Today is the last day of Sydney’s Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) so I thought it would be a good time to share a few odds and ends from the rest of the week.

The bigger Sydney fashion week designers always get so much coverage that I always like to get around and see the smaller designers on show.

On Wednesday I stopped to check out the collection called Kabukiu Kimonos by Telina, the label of a local designer called Telina Webb, who was excited to be showing her wares at RAFW fashion week.

She makes these gorgeous silk kimono sets by hand (as pictured here) and apparently does a brisk trade amongst brides.

Then there are the bags of Teresa Cowley, who creates some beautiful eco-friendly material handbags and accessories which are also affordable, retailing from $32. You can buy them through 2Threads.

Alsom making an eye-catching appearance at Australian Fashion Week was Tulula Valu shoes, created on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. These gorgeous high heels come in all sorts of bright colours complete with jewel and cameo detailing. They’re really affordable, too - around $100 a pair.

Ah, Sydney fashion week. Thank God you only come once a year, otherwise the city might be overwhelmed by cutting-edge geometrical haircuts and strange-looking jodphur pants.

By Caroline Warnes

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

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

If you’re interested in the Australian fashion industry and missed out on May’s industry-only fashion week then your chance is coming to get involved next month.

Rosemount, which was the main sponsor of the earlier Australian Fashion Week, is also sponsoring the Sydney Fashion Festival, which will be open to the general public from August 13 to 17.

You can purchase tickets to see the runway shows for the spring/summer 08 collections of some top Australian designers including Charlie Brown, David Lawrence and Alex Perry as well as some smaller designers.

David Jones will also hold a show previewing some key looks for spring and summer.

Scenesters rejoice! There will be some fabulous parties held at night during the week, centred around the The Loft at King Street Wharf.

If you’re feeling particularly cashed up, the opening night event on Tuesday August 12 should be fun - it’s a gala event in the festival marquee in Martin Place with an A-list crowd and a showing of the latest Alex Perry collection (tickets start from $100, I’m hoping I’ll find a spare ticket in the street or something).

Tickets for the Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival can be purchased through Ticketek.

By Caroline Warnes

When Myer