No Party Without Kerri-Anne

 

Aboriginal model Samantha Harris prepares backstage for David Jones' fashion parade

 


David Jones launched the 2014 fashion bunfight with a front row powerhouse that include Great Gatsby star Elizabeth Debicki, Oscar nominee and four time nominated Emmy winner Rachel Griffiths (left), star Jessica Marais, Young Hollywood talents Isabelle Cornish, Leeanna Walsman, Grace Huang and Alex Russell (set to star in Angelina Jolie's new film) and the inevitable Kerri-Anne Kennerley (right) and Terri Biviano.
Designers on parade included :  Christopher Esber, Michael Lo Sordo and Nicola Finetti, Akira, Alice McCall,  Josh Goot and Zanerobe.

Bradley Cocks & Collette Dinnigan                                   Cameron McGlinchey  & Natalie Bassingthwaighte

actresses : Jessica Marais                         Alyssa McClelland                                           Leeanna Walsman           

Mystic Meg Moment

The Shuttle's spooky prediction has been fulfilled not 48 hours after we suggested that the UK MailOnline might find space for a tale about Sydney wireless announcer Fifi Box, much beloved off local outlets like the Woman's Day and the magazine publishing wags naughtily refer to as No Idea.
Alas, the MailOnline's wacky tale about Fifi landing a black eye on My Kitchen Rules' host, French born  Manu Feildel has been given it's own shiner. The report on Manu, whose accent has taken on extraordinary guttural Marseille tones since his TV success, has fallen flat with readers. The verdict is in according to Mail fans, most who seem to be Australian in this case and who have damned the British tabloid's reporting :
      

 


Update :
A feature in today's Mail gives a riveting account of Sydney model Tahyna Tozzi (incidentally-discovered by the Shuttle) who today married her boyfriend dancer and choreographer Tristan MacManus.  

Kim in London has some kind words for the loving pair :

"A warm and heartfelt congratulations ... whoever you are"

Lick a Chef for 60 cents

Maggie Beer                 Kylie Kwong                    Margaret Fulton                    Neil Perry                  Stephanie Alexander

Some of Australia's top chefs have been awarded the ultimate honour : having their faces immortalised on a special stamp for Australia Day.
Neil Perry, Stephanie Alexander, Kylie Kwong, Margaret Fulton and Maggie Beer will face the new 60 cent stamp. What a
treat !

Couture Calamity

A blogging war has broken out over a Sun Herald report last week about Chinese born Sydney fashion designer Bowie Wong. The highly likable Wong has been on a fashion promotion world tour, thrilling fans with a Facebook diary penned from some of the world's ritziest hotels like Hong Kong's Peninsular and the Hotel Georges V in Paris where he is currently ensconced.
The Sun Herald reported under the title Fashion's new immortal :"Sydney's Bowie Wong has been confirmed as the first Australian-based designer to join fashion's most exclusive club: Paris haute couture. Speaking to S from Paris, Wong revealed he'll be showing his collection, Immortality, at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week in July, alongside great names such as Chanel, Dior, Valentino and Gaultier."

Alas, all is not what it seems according to fashion expert journalist Patty Huntington writing on the influential Frockwriter website : Bowie Wong is showing during Paris haute couture week -Or how to try to sneak into fashion's most exclusive club.

 Commenting on Wong's invitation (pictured right) Huntington says :

"Just to clarify - lest anyone assume there may be some direct connection here to the world's biggest luxury brand, whose name happens to be highlighted in bold on the invitation - the Louis Vuitton Building is indeed the location of the LV flagship. But it's a large building that is also home to a variety of other totally unrelated companies, including at least one real estate agency. Level 5, coincidentally the location of Wong's show, is home to a company called Servcorp, that specialises in short-term and virtual office rentals."

Huntington has also contacted the prestige  Chambre Syndicale who zealously guard the term 'haute coutoure' much like the word Champagne is rigorously regulated by the French. The head of communications, Jimmy Pihet, has responded : "We never heard about this designer before your email and he didn't visit us at the Fédération".

