Grace Kelly : Style Icon at the V&A London

BizDress writes from London this week where as luck would have it the Victoria & Albert museum (V&A) is exhibiting one of the western worlds (and secretly one of our own) favourite style icons of the 20th century: Grace Kelly.

Grace Kelly was quoted as having said, “I think it is important to see the person first and the clothes afterwards.”

For Grace this persona was a unique combination of casual, aristocratic coolness which both inspired and took inspiration from some of the world’s leading designers.

Perhaps it is because of our admiration for Grace’s persona and her casual, aristocratic coolness that we left the exhibit feeling dissatisfied.

The V&A exhibit was a condensed showing of 30 or so dresses, spanning from her cinema wear to special events, and then to Princess Grace. It grouped together dresses designed by Edith Head, Marc Bohan for Dior, et al, providing a kind of chronology of Grace’s life. Unfortunately, the dresses were presented upright on faceless mannequins, frozen behind glass cases in their respective groups. They seemed beautiful ghosts of Grace’s past, cut off from any living context.

Thankfully there were two screenings of film montages. These were interesting excerpts of footage from several of Grace’s films. There were also videos from momentous events in her personal life however these were primarily focused on her relationship with Prince Rainier of Monaco.
But then that was it. We left the show feeling very hungry wanting to see more. In particular we would have liked to see more images of Grace the person. Grace was known as much for her relaxed, “American” style as she was for her more opulent glamour.

Grace the person understood the equilibrium of style, preferring clean, simple silhouettes with accents on specific details: her hair, a hat, a brooch... Her off-screen looks were uncluttered, basic yet as chic as chic can get, because everything she wore had a reason- right down to her super- glam glasses. While fashion changed over time she clearly understood how to adapt fashion to Grace.

In fact her off-screen persona was as much a reason as any to define her as a style icon. It’s fairly easy to be elegant when you’re stepping out in Balenciaga, or Dior. Doing it in pedal pushers, cuffed shirt sleeves and espadrilles....is a whole other ball of wax.

That’s the image of Grace on the cover of the brochure the V&A printed for the event; and that’s the Grace that I find most iconically stylish. That Grace, unfortunately, is not in the show.

Other fabulous falls from grace

Speaking of falling from high places, a close friend of mine was vacationing in Monsieur Tourre’s home country one summer. She was in Paris in fact and was determined as ever to peruse the shops along France's famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées in style. Before even stepping onto the pavement she spent hours coiffing her hair and selecting her outfit, finally emerging a vision of French fashion in her cutest jeans, little ruffle top and platform heals. Knowing my friend, I imagine she thought herself the cream walking around and occasionally flipping her hair in every cute Parisian man’s face and batting her eyelashes (a skill she has honed for years).
Of course the Champs are known for their wide board walks and shops – but one in particular – the Louis Vuitton store is a showcase and a must see. The LV store is known for its fabulous fit out and a rather angular set of stairs (similar to the LV shop on Castlereagh St here in Sydney). Putting on her best airs and graces my friend made a grand entrance stepping with utter confidence down the long and rather royal flight of stairs as if she were accepting an Oscar. In her opposite direction at the bottom of the stairs was a salesman, equally haughty, arms were filled with LV merchandise. Taking in all of the delights around her my friend lost her footing and just as the salesman was approaching she TRIPPED on her platforms and went flying feet first down the whole staircase. In a vain attempt to save herself she grabbed the salesman, the Louis and anything else in her reach dragging them all down with her! EVERYONE in the store saw, and if they didn’t see the fall they certainly heard her scream and saw her and the attendant and all of the Louis on the floor at the base of the stairs, hair crumpled, shoes falling off. Needless to say she was MORTIFIED. BUT true to her style, she brushed herself off, apologized to the salesman and briskly exited the store....Now there is a lady who knows how to make a grand exit!!!!

What is the Devil really wearing?

As I watched Fabulous Fabrice Tourre and his Goldman colleagues squirming in front of a gallery of Senators, media and mad as hell investors who had lost it all, I wondered how do you decide what to wear at these sorts of occasions? Surely not a bespoke cashmere and silk Brioni suit, Turnbull and Asser shirt paired with a Stefano Ricci tie? I’m also guessing he kept the John Lobbs in the closet in case he put his foot in it. While you can’t tell from the images exactly who and what they are wearing, it is clear they were told to keep it simple and low key. The guidelines would have been: white shirt, red (or dark blue) tie, dark suit – but nothing that looks too flashy and definitely NO braces, stripped shirts, French cuffs or flashy cufflinks. I did note that Monsieur Tourre wore a red white and blue stripped tie – but I wondered whether that was more a signal of his protest than patriotism (the stars and stripes being the reference to the American flag). Ladies, what do you wear when you are about to enter the fray?

Getting nailed by the fashion police

We were wrapping-up after a long, and at times acrimonious, negotiation when one of the executives working on the other side of the table highlighted to all present that I had been wearing black nail polish. While I don't entirely recall the detail of the comment - suffice to say - it was derogatory. As I was the only woman in the room, I thought to myself, "Why is this relevant - why somehow is my appearance any more noteworthy than anyone else present in the room?" Now I have to admit, I do not normally wear black nail polish in an executive setting. It just so happens the colour in question was NOT black, but Light my Sapphire by Opi. This colour had worked beautifully with an ensemble I had been wearing on the prior weekend (I had forgotten to remove the offending colour once the work week had begun) and I dare say also worked with a very conservative dark grey Loro Piano suit I was wearing at the time. I looked over at this person, bit my tongue, and thought, "Who died and made you the fashion police?" Truly, here was a person for whom the cheap suit was designed, marketed and sold successfully in dusty old shops on George St, Sydney. Frankly, they should hand out fines for people wearing outfits like his - but of course to him (and quite possibly other company present) black (or Light my Sapphire for that matter) nail polish in an executive setting is a crime, punishable by a sentence of at least five minutes of uncomfortable silence and total embarrassment. Afterwards, I wondered whether I should have held fire (or Light My Sapphire for that matter). Ladies what would you have done?

If Ralph Lauren is a pope, then I must confess to being a worshipper

In France fashion is indeed a religion and so we shouldn’t be surprised when Le Monde describes Ralph Lauren as America’s Pope of Fashion (le pape du mode americaine). Considering France’s A-list turned out to the opening of his third boutique in Paris (this one located on the prestigious left bank), and to honour him with the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, there is no doubt RL has direct line to France's Fashion Deity.
But, I suppose if any American deserves to wear the big hat – it would have to be RL. As a career woman, I must admit to being a bit of an RL worshipper. You just have to look at the pre-fall ensemble featured here for the Northern Hemisphere's 2010 season or to have participated in the launch of his Knightsbridge and Steeple Chase Blue labels (the former only days ago) in Sydney to understand why.
Both lines are now available in RL's Chatswood RL boutique in Sydney but be warned many of the best pieces are already walking out the door!! My favourite was the Leather Hacking Jacket in RL signature brown suede (there was only one left in a size 6!!). This little beauty can be paired with any number of fabulous pieces in the collection, including the tartan skirt, brown plaid woollen skirt, green Kelsey blouse or brown sleeveless dress – or just wear it to the rugby with a pair of jeans!
I also recommend the incredibly versatile grey stretch wool pencil skirt and matching jacket – whether you have a white, pink, deep red, navy blue or a black blouse or sweater this suit will pair with all of those and it is perfect for the office. The jacket will also go with a black or periwinkle blue skirt and vice versa. While I don’t normally buy shoes from fashion designers, I was aching for the black peeptoe granny heels they had displayed in the glass cabinet, these are perfect for the Sydney climate – thank goodness they only had size 37 and 39. God only knows the damage I could have done in that store – and now for the confessional!!!

Does this foot make my mouth look big?

Yes Garance Dore I'm afraid it does. For those of you who didn't see yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald, the fashion doyenne was reported to have opposed having curvy and large sized women on the runway. In an AAP interview she was reported to have said,"It's not such a good thing to show plus-size because it's not really physically healthy and not always flattering to fashion." Needless to say this was not her only derogatory comment about the matter.
This is wrong on so many levels. We should applaud fashion designers that have the creativity and skill to produce beautiful pieces that suit a range of body shapes and sizes. That LVMH and Prada are confident enough in their brand to prove this on the runway is a credit to them. What's more it is sending the right message to women about the importance of being comfortable within yourself (or bien dans son peau as the French say).

There may well be 50,000 women around the world every day reading Madame Dore's blog - but I can't imagine all of them are 5ft7inches and 120lbs (or less). Ms Dore may well get away with it through some fancy footwork, but to my mind its going to take a lot to extract this Jimmy Choo from her lips.

Hosiery, stockings, nylons.....whatever

One of my earlier posts reminded me how much I dislike nylon stockings (aka hosiery). Yes - I know - there is nothing more polished than a sheer black stockinged leg partnered with a hounds tooth pattern or short grey textured wool skirt. I will even admit there are some really fetching patterned stockings that lend a completely new dimension to an ensemble. However, stockings (nylons, hosiery or whatever you call them) are high on my list of essential fashion items that I absolutely hate spending money on.

Why? First of all, I find them incredibly difficult to shop for - especially if you are doing the crisis dash to the chemist (drug store) following a “wardrobe malfunction”.
How in the world do you decide between say a pair of Voodoo Shine Sheer to Waist, Platinum Sheen Sheers, Kaiser Sheers or any of the vast array of brands you find in the supermarket, or high end department stores? Does price really guarantee quality or are we all really being sold the packaging? Why would you spend say $150 on a pair of Wolford’s?

Am I the only one who finds descriptors such as “all day support” or “sheer to
waist” incredibly confusing? What in the world is a gusset or a reinforced toe? Is it me or is someone suggesting women need to enter the workplace with some kind of additional protective armour? If we have really to wear these things why in the world has no-one created a good “nude” stocking without the peach fuzz and that actually looks nude?

And while I am appreciative of those funny looking dangling samplers - how can I really tell difference between “midnight black”and “ebony” what colour is “jabou”? And why is it I can never find a sample that actually matches the stocking I want to purchase?


And lastly, can someone please explain to me why I am paying ridiculous sums of money for a fashion item I am likely to only wear once? Well, watch this space because I am going to road test a few of these babies and let me assure you this is one race where the fastest runners are the biggest losers....

When it comes to fashion on the field it’s not all black and white

I suppose for “all the single ladies” the prospect of a male to female ratio of upwards of ten to one, is worth the obligatory washing of the hair, shaving of the legs and (heaven forbid) the almost impossible effort of selecting an outfit. I am of course talking about a day out to the races.

Married as I am and approaching my prime (isn’t 40 the new 30?), there was quite a bit less thought and effort on the appearances and quite a bit more on organizing my escape from Alcatraz. “What you didn’t tell me you were going to the races today, whose looking after the kids?”

Well I did escape in the end, and managed to sneak the acquisition of a hat onto my AMEX, “Oh I’ve had this for years – don’t you remember back in 2001 when we did the Oak Bank race thing in Adelaide??” Who knew? The Jedi mind trick actually works on the opposite sex? No wonder Star Wars is such a hit.


I was, however, a bit concerned when we arrived at the exclusive Members’ Enclosure at Royal Randwick Darby Day Races, and stepped into a sea of black and white. This was notwithstanding my efforts to assemble an appropriately autumn like racing ensemble (Khaki Louis Vuitton Hunting jacket, bronze skirt, matching sandals and handbag paired with a long brown feathered black Robin Hood hat with a touch of bling sourced (apparently on the cheap) from Mimco).

“Wow”, I wondered, “Did all of these women actually call each other up? Did they do the ‘ole, hey I’m wearing black and white what are you wearing…?” No in fact, after a number of enquiries I learned very quickly that it was David Jones Black and white day…..Ohhhhhhhhhh that makes sense!!! I must have missed the email.”

It also answered the question of why was it that every time I took a photo and asked the question, so where did you buy your hat, the standard answer was David Jones – of course.

In all honesty, there was a kind of symmetry to the sea of women donned in black on white – or was it white on black? There was however, an extensive spread of looks, with some really thoughtful pairings.


For example, a number of women accessorized with success big buckled, black leather gladiator sandals and biker styled leather black gloves with seemingly traditional cocktail dresses and hats. A very sexy look that said, “I may be a lady – but I like leather….” Lots of netting, black and white flowers, pearls rhinestones, feathers, all added to the drama.

Others went a completely different direction, focusing more on geometric hats produced by Queensland’s own Tracy MacKinnon (refer www.hatsbytracymac.com ) combined with more traditional cocktail attire. We met a group of four women all of whom sang her praises – and with good reason.

Another hat maker worth noting, Wendi Nutt, Milliner and Stylist heralding from Sydney’s own Balmain (www.philadelphiaphilpot.com). More complex designs, though we noted that Wendi herself sported her own cherry red flying saucer design which was a standout in the crowd. Apparently one of her hats had made it to final judging rounds – but we couldn’t hang around to see which made it to the winners circle….I was getting urgent phone calls from the homefront asking important questions like, where we normally kept the vegemite!!

Not all women adhered to the Southern hemispheric season, a number bucked the trend, choosing spring tones – more in keeping with the weather which was decidedly spring like.


I would have probably preferred to blend in - but this was a spontaneous albeit well planned outing for me – and let’s face it - who has time to read emails anyway?

Answering the age old question

Who says that a woman in a floral dresses is not as strong and convincing as another woman in a power, trouser suit of navy blue? Or that she can’t be as resolute about her job and results? How can you be taken seriously without compromising on fashion?

I shared my previous story with another very good friend of mine and she had one of her own. She had been living in the south of France for a number of years, nice warm climate, Mediterranean, relaxed mentality where summer was the time to save your pennies on the stockings and show off your beatifully bronzed legs.

Back in NY she found herself interviewing for IBM (the company for whom the blue suit was invented). A nice hot summer day, she wore... a skirt suit. Slim skirt, just above the knee, boxy jacket, reinforced with shoulder pads - obligatory at that time in fashion’s illustrious history- sleek black pumps. But of course au naturale on the legs.

Well the interview went great and she did end up taking the job, but the HR director gaver her a very strongly worded piece of advice, "NEVER EVER arrive bare legged to work." Oops!

She too was hit with the reality check, the fact that we are, before we even get a chance to open our mouths and say hello, picked apart for the first visual impression we make.

Our mission at Bizdress is to connect it all, and help our readers feel confident about what to wear at the workplace. We want to answer your questions and provide advice. What's more we want this to be your forum for sharing war stories - fashion or otherwise. We want you to know that in the corporate trenches you are not alone. Because women the world over are asking themselves the same question right now: what the heck am I going to wear to work today?

Bizdress will help you answer that question with style.

The business of dressing

We’ve all been there. An important interview for the job you always wanted – you know you’ve got the goods – but want to make a strong first impression. So what do you wear?
If its finance – well forget the Moschino cow print – its going to have to be a super conservative, stock standard chalk grey pin stripe with black tights and flats. If it’s Marketing or HR, a bit less conservative – something that says you have a sensitive but creative side. BUT if its fashion – well that is a whole new ball game.
For one of my colleagues in fashion, it all started with a phone call, a headhunter looking to fill a position with Ralph Lauren. At the time she was working for, Paul Smith, a British house, classic with a twist – a house which to my mind suited her to a T.
To the first interview, she wore a short, shift dress, in a vintage rayon boucle, with a paint-brush print in shades of green, grey and black. She paired it with green, sexy-granny heels.
This was accessorized with a very cute, single feather earring (not sure which ear) that a friend had made for her. It was a good look that anyone in the industry would agree was pretty much all -purpose, conservative enough to not strike fear and yet subtly edgy.
Before the second interview, my friend visited the Ralph Lauren showcase shops in Paris and took a wild stab at style thinking Prince of Wales would do the trick!
In lovely earth tones of brown and black, and short, puff, Victorian sleeves, the green aforementioned shoes (they really go with everything!) along with a maxi-cardigan in a rich grey. It was all ever so Ralph – except for the one, lonely, feather earring.
My friend was a hit with the HR Director, who ultimately offered her one important word of advice for the next interview which was, “wear black, and deep six the feather earring.”
On the next interview, she chose a velvet skirt with a subtle bustle, and an old cashmere v-neck. The feather was replaced with diamond studs. Her hair was coiffed in a low ponytail though she had afterwards spoke of regretting not opting for a low bun.

This next meeting was with the European Director whose arrival could well have been signaled by the sounds of a fox horn calling the clan to the hunt. My friend assumed the horse was parked in the downstairs garage. The Director was all in black, but, unlike my friend, she seemed to own black.
At the end of the day holding up appearances for an interview was one thing but it was not at all clear that my friend was going to pull off the charade for a full-time job. In the final analysis she got the distinct impression that stylistically and potentially culturally she did not fit in.

When I first met Louis

It was 1997, I was in Singapore on a business trip and in between meetings. Wandering through the Raffles arcade I stumbled across a brand new Gucci boutique. I had recalled reading an article in the Wall St Journal not too long before that about how Gucci were re-launching their brand - cutting back mass production and focusing on quality hand fashioned products to re-establish their quality and design credentials.

Knowing that all of these things come at a price, with some trepidation I stepped into the boutique thinking - I'll just have a look....Well one thing led to another and there was this handbag - a lovely grey minimalist baby Gucci with chrome trim. I had to have it, what's more I had to have the matching wallet. My justification was I was turning 30 and didn't every professional woman entering the most important decade of her career require the best tools of the trade?

I think all up I paid about A$2500 for the matching set and it was a love affair I thought would last forever....but alas nearly ten years to the day my heart was broken. On a business trip in Melbourne, I again found myself in between meetings, this time we were having a quick bite in one of those lovely arcades. I was with a colleague and as I had offered to pay, I stooped to grab my bag (which I had thought was safely tucked under my chair) but somehow it disappeared!!!! Disblief and denial turned into desparation. In the end, the authorities did track down the culprit (on CC TV) but my Gucci was gone forever.


It just so happened that I had been using a different wallet and so I still have it and occaisionally take it out like an an old love letter. I did eventually replace the bag with a similarly coloured mini Louis - and so commenced a new love affair.

When a genius meets a madman

Louis Vuitton’s spring-summer ready to wear


After seeing Marc Jacobs 2010 spring-summer ready to wear collection for Louis Vuitton – I wondered was it the madness that gripped the world during the GFC or the rapid recovery that inspired this particular collection? Was he searching for something to cheer us up during the market downturn – or did this collection emerge like green shoots to provide us with the hope that life, like fashion, does indeed go on?

In her introduction to the collection, Kirstie Clements, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Australia, said, “Marc Jacobs throws things up in the air, season after season.” The result, she says is a collection of, “pieces of madness” – highly concentrated pieces intricately detailed and showcased in layer over layer theme over theme. Everything from army green to dolly pink, with feathers and fur, tassles and trinkets.

It is on the face of it - a very eclectic collection – so don’t expect me to recommend anyone turn up to the office with any of the outfits presented on the runway, but as Kirstie Clements pointed out on the evening – breaking down the collection – there were a number of pieces that could be either dialed up or down to suit any occasion.

And in there lies the genius.

I have always been of the view that a wardrobe should be compiled in the same way as a good share portfolio. Begin with a base of quality classical pieces – these are your blue chips – they perform in good times and bad – if you take good care of them – they will last many years and still look as good as the day you first purchased them.

However, over time, as you build the portfolio, add diverse pieces that straddle a range of situations – from a meeting with your boss – to an interview with your son’s teacher – to your sister’s engagement drinks. These pieces – if chosen carefully – will leverage a good base wardrobe in a way that a classic will not. These pieces are therefore potentially the most valuable ones we carry in our wardrobe.



Whether it is truly madness or genius, this collection provides a number of interconnecting pieces that will effectively mix and match with a range of looks and colours. When paired with traditional blue chip pieces they will provide a layer of diversity that will extend your wardrobe beyond the basics.

Yes these pieces are risky, but any good calculated risk will deliver an appropriate return – and I can see no better investment in quality and design than the combination of Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs.

And while you may still hesitate to take this risk, I urge all women to occasionally dare to be different in the workplace (of course within reason). Diversity is not only an avenue for creativity, it is the source of inspiration and ultimately progress. We should therefore embrace those things that make us different and the benefits they deliver.