WHO:

FFF LOVES… Faux Fuchsia’s witty repartee as she actions her life while reporting on what she’s wearing, eating, cooking and doing.

What are your staples?
Silk frocks with pockets. At last count I owned over 70. I love Chloe, See by Chloe, Milly and Tibi.

What are you indulgences?
My Pucci dresses. If they weren’t so ‘spensive I’d buy tonnes more.

What can’t you live without?
My three YSL clutches from Jean Brown. Functional and beautiful at the same time.

What is past its use-by-date?
Nothing at the moment as I’ve just had a ruthless declutter and given tonnes of things to the Salvation Army and my girlfriends.

What is your wardrobe craving?
By Malene Birger dresses (I wear the ones I own to death and am obsessed with getting my mitts on more) and I’d also like another Missoni scarf.

About Faux Fuchsia:
Faux Fuchsia is a enigmatic, witty, late 30s solicitor from Brisbane who shares tales of her life through her eponymous blog. Originally inspired to blog as a way of keeping in touch with family overseas, Faux Fuchsia now enjoys a loyal following from around the world. Faux Fuchsia endorses good grooming, glamour, blowdried hair, dresses (aka frocks), Barbie nostalgia, decorating, cooking and entertaining, gardening, decluttering, watching movies, reading and thank you notes. Chipped nail polish revolts her.

WHO: MOSHTAHRI HILAL
WHAT: BLOGGER & ILLUSTATOR
WHERE: HAMBURG
VISIT: drawingfashionista.blogspot.com

FFF LOVES… this 16 year old fashion maven with a craving for clothes, drawing and all things fashion.

What are your staples?
White T-shirts and high waisted skinny jeans

What are you indulgences?
I´m just 16 and I don´t earn my own money. My expensive pieces are for others bargains.

FFF’s Jane and Elizabeth / illustration by MoshtahriWhat can’t you live without?
Lots of handbags. I hate to have no selection.

What is past its use-by-date?
Status dressing.

What is your wardrobe craving?
The Sophia Coppola Louis Vuitton bag

About Moshtahri:
Moshtahri writes and illustrates her popular blog, thedrawingfashionista, drawing on her love for fashion, poetry and philosophy. She is constantly inspired by fashion luminaries such as Tim Walker, Grace Coddington and designers such as Miu Miu, Celine and Chloe. 

WHO: NATALIE HUGHES
WHAT: BLOGGER & ILLUSTATOR
WHERE: LONDON
VISIT: www.cannedfashion.com

FFF LOVES… her quirky yet chic, classic style. We adore her drawings especially those cheeky pugs.

What are your staples?
A brightly coloured coat (my current favourites are a red Aquascutum and bright pink boatneck number - I feel like Jackie O when I wear it!) and my orange Hermes scarf, which I tie to EVERYTHING!

What are your indulgences?
I probably spend the most on shoes and bags - my most recent indulgence was a pair of Chanel ballet pumps. I always think about my purchases in terms of cost-per-wear - those were definitely a good investment! 

What can’t you live without?
My black leather skinnies. I’ve worn them to death! 

What is past its use-by-date?
I have a couple of smock dresses which I probably should have left in 2001 but I can’t bear to part with.

What is your wardrobe craving?
A few more calf-length skater skirts, lots of caramel, and a Burberry trench.

About Natalie Hughes…
Natalie Hughes resides in London together with her buckling wardrobe and imaginary pugs, Margot and Pearl. She works as a writer by day and by night Natalie draws waifish girls in expensive outfits and plays dress up. An average day for Natalie involves stalking Anna Dello Russo, eating several tons of cucumber maki, and talking at length about said imaginary pugs.

photo by Jas Lehal

WHO:

FFF LOVES… her delightfully quirky and sculptural pieces, created with a clean palette and architectural aesthetic.

What are your staples?
LBD by Jean-Paul Gaultier, in contrast… I adore Therese Rawthorne’s simple slips.

