting events. Secret fashion info and tip-offs from our Fashion Maverick. She’s on the scene, not only from around Oz, but around the world! When it’s happening, she’ll be there. And what she finds, she shares with you. What are GRLfrnds for?

So if you’re not already on the GRLmobile Prepaid mobile phone network, it’s time you were.

GRLmobile Insider. Be part of the in-crowd.

Click here for more details.

No, seriously. Just get on the network!

Love from MissGRLmo

Rain, rain GO AWAY! ...My fake-tanned pins are going to waste.

2009-10-21T09:57:00.000+11:00

Now I do know it’s been sunny in Queensland (my home town) for a couple of months now. I’m not sure about other cities in Oz, but I tell you what – it’s still bleak, wet and windy in good old Melbourne. Don’t get me wrong. I love wet weather, AND as long as I have a big scarf, two pairs of gloves, woollen socks, leggings, a jumper, a trench and beret, I also like the cold. But come on, it’s October.

I went and bought a new tube of fakey fakey last weekend, ready to bronze up for the summer I’m expecting will hit any day now… I only did my top half, knowing that I’m not going out in bare legs yet, coz honestly, it’s still chilly here. But last weekend actually brought out two days of glorious, glorious sun! And that was it. Off we cycled to our closest rooftop bar, where we swanned about, for no less than four hours, and lay back in deck chairs listening to Calypso music. The boots came off, the jacket came off, and (god forbid) the leggings even came off! It was like a dream. Except that I looked like a Top Deck chocolate bar.

I was rather embarrassed, but left my legs exposed to absorb as much vitamin D as possible. Suffice it to say as soon as I got home, I slathered two palms-full of fakey fakey onto my fluorescent white pins to ensure that the curse of the Top Deck did not recur next weekend! And since? Rain. Cold. Wind. Clouds. You wanna know the temp for this Sat? Yep, all of 17 degrees. That’ll be fun for the music festival I’m going to. So my stunningly Monacan-brown legs, thinner by that beautiful illusion of being TAN, are again swathed in woollen socks and leggings, shrouded by a cashmere blanket as I sit with a heater on under my desk.

Four seasons in one day? Um, no. More like two weeks of summer, two months of Autumn and ten months of winter. (:-<

Collette Dinnigan Paris Printemps / Ete 2010

2009-10-15T09:31:00.001+11:00

An Alice in Wonderland mood

Our queen fashionista reports from the inner sanctum, backstage at Collette Dinnigan’s Paris fashion week show. In a gorgeously appointed salon of a Parisian hotel, artists pulled models’ hair into smooth and tight sculptures and painted faces with strong eyebrows, lightly smoked eyes and nude lips.

Collette herself, coping with a back injury sustained while disembarking from her flight, looked eternally graceful and relaxed. ‘I wanted the collection to be unexpected, to be playful. I wanted to play with colour, to play with prints and stripes and I want the evening wear to look nonchalant’, she said. ‘There is this Alice in Wonderland mood.’

The show was a stunning melange of fresh citrus chiffon, gothic romantic and summery, off-the-shoulder tiered floor-lengths. The clothes seemed to whisper to you, call you over to slip into them and wander into the daisy fields.

GRLmobile says merci to Collette for the invitation and félicitations for such a sublime showing. For exclusive behind-the-scenes pix, check out http://twitpic.com/photos/grlmobile and http://www.facebook.com/grlmobile, with more on the way.

À bientôt,

MadamoiselleGRLmo

Mois mois

Do we still want it all?

2009-10-08T10:18:00.000+11:00

In a recent survey, Marie Claire (our fave for style + substance) has found that the old adage of ‘I want it all and I want it now’ has lost its weight with modern Aussie chicks.

With only 9% saying they want it all and now, a whopping 64% have admitted that they would like it all, but understand that they simply can’t have it all NOW. This is definitely a far cry from the super women of the 80s and early 90s who were struggling to fit career, family, beauty, sparkling social calendar and Mr Right into one sharp-shouldered power suit.

Women who chose to have kids then were expected to work a full time job as well. These days, maternity leave is giving us the security that we can go off and be mothers, knowing that there’ll still be a job waiting for us when we’re ready to return. So although most of us still do want it all, we’ve finally got the freedom to take it when it suits us, and not have to fit it in all at once.

Yours,

MissGRLmo

XX

London Fashion Week SS10 - Embellishments. Bouffant. Sequins. Short, short, short!

