Pandora knows the strong culture and following it has, and has invited select customers to join it for a cruise for the third year.
   The jewellery brand’s Unforgettable Cruise is a seven-day cruise where fans can get a sneak peek at the new collection, and experience a styling workshop with Janette Ewen, Pandora’s Canadian-based spokeswoman, and other leisure activities.
   They were joined this year by YouTube fashion and beauty hosts Meghan Rienks and Claudia Sulewski, to join customers in sharing their experiences with the brand, in person and through social media.
   Those attending the cruise were gifted an exclusive, two-tone Pandora charm.
   Its Mothers’ Day and spring collections can be viewed at its website.
   Living Nature has launched its Lip Hydrator with an RRP of NZ$29·50 (left), a certified natural conditioning balm in a lipstick packaging. In addition to keeping lips moist—since they do not have self-lubrication—it can be used as a primer for lipstick to help with application.
   It uses active manuka honey along with plant butters and oils, to create a protective layer for lips. Carrot oil helps with smoothness and mica provides shine. The Lip Hydrator promises to be moisture-rich but does not leave a greasy texture on the lips. It is also literally safe to eat—in line with Living Nature’s other products, it contains no synthetic chemicals, preservatives or allergens.
   Stockists can be found via the Living Nature website or by calling, within New Zealand, 0508 548-464.
   Victoria Baron of MAP Creative Agency (right) is the first Chanel make-up artist for Australia and an official spokesperson for Chanel Australia, for beauty and fragrance, the company announced Thursday.
   Baron was chosen by Chanel’s Paris make-up studio team and is one of 20 new artists worldwide.
   The company says she ‘perfectly embodies the values of the House of Chanel; as a youthful and modern creative spirit.’

Leave it to event planning master and philanthropist Gavin B. Keilly to transform SLS’s ballroom into a more intimate space showcasing great charities and some choice must-haves for summer.
   As usual, funds and awareness were raised for some worthwhile charities, including Los Angeles Youth Network (which aids abused, neglected and homeless adolescents in becoming sufficient through street outreach, food, emergency shelter, a transitional living programme, and educational enrichment programmes), the Santa Monica branch of the American Red Cross, and Autism Speaks.
   Lambda Legal, going strong after four decades, provided press a real scoop on Day 1 of the suite about their West Coast Liberty Awards, taking place June 13 at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire. Scandal’s Dan Bucatinsky (who won an Emmy for his work as James Novak, elevating and broadening America’s conversation on LGBT issues), will be honoured with a Spotlight Liberty Award. He joins an industrious group that includes Lance Bass, Margaret Cho, Kathy Griffith, Alan Cumming and Judith Light. The awards show bolsters Lambda Legal’s efforts to encourage equal and fair treatment of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.
   Even with a more relaxed vibe than GBK’s dos for the Oscars and Golden Globes, the spotlight is, true to form, on luxuries big and small that bring convenience and style to one’s home and social life. A coffee-table book by internationally renowned interior designer Sandra Espinet is perhaps one of the most aspirational gifts offered at the suite—pages and pages of global chic put together by a woman whose travels and life story are as enviable as the rooms she’s created for her top-tier clientèle. Onkyo USA provided a nice aural balance to that with its sleek and chic headphones merging precision hi-fi technology with an IOS-certified 6N copper cable designed to control media playback and accept or reject calls from compatible Apple devices. Its titanium drivers reproduce an exceptionally wide dynamic range, resolving hidden details and creating a spacious atmosphere.
   Fashionistas who prefer their earbuds more discreet would appreciate Audiopark’s Audiowrap, fashioned with beads and bling that camouflage the buds and coil up into a snappy bracelet. Qupid, meanwhile, provided fashion-forward shoes made from “vegan” leather, and Thursday Friday translated designer bags and runway-inspired graphics into a canvas carry-all format. Adding to the list of eco-friendly chic was Pono Woodworks’ Surfrider watch, transforming rare Hawai‘ian koa wood into a stylish, unisex beach to boardroom timepiece.
   After a short hiatus, the Artisan Group was back and better than ever, with a display of gorgeous, statement-making baubles, bracelets, earrings and accessories. While the luck is in the draw of whatever surprise goodie bag you are given, there were some particularly wonderful things in mine from Lucinda de Castro, Shirleybird Jewellery, Andrea Designs, Firefly Myst and Gamiworks.
   Nibbles on hand included decadent treats from Barry’s Gourmet Brownies, Jackson’s Honest Potato Chips and wonderful spirits from Deep Eddy Vodka, an Austin, Texas brand made with real ingredients and 10 times distilled vodka. Guests received a four-pack of Deep Eddy Vodka (50 ml each of Straight, Ruby Red, Sweet Tea, Cranberry). Ripped Cream, a natural protein coffee creamer, offered a jolt of flavour and energy to balance out the caffeine buzz of one’s favourite coffee.
   Celebrities on hand during day one included Omar Epps (House, Resurrection), Paige Turco (The 100), Tiya Sircar (The Crazy Ones), Tara Holt (Californication), Percy Daggs (the Veronica Mars movie), Rebecca Mader (Once Upon a Time), Shannon Beador (the newest cast member on The Real Housewives of OC), Caitlin Carmichael (Chosen), Carlitos Olivero (The X Factor USA), and Donna d’Errico (Baywatch).—Elyse Glickman, US West Coast Editor

