• “Slick. That’s the best thing you can say about the style of Baz Luhrmann’s “Great Gatsby.” It has the sleekness of an Art Deco skyscraper, a fast car or, as Cecil Beaton reminded me, Daisy Fellowes’s head. I actually loathed the movie and its schizoid fashion: the Prada dresses better suited to today’s bodies, the lackluster fabrics, the French bobs with ears sticking out” CATHY HORYN fashion critic for The New York Times . Runway.blogs.nytimes.com

• “Less a conventional movie adaptation than a splashy, trashy opera, a wayward, lavishly theatrical celebration of the emotional and material extravagance that Fitzgerald surveyed with fascinated ambivalence”. A.O. Scott The New York Times

• “It’s a dazzling time capsule of a shimmering era and a devastating look into the dark side of the American dream. Too bad Luhrmann, the caffeinated conductor, doesn’t trust that story enough. He’d rather blast your retinas into sugar-shock submission. Uncle, old sport! Uncle!” Entertainment Weekly

• “If I hear someone say “Old sport” one more time I will run them over with my giant yellow convertible” Houston Press

• “why the maestro didn’t just go the whole hog and rename it “Jazz Hands: A Love Story”. A bottle of your best champagne says he thought about it.” theoohtray.com

• “Despite DiCaprio’s prize performance, purists will fume, but even as lit-crashing razzle-dazzle entertainment Luhrmann’s adaptation is a candelabrum too far.” Empire Magazine

• “More like The Great Shatsby” funnyordie.com

Winter is here…

You are freezing in the foetal postion because you:

• Love shopping but don’t have time to run like a maniac in Manolos to find what you want..
• Love shopping but get panicked and paranoid by pesky prints.
• Love shopping but go crazy with kooky colours.
• Love shoppping but flee like a freakin freak from the fitting room.
• Love shopping but your credit card has melted.
• Have NOTHING to wear and hate all your clothes ( on repeat).

Never Fear FiFi is here!

Time for a personal style session with FiFi !

In 3 hours you will have a fabulous wardrobe that works.
A fabulous wardrobe you will love.
You will be able to get dressed in the morning with your eyes closed.
In five minutes flat.
That’s a promise.

Make a booking toute suite! …email FiFi@FiFi.com.au !

Burial Rites…Hannah Kent

It’s the hot book everyone is talking about !

‘In northern Iceland, 1829, Agnes Magnusdottir is condemned to death for her part in the brutal murder of two men. Agnes is sent to wait out the time leading to her execution on the farm of District Officer Jon Jonsson, his wife and their two daughters. Horrified to have a convicted murderess in their midst, the family avoids speaking with Agnes. Only Toti, the young assistant reverend appointed as Agnes’s spiritual guardian, is compelled to try to understand her, as he attempts to salvage her soul. As the summer months fall away to winter and the hardships of rural life force the household to work side by side, Agnes’s ill-fated tale of longing and betrayal begins to emerge. And as the days to her execution draw closer, the question burns: did she or didn’t she?

Based on a true story, Burial Rites is a deeply moving novel about personal freedom: who we are seen to be versus who we believe ourselves to be, and the ways in which we will risk everything for love. In beautiful, cut-glass prose, Hannah Kent portrays Iceland’s formidable landscape, where every day is a battle for survival, and asks, how can one woman hope to endure when her life depends upon the stories told by others?’
A must read !

$32 Published: 2013-05-01 panmacmillanbookshop.

Raf Simons …by Annick Volk (Editor)
List Price:

‘Poetic, elegant, and free-thinking, Raf Simons is one of the most exciting designers working in fashion today. His passion for music, art, and contemporary culture infiltrates everything he does.
A former industrial designer, Simons first burst on to the scene in 1995 with the launch of his menswear label. His trademark slim tailoring and penchant for street-casting his models went on to shape an entire generation and cemented his position as one of the most revolutionary contemporary menswear designers. Simons was appointed creative director of Jil Sander in 2005; during his six-year tenure he repositioned the brand at the height of the luxury market, not only satisfying the German label’s loyal fanbase, but also recruiting a legion of new fans. Simons’ appointment as artistic director of Dior in 2012 caused frissons of excitement in the fashion industry and marked the beginning of a momentous new chapter for the Belgian designer.
In this stunning photographic book, i-D celebrates Raf Simons’ own menswear label, his work for Jil Sander, and his new appointment of Dior. Simons’ first two highly anticipated collections for the Parisian house, together with an exclusive interview, are all included.

$39 Publisher: Taschen (July 15, 2013) Amazon.com

It’s cold. Finally. Now we can talk winter coats. You need one. It should be knee length or slightly longer. It might be thigh length but it should be roomy. Even slightly voluminous. It could be in grey, navy or black. I love camel. I adore a stone trenchcoat. These are colours that are chic. Versatile. elegant. They look expensive. You want a double breasted coat preferably. Why is that you ask? So when you wear it undone and open it will look flattering. Think Audrey Hepburn in a trench. Deshabille in the very best sense of French chic. Oh , and worn undone a double breasted coat will give good muffin situation coverage. May I present my top 10 coats ( if you include the divine blue drool worthy Celine above. )