Zut alors ! Where will it all end ?. The Shuttle hasn't known such excitement in the giddy world of dressmaking since a snooty social writer in London buttonholed us at a Harper's Bazaar party three years ago and said : "it really annoys me the way you Australians call gowns, 'frocks' "

Read the full story at Frockwriter.com  and watch a video of Bowie's fashion show (presumably several floors above Louis Vuitton) on Agence France-Press. And is that top UK fashion journalist Suzy Menkes taking notes ?

 

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Our exclusive pic ( left) shows Double Bay society hairdresser Joh Bailey with a new customer - Oscar winning legendary actress Jane Fonda who checked into town for a flying visit yesterday to open a Fitness First exercise centre in the city at the ungodly hour of 6am.   Fonda did the round of Morning TV shows before fleeing the country, missing the excitement at the Gold Coast's Broadbeach Fitness First the same day where a brawl broke out with one unfortunate participant ending up in hospital with an almost severed hand.

 

Epic Tabloid Fail

Oh dear- just as it was all going so swimmingly well for the UK Daily Mail & MailOnline newspapers as our stories below  indicate.                                         
Now the world's trashiest most widely read tabloid has had to apologise for 'lifting' an supposed interview with James Bond star Sir Roger Moore. The interview and excerts from it swept the world but alas- it was a phony and after Sir Roger complained, editors back pedaled like crazy
You can read the tale here in The New Statesmen.
But there are Aussie culprits in this saga : the media agency Australian Associated Press ( owned by Fairfax Media & News Ltd)  picked up the fake story and syndicated it around the world as an original article.
One thing you can be sure of : tales picked up by the Mail from the social shuttle ( as they regularly are) are accurate and genuine.

Day Five.....

The UK MailOnline's exciting experiment to inject some colour and movement into the storm ridden lives of the English continues with yet another instalment on the great Brynne & Geoffrey Edelsten saga.

Readers again have posted pithy and accurate comments along the lines of "who" ? although one kinder gent called stantheman has praised Geoffrey  and says :"If my wife or partner looks anything like her when I'm 70,then I'm going to go to heaven a happy man.'
A feature on the dating habits of the daughter of cricketing legend Shane Warne has drawn a blank with readers but another on 2 wireless disc jockeys Kyle and Jackie O (she has no last name apparently)- much beloved of writers on tabloids like the Sydney Morning Herald brings the following : "seriously, who is paying you to promote these Z-list Australian nobodies?"Who on earth cares??"never listened to vyle never have never will'

It's just a matter of time before the hapless Brits are treated to tales of over-exposed radio hack Fifi Box falling pregnant again or going on a diet.

Instant Update

"The biggest twit on Australian television."

The UK MailOnline's fascination with Aussie celebrities continues into it's third day , albeit still befuddling loyal Mail readers.
A tale about the Human Headline Derryn Hinch's decision to spend 6 weeks in the pokey has drawn a complete blank with readers. However a photo extravaganza featuring amateur bikini models and 'instababe' stars has set pulses racing with comments along  the lines: "cor blimey look at that.." etc.
Sadly a feature on morning TV host Karl Stefanovic appears to have fallen flat with readers :

"The biggest twit on Australian television."

"Going to say it again, why all the oz stories? Who the hell would be interested in Karl Stefanovic outside oz?"

"What on earth is going on with the over the top coverage of Australian stories on here lately...most of them barely rate a mention in our newspapers..."

Still, it's early days yet.

Invasion from DownUnder

Readers of the world's most scurrilous terrific newspaper, the MailOnline have been expressing puzzlement of the sudden rash of tales about Aussie (alleged) celebrities that have appeared over the last few days.
Glitzy Melbourne estranged couple Geoffrey & Brynne Edelsten have now featured for two days in a row much to the bewilderment of the intrepid commentators on the popular British rag : "who are these people' : "DM seriously this isn't relevant for the UK! (and that's from a Melbourne reader) :No one overseas knows who the hell she is, and no one here in Oz gives a damn! Where to now DM????: "What's this current obsession with Australian non entities?" are some of the more refined comments.

