prodijee issue #3 - May 2012

e e j i d pro Issue #3 MAY 2012

THE AUDREYS LILY SERNA

She’s beautiful and talented, but there’s a lot more to the SBS maths expert than meets the eye.

We speak with Taasha Coates on the eve of the band’s new tour.

AMERICAN PIE: REUNION prodijee walks the red carpet with Stiffler, Jim and the rest of the crew.

SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM Taking their award winning dance music around the world

L’ORÉAL MELBOURNE FASHION FESTIVAL

contents 24 Blue Diamond: Fashion wins the day at the Caulfield race meeting.

30 Race Ready: Flemington tells us how to get our race fashion on for the Autumn racing season.

36 The Audreys: Taasha Coates on the dreaded Second Record Syndrome, jumping off the merry-goround, and motherhood.

46 Downtown Abbey: Gold Coast model with big plans to take on the world.

58 LMFF: L’OrÊal Melbourne Fashion Festival showcases the work of our best established and emerging designers.

74 Sneaky Sound System: Miss Connie gives us the lowdown on her sensational Sydney dance band.

86 Another piece of Pie: Our favourite high school losers return to the screen.

\ 96 Susan Rep: Emerging Melbourne Designer is doing it for herself.

104 Lily’s Winning Formula: Lily Serna’s rise from maths grad to TV star.

116 Party in the Park: The Australian Grand Prix is much more than a motor race.

ARTIST PROFILES 34 Alex Geerman 84 Frankito 124 Jean Dara

REGULARS 6

What’s goin’ on

14 What’s hot 21 Beauty 94 Movie Review 126 Travel 148 Car Review 138 Dangerous Curves: Hayli-Jade is proving wrong the people who said she was too short and curvey to be a model 150 The Logies: Despite a horde of screaming One Direction fans, The Logies Red Carpet was a classy affair.

156 City Link: The Australian Rally Championship trials a new concept in a city location.

The best networking opportunity in the industry • Exposure to more than 20 industry people in one day!

• Multiple models and photographers moving from station to station to a coordinated schedule • Multiple hair and make up looks per model • Designer garments, jewellery and props supplied • Training in posing and industry practice from a professional model • Photography workshop and mentoring by a known fashion photographer

Photo: Daniel Fisher

• Stunning shoot venues – a blend of studio and location, designer and natural • Whether you’re established and have a creative concept in mind or a student starting your portfolio from scratch, Model Success events provide custom portfolio creation from start to finish for models, photographers, hair/MUAs

Portfolio Building Events Register and find out more at www.modelsuccess.com.au

Photo: Adrian Carmody

Photo: Nishimachi Photo: Rey Susanto

Make it a

Sunday 13 May 2012

Mother’s Day

Walk or run for breast cancer research Adelaide • Brisbane • Canberra • Darwin • Geelong Gold Coast • Hobart • Melbourne • Parramatta • Perth • Sydney Plus regional locations across Australia

Gold sponsors

Major sponsor

Media partners

Organised by WOMEN IN SUPER

Proceeds to

To register, shop and fundraise go to mothersdayclassic.com.au MDC 0175_180x120.indd 1

14/02/12 4:44 PM

InDaHouse You’ll notice this edition of prodijee is quite a bit larger than that the previous one. And quite frankly, it could have been substantially larger again.

The first few months of the year in Australia, and Melbourne in particular, is frantic with major fashion, sport and entertainment events.

We’ve recently witnessed another successful running of the Qantas F1 Australian Grand Prix and L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival, which firmly focussed attention on the country.

We are in the middle of the Melbourne Comedy Festival as we publish, the football season is well under way and memories of the Australian Tennis Open held at Melbourne Park in January are still fresh in our minds.

Despite the doom and gloom of the GFC and recession throughout parts of the world, there is plenty of good news

to keep our spirits up.

Another heart-warming bit of news right now is the massive success of Melbourne singer-songwriter, Gotye, whose single Somebody that I used to Know (featuring Kimbra) hit number one on the US chart just before we published.

To achieve number one status is a great achievement on its own, but to do so as an independent artist provides inspiration to struggling artists around the world that dreams really can come true.

Another independent act, Sneaky Sound System, has also proven that you don’t need major record company support to be successful.

Rejected early on by record company executives, Sneaky Sound System had the last laugh by releasing an independent album that went double

platinum, and won Arias for Best Dance Release and Best Breakthrough Artist.

The second album, 2 arrived in 2008, featuring the number one UK club smash, It’s Not My Problem. A year later, I Will Be Here, took Sneaky Sound System to the top of the US dance airplay charts.

Miss Connie talks more about her band’s rise to the top in our exclusive interview, which starts on page 74.

Someone else who refuses to be told she can’t pursue her dream is Melbourne glamour model, Hayli-Jade.

Tired of rejection for being “too short and curvy”, Hayli-Jade took control of her own career by going freelance.

She also plans to open her own agency for short, curvy girls. Hayli-Jade’s story appears on page 138.

DARREN HOUSE

what’s goin’ on prodijee Editor Darren House darren@prodijee.com Fashion & Accessories Editor Carol Sheridan carol@prodijee.com Art Director Carolyn Stevens Contributing Writers Allan Edwards David Dowsey Angela Anderson Jenna McKenzie Contributing Photographers Matthew Wren Andrew Browne Terrence Credlin John Doig Michelle McLaren Advertising advertising@prodijee. com.au

INFAMOUS HOLLYWOOD BAD boy, Charlie Sheen, has lent his bad boy image to a car - the Abarth 500.

Sheen stars in the latest US TV advertisement for the wild child car - called House Arrest - that plays on Sheen’s reputation for fast cars, fast living, fast women and hot parties.

The advertisement also features Catrinel Menghia, the stunning model and actress who made an impact - cappuccino foam and all in Seduction the first US Abarth TV commercial that became an internet sensation and popular Super Bowl advertisement.

House Arrest shows Sheen blasting his Abarth 500 around the inside of a Hollywood mansion during a party

full of glamorous women.

Wearing an ankle monitor bracelet, Sheen announces “I love being under house arrest,” before turning to Catrinel Menghia and asking, “What do I get for good behaviour?”

“The Abarth 500 is the ‘small but wicked’ personality of the Fiat family and this spot captures that attitude and spirit,” said Olivier Francois, Head of Fiat Brand worldwide.”

The ad is unlikely to be shown in Australia due to rules restricting how cars are shown in TV advertising.

You can view the commercial on YouTube here: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=jjYxE2VD7VE

Business Support Peter Sheridan IT Support Andrew Browne Published by: prodijee PO Box 4158 Ringwood, 3134, Vic. Australia +613 9870 3816 info@prodijee.com www.prodijee.com

BE GREEN EMBRACE THE SCREEN!

No trees were harmed during the production of this magazine.

Material published in prodijee is copyright and may not be reproduced by any means of duplication without the written permission of the publisher.

Fiat has made good use of Charlie Sheen’s notorious reputation by using the US actor to front its latest Abarth 500 TV campaign.

RMIT UNIVERSITY HAS named businesswoman, Natalie Bloom, its Alumnus of the Year for 2012.

After commencing business in her parents’ Melbourne home, Natalie has grown the operation into a global cosmetics company, Bloom Pty Ltd, which has a focus on natural ingredients and a strong design sensibility.

Natalie, who remains at the helm of the company, was named Alumnus of the Year in recognition of her achievements in business and the community.

Natalie said the practical focus of her degree at RMIT helped shape her career.

“RMIT was very good at giving me a broad approach to design,” said Natalie.

We studied cinematography, life drawing, marketing, advertising, typography, packaging design and illustration,” she said. “What I learnt at RMIT was quite invaluable for me starting a business, because

in business it’s not just about the package, it’s about everything else that goes with it; how it is photographed, or merchandised in store. It’s the full brand management.”

I loved studying at RMIT. I felt it was really a wider design community with fashion design, architecture, and textile design. It’s so lovely to come back here.”

RMIT Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Margaret Gardner, said: “Natalie made RMIT when she was awarded Victorian Young Australian of the Year in 1997.

“And Natalie is also an ambassador and supporter of arts and memorial centres in Melbourne.

In addition. She is an inspirational role model for students and a wellknown personality.”

Previous award recipients include Archibald prize-winning artist, Sam Leach and the founder of Engineers Without Borders, Daniel Almagor.

LETTERS AND NUMBERS star Lily Serna has been chosen to cohost SBS’s new weekly food and travel program, Destination Flavour.

The program will be a culinary compass, pointing to all things fascinating in the world of food.

SBS has commissioned the weekly 10x25 show, which sees Lily joined by two enthusiastic foodie travellers, Masterchef winner Adam Liaw, and Renee Lim (SBS’s Food Investigators and East West 101).

The trio will journey across Australia seeking out tales and characters from the vast world of food production and preparation.

“I am really excited to be heading

out of the studio and onto the road with such a fantastic new show,” said Lily.

“It is very different from Letters and Numbers and I am really looking forward to the new challenge and adventures ahead and of course to sampling all the great food.”

Produced in house, the series will profile Australia’s top providores and food producers, cutting edge city restaurants and much loved family-run suburban eateries.

Turn to page 104 to read prodijee’s exclusive interview with Lily Serna.

Natalie Bloom’s cosmetics are sold in more than 18 countries.

A very Posh Range Rover

SINCE GOING ON sale last September, the Range Rover Evoque has received more than 100 awards. Land Rover is now offering an exclusive Range Rover Evoque Special Edition, the result of collaboration between Gerry McGovern, Director of Design, Land Rover, and Victoria Beckham, winner of the coveted Designer Brand of the Year award at the 2011 British Fashion Awards.

McGovern explains: “The intention was to create a Special Edition that extends its character

through understated, restrained colour and detail changes.

“Both Land Rover and Victoria Beckham are British luxury brands with credibility and global appeal.

This dual ‘Britishness’ makes the collaboration even more exciting, especially when considering the huge audience for bespoke products around the world.”

Victoria Beckham said: “For me (Range Rover is) the epitome of quality and luxury. My brand is also known for quality and workmanship, so it felt like the

perfect collaboration.”

A hand stitched leather wallet, with rose-gold detail containing a guide to the features of the car is co-branded Range Rover Evoque and signed by Victoria Beckham Victoria Beckham explains her approach: “I did a lot of research, and created mood boards to show the team my love of timeless and classic design. I looked at yachts, luxury jets, classic cars, movies, personalities and fashion.

“It’s the small detail that makes all the difference. I want everyone who gets into this car to feel special and empowered by its quality and craftsmanship.”

McGovern said: “We were keen to ensure that the vehicle would appeal equally to both men and women, in fact Victoria always maintained that she wanted David to be proud to drive this car.”

The vehicle is a four-seat coupé, powered by the lightweight, allaluminium 177kW 2.0-litre petrol engine and features 4WD with Land Rover’s Terrain Response system.

A maximum of 200 will be sold worldwide. Land Rover Australia will be evaluating consumer reaction before confirming whether it will be available for sale here. www.landrover.com.au

DAVE SLIPS ONE IN BESPOKE SHOEMAKER, STEFANO Bemer, is the go-to man for some of the world’s famous feet.

The discreet and shy Italian won’t discuss his customers, but it is a poorly kept secret in the industry that his clients include some of the world’s most powerful politicians, ultrawealthy industrialists and a smattering of entertainment celebrities.

Bemer even apprenticed actor, Daniel Dey-Lewis, when the Oscar winner dropped out of Hollywood some years back. You can see some of Bemer’s handiwork at stefanobemer.it Among the world’s best-shod men is prodijee contributor, David Dowsey.

A customer of Bemer’s since 2006, David has a number of masterpieces from the Florentine craftsman, including a pair of boots made from Russian reindeer leather that predates the First Fleet – it was part of the cargo lost in the sinking of the Metta Catharina in 1786 only to be discovered in 1973 off the coast of England - and the rather fetching slippers you can see at right.

Get behind David in his attempt to win a worldwide competition to find the planet’s most stylish slippers.

Click on the link and ‘Like’ the slippers of Mr D.D. We’ll let you know how he goes. www.facebook.com/ StefanoBemerBespokeShoemaker

Elena Arzak voted World’s Best Female Chef

ELENA ARZAK, JOINT Head Chef at Arzak in San Sebastian, Spain, has been named the Veuve Clicquot World’s Best Female Chef, part of the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards sponsored

by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna.

Elena is the fourth generation of the Arzak family to head up the restaurant since it opened in 1897.

In the past five years, the restaurant has consistently ranked within the

top 10 of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list and was the first Basque restaurant to be awarded three Michelin stars. A highly decorated family, Elena’s father Juan Mari Arzak was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at last year’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony.

Having learnt her craft at home, Elena expanded her horizons through extensive travel. She studied in Lucerne, Switzerland before moving through the great kitchens of Europe including Maison Troisgros, Bras and Pierre Gagnaire, Carré des Feuillants and Le Vivarois in France, Louis XV in Monte-Carlo, Antica Ostería del Ponte in Italy, Le Gavroche in London and El Bulli in Spain before returning to the family business.

Elena has won respect for her constantly evolving, cutting edge, research-based cooking and experimentation with flavours.

Elena oversees not only a thriving restaurant but by working in tandem

with her famous father, Juan Mari, has ensured that it is recognised as one of the most influential restaurants in the world today.

The Veuve Clicquot World’s Best Female Chef award celebrates the work of an exceptional female chef whose cooking excites the world’s toughest critics; 837 of whom voted in this category. The award is inspired by the life and achievements of Madame Clicquot, who nearly 200 years ago, set the standard for women in business.

Commenting on the result, Stephane Gerschel, Veuve Clicquot’s Director of International Communications, said: “The Veuve Clicquot was a woman who two centuries ago revolutionized Champagne, with her extraordinary stamina, her thirst for innovation and her quest for ultimate quality.

Elena Arzak represents exactly these values in gastronomy today and I am proud that our name and rich history is associated to such a wonderful personality”.

Here come The Audreys TO MARK THE release of their most recent album Collected The Audreys have announced an intimate duo tour in a hand-picked selection of theatres and clubs across Australia.

Taasha Coates and Tristan Goodall will play songs off all three albums, plus some new material.

Collected is a unique package containing their three ARIA winning albums from 2011, 2008 and 2006, respectively along with a rare collection of demos, b-sides, live tracks and videos, including the previously unreleased song, Train Wreck Blues. “Collected” comes in a beautifully designed digipak with a unique digital code to access this brand new material.

In a first for The Audreys , the band will team with PETA, (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals), and speak out against the cruel live export trade. As committed life long vegetarians, animal lovers and PETA supporters, Taasha and Tristan are helping bring attention to the ill treatment of animals.

A campaign featuring the band members will soon be launched.

Tickets on sale Monday 30th April For more tour information, go to: www.theaudreys.com http://www.facebook.com/ theaudreys Go to page 36 for prodijee’s exclusive interview with The Audreys’ Taasha Coates.

MAZDA AUSTRALIA HAS welcomed Lauren Philips into its family as a new brand ambassador.

Lauren is a presenter on Channel Nine’s Postcards program, and also co-hosts the channel’s Kids WB show. In addition, she is a fashion and entertainment correspondent on the network’s A Current Affair.

Recognised as a star on the rise, Lauren has demonstrated her ambassadorial capabilities in a variety of roles spanning fashion, cinema, racing and netball. As National Ambassador for Myer, Lauren is a familiar face at Myer fashion parades and launches and will combine these commitments with her new Mazda responsibilities.

When it comes to worthwhile causes, Lauren has been passionate about raising awareness of breast cancer and has shown herself to be a wonderful spokesperson for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Mazda Australia public relations manager, Steve Maciver said “Lauren’s sense of style, vibrant personality and ability to connect with people makes her an obvious

MORE THAN $12,000 in cash and prizes will be up for grabs during the annual Australian Body Art Carnivale. The event will take place on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 May in the artistic Sunshine Coast hinterland town of Eumundi.

Claimed to be Australia’s premier body art event, the Carnivale is a colourful and creative festival

experience for all ages, and is free for members of the public.

Event manager, Danielle Taylor, says the event is nothing short of a “A Festival of Colour”, centred around body art in its many and varied forms. The Carnivale not only features competitions for full body art (temporary paint – not tattoo) and face painting, but also competitions and exhibitions for wearable art, vehicle art and photography.

“As the name suggests, the Australian Body Art Carnivale certainly has a strong focus on body art, from the more readily seen face painting right through to full body painting in the categories of brush and sponge, airbrush and special effects,” said Danielle.

“While we will have experienced body and make-up artists competing, body art experience is not a prerequisite,” she added. “Many entrants in previous Carnivales had never before painted on a body – they simply used their artistic flair to work on a very different canvas.

choice for Mazda. We are delighted to welcome her to the Mazda family and look forward to working with her on some exciting initiatives.” www.mazda.com.au

“There are opportunities for artists with backgrounds in visual art, make up and special effects, textile art, street art, graphic art and more. Just being part of an event like this is an incredible experience for artists and a unique opportunity to showcase their creativity.

Artists in the body art categories can bring their own models, or use models provided by the Carnivale free of charge. Car bonnets are also provided by the event for those entering the vehicle art competition.

The Carnivale will also host competitions and exhibitions in wearable art and photography (photo print + digital categories) The competition theme for this year is Under the Sea, providing a wealth of inspiration for artists The Carnivale will also see worldclass street performers, buskers and bands, craft workshops, a Saturday Night Gala Event at Fig Tree Restaurant (ticketed event) and a whole lot more. www.australianbodyart.com.au

JAPANESE PERFORMANCE LUXURY car manufacturer, Infinity, will launch a major global advertising campaign starring two-time Formula One World Champion, Sebastian Vettel.

The campaign will encompass digital media, viral content films, a series of collector’s posters and Infiniti’s first ever globally broadcast television commercial.

Filmed on location in Spain prior to the final pre-season F1 test session in Catalunya in early March, the TV ad’s launch is scheduled to coincide with the weekend of the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix (May 26-27).

The collaboration builds on the relationship established between Infiniti and the Red Bull Racing driver in 2011, when Vettel was named as Infiniti’s first ever Global Brand Ambassador.

Along with driving an Infiniti FX50S as his personal road car and making regular media appearances for the brand, Vettel was also central to the design and development of his ‘ultimate Infiniti’, the FX Sebastian Vettel. The 300km/h racing-inspired FX will make the transition from concept car to a limited edition production run, as announced at the recent Geneva Motor Show.

“This is an exciting new campaign which, following on from last year’s successful Vettel FX project, further

illustrates how Infiniti is maximising its partnership with Sebastian Vettel”, said Simon Sproule, Corporate Vice President, Global Marketing Communications, Nissan Motor Company.

“Sebastian is undoubtedly the biggest name within the world’s most high profile form of motorsport, and he epitomises Infiniti’s ‘Inspired Performance’ tagline. We feel he is the perfect person to lead the brand’s first ever global advertising campaign.

“The campaign will help to communicate Infiniti’s unique approach to performance and luxury, a philosophy shared by Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing.

Commenting on the ad, Sebastian said: “Having driven the range of Infinitis for the past year and co-developed a special edition FX, I was happy to work with Infiniti on this campaign. I had great fun shooting the advert in Spain, and I can’t wait to see the finished product in the coming weeks!”

Now in its second year of Red Bull Racing sponsorship, Infiniti branding on the F1 cars, drivers and team equipment is more prominent than in 2011 and both organisations are exploring the opportunities for a technical collaboration in the future. www.infiniticars.com.au

Bentley fires up Aspen Fashion Week

BENTLEY MOTORS LAUNCHED its inaugural Aspen Fashion Week sponsorship with a spectacular skydive by extreme athlete and local resident, Ted Davenport, inspired by Bentley’s iconic ‘winged-B’ emblem.

Launching himself from a helicopter at 3,000 feet, Davenport glided through the air while guests looked skyward in anticipation of his landing.

He then deployed his Bentley-

branded parachute over the runway, landing in nearby Wagner Park before taking a celebratory bow on the runway of Aspen Fashion Week alongside Bentley Motors president & COO, Christophe Georges.

While Aspen Fashion Week is renowned for showing the latest and greatest of winter fashions, Davenport wore a more utilitarian wingsuit to assist him during his daring high-speed descent.

“Bentley is known for pushing the limits of luxury and performance, so extreme athlete, Ted Davenport, was a fitting partner for presenting our sponsorship of Aspen Fashion Week,” said Georges.

Big-mountain town Aspen, in Colorado, attracts a wintertime mix of fashionable ‘glitterati’ and adrenaline-fuelled athletes who test their skills on the famous ski slopes.

FRIENDS OF LE COQ, the new global campaign by premiere fashion label Le Coq Sportif, showcases the who’s who of Australian sport and music for the FW12 collection.