Grey and white is always right.
I love this grey Zara wrap dressing gown coat above left. It has no buttons. It is so slouchy and easy you could wear it at home over your Vuitton PJ’s with outrageous Celine furkinstocks. I think George Clooney would like it too. It works over skinny jeans because it is rather roomy. So you get a balance of silhouette. It’s about $199 or some such Zara outrageous price. Next you want the Trenery dark grey wool double breasted coat. It’s gorgeous. You can buy the fur scarf as well while you are there. How chic it is over white? Very. It will look sensational over a grey sparkle-larkle top (from last week) and metallic heels. The groove right now? Wear it just sitting on your shoulders and swoosh around like a fashion editor handsfree. For anyone who has toddlers and puppies or who loves blueberry chocolate muffins please skip to next section. This white Country Road white coat is chic de la chic. Hint: white is THE colour or non colour of the season. For next summer and onto next, next winter. Just sayin. Also as, is oft mentioned here, white next to your face will take 10 years off. RUSH I say Rush like a lunatic in louboutins right now. You NEED it.

Soft and pale = lovely.
If you have a wardrobe that is pretty much all made up of black or grey wardrobe ( hint: You have) then you might just love and adore a coat in a lighter colour. Watch how your dark wardrobe suddenly looks interesting and chic when you throw over a trenchcoat or a camel coat. Love the camel single breasted coat from The Iconic above left. It’s structured without being too restrictive. You have been drooling/gasping/dying over the suede trench in soft pink? I know. It’s gorgeous. It’s Burberry. it’s $3000. Shut up. Please someone buy it. If you don’t then don’t cry. Take inspiration from the style. It’s from next summer’s collection. Proving the point that it doesn’t have to raining to wear a trench. It’s transeasonal. Add sexy sandals. Tip: don’t belt it through the loop. Yee gads! Wrong! See how Burberry do it? You tie up the belt and let the buckle dangle. Oh yeah baby. Next you want the divine soft pink Madison for Witchery wool double breasted, very Celine inspired coat. So chic when it is layered over the same tone silk top. Check out the navy pants too. You could wear this soft pink coat over grey, black, white or any other delicious rich expensive colours.

Never say No to black or brown.
Look at all those fashionistas above. They are all wearing head to toe black. Please do not be afraid. Get the black textures right and the new modern shapes and Black can look new. Exciting. Cool. This is what we want, right? The reason we love clothes and shopping.  Add fabulous leather jeans, a Chanel bag, amazing sunglasses or fabulous boots and you are hash tag to the next level of chicdom. Start with the chic double breasted, belted seriously gorgeous coat from David Lawrence . As with ALL these coats it will look just as fabulous over ripped jeans and Balenciaga trainers as it would with a sexy leather skirt, heels and a glitter top. The French Connection brown trench coat -middle above- is a good hybrid. (Ditch the way belt is done up in the photo). This will look totes amaze with grey and white and cobalt blue. It’s trans seasonal as well. This is good=more wearage. Lastly check out the chic de la chic Saba zip coat. Yes, that is a leather trim asymetrical zip situation. It will also look stunning but casual worn totally undone. Because when a tailored coat has a nipped in waist it will give you one. How thoughtful. Bless.

Pasta peperonata adulterated from Jamie Oliver.

” This is a great pasta dish using rigatoni, which is quite robust. It makes a really nice lunchtime snack. The mascarpone or crème fraîche is a lovely addition, but you can leave it out if you prefer. It will give you a wonderful mottled sauce, but try it without first and see how you go.” Thank you Jamie for another quick and easy pasta.

You need for 4 fashionistas and 25 models and 2 teenage boys:

2 red capsicums, deseeded and sliced
2 yellow capsicums, deseeded and sliced
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped, stalks reserved
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 handfuls Parmesan cheese, grated
2 heaped tablespoons mascarpone cheese or crème fraîche, optional
455 g rigatoni, penne or spaghetti

• Slip into Burberry puffa jacket.
• Pull on Celine red Fur heels
• Pour a huge glass of French Champagne. Guzzle.
• Put all the peppers in a large frying pan over a medium heat with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Place a lid on. If you like it then you should a put a lid on it.
• Then cook slowly for 15 minutes until as softened as a squishy soft Celine bag.
• Jamie says Don’t rush this too much, as cooking the capsicums slowly like this really helps to bring out the flavour. So guzzle another champagne.
• Admire new Celine heels.
• Now add the onion and cook for a further 20 minutes.
• Then add the garlic and parsley stalks and toss around, keeping everything moving in the pan. Like your wardrobe. Keep it moving.
• Cook for about 3 minutes most.
• Have a little taste, and season with a bit more salt and pepper.
• Add the vinegar - it will sizzle away like your credit card, so give everything a good toss. Like Beyonce’s hair.
• Then add one handful of the grated Parmesan and the mascarpone or crème fraîche if you are using it and turn the heat down to minimum while you cook the pasta.
• Guzzle more Veuve.
• Ask Bradley Cooper to get a large pot of salted water on to boil.
• Then toss the pasta in the boiling water and cook. That’s the pasta not Bradley.
• When cooked, drain in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water.
• Put the peppers, pasta and parsley leaves into a large warmed bowl.
• Give them a good toss together, then add a little of the pasta cooking water and a few good lugs of extra virgin olive oil to coat the pasta nicely.
• Serve straight away sprinkled with the rest of the Parmesan.
• Grazie Jamie.