A Swell Street Party

Who needs a venue when you can just use the footpath and roadway for a party which is what Theo Onisforou did when he hosted a party to launch the Australian Fashion Walk Of Style in Oxford Street, Paddington.

Simon Lock,Sarah Jane Clark,Theo Onisforou

Dree Hemingway

Just a week ago Nicholas Huxley who has taught many of Australia's top fashion discoveries at the East Sydney TAFE wrote on Facebook that he had counted 27 empty shops in the Oxford Street fashion strip between the Paddington Town Hall and Centennial Park.

 Further down on the gay strip at lower Oxford Street -the 'golden mile' -shops and boutiques are vanishing as are many restaurants which are being replaced by fast food outlets and $2 shops.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore has embarked upon an ambitious scheme to let out many of the empty properties owned by Sydney Council in the Darlinghurst end of the street to artists and students at minimal rents in the hope of reviving the area which at present survives on a dozen or so gay nightclubs and bars.

Tom Williams & Rachel Gilbert

Onisforou who owns the Diesel label and a number of the boutiques in Paddington has been a tireless supporter of local fashion and when Simon Lock who was the mastermind behind the Sydney and Melbourne Fashion Weeks came up with the idea of the Fashion Walk of Style, Theo jumped at the concept and soon convinced Woolahra Council of it's promotional value.

On Tuesday he laid red carpet along the front of a half dozen stores and unveiled the first six brass plaques dedicated to Sarah Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton of Sass & Bide, Akira Isogawa, R.M Williams, Collette Dinigan and the late and much loved Mark Keighery of Marc fame.

Jonathan Ward

Simon Lock jetted in from Dubai where he has just set up another Mercedes Fashion Week to present the awards and the afternoon bash in glorious sunshine fueled by plenty of French champagne relegated the event to the best party of the year, so far. Amongst the guests: model and actress Dree Hemingway (daughter of Margaux Hemingway), R.M William's designer Jonathan Ward, Sarah Jane Clark, John Hemmes of Merivale and fashion commentator Melissa Hoyer.

We look forward to the unveiling of more plaques which can be viewed from the beginning of the Glenmore Road and Oxford Street junction.

more guests arrive..more street is needed...