The transvestite issue

brett lloyd for candy via boy lloyd

Frockwriter has little doubt that US Vogue editrix double act Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington have seen more than their fair share of homages in smoky drag dives over the years – notably since the release of R.J Cutler's 2009 frockumentary The September Issue. But thanks to Luis Venegas, editor and publisher of the world’s first so-called “transversal style magazine” Candy, their tranny doppelgängers have made it to print. In the hilarious editorial The Devil Wears Anna in Candy's second edition, Spanish natives Venegas and model/DJ/musician Andrès Borque channel Wintour and Coddington respectively. While elsewhere in the story, other female impersonators take on Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani, teen blogger Tavi Gevinson and others. The images are interspersed with pre-published or –broadcast quotes pulled from sources such as 60 Minutes and Venegas’ own Fanzine 137. Only 1000 copies of each issue of Candy are printed and although this edition was launched in October, the images have only just been uploaded by photographer Brett Lloyd. Thanks to Homotography for spotting them. It's not the first time Venegas and Borque have paid homage to Vogue's editor and creative director. They attended Candy's November 2009 launch party as the duo (see end).

all images (above): brett lloyd for candy via boy lloyd

andres borque and luis venegas, november 2009/fashion's most wanted

Shadtoto Prasetio: The Jakarta protocol

Over Christmas the US east coast was blanketed by a ferocious snow blizzard, while heavy snow prompted airport closures across Europe. Australia, meanwhile, has been experiencing its wettest summer on record, with thousands in Queensland stranded by floods. Not helping assuage our paranoia that we could be facing a Roland Emmerich-style snowmaggedon: NASA reports that 2010 was the hottest year on record and one meteorologist claims we are inching towards a mini ice age. Emerging Indonesian photographer and filmmaker Shadtoto Prasetio picks up the global warming gauntlet with this haunting editorial called Climate Climax. Starring Juliet Pishnyak, the spread appears in the December edition of new Indonesian fashion magazine Dew (as spotted by Noir Facade). Dew was launched in August by photographer/art director Teuku Ajie who, like Shadtoto, is 24 and based in Jakarta. Shadtoto’s blog has some other work with an equally interesting horror bent, notably the Desperate Housewife and Horrific Beauty stories. Definitely one to watch. 

 

 
all images: shadtoto prasetio for dew magazine, via shadtoto prasetio 

Myf Shepherd goes back to work

The February 2011 edition of Vogue Australia doesn’t just offer up Catherine McNeil’s fifth cover of the magazine. It also represents the return of Myf Shepherd to modelling after a year hiatus to study set design in Sydney. McNeil’s Chic Management stablemate rocketed to international modelling stardom after her debut at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in May 2008, walking the runways of some of the world's biggest fashion names and booking campaigns including Gucci and Miu Miu, only to put her burgeoning career on ice this time last year. Chic Management reports that the Vogue shoot was Shepherd’s first job back at work. She appears in six images in the massive 30-page New Season Hit List story that was shot by Nicole Bentley and also stars Codie Young, Alice Burdeu, Samantha Harris, Ruby Jean Wilson and Annaleise Smith. Chic reports that Shepherd has also shot a campaign for Myer [possibly the autumn/winter 2011 campaign] in addition to two other local campaigns. “Myf’s back modelling” Chic Management director Kathy Ward told frockwriter. “She’s continuing on with her studies but she’s very excited to be based in Sydney now and modelling for top end magazines and securing some major Australian campaigns as well. She may go back for the [Haute Couture SS11 or FW1112] shows, although there are no plans at this stage. But things happen very quickly, there’s a slight chance she may”.

all images: nicole bentley for vogue australia february 2011 via TFS

Catherine McNeil scores her fifth Vogue Australia cover

vogue australia via TFS

It seems Vogue Australia just can't get enough of Catherine McNeil. Just five months after her last Vogue Australia cover, an edition which also included multiple McNeil editorials, here she is on the cover of the magazine's February 2011 issue. According to McNeil's mother agency Chic Management, the cover was shot by Max Doyle in Sydney "several months ago" - before McNeil cut her hair into a short bob and died it black (and was quite possibly shot in August, when she was in town for the David Jones Spring/Summer 2010/2011 runway show). This is McNeil's fifth Vogue Australia cover. Currently at home enjoying the Christmas-New Year break with her family and friends, McNeil is soon due to return to the work in the northern hemisphere.  

Jessica Gomes is the Megan Gale of South Korea

There were only two models at last week’s Australians in New York Fashion Foundation party to announce the 2011 AINYFF grant winner, each representing opposite ends of the Australian modelling spectrum. The upwardly mobile high fashion girl Bambi Northwood-Blyth, who seems to be getting thinner and thinner. And the more voluptuous Jessica Gomes (whose surname FYI rhymes with “homes”). Gomes has, not surprisingly, found a niche in the ‘sexy’ arena, whose imagery primarily appeals to straight men - as distinct from the flatter-chested, ballerina-like gazelles who tend to populate the world’s top runways and ‘highbrow’ fashion editorial. A few models have managed to cross over between the two arenas, Miranda Kerr being a good case in point. Gomes is on the December cover of Australia’s Men’s Style magazine and has appeared in Sports Illustrated’s famous Swimsuit Edition three times. Not forgetting her lingerie-clad cameo in the 2007 tvc for Sean Combs’ steamy 'Unforgivable Woman' – which was banned in the US. 

After shooting commercials for Hyundai and LG, Gomes, who is half Chinese and half Portuguese, has also become quite the celebrity in South Korea over the past two years, mirroring the career trajectory of another Australian model in Italy - Megan Gale. 

Gomes now spends a lot of her time on the Korean peninsula shooting advertising campaigns, editorial and making television appearances. She has also starred in two seasons of her own South Korean reality tv show called ‘My name is Jessica Gomes’ on the On Style channel. 

I recorded this quick chat after the AINYFF announcement.


Frockwriter: What are your holiday plans?  

Jessica Gomes: I’m going back to Perth for Christmas and then I come back to Sydney. And then I fly to Melbourne for a big wedding on New Year’s Eve. My friend Rebecca Twigley and Chris Judd. They’re getting married on New Year’s Eve in Melbourne.

FW: So is she wearing a backless dress?  

JG: (Laughs) I don’t know, probably. It’s going to be so much fun, I’m really excited about it. Then I come back and I’m shooting with some Korean clients.

FW: Because you have a Korean talk show, don’t you?  

JG: I do.

FW: It’s in English?  

JG: In English. It’s a fashion channel called On Style. I have my own tv show where they follow me around and I talk about fashion, I go shopping, they come with me to my photoshoots. They follow me to New York. And then I’m actually going back to New York for the Sports Illustrated party. We’re doing that in New York and in Vegas. Yeah, so lots of things are happening. It’s fun. 

 

FW: So you’re based in New York now? 
JG: Yes. Well…I’ve been living in New York for seven years, but now I’m spending a lot more time in Seoul in South Korea.
 

FW: In a profile on Seven Network's Sunday Night program in July - entitled 'Thin is in' - you were quite vocal on the body image issue, talking about how you had been told you were too 'fat' to work as a mainstream fashion model. 
JG: I think you’ve just got to be comfortable with who you are. Every girl has their own opinion and I guess there’s pressure in, you know, every business that you’re in. But there is a lot of pressure obviously to keep really thin. And we definitely do criticise ourselves and compare ourselves to other girls. And so I just wanted to say to other girls that, you know, it’s cool to talk about it. It’s there. I’m not saying that I’ve got anything against it.
 

FW: Did you cop any flak from it? 
JG: Not at all actually. I got a lot of fans. A lot of girls were writing to me saying, ‘Like OMG you’re so inspirational’. I guess people just thought it was humbling to see a girl talk about it.
 

FW: But you have found a niche in the ‘sexy’ modelling area – lingerie, swimwear etc. And obviously, those girls earn a lot more money than straight high fashion models. Forbes’ annual high earning models list, for example, is filled with Victoria’s Secret models. The high fashion arena, however, likes models to be ultra thin - with few exceptions, eg Lara Stone.  
JG: Yeah exactly, whom I absolutely love. All I’m saying is, curvy girls can wear fashion and look really cool. And photographs, you know… you’re portrayed in a different light. It just depends how you’re styled and what they’ve done to you and what angle and what lighting and makeup.. And I’m just trying to say to all the other regular girls out there that aren’t models, to realise that it is a fantasy and it’s not all real. And not stress out about it and get eating disorders.
 

FW: Some girls are extremely thin. 
JG: I mean I guess it’s to each their own. For me, I love my food and I want to be healthy and I think that being voluptuous is beautiful and womanly and brave. And I guess if there are more girls like me and Lara Stone who can still work and do everything, then that’s awesome. Because it just paves the way.
 

FW: The general public would find it very hard to understand that you would be considered ‘plus size’ compared to a regular (ie size 0) fashion model because you are for all intents and purposes extremely slim.
JG: They probably think it’s nuts. I did have some people say to me ‘Oh I can’t believe that you’re saying that….you’re so skinny’. I am bigger than most other models. And that’s why I felt like I was…’Ooh I’m plus size’ or whatever. I mean it’s just the way the industry is. I mean it is very kind of ... almost……crazy. (Laughs) I mean it is. It’s crazy. It’s crazy.
 

FW: How long have you been modelling?
JG: I’ve been modelling for over ten years now,
 

FW: Do you think it’s crazier now than when you started? 
JG: I think it’s just getting good. Like I’m actually just really enjoying it and I’m really starting to be confident with myself. I really feel like I’ve now got a place and I have an identity. And I feel really good about it. And I’ve definitely grown up doing it, so I feel really mature about it all now, so that’s really great and refreshing for me. Because now I’m like, ‘Oh I get it. I’m not mad’.
 

FW: What about pressures in South Korea? Their best known fashion model, Daul Kim, sadly committed suicide.  

JG: Not for me because I have created my own brand over there. And that’s what I am over there: I’m the girl who looks like she could be Korean, but she’s also got this amazing, sexy body and that’s kind of what the whole niche is. That’s kind of what Megan Gale did in Italy. I do a lot of the commercials over there, I do a lot of magazine work, I’ve been on a lot of talk shows, I’ve got my own talk show. So I’m very recognisable over there.
 

FW: How long have you been working in South Korea? 
JG: For the past two and a half years.
 

FW: Do you have an apartment over there?
JG: No but I will be looking into that next year for sure.
 

FW: Interesting place. I’ve been three times.
JG: I feel like it’s a small Tokyo. The Koreans are very cautious and they’re strict and they’re very clean and orderly and they work so hard.
 

FW: The bathhouse culture is fascinating.
JG: Yes the bathhouses are amazing. I’ve been to a lot of them and love doing that. But you know, it’s nice coming home and just hanging out here in Australia. Sydney is so beautiful and I love coming home and working and doing shoots here because everyone is so cool and nice. I love New York as well.
 

FW: So are you a bridesmaid on Friday?

JG: No I’m not, just a guest. I think her sisters are bridesmaids.
 

FW: Having now spent 10 years in the industry, what would be your advice to any girls who want to be models?
JG: Just be yourself and never lose your integrity and always follow your own rules. Be smart, think about the business and about setting yourself up. Because that’s what's so great about it. Because I’ve been able to travel and learn a lot of things. I think it’s all about being smart and staying true to yourself is also very important.

A Merry Marc, Anna, Carine, Tom and Tavi Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the fashion house, not a creature was stirring….. Wait, that can't be right. Carine’s out of a job. It could be Tom’s fault. Anna is so worried about hers, she’s been reduced to Christmas shopping in Brooklyn flea markets. Marc’s pissed because some rat bastard leaked his Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2011 campaign casting deets. And Tavi still wants to know why he gave her third row at the main line show in September. Like everyone else we imagine, frockwriter has received and seen more than our fair share of animated JibJab Elf Yourself Christmas e-cards over the past couple of years. This season the JibJabbing seems to be in overdrive, so we thought we might as well add to it. Here with a Christmas medley, we give you fashion's latest superband, Botox: Marc on vocals, Anna on drums, with Carine, Tom and Tavi on rhythm, lead and bass guitars. One can only imagine what their hotel room looked like after the gig. Merry Christmas and happy holidays guys. Thanks for your company this year. It's been an honour dishing it up for you. Rock out with your frock out in 2011.  

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld interviews Tom Ford for V Magazine

These shots were just slipped to frockwriter (and no doubt many other blogs, but at this stage we think it may be a first look). It's a preview of V Magazine's issue #69, a spread starring Julia Restoin-Roitfeld modelling Tom Ford's debut womenswear collection - described as "self portraits" so we have to assume she took the shots. And an excerpt from an interview conducted with Ford, by Restoin-Roitfeld, the face of Ford's Black Orchid fragrance campaign. This would have been in the pipeline for some time, but interesting that it falls hot on the heels of last Friday's abrupt resignation by Restoin-Roitfeld's mother, Carine Roitfeld, from Vogue Paris after a 10 year tenure. The official version is that Roitfeld wants to pursue "personal projects". In reality, however, noone leaves a position like that with several weeks notice. Few, if any, have voluntarily resigned from Vogue. There has been much speculation that Roitfeld was pushed by Condé Nast after problems vis-à-vis her ongoing consulting to fashion brands. Yes fashion editors (even in Australia) do paid work on outside ad campaigns and that's bad enough. It is verging on the ludicrous for an editor-in-chief to do so. There has also been speculation that the December issue of Vogue Paris, as edited by Ford, was poorly received by some Vogue advertisers and may have proven the final straw.

JULIA RESTOIN ROITFELD What made you decide that this was the season to return to fashion?  
TOM FORD I told myself that I would not come back to 
women’s fashion until I felt I had something new to say. I feel that fashion has become too serious and that the actual customer’s needs have not really been addressed. Fashion needs to make one happy. It is a luxury and should enhance one’s quality of life.
 

JRR What inspired your collection?   
TF Real clothes for real women. I want to concentrate on my real customer. That’s why I showed idealized versions of her—different women of different ages. It was about individuality, different body types, women who have their own style.
 

JRR What do you think fashion needs more of right now? 

TF Spontaneity. Fashion needs to be more fun.
 

JRR What personality traits does the Tom Ford woman possess? 

TF My customer has her own sense of style and knows herself well. My goal is to help women become the best version of themselves.
 

JRR What is your favorite piece from the collection? 

TF I love every piece. That is like asking someone which one of their children is their favorite.
 

JRR Outside fashion, what are you looking forward to this spring? 

TF I have to say more fashion. I love what I am doing right now and can’t wait to start the next collection.
 

JRR What was the last thing that made you laugh? 

TF I laugh a good bit so that is a hard question. I suppose a phone call I just had with Richard [Buckley] five minutes ago made me laugh pretty hard. He has a wicked sense of humor
 

JRR What’s your New Year’s resolution?   
TF I don’t have one. I believe in living life the way that you want to live it every day, and if you do that you don’t really need to have New Year’s resolutions.

all materials: supplied to frockwriter by V magazine

Rosemary Smith pieces together Jigsaw for Autumn/Winter 2011

Rosemary Smith has had a big year. After a slow burn in 2009, during which she shot for Harpers Bazaar Australia and Marie Claire Australia - and made it onto models.com's emerging models/creatives site, The Ones 2 Watch - this year she nabbed a Vogue Australia exclusive, which saw her featured in the August, October, November and December editions, swapped agencies (from Viviens to Chic Management) and will soon be featured in a new faces spread in V Magazine in the US. The latter was shot last month, while she attended castings for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Smith wasn't cast in the latter, however she has just bagged another local ad campaign. Adding to her recent Ksubi Eyewear and Ojay campaigns, here is a first look at Smith in the Autumn/Winter 2011 campaign for another Australian high street fashion chain, Jigsaw. It sees the Daria Werbowy lookalike reunited with photographer Nicole Bentley, who shot two of the Vogue editorials. The campaign was styled by Claudia Navone and photographed in a private mansion in Bellevue Hill. After her recent turn on the David Jones runway, where Smith caught the eye of Sydney expat casting director Kannon Rajah (who just added Versace to his client list, which already includes Fendi and the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show), let's hope we see her on the international runways in 2011. 

all images: nicole bentley for jigsaw. supplied exclusively to frockwriter by jigsaw

Power couple

Congrats are due to Sydneysiders Trent Power and Jessica French, who just became engaged while on holiday in Bali. Power is of course more than well acquainted with the concept of putting a ring on it. As any high profilers who have attended Australian gala functions can attest, the Bulgari Australia publicist is the go-to guy for Bulgari sparklers. Power popped the question, where else, but the Bulgari Bali resort. And the ring? You guessed it, Bulgari. A, by all accounts, spectacular Bulgari Trombino ring of yellow gold, with pavé diamonds and a large oval cut emerald - as outlined by Power in some detail in an email blast to his mates this morning. It’s one of Bulgari's most iconic ring designs which dates back to the 1930s and if it’s anything like this example sold at Christie’s (below), all we can say is……….Kate Middleton may not be the only blinged-up new fiancée. French, a former model, who was runner-up in Cycle Two of Australia’s Next Top Model, is studying a Bachelor of Psychology at the University of NSW. Power proposed on bended knee at sunset last night on a rose petal-strewn clifftop, following a private degustation dinner. The ring was delivered to French by two young Balinese dancing girls. Frockwriter wishes the happy couple all the best. 

christies

Andrej Pejic nabs Marc by Marc Jacobs to boot

armin morbach for tush via fashion gone rogue

 
Ah the Andrej Pejic story. There's just no end to the updates. So after mesmerising the Paris Spring/Summer 2011 mens runways in June, booking editorials with, among others, Vogue Paris and Vogue Italia, not to mention Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring/Summer 2011 ad campaign, WWD reported an hour ago in Monday's Fashion Scoops column (here) that Pejic has just shot the Marc by Marc Jacobs SS11 campaign (confirming previous reports on frockwriter that he had booked a second campaign). Last week Pejic debuted at No 40 on models.com's Top 50 Male Models. Notes MDC: "Andrej, in a few short months has become the face of a new sort of male beauty, the kind that sparks comments, controversies and intense scrutiny... look for Andrej's stock to rise even higher in 2011". You can count on it.

Auckland retail in the Qantas Travel Insider

I recently mentioned that I have started writing about global fashion retail for the Qantas Travel Insider blog. Today my mini wrap of Auckland retail went up on QTI (here). It's just a quick snapshot really, a few must-see basics for anyone who may be brand new to the city, in what promises to be a very busy year for Auckland. FYI that's James Dobson, above, aka designer Jimmy D, at the entrance to his marvellous multibrand Children of Vision boutique in St Kevin's Arcade - a shot I took in September 2009 during New Zealand Fashion Week (with most of the other images supplied by World, Kate Sylvester, Zambesi and The Department Store, many thanks to all). Feel free to add in suggestions in comments. What's your favourite Auckland store?  

A supermodel New Year

vogue paris june/july 2009 via style frizz

Some parts of the world might be winding down for the holidays but of course, fashion never sleeps. Frockwriter has it on good authority that Polish supermodel Anja Rubik (above)  – who is ranked as the world No 3 by models.com – will be winging her way downunder to shoot for Vogue Australia, in time for New Year’s Eve. With 11 international Vogue covers to her credit, six of them in 2010, one could only speculate that if Rubik was going to be featured anywhere in an upcoming edition of Vogue Australia, surely it would be the cover? If that’s the case, then good to see our Vogue finally shooting more of its own material, after many years of rehashing covers from international editions. Sure, plenty of other international and local titles do this, however all the publicity and accolades regarding Vogue Australia’s original covers over the past year, from Cate Blanchett to Abbey Lee Kershaw, Catherine McNeil and Miranda Kerr, can’t have hurt push the idea along. But we understand that Rubik might not be the only supermod in town over the New Year. 

Iekeliene Stange arrived on Monday this week, to promote the Wish Autumn/Winter 2011 campaign that was just shot in New York with Sonny Vandevelde. 

McNeil is apparently already back home for Christmas. There is even a chance, we also hear, that Kershaw might either not be heading back to New York after this week’s Portmans shoot, or else may be returning. 

If Kerr does indeed plan to have her baby downunder, as per speculation, she would most likely need to be getting back soon, given that she is due in January. 

Kerr probably won’t feel much like partying on NYE but don’t count on the others not kicking their heels up. Especially the Next posse (Rubik, McNeil, Kershaw). We hear they may even be joined by a US celebrity...

Australian Fashion Week founder Simon Lock awarded the 2010 Australian Fashion Laureate

life.com

Now this is a fascinating turn of events. Ten months after IMG Fashion Asia Pacific announced that Rosemount Australian Fashion Week founder Simon Lock would not be renewing his contract in October this year, amidst rumours of a straining of relations between Lock and IMG, which acquired the event in 2005 - and which speculation was only compounded after IMG virtually iced Lock out of this year's 15th anniversary event - Lock has just been announced as the 2010 Australian Fashion Laureate. This is an annual award that was introduced during Lock's tenure of the event as recognition for those who have made a significant contribution to the Australian fashion industry. In a release from IMG Fashion Asia Pacific, general manager Daniel Hill noted "This is a great exclamation mark on Simon's career in the fashion industry. With Rosemount Australian Fashion Week having celebrated its 15th anniversary this year, he should certainly feel very proud". Congratulations Simon. Well deserved. 

Abbey Lee Kershaw channels Vali Myers for ManiaMania

maniamania SS11 via the new york times

It’s been quite a year for Sydney jewellery brand ManiaMania. First, it gets picked up by high profile European bloggers Garance Doré and Susie Bubble, catching the eye of Madonna and daughter Lourdes Leon and subsequently getting a nod on their Material Girl website. Now comes word that ManiaMania designers Tamila Purvis and Melanie Kamsler have scored Abbey Lee Kershaw as their new season face. Just gone up on The New York Times: The Moment blog: a first look at Kershaw shot by Barnaby Roper for ManiaMania's Spring/Summer 2011 campaign. Entitled Rêve, the collection was inspired by Australian artist, dancer, wildlife warrior and white witch, Vali Myers, who died in 2003 at the age of 72 after an extraordinary life, during which she befriended, was mentored by and/or played muse to some of the biggest art, literary and music figures of the 20th century, from Salvador Dali to Andy Warhol, Tennessee Williams, photographer Ed van der Eisken, Patti Smith and Marianne Faithfull. As documented in four films. The perfect muse for ManiaMania which, in just three seasons, has forged a reputation for its bold bohemian jewellery. 

The NYT reports that the SS11 collection includes a “vagabond” cuff with the texture of whittled wood, quartz jewel necklaces and a bronze “immortal” ring inlaid with amazonite. All of which suits Kershaw, who is usually laden with bold jewellery, particularly over-sized rings. 

Kershaw is a quite extraordinary get for ManiaMania. Their last collection starred another Australian, the upwardly mobile Bambi Northwood-Blyth. 

This is an interesting turn of events for Kershaw, whose Australian work for the past couple of years as she has been building up an impressive international body of work, has almost exclusively consisted of magazine covers. And it's the second local campaign that she has recently booked.

On Monday and Tuesday this week, Kershaw shot the Autumn/Winter 2011 campaign for Australian fast fashion chain Portmans for an estimated A$120,000. Presumably this kind of fee would be out of the reach of Purvis and Kamsler, so we’re assuming ALK may have done it at mates rates and because she really digs the product. 

In the ManiaMania shots, Kershaw is sporting the same platinum blonde version of her infamous “Kob” bob, that was died on the eve of New York Fashion Week in September. And which some have speculated may have cost her some work in the interim. 

What does Kershaw's hair look like now just out of interest? Still the same platinum bob, according to sources who were on the Portmans shoot.

Check The New York Times story for more images. 

mania mania SS11 via the new york times

 

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides trailer

screen cap/pirates of the caribbean: on stranger tides trailer/disney

Minutes ago, the much-awaited Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides trailer was released online, offering not only the first proper look at the fourth instalment of Disney's swashbuckling pirate franchise, but a glimpse at Australian model-turned-actor Gemma Ward in her fourth film role, as a mermaid. In fact it offers two glimpses of Ward. And she looks a little cranky in one of them. We'll have to wait until May 20 2011 to see the rest. Amusingly, Yahoo's much-touted "world premier" of the clip was beaten by a mystery YouTube channel (possibly connected to Disney), after Yahoo's trailer failed to fire at 8.00am AEDT. Here is the trailer:

screen caps/pirates of the caribbean: on stranger tides trailer/disney

Pawel Bednarek fronts Song for the Mute Autumn/Winter 2011

Elliot Ward-Fear isn't the only emerging Australian fashion designer with big branding ideas. Just three seasons old, Sydney menswear label Song for the Mute has recruited Polish model Pawel Bednarek for its Autumn/Winter 2011 campaign and lookbook shot by Bowen Arico in and around Wollongong. Although not as feminine as Australia's Andrej Pejic, Bednarek nevertheless definitely has the moment's popular androgynous look - as harnessed in editorials by publications such as Dazed & Confused Japan. Which suits the cool, asexual vibe of much of Song for the Mute's clothing. The brand is designed by Melvin Tanaya and Lyna Ty (below), who will take their winter collection - entitled 'Milieu' - to the upcoming Paris mens' Fall/Winter 2011/2012 fashion week (January 19-23), where they will be represented by Showroom Romeo. Song for the Mute is also among five finalists for the 2011 L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival Designer Award, a competition that has previously been won by Josh Goot, Friedrich Gray, Romance Was Born and Dion Lee. The event runs from March 14-20 and as previously reported, will be attended by Dazed Group co-founder Jefferson Hack - who apparently won't just be speaking at LMFF's hugely popular Business Seminar, but may even DJ at a soiree.

all images: bowen arico for song for the mute/supplied exclusively to frockwriter by die cast agency