What are your indulgences?
Shoes…

What can’t you live without?
My gold, deco inspired ring I made myself - I would not be me without this piece…I wear it everyday, it’s solidified as part of my identity.

What is past its use-by-date?
Festival shirts I’ve collected over the years… I love how used and worn they’ve become though.

What is your wardrobe craving?
Something red: dress in form… sexy in aspect.

About Paula Walden:
Paula Kyle Walden, aka PKW, designs and creates statement costume jewellery and accessories.

Officially trained as a jeweller, during her apprenticeship Paula was a finalist in the Jewellery Association of Australia’s bi-annual competition. Now fully qualified and with years of experience, she is invited to enter the Harper’s Bazaar Diamond Design Guild Awards annually.

However, this fine-jeweller by trade, is self-confessed as “a designer at heart with a constant intuitive sense of fashion”. She is one year away from graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Art with Fashion at the influential Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and will complement her accessory designs with the launch of her fashion collection in mid-2010.

Paula Kyle Walden launched PKW two years ago and continues to push the boundaries of what is regarded as ‘costume jewellery’.

Identified as promising new talent, PKW has collaborated with fashion designers Gail Sorronda (‘Bird’s of Prey’ collection) and George Wu (2009 bespoke collection); both of which were previewed at Rosemount Australian fashion week and Mercedes Benz Brisbane Fashion Festival.

Each PKW collection embodies a strong emotional narrative. “I dream, I explore, I create and take true happiness, vibrancy and light with it all,” says Paula.

“Desire for jewellery is a conscious wish for any individual to release an expression of whom they aspire to be; each collection is an inner-battle of sorts between one’s mind and heart.”

The uniqueness of Paula’s designs, paired with the fact that all pieces are hand made in Australia; make PKW a highly covetable product.

WHO: REBECCA THOMPSON
WHAT: FASHION DESIGNER
WHERE:

FFF LOVES… her label’s Boho style and use of luxurious fabrics.

What are your staples?
Mother of pearl ring on finger always, glossed lips and Rebecca Thompson plait dress – I have about 4 different versions of this frock, its my no brainer staple.

What are your indulgences?
Two new purchases of Copenhagen’s fabulous D.CO tall suede boots in Texas Taupe and Midnight Blue — just had to have them! I did have a vision when purchasing, knowing they would look great with our latest  collection “Midnight at the Oasis”.

What can’t you live without?
Rebecca Thompson ¾ “Sparkle” jacket, peps up any basic outfit from white jeans and singlet to any plain dress. It’s a saviour.

What is past its use-by-date?
A lot of my basics need to be replaced from sport socks to the long sleeve plain black and white tops.

What is your wardrobe craving?
A new piece of Chelsea De Luca Jewellery — something beautiful and statement making. A new leather jacket to throw over day dresses for winter and a pair Zoe Kratzman tangerine suede pumps… can’t wait to christen them!

About Rebecca Thompson:
Rebecca Thompson, 36, was 18 years old when she joined the fashion industry. After being knocked back the first time (she was knocked back a total of 3 times) from RMIT fashion she studied Art & Design for less than 6 months. Deciding that she had no interest in being  an artist, Rebecca applied for fashion positions. Where she eventually landed a position at a fashion agency.
 
Rebecca later returned to study, but never completed the 4 years P/T Fashion textiles and merchandising degree at MIT (now affiliated with RMIT). After 16 years as a keen observer of behind-the-scenes rag trade action, Rebecca Thompson decided the time was right to bring her own line of deliciously different clothing and accessories into the spotlight.
 
Hence in 2000, whilst residing in Sydney, Rebecca Thompson’s self titled label was born. A month after the label started she moved back to Melbourne and hasn’t looked back since. Her melting pot style and timeless quality has struck a chord with the Australian press and television industry, with the inimitable Rebecca Thompson style being featured in the enormously popular Secret Life of Us, Rove Live and in more than one celebrity marquee at every Spring Racing Carnival since the year 2000.
 
