Well, one would hope so!! Not only are they the latest in decorating your house, office space or any wall for that matter, but they are stunning, space-saving and energy-smart too. There’s one already gracing the walls of Qantas’s first class lounge in Sydney Airport, The Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, Gazebo Wine Garden in Sydney and Google’s HQ. There are now even wall garden modules available to grow in your backyard . There are several types of vertical gardens, catering to even the laziest of people as they are made using hydroponics to survive and thrive. Check out some of these tips below:

http://containergardening.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/starting-a-diy-vertical-garden-google-gardening-tips-n-ideas/

So if your garden is driving you up the wall – maybe you literally should grow it up the wall.

XX EM

Kate Moss: Model/coke fiend/girl with idiot boyfriend/mother/cover girl

The former (and soon to be again) queen of the runway has had a stigma of titles attached to her name. But controversial incidents which we have seen end the career of numerous models in times gone by, seem to be minor hiccups in this invincible model’s career.

We’ve all heard about and seen the images that were splattered across the front page of The Daily Mirror of Kate doing lines at a Baby Shamble’s* recording session, which inevitably lead to the loss of her Burberry, H &M, Chanel, Agent Provocateur and Rimmel contracts.

5 years on from the scandal and Kate Moss is still dominating the pages of Vogue with campaigns for Balmain, Stella McCartney, Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, Yves Saint Laurent and a myriad of other high end designers.

It seems that in the world of fashion, Kate Moss can do no wrong. As much flack as she may cop for her mistakes, it seems she lives in a world that bares minimal consequences, and thank god for that! She’s just too fabulous to lose!

*The Baby Shambles is the band Kate’s douchebag ex- boyf Pete Doherty is a part of.

Backstage at a fashion show is where the cauldron boils. It is the heart & soul of everything that the designer has worked so hard for, for so many months…everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is on the line. In just a few hours, all the commotion – the precision required in hair & make-up, final dress fittings, model checks, & everything else involved, are a whirlwind of passion and excitement, and sometimes the true beauty of what is going on in front of your very eyes if you are lucky enough to have a seat backstage, can be simply depreciated.

Amidst all this chaos, if the world stops, true beauty is all around you. Take note in particular to the incredible world of fashion master and muse himself, John Galliano. His Latest Spring Summer 2011 collection incorporates make-up inspired by the old school Charlie Chaplin, and is something we have never seen before – the boundaries in fashion that we love to see pushed, and done of course by no one better than John Galliano. The crisp white faces, faux moustaches, rosy cheeks & artistically curled hair is the finishing touch to a collection which is at its highest standard and has just made me so excited about the world of fashion and its complete lack of creative restrictions.

With a fabulous variety of garments from suits to cardigans, trenches and carefully crafted leather jackets – John Galliano Spring Summer 2011 is one showstopper for the season.

Much love,

XAnge

Images courtesy of Jak & Jil blog

Last night was time to crown (and then de-crown) this year’s winner of Australia’s next top model. From thousands of hopefuls, in the end it came down to Kelsey, the sweet but short, pocket rocket from Lennox Heads and Amanda the Glamazon who was none but obviously Alex Perry’s favourite.

This year the Top Model producers went all out. With a flurry of amazing male dancers, acrobats, a DJ set by the Stafford brothers and Swarovski Crystal curtains, the night was nothing short of spectacular…

…Until the end.

A big kudos has to be given to all three ladies involved in what, from here on out will be referred to as “The biggest stuff up in live television history”.

So here’s a little message from me to them;

Kelsey: Wow! So impressed at how you took the news that your name was mistakenly called out and then managed to go to an after party and be all smiles, socialize and keep a strong front. If it were me, I would have gone home to bed. You are awesome!

Amanda: As your little coy “Whoop” suggested, your win was a little…err… awkward. But CONGRATULATIONS! (You were my favourite… but shhh)

Sarah: Breaking the news must have been the most gut wrenching thing you have ever had to do… EVER. I recommend you find out who the person in your little ear piece was and make sure they are never the little voice in your head again.

After a night of drama, champagne, delicious finger food, watching awkward model social interaction, and more champagne, this Betty is ready for bed. Too bad I have to work all day! Bring on the Red Bull!!

<3 Maffy xx

The number one international best-seller Eat, Pray, Love has taken the world by storm and true to form the Bettys have found a must-have purchase to pair back with the ideals of holistic living.  The irony that Elizabeth Gilbert’s tale of self-enlightenment too easily led me to finding a new ‘i-must-have-now’ purchase isn’t lost on me. I DO get it, “Blah, Blah, buying things wont make you happy, blah, blah.” It’s just that Cristiana’s gorgeous new collection Love+Liberty brings to the balanced lifestyle what the new It-Bag brings to an outfit.  And yes, I need.

 As seen in the latest Shop Til You Drop (pictured) – The Love+Liberty collection was launched this month, a range that is both striking in it’s simplicity and strong in symbolic meaning.  Sterling silver charms, semi precious stones, woven leather suede and beads embody the range; the perfect boho/luxe summer accessories that can take you from a tie-dye maxi dress on the beach, to a bandage mini dress and stilettos. 

