prodijee #6 December-January 2013

e e j i d pro 2013 Issue #6 DECEMBER-JANUARY

contents 66

46 Stefano Bemer Italy loses a master craftsman.

54 Mixin’ it up

Blending Hennesy cognac with smooth tunes makes the perfect party.

58 Something special for Christmas

The perfect Christmas presents for loved ones - or yourself...

62 Future’s so bright

Shades don’t get any cooler than these hot designs.

66 Women of the night The women every man fears waking up to.

54 84 Rebel with a clue

Aussie actor Harrison Gilbertson has his head screwed on right.

96 The skye’s the limit Shoes. Need we say more?

100 Dream Catcher

Ieva Georges lets no obstacle stand in the way of her career.

104 Giddy up!

THE racing fashion event of the year.

114 Brits fall for Aussie actor

British ‘soap’ never looked so good.

84

\ 122 The Dominator

V8 Supercars’ Mr Untouctable, Jamie Whincup was in a class of his own during 2012.

104

132 Back to the future

Melbourne duo Gypsy & The Cat are back with a new album and a new sound.

48 Thorhildur Thorarins 80 Joanie Darveau 168 Ryan Rundle

REGULARS

142 Angels from Heaven

4 What’s Goin’ On 14 Going Postal 16 What’s Hot

Cold beer and hot babes. What else could you want for Summer?

150 Miss Independent Danielle Blakey has taken control of her career, releasing her music independently and touring the world.

122

160 Social Phenomenon

Adelaide trio, At Sunset, has utilised social media to build a substantial fan base that stretches around the world.

172 Six and Out

Casey Stoner kept his Phillip Island MotoGP winning streak intact, providing local fans with a weekend to remember.

180 The Ambassador

ARTIST PROFILES

2012 AirAsia Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix Ambassador, Monika Clarke, tells how she won the coveted role.

ROAD TESTS 32 Ft Denison Restaurant 34 KOBO e-reader 36 Canon G1X 37 Belvita 68 Toyota 86 82 150 Lashes pale ale FEATURED PRODUCTS 26 Almay cosmetics 28 Burberry watches 30 SanCerra fashion COLUMNS 40 The French Facialist 41 It Seems To Me 44 Food Couture 46 Savvy PRODIJEE.COM

what’s goin’ on AN ELECTRIFYING ENCOUNTER between the internationally renowned fashion designer Jeremy Scott and the smart fortwo electric drive vehicle has produced a fascinating result.

The unique smart forjeremy features wings – a familiar trademark of the American star designer. The smart forjeremy showcar, which will be launched next year as a limited special edition, was unveiled on the eve of the LA Auto Show at Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles, with music provided by M.I.A. “We were totally enthusiastic about the first sketches that Jeremy presented to us”, said Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of smart, during the world premiere. “Both smart and the wings represent a bit of freedom

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on the crowded streets of major cities. In their respective disciplines, both Jeremy Scott and the smart brand are pioneering trendsetters, venturing into uncharted territories and challenging the status quo.”

True to form, the cooperation itself was out of the ordinary, smart being the first car brand to permit a fashion designer to make changes to the vehicle’s body.

As Head of Mercedes-Benz and smart design, Gorden Wagener explained: “Cooperations with fashion designers are normally limited to selecting interior materials and interior and exterior colour schemes. With Jeremy Scott, however, we wanted to go one step further and integrated the typical wings as a central design element

in the vehicle body. This was quite a challenge, because it was not just a case of creating a showcar, but rather of creating a near-series study with the potential for licensing it for road use in the future.”

Wings are one of the recurring design elements used by Jeremy.

“For me, wings mean freedom, a sense of weightlessness. Because of this, I definitely wanted to have them for the smart electric drive in order to convey the way it frees the environment of noxious emissions and symbolises the new lightness of mobility”, explained Jeremy, who also creates unique costumes for Lady Gaga, Madonna, Katy Perry and Rihanna. www.smart.com

THE FRONTIER TOURING Company in association with Jacobsen International have announced the first Australian tour dates for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in a decade.

Confirmed to tour the East Coast of Australia in March 2013 with their ‘Wrecking Ball Tour’, the run will include indoor arena dates in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and a very special outdoor performance at Victoria’s iconic Hanging Rock.

The Wrecking Ball world tour has, to date, stopped in 18 countries with over 80 shows including several of the longest performances of Springsteen’s career.

The tour, in support of new album ‘Wrecking Ball’ (out now through Sony Music Australia), recently won the 2012 Billboard Touring Awards “Top Draw” Award, in recognition of the year’s top ticket-selling tour.

Notably Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be just the third headline act to appear at Victoria’s Hanging Rock.

General tickets are on-sale now www.brucespringsteen.net www.facebook.com/brucespringsteen www.twitter.com/springsteen

WHEN YOU THINK of Prada, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Gucci you immediately think of high fashion couture. When you speak and savor the healthy morsels of Sarah French you travel the world of bespoke food couture.

Sarah French has been captivating the magical powers of food for almost two decades, electrifying palettes with simple, inspired food pleasures that you have never tasted before whilst sending you wild with passion.

Prior to launching her boutique catering company, Sarah spent many years working her prowess skills at a range of Sydney's hot restaurants such as Astral, Sean’s Kitchen and Mezzaluna.

Exotic world destinations have

also been Sarah’s playground for many years, extensively extracting different cultural influences, flavours and cooking techniques, working aboard luxury Nuevo Rich mega yachts in Australia, New Zealand, Monte Carlo and Europe and still finding the time to teach locals new culinary skills in the Indian Himalayas.

Today you will find this young vibrant chef at numerous savvy soirées working the floor with her team like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

And the great news for prodijee readers is that Sarah has signed on to become our food columnist.

You can read Sarah’s first piece for prodijee on page 42 of this edition.

Welcome to world of Sarah French Bespoke Food Couture!

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A QUARTER OF a million people turned out to cheer a parade of Ferrari supercars rolling down an appropriately red carpet in the Chinese city of Guangzhou to mark the 20th anniversary of the legendary Italian car maker in China.

The importance of the event was marked by the arrival of Ferrari’s

Founded in 2006, Brick Lane Bikes was the UK’s first fixed-gear bike store, specialising in custom-made bikes built in their on-site workshop.

Brick Lane Bikes are now at the PRODIJEE.COM

Chairman, Luca di Montezemolo, at the Guangzhou Auto Show.

During a packed press conference on the Ferrari stand, Montezemolo underlined the importance of the Chinese market for the company.

“We consider our first 20 years’ presence in this nation as just a start. I am very pleased with the results we have attained so far and

I would like to thank all those who have worked so hard and who share our dreams and our passion.

“With the warmth and affection we feel surrounding Ferrari in China I am sure we will continue to grow together.”

Greater China has recently become Ferrari’s second most important market along with Germany, with sales that have reached more than 700 and with a 25-strong dealership network.

In the afternoon, the streets of Guangzhou were the scene of celebrations, starting with a parade of more than 130 Ferraris, the biggest ever seen in China.

The enthusiasm of the crowds of spectators, clients and fans on the passage of the cars was amazing.

One of the highlights of the parade was the appearance, for the first time in public, of a new version of the 458 Italia, produced as a limited series for the Chinese market, with characteristic Chinese elements and finished in a special Rosso Marco Polo.

heart of East London’s cycling scene, making them the perfect team to test and approve H&M’s special cycling collection. Each piece has been designed to be worn on and off the

bike, with functional details providing both performance and also style.

Materials used include organic cotton, recycled cotton and recycled polyester, meaning the collection is as sustainable as cycling.

“Working with H&M to create clothing that mixes cycling with urban fashion is the perfect fit for us. It is exactly what we are about, and what we do best,” says Feya Buchwald, founder of Brick Lane Bikes.Cycling is a global phenomenon, with so many men choosing to cycle both to commute and for pleasure.

“This men’s collection has all the utility and function riders need, combined with a great sense of style,” says Petter Klusell, designer at H&M. www.hm.com

YET ANOTHER NEW columnist has joined prodijee. This time we welcome Riely Saville, an overtly creative powerhouse who has versatility, innovation and sexiness, and is currently tearing up the stage and loving it!

Actress, Model, Dancer, Choreographer, Stylist and Creative Director, Riely began her career at age 15 when she won the prestigious Young Model Discovery Award. She was also accepted into the Australian Ballet School, which became her home for the next four years. These achievements led Riely to various modelling and dance assignments in Australia, US (New York City), Japan and many other countries.

The world became her stage, with Disney, Warner Bros and ballet companies all warming to her talents. This allowed her to play the lead roles of Juliet, Ariel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Trinity and Batgirl, just to name a few.

Whilst in those countries Riely also made various TV commercials and appearances for Target, Wrigley’s, Suntory, Disney, Warner Bros, Sunrise, The Morning Show and Getaway.

Riely caught the eye of the US Celebrity Management Company, Satellite Agency, based in Beverly Hills when she toured with Kanye West in 2012.

Satellite Agency president, Joey Sulfaro, is now looking to further Riely’s stage and television career in Australia and the US and believes we have the next Christina Aguilera in our sights.

Riely is currently showcasing her talents in the new hit show Transfusion at Dracula’s on the Gold Coast. In 2013 we will see this cute, sexy dynamo doing her thing on the stage and across TV screens around the world.

So turn to page 44 and enter the intoxicating, bewitching and enchanting world of Riely Saville to

be taken on a journey towards an irresistible path of entertainment, creativity and style.

REEBONZ SEEMS TO have the right idea when it comes to looking after their clientele. As mentioned in the article Bricks & Mortar by Sean Lim, GM Australia and New Zealand, Reebonz (see page 41), to be successful in today’s market, you need to provide shoppers with both online capability and bricks and mortar stores.

While Reebonz does most of their marketing online and finds that this is where the majority of their sales are made, they also offer special events for their shoppers to touch and feel the product they are purchasing.

Having a strong purchasing network in Europe and the ability to buy in bulk, Reebonz is able to source their product competitively.

This enables them to sell handbags such as Prada, Celine and Gucci at up to 70 per cent less than you will be able to purchase

them for at some boutiques, and don’t the shoppers know it!

We attended the most recent Reebonz event held at the Intercontinental Hotel, in Collins Street, Melbourne and when those doors opened to the public, it was ‘stand back’ or get knocked over

by the rush of shoppers, all looking for high quality products at bargain prices.

To be ‘in the know’ for the next Reebonz event, and bag yourself a bargain, or to buy online, log onto their site. www.reebonz.com.au

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REINVENTING THE TRADITIONS of circus, cabaret, variety and burlesque for the 21st century audience, and following a sell-out season on Broadway in New York, Spiegelworld is bringing its all-new show, EMPIRE to Australia.

The 700-seat antique Spiegeltent is furnished with beveled mirrors, plush velvet-upholstered seating booths.

Spiegelworld, which also features a carnival-style style bar and the most intimate stage in town, will start its Australian tour over summer in Sydney on 4 January, 2013 at The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park. EMPIRE will then perform to Melbourne audiences from 14 March, followed by Brisbane from 24 May 2013.

EMPIRE is a 90-minute theatrobatic adventure performed by the greatest international talent ever assembled in one tent, with artists such as, Oscar & Fanny, Lime Green Lady, Carrot Man, Gorilla Girls, Big Mac Boy and many more.

Spiegelworld Impresario, Ross Mollison said: “EMPIRE is the very

height of the Spiegeltent artform.

We scoured the planet to find the most awe-inspiring acts and mixed them into a show that represents everything that is sexy, excessive, decadent and bizarre about New York City. It’s all presented on an intimate stage not much bigger than a postcard and I am delighted to be now mailing it home for Australia to enjoy.”

EMPIRE performs in Australia:

SUI HE HAS been named the new Global Face of Shiseido Makeup. Shiseido Artistic Director, Dick Page, along with company executives, hand selected Sui He for her alignment with the brand’s modern and international beauty aesthetic. Sui He will also represent Shiseido’s skincare and sun lines in Asia.

Originally from Wenzhou, China, Sui He broke into the international style scene after becoming the first Asian model to open for Ralph Lauren in the Fall/ Winter 2011 season. “Sui He embodies Shiseido’s holistic sense of beauty - her look is both fresh and elegant, with a poise and subtlety of expression that give her a strong, creative and timeless quality. She seems to radiate a glow from within.” says Hiroshi Maruyama, General Manager of the International Marketing Department at Shiseido Co., Ltd. “Sui He is a beautiful woman, of course, but she is also graceful and intelligent with a sweet sense of humour.

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SYDNEY - From January 4, 2013 MELBOURNE: From March 14, 2013.

BRISBANE: From May 24, 2013 Tickets available from Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au A special VIP Ticket is available and includes in the front two rows, VIP entry and a complimentary beverage. www.ticketek.com.au

She wears her beauty lightly. She is a charming, and very welcome addition to the world of Shiseido,” said Dick Page.

THE WAIT IS OVER and The Big Day Out 2013 schedule of set times has landed.

In addition to the stellar list of artists already announced BDO has revealed the 2013 Red Stage and the return of the Big Day Out ambience team: the one and only Duckpond, Heavy G, Larry Kronic Jr and Cristo aka The Lilypad are back and badder than ever.

The 2013 Lilypad will include Freak Factor, Lilypad House Party, Breakfast of Morons, Bogan Karaoke, the Xtreme Food Olympics and more! Too much information on Big Day Out’s very own ‘Silly Scenario Centre’ can be found at bigdayout.com You can now check out who is playing which stage and when so you can start navigating your movements between the six music stages and the El Jimador Mexican Wrestling Bar, Chow Town and The Lilypad.

ARTISTS, CITY BY CITY SYDNEY The Medics * Something With Numbers * Urthboy * Thy Art Is Murder * Deep Sea Arcade * Royal Headache * Bob Log III * Chance Waters * Good Heavens * Stereogamous * The Griswolds * Fishing * The Gooch Palms * Donny Benet * triple j unearthed winners: Jackie Onassis GOLD COAST The Medics * Dead Letter Circus * I Heart Hiroshima * Paul Mac * The Cairos * Bob Log III * Hey Geronimo * We All Want To * Evil Eddie * Skinwalkers * Dave’s Pawn Shop * Lily Rouge * The Vernons * Sneeky Picnic * triple j unearthed winners: Jakarta Criers ADELAIDE The Medics * The Beards * Paul Mac * Grey Ghost * The Killgirls * Full Tote Odds * Messrs * Allday * Lady

Strangelove * Steering By Stars * Sincerely, Grizzly * Stab Capital * Gemini Downs * Archers * Dr Piffle & The Burlap Band * triple j unearthed winners: The Aves.

MELBOURNE The Medics * Bodyjar * Seth Sentry * Chicks On Speed DJ Show * Bob Log III * The Smith Street Band * Kingswood * Yung Warriors * Money For Rope * Jackson Firebird * Split Seconds * For Our Hero * Generik * Zanzibar Chanel * The Stiffys * triple j unearthed winners: Apes.

PERTH The Medics * Sugar Army * Chicks On Speed DJ Show * Emperors * The Chemist * Sons of Rico * Further Earth * Arts Martial * Rainy Day Women * Boys Boys Boys! * The Love Junkies * Skank MC * Dead Owls * Tomàs Ford * triple j unearthed winners: Foam TIMETABLES AND MAPS Timetables and maps have been released. visit bigdayout.com where you can create and share your own custom schedule.

BDO has more announcements ahead, including a few more surprises for the Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth Chow Town line-ups and the menus for each city, plus a mobile app will be coming your way very soon where you’ll find the entire festival at your fingertips.

The app is packed with fest-essentials like custom scheduling, maps, social network integration and an in-app lighter to hold up during epic anthems. Make sure you are on the look out for the free app to help streamline your Big Day Out 2013 festival experience.

www.bigdayout.com PRODIJEE.COM

Hyundai Motor Company, has presented its new season billboard content for New York’s Times Square. The idea is to provide innovative and valuable experiences for consumers in the heart of one of the world’s busiest commercial districts.

Dubbed the Live Image Show, Hyundai connected cameras to its main outdoor billboard at Two Times Square, allowing people to capture and project live images of themselves onto the Hyundai billboard. The billboard then displays

an image of the subjects in Hyundai vehicles traveling through an animated visual version of New York.

The cameras perched atop the TKTS ticket booth (the famous Red Stairs) in Times Square, unlike previous wide-angle shots which captured random people, the Hyundai cameras zoom in up-close on a select handful of people.

“Times Square is one of the world’s most famous tourist spots, where people, including our customers, travel from afar to create unforgettable moments,” said Won-

FOLLOWING TWO SUCCESSFUL independent album releases, ABC Music has announced the signing of Australian Country Music singer/songwriter and dynamic performer, Jayne Denham.

From a girl and her ute to a farmer’s wife… from legendary truckies to those farming the land… from the outback to life in a country town… or simply, Aussies living it up and having a good time - no matter what it is, if it’s about Australian country culture and life, Jayne Denham

writes and sings about it.

Jayne Denham is fast becoming one of Australia’s most admired country music performers. Her impressive and relentlessly energetic live show has seen her earn performance opportunities at all major Australian Country Music festivals.

She’s unashamedly Country and a champion of regional and rural life and values.

Jayne is currently recording her third album Renegade with iconic Australian producer, Garth Porter.

The album will be released

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Hong Cho, Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Co. in Seoul.

“We wanted to create a special moment for our customers at this special venue - a brilliant moment.”

The Live Image Show is Hyundai’s second project utilising its spectacular interactive billboard, continuing to showcase Hyundai’s New Thinking. New Possiblities, while providing brilliant moments for customers.

Hyundai first launched the interactive billboard in New York last year with Hyundai Race, allowing people to connect their smart phones to Hyundai’s billboard and play a racing game live.

New York’s Times Square is a global landmark, considered to be one of the world’s busiest commercial hubs. Approximately 1.5 million people are estimated to pass by on a daily basis, while 550 million visit annually.

The Two Times Square building, where Hyundai has secured advertising space since October 2009, is one of the most coveted advertising spots in the world. www.hyundai.com.au

through ABC Music/Universal Music Australia in early 2013.

“This album will have plenty of rocking country songs, with a blend of heart felt lyrics and melodies to add to the next step of my journey in Australian country music,” said Jayne.

Best known for rockin’ uptempo hits like Chick Ute, Shake This Town and Feral Kev & General Leeroy, the first single from Renegades, the beautiful Shelter, (co-written with Colin Buchanan and Tamara Stewart), introduces the more personal

NITRO CIRCUS LIVE, one of the greatest live action sports shows in the world, will take to the stage at the 2013 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. The shows will be free for all ticket AGP holders.

The world’s best action sports athletes will push themselves to

the limit, performing free, daily shows that will culminate in a onehour post-race spectacular. The shows will feature Nitro’s famous 50-foot giganta ramp, extreme stunts in Freestlye Motocross, BMX, Skateboard, Scooters and more.

Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Andrew Westacott, is thrilled to welcome Nitro Circus Live to Melbourne for a range of spectacular performances.

“Nitro Circus Live will deliver four days of adrenaline-charged action to an already packed schedule for fans of all ages.

Add this to V8 Supercars, live music and all the glamour and excitement of F1 for the perfect weekend of entertainment,” he said.

“Their inclusion in our world class event is a real coup for our fans and continues to ensure that they are getting fantastic value for money,” he added.

Launched in 2010 on the back of the global phenomenon that is the Nitro Circus TV Show, they are known as the Cirque Du Soleil of

action sports entertainment.

Founded by Travis Pastrana, winner of 17 X-Games medals, the Nitro Circus crew includes Australians Blake ‘Bilko’ Williams and Cam Sinclair. The full lineup for the 2013 Formula 1™ Australian Grand Prix will be announced shortly.

Managing Director of Nitro Circus, Michael Porra, said that the phenomenon has already captured the imagination of fans around the world.

“Nitro Circus has over 46 million TV viewers in the United States alone and is aired in over 60 countries. Just like the 2013 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Nitro Circus is a global phenomenon,” he said.

“We are all pumped for what is set to be an amazing adrenalinepacked event in Melbourne next March with the world’s best extreme sports performers.”

The Nitro Circus Live show is available for all event ticket holders, kids and adults alike. www.grandprix.com.au

side of Jayne Denham to the Australian Country fans.

“Every song I’ve ever sung is about real life. From trucker chicks to mad professors! But Shelter is my most personal song to date. “(It’s) inspired by all the great folks I’ve met over the years on the road that live on the land. Hearing their stories and feeling their struggles - but most importantly, feeling their passion for what they do,” said Jayne. www.jaynedenham.com PRODIJEE.COM

THE AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) has launched a campaign to create 10 new AACTA Awards in response to local industry demand.

The move comes as the Academy last week revealed nominees for the upcoming 2nd AACTA Awards, sparking further substantial discussion among screen professionals regarding the need to more adequately recognise all key screen crafts in Australia, particularly within television.

The majority of the proposed new AACTA Awards fall within television categories, bringing AACTA’s television awards in line with its film and documentary Awards by recognising excellence in cinematography, editing, sound, original music score, production design and costume design.

Other proposed AACTA Awards would recognise hair and make-up design across film and television for the first time in Australia, as well as screen content innovation.

The final proposed AACTA Award

is for Best Original Music Score in a Documentary. The new AACTA Awards would bring Australia in line with international screen awards, with the proposed new awards each recognised across the Emmys, AMPAS (the Oscars), and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTAs).

AACTA is calling on the screen industry to show its support for the new AACTA Awards through an online petition. The petition will then serve as a case for support for AACTA to work with the industry to identify ways to create the new Awards, which are dependent on sufficient screen sector resources.

AFI | AACTA CEO, Damian Trewhella, said AACTA has long acknowledged that there are a number of highly skilled industry practitioners whose work is not being recognised in Australia, with television craft awards identified as the biggest gap in AACTA’s current slate of Awards.

“The Australian Academy currently recognises film and television excellence across 41

AACTA Awards, with past winners and nominees receiving new job, education and development opportunities, and associated productions achieving increased sales here and abroad as a result of this internationally recognised peer recognition.

“The AACTA Awards serve as international currency for nominees and winners because they are based on international best practice models, and therefore are recognised within the key markets of the US and the UK, as well as at home.

“It is evident from the many formal submissions and countless emails we have received over time in support of new Awards that the industry not only supports our Awards, but sees substantial value in them.

We now want to galvanise and capture this support through our online campaign in order to work with the industry to identify ways to create these Awards,” Trewhella said.

ONE OF THE most notable masters of gastronomy in the world, Heinz Beck, has just performed a series of events in Australia.

Beck’s unique interpretation of the modern kitchen goes beyond his undisputed culinary talent and

includes the utmost attention toward the selection of ingredients and their transformation into highly innovative flavours.

Among numerous awards, Beck has been recognised by Michelin, Bibenda, Gambero Rosso and L’Espresso, to name just a few.

Beyond an excellent career as a highly decorated chef, Heinz has been heralded as a leader in Italian and Mediterranean culinary tradition.

His profound understanding of the culinary culture is revealed in several of his texts, which address more than culinary practices.

Among one of the best sellers in the past year is Beck’s “L’Ingrediente Segreto” (The Secret Ingredient).

His other noteworthy works include “L’Arte e Scienza del Servizio” (The Art and Science of Service), “Beck”, “Vegetariano” (Vegetarian), “Pasta” and the ingenious “Finger Food”.

Beck also has tackled nutrition and healthy culinary practices in “Ipertensione e Alimentazione” (Hypertension and Nutrition).

Today Beck consults with several businesses, offering the same attention to details that his guests receive at his restaurants.

Beck also has been integral in the development of the De Cecco line of sughi (sauces), which he conceived, designed and developed to bring the richness of Mediterranean flavours to supermarket shelves across the world.

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www.surveymonkey.com/s/aactascreen-craft-awards

TREVOR IS A collection of 3000 like-minded individuals all looking for more than just an amazing music experience.

Trevor is the feeling you get in finding an old box of polaroids, full of summer fun and familiar faces. It’s about getting up for a quick dance and not sitting down again. It’s the sticky carpet at your local and the familiar smell of the band room. It’s a celebration of everything you have ever loved about music, friends, family and food.

“Music, Food and Family; it’s like a holy trinity...” explains Nick Say, co-producer, “...and that’s what Trevor’s all about. We want to make sure that parents are relaxed and kids are exhausted by the end of the day – hopefully meaning a nice sleep in for mum and dad the following morning!”

Trevor’s impressive lineup is headed by ICEHOUSE, and while parents rock out to sets from Ash Grunwald, The Bamboos, Sweet

Jean, Brow Horn Orchestra and Pierce Brothers, kids Twelve and under will be sifting through their complimentary show-bag, massive armful of vouchers, gifts and revelling in the huge array of things to do.

Trevor’s co-creator, Paul Stafford, himself a published chef, says that Trevor will also be a festival of amazing food.

“Food is so often overlooked at music festivals but it’s vital in creating an amazing experience that people won’t forget. We want everyone to remember the paella as much as hearing Icehouse play ‘Great Southern Land’ as the sun sets over Churchill Island.”

And so enormous pans of Paella will be matched with a zingy Sangria, delicious lamb shanks washed down with a cold beer and slow cooked pork shoulder will be piled with an asian slaw and rolled in light, flaky pastry.

“We’re asking all vendors to reduce their waste, to use bio-

THE LOVE VINTAGE show returned to Melbourne for a second exhibition of Vintage glamour for the year. Organisers of the event said they were inundated with requests from attendees of the previous show demanding more tips and tricks for this year’s racing and summer seasons.

“It is harder every year to stand out of the crowd and be fashionably unique”, said Bonnie Rose, Love Vintage’s Hostess. “The Love Vintage Show is a one stop venue where you can not only discover unique and fabulous pieces but also get great fashion advice, tips and tricks on what to wear, how to wear it and also pick up a gorgeous

signature piece for your home.

“People need to feel sexy and spectacular when they head out, this is most important when heading to the races.”, she added. “At this show we paid special attention to ensure that all our visitors walked away with the knowledge and items it will take be red carpet ready at any racing social they attend.”

Appealing to vintage dabblers, serious collectors or just those looking to reminisce, the show was a shopping extravaganza, combining the best in vintage and retro from around the country. It showcased specialty pieces from hats, jewelry, handbags, shoes, wraps, sunglasses, gloves, stockings and even lingerie.

Whether you were after the ‘on-trend’ 1920s flapper style, a beautiful 40s suit, a fabulous party dress from the 1950s, or something more retro, you could find it here, along with expert help in fitting and

l

degradable or recycled packaging wherever possible, or even no packaging at all. Basically to think outside the square. We’ve got a ‘leave it as you find’ it approach to the Island, and hopefully, leave it even better.”

Churchill Island, the location for the festival, by it’s sheer beauty demands a respect for the environment that Trevor is taking very seriously with a range of initiatives from recycled paper stock for posters, ensuring sustainable practices from it’s poster printers and focussing on e-marketing wherever possible.

The moral of the story is that Trevor is well and truly a keenly green, family man, who, while holding a slow cooked lamb shank, can still cut it on the dance floor!

Where : Churchill Island Heritage Farm, Phillip Island Tickets: $99 – Kids under 12 are free. www.whoistrevor.com.au

caring for your vintage clothing. Plus there were vintage suits, waistcoats and more for the best-dressed fellows, too. www.lovevintage.com.au PRODIJEE.COM

prodijee Editor Darren House darren@prodijee.com Fashion & Lifestyle Editor Carol Sheridan carol@prodijee.com Art Director Carolyn Stevens Contributing Writers John Anthony Christine Clais David Dowsey Sarah French Joey Sulfaro Riely Saville Matthew Wren Chief Photographer Matthew Wren Contributing Photographers Andrew Browne John Doig Hair/Make Up Aneta Nastevski Advertising advertising@prodijee.com.au Published by: prodijee PO Box 4158 Ringwood, 3134, Vic. Australia 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.

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going postal GOTTA LOVE THE WILSHIRE

I was really lucky to go on a trip to Los Angeles a few weeks ago. I had to go to a Tiffany shop to buy a gift for my girlfriend and saw the Beverly Wilshire across the road. I remembered your story and thought that I should go in and see what all the hype was about.

I didn’t get a room or anything but the place is really fancy. I had a drink in the BLVD bar and thought I might see a celebrity, but I didn’t.

I don’t think I could ever afford to stay there but it sure was swanky.

When I was walking out to head to the airport I saw someone famous… but I can’t remember their name! aarrrgghhhhh.

Gianni Mandarino Formia, Italy.

DJ GETS THE JOINT JUMPIN’ I have been to gigs where DJ Andreas has been spinning, he has to be Australia’s best DJ ever, really keeps the crowd going and it’s about time someone told everyone about him.

Matteo Márquez Brunswick, Victoria, Australia

Ed: We’ve been to a few of Andreas’ shows and couldn’t agree more with your praise, Matteo.