Celebrating the 130th anniversary of the brand, the new campaign features Rugby superstars, Drew Mitchell and Tatafu PolotaNau, indie band Cadillac and a collection of colourful characters from bicycle enthusiasts to retail store staff.

Starring a range of Le Coq Sportif’s loyal ‘friends’ from around the world, the global campaign

features local talent in each region to resonate with local fans of the brand. French tennis legend Yannick Noah will lead the campaign from Le Coq Sportif’s home base in France alongside his basketballplaying son, Joachim Noah.

Back in Australia, the campaign will include a variety of Le Coq Sportif’s ‘friends’ from various positions in sport, music and fashion.

The long list of local talent includes Drew and Tatafu (Wallabies), Cadillac (indie band), Pablo and Elise (Chappelli Cycles), James (Future Classic), Jess (Le Coq

Sportif) and Jack (Sydney Bike Polo).

“We’re so excited to showcase the Australian arm of the global Friends of Le Coq campaign with some of the best names in music and sport,” says Le Coq Sportif Australia Marketing 0Manager, Charles Hurtebize. “Le Coq Sportif has stayed true to its heritage throughout the 130 years of the brand and we believe this campaign is a fitting celebration of that original, authentic style.”

Le Coq Sportif has supported some of the world’s greatest sports stars since the brand’s inception in 1882.

AFTER APPEARING IN campaigns for the likes of Louis Vuitton, Jil Sander, Alberta Ferretti, Chloe, Prada, Fendi and Yves Saint Laurent, Brooklyn based model Arizona Muse has been added as New Global Face for the Estée Lauder Brand.

Arizona began her career as a fashion model in 2008 as a long-haired blond, but didn’t receive much attention from the world of fashion until 2010 when she appeared as a brunette with her hair cut jaw-length.

Arizona has since appeared on the covers of Korean, Australian, French, Russian and British Vogue. During the Spring 2012 couture shows in Paris, she walked for Chanel, Armani and Dior and will feature in the spring campaigns for Fendi, Karl by Karl Lagerfeld and Isabel Marant. She will walk in more than 30 runway shows in New York, Paris and Milan for Fall 2012.

“Arizona has become one of fashion’s most recognised faces, on the runway, in magazines and in fashion campaigns,” said Aerin Lauder, Style and Image Director, Estée Lauder. “She has the timeless elegance that will make her a fashion and beauty icon of her generation.”

Senior Vice President and Creative Director of Estée Lauder, Richard Ferretti, said “Arizona is an incredible modern beauty who will help us continue to elevate the style and aspiration of the Estée Lauder brand.

Her rise to the top of the fashion world in such a short time proves she has the look, poise and personality to resonate with women around the world, in imagery as well as in person, I am thrilled to welcome Arizona into the Estée Lauder family.”

Arizona joins Estée Lauder’s roster of global beauties, which includes Elizabeth Hurley, Carolyn Murphy, Hilary Rhoda, Constance Jablonski, Lieu Wen and Joan Smalls.

Some of those great moments have included creating jerseys for World Cup Champion football teams Argentina (1986) and Italy (1982) and dressing and equipping tennis stars’ Yannick Noah and Arthur Ashe. Le Coq Sportif will once again supply the official leader’s jerseys for the world’s premier cycling race, Le Tour de France in 2012, having first sponsored the race back in 1951.

The Friends of Le Coq campaign marks a new era for the brand in Australia, supporting great talent in music as well as the traditional areas of sport.

what’s hot New TOM FORD range lands at DJs Look out for the new TOM FORD BEAUTY range available for a limited time from David Jones, Elizabeth Street, Sydney and Bourke Street, Melbourne stores.

The range includes TOM FORD CREAM COLOUR FOR EYES, which delivers four pure and luminous metallic shades – Platinum, golden Guilt, burnished red Illicit and shimmering Spice – with an ultrasmooth, non-creasing and longwearing finish.

The collection also includes a new shade of TOM FORD ULTRA SHINE LIP GLOSS called Gold Dust that lavishes and nourishes the lips. It can be worn alone or layered over a Tom Ford Lip Colour to create a glistening, gold sheen.

There are also four new shades

Just hours after the Ferrari F12berlinetta was revealed to the world, Ferrari’s newest model is available to buy and a model it certainly is, a 1:43 model to be exact of the new V12-powered supercar, the fastest and most powerful production car that Ferrari has produced.

Available from the Ferrari Store website with a recommended retail price of AU$299 (excluding shipping), the model of Ferrari F12berlinetta is mounted a leather-bound plinth and protected by a Plexiglas case with an official plate identifying the model.

It is finished in the same new Rosso Berlinetta three layer red paint colour as the real car.

The Ferrari F12berlinetta model is the latest addition to the remarkable range of model cars offered by the

of TOM FORD NAIL LACQUER to complete your look. The colours – Silver Smoke, Gold Haze, Burnished Rouge and Burnt Topaz are formulated with unique mirror pearls to maximize their metal effect and create a molten mirror look.

These are said to be made with a groundbreaking and high-performance formula that is bendable and delivers high coverage and shine while staying colour true.

THE SPRING 2012 COLLECTION: Suggested Retail Price: Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes $55.00 Tom Ford Ultra Shine Lip Gloss $60.00 Tom Ford Nail Lacquer $45.00

Ferrari store that cover both road cars and racing machines, as well as both modern and classic cars.

Models for children cover the same range with the addition of radio controlled and slot car models, plus toy model cars for the youngest Ferrari fan and adults who haven’t fully grown up.

The full size Ferrari F12berlinetta was revealed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show and will arrive in Australia and New Zealand in early 2013, when local prices and specifications will be announced. www.ferraristore.com

ESTÉE LAUDER’s Golden ‘Gator ESTÉE LAUDER has introduced the perfect handbag accessory for those who are known for ‘handbag elegance’ or those who are waiting to treat themselves to something very special, the Golden Alligator Compact.

ESTÉE LAUDER states that their compacts have become collector’s items and this new gem to their range will be no different.

The Golden Alligator Compact is jeweler designed and filled with Lucidity Pressed Powder; it’s made to be loved. Of course, it has the same ‘click and flick’ quality that their other compacts have. The click is the sound of substance when you snap open the clasp.

ESTÉE LAUDER says that only high quality compacts have this feature and that it is as important as the way a luxury car door closes.

And when the compact opens, the flick also has to be perfect, one expert says that it’s “like an oyster, offering an invitation to discover what’s inside”.

ESTÉE LAUDER’S Golden Alligator Compact is a perfectly elegant powder compact for that quick touch up.

Recommended Retail Price: S85.00 www.esteelauder.com.au

Looking to put a smile on your dial? Swatch has just released a breath-taking collection of Lady Originals watches. The collection has been created in a selection of ultra-confident shades that are sure to match any garment.

Featuring distinctive double length straps and their bright and eye-popping colours, the watches offer a distinct contrast to last year’s pastel hues.

Sleek solid plastic and silicone have been used throughout each of the ten new watches, ensuring the surfaces of the 25mm cases and straps not only feel super-smooth and elegant but also look ultra-stylish.

The strap on every watch in the collection is double length, which means it can be elegantly wrapped twice around the wrist to create a truly striking style statement.

RRP $70.00 www.swatch.com.au

BAR-GAIN BAGS Arlington Milne was born when two great minds met in a London bar a decade ago. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN Who would have thought that two girls meeting while they were dancing on a bar in London would lead to an instant friendship and a highly sought after designer range of handbags?

The girls, Rebecca Elms, who was a recent design graduate and Louise King, a recent university graduate, knew they had been brought together for a reason.

The story behind the brand started ten years ago.

After meeting, the girls were having a couple of glasses of wine and a discussion about never being able to find the right sort of handbag. They were never the right shape, size, colour, texture, or price. The very next day Arlington Milne was born when the girls set out to design the perfect handbag.

The pair began designing stylish and classic pieces without the high-end price tag.

They handpicked beautiful leather and designed the prints and linings for their travel pieces, making the range extremely personal and original.

Ladies Wallet - Ruby

In August 2010, Arlington Milne launched its debut Spring/Summer Collection, which included the leather handbags and PVC coated travel accessories. The range received rave reviews.

Three years down the track, Arlington Milne is launching its second winter collection, “The Winter Seeker�.

Their products are made using the highest quality fabrics, leathers and materials sourced from all over the world.

The new range has some exciting additions, including trans-seasonal clothing made from silk and beautiful Australian Merino Wool, and new on-trend fashion accessories.

Arlington Milne say that they are committed to, and passionate about, great quality, value and simply beautiful and original pieces. See the entire range here: www.arlingtonmilne.com

Ladies Wallet - Taupe

Mia Bag - Black Snake

Ladies Wallet - Orange

Mia Bag - Taupe Snake

Mia Bag - Ruby

Stella - Black

Stella - Camel

Stella - Ruby

Baby Jackie Bag - Black

Baby Jackie Bag - Black-Caramel

ESSENTIAL BEAUTY

Marie Otty, Founder of Essential Stuff, gives five simple tips for a winter skin regime.

1. GIVE YOUR HANDS EXTRA LOVE

The skin on our hands is extremely thin, which means they already have a limited amount of moisture. Apply hand cream frequently, especially after washing your hands, and avoid cotton gloves, which absorb moisture and stay wet.

2. HYDRATE SKIN WHILE IT’S DAMP

Apply a rich body butter immediately after taking a shower to help lock-in moisture. Consider products with natural ingredients like macadamia, rosehip and pomegranate. These will soften the skin, giving it a refreshing and healthy glow.

3. AVOID VERY HOT WATER

It may feel good, but never shower, bathe or wash your face with extremely hot water. It can not only break the capillaries in the face, but also break down the lipid barriers in the skin, which will lead to a loss of moisture.

Cleanse the skin in warm water with a rich and gentle body wash enriched with Aloe Vera and pomegranate will hydrate the skin and protect against ageing.

4. DON’T NEGLECT THE FEET

Dry cracked heels can be painful and unattractive – and only get worse in winter. Unfortunately, regular creams won’t penetrate the dry, dead, thick skin on our heels. So, soak your feet first then apply a dedicated foot balm with strong antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to nourish the skin. Keep to this routine for 2-3 days and the benefits will be noticed in no time.

5. APPLY SUNSCREEN

Just because it’s cold out doesn’t mean the sun isn’t strong. Apply an SPF 15-30 to the face and hands about 30 minutes before going outside. Don’t forget to reapply if outside for long periods of time.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTS

Essential Stuff is the world’s first skincare range based on the superfruit, pomegranate. The products are available at selected stores throughout Australia.

Pomegranate and Lemon Fusion Body Wash 250ml Gently cleanse your skin with a fusion of the essential oils of lemon

myrtle, lemon tea tree and lemon grass. With a touch of sweet and exotic jasmine fragrances, this rich and gentle body wash is enriched with Aloe Vera and the wonders of pomegranate to hydrate your skin and protect against ageing.

Pomegranate and Peppermint Foot Balm 100ml Protect and revive your weary feet with this unique blend of natural oils and peppermint to cool and refresh your skin. With strong antioxidants, vitamins and minerals as well as the added natural effects of pomegranate, your skin will feel nourished to prevent signs of dry skin and cracked heels.

Buy the Pomegranate and Lemon Fusion Body Wash (250ml) and get the Pomegranate and Peppermint Foot Balm (100ml) for free – that’s over $49 worth of products for only $24.70.

To ease you into a new winter regime, is offering 2-for-1 products exclusively for online beauty shoppers at www.essentialstuff.com.au.

Burberry has launched its new northern Summer 2012 Eyewear campaign, featuring a cast of British musicians: One Night Only, Marika Hackman, Life in Film and The Daydream Club.

As part of the campaign, the acts recorded tracks exclusively for Burberry, with accompanying music videos filmed on set in London.

The new cast, selected by Burberry Chief Creative Officer, Christopher Bailey, reflects the brand’s heritage of supporting upcoming British talent.

Burberry said the campaign highlights it’s new collection of timeless aviator eyewear styles inspired by the spirit, attitude and energy of Burberry, music and the British summer.

The campaign will evolve with dynamic offline and online communication throughout the summer, giving Burberry fans access to exclusive content through global Burberry platforms including Burberry.com, You Tube, Facebook, Sina Weibo, Youku and Twitter.

To celebrate the launch of the campaign, all four acts will each perform live at Burberry events in Paris, Milan, New York and Sydney over four nights in May. Burberry Eyewear is available at Burberry.com, Burberry stores and selected retailers worldwide from April 2012.

Burberry, which is headquartered in London, was founded in 1856. www.burberry.com.au

roadtest

ORLY Nail Lacquer I am somewhat dubious when someone tells me that their nail polish is long lasting, chip resistant and all the rest. I am the first to admit that I am not at all gentle with my nails but am still annoyed when I find that the so called ‘long lasting and chip resistant’ polishes are lucky to look nice on my hands for any more than 12 hours, hence I go through a lot of polish remover.

With scepticism I tried the ORLY brand of nail polish. Their blurb all sounds good, long lasting, chip resistant, rich colours, yeah yeah, I’ve heard it all before, but I am still going to give it a try.

I applied the first coat of a beautiful colour, Hawaiian Punch, to bare nails and was pleasantly surprised. It gives great coverage with just one coat, and goes on evenly and without streaking.

The first coat dried extremely quickly, probably in about 30 seconds, but I waited for 5 minutes before applying the second coat.

This coat went on just as easily, the coverage and depth of colour is fantastic, no streaks at all, and also drying very fast, though maybe not quite as fast as the first coat did.

Throughout the rest of the day, I was continually noticing the beautiful colour on my nails

and also the high shine. It was a pleasure to be flashing my hands around.

Day 2, the same. Beautiful colour, beautiful high shine and the best thing for me - no chips! This polish had already outlasted everything else I have tried and it still looks like I have applied it a few minutes ago.

Day 3, okay, to be fair, I had been rummaging around old files in old filing cabinets, but the first couple of small chips appeared. And from where these chips started, the rest of the polish quite easily lifted, but on the nails where there were no chips, the polish still looked brand new.

Being a stickler for perfect nails, I couldn’t stand to have chipped polish on so the whole lot had to be removed, but, this polish definitely lived up to its promotion – definitely long lasting, definitely extremely fast drying, definitely streak free and easy to apply, and also has a brilliant shine.

Now for the official blurb.

ORLY has a palette of more than 150 custom blended hues; the Permanent Colours Collection is composed of Rich Cremes, Dazzling Shimmers, Sparling Glitters, Hot Neons and French Manicure colours. ORLY introduces new shades and updates the Permanent

Colours Collection seasonally offering colours to suit every skintone preference and occasion.

ORLY also has redefined the method of application with the introduction of the award-winning Gripper Cap, allowing you to open and close the lid with ease. It also helps seal out air that causes lacquers to dry out, so every drop of the 18ml bottles can be used.

A comprehensive line of basecoats, topcoats, strengtheners, quick-dry agents and cuticle care products help condition nails and make your manicure last longer.

All of ORLY’s nail lacquers and treatments are free from potentially harmful chemicals, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde and Toluene.

I road tested this product as a bare natural test and was extremely impressed with its performance.

Next time I will use a basecoat and topcoat (as I would normally do) and I fully expect to have found a nail polish that I will be wearing for a very long time.

RRP – ORLY Nail Laquers - $18.95 each / 18ml RRP – ORLY Treatments - $19.95 each / 18ml Stockists – or 1300 769 355 or www.orlybeauty.com.au

BURT’S BEES winter Radiance range With the colder weather approaching our skin needs a little extra care as it becomes a little lacklustre battling the winter elements.

Burt’s Bees has released its Radiance range that is full of Royal Jelly, one of nature’s most nutritious substances.

Royal Jelly is packed with 134 nutrients that can help enhance your skin by improving smoothness and texture and helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines.

The Burt’s Bees Radiance range includes a Facial Cleanser and Toner that will gently wash away dirt, oil and makeup.

The Serum helps even out skin

tone whilst the Day, Night and Eye Crèmes will minimise the appearance of fine lines.

Just because the sun isn’t always very strong in the cooler months, you should still apply a broad spectrum UVA/UVB filter and SPF15 for protection, you can find this in the Radiance Day Lotion.

For your body, there is the Radiance Exfoliating Body Wash.

It’s light and creamy formula gently exfoliates skin to reveal a healthylooking, radiant glow. Then get a subtle, sexy shimmer with the Radiance Body Lotion that will leave your skin moisturised, nourished and soft.

I have been trialling the Facial Cleanser, and found it to be excellent.

I use a heavy oil base foundation, which normally takes three washes with cleanser to remove. With this product, I only need to wash once, following this with a toner, I find that the Burt’s Bees Facial Cleanser, removes my foundation completely.

I thought that this may be drying on my skin, but having used this product for a few weeks now, I am very impressed.

My skin is not at all dry, and the time that I save by only having to cleanse once is wonderful.

I have also been trialling the SPF 15 FPS Day Lotion. This is a light formula that absorbs quickly and leaves my face feeling soft and dewy.

I can highly recommend these two products.

So, give yourself a treat, get onto the Burt’s Bees Radiance Range, your skin will reap the benefits of Royal Jelly and you will feel revitalised and rejuvenated from head to toe. www.burtsbees.com.au

BIOGLAN

Hair, Skin & Nails New Bioglan Daily Repair Hair, Skin & Nails is a specially formulated daily tablet containing a blend of nutrients to support the production of collagen and provide essential nutrients to help boost the health of skin, hair and nails.

Having used this product daily for the last four weeks, I am sure that my nails are stronger, my hair seems to have a little more body and my skin certainly feels healthy. I must admit, I am using a variety of new products on my skin, so it is a little difficult to correctly identify which product, or products, could be causing this change.

But with key ingredients of Silica, which plays an important role in the cross-linking mechanism in collagen

and elastin, and Biotin, which is shown to improve the condition of soft brittle nails, reduces nail splitting and improve thickness, along with an antioxidant blend and Zinc, I am sure that this product is responsible for a lot of improvement in my skin, as well as the obvious improvement in my nails and hair.

Ambassador for Bioglan, Jennifer Hawkins, says “I take Daily Repair Hair, Skin & Nails because it works from the inside out... I love it... I wouldn’t go without it!”

Bioglan Daily Repair Hair Skin & Nails is available in pharmacies nationally RRP $26.95 (60 tablets) www.bioglan.com.au

NIVEA FOR MEN SKIN ENERGY Regardless of how well a product makes you feel, what’s impressive is when someone else notices an improvement that directly corresponds to the manufacturer’s claims.

That was the case with Nivea’s new men’s Skin Energy range, in particular, the Eye Roll On. Nivea makes some pretty big claims with this product, such as reducing dark circles and puffiness.

Suspecting a placebo effect might occur with this product, I applied it to just one eye the day after a big night out and then asked a friend to guess which eye.

Not only did my friend choose correctly, she was also able to describe the visible improvement without knowing what product had been applied. So, now I’m not going anywhere without one of these onboard.

The face wash was also impressive.

Nivea says the face wash removes excess oil and impurities via microfine scrub agents and is enriched with Co-Enzyme Q10 and Taurine.

I’m happy to admit I have no idea what that means, but I do know this product did a great job of cleansing my face and left it feeling fresh and invigorated.

Impressed with these two products, I can’t wait to try out the rest of the range.

Skin Energy Eye Roll On: 10ml RRP: $12.69 Skin Energy Face Wash Gel: 100ml RRP: $8.99 Nivea For Men is available nationally from supermarkets, mass merchants and selected pharmacies. Stockist enquiries: 1800 103 023 www.niveaformen.com.au

BLUE DIAMOND is a girl’s best friend

MELBOURNE WAS EXPECTING A TOP TEMPERATURE OF 38 DEGREES, BUT THE DAUNTING FORECAST DID NOT DETER HIGH FASHION AT CAULFIELD RACECOURSE’S PATINACK BLUE DIAMOND STAKES FASHIONS ON THE FIELD, REPORTS CAROL SHERIDAN.

S

onia Marinelli and Andrew Faulkner of Channel 9 hosted the Summer/Autumn fashion extravaganza on the Noni B Fashion Stage at Caulfield Racecourse’s Patinack Blue Diamond Stakes Day. Senior Noni B representative, Martin Sanders, introduced the new Liz Jordan designer range of clothing, which includes affordable day wear, high fashion and race wear. The range is made up of beautiful lace overlays, flowing chiffon and magnificent Marilyn Monroe inspired garments.

The Liz Jordan range of these highly desirable garments is available through Noni B, at their 216 stores or online www.nonib. com.au Noni B is thriving on success because it delivers what customers want and their range of clothing is affordable and very accessible to the average woman.

On the competition side of this fashion event, fashionista fillies wearing their finest designs paraded down the Noni B runway.

Contestants in the event were able to sign up for categories - 1317 years, 18 years and over, and Fashion Duos and were all vying for a piece of the total prize package of $50,000.00.

