The Australian visual artist who counts pop stars Pink and Bryan Adams among her fans, Jodee Knowles, follows her recent back-to-back sell-out Sydney shows with the exhibition Chimera, showing exclusively at Showcase Gallery in October.

Knowles’s success in Sydney follows that in her hometown of Perth, and in Los Angeles where she was discovered by Pink, who went on to feature four of Knowles’s works in the film clip for the music chart hit ‘Please Don’t Leave Me’.

Knowles’s exhibition at Showcase Gallery comes at a significant time in her career, as she prepares to cross over from emerging artist to international acclaim with a planned move to Los Angeles later this year. One of her first projects in LA is to work with film star Harrison Ford’s son, Malcolm Ford, on a combined music and art exhibition.

She also has shows scheduled in Italy and Hungary, as well as a book to be released in 2012.

Knowles’s artwork is heavily based on the human condition and the passing of time, and on the emotional states of mind that make or break a happy existence.

The ten pieces in Chimera feature all the hallmarks of the artist’s work – big, melancholy-filled eyes on female forms with a tortured innocence – combined with the elements of fantasy behind the hybrid ‘Chimera’ animal of Greek mythology.

Audiences familiar with Knowles’s work will notice an interesting change in her characters.

The artist explains: “The characters are evolving; there is more use of the body and colour here instead of just the face. There is still sadness in the characters but the use of strong colour and patterns mean that from far back they look really pretty. It’s when you get close up that you see they are actually quite dark and thoughtful.”

For more info on Knowles click here

For exhibition info click here

Jess W Xx

The Emmy’s heated up this year with a plethora of celebs choosing lobster red gowns and berry tones for the annual event. My favourite was Lea Michele in a low back Marchesa gown with rosettes on the shoulders.

I always love a celeb in a gorgeous sparkly gown and loose, tousled hair – so naturally I couldn’t go past Cat Deeley in Monique Lhuillier gown and Emily Blunt in Elie Saab.

The Soup presenter Joel McHale looked spunky in a white tuxedo blazer with black lapels (I’m considering buying one for myself) and Ryan Seacrest dressed up in a black bow tie.J

Kaley Cuoco also makes my fave list wearing a Romana Keveza one shouldered black dress – with red accessories (of course!) and a mini trend in mismatched nails that I will be trialling ASAP!

Special mention to host Jane Lynch who looked amazing and feminine in a berry toned flowing dress with gorgeous jewellery to match.

If only we all had places to go to be able to wear such amazing gowns!

Karina (the intern) xx

With school holidays just around the corner, we eagerly await the annual surfing extravganza that is Barton Lynch’s Blast Off!!

BL’s Blast Off is a pre junior surfing competition which is a fun-filled school holiday program designed and organised by 1988 World Surfing Champion Barton Lynch to celebrate the coming of summer and Australia’s rich surfing heritage. In its 6th year, Blast Off is for boys and girls 14 years and under and promises a holiday activity like no other.

 The aim is to introduce young surfers to the world of competition in a friendly and encouraging environment that focuses on surf improvement and family fun.

Major sponsors include Hurley, Skullcandy, Board Bog, Electric, Action Sports ready, Amazon Power, Streetboardz, Fantasea, Beach Without Sand, Coastalwatch.com, Fuel TV, Surfing World Magazine and Chilli Surfboards.

 BL’s Blast Off runs every Spring school holidays and in 2011 will run from Monday September 26^th to Thursday September 29th at Palm Beach NSW, Whale Beach and Avalon are the back up venues.

At BL’s Blast Off, you also get to meet and hang with the champions of the sport, seven-time ASP World Champ Layne Beachley is a regular attendee. Legends like Tom Carroll, Rabbit Bartholomew and Damien Hardman, Ozzie Wright, Karlee Mackie, Terry Richardson, Richie Lovett, Koby Abberton, Toby Martin and young guns Perth Standlick, Mitch Crews & Cooper Chapman are all there to inspire the kids.

Not just a fun day in the sun, it is also a good cause and in the past BL’s Blast Off has raised donations for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, the Cancer Council of NSW, SurfAid and Palm Beach SLSC. In 2009 & 2010 the money raised went to the Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) in Redfern and went to help develop their surfing program for the indigenous youth, in 2011 we will again support the AMS.

 The Disabled Surfers Association of Australia performs an exhibition at the event and for the last 3 years Blast Off has donated $1,000.00 on behalf of Active Tree Services to the DSA, as well as also donating to local schools -Avalon Primary and Barrenjoey High.

Stay tuned for some post event pics!

