A Saucy fashionista Friday

A long lunch by one of the Sunshine Coast's best beaches, delectable food, some bubbles and a dash of flirty fashion - what's not to love?

Welcome to Fashionista Friday.

Profile Magazine and My Weekly Preview are bringing fashion back with a series of glamorous lunches on the Sunshine Coast.

Celebrating fashion and the return of the loooong lunch, Chic fashion and shoe lovers enjoyed the beach side glam collection of the very talented Sally Cook of Saucy Rose - coupled with a sumptuous three course meal designed by the very same Sally Cook at her restaurant; Saltwater @ Kings (told you she was talented) last Friday.

Firstly, let me have a little gush about this restaurant. Not only is the food absolutely stunning, the team of owners; Sally, Brad and Skye is Über hospitable, it's in a truly superb and unique position right on the beach at Caloundra's Kings Beach. It is one of our faves and being a very short stroll from our beach house doesn't hurt it's popularity.

Now, if you've not yet heard of Saucy Rose don't despair this gal has big plans for her little label. Having shown her debut collection at last year's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane she has set her sights very high in expanding her intensely feminine swim and resort wear.


While the beautiful fabrics are handpicked and sourced from New York, the stunning garments are made locally on the Sunshine coast.

"Saucy Rose is all about having fun, being a woman and riding that fine female line between saucy and sweet. The collection offers flattering pieces designed and made for real women who want to feel and look ultra feminine," says Sally.

Yep. Hard to argue with that.









There was no shortage of shoe addicts in attendance to 'oooh and ahhhh' at the fine stilts appearing in the show and on the super stylish guests.
























Love!

Want more? Go to the Fashionista Friday Facebook page.

@traceygillinder would like to apologize for cheating on Shoe Addict readers. Forgive me? Then check out the new Brisbane Times Plus One Column!

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The good, the bad & the ugly on the pink carpet

The Teen Choice Awards pink carpet always flirts with fashion danger and Sunday nights collective of celebrities was no different.

Here are my picks for the good, the bad and the ugly:

Vanessa Marano wore Q by Pasquale shoes (a label I usually adore) that were my pick for the evening's 'ugly.'

Despite her snagging a Teen Choice Award, I wasn't a massive fan of Candice Accola's Phillip Lim shoes. Sorry Candince but they're in my 'bad' box.

Nina Dobrev's choice off Jimmy Choo platform sandals was hard to go past for the best in show. Downright winner for my faves of the night - my vote for the 'good.'

That is all.

From top: Vanessa Marano's shoes, Canice Accola's shoes and bottom Nina Dobrev's Jimmy Choos.


(Image Credit: Getty)

@traceygillinder would like to apologize for cheating on Shoe Addict readers. Forgive me? Then check out the new Brisbane Times Plus One Column!

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New 22,000 square feet of designer shoe wonder at Barneys New York

On Monday afternoon NYC's shopping mecca Barneys unveiled its newly revamped shoe department.

With bubbles for everyone from the throngs of shoppers to a smattering of European tourists, sales associates enthusiastically showed off the new 22,000 square foot space (approx 2043.87m2), which now houses all designer shoes for women and men on one floor.

The floor was designed by architectural firm Yabu Pushelberg, under the direction of Barneys Creative Director Dennis Freedman and boasts ample natural light, with white Italian marble walls and translucent brass-mesh screens that help break up the space and highlight select merchandise.

Two cordoned off cubes in the women's section take pride of place in the center of the floor and are dedicated to Louboutin and Blahnik (Barneys New York anchor brands) but further towards the gents section a decent showing of Miu Miu and Prada can be found.

Designer Narciso Rodriguez, who is retailing his Autumn Winter 2012 collection exclusively at Barneys, told WWD FN, "I am very proud to be launching my shoe collection at Barneys during this very exciting time for them. The new shoe floor is truly extraordinary."

This one's on the must see in NYC people.

Want more? Visit Barneys New York online.


@traceygillinder would like to apologize for cheating on Shoe Addict readers. Forgive me? Then check out the new Brisbane Times Plus One Column!

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Follow Tracey on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/traceygillinder

Trend Alert: Metal Mania

Spring Summer 2012 delivered this hot new shoe trend and it seems design houses can't get enough metal detail in this seasons stilts.

Metal embellishments of every kind from toe caps, to spikes are adorning nearly every designer collection imaginable.

It's been a while since pointy toe shoes were on the fashion chart (although I always love them) but with a toe cap update they're back and they're big.

Get your metal on. Stat!








From top; YSL, Louis Vuitton, Christian Louboutin and Valentino













@traceygillinder would like to apologize for cheating on Shoe Addict readers. Forgive me? Then check out the new Brisbane Times Plus One Column!

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Louboutin's Cinderella heels

There has never been a time when more adult girls wished they were a fairytale princess than right now.

Iconic shoe designer Christian Louboutin has created these 'glass slippers' in honor of Disney's Cinderella Diamond Edition.

Available for sale from July 4th in Paris, the limited edition red-soled heels adorned with lace, sparkling butterflies and Swarovski crystals will no doubt also adorn quite a hefty price tag.

It was announced back in April that the French footwear guru would be designing a pair of shoes inspired by Disney's Cinderella to mark the animated picture's re-release on Blu-ray and DVD this US Autumn / Winter.

"I have been so lucky to have crossed paths with Cinderella, an icon who is so emblematic to the shoe world as well as the dream world," the designer told the New York Daily News.


(Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios)



@traceygillinder would like to apologize for cheating on Shoe Addict readers. Forgive me? Then check out the new Brisbane Times Plus One Column!

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Follow Tracey on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/traceygillinder

Swapping & Shopping for Variety

Calling all fashion savvy Brisbane gals!

Family business Alpha Car Hire is drawing on Brisbane’s most stylish shoppers to attend its first ever Swap&Shop charity fundraiser as it aims to raise $10,000 for the Variety Children’s Charity before the annual Variety Bash in August 2012.

Fashionistas from across the city will be bringing in five of their fashion favourites to swap (and shop) with other guests to put a new spin on their wardrobe.

The event is being hosted by revered Image Boutique and Westfield stylist Sara-Hatten Masterson and is being held at The Princess Theatre in Woolloongabba on July 12.

The Council of Textiles and Fashion industries of Australia reports that women under 30 buy 102 items of clothing a year. (Anyone going to admit to that one?) Event coordinator Ivana Nikolic is urging people to come along and try Swap&Shop to increase the lifecycle of their once favourite clothes.

Sound like you? Its $25 to register and one ticket buys you the chance to swap 5 old pieces for 5 new, delicious bubbly on arrival, nibbles and entertainment.

You better register quickly www.alphacarhire.com.au/swapandshop


@traceygillinder would like to apologize for cheating on Shoe Addict readers. Forgive me? Then check out the new Brisbane Times Plus One Column!

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Croation Shoe Addict app goes global?

If you're already hooked on Instagram (yes, that would be me) then you might like to check out ShoeAddicts.

New to the app world, ShoeAddicts is a complete mobile social network for shoe lovers.

Dubbed, the 'Instagram for shoes,' this startup hails from Croatia, a little country with huge potential when it comes to new ideas and technology (and they just happen to be big readers of this blog).

Creator Anela Senčar says the idea for ShoeAddicts came from her love of shoes, while co-founder Pedja Pušelja was an avid user of mobile networks and applications, forming the perfect team. Anela and Pedja set out to go global with the app so it made sense to get some experts handling the design and coding, enter Marko Prljić (designer) and Goran Vukšić (programming).

As Instagram has a timeline of photos, ShoeAddicts has a 'Shoeline'; feeding photos your 'friends' recently took featuring their most coveted shoes. Sharing your own shoe pics is pretty straight-forward and is pretty similar to the Instagram method but instead of clicking 'like' users click 'Heel up' to show their appreciation.

The attention to detail is impressive but if you're already using (and love) the diversity of the Instagram stream there is no need to replace it, unless you prefer to see a pure shoe photo feed.

I’ll leave you to discover the joy of ShoeAddicts for yourself and make up your own mind.


@traceygillinder would like to apologize for cheating on Shoe Addict readers. Forgive me? Then check out the new Brisbane Times Plus One Column!

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Follow Tracey on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/traceygillinder

Game on World with Nike+

While the Nike+ fitness tracking platform has been around for years, the footwear giant has just unleashed shoes with the technology actually built into the shoe.

Nike+ Basketball and Nike+ Training launched last week in the US, China, UK, France and Germany, creating two new NIKE+ experiences. They will combine with Nike+ Running and the Nike+ FuelBand to create an entire digital ecosystem for athletes and aspiring athletes at every level.

I've had Nike+ Running for some time courtesy of my Hawaiian shopping jaunts, and while I haven't really used it to full capacity (if it was installed in my heels, that would be another story), I love a good gadget.

At the heart of this latest innovation is the Nike+ Sport Sensor, a technology built into each shoe that collects information about the users' movement and then wirelessly transmits the data to a Nike+ Basketball or Nike+ Training app on their phone. The data is then translated into different metrics that deliver real-time feedback and information about either their training session or basketball game.

So what is Nike going to do with all that data? Its first plan for this US Summer is 'Game On, World', which is a series of challenges inspired by pro athletes encouraging all Nike+ users to set their personal bests in various categories.

I could set a serious heel wearing PB if this was implanted in my Louboutins.

No word yet on when these kicks will hit Australian shores. For more go to Nike.


@traceygillinder would like to apologize for cheating on Shoe Addict readers. Forgive me? Then check out the new Brisbane Times Plus One Column!

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Follow Tracey on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/traceygillinder

Turns out you can judge a person by their shoes

From very early on in life we're told not to judge a book by its cover, but it seems that sometimes you can judge people by their shoes.

A study published in the Journal of Research in Personality says researchers from the University of Kansas and Wellesley College found that certain shoe characteristics are telling of the wearer's personal traits. The research, published online this month, explored the concept of thin-slicing, wherein you form impressions based on small amounts of information.

The study asked 63 participants to look at the style, price, colour and condition of 208 pairs of shoes and attribute them with personality traits such as 'extrovert or introvert, liberal or conservative and the degree of their emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness,' with most participants able to correctly guess the strangers' temperament.

It looks as though those addicted to high-end designer heels were pegged as high earners, while flashy or colourful footwear 'belonged to extroverts' and shoes that were well kept belonged to 'conscientious types'.

'Practical and functional shoes generally belong to agreeable people, ankle boots fit with more aggressive personalities and uncomfortable looking shoes were worn by calm personalities,' according to the study.

I hate to say it, but some of us have been judging men and women by their shoes for many years. Can you really judge a person by their shoes?


@traceygillinder would like to apologize for cheating on Shoe Addict readers. Forgive me? Then check out the new Brisbane Times Plus One Column!

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Follow Tracey on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/traceygillinder