June 4th, 2006

A Gossip Columnist’s Life …

What’s not to love about a perfume launch? It’s usually held at somewhere fabulously decadent with canapes themed to the bottle’s packaging and rivers of French champagne. So when a sophsticated blue invitation crossed my Sunday Telegraph desk announcing that Armani Code would be officially christened in that temple of haute couture - the Giorgio Armani store in Martin Place, I ran to the dry cleaners and picked up my cream Alex Perry tuxedo suit (it was a less obvious choice than wearing something from `GA’ - not that I had much of an option - not actually owning a `Giorgio’ ).

The first person I saw on arrival was marie claire editor, Jackie Frank who was dressed in fashionista collections’ combat gear - black or grey layers with sturdy black boots. This surprised me as fashion week is so over - so the famous fashion code which has the real professionals dressing for comfort and not worrying to change for the after parties, doesn’t hold. (Yep, this is a tip: the worst faux pas you can make is looking like you made too much of an effort for fashion week parties - it shows that you are not a serious fashion person - you are just plain fluffy. Only bona fide  celebutantes should get glammed up for fashion week. But I digress, here we were at an event starting at 7pm in a true designer store and here was Jackie Frank and even `Harper’s’ editor Alison Veness-McGourty dressed a la fashion week. Eeek!

Thank goodness for the Sydney platoon of beauty writers who love to dress up and look as if they have jumped from the pages of their own magazines. There was footy star’s Craig Wing’s girlfriend, Zoe Foster looking absolutely divine in a soft peach bubble dress with silver sparkles, Mary Zavaglia of Women’s Day in pearls and cream satin and the Sunday Telegraph’s Melinda Ayre in a retro peach dress. All of them along with uber model Anneliese Seubert and Cosmo’s appropriately sexy editor, Sarah Wilson looked as if they were going to a glamazon convention. It was quite a night but not nearly as opulent as the full blown scent launches of the Eighties. Now there’s a decade we should bring back as soon as possible.
This week it’s all about the Break Up premiere with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn on the red carpet - along with the Lancome Colour Design Awards on Friday night. Let’s hope that some of those hard working fashionistas think to go home and change for it - otherwise they’re going to look plain tragic…

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