I was sitting watching the news the other night, catching up on what's going on in our crazy world, when I was stopped dead in my tracks by a most peculiar story...With the impending Apex summit about to swarm.
Sydney, MP Clover Moore decided to spend tax payers hard earned cash on the "GO Bag" campaign… so expect to see flyers in a letter box near you that talks of these "Go Bags" and what you should have in them.
Let me back track for a moment, incase you are not up on the "Go Bag", no this is not the latest offering from the Parisian catwalks, it's not the new must have from Chloe nor is it the must have accessory from an LA seen on the likes of Posh Spice or Jailhouse Hilton, it is in fact your "Holy Shit! a terrorist has struck us, let's run bag".
In this bag should be a roll of toilet paper, bottle of water, first aid kit, torch, batteries, some snack bars and get this… a pair of running shoes.
I can see it now, some loon heaven forbid, decides to drop a bomb, the last thing I am going to be thinking about is kicking off my Manolos and slipping on my Nikes in the hope that I might run faster…
Which brings me to my next question… "Go Bag" at the ready or not, where the bloody hell are you going to run to? Byron, the airport or your closest Starbucks for one more White Chocolate Mocha Frappe and caffeine fix!
What is a roll of 3 ply luxurious loo paper going to do when the city is burning? Are we going to get all of our bog rolls together and make toilet paper traps to trip a terrorist?
Some of you may think I am being silly or even blasphemous to be speaking of such tragedy, but at the end of the day, it's no more silly than a "Go Bag" campaign hitting our letter boxes.
I have never been much for political talk, I believe in what I believe and let others do the same… but instead of Big W selling out all stocks of black rucksacks, and muesli bar prices going through the roof… do we really need our MP's scaring half the city shitless into thinking we are gonna get hit!
Who knows maybe Fashion Week next year will see a parade dedicated to designer "Go Bags" I can see the slogans now…
"Don't be slow, just go"
"Wake me up before you go, go"
"Gone in 60 seconds"
"Just Go It"
Louis Vuitton has just found a whole new niche market... oooh and it gives the Tiffany little blue bag a whole new meaning!
I'll have mine in Versace, black and gold trim, they might even do the joggers to match with Swarovski crystal trim, don't forget the Evian and Lindt Chocolates for energy! A four pack of Moet's minis thrown in for good measure, I can get pissed and use the bottle for protection.
Mamaxxx
PS If I have offended or upset anyone, I apologise, but at the end of the day, this is just my humble opinion.
Thursday 19 July 2007
Monday 16 July 2007
Are Women's Magazines Sizest?
When I decided to put my diary online for everyone to see, I promised glitz, glamour and goss, but I also promised that I would give you an insight to my label, and the things that go on behind the scenes. So far all I have spoken about is the “glam” aspect of this business, what I haven’t done is talk about what it’s really like to run your own business and the tribulations and triumphs that come with it!
I have always had a strong work ethic, shoot for the stars, dream BIG, work hard and NEVER, EVER give up, however at the end of the day it’s not always smooth sailing… this week, I have felt a deep tinge of disillusionment and disappointment in the industry I am trying to hard to make a change to. So to say I have a bone to pick is an understatement!
I generally stay away from reading magazines, especially when I am in a “designing” mood, I prefer to draw influences from less common places, however I decided to buy a copy of a few different “popular” women’s publications and was left feeling infuriated.
I digress, I started this label because I felt there was a desperate need of quality clothing for “real” women that was sexy, tailored and glamorous. I wanted to make a difference in the media and the way women are perceived, I wanted women to feel empowered by fashion rather than enslaved.
Yet it seems every time I open a women’s mag something catches my eye and sends me into fury. There was one publication in particular which will remain nameless that had a great article on women over coming eating disorders and what they went through to finally reach a point where they were “friends” with their body, these were real everyday women, in each of their stories they mentioned the pressure of feeling as if they needed to aspire to some “perfect” ideal… accompanying this story was information on places you could turn to if you felt you could be suffering an eating disorder, then to my sheer astonishment on the opposite page was an ad for a fashion label with a 6 foot size 2 model that looked barely 15. Enveloped by a lycra sheath. Does anyone else see a problem with this?
It’s all good and well for these magazines to highlight the problems that women face, I applaud it, however it’s almost futile when they continue to fill the rest of their pages with advertisements and editorials filled with women that represent 1% of the population, whom by the way have been airbrushed and photo shopped within an inch of their miniature waist lines and flawless faces.
