Match Of The Day

Fashion impresario Simon Lock has announced on Facebook that he has become engaged to fashion editor Kirsten Doak.

Lock is the genius behind the various Australian Fashion Weeks in Melbourne and Sydney and worked tirelessly with good friends who mortgaged their houses to finance and get Australia's fashion industry up on the world stage. His efforts paid of with sponsors like Mercedes Benz coming on board and a number of local designers like Collette Dinnigan, Josh Goot and Alex Perry having fantastic success throughout Europe and the USA,

Amiable Lock now lives in Dubai where he is overseeing successful fashion forums. Kirsten lives there as well and is the fashion and beauty editor on Dubai's Viva Magazine.
As a man of many talents - Lock also runs a very successful public relations firm in Sydney- Simon takes the winter months off and heads for the snow fields where he is a ski instructor.
Right : Simon & Kirsten at the opening night of the Dubai Fashion week.

Letter From Dubai

The Shuttle's Dubai operative disguised as a date palm has sent a report on the Cartier International Polo Challenge held over a few days last week at the luxurious Desert Palm Retreat & Polo Club.

Sheikh Mansour Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Hosted by Bernard Fortas of Cartier and under the patronage of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, four pro-am polo teams competed in the 7th International Challenge

Leading names from the world of polo flew in for the event and some high profile locals attended like Farez Al Yabhouney, Saudi national Amr Zedan, who regularly leads the Gulf Co-Operation team to victory in the UK, leading Swiss player Adriano Agosti and Guards Polo Club's own patrons Kassem Shafi and Gary Shepherd . Joining them was a patron who made his debut at this event, Saad Audeh.  Unfortunately regular Cartier International Day patron, Saeed Bin Drai, was forced to pull out due to injury - he was scheduled to play for the Cartier team - but his place was taken by his younger brother Mohammed Bin Drai.

And our associate reports some good news that will please fashion entrepreneur Simon Lock who flew into Sydney from Dubai last week to attend the Australian Fashion walk of Style launch in Paddington. Dubai is buzzing about Lock's Dubai Mercedes Fashion Week that will premiere later this year.

Mona Abou Hamzeh with Nada Mirza

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And what a shocker of a night Thursday evening was-rain pelting down, howling winds. Whatever happened to summer?

There is only person who could get us out on a night like that-our very own pop royalty Kylie Minogue who hosted an intimate party at the Sheraton On The Park for her Sydney Mardi Gras appearance. Amongst the guests-Mark Trevorrow and Kath & Kim star Magda Zubanski.
                                                                    

Style pixie for fashion week ?

Tavi

There was much talk at Thursday night's bash for Marie Claire hosted by editor Jackie Frank and heralding Australian Fashion Week which begins this Monday.

Will the 14 year old US fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson be in town?. She's been invited, as have several fashion bloggers, with airfares thrown in.

Tavi has become a teen sensation with her Style Rookie blog. She's been interviewed by Interview and Grazia, attended White House parties, profiled in the New York Times and been guest editor for Fashion Television at the New York Fashion Week.

Some at the party were bitching about whether Tavi is really capable of writing the blog herself at such a tender age and if she really could understand the nuances and vagaries of fashion. She does make references to past fashion eras that were well before her time. Which could mean she does her research. Probably at school at the back of the class.

Tavi is one of our heroines. She's demonstrating the power of the blog and why by 2025 there will be no printed  newspapers or magazines. She's at the vanguard of a generation that is leading the charge of citizen journalism and anarchy media.

designer Jayson Brunsdon & Simon Lock

 The other talk at Marie Claire was just what is the rift between Australian Fashion Week creator Simon Lock and the current owners of the event. Lock's been frozen out and although he sold his share of the Week 5 years ago he did have a 10 year consultancy contract. Simon was at the party but staying silent on the subject.

Don Spencer & Marie Claire's Jackie Frank

 why we love Marie Claire parties

Marie Claire's bash was to show off the art works created by a dozen fashion designers like Marnie Skillings and Sass & Bide . The works will be auctioned over the coming weeks at the Marie Claire website and the funds raised will go to aid the Australian Children’s Music Foundation. 

The foundation was started by TV presenter Don Spencer. Don has a famous daughter Danielle who is married to Russell Crowe. They usually come to aid Don's charity but he said they couldn't make it that night as Russell was off somewhere promoting his Robin Hood movie.

Tavi at the New York Fashion Week