It’s Sunday night and I’ve been struggling to  wrap up Rosemount Australian Fashion Week Summer 2009/10. As I run through the events of the past week, I don’t ever want fashion week to end because it was full of so much fashion, fun and all things chic. But like all good things, they must end. At least we have some chic things to look back on fondly.

Here’s our 10 Chicest things from RAFW summer 2009/10:

1. Dion Lee. Like Godfrey Deeny of Fashion Wire Daily, put simply he is a wunderkind. Don’t forget the name or the fact that he is just 23 and this is his RAFW solo debut. [Photo by Sonny Vandevelde]
2. Jayson Brunsdon, welcome back! We’re so happy to see you back, healthy, and with a utterly divine collection to boot.
3. Lipstick heels at Ellery. Chanel Cruise gun heels, eat your heart out! [Photo by Sonny Vandevelde]
4. The ‘Balmain’ shoulder. The stiff and sculpted look is in, if the 89280 looks didn’t confirm it for you this week. Time to start your summer shopping list.
5. Seating manager Miro Kubicek. Quite easy on the eye, he always looked chic but don’t you dare walk across his runway if it wasn’t covered. Glad you didn’t mind us grabbing some prime seats just seconds before a show!
6. Zippers! At Kirrily Johnston on the skinny jeans and at Camilla & Marc on those sexy black dresses.
7. Rocking bands! Hot Little Hands at Ellery matched her party girl collection perfectly, while at Marnie Skillings, Chaingang’s Skarlett Scaramore was just awesome.
8. The MAC make up and Redken hair room’s. Like Superman and his phone booth, you duck in for a quick visit and come out looking like a super hero model.
9. Bloggers and Twitters. Happily showing the world the first looks and finale walks straight from the front row, we loved being the eyes and ears for everyone not at RAFW… and of course Imelda (who got Sart’d), IsaacLikes and I scrambled for group photos with Aussie supermodel Myf Shepherd and Margherita Missoni.
10. Finally, we loved the YellowGlen Pearl Chardonnay in the Media Room on Friday evening. It kicked off a great Friday night which included the fabulous Harper’s Bazaar party and another after party where Alice Burdeau, Gail Reid (Sorronda) and Gary Bigeni were also in attendance!

Until next time, we bid you adieu and hope you stay chic!

It was a collection I was certainly looking forward too - after all Mira Vukovic from Mad Cortes fame was collaborating with Fernando Frisoni on their first womenswear collection. Unfortunately there weren’t any of the stylish and chic designs we’re so use to see from Vukovic, instead the collection looked remarkably unisex and opened with a bang thanks to the youngest model on the runway all week.

The young boy had enough attitude to show the seasoned models how it’s done and won the crowd over just by simply being there. Amongst the sea of harem pants (on the men), leggings (on the men and the women) there were some beautifully tailored jackets dressed and vests paired with cosy jersey pieces. But it was all unfortunately hidden behind the dominating nomad style of the show.

It was a rather somber end to an otherwise fabulous week.

I love a man who can design a pretty dress and Michael Lo Sordo can certainly do that. Opening with a pretty which shift dress with zigzagging detail across the body, he showed a collection that could take a woman from the beach in the morning to the office and then out again that night. From there on he displayed a collection of wearable separates, perfect for a chic spring day and sexy flirty dresses ideal for a hot summer night. To complete the relaxed Australian look the hair looked freshly washed after a morning dip at the beach. A dip in the surf then off to the office? We can only dream.

His signature summer 2009/10 multicoloured print (inspired by the sea) is also one to watch, as it was seen across the packaging of the fabulous Plantronics Bluetooth devices found in the front row goody bags. Sometimes we love our job!

L-R: Sam Taylor-Wood, Kate Moss, Rankin

When Sass & Bide lures you out to Sydney’s industrial suburb of Alexandria to attend their Shine Collective exhibition, you don’t ask why, you ask when/where and show up looking fabulous and on time.

Sure we arrived a little later than planned, but we were greeted by a rocking DJ, delicious drinks and some interesting art by the likes of Kate Moss, Barry Humphries, Rankin, Twiggy, Sneaky Sound System’s Daimon Downey, Sam Taylor-Wood, Mischa Barton, Emma Hawkins, Daisy Lowe, and Powderfinger’s Darren Middleton.

They were all asked by Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke to create a piece of art based on their interpretation of “shine” with each piece set to be auctioned off to raise money for Barnardos later this year.

Check out more photos of the art work below.

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This time last year Juli Grbac had never held a major fashion show, but in 2009 things changed dramatically for her after she won Project Runway Australia.

Making her Rosemount Australian Fashion Week debut, Juli unveiled her very pretty summer 2009/10 collection tonight at the Cargo Theatre for a packed out crowd which came complete with Virgin Australian air hostess’.

As expected, the collection played to Juli’s Project Runway winning strengths: dresses with an abundance of ruffles, pleats and drapery in an array of soft pastel pinks and lavender. The Brisbane designer showed signs of maturing with pretty tailored pieces that with heavy metal embellishments on soft silk jackets.

It was the perfect collection for all Juli Grbac fans and lovers of pretty frothy dresses.

Romance Was Born was the bright start to the day we needed after the city we were a little washed out by the downpour of rain on Sydney. Fittingly, we were taken on an underwater journey by Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales in a show entitled Doilies and Pearls, Oysters and Shells.

The theatrical show saw the collaboration of elaborate make up by MAC (the model call times rumoured to be from 4am for a 9am show) with a kooky display of fantastical designs. Models exaggerated each step as they walked out to pose before the intricately assembled setting which came complete with a merman and harpist.

Once the crowd took in the amazing setting, we were greeted by pretty lace and doily designs but it was the underwater themed costumes had tongues wagging.  There was a rather delicious looking replica of an Arnotts Iced VoVo biscuit and of course the beautiful Sophie Ward closing the show as the taller mermaid ever.

We do love a good show in the mornings.

Whiy hold a fashion show when you can have a live fashion installation?

Aurelio (Ray) Costarella unveiled his collection of romantic and heavily embellished gowns that the crowd were able to get up close and personal with after the eight models walked out on the catwalk. Entitled Morphosis, Costarella’s models were made to look like exotic goddesses with blue MAC eyeliner and bronzed cheeks. Taking inspiration from within himself to create the collection, Ray’s collection was a wonderful homecoming.

Check out the official RAFW video here.

Opening and closing looks for Jayson Brunsdon

Perennial fashion week favourite, Jayson Brunsdon made a comeback tonight and we are so glad to have him.

His summer 2009/10 collection was inspired, quite touchingly, by his mother Dorothy and the classic Australian woman. Jayson does chic so well, and there were so many beautiful cocktail dresses we wish we could fill our wardrobe with. But our show favourite was the high-waisted silk cocktail shorts, they were the sweetest things that we want some in every colour.

As he writes in his show notes:

“I’m not interested in thinking about how I want to torture women next. What interests me is how to make her feel elegant and at ease without the strain of self-consciousness. In these troubled times we want practical glamour tinged with a hint of escapism through the luxury of fabrication.”

Jayson, we’re so glad you’re back!

When you need a chic shoulder to rest on or a gesture to show we all care, why look any further than to another designer? Dhini and Gail Sorronda came together for a joint show at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week today with collections that stood out for their individual ideas.

Inspired by a vintage American high school marching band jacket, Dhini’s collection was wonderfully tailored and the sculptural designs molded themselves around the body in all new shapes. If only all marching bands could look so chic. It was a great RAFW debut and we loved the fabulous Kara Turner custom-made hats and the little drummer girl!

Guiding Dhini through her first RAFW was Gail Sorronda who was inspired by exotic birds dancing, which lead to a smattering of feathered headpieces, bows, ruffles and even polka dots. It was a flight of fancy for a very pretty, slightly flapper-style collection.

But as per all I-spy-around-RAFW tradition, we loved spotting Gail an hour or so later getting photographed by The Sartorialist. Will we see her chic post-runway outfit gracing his blog in the next few days?

Akira Isogawa, model and Virginia Bruce, CEO of Hands

Always the perennial fashion week favourite, Akira Isogawa popped on site to help launch Hands That Shape Humanity and unveil his exclusive design at the Rosemount Bar.

It all began with the single question: If you could leave one message for humanity, what would it be?

Akira took inspiration from participant messages for his red kimono gown and follows three distinct lines: basic collection, lifestyle key essentials and a limited edition artisan luxury range.

Akira’s message for humanity is: “be kind: to humanity, to yourself and to the world.”

And Dion Lee fans (and we know there are quite a few after his show on Tuesday) should take note too, the young designer has created a classic cotton shirt for the lifestyle range, supporting sustainable business for a farming cooperative in Turkey

Each design will be limited to 250 pieces and available globally at select retailers.

The Hands That Shape Humanity instalation can be previewed in an installation at the Orson & Blake on 483 Riley Street, Surry Hills from 27 April to 1 May.