It was lovely to see mother/ daughter and father/son couples participating in the duos, making this a true family event as well as a high fashion event.

I was quite taken aback (delightedly) at the standard of some of these designs and can see that in the very near future this fashion event at Caulfield will offer some serious competition to the better known Spring Carnival Fashions.

Judging the contestants were Peter

Jago, Melbourne’s most flamboyant milliner and designer, the very beautiful Bree Laughlin, The Face of Caulfield 2011, senior Noni B representative, Martin Sanders and the Herald Sun celebrity and entertainment columnist, Fiona Byrne.

Whilst I have little knowledge of horse racing, I am always up for a party and love attending events at the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, and this event at Caulfield rates extremely highly. It is (at the moment) less crowded but there’s enough people to have a party atmosphere.

The fashions were of a very high standard and all those participating are to be commended for their efforts. I will be looking out for more events like this at Caulfield, great atmosphere, great facilities, great day!

PRODIJEE 27

Race Reporter POPULAR NATIONAL NINE NEWS REPORTER AND SELF-CONFESSED FASHION TRAGIC, SONIA MARINELLI, WAS THE PERFECT HOST FOR CAULFIELD’S PATINAK BLUE DIAMOND STAKES FASHIONS ON THE FIELD. THIS IS A BIT DIFFERENT TO YOUR NORMAL JOB. It’s a welcome change from reporting on traffic and things like that. It’s wonderful to be here for Noni B and the Blue Diamond Stakes and presenting some race wear fashion. When I do things like this people say thank you so much for doing this, but for me it’s really a pleasure, I enjoy it a lot.

HAVE YOU HOSTED SIMILAR EVENTS? I have done the fashion hosting for the Caulfield Guineas and a few other functions; luncheons and fine food awards and things like that. I try and get out and about a little bit; it changes the working week and you get to meet lots of people and have a bit of fun.

WHO ARE YOU WEARING TODAY? I am wearing a beautiful Karen Millen dress that she so kindly loaned me and also a Rebecca Share hat, who is a Geelong based milliner, she has actually handcrafted this just for this dress. I feel very honoured. It’s every girls dream to wear a piece that’s been made just for her and the outfit that she is wearing.

DO YOU GET TO KEEP IT? No, but I know that next time I’m doing this kind of event she will create another beautiful piece for me. It’s wonderful to be able to wear something different every time. And really, how often do you get to go to the races to wear something like this?

DO YOU GO TO MELBOURNE SPRING FASHION WEEK AND SIMILAR EVENTS? I try to get to those events, but its every difficult with our work schedules. We work right through weekends and public holidays for news and reporting. I’m an everyday shopper who likes to get out and buy affordable and fun fashion. I don’t always wear the big labels and most expensive couture. As you will probably have seen on the news, I like to wear colour, lots of bright reds, blues, yellows and things like that. They make me feel good when I wear them.

DO YOU HAVE FAVOURITE SHOPPING PRECINCTS AND LABELS? I’m a Chadstone girl; I was born and bred down that way so I love Chadstone The Fashion Capital, that’s always going to steal my heart, I could get lost in there for hours and hours and hours. As far as labels go, I like anything. I love that they are bringing out things all the time, not sticking to the set seasons, so if you just keep popping your head into Veronika Maine or Cue or David Lawrence or whatever it may be, you always see things that are new and fresh. That really rejuvenates me, especially when I’m looking for work clothes.

We have to wear something glamorous and different every day, so it’s good to get into the stores and see new things on the racks. And I love a good sale!

SO IT’S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY HOW YOU APPEAR ON CAMERA? Yes. News is a little bit different. We are not the stable Channel 9 personalities and yes, we are responsible for picking out our own clothes and doing our makeup in the morning at 5am before you work a 12-hour shift.

People think it’s really glamorous and that you get made up in the studio. It’s good, every woman needs to know how to do her own make-up and hair.

HOW DOES YOUR FASHION COPE WITH MEDIA SCRUMS? You just have to get in the pack, you can’t worry about your clothes or your heels. You have to get that microphone in there and get that ‘grab’. We work in television, it’s all about the pictures, the ‘grabs’ and getting that scoop. For me, not always, but most of the time, fashion comes second to my job but it’s a good part of it. Often, I can’t remember the story that I was covering, but I always remember what clothes I was wearing for the day. So if people say “I saw you on the news last night or a week ago” and I ask them what I was wearing, and that will trigger my memory for what I was doing that day.

RACE READY

WITH GREAT MYER FASHION, SUPERB CUISINE AND BUBBLY, AND OUTSTANDING ENTERTAINMENT, FLEMINGTON’S ANNUAL BEAUTIFUL GIRLS LUNCH IS THE IDEAL WAY TO KICK OFF BOTH THE AUTUMN RACING CARNIVAL AND L’ORÉAL MELBOURNE FASHION WEEK. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN PHOTOS: DARREN HOUSE

M

ore than 500 beautiful ladies, along with a handful of very well dressed men attended the Victoria Racing Club’s (VRC) annual Beautiful Girls Fashion Lunch at Flemington in the prestigious Atrium.

The event was hosted by Channel Seven’s Luke Darcy and TV presenter, Sara Groen, and included a special performance by Australian music sensation, Vanessa Amorosi.

Part owners of Black Caviar – Pam Hawkes, Kerrin Wilkie, Jannene Madden, Jill Taylor and Lena Attabo – treated us to an insider’s point of view on how it feels to own such a wonderful horse, and whether it is about the winnings or the animal.

All agreed the winnings were a lovely side line but the excitement of being involved in the spectacle that surrounds this amazing horse is the best part.

Black Caviar has given these ladies cause to travel to beautiful places in the world and be involved in the life of this magnificent creature.

The day was all about fashion and Myer, with the Myer racing ambassador, Rebecca Judd and Myer menswear ambassador, Kris Smith - along with a selection of stunning models - showing off their finest designers and milliners range for the Autumn and Winter fashion and race wear collections.

Myer Fashions on the Field Autumn racewear ambassador, Nadia Coppolino, highlighted the key Autumn racewear trends and provided race wear fashion tips.

The garments we were treated to on the runway were beautifully tailored and ladylike, with embellished dresses and a magnificent range of millinery, from the classics to the eye-catching, as well as a great selection of men’s suiting.

We were privileged to be joined at the event by renowned Australian designer, Arthur Galan, men’s suiting designer, Dom Bagnato, and Australian milliner, Kerrie Stanley.

Myer is home to some of Australia’s best designers, including Ellery, Jayson Brunsdon, Toni Maticevski, Yeojin Bae, Wayne Cooper and many more, along with millinery from Richard Nylon, Philip Treasy and Kerrie Stanley, to name a few.

The event was a prelude to Flemington’s biggest day of racing outside of the Spring Carnival, Super Saturday, which features the Myer Fashions on the Field

Vanessa Amorosi wowed the crowd by belting out a selection of her most-loved hits.

Autumn Racewear Competition. The competition has both a women’s and men’s category, with a prize pool close to $60,000.

Get in early for next year – visit www.flemington.com. au – for information on Super Saturday and how to enter the Myer Fashions on the Field Autumn Racewear Competition, as well as getting your tickets to the Beautiful Girls Fashion Lunch at Flemington. www.flemington.com.au

alex geerman PUTNAM COUNTY, NY, USA

PHOTOS: Marc Spielberg (main image) and Rick Day

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I was born in Aruba to an American mother and an Aruban Father. I had a huge family in Aruba. My dad came from a family of 12! – six brothers and six sisters - and too many cousins to count. My parents operated a very successful water sports business on Eagle Beach, so I spent many days swimming, playing on the beach and meeting families from all over the world. It was an amazing life for a kid. I went to school and learned to speak Papiemento and Dutch and had lots of friends.

My mother and father split and I came back to New York (I live one hour’s drive from NYC), where my mom is from. I continued to see my dad by spending my summers in Aruba, and I still go there often.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO MODELLING?

I entered a Seventeen magazine male model contest and I came third out of 100,000 entries. The magazine informed me that I had great potential and if modelling was something I wanted to do then I should go for it, so I did! I was signed with an amazing NY agency and immediately started working.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MODELLING?

I have been doing it now for three years.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT MODELLING?

I really enjoy meeting many people from around the world, including Oprah and Ralph Lauren - two of the most influential people in my life. I also love to travel.

I have been to many different US states and all over Europe... Vienna Austria, Germany, Holland, Greece, and Italy. I am hoping to go to Australia one day soon!

WHAT MODELLING WORK HAVE YOU DONE?

I have appeared in many magazines including Elle, Vman and Mens Health, Instinct and just recently on the cover of Sensitif, a French magazine. I have been on the covers of numerous romance novels. My commercial work includes modelling for UnderGear, Fresh Pair, and Charlie Swim Wear and I have walked the runways for New York Fashion Week, as well as the runways in Milan, Italy.

WHAT WORK DO YOU WANT TO DO?

In the near future I would love to see myself on a billboard in NYC! I would also like a men’s cologne

campaign. Having spent so much time on the beach in Aruba and seeing how you get to work with tourists from all over the world, I believe this would be an ideal business venture for me in the future. It’s a great, fun, carefree life in paradise. I will eventually move there to start my own water sports and real estate business, buying properties in Aruba to rent to tourists.

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS?

I love to travel. I also love football and was the captain of my high school team. Had I not gone into modelling, I would have pursued a career in football. I am also involved in yoga, meditation, and I am presently a personal trainer. This motivates me to stay in great shape and to help others achieve good health in mind, body and soul.

WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES?

My mother, Oprah Winfrey, Ralph Lauren and Steve Jobs. I read The Secret while in Milan last year and it has greatly influenced my life. Having already been an Oprah fan, it was no surprise that she also is a great believer and lives her life by the Law of Attraction. I strive to be a positive example to others, as I had in my life growing up. I believe great things are in my future.

DUO TRIPLE TREAT

THREE RECORDS; THREE ARIAS. WITH ALL OF THEM NOW PACKAGED AS THE COLLECTED SET AND A NEW TOUR ABOUT TO BE LAUNCHED, THE AUDREYS CAN DO NO WRONG.

the audreys THE AUDREYS ARE ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S HIGHEST PROFILE ALTERNATIVE COUNTRY/ROOTS BANDS. ALL THREE OF THEIR ALBUMS, ‘SOMETIMES THE STARS’,’WHEN THE FLOOD COMES’ AND ‘BETWEEN LAST NIGHT AND US’ WON THE ARIA FOR THE BEST BLUES & ROOTS ALBUM IN 2011, 2008 AND 2006 RESPECTIVELY. FRONTED BY THE BEAUTIFUL AND ENIGMATIC TAASHA COATES AND WITH SONGWRITING PARTNER AND GUITARIST, TRISTAN GOODALL, THE AUDREYS HAS BUILT A LARGE AND LOYAL AUSTRALIAN FAN BASE THROUGH INTENSIVE TOURING. THE BAND HAS ALSO MADE TOURING IN-ROADS IN CANADA, THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM. DARREN HOUSE SPOKE TO TAASHA ABOUT THE ROAD TRAVELLED SO FAR.

IT MUST HAVE BEEN A WILD RIDE FOR YOU SINCE STARTING THE BAND? It has been a crazy ride. It really has. I took a bit of time off last year; it just gave me a bit of time to reflect on it all and go, “Wow, that was pretty mad”, but really great fun.

DID YOU EXPECT SUCCESS TO HAPPEN SO QUICKLY? I think for other people it always seems like it happens quite quickly but it didn’t feel that way much to us, before we put out our first record, (though) once the record came out, it did. We spent a few years leading up to getting into the studio YOU AND TRISTAN USED TO PLAY TOGETHER BEFORE THE AUDREYS. We started playing together at bars and cafes, playing acoustic covers mostly; our own versions of things. Sometimes we talk about it and wonder if that is where we came up with our style in a way. We used to take old pop songs, slow them down and do country-folky kind of versions of them, like Don’t Change, which ended up on our first record.

AT THAT STAGE YOU HAD MOVED FROM ADELAIDE TO MELBOURNE? We were in Melbourne but when we started the band in earnest we moved back to Adelaide, where our families were. We moved in with them so that we didn’t have to pay any rent (laughs). We moved back (to Adelaide) because of poverty.

YOU AND TRISTAN ARE SAID TO HAVE DROPPED OUT OF UNIVERSITY. TRUE OR FALSE? I don’t know where that rumour started. We met at uni. I started studying music but never finished, however I did go on to finish another degree. I guess it is kind of true because Tristan was doing a masters when we met and he never finished that, so yeah, the rumour started because it is kind of true.

We both graduated from something - we both have arts degrees, which are completely useless of course.

HOW DID YOU PROGRESS FROM PLAYING COVERS TO FORMING THE AUDREYS, WRITING AND PERFORMING ORIGINAL MATERIAL? We started writing our own tunes and once you do that you suddenly

go, ‘I want to play these to people.

I want people to hear them’, so you start to become ambitious. We went for it with everything we had, if that doesn’t sound cheesy. It wasn’t a half-arsed effort; we went, ‘This is what we want to do’.

IN GENERAL, DO YOU THINK ARTISTS DEVELOP THAT KIND OF ATTITUDE TO MAKE A LIVING FROM THEIR MUSIC OR TO BECOME RICH AND FAMOUS? I suspect there are people who do it because they want to be famous but I hope most of them end up on Australian Idol and not doing the pub circuit, but you never know. I just wanted to become a full-time musician – I just wanted to play music. The idea of fame or fortune – not that I have either – never occurred to me.

(Fame and fortune) is a shallow reason to play music, and a stupid reason to do music because it doesn’t last. It doesn’t mean anything, and it is extremely rare.

If people do get to that level, it’s often only fleeting and it soon becomes infamy… (it becomes) what ever happened to…? There is just so much more to life than all that crap.

“Days of self doubt are important days to have but you don’t want them to become reflective in your work. There are some musicians who do because they think it reveals them. Those people need an internal crap-o-meter telling them when to stop and put the guitar down.”

PRODIJEE 65

DOES THE BAND NAME HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANCE? Not really. Not beyond being the favourite of the ones we came up with. It was the one we thought was evocative of that old time style that we like – it is a bit of a daggy old lady’s name. It has nice connotations as well – Audrey Hepburn, and also Hank Williams’ wife was named Audrey, (though) we found that out later.

YOU HAVE AN APPRECIATION OF VINTAGE ITEMS. IS THAT A BIG PART OF YOUR LIFESTYLE? It is. I wear a lot of vintage clothes.

In fact, I wore a pair of vintage shoes all day yesterday and I suffered for it. My feet were killing me at the end of the day.

That started because it was all we could afford but it is also a real passion we have, digging through op shops and finding great old clothes.

It’s good when you go on the road because you go to the country stores and they aren’t as well picked over as the city ones are. (But) you have got to be patient because you can pick through a lot of crap.

DO YOU GO SEARCHING WHEN OVERSEAS? They have nice vintage stores in London but it’s stuff that has been hand-picked and it tends to be more expensive. We have stores like that in Australia as well and if you don’t have a lot of time, they are the best ones to go to.

houses and I am living with my parents in their spare bedroom and got no money’. It was a horrible reality check of where we were at. It was a really hard time.

YOU SAID RECORDING YOUR SECOND ALBUM, AFTER THE FLOOD COMES, WAS DIFFICULT AND DAUNTING. WHY SO? I think despite our best efforts to avoid the cliché, we just got into the ‘difficult second album’ syndrome.

We toured very hard (with) the first record, so a couple of years went by without us writing or being in the studio. (Consequently), the pressure of (meeting) our own expectations, and other people’s expectations, was just really overwhelming.

Also, we hadn’t been living functional lives for a long time.

Being on the road is really a very strange way of life and when you suddenly stop and sit still, life kind of bobs up behind you and you realise, ‘Oh, all my friends have gone off having babies or bought

DESPITE IT BEING A STRANGE LIFESTYLE, YOU DO ENJOY TOURING. You make a record every couple of years and that is really great but most of your work as a musician is touring and performing, so you have to love it, and I do. You’d go and get another job if you didn’t.

It’s not like the pay is very good.

And I have found a better (life) balance now. I had a baby last year so I took (2011) off and now I am trying to balance the work-family thing and it is feeling really good.

I am feeling like it is going to work really well for me.

YOU SEEM VERY HAPPY NOW. Is that annoying? Do you want to hit me? (laughs). I wouldn’t blame you.

WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF MOTHERHOOD? Thinking about someone other than yourself. You feel incredible,

incredible love for your child. It’s amazing. It is such a thump in the guts. I find it really joyful.

HOW DO ENTERTAINERS BALANCE TOURING AND PARENTHOOD? I met a really lovely man who is very supportive. He comes on the road with me to look after our son, so it’s probably why I am fine with all that.

I might start writing really

annoying sappy music now that I am happy too. That’s dreadful. I will get all ‘sunny’ and people will start hating me (laughs).

APART FROM BECOMING A MOTHER, HOW DID YOU GET YOUR LIFE BACK ON TRACK? I don’t know if I made a really conscious decision to do anything. I just needed to slow down, I think.

And I didn’t want my life to be all about work, because it is a very consuming job being a musician. It can become your whole life if you’re not careful.

Life can also be quite lonely and isolating. The studio can be very confronting because you are listening back to yourself all the time and people can treat you kind of weirdly as well if they know your music.

IN WHAT WAY DO PEOPLE TREAT YOU WEIRDLY?

I find when meeting a new person they suddenly feel compelled to provide a whole list of what they like and don’t like about what I do, and I feel like saying, “Well what do you do? Not everyone; friends of my family who have probably been subjected to having to listen to my music by my various family members.

I certainly don’t like my (first conversation) when meeting people being about what I do for a job. I’d rather just meet them with a clean slate.

being really strange. What’s going on?”, and he’ll say, “Oh, I think he might be a bit star stuck”. It’s not even occurred to me that this person would ever have heard of me, yet it turns out to be the reason he is being really odd. I think, ‘Oh, how funny is that?’ because I don’t walk around all day thinking about what I do for a job. I only think about that half the time.

YOU DON’T WANT YOUR LIFE TO BE DEFINED BY YOUR WORK. People find it really hard to think of me beyond that sometimes.

AS IT’S NOT 9-5, I SUSPECT MANY FANS DON’T THINK OF YOUR WORK AS YOUR ‘JOB’.

Unless you are Nick Cave.

Apparently he waves goodbye to the kids and goes off to the studio every morning (laughs). How fantastically eccentric is that?

DO PEOPLE SOMETIMES APPEAR STARSTRUCK WHEN MEETING YOU? Some of them. It’s silly. Sometimes I say to my boyfriend, “That person is

YOU SAID BEFORE IT IS DAUNTING BEING IN THE STUDIO. It can be. I love being in the studio.

I particularly enjoyed recording our

work. There are some musicians who write (at those times) because they think it reveals them. Those people need an internal crap-ometer telling them when to stop and put the guitar down.

YOU WERE DETERMINED NOT TO HAVE SECOND ALBUM SYNDROME BUT IT HAPPENED ANYWAY. I wonder if it wasn’t an incredible fear of it happening. For months, every time I did an interview with anyone they said, “So, how is the difficult second album shaping up?” and I would go, “Stop saying that”.

DON’T PUT OUT A SECOND ALBUM. GO STRAIGHT TO THE THIRD. Go straight to the third? If only!

the nicer things about being more established in your career; you feel like you can approach people and collaborations are really enjoyable.

It’s one of the things I really like about being a musician, that sort of sense of community among other musicians.

last record. It was a really great experience. We got a lot of guest musicians to come in and sort of weave their magic into the tracks here and there and it just came together really well. It was really enjoyable and creative. I loved it.

It wasn’t laborious like the second record was (laughs).

TELL ME MORE ABOUT WORKING WITH THOSE GUEST MUSICIANS. It was really fantastic. It’s one of

THERE SEEMS POTENTIONAL FOR EGOS TO GET IN THE WAY BUT CLEARLY THAT WASN’T YOUR EXPERIENCE. Yes, and I think musicians can quickly sense if someone is ego driven and they just avoid that person. I think (egomaniacs) are the exception.

Most musicians in Australia are just really great, down-to-earth people, just doing their job as best they can, with all of the usual self doubt, and great days and bad days that all of us have.

It is really good to get together with those people and just enjoy the process – laugh at each other, make mistakes, make magic and everything in between.

HOW DO YOU GET THROUGH THE DAYS OF SELF DOUBT? Whiskey helps. They are important days to have but you don’t want them to become reflective in your

THE DOWNSIDE OF A SUCCESSFUL FIRST ALBUM IS THAT IT CREATES SECOND ALBUM PRESSURE. Exactly, and you think what if the (first album’s success) was just a total fluke? And because it is human nature, there were people who were hoping we might fail on the second one, so they could go, “Ha ha”.

