Yasmin's Influence

Sydney born and bred fashionista Yasmin Sewell has just been named as one of London's most influential style setters.

In the London Evening Standard newspaper's list of London's 1000 most influential people, Sewell has appeared on the list for the first time and is the only Australian in London to feature. She joins names like Kate Moss, Stella McCartney and Victoria Beckham.


Yasmin runs a fashion consultancy business advising a raft of prestige clients like Browns, Mulberry, Hermes and Libertys as well as representing Australian designers like Scanlon & Theodore and Tsubi .

 She regularly makes the Best Dressed Lists and has been a judge for the British Fashion Awards.

Check out her fashion forecasts here on her own blog and the one she writes for Vogue

Spaced Out Charlie

He was a special guest at Ronan Keating's Emeralds and Ivy Irish ball last Friday night, attending with his daughter - brilliant neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo has an almost cult like following amongst scalpel wielders with many flying in from the USA and worldwide to learn his techniques.
Now Teo has a new research partner – the American space agency NASA.

Following a visit to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, Dr Teo hopes that an electronic nose developed by NASA scientists can be used to “smell” brain cancer cells. The technology, originally developed to identify gas leaks on space craft, is sensitive enough to pick up the difference between the smell of cancer cells and the smell of normal skin.
Now the plan is to put the electronic nose to work on the brain tumour bank established in Sydney by Dr Teo’s Cure for Life Foundation.

When Spice Girl Attacks!

We aren't too sure what is happening here at the Emeralds & Ivy Ball last night. Mel B seemed to be leading fellow X-Factor judge Natalie Bassingthwaighte away by hand before she turned and lunged for her throat.
We've been assured Natalie is in good health, bearing in mind these two have clashed on the show.

Nat & Mel B were attending the ball which was hosted by one of our favorite Irish imports Ronan

Keating who brought his stunning girlfriend Storm Uechtritz to the ball. Storm should be a model. She is quite spectacular but she does something important on X-factor. There was however an Irish model there- Vogue Williams and her hubby Brian McFadden. And another ex-Boyzone star dropped in-Keith Duffy as our snap shows.

The Emerald & Ivy Ball at the Ivy Ballroom was to aid Cancer Research Australia and we've been told they are still counting the takings from the 300 who dipped deep in their pockets.

Meanwhile when it rains it pours-literally on a wild and wet Sydney Friday evening. A few streets away at the State Theatre Daniel Craig braved lashing winds to attend the Sydney premiere of the latest James Bond flick Skyfall. Craig says he'll make 2 more Bond films and then, maybe that's it.

Daniel Criag at the Skyfall premiere

Another Win for Cate?

 Cate Blanchett is in the running for the 'best actress' award for her portrayal of Lotte in Botho Strauss’ Big & Small at the Barbican.

The Elizabeth star has been nominated for the London Evening Standard’s Natasha Richardson award in what critics called her “dazzlingly uninhibited” performance.
The Oscar winning actress also trod the boards in New York last summer in Uncle Vanya and has been the director of Sydney Theatre Company since 2008, relinquishing the post this year and handing over to her husband Andrew Upton.
 She will battle it out against Eileen Atkins for All That Fall, Laurie Metcalf for Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and Hattie Morahan for A Doll’s House.

Eilleen Atkins,Laurie Metcalf & Hattie Morahan

The winners will be announced by One Man, Two Guvnors star James Corden at the Savoy Hotel on 25 November 2012.

Ian Thorpe on the BBC

Swimmer Ian Thorpe talks candidly about his long battle with depression, the issue of drugs in sport, and the treatment of Indigenous Australians in this radio interview with BBC radio.

 Listen by clicking the link here.

It's Black & White for Frank and Sharon

 One couple at the recent Black & White Masquerade dinner at the NSW Art Gallery, easily recognised beneath their masks were girl about town Sharon Sergeant and her fiancee PI Frank Monte.



Frank wouldn't be drawn into revealing details about the $20M defamation writ he has issued against a well known tabloid journalist.
"all will be revealed in the Supreme Court next January" says Monte.  'Expect fireworks" he said enigmatically.

Melissa George's Strange Meltdown

There has been lots of chatter about local actress made good Melissa George and her meltdown on the Seven Network's Morning Show last week when host Larry Emdur mentioned her beginnings in the soapie Home and Away.

Melissa launched into a tirade at Larry and co-host Kylie Gillies who are hardly the most threatening talking heads on the teeve and whose questioning has been likened to being lashed with a limp lettuce leaf.

"I don't need credibility from my country any more, I just need them all to be quiet," she said. "If they have nothing intelligent to say, please don't speak to me any more. I'd rather be having a croissant and an espresso in Paris or walking my French bulldog in New York City.
"I've never spoken out about it because I have to be the loyal good Aussie, who goes away and comes home. 

