oroton

Some of the world's most successful fashion and business entreprenours have descended upon Sydney. Lured not by the sparkling harbour nor the promise of cuddling a koala — these industry leaders will be sharpening their understanding of the key trends, innovations and collaborations in the world of luxury fashion at today's Bespoke summit, presented by the Australian Financial Review. Representatives from Mr Porter, J Brand and Saturdays Surf NYC will be speaking alongside a stellar line-up of local success stories; including Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton from sass & bide, Ana Maria Escobar from Oroton, Karen Walker from (funnily enough) Karen Walker and Nicky Zimmermann from Zimmermann. 

In an effort to supply our stylish international guests with a concise must-do list, we picked the brains of these homegrown heroes; asking for their favourite places to eat, shop, drink and dance in Sydney. Step inside to get a true fashion insider's guide to Sydney. 

Hosted at the Sydney Opera House, Bespoke will run from 10am until 6.30pm on Thursday the 16th of May. Tickets cost $795, and can be bought here. 

If your mum is partial to designer label (or two) it can be tricky to find her perfect present that won't break the bank. Well, we've done the (finger) footwork and have found ten gorgeous Mother's Day gifts that will bring the big-brand wow-factor but still sneak in under the $200 mark. From beautiful ear bling to designer silk scarves to keep-forever trinkets, there's bound to be something to delight even the fussies of label lovers inside. . . 

Sydney's most stylish folk frocked up last night to celebrate the best in fashion and beauty at the 2013 Prix de Marie Claire Awards. The black tie gala, hosted by editor Jackie Frank at The Star casino, was full of drama — and not just thanks to the formal dress code. A spectacular perspex runway was suspended high above guests' heads, allowing for a unique viewpoint. International designers were popular with the A-list crowd with Lara Bingle looking chic in Christian Dior, Jodi Gordon donning a fabulously frilled Gucci number and Megan Gale baring a little flesh in black Bottega Veneta. Thigh high splits were a popular choice with designers Sarah Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton of sass & bide, Terry Biviano and Samantha Wills all showing a little leg — and special mention goes to Kylie Gillies who showed off her spectacular legs thanks to an unexpected gust of wind.

On the fashion-front, the magazine awarded Best Australian Designer to wonderkid Dion Lee, Best Australian Evening Wear Designer went to Collette Dinnigan, Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson were honoured with a Special Achievement Award, Zimmermann scooped the Best Swimwear title, newbie Christopher Esber took home the Best New Designer gong, Rachael Ruddick received the Best Australian Accessory Brand Award, the Best Australian Fashion Brand went to Oroton and sass & bide got a special mention by taking home the award for Fashion With Heart. Readers got their say too, nominating Cue and Samantha Wills for Best Australian Fashion Brand and Best Australian Accessory Brand respectively. Step this way to see the stylish people at play . . . 

Does the love in your life need a little direction when it comes to Valentine's Day gifting? If your 'subtle' hints are falling on deaf ears, you may have to resort to more direct measures. Enter our V-day gift guide. It's filled to the brim with perfect present ideas that you'll love almost as much as him. Repeat after us: copy, paste, and forward! There's one catch; you still have to act surprised when you unwrap. Still hunting for something for the boy? Scope our gift guide for the him while you're at it!

Show that boy you care! Valentine's Day is a mere three sleeps away (yes, really) and while cupid's big day may make you involuntarily retch — it is the perfect opportunity to spread the love — and some style while you're at it. By gifting your beau with a little something that a) isn't kitschy-cute and b) will make him feel like a mini fashion god you'll benefit from some major brownie points for months to come. No heart motifs allowed, y'hear? 

Happy Friday! Once again, our week at Sugar has been filled with lots of hard work, and many fun moments to sweeten the deal along the way. At first, we were transfixed by an infamous television event, but our attention quickly turned to the many amazing A/W '13 items that we got to peek at. From luscious silks and prints to mixed-metal necklaces, FabSugar editor Ali was up to her ears in pretty new pieces. BellaSugar kept busy with new nail polish reviews, bagloads of mascara and something even more exciting (you'll have to see inside!), while PopSugar was hitting movie screenings and trying out the tacos at a pop-up bar near our office. There was plenty more keeping us busy, though — click through to check it all out!

This week we're going to shine our (cross network) spotlight on all things Aussie. This great, southern land has fostered some serious fashion talent over the years — so in the name of this week's Australia Day we're going to put our local heroes on a FabSugar fashion pedestal. First up? Oroton. The iconic accessories label has been making luxury goods locally since 1938, but the Autumn/Winter 2013 season is only the second that Oroton has offered up a full ready-to-wear line. We're got the exclusive first look at the apparel campaign, as shot by Benjamin Storrier and styled by Oroton's own creative director Ana Maria Escobar. How's that for some home-grown talent? Take a peek.

So you haven't started your Christmas shopping — what of it? There's only — um — four sleeps until the big day. Totally doable! We've rounded up ten presents ideas that are so darn fab that don't require stocking filler add-ons. Best bit is that these one-gift-wonders are all available in-store now, so you can do one clean sweep of your local mall/Westfield/chain store strip and be finito Benito! On your marks, get set, shop!

Got a girlfriend who's always tripping off somewhere exotic? Or maybe a frequent-flying cousin who's been bitten by the travel bug? This should put you in their good books! We've found ten trés stylish Christmas gift ideas for the globe-trotter in your life. Make her feel like she's in first class with a cashmere sleep mask, or give her something stylish to stash all of that foreign currency in. All aboard! There's less than a week to go, didn't you know?

Finding something special for the woman who brought you into the world can be quite the task, specifically nailing that mum-appropriate but still-cool balance. May we give you this nugget of advice? Stick to the classics. A well-cut black one-piece. A minimal watch. A streamlined pair of leather sandals. Understated luxury is always appreciated, especially if your mother has a discerning eye for style! With only fourteen (eep) sleeps until Christmas morn, it's time to hop to!