There is a little bit of that meanness in some people.

IS IT A CURSE THEREFORE TO HAVE A CHART-BUSTING DEBUT ALBUM? Maybe. Historically, you look at artists who come out with a first record and win a swag of awards and often (the hype) is just too hard to live up to. Our record was kind of quietly successful and I like that.

HOW IMPORTANT IS PRODUCER SHANE O’MARA TO YOUR SUCCESS? Incredibly. I don’t think we’d be half the band we are on record without Shane. We were so naïve and green when we first went into the studio, God knows what kind of record we would have made if he hadn’t been there. I really wonder sometimes.

He has been a real mentor. I think a lot of our sound can be attributed to him. He is also very good at uncluttering our arrangements and he is a beautiful player. He has played on all our records.

As a producer, he gets wonderful sounds on instruments. Wonderful, sort of organic sounds from acoustic instruments and beautiful guitar effects, so a really nice mix for a kind of rootsy/insert-buzzword-here band we are.

YOU WENT FROM A 5-PIECE BAND TO JUST YOU AND TRISTAN. WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT? It was just the business of being in a band, I guess. It is pretty hard going. Tristan and I had started the band and we brought the other guys into play. One of them started a family and one of them wanted to go off and play jazz.

We had a little break between records, and when it came time to make the third we just found it was just us again.

But it ended up being a bit of a blessing because we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work with all those different musicians on our third record if we had kept the band intact.

We also got the opportunity to make a less ‘bandy’ record, which I think was really fun as well.

WHAT’S YOUR SONGWRITING APPROACH? I don’t think we have a system. It is really quite random.

Sometimes Tristan will come up with a riff and I will scribble down lyrics that I have got and go, “This might work” and I try singing something. Sometimes we’ll be sitting together and noodling around, and something pops out.

Sometimes we have a tiny idea and we have to work and work and work on it until something good happens.

I once dreamt an entire song from start to finish. When I woke up it was done, so there has never been any particular routine, which is bad because both Tristan and I

run songwriting workshops. We get asked, “So what’s your songwriting process?”, and I reply, “Oooh, my process is I don’t really have a process. I just do what works. I push and pull it until something happens.

ARE THERE SONGS THAT STILL DON’T WORK, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU PUSH AND PULL THEM? Yeah, sometimes you just have to walk away.

YOU LIKE PAIRING LIGHT SOUNDS WITH DARK LYRICS? I really like that tension. It’s good.

It works for me. It doesn’t work for everyone but I like it.

TELL ME ABOUT THE ‘COLLECTED’ BONUS TRACK, TRAINWRECK BLUES’.

It’s a song that has been kicking around. We recorded it a few years ago, so it is an unreleased song that has been remixed and it has become the lead track for the bonus material.

With the bonus material that we have on this 3-album collection we went and dug through all this material that we had; stuff that we had recorded for each album that had never made it onto the record.

DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF MATERIAL THAT YOU LIKE BUT THERE’S NO ROOM FOR IT ON THE ALBUM? Yeah. We can see why some of it didn’t make it onto the record.

Some of it didn’t fit, or it just wasn’t good enough but some of it was great.

There is still some stuff though that will never see the light of day (laughs). You would have to get me drunk and dig through hidden folders in my iTunes (to hear it).

WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF THE BONUS MATERIAL? It was just a conversation that Tristan and I had with our manager at the ARIAs. Someone said there must be lots of stuff kicking around that we hadn’t put out and we just started going, “Oh that song, and that song”.

There are also some alternate versions of some of the songs we’ve released. For example, in our second record sessions, we recorded a version of a song that never made it onto the album but then we re-recorded it and released on our third record. Tim Rogers and I are singing a duet and it is completely different. I think that is nice.

HOW DO YOU FIND TOURING OVERSEAS? Our first show we did in Canada

freaked us out because they were so quiet but then we realised that is how they enjoy music.

Australian audiences can be so rowdy (so) we thought, ‘Maybe we are boring them stupid’, so we just got louder and louder and more and more obnoxious just trying to get their attention, and then we realised they were really enjoying it (laughs).

We came off stage and said, “Wow, that was really weird”, and we were told, “Why, people are really loving it”, and we thought, ‘Really’? That information would have been really good to have had earlier but we got there. It is interesting. You have to adjust to different things.

WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS AWAY FROM MUSIC? I am learning French at the moment. I have really got myself into French pop music and I love (the sound of it) as a language.

As part of my new mum makeover I am taking myself off to French lessons, which feels a bit bourgeois (laughs).

ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE A RECORD IN FRENCH? Gosh, who knows? I doubt it very much. I am sure my French teacher would think that was hilarious. www.theaudreys.com.au

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WHEN YOUR HEART IS SET ON MAKING IT BIG AS A MODEL, THERE’S ONLY ONE PLACE TO BE - DOWNTOWN NEW YORK. ABBEY SIMS HAS THE BIG APPLE FIRMLY IN HER SIGHTS.

DOWNTOW

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ABBEY SIMS QUEENSLAND MODEL, ABBEY SIMS, COMMENCED MODELLING DEBUTANTE AND WEDDING GOWNS AT JUST 12 YEARS OF AGE. QUICKLY PROVING A NATURAL IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, ABBEY IS NOW HEADING FOR THE RUNWAYS OF SYDNEY BEFORE TAKING ON THE USA. ABBEY TOLD DARREN HOUSE HOW SHE PLANS TO GET THERE.

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ooking at Abbey Sims walk the runway during Body Canvas in Melbourne last November, you couldn’t help but be impressed with the 16-year-old’s poise, maturity and beauty.

A Gold Coast resident, Abbey was born in Cooma, New South Wales, and moved north with her family when aged two.

Abbey’s first job came at the tender age of 12, though she didn’t model the type of fashion you might expect of someone of that age. With

a look way beyond her years, BJ Fashion Design had booked Abbey to model a range of debutant and wedding gowns.

A year later, Abbey made the top 10 high school model search list.

“After that, mum (Julie) contacted modelling agencies and through them I did some modelling courses so that I could improve my craft and gain more work”, Abbey told prodijee.

While much of that proved beneficial, The Gold Coast teenager and her mum soon

discovered a plethora of dodgy operators.

“Some of the agencies said they would take me on but they wanted me to do this course and that course, and it cost so much money, yet there wasn’t even a casting on the horizon. They just wanted our money, which would have been okay if I had got castings.

“Even if I didn’t get the job, I would know that the agencies were legitimately operating within the industry.

“As a result of that, mum and I decided to go freelance… try to do it on our own.”

More recently, Abbey has modelled for formal wear design house, Studio Mink and L’Oréal in Brisbane.

Now signed to Models Health Management, Abbey has her sights set firmly on establishing a longterm modelling career.

“My greatest goal in life is to be a top model – I would love to be a Victoria Secret model. I love the fashion industry, and seeing models showing off great clothes.”

Though just 16 years old, Abbey has travelled extensively and has plans for lots more.

“It’s another reason why I have chosen modelling for a career because it’s likely to involve a lot of travelling”, she said. “I would really like to get work that will allow me to see the world.”

Already she has been to the US, Canada, Vietnam, Singapore, Bali, Fiji and Thailand. Ask Abbey her favourite place to visit and not surprisingly, she replies, “New York”.

“It is my favourite place in the world, ever since I went there a few years ago. I am moving to New York no matter what happens with my career. If it’s the last thing I do in my life, I am definitely doing it!”

In the short term, Abbey is planning a move to Sydney to increase her career opportunities.

“Living on the Gold Coast is a great life style as the beaches are great and weather is good most of the year round but my favourite type of modelling is catwalk, and there is not a lot of it on the Gold Coast.

I have always wanted to move to Sydney because there is a lot of catwalk work down there. There is a lot of work in Melbourne, too but Sydney is the place to be.

“I want to get my face out there as much as possible, and to network. In this business, it’s as much a case of who you know, as what you know.”

In addition to modelling, Abbey is also studying textiles and design at Ashmore TAFE thanks to her friend - and the designer of the gorgeous gown in our shoot – Amanda Wise.

“I saw Amanda make her gown and she told me how much she loved doing it,” said Abbey.

“And design is so connected to modelling; it is a very relevant part of the modelling industry.”

Abbey says she gets nervous at castings but loves going to them just the same. Showing admirable maturity and self-confidence, she doesn’t take rejection personally.

“If you go to a casting and you don’t get the job, it’s not your fault; it’s just that they are after a different look, so I don’t ever worry about that. I just try out for another one.”

PRODIJEE 19

“My greatest goal in life is to be a top model. I would love to model for Victoria Secret. I love the fashion industry, and seeing models showing off great clothes.�

Abbey admitted the nerves don’t always end once the casting is over.

“Working at Body Canvas was a bit nerve wracking because I was the first model to come out”, she said. “I was like, ‘Oh my God’.

“I was so scared but there is nowhere to run when are standing at the top of the stairs and the organiser is saying, ‘Go’. You just have to take a deep breath and walk.

“But I had the best fun - I love doing that kind of work.

“When I got off stage I wanted to do it again but then the nerves kick back in. You go through this process of, ‘I don’t want to, I want to, I don’t want to, I want to’.” She laughed.

“It’s the biggest adrenalin rush!

“It was a long day and so tiring.

We sat there for ages being painted and it was cold but I knew what I was getting myself into. I thought it would be fun, and it was. You just have to prepare for it.

And it was great meeting new people, even when I was wearing almost nothing because everyone else was wearing almost nothing.

There were boobs everywhere and I was just like, ‘Whatever’.”

Another bonus was the chance to meet Body Canvas entertainer, Timomatic. “I got a photo with him, I was so excited,” said Abbey.

“And then I saw him again on the Gold Coast and I got another photo”, she laughed.

For our Gold Coast shoot with Abbey, we enlisted the expertise of local make-up artist and fashion designer, Josh Thomas, who has just opened a new store in Arundel, called Joshua Thomas Fashion.

Josh said working with Abbey was easy – “No saggy eyes just yet” – and expertly matched her look to the clothing and location.

“It’s about looking at the fashion and seeing what colours work,” he explained. “It also depends on the location and style of shoot. “This morning I thought we were going for a ‘dark look’ and then Abbey said we are doing beach, so I went for more natural browns, creams and golds.

“At QT Gold Coast I went for stronger lines and less blending.

The blush is also important - getting that cheekbone out.”

The result of Abbey’s, Josh’s and Amanda’s work is simply stunning and we are sure all three will soon be making their mark on the fashion industry. prodijee would like to thank QT Gold Coast for the generous use of their wonderful hotel for our photoshoot. www.qtgoldcoast.com

AWESome AUTUMn The spotlight shone on Docklands as crowds once again flocked to the precinct to be part of one of Australia’s most spectacular fashion events, the L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival.

EMPLOYING IN THE VICINITY OF 2000 PEOPLE, LMFF IS ONE OF MELBOURNE’S MAJOR CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS. LMFF INVOLVES HUNDREDS OF DESIGNERS AND IS ATTENDED BY AROUND 700 MEMBERS OF LOCAL, INTERSTATE, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN PHOTOS: LUCAS DAWSON PHOTOGRAPHY AND DARREN HOUSE.

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’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival showcases some of Australia’s finest established and emerging fashion design talent and stimulates retail spending.

The event is made up of launch and after parties, business seminars, industry forums, marketing breakfasts and of course runway fashion. It is an event that generates huge economic benefits for Victoria and attracts visitors from all over the world.

The main opening party was held at Central Pier in Melbourne’s Dockland vicinity

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and amidst hundreds of camera flashes, glittering disco balls and loud music, the crowd gasped with delight as celebrity guests walked the red carpet and entered Peninsula on the Harbour Promenade.

Following the celebrities, guests quickly took their places in the rows of seating along the lengthy catwalk and eagerly awaited the gala event they were about to witness.

First to take to the runway was Samantha Harris for David Jones, wearing their revamped Houndstooth print suit, which

can be seen in DJ’s advertising campaign.

Collections on the night were also presented by Lisa Ho, Ksubi and Little Joe with designs featuring animal prints, camouflage designs and denim detailing.

Many of the designers throughout the festival showed huge attention to detail, with feathers and fringing being extremely popular.

Colours of black with beige/ nude/latte were popular but there were also some earthy autumn tones thrown in.

There was also plenty of Chiffon

type fabrics presented, their floaty femininity and sheer capabilities proving to be well received by the crowd. Blending of texture was also very popular with designers and the audience, and some outfits combined knits with plaids and feathers.

The L’Oréal Fashion Festival awards a series of prizes and one recipient was a young Sydney designer, Christopher Esber, who took home the prestigious L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival Designer Award for 2012. Esber was awarded his prize by LMFF CEO, Graeme Lewsey, at the Tiffany & Co store on Collins Street.

Lewsey welcomed guests to the ‘New York end of Collins Street’ and said that Esber had been given the award for showing potential to grow in the industry. Esber said, “I did not expect this at all, it will be such a boost for my brand.” Esber plans to use the prize ($75,000.00) to add a menswear wing to his business.

The series of business seminars and marketing breakfasts were well attended, with guests receiving valuable information on how to run and improve their fashion business, as well as vital knowledge on how to market their ranges.

Fifteen-hundred guests attended the final festival runway, and they were treated to a procession of exquisite gowns from Melbourne designer Toni Maticevski.

The breathtaking gowns in cream, grey and black were elaborately detailed with sequins, beading and ruffles and came from Maticevski’s past designs and the latest pieces from his ready-to-wear collection.

More than 50 pieces of Maticevski’s designs were paraded on the runway, celebrating his 13 years as a designer. “They’re all my favorites in different ways and from different times, it was kind of interesting to see if they all were relevant still and in a nice way, I think they are”, said Maticevski.

Do not miss being a part of this event next year – keep a close watch on the LMFF website. www.lmff.com.au

Von Follies by Dita Von Teese launched at Target stores across Australia “Never get caught in bad underwear.”

That was the advice of Dita Von Teese to Australian women at the burlesque superstar’s new Von Follies by Dita Von Teese launch recently.

Speaking with prodijee at the launch at Target’s funky new store in Melbourne’s shopping mecca – Chapel Street - Dita explained that she has “never once been caught in mismatched” undies.

Other than this strict rule however, Dita is very hands off when it comes to dishing out advice to potential customers. Talking to a large crowd of fans and the fashion media at Target, Dita said that it, “Wasn’t for her to dictate how women should feel in her lingerie.

“I didn’t create the collection wanting women to feel a certain way – that’s not for me to decide – but I do hope that women enjoy the Von Follies by Dita Von Teese

TEESE ME PLEASE ME WORDS: DAVID DOWSEY PHOTOS: LUCAS DAWSON PHOTOGRAPHY

collection and feel however they want to feel.”

Von Follies by Dita Von Teese for Target is not the burlesque star’s first outing as a lingerie designer: she stepped out in style in 2008 with a capsule (read small) collection for Wonderbra.

Von Follies by Dita Von Teese bra cup sizes extend to a ‘E’ fitting while brief sizes expand to ‘20’, allowing women of all shapes and sizes to experience Dita’s exquisite touch.

“The size range was one of the first things I asked (about) when I was approached to create this collection. It was important to me to accomplish the task of making these beautiful things in sizes that can make any woman feel sexy and glamorous. I'm very proud that we have been able to do that, while keeping prices affordable,” Dita told prodijee.

Bras and briefs begin at only $17, while bustiers and fitted corsolettes kick off at $79 – exceptional value for money no matter which way you look at it.

Internationally known as the Queen of Burlesque, Dita Von Teese has brought a new sensibility to the fashion scene with her often talked about love of 1940s and ’50s ‘film noir’ style and, true to form, velvet ribbons, luxurious lace and control mesh are signatures of the Von Follies by Dita Von Teese range.

Other highlights include the famous overwire bra – a favourite of Dita’s - high wasted briefs and garter belts.

The only question that remains unanswered is whether Dita Von Teese is going to design a range of stunning undies for her gentleman fans. When prodijee posed the question, all Dita could muster was a mischievous wink.

And with that she was gone.

So ladies, enjoy the collection the stylish new Von Follies by Dita Von Teese range of intimates is already on sale at Target stores across the country. Fellas, you may have to wait a while. But enjoy the view in the meantime. www.designersfortarget.com.au

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That’s the spirit The Spirit of the Little Black Dress aims to be the number one fashion event on the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival Calendar for sustainability conscious members of the fashion industry.

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his event is run by a group of independent fashion industry professionals who are committed to raising the profile of emerging fashion and increasing international appreciation for Australian design. Each year they have a fashion photography exhibition, runway show and fashion film that showcases ten of Australia’s most innovative emerging designers.

The top 10 winning designers for 2012 were selected by industry doyens: Jenny Bannister – fashion designer, Philip Boon – celebrity stylist from Fashion Torq, Sarah Gale – owner of Fashionista Business Consultancy Group, Kyra Pybus – owner of Pybus PR and Phoebes Garland – owner of Garland and Garland Fashion.

The top 10 winning designers for 2012 were:

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Christina Exie (Victoria) Gabriella Ferrante (Victoria) Emmarose Kinsman (Victoria) Lisa Taranto (Victoria) Bhalo (Victoria) Berri Drum (Victoria) Sonya Kraan (Victoria) Bento (Victoria) Jessica Robertson (NSW) Kate Aikins (SA)

Sonya Kraan, one of the finalists from Victoria, told prodijee that she was involved in this competition in 2009 and made a lot of contacts and decided to enter again for 2012. “I am thrilled to be one of the finalists”, said Sonya.

Sonya studied at RMIT where she did her honours, but prior to that she studied costume design. She has been working in a lab for the last 10 years, which has enabled her to get her own label started. Sonya admits that establishing her own label has been a hard slog, but it finally launched in August 2011. Sonya’s label is focused on women’s wear tailoring.

“I like to explore designs that can ‘come apart’ and have a ‘real function’. I am very passionate about giving a garment more of a life, making it more versatile, where you can turn something around and wear it as a completely different garment or zip off arms and turn an overcoat into a dress or a vest or remove a lining and wear it completely separately”, said Sonya. www.sonyakraan.com If you have a passion for using sustainable design principles, submissions for this event open around October each year. To be a part of this event in 2013 email submissions@thespiritoftheblackdress.com.au for further details and sustainability guidelines. www.thespiritoftheblackdress.com.au

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‘MISS CONNIE’ MITCHELL THOUGHT HE WAS DODGY. ‘BLACK ANGUS’ MCDONALD THOUGHT SHE WAS A STAR. THE PAIR BEGAN MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER IN 2004 AND THEY’VE BEEN WOWING FANS AROUND THE WORLD EVER SINCE.

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REJECTED BY RECORD COMPANIES, SYDNEY’S SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM HIT BACK WITH AN INDEPENDENTLY PRODUCED NUMBER ONE. A SUCCESSFUL SECOND ALBUM FOLLOWED, AND HAVING NOW WORKED WITH SOME OF THE BIGGEST INDUSTRY NAMES, SSS CAN DO NO WRONG. DARREN HOUSE CAUGHT UP WITH MISS CONNIE JUST AFTER SHE ENDURED A US CONSULATE COMPUTER MELTDOWN WHILE CHASING A WORK VISA JUST DAYS FROM COMMENCING ANOTHER AMERICAN TOUR. WAS TODAY JUST ANOTHER CRAZY DAY IN A CRAZY MONTH? For sure! Actually, it’s been a crazy couple of years.

YOU ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON A GRUELLING TOURING SCHEDULE, TRAVELLING TO MANY COUNTRIES. Yes, we are. We start touring in Kuala Lumpa and then we head to Miami, New York, LA, then back to Australia for a national tour, which I am really excited about, and then the UK and Ibiza.

HOW DO YOU COPE DOING SO MANY PERFORMANCES? I love performing. It is something I have been doing since I was about three years old, so it’s quite natural to me. It’s not that gruelling at all.

The only thing gruelling thing would be that sometimes it can be taxing for my voice if after the show I want to have a big night out and chat to everyone for hours, but that’s my own fault.

Apart from that, no, I don’t mind it at all. I get to travel the world and I get to sing; it’s pretty much a good deal in my book.

HAVE YOU EVER LOST YOUR VOICE AND HAD TO CANCEL A PERFORMANCE? I have, but that would have been because we had too many gigs back to back. But with the use of inear monitors, now, you don’t have to push it too hard so I don’t tend to lose it as much but before when I was using the old school foldback and we had seven gigs in a row then I’d be shot by the eighth day.

You have to love when you have done something and people like it, right? I am joyously overwhelmed anytime anyone comes up to me in the street and says “I really like what you do”, because that’s why you do it. You do it one, because you love doing it and two, it is an honour every time someone says to you, “I like it too”. It is a real bonus there.

It’s better than the opposite!