David M. Benett

Victoria’s Secret “Angels” Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel were on hand at the lingerie retailer’s Bond Street store to announce that its annual televised show will be broadcast from London in 2014—and they’d love to see Prince Harry there.
   ‘We are very excited to be here today because we have a great announcement to make,’ said Lima at the announcement. ‘The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is the biggest fashion event the world, for sure, and we’re very proud and honoured to announce that we’re heading to London this year.
   ‘We would also like to invite Prince Harry if he would love to come.’
   Swanepoel noted that the Prince would have a front-row seat if he chose to attend.
   It is the first time the show has crossed the Atlantic.
   The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has been a drawcard for viewers on US networks for years. This year’s edition, on the CBS network, includes musical performances, interviews, model profiles and behind-the-scenes footage.
   The show is eventually seen in 192 countries. In the US, it typically is the number-one show for adults 18–49 and 18–34—sought-after segments for advertisers.
   It is produced by Done and Dusted Inc., with Edward G. Razek, Monica Mitro, Ian Stewart and Hamish Hamilton executive-producing. Hamish Hamilton directs.

David M. Benett

Above H&M’s Margareta van den Bosch and New York designer Alexander Wang.

Alexander Wang (王大仁) is the next designer to collaborate with Hennes & Mauritz, with the announcement made on Saturday at the Coachella Music Festival in Palm Springs, Calif. Online above is video footage from the event, featuring interviews with Wang, Kate Bosworth and Emmy Rossum, along with highlights from the party.
   Wang is the first American to collaborate with H&M in a series that began in 2004, and has seen team-ups with Karl Lagerfeld, Comme Des Garçons, Sonia Rykiel, Roberto Cavalli. Stella McCartney, and Viktor & Rolf. The collaboration will be called Alexander Wang × H&M.
   A beaming Wang says, ‘It’s such an honour. H&M is a brand with so much creativity and they’ve done something so different with these collaborations, and I am so excited to be a part of it with the 10th year anniversary and also be the first American brand that they have collaborated with. It’s really exciting and we have a lot of stuff that’s going to be new for the collaboration that I’m just really excited to reveal in November.’
   In his release, he notes, ‘I am honoured to be a part of H&M’s designer collaborations. The work with their team is an exciting, fun process. They are very open to push boundaries and to set a platform for creativity. This will be a great way for a wider audience to experience elements of the Alexander Wang brand and lifestyle.’
   Bosworth says, ‘I’m so excited for Alex. I’ve known him for such a long time and been an admirer for just as long, and I just live seeing all the success at the moment. H&M is such an accessible label and there is something so inspirational obviously about Alex, and I’m really excited to see what he brings to the brand.’
   Rossum adds, ‘Because I love Alex and I’ve been waiting for so so long for him to ask me to do anything … I was happy that I could do something in advance so I could finally wear something of his. I think it’s awesome [he] is doing something for H&M and making it more accessible.’
   Wang’s label was launched in the 2007 and known for its contrasts. The Alexander Wang × H&M collection will have womenswear and menswear, and the Swedish retailer says he will ‘propose a new take on the lifestyle product offering that goes beyond fashion.’
   Margareta van den Bosch, H&M’s creative adviser, says, ‘Alexander Wang is one of the most important voices in fashion today. He understands exactly what people want to wear and does it with an energy and passion that’s infectious. It feels incredible to be collaborating with him this year.’
   The collection will be available in 250 H&M stores worldwide and online, from November 6.

A decade ago, the MTV Movie Awards was Young Hollywood’s kick-off party to summer. In more recent years, it became the unofficial Oscar season “after-party” with its strategic move to April. That said, the pre-MTV Movie Awards festivities planned by Rita Branch and Amy Boatright of the Secret Room (which made the SLS Hotel’s Garden Terrace a ‘Secret Garden’, for all intents and purposes) ended up being a great summertime kick-off anyway, thanks to a myriad of fantastic, healthy and environmentally friendly must-have products for the forthcoming summer months.