Today Rebecca Thompson live 3 to 4 months in Delhi, with her “Indian family” who have completely adopted her and for the rest of the year she resides at home in Melbourne. Half way through the year, Rebecca Thompson’s label will celebrate its 10th anniversary.

WHO: LYDIA-JANE SAUNDERS
WHAT: JEWELLERY DESIGNER & STYLIST
WHERE: SYDNEY
VISIT: www.lydiajewels.com www.lydiajanesaunders.com

FFF LOVES… her quirky and colourful jewellery collections.

What are your staples?
Black leggings, colourful tops and sparkly shoes.

What are your indulgences?
My favourite indulgence is my orange and black Gucci Hobo bag and my Matthew Williamson purple coat with bright pink stitching. I can’t wait until winter to wear it again. My third indulgence are shoes — all shoes: heels, flats, boots. A friend calls my spare room The Shoe Room. So true!

What can’t you live without?
Colour. I very rarely wear all black. Also jewellery.

What is past its use-by-date?
A lot of my wardrobe as I’m a hoarder. My mother had amazing clothes that I would wear today had she not thrown them out. I’d like to keep my precious clothes for my future daughter.

What is your wardrobe craving?
Paul and Joe has the most amazing purple backless dress with silver adornments on the shoulders. It is divine but I am on a self imposed spending ban for a few months!

About Lydia-Jane Saunders:
Lydia-Jane Saunders is a Sydney based contemporary jewellery designer and fashion stylist who also regularly travels to London. Her work covers Fashion and Beauty publications, Celebrity portraiture, Designer look books, Advertising, Stock Photography, Fashion catwalk shows and Still Life/Props.

Lydia-Jane is the creator and producer of her self-titled label. Lydia has always had a love of fashion and accessories. She started a jewellery label at 20 years of age before relocating to London to be a Fashion Stylist. Whilst Lydia is now back home and regarded as one of Sydney’s great stylists, it was only a natural leap back into jewellery. She believes a career in Styling and Jewellery very much complement each other.

Her label is inspired by her love of the fine things in life and her exceptional eye for detail. Throughout her life Lydia has been fortunate enough to live in Sydney, London and Luxembourg. These experiences and travel have helped develop her creative flair and eye for beauty.

WHO: SAULING KAN
WHAT: CLIENT MANAGER, LANDOR ASSOCIATES
WHERE: HONG KONG
VISIT: www.

FFF LOVES… her incredibly eclectic sensibility and style.

What are your staples?
The little black dress, Comme des Garçons ruffle cotton dress, Dolce & Gabbana and Martin Margiela dress; Calvin Klein skinny jeans; heels: Marni wedges, Louis Vuitton black patent tall boots, Christian Louboutin gold ankle wrap platform and anything by Giuseppe Zanotti; and lots of accessories — vintage, sparkling or oversized jewellery, cashmere scarves and wraps (essential for travelling), big belts and anything animal print especially leopard.

It’s definitely worthwhile to invest a bit more for quality, craftsmanship and comfort.

“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.” Coco Chanel.

What are your indulgences?
Shoes, shoe cabinet, python and crocodile handbags and clutches.

What can’t you live without?
My shoes, Oliver Peoples sunglasses, Ports 1961 metal and lace necklace, vintage diamond ring (from my godmother) and vintage pearl ring (from my mother).

What is past its use-by-date?
Many things including my 20 year old polka dot dress. Perhaps it’s time to get rid of it, let someone have it or  “deconstruct n reconstruct” some of my favourite ‘old’ things.

What is your wardrobe craving?
Hermès bone necklace, Lanvin cocktail dress and Zagliani metallic python clutch.

About Sauling Kan:
Sauling Kan is a senior client manager with Landor Associates, one of the world’s leading strategic brand and creative design consultancies

WHO: ELIZABETH HARRISON
WHAT: LUXURY, FASHION & LIFESTYLE EXPERT AND CO-FOUNDER OF HARRISON & SHRIFTMAN
WHERE: NEW YORK
VISIT: www.hs-pr.com

FFF LOVES… The essential ‘Party Confidential’ series by Elizabeth and her business partner Lara Shriftman. Don’t plan anything until you have read these bibles!