Another publication that shall not be mentioned featured all the latest trends and where you can get them, in all of it’s 200 pages with everything from make-up to shoes… only 2 thats TWO fashion labels featured in the entire publication did to a size 16, a few more went to a 14 and the majority were to a size 12, and ONLY one label that provided her range up to size 20. How can this be, when 65% of women in Australia alone are a size 16 or more!
My fabulous right hand and operations manager, Cath, was out on the weekend, and got into a rather heated debate with a male in his mid 20’s who works in the banking sector, he questioned our label and it’s relevance in the market place, claiming that “bigger” women don’t shop, have no money, and no desire to look nice. What’s worse was she had to explain to him point by point, statistic by statistic why he was so far off the mark, till he finally agreed she had a fair argument. When she told me this my blood boiled and I was so very saddened, is this really what it’s come to? Is this the perception of women who don’t fit the “perfect” size 8 stereo type?
So I implore all of you that may be reading this for your feedback, I want to know about your experiences, your feelings and what goes through your mind every time you open a magazine, or walk into a shop that doesn’t have YOUR size! What happens when you want to find something for a special occasion or something nice for work, and you are forced into a department called “plus size” even though you represent the average, real woman. I want to know what goes through your minds when you read these magazines and see the TV shows, I want to hear YOUR stories…mailto:info@lilmama.com.au
Please email me at Look forward to hearing from you all, till next week.
Much LuvMamaxxx
I have always had a strong work ethic, shoot for the stars, dream BIG, work hard and NEVER, EVER give up, however at the end of the day it’s not always smooth sailing… this week, I have felt a deep tinge of disillusionment and disappointment in the industry I am trying to hard to make a change to. So to say I have a bone to pick is an understatement!
I generally stay away from reading magazines, especially when I am in a “designing” mood, I prefer to draw influences from less common places, however I decided to buy a copy of a few different “popular” women’s publications and was left feeling infuriated.
I digress, I started this label because I felt there was a desperate need of quality clothing for “real” women that was sexy, tailored and glamorous. I wanted to make a difference in the media and the way women are perceived, I wanted women to feel empowered by fashion rather than enslaved.
Yet it seems every time I open a women’s mag something catches my eye and sends me into fury. There was one publication in particular which will remain nameless that had a great article on women over coming eating disorders and what they went through to finally reach a point where they were “friends” with their body, these were real everyday women, in each of their stories they mentioned the pressure of feeling as if they needed to aspire to some “perfect” ideal… accompanying this story was information on places you could turn to if you felt you could be suffering an eating disorder, then to my sheer astonishment on the opposite page was an ad for a fashion label with a 6 foot size 2 model that looked barely 15. Enveloped by a lycra sheath. Does anyone else see a problem with this?
It’s all good and well for these magazines to highlight the problems that women face, I applaud it, however it’s almost futile when they continue to fill the rest of their pages with advertisements and editorials filled with women that represent 1% of the population, whom by the way have been airbrushed and photo shopped within an inch of their miniature waist lines and flawless faces.
Another publication that shall not be mentioned featured all the latest trends and where you can get them, in all of it’s 200 pages with everything from make-up to shoes… only 2 thats TWO fashion labels featured in the entire publication did to a size 16, a few more went to a 14 and the majority were to a size 12, and ONLY one label that provided her range up to size 20. How can this be, when 65% of women in Australia alone are a size 16 or more!
My fabulous right hand and operations manager, Cath, was out on the weekend, and got into a rather heated debate with a male in his mid 20’s who works in the banking sector, he questioned our label and it’s relevance in the market place, claiming that “bigger” women don’t shop, have no money, and no desire to look nice. What’s worse was she had to explain to him point by point, statistic by statistic why he was so far off the mark, till he finally agreed she had a fair argument. When she told me this my blood boiled and I was so very saddened, is this really what it’s come to? Is this the perception of women who don’t fit the “perfect” size 8 stereo type?
So I implore all of you that may be reading this for your feedback, I want to know about your experiences, your feelings and what goes through your mind every time you open a magazine, or walk into a shop that doesn’t have YOUR size! What happens when you want to find something for a special occasion or something nice for work, and you are forced into a department called “plus size” even though you represent the average, real woman. I want to know what goes through your minds when you read these magazines and see the TV shows, I want to hear YOUR stories…mailto:info@lilmama.com.au
Please email me at Look forward to hearing from you all, till next week.
Much LuvMamaxxx
Wednesday 11 July 2007
This week was all about culture at Lil’ Mama, as I was out and about getting a good dose of live music and theatre.
Thursday night was the opening of the David Campbell’s “Company” an awesome little musical written by one of Broadway’s legends Stephen Sondheim, who flew all the way here for the premier performance.
Company is a fabulous little story about a 30 something bachelor named Bobby whose friends are all married off and putting pressure on him to settle down… it’s one of those great stories that so many of us can relate to, and Campbell’s performance is nothing less than stunning.
Also roaming the country the last couple of weeks has been the Human Nature boys on their biggest Aussie tour to date! The boys wrapped up their tour on Saturday night to a sold out crowd at the Entertainment Centre, with their Motown show. My feet are still sore from dancing the night away to 70’s disco tracks till the wee hours of Sunday morning with the boys at their end of show party!
At Lil’ Mama HQ we were very excited to send out our second installment of L’Amour D’ Éclat, and have loved hearing all your great feedback! Keep it coming!
Well that’s about it, till next week…
Much LuvMamaxxx
Thursday night was the opening of the David Campbell’s “Company” an awesome little musical written by one of Broadway’s legends Stephen Sondheim, who flew all the way here for the premier performance.
Company is a fabulous little story about a 30 something bachelor named Bobby whose friends are all married off and putting pressure on him to settle down… it’s one of those great stories that so many of us can relate to, and Campbell’s performance is nothing less than stunning.
Also roaming the country the last couple of weeks has been the Human Nature boys on their biggest Aussie tour to date! The boys wrapped up their tour on Saturday night to a sold out crowd at the Entertainment Centre, with their Motown show. My feet are still sore from dancing the night away to 70’s disco tracks till the wee hours of Sunday morning with the boys at their end of show party!
At Lil’ Mama HQ we were very excited to send out our second installment of L’Amour D’ Éclat, and have loved hearing all your great feedback! Keep it coming!
Well that’s about it, till next week…
Much LuvMamaxxx
Tuesday 26 June 2007
Knocked Up, Ed Hardy and Guns N' Roses all in a weeks work!
The past week has been nothing less than go-go-go!!!!!
On Tuesday night, I attended the red carpet premier of “Knocked Up”, as I was walking down the red carpet, trying to avoid frost bite and hypothermia from the maddening winds and icy rain, my dear friend Bianca Dye gave me a very kind warning about a particular scene in the film, and for that I am truly thankful, I have never really been the maternal type, however after seeing this film, I have firmly decided that childbirth does not rate highly on my agenda, EVER!
“Knocked Up” is a really honest story in comedy’s clothing… about life throwing us the unexpected and how love can be found and lost in the most unlikely of places. Keep an eye out for it, it’s worth a watch… when it opens in cinemas everywhere July 5th.
Wednesday night however was a definite highlight for me, when I got to attend the opening of the Sydney “Ed Hardy” store. For those of you not familiar with this iconic man, in a nutshell he is the Godfather of tattoo artistry and has now lent his world famous designs to everything from caps, T-shirts, belts, jeans, shoes and kids wear. It’s been a fav of mine for a few years now.
As if I wasn’t excited enough, cutter to the stars (I’m going to name drop here… Paris, Nicole, Justin and J-Lo) Adam Saaks, flew all the way from LA to show off his snipping skills. In case you have no idea what I am talking about, this man takes a piece of clothing and a pair of scissors and hacks in to clothes like Freddie Kruger on Friday the 13th… before you know it, he takes his slashed canvas and weaves it into what can only be called a true piece of art.
So taking full advantage of the opportunity, I was damn lucky and got my own piece of Adam Saaks art d’jour, customized ala Lil’ Mama style.
To round the week up, I got a phone call on Friday which stirred the old teen spirit, a dear friend of mine offered me the chance to relive my adolescence… in the form of a ticket to Guns N’ Roses… these boys as you may remember ruled the charts in the 90’s with tracks like Paradise City, Live and Let Die and my all time favourite cock rock ballad “November Rain”.
The band has since spilt and Axle bought the name, so really it was him with a bunch of musos and no Slash in sight…
So of course I leapt at the chance to get up close and personal with Mr Rose himself, personally I always thought John Bon Jovi was hotter, but that’s another story for another day…
I found my inner rock goddess and headed to the venue around 10ish as Axle wasn’t scheduled to grace us with his presence till 10.30… we got there to find fellow cock rocker Sebastian Bach who you may remember from a little band called “Skid Row”, rocking out on stage, still frizzy haired and leather clad.
Just after midnight Axle decided to grace a very tipsy crowd with his presence… looking like a fat old fart off the set of Magnum PI, there was no bandanna just ginger tinged corn rows, a goatee and a beer gut… opening with their classic “Welcome to the Jungle” I have seen better backdrops at Rock Eisteddfod concerts… but hey, it was midnight and he was here, well he was a second ago, after every half assed attempt at what once rated as “classic rock n’ roll” Axle would disappear stage right for up to 10 minutes at a time and had more costume changes than Cher… all in all it was a late night, but a fun one, and a good excuse to relive some old school memories.
Till this time next week have fun and be fabulous!
Luv Mamaxxx
To find out more about me check out http://www.myspace.com/allaboutmama
To find out more about my label go to http://www.lilmama.com.au/, while you are there join the "A-List" to receive exclusive previews, news and a touch of glamour in your inbox each month.
On Tuesday night, I attended the red carpet premier of “Knocked Up”, as I was walking down the red carpet, trying to avoid frost bite and hypothermia from the maddening winds and icy rain, my dear friend Bianca Dye gave me a very kind warning about a particular scene in the film, and for that I am truly thankful, I have never really been the maternal type, however after seeing this film, I have firmly decided that childbirth does not rate highly on my agenda, EVER!
“Knocked Up” is a really honest story in comedy’s clothing… about life throwing us the unexpected and how love can be found and lost in the most unlikely of places. Keep an eye out for it, it’s worth a watch… when it opens in cinemas everywhere July 5th.
Wednesday night however was a definite highlight for me, when I got to attend the opening of the Sydney “Ed Hardy” store. For those of you not familiar with this iconic man, in a nutshell he is the Godfather of tattoo artistry and has now lent his world famous designs to everything from caps, T-shirts, belts, jeans, shoes and kids wear. It’s been a fav of mine for a few years now.
As if I wasn’t excited enough, cutter to the stars (I’m going to name drop here… Paris, Nicole, Justin and J-Lo) Adam Saaks, flew all the way from LA to show off his snipping skills. In case you have no idea what I am talking about, this man takes a piece of clothing and a pair of scissors and hacks in to clothes like Freddie Kruger on Friday the 13th… before you know it, he takes his slashed canvas and weaves it into what can only be called a true piece of art.
So taking full advantage of the opportunity, I was damn lucky and got my own piece of Adam Saaks art d’jour, customized ala Lil’ Mama style.
To round the week up, I got a phone call on Friday which stirred the old teen spirit, a dear friend of mine offered me the chance to relive my adolescence… in the form of a ticket to Guns N’ Roses… these boys as you may remember ruled the charts in the 90’s with tracks like Paradise City, Live and Let Die and my all time favourite cock rock ballad “November Rain”.
The band has since spilt and Axle bought the name, so really it was him with a bunch of musos and no Slash in sight…
So of course I leapt at the chance to get up close and personal with Mr Rose himself, personally I always thought John Bon Jovi was hotter, but that’s another story for another day…
I found my inner rock goddess and headed to the venue around 10ish as Axle wasn’t scheduled to grace us with his presence till 10.30… we got there to find fellow cock rocker Sebastian Bach who you may remember from a little band called “Skid Row”, rocking out on stage, still frizzy haired and leather clad.
Just after midnight Axle decided to grace a very tipsy crowd with his presence… looking like a fat old fart off the set of Magnum PI, there was no bandanna just ginger tinged corn rows, a goatee and a beer gut… opening with their classic “Welcome to the Jungle” I have seen better backdrops at Rock Eisteddfod concerts… but hey, it was midnight and he was here, well he was a second ago, after every half assed attempt at what once rated as “classic rock n’ roll” Axle would disappear stage right for up to 10 minutes at a time and had more costume changes than Cher… all in all it was a late night, but a fun one, and a good excuse to relive some old school memories.
Till this time next week have fun and be fabulous!
Luv Mamaxxx
To find out more about me check out http://www.myspace.com/allaboutmama
To find out more about my label go to http://www.lilmama.com.au/, while you are there join the "A-List" to receive exclusive previews, news and a touch of glamour in your inbox each month.
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