2009-10-02T12:23:00.000+10:00

September 30, 2009

London Fashion Week finished off last week with a puff of chiffon and a glitter of sequins. Yep, Spring / Summer 2010 is all about detail, embellishment, decoration, statement shoes, midriffs, tribal and short, short dresses. The eyebrows were thick and dark (finally!) and hair is big and teased. We tip our Headonistic hats to:

Y Jeremy Scott’s leather-jacket-clad tribute to the caveman

Y Paul Smith’s bright PINK suit for man with red hat, shoes and kerchief

Y Burberry Prorsum’s draped, ruched, bubbly neutrals

Y Sass & Bide’s tasselled geometric black & whites

Y Luella and Mulberry’s cute, girly love

Y Roksanda Ilincic, Kinder Aggugini & Danielle Scutt’s tribal cutaways and patterns

Y John Rocha, Louise Goldin & Jenny Packham’s textures and detailing.

Our ultimate best in show? Ashish’s full-sequinned pants and over-sized tees in 80s statement patterns and colours. Yes, I AM ready to wear balloon pants sequinned with palm trees on a bright blue background. I’m serious!

The A-list was represented brilliantly by Liv Tyler, Donatella Versace, Victoria Beckham, Anna Wintour (no surprises there), one of the Olsen twins (no idea which) and Joan Collins. Very exciting to see Pixie Geldof and Daisy Lowe walking for Vivenne Westwood and Naomi Campbell looking ten million dollars walking for Issa London. I think she’s still 25. Then they all got down to Massive Attack who were DJing at the event. Sounds like a regular party at my place.

Fashion is certainly a lot of fun and very feminine at the moment. And London certainly did not disappoint.

Mwah Mwah

From MissGRLmo

Deutz Swap My Style - Coz swapping is the new shopping!

2009-10-02T12:21:00.000+10:00

25 September 2009

Last night, we headed on down to Alumbra at Melbourne’s Docklands to attend Deutz Swap My Style for a glamorous and fun evening of pampering, shopping, sipping and swapping!!

We were given Deutz bubbly on arrival, which was really lovely. We pretended to be supermodels as we sipped on our piccolos thru straws. Very runway-backstage. Got some extremely yummy pasta too (not-so-supermodel) that we couldn’t get enough of.

Everyone who’d brought items to swap registered them in. As the staff got everything ready, we swanned around, got our hair straightened and curled at Vidal Sassoon, our faces mapped by Dermalogica and our photo taken for a superimposed front cover of Famous magazine. We even managed to quickly grab a few bargains at the HUSSY pop-up retail store.

Guests were welcomed by Shaughla, and she introduced Melissa Hoyer, whose styling services we were offered free reign of for the duration of the event. Some secret styling tips were shared, then the event was open!

A sea of fashionistas surged into the swap room (elegantly, of course!) to begin their hunt. A select group, who had brought high-end items, were escorted upstairs to My Closet, where they could barter their designer goodies. Shoes, bags, dresses, belts.

The swap was an amazing success, with girls carting around shopping bags of their new finds. Proud and excited faces then relaxed with another glass of Deutz or two, until the night rounded off with a raffle draw for some fantastic prizes from Vidal Sassoon, Famous Magazine, Dermalogica and Deutz.

Next year? You can certainly count on us being there!! Plus we can’t wait for Girlfriend Love2Swap in Sydney next month! Loved it, loved it, loved it.

See ya GRLs

From MissGRLmo

GRLmobile at the AMI Awards

2009-10-02T12:20:00.000+10:00

24 September 2009

Very exciting news and a little justification for our consistent raving about our beloved brand!

Last week, GRLmobile was awarded the status of NATIONAL FINALIST, New Brand Award for Marketing Excellence 2009 by the Australian Marketing Institute.

This is a seriously great honour. The awards are presented to organisations and marketers who’ve achieved great success from innovative and effective marketing. So GRLmobile, don’t you reckon?

As we’re just a baby, we entered the NEW BRAND category. This award is all about creating and launching a new brand and making it rock in the eyes of our customers (and people we want to be our customers!).

OMG so unbelievably happy. Fingers crossed for the national awards in Sydney on 28 October!! We’ll be tweeting from the event, of course, so stay tuned.

Thrilled,

Your mate MissGRLmo

New York Fashion Week: All wrapped up & everywhere to go.