What are your staples?
Tory Burch, Club Monaco, DVF Dresses, Theory, J Crew, J Brand, Seven Jeans

What are your indulgences?
Christian Louboutin, YSL, Peter Som, CRUMBS Red Velvet Cupcakes (FFF notes: think rich cream cheese frosting, topped with red velvet crumbs and edged with white sprinkles). 

What can’t you live without?
My Blackberry!

What is past its use-by-date?
Mini skirts

What is your wardrobe craving?
A Victoria Beckham dress, and a Gilles Mendel sheared mink coat.

About Elizabeth Harrison:
Luxury, fashion and lifestyle expert Elizabeth Harrison co-founded Harrison & Shriftman in 1995. The agency specializes in public relations, marketing and events for high-profile luxury brands. Harrison & Shriftman currently has 50 employees spanning three offices in New York, Los Angeles and Miami.

Over the years, Elizabeth has assisted in building world-class brands that include Juicy, Jimmy Choo, W Hotels, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Las Vegas and Grey Goose. Harrison & Shriftman’s impressive client list continues to expand its reach within the global market.

A 2002 top entrepreneurial leader in Inc. magazine’s list of 500 fastest growing private companies, Harrison & Shriftman joined Omnicom Group, the world’s largest communication company in 2003.

Prior to co-founding Harrison & Shriftman, Elizabeth, a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, studied abroad in Paris with the College’s prestigious Reid Hall program. After a year of extensive travel abroad, Elizabeth began her career in editorial. Working at publications that included Elle and Worth, Elizabeth gained extensive experience across all aspects of the industry.

Following a position as an Assistant Location Manager on the Oscar Award-Winning film Forrest Gump, Elizabeth began her storied career in public relations. She landed a coveted position with Peggy Siegal, where she played an integral part in creating and executing exclusive, star-studded events surrounding theatrical releases.

After executing numerous noteworthy events with Harrison & Shriftman, Elizabeth and Lara parlayed their entertaining expertise into co-authoring several books. Their four successful books have garnered press in notable media outlets such as Departures, Glamour, The New York Post and The Today Show. A line of Party Confidential products was launched on HSN in September, 2007.

Elizabeth is an active supporter of numerous charitable organizations. She has served on the board of Love Heals the Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education for over ten years, and has continued her involvement with the Step Up Network as part of the organization’s Luminary Circle.

Elizabeth is often invited to share her luxury branding insights at high-profile conferences and summits. In April of 2008, Elizabeth lent her expertise in luxury as a panelist at Harvard Business School’s Retail & Luxury Goods conference. She has also served as a panelist for Step Up Women’s Network’s “View from the Top” seminar and was invited to Harvard’s Dynamic Women in Business conference to speak on an entrepreneurship panel. Recent conference highlights include speaking at Columbia’s Women in Business conference, Wall Street Journal’s Insight Exchange Panels in Washington D.C. and Las Vegas and Mercedes- Benz Fashion Festival “Fashion Forum” in Brisbane Australia.

Elizabeth currently resides in New York with her real estate developer husband Keith Schwebel and their two young daughters Charlotte and Georgia.

FFF LOVES… her clean, mean NY-style. Plus we ADORE black. Easy peasy fashion-easy. 

What are your staples?
Everything black! LNA leggings, a long t-shirt and a DKNY cozy. There are literally 20 ways to wear the cozy. It looks like you’re wearing a different outfit everyday, but you’re not.

What are you indulgences?
Christian Louboutin.

What can’t you live without?
Good food, my Blackberry and my Hunter rainboots. It rained today and I can’t imaging walking around without them.

What is past its use-by-date?
My Tory Burch flats, there’s a hole on the sole. I think it’s time to buy new ones but it just takes so long to break them in!

What is your wardrobe craving?
Boots. Either ankle boots or thigh-high boots for going out and a pair of Balenciaga flats.

About Chelsea  Sutrisno:
Chelsea Sutrisno is an up-and-coming contemporary designer based in New York City. Chelsea spent her childhood in Jakarta, Indonesia, and then moved to Los Angeles in her early teens. An alum of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, she holds a Degree in Fashion Design.  Her experience in the fashion industry includes work with BCBG Max Azria Group, Chanel and the Gucci group. In late 2009, she launched the Chelsea Sutrisno label.

Influenced by both the laid-back attitude of Los Angeles and the edginess of New York City, Chelsea aims to provide simple yet modern style. The label is defined by its sleek black silhouettes and seeks to change the concept of black on black by juxtaposing handpicked fabrics of various textures. Chelsea Sutrisno is forward, versatile and refined.

WHO: RACHEL GILBERT
WHAT: FASHION DESIGNER
WHERE: SYDNEY
VISIT: www.rachelgilbertsydney.com

FFF LOVES.. to peruse net-a-porter.com for her chic and feminine designs. The perfect dress for the ultimate FFF!

What are your staples?
My Gucci tattoo flats, my new boyfriend jeans from Bergdorf Goodman’s, and my basic white t-shirt’s. It may as well be my uniform. This look is my year round look, update the jeans every 6 months to stay on trend, change up your accessories consistently and the look will never date!

What are your indulgences?
My Alexander McQueen jewelled heels.

What can’t you live without?
My Gucci chain necklace, I wear it everyday and goes with everything! It is now discontinued, so I would die if I lost it!

What is past its use-by-date?
Nothing! I clear out my wardrobe every 3 months with clothes I haven’t worn in the last 3 months! This way my look is always updated with new pieces but consistent with classic pieces!

What is your wardrobe craving?
Printed Day Dresses… Owning a label that is mostly eveningwear is fantastic for when I go out at night, I have 100’s of dresses to choose from but day is limited, you just can’t go wrong with a beautiful printed day dress! I just bought an amazing Diane Von Furstenberg printed jersey maxi…

About Rachel:
With luxury embellishments as her personal hallmark, five celebrated high-end collections under her belt, and a cluster of A-list stars clamouring to wear her red-carpet creations, Designer Rachel Gilbert on course to become a leading fashion figure in Australia and across the globe.

With an enviable reputation achieved in an incredibly short time, Rachel Gilbert began honing her design skills in 2001 with iconic Australian label Lisa Ho – a role she walked into fresh from training at the Whitehouse Institute of Design. From there she was headhunted as Head Designer at Nicky Hilton’s label Chick, a position which saw Rachel splitting her time between LA and New York to promoting the high profile brand among key buyers in the US fashion industry. After two years with Chick, Rachel headed back to her homeland for the role of Womenswear Designer at Morrissey, with vast experience, industry contacts and a head full of ideas to break into the fashion world with her eponymous label.

Having previously shown her first collection at Mercedes Australia Fashion Week in 2002, Rachel Gilbert Sydney was relaunched at RAFW with her luxury designs evoking critical acclaim and leaving the fashion industry anticipating her next move.

Now based in Surry Hills, Rachel Gilbert Sydney has taken the world by storm – her collections are sold on the biggest online designer store Net-A-Porter alongside legendary labels such as Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen, the designs are stocked in 80 boutiques and e-stores throughout Australia, and Gilbert’s reputation is riding high in the northern hemisphere with stockists in the UK, Greece, France, USA, and Italy to name a few.

And the future is looking even brighter for this self-made fashion maven; US songstress Taylor Swift chose a Rachel Gilbert dress for a recent Sydney film premiere, Aussie TV personality Natalie Bassingthwaighte consistently requests Rachel Gilbert for her glamorous photo shoots and TV appearances, Rachel has branched out from evening wear to include casual daytime pieces such as knitwear and leather, with her forthcoming collection featuring cotton dresses maxi dresses, and leopard print garments, and in September Rachel will be joining the ranks of Comme de Garcons, Roberto Cavalli, and Stella McCartney, collaborating with Sportsgirl to create a diffusion collection for the high street store.