Cristiana’s previous collections have been seen on the wrists of fashion icons such as Hialry Duff, Elle MacPherson and Australian supermodel Cheyenne Tozzi. The popular Katarina bracelet (pictured above) features again in the Love+Liberty collection, in the same gorgeous colours & silver etched charms with charms etched with different Saints that bring the wearer good luck, romance, safety in travels, protection and peace.  Stand out pieces new to Love+Liberty include ‘Peace+Love’ – a gorgeous suede necklace with a silver Budah charm, ‘Love Story’ – a gorgeous stack of sterling silver bracelets, the ‘True Love’ bangle and the ‘Love Bites’ necklace.  

Head to www.cristiana.com.au to shop the collection. And in the true spirit of sharing, Cristiana is running a Facebook promomotion. For a chance to win a gorgeous piece from Love+Liberty, recommend Cristiana to a friend on Facebook and if your friend is the 300^th fan you both win a Cristiana piece of your choice.

Alena xx

Bambi has made her debut on the international catwalk scene, walking for UK chain store giant Top Shop.

Ending the show and standing at only 5’7″, she’s already gaining comparisons to Kate Moss, which can only be a good thing for a new girl on the scene!

In the last few months, Bambi’s unique features and grungy style have caused a curious frenzy within the fashion industry! Bambi is definitely one to watch!

(Image Courtesy of www.jakandjil.com)

Bern xx

The Chateau of Versailles has been overrun with magical creations by world renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. The controversial exhibit juxtaposes the elaborate extravagance of the Chateau with the modern colourful pop art sculptures in a nod to the turbulent political past of the historic venue, says Murakami. The artist is well known for his infamous collaborations with Marc Jacobs, Kanye West and most famously Louis Vuitton. The new exhibit is nothing short of spectacular, and despite the disapproval by french traditionalists also encountered by artist Jeff Koons during his exhibit at the venue, the exhibition has been a major success already. With 22 works in total, 11 of which were made specifically for the display, Murakami describes the development of his aesthetic as being inspired by the interaction of emotions in todays culture, particularly modern Japanese culture. The exhibit is done in manga style – a genre inspired by the ever popular comic and comic character scene in Japan.

( Image Courtesy of http://vernissage.tv/blog/2010/09/20/murakami-versailles-interview-with-takashi-murakami/
http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/murakamis-creations-invade-versailles/)

The exhibition was intended to look somewhat like origami but manipulated into colourful 3d style. The artist aknowledges the complexity needed for a successful exhibit, especially after movies and tv has desensitised the younger generations. The exhibition is cute, colourful and incredibly elaborate, Takashi Murakami really is a genius!

x Caitlin

Performing at New York’s Yankee Stadium, Jay Z was snapped sporting his favorite pair of sunglasses, the Oliver Peoples Black Diamond Daddy B’s!

The Daddy B shades are standout with a slightly over-sized 70’s inspired Mod shape. The sunglasses feature miniature pin-detail accents on the front frame and a distinctive keyhole bridge on the right….with that combination that translates into classic cool it’s no wonder Jay Z and his wife Beyonce have been snapped up sporting the designer shades on numerous occasions!

Oliver Peoples’ Daddy B shades are gaining ‘it’ status being spotted on none other than Zac Efron and Trey Songz.

Available in five different vintage color ways, I am DYING to pick up a pair for myself!

Bernadette xx

On Wednesday night the gorgeous Studio Bambini magazine celebrated their 25th Birthday in style at The Royal Motor Yacht Club.  Prompt on time, the Bettys had a chance to scope out the stunning room overlooking Point Piper.  Decorated in classic black & white, the Studio group sure do know how to put together a classy soiree.  Was lovely to meet the amazing new editor Jacqui over a champagne & guava (yum)!  And never ones to shy away from a photo op, we loved the Polite In Public photo booth…maybe a little too much. Snaps were printed with a mock up of the front cover of Bambini, and an array of props to make for alot of fun.  

Congratulations on 25 years of such a beautiful mag Bambini!! Thanks for having the  Bettys!

Alena & Fleur xx

In today’s fast paced and constantly changing environment, finding the time to sit and soak up the vast and endless advertisements that are thrown at us from every direction is almost impossible. Consumerism has taken a hold of our society and has littered our urban environment with images and logos, causing many to identify and define themselves using the material images projected onto them through the print media, television and airways.

Australian Artist, Ben Frost, has identified this continuous bombardment of information as ‘visual noise’, similar to the buzz on a telephone or the white snow on a television screen. His fabulous new exhibition, ‘The Art of Noise’ explores his love/hate relationship with the concept of consumerism and the visual signifiers that embody it. Each piece in the exhibition seeks to challenge the contemporary norms and values of our western culture through the placement of iconic logos and characters juxtaposed against one another to create a story. The end result is an explosion of vibrant colour and intrigue as the eye works through the images presented to the audience. Moving through the linear dialogue that is created in each image, Frost is able to express his motives for such an exhibition using images from our ‘ad-vironment’ and presenting them in ways that are often confrontational, controversial and thought-provoking to the viewer.

Frost’s new solo exhibition opens next Thursday, 23^rd September.

Boutwell Draper Gallery

82 George St Redfern, Sydney 2016

P: (02) 9310 5662

This is definitely an exhibition to check out if you’re in town.

Steph xx