Cat xx

London Fashion Week is in full swing, and despite the slowly greying skies of the UK Autumn, the city is celebrating all things summer and looking ahead to next year’s warm, fabulous season. UK Betties favourites so far:

Mulberry’s pastel-chic show from celebrity haunt Claridge’s Hotel, with FROWers Kate Moss and Kirsten Stewart (sitting together – are they pals??), striped dresses inspired by Fab ice-lollies, a British seaside theme, and bouffant-haired model flouncing down the catwalk with a grey scottie dog – naturally dressed in complementary sherbet lemon!

My absolute IDOL designer Holly Fulton (we share Scottish roots) and member of the Tech Generation of UK talent pulled a blinder – also choosing British summers as her inspiration, but chose to mix up her traditional prints with fringing, geometric patterns and flashes of animal. This lady does a fierce, eye-boggling print like no other and I’m already deliberating whether I can pull off one of her white bandeau bikinis…

And finally, a girl after our own heart – she creates shoes AND she knows how to rock a theme – Miss Charlotte Olympia – if you haven’t heard of her just wait; in a few months time you will be coveting her heels. With a show entitled ‘Sirens’, Charlotte mixed old-school Miami style with ethereal models-turned-mermaids stalking the room in her towering heels. Some adorned with shells, others featuring leaf prints, pumps covered in pearls, Charlotte’s show was definitely one of the most creative events of the week so far.

And it’s only day 3! Feels like a fashion Christmas here in the capital…more updates later this week!

Amy xx

Schwarzkopf is giving you and a friend the opportunity to win a VIP getaway to Melbourne!

Valued at $4, 380! – If you enjoy being pampered then this is the competition to enter..

The prize consists of:

• 2 x return flights to Melbourne with 1 nights’ accommodation in Melbourne twin share
• 2 x tickets to the Melbourne Cup which gives general admission and access to the members area, Nursery, Rails and Domain valued at $580
• 2 x Review Gift Cards valued at $600
• 2 x Bobbi Brown make up packs valued up to $400
• 2 x Schwarzkopf hair styling sessions for the winner and their friend whilst in Melbourne
• Spending money valued at $1000 awarded as a cheque

IF you aren’t so lucky to win this fabulous prize, then you could be one of the 20 entries to win a $50 Schwarzkopf Hair-care pack – so its definitly worth it to enter.

The winners will be announced on the 17^th October 2011 and will be published at http://www.campaignhosting.com.au/hairthatstops/winners.pdf – So keep your eyes peeled!

All you have to do to win this glam getaway is:

1. Purchase any Schwarzkopf product during the promotional period and retaining receipt
2. OR ‘Like’ Schwarzkopf Australia’s Facebook page @ www.facebook.com/schwarzkopf.australia
3. OR Enter an original submission along with the barcode of the Schwarzkopf product you have purchased in the competition application on Schwarzkopf Australia’s Facebook page.

Check out Schwarzkopf’s Facebook page for the full terms and conditions – and while your there why not ‘like’ the page for your chance to win!

https://www.facebook.com/Schwarzkopf.Australia?sk=app_247674625269419

XX FIONA

The denim GOD is becoming a popular socialite amongst the Hollywood scene. Spreading denim love from the likes of Katie Holmes who rocks the denim jacket, Nicole Richie killing it in the Flares department, Ashlee Simpson in a cut off short short and Ali Larter in a boot leg.

These Hollywood hotties are digging the Denim hero for their everyday sping/summer ensembles, I know what my summer must haves are…www.levis.com.au – check it!

Irene XX

Red on the red carpet?!?!? I guess rules are made to be broken

Jess W Xx

For the last few years I would make the annual trek to Asia – the high street mecca – with nothing but the clothes on my back and four sportbags stuffed into each other. My mission – To hit up every single high street giant and pack the entire contents into my four empty bags.

So it’s a pleasant surprise to find out that Uniqlo have been shopping around for retail space in Australia and New Zealand. Wonderful basics for everyone!!!

Seems as though Japanese high street giant Uniqlo is on the expand and I for one am very excited! With Nicola Formichetti at the helm as Fashion Director (Lady Gaga’s personal stylist and Creative Director behind Mugler) its seems that there is no feat to great.

Formichetti speaks up to Style.com about his new line called Uniqlo Innovation Project which was created alongside company’s design director, Naoki Takizawa, and creative director, Kashiwa Sato. “We wanted to create something for the future…Something functional, stylish, and new.”

The collection of parkas, hoodies, and track pants for men and women, made of cutting-edge materials like Uniqlo’s innovative Heattech – which is a cold climate lifesaver – hits stores October 14.

Its no wonder Uniqlo considers itself as soon to be the worlds number one retailer of casual clothing; with brand ambassadors like Orlando Bloom, Charlize Theron and Hollywood newcomer, Jamie Campbell Bower. In toe with a string of successful collaborations with the likes of Jil Sanders you can be certain that Uniqlo is set on giving H&M and Topshop a run for their money.

For more of Hollywoods hottest for Uniqlo click here

Or to check out the US site and get excited click here – and if you really get into it you can make facebook friends with the street stylers – no really, you actually can…

Totally adding people right now

Jess W Xx

Lady Gaga is pretty well known for skyscraping heels – but these are stilts!

Wearing the 24 inch heels – that’s almost 61cm – for a Vanity Fair photo shoot with renown photographer Annie Leibovitz, Gaga posed (read: teetered) by a Hotdog stand in the streets of New York.

After struggling to maintain balance, Gaga loses balance and crashes to the ground (you’d think she might’ve learnt that insanely high shoes aren’t exactly her strength by now). Like a true professional, she regains her composure and continues the photo shoot – from the ground.

I must say – that’s an impressive fall to take without getting hotdog sauce all over your haute couture outfit!

Check these photos out of Lady Gaga at Heathrow Airport – its not her first “trip” hehe

Lady Gaga has well and truly proved she’s a die-hard fashionista.

Karina – the intern xx

Roxy has never given me a job this hard. 

Just when I thought I’d seen it all.

The pressure was overwhelming.

Nothing could possibly prepare me for the task at hand.

Little did I know when I woke up this morning and threw on a green frock and leopard print ballet flat that I’d be facing one of my hardest challenges at Sweaty Betty PR.  As I sat at my desk answering my emails and sipping my coffee in beams Chief Betty and those few words I’ve been dreading to hear all week finally became a reality.

“I remembered to bring the hammer”  

That’s right, yes you heard right a HAMMER…what might a publicist need a HAMMER for ?!?

Stupidly at the beginning of the week when A Little Tikes Princess Cozy Coupe box arrived for Pixie, I boasted that

 “I’m greaaat at putting things together” There lies my biggest mistake.

Chief Betty was delighted to hear this so she gave me the task of building the Princess Cozy Coupe. 

Now, I have to admit I was happy to do it in the beginning, here’s me thinking this will be so easy! I’ll have it done in 20 minutes no sweat! 

Attempt 1: Open all the packets of bolts, nails and knobs lay it all out in front of me along with the instructions. 

Step 1 & 2 was easy enough.

Step 3: “Put part A, E, D, J together”

“What the HELL is part D?” – it’s already been 15 minutes!

10 minutes later….locate part D and realise I need a hammer to put it together.

There’s my saving grace I can back door this and fob the job off to Oli as we have no tools in the office. 

“Excuse me Roxy, what a SHAME, but I’ll need a hammer to assemble it, so it probably best to take it home and Oli can finish it, it will be nice for him to do” 

Chief Betty says “O no it’s fine I’ll bring a hammer tomorrow! You can finish it then!” 

O god! I really dug myself a grave on this one and this is when the prays started (“please, please, please God don’t let her remember the hammer) but my prays were only answered for 3 days.

Today she remembered the hammer!

Attempt 2: With my hammer in hand I try to hammer part D…persevere and try to hammer part D…Can’t hammer part D.

“Bern how are you going with it?” 

“Great Rox I’ll be done in no time!”

So I said to myself remain calm this Princess Cozy Coupe will not get the better of me!

I decided to just move onto the next step and come back to hammering part D later.

Then part D show’s up again “Use the Hammer to secure part D”

By this stage I’ve worked up a real sweat and been working on this for 30 minutes.

I’m thinking to myself surely something must be wrong, surely they have packed the wrong parts.

Just when I though all was lost and I’ve faced the fact that I’ll lose my job over this Coupe

A brilliant thought came to me…A-HA…I’ve got the solution… YouTube

Thank You Simon Brown for your YouTube tutorial!

Attempt 3: I’m hammering part D like it’s nobody’s business!

Thinking to myself now I’m on the home run…piece of cake!

O-no how naive I was, I still have to assemble the door, the roof, the steering wheel, the key, they eyes, the floor, the gas pump.

An hour later and after a few helping hands (thank you Danielle, Natasha & Ika) Pixie’s Princess Cozy Coupe was finished!

I never through I could put car-builder to my repertoire

All in a day in the life of a Betty no job to big or too small!

Although when Pixie popped in to check out her new whip…i don’t think she was very impressed to be behind the wheel she prefers the Aston!

Bernadette XX