A tale about Charlotte Dawson leaving Australia's Top Model has drawn positive support from one reader- guysomewhere is obviously a fan of Charlotte's with his comment : "top cougar !"

Who are they ?

What can it all mean?. It's a carefully planned marketing ploy to gauge reader reactions and numbers for the imminent launch of an Australian version of the MailOnline. There are big bikkies involved in advertising with the UK version now raking in millions of pounds in revenue. That knocking sound you here is Fairfax and News Corp shaking in their boots.
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 Meanwhile the hapless Edelstens have begun unloading assetts as their 'fairytale" romance crumbles and Geoffrey faces bankruptcy in the USA.
Just released on the market for a price of around $4.5M is the couple's homage to '90's decor, their Palazzo Versace apartment on the Gold Coast. (pictured below)

Meet Sid The Camel

It's become one of Sydney's favourite January events- the annual opening of the St George open air cinema by the harbour at Mrs Macquarie's Chair. Fine food and wine, a sea breeze, an incomparable location and always a latest release.
pictured left : Robyn Davidson & Mia Wasikowska with Sid the camel



This year's offering is Tracks, an adaptation of Robyn Davidson's memoir of the same name, chronicling the author's nine-month journey on camels across the Australian desert.
Directed by John Curran and staring the very lovely Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Tovey and Adam Driver.

Robyn Davidson was there as was the film's producer Emile Sherman who picked up an Oscar for The King's Speech.      right : Jessica Tovey

Robyn Davidson, Jessica Tovey,Mia Wasikowska, Emile Sherman and Caroline Sherman

Book Thieves

A special screening of The Book Thief was held at the Shuttle's new favourite cinema- the Randwick Ritz an art deco movie house.

Star of the film Geoffrey Rush attended along with author of the novel the film is based on, Markus Zusac. The impressively young Markus has now sold over 8 million copies of the book which he says began after his German grandparents started to recount their experiences in Nazi Germany.

Rush tells the Shuttle he hadn't even heard of the book until his agent handed him the screenplay but he was hooked on the first reading and determined to act in the flick. While Geoffrey is popular on the red carpet, Markus was treated like a star with film patrons thrusting numerous copies of the book at him for autographs.

New Found Fame

Bondi resident, popular swim wear designer and TV fashion commentator Tali Jatali ( pictured right) is enjoying her new found fame as a "London socialite" as reported in a Saturday newspaper last week.

Although Tali has visited the UK a number of times she tells the Shuttle she hasn't really had time to crack the social scene in Old Blighty but perhaps her fame precedes her. Tali was attending the New Years Day party at Catalina Restaurant on the first day of the New Year at a bash organised by Damien Downey of former Sneaky Sound System fame. Although billionaire James Packer- a friend of Downey's - was meant to attend he failed to appear.
Meanwhile on Tali's Facebook page friends have been having fun with her new status. What a hoot !

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

Silly Season is No Excuse

When the esteemed Aussie publication Woman's Day burst into print with the claim from a "good friend" that billionaire James Packer "was dating" supermodel Miranda Kerr, Aussie social writers were out of their starting blocks claiming 'exclusive exclusive ! and presenting the tale as their own discovery.
By the day's end at least one notable scribe (who has made a habit of attacking the Shuttle) was

expressing reservations, oddly only hours after we poured scorn on the tale. We know who James is actually (occasionally)  dating but she isn't a 'name'. How do we know?. Directly from a Packer family source who confirmed the fact but asked us not to name the lady.
And just as one of New York's top society snappers confirmed 3 weeks ago that Miranda is also occasionally dating a handsome male model and because that model was a friend of the snapper's, he requested we not name him. Despite that, a New York newspaper has now confirmed that Miranda has been out on the town with the young chap after spending Christmas with Orlando Bloom and family.

