All Doll'd Up

Guest Post: Designer Robert Best Hits Australian Fashion Week Pt. 5 - Final!

Shows, shows, shows… It has been so incredible getting such great insight into the Australian fashion design scene. Local designers are very adept at translating the local culture into wearable, stylish fashion designs.

And here is a roundup of the week. Dresses were the strength of the week, in subtle tonal shades of nude, beige, white and taupe balanced by lots of little black dresses in each collection – so plenty of inspiration for future Barbie Basics! On the last day standouts included Lui Hon, Michael Lo Sordo and Ruby Smallbone.

Both Michael and Ruby had beautiful architectural and distorted floral prints and Lui Hon is definitely one to watch (he was also a former contestant on Project Runway Australia - a subject close to my heart!). See some of my front row snaps, although they are a little blurry since I am no professional runway photographer! 

I'm signing off from Sydney now, but can't wait to visit again some day.  

Lots of Love,

Robert Best

Guest Post: Designer Robert Best Hits Australian Fashion Week Pt. 4!

The Jayson Brunsdon show was so beautiful, so elegant, so lady-like, so Barbie. Jayson's muse is Audrey Hepburn, a great lady who I think Barbie definitely looks to for inspiration.

I think that Jayson's refined glamour would work very well for Miss B. Take a look at these... and then the whole collection here.

 

Post-Jayson Brunsdon's show, I went to the Harper's Bazaar Party at a new club called The Beach House. Harper's Bazaar editor Edwina McCann told me how much fun she had at the Barbie Basics launch and how she is now 'Mother of the Year!' as her twin girls are beside themselves with their new Barbie Basics dolls and accessories.

Guest Post: Designer Robert Best Hits Australian Fashion Week Pt. 3!

Woke up last Tuesday, May 4th, and the weather was quite overcast and cloudy. This was a worry as we were planning an outdoor launch! The weather however couldn't diminish the nervous excitement I was feeling about the Australian launch of Barbie Basics. Of course the sun came out on beautiful Sydney Harbour and the conditions were perfect!

All the key Australian fashion pack were in attendance and the culmination of the day was the unveiling of Barbie by Stefano Canturi, a glittering pink and white diamond jewelry set, adorning Barbie against the backdrop of the Sydney Opera House.

  

All the fashion editors were asked to choose their very own Barbie Basics doll. A frenzy ensued as they had the opportunity to style them up at two 'styling suites' laden with every accessory imaginable.

See what Style.com’s Tim Blanks had to say about it here.

 

  

After the excitement of the morning, I was off to see the Alex Perry show and boy does Alex know how to put on a show! 1,000 people and 50 looks… and Mr. Perry specializes in red carpet glamour, perfect for Barbie! See a couple of things I thought Barbie may like below... 

Guest Post: Designer Robert Best Hits Australian Fashion Week Pt. 2!

Front row at the Ginger & Smart show was my first foray into Australian Fashion Week. Loved the nude leather mini dress and glazed organza trench coat. Some great LBDs – so Barbie Basics, so on trend! The full show can be seen here.

Kirstie Clements, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Australia, kindly invited me along to the Vogue party on Monday night, to celebrate the arrival of Tim Blanks and also launch the June issue of Australian Vogue featuring hot new Australian face, Samantha Harris.

  

Everyone I've met so far has been super friendly and there is a lot of buzz surrounding the Barbie Basics launch party Tuesday. Naturally, Barbie has a lot of fans in Australia...

 
 

Guest Post: Designer Robert Best Hits Australian Fashion Week Pt. 1!

I was super excited to arrive in Sydney last Sunday to help launch the new range of Barbie Basics as part of Rosemount Australian Fashion Week! As soon as I landed I picked up an issue of Grazia Magazine that had the most adorable Barbie Basics fashion spread. You can see all the behind the scenes action here.

Also while I was down under I attended a few shows to check out the local designers and see what Barbie may like for her new Spring & Summer wardrobe.

First stop for the week was the MAC RAFW launch party. I was completely wowed by the paper couture dresses made for the event by N.Y. designer, Zaldy Goco. I can totally see Barbie wearing a paper dress! My personal favorite was a meringue-like confection, so good you could have eaten it...

Also it was wonderful to bump into Kirstie Clements, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Australia, whom I met while I was in town last year at the Barbie Forever exhibition in Melbourne. Kirstie introduced me to internationally renowned blogger Tim Blanks from style.com so I invited him along to the May 4th Barbie Basics launch.