2009-10-02T12:19:00.002+10:00

Ah Spring fashion weeks. Last week it was NYC. Some real stand-out collections for Spring 2010:

- Toni Maticevski, our favourite export right now. A reflection of light and dark. Intricate and ethereal with huge lace and net flourishes. Smoky patches and voluptuous skirts like dirty clouds.

- Davidelfin’s mint, aqua and Mediterranean mix of plastic finishes mixed with the silken smooth, draped and structured. Magnificent on the eyes.

- Michael Angel, Shaken, not stirred. Eclectic mish-mash of patterns with gold fingernails and huge gem block earrings.

- Alexandre Herchcovitch WOWS with a futuristic collection of BANG colours in plastic, crosshatch and satin. Plus some sheer neutrals and blacks and puff Puff PUFF SHOULDERS!

- Dianne Von Furstenburg is eternally divine and feminine. Animalistically African, Mediterranean, Moroccan. Comfortably layered, ruched, gathered in ombres and loud detailed prints.

Love, love, love!!

Stay tuned for our report on London Fashion Week. Coming soon!

Till then,

Mwah mwah
love from MissGRLmo
xx

Make Me Up

2009-10-02T12:19:00.001+10:00

If I was very wealthy, I think one of my first investments would be a personal make-up artist for all the very exclusive red carpet events I’d be invited to. How better to look air-brush perfect and to stun the room with my glamour? Who would I choose?

Cathy G has been make-up artist to the stars for ages and in her post as resident artist for Project Runway, she’s really shown us her diversity. We’ve been lucky enough to catch Cathy G for a chat about all things make up. Check out www.GRLmobile.com/GRLfrnd/ and go to GRLglam for the convo!

The In-Crowd

2009-10-02T12:17:00.000+10:00

It’s official, it’s HERE!!

GRLmobile knows we all wanna be a part of the in-crowd. So we’ve launched GRLmobile Insider. Anyone who’s already on the network is now automatically listed as a GRLmobile Insider, and is eligible for awesome deals like 20% bonus standard credit on every third top-up and free postage and handling for all online purchases (which is more than I can say for that popular online auction site – yeah, thanks for my 99c video + $17 P&H!!). It’s truly a fab offer. So we reckon that if you’re not already with GRLmobile, it’s prolly time you were!!

On another point, if you’re in NSW, get your good self to Castle Hill to check out GRLmobile in store at MYER. We’ve got some spesh deals there too – get a free fashmo pack with every GRLmobile phone purchase, and don’t forget to log on to http://grlmobile.com/myer/ where you can enter to win a Style+Dial pack (Nokia violet 2680 + mini BEGORGEOUS hair styler) PLUS a massive $500 GRLmobile credit. Super fab. GRLmo + Myer = mystore/myBFF!

Catchya!

Mwah mwah

Love from MissGRLmo

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me!

2009-10-02T12:14:00.000+10:00

2 September 2009

Well, we’ve just celebrated our FIRST BIRTHDAY here at GRLmobile, but like all good parties, it’s finished now.

(:-<

Now onto the somewhat more exciting task of seeing what the next year brings. We’ve got stax coming up to look forward to, starting with our Official Supplier status of the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week. Very cool. We loved it last year. Ah, ye olde 2008, when guys were first starting to come out in their stovepipes, winklepicker shoes and black vests by the droves. Always a bevy of spunky monkeys to check out at the fashion festivals, even though most of the new-wave fashion set all seem to dress the same. We’re looking forward to Street by MelbourneStreetFestival.com and also ‘Marc Jacobs on Film’.

Whooo, that brings me to our Marc Jacobs Safari Pouchette comp. Oh dear me, this handbag is very yummy. It really makes you want to suit up in a billowy silk animal-print dress, chunky bangles and some insanely high platform pumps and take a wobbly walk across those wild plains. Alternatively, just wear it to the office. Equally fun and less insect bites.

Wanna be part of the in-crowd? Well watch this space! We’ve got something seriously HOT launching in the next few days for GRLmobile users. If you’re not already with GRLmobile, it’s time you were. You’ll see why…

Till next time,

Mwah Mwah

From MissGRLmo

CHIXLUVLINX

Marc Jacobs Safari Pouchette handbag comp www.GRLmobile.com/competitions

Melbourne Spring Fashion Week www.MSFW.com.au

Melbourne Street Fashion www.MelbourneStreetFashion.com