Collaborations

Brilliant-cut fuchsia gems, sparkling fancy-cut emerald-hued stones and more bling than is decent to wear during daylight hours — that's what you get when you mix the creative talents of cult jewellery designer Shourouk with the global crystal powerhouse that is Swarovski. For the house's Autumn/Winter collection, Swarovski has taken a cross-continental trip, finding inspiration from locations as far flung as China, Venice, the Himalayas and last but not least - India, which is where the ornate aesthetic of Sharouk comes in. Nathalie Colin, Swarovski's creative director, said of the collaboration, “Shourouk has always worked with Swarovski crystals in her own line, so this is a perfect match. And her world, inspired by the jewelry of the Maharajas, fits perfectly with the spirit of our ‘Secret Treasures’ collection.” Before the killer collab drops in stores and online in July, we thought we'd share a preview of our favourite pieces. Stockists: 1300 791 599. 

International shoe giant Aldo is jumping on the designer collaboration bandwagon, bringing high end heels with high street prices to our door via their Aldo Rise line.  This is not the first time Aussie customers will benefit from Aldo's collaborative efforts, this making the joint capsule with UK design team Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi from Preen by Thornton and Bregazzi Aldo's third. Previous team efforts have included killer ollections with JW Anderson and Mark Fast. Let us be clear, this stellar six piece offering is not for wallflowers. Pointy-toed pumps spliced with snakeskin, sharp two-strap stilettos and no-nonsense hardware suggest that these heels are made for walkin', not talkin'. Selected stores nationally will be receiving the drop come August and, at a price point of $189.95, we're guessing they will disappear faster than you can say "Size 37 please."

Witchery has tapped the fashion forecasting talent of Madison magazine again, teaming up with the glossie's creatives for their second collaborative collection. The scmick eight piece line-up balances heavy, cocoon-like shapes with lighter, bias-cut silk pieces — creating a feminine balance that is both modern but alluring. Editor Lizzie Renkert said of the fashion team's aim, "We wanted to create pieces with a real fashion focus, taking the trends we have seen on the international runways and making them accessible and easy to wear for every stylish woman." 

Heavy roll-neck sweaters, cosy wool coats and chunky knit cardigan ground the Schiaparelli pink silk camisoles and pleated midi-skirts. The upshot? The editors' eye is evident throughout. Sadly, the June issue was Madison's last so this chic capsule serves as an epitaph of sorts to the close relationship between two such iconic Australian brands. Paying tribute has never looked so good. Step inside to snoop, and shop, this stylish last hurrah. 

Following in the stylish footsteps of Proenza Schouler, Zimmermann has collaborated with luxe e-tailer Net-a-Porter on an exclusive capsule collection. Utilising the iconic botanical prints from their Summer 2013 Swim collection, the local label has produced a line of incredibly cute floral print board shorts — set to hit the e-shelves tomorrow. The shorts come in two lengths; a shorter retro-inspired length and a longer manstyle short. The boardies will retail for approx $210 AUD and approx $220 AUD respectively. Step inside to get your first look here. 

Target in the US has tapped celebrity stylist Kate Young for its latest collaboration, and come April 14, the partnership will yield a fun, playful limited-edition line-up of semi-formal and special-occasion dresses. Before the official launch, though, we're getting our first look at the (appropos) Kate Young-styled lookbook. This is a bit of a changeup where designer collaborations are concerned, seeing as this doesn't exactly fall under the designer category, but the mass retailer is all about reinventing the wheel. And you can see some of this "reinvention" already happening in the way each party-perfect look is styled.

The Kate Young For Target Collection will range from US$30 to $90 for apparel, and US$15 to $50 for jewellery, handbags, and shoes. Those prices are worth a trip to the US, don't you think? At the very least, you could get a friend over there to hook you up with these cool duds — that's what friends are for, right? For now, click on for the complete lookbook, along with the so-cool Terry Richardson-shot ad campaign, a few of Young's sneak-peek sketches, and some of the stylish stars who come to her for styling expertise. 

Source: courtesy of Target; photos by Terry Richardson

US Target has tapped celebrity stylist Kate Young for its latest collaboration, and come April 14, the partnership will yield a fun, playful limited-edition lineup of semi-formal and special-occasion dresses. Before the official launch, though, we're getting our first look at the campaign, shot by Terry Richardson. This is a bit of a change-up where designer collaborations are concerned, seeing as this doesn't exactly fall under the designer category, but the mass retailer is all about reinventing the wheel. And you can see some of this "reinvention" already happening in the ad campaign, which stars four It girls — with different backgrounds and interests — posing on a red carpet.

The Kate Young For Target Collection will range from US$30 to $90 for apparel, and $15 to $50 for jewellery, handbags, and shoes — that's worth a trip over to the US, don't you think? Now, take a look at the complete ad campaign inside, along with a few of Young's sneak-peek sketches and some of the stylish stars who come to her for styling expertise.

Source: courtesy of Target; photos by Terry Richardson

Stunning Russian supermodel Natalia Vodianova has added "designer" to her list of accomplishments, with her exclusive shoe range launched on Net-A-Porter this week. In conjunction with chain-store retailer Centro, Natalia created pumps that come in three classic colours — black, nude and papaya — all sporting a subtle crown motif on the back of the heel. Two things make this situation even better: One, the shoes are priced at just $44 and two, all profit from the sales of the shoes will benefit The Naked Heart Foundation, the kid's charity Natalia founded in 2004. Pretty special, right? To celebrate the launch of the shoes, Natalia was the guest of honour at a cocktail party thrown by Net-A-Porter's Lucy Yeomans. Other attendees included Karlie Kloss, Mario Testino, Grace Coddington, Christian Louboutin and Carine Roitfeld, just to name a few. . . Click through to see pictures of the exclusive event and shop the shoes!