Three is a magic number (maybe)

leoni milano

Happy Independence Day to my American readers. July 4 is also frockwriter’s birthday and today we turn three. How time flies. It seems like only yesterday that I was saying sayonara to mainstream media blogging (for smh.com.au and news.com.au) and venturing into the wild blue yonder of the indie blogosphere. What a ride it has been. And what can I say but, once again, thank you for your interest, your comments, your Tweets, your links, your trackbacks, your feedback and your shit-canning. Over exuberance of the latter at one point over the past year prompted me to finally upgrade my comments system. Couple of milestones. It took two years to reach one million page views. But just one to reach two million. What might it take to hit one million PIs per month? Certainly much more of an effort than currently goes into this blog, due to paid work commitments and other distractions (such as a family drama, which has occupied a huge amount of time over the past few months). But I’m working on it. Thanks to new advertising partner Pages Digital, the first ad campaigns have gone up. Early days of course. But baby steps. 

Thanks to Kent for his unwavering support. Thanks also to my mates. You know who you are.
 

Special thanks to the inimitable Andrej Pejic, the subject of frockwriter’s two most popular posts of the last twelve months (not to mention an in-depth current affairs profile on Seven Network’s Sunday Night program). The year’s other top posts included Pretty Babies, about the eight year-old stars of an editorial in the December edition of Vogue Paris - a post that attracted the attention of the US Christian Right and broke frockwriter’s comments record. Coincidentally, it also precipitated, by several days, the announcement of the departure of Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfeld. Bulgari’s Lolcats and Givenchy’s Gender Bender (about transsexual model Lea T) were other popular posts.
 

Thanks to all the photographers, designers, editors, PRs and model agents for their generosity with tips, info, access and notably first looks at images, covers and campaigns - and of course the models themselves, who occupy such a huge part of this blog.
 

Thank-you also to the other bloggers, journalists and media outlets which regularly pick up frockwriter's stories. So very much appreciated.

Bulgari's lion queen

How does Italian jeweller Bulgari top campaigns starring naked Julianne Moore alongside a sulphur-crested cockatoo and the next season, some adorable lion cubs? With a campaign for the company's brand new Mon Jasmin Noir fragrance starring another naked American actor, Kirsten Dunst, opposite... a full-grown lion. Behold what frockwriter understands is an exclusive preview of Bulgari's Mon Jasmin Noir campaign that is being released later today. It was shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott at Villa Balbianello in the exquisite Lake Como region just outside of Milan. Working alongside lion cubs is one thing, but even with the behind-the-scenes imagery (below), we're not convinced that Dunst happily nestled snugly against a real lion and/or that Mert + Marcus managed to get both it and Dunst to 'love the camera' at the same moment - and that's it's not a Photoshop mashup. Then again, Dunst is an old hand with big cats. Some movie sites list her as the voice of young Nala in Disney's 1994 animated feature The Lion King (IMDB has Nikete Calame voicing the role). The following year, she co-starred in Jumanji, opposite Robin Williams and some scary - albeit computer-generated - lions. 

 all images: supplied to frockwriter by bulgari

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

BVLGARI's LOLCATS

Leos don’t start celebrating their birthdays until later this month, so what’s with all the lions? After last week’s eight tonne, 40-foot golden lion presiding over the Chanel haute couture show in Paris – closed by Karl Lagerfeld muse Baptiste Giabiconi in a stuffed lion’s head – comes the Fall/Winter 2010/2011 campaign for Italian luxurygoods brand Bulgari. We’ve already seen American actor Julianne Moore nude in Bulgari’s Spring/Summer 2010 campaign, paired with a couple of Australian sulphur-crested cockatoos. For the winter campaign, which was also shot by renowned fashion snapper duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and is due to break in September issues, Moore teams up with a couple of adorable lion cubs. No idea what PETA has to say about it but if the cubs could speak, the expressions on their faces seem to be saying "MEH".

all images: supplied to frockwriter by bulgari (whose trademark FYI, carries a roman "V" instead of "u" - only when the name appears in capital letters)

Bvlgari's 125 years of Italian jewels

With 13 shows a day, it's unlikely many Rosemount Australian Fashion Week attendees will have a spare moment to scratch themselves this week. Let alone, hop along to the Sydney chapter of the travelling 125 year retrospective exhibition of Italian fine jewellery maker Bvlgari, which opened last week and runs until Thursday in the flagship Castlereagh Street Sydney boutique. But for anyone not tied up at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, or just anyone with a passion for jewellery, this exhibition is a can't miss. The jewellery is extraordinary, with some pieces dating back to the early 20th century. Included are pieces on loan from collections such as Elizabeth Taylor's and also items worn by the screen legends Ingrid Bergman and Sophia Loren. Ram raiders and those after four finger discounts are, naturally, unwelcome - hence the exhibition has heavy security and is by appointment only. Those interested should email vintage@bulgari.com.