CANADIAN KIRSTEN WINS A HEART The girl on the front cover of your latest magazine (Kirsten Collins) is really pretty. All girls that go on front covers are pretty but I was really interested to read your story on her. She is a normal person that does dumb things and goes to McDonalds and stuff like that.

I really like how prodijee magazine shows real people and tells real stories about them. I think most other magazines only tell things about people’s lives when they are famous and how it is to be famous.

Sherrilee Thomas Port Douglas, NSW, Australia

Ed: Kirsten really impressed us, too.

Although me meet a lot of great people in this industry, rarely do we come across someone who is as down to earth and willing to help others as her. we think you’ll be seeing a lot of her very soon!

InDaHouse NICK’S A COOL CAT

Loved the story on Nick Percat!

Great to see that us youngies are doing good things too.

Brett Roberts Penguin, Tasmania, Australia

Ed: Glad you liked our feature on Nick. it was disappointing that he missed out on winning the V8 Supercars development series this year but hopefully he’ll get a full time drive in main series real soon.

HIGHLY POLISHED

I noticed that there have been a few things on Orly Nail Polish and I wonder why, until I was given a bottle by a friend and then I found out why. It really is good. I agree with Carol Sheridans reviews, it’s the best nail polish I have ever used.

Do you ever give a bad review though?

Mei Lee Redfern, Victoria, Australia

Ed: Mei, good to know you found Carol’s reviews useful. Carol writes her pieces without fear or favour and you can rest assured if she

samples a dud product, she’ll tell you all about it!

COOL KATHRYN HAS STYLE

Your story on Kathryn Menze was cool. I love her style. Can you please let me know when she opens her studio in Melbourne.

Lucy Sutcliffe Werribee, Victoria, Australia

Ed: Richie, send your port to info@ prodijee.com

FUNNY FASHION

I loved your article on the Spring Racing Carnival. It was great to see some of the wonderful fashion that is displayed each year, though I also had to laugh at some of the older designs. I sure hope current fashion doesn’t age as badly as some of the examples you featured. I’m definitely going to next year’s event!

Jennifer Parsons New Plymouth, New Zealand GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? Send prodijee an email at goingpostal@prodijee.com

How time flies when you are having fun. It’s just over a year since Carol Sheridan and I published Edition Number One of prodijee, and here are at Number 6.

While that not surprise some it you, it certainly surprises us, because initially, we intended prodijee to be published quarterly.

But thanks to the amazing response we received to that first issue, we quickly moved to bi-monthly publication, but it doesn’t end there – next month we’ll be making an exciting new announcement about our publishing frequency.

Of course we have you our readers - to thank for this success, the people who take the time to read our stories and provide the valuable feedback that allows us to finetune our content to your needs and desires.

And naturally prodijee could not exist without the wonderful support of our hardworking contributors, who do an outstanding job of providing interesting and relevant content.

This issue sees two new contributors added – chef Sarah French and actor/ signer/model and fashion stylist, Riely Saville. I’m sure you’ll love getting to know the girls through the prodijee columns. Their first pieces appear in this edition.

Two more contributors will join us from issue with each adding to the international coverage prodijee provides, though you’ll have to wait until February to see who they are.

DARREN HOUSE PRODIJEE.COM

what’s hot

TOM FORD PRESENTS his new signature fragrance for men, Tom Ford Noir. The topnote of Tom Ford Noir offers a confident citrus effect of glowing Italian bergamot and verbena.

The core of the fragrance is a smooth spice accord of black pepper from Madagascar and nutmeg.

Suggested Retail Price Tom Ford Noir 50ml EDP Tom Ford Noir 100ml EDP

$150 $195

Tom Ford Noir is available exclusively in David Jones City stores only.

REVLON HAS JUST released another 16 shades to their Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick, making a range of 48!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick feels super creamy and silky smooth on lips because it contains silkenriched moisturisers and vitamins.

Lips are pampered in luscious, creamy colour that wears evenly PRODIJEE.COM

and won’t dry out lips. It keeps lips looking shiny and feeling moisturised over time, while colour stays true and even. Your lips will look shinier than ever and will feel kissable soft and smooth.

KEY FEATURES/BENEFITS/ INGREDIENTS: • LiquiSilk Technology that evenly

unifies pure colour with Megamoisturisers and vitamins • Vitamin A, C & E protects and conditions • Colour wears evenly • Moisture rich formula conditions lips.

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $21.95

LIKE HOT COLOURS on your feet? Then try Just BEE styles for all day comfort and Zola for something a bit more glam!

For Stockists: Just BEE Comfort - 1300 785 300.

Zola - 1300 785 300.

Zola Haydo - RRP $149.95

Zola Hadi wedge - RRP $149.95.

SUBARU HAS LAUNCHED an exciting new range of BRZ merchandise and retro-style T-shirts.

The BRZ range includes a premium eco polo, T-shirt and sports cap, all featuring the logo of Subaru’s multi award-winning sports coupe.

Just BEE Conley - RRP $59.95

The 100 per cent cotton retro T-shirts feature a distinctive print on each. They are available for purchase through the nationwide Subaru dealer network or shop. subaru.com.au The new items comprise:

Zola Harchie - RRP $149.95

Just BEE Comfort Calvine - RRP $59.95

BRZ sports cap - $24.99 retail recommended price (rrp).

BRZ eco polo - $49.99 rrp BRZ T-shirt - $29.99 rrp 360 retro T-shirt - $24.99 rrp Since 1958 T-shirt - $24.99 rrp 58 race T-shirt - $24.99 rrp PRODIJEE.COM

ROCK AND ROLL BAD boy Tommy Lee has teamed up with Australian owned street-wear brand, Unit.

This collaboration coincides with Motley Crue’s Australian tour with Kiss in February/March 2013.

Tommy Lee chose the edgy and artistic label to develop his signature fashion range.

“Tommy's swagger, unfiltered attitude and approach to his music fits perfectly with the art and action sports Unit is involved with,” says Unit Founder and Creative Director Paul Everest.

The range has been developed

by Tommy Lee alongside Unit’s design team, and includes a t-shirt, board short, jacket and denim.

The artwork created for the range was based on Lee’s concept PRODIJEE.COM

“The Goddess of Noise”.

“I’m stoked to be working with a brand like Unit that encompasses the same ideology as my music,” said Lee. “The Unit team did a great job on the range and the fit and quality are right on.”

The Tommy Lee / Unit board shorts and t-shirt will be available from December 1 in leading Australian and USA street-wear and action sports retailers like City Beach, Ozmosis, boutique stores and Unit’s concept stores in Perth,

Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.

Jackets and jeans will be available from February 1.

The range will also be available online at www.unitriders.com 12110150 Mens Boardshorts Tommy Lee $79.99 12110550 Mens Jacket - Tommy Lee $159.99 12110350 Mens Denim - Tommy Lee $129.99 12110000 Mens T-shirt - Tommy Lee GODDESS $49.99

CHIN CHIN? WELL, in this case holding your glass up could be a big more ka’ching ka’ching.

Luxury cognac brand, Hennessy, has just revealed an artistic masterpiece, designed by famed artist, Arik Levy, and exclusively created to enshroud Hennesy’s X.O Mathusalem cognac – combining two worlds of excellence and beauty.

Inspired by Arik’s magnificent work of art The Rock, only one hundred examples of this exclusive product have been created worldwide with only four being made available in Australia – at an equally exclusive price of $32,000!

In all fairness, they are 6-litre bottles, so as well as obviously divine tasting cognac, they would make a great focal point for any room and

CYGNETT, WELL KNOWN for manufacturing innovative digital accessories for the world’s most popular gadgets and technology has just released its new minimalist, functional design FlipWallet for iPhone 5.

FlipWallet is made of soft texture but durable polyester and polyurethane synthetic microfibre and offers the functionality of containing all the user’s essential items in the case.

The synthetic material is diecut and finished with heat-sealed edges, with an integrated, snap-on polycarbonate case to hold the device.

With a hidden magnetic closure, up to four cards and cash are safely enclosed while the touchscreen of the iPhone 5 is protected from sharp objects.

The minimalist, modern case has an androgynous utilitarianism to suit both masculine and feminine fashion.

FlipWallet is not a traditional

also a huge topic of discussion.

But this of course brings up some number of questions.

1. Do you drink this cognac that has full-bodied peppery notes with hints of spicy clove, vanilla, cinnamon and candied fruit or do you just look at the bottle?

2. Do you have the bottle on show or do you keep it stored in its beautiful container The Rock, which is made from polished mirrored steel, bronze, copper, calfskin and fabric?

3. When making your decision to drink the contents, who do you invite? (me of course – carol@ prodijee.com) For more information contact Moet Hennessy Australia – 02 8344 9900 or www.hennessy.com

wallet – it’s centred on the technological. And, the efficient use of manmade materials means that the case is recyclable, hardwearing, stain-resistant, and water repellent and has anti-UV properties.

And of course, for those who aren’t into the minimalist look, Cygnett also caters with a colour selection that taps into the coming northern and southern hemisphere seasons, high street fashion and emerging trends.

The tones include Pure White, Lipstick Pink, Tangerine Peel, Ravel Black, Blackberry Purple and Coral green.

FlipWallet for iPhone 5 - RRP $39.95 and AeroGrip cases – RRP $24.00 Every Cygnett case comes with the Lifetime Manufacturer’s Guarantee, a screen protector and is sold in eco-friendly, recyclable packaging, including a tray that biodegrades within 90 days. www.cygnett.com

PRODIJEE.COM

UK SENSATION SLINKS by Jane Rafter are now available in Australia.

Born in Madrid, Jane studied fashion design in Dublin, Milan, Paris and London and after attending eight weddings in one summer; she thought it was time to stop buying new sandals for each event and design her own interchangeable ones.

Slinks’ innovative design allows women to chop and change their footwear in an instant with transferable uppers that make it

look like you’re wearing a totally different pair of shoes. You can take your shoes from day to night or business to pleasure in seconds.

Slinks bases and uppers are sold separately, allowing you to personalise your footwear.

The leather bases are available in black, truffle and gold and connect to uppers at three points, making the shoes secure and comfortable.

The handcrafted uppers come in ten different styles ranging from simple leather straps to beaded,

rosette and ribbon designs.

Slinks Bases are available for RRP $69.00 and Uppers range from $39.00-$70.00. Slinks Sets are also available at $180.00 and include two sets of uppers and a fair trade silk pouch to store pieces. www.slinksaustralia.com.au

GETTING INTIMATE With

PLAYBOY PLAYBOY HAS RELEASED a new range for those who appreciate sexy style with sophistication. www.brasnthings.com

Magik Mesh and Lace - Push Up Bra- $69.99 - Brazillian $34.99

REGULAR PRODIJEE CONTRIBUTOR David Dowsey’s acclaimed book Aston Martin: Power, Beauty and Soul will be re-released shortly. The revised version of the Second Edition reveals even more about the famed British automotive marque and many of the rare and special models it has produced.

Aston Martin: Power, Beauty and Soul reveals many of the stories behind some of the world’s

most desirable motorcars. More than 60 models are featured, including concept cars, special edition models and never before seen bespoke orders – including those secretly, and controversially, commissioned by the Brunei Royal Family. The revised edition has been totally updated with even more photos, updated text, and an additional chapter on Aston Martin’s early history.

In the seven years it took to produce Aston Martin: Power, Beauty and Soul the author was granted unprecedented access to official Aston Martin documents and images. Many of these related to the design and construction of some of the world’s most extraordinary custom-made vehicles, many commissioned by very special clients. Neverseen-before details of these ultraexpensive hand-built cars are included, along with behind-thescenes commentary from those closest to these often top-secret projects.

Featured throughout are interviews with current and past company owners, executives,

designers and engineers.

Hundreds of eye-catching images populate the book. Each featured Aston Martin model contains a detailed rendering by automotive illustrator Mike Harbar as well as comprehensive technical specifications.

This revised Second Edition of Aston Martin: Power, Beauty and Soul is the most comprehensive book to cover Aston Martin’s modern history. It provides a rare insight into the people, cars and stories behind one of the world’s most fascinating luxury and sports car marques.

Aston Martin: Power, Beauty and Soul (Revised Second Edition) Author: David Dowsey (david@ daviddowsey.com) Publisher: Images Publishing (imagespublishing.com) ISBN: 978 1 86470 424 2 Size: 300mm x 223mm Spine: 30mm Binding: Casebound with jacket Pages: 352 Illustrations: Colour/black and white Price: AU$69.99

Flouro watches big on style, small on price Lexi Wild Satin Torso Animal - $89.99

FOR SAVVY SHOPPERS who like to buy on trend, these ICG Watches are available at Target for a very tiny $20.00. They are stylish, very affordable and chic and are spot on for the current fluro trends.

PRODIJEE.COM

PRODIJEE.COM

THE WARMER WEATHER is finally here (in Australia) and it feels so good to finally throw off those many layers of clothes that we need for our ever changing weather.

Our stores are full of floaty, feminine, skimpy and colourful clothing, all embracing the warm weather. But when Burberry launched their winter range of skirts, coats, boots, shoes and bags, it made us start counting down the days until we can wear these beautiful garments. www.burberrybrand.com

PRODIJEE.COM

CAROL SHERIDAN TOASTS THE OPENING OF BONNIE EVELYN’S NEW SALON YOU WILL NO doubt remember our article on Melbourne Milliner, Bonnie Evelyn, who was the 2011 winner at the Yellowglen Vintage Competition at Hatstravagance with her design titled Lady Yellowglen.

I was delighted to be invited to the opening of Bonnie’s new studio and salon and stood amongst the crowds of attendees sipping champagne, eating canapés and delighting at Bonnie’s magnificent millinery designs that adorned the walls around us.

Bonnie, who is well known for her divine mastery of millinery that often feature Swarovski crystals, fresh water pearls and polished beads, is delighted to have her own salon where her clients can bring their clothing and have their millinery designed to suit their outfit.

Congratulations to Bonnie Evelyn for the opening of her new salon and studio and also to the many clients who will no doubt be making their appointments for Bonnie’s consultation.

You can find Bonnie at - Level 1, 1056 High Street, Armadale (entry via Stiches to Style) mail@bonnieevelyn.com www.bonnieevelyn.com

FOG BAR AND restaurant in Prahran, recently played host to the highly anticipated opening of Madjuri Art’s solo exhibition, The Black Hole.

The Black Hole collection is Madhu’s latest work to go on display, depicting the boundaries between love and hate, life and death, revenge and clemency.

Madhu is a visual artist and designer from Melbourne who illustrates surrealistic works by skilfully drawing with fine line and block techniques.

Selected clients, artists, fashionistas, celebrities and designers were invited to the exclusive event where they could view Madhu’s highly detailed works of art.

We spoke to Madhu, who has a vibrant personality and is very proud of her work, and also of her new partnership with Model Success, founded by Joanna Sherwell.

Madhu attended her exhibition with her mother (below), who said, “I am extremely proud of my daughter, she works so hard at her craft; I often have to massage her hands because of the pain her work causes.” www.madjuriart.com

PRODIJEE.COM

feature product

G

ot sensitive skin? These Almay products may be just what you need to save your skin from itching, blotches and dry patches.

ALMAY WAKE-UP BLUSH + HIGHLIGHTER Perfect for the sleep-deprived (who isn’t?), Almay wake-up blush + highlighter brightens the face to look well-rested.

The blush provides a soft wash of natural colour as the corresponding highlighter emphasises cheeks for a sculpted look. The pressed powder duo instantly invigorates skin as it lifts and accentuates the appearance of the cheeks for a healthy and vivacious look that lasts all day.

This product is free of added parabens and fragrance.

KEY FEATURES/BENEFITS/ INGREDIENTS: Powder blush and highlighter duo provides a well-rested look and contains caffeine. The powder blush imparts a soft wash of

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natural, flushed color, while the corresponding highlighter sculpts and illuminates cheeks.

The formula contains an exclusive complex of cucumber, aloe vera and green tea extracts to smooth and moisturise throughout wear.

For foolproof application, follow the enclosed instructions to apply both shades with one swipe of the angled brush. * Oil free, fragrance free. * Free of added parabens. * Dermatologist tested, Hypoallergenic, Perfect for sensitive skin.

THREE SHADES: Pink, Rose & Berry RRP - $26.95 ALMAY WAKE-UP EYE SHADOW + PRIMER Bid farewell to dark circles and less-than-perked-up eyes in an instant. Almay wake-up eye shadow + primer reduces the appearance of tired eyes for a well-rested and energised look.

This innovative pressed powder

WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN

palette contains illuminating pearls and rich pigments to revive eyes.

Start your makeover by simply applying the primer base to smooth and prep lids for colour as it instantly brightens the eye area.

Used under shadow, the primer creates the perfect canvas for colour application, minimising the appearance of fine lines.

KEY FEATURES/BENEFITS/ INGREDIENTS: * Hydrating formula with aloe, cucumber and green tea. Also contains caffeine. * Primer illuminates the eye area and instantly brightens, while creating a smooth canvas to prep lids for colour application. * Primer also minimises the appearance of fine lines in the eye area. Shadows provide rich colour to complete the look. * This product is suitable for all day wear, without fading for up to eight hours.

First apply primer to the eye lids.

Then, sweep shadows over base, using the darker shades in the crease and the lightest to highlight the brow bone.

Step-by-step instructions describe how to easily achieve the look.

smoothly to define eyes with vibrant shades.

The highlighter’s innovative encapsulated water formula soothes as it provides a noticeably cool sensation upon contact.

* Ophthalmologist tested, hypoallergenic, made for sensitive eyes.

KEY FEATURES/BENEFITS/ INGREDIENTS: * The liner glides on smoothly to define eyes for a well-rested, energised look. The formula contains caffeine. * The highlighter contains encapsulated water for an immediate cooling, sensorial effect, while aloe leaf and cucumber extract soothe eye area. Suitable for all day wear. * To apply, simply glide liner onto lash line. Then, apply highlighter to the corners of eyes and to the brow bone to awaken eyes.

THREE COLOR PALETTES: Revive bronze/green), Exhilarate (pink/ purple) and Invigorate (silver/blue) RRP - $20.95

* Ophthalmologist tested, Hypoallergenic, said to be perfect for sensitive eyes.

TWO SHADES: Black Jolt/Iced Gold and Coffee Buzz/Iced Buff RRP - $19.95

ALMAY WAKE-UP EYELINER + HIGHLIGHTER It used to be that you could tell if someone was tired simply by looking into her eyes. Not anymore.

Almay wake-up eyeliner + highlighter brightens and defines tired eyes for a recharged appearance.

The dual-ended eyeliner and highlighter combines two products into one. The rich liner glides on

ALMAY WAKE-UP LIQUID MAKEUP Tired of looking fatigued? If a good night’s sleep seems downright impossible to achieve, the secret to looking well-rested could be found in a bottle.

Almay wake-up liquid makeup provides a healthy, invigorated appearance minus those elusive eight hours.

Water delivers instant hydration while the formula, with cucumber, minerals, aloe and green tea, moisturises throughout wear.

The lightweight, silky formula has a soft, luminous finish and provides light to medium, buildable coverage. With SPF 20, Almay wake-up liquid makeup protects against UVA and UVB rays without causing irritation.

KEY FEATURES/BENEFITS/ INGREDIENTS: Hydrates up to 132% upon application with rejuvenating

benefits of water.

The formula contains cucumber, minerals, aloe vera and green tea to moisturise throughout wear.

Contains caffeine.

Lightweight formula with a soft, luminous finish for light to medium, buildable coverage. SPF 20 protects against UVA and UVB rays without irritating skin.

Upon application, skin looks naturally flawless as makeup does not settle into pores, fine lines or wrinkles.

Easy-to-use pump dispenser allows for simple, hygienic makeup application. * Dermatologist tested, Hypoallergenic, said to be perfect for sensitive skin. * Free of talc and added parabens. * Oil free, fragrance free FIVE SHADES: Buff, Naked, Neutral, Beige and Sand.

RRP - $29.95 *Available exclusively at Priceline stores. www.priceline.com.au PRODIJEE.COM

feature product

BURBERRY CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER, CHRISTOPHER BAILEY, HAS COMBINED FUNCTIONAL DESIGN WITH CAREFUL ENGINEERING AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL TO CREATE A STUNNING RANGE OF SWISS MADE TIMEPIECES THAT REMAIN TRUE TO BURBERRY DNA. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN.

B

urberry has launched The Britain, a mechanical watch collection for men and women, which celebrates 156 years of Burberry history, British functional design values and the craftsmanship at the heart of the brand.

Directly inspired by the iconic Burberry trench coat, the collection features four different movements, including a 40-hour power reserve automatic, automatic and chronograph watches for men and women.

THE DESIGN & CRAFTSMANSHIP Designed by Burberry Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey, the functional design combines careful engineering and attention to detail to create elegant, timeless watches that remain true to the Burberry label.

Key design features include rounded octagonal cases with distinctive bolts and curved case backs, along with a complex case construction that reflects light through a blend of brushed and polished surfaces.

An iconic Burberry colour palette runs through the collection and details, and a transparent case back on the automatic watches highlights the intricacies of the movement and the Swiss craftsmanship behind it.

A dedicated online home for The Britain will also launch on Burberry.com, allowing detailed and interactive exploration of the watch and its movement across devices, including the iPhone and iPad. In a mobile first, Burberry has also developed a dedicated, shoppable experience featuring exclusive mobile-only content, including a to-scale interactive 3D model, which can be used as a 'try before you buy' utility.

The contextually driven mobile experience displays users’ time, location and weather wherever they are in the world.

Burberry Watches are Swiss Made and are available from selected Burberry stores and selected retailers worldwide or www.burberry.com PRODIJEE.COM

PRODIJEE.COM

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DESIGNER, BUSINESS OWNER AND MOTHER, SARAH WILKINSON, BLENDS FRENCH INFLUENCE WITH AUSTRALIAN CULTURE TO PRODUCE A STUNNING RANGE OF CLOTHING AND JEWELLERY. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN.

A

chance meeting in the French countryside with an elderly woman gave Sarah Wilkinson the inspiration to create her label, SanCerre.

It was in the village of SanCerre that the two met, with the elderly woman passing on many pearls of wisdom and a St Christopher medal for good luck and safe travels.

Her love of this medallion inspired Sarah (pictured, right) to turn it into a bracelet, which then became the founding piece for Sarah’s French inspired Australianmade jewellery.

Each jewellery piece in the collection is handcrafted using the finest quality materials, finished with a medallion, charm or authentic Australian coin.

On the back of the success of the jewellery range, SanCerre has introduced an easy to wear clothing range consisting of quality basics and functional pieces, all designed to be worn alone or effortlessly layered.

The clothing is primarily built around an earthy colour pallet with occasional splashes of seasonal colour but there are also different combinations of beautiful fabrics and dyes.

The range of clothing, being flexible and transseasonal, manages to keep atop of the ever changing fashion trends but still appeals to women of all ages.

Sarah mainly designs clothing that she would like to wear herself, but admits that she looks to Europe for more inspiration.

Spending half her time in Australia and the rest in Bali, raising her young son Albie and designing her stunning range of clothing and jewellery, Sarah is a very busy woman, but still makes herself available to discuss the topics of the pros and cons of running your own business, conducting an online store and keeping yourself stylish after having a baby.

All SanCerre products are available online through www.sancerre.com.au or via their 200-plus stockists across Australia and New Zealand.

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IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A RESTAURANT WITH A VIEW THEN IT’S HARD TO GO PAST SYDNEY’S FORT DENISON. THE GOOD NEWS DOESN’T STOP THERE - THE FOOD IS TO DIE FOR, TOO. REVIEW: JOHN ANTHONY

H

ave you ever felt that you deserve a little bit of special treatment or you want to treat someone else to something very special?

Big is not always best, and neither is loud or wild, sometimes peace and serenity in magnificent surroundings is what it takes to wow yourself or someone else.

Picture yourself surrounded by water, soaking up the sun or relaxing indoors while the rain is coming down around you, watching boats coming and going, dining on magnificent cuisine and having a view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge that can’t be beaten.

If you can picture yourself in the middle of all this luxury and decadence, then you can certainly picture yourself sitting at Fort Denison Restaurant.

Fort Denison has been at the heart of Sydney Harbour for over

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150 years and over that time has had a varied past – it has been used as a fishing spot, defence structure, navigational guide, tide gauge station, weather station, time marker and now a restaurant, events space and historic museum.

Your experience starts before you even get to the island – as it can only be reached by boat!

Fort Denison is a short fiveminute skip across the harbour from wharfs at Circular Quay, Luna Park, Kirribilli, Woolloomooloo, Cremorne Point and Elizabeth Bay. The island is best reached by ferry and water taxi, as Fort Denison wharf is not publicly accessible and mooring facilities are not available for private boats.

But once on the tiny island, you can wander through the historic buildings and take in the atmosphere of history and times long gone.

It is relaxing and thought

provoking reading about the people who have lived and worked on the island, but when you meander your way to the restaurant, your relaxation and indulgence really begins.

The day that we went to Fort Denison was overcast and drizzly, turning into quite heavy rain the minute we docked at the island’s wharf. We were still in good spirits, but little did we know that the weather would not detract from the experience at all.

We wandered through the historic buildings, marvelling at its incredible stories and then made our way to the restaurant.

Our waiter, Adilson, showed us to our table and at our request served us with magnificent coffee.

As we sipped on our coffees, we could barely say a word to each other as we took in the unsurpassable view of Sydney Harbour Bridge with ferries and

yachts going by in the foreground.

When we were seated, we were the only ones in the restaurant and we barely even noticed as other patrons arrived and were seated around us.

The atmosphere of this restaurant is divine. Here you are, seated on a tiny island, in the middle of Sydney Harbour with all the sea traffic going around you and you have this unbelievable view. Truly magnificent, truly relaxing and a pure pleasure to be there.

What we also didn’t notice was that the weather had cleared up and the sun was out, we were too caught up in the moment and location.

Our menus were brought to us by our other waiter, Ricardo Donicht, and the large selection of foods to choose was very tempting.

We started with warm sour dough rolls with EVO and balsamic, if nothing else, you MUST try this; it was the best bread I have EVER tasted.

I followed this with dry aged beef fillet with beetroot puree, spinach and fresh horseradish while my partner had the chef’s selection of mixed entrees as her main, purely because she couldn’t make a decision about what to order with so many tastes on the menu tempting her.

We ordered sides of rosemary salted French fries with aioli and rocket, pear & shaved parmesan salad.

What can I say about our main courses? Divine and very reasonably priced! My steak was cooked to perfection, was wonderfully tender and had huge flavour.

Every item on my partner’s platter of mixed entrees was described by her as being totally delicious, the French fries were crisp and the aioli served with them was thankfully not overpowering, the salad was fresh and crisp with just the right balance of pear and parmesan to rocket.

Not really ones to eat dessert, we had been so impressed with our main courses that we decided to

share an Eton Mess. Again, divine and totally decadent.

Our waiter had suggested the accompanying wines - Baby Doll Sauvignon Blanc for my partner and a Grant Burge ‘Benchmark’ Cabernet Shiraz for me – excellent recommendations from a very knowledgeable member of staff, from a very well stocked wine cellar.

My overall view of this restaurant is extremely positive, in fact, I can quite honestly say that I love it. The experience, the food, the wait staff, all excellent, and I will be making sure I put this restaurant on my agenda on every one of my visits to Sydney. www.fortdenison.com.au

PRODIJEE.COM

roadtest CAROL SHERIDAN REVIEWS THE KOBO eREADER TOUCH EDITION

A

s the silly season approaches, you will be thinking about buying and receiving gifts.

If you are looking for something for an avid reader, you can’t go past a Kobo Touch Edition eReader. It’s a great holiday accessory, and being lightweight it just slips into your bag, allowing you to leave the dog-eared novels at home.

Not only is the Touch light and very portable having a 6” pearl screen, it’s nice to look at, too. It has a quilted back - quite classy.

It’s easy to navigate, has a large memory space, WiFi connectivity allowing you to download on the run, and a super long battery life; you can purchase your books and read to suit your mood anywhere and anytime.

The setup is quick, only

15 minutes, which includes downloading the program. It reads EPUB and PDF files, which are the most common files available for download and has a single button, which returns you to the home screen. The rest of the functions are ‘touched’ via the main screen.

The Touch is also fast, taking about 20 seconds from turning it on to having your book up and ready to read.

You have fast access to the Kobo bookstore, which offers a large variety of books for download, including some free classic novels but you also have the ability to download from other web-stores.

The Touch comes with Sketchbook and Sudoko, it has a web browser and a dictionary as well as the ability to edit fonts and font sizes to suit your reading requirements.

How does it compare with competitors? It’s the lightest and slimmest eReader I have come across, and the WiFi connectivity is a real bonus.