Other bloopers of the season : the bizarre tale re-printed faithfully around the world by those who should know better : the claim begun by a satirical website and picked up by a dodgy Chinese 'news' outlet that a former North Korean politician had been "fed to the dogs".

Even more alarming is this tosh published by tabloids and noticeably many News Ltd outlets : a claim that British police "know who had kidnapped Maddie McCann" and that Portuguese police were preventing them from arresting the perps.
This is dangerous stuff and the fact that the sad case of the disappearance of Madelaine McCann should be used to flog newspapers is a disgrace.
The UK police merely identified some new "suspects" in the form of 3 burglars who were operating on the night the girl was taken. They join a growing list of suspects that number in the dozens. And the blatant racist attack upon the Portuguese police helps no-one : under EU laws British police can request the extradition of any suspect they believe may have committed a crime.

Tennis for a Good Cause

The ladies of these Eastern Suburb's charities sometimes get ignored by the press but they really do work wonders.
Unlike today's multi-million dollar charities that have a range of well paid executives and workers, these women beg, steal and borrow anything they can lay their hands on order to raise funds.
They receive nothing in return except that warm and fuzzy feeling they have done the right thing. And so the annual St Luke's Hospital (in Potts Point) charity tennis day again raised tens of thousands of dollars for a good cause. Held at Lady Burrell's magnificent pile Rosemount in Woollahra(once the family abode of the Lloyd-Jones family of David Jones department store fame), a beautiful sunny day and possibly one of Sydney's nicest private lawn tennis courts made for the ideal afternoon.

 

Turning 30

The most popular Miss Universe of all time Jennifer Hawkins celebrated her 30th birthday with a masquerade party at a restaurant in The Rocks.
Like any event Jennifer attends, it's all about the money with an exclusive deal with a glossy magazine to publish photos of the event.

On the other side of town at the uber smart Beach Haus nightclub in Kings Cross, Fiji Water boss Aaron Zerefos who races Porches cars in his spare time also turned 30 with a fab party for 100 close friends.
Aaron always seems to be surrounded by pretty girls. The last time we saw Aaron Zerefos he was deep in discussion with Khloe Kardashian at Ottos in Woolloomooloo. How does he do it ?.

Some months ago the Shuttle went to Beach Haus for a small party thrown by superstar Leo Di Caprio.
We were given instructions not to approach Leo at his table which is pretty difficult in Beach Haus given it's size but by the look of his burly minders, wasn't at all advisable

Has Tropfest Peaked?

It seemed appropriate : a Mars Rover rolled around the grounds of Centennial Park, the new home for John Polson's Tropfest. At first the venue looked little different than The Domain where the event has been hosted for the past 12 years but after an hour in the unrelenting hot December sun without the pleasant and cooling harbour breezes many in the audience were soon dozing off.

Tropfest founder John Polson and Legally Blonde director Robert Luketic

Noticeably lacking were sponsors. They were few and far between food & drink concessions with their exorbitantly priced produce, a 20c bottle of Supermarket water going for $5. And the main sponsor nearly caused a riot.  
SBS TV raised the hackles of a dozen photographers who had arrived a good three hours early to score a precious media spot which meant waiting in that hot sun without promised refreshments. Just as the event began suddenly two SBS film crews of about 20 positioned themselves directly in front of the angry snappers. Talk about frayed nerves.

Spot The Star

And where were the stars ?. John Polson has performed miracles in getting every Hollywood actor in town to the event but this year there were none. The only LA name of note was film director Robert Luketic of Legally Blonde & Paranoia fame. At the very first Tropfest in the Tropicana Cafe in Kings Cross 22 years ago the Shuttle was amongst the 40 guests that included Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise. This year it seemed to be television stars, mainly from Foxtel.
The jury is out- should Tropfest, a great idea in it's time, be put to bed ?

Important Message For The Nation

On the day she has compared her struggle to relieve the Australian nation of it's mineral wealth to that of Nelson Mandela's fight in South Africa, the Shuttle's favourite billionaire Gina Rinehart has sent us an exclusive video with her Address To The Nation.
 Heed her words: