I checked out the Men’s and Women’s ready to wear show at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) yesterday and was encouraged by what I saw.

The ready to wear shows tend to feature the up-and-coming designers and are generally geared toward a younger market - you probably wouldn’t wear these collections if you’re over the age of 30, with a few exceptions.

Pictured here is a rather sharp suit from Saint Augustine Academy, a men’s and women’s label that was apparently “borne out of Sydney’s alternative music scene”.

Another highlight for me was UnNaked. This is a relatively new label that comprises several young designers with lines for both men and women. The general vibe is relaxed streetwear, though me being a big dress lover I was rather taken with the final dress they sent out, pictured to the below. The photo doesn’t do it justice thanks to my mediocre skills but this was a beautiful silk/satin maxi-dress with lovely colouring and structure.

By Caroline Warnes

I finally got myself into RAFW yesterday around lunch time and yes - the event has definitely been scaled down.

There is one fewer stage this year and I have to say I wasn’t overly wowed by any of the runway shows I went to - Women’s Ready to Wear #1, Wayne Cooper and Arnsdorf.

The one collection that stood out for me was NZ designer Annah Stretton, whose summer dresses look to be a winner.

Unfortunately when I got to the event I discovered the battery in my camera was flat (yes, I am highly organised), so I couldn’t take any snaps. I will this afternoon.

I did check out some of the designer stands and there were some highlights there, too. A lot of people have been talking about Lucette recently, and now I can see why. Pictured here is the floral folk embroidered dress and I also saw on display a gorgeous kaftan that will be a must-have for the summer months.

Speaking of kaftans… I also stumbled across the stand of a small Malaysian label called Innai Batik, which has no Australian distributors currently, but hopefully that will change after RAFW. This label makes some gorgeous kaftans and floaty dresses that are quite affordable compared to others on the market (they will retail for around $200 for a short kaftan when they arrive in Australia).

By Caroline Warnes

Despite its affordable price tag, the Telstra T6 mobile phone doesn’t perform like a budget phone.

Carrying a recommended retail price of just $129, the Telstra T6 is compatible with the Telstra Next G network. It features data download speeds of 3.6Mbps as well as connectivity with Telstra’s online services, such as BigPond Music and TV and more.

The rest of the feature set of the Telstra T6 mobile phone is relatively basic - hardly surprising given the price tag - however the design is another bonus thanks to the mock stainless steel finish and 2-megapixel camera.

Call performance is also good. Audio quality is clear and navigating the T6’s menu is a simple task.

Buy the Telstra T6 mobile phone from shops in Australia

By Caroline Warnes

Australia’s premiere fashion event, Rosemount Australian Fashion Week, begins today at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal.

Yes, this is the week when Australia’s fashion designers, models, buyers, media and other assorted pretentious fashion types with weird geometrical haircuts come together to watch the upcoming spring/summer 09/10 collections, air kiss and drink lots of wine. Fun!

Although the event has been scaled back somewhat this year, thanks to some some sort of financial crisis we’re apparently having, it’s still expected to be a full week with the likes of Ginger & Smart, Nicola Finetti (pictured), Wayne Cooper, Manning Cartell, Zimmerman and Aurelio Costarella all showing. The week opens this morning with Camilla and Marc and one highlight is expected to be the Kirrily Johnston show on Wednesday evening - internationally acclaimed Australian model Alyssa Sutherland is walking exclusively for the designer.

I’m also looking forward to checking out some of the smaller, up-and-coming designers throughout the week.

I’ll be dragging my lazy bones into RAFW as soon as I can get my act together.

By Caroline Warnes

And the winners are:

R. Bell, 2250; J. Calcara, 2137; A. McNab, 2866; G. Robson, 2251; P. Elkin, 2000; J. Walker, 2750; R. Wood, 2076; M. Shields, 2159; N. Pickett, 2168; W. Ronda, 2209; I. Zannino, 2176; J. Gechevski, 2560; M. Lynch, 2620; S. Lucan, 2035; S. Galbraith, 2747; A. Formosa, 2155; M. Guerreiro, 2044; S. Graham, 2217; A. Lim, 2220; J. Alanthwaite, 2145; P. Vester, 2161; J. Palmer, 2577; P. O’Connor, 2225.

The LG Arena KM900 mobile phone is a gorgeous-looking phone that features a touchscreen and extensive multimedia functionality.

The LG Arena’s 3-inch WVGA touchscreen is the heart and soul of this mobile phone. Set in the middle of the phone’s brushed-steel design, it’s the perfect showcase for the brand new LG S-Class interface, which is like no other interface on the market. S-Class is made up of four home screens in different colour schemes (green, blue, orange and purple) which rotate in 3D as you navigate the different functions.

Adding to the LG Arena’s multimedia functionality is a 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash, which can also shoot video at 720×480. Then there is the 3.5mm headphone jack and support for a range of media files, including DivX and MPEG4 amongst others.

In terms of connectivity, there is support for HSDPA and Wi-Fi as well as a built-in browser. However it’s the multimedia functions of the LG Arena that really shine rather than online capabilities.

The LG Arena launched in Australia last week.

But how much does an LG Arena cost? Well if you buy it outright, the RRP in Australia is $799. Naturally, it will also be available on plans from several phone carriers.

Buy the LG mobile phones from shops in Australia

By Caroline Warnes

And the winners are:

M. Correia, 6156; L. Sawers, 2534; B. Taylor, 2154; M. Scurlock, 3844; M. Nash, 4815; C. Avison, 4506; R. Tadd, 4569; S. Robinson, 6064; L. Ward, 4161; A. Palazzolo, 3135.

I discovered a new website called My Clothes Horse this morning and I am blown away.

It sells end-of-line clothing and accessories from some of Australia’s top designers, including Wayne Cooper, Natasha Gan, Ginger & Smart, Fleur Wood, Charlie Brown… the list goes on. It’s basically like one big factory sale, but with all designers included at once and without having to trek out to some industrial area to visit it.

Honestly, there are some amazing bargains here. Pictured here is the Ginger & Smart long cardi in grey, down to $129 from $310 (great for the cool autumn weather).

But, if you can possibly think ahead to warmer weather way down the track and want to snap up a real bargain for then, some of the summer tops are right down to around the $50 mark, like this cami from Fleur Wood which is down to $54 from $159.

Plus, I read on Missy Confidential that if you email the site, you will receive a $20 store credit.

By Caroline Warnes

Telstra is giving you the chance to win a weekend away for two to see the Australian Ballet.

The prize includes VIP behind-the-scenes tours, a performance of Sleeping Beauty, meet and greet with the dancers, flights to Melbourne and some included flights and accommodation.

To enter the competition you need to purchase any eligible Telstra product worth $100 or more from a store then enter online.

The competition is celebrating 25 years of partnership between Telstra and the Australian Ballet.

There is a new mobile phone on the way to Australia - the Nokia E55 smartphone. And it looks like it might be right up there with the best smartphones.

The Nokia E55 clocks in at just under 1cm thick, making it the thinnest smartphone around. Unlike the other phones in Nokia’s E series of mobile phones for business use, it uses a single dual-letter QWERTY keyboard. While this conserves space, it looks like it might be tricky to use for anyone with bigger fingers.

Aside from the difference in the keypad, the Nokia E51 is fairly similar to the Nokia E75 in terms of features and specifications. It uses the same operating system complete with enhanced security for business use and the upgraded email functionality - you can send and receive HTML emails and manage your email folders with greater ease.

Also along for the ride is HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth stereo and GPS. Significantly, the Nokia E75 also incorporates HSUPA data upload. There is also a 3.2-megapixel camera and 3.5mm headphone jack for multimedia applications.

Australian pricing for the Nokia E75 will be known closer to the release date.

Buy Nokia mobile phones from shops in Australia

By Caroline Warnes