NEED MORE POWER? Kobo has also just released its new eReader, the Kobo Arc, a 7” tablet with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB options.

It’s more expensive than the Touch, but with the Kobo Arc, people now have more choice in how they explore, save and experience the music, movies, eBooks and webpages they love.

There are also more storage options available.

Based on the content people ‘pin’ to their Tapestries – from webpages, news articles, eBooks, movies or pictures – the intelligent recommendations engine suggests additional content in the first-of-itskind, Discovery Ribbon.

The Kobo Arc is the only tablet that learns about the interests of its user, to suggest more of the content they love.

Consumers can also personalise their Kobo Arc experience through more eReading options and selecting from black or white models, as well as colourful SnapBacks in blue and purple.

This eReader is highly responsive and is driven by a 1.5GHz OMAP 4470 dual-core processor to deliver more processing power while retaining more than 10 hours of battery life in a single charge.

The comfortable to hold Kobo Arc has ultra-durable glass and weighs only 364 grams, making it one of the lightest tablets available.

It has been optimised for reading outdoors, has front-facing speakers, a 1.3 MegaPixel front-facing camera, built in microphone and 802.11 WiFi to easily connect to the web. www.kobobooks.com

PRODIJEE.COM

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

roadtest

WORDS: MATTHEW WREN

CANON’S POWERSHOT G1X IS SMALL ON SIZE BUT BIG ON FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE

F

irstly, I have to disclose that I’ve been shooting with Canon cameras for... well... ever. This is my first run with a mirrorless camera though, and it was a revelation!

Making photos without the telltale ‘click’ allows you to be very unobtrusive, and as the Canon Powershot G1X is pretty small, it relaxes people and allows you to get up close for a shot but not appear threatening or ‘in their face’.

Should be good for Melbourne Spring Fashion Week then right?

You betcha!

BREE [BLACK AND WHITE] This picture of Bree was made in the camera’s black and white mode.

This is intriguing, as most would rightly ask, ‘Why not just photoshop it?’ Well, because when you show somebody a black and white photo of themselves they’re not used to it.

And because they’re not used to it, they like it nine times out of 10 - it’s considered arty.

This then instills confidence in the person you’re photographing, and makes you look arty - but it’s the confidence that’s important, as you can then go on and make a few more photos and the person will be more relaxed; confident that you’re doing a good job making them look good. It’s win-win!

The G1X also produces great colors, as you can see in this photo of St. Paul’s Cathedral. I’ve included a street sign power pole and half the church in shade to show the very good dynamic range the camera is capable of.

Dynamic range is the difference between the brightest part of a photo and the darkest. When you’ve PRODIJEE.COM

got a good camera, you can get detail in the brightest areas, as well as the darkest.

A poor camera will only record the white areas as pure white, and the dark areas as pure black so you don’t get any detail in these areas.

This is really important in wedding photography, as you have a bride in white and a groom in black, and they’ve spent megabucks on the dress (and that suit would have cost $100 to hire, as well) so they’ll want to see the detail.

THE CHURCH There are also a few very cool modes you can play with, one of them being a simulated tilt shift function. The idea behind this is to change the focal plane of the picture relative to the camera’s sensor... it sounds complicated... and it is.

In short, it just makes things look like a tiny Lego village when you photograph from a high vantage point. What the camera does is simply blur the top part and the bottom part of the photo - leaving a small in focus section in the middle.

It sounds stupid... till you see the results, which are pretty cool.

The best part is that you can immediately see the effect of the simulated tilt shift on the screen, and you can then play with subtle changes in camera angle to enhance this effect. It’s a great way of learning how a tilt shift lens operates without the $2,000 price tag of a tilt shift lens.

In this shot, I’ve gone for a little model village look, with nice blue water, green grass, blue sky and out of focus buildings in the background.

THE RIVER Another interesting mode you can play with is the selective color mode. This allows you to make a black and white image, and then choose which color you’d like to keep.

I decided on the blue of the Melbourne bikeshare bikes, as it stood out against the concrete jungle around the structure. Then I noticed that the buildings in the background also reflected a bit of blue from the sky, and that came through as a washed out black/blue in the photo.

It’s an effect I really like, and I would have loved to have played with this mode more....but there were other things to discover.

BICYCLES In low light situations, the noise is kept to a minimum, indeed at PRODIJEE.COM

iso800, noise is present but not in an intrusive way, as the picture at the red carpet shows. This means you can use the available light to make your photos - rather than harsh flash.

You can see the model has cast a shadow against the white wall - however, it’s a nice soft shadow, as I was just using the available light - which was large and soft.

If I were to use the pop up flash on a photo like this, it would create a very harsh shadow on the white wall and look a lot more like a ‘pap’ photo, than a posed portrait.

SUMMARY Overall I found the G1X to be very straightforward to use. The controls were all exactly where you expected them to be and all the buttons and dials operated with reassuring clicks. This is perfect for when you’re carrying the camera around with you all day, as it’s easy to inadvertently knock a control, and your shutter can end up going from 1/100th to 15 seconds very easily. This means lots of missed shots, and lots of checking to see the settings are correct each time you raise the camera to your face.

The image quality is very good for a camera of this size, and of this price. The mirrorless function is a godsend for candid photography, as there is no noise when the camera makes a photo. This is perfect for photojournalism, where you don’t want to attract attention and break the moment. As the camera is relatively small, you’re also not seen as much of a threat when making photos, people are a lot more PRODIJEE.COM

relaxed - and then amazed that a little camera made such a wonderful photo! My only criticism is the camera is too bulky to put in your pocket... but I might just go out and get a jacket with bigger pockets!

Canon Powershot G1X 14.3 Megapixel 1.5-inch type High Sensitivity CMOS sensor. f/2.8 - 16.0 (W) / f/5.8 - 16 (T) 15.1 (W) 60.4 (T) mm lens DiG!C 5 Image Processor 14-bit RAW shooting ISO12800.

High Speed Burst HQ (Max 4.5fps @ full res) Full Manual Controls FULL HD Movie RecordingShoot quality FULL HD movies and view easily on your TV with an HDMI terminal.

RRP: www.canon.com.au

roadtest

T

he warm weather is here, the social calendar is filling with end of year gatherings, there is Christmas shopping to do, work to finish, parties to plan, holidays to arrange… life is plain hectic!

And when life is even more hectic than usual, you want to keep yourself fit and healthy so that you don’t miss out on any of the wonderful social events that are just around the corner.

Eating a balanced breakfast is important to maintaining a healthy body weight and keeping our brains and bodies active. But seriously, with all this extra activity and rushing around that is happening … who has the time?

It’s pretty much all we can do to get ourselves out the door and to work on time, and for those with children, they need to be fed and driven to school or other activities too, so really, it’s hard to look after ourselves and it’s very easy to become rundown and sick if we don’t do it.

It would be lovely to have the time to sit down to a healthy high protein, high calcium, high fibre meal while we read the newspaper and leisurely start our day, but it’s a no brainer for most of us that this is just not going to happen. So, what can we do?

WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN

You can always drive through at your local fast food restaurant and buy a brekky burger of some kind, or grab a coffee as you run down the street to your office or you can try to be healthy and find a local cafe where you can buy a cup of fruit salad, but these places aren’t on every street corner, or you can just skip breakfast all together.

None of these options is ideal, especially as you will probably be eating on the run, which isn’t great for your digestive system. You could also quite possibly be slopping your coffee down the front of you or losing the bacon out of your burger onto your lap as you are stuck in traffic on the road to work.

Luckily, there is an option out there for a balanced breakfast that is not only tasty, but convenient and healthy, even if you’re on the go!

Grab a purse size packet of belVita Breakfast biscuits, a piece of fruit and a low fat yoghurt, pop them in your bag and munch away without mess when you get to work or even on the train.

These breakfast biscuits are made with 5 wholegrains, they are rich in cereals, low GI, a source of fibre and have no added colours or preservatives and are made to slowly release carbohydrates into your system over 4 hours which will keep you going all morning.

I recently tried the newest flavour of belVita Breakfast biscuits, Honey & Nut with Choc Chips, maybe it was the mention of the chocolate chips, but it just sounded like something that would suit my

palate, and it did!

They are delicious, but being the lazy kind of breakfast person that I am, I omitted the piece of fruit and yoghurt and munched on these biscuits at my desk with a weak skinny latte. OK, so I can honestly say I wasn’t getting the full benefit of the healthy breakfast, but these tasted great! Really REALLY delicious, and my latte was weak and skinny, so it wasn’t all that bad.

My calcium dose for the day was up, my wholegrain, cereal and fibre intake was up, I was definitely satisfied and not looking for anything else to eat for at least 4 hours and, my tastebuds had been satisfied.

I can 100% recommend the belVita Breakfast Biscuits if you want a satisfying and delicious breakfast to start your day. www.belvitabreakfast.com.au PRODIJEE.COM

t s li ia c a f h c n e r f e th

WITH CHRISTINE CLAIS

W

Plant-based foods contain a high water content, so eat plenty of them!

hether you are taking the train for a weekend conference, flying halfway around the world to meet with your best friend or simply driving long distances for your work, travelling can put stress on your skin, and make you look drawn and tired on arrival.

The following tips will ensure that you look good at all times and give you a feeling of confidence, should you run into George Clooney or Heidi Klum in your travels!

BEFORE TRAVEL • Drink plenty of water. Before the trip, drink an extra litre of water on top of the eight glasses a day recommended by health professionals.

• Moisturise your skin before departure. For your body, choose jojoba oil (available at any good health food stores). For your face, choose Hyaluronic Intensive Cream, a powerful moisturiser for rapid and noticeable skin improvement (available at www.thefrenchfacialist. com).

• Pack your skincare must-haves.

Don’t forget to pack your daily skincare products such as: cleanser, toner, eye cream, serum and moisturizer. Also, make sure to include an exfoliant and a face mask that you can use while away (you may have time to pamper yourself!) as well as cotton buds, cotton squares, body lotion, hand cream and a good sunscreen (if you are heading off to a sunny destination).

• Pack some hydration secret agents in your hand luggage. For inner hydration: carry a bottle of water, some watermelon, a few apples and some raw vegetable sticks. For outer hydration: some PRODIJEE.COM

BEFORE ARRIVAL • Apply a facial bronzer. For an instant pick-me-up no matter how tired you feel, use a light mineral bronzing powder (good tip for the guys too; just get your skin tone matched by a make-up professional and no one will ever find out your secret!).

eye drops, a lip balm and a super hydrating facial mist (my favourite is Molecular Mist by SircuitSkin.com).

DURING TRAVEL • Drink plenty of water. Aim for a minimum of one glass every hour.

Your skin will thank you for it!

• Avoid caffeine and alcohol. It is best to avoid caffeine-based drinks such as coffee, tea and cola, as well as alcoholic beverages, as they all result in a net loss of water in the body. If you get tired of water, alternate it with herbal teas.

• Eat your fruits and vegetables.

AFTER TRAVEL • Have some beauty sleep. Sleep is the best repair remedy for skin.

In order to function well, our skin needs about eight hours of sleep every night, so it can heal, repair and regenerate, subsequently reducing skin ageing and wrinkling.

Bon voyage!

Christine Clais is a French-born skin expert, educator, speaker and author, with more than 20 years of experience in the beauty industry. Internationally, Christine is regarded as one of today’s most well-respected and sought after facialists. She has helped more than 30,000 women from all over the world, including clients in France, the United States, China and Australia. An advocate of integrative skincare, Christine educates women on the importance of skin care and the fundamentals of caring for your skin from the inside out and is available for corporate workshops, presentations and training. www.thefrenchfacialist.com

it seems to me B

ricks and mortar retailers are facing an unprecedented headon challenge – online shopping.

For traditional retailers, overhead costs such as rent, labour and taxes erode the majority of any margin. On the other hand, e-retailers are able to provide doorstep delivery, brand promise and of course, better pricing.

E-Retailers such as Net-A-Porter and Asos carry the promise of the one-stop-shop concept, where a customer can purchase everything they would need for a night out at one website.

All items are conveniently shipped directly to the customer’s doorstep, and the customer can return or exchange items if the sizes are wrong, or if they have simply changed their mind. These websites offer free courier pickups for the items, too.

These services are not the only factors in tipping the scale, with many traditional retail stores fast becoming a ‘showroom’ for their online competitors. It is a growing trend that consumers will search the stores for their desired product, try on sizes, and purchase online at a better price and with better service.

This being said, many traditional retailers have caught the online trend and are moving a bulk of their business online. They are also embracing social media as a large part of their digital strategy and even venturing into the social selling space.

On the flip side, many online retailers face the challenge of customers who want to touch and feel their products - especially luxury goods. The barrier of trust is still a game changer in the world of online shopping.

The question of authenticity is always a struggle for customers to put $2,000 on their credit card over the PRODIJEE.COM

internet.

E-retailers are combatting this concern by embracing the pop-up shop concept. Reebonz organises offline sales events every 3-4 months, where our members can come and purchase items that we have in our showroom in Sydney or in various other venues in other states.

This also allows us, as e-retailers, to meet and get to know our customers personally and find out their shopping habits, consumer trends and tastes. It’s proving to

WITH SEAN LIM

be a great way to connect with our customers as well as alleviate their doubts about our product authenticity.

E-retailers such an Urban Outfitters from the UK have complemented their online store with bricks and mortar shops, giving customers access to their stocks so they can try on the clothes and shoes for size.

Their stores are aligned very closely to their online web store in terms of design and feel, bringing to life the concept of their brand.

The hybrid of traditional retailers and online shops are proving to be the answer to staying on top in this highly competitive retail space.

We can see that many bricks and mortar stores embracing the idea of online retailing and vice versa. By combining the idea of both spaces and leveraging the pros and cons of both, we can build a successful business that is both profitable and trusted as a brand.

Sean Lim is General Manager Australia and New Zealand, Head of Global Strategic Alliance, Reebonz www.reebonz.com.au

food couture

WITH SARAH FRENCH

W

ith the silly season fast approaching and things starting to heat up here in the city, we often lose focus of what’s important, or more importantly what makes a for a great party.

Summer is here and it’s the perfect time for entertaining; with two of the biggest events of the social calendar there are good reasons to celebrate.

Nothing celebrates an Australian summer quiet like Christmas. We all know great food is the quintessential ingredient to any successful Christmas celebration and it’s your chance to showcase your kitchen prowess and create a culinary feast fit for a king... and queen.

Keeping it simple, fresh, traditional and of course fabulous will always ensure happy guests. Shared dining is the way to go and seafood is always great at this time of year. But remember; always mix it up on the day with a cocktail.

Caprioskas are always a crowd pleaser and a great opportunity to add your own style and flair. I personally love fresh lychees and a splash of passion fruit, the perfect balance of zing, zang and sexy.

With sexy in mind remember, people eat with their eyes too, this is why your table design should set the mood and be just as much a feast for the eyes as your food. The most simple of styling technics can make the biggest difference.

Start by placing a few large church style candles equally spaced down the centre of the table, scatter polished pebble rocks and whole walnuts in the shell randomly beside them and VIOLA! A cheap and cheerful styling idea that is sexy, simple and effective and is sure to have your overly competitive aunts and cousins’ green with envy.

The icing on the cake would have to be NYE. Living in a city with a world class harbour (Sydney), it PRODIJEE.COM

would only make sense to throw an extravagant party at a water side mansion or better yet, indulge yourself onboard a luxury yacht. WITH SARAH FRENCH Welcome cocktails are a must in and keeping with the Sex And The City theme, I would recommend Cosmos with a personal signature twist.

My twist consists of macerated cherries. Soak them over night in a delicious blend of brandy, absinthe, brown sugar and cinnamon.

When it comes to the food for your fan-fare, canapés are a must.

You don’t want to bombard the

evening with formalities such a sit down dining when guests are wanting to relax and enjoy each other’s company and of course the visual spectacular of the world’s best fireworks display. Simple, delicious mouthfuls to tantalize the taste buds of your guests.

Oysters are always a hit, Pacific are the go. They are nice and meaty and should always be served very chilled.

Dressed with a little palm sugar and lime dressing, you can turn the most humble oyster into a taste sensation that will have tongues wagging for weeks.

So, when planning your party this holiday season, remember to spice it up a little. Take what you already know, sprinkle with a little creativity, a dash of love, a splash of style and a good sized helping of laughs.

Finish with a great beat and there you have the perfect recipe for a memorable holiday season…

And if after all that it still seems like too much hassle or bother, give me a call and let my team and I team take care of everything while you sit back, relax and enjoy the sunshine. Stay Fabulous!

TUNA SASHIMI YUZU DRESSING - BABY CORIANDER Ingredients 200gm tuna sashimi

Dressing 50ml yuzu juice.* 5 Tbsp light soy sauce.

1/2 tsp ground pepper.

1 clove grated garlic.

1 Tbsp eschallot - thinly diced.

5 Tbsp grape seed oil.

1 punnett baby coriander. *Yuzu is a Japanese citrus

fruit. Yuzu juice can be found at your local Japanese grocer.

Method

Mix dressing ingredients together and set aside to chill. Dice tuna into small cubes. Add a small amount of dressing until the tuna is lightly coated. Place a 1/2 tablespoon of the tuna onto an asian spoon. Garnish with a single piece of baby coriander.

www.sarahfrench.com.au

PACIFIC OYSTER WITH PALM SUGAR LIME AND CAVIAR Palm sugar lime dressing for oysters.

This is a lovely fresh dressing that really pops with the oysters. I suggest using pacific oysters for this dish and chilling them in the freezer just before service 1 cup lime juice.

5Tbsp palm sugar syrup.

Mix together ingredients and chill – dress the oyster just before serving. Finish with a small amount of good quality black caviar, I would recommend stirling or per se.

PRODIJEE.COM

savvy

WITH RIELY SAVILLE

T

hat rush of excitement that ‘Real Shopping’ brings to a person is wonderful. It’s similar to that of a child standing in a candy store after checking out all of those shiny colours and dazzling treats in the window. One simply cannot wait to just jump in and get their (hopefully perfectly manicured rather than grubby), little fingers all over them!

Once you find your perfect gift of fashion, it immediately sends your fashion taste buds into a frenzy and gives you that electric tingle that tells you, “I have my ‘Savvy’ on!”

You ask what is Savvy? Do I have, or can I be, Savvy? Understand that being irresistibly seduced into taking a huge bag of Versace or Roberto Cavalli home with you shows you what being Savvy with fashion is.

How remarkable that the right fit can completely elevate your mood and make you look and feel like you can conquer the world!

Coming from a background in the theatre, I cannot help but go against the grain and preach that ‘More is More, Darlings’. Have you ever seen a diva in a plain dress? Oh stop it! We were born to shine, Born to sparkle. So don’t be afraid to step things up. Especially with the festive season approaching.

It seems that many major fashion houses have been agreeing with me lately - from the mind blowing, conceptual patterns, prints and textures of Mary Katrantzou, Erdem and Peter Pilotto’s recent collections to the beautiful, classical black lace and gold brocade of Dolce & Gabbana, Lanvin and Salvatore Ferragamo - decadence at its finest.

Just thinking out loud here, but are the latest pieces of jewellery and accessories just getting bigger and crazier? Who designs this stuff?

Neon, tribal neckpieces, monster

PRODIJEE.COM

rings and cuffs. Shoes… don’t even get me started on the shoes! Insane soles, giant spikes poking out from every which way, making you feel like a superwoman about to kick some serious butt! I say, “Let’s embrace it, let us be bold. Be confident. Dare to go where no fashionistas have gone before!” For then we will truly make our mark.

We can also credit celebrities like Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry for getting their wild on, bringing a fabulous sense of fun to fashion and a new respect for the

Dolce & Gabbana

unique and ultra-brave.

But if dressing like a manga cartoon on steroids, or scouring the malls for the wildest trends is not your thing, there are definitely other ways to add a little bling to your holidays... Enter the wonderful world of makeup! Instead of the traditional smokey black eye, try a vibrant green or a metallic shade. Or just keep the eyes simple and add a brilliant pop with a glittery pout. Let’s not forget the instant drama you can add with a fabulous lash!

Whichever way you decide to express yourself, the most important thing is to own it. As famous model, Lauren Hutton, ingeniously said: “Fashion is what you’re offered four times a year. Style is what YOU pick out of that fashion.” I say, “Savvy keeps it Sexy”.

Happy holidays divas! Stand out from the crowd and embrace your individuality.

www.epiccreations.com.au

Salvatore Ferragamo

Peter Pilotto PRODIJEE.COM

savvy style

WITH RIELY SAVILLE

‘Marilyn’ images (coloured background): Photographer: Tristan Peter. Hair & MakeUp/Styling: Riely Saville @ EPIC Creations ‘Marilyn’ image (white background): Photographer: Dean Agar.

Hair & MakeUp: Riely Saville @ EPIC Creations. Styling: Karen Hill.

Beauty images: Photographer: Tristan Peter Hair & MakeUp: Tracie Weaver @ Arc Creative. Styling: Riely Saville @ EPIC Creations Lashes: BLYNC lashes. Models: Esha Naidoo @ Dally’s (right) & Casey Van Zelst @ Dally’s (left & centre).

FLORENTINE BESPOKE SHOEMAKER, STEFANO BEMER, HELPED HIS CUSTOMERS LIVE WITH GREATER ELEGANCE UNTIL THE VERY END. WORDS: DAVID DOWSEY

“A shoe is an object which, if of excellent quality, helps us to walk and live more comfortably.” So begins the marketing material for Stefano Bemer’s bespoke and ready-towear shoe lines.

Having known Stefano as a friend and customer, I can attest

to the reality of this statement. But, if I may, I would like to embellish by adding that Stefano Bemer has helped me live with greater elegance. In short, he has made me a better man.

Sydney tailor, John Cutler, introduced me to Stefano on a trip to Pitti Immagine Uomo in 2007.

Meeting one morning on the Ponte Vecchio, a little too early after a night on the local Chianti, I was ushered through the back streets of Florence, away from the tourist traps centered around the city’s ancient and famous bridge. Finally, we arrived at a hole-in-the-wall shop-front on Borgo San Frediano that was no more than a wooden door and a single window exhibiting a black oxford lace-up, above which was a brick arch filled in with Art Nouveau lacework.

But, what beauty lay inside. Glass cabinets and wooden racks were heaving with Stefano’s impressive

bespoke shoe collection, built up over 20 years. Deciding instantly to commission my first shoes, I held aloft an immaculate brown-leatherand-blue-suede button-up boot with hand-sewn buttonholes and glanced sheepishly at Stefano. He glared back at me with piercing blue eyes.

“You don’t want that. It is not good for when you are alone with the ladies at night.”

The English wasn’t quite perfect, but I perfectly understood his meaning. So I moved on to a pair of dark brown and burgundy spectators.

Returning to Florence six months later, I was full of anticipation at experiencing my ‘try-ons’, only to be disappointed when a pair of shoes appeared from the rear workshop that weren’t quite to my specification. Nevertheless, I tried them on and Stefano tweaked the fit. I later learned they were thrown away post last modifications. My ‘try-ons’ would have graced the grandest shoe shops in the world.

The completed correspondents arrived by post several months later. On opening the wooden wine crate of a shoebox, potpourri from Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella wafted into

my nostrils. It’s a scent I shall never forget.

Personal touches, like stamping my initials in black on the shoebox and in gold on the two large brushes provided and on each chiseled sole, won me over. Slipping on the meticulously constructed correspondents sealed the deal.

Despite his bear-like visage, Stefano Bemer appeared small and delicate, alongside my sixfeet-three-inch frame. I knew of his various health issues from the beginning and the large vertical scar running down his hairy chest did not escape my notice, either. He was not a well man.

But Stefano always exhibited a ‘devil may care’ attitude that was inspiring. Having a second glass of wine or another spoonful of tiramisu

was as high a priority as regularly checking his insulin levels. He lived to enjoy life and he lived life to the full.

But health issues eventually caught up with him and he passed away on 27 July, at only 48. The funeral was held at the Chiesa del Cestello in Florence, Stefano’s coffin draped with his well worn apron and a suede and leather twotone shoe.

The Mayor of Florence, Matteo Renzi, provided a tribute of the highest honour by stating that Stefano “was a man who incarnated the true essence of the Florentine artisan”.

Stefano began in the trade mending shoes in the early 1980s.

When the village cobbler died Stefano struck out on his own, setting up a repair shop in 1983, in Greve, Chianti. He was soon making his own shoes with no formal training and transferred to Florence in 1987 to offer his bespoke artistry to a wider audience. A ready-to-wear line, as good as anything on the market, was launched in 2000. Made-tomeasure followed in 2004. Stefano was on the way to becoming one of the world’s master bespoke shoemakers.

Famously stubborn, he knocked back an approach by Gucci to purchase his brand, preferring to remain the master of his domain.

His lack of penetration into major markets was, at least in part, due to his insistence on charging what his shoes were worth. Compromise wasn’t an option.

I recall him slamming the telephone down when a distributor asked for a discount. “If I find out that shops are selling my shoes on sale, I will not give them any more shoes,” he said, before calming down and walking me around the corner, near his Bemer’s readyto-wear shop, for cafe ‘shakerato’ (black coffee shaken with ice).

Happily, Stefano trained several talented apprentices, some of whom have gone on to create their own successful businesses, including Saskia Wittmer in Florence and

Norman Vilalta in Barcelona. But he never lived down one would-be shoemaker who shyly entered his store in 1999. Enquiring if Stefano would take him on as an apprentice, the man turned up at the workshop the next day, and every other day for the next 11 months. His name was Daniel Day-Lewis.

The Oscar-winning actor had dropped out of filmmaking to concentrate on what was important to him: shoemaking. Stefano is on the record as saying that Day-Lewis was an excellent study, but one who was overly hard on himself when his stitching strayed from dead even.

Removing a pair of Stefano’s

shoes from an unvarnished wooden wine box now has greater poignancy. Inside the last pair I commissioned from him, stamped and hand written, are my name and the date ‘Giugno 2012’, the month before he passed away.

They must be amongst the last shoes completed before his death.

They are now a time capsule. But they won’t be buried in my closet.

They will be walked in, just as Stefano had designed them. Now, more than ever, each time I tie the flat laces of his bespoke creations I am honoured, quite literally, to be walking in his shoes.

Ciao, Stefano. Elegante fino all’ultimo.

Thorhildur Thorarins SELTJARNARNES, ICELAND

PHOTOS: Joseph Henry Ritter (main); Jon Gudmundsson WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I grew up in a town called Gardabær, which is a part of Reykjavik. When I turned six we moved to another town called Seltjarnarnes, just in time for school. I’ve lived here since then. My family has always been very close; I remember being Daddy’s girl when I was younger. I’m the oldest child but I have two younger brothers and a super cute dog called Joey. I’m currently studying business in Commercial College of Iceland.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MODELLING? My first photoshoot was in 2009, when I was 14 years old.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO MODELLING? I was always interested in being a fashion model since I was a little girl. Then I did some tests with young photographers who wanted to shoot fashion. My big break came when Joseph Henry Ritter came to Iceland to have his first art exhibits here. He was looking for some art models and he discovered me.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT MODELLING? I like the feeling of expressing myself without any pressure, having a chance to be creative and relaxed. Good team work is very important, I’m collaborating, not just a mannequin to wear clothes. Afterwards, I enjoy looking through the images and seeing the progress.

WHAT MODELLING WORK HAVE YOU DONE? I worked with Joseph Henry Ritter at the famous Icelandic Artist residency Korpulfsstadir in 2010 when I was 15, then the next year with Joseph at his studio at Utigerdin/ Hugmyndahus (The House of Ideas) sponsored by the City of Reykjavik and all the major businesses of Iceland. The work we did was incredible, much more complex than fashion photography, closer to painting.

WHAT WORK DO YOU WANT TO DO? I am studying to be a business woman, not sure what business yet, but I’m exploring my options. I would also love to do high-fashion modelling for a top designer.

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS? I enjoy working out, it clears my mind and I feel great afterwards. In the summer I like to run outside in the beautiful Icelandic nature. I’m also a very relaxed person, I like spending time with my family and friends, watching movies and listening to music.

WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES AND WHY? I’m inspired by my mother and father. My mother is a really strong woman and has been a powerful, positive influence in my life. My father went to MIT, studied really hard and has succeeded in life. He is a great business man. He proves that hard work pays off and anything can be done.

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Creating the perfect

RUNWAY LOOK FORGET THE GUESSWORK, ESTÉE LAUDER SHOWS YOU HOW TO LOOK LIKE A SUPERMODEL. PHOTOS: ESTÉE LAUDER

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nthony Vaccarello is Belgian-born and Italiandescended, and from a very young age cultivated an early interest in fashion and in particular, dressing strong women.

He studied fashion at the prestigious La Cambre School in Brussels, where he graduated with much distinction.

His graduate collection was presented at the fashion festival in Hyeres in the South of France in 2006, where it won the Grand Prix mode. Vaccarello then went on to work for Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi, where he specialised in fur designs.

He then decided to strike out on his own to create his own label and has since won the ANDAM Fashion Award 2011.

To achieve the Spring look that these models are wearing, Tom Pecheux for Estée Lauder used:

EYES: (New) Pure Color Stay-on Shadow Paint in Pink Zinc – launching March 2013.

(New) Pure Color Stay-on Shadow Paint in Sinister – launching March 2013.

(New) Pure Color Stay-on Shadow Paint in Steel – launching March 2013.

(New) Pure Color Eyeliner Kajal Intense Duo in Black/Blue launching September 2013.

Sumptuous Two Tone Mascara Pure Color Gloss in Opulent Opal (not available in Australia).

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BROWS: Automatic Brow Pencil Duo. LIPS: Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Vanilla Truffle (not available in Australia).

Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher – applied over the makeup on the cheeks.

SKIN: Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex.

Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Barely Nude (not available in Australia).

Revitalizing Supreme Global AntiAging Creme (not available in Australia).

CHEEKS: Pure Color Blush in Brazen Bronze (not available in Australia).

(New) Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Infusion – launching March 2013.

Pure Color Blush in Blushing Nude.

NAILS: A selection of shades from the NEW Pure Color Nail Lacquer, French Nudes Collection – launching May 2013.

FACE: Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Makeup.

Lucidity Translucent Loose Powder in Transparent.

Double Wear Stay-in-Place Flawless Wear Concealer SPF10.

Makeup: Tom Pecheux for Estée Lauder. Nails: Christina Conrad for Estée Lauder.

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For the sixth consecutive season, Estée Lauder also sponsored the beauty look (makeup and nails) at the Derek Lam Spring 2013 runway show in New York City.

Estée Lauder Creative Makeup Director Tom Pecheux led a team of 15 makeup artists to create the stunning look on 30 models – while famed manicurist Jin Soon Choi and her team polished their nails with NEW Estée Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer in So Vain (launching March 2013).

“The look is very feminine, very elegant and very discreet. Glistening aqua shades, see-through subtle colour and shimmer that reveal little by little. Derek is not a show off. If you take time to discover his clothes close-up – you are wowed,” said Tom Pecheux, Estée Lauder Creative Makeup Director, who used Estée Lauder makeup to complement Derek Lam's beautiful collection of approachable silhouettes, complex textures and irreverent colour mixes.

To achieve this look Tom Pecheux for Estée Lauder used:

BROWS: Pure Color EyeShadow in Wild Truffle (not available in Australia).

Pure Color EyeShadow in Wild Sable (not available in Australia).

FACE: Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Makeup.

SKIN: (New) Re-Nutriv Intensive Age Renewal Creme (New) Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Infusion – launching March 2013.

Makeup: Tom Pecheux for Estée Lauder. Nails: Jin Soon Choi for Estée Lauder.

EYES: (New) Pure Color Stay-on Shadow Paint in Cosmic – launching March 2013.

(New) Pure Color Stay-on Shadow Paint in Extreme Emerald – launching March 2013.

(New) Pure Color Stay-on Shadow Paint in Halo – launching March 2013.

(New) Pure Color Stay-on Shadow Paint in Steel – launching March 2013.

(New) limited edition Pure Color Illuminating Powder Gelée Blush in Tease – launching 2013.

LIPS: (New) Pure Color Stay-on Shadow Paint in Halo – launching March 2013.

(New) Pure Color Stay-on Shadow Paint in Pink Zinc – launching March 2013.

CHEEKS: Pure Color Blush in Brazen Bronze (not available in Australia).

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n i x i M

FROM MIAMI TO MOSCOW, HENNESSY SENSATION AND NOW THE PHENOME

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p u in t

Y ARTISTRY HAS BECOME A NIGHTCLUB ENON HAS ARRIVED IN MELBOURNE.

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Ryoku G mixing the beats at Seven.

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he perfect blend is what Hennessy is all about and recently they combined with Melbourne’s Seven nightclub to showcase the perfect combination of artistry and the world’s best cognac.

Since 2006 Hennessy Artistry has hosted music events in places such as Miami and Moscow.

The night showcased the art of mixing – which refers to wellproduced electronic music and mixed drinks that utilise the cognac company's product.

Hennessy’s Australian brand manager Damon Ross-Walker attended the event at Seven and was thrilled with the night.

Hennessy Artistry is all about the

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blending of musical and artistic talents. As such, the night featured an amazing line-up of artists, including Ryoku G from Malaysia, DJ who is known for his unique, and versatile mixing talent; Emcee E.J., MC to the three biggest clubs in Singapore; Daniella Sya; Malaysian actress, model and TV host; and Roxy June, a self-taught Thai DJ. Not only was the night about mixing of musical talent, it was about mixing of the flavours.

Hennessy flowed and the flavours on show for the night were – Apple, Berry, Citrus and Ginger.

While all of these were truly magnificent, my personal favourite was the Citrus flavour.

For those who missed out on this

awesome night, here are the recipes of how to make them: THE HENNESSY BERRY – 1½ parts of Hennessy Cognac, 3½ parts of Cranberry Juice. Pour Hennessy cognac into a highball, add cubed ice (fill the glass), top with cranberry juice, and garnish with a lime wedge.

THE HENNESSY CITRUS – 1½ parts of Hennessy Cognac, 3½ parts of Cola, 1part of lime juice – Pour Hennessy cognac into a highball, add lime juice and cubed ice (fill the glass) ½ fill glass with cola, stir gently, add more cola and garnish with a lime wedge.

THE HENNESSY GINGER – 1½ parts Hennessy Cognac, 3½ parts Ginger

Ale – Pour Hennessy Cognac into a highball, add ice (fill to the top) top with Ginger Ale and garnish with a lime wedge.

THE HENNESSY APPLE – 1½ parts Hennessy Cognac, 1½ parts Apple Liqueur, 1 teaspoon Demerara Sugar, 1 dash of bitters – Spoon the sugar into the bottom of the glass, cover the sugar with 1/3 of the Hennessy Cognac and stir slowly.

After approximately 30 seconds, add 1 ice cube and continue to stir for another 30 seconds before adding a further 1/3 of the Hennessy and an additional ice cube. Continue this process until all

the Hennessy Cognac is added and you have 5 cubes of ice in the glass.

Spray a twist of lemon and drop the twist into the glass. Add the apple liqueur and two additional ice cubes and bitters and garnish with a fresh wedge of apple. www.hennessy.com/en-int

Roxy June showed why she is one of Asia’s hottest DJs.

Actress and model, Daniella Sya turned heads all night.

Emcee EJ working the crowd.

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THIS FESTIVE SEASON RELAX WITH BEAUTIFULLY SCENTED CANDLES OR IN THE BATH WITH LUXURIOUSLY FRAGRANCED PRODUCTS, MAKE YOUR LIPS EXTRA KISSABLE WITH TANGY GLOSSES OR GIVE HIM OR HER A GIFT THAT WILL ALSO GIVE TO YOU - THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF AFTER SHAVES AND PERFUMES.

p Lush From The North Pole – RRP $37.50. This pack includes North Pole soap (100g), Captain Bubble Beard reusable bubble bar wand, Santa’s Sack bubble bar, Father Christmas bath ballistic, So White bath ballistic and Sandy Santa sugar scrub. p Benefit High Flyin’ Glosses – RRP $49.00.

This pack includes High Flyin’ Glosses in six different shades. All glosses feature a silky formula to keep lips luscious. Shades include CORALista (sheer coral), dallas (dusty rose), bella bamba

p Benefit Crescent Row Limited Edition Set – RRP $59.00. This limited-edition set includes four Cresent Row fragrances (10mL). The fragrances are ‘Laugh With Me LeeLee’ (woody floral), ‘My Place or Yours Gina’ (woody oriental), ‘Ring My Bella’ (sweet, fruity floral) and ‘See & Be Seen Sasha’ (captivating floral

p The Aromatherapy Company Votive Candle - $9.99. Made from natural soy wax, this indulgent candle blends essential fragrances and diffuses them around the home.

It is available in four fragrances including Orange & Jasmine, Cocoa & Vanilla, Rose & Patchouli and Lavender & Chamomile. t

p The Body Shop Ginger Sparkle Gift Tin – RRP $55.95.

The Body Shop Ginger Sparkle Gift Tin houses a selection of Ginger Sparkle fragranced products in a gingerbread man-shaped gift tin.

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Crabtree & Evelyn West Indian Lime Traveller – RRP $35.00. Crabtree & Evelyn West Indian Lime Traveller is a gift set that contains miniatures of Hair & Body Wash, Shave Cream, After Shave Balm and Eau de Toilette all with a refreshing citrus scent.

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Ed Hardy Fragrance for Men - $89 / $119. Ed Hardy for Men is a woody floral, that perfectly embodies the tattooed history of the hip American brand. The fragrance opens with effervescent top notes of Italian bergamot, clary sage, mandarin and thuja, an evergreen tree common to North America.

p Estée Lauder Sensuous Nude Celestial Charms Perfumed Solid – RRP $550.00. p Love, Chloé $90/$130/$170. Opens with top notes of orange blossom blended with pink pepper and continues with heart notes of iris absoloute and flower notes of lilac, hyancinth, wisteria blossom and heliotropine.

The scent ends with notes of almond, vanilla and musks that interweave with notes of talc and rice powder. Housed in a seeped nude pink flask with a delicate gold chain fastening the cap.

p The Body Shop Book of Coconut – RRP $49.95.

The Body Shop Book of Coconut features individual festive recipes inside to create over Christmas.

The book also houses Coconut fragranced products and a bamboo spoon. p Lush Christmas Eve Bathtime Favourites – RRP $49.95.

This pack includes So White, Father Christmas, Cinders, Party Popper, Golden Wonder, Twilight, Dragons Egg and Avobath bath ballistics.

The ballistics are housed in a Christmas tin.

p Estée Lauder Michael Kors for Estée Lauder Makeup Collection in Red – RRP $125.00.

q muk Filthy muk Duo pack – RRP $23.95. Providing strong hold with a flexible finish, Filthy muk is the ultimate styling paste to create textured styles. The pack includes a full size and travel size Filthy muk.

t Lip Smacker Bath and Body Bag – RRP $19.99. This large gift set includes Smackers 2-in-1 Strawberry Shampoo, Watermelon Shower Gel plus a Strawberry Detangler. The pack also comes with a hairbrush PRODIJEE.COM

p

Manicare French Manicure Collection – RRP $19.95. Packed in a stylish red leather zip pouch, the French Manicure Collection comes with the manicure essentials. The collection includes French White, French Pink and French Finish polishes, a Miracle Shiner buffer and shiner, 10 Tip Tapes and a Cuticle Pusher.

p ORLY Feel The Vibe Mini Kit – RRP $23.95. Kit includes four 5.4ml bottles of hot neon colours: Beach Cruiser (Bright Pink Crème), Glowstick (Fluoro Yellow Crème), Melt Your Popsicle (Orange Crème) and Skinny Dip (Light Blue Crème). What’s more, these beautybag friendly bottles are the perfect size to take away on that summer holiday.

p Aum Invigorate - RRP $29.95. Aum Invigorating Body Wash 210ml, Aum Replenishing Body Butter 250ml, Aum lotus cosmetics purse.

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p A’kin Perfect Purity pack – RRP $19.95. Includes products that are enriched with essential oils of lemon. The pack contains Lemon Myrtle Hand Wash (240mL) and Unscented, Intensive Hand, Nail & Cuticle Treatment (75mL).

p Crabtree & Evelyn Fragranced Candles – RRP $45.00. Crabtree & Evelyn Fragranced Candles are inspired by the rich hues and scents associated with the festive season.

These classic poured candles add the perfect touch of festive elegance to any Christmas table.

Available in Noel and Winter Garden.

p ECOYA Christmas Gift Set – RRP $39.95 This luxury gift set contains a full sized ECOYA Hand Cream, Lip Balm and Mini Metro Candle. The products come housed in a black box, decorated with burnished gold wrap and snowflake design. It is available in Lotus Flower and French Pear scents

p Elemis Jetset Travel Collection for Gentlemen – RRP $109.00. This pack includes travel-sized products for men. It contains Daily Moisture Boost (50mL), Ice Cool Foaming Shave Gel (100mL), Deep Cleanse Facial Wash (50mL), Sharp Shower & Bath Gel (100mL) and Energising Skin Scrub (20mL). the products come housed in a black toiletries bag. q Mango Drops Tin from The Body Shop - RRP $19.95.

The Body Shop Mango Drops Tin houses a combination of mango body products in a re-usable yellow striped tin.

p

p

Philosophy Candy Cane Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath – RRP $30.00.

This product can be used on the body, in the bath and in the hair. It features sweet candy-cane fragrance. Its bottle features a red and white candy-cane print.

p Sisley Paris Black Rose Cream Mask - $160.00.

This gift set includes Black Rose Cream Mask (60mL), Flower Gel Mask (10mL), Buff & Wash Facial Gel (10mL), Radiant Glow Mask (15mL) and Hydra Global (4mL).

p Natio for Men Max It – RRP $29.95. Natio for Men Max It kit includes Maximum Energising Body Wash (210mL), Maximum Eau de Toilette (50mL) and Maximum Antiperspirant Deodorant Spray (125g).

p L’Occitane Men’s Collection – RRP $100.00. This set is the ideal men’s grooming kit.

It includes L’Occitane Shaving Gel (150mL), L’Occitane Eau de Toilette (100mL), L’Occitan Soap (100g), L’Occitane After-Shave Balm (30mL) and L’Occitane Shower Gel (250mL).

1932 by Tabu Christmas pack – RRP $29.95. The fragrance has top notes of citrus accord, bergamot and lemon, basil, fruits, heart notes of jasmine, mimosa, Bulgarian rose, ylangylang, cinnamon nutmeg, heliotrope and base notes of sandalwood, moss amber and musk vanilla. The Christmas pack includes the Tabu fragrance and body spray in a black purse.

p Boss Bottled Sport $90/$117. This fragrance allows men to sharpen their senses, mentally prepare and be ready for the challenges ahead. With top notes of grapefruit, yuyu zest and pink peppercorn to heighten the senses, Boss Bottled Sport develops with heat notes of lavender and cardamom, combined with aldehydic mist to empower any man. The scent is fresh, stimulating and masculine.

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WHEN NICK CAMPBELL FOUND MASS-PRODUCED SUNGLASSES UNCOMFORTABLE TO WEAR, HE DECIDED TO DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE HIS OWN. NICK’S HAND-MADE UNISEX SHADES OBVIOUSLY SUITED THE NEEDS OF A LOT OF CONSUMERS, AS THEY WERE QUICKLY EMBRACED BY FASHIONISTAS AND TRENDSETTERS. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN

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wenty-eight-year-old Sydneyborn Nick Campbell has brought his range of 50s and 60d inspired eyewear to the forefront of the fashion industry. .

A self-proclaimed eyewear collector, Nick is shocked to think about how many pair he has lost over the years, but at the moment, his collection sits at more than 100.

How does someone with a passion for eyewear but who comes from a hands on business background turn that passion into a thriving business?

Well, Nick has always loved fashion and with a background as an artist and photographer, design was a natural progression; he fell in love with the design aspect of his obsession very quickly.

Nick decided to design the sunglasses he always wanted to find. He thinks that most people would agree that even though there

are a large number of really great ideas on the market, it’s difficult to find wearable frames.

Nick’s idea was for fashionable, trendy, yet comfortable frames and to bring style and modern beauty to timeless classic designs while creating a quality and long lasting product.

But starting up your own business can be daunting, and many people fail. Nick was lucky enough to have a business mentor who used to be the CEO of Encyclopaedia Britannica. He trained Nick to look at other businesses and see what was going wrong with them.

Nick is completely self-taught in every aspect of his brand, allowing him to take the role of photographer, webmaster, production manager, importer/ distributor, and of course, designer.

He feels the need to be hands on - why pay someone to do something

that you can do yourself?

Nick worked in another sunglasses company for a short time, saw the way it worked and had all these ideas for designs and how it could be run better.

The next step, having his own business, became compulsory for him but he recognised that being organised and self-disciplined was of the utmost importance. Not a naturally organised person, Nick set about becoming orderly and businesslike.

The ‘50s and ‘60s inspired début range, offered two styles – Stringer and Chloe - they combine bold shapes and striking acetates, and were very wearable with comfortable frames. The two styles were offered in different colours, including tortoise, milky white acetate, cookies and cream and charcoal.

The sunglasses are handmade,

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unisex and obviously suited the needs of a lot of consumers, as they were snapped up by fashionistas and trendsetters.

The 2013 range, features the brand’s first metal frames, taking inspiration from eyewear of the late 60s/ early 70s and the ‘steampunk’ design genre.

Nick is not looking to be the next Rayban type label; nor does he want his eyewear to be worn only by crazed kids, he has a huge dislike for visible branding and feels that the frames should speak for themselves.

These unisex sunnies definitely speak for themselves, and it’s been said that it won’t be long until the rich and the famous around the world are strutting around in their ‘Campbells’.

What does the future hold for Nick? “I'm about to launch my second range, which I'm really excited about but long term I plan to branch into swimwear and

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launch an eyewear label for kids. That should be fun.

“I've been really blown away by the response from the public and the press. It's definitely given me courage to be more bold with the design, and I hope that shows in the second range. I have a huge backlog of designs, and I can't wait to get all of them on shelves and heads.”

Nick Campbell Eyewear is already stocked at The Corner Shop and his online store offers free shipping.

The frames retail at $260.00 each.

All products are hand made to the highest standards of quality and are backed by a lifetime guarantee.

They also come with a 30 day try-on period, which means, if you are unsatisfied with your purchase for any reason, you simply return it within 30 days and your purchase will be exchanged or refunded in full. www.nc-eye.com

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Women of the Night

MELBOURNE PLAYED HOST TO ANOTHER FESTIVAL DURING THE SPRING RACING CARNIVAL, AND WHILST THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME CROSS OVER IN THE ATTIRE, MONSTER FEST IS A VERY DIFFERENT EVENT. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN

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he Monster Fest experience is about blackened cinemas with awe-struck patrons sitting on the edge of their seats. It’s about white knuckles, cold sweats, nervous gasps, gut-wrenching laughs and screams in the dark.

Monster fest proudly pits itself as the ultimate celebration of all that is weird and wonderful in the international cult cinema palette.

The festival kicked off at Cinema Nova Carlton and screened the best in horror from around the world to horrified audiences.

The Scary yet brilliant queens of horror film, Jen and Sylvia Soska, aka Twisted Twins, along with the most iconic horror hostess and Mistress of the Night, Elvira, descended on Melbourne for the exclusive Women of the Night event.

Movies shown through the festival included The Hunt for the Monster Queen, Excision, American Mary and Gorelesque, but my personal favourite, Muirhouse, has left me haunted.

This film was shot at the Monte Cristo Homestead in Junee, Australia, which is claimed to be Australia’s most haunted house.

The cast all spoke of visions and haunting experiences as well as cold and unwelcome feelings whenever they were in the house.

I know that the cynics out there will probably hate this kind of movie, but for me (who has experienced paranormal activity before) it was fantastically scary and haunting.

The movie is a little slow to get started but this tends to build the tension and suspense. I really loved Muirhouse and am looking forward to seeing it again when it screens across Australia early 2013.

For anyone who has a love of the macabre, paranormal, horror and send ups full of blood and gore, this Monster Fest is for you.

Check it out for 2013 and be prepared to be extra welcomed if you dress ‘appropriately’ for a horror event.

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road test

Coupe d

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WORDS: DARREN HOUSE

de Thrill TOYOTA IS BACK IN THE SPORTS CAR BUSINESS WITH IT’S LONG AWAITED 86 - AND AFTER SPENDING A WEEK IN THE STUNNING NEW MACHINE, WE RECKON IT’S A WINNER.

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oyota’s much anticipated new sport car, the 86, is everything we hoped it would be – well, almost.

With traffic-stopping looks, sensational steering and grip and starting at just $29,990, the new machine plants massive ticks in the styling, handling and value for money boxes. However, it comes up just a little short in terms of horsepower.

That’s not to say the 86 isn’t fun to drive – it’s a hoot to be sure – it’s just that the performance is spirited rather than exhilarating.

With the 86 being jointly developed by Subaru, the 86 employs a Subaru-derived 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine. Like its Subaru BRZ twin, the 86 develops 147kW of power and 205Nm of torque. While those figures don’t set the world on fire, the 86’s performance is boosted by a low kerb weight of 1222kg (GT manual), which gives the car an impressive power-to-weight ratio.

This makes the 86 an involving car, as you need to constantly work the gearshift and be prepared to rev it to really get going. Not that too many people will complain about that, as the short-throw manual

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gearshift lever is a delight to use and superbly positioned.

When pushed, the boxer engine produces the familiar trademark sound, I thought it nice enough for a factory exhaust system but it’s one area that has brought criticism from others.

The 86 is a small car, much smaller than most people first think and while that produces limitations in terms of comfort and practicality, it contributes greatly to the car’s amazing road manners. Take it out onto winding country road and you’ll quickly discover it’s the type of environment where this car really shines.

The steering is very direct and almost race-car like in response, allowing the superbly-balanced car to change direction with ease. It will even forgive you for changing line mid corner, which is great for the times when you underestimate the 86’s superb turn-in ability and pull on too much lock, or for dodging potholes.

The trade-off for this is a suspension that’s a little harsh over our poorly-maintained roads but it’s bearable.

We loved the brakes, too – excellent stopping ability and a well-weighted pedal.

Inside, the design is purposeful, with body hugging sports seats and a leather-bound steering wheel devoid of any electronic devices.

To keep the centre of gravity weight down, you sit low in the car, which adds to the sports car feel. It remains to be seen if buyers tire of easing themselves over the high sill, and it’s all too easy for taller people to rub their shoe on the lower part of the hard plastic door trim, potentially damaging it.

The gauge pod is all business, the three main gauges positioned in a Porsche-like layout with a large tachometer in the middle and a smaller speedo offset to the right. The dash pad looked cheap both in design and material – it’s constructed from plain hard plastic – and we weren’t the only ones to form that opinion - others we showed the car to also made the same comment.

There are two seats in the back but they are next to useless, other than serving as storage space, which is handy as the bootspace is limited, too.

Overall, the 86 is a standout sports car that lives

TOYOTA 86 GT Engine: 2.0-litre horizontally-opposed fourcylinder.

Power: 147kW at 7000rpm.

Torque: 205Nm at 6600rpm.

Transmission: 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic.

Fuel use: 7.8L/100km (man), 7.1L/100km (auto), 98-octane premium unleaded required CO2 emissions: 181g/km (man), 164g/km (auto).

Weight: 1222kg.

Price: From $29,990. up to the pre-release hype and one that represents outstanding value for money.

WHAT WE LOVE: Handling, value for money, head-turning styling.

NOT SO MUCH: Limited interior space, uninspiring performance, limited space. www.toyota.com.au

CARBON FIBRE

MEN’S ACCESSO RIES

52

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Order yours today by calling (03) 9331 2608 or by visiting www.nobrac.com.au

On top of

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the world

WITH SPECTACULAR VIEWS UNMATCHED ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, SYDNEY’S BRIDGECLIMB SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE ACTIVITY ON EVERYONE’S BUCKET LIST, REPORTS DARREN HOUSE. PRODIJEE.COM

I

t’s difficult to know just what the attraction of climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge is.

Perhaps it’s the challenge of climbing more than 1000 steps to a height of 134 metres above sea level. Maybe it’s the incredible 360 degree view of the world’s most beautiful harbour Whatever it is, I found the allure of BridgeClimb irresistible, and I am not alone. In the 14 years since it began, around 3 million people have completed the climb and the crowd numbers show no sign of slowing down.

BridgeClimb’s founder, Paul Cave, has his own idea of what draws people to this unique activity. “(The bridge) is partly a signature of Sydney, its symbolic for this country,” Paul told prodijee. “You think about the significance of that bridge, its design, its location on the harbour and its distinctive shape. It’s part of Australia’s PRODIJEE.COM

brand, like the opera house and the harbour; things that are significant about this country, so therefore people think about climbing it. It’s the exhilaration of doing it, the challenge and it’s the panorama (afforded by) the 360 degree view.”

There are three different climbs to the top - The Bridge Climb, The Discovery Climb, and The Express Climb. Each climb route is available day and night. The Bridge Climb and The Discovery Climb take three and a half hours to complete; the Express Climb takes two and a quarter hours.

Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge is clearly physical activity; however it’s not as demanding as you might think. If you need proof of that, consider that BridgeClimb once hosted a lady who made the climb on her one hundredth birthday!

Still, to make sure you are capable of safely making the trek

to the top, BridgeClimb asks some very detailed medical questions.

“Our shift supervisors spend half their time assessing people for climbing,” explained Paul. “They might be three months pregnant, or whatever. We climb deaf people and blind people; we hadn’t thought in the early stages we would be doing that. I’m amazed at the number of people we have got up there that we didn’t think we would.

“We have had people carried by two other people; we have had quite a lot of people on the back of someone else. Our staff really likes the challenge of helping people.

“These days we get people who, a week ago, had (heart) bypass operations and they want to climb the bridge today. We wouldn’t have been asked that question 10 years ago. People would wait six months. The world now has this instantaneous desire to do things.”

While people may think the climb is dangerous, the organisation has an enviable safety record.

“We haven’t had one serious injury,” said Paul. “We are a bit amazed that we haven’t had a heart attack on the bridge - we’ve got two defibrillators on the bridge that we haven’t used.

“The most challenging thing for us is people coming off aeroplanes and wanting to climb the bridge on the same day that they have landed. Their body time clock is still somewhere else, or they have alcohol in their system, or they are dehydrated.

“Dehydration is a huge issue so we sometimes get people fainting because they don’t want to drink as they are worried about wanting to do a ‘widdle’ while they are up on the bridge.”

Given the bridge’s height and the fact that it is situated over water, and has road and rail traffic on the deck below, climber safety is paramount. Nothing is left to chance.

Each climber is required to wear a special overall and leave all accessories behind in a secure locker. Even tissues aren’t allowed, as one could float down onto a car travelling on the bridge below and cause a major traffic accident.

Subsequently, climbers are also issued with a handkerchief, cap and jacket that remain attached to them at all times. A radio is also provided, so you can hear the live commentary. Once the climb commences, you are securely tethered to the bridge, so there is no chance of falling.

This attention to detail creates a very reassuring feeling, so it’s no wonder less than 20 people per year fail to complete their climb.

“Yes that does happen but (it affected just) 11 people out of 176,000 people who participated last year. It’s a tiny percentage,” said Paul. If that situation does arise, we find out what the issue is and we help them through it. We ask, ‘What is worrying you?’.

“Probably 95 per cent of them PRODIJEE.COM

find the solution that enables them to finish it. If they definitely can’t finish it, we will have someone come up to join them and take them back down.”

For the overwhelming majority of people who make it to the top, the view is breathtaking, full of iconic landmarks in every direction – The Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay, the city skyline, Fort Dension and the North Shore in the foreground.

Further out and to the east there’s The Heads that mark entrance to the famous harbour, and Historic Balmain to the west, though the view goes well beyond those two locations.

Arriving at the top provides a remarkable sense of achievement.

BridgeClimb truly is a unique experience and definitely a ‘must do’ activity when you are in Sydney.

And though you are not permitted to take your own camera, your climb leader takes plenty of shots to keep the memory alive. www.bridgeclimb.com

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Daring to dream YOU ALSO HAVE THE INFAMOUS DE GROOT SWORD. It took 12 years of looking for it. We found it in Ireland, a nephew of De Groot had it. We paid for it, but it’s nice to have it back here, it’s such a part of history and I’ve also got that insured for a million dollars.

A few years ago we had a function at the Opera House and we raised around $4.8m (for cancer research), which I think is the most that has ever been raised at a charity dinner. I had cancer and both my doctor, Chris O’Brien - who has since died - and I wanted to build a cancer centre. It was going to cost two or three hundred million dollars, so we launched the fundraising for that on the night of the 75th anniversary. A lot of people paid a lot of big money to have their photo taken with the sword.

BRIDGECLIMB FOUNDER, PAUL CAVE, IS AN INSPIRATION TO ANYONE WHO BELIEVES THEIR DREAMS ARE UNACHIEVEABLE. FACED WITH THE CHALLENGE OF RAISING $12M AND BATTLING A MOUNTAIN OF GOVERNMENT RED TAPE THAT DELAYED BRIDGECLIMB BY EIGHT YEARS, PAUL REFUSED TO GIVE UP ON HIS DREAM. WHEN DID YOUR FASCINATION FOR THE BRIDGE BEGIN? When I was 19 - I’m 67 now - I took this girl home from a university function. She had to be home at 11.30 at night, and her father came out (to greet us) in his dressing gown.