WHAT’S IT LIKE WHEN YOU ARE BUILDING A CAREER AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU BREAK THROUGH? It’s a real roller coaster because it’s something that you have been striving for, for such a long time and then, when it actually happens, you don’t fully appreciate it all you are ‘in the moment’ The pinnacle for anyone in any artistic endeavour is to be recognised for their talents and to be celebrated for them, together with your own celebration of having people actually appreciate and admire what you have done.

TELL ME ABOUT HOW YOUR CAREER BEGAN AT AGE THREE. My mother was an entertainer and in one of the performances she did, she had to have a toddler on stage.

I went on and a did a little dance and that was my first performance.

I was singing at age five or six and it started from there. I used to figure skate when I was 8; I could have been a figure skater (laughs).

Imagine that.

HOW HAVE YOU HANDLED BEING RECOGNISED IN PUBLIC?

ANGUS AND DAIMON FOUND YOU IN A SYDNEY PARK? They met me in a park. I was sitting there with a couple of girls and I was playing ‘Knights in White Satin’ on the guitar.

from some really good advice from MGM, which is also responsible for another amazing independent artist, John Butler. I think our success was a victory for musicians, not the huge conglomerate (record companies) who market it and shove it down people’s throats. It’s about giving the public they want.

YOU GET TO PROTECT YOUR MUSICAL INTEGRITY Yeah, totally! That’s right. And no one is taking a big slice of it. It’s yours. You made it, you own it.

HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THAT SELF DOUBT? I say the captain of the ship is Angus McDonald and his outstanding and unfailing faith that this was absolutely going to be what it was; he was an absolute anchor point for that. I would say for other people, if they are not blessed to have someone like Angus, then you have to have that faith yourself – believe that you have it.

But also take advice from people you respect – there is nothing like collusion. And of course, if you are also doing it from love then I don’t think you can go wrong.

WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN THEY APPROACHED YOU? I thought they were really dodgy and it was a pick up line… “Hey, we have got a studio…” I though, ‘Yeah, right, sure’. I did some investigation with people I knew in music and they said that, “No, these guys were completely legit”.

Angus actually said to me “Wow, that is such a charming song”, and I think any song that stands up on the guitar is a beautiful song.

WHAT WERE THOSE EARLY SNEAKY SUNDAY AFTERNOONS LIKE? They were quite overwhelming. I had never seen so many beautiful girls in short skirts in one room before in my life (laughs) but it was fun and raucous… very Sydney, very fast.

WHAT WAS BEHIND DAIMON LEAVING THE BAND?

He wanted to pursue a career in art and I think he was slightly tired of touring.

DID YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OF REPLACING HIM? No, it just seemed like a natural progression given that Angus and I wrote the songs anyway, it wasn’t really much of an effect musically or anywhere else because of that. The core was Angus and I to begin with.

HOW FRUSTRATING IS IT KNOWING YOU HAVE THE TALENT AND SONGS TO BE SUCCESSFUL BUT RECORD COMPANIES DON’T BELIEVE YOU CAN MAKE IT? I think there is an element of doubt thinking, ‘Well, do we actually have the songs and the material. Are we wrong?’ That is why (success) was so rewarding when it happened.

Our success had nothing to do with any record company, apart

INDEPENDENT RECORDING IS EXPENSIVE AND HIGH RISK. DO YOU TAKE A DEEP BREATH AS YOU TAKE THE PLUNGE? It is high risk but if you are doing it from love you will come out okay. If you do it to the best of your ability, you have some great quality control and the stars align and your fingers are crossed, you should be alright (laughs).

WHAT’S IT LIKE COLLABORATING WITH SOME OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST NAMES? It was a real kind of affirmation that this is what I should be doing, and also that Angus is a great producer and songwriter.

ARE THERE ANY YOU PREFERRED WORKING WITH MORE THAN OTHERS? I love working with Jay Z. He is just such a gentleman, such a lovely soul a complete gentleman and of course I also loved working with Kanye (West). There were so many

lessons to be learnt working him.

For me, those two are standouts.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THOSE LESSONS? Their success is no fluke. They work so hard. They're constantly working.

Kanye was working until he caught a plane home. He took a power nap for 10 minutes, he'd wake up, listen to what you'd done and say, "That bit, that bit, that bit, do more like that". This was 6.00am, it was amazing to be in a room with people of their level. They're so incredibly respectful.

All of them were happy to sit there and watch me sing for hours. I was quite honoured.

Jay-Z was such a gentleman; he stayed up with me the entire night.

I thought, ‘God, Connie, your work ethic is shocking’. It changed me don't go and play with PlayStation or reminisce about a book you want to write, or a play you’ve decided to create. Just work on the music.

And Beyonce was talking with Angus about what a joy it was to hear me sing. What a lovely thing for her to say. They are just normal, down-to-earth people who work so hard.

WHAT IS LADY GAGA LIKE OFFSTAGE? Very insular. We did a tour with her in Ireland, there was only the three

of us, we were the only support act. The stage that was huge and we weren’t allowed to watch her perform. We were like, ‘C’mon, there are only three people here.

What are we going to do?’

And there were all these rules about not standing within 20 metres of her vicinity or her dancers or her band.

WELL, SHE SURE ACTS WEIRDLY. Maybe her press team want you to think she’s weird, I don’t know but hey, it’s doing well.

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT MARKETING THE BAND TO OVERSEAS AUDIENCES?

“I am never going to complain about my job because the perks are insane. Who cares if I am in a shitty mood or had a bad day. The benefits outweigh the negatives one-million-to-one, so I say, ‘Harden up, and go and do your job’.”

I am not a marketing expert, I just make music so I wouldn’t be able to tell you. (But) overseas markets dictate what they want to hear so we just go where people desire us to be. That is why we are so lucky.

We are able to tour all around the world because there is a demand for us to be there. It is lovely to know we are wanted overseas in all different countries. It’s beautiful.

IT HELPS THAT YOU HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL SOUND Yes, that’s very true and I think we were on that first wave, as well.

And now dance music is just so incredibly popular and crossover.

It’s R ‘n’ B dance music now.

IS IT ANY TOUGHER TAKING ON THE WORLD FROM AUSTRALIA? I have had some trepidation about that before but the world has got so much smaller because of the internet so we are not so far away anymore. In some cases we are actually where everybody wants to be, we do live in the lucky country.

It’s not that hard because everybody talks to everybody in the dance world. You might have a mix that originated in a province in France and within 30 minutes of it going online it’s being played in Ibiza or in a club halfway across the

world. The world is a smaller placer because of technology, especially for music, which is great.

DO YOU CHANGE YOUR PERFORMANCE FOR AUDIENCES IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES? That’s a very good question.

Absolutely. When we are in Ibiza we do a bangy set, when we are in London we play it a little bit more underground and cool. When we are in Paris we play even cooler because the crowds are that way.

When we are in Italy we play as cutting edge as possible because everyone in the audience knows every tune that we have ever put out there.

IS IT HARD TO WIN OVER NEW AUDIENCES WHEN PERFORMING? It is always hard to perform to new audiences but that is what we do – we perform. There is nothing more rewarding at the end of a gig than people saying, “Oh wow, we really enjoyed that”. As long as I am singing in tune and Angus is playing banging tunes, we’ll be okay.

AS A PERFORMER, YOU CAN’T HAVE A ‘SICKIE’. HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE YOU WANTED ONE? Of course I have been in that position but I am never going to

complain about that because the perks of my job are insane. Who cares if I am in a shitty mood or I have had a bad day. The benefits outweigh the negatives one millionto-one, so I say, “Harden up and go and do your job”.

PLENTY OF STARS IN STARS COMPLAIN ABOUT THE BURDEN OF FAME. Oh yeah, it’s real tough (laughs).

Both Angus and I have come from some really boring jobs you just wouldn’t want to be in. I think maybe those people should go and work 9-5 for a week where you have to commute two hours just to get to there. Try that out!

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE BORING JOBS YOU PERFORMED? I did a bit of bill postering for a while, that was a pretty gross job.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING WHEN ANGUS AND DAIMON FOUND YOU IN THE PARK? Just kind of bumming around, data entry.

YOU HAVE SOME AMAZING ON-STAGE FASHION. WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM? Most of it comes from Anna (Plunkett) and Luke (Sales) at Romance Is Born. Those guys are just visual wizards on outfits and they just seem to fit (me) as a performer. All of their ideas are just so on-point. And some shoes from YSL, Gucci and Chanel; I mean you can’t go wrong with a good pair shoes, I say. You can wear the cheapest outfit you bought in Target with a good pair of shoes.

IS IT A CHALLENGE PERFORMING ON STAGE IN HIGH HEELS? Absolutely, but I love a challenge. At (Sydney) Mardi Gras, Angus said “I am totally going to drag it up and wear a pair of high heeled shoes”, then he laughed and said “I don’t know how you girls do it.” www.sneakysoundsystem.com

34 PRODIJEE

BROOKLYN, NY, USA WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I grew up in Yonkers and it was cool. My sister and I were the only two children that were born in the US (my other brother and sisters were born in the Dominican Republic), so growing up I was given everything I needed.

I’ve been the light in my father’s eye since I was small and to date, not much has changed. My parents owned two bodegas (convenience stores) in Yonkers.

I really didn’t like school in Yonkers, so my mom moved us to Brooklyn where I spent the rest of my childhood. After moving to Brooklyn, my parents split and my dad moved back to Yonkers.

I used to visit here and there, on the weekends mostly.

When I turned 18 and graduated High School, I decided to move back to Yonkers and live with my dad again. He helped me out a lot when I was struggling.

Growing up for me was a trip. I would always get into trouble at school or at home. I must admit I did ridiculous things when I was bored and you can say I was an adventure junkie. Overall I enjoyed living there and spending parts of my life there.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO MODELLING AND ACTING?

I had a friend who always thought I should act or have a sitcom because she said I was so animated. I gave it go and fell in love with it all.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MODELLING AND ACTING? I have been performing for about eight months now.

I took a 3-month break from November last year to February to attend to family business overseas.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT MODELLING AND ACTING?

I enjoy the real craft behind the work. It is not just about the glitz and glamour - though I do enjoy that part of it as well - but that it takes actual skills. I also love to see how important and vital the behind the scenes workers are for each and every project.

WHAT TYPE OF WORK HAVE YOU DONE?

I have performed in movies (extra work), read scripts for table reads, appeared in music videos and fashion shows, and worked as a promotional model.

WHAT TYPE OF WORK DO YOU WANT TO DO?

I am interested in any type of work as long as it brings me more exposure as a model and/or actor. I

have done a lot of benefit work as well, and that is something that is very important to me.

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS?

Since starting my career I now have an interest in writing screenplays and short films, producing new projects, and directing.

WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES?

There are many great actors whose work inspires me, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp and Denzel Washington.

ANOTHER PIECE OF PIE Proving age does not necessarily equate to maturity, American Pie’s Steven Stifler continues to inflict his own brand of humour on his long-suffering high school buddies in American Pie: Reunion.

: AFTER A NINE YEAR BREAK, UNIVERSAL PICTURES HAS REASSEMBLED AMERICAN PIE’S ORIGINAL CAST AND CREATED A NEW ADDITION TO THE MUCH LOVED SERIES. PRODIJEE SPOKE TO THE CAST AT THE MELBOURNE RED CARPET LAUNCH AND FOUND THE AMERICAN PIE MAGIC OF OLD IS STILL GOING STRONG. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN. PHOTOS: DARREN HOUSE (RED CARPET).

A

crowd-packed Melbourne Central hosted the red carpet launch of the latest instalment of the American Pie franchise, American Pie: Reunion.

Cinema staff squeezed their way through the crowds, giving out popcorn, pies, cupcakes and free tickets to an advance screening of the film. The stage was decorated in traditional American red white and blue, and ‘Kolors’, the beautiful DJs, rocked the Shot Tower Square to thumping tunes.

With anticipation rising, the stage was overrun with a bevy of cheerleaders doing the most amazing contortions, flips and throws which delighted the crowd.

We were then entertained by the arrival of celebrity guests that had been invited to the preview of the

long-awaited movie. The celebs included Ronald (Ronnie) OrtizMagro from Jersey Shore, former AFL footballer and serial attentionseeker, Warwick Capper, Melbourne based singer songwriter Paris Wells, model, Samantha Downie, Miss Universe Australia Scherri-Lee Biggs, AFL player Travis Cloke and AFL presenter Matthew Lloyd.

But the true stars of the night were Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg (writers and directors of the movie) and the movie’s cast – Jason Biggs (Jim Levenstein), Chris Klein (Chris ‘Oz’ Ostreicher), Sean William Scott (Steve Stifler) Tara Reid (Vicky Lathum), Mena Suvari (Heather) and last but by no means least, Eugene Levy (Noah Levenstein, aka Jim’s Dad).

When these stars hit the stage, the

crowd roared their excitement and appreciation.

For Hayden and Jon, who created the Harold and Kumar franchise, this was their first American Pie movie, though they said they are both great fans of the original movie.

“We were in college when that first movie came out and like all the fans here, we loved the characters,” Hayden told prodijee. “We watched the other movies and we felt like we kind of grew up with the characters.

Jon and I are at the age where we are looking at going to our high school reunion and this felt like the right movie for us to write.

“We felt like we went to high school with Stifler and Jim. Our high school reunion never actually came together but we went to

weddings where a lot of people from our high school got together and there was a lot of inspiration from the dynamics that you see after all of these years.

“The big thing that is new in this film is that back then, it was a high school movie and the only issues in (the characters) lives were that they were trying to get laid. Now, present day, they are in their 30s and all sorts of different life issues are happening for these characters.”

When I asked if he felt a huge responsibility to preserve the much loved characters, Jon replied, “Absolutely. I think because we cared so much – we saw that first movie six times in the theatre and we ended up buying the DVD and watching it over and over again we felt a real responsibility to make the American Pie movie that we wanted to see.”

“It is an interesting experience, you don’t usually see a whole cast of characters come back after so long – it’s been almost 10 years since the last movie came out

and it feels like a reunion,” added Hayden. “The first day that we got all the actors together for a little photo-shoot, to do the hair and make-up test, was surreal for us because we were huge fans of the first movie. We just felt the nostalgia, it was like immediately going back to a high school reunion, and ‘Oh my God’, you are seeing them in person together and I think for all of the actors, it was the same experience.”

I asked Jon how it felt when he first met the actors. “I think everything just fell in line again - being together with everybody, the chemistry was instantaneous. I mean, right now - just looking at them, just being a fan of American Pie - I get excited seeing everybody together and I think they do too, and they feed off each other.

Everybody loves Stifler in the first movie, and we wrote funny jokes for Sean but when he starts delivering the lines, it’s like ‘Oh my God’, it’s amazing. It’s like Stifler’s back!”

Mena and Tara were incredibly

glamorous and beautiful, wearing designer garments and jewellery and mingled their way through the crowd, chatting to reporters and some very lucky onlookers.

“It’s a great cast, a great group of people, the storyline is good and it was fun,” said Tara. “We all really like each other and you’ll have a good time at the movie. It’s comedy with a heart.”

I asked her if the cast had trouble keeping it together because of the jokes. “The boys have more of those,” she revealed. “The boys are the funny ones in this movie. The boys are crazy.”

Tara said the crew had little to do with each other in between films, so the film was as much a reunion of actors as it was characters.

“We see each other at events but we didn’t really stay in touch with each other so making this movie really was like a reunion, it really was. We were very lucky, really there isn’t one person who doesn’t get along with the other and we have fun with each other. We like each other a lot.”

I asked Mena if she considered declining this movie to avoid being typecast. “No. I was curious to see how they would go about it and where (my character) is going to be at this point in her life. I was really, really excited and then I was wondering how they were going to work everyone else’s schedule out.

It is a big ensemble.

“There is so much magic around this whole series. Hayden and Jon were such huge fans of the first movie. They really fought for this and truly understood who these characters were and where they should be, and that translates onto the screen.

“To me it was completely surreal.

We got together at Universal (Pictures) last year for our table reading and a photo-shoot and in less than 20 minutes everybody was back to the same vibe; it was like we had left off yesterday. It’s just something I don’t think you can put into words. There is just a lot of magic around this.

“The original American Pie was

the first studio film I ever worked on. I had no clue what I was doing, I was just happy to have a job and I always say American Pie gave me my high school experience.”

Chris was pleased to be in Australia once again. “It was great to be back, I love Australia, but it’s even better to be back to promote the movie,” he said. I asked him how it felt playing the same character so many years later.

“I don’t know, I don’t know. You show up to work, you pray a lot, it comes together. These movies come together somehow. I laughed all the way through. The fact that we

could finish a film at all with all the laughter is amazing. I had a perma-grin. These guys are my bros, they are my great friends and we have the perfect time.

When I asked him how he managed to keep a straight face on the set and how many ‘takes’ were needed due to the crew cracking up he said, “Too many, because at Universal Studios they laugh a lot.

They sound like they are having way too much fun; it’s getting on the verge of unprofessional (laughs). I don’t know how I keep a straight face, either but I handle it.”

‘Jim’s dad’, played to perfection

by Eugene Levy, is one of the franchise’s most loved characters, yet he told me he nearly declined the role when he was presented with the original American Pie script.

“I thought the first movie script read very, very raunchy and I didn’t know who was involved and thought that this could get out of hand, it’s best to stay away from it,” he said.

“I was told to take a meeting with the directors, which I did, and when I met Paul and Chris White, who ended up directing the first movie, I realised these were two really smart kids with a great sense of comedy. I got to trust them almost immediately and I knew they would keep the ship on an even keel. They had a great eye on this thing and they kept (it) on the right side of bad taste.”

I asked Eugene about his great sense of comedic delivery. “It’s kind of a quirky thing with me. I make it so hard on myself to go back into the studio and dub-over lines because my delivery is so quirky. It is hard sometimes to go back and repeat it.”

Fans will be pleased to learn that Eugene plays a larger part in this movie than its predecessors.

“It’s nice to be out of the cage.

They let me out of the house on this one,” he said.” I think that one of the more appealing things about this movie was I got to go on a bit of a ride myself, which is great. I have always felt very safe doing what I thought this guy was

supposed to be doing, which is mentoring these kids, kind of, but I loved the fact that they got me out and took me to the party.

“On this movie I got to know, which I really didn’t know on the other three movies, the rest of the cast. I got to work with Sean…

Stifler... I got to do a scene with him and hang around the entire cast. I love the fact now that I feel like I am good friends with the rest of them.

Jason Biggs has always felt like my own son; we’ve had a great working relationship and in the last three movies 90 per cent of my scenes have been with Jason, and they still are, but at least I got to work with everybody else in the cast and I feel like we are one big happy group now.”

The entire cast was loudly welcomed by the crowd but it was obvious who the favourite was – Sean William Scott – Steven Stifler!

Sean said he had a blast making American Pie Reunion. “I had the most fun I have ever had on any film. We always feel like we are supposed to say that but I genuinely had more fun, mainly because the character is a lot of fun but also just to be with all the cast again.

Stifler is the kind of guy you love to hate, but Sean says the character is very much misunderstood.

“I think most guys identify with the character because there is a little bit of Stifler in most guys, and most girls, and I am not trying to be perverted. I think in this movie he is not as much of a douchebag. He realises he is kind of misunderstood.

He has good intentions, bad approach.”

I asked Sean what it was like playing Stifler 10 years down the track. Had the character ‘grown up’? Had he? “Stifler just got a little bit fatter and his hair looks a little bit different and that is pretty much it. The guy hasn’t grown at all. His penis is huger though. His penis was big in the first one and in this new one; it’s like down to the knee.” That response left this reporter totally speechless with nothing more to say! www.americanpiereunion.com

Ronald Ortiz-Magro Kimberley Davies

Travis Cloke & Bethany Taylor

Ronald Ortiz-Magro

Samantha Downie

Paris Wells

Scherri-Lee Biggs

WORDS: DARREN HOUSE

American Pie is an acquired taste, and if previous instalments of the franchise left you with indigestion (or worse) then the 2012 version won’t ease your pain. But while American Pie: Reunion won’t win any Michelin Hats for filmmaking artistry, it remains a hearty dish for those with a healthy appetite for low-brow high school humour.

The good news about American Pie: Reunion is that directors Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg – both self-confessed fans of the franchise - checked their egos at the door, preferring to serve up a movie made to the traditional recipe rather than adding unique but unrecognisable ingredients. Another bonus is that all of the characters are played by their original actors,

sparing the audience the need to accept unfamiliar faces in very familiar roles.

Producing a sequel nine years down the track is no mean feat, particularly when the characters have moved on from being clumsy, high school losers to supposedly responsible 30-somethings.

The challenge is to present a modern-day script that appeals to the franchise’s traditional audience - which presumably has also matured - while keeping the characters recognisable and funny. In this regard, Hurwitz and Schlossberg have excelled – the mix of old and new is perfect.

