Even more Art News

Lance Gold at his exhibition Orcaedia

 The Sun Studios in Alexandria are Sydney's most prestigious photographic studios used by so many industries from fashion to advertising,
And a suitable venue to launch photographer Lance Gold's series of stunning shots called Orcaedia inspired by an orchid that was a gift from his mother. The exhibition is open to the public at present and Whispers popped along to the opening night. On hand were many of Lance's pals including those from art, film and fashion.
Where: 42 Maddox Street until 24th July.

Guests: Glenn &  Jo Shorrock, Akira Isogawa &Alethea Gold, actors Alex Dimitriades & Susie Porter
We were even treated to a few songs by Little River Band great Glenn Shorrock. Camera work is a little shaky (after 2 glasses of champers)

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...

Wearapist Jeannie Jets In

To Barrio Chino in Kings Cross and a small cocktail party for Jeannie Mai. 

Jeannie is a make-up and fashion personality who hosts a show on the US cable channel Style Network, called How Do I Look?. She's also a regular on the NBC Today Show giving Americans tips on how to look their best.


Starting as an adviser with MAC Cosmetics she first started doing the make-up of stars like Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys and for celebs appearing on MTV while hosting a number of reality TV shows. Jeannie's also a philanthropist travelling each year to Africa ,Thailand and Vietnam for 2 organisations, Heartbeat Vietnam and  Nightlight International that help improve the health of impoverished kids.

Jeannie also acts as a sort of sounding board for new young designers trying to team them up with established stars for those all important outfits for red carpet appearances. Her self named skill is dubbed Wearapy and Jeannie has become known as a Wearapist.
Arriving at Barrio Mario Jeannie caused quote a stir amongst onlookers and when asked what brand of outfit she was wearing she was momentarily stumped..until she finally remembered she was wearaping local designer Akira Isogawa.

We liked Jeannie. She was a refreshing change from some of the snootier slebs currently doing the rounds about Sydney.

Flowers and Art

Michelle Jank

                                                              Sydney has a brand new art gallery and it's a beauty. The new Martin Browne Gallery in Paddington opposite Trumper Park is an old industrial art deco style building just taken over by Browne who was previously based in Potts Point.         

Kylie Kwong

Saskia Haveks

Martin has turned the building into one of the cities finest premises that promises to be used for a lot more than art exhibitions. Last night it was the location for one of Browne's first big parties-the launch of

floral designer Saskia Haveks book Grandiflora Celebrations, a beautiful collection of gorgeous photographs of Saskia’s designs.

Grandiflora is one of the smartest florists in town. At the lower end of Macleay Street, Potts Point, they supply all sorts of fashionable people like fashion designers Akira Isogawa and Michelle Jank, restaurateur and MasterChef star Kylie Kwong, Singapore Fashion Week, numerous corporate board rooms and some of Sydney's grandest houses.

Leo Schofield did the honours and launched the book while party-goers ate smoked salmon and quaffed Mumm champers.

SBS TV's Jenny Brokie & friend

event designer James Gordon took pet poodle Bob to the party

'Extremists' We Like

Brian Sherman & daughter Ondine with a friendly Kangaroo
courtesy Voiceless

The billionaire Brian Sherman last week hit back at the Shooters & Fisher's Party MP Robert Borsack who claimed in the NSW Parliament on May 11th that Sherman's Voiceless was an "extremist animal rights group".

On it's website Voiceless says: “Voiceless will bring the institutionalised suffering of animals to the forefront of Australia’s agenda; ensuring that animal protection is the next great social justice movement.” 

 Borsack says that Voiceless was one of many 'extremist' groups attempting to buy credibility at Universities and other teaching bodies. Sherman is a well known philanthropist who donates millions of dollars with no strings attached to education bodies throughout Australia.

He is also a dedicated animal right's activist and a vegan who wears or uses no animal products that have been produced through animal suffering.

The Shooters and Fishers Party with just 2 state MPs also thinks The Greens are an extremist party despite The Greens now holding the balance of power federally with 9 senators, 5 NSW upper house MPs and one in the lower house.

MP Robert Borsack & the elephant he shot in 2008
 www.wildhunts.co.nz

Borsack who proudly tells anyone who will listen of how he slaughtered an elephant while on safari in Zimbabwe in 2008 basically wants everyone to be free to blast away at any living creature while rampaging through state forests in 4 wheel drives.

Brian Sherman started Voiceless with his daughter Ondine in 2004 to raise awareness of the suffering of animals.

It's fair to say the writer AA Gill who is in town at present wouldn't have received an invite to the fundraiser  Sherman hosted last week-Voices of Art 2: An Evening Of Art For Animals. AA Gill infamously shot a baboon last year because he wanted to see how it felt to kill.

And who were amongst the extremists at the Voiceless fundraiser ?. Noted Japanese designer Akira Isogawa, prominent artist Adam Chang, one of the world's most respected neurosurgeons, the brilliant Dr  Charlie Teo (Isogawa and Teo are Voiceless board members) Brian's son Emile Sherman who just picked up an Oscar at the Academy Awards in  Hollywood for his production- The King's Voice  ( he thanked his mother & father from the stage) Emile's mum Gene who runs the superb Sherman Gallery in Paddington and Lord Mayor Clover Moore and Edmund Capon, director of the NSW Art Gallery.

Don't miss tonight's Australian Story Hearts Of Gold: 23rd May 2011, 8pm which features the prodigiously talented Sherman family and their great passion for animals.
You can catch the show later on the ABC's Iview.