I was given a mug of Milo and I struck a bit of rapport with her father, so I didn’t get the cuddle I was hoping for.

(But) it was really interesting and he started talking about the bridge. He was one of 10 kids and the day the bridge was opened he talked his mother into allowing him (he was 14 years old at the time) and his 12-year-old brother to come in from western Sydney in to see the opening.

They slept at Wynyard railway station that night, which was the closest railway station to the bridge and at 5am they bought the very first ticket sold for the public for crossing the bridge. He showed me the ticket that night, and it made a real impact on me.

I subsequently married his daughter and for my 40th birthday, he came out of a hospice where he was dying of cancer and two days before he died, he gave me that ticket. That ticket I now have insured for a million dollars.

WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR BRIDGECLIMB COME FROM? I was playing squash with Nick Greiner, who was then the opposition leader of NSW, and we brainstormed some things we could do for a business group, which was coming to Australia. We put 80 or 90 things on a list and Nick said, ‘I wonder if we could get them to climb the bridge?’ - he didn’t know my fascination with it.

So he gave me the name of the chief executive of the RTA, Max Moore-Wilton, who subsequently became (former prime minister) John Howard’s chief of staff and is now chairman of Sydney Airport. We did a fair bit of work before we got to Max. We got 100 million dollars of public risk insurance in place and then I went down and met the union guy and foreman of the bridge. I took a bit of my history with me and developed a bit of rapport.

When we talked about the possibility of doing this they weren’t too sure about it, the safety things and so forth.

When I asked if they would act as guides, a little light came on. I sort of said to these union officials, if you will agree to do this, I will send a tailor down and we will tailor a jacket to fit you. It got a fantastic reaction; it was one of those impulsive things that worked.

We climbed 670 people over three days and watching their reaction, I thought how much I wanted to try to share this with the world somehow. So I put together a twoyear business plan but it took nine years and 10 months from that day until the day we opened. It was a lot more complex than I thought.

YOU CLEARLY DON’T LIKE HEARING THE WORD ‘NO’?

It’s not part of our language at BridgeClimb; it’s not a good word. That doesn’t mean that anything is possible, but I like to think it is, such as making BridgeClimb accessible for wheelchairs. We haven’t found the perfect solution but we have found a compromise that deals with probably 70-75 per cent of that.

I hope we will find a solution, we have spent a fair bit of time on it but we aren’t quite there yet. It’s nice to have that incentive to want to try and find a solution for those things. But in making the bridge climb happen, my job

was to find the thing that might stop it happening, and that, in effect, is the ‘no’ word.

I thought I might find something; maybe there would be some issues that we couldn’t overcome, such as if we HAD to make it wheelchair accessible; I didn’t have that solution at that time. If that was a condition then maybe we would have found the solution to that condition earlier than we have.

It was a frustrating part of dealing with bureaucracy; the ten years this took probably should have taken three years, four years maximum.

But that’s the nature of a private guy wanting to lease a billion dollar asset issue; you have to satisfy bureaucracy and politicians. You have to be sensible and prudent and show that you have researched it properly.

HOW DO YOU COPE WITH THE DRESS REQUIREMENTS FROM A CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE? We deal with that on an individual basis. We have to be receptive and try to find a practical solution that will accommodate those things.

That’s just one of many challenges that we have to find a solution to, just like we have to find a solution when someone like a King climbs the bridge and he wants someone up there with a gun. How do you manage

something like that? We do, we make it work.

We deal with celebrities and all sorts of things that are continually happening, such as marriage proposals - we have had 2600 wedding proposals.

Another issue we found a solution to was getting the Olympic torch up there but not wanting people to see that the holder was wearing a harness.

OPRAH WINFREY’S BROADCAST MUST HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING. It was a logistic nightmare. It was a big challenge to get that number of people up on the bridge.

The helicopter that was used to photograph her up there arrived 15 minutes before it should and hadn’t allowed enough fuel, so it had to go back and refuel. Oprah got held up on the bridge for 25 minutes and she wasn’t happy about it.

Her partner, who was very height concerned, was lying prone on the bridge. (But) it was well publicised - a couple of million people got to see that story in more than 55 countries so it was wonderful. We had a great influx of people after that. he is a very inspiring person.

YOU’RE VERY BIG ON CUSTOMER FEEDBACK.

For me, it’s not about the nice feedback and pat on the back, I’m much more interested in someone who says that we could improve the experience by doing something differently.

We like to celebrate when we get a complaint because it’s something we can work towards. We’re only carrying handkerchiefs now because a customer said that she had tears in her eyes and she couldn’t see the wonderful view.

I happen to believe in aiming for perfection, aiming to keep learning and growing - growing your mind making things better and better. And it’s largely about customers that we make changes.

The system is a bit obsessive, not letting a crumb fall through the cracks.

DO YOU STILL CLIMB THE BRIDGE? Yes, not as often as I would like. I did it about two weeks ago; we had an 84-year-old man who climbed it for his 50th time and I went up for that climb. He is our most frequent climber. I still love it. It’s nice to do it for a special occasion like that. I did it about six months ago when a grandchild of mine turned 10. I have nine grandchildren, so it was really special to do it for the first grandchild turning 10.

Joanie Darveau MONTREAL, CANADA

Photos: Philip Faith - www.philipfaithphotography.com (Main), Éric Daoust (Bikini), Benoît Champagne (burlesque) WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I grew up on a farm, in a small village in Northern Quebec. My father found me too frail to work on the farm, so I spent all my time with my seamstress mother, who introduced me to theatre, music, dance and visual art. She taught me to always finish everything I started with passion, application and in minute detail. I did figure skating with my sister for 10 years; she has been a best friend to me since our childhood. We were always writing plays and songs, making costumes, stage sets, accessories and doing our own shows for all the family events. For our birthdays my mother gave us a camera.

We started doing photo shoots. My sister was the photographer and my brother and I the models.

When I was seven my parents brought me to Montreal and I totally fell in love with the city! I always told them that when I got older, that was the place I was going to live, and that’s what I did. At the age of 16 I moved to Montreal to study Musical Theatre, that’s where I met a girl who had studied in artistic makeup. I was so impressed by her talent and her knowledge of makeup that I developed the desire to do the same. I decided to do the same course that she had done, and that’s where I really discovered photography. Since that time I’ve been addicted to it.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO MODELLING? I fell into modelling by mistake eight years ago when I was accompanying my little brother to his high school graduation. All of his friends were jealous, seeing him with who they thought was his new girlfriend. The photographer for the celebration found me to be very photogenic and offered me a photo-shoot. After that shoot we shot together a couple of times where he found me to be very creative and expressive. That’s how I started to build my portfolio. After a while I put those pictures on the internet and started to get requests from other photographers for events and fashion shows.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT MODELLING? What I love the most is to create! I’m always looking forward to the final result. I love to express myself with

all my body and soul. I’m always trying to find a way to express what I have inside with all my body, muscles, face and bones. My goal is to make people feel emotions too.

I also love challenges and I’m always looking for one.

I try my best to be better and better; and to always be learning more and more. I love to meet other artists and to learn from them. I really love the process of creation when everybody puts all their energy together.

WHAT MODELLING WORK HAVE YOU DONE? I have done many video clips and films. I love to play!

I have been modelling for many body painters, such

as Alex Hansen, who won first place in the World Body Painting Festival in Austria. I’m really excited by the transformation brought by body painting, but you have to stay quiet and still for at least six hours. I’ve worked with many talented photographers, such as Micheal Andrews, Philip Faith, Yanick Déry and Ara Sassoonian and many others. Photography is my passion, I’m a photo junky.

I’ve done fashion shows with lingerie, latex and ecologic clothes. I’ve done hair shows for Wella and Paul Mitchell and have worked with painters and sculptors. Those are my most difficult experiences as a model, to stay still for three hours or more. I’m really curious and open minded and I’m always excited to try new things. I’ve even tried bondage.

WHAT WORK DO YOU WANT TO DO? I want to be a makeup and hair stylist in both fashion and cinema, which I’m already starting to be. I’m a very hard worker and a workaholic! In addition to my modelling and makeup work, I give makeup lessons and I’ve been a flight attendant since 2008. It’s the best way, I have found, to get a flexible schedule and to exercise my passions and to make guaranteed money. I suggest it for any artist who is starting their career!

Even though I want to be a makeup artist full time, I will keep on modelling and I will still try to push my limits further, as long as photographers want to work with me.

WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS? Everything about art is my biggest interest. I really like to go to the gym but it’s getting harder and harder to find time for it in my busy schedule. What I find the most relaxing for me, is shopping. I never have enough clothes, makeup or shoes. A new dress or a new pair of shoes always makes me happy! I’m a real woman! And what is better in the world than a glass of red wine or two (or more) with a nice dinner and in good company!

WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES AND WHY? My boyfriend! He is my guru! I always take into consideration the advice that he gives me. He is one of the best artists I have ever met. I’m impressed by his wisdom, his life and artistic experiences; and his values and vision. The passion of people surrounding me, from my friends and family, but as well from people I meet every day. I really try to learn from everyone and every situation. I’m a huge fan of Helmut Newton, he went as far as he could in his vision without inhibition.

Eighties and nineties models, such as Kate Moss and Linda Evangelista are always a big source of inspiration for me as is Marilyn Monroe. She was a brilliant model, actress, singer and dancer. Many other Quebec artists, who find a way to express themselves around the world, like Robert Lepage, Wajdi Mouawad, Dave St-Pierre, Marie Chouinard... I’m impressed by their strength, artistic vision and how they have pushed their limits.

what’s brewing

WITH JOHN ANTHONY

THIS JAMES SQUIRE PALE ALE IS JUST THE THING TO HAVE WHEN ENJOYING LASHINGS OF DELICIOUS SPICY ASIAN CUISINE, SAYS JOHN ANTHONY.

I

jumped at the opportunity to review a product from what is arguably my favourite brew house.

James Squire has, for quite some time, afforded me the opportunity to bore fellow diners and bar patrons with my love of the now classic, ‘Golden Ale’.

James Squire branded its classic range with new brand names and an illustrative icon, adding to the pageantry which is that of Australia’s first brewer.

This was my first taste of One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale. The name is based on the true story of James Squire being discovered stealing ingredients from the stores to make the colony’s first batch of beer. The judge ordered 150 lashes… plus two barrels of ale!

I decided to trial this new experience with plenty of sumptuous Asian fare, giving me the opportunity to see how the ale dealt with a variety of meats, lots of sauces and plenty of spice.

The verdict was clear – this is an excellent dining ale.

A warning however to all you strict “strong ale” aficionado’s - 150 Lashes Pale Ale is NOT for you.

This is a light, refreshing and crisp tasting beer very reminiscent of some great European Pale Ales. It’s great for dining or just kicking back with on a warm summer’s night.

One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale won’t take the place of my Chancer Golden Ale in the bar fridge, but it has certainly gained a reserve area in my ‘occasion’ drinking section.

Let prodijee know what beers you would like reviewed, whether it be your favourite drop that you feel deserves credit or that mysterious brew that you have been tempted to try but are hesitant to invest in a case of, by contacting John at whatsbrewing@prodijee.com PRODIJEE.COM

REBEL WIT

LIKENED TO A YOUNG RIVER PHOENIX OR LEONARDO DI CAPRIO, HARRISON GILBERTSON IS BUILDING HIS REPUTATION ON INTRICATE, IN-DEPTH PORTRAYALS OF CHARACTERS IN CRISIS AND LIFE-DEFINING SITUATIONS.

TH A CLUE

Harrison

GILBERTSON AT 19 JUST YEARS OF AGE, HARRISON GILBERTSON HAS ALREADY STARRED IN FIVE U.S. AND AUSTRALIAN FEATURE FILMS. THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ACTOR MADE HIS FILM DEBUT IN THE ACCLAIMED ‘AUSTRALIAN RULES’, WHICH PREMIERED AT THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL IN 2002.

IN 2010 HARRISON RECEIVED THE AFI AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG ACTOR FOR HIS DEFINING ROLE IN JEREMY SIMS’ WORLD WAR 1DRAMA, ‘BENEATH HILL 60’. HARRISON HAS ALREADY WORKED WITH SOME OF HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGEST NAMES, INCLUDING GEENA DAVIES IN ‘ACCIDENTS HAPPEN’ WHILE IN HIS MOST RECENT FILM, ‘VIRGINIA’, WHICH WAS EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY GUS VAN SANT AND WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY HOLLYWOOD PRODIGY, DUSTIN LANCE BLACK, HARRISON STARS ALONGSIDE JENNIFER CONNOLLY AND ED HARRIS. DARREN HOUSE SPOKE TO HARRISON DURING A RECENT TRIP TO MELBOURNE. PHOTOS: MATTHEW WREN. THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF ACTORS IN THE U.S. HOW DOES SOMEONE FROM ADELAIDE GET THE ATTENTION OF THE RIGHT PEOPLE? If you do the hard work, fortune comes your way. That first role (Accidents Happen) I got was an American set film, so I was able to go over there with something and they were knocking on my door, not me knocking on theirs. To say “This is the kid that acted opposite Geena Davis”, is such a good calling card.

I’ve also had good parents. Dad and Mum and my manager here, Helen, said go to America with this film when it premiers in New York, and go to LA - we will make sure people know about you. That’s the truth of it; I’ve been set up well.

HOW DID YOUR LOVE OF ACTING MATERIALISE? I always wanted to do it. I was always very energetic and I just loved to make people laugh. I just had a sense that I loved to entertain, and I really loved film.

I’ve maintained that love of film, there is something very intimate about it.

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There is something universal about film as an art form, where the characters go through things that you go through. There have been times in my life when I have been in the situations that film characters find themselves in, and I wonder if the decisions they made were right or wrong. That has helped me at different times of my life, so I think that’s why I always liked it.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO ACTING? I had heard of this acting school that someone else from primary school was going to, so my dad typed up a letter that I dictated to him, he wanted me to say what I wanted to write. We’ve still got it, it’s a six-year-old saying, ‘Hi I want to be an actor’. We ended up there and within two weeks I had an audition for this film, Australian Rules, which I did. I was lucky enough to get it and that lead to me getting an agent in Melbourne.

YOU MAKE IT SOUND EASY. I’ve been really fortunate for some reason, but at the same time, I’ve done a lot of hard work. It hasn’t

come easy. For the next seven years I went through that transitional stage of puppy fat and growing into my own body, and I’d get close to all these roles but then there was this huge rejection thing happening. I’m really grateful for that now though because I developed a pretty thick skin for rejection.

I kind of got through all of that without my agent leaving me and then when I was 14 I got a role, Accidents Happen, which starred Geena Davis, and that has been my biggest break so far. Hopefully there will be bigger ones, but it led me to agents in America and recognition in Australia, because it was a lead role.

YOUR ROLE IN ACCIDENTS HAPPEN MUST HAVE BUILT YOUR CONFIDENCE. I thought the best roles were the ones I missed out on and I got really upset about it, but this role was almost worth waiting for. It was set in America and shot in Australia, and I had an American accent. To be with Geena Davis was great.

After that, I was really lucky that there were a lot of young roles on

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offer in Australia and I did a string of movies. I did Ana Kokkinos’ Blessed and then I did a film called Beneath Hill 60, which was a World War I film.

I was lucky enough to get an AFI award for that and that introduced me to the American market, where I am sort of known amongst casting directors now. Then I did a TV show, Conspiracy 365, which is on at the moment. It has been a really interesting learning experience, very different to anything I’ve done before. It’s all been going ahead slowly, and hopefully I will keep climbing that tree.

WHAT DIFFERENCES HAVE YOU NOTICED BETWEEN THE LOCAL AND U.S. INDUSTRIES? In Australia people seem to wear more than one hat. My manager here is also my agent and gets publicity for me, works the contracts out and all that, whereas in America, they wear one hat where a manager and an agent are two different things.

You feel like you have an entourage because you have all these people on your side, like a PRODIJEE.COM

real team. There is like a romantic element to all of that, like you are in ‘that’ world. I got to meet all the agencies when I went over there and a few were after me, I had to

make a decision about which one to go with. The agencies I met with were just what I was looking for - I said I didn’t want to do the Disney stuff or the Nickelodeon stuff - I

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want to be a film actor. I told them the about the people I admire and they have sent scripts through that were in line with that, which has been amazing. They respect me.

They are out to make a long term career for me, not a 15-minute burn.

STARTING AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE, DO YOU WORRY ABOUTH BEING TYPE CAST AS A TEEN ACTOR? Potentially, but look at Di Caprio and what he did when he was younger, like Family Ties. James Franco was on Freaks and Geeks.

There’s a whole heap of people who have moved on.

YOU’RE WAITING FOR THE RIGHT ROLE. DO YOU HAVE ONE IN MIND? The right role for me could be a block buster, like a big fantastical story about witches and demons if that role had integrity, has a purpose and strength to it where the audience is going to relate and say “that’s someone I respect”.

Or it could be the role of a junkie in a Gus Van Sant film, where everyone’s going to watch it and think, ‘This kid can act because he’s doing one of these sorts of films’, then that’s the right sort of role.

It’s more about what’s going to showcase me in a whole range of ways.

One script came through earlier this year from Warner Bros. I thought it was funny but it wasn’t right for me because that role didn’t really have any redemptive qualities - it was just a horny teenager, which if I was watching it I would say it was a really funny movie but I don’t really admire that character because he’s just thinking with his dick, not his head.

Your agent’s goal is to make the most money that they can, but your role is to be the best actor that you can. That’s going to collide, so you just have to be smart when talking about it. You’ve just got to work your way through.

GIVEN YOU’RE JUST STARTINGYOUR CAREER, IS IT WISE TO REJECT SCRIPTS THAT ARE OFFERED? I think it’s just about assessing PRODIJEE.COM

where you’re at. If I didn’t have much work coming through and I was in a really dry patch, I wouldn’t be saying, ‘Hey come on, only send the good stuff through’, but I can afford to do that right now. I’m living with Mum and Dad, whereas if I was 25 and living by myself, I’d be more than happy to take those roles.

I’ve had some really good roles, I can try and maintain that but if I don’t get work for another three years then I will probably be at the bottom and none of that will matter anyway. It’s just keeping your eye on the ‘now’.

In a weird way, I think it gets harder the more work you do; I imagine it’s kind of psychology that you have got to maintain what everyone knows you for. I’m sure Johnny Depp has more fear about that than I do because he has to maintain the amazing work that he does. Like, if you’re at the top of the tree and you did a bad film, and that happens for some great actors, then nobody gives a shit about them

anymore. (But) you can’t look at it like, “F*** what if I get there and then have problems with this?”. I will deal with it if and when I have to.

ARE YOU A HARSH CRITIC OF YOUR OWN WORK? Heath Ledger said, “If you start liking what you do, then maybe find something else to do”. I try to make my own assessments, such as, I thought I was really good in that scene but I thought that other one was shit. The main thing is that you do what you think is right.

My gran always said, “Just be yourself”, and I would say, “But, but, but”, and then I came to a point where I thought that was the most underrated statement ever. If you are just yourself, nothing can really go wrong. Things go wrong when you’re afraid. We all have that debilitating voice in our head that says, “You’re going to F*** this up, you look shit, and your eyebrows have become thicker over the last year and you’re not going to look

PRODIJEE.COM

“Films remind us of what’s good and what’s bad. We need that in life because we have that other voice in our head that is saying, no, be selfish, be this, be that”

that would be shit but it’s part of it. And if you say that you weren’t expecting that when you get into it, you are lying. If you’re going to be in everyone’s DVD library at home, people are going to be interested, it’s just the nature of the beast.

DO YOU NEED TO MOVE TO THE U.S. TO TAKE YOUR CAREER TO THE NEXT LEVEL? I’ll take it as it comes, but I think that it’s definite sometime down the track. There’s a lot more work there.

On average you might read three Australian scripts but over there you would read 50 in a year. They are just constantly spewing out scripts.

There is a bit of work in Australia at the moment but the world market is in L.A. If you make it in America, you won’t have much trouble getting work elsewhere.

good any more.o There are all these sort of things that go on but you just got to say, “Hey, I’m stronger than that”. It’s difficult to do, but you’ve got to do it”.

YOU WANT TO BE A SUCCESSFUL ACTOR, NOT NECESSARILY A MOVIE STAR THOUGH THOSE TWO MAY COLLIDE. Yes. I think so. Brad Pitt is a typical movie star but he is an amazing actor as well.

DO YOU WORRY ABOUT THE DOWNSIDE OF FAME, THE INTRUSION INTO YOUR PERSONAL LIFE? I’ll think about it if it happens. I won’t take myself there just yet. I imagine PRODIJEE.COM

YOU’RE A LONG WAY FROM THE U.S. DO YOU FEAR YOU MAY BE FORGOTTEN? It would be easier if I was there to catch up and hang out, but we keep it pretty fresh. We talk every two-three weeks; we have these huge dial in conversations where there are five people talking on the phone.

It’s about making that right decision with the agencies – there were bigger agencies who were after us for a time as well, but I was going to get lost in a pool of about 10 people the same age as me who have done a shitload more work than I have, and they are in America. So it came down to the question of, ‘Who is the agent as a person and is it someone I would want to hang out with?’. I think that makes a difference. There is a human relationship there, not just a business.

WHERE DO YOU DRAW YOUR INSPIRATION FROM WHEN INTERPRETING CHARACTERS? Sometimes, if they are really different to me, I like putting myself into the situation faced by the character. Like, if I was born in a low socio-economic family with an alcoholic dad and a mum who is never around, how would that affect me as a person? Or I’m 14 and getting bullied at school - how would this affect me?

I remember having a big argument with a friend at school once when we watched this documentary about drug addicts.

He said he’d never do that and I said, “But what about if you were born into that family where your mum was a hooker and your dad was a junkie and you had needles around you since the age of three.

Would you be saying that now?”.

He said, “F*** no, it’s not in me, I’d never do that”. That’s bullshit; any of us could have that life handed to us. We are lucky, count your chickens and be grateful.

It’s almost a blessing when you do a role like that because you wake up to something about yourself.

As an artist, you should always be searching for that new theme, or asking what message you can say to people now - who you can help in this film.

That’s why it’s such a good art form, because it’s a good reflection of life. Artworks and paintings are amazing and inspirational but they are for you to interpret, whereas films present scenarios that we can all relate to.

We all have the friend who is drinking too much and you see the film about a kid who is drinking too much and you come to a realisation and when you are with your mate you can talk to them and help them.

(Films) remind us of what’s good and what’s bad. We need that in life because we have that other voice

in our head that is saying, “No, be selfish, be this, be that”.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH GEENA DAVIS? Whenever you meet someone who’s of notoriety there’s always nervousness but as soon as you see them in the flesh, it’s interesting because they always look really different to when you see them on the screen. She was lovely. Any of the big stars I have worked with have been really nice. Nobody has been an arsehole.

The only arseholes I have worked with have been amateurs who are really trying so hard to behave how they think an A-lister would behave by throwing a bit of a tantrum.

Most great actors go to work, they do their shit, they go home, they eat and play with their family. There is

no grand entrance. It’s a job.

Ed Harris is really good at giving advice. He’s been really nice to me. He stays in touch and when we were doing scenes, it was collaborative. I’ve learnt from them that collaboration is really important when you’re doing a scene, talking it through – “I do this, you do that”.

That’s great and there is a big difference from that to someone telling you how to act just so that it makes them look good, which is what some others do. It’s really offensive if they do that. They come up and say, “I think you should do it like this”, and I say, “I think you should F*** yourself”.

(But) I’ve found the acting world a really friendly world. A nice person is a nice person. www.facebook.com/pages/HarrisonGilbertson/184190391598540 PRODIJEE.COM

The Sky’s the limit WHEN A CAREER CHANGE LEFT DESIGNER CANDY MAAKA-STOTEN ONLY PARTIALLY FULFILLED CREATIVELY, A FRIEND SUGGESTED SHE LOOK TOWARDS HER TRUE PASSION - SHOES. FOLLOWING THOSE WISE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, THE KIWI-BORN, SYDNEY-SIDER FOUND HER TRUE CALLING. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN

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fter having a successful career in IT, New Zealandborn Candy Maaka-Stoten decided to pursue her passion of designing women’s wear.

But it wasn’t long before Candy realised that, even though she enjoyed designing, it wasn’t making her as happy as she felt it should.

It took a relative of hers to look into Candy’s wardrobe and point out to her, that with the number of shoes she had there, maybe her true passion was the for shoes.

That suggestion made instant sense to Candy.

“A light bulb went off, I started designing shoes and I haven’t looked back” she told prodijee.

Of course it wasn’t quite that easy. While Candy had some exposure to dressmaking, she had no experience in designing shoes.

“As I grew up, my Mum was always making clothes; I watched her a lot and learnt how things were made and how to put them together. She wasn’t ‘teaching’ me as such, but I was learning while I watched.

“Shoes are very different though, I haven’t done an official shoe making course, but I have done a lot of research and (designed by) trial and error.”

Using her design experience, Candy set out to create a killer pair of heels that didn’t kill your feet.

She had suffered the pain and discomfort that most of us have when wearing heels, and wanted to design something feminine, elegant and comfortable and give all PRODIJEE.COM

women the chance to wear fabulous and comfortable shoes.

“It’s so disappointing when you fall in love with a pair of heels that always hurt your feet.” Thus, KeilanaSkye Shoes (pronounced Kay-la-nah-sky) was born and every shoe is designed bearing comfort, functionality, versatility and practicality in mind.

“When you start designing shoes, you need to know what to do, the parts, the counters, the lasts, what will work and what won’t work, what will be easy to wear and hard to wear.

You need to know a lot. You can’t just draw a pretty picture and get someone to make it”, said Candy.

“With heels and wedges, you need a lot of machinery to make

it all work; you can’t just make it all by hand. You can make flats by hand, with lasts and tools, but with heels you need lots of different machinery to make sure they stay together properly. “I don’t have that kind of machinery, yet.

Consequently, Candy subcontracts the manufacture of her designs, to facilities in Hong Kong and China.

But finding companies who could manufacture to the standard Candy demands wasn’t easy.

“It took me about six months to find the right people, who could do the right job and do it well. It took lots of trial and error and lots of sample products. When I finally found a good manufacturer, we started prototyping.

“I get samples in about eight months before they are due to be released and wear them all before I release them to market, I want to make sure they are strong and comfortable and live up to my reputation.”

In April/May 2012, Candy’s brand, KeilanaSkye, successfully debuted at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Australia, displaying 29 styles of shoe in the show.

“It was lots of work, weeks before and weeks after (but) it was awesome” said Candy. I would love to do it again, but it will be easier next time because now I know what to do.

“At these shows, shoes and accessories aren’t usually shown on the catwalk; they are in the show room. While I think it would be nice to get the shoes on the models on

WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN PHOTOS: MATTHEW WREN

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the runway, most people wouldn’t even be able to see them, so the show room is much better and you get to talk to the buyers.”

When it comes to finding inspiration for her designs, Candy says that she finds her ideas everywhere.

“I’m not someone who will look at a plant and get inspiration, but colours; if I love a colour I will use it a lot, like teal green, it’s very versatile. Sometimes I have an idea in my head for a while, but it might take a few trials and samples until I get it perfect.

“I don’t like to follow trend, I don’t like people saying it’s ‘in’. I want to be different.

I set my own trend.

Candy says she has no intention to mass produce her shoes, rather, she wants to keep them exclusive.

“I don’t want to be someone who has seven women passing each other in the street all wearing the same shoes - I want them to show off their killer shoes and be individual.”

Making a name for herself already, Candy’s KeilanaSkye is known as the ‘comfy sexy’ heel. Her product is now a high-end Sydney based fashion footwear label that combines a feminine elegance with an edge and is comfortable.

She uses concealed platforms to lower the net heel height and strain on the foot, genuine, high-quality leathers and PRODIJEE.COM

cushioned foot beds; buy quality and you’ll notice the difference.

KeilanaSkye not only offers handmade, fabulous, quality shoes; they have also offer free shipping and returns, and have made it their task to offer free style and fashion advice.

“We take fashion seriously and feeling good is what it’s all about!”

With her high-end fashion footwear, Candy has just been announced the winner of the 2012 Qantas SOYA People’s Choice Awards in the fashion category. A wonderful effort Candy, especially as there were 150 other very talented emerging and established designers in the category. www.kskyeindustries.com.au CANDY’S THREE ESSENTIAL SHOE BUYING TIPS 1. Leather – people buy cheap PU leather or fake leather and wonder why their feet hurt or sweat or the shoe falls apart. Get properly-made, genuine leather, shoes.