The humour is familiar, but with a modern take. For example, the hapless Jim (Jason Briggs) is still

masturbating, not because he can’t attract a partner but because the demands of parenthood on both him and his wife Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), leave the pair with neither the time nor energy for fun between the sheets. And while Jim still uses porn for inspiration, it’s now accessed throuatgh the internet and a lap top computer, rather than printed magazines.

Sean William Scott is again brilliant as Steven Stifler. Fans will be pleased to learn that Stiffler remains a knob, albeit now a knob with a heart, while Eugene Levy is again exceptional in the role of Jim’s dad.

We loved it.

SUSAN REP AFTER BEING UNAPPRECIATED FOR HER SKILLS, SUSAN REP QUIT HER JOB AND SET ABOUT CREATING HER OWN FASHION LABEL. LOTS OF HARD WORK, TEARS AND DEDICATION FOLLOWED, AND NOW SUSAN IS ONE OF OUR MOST TALKED ABOUT NEW DESIGNERS. CAROL SHERIDAN SPOKE TO SUSAN ABOUT HER PLANS FOR THE BRAND, AND CONQUERING NEW YORK.

I

was first introduced to the Susan Rep range of designer garments at Gold Coast Fashion Week. The models paraded down the runway wearing garish gold leaf eye show and severe hair styles, but this could not detract from the magnificent flowing designs they wore.

The hair and makeup had been from a previous runway show and there was not time to change it for Susan’s runway, but it did not matter in the least. Her designs were eye

48 PRODIJEE

catching and mesmerizing.

The whimsical flow to the fabrics, the magnificent jewel colours, the way these garments were so feminine held my attention leaving me quite disappointed when the show finished, I wanted more! I had to speak to this designer and find out about her and her designs.

Speaking to Susan after the parade, I found her to be a vibrant and passionate woman who lives for design. Susan had studied and worked for others in the trade for 11

years but never felt that her ideas and knowledge were being fully appreciated.

Susan had known since she was 13 years old that designing was what she wanted to do. At age 17 she would sit at the sewing machine and whip up an outfit to wear before going out at night.

Susan decided to take a break from what she was doing and work towards her long-time dream of having her own label. And hence, the Susan Rep label was born.

“You have to take it very seriously.

There are no shortcuts whatsoever.

The business is very cut throat.”

“I’ve had great success, it’s been totally amazing, I’ve had so much support and it’s been quite overwhelming” said Susan.

I asked her how she felt now that her dream is materialising.

“It’s scary, it really is. I am a bit of a control freak and I constantly like to make sure everything is running systematically. It’s a bit like when you dot the Is and cross the Ts. It’s hard to keep control when you are the main person but you still need a lot of extra help. I have to make sure that, as the designer, my ideas are conveyed to everyone involved to get the look perfect and that the finished product is just right.

As a designer, business woman, mother and wife, Susan ‘s life is certainly a busy one.

“I am a very energetic person and always on the go. I’m running a house with two children aged 11

and eight, running a business and getting everything done at once the way I want, is very scary.

“It can all be a bit hard on the kids as I’m always on the go, but I was home with them for 10 years when I was working part time.

“I think as mothers we want to do everything and I think that I’m being a good role model for them.

My mother worked while we were growing up, and I think that it’s good in today’s society to show that we are equal.”

Susan has a factory that contract sews for her and while they have a whole team of people there, the company also does work for other designers. She also has a brand manager and IT people. It’s a small group but they are all good people.

“You have to have good people working for you, ones you can trust.

There are no ‘buts’ about it,” said

Susan. “I am very particular, that’s one of the things I am known for in the industry. I may make someone’s hair go grey by being so particular, but at the end of the day, it’s my label and my name so I have to be particular. I’m all about getting the results, but I have fun with it.

Everyone needs to laugh as well, because it can consume your life.”

One of the people giving Susan support is her husband Costa, who, with a background in PR and marketing, now markets the Susan Rep label.

The couple believe that the personal touch is the best, and that the secret of marketing is one-onone contact with people. Wherever possible, that is what they do. They still use phone and email where necessary, but it’s not the same as having that one-on-one contact.

The personal touch is obviously working, as they have locked in sales agents in every state of Australia. Prior to this they were contacting stores themselves, sending out the look book, showing what they had done with the media, the work details and guiding them to the website.

“Once they saw the website they realised that I was serious and legitimate, which you have to be in this business. There are no shortcuts whatsoever and you have to take it seriously, it’s very cut throat.”

Susan and Costa were constantly in touch with their agents.

“You need to constantly liaise with them, using a gentle approach but at the same time being persistent; keep reminding them that you are serious.”

When I asked Susan where her inspirations come from, her eyes lit up, replying they come from all walks of life.

“I can be walking around a shopping centre and see a colour and an idea instantly comes to me. I design what I would like to wear, things that are feminine and compliment the female’s physique; things that have a silhouette that will suit many physiques and many sizes.

“I am lucky, I have a talent in knowing what will suit someone who

is big busted, has a big bottom or hips and how to hide them. That’s the secret; you have to know how to do it. I’ve got a ‘look’, ‘an eye’ for it, and I’ve been told this many times by my girlfriends and other people in the industry. I used to go shopping with my girlfriends and put their pieces together, what worked for them. I know how to get that finished look.

“I am very, very particular and fussy about a cut, a pattern and the way it should drape, it’s a combination. “I also love print. I can look at a print and love it, and know what I can do with it. I often wake up at 2.00am with alarm bells ringing in my head; I have actually dreamt of a design.”

Susan’s divine fabrics are sourced from all over the globe but as yet she has not been on an overseas buying trip herself.

It’s the next phase now and she is hoping to arrange that for later this year.

At the moment, she has suppliers who bring her fabrics from China, Singapore, Japan and best of all Italy. Susan loves the Italian fabrics.

“They just get it right, and they always do. I work with really good quality fabrics and even though it may be a polyester or polyester elastin with stretch in it, I like to get the right quality, I’m extremely fussy about things like that.”

The Susan Rep label encompasses everything about femininity; Susan is inspired by the feminine form and will only use the most exquisite fabrics in her chic, luxurious and elegant pieces. The result is a collection of divine and versatile pieces that will take you from the pool to a formal night out.

Susan is currently in negotiations with an agent in New York; word about her label has spread far and wide and Susan Rep designs will be on a runway in New York later this year.

And just as Susan is in the middle of planning a new range for New York, she gets word from Sydney’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival that she will also be shown on a runway at the prestigious event. Another range for Susan to design! www.susanrep.com

Lily’s WINNING M FORMULA ‘DO THE MATH’ ON SBS’ LETTERS AND NUMBERS CO-HOST LILY SERNA AND YOU’LL DISCOVER AN INTELLIGENT, BEAUTIFUL AND MULI-TALENTED YOUNG WOMAN WITH A HUGE FUTURE IN FRONT OF HER.

LILY serna SBS’ LILY SERNA DESCRIBES HERSELF AS A 25-YEAR-OLD, ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS, FRENCH SPEAKING, SURFING MATHEMATICIAN WHO STUMBLED UPON A TELEVISION CAREER. PRODIJEE SPENT AN AFTERNOON TALKING TO LILY ON A NORTHERN SYDNEY BEACH AND DISCOVERED SHE IS ALSO A CHARMING, UNPRETENTIOUS AND INSPIRATIONAL YOUNG WOMAN WHO EXPLODES THE MYTH THAT BEAUTY AND INTELLIGENCE ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. WORDS: DARREN HOUSE PHOTOS: MATTHEW WREN AND SBS I’M GUESSING WHEN YOU EMBARKED ON A MATHS DEGREE YOU DIDN’T ENVISAGE ENDING UP AS A TELEVISION HOST It certainly turned my life upside down. It was not expected and (the show) pretty much found me.

SBS was looking for a girl with a professional level of maths to cohost a show.

I was in Melbourne doing a maths course and maybe through four degrees of separation, SBS got in contact with me and asked if I wanted to audition That is how it started.

MANY PEOPLE WANT TO BE ON TV, AND SUDDENLY YOU ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY. It was quite the opposite for me. It never crossed my mind to go on television. I had just graduated from my maths and finance degree when the (global) financial crisis hit and job prospects in the finance industry were really dismal, so that is what prompted me to go to the audition and see what it was all about.

There were two auditions over two or three months and then I started

to get a taste for it and I thought.

‘This is fun. It’s just a game. It gives me a chance to present maths in an entertainment domain and SBS is just such a wonderful channel. They do great quality shows’.

DID YOU FIND IT EASY TO ASSIMILATE WITH AUSTRALIAN CULTURE? Kids are quite resilient, they can make friends easily and I didn’t have any trouble. I just jumped straight into it.

DID THE PROSPECT OF BECOMING A PERFORMER SCARE YOU? The idea of it was, and still is I guess, a daunting prospect. You are in such a vulnerable position, putting yourself out there and being judged by so many million people.

It’s very scary and I had to think about whether I wanted to do the audition. I decided that I had nothing to lose and I should just go for it. I still feel very vulnerable.

WHY DID YOUR PARENTS CHOOSE TO EMIGRATE TO AUSTRALIA? The primary motivation was education, which is pretty important in our family. They wanted me and my (older) brother, Andre, to have a better future. Jerusalem is a war-torn country and the future in Australia is definitely a lot brighter.

IT’S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF BEING OPEN TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES. Without a doubt. You don’t know what is going to happen. The main lesson that I have learnt is you don’t know what is around the corner and you should enjoy the ride.

YOU WERE BORN IN JERUSALEM I moved to Australia with my family when I was about 8 years old.

IS ANDRE A MATHEMATICIAN, TOO? No, but he is very good at maths and I think he is a lot smarter than me. He is into computing and I think he has always been the smarter of the two of us.

WHAT DOES YOUR FAMILY THINK OF YOU BEING ON TV? Mum always critiques what I wear on the show and we discuss dresses and stuff, girlie things. It’s fun. I think she likes to think she is my stylist. Mum and Dad absolutely

PRODIJEE 65

because a lot of family members are mathematically minded. My dad is an engineer and my grandfather was an engineer and I think my great grandfather was as well.

I was introduced to maths in a way where we discussed it rather than doing your homework. I remember being in the car with my grandfather when I was five or six years old and we were counting together and discussing that there is always a number that is larger and things like that.

WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF LETTERS AND NUMBERS HADN’T COME ALONG? I had gone on to do my honours at university while filming the first three seasons of the show. My honours was in maths and marine biology.

I don’t know what I would have done, I think that maybe I would have tried to find some kind of job that used maths with some kind of environmental flavour.

(But) I have never been one of those people who has known from an early age what they wanted to do. I have friends who knew that they wanted to be doctors and they have pursued that. I have been a little more confused and just been taking it as it comes.

love the show and I think they still would have if I had not been on it. It is just right up their alley. They watch it without fail every single night and if they happen to be away, they record it and they get a backlog that they have to watch. I don’t think my parents have missed one episode since it started - that’s nearly 450 episodes.

DO THEY FORCE FRIENDS TO WATCH THE RECORDINGS DURING DINNER PARTIES? Yes, and I feel quite bad because when we have the extended family over they make them all watch it and my cousins have to sit down and watch it.

HOW DID YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH MATHS? It has been a natural thing for me

SO YOU WERE GOOD AT MATHS, YOU ENJOYED IT AND SOMETHING MAY HAVE COME FROM THAT? The advice I was given in school and by my parents was that I should do something I enjoy, and I enjoy maths. I get it. I wanted to go down the finance road but then I decided it wasn’t for me and I wanted to change direction. I just got a sense that it was okay to not know what I wanted to do.

HOW WERE THE NERVES DURING YOUR FIRST SHOW? I was so nervous. My heart was beating so fast and so loudly to me I thought people could hear it because my microphone was clipped to the front of my dress.

I was very nervous for a whole range of reasons. There is a live audience and there is cast and

crew and it was the first time that I had done a television show but it was good. I think Letters and Numbers’ audience tends to be friends of the show so it doesn’t feel as intimidating now that the show is established because it is developing a bit of a cult following and it is quite a warm, friendly environment.

HOW DO YOU POWER THROUGH THAT LEVEL OF NERVOUSNESS? It’s a good question. I guess you just get out there and do it. This week I went to Melbourne and I did a talk in front of 1400 people.

It was the biggest audience I have spoken to and I felt like my limbs were going to fail me but you just do it. You do it because you want to overcome that fear and expand your comfort zone.

YOU APPEAR VERY CONFIDENT NOW. Yes but it doesn’t mean I don’t get nervous. Being comfortable means always trying to expand your comfort zone and having the faith in your abilities to handle uncomfortable situations and come out the other side a stronger person.

It’s like having blind faith in your

ability, even at the point where you feel nervous and you are thinking ‘Oh, I don’t know whether I will be able to do this’. Just having blind faith in yourself and remembering there have been times before where you have felt like this but you have managed to come through so have faith that you will again this time.

YOU ALSO TALK TO SCHOOL GROUPS. My objective is to share with them the unexpected places maths can take you. For example, I did my honours in marine biology, which most people are surprised at, and of course you don’t expect maths to take you into television, though I am not saying if you study maths you will be on TV. Certainly I didn’t know where it could lead and I didn’t understand there were so many industries that relied on sound knowledge of mathematical theories. Everything from audiology to marine modeling, the weather, finance and mining, so it is an important subject to learn, at least a little bit at school.

I tell them to consider taking a few subjects at university,along with whatever they want to study. It will give them an advantage over other students when they go out into the workforce.

DO THE KIDS EMBRACE THE MESSAGE? It’s hard to say. I get letters from kids from the age of six to 13 and you can tell their enthusiasm for the subject. Maths to me is like a game; you have got a set of rules and some boundaries you have to work within and you try to get a result.

THERE AREN’T TOO MANY TV SHOWS THAT REQUIRE ON-AIR MATHS EXPERTS. IF YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE ONE PATH IN FUTURE, WILL IT BE MATHS OR TV? I don’t think I need to make a choice and I hope that I won’t have to because I enjoy both, and I think one feeds off the other. It is important to communicate the sciences to the general public, maths included. This industry is flexible enough to do both.

I am thinking that maybe down

the line I will investigate doing a PhD. I am also hosting a new travel and food show soon.

YOUR AUDIENCE CONNECTION SUGGESTS YOU COULD HOST ANY TYPE OF SHOW. I am not a one dimensional person.

I really enjoy maths and I have a passion for it but I also have passion for other things. On Letters and Numbers I am the maths expert but I can pursue other shows that I also have an interest in.

I hope that I will be able to investigate all different avenues but I think maths will always be a part of me. I will always look at doing something with maths because television isn’t a 9-5 job. I can fill my day up with all sorts of projects.

A TV CAREER CAN BE VERY INSECURE. DOES YOUR FAMILY WORRY ABOUT THAT? They haven’t said anything to me if they do worry about it. I am young, and as I don’t have that many responsibilities at this point in my life, now is the time to take a bit of a risk. Yes, television is fickle and it can be a little bit risky, however, I can hedge my bets.

I am working on my book, I do public speaking and I volunteer for the Australian Conservation Foundation.

I have enough things in my life

Letters and Numbers cast members Lily Serna, Richard Morecroft and David Astle blend magnificently, despite their diverse backgrounds.

to keep going even if people didn’t want me on TV any more.

AND WITH CO-HOST RICHARD MORECROFT, YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF LONGEVITY IN TV. Yes, and I can’t express what a fabulous mentor he is. He has really taken me under his wing and shown me the ropes. Richard is just a very kind, wonderful person. He is very wise. If I ask him for advice he always gives it.

LOOKING AT YOUR BLOOPERS REEL, YOU HAVE A LOT OF FUN ON THE SHOW. David (Astle) and Richard have a wonderful sense of humour. The bloopers are an indication of what goes on in the studio. It is a fun atmosphere; it doesn’t feel like a job. It’s playing games all day.

YOU SEEM TO LAUGH AT YOUR MISTAKES MORE THAN ANYONE LAUGHS AT THEM. I just think everything is funny. I don’t think you should take yourself too seriously. It’s entertainment, we are not saving lives, we are having fun. It’s what we do.

Expanding her career, Serna will soon release a maths puzzle book.

THERE’S A YOUTUBE CLIP SHOWING AN UNFORTUNATE WORD BEING FORMED AS YOU PUT THE LETTERS ON THE BOARD. IS THAT LEGIT?

No (laughs). Someone has manipulated it digitally. I can guarantee if it was real I would have been on the floor laughing. I don’t know how they did it, they are obviously talented at what they do because it looks real to me.

THE ODDS OF A WORD LIKE THAT APPEARING WOULD BE VERY LONG, BUT YOU WOULD BE THE PERSON TO CALCULATE THEM. (laughs) I haven’t worked out the odds of but I can’t imagine that it is very likely (a word like that) would come out. But having said that, it can happen so I am waiting for that day (laughs).

WHEN WORKING OUT A MATHS SOLUTION ON LETTERS AND NUMBERS, DO YOU ‘SEE’ THE SOLUTION OR WORK THROUGH A FORMULA? With maths it’s about pattern recognition and there are a bunch of patterns that I recognise and I share on the show with the audience. There is no secret how to do sight mental arithmetic and it is not a case of just seeing the answer; it’s like a list of things you have that you can try.

You can divide the target number in half and approach it that way.

There are all these different little

tricks that you try. The more that you do, the more intuition you have of which tricks to use first.

YOU, RICHARD AND DAVID ARE THREE VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. WHY DOES THE HOSTING TEAM ‘WORK’?

It sounds like the beginning of a joke. A newsreader, a cruciverbalist (crossword writer) and a mathematician walk into a bar... (laughs). I think it happens because the SBS staff is very talented; they cast complimentary people. We can’t take credit for that but we enjoy the fruits of their labour.

WERE YOU BULLIED AT SCHOOL FOR BEING A ‘MATHS NERD’?

Maybe bullied isn’t the right word.

My friends affectionately teased me for being a maths nerd but it was just banter amongst friends. You take it on the chin, it’s no big deal.

DO PEOPLE EXPECT YOU TO LOOK LIKE THE BIG BANG THEORIES’ AMY FARRAH FOWLER? I don’t really know what people expect me to look like because I am who I am. Stereotypes aren’t useful.

YOU CAN WALK ALONG THE BEACH WITHOUT BEING PESTERED. IS THAT BECAUSE PEOPLE EXPECT TO SEE YOU IN YOUR GLAMOROUS TV OUTFITS AND NOT CASUALWEAR? I am usually just down at the beach in shorts and a t-shirt and for the most part I go around without being noticed that much.

I’m not really sure why that is but the people who do recognise me are always really lovely. They usually have some sort of maths question for me and if I can answer it, I am happy to oblige.

They often have a maths joke or maths trick that they want to share with me, which is nice.

HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO STUDY POST GRAD, WORK ON LETTERS AND NUMBERS AND LIVE THE LIFE OF A 20-SOMETHING? That was probably the toughest period in my life thus far. I was really tired and it was hard to keep going because of that, but I was dedicated

“I am not a one dimensional person. I have a passion for maths but I also have passion for other things. On Letters and Numbers I am the maths expert but I can pursue other shows that I also have an interest in.” to the projects that I took on. It was completely my choice to do it.

I feel like I achieved a lot that year. I got first class honours, which is what I was aiming for. First class honours is a high distinction average, and that is what started my career in television.

Honours is a difficult year of university and to combine that with doing a television show was tiring.

Sometimes I was on a plane nearly every day of the week. I didn’t get

much sleep that year but now I have done four and a half seasons of Letters And Numbers so I am glad that I did it.

I IMAGINE IT’S NO FUN BEING ON TELEVISION FEELING THAT TIRED. We film five episodes a day and there are not many breaks. I would leave my place in Melbourne 6.30am and be home by 6.307.00pm. I’d have dinner, do some uni work and go to bed, then wake

episode, so you can’t look tired even if you feel tired. It is a lesson in compartmentalisation; leaving your issues at the door and just focusing on the task at hand.

WHERE DOES YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL INTEREST COME FROM? I love to surf; I am always in the water. I love being out in nature and I use nature so much that it is only fair that I give back a little bit. That sounds a bit corny but I think we all should be concerned with our country.

It is so beautiful and we should do what we can to conserve it. I have the privilege of working a non 9-5 day job, so my timetable can be flexible, allowing me to volunteer with the Australian Conservation Foundation in my downtime.

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THAT WORK? At the moment it is about liaising with different community members.

I can’t talk too much about the projects I am working on at the moment because they haven’t been publicly released.

I would like to eventually use my mathematical skills for some kind of environmental organisation, as well as my newly developed media skills.

Hopefully there will be opportunities for me to use both in a volunteer capacity.

up and do the same thing the next day. On my days off I would go back to Sydney to see my supervisor.

