Openings

 Isabella Blow : A Fashionable Life opens on Saturday at the Powerhouse Museum and we a were lucky enough to attend a preview launch. The exhibition was opened by the extraordinary fashion figure Daphne Guinness shown here in our snap chatting to Neale Whittaker of The Block reality TV show. Guinness owns the Isabella Blow collection which has outfits from Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Hussein Chalayan, Julien Macdonald and more. The private collection of late fashion visionary Isabella Blow will be on display for a strictly limited exclusive season at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.

English stylist, editor and muse Isabella Blow championed British fashion, nurturing the careers of many designers in the 1990s and beyond. Isabella Blow: A Fashionable Life provides a rare chance to see over 45 of her outfits comprising clothing, hats, shoes and jewellery from more than 20 of the world’s top fashion designers, photographs from key fashion photographers and hats from Philip Treacy’s personal

Nice Set of Wheels

New York got Daniel Craig when the new Range Rover Evoque was launched earlier this year but we got someone far prettier and a tad taller Jennifer Hawkins who did the honours at a rather swell party at the Overseas Terminal.

On the wharf  with a view directly opposite the Opera House it was the perfect evening. Other 'ambassadors' were on hand-George Gregan and Heidi Middleton who joined 250 guests including Skye Leckie, Tom Waterhouse, Magdalena Roze,  Peter Overton & Jessica Rowe for a cocktail party. You really have to sit in one these cars to appreciate them- pure heaven!

Peter Overton, Jessica Rowe, Heidi Middleton & pal, David Novak-Piper, Neale Whittaker, Magdalene Roze, Darren Robertson

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Here is promotional pic from the new film Diana based upon the last turbulent years of the late Princess Diana.  

Naomi Watts plays Diana and bears an uncanny resemblance to the fated royal as the Shuttle's own snap shows taken on Diana's last visit to Australia in 1996.

New Romantic Revealed

And here he is, our New Romantic photographed at Warwick University in 1981 who is in fact the urbane, handsome man-about-town Neale Whittaker, editor of design and decor magazine Belle and a judge on the top rating TV series The Block.
Whittaker says he was 'obsessed' with singer David Sylvian of the band Japan at the time. The Shuttle feels tinged with guilt- we once participated in shameless publicity campaign to name Sylvian as the 'sexiest man on Earth", which was so successful poor David spent years trying to live down the title.
At least Neale was demonstrating excellent taste at an early age!

Pop-Up Pommery

Grant Dwyer

 If you plan to go shopping this week at Westfield's new glitzy super centre in the Pitt Street Mall, make your way to the third level. Amongst all those brand name stores-Gucci, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Zegna, Christian Louboutin, Diane von Furstenberg, Prada..you get the drift- you will find an oasis at the centre-the Pommery Bar.

Michael McMahon *  Angela Shallis*Jon Cammell

It's a 'pop-up' bar provided by the management for weary shoppers overcome with the luxury of the whole place. Last night they threw an opening bash with magnums of Pommery doing the rounds and a host of fashion and TV names on hand to sample the drop.                                  

Matt Moran & Deborah Thomas

Lewis Grant & Jordan Coulter

The Nine network's hit show 'The Block' judge Neale Whittaker who doubles up as Editor in Chief of the design bible Belle magazine, Woman's Weekly Editorial Director Deborah Thomas, TV producer Michael Pell, Weekend Sunrise host Samantha Armytage, designer Carla Zampatti , MasterChef star Matt Moran and restaurateur Michael McMahon joined luxury hotel owner Terry Schwamberg and Ashley Dawson Damer amongst others.

Michael Pell * Samantha Armytage

It's only there for one week so don't miss it !

Maggie Tabberer* Michael Love*Amanda Tabberer

Julia Clarke

Carla Zampatti
 Stop Press : According to the Champagne Bureau Australia the high Australian dollar is now making French champagne far more affordable with brands like Moet & Chandon selling for around $44 a bottle. Australia is the ninth largest importer of the bubbly and with the current global financial malaise- Australia being almost unique in having weathered the financial meltdown -French champagne houses are targeting the country in an effort to increase sales.