2. If you wear heels, try to wear a platform - it reduces the angle and strain on the foot and calves.

3. Standard pumps – A lot of women can’t wear standard pumps, but try to get them with ankle straps - they help the shoe stay on the foot.

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Dream Catcher WHEN BALTIC BEAUTY IEVA GEORGES DISCOVERED ACTING, HOLLYWOOD BECKONED. CONQUERING CHALLENGES THAT WOULD HAVE STOPPED OTHER PEOPLE, IEVA MOVED TO THE USA WITH JUST $10 IN HER PURSE AND SPEAKING NOT A WORD OF ENGLISH. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN

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t was a lifelong dream that took Ieva Georges to America without knowing any English.

Born in the town of Klaipedia (near the Baltic Sea) in Lithuania, Ieva (pronounced Yey-Va) like many other young girls, had always dreamed of becoming an actress, but it took Ieva’s drive and personality to make her dream happen.

Performing in the high school theatre and acting on stage in front of a live audience was the turning point. Ieva realised she had to make her dream of becoming an actor come true.

Whilst Ieva also studied art and loved painting, her overwhelming desire to act made her realise that the stage, or film, was where her heart was.

“Ever since I was a little girl I was

always enamoured by Hollywood and the actors that graced the silver screen,” Ieva told prodijee. “Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman and Elizabeth Taylor, to name but a few, were icons of inspiration to me.

My favourite actress is Meryl Streep.

I acted in all my school plays all the way through school.

“I always dreamed of one day acting in Hollywood and walking the red carpet just like all my favorite stars had done before. It seemed so glamorous to me, a place where all your dreams could come true. When I finished school I immediately set about moving to America, nothing was going to stop me. Being the star sign Aries I am naturally headstrong and stubborn.

I will always do whatever it takes to

achieve my goals.”

It was hard for Ieva’s family, none of whom were actors, to understand her dream, but when Ieva, moved to the windy city, Chicago, to pursue her dream of acting and also a career in modelling, they offered her their full support.

She landed with only $10 to her name and couldn’t speak a word of English but she was so overjoyed to be in the country of her dreams. She was one step closer to that dream.

“Not having any English, money, family or even friends was a big hurdle that I had to overcome. But I didn’t come all this way to let that stop me; I came to make it no matter what it would take. I first got a job as a waitress, it was hard, but it forced me to start speaking English. I worked hard, taking any job I could find - babysitting, waitressing - until I finally got myself a job as a personal trainer. I had been a track and field competitor back in Lithuania, so I felt comfortable being at the gym, helping other people to get in shape.

“While working long hours, I still managed every night to go to acting school, no matter how tired I was. I got to work with other actors, learn so many things I never knew, both about the craft of acting and the business itself. I had never before considered how much work I would actually have to put in. Acting is a life craft, something you never stop learning.”

Ieva was no newcomer to the fitness or modelling industries. Her mother had been a teacher and track and field instructor in Lithuania and PRODIJEE.COM

Ieva had been a spokesperson for big supplement companies Vyotech and VPX, and worked at major fitness shows such as Arnold Classic and Mr Olympia.

She had been a fitness model and competitor in her home country and also in America, and landed modelling jobs in fitness magazines, through the industries’ top photographers and eventually won the title of Miss Galaxy in 2002.

“After learning English, studying the craft of acting as best I could and saving money as I could, I finally felt confident enough to make the move to Hollywood, knowing that if I was ever going to get a break and advance my career, it would be here.

“Landing in the city of sun, sea and palm trees it would be easy for one to lose sight of their goals. But I would never let myself get distracted.

“After attending different acting schools I eventually discovered Beverly Hill Playhouse (BHC). I was overjoyed when I was accepted as a student of this prestigious playhouse and I knew I was finally being accepted as a serious actor.

“Upon joining BHC, my career almost immediately started to snowball as I began to book plays, shorts, webisodes, TV shows and films.

“Some of the most respected of these are; Orange Flower Water, which was an intensely emotional play, Criminal Minds, a well-known CBS TV show and Active Shooter, with Patrick Kilpatrick, a feature film currently in post-production.

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“After booking Criminal Minds I got my SAG card (Screen Actors Guild), which means that I am now recognized as a professional actor.”

From a little girl with a dream to landing in America with no money or skills in speaking English, Ieva has made a huge inroad to living the life she has always dreamt of. What is next for Ieva?

“Currently I am trying to get involved in the production side of things, working on producing plays and music videos. I have also been hosting interviews on the red carpet for LA Fashion Week.

“Even though this is a great opportunity, it is taking up a lot of my time but I am still managing to find the time to audition for some great new TV Shows. I take every opportunity that comes my way.

“I am truly blessed to be in Hollywood, surrounded by so many talented people living my dream life. I am finally living the life I had dreamed of for years.

“I am currently working on Active Shooter with Ramin Rahmanpour, who is an award winning filmmaker, a published photographer and an IT specialist.

“He is capable of delivering the most with the least amount of resources. Ramin is the director of photography, editor and the co-writer for Active shooter.”

Active Shooter also stars Patrick Kilpatrick, who is known as one of the finest screen/television characters of his generation.

Ieva is also very busy in her role as manager for many music artists. She somehow finds the time to manage their schedules, plan tours, book their gigs, manage their stage images, attend red carpet events, handle interviews and write media for them.

Along with this, she is also involved in producing music videos.

This very multi-talented woman is also fluent in Lithuanian and Russian and has a broad knowledge of German and French (along with English now).

Ieva Georges is to be admired, and is someone to look up to when the going gets tough. I don’t think I know of many people who could land in a country without knowing a word of its language with almost no money in hand and make her dreams come true.

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Giddy up!

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!

MELBOURNE’S SPRING RACING CARNIVAL IS THE ONLY PLACE TO BE FOR FASHIONISTAS COME NOVEMBER.

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Melbourne Cup Carnival THE EVENT OF THE YEAR HAS CONCLUDED. THOUGH MANY TRY TO EMULATE IT, MOST FAIL MELBOURNE’S CUP CARNIVAL IS THE EVENT. VRC CHIEF EXECUTIVE, DALE MONTEITH, SAID THE MELBOURNE CUP CARNIVAL IS THE MOST ANTICIPATED EVENT ON THE RACING CALENDAR, BUT I CAN SAFELY SAY IT IS THE MOST ANTICIPATED EVENT ON THE FASHION CALENDAR, TOO. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN PHOTOS: DARREN HOUSE, MATTHEW WREN

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housands of racing enthusiasts and fashionistas (not necessarily the same thing) flocked to Flemington to watch fillies of all kinds. You were either there to look at horses, look at the women or to be seen; maybe all of those.

The iconic Myer Fashions on the Field competition reigned supreme yet again, with top designers from across the world entering their magnificent garments and headwear. Congratulations to Myer for 50 years of the Fashions on the Field competition (read about the history of this achievement in the previous issue of prodijee – www.prodijee.com) Flemington’s famous The Birdcage enclosure again hosted a long list of the ‘Who’s Who’ of local and International VIPs, who enjoyed mingling with guests at the bespoke marquees. Mischa Barton, Nicole Kidman, Shane Warne, Tony Abbott, Kevin Rudd and Rose Byrne were amongst the celebrities who attended, and royalty - Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles, along with our own royal – King Molly Meldrum also attended Flemington.

Celebrating its 10th year at the Melbourne Cup Carnival this year, Lavazza has built a reputation as the Number One destination in The Birdcage. Over the years, Lavazza has hosted memorable international guests including Snoop Dogg, Dita Von Teese, Carmen

Electra and Adrian Grenier. Other marquees who have become desired destinations in The Birdcage are Emirates, Lexus, Mumm Champagne and James Boag’s.

This year there was a host of new free attractions for general admission racegoers to enjoy, including the Swisse Body Day Spa, Yellowglen House, James Boag’s Draught Escape, Johnnie Walker Whisky Bar and the Schweppes Flemington Fling Bar, serving the Carnival’s first signature cocktail.

When it came to the rights and wrongs of racing etiquette, Lilian Frank said that ladies should remain ladies, they should dress appropriately, not show too much boob or leg and that very tight dresses just don’t work.

She also said that if you need to take your shoes off at the end of (or during) the day, then you have worn the wrong shoes (wish I had taken her advice).

I wasn’t the only one with sore feet; I was however, one of the ones who didn’t have to go quite as far as to remove my shoes, and I had a little chuckle to myself when I saw three girls sitting together on the stairs, all with their shoes off while they were applying Band-Aids to blisters!

Many others didn’t heed Lilian’s advice either; rightly or wrongly, there were an awful lot of girls who (to me) dressed as though they were going to a nightclub, yes,

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they looked hot but were their outfits appropriate for the races? One who disagrees strongly with Lilian’s advice was, Maria Venuti, who says that if, “you’ve got it, flaunt it”.

Of course, there were the weirdos but there were also the people who were magnificently decked out, with some people going traditional with their styling.

Vintage was also a notable fashion statement for the carnival, as was short, shorter and extremely short!

Along with the short were the super high shoes, some good, some bad, but I wish I had shares in whichever companies put out the blue suede shoes - they were everywhere!

Cup Day was full of the usual fun and festivities, but the early rain that hit the track left some fascinating feathers limp and lifeless. That was a shame, because a lot of those hats and fascinators had survived being cramped onto trains and trams, only to be beaten by the weather.

It didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits though, the rain disappeared after about an hour and the day turned out to be beautifully sunny and warm, giving punters another reason to get into the fine Yellowglen bubbles and slightly larger bubbles of James Boag’s.

Taking inspiration from the Fashions on the Field, fashions trackside and fashions in The Birdcage, I am already starting to think about my outfit for next year, I bet I am not the only one.

Yet again, Cup Carnival has been a huge success.

Congratulations to the VRC and everyone involved in making this THE event that it is.

Sex And The City actor, Kim Cattrall met guests in the Swisse marquee

The Myer Fashions On The Field competition was as popular as ever.

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Oaks Day is not just for the ladies - fashionable gents are only too happy to show their style, too.

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d the part. lton Hostesses dresse

Channel 9’s Lauren

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Life was tough in the

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Emirates Airlines attendants we

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Great beer, great food - James Boa

Jamie Durie won some hearts.

eet Real Housewife of The Lavazza family gr mstrong.

Beverly Hills, Taylor Ar

The Birdcage is a happy place.

Winners & Losers’Melissa Ber

gland.

Lovely ladies with Johnnie Walker... to good to refuse!

More anything? More everything! James Boag’s marquee.

Myer ambassador, Kris Smith.

of former Jockey Debbie Brereton, wife cing TV’s Anna Mott.

Danny, and Fashion ra

Chan Rebe

Bright colours are essential Oaks day fashion.

This Tabcorp beauty knew how to impress.

Elegance and style abounds on Oaks day.

Even the bookies frock up for the carnival.

Winners are grinners.

Channel 7’s Matthew Richardson

Soaking up the atmosphere on the lawn.

nnel 7 newsreader, ecca Maddern.

La -Toyah James wearing ‘Black Rose by Judith’ and hat from Paris Kyne Milliner.

Making a bold fash ion statement inside th e James Boag’s mar quee.

Actor Hugh Sheridan and partner.

Actor Mena Suvari

Design award winner Mary Vitinaro s in a design

by Craig Bra ybrook.

Fascinators lost favour as hats made a comeback at this year’s carnival.

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BOMBSHELL!

AUSTRALIAN ACTOR NATASHA LEIGH HAS HIT HOLBY CITY LIKE A HURRICANE, WITH HER FIERY CHARACTER, DOCTOR LILAH BIRDWOOD, TAKING THE BRITISH HIT SHOW’S 6 MILLION FANS BY STORM.

Natasha

LEIGH GROWING UP ON THE SUNSHINE COAST IN QUEENSLAND, NATASHA LEIGH STUDIED AT THE AUSTRALIAN ACTING ACADEMY, GRADUATING IN 2004. NATASHA THEN STARRED IN ANTHONY CROWLEY’S THEATRE PRODUCTION OF ‘WHEN SAND BECOMES GLASS’. SHORTLY AFTER SHE WON A ROLE IN ‘AQUAMARINE’ AND FOLLOWED THIS WITH A LEADING ROLE IN THE FILM, ‘END OF TOWN’. NATASHA’S FIRST REGULAR ROLE WAS IN SBS TELEVISION’S ‘KICK’ AND THEN ‘BOGAN PRIDE’.

SHE HAS GUEST STARRED IN NUMEROUS AUSTRALIAN TV PROGRAMS, INCLUDING ‘NEIGHBOURS’, ‘CITY HOMICIDE’, ‘COPS – LAC’ AND ‘RUSH’. HER BREAKTHROUGH ROLE CAME WHEN SHE PLAYED IN THE HIT SERIES, ‘UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE’. NATASHA HAS SINCE GONE ON TO STAR IN ‘OVERTURE’ AND ‘BRACE’ AND HAS RECENTLY DEBUTED IN THE BBC HIT HOSPITAL DRAMA, ‘HOLBY CITY’, PLAYING DR LILAH BIRDWOOD. WORDS: DARREN HOUSE PHOTOS: MATT WREN FASHION: WWW.SUSANREP.COM HAIR/MUA: WWW.MYSPACE.COM/SERAMAKEUP YOUR CHARACTER IN HOLBY CITY – LILAH BIRDWOOD - IS RATHER FIESTY. You always want those roles where you can do something real. Lilah stuffs up in basically every episode but she follows her instincts and is basically a good hearted person.

She gets herself into trouble, she runs before she can crawl.

In a role like this, I have some really intense scenes, really intense situations where I have had to have a couple of showers at the end of the day just to get out of that zone. I have had to put myself emotionally into really yucky situations and then do that scene over and over and it starts to get to you - you start to forget that is just a character. You start feeling that it’s really you. I love it, I love it!

IS IT YOUR MOST INTENSE ROLE SO FAR? I’ve done short films that are really gutsy and intense but not like every day - 12 hour days – and being in PRODIJEE.COM

that zone for three months.

TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE SHOW. It’s like ER but more based on characters stories. AA Emergency is where my character starts off, going over there from Australia on a scholarship and needing a mentor. Lilah arrives and straight away wants to know who she needs to know and who is the boss. She is very ‘vicious and driven’.

This character floats through different levels of the hospital, usually having a few patients per episode and doing some surgery as well. I don’t die, which is good, but I have really liked doing it.

I’m happy with just that, and hopefully it will lead to bigger and better things. I have a real taste for it now; I’m hungry, very hungry now.

DOES THE BLOOD AND GUTS FREAK YOU OUT?

At first it did. There is someone usually underneath the table with a squeeze bottle making the blood pump up and the dead faces, they are so freaky. They look so real - the prosthetics are amazing. They look even more real there than they do on screen.

DO THE DEAD CHARACTERS SUDDENLY JUMP UP? No, but some of the main cast smack them on the forehead, as a joke. It was lots of fun. The regulars just have to have fun. They are there every day and are very serious in their acting roles but they are dancing and cracking jokes.

There are bags of lollies going around and there is music going when they are not acting. It’s fun, crazy hectic fun… and then all of a sudden, its ‘action’ and someone has to be dying! It’s a very weird sort of contrast.

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IS IT AN INTENSIVE WORK SCHEDULE? Yeah, I had to do a lot of travelling to get to the set. I was waking up at 4.30am, then catching a taxi and then train and then walking to be there by 7.00am. I finished at 5.00pm, walk, train, taxi, dinner and then bed. I had two weeks at the end where I got to be pretty again and dress up and actually go and see some friends. Other than that, I was pretty much stuck in my room reading lines and trying to sleep.

THAT’S THE ‘GLAMOROUS’ SIDE OF ACTING? Yeah, nobody understands that’s it’s not all nice - like 30 seconds on screen requires five hours’ work. (laughs).

HOW DID YOU GET THE ROLE? That is a story and a half! I have a London agent and I do trips over there twice a year to meet friends but I hadn’t worked over there. I was in LA when I heard that I got the audition. I went into my friends’ kitchen, put down a couple of scenes and emailed them off. I came home to Melbourne from LA and did a couple more scenes with my parents in the kitchen (and my parents

aren’t actors at all!). I sent that off and they liked it.

Next was a meeting with the producers over Skype and then I received an email in the next hour saying that I had the role, but I had to get there myself as I was hired being London-based. It was so worth it though, I would never turn down something like that. It was a great opportunity.

HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR LONDON AGENT? I’ve got several agents; my one here is based in Sydney.

The more work you do, the better agents you can get and Nicky (my agent) works for me so hard. You need to find someone who is going to be on your team and work hard for you. If someone is going to be on my team, they are on my team for ever. We trust each other. You work hard for each other; she is there, it’s good.

A LOT OF NEIGHBOUR’S ACTORS WERE BIG IN THE UK, BUT MORE RECENTLY THEY ARE GOING TO LA. Exactly, but you need to do it properly. A lot of actors get sucked in and spend a lot of money and spend a couple of months there but they don’t know the right

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people. They don’t have the right connections and it’s just a waste of time.

I think London is a great place to be and work, and a great stepping stone to the American market because it’s big there. Reality TV (which I don’t like), is just massive - bigger than films, bigger than anything else but soaps are big, too. Soap stars in Australia aren’t massive but they are superstars in the UK, they are like rock stars.

DO UK VIEWERS KNOW YOU FROM NEIGHBOURS? Yes! Actually, my mum lives down the road from Ramsay Street. I did a guest appearance before I went over last time; I thought that I needed to have that on my CV. They all know Underbelly, but they don’t really know any of the others and I haven’t worked on Home and Away. I would like to get into that show, it’s beautiful up there in Summer Bay! (laughs).

WHAT’S IT LIKE ON BIGGER SHOWS AND WORKING WITH DIFFERENT CREWS? There are technical things that they do differently, such as (Directors Of Photography) have their own camera, things like that, that I notice because I’ve been on sets.

It’s such a well-run show.

You are doing six different episodes at one time, so you have three different directors, three different crews and three different makeup artists. I will do one day on Episode 13 and then the next hour or day, I will be working on Episode Five. It’s just really jumpy and that makes it a bit tricky trying to work out the story line - it’s not fluid.

Otherwise it’s just so much fun... it’s SOOO MUCH FUN! HOW HAVE YOU COPED WITH ALL THE MEDIA ATTENTION? I like it. I like it. It’s fine with me, it actually keeps me more grounded.

I’ve got really cool people around me that keep my feet on the ground.

I’m doing what I love; I’m

trying to do the best job I can do, so all that stuff just adds to it and makes me just want to do a better job. My head doesn’t get ‘up there’; it actually does the opposite for me. I think a lot of people get carried away with it and I don’t want to be like that (because) you tend to get ‘yes’ people around you.

WHAT’S IT LIKE LIVING IN LONDON? I love it, it’s just like Melbourne. The weather is crazy, four seasons in one day. They have nice buildings, older buildings. There’s a bit more historic culture there but one of my London friends is coming (to Melbourne) from Dubai. Everyone there wants to go to Melbourne, and everyone loves it. I can’t wait to show off my city.

HOW DID YOUR CAREER START? When I was younger, I auditioned and auditioned and got good feedback but nothing happened.

And then I started getting work, learning on the job, doing films and doing guest roles. I learnt by the director telling me stuff and observing other actors. I have done year-long courses and weekly courses with some really good teachers but basically I’ve just learnt on the job. If you are an actor, life is your teacher.

If you are just being real, you only need a certain amount of skill. I’ve got a long way to go and I don’t think that I am anywhere near where I need to be in my acting, but I’m getting better!

HAVE YOU HAD MENTORS TO HELP YOU ALONG THE WAY? I’ve had good teachers.

Anthony Crowley - who works at St Martins Youth Theatre, which is the first training theatre Melbourne ever had - he’s not there anymore but he studied at NIDA and he was really good. I’ve not had mentors

as such, like people to really guide me, besides my Mum. She’s the only one who has been there for the whole journey.

YOU’VE BECOME A BIT OF A SOCIAL BUTTERFLY. We have to be, it’s a part of the business.

There is the artist and there is Natasha Leigh the business, I had to learn that.

I didn’t understand why I had to do all these things, but it’s part of a brand and people want to see both sides of you. And all girls like getting dressed up and getting their picture taken, it’s great.

SUSAN REP’S CLOTHES REALLY LOOK GREAT ON YOU. Yeah, Susan’s stuff is amazing - it makes you feel beautiful. How could you not feel great wearing such beautiful clothes?

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO WHEN YOU AREN’T ACTING? I wish I could never not be acting. I love it. This career is so up and down - it’s like tomorrow I might get a job and then I mightn’t work for ages so when I get it, I really relish it. But other than that, I like to just hang out with friends.

I like food and wine and going to the beach, and I’ve got a little dog, a Staffy called Tara, so I take her around.

I just do normal things. I don’t go out partying; I don’t like being around too many people. www.bbc.co.uk/ programmes/b006mhd6

The dom

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minator V8 SUPERSTAR JAMIE WHINCUP IS UNTOUCHABLE, HAVING JUST WON HIS FOURTH BATHURST 1000 AND HIS FOURTH V8 SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP IN JUST SEVEN SHORT YEARS.

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Jamie WHINCUP JAMIE WHINCUP BEGAN HIS RACING CAREER IN KARTING. HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL, HE MOVED TO FORMULA FORD IN 2000 AND WAS CROWNED AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION IN 2002. JAMIE MADE HIS V8 SUPERCARS DEBUT IN 2002 WITH GARRY ROGERS MOTORSPORT, MOVING TO A FULL-TIME POSITION WITH GRM THE FOLLOWING YEAR. HIS 2003 SEASON WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND HE FOUND HIMSELF WITHOUT A RIDE AT SEASON’S END. JOINING TASMAN MOTORSPORT IN 2005, WHINCUP MADE A REMARKABLE COMEBACK, GAINING PODIUM FINISHES WHICH LEAD TO A DRIVE WITH TRIPLE EIGHT RACE ENGINEERING’S TEAM VODAFONE FOR 2006. JAMIE WON ON DEBUT AND HAS SINCE DOMINATED THE SPORT, BECOMING THE MAN EVERYONE WANTS TO BEAT. THE FOUR-TIME V8 SUPERCARS CHAMPION SPOKE TO PRODIJEE’S DARREN HOUSE. PHOTOS: EDGE PHOTOGRAPHICS. YOU HAVE MADE SOME SACRIFICES ALONG THE ROAD TO SUCCESS: A GRUELLING FITNESS REGIME, LIFESTYLE LIMITATIONS AND AVOIDING RELATIONSHIPS, TO NAME JUST A FEW. To be the best in your chosen field, sacrifices need to be made and you have just mentioned three of the biggest sacrifices that I needed to make to get me into the position I am now. A lot of people see the glitz and glamour of it all and we (drivers) seem to be just cruising along, but there are some

massively hard yards that go on in the background. I live for racing. If I am going well on the track, life is good, so I put everything I have got into that and the rewards you get for doing well are greater than any rewards in life. The feeling when I am standing on the top step of the podium is better than any other feeling that I could experience, so it is well worth while.

PETER BROCK ONCE SAID A SUCCESSFUL DRIVER NEEDS TO MAKE THE LIFESTYLE

SACRIFICES OF AN OLYMPIAN. Yes, and the further you go in life the tougher that becomes because family, kids and other things come into play, but I am very lucky that at this point in my career, I just focus on the job at hand. That is why I have a lot of respect for guys like Michael Schumacher and Tiger Woods. They still perform at their best and give that much commitment to their sport despite other big influences in life. That is where you see the freaks of sport

Jamie has set a pace that his competitors find difficult to match, both in qualifying and racing.

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Jamie deep in thought before claiming another pole position in the Team Vodafone Commodore. really come into play.

WERE YOU ALWAYS GOING TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL RACING CAR DRIVER, OR DID THE OPPORTUNITIES ARISE ALONG THE WAY? My dad got me involved in motorsport when I was seven-yearsold. He bought me my first go-kart.

I loved it and didn’t want to do anything else and never dreamed or thought of being a racing car driver. I just loved my go-karts and never looked too far into the future.

Whenever I do a talk at a school or to any young people or to even young kids racing go-karts I tell them not to look too far ahead.

Don’t worry about tomorrow, just make the most of today. If you do your best today then opportunities open up tomorrow that you could never dream of.

HOW TOUGH WAS IT GOING STRAIGHT FROM FORMULA FORD TO THE V8 SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES WITHOUT A YEAR OR TWO IN THE V8 SUPERCARS DEVELOPMENT SERIES? That was really tough. No driver can come straight into this category and be competitive and a championship PRODIJEE.COM

contender. It does take two or three years to learn all the circuits, to learn the cars and to get a good team around you as well. I had a tough start to my V8 career, but (I) kept my head down and kept pushing hard.

HOW DID YOU COPE WHEN GARRY

ROGERS MOTORSPORT LET YOU GO? They were tough times without doubt, but it was time to move on.

I have worked really hard to get back into the category and I am grateful for those people who gave me a lifeline along the way, or an opportunity to drive the cars again.

One thing led to another and now

Jamie leading the pack during a V8 Supercars race in Abu Dhabi.

I am with one of the best teams out there and I have some great results to show for my hard work.

WAS THERE A TIME WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS ALL OVER? For sure. In those really tough times you do think of the worst and in 2004 I was preparing myself to take over (my family’s) printing press, so I was making plans outside of motorsport. Luckily my dream continued and I am able to race cars for many years to come.

WHEN TASMAN MOTORSPORT TOOK YOU ON, DID YOU APPROACH THINGS DIFFERENTLY? This time I started with 12 months’ experience, but I still had another tough year at Tasman. Towards the end of that year we started to get a couple of good results: second at Bathurst was a big highlight, and then I got the phone call from Roland Dane at Triple Eight and the rest is history.

YOU MUST BE VERY SATISFIED WITH THE WAY YOU BOUNCED BACK FROM THOSE DARK DAYS? I am very proud of not only what I have personally achieved, but I have been able to get some really good guys around me and I have been able to show my perseverance and commitment to them. We all work together as a group. I couldn’t be happier with where my career is at the moment.

I have tasted success and I don’t want it to end.

The look of determination. Whincup’s intensity knows no bounds.

Despite his enormous success, it doesn’t always go Whincup way.

TRIPLE EIGHT MUST BE A VERY DIFFERENT ORGANISATION TO GRM AND TASMAN MOTORSPORT. For sure. They are a slick operation with extremely good funding from fantastic sponsors. The way they go about their racing is different to what I have experienced in the past.

There are positives and negatives but the positives are massive.

Everyone has a few negatives that they need to improve on.

Although we are very good at the moment, we have still got room for improvement, which is what we focus on week after week.

YOUR TEAM CREATED A STORM WHEN IT SWITCHED FROM FORD TO HOLDEN. UNLIKE THE DAYS OF PETER BROCK AND ALLAN MOFFAT, ARE THE DAYS OF

It’s not all down to the driver - motor racing is a team sport and Team Vodafone is the best right now in V8 Supercars.

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“In those really tough times you do think of the worst and in 2004 I was preparing myself to take over (my family’s) printing press, so I was making plans outside of motorsportt.”

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years. Everyone is a bit reluctant about change initially, but once they see it is a good thing for the sport I am sure they will welcome it with open arms.

A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY MOTOR RACING IS NOT A SPORT BUT YOU SURPRISED A FEW PEOPLE ON THE TELEVISION SHOW, REXONA GREATEST ATHLETE AUSTRALIA, FINISHING SECOND BEHIND MELBOURNE STORM PLAYER BILLY SLATER AND AHEAD OF AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION; AN INTERNATIONAL CRICKETER; AFL, RUGBY UNION AND SOCCER STARS; AND EVEN A SEVEN-TIME IRON MAN CHAMPION. That was a great opportunity.

There were seven other athletes from all different sports and we competed equally in, I think, 14 different criteria. I believe I did put motor racing on the map as far as athletes are concerned and the show did a lot for racing drivers all over Australia. Drivers operate in tough conditions. Our race at Queensland Raceway will subject us to 50-degree heat for two hours in very physically demanding cars in a full-on competition between 35 athletes.

ASSOCIATING TEAMS AND DRIVERS WITH MANUFACTURERS OVER? It is changing. We can’t forget that the success of this sport is due to the traditional Holden-Ford rivalry. That is still relevant today, but things are changing. We are finding fans are supporting teams and drivers more

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than they are manufacturers.

IS THAT SOMETHING ALL FANS ARE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO GET USED TO? For sure, and the way things are going I wouldn’t be surprised if a third or fourth manufacturer entered the category in the next two to three

TWO YEARS AGO YOU SIGNED A THREEYEAR DEAL WITH TEAM VODAFONE, PASSING UP OPPORTUNITIES TO RUN IN AMERICAN NASCAR OR EUROPEAN SPORTS CARS. WHY? A lot of my friends have had opportunities overseas; to drive cars on the amazing tracks over there. It appeals to me, but with the awesome opportunities that arose in Australia here with Triple Eight, with the signing of our sponsor Vodafone for another three years, to be involved with Holden for three years and to have Craig Lowndes as my teammate for another three years, it would have been a really stupid

history and to be my best for as long as I possibly can.