It was quite a big task but my university professor always told me to bite off more than you can chew and then chew like hell, so that’s what I did.

WITH AN OFFICE JOB, NO ONE CARES IF YOU HAVE HAD A LONG DAY, BUT WITH TV, THE VIEWERS DON’T PERCEIVE YOU’VE RECORDED FIVE EPISODES IN ONE DAY. That is a very good point. One of the tough things about it is you have to be as fresh for the Friday episode as you are for the Monday

HOW DID YOU GET INTO SURFING? I started in my late teens towards the end of high school with a couple of girlfriends. We decided one day that we wanted to learn how to surf and we bought ourselves an old crappy board and went out and had a go and that is how it started.

It takes my mind off things - just go out in the water and have a splash around. I don’t think I am particularly good at it but I have a go. I am always trying to improve every time I go out.

When you first start you are trying to stand up and when you progress you try to ride a longer wave and you progress again and you start doing little tricks. It’s fun to have an on-going project.

maybe I should try booking it in for next year. I have so many things going on in my life but travelling is very important for me.

Everyone keeps telling me that travelling is the school of life, which sounds a bit corny but I think it’s true. You learn so many things about yourself when you go out backpacking and investigate how other people in the world live.

Lily out snorkeling with the Australian Conservation Foundation.

PHOTO: Dave Thomas - Eco Divers.

ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT SHARKS? It’s always at the forefront of my mind. It worries my mum that I am always out in the water (laughs).

Whenever there is an article in the media about shark spotting or shark attacks she sends them to me, which is awful because I am always thinking about it, but I guess she is worried about me.

The truth is they are always there, they always have been there and they always will be there. I just cross my fingers that it will all be okay.

I don’t take chances, like going in really early in the morning or late in the evening. I think it is very safe.

YOUR OTHER INTERESTS INCLUDE SKATEBOARDING AND THE GUITAR. (laughs) A friend of mine introduced me to skateboarding. I am truly terrible at it. When I go skating along the beach I am sure I get a few weird looks, at least I think I do. Again, it is just for a bit of fun. I think ‘why not’?

And guitar... I have recently taken

that up because I wanted to have a go. I am learning from YouTube clips, teaching myself; engaging my mind in a different way.

WHAT MUSIC DO YOU WANT TO PLAY? So far I have learnt Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley, I’ve started to learn SendMe on My Way by Rusted Root, a couple of Ben Harper songs.

My mum can play and she has taught me some classical guitar songs but I would really love to be able to play Spanish guitar but it is so hard. I don’t think I will have enough musical talent for that, but it is my ultimate goal. I love the sound of Spanish guitar It is so beautiful.

YOU ALSO WANT TO DO A BIG AFRICAN CAMPING TOUR. I have lots of dreams and yes, I would love to do an African tour. I was looking at one which is about 51 days long and camping along the way but the year has filled up for me already. I don’t know when I could fit it in. It is a bit sad but

YOU LIVED IN FRANCE FOR A WHILE. I lived in France for a year. I studied French throughout high school and then studied it at university.

I did a double degree for my under grad; it was maths & finance, and international studies, which is an arts degree where you study another culture.

In 2008 I went to a French University in Bordeaux and studied philosophy - of all things - in French. It was one of the best years of my life.

It was a great experience to get out and try to make it on my own in a different country that isn’t English speaking. Doing simple things like going to the post office, paying bills and doing everything in French, and understanding the French system, was a great experience. It was tough.

The whole year was a journey.

You have your ups and downs, you have an initial time where you are over the moon thinking, Oh I am in France’. Then you have other times when you miss home and the people there don’t speak your language and you can’t express yourself well. (But) then you adjust and that is such an exhilarating feeling.

It’s a personal thing and I think I learnt a lot from that experience.

During my holidays I travelled around Europe. I did a cycling tour with a friend of mine, from the southwest of France all the way back to Bordeaux. It took us about three weeks and we cycled from beach town to beach town and met the locals. It was a great year filled with activities. www.sbs.com.au

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PARTY IN THE PARK OFFICIALLY, AGP STANDS FOR AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX BUT AS PRODIJEE DISCOVERED, IT COULD JUST AS EASILY MEAN AUSTRALIA’S GREATEST PARTY. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN PHOTOS: DARREN HOUSE.

M

elbourne goes off when the Qantas Australian Grand Prix hits town. With so much going on during the fourday event, the hour-and-a-half long race almost becomes insignificant.

The event is motor racing’s answer to the Melbourne Cup carnival and has the same ability to draw massive crowds - 313,700 over four-days – including large numbers of people who have no on-going interest in motorsport.

Many of those people come to Albert Park simply to soak up the party atmosphere, drink with friends in a Superbar, and perhaps steal a glimpse of an international A-list celebrity.

The glamour of Formula 1 doesn’t stop there; corporate high-flyers eat caviar and sip chardonnay as they wine and dine influential clients in five-star luxury, and a plethora of scantily-clad grid girls get male hearts racing as they flog beer, cars, cheap flights, internet services, cosmetics and shavers.

Many of these girls are full-time students working their way through university, yet hordes of adoring fans elevate them to celebrity status, asking to be photographed with them and even requesting

autographs.

With the party nature of the AGP comes extroverted fans that go to a lot of effort, and in some cases expense, to fly the flag for their favourite F1 team and driver.

In support of Ferrari and Fernando Alonso, fans (aka Tofusi), wear the uniform of Roman soldiers and for our own Mark Webber, a uniquely Australian touch – supporters who paint their faces with green and gold zinc cream and wear miniature Weber barbeques on their heads.

There is a buzz here not experienced at any other Australian race meeting and probably no other grand prix. Adding to that feeling is the fact that once again the AGP was the first Formula 1 race of the season.

After a long layoff, there is much anticipation about the new season and the Melbourne race was the first where fans could see the effect of new cars, new driver line-ups and new rules.

With Perth’s Daniel Ricciardo, now a part of Scuderia Toro Rosso, the 2012 AGP marked the first time there had been two Australians on the grid since the race gained F1 status in 1985.

Top: Current World Champion Sebastian Vettel thrills some Aussie fans. Middle: The Pepsi Max girls proved very popular. Above: F1 super star Michael Schumacher powers his Mercedes Benz through Turn 2.

Top left: Renault’s display included F1 simulators. Above left: Sir Jackie Stewart is F1 royalty. Above right: In a business suit or race suit, McLaren driver and Hugo Boss ambassador Jenson Button is a winner.

“The drivers’ parade was incredibly cool (and) it was pretty emotional,” said Daniel. “I’m not going to go out there and cry, but in a different circumstance I could have easily teared up. It was a huge buzz to have that feeling of racing at my home Grand Prix for the first time, (and) it was a pretty perfect weekend.”

Another ‘new boy’ in the 2012 AGP was 2007 F1 World

Champion, Kimi Räikkönen, who was back in an F1 car after driving in the World Rally Championship for the last two years.

The Finnish ace’s entry in the race marked the first time six world champion drivers had ever competed against each other.

Off track there was plenty to keep the crowd entertained, with numerous sports stars, actors and models soaking up the party

atmosphere.

American film and stage star Aaron Eckhart, who attended school in Australia during the 1980s, was just one of the AGP’s many international guests.

The 2006 Golden Globe nominee is best known for his roles in Erin Brockovich, No Reservations, The Dark Knight and Thank You for Smoking. More recently he co-starred with Australian Nicole

US rock star, Lenny Kravitz, made sure he dropped in on the AGP. Kidman in Rabbit Hole and was in Melbourne filming I, Frankenstein working alongside actors including Miranda Otto, Yvonne Strahovski and Bill Nighy.

In the best Hollywood style, Eckhart attended the Official Grand Prix Party held at Club 23, where he was joined by David Coulthard and Mick Doohan, as well as local celebrities and sports stars, including Shane Warne, Jesinta Campbell, Jules Lund, Scott Pendlebury, Harry Kewell and AGP Ambassador, Kate Peck.

“We were thrilled to have Aaron along to the event,” said Andrew Westacott, Chief Executive Officer

of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation. “He is a celebrated actor who is recognised around the globe.

“I was also very happy to hear he is a big F1 fan so it was exciting to have him trackside for the 2012 Formula 1 Qantas Australian Grand Prix.”

Kate Peck shone the brightest at the party. Fitted out in a sparkling gold Ellery dress, Kate was a hit with attendees as she greeted them upon arrival.

The stunning Melbourne-raised model has taken the international modelling scene by storm since landing in the top ten as a

contestant in the TV series, Search for a Supermodel.

“I was instantly drawn to the GP Ambassador role. I am a self confessed adrenaline junkie and love all things motorsport,” Peck said.

“What appealed most to me about the role was the opportunity to represent Melbourne on a truly global stage. I am so proud of this city – I want the whole world to know just what an amazing place it is.”

Peck has a long standing passion for motorsport and had recently returned from South Africa where she rode her motorcycle across the country to raise awareness and funds for charity Y-GAP (Y-Generation Against Poverty).

In her years as a model, Peck has worked for many key international designers, such as Alexander Wang, Alexander McQueen and Halston.

She has walked the most prestigious catwalks in the world including Paris, New York, London and Milan.

Peck’s energetic approach and vibrant personality combined with her striking looks make her an in-demand fixture on modelling circuits.

“Kate’s passion for motorsport and vivacious personality are perfect for the world of Formula One and we had no doubt that she was the ideal Ambassador for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix,” said Andrew Westacott.

The glamour didn’t end there.

This year organisers introduced an exciting new venue that allowed you to relax and enjoy the stylish ambiance whilst soaking up the fun and pizzazz of F1 at its finest – the Ladies Lounge at The Point.

Here fans were treated to fashion parades, giveaways and even masseurs and was the perfect place for a ladies day out, where girls could meet, mingle and make new friends. Of course, gentlemen were most welcome, too.

Fans didn’t even have to leave the venue to watch the action from around the track, as flat screen televisions inside the idyllic Albert

Top left: Qantas grid girls blow prodijee readers a kiss. Above: The L’Oréal Men Expert facility proved a big hit with race goers. Top right: Everyone wanted a piece of new Aussie F1 hero, Daniel Ricciardo.

Middle right: The Bundy girls can make you feel like a winner, too. Right: Jenson Button’s girlfriend, international fashion model Jessica Michibata.

Park restaurant and function centre kept them up to date with all the thrills and spills.

There was also a summer music festival, Sidetracked, which featured some of the best DJs and bands on the Saturday and Sunday. Situated at Turn 6 with views of the track, it was a great spot to get your groove on while not missing a lap of the on-track action.

Sidetracked’s artist line-up included Grandmaster Flash, Art vs Science, The Potbelleez, The Stafford Brothers & Timmy Trumpet, Grant Smillie and Ruby Rose, Bombs Away and many more.

With that much happening it’s easy to forget this weekend was about F1 racing.

The event was won by British Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver and 2009 World Champion, Jenson Button. It was Button’s third win in four years at the Australian Grand Prix and the 13th of his career Button, who started second on the grid alongside his McLaren team-mate and fellow-Briton Lewis Hamilton, took control of the race on the opening lap when he gained the lead at the first turn. Hamilton bogged down off the grid and never recovered.

“That was beautiful, just a perfect start and it shows how important a good winter can be,” said Button.

“A great start to the year for me and the team.”

“Every win means a lot,” he added. “As a team, the win shows how important the winter is. We’ve had a strong winter and yesterday we showed that in qualifying. It’s nice to come away with victory in the first race of the new season. This win will definitely help (the team) push hard in the (early) hours of the morning and I thank them for that, doing that work to (develop) the (new) parts that are so vital.

“So, a big thank you to everyone at Woking (England) for this victory.

It’s a pretty amazing day.”

Tickets for the 2013 Australian Grand Prix go on sale soon. www.grandprix.com.au

“I was instantly drawn to the GP Ambassador role. What appealed most to me about the role was the opportunity to represent Melbourne on a truly global stage”.

Above: Model and self confessed rev-head Kate Peck loved her time as a Qantas Australian Grand Prix ambassador.

Opposite, Top left: Obsessive Red Bull fans cheered on Mark Webber. Middle left: Circus-style acts are only part of the GP fun. Bottom Left: Promo girls are in abundance at Albert Park during March. Top right: US movie star Aaron Eckhart was just one of many international stars spotted during the weekend.

Bottom right: Australian Red Bull driver Mark Webber with Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu during yet another promotional appearance held in the Formula 1 paddock.

JEAN DARA

MANILA, PHILIPPINES PHOTOS: Erich Caparas

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I grew up in a small city called Gapan in Nueva Ecija, a small province in the Philippines. As a child, my family was well off.

My two brothers and sister went to a private catholic school, but gambling and different priorities with my parents disrupted my family and the children had to seek work at an early age.

I had two years of college before having to go into the job market. I waitressed, worked various odd jobs to make ends meet and support the rest of the family.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO MODELLING?

A photographer friend of mine pushed me into modelling. I always felt I was too skinny and ordinary to be a model.

One day he asked me to bring a nice dress and a swim suit. Little did I know that I was being set up for a test shoot.

Over time, my confidence built up and I found myself doing this for a living.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MODELLING?

I have modelled for two years and I learn something new every day.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT MODELLING?

I love learning new things about myself and other people - the feeling of being wanted and becoming useful, and ending up on someone’s photographic portfolio.

WHAT TYPE OF WORK HAVE YOU DONE?

I usually pose for photographers who are doing workshops. I have done fashion, glamour, portraiture, and editorial photography.

WHAT TYPE OF WORK DO YOU WANT TO DO?

Artsy, fashion, glamour, and pretty much the same as what I have done already. I will do more risqué work as I build more confidence.

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS?

Same interest as other girls my age… shopping!

WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES?

Lady Gaga and local Philippine models you have not heard of.

m I N PHOTOS: Darren House/Carol Sheridan

Y

KNOWN AS THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD, NEW YORK IS A MUST-SEE FOR ANY INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLER. CAROL SHERIDAN IS A ‘BIG APPLE’ REGULAR AND PRISED HERSELF OUT OF MACY’S LONG ENOUGH TO FILE THIS REPORT.

“Start spreadin’ the news, I’m leaving today I want to be a part of it, New York, New York…”

T

hose opening words from the famous song, written by Fred Ebb and John Kander, titled ‘New York, New York’, certainly made the writing duo a part of the great city.

The song was written for and performed by Liza Minelli, but when ‘old blue eyes’ Frank Sinatra began performing this tune, it became legendary. It has been embraced as a song of celebration by New York City and is often performed at public social events.

It has become New York’s unofficial anthem and has been performed and recorded by many artists over the years, including Tony Bennett on his album ‘Duets’.

Why is it a song like this evokes so many emotions, and not only for New York citizens?

It causes shivers down the spine and brings feelings of compassion, admiration and desire for so many.

“I wanna wake up in a city that doesn't sleep, And find I'm king of the hill, top of the heap, These little town blues, Are melting away.

I'll make a brand new start of it, in old New York, If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere, It's up to you, New York, New York...”

I am totally hooked on this city, and I know, I am not alone. Most people I meet have either been there and can’t wait to go back, or have it set in their sights as a ‘must go’ place.

It’s true, this city just never sleeps.

You can walk through Times Square at any hour of the day or night and there will always be some kind of activity going on.

On one of my trips, it was the early hours of the morning, we were

walking not too far from Times Square and a whole city block was barricaded off. I initially thought there had been some kind of coup or huge accident, but there were also crowds of onlookers, way too many for this hour of the morning and way too many for people just watching the aftermath of an accident. The crowd was all in good spirit, so what was it? They were filming a movie!

Nicolas Cage and others were in the midst of filming an action scene and the crowd was mesmerised.

You will also see a large police presence; the city is very safe, which encourages activity to go on at all hours - people are safe to wander.

Mayor Giuliani cleaned up NYC in the’90s when he imposed zerotolerance on crime, making the city a very safe place to be.

It is very easy to fall in love New York; your dreams grow, your inspirations increase, you really do

want to be a part of it, part of this city that welcomes visitors.

You start seeing your career changing or moving, you start to identify with the people living there, and you are involved in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. You really do start to believe that if you can just be there, live there, that you can make it there. And of course, if you can make it in New York, then it stands to reason that you can make it anywhere.

Don’t ask me how this happens, but once bitten, you are hooked.

The city has a program called Big Apple Greeter where a volunteer greeter will show you around the city, introduce you to New York’s big city with small town hospitality

and show you the diversity of the neighbourhoods and the hidden treasures.

Of course, you can always explore the city yourself, but should you decide to have a Big Apple Greeter show you around, book before you leave home as there are 300 greeters but thousands of visitors. www.bigapplegreeter.org There are also hop-on hop-off buses that take you all around Manhattan and Brooklyn, and these are a great way to discover the city. The tour directors give great information and highlight points of interest, which are everywhere.

You can buy passes for these buses that allow you to travel for 48 or 72 hours, but even with all this sightseeing, you will have barely scratched the surface of this city. www.graylinenewyork.com Sightseeing cruises in New York are extremely popular. You get to see the beautiful Manhattan skyline from New York Harbour and the Hudson River. There are speed boat rides, 2 and 3-hour cruises, and Harbour Lights cruises.

From these cruises you will see Battery Park, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, Yankee Stadium, Columbia University and heaps more. www. circleline42.com/new-york-cruises. aspx www.manhattanbysail.com/Sails/ The-Clipper-City-Tall-Ship/ www.allnewyorktours.com/body. asp?tour=NYC-W0026&page=To urDetails&pref=02&aid=ltg1595& gclid=CIHeipHkuq4CFWJKpgod7 zapKw Museums in New York are in abundance; museums of art, architecture, photography, natural history, and television, radio and technology. There is also the Metropolitan Museum, Natural History Museum, the Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Modern Art,

Van Courtland House Museum, and the Museum of Sex, so you won’t be at a loss if museums are ‘your thing’.

Manhattan is huge but I found the best way to get around is on foot. The locals walk a lot and also use the subway, so doing your sightseeing on foot will make you feel even more like a local.

Should you find yourself a bit further from your hotel than you would like and are a bit too tired to walk back, cabs are in abundance, except at the end of a working day. We had one of those instances that you see on TV all the time - flagging down a cab only to have someone rush in front of us screaming ‘its MINEEEEEE’, jumping in and speeding off in the cab, leaving us with our jaws gaping!

At other times, cabs are everywhere and very cheap (compared to those in Australia). You can get a fairly long cab ride, about 30 minutes, for about $15.

Grand Central Station is one of the many must-see places. The history behind this place is amazing, the movies that have been filmed there, the architecture; everything about this place is mind-blowing.

For me, even buying a train ticket was a buzz. To be in this place where presidents and movie stars have walked was a very surreal experience. The grand stair cases, the massive windows with the sun streaming through, the different concourse levels, the stores, the market place, it would be very easy to spend a whole day just in the train station.

We were there buying tickets to the Bronx where we were going to Yankee Stadium to catch a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Tamper Bay Rays. I was quite nervous travelling the New York subway to the Bronx - from all television accounts, this was going to be quite a dangerous expedition, but it was as safe ‘as houses’.

The train had a conductor; I don’t know if this is the normal thing but it was quite a ‘nostalgic’ trip. It was lovely to have a little old man, wearing his uniform and cap come and ‘clip’ our tickets.

Getting off at the E153rd St Station was a breeze and just a short walk to Yankee Stadium. The ballpark was originally built as a home for the New York Yankees in 1923, closing in 1973 and then re-opening from 1976 to 2008. It has since been rebuilt in public parkland adjacent to the original facility.

The stadium is massive, hosting huge banners of players that hang from the walls and the ceiling. Taking your seat in the grandstand and looking down onto the diamond is another surreal feeling.

The game we saw was hugely exciting, I loved it, but I was still testing out things I have seen on TV - I wanted to order a beer and ‘dog’ and see if they would pass my money down the row of people and pass my food and drink back to me. They did! It was another exciting and surreal feeling! www.newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/index.jsp Of course, no trip to New York would be complete

84 PRODIJEE

(as if any trip there would ever be complete), without visiting the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty.

The Empire State Building is yet another brilliant architectural structure that has a very interesting history. Firstly, it is the building King Kong climbed when he was fleeing the throng of people chasing him.

Also, there have been 30plus suicides from the top of the building, with the first occurring even before the building was completed. Bizarrely, in 1979, Elvita Adams attempted to kill herself by jumping from the 86th floor, only to have strong winds blow her back into a window on the 85th floor rendering her with a broken hip.

During thick fog in 1945, a B-25 Mitchell bomber, piloted by Lieutenant Colonel William Franklin Smith, Jr, crashed into the north side of the building. One of its engines flew through the skyscraper and out the other side, landing another block away and starting a fire that destroyed a penthouse apartment.

An elevator operator, Betty Lou Oliver, survived a plunge of

75 stories inside an elevator, which still stands as the Guinness World Record for the longest survived elevator fall recorded.

Today, this magnificent piece of architecture is adorned with artdeco features and highly polished inlaid timber. It has more than 100 floors, 73 elevators, 6,500 windows and 1,860 steps from street level to the 102nd floor.

Floodlights illuminate the top of the building each night, with colours of the lighting changing to match seasonal and other events such as St Patrick’s Day, Christmas, Independence Day and Bastille Day. To enter the building, you must go through security check points.

It’s a little daunting but with the interesting history and high security levels all around Manhattan, it’s also strangely comforting.

I don’t know if you are allowed to walk up the 1,860 steps to the 102nd floor, it’s not something I cared to find out about but riding an elevator takes you to the observation deck quickly.

Once there, the views are amazing, as 110-million people

have discovered. The day we were there was slightly misty, but there was still a magnificent view and you could see that Manhattan goes on and on and on.

The Statue of Liberty is situated on Liberty Island, in the middle of New York Harbour. It was a gift to the United States from the people of France and is a structure of a robed female figure representing the roman goddess of freedom, Libertas. She is holding a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law), upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.

There are many ferries/boats that will take you to Liberty Island, where you can wander around the whole island.

Occasionally guests are allowed to climb up the inside of the Statue, but be warned again, security is extremely tight, both when you get onto your boat from Manhattan and also when you go into the Statue itself.

There is an audio tour around the island, which tells of the history and construction of the statue and

Opposite top left: Tom’s Restaurant was made famous in Seinfeld. Opposite top right: The art deco Chrysler building. Opposite bottom: Grand Central Station. Above: Yankee Stadium.

Opposite, top: NYC traffic is frantic. Above: Empire State Building illumination is spectacular. Right above: Museums are plentiful in NYC; the city even has a museum of sex. Right middle: Times Square has great shopping, bars, restaurants and is right in theatre district. Right bottom: The Brooklyn Bridge dates back to 1883.

Below: The Manhattan skyline. Middle far left: A bus tour is a great way to see the city. Middle left: Ubiquitous giant billboards are a NY trademark.

Left: Circle Line ferries cruise the rivers around Manhattan Island, giving a spectacular view of the NYC burroughs. Fire escapes are everywhere and very much a part of New York architecture. the views from the island back to the Manhattan shoreline are magnificent.

These cruises are often somewhat similar to the ‘hop on – hop off’ buses, allowing you get on and off at different islands. One of these is Ellis Island, which houses the Immigration Museum and is also steeped in history.

If you just want to cruise past the statue, you can jump on the Staten Island Ferry, which is free. You will go from Manhattan to Staten Island, passing close enough to the statue for great photo opportunities.

Once you reach Staten Island, you have to disembark the boat but you can re-board straight away if you wish and head back to Manhattan, or you can stay and explore Staten Island.

The Chrysler Building is another art deco-style skyscraper, located in Manhattan’s east side, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. It’s another building that is architecturally brilliant but go inside and you will find that it is decorated in art deco opulence.

The corners of the 61st floor are graced with eagles; while on the 31st floor the corner ornamentations are replicas of the 1929 Chrysler radiator caps. The building was declared a national Historic Landmark in 1976.

The Brooklyn Bridge is yet another piece of architectural brilliance

and is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States.

The bridge took 14 years to build, reaching completion in 1883 and connects Manhattan with Brooklyn, NY’s most populous borough.

You can join the hundreds of people who walk across this bridge every day; it’s a beautiful walk crossing the East River. The day we went was very hot, so we decided to do this walk, then leisurely explore Brooklyn before catching a water taxi back to Manhattan.

Once arriving at the water platforms to catch our water taxi, we found the river had been closed. A river closed? Never heard of such a thing! In fact, the river had been and would continue to be closed for a few hours – how many hours was unknown – because President Obama would be ‘on the water’ at ‘some time’.

It was way too hot to walk back over the bridge, so we had to wander around Brooklyn to find a cab. We discovered cabs in Brooklyn are nowhere near as abundant as they are in Manhattan!

There is always something going on in Times Square - from body painting, bands, dancers and singers to deck chairs in the sun for you to just sit and relax and watch the world go by. The precinct is full of massive brand-name stores, and uncountable tourist shops, like the M&Ms store, and the biggest billboards I have ever seen in my

life. It’s the place where tens of thousands of people celebrate New Year’s Eve, becoming a 17-block party that is an alcohol free zone and is patrolled by more than 1,500 New York Police Department officers.

Times Square is full of what are claimed to be the best restaurants, clubs, bars and lounges in New York. Maybe this is the case, but from my experience, excellent restaurants, clubs, bars and lounges are available all over New York.

Don’t be afraid to explore, I found what I would call the best rooftop bar, although there are hundreds of them and every one I tried was ‘the best’. Maybe it was because I had ‘the best’ time! How could it not be the best time? A roof top bar, NYC, views of other roof top bars, roof top pools, the Empire State Building, drinks flowing, music playing… it’s all the best!

Restaurants are all over NYC; any style of food you can imagine, you can get here. Again, don’t be afraid to explore, sometimes the most innocuous little doorway will take you into a hidden gem restaurant.

One of my favourite restaurants is a place called Carmine’s.

Carmine’s is a family-style concept restaurant in the theatre district of New York and is extremely good value for money. They strive to serve every meal in the style of an ItalianAmerican wedding feast.

On our first visit to this restaurant,

we placed our order for two people – a salad and pasta to share. The waiter asked us if we realised that Carmine’s was a ‘family restaurant’, we obviously didn’t understand what that term meant.

We were firstly served a basket of bread, with too many varieties to count; this was soon followed by the salad and then the pasta. We were overfull before the pasta arrived and the salad looked barely touched.

The meals were massive and would have very easily served six people, or a ‘family’, hence the term ‘family restaurant’.

The service is impeccable; the wait staff were extremely helpful and attentive to your needs. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, with dark timber panelling, massive wrought iron light fittings timber framed photos on the walls and it’s very stylish but not at all pretentious.

There are a few restaurants in the Carmine’s group, but the one I have been to is on West 44th Street, just off Broadway, so it’s a great place to go if you are planning on catching a show. www.carminesnyc.com The things I have written above are things that I feel are 100 per cent must-do’s while you are in New York, but there are heaps more things to do. I have been there a few times now and know that I have barely touched the surface.

New York City is a place to explore; it’s a place of excitement. The people are friendly and welcoming and there is a very strong feeling of ‘family’. It’s very easy to feel a

part of the family, to feel that you belong, to know that New York is for you.

Two tips I’ll give you for your trip to New York. 1. If you are flying in, don’t get a shuttle bus to your accommodation; cabs are much cheaper, much more direct, and much safer. 2. If you are driving into the city, don’t do it in peak hour.

So, from me to New York…

“Start spreadin' the news, I'm leavin' today (not quite today, but soon!), I want to be a part of it, New York, New York...”

Clockwise from above: One of the world’s most recognisable structures - the Empire State Building. Rooftop pools and bars are a summer favourite.

Expect to see and hear many FDNY trucks. There’s always something going on in Times Square. Cabs are cheap and the best way to get around Manhattan.

Dangerous Curves

GLAMOUR MODEL HAYLI-JADE IS A YOUNG WOMAN ON THE MOVE, AND ON A MISSION. NEXT YEAR THE 23-YEAR-OLD VICTORIAN WILL HEAD TO THE US TO WORK, AND START HER OWN MODELLING AGENCY. TELL HER SHE CAN’T ACHIEVE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK...

HAYLi JADE HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TOLD YOU CAN’T DO SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU AREN’T THE RIGHT SHAPE, SIZE, LOOK, COLOUR? HAYLI-JADE WAS TOLD JUST THAT - SHE CAN’T BE A MODEL BECAUSE SHE IS TOO SHORT AND TOO CURVY, BUT READ HAYLI-JADE’S STORY AND YOU WILL FIND THAT SOME PEOPLE THRIVE ON BEING TOLD THEY CAN’T DO SOMETHING. AS TOLD TO: CAROL SHERIDAN. PHOTOS: DARREN HOUSE/ANDREW BROWNE

M

y sister was always outside learning how to rollerblade, or on a bike or a scooter or running around and doing stuff like that.

On the other hand, I was trying to get out of PE and sport and dressing up in my grandmother’s lingerie, like her silky nighties and her bras.

That probably sounds a little weird now, but I loved dressing like that, and walking up and down the hallway in her makeup and high heels.

I was always meant to be a pretty

girl (but) I was such an ugly child.

Like Bert on Sesame Street, I had one thick eyebrow, a cowlick fringe, fat little knees and a hairy back.

On the inside, I was always a model but I was hideous on the outside.

Sick of being bullied for my mono eyebrow, I tried shaving it and I took out a big chunk of skin. The cut wouldn’t stop bleeding so I walked out of the bathroom thinking no one will notice, even though I could feel the blood trickling down my nose.

My mum made me wear a big

Band Aid over it, which really inspired the bullies at school.

Loud and dopey, I was always different. I fell over a lot and bumped into the walls. I was a bit quirky and I still am.

I watched a lot of Disney - all the princesses – and I wanted to be a princess; a beautiful damsel in distress and have men falling over me - kind of like a being model.

Bullying wasn’t my only issue at school. I was always very arty and I tried art, drama and music. I sucked at it all.

“Modelling agencies knocked me back all the time but I have found my own market. I have found that men do want to look at short curvy girls; they find models like me to be very sexy”.

My art teacher once told me there are two types of artists. Some don’t have the imagination but they are great at drawing, and there are others that have the imagination and really great ideas but they suck at putting it onto paper. They can’t paint. That was always me.

It was the same with drama. I loved acting but I sucked at it, so no one ever wanted to work with me because I wasn’t that good doing it but I always had fun. I had the biggest grin.

Consequently, I decided to try something else artistic – photography.

In years 11 and 12 I studied photography and I used my sister – who was a bit weird as well; she was a bit gothic - as my model.

The theme was Little Red Riding Hood and I did all this symbolism stuff where the outside world was the wolf.

Then I wanted my photos taken, so we’d swap jobs. This is when I discovered I loved being in front of the camera - I discovered I could do something artistic. I could make art just by posing and dressing up.

I was born to flaunt it - born to have big boobs, big hair, big nails, big shoes and big eyelashes. It was fun. I had found my niche!

I had all this confidence and I desperately wanted to model, but I was very flat chested, so I wanted to get my boobs done.

It had been on my mind since I was 16 years old, so when I finally decided to have the surgery done at 20, my mum wasn’t at all surprised.

We had to take out a loan to pay for the procedure but of course we didn’t tell the bank manager exactly what it was for. We just called it reconstructive surgery, so it could have been for anything.

Within two weeks of the loan being approved I had the boobs I had always wanted.

Now I felt that I could be a model but most models are girls who are skinny, with either big boobs or really small ones.

I wasn’t either of those. I didn’t look the part. I was short, curvy and always laughing out loud

and smiling. Those girls have very serious faces; they look angry, their ribs stick out and they never appear to be having any fun.

To me, modelling is acting. It’s being a character. It’s having fun.

As Hayli, I was dopey, I fell over, I was clumsy but I wanted to play the part of someone who was a man’s fantasy. I wanted to dress up and escape into that world, so I created Hayli-Jade – a character who is completely different to Hayli.

Modelling agencies knocked me back all the time. They either didn’t reply to my letters or straight out said, “Thanks but no thanks”.

Sometimes they would tell me how much they loved my smile and that I should audition with hundreds of actors for TV commercials but it was really just a way of them getting rid of me.

Now I see a lot of other girls getting knocked back too, because they don’t fit the look that agencies feel the market wants.

I have found my own market. I have found that men do want to look at short curvy girls; they find Hayli-Jade and models like me to be very sexy.

When I did my first glamour shoot, I was as nervous as hell.

Everything went wrong. The first shoot was nude, so you can imagine I was terrified. The photographer was also just starting out in his career; he gave me no direction at all.

I have since learnt that a great photographer gives great direction and a great model listens to that direction and over time, learns what does and doesn’t work in front of the camera. I have learnt how to work the camera and know that my curves look good in lingerie.

I wouldn’t have chosen any other style of photographic modelling.

However, modelling can be difficult on a relationship.

Initially, guys often like the novelty of having a girlfriend who’s a model but then comes the realisation that other guys will be seeing her nearly naked.

A lot of my photography is implied nudity, but that can still

cause a lot of jealousy.

I have invited my current boyfriend along to any photo shoot that I do so that he can see that it’s not sleazy.

There has to be trust in any relationship but it’s even more important when someone has this kind of job.

I have been fairly lucky in this industry so far. Sometimes photographers think that girls who do this kind of work are ‘easy’, that they are really porn models but most photographers are really encouraging and professional.

Of course, there are the ones that will offer to pay you more for the photo shoot if you just give them something extra, like an extra $100 if you let them touch or kiss you, or an extra $200 if you let them have sex with you.

But there are sleazebags like this in any industry. You just tell them no,

deal with it, and get back to work.

These types of people tend to prey more on the younger girls, the ones who don’t have a lot of experience and don’t know how to deal with a situation.

There are guys who say they are photographers but aren’t really.

They have cut and pasted images from the internet into their own portfolios, so that they look like professionals when they aren’t.

When you have experience like I do, you know what to look for; you know how to research who has asked you to do a photo shoot with them but you still have to be careful.

I don’t think you are ever safe but where is anyone truly safe?

I am not chasing photographers any more, they are chasing me.

I don’t really know when this happened, it all crept up on me, but I have worked hard for this.

Next year I plan on working

with some more interstate photographers, ones who have wanted to work with me for a long time now, and by 2013 I will have enough American photographers lined up to make a trip over there worthwhile.

My big dream is to have my own model agency. At the moment, it’s hard for even me to picture but I know I am going to get there one day.

I haven’t decided yet which country I would like my agency to be in. Glamour models aren’t highly regarded in Australia, unlike in America and Europe where there is a huge demand for models who are short and curvy.

I find Australia to be such a negative place when it comes to modelling.

Even a simple thing like getting my boobs done was looked down on, and some people think I am a dirty whore because I take my clothes off but that’s not true. It’s an art form. I am not a whore, I am a model. I am just not the model you see in women’s magazines or on Australian runways.

I want to learn about the photography aspect of this art, the make-up artistry, the hair styling and fashion design. I think it will be really beneficial when I have my

own agency.

My agency will be a proper agency for models, not topless waitresses, not promotional girls, not lingerie waitresses. It will be for short curvy models, real models, not promotional girls - there is a huge difference.

I want my name, my face and my agency on big billboards all over the world.

People think I am ditzy, that I have no brains but I prove them wrong all the time. It’s just another one of my characters.

Yes, I can be ditzy, I can say stupid things, I laugh loudly, I am fun and I muck around but I have a head on my shoulders. When I let people know that side of me, they are genuinely shocked so, when people tell me I won’t be able to have the modelling agency that I want, they are saying it because they are seeing the ditzy me.

When I switch out of ditzy mode into business mode, they soon change their minds and agree that I know what I am doing, and I am going to get it.

So, for the moment, Hayli-Jade is a glamour model, and loving it but in the not too distant future, Hayli will have the Hayli-Jade modelling agency and will take over the world with her confidence and drive!

Nice name: Great car I like Toyota’s new Aurion, and not just because they named one of it’s variants after our magazine (Toyota need’s to do something about the spelling, though).

If you thought big Toyotas were only something your grandfather drove then this is the car to change your mind.

Toyota says Aurion is an emotionally appealing car and after driving it through the glorious roads of the Adelaide Hills, I’m inclined to agree.

Prodigy has impressive power and braking and combined with Australiantuned suspension and supportive seats, the car delivers an engaging experience through the steep, winding roads.

While the new second-generation Aurion carries over the 200kW, 3.5-litre

V6 engine from the previous model, fuel efficiency has improved 6.1 per cent to 9.3 litres per 100km. CO2 emissions are down 7.7 per cent.

I loved the engine’s 336Nm of torque, though acceleration seemed a little harsh when kicking down a gear while charging uphill.

Like all Aurion models, it car has a 5-star ANCAP rating and is equipped with seven airbags (dual front, side, curtain and driver’s knee), electronic stability control and reversing camera.

Creature comforts include dual-zone climate control, alloy wheels, 60/40 split-fold rear seats, USB input with iPod connectivity and power driver’s seat with lumbar support.

WORDS: DARREN HOUSE The mid-level Prodigy gains a four-spoke steering wheel, leather upholstery, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, electric rear sunshade, driver’s seat memory, power passenger seat, smart entry and smart start.

There’s also 17-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, front fog lights, front and rear parking sensors, chrome door handles and free metallic paint.

Toyota has pitched the new Aurion as an attainable luxury vehicle. With its upmarket new looks inside and out, and impressive performance and roadholding, and value for money pricing, it’s a “Yes” from me. www.toyota.com.au

TOYOTA AURION PRODIGY ANCAP RATING: 5 STAR ENGINE: 3.5-litre six-cylinder, V configuration POWER/TORQUE: 200kW/336Nm TRANSMISSION: Six-speed automatic DRIVETRAIN: Front engine, FWD CONSUMPTION: 9.3L/100km BODY: Four-door sedan SUSPENSION: MacPherson strut (front); strut-type coil spring/damper units, (rear) BRAKES: Ventilated discs (front); solid discs (rear) PRICE: From $41,490

PRODIJEE 93

Hamish Blake and wife-to-be ZoĂŤ Foster

the logies

The stars shone brightly as they walked the red carpet during Aussie TV’s night-of-nights. WORDS: DARREN HOUSE PHOTOS: MATTHEW WREN. Comedian Hamish Blake may have taken out the 2012 Gold Logie for the most popular Australian television personality but there were multiple winners during the traditional red carpet arrivals.

More to the point, there were no losers, in what was a very safe Logies red carpet. The biggest risk taken by the participants - was to walk gauntlet of hysterical One Direction fans.

Sequins and black gowns were popular, and no one wore this look better than Channel Ten’s Magdalena Roze, who wore a stunning Ae'lkemi gown.

Channel Nine’s Lauren Phillips modified the look somewhat, wearing a sleek and sexy silver sequined gown by Jayson Brunsdon.

Challenging Magdalena for most popular gown was Gold Logie nominee, Asher Keddie, who wore a

Lauren Eagle

breathtaking J'Aton gown.

Jennifer Hawkins bucked the trend, arriving in a turquoise Toni Maticevski gown, while Megan Gale, Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Michelle Bridges were dressed by Alex Perry.

Another Gold Logie nominee, Carrie Bickmore, stood out for all the right reasons; the gorgeous blonde wearing a strapless red Bowie gown.

Once the red carpet had concluded, all thoughts turned to the Gold Logie, where Hamish proved a very popular first time winner.

“This is a huge honour”, Hamish told prodijee. It’s great that people can get involved and vote for the awards, that people can have that connection. I know not everyone votes but for those who do, it is very sweet that they do. I voted for myself 25,000 times.”

Megan Gale

Jennifer Hawkins

Delta Goodrem

Carrie Bickmore

Lauren Phillips

Asher Keddie

Esther Anderson

Jesinta Campbell

Rebecca Judd

Magdalena Roze

Michelle Bridges

A NEW CONCEPT INTO THE CITY, B THE SPORT TO A

T HAS SHIFTED THE AUSTRALIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP OUT OF THE FOREST AND BRINGING RELIEF TO LONG-SUFFERING RALLY ENTHUSIASTS WHILE OPENING UP A POTENTIAL NEW FAN BASE. WORDS/PHOTOS: WWW.NISHIMACHI.COM.AU

R

allying is a form of motorsport that is often said to be the most exciting due to the risk drivers take on public gravel roads through forests.

This can also be the downside to reaching the usual motorsport fans. Some people find it undesirable to drive to different locations, which could be more than an hour away along unmade roads to experience less than an hour of competition.

Rally Calder utilised a truly different setting, Calder Park Raceway. Once known as The Home of Australian Motorsport, Calder Park previously hosted circuit racing, drag racing, and super speedway racing.

The complex has a range of gravel roads for rallying, and the diversity offered by its Thunderdome and National Circuit, combined with its proximity to Melbourne and the western suburban fringe, made it the perfect place to host a rally with a difference.

The organising team saw opportunity to combine this first round of the Bosch Australian Rally Championships with the CAMS Australian Tarmac Rally Championship, the Australian Side x Side (All-Terrain Vehicles) Rally Challenge, Drift Racing, and Time Attack events to attract a bigger range of motorsport fans.

The rally cars ran at frequent intervals and the public were able to experience the service area and watch the teams work on their cars during the scheduled breaks.

This new style of event was certainly successful in terms of its reach in the motorsport scene, and it will be sure to attract even more attention next year.

www.rally.com.au

prodijee.com THE NEXT BIG THING IS HERE...