Shurely shome mistake as the British satirical magazine Private Eye would say. On Saturday night our Melissa was interviewed on the top Brit chat show The Jonathon Ross Show which was screened on the ABC at 9.30PM.

As can be see on the clip below Melissa was more than happy to chat to host Ross about her role as Angel Parrish in Home and Away while plugging her hit TV show Hunted. She even took Jonathan Ross roller skating   These thespians, such temperamental creatures !.

Lord McAlpine Hits Back

With the British media in a feeding frenzy over the claims about the late BBC TV personality Jimmy Savile, it was only a matter of time before matters came to the boil and an innocent was hurt.

Lord McAlpine's Cable Beach Resort

The 'jumping the shark' moment came early Thursday morning when a lightweight, snowy haired breakfast TV host attempted to ambush British PM David Cameron by presenting a list of names he had gathered on the Internet- 'within three minutes". Cameron put the host firmly in his place whilst shushing the presenter's blinking eyed co-host as she tried to butt in.

Margaret Thatcher with Lord McAlpine (right)

Within 24 hours Lord Alistair McAlpine , the former Conservative Party treasurer had issued a furious denial and one of his accusers had back-pedalled like Speedy Gonzales in reverse, admitting he had made a terrible mistake. There were red faces all round and McAlpine has said he will sue.

Lord McAlpine is a familiar figure around Sydney and was here earlier this year on his way to visit his beloved  Cable Beach Resort which he established in 1979 in the pearling town of Broome in the Northern Territory.
In the late 1990s McAlpine hosted an unforgettable party at Sydney's Hotel Intercontinental which he owned at the time, to promote Broome.
He arrived amongst the city traffic on a towering camel, no mean feat for the diminutive Baron. Guests were invited to a lavish dinner and left later that evening each bearing a deck chair as a memento.

Pitty Pat's intern James Murdoch

Lorenzo & Pitty Pat

At one stage Lord McAlpine also dated Primrose 'Pitty Pat' Dunlop, the Melbourne socialite and heiress who at the time was writing a social column for Rupert Murdoch's Sunday Telegraph and carting a 15 year old intern around with her by the name of James Murdoch. James had a low boredom threshold and would fall asleep at parties
Pitty Pat ended up marrying the Polish Count Krasicki after a disastrous engagement to Qantas flight attendant Prince Lorenzo Monetsini who famously ran off with his bridegroom leaving Pitty Pat at the altar at the glorious Cipriani Hotel in Venice along with 100 socialite guests who had flown in from Melbourne , Sydney London and New York, some still arriving as the groom fled to Harry's Bar, clambering out of water taxis to attend the 'wedding of the year'.  
Lord McAlpine now lives in Italy with his wife and is presumably in contact with the finest British libel lawyers. Such is the rich tapestry of life.
You can listen to an  interview Lord McAlpine gave to ABC  Kimberley in March this year here.



**Earth to News Ltd : Lord McAlpine was not a Member of Parliament  or a politician.

Wow ! Look at Miranda

 Miranda Kerr showed off some fabulous curves at the New York Victoria's Secret fashion show which has put the pizzaz back into fashion parades. See more pics at justjared.

Meanwhile there is more drama at the Royal Oaks day at the Melbourne races after Australian male model (left) Andre Pejic was prevented from wearing a hat tribute to Princess Beatrice by the Victorian Racing Club.

The top fashion blog frockwriter has the full story here.

Fashion Teacher Slams Melbourne Style

Top fashionista Nicholas Huxley, head of the Fashion Design Studio at Tafe NSW has ripped into the fashions at this year's Melbourne Cup via his Facebook page.
 Huxley says: 

"I HAVE TO SAY..What a bloody terrible lot of fashion at the Melbourne Cup and the build up to it.All those who are saying best dressed here and best dressed there...PLEASE. Cocktail dresses at any of these racing events...and the ghastly head pieces they're calling hats.There is no sophistication / no understanding of race wear...just a lot of tits and arse to hook an arse with money! The truth will never be told...it's so much better to be part of a click then to be individual.I am so glad I'm not and have never wanted to be part of a click!"

 Ouch !.
 And the UK's Daily Mail newspaper has a few words to say as well about behaviour of cup goers in this piece titled
"And You Thought Ascot Was Going to The Dogs"!

It's Obama by A Nose..

The other big race is the US election. Top British astrologer Victor Olliver (right)  is picking another Barack Obama win based on his astrological chart (he's a Leo).

Read it here on the Madame Arcati website.
" US Election astrology special: Obama forecast to be re-elected

Elections, astrologically, are a nightmare challenge to call and the imminent US Election is particularly complex (actually, not just astrologically). The wise stargazers sit on the fence - the Mail's Jonathan Cainer has declared that the result will be unambiguous - but declines to say which candidate will win. Marjorie Orr (though seeming to back Romney) announces that election forecasting is too tricky. "

 

Of course as presidential contender Al Gore discovered in 2000, winning doesn't necessarily mean becoming president.  
There is always the matter of those tricky computerised voting machines.