BRAD JONES, REFERRING TO HIS FIVE STRAIGHT AUSCAR/NASCAR VICTORIES, SAID, “YOU NEVER GET SICK OF WINNING”.

The feeling of winning never goes away. The feeling you get from standing on the top step of the podium, knowing you were the best guy and the best team on the day, that doesn’t go away and it certainly doesn’t diminish as you go on. And when you win events back-to-back the feeling the second time is often greater than it is the first time.

DO YOU LOOK AT MARCOS AMBROSE’S NASCAR CAREER? HE IS TASTING SUCCESS NOW, BUT IT’S BEEN A LONG, HARD ROAD TO THE TOP. For sure. That was one of the factors behind my decision to stay in Australia. And also the economy over there is tight as well. I have got a lot of respect for Marcos. I believe he is one of the best drivers we have seen here in Australia and I wish him all the best. I find what he is doing over there fantastic. He had second-place and a win at Watkins Glen in New York, so he has well and truly made it. He deserves all the credit he gets.

Top: Jamie enjoying the spoils of victory at Adelaide’s Clipsal 500.

Above: Two-wheeling at Bathurst during the Supercheap Auto 1000.

decision to turn away from that.

And also, with a lot of other athletes from other sports abandoning Australia to chase more money overseas, I think it was really a fitting time to stay in Australia and respect Australian sport, and do what we do: race cars.

PETER BROCK HAD A SIMILAR VIEW, BUT HE WON HIS FIRST BATHURST 1000 AGED 28 AND HIS FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP TWO YEARS LATER. YOU HAVE WON BATHURST FOUR TIMES AND A CHAMPIONSHIP AT JUST 26. WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO ACHIEVE IN AUSTRALIA? There is plenty. I have got the same drive as any athlete who has been in one sport for a long time. You could ask the same question to, say, Valentino Rossi who has won championship after championship.

There is still that drive to create

POST CONTRACT, MIGHT WE SEE YOU VENTURING OVERSEAS? My deal with Team Vodafone will take me through until I am 30 years old. What I do after that is still wide open. I would love to race European sports cars. To race at Le Mans is very prestigious. I know my mate ‘Lowndsey’ (Craig Lowndes) is pretty keen on stuff like that as well, and if we - as a team - could get involved in sports car racing over in Europe, then that would really appeal to me.

IS THERE ANY CHANCE OF YOU MAKING ONE-OFF APPEARANCES OVERSEAS, SAY AT LE MANS, DURING THE NEXT THREE YEARS? As it stands now, no, but we are hoping to create our own opportunities. We have talked about it and it is something we will be involving our team in. With Triple Eight being an international company, I am sure we will make something work in the next three years.

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INSPIRED BY THE PSYCHEDELIC ARTISTS OF THE SIXTIES, GYPSY AND THE CAT ARE BACK WITH A GREAT NEW SOUND ON THEIR SECOND ALBUM, THE LATE BLUE.

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GYPSY &

THE CAT IN A SHORT SPACE OF TIME, MELBOURNE’S GYPSY & THE CAT HAS INFILTRATED THE AUSTRALIAN MUSICAL LANDSCAPE. CONSISTING OF XAVIER BACASH AND LIONEL TOWERS, THE BAND’S DEBUT ALBUM ‘GILGAMESH’ MADE AN IMPACT AND BUILT GYPSY & THE CAT A STRONG SUPPORTER BASE GLOBALLY. FOLLOWING TWO YEARS ON THE ROAD AND EXPERIENCING NEW CULTURES, THE BAND GREW, TAKING THEIR EAGERLY AWAITED NEW ALBUM ‘THE LATE BLUE’, IN A NEW DIRECTION. XAVIER TOLD PRODIJEE ABOUT THE BANDS THAT INFLUENCED THEIR NEW SOUND AND HOW ‘THE LATE BLUE’ EVOLVED. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN (CONCERT) PHOTOS: DARREN HOUSE.

THE LATE BLUE IS VERY DIFFERENT TO YOUR FIRST ALBUM. HOW HAS YOUR MUSIC EVOLVED? I think by just naturally growing up. I was 18 with the first record, so I was listening to a lot of dance music and French house music and Fleetwood Mac and whatever, that’s why that first record was like that.

But this new record is more like… my Dad was a Beatles fan and a Pink Floyd fan; he used to play that stuff to me when I was a kid.

I hated it then but now I like it, so I’ve sort of learnt from those influences and delved a little deeper with some of the more psychedelic, underground artists of that era, like The Zombies and some weird bands.

It’s just evolved from listening to more alternative music to what we were used to.

I think when you listen to extremely strange music you grab a bit from it and it sits subconsciously in your mind and you then start PRODIJEE.COM

experimenting a little more with your songs and structures. If you’re listening to Fleetwood Mac, then you are going to be influenced to write verse-chorus sort of structured songs, which is quite basic. I’m not saying what they did was basic but I think music is so dense now, with the volume of music out there these days; you’ve got to keep trying new things to get noticed.

HAVE YOUR OLD FANS WARMED TO THE NEW SOUND? Maybe the Jona Varc/Time To Wander type (of fans) are dropping off but that doesn’t worry me. I prefer to have fans that listen to our body of music, not just one or two songs. But I think we’ve kept a lot of people, we streamed the new music last night and we got nothing but really positive responses. Everyone I’ve spoken to has really loved the record. It feels good; we might pick up a new section of the music

market. It doesn’t bother me. I know artists say that, but I’m really not too fussed. I’m happy with what we have done and if people like it, then that’s great.

AS YOU SAY, YOU HAVE DEVELOPED AS A PERSON BUT YOU ALSO HAD TWO YEARS ON THE ROAD. THAT MUST HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR SOUND AS WELL. Yeah, totally. The record was massively influenced by that and by meeting a whole stack of different people. In Australia, we are quite sheltered from the world because we live 24 hours away from everyone, so experiencing different cultures and meeting people that speak five languages was full on to me.

It made me realise that there’s so much to know. Essentially, I knew nothing about anything.

So it was travelling, meeting people and growing up, and growing up fast because you can’t take your mum or dad on tour. You

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really learn a lot about yourself.

Lionel’s and my relationship was stretched on many occasions. It’s all good now; we are stronger as a band. We are more comfortable with each other in terms of song-writing because we can really push the limits as we are not afraid of saying, “Oh that’s shit. That’s not good man, keep working at that”, or something like that.

HOW HAS LIFE ON THE ROAD CHANGED YOU AS A PERSON? I think it just relaxes you a bit, maybe. When you are really young and been around the world or experienced highs and lows and disappointments and achievements, you are very edgy – you’ve got that wide campus gaze sort of thing going on and you want to go out and rule the world. I feel very relaxed now as a person and comfortable with what I’m doing.

Prior to that I was 21 years old when we got signed by a major record label in England and moved away from home to live in England, where it was just me and Lionel. It was weird knowing what my life was PRODIJEE.COM

going to be like.

I envied my friends who went to university and had no money in their pocket, and who would have coffee with each other and wonder what the f*** they were going to do with their lives. I felt like it was all planned out for me, like I was going to be a musician forever and it kind of sucked a bit knowing that (but) I feel that travelling and being in a band has made me appreciate how lucky I am and how great the world can be when it wants to be.

I SUSPECT YOUR FRIENDS EVIED YOU, BEING IN A BAND AND TRAVELLING THE WORLD. Exactly. I know I’m lucky but when I was on the bus travelling through Europe, sometimes I wished I was with my uni mates, at that party, with a long neck in my hand. Missing out on that stuff sort of sucked a little bit but I love what we do now. I’m comfortable.

HOW DID YOU APPROACH THE NEW ALBUM? I was listening to a lot of The Zombies and the Beach Boys’ Smile

Sessions, which was Brian Wilson post-break down, so it was really interesting stuff and it was obvious why it never got released until last year. Listening to all of that made me feel like we need to really wear our sound down a little bit. Our first record was really high quality and

sounding glossed and perfect and big, you could pick every sound out but on this record it was sort of about trying to capture drums and base and guitars and vocals in a shittier fashion.

I bought a space echo, which is like a late ‘70s, early ‘80s reverb apparatus tape machine thing and we literally recorded everything through it so that it sounds a bit gritty and crackly. We like the charm of that. I like listening to old records and hearing things that feel real.

It’s how it would sound in real life, imperfect and a bit crap.

IS THE MODERN STUDIO TOO PERFECT? Totally, yeah. Drum grooves are all mapped out now and snapped into place and gridded so nothing is out of time. We wanted to avoid that.

We hardly used automation. We tried some really strange things. We wanted things to stop and not blend out; those rough edges are what you really grab onto in a record.

Obviously it’s a fine line, the music just stops in the middle of it and it’s just fresh air, really. There’s a few other things like that, filtering really quickly out of a section into another section, so it’s like another song within a song.

Dave Fridman, our mixing engineer, is a real genius. He would say to me, if it feels weird, it’s probably good. I really liked that idea.

When something’s new, it’s very confronting to you but eventually, down the track, it’s something that changes things; it changes music.

Trying new things in any field are the things that push that field or that music or art in a different direction and put a different perspective on things that people would have looked at in a different way before.

NO DOUBT YOU HAD A LOT OF FAITH IN DAVE. We produced the record, so it was quite weird when it got to mixing so it was more about clarification that what we had done was okay and Dave was like yeah, it’s cool, really cool. We don’t want to change that.

I would think something was a bit out of time or something and Dave PRODIJEE.COM

would say, “No, it’s cool” that’s what we want. I’d track drums about four times and he would wait until it was a little shittier, a worse take, because it felt real.

He didn’t like things to be too perfect, which I thought was great and he tried some things on the record that we hadn’t done. He’s had a lot of success; he’s won Grammys with the Foaming Lips and MGMT and done great work with Tame Impala and so I couldn’t really question his authority.

YOU’VE HAD OVERSEAS SUCCESS. APART FROM WORKING HARD AND MAKING GREAT MUSIC, WHY HAS IT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY? It’s literally been those two things, nothing else. We didn’t really get much from the record label at the time and we ended up leaving and releasing this new record independently on our own record label, which we’ve started.

There’s been a lot of luck too, like in Germany. We had two singles in Top 10 there, which is everyone’s Holy Grail after America PRODIJEE.COM

and England. Germany is the third biggest music market, so it’s really difficult to get music across the line over there, but the radio station just heard Jona Varc on the internet and put it on high rotation. Two months later, it was on high rotation on every radio station in Germany.

That’s luck, that’s something that’s organic. It never happens; it usually takes a lot of money to get that for you.

There were things like that that just sort of happened naturally, so I think the success going on in Australia compounded everything. We’ve still got a long way to go we’re not as big as we would like to be.

WHY DOES YOUR MUSIC APPEAL TO OVERSEAS MARKETS? I think the Germans are getting into EDM (Electronic Dance Music), though we’re not really electronic, we’re like rock with a bit of electronic through it, and the appeal in America is pretty self-explanatory.

The UK is totally not aligned with what we do any more. The whole band thing there is all really dance

- dubstep and magnetic man. BBC Radio 1 plays a lot of that stuff.

Germany smashed Empire of the Sun, which went Number One there; the Bag Raiders had some big success there as well. It feels like England is a bad place to grow.

WHAT’S IT LIKE DOING INTERVIEWS IN GERMANY? It’s weird to be big in a country that doesn’t really speak your language - very strange. They put an ear piece in you, the interviewer speaks to you in German and you have got a translator, which is strange.

You try to be polite and give eye contact to someone while they are speaking gibberish to your face and you have got someone concurrently telling you what they are saying in English and you answer in English.

I don’t know, it’s just really f***ing weird!

LIKE THE BEATLES IN THEIR EARLY DAYS, YOU ARE BIG IN GERMANY? There’s a running joke in the band, like the big in Hamburg thing, The Beatles were big there and usually

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bands go there and play their first shows there, and then they go and tour the world. It was pretty funny in Hamburg, playing to like 500 people. We were a big deal in Hamburg but nowhere else (laughs).

GOING FROM A BIG LABEL TO YOUR OWN LABEL WAS A BIG STEP? Yeah, in every regard. It was scary, even up until yesterday when I was letting people listen to the record for the first time and getting such great response but I’ve actually started to feel at ease about it. There’s a lot PRODIJEE.COM

on the line with this record and we didn’t play it safe, we didn’t write a commercial record that was going to be like the last recording, with definite radio songs on it. This one is really going to push people a little further to think a little harder. But yeah, it’s scary putting it out on your own because you don’t have that big ‘machine’ or stacks of money behind you making it happen.

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO PART WAYS WITH THE LABEL? We had gone gold here and sold

a lot of records in Germany as well but the record company was pretty reluctant about it. It got to the point where we were like yeah, that’s fine, fair enough, but this needs to happen now, and that needs to happen now and they just weren’t stepping up to the plate purely because there was no one at the label. The first guy who signed us was the boss and he got made redundant, and then the next boss got made redundant too and they didn’t replace that guy.

So RCA sort of crumbled and it got to the point where every artist on that label said enough is enough and they were leaving to go to Columbia and Epic and stuff. We had the option to do that but we said, no. It took about six months to get out of the deal, but eventually, they said they had done the wrong thing.

It’s been a bad circumstance (but) they didn’t dick us around, they let us go with maybe the notion that we would resign with them in America later on down the track. We’ll get to the point where we will need to sign a major record deal in America if we want to crack in there properly.

The problem (with the inaction) was that people forget very quickly in the music industry. The attention span is very small, so if you are not getting opportunities, then you will lose your chance.

That’s the thing about doing things independently, if you want a film clip done now, you can pull the trigger on it and get it done straight away.

If you need artwork or you want to put the record out you can do it straight away - you don’t have to wait around for a million people to approve things to happen.

EVEN IF YOU ARE SIGNED TO A LABEL, SUCCESS CAN DEPEND ON PERSONALITIES WITHIN THAT LABEL. Totally. After the first guy was fired, we had to go back and do showcases again for the next guy to reimpress the label that we had already signed a five-album deal with. It was a strange notion but that is what it’s like.

You need champions working with you and we got them, and we’d get

really excited and then they would get fired. The turnover of people in the major record labels is huge, it’s trouble.

It was severely frustrating to cope with. I felt like the first record could have done a lot more than it did, and what it did was organic. It all came down to having a great booking agent and manager that just kept on pushing. We kept on getting on line-ups and that sort of thing, and somehow we had a gold record - there was a lot of hard work from a lot of believers, and the success and longevity of the band will be a testament to those people because if it wasn’t for them, I don’t think we would have lasted.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE BAND? We are back home to tour, just a five show run so it is relatively easy. We’ll get some time off and then go on to America and try to give it our shot over there.

We put the (global) feelers out on Bloom and we got really great, broad activity. Fader premiered it and it made number three on The Hard Machine, which is like a global blog chart thing, so that was really good. We are just going to keep corralling that momentum and go over and play show cases towards the start of 2013 and do that whole thing again. Just try and see if people like what we do or not.

The record needs to come out globally then, we wouldn’t wait any longer than that so by the end of January, I figure we will have gone and done all of that and either be with a record label there or not.

As a band you play a lot better in a new place, I think. It’s like if you are playing football or soccer or basketball and your girlfriend is in the crowd, you just try that little bit harder, you try to impress. I don’t think we will go out there to get a big record deal because we have done all that before; we are just going to do what we love.

We are confident in our live shows and the songs that we have written so it’s exciting. www.gypsyandthecat.com.au PRODIJEE.COM

From

m Heaven

THE XXXX ANGELS ARE ONE OF AUSTRALIAN BREWING’S MOST SUCCESSFUL PROMOTIONS. A CROWD FAVOURITE AT SPORTING AND COMMUNITY EVENTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, THE GIRLS BUBBLE OVER WITH FUN AND EXCITMENT BUT AS DARREN HOUSE FOUND OUT, THERE IS A LOT MORE TO THESE GIRLS THAN FIRST MEETS THE EYE. PHOTOS: XXXX.

I

t’s been seven years now that Australia’s biggest and best sporting events have been graced by the presence of the vibrant XXXX Angels.

Anna McMillan, XXXX Marketing Manager, told prodijee the idea behind the Angels was to create a unique marketing initiative that captured the essence of the brand.

“XXXX Gold has always tried to do things bigger and more ingeniously than other brands; it’s what the brand stands for, an ingenious and larger than life approach.

“We didn’t want a group of promotional girls; we wanted a group of ambassadors that could entertain our drinkers and be ambassadors for the XXXX brand.

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“So it was based on that thought that we recruited the first group of Angels. They supported our beach cricket program series that was in the market for a few years; that was a great success for us. XXXX was all about summer time and beach cricket was all about summer time; it really brought the two things together well.

“We then moved onto a partnership with V8 Supercars and now our latest partnership is the creation of XXXX Island, so it’s now extending beyond just the sporting domain.”

The Angels are recruited to be ambassadors for XXXX but they are not just pretty faces, they are professional dancers with a variety

of backgrounds behind them.

One Angel has deferred her university degree, one has a diploma in performing arts, and one studies via correspondence. Most are very well travelled. These girls have to be able to communicate, entertain, promote and have fun.

To audition for one of these roles is a true accolade; they are highly sought after jobs.

Kelly was attracted to the role when she had seen a past friend and dancer become an Angel.

“My Mum and I followed her through the XXXX website and Facebook and I thought it was a great contract,” said Kelly. “There’s not many dance contracts in Australia where you get to travel

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and that really appealed to me.

When the next audition came up, I went for it and I was lucky enough to get the job.

“I’m originally from Cairns and I started dancing at 11 years of age. Prior to that I was a gymnast and got my first dancing contract overseas at Disneyland Japan.”

Angel Shannon, who had been

dancing since she was eight years of age, also worked for Disneyland Japan, which is where she met Kelly.

“To be honest, I followed Kelly to the Angels, I saw her on Facebook and the XXXX website. I guess the thing that really appealed to me with the Angels is that it’s full time, and it’s in Australia. I get to do what I love, get out into the

community and meet new people.

It’s awesome.”

The audition process to be an Angel is tough, admitted Anna, but to represent XXXX you need many skills; you need to be bubbly, have a great personality, be able to dance and you also have to be very fit.

“It was a long day when I auditioned, it was tough, there were a lot of girls there and they held auditions in Sydney and the Gold Coast,” said Kelly. “We went through rounds of dancing where we learnt routines and they did cuts after each round.

“We did a lot of media work as well, such as interviewing where they got to know us and find out what kind of people we were, so yeah, it was a very interesting process, and I did well.

“Dancing is one side of it, but there’s a lot more involved, you are an XXXX Ambassador. You are promoting the brand and you are going to travel around Australia.

You really do have to have that open and bubbly and easy to talk to kind of attitude as well”, said Kelly.

“We train every day - we have our previous tour manager who trains us in the gym. If we aren’t in the gym we are in the rehearsal studio learning new routines or going over previous ones, just pretty much keeping up to date. We are very fit, we have to be.”

As well as being fit for their routines, the girls have to be fit for all their travel; it’s a gruelling schedule, travelling 48 weeks of the year.

That’s a lot of time away from home, so the girls have to be fully prepared to take all of this on.

“We get to go to some amazing places all around the country.”

The majority of the Angels’ work is at events, but they do get out into the community and meet with the locals. They ‘man’ XXXX promotional stands and occasionally shout a beer or two to lucky patrons at some pubs.

But of course, there is the dancing, which is why most people would know these girls.

Kelly and Shannon told prodijee, “We are all professional dancers,

this is our dream job, so every chance we have, we get on stage.

It’s an amazing thrill and we like to see everyone enjoying it. There’s nothing like performing on stage in front of a big crowd, you are always getting a buzz from it.

“That’s what we like to do with our lives; it’s awesome, especially when you get to dance at big events like State of Origin when there are thousands and thousands of people in the crowd. You still get your nerves, but it’s great.”

Of course, there can be a few slight drawbacks.

“One show we did in Stawell was a lot colder than we expected, so we performed in our big jackets.

But we have our summer and winter uniform and we are ready to battle the elements.”

The XXXX Angels have a huge fan base and are welcomed at any and every sporting event that they attend. The girls have 14,000 Facebook fans and love having people put up photos of an event, and writing thank-yous to the girls for taking the time to talk to them.

“It’s very rewarding having our fans out there and we wouldn’t be the XXXX Angels without them”, said Kelly.

“It’s a lot of fun, it’s hard on the body but as long as you can keep fit, are willing and that’s the lifestyle you are after, then it’s a great job. Why wouldn’t you want to be in it, it’s the best job in the whole world. I hope to be here for a long time yet.” www.xxxxangels.com.au

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Independent BEING AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST IS HARD WORK BUT SINGER-SONGWRITER DANIELLE BLAKEY IS WINNING FANS ALL OVER THE WORLD VIA HER WEBSITE, YOUTUBE AND TWITTER

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Danielle

BLAKEY DANIELLE BLAKEY KNOWS HOW TO IMPRESS. BUT DESPITE A STRING OF AWARDS, NATIONAL TV SHOW APPEARANCES AND AN INTERNATIONAL FOLLOWING, DANIELLE KNOWS, AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST, THERE IS STILL MUCH WORK TO DO. CAROL SHERIDAN SPOKE TO DANIELLE TO LEARN HOW THIS VERY TALENTED PERFORMER IS TAKING HER OF UNIQUE BLEND OF L.A. POP AND ORGANIC ACOUSTIC SOUND. LOCATION PHOTOS: DARREN HOUSE

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ydney based singer songwriter, Danielle Blakey, knows how to impress.

She has won the POP award at the 2011 NA2R (New Artists to Radio) with the track Fearless and is in good company, as previous winners of this award include Thirsty Merc and Delta Goodrem.

Danielle has also been a finalist in the 2011 APRA PDAA (Professional Development Awards) and Fearless was the second most added track to radio in December 2011.

Danielle was selected as one of 12 new acts to watch in 2012, along with artists Timomatic, Matt Corby and Goldfields and she has performed live on Channel 7’s The Morning Show and been a contestant on ‘X’ Factor.

In February this year, Fearless debuted at No 13 on the Australian Top 20 Countdown (a PRODIJEE.COM

national radio program broadcast around Australia on the Today Network).

On top of that, on the Music Network’s first radio Airplay Chart for 2012, Fearless debuted at No 10 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, alongside Bruno Mars and Adele, and also debuted at No 69 on the National Hot 100 - not bad for an unsigned, independent pop artist.

Danielle has also won the Gold Award at the inaugural ABU Radio Song Festival in Seoul Korea, with her music now being promoted by them across Asia and the Pacific.

All this is wonderful, but you have to keep going, keep your name out there, put yourself in front of hundreds of people to just be known and taken seriously.

Nobody is going to come knocking on your door if they don’t know who you are.

Over a coffee, we talked to Danielle about her career so far, where she plans to go now and how she keeps her name in front of people.

Danielle discovered her love for singing when she was just nine years old; she stumbled upon the craft when she was doing ballet.

She admits to being very uncoordinated and thinks that the ballet teacher only passed her in exams because she felt sorry for her.

Downstairs from her dancing school was a small recording studio that caught her eye, and one day she walked in and just started singing. She loved it.

The studio provided something fun for her - it never involved serious training - but they put on little concerts at the end of the year and those incorporated a bit of drama.

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“It wasn’t anything professional, but it was lots of fun”, said Danielle.

She spent hours making up songs, performing at talent quests and anything else that would get her on stage but it took another few years for Danielle to realise that singing was the career she wanted to pursue.

“I was very lucky”, admitted Danielle. “My parents were a million per cent behind me. My dad used to come along with me to all the shows and everything; he was not really like a manager but he was always there.”

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It was an exciting time but it was also a little unsettling. Danielle’s friends were all off at university and this made her question if she should go to university too, but she was 100 per cent sure that singing was going to be her future.

Danielle has been able to combine her singing with travelling, going to Europe where she toured, singing jazz at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and The North Sea Music Festival in Amsterdam.

“It was incredible, I was playing with a big, 18-piece jazz band,

which is a little bit different to what I’m doing now. It was crazy; I was only 18 and touring in Europe!

“I’ve never been a huge drinker but I found a love of beer over there, all those big Beer Steins and things like that”, she laughed.

As well as travelling to Europe, Danielle has been a frequent visitor to USA, performing at the Monterey Jazz Festival in Northern California, touring down to San Diego and recording in Los Angeles.

In February 2012, Danielle travelled to Solomon Islands to perform for the Australian Defence Force troops. “All the travel is wonderful” said Danielle, “but it means living out of a suitcase. A lot of people don’t get to see anything other than a hotel room and a stage when they travel but I always make time to see where I am. I enjoy it and I want to make the most of it.”

These days, it’s song writing that’s taking Danielle overseas.

“My song-writing skills developed when I was about 18,” she explained. “I had the guitar lying around and I just decided to learn it. A friend of mine asked me to do some recording on a track he was doing and said that if I ever wanted to do some song writing, he would love to collaborate with me. So that kind of spiralled into a two-year learning experience of how to write and do demos, and led me to release an album independently. I’ve been song writing ever since.”

Danielle never had a huge interest in visiting Nashville but her friends convinced her to go, saying because the city was musically amazing and she would love it.

With only one appointment booked, Danielle and her dad headed over but

that single appointment quickly blew out to 20.

“People there are so friendly and they want to help you, so writing sessions just happened”, she explained.

After many trips to New York and LA, Danielle has realised the USA is definitely the place to be and plans to base herself there in the near future, saying “I feel that musically, I fit in more over there.”

Danielle said Nashville has a very different writing style to most other places.

“When you do a session it will be for three-hours, so you will meet someone you have never met before and you’ve never written with before.

You will sit in a room and get the guitars or piano out and start throwing ideas around and you can finish a song in the three hours.

It’s like express writing, but you learn how to form songs quickly from different ideas and melodies, it’s a really good training ground. It lifts your game.

“There is more inspiration over there, especially in Nashville and LA – the circles you hang around in, everyone is just steps above.

They can play anything, like guitars, drums – everything. They sometimes do it that way here but it depends who you write with.

Over there it’s a different mentality, there are a lot of songwriters and artists and publishers who are always pitching songs at artists, so the whole industry is really strong.

“They need the songwriters to write and the publishers to pitch to the artists, so it’s like a circle. It’s a massive thing (because) their main income comes from song writing.

“Over there, to be a singer, song writer, musician or publisher is accepted as a having a career, and they work at it as PRODIJEE.COM

their job; they aren’t accountants or something else on the side.

“But in Australia, if you tell someone that you are one of these, they will ask what your ‘real’ job is. It’s just not accepted here the way it is there.”

Danielle understands that it’s not an easy road. One of her friends has been in the US for seven years, writing three or four times every day and he has just got is first No 1. It takes a lot of sacrifice and Danielle is prepared to do whatever it takes.

She is lucky, many people have family responsibilities and the like that hold them back from taking this huge step, but Danielle’s family support her life style and career choice. She is a bit like a gypsy, going from one place to another to pursue her career.

With more than 100 songs written now, Danielle’s inspiration comes from personal experiences and more recently, from watching TV shows like Gossip Girl.

“Their lives are so exciting and there are dramas happening all the time. I also get ideas from looking through fashion magazines and getting visual ideas and sometimes seeing words on the streets that I think are cool or are phrased in a different way.

“I look at lyrics from other writers and how they phrase them and put them together. I kind of just study it.”

Surprisingly, Danielle doesn’t really get inspiration from any particular artist; she has a passion for the music of a huge variety of performers from Stevie Wonder and Led Zeppelin to Mariah Carey and K D Lang, and pulls inspiration from any and all artists.

She loves songs that you can sing but if pushed to choose, she would say she is more into melody than lyrics.

Writing and performing a song that is very personal is one thing but getting someone else to perform your song the way you want it sung can be difficult. You PRODIJEE.COM PRODIJEE.COM

need to find the right fit.

Sometimes Danielle tackles this by listening to songs that artists have previously performed and gain an understanding of what they are ‘saying’ and what their vocal range is, but most of the time it will just happen, especially if she is writing with the artist everyone brings something to the table.

Everyone picks up on the other person’s energy and it just all rolls together.

She believes that putting pressure on a writing session is not a good thing to do.

“If we get a song, great, but if we don’t, well, we had fun doing it. There are some days you just can’t write a thing and you just have to walk away, otherwise you get frustrated and angry, and you can’t do that.

It’s a fine line, though. If you have an idea and you know the potential of it, sometimes you just have to push through.”