   It is also fitting that their cause célèbre this time around was California Wildlife Center (above), a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife. The Center fulfils this environmental operative by providing expert medical and rehabilitative care, community outreach and education, habitat protection for animals running the gamut from bobcats and mountain lions to birds and reptiles. Since 1998, CWC has experienced a steady increase in animal patients, caring for more than 32,000 wild animals, and in the process, educating communities, homeowners, teachers, students and businesses about protecting California’s environment.
   While requisite awards’ show glamour was provided by Terani Couture and coloured diamond jewellery from Leibish & Co., and 2Xist was back with its wildly popular upscale watch collection and colourful summer socks, there were also many stylish and sensible products for wardrobe and home sure to keep celebrities, trend-setters and even their pets cool throughout the summer—figuratively and literally.
   With sunglasses and the perfect summertime bag being on the top of everybody’s shopping list, it was impossible to miss the vibrant bags from Lola Blue, beautifully crafted from upholstery fabric in colour combinations that ran the gamut from neutrals with pops of colour, to more daring bags that captured a variety of moods, from a southwestern colour palette to eye-catching pastel hues. Which one to pick? That’s a tough one, but I opted for the Shea, a hobo style just big enough for an Ipad, camera and wallet. Long Beach-based Kahoy, created by Ralph P. Santos, offers a small but stunning collection of sunglasses and prescription frames hand-made from bamboo, textured wood and tasteful plastics. It was challenging to select among the line’s 12 retro-chic styles. While I went with the aviator-inspired Boracay with in tortoise, I wavered between those and the prescription Makati frame.
   Baylee Nasco offered pet beds and blankets that would probably have dogs and cats in a similar quandary, with their soft fabrics and beautiful colours. And while foodies would agree the Takeya Flash Chill Iced Tea Maker is an attractive accessory for summertime home entertaining, picking a flavour of tea is another thing, or six to be exact (Classic Black, Tropical Black, Fresh Green, Green Mint, Hibiscus Pomegranate and Coconut Lime Rooibos).
   So much to choose from. However, Rita and Amy also made sure they featured plenty of great products that stood on their own. These included Aviva Hair revitalizing supplements, tank tops from the new LATS clothing line launching May 9 in Los Angeles, SteelSeries Professional Gaming Gear (after all, there were boys in the room!), Shame on Jane jewellery by Kimberly Pauly, Coquette Lingerie and Herbalosophy Shampoo.—Elyse Glickman, US West Coast Editor

Ultimo TAFE Sydney Institute of Fashion

The Innovators’ show featured the work of several recent graduates from the Ultimo TAFE school of fashion, carefully selected as promising future stars. I am always delighted to see fashion which is, like the name indicates, truly innovative and unspoiled by commercial reality. However, most of the garments were highly wearable.
   Irish graduate Ciara Nolan (above) opened the show with a very colourful collection including a bold use of cuts exposing skin and prints. These kids show promise, as they already demonstrate prowess in material manipulation, with expert draping and pleating seen in several of the collections, as well as innovative ideas—some of the dresses were held by translucent rods joining shoulders and other parts of the garment.

Ae’lkemi
Ae’lkemi was an ethereal show which opened with blood red outfits, followed by black and white. Lacey and translucent gowns sashayed down the runway, my favourites being a silver white gown with delicate vertical frills on the hip area, resembling feathers, and a white poncho worn as a dress with exquisite detailing on the back. See-through lace gowns and sets were present, and beautiful. My only comment would be that totally see-through garments on nude bodies are not really likely to be worn by many women, so I may have liked them even more if nude lining had been applied to the gowns in some strategic areas. By and large, glamorous, delicate, feminine.

Aje
Whenever I am going to see an Aje show, I expect an unforgettable experience and they never fail to deliver and exceed expectations. Aje’s show was an ode to the first woman explorer of Africa—an installation in the Theatre, with a central stage featuring a large safari tent and models languidly standing and sitting around. There were many highly wearable garments and a stand-out black lace trouser and blouse set that I want to own right now. Glamorous and sexy but with the right balance of coverage to make it highly wearable. A green leather jacket also stood out—beautifully cut and tailored. The designers were greeting guests at the back of the tent and they were their usual selves, relaxed, happy, warm, down to earth. The atmosphere was evocative of exactly the story they were trying to tell with this beautiful collection. Viva Aje! And may their dreamy creativity bring us endless collections to love and cherish.

The buzz
Being one of the lucky ones that got to enjoy the Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge, I had the outstanding opportunity to mingle with stylists, designers, celebrities and media. It was refreshing to hear stories from the designers themselves and also meet some of the people in the background who make their collections possible. Phoenix Keating is a warm and unassuming guy who welcomes you to talk and puts you at ease immediately. I had a nice conversation with him and also bumped into celebrity stylists Joshua Heath and Josh Finn (ex-Australia’s Next Top Model). Always great to exchange impressions with them—Josh Heath was, of course, epitomizing the manner in which a trendy male ought to dress, without crossing the Zoolander line of spoof fashion, and Finn was sweetly dressed with a great printed poncho by Camilla, which only Josh, as a guy, can do justice to.
   I was pleased to meet the leather man of fashion here, Juan Valdes, of Chilean decent and leather tailor to celebrities, high-end designers and a collaborator even to the latest Star Wars movies. We joked that South Americans are like God—they are everywhere!—Viviana Pannell

Viviana Pannell is the founder and designer for Basquesse, a Sydney, NSW-based label, and a correspondent for Lucire.

Michael Lo Sordo, via Instagram

Top Michael Lo Sordo, spring–summer 2014–15. Above Maticevski, spring–summer 2014–15.

Michael Lo Sordo’s show was interesting from the moment you walked in. It was an original idea to install a sculpture on the catwalk to add interest, around which the models weaved as the glided down the catwalk. The mood of the collection was one of effortless, easy but chic living.
   The catwalk opened with a predominantly white line-up, followed by pastel-duck yellow, soft blue, and pink, which was followed by black. A profusion of elegant layering, original lapel shapes, crop tops and combination of metallic over flat, flowing soft silks—my cup of tea. Lo Sordo showed garments that can be worn in comfort whilst looking elegant.
   Cameo’s show was well choreographed and presented a youthful collection with a mix of easy-to-wear garments in white, green and print, followed by dressier garments featuring peplum dresses, interesting panelling, lace and some very nicely tailored jackets.
   Toni Maticevski’s show presented some of the most extraordinary garments of the week so far. To the beat of immensely moody music, models wore sculptural garments, often fitted bodices adjoining skirts reminiscent of 1950s Dior; black, white, and black-and-white print, with bright orange also in the mix. Some of the cuts were highly original with the pièce de résistance, for me, being a black gown with dropped shoulders and a very unusual, asymmetric neckline and an ample skirt. See-through panelling in some garments was a feature. All in all, an exquisite collection.
   We Are Handsome presented a sweet swimwear collection with some resort wear thrown into the mix in an outdoors setting. Very Sydney.
   Other videos we have today are Gail Sorronda, NLP, Talulah, the WGSN retail edit, Galanni, Serpent and the Swan, Unif.m, and Romance Was Born; and interviews with Lo Sordo, Sorronda, Leroy Nguyen, Ginger & Smart, By Johnny, Ellery, We Are Handsome, Christopher Esber, Phoenix Keating, Talulah, and Strateas Carlucci.—Viviana Pannell

Michael Lo Sordo

Cameo

Maticevski

Gail Sorronda

NLP

Leroy Nguyen interview

Ginger & Smart

By Johnny interview

Ellery interview

We Are Handsome interview

Christopher Esber

Talulah

WGSN retail edit

Galanni

Serpent and the Swan

Unif.m

Romance Was Born

Phoenix Keating interview

Strateas Carlucci interview

Viviana Pannell is the founder and designer for Basquesse, a Sydney, NSW-based label, and a correspondent for Lucire.

Lucire features the first day of videos from the spring–summer 2014–15 collections at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, including Aurelio Costarella and Carla Zampatti, and interviews with Costarella and Alex Perry.
   An extensive line-up of Hollywood goddess-inspired frocks was presented in Solaris, Aurelio Costarella’s spring–summer 2014–15 show. Costarella, once again, dares to dream and create something utterly different, completely feminine and demonstrative of his mastery of the female form. Superb tailoring was shown in a palette of black and white as well as fuchsia and orange, lime and blue. The collection featured styles that were body-conscious and also floaty: a profusion of soft feathers, beading work and clever cuts. Aurelio Costarella remains my personal favourite and I expect to see him breaking into the international scene in a big way, as he deserves.
   The Kahlo show was pared down, in a black-and-white neutral palette, boxy shapes, metallic, and leather! I am not too sure of the practicality of wearing leather in summer but it looked cool.—Viviana Pannell

Aurelio Costarella interview

Aurelio Costarella

Carla Zampatti

Alex Perry interview

Viviana Pannell is the founder and designer for Basquesse, a Sydney, NSW-based label, and a correspondent for Lucire.