Percy Savage, Melbourne Cup & Green Moon

And so the race that stops a nation (and it does) is over for another year. Celebs are winging their way back to Sydney to stand in front of even more promotional 'PR' boards, different to the ones they stood in front of last week.

Jennifer Hawkins

Delta Goodren

 PR boards are a new and unwelcome addition to the racing season in Melbourne, being introduced in 2008 where a (very large) extra fee is now paid for their use in your marquee. Publicists are convinced they work in promoting a product.

Rose Byrne

It was around 60 years ago that the Red Carpet was basically invented by Australian born publicist Percy Savage who convinced a perfume manufacturer in Rome to roll out a red carpet ala Hollywood and invite movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor to the launch. They did and it was a roaring success and Savage- who Yves St Laurent named eau Sauvage after, went on to become one of Britain and France's most popular and powerful publicists.

Percy Savage

 The Shuttle took afternoon tea with Savage in Chelsea in 2002, and asked him what he thought of the direction in which his undoubted brilliant invention : the celebrity launch in Haute Couture- had gone :"I launched a nightmare" he replied.
 By the weekend we will be well and truly sick of hearing about the Melbourne Cup as thousands of words will be filed by social hacks. Here are a few snaps sent to us by our Cup mole disguised as a well worn fascinator.
We ditched the one of James Packer and Shane Warne : far too obvious and no doubt the Sydney media currently in the grip of Packer's PR war and uncontested bid to build a new multi-million dollar casino at Bangaroo will slavishly do his bidding.

Camilla Arrives

The future Queen of Australia, Camilla , Duchess of Cornwall has arrived for her first tour of the country.
She and hubby Charles attended an obligatory BBQ up north and tomorrow Camilla will attend the Melbourne Cup while Charles visits Sydney.

Hugh Has The Edge

Hugh Jackman on the set of The Wolverine with Korean star Psy

He really is the easiest going superstar and when an acting pal asked him to help launch his book, Hugh Jackman was only to happy to oblige.

Hugh Jackman & Drew Carey at the book launch

Dean Carey is the Creative Director of the ACA (Actors Centre Australia) in Devonshire Street,
Surry Hills (a few doors from the Shuttle office. He's known Hugh since long before his movie days and he is very well connected as our pics show. Jackman is also patron of the ACA.

His book The Acting Edge is combined with an interactive website (yes-there is an app as well) that promises to be the perfect aid to new aspiring young actors.

Drew & Ian McKellen

And many of them turned up yesterday to meet Hugh and Drew, share a drink and


perhaps catch a few tips from Jackman who is currently filming The Wolverine around Sydney.

We know most of Wolverine's locations as they seem to coincide with just where we always park the car and all spots are taken by equipment and catering vans.
Still, Hugh is about the only movie star we know who still gives a cheery wave to people he's meet once or twice.

Nicole Channel's Eliza

That's Eliza Doolittle of course and we think it's Nicole Kidman. She had rather a waxy look about her, a slight touch of the Madame Tussuad's.
Flemington's Derby Day is the smarter race meet of the Melbourne Cup racing season. It's a bit more refined. After today it all goes downhill and Melbourne Cup next Tuesday is best avoided.

The Shuttle has covered more than out fair share and even provided the "celebrity" visitors on two occasions. Now we find the races rather tiring, It's better to find a local Sydney party for the day and hang out there. That saves the trouble of booking flights and hotels in Melbourne which are choc-a-bloc.

On Tuesday Flemington is packed with humanity-hundreds of thousands of them,. Fascinators are so thick on the ground one could take your eye if you turned your head quickly. On Derby Day virtually every Sydney celebrity, news reader, weather girl and so on is in Melbourne as Sydney's gossip set flies down to file reports on the same Sydneysiders they saw last week. There is usually an obligatory mention of Eileen Bond.

Italian designer Robert Cavalli was at the Derby, cleverly shouting the word Lavazzi (who paid him to turn up) into any microphone that would listen. As well as telling us about his glamorous new range soon to be had at Target.

Getting to the Cup on Tuesday is a bit of a nightmare unless you happen to be staying with Captain Peter Jansen (right) in his magnificent 4 story city building, where once past the front door you find yourself  in an eccentric English country style manor house complete with stuffed bears and hunting trophies.

Jansen is a Racing Season regular and once raced Jaguar cars in England. One year with Jansen behind the wheel of an XJ Sports and English milliner to the Royals, Freddy Fox beside him, the Shuttle crouched in fear in the rear seat as Jansen floored the Jag and got us to Flemington in under 15 minutes, waving aside policeman who jumped out of his way. Leaving the Jag purring right at the main entrance of the racecourse the three of us belted through the course to the Myer enclave so Freddie and Peter could judge the first rounds of Fashions In The Fields.

The highlight on Tuesday is of course, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall who will present the Melbourne Cup..