Danielle said it’s difficult to know when you’ve just written a

hit song.

“You never know what will stand the test of time; there are so many different factors that surround a song. You just have to keep writing and hope.”

Danielle has recently written the track Invisible for Stan Walker, on the album Let the Music Play (Sony) and has two songs featured on Annabel Fay’s record (EMI NZ).

As an artist, Danielle loves working in studios and producing and editing vocals but, because she has been doing it for so long now, she feels quite at home on a stage.

“I’ve been singing and performing since I was nine years old (so) it’s not daunting but the smaller the crowd, the more nervous I get.

“If there’s a big spotlight and all I can see is black, I feel better.

If I’m performing in front of a smaller crowd, I have to imagine that it’s a big crowd and that helps my nerves a bit.

“My biggest audience was

about 9000 people at Sydney Olympic Park at the stadium there.

It was for an Eagles show, where we sang Eagles songs and that kind of thing, it was heaps of fun.

“I would love to perform at Rod Laver (Arena) with a huge audience, that’s my goal. I would also love to do a massive big band record, like the female version of Michael Buble. It would be awesome.”

Danielle is continuing to work on her singing and song writing, and getting her name known to more and more people. Being a self-confessed ‘computer nerd’ helps with getting her music heard.

She manages her website herself and puts her music out via Twitter and YouTube, which means it can be heard around the world within minutes of it being uploaded.

Of course this works best if your name is already known, so Danielle works very hard at keeping her name out there.

Her experiences so far have opened a lot of doors and

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introduced her to a lot of people but it’s not easy, and it’s never ending.

“You just have to keep going,” she explained. “You can’t really plan anything, to be honest; I don’t really know what I’m doing next month. I just have to go with the flow and put myself out there in the best possible way and keep getting my music out there and meeting people. Trial and error, there’s no one way to do it.”

Being an independent artist is hard work but being signed by an agency wouldn’t mean that she could sit back and relax.

“If you have a good work ethic to start with, I think the record company would help you but a lot of people I know who are already signed are doing exactly the same things that I am doing, the only difference is that they have that name behind them or they have a great budget.

“I have pretty much set up my own record label, in a sense.

Releasing it through… me! It’s a challenge, but it’s worth it.

“Everything is so digital now; over in the US they have this thing called Spotify, which isn’t here yet unfortunately. It’s all cloud based, you pretty much get your phone and stream it.

“Spotify is a bit different where you can make money off it, they give a percentage to the artist and they make royalties.

“Ten years ago, you would have to wait for newspapers and magazines to introduce you to an audience but not now.

“I’ve had radio people from the Netherlands contact me and Canada and it’s like WOW, my music is going there, so doing it myself is working well.”

As well as her pop career, Danielle is also a seasoned jazz singer and has recorded two tracks on the Jazz Nouveau Reminiscing album - songs by The Little River Band, transformed into jazz classics. All proceeds go to Variety, the children's charity.

Danielle appears on the album with other great Australian jazz vocalists, such as Emma Pask, Evelyn Duprai and Anthea White.

Danielle has also made a name for herself on online music industry websites, with a celebrated three Number Ones and nine top ten rankings on OurStage.com, with her songs Weight Of Our World, Closer and Fearless.

For now, Danielle is living the life, putting her name and music out there, continuing to travel and enjoying every moment of it.

She will also continue to write music and spend as much time as she can (while in Australia) with her family and eating her most favourite of foods – lamb cutlets. www.danielleblakey.com

“It was incredible, I was playing with a big, 18-piece jazz band, which is a little bit different to what I’m doing now. It was crazy; I was only 18 and touring in Europe!”

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Social phe

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enomenon

AFTER JUST SIX MONTHS, ADELAIDE POP TRIO AT SUNSET HAD A SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING MOST BANDS WOULD KILL FOR. AND THERE’S MORE TO COME...

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IF EVER YOU NEEDED PROOF THAT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HAS CHANGED FOR EVER, JUST LOOK AT THE PROGRESSION OF ‘AT SUNSET’. UNKNOWN AT THE START OF 2012 AND HAVING NEVER PERFORMED LIVE, THE BAND GAINED AN AMAZING FANBASE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND RELEASED A SINGLE JUST SIX MONTHS INTO THEIR CAREER. NOW, THE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS HAVE PUT THEIR EDUCATION ON HOLD AS THEY PURSUE THEIR MUSICAL DREAM. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN

I

t was a hungover Sunday that brought Harrison Kantarias and Jae Curtis together, where they realised they both had a love for music.

Although they were nearly neighbours, the two had never met until they were introduced by friends at a party the night before. They decided to meet up the next day and hang out, and a week later they went to open mic night at the local pub.

They realised that they were good but when Jae suggested they put their music on YouTube, Harrison realised that he really didn’t know Jae from a bar of soap, yet here they were, putting their music out on social media.

Jae admits, “I didn’t really have any idea how to do it to start off with. I thought whatever platform we could use in the social media we would take, like starting with YouTube, getting it to Twitter, getting it to Facebook, Tumblr, whatever we could put ourselves on. We had really good success from the get-go with those sites.

The pair’s initial following came from people just stumbling across the guys on YouTube and subscribing to them.

“From there they got automatic updates whenever we posted something new, but the real turning PRODIJEE.COM

point for us was when we covered One Direction,” explained Jae. “As soon as we did that, everything started to fall into place for us.

“It’s crazy to think that there are bands who have been out for two years and that we are getting close to their numbers on Twitter and the other sites, it’s almost like we don’t deserve it in a way. But at the same time, we’ve worked hard for it, we have put a lot of hours into it and we’ve deferred our uni courses, (and) it’s starting to pay off.”

For a group who really didn’t know how to launch themselves into social media, they have certainly figured out the formula for total immersement into the online culture, with more than 2.2 million views on YouTube and 25,000 channel subscribers; 37,000 Facebook friends and 43,000 Twitter followers.

“The youth market is just booming at the moment, people are just starting up now, it’s not a matter of finishing your uni course or having a settled job and trying to break into the music market. As young as you are, as soon as you find what you want to do it’s a matter of just giving it a go”, said Harrison.

“In the beginning, it was just a bit of fun, and we were realists - there are heaps of people who want to do this. But as soon as it started

happening, we really started to put our heads down. We were prepared to put in the work that was needed.

“We just did it initially because we loved it; we were brothers (by now the band also included Harrison’s brother, Andrew), and mates as well. We were prepared for it to be a couple of years before we got this kind of break but it just kind of happened really quick, which was awesome.”

Harrison admits the band was worried about going from YouTube, where they were doing covers to releasing their own single and how people would actually react to it.

“It’s a big step and people didn’t actually know what we are like as writers,” he told prodijee. “So we decided that we couldn’t hide behind covers anymore and that was when we did This is Who I Am”.

Performing covers and then writing your own music are two completely different things but for this band, their words come from experience, ideas, and advice from professionals.

“Being in the music scene now, we’ve worked with people who have taught us a lot. I think the biggest thing with Pop and Commercial is the structure of the song and just how catchy it is really. You have got to write a good hook, you’ve got

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to write something that people will remember and want to relate with.

“Nobody wants to write a song that nobody wants to hear, and something that people don’t care about. But basically it just comes from an idea and it will come naturally - well, it does for us, anyway.

“We get the idea and we start writing the lyrics and melody lines, and you feel it. If Jae has a chord progression and he shows it to me, all of a sudden it’s like, that’s nice, time to write a song. We can feel the melody and where it should go. It’s got to be relevant, fresh and new.”

A good song can mean many different things to many different people and there are so many differing tastes of music on the market.

And for a band, it can often be the case that one or more members hate something and others love it. It’s not always easy to take on board other people’s opinions to make the song work for the group as a whole. There are times when someone in a group will have a different idea about the way it should sound, should it be punchier, should it be soppier?

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These boys admit that they are their own worst critics but bouncing ideas back and forward to each other, they will come to a decision.

There are times that they will think that the other’s song is just ‘not working’, and admit that its happened to them a lot.

“He’s done it to me, I’ve done it to him. At the end of the day we’re a band and we’re all brothers”, explained Harrison. “You can’t get caught up in thinking that your way is the right way. With the three of us, there’s always going to be two overrule the one. It sounds bad when you say it like that... but if they both gave me the same opinion and I had another opinion, I’d end up saying, ‘okay, fair enough’. You’d have to agree, because two people had found the same fault.

“I think we haven’t really had that problem; we’ve come to a mutual agreement on pretty much everything. I’m sure someone will punch someone eventually, he laughed.

“That’s why you’ve got a team, you’ve got managers, producers and stuff because we can have an idea of what is our best song but someone

else might say, nup something else is”, added Andrew. “When everyone gets to have their say, you usually come to a good conclusion. Ringer is our manager, he’s worked at Sony for 20 years and he’s worked with some pretty incredible people, so anything he says is usually right.

“At the same time, as artists, we do know what we want,” said Jae. “We listen to other opinions but if we don’t agree with them, then we do it our way. After all, we wrote it.

“This is Who I Am is the way we wrote it, Ringer barely changed it at all. So it’s good that we have managers who aren’t controlling or anything like that. They take our opinions into consideration; we’ve got a really good team behind us.

“It was really confidence building to have our Manager barely change anything with that song, but it’s not only that - we are writing more and more stuff and our confidence is building from that, too.”

That doesn’t mean the guys are getting cocky - they are certainly aware that one hit doesn’t mean they have ‘arrived’.

“After your first song, you need to back it up. Having a song in the

Hot 30, that people are loving, and they know the lyrics and are singing it back to you is one of the most incredible feelings in the world. But the second single has to be just as good, if not better. We want to keep doing this,” said Harrison.

“I guess it is nerve wracking, but we’re confident again in the second single and the third single. We’ve got about six of them that we feel are ready to go.”

Despite their success on new media, Harrison said the band finds it highly motivating when their song is played on the radio.

“It’s exciting, we’ve heard our music in the hairdressers; we’ve heard it in all sorts of weird places.

We all went to get a haircut before tour and it was like, ‘What? No way!’. Everyone was buzzing out in the store. It was pretty awesome.

“And then you get texts from your mates, like the ones you play footy with, and it’s like, ‘Oh My God, Dude, I just heard you on the radio, it’s so cool’ or your mum screaming on the phone, ‘Oh, I heard you on the radio!’.”

Hearing all the praise and excitement from the friends, family and fans, makes the boys want to just get into the studio and write more and more.

They record in a studio that they say is one of the best in Australia - the soundboard is worth millions of dollars and is one of six in the country. The studio is totally dedicated to them, making them feel comfortable when they are there but they do admit to kicking back and really making the place their own by getting pizza, Subway and Diet Coke in all the time and leaving the rubbish around. “It feels like home”, said Andrew.

Putting their first video clip together was also lots of fun.

“It was the first time I had ever been to Sydney, first time we got to travel Australia to do what we wanted to do,” explained Harrison.

“We arrived there and met fans, which was awesome, so we invited them to come and watch the video clip being made; we performed to them and had that personal connection. It was incredible because we had only met Adelaide PRODIJEE.COM

fans at that time. Going to Sydney enabled us to reach out to fans further into the country, it was awesome.

“We chose one of the fans who came to the airport to be the lead girl in the video. She wasn’t going to say no.

She loved it. I think her twin sister was there, I think the twin might have been a bit upset.”

Performing to the Sydney audience only gave them the taste to do more live performances. So far they really haven’t done anything live, but they can’t wait for that opportunity to arise.

“I think the nerves will put us on our game, you really think about your pitch when you are singing and I’m sure Jae’s thinking chords, you can’t mute any strings, you just have to go your hardest.

“We decided to put on a show at our studio just before we left just to say thank you to all Adelaide girls, there were about 80 people there. We were fine with it, we weren’t nervous at all. I think the more people there are, the more comfortable it feels.

“When there are four or five people in a boardroom just staring at you and they are the heads of some radio station, that’s when you get nervous. When it’s a lot of girls, and they are super supportive of all you do, even if you mess up, they’re not going to hold it against you. I’m going to find that easier. But then again, if we play to a couple of thousand people, then I will shit myself,” laughed Andrew.

“Our manager likes to make us nervous. We were just about to play one day and he comes up to us, literally about a minute before they were about to announce us, and he said the biggest boss - the boss of all bosses - is in the room. We all looked at each other and were like, ‘Are you kidding, why would you say that?’. We were already shitting ourselves and all of a sudden... (But) it worked! Nerves kicked in.

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“We decided that we couldn’t hide behind covers anymore and that was when we did ‘This is Who I Am’. It was a big step” “We told the audience, ‘We are as nervous as hell and we hope you enjoy it!’”.

The Adelaide pop trio recently released its second single Back In Time. Described as an anthem, the uptempo song was mixed by dance/pop guru James Ash. Both the single and six-track EP are available via iTunes and online retail now. The single features a digital poster pack, including three signed individual photos and one band photo. www.bandatsunset.com.au

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Ryan Rundle LOS ANGELES, CA, USA

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? I was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of my earliest memories include driving to Kiawah, South Carolina in a Volvo station wagon with my parents and older brother, while listening to Fine Young Cannibals on repeat. In an effort to be closer to our relatives, my family moved cross-country to Spokane, Washington.

Moving from the suburbs of the Southeast to the backwoods of the Northwest was a difficult transition in more ways than one. The people and the climate, had changed dramatically and fitting in was always a challenge. As I grew older, it only became more difficult. I was two decades too late for the music I liked, I had no real interest in school and coming home with a black eye or two was a common occurrence. It was only when I stopped trying to fit in, that I gained any real understanding of who I was.

After graduating from high school, I ran like hell to Missoula, Montana where I attended film school while eeking out a living as a local bouncer. Upon graduating from college, I wrote and directed my first independent film, The Life and Times of an American Playboy, a 22-minute short made with my life savings (a staggering $3000).

Later that year, while attending South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, I snuck into a meeting with a feature production coordinator from 20th Century Fox and showed her the trailer to my no-budget movie. To my surprise, she laughed, which was good, considering it was a comedy. The short generated interest as a feature and brought me to Los Angeles, where I founded a creative collective and production studio with three of my colleagues.

means of producing those images. I talked my Dad into letting me borrow his camcorder, taught myself to edit on something like Windows Movie Maker and began shooting videos with my friends. It was my release and as I grew older, it became my passion.

Because the time I spent in school was generally dedicated to daydreaming about movies, I began skipping it to go out and make them. Granted, they were probably some of the worst movies ever made by a human being, but the irony is this: one of those movies got me into film school, not my grades.

I began modelling when I was picked up off the street by Abercrombie & Fitch to be one of their in-store models. At the time, I was broke and needed a viable source of income. I started testing, moved into high fashion/editorial work and became a runway model.

What started as a means of survival became more of a mode of self-expression and I grew to enjoy the rush of stomping down a runway.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE ARTS? I’ve been a writer/director for about four years now. I began acting and modelling when I was 18.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE ARTS? I can usually trace my beginnings in any creative medium to the same source. When I was very young, my parents enrolled both my brother and I in Tae Kwon Do. Although it’s generally associated with self-defense, Tae Kwon Do is more mental than anything. I began to discover that all things in life can be an art form if one applies them self correctly.

Around the time I had received my black belt and moved into competition sparring, I picked up the guitar and began playing in a number of bands. I learned the bass, drums and piano as well. Every song had a story, every sound, an image and because I couldn’t draw or paint worth a damn, the camera was my only PRODIJEE.COM

WHAT OTHER WORK HAVE YOU DONE? Most of the work I’ve done has been within the mediums of film, theatre and modelling. I’ve managed to run the gamut of film production, fulfilling nearly every position on set and in the editing room. I’ve written and directed shorts, commercials and print ads, edited numerous music and fashion videos, composed musical scores for film and played in several bands.

I’ve performed on stage and in front of the camera as an actor and walked for a number of clothing lines as a runway model. As the creative director of tonofbricks and The White Rabbit, I spearhead the majority of film and photography projects that come through our door, while facilitating the needs of clients who request the use of our studio.

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WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER INTERESTS? I love to wakeboard, snowboard, slalom ski, camp, hike and play music. Anything to get excitement out of life.

I'm always open to learning from different individuals, too - people who have vision, innovativeness and the courage to do things differently. It is a gift to see things from new perspectives and to create something new out of it.

WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES? My influences are all over the place. Films by Ingmar Bergman and Stanley Kubrick, the music of Pink Floyd and The Doors, books by Richard Bach, paintings by Wolf Kahn. My parents, however, have been the most extraordinary influence of all.

THE MASSIVE CROWD AT PHILLIP ISLAND COULDN’T HAVE BEEN HAPPIER WHEN LOCAL HERO AND TWO-TIME WORLD MOTOGP CHAMPION, CASEY STONER, WON HIS SIXTH AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX FROM SIX STARTS. WORDS: CAROL SHERIDAN PHOTOS: DARREN HOUSE/ HONDA PRESS SERVICE/DUCATI PRESS SERVICE.

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I

t was the icing on the cake for one of Australia’s greatest sporting events and the result the massive crowd had hoped for.

More than 53,000 people had travelled to the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit to witness Casey Stoner attempt to claim his sixth straight Australian MotoGP title and his last before retiring from the sport. The ‘King’ didn’t let them down.

Stoner won with ease after passing his Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa, before the Spaniard fell at the hairpin, and drawing away from new World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo, who finished the GP in second place.

The effort was even more remarkable given Stoner was still injured having a horrifying fall during Round 11 of the Championship at Indianapolis, where he broke his ankle. Stoner was still limping at Phillip Island but was determined to make sure he was able to race at his home GP. “ It was very important to win a race before I retired and to do it at my home Grand Prix is just a fairytale. “It was quite something to take in,” Casey said after the 38th victory of his MotoGP career. “I

actually took notice in the last few laps to see everyone cheering me on,” he admitted.

In winning the 2012 AirAsia Australian MotoGP, Stoner proved beyond any doubt that he is the Island Master.

“It is not time on the track that has got my success because everybody I race against has had as many laps, if not more, than me at the island,” said Casey. “The only thing I can explain is that because the track is quite slippery and with such high corner speeds, being fast there has a lot to do with balls - how much you want to hang it out.

“It’s a place that really gets the adrenaline flowing and I think most riders will say they love this track.”

The Phillip Island circuit honoured Stoner earlier in the week by naming the high speed Turn Three as ‘Stoner Corner’ “Turn three is probably my favourite one in the world. I am almost flat out in fifth gear through there and that is pretty damn fast and it really gets your blood flowing that’s for sure,” said Casey. “It always gives me a great rush going through there so to have a corner named after me at Phillip Island is

Top: Seven-time World Champion Valentino Rossi remains a favourite with the Aussie fans. Middle: Women are making their mark in the technical world of MotoGP. Above: Stoner powers through Hayshed Corner.

Top left: King Casey had plenty of loyal subjects. Above left: Yamaha knew how to sell bikes at the Expo.

Above right: Always the showman, Valentino Rossi turned it on for the massive crowd. something quite special. It is a great privilege.”

Casey has completed thousands of laps around the 4.4km Phillip Island circuit in testing and race weekends over the last decade, but one particular journey through turn three stands out for him: a no holds barred qualifying lap in 2011.

“The data on my Repsol Honda RC213V showed I was at 262km/h and the slowest point of the corner

was 258km/h. It was bloody quick.

I was completely sideways and I had my front wheel halfway across the kerb. I got it as good as I ever have, and that was my most memorable moment through there.”

The AirAsia Australian MotoGP is Victoria’s largest regional event, and it’s easy to see why, even without the Stoner factor.

The event offers great value, with spectators treated to a number of

on-track activities apart from the MotorGP, including Moto2, Moto3 and a host of local support events; Australian Superbikes, 1000cc Superstock, Australian Supersport and 600cc Superstock classes.

There was even a round of the Australian Supercross Championship at the Lukey Heights precinct. It was the first time the series had held an event at the AMGP, and featured Australian PRODIJEE.COM

Top left: Mick Doohan drops into the Honda pit. Top right: Ducati Crew Chief, Jeremy Burgess, was a hit at the Fan Forum. Above: Nicky Hayden (left) with new World Champion, Jorge Lorenzo. superstar, Chad Reed.

But while some people may think the event appeals only to leather wearing, bearded bikies, nothing could be further from the truth. The AMGP has something for everyone, and is just as popular with families as it is with hard-core riders.

Located approximately two hours from Melbourne in one of the State’s most scenic areas, Phillip Island is a wonderful place to visit, regardless of your motivation, and there was plenty of off-track entertainment to keep the crowd entertained.

Gardner Village hosted the PRODIJEE.COM

spokes.com.au Autograph Stage, where fans could get up close and personal with the stars, while the Flair Moto Trials and Globe of Death again proved to be crowd favourites, attracting thousands of race goers to their daily shows.

The live Fan Forum was a popular addition to the Autograph Stage program, with a panel of MotoGP experts giving fans a rare and exclusive insight into the inner workings of the world’s best team garages and the highly competitive world of professional racing.

The panel forum consisted of Jeremy Burgess (Ducati Crew

Chief), Livio Suppo (Director Marketing & Communications, Honda Racing Corporation), Nick Harris (MotoGP Commentator), Herve Poncharal (President of IRTA and Founder/Team Principal Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Massimo Meragalli (Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director), and Antonio Jimenez (Chief Mechanic for Alvaro Bautista).

Another crowd favourite was the Show ‘n’ Shine competition, which showcased the finest motorcycles in Australia. Located in the National Support Paddock, the competition attracted more than 40 competitors who vied for a hot lap of the circuit and the mantle of Best Bike as judged by a panel of experts and website votes submitted via www. motogp.com.au.

But it’s the bikesales.com.au GP Expo, which showcased all things motorcycles that attracted the most fans. Featuring a huge range of motorcycle manufacturers, display bikes, clothing, accessories, memorabilia and tour operators, the expo attracted thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts each day.

In keeping with the family-friendly theme, organisers again hosted the Junior GP Challenge.

Featuring the next generation of MotoGP stars, who were all fitted out in authentic race gear, ten lucky

Top left: The Monster energy girls gave plenty of cheek. Above: Stoner claims his sixth Phillip Island trophy. Top right: Not just for bikies - the AMGP is for everyone.

Middle right: A study in style, Stoner was in a class of his own at Phillip Island. Right: Phillip Island has plenty of off-track activity to keep fans happy throughout the whole weekend.

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3-5 year olds lined up on the grid for a sprint to the finish line on electric bikes provided by OSET Australia.

For those who weren’t able, or game, to take to the track, young riders were able to hire electric dirt bikes and safely charge around a special enclosure.

One of the most popular attractions at the 2012 AirAsia Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix returned again in 2012 with the Royal Australian Air Force Roulette aerial displays.

Flying in formation at speeds of up to 590km/h in the skies above Phillip Island, the spectacular precision flying and aerobatics of the RAAF Roulettes again thrilled race goers on all three days of the event.

A helicopter service operated at the circuit for those wanting to take to the skies themselves and see this stunning setting from the sky.

Given its regional location, the Phillip Island event stretches the region’s motels beyond their capacity, so organisers go to great lengths to ensure those who wish to camp are well catered for.

The Trackside Campgrounds came to life on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights with a solid line up of bands taking to the Trackside Entertainment Stage presented

by Wild Turkey to entertain the thousands of campers.

In its second year, the open air cinema in the Highside Campground returned for nightly film screenings. In front of packed audiences, films like Drive and Closer to the Edge kept the automotive action going well into the night.

As the 2012 event drew to a close, fans dealt with the realisation that a new era was about to begin - an era without Casey Stoner. But given the superb organisation, the brilliant on and off track program and the outstanding value of money the event provides, we’re certain the people will return in big numbers next year. The 2013 AMGP will be held on 18, 19 and 20 October. www.motogp.com.au PRODIJEE.COM

“The track is quite slippery and with such high corner speeds, being fast there has a lot to do with balls - how much you want to hang it out” Above: Casey Stoner steels himself for the start of the AMGP as wife Adriana shades the Phillip Island sun. Top left: No need to worry about what to wear to the AMGP. Middle left: While Stoner was crowd favourite, Rossi had his fans, too.

Bottom Left: Stoner needed security to help him past the horde of autograph hunters and well-wishers. Top right: The AirAsia girls were the perfect hosts and made everyone feel welcome. Bottom right: Stoner looms behind teammate Dani Pedrosa and newly-crowned World MotoGP Champion, Jorge Lorenzo during lap one of the AMGP.

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The Ambassador

BIKE-RIDING MODEL MONIKA CLARKE LIVES THE DREAM AS THE FACE OF THE AMGP IS THIS MUCH DIFFERENT TO A NORMAL MODELLING ASSIGNMENT? It’s very different, and doesn’t feel like I’m here on a job. I am just here enjoying myself, it’s way too much fun. It’s really great.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO MODELLING? I grew up in on a farm in a small town called Swan Hill and moved to Melbourne when I was 17. I was approached and then signed

by Chadwick’s modelling agency.

Gradually, I worked into modelling full time, which is great, it’s not easy, but it’s a good challenge.

And now I’m the ambassador for the MOTOGP, you couldn’t ask for anything more really.

DID CHADWICKS DISCOVER YOU OR WERE YOU ALREADY MODELLING? I wanted to model, but it was a bit of both. I didn’t know much about modelling, but as a young girl, I think you always look at models on the television and you think it would be wonderful to have that lifestyle and to be looked at like that. Once you get into it you realize that it’s a lot different to how you perceive it when you are young. It has its perks and it has its hard times, but all in all it’s worth it.

WHAT WORK ARE YOU DOING NOW? I’m about to go to Los Angeles, where I am going to try to make that transition from modelling to acting. It won’t be easy because I am categorised as a model and it’s hard to get out of that category but it’s time for a new challenge and it’s something that I am passionate about.

I have met a lot of directors and people who are involved in the film industry, from people who have choreographed fight scenes, to people who train in weaponry and special effects artists.

I’ve been really lucky through my PRODIJEE.COM

modelling career - a lot has come my way through knowing certain people.

It’s been incredible.

WHAT WORK HAD YOU DONE PRIOR TO BEING MOTOGP AMBASSADOR? I had done a lot of small modelling jobs - catalogues, fashion label look books, TV commercials and catwalk work. I also did a photo-shoot where I was completely covered in body paint. It took five hours to be painted, then 12 hours of shooting, then another two hours to wash it off.

I have also done a shoot for Harper’s Bazaar Charity with another model at Werribee Zoo. We were right on the back of a ute, patting rhinos and having giraffes come right up to our faces. I have done a lot of summer campaigns that are shot in freezing cold winter weather to the winter campaigns that are shot in the boiling hot weather.

It is a challenge, it is a lot of good fun but you have to have a tough skin. I think anyone in this industry learns that really quickly.

WHAT ARE YOUR AMBASSADORIAL DUTIES? A lot of my role is to promote the event, reinforce what the MOTOGP has to offer and what it can present to every single person that wants to come here or who has a love of the sport. I also do a lot of media work and pretty much just have fun. That’s the best bit!

HOW DID THIS ROLE OF COME ABOUT ?

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation was looking for someone who had had a lot to do with motor bikes and had been down to Phillip Island before; someone who had a connection with the sport. I had two interviews with them and they must have liked something about me because I’m sitting here today. It’s been great.

YOU RODE BIKES AT SWAN HILL?

The first bike that I rode was a Pee Wee. I was very young and came off it quite quickly and I didn’t want to get back on the bike until the end of the day, when I saw my brothers and their friends having a lot of fun.

Being the only girl there, I didn’t want to be categorised as someone who couldn’t do anything and I wanted to prove to my brothers that I wasn’t a wuss, so I got back on.

Later I got a dirt bike – a KTM 250 - and rode that, and 4-wheelers, all the time. Coming to the city was very different - before I knew my way around, I was even too scared to drive a car let alone ride a bike.

I never thought I would see the day come but after being in Melbourne for four years now, I am gaining the confidence to ride there.

HAVE YOU RIDDEN THE MOTOGP TRACK? I have been on a few pillion rides with Ducati and Honda - they have been incredible. The first time I went with Mick Doohan and straight after that with Darryl Beatty, so I got to compare their riding skills. Darryl was really fast around the corners but Mick had it on him on the straight.

They are lovely guys it was a pleasure to meet them and I couldn’t have been in safer hands. Being the passenger takes a lot of strength, you are using muscles that you didn’t even know you had. When you finish, it’s like, WHAT just happened?

DID THAT GIVE YOU AN APPRECIATION OF WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO RACE? It gave me a new found respect for the riders. It’s quite frightening to watch, let alone be a rider who is competing. My hat goes off to every single one of them. I could not do it.

I BET YOUR MUM LOVED THAT She did but I think she is more relieved that I am still alive and that I held on. I think my dad and brothers are very jealous!

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prodijee.com THE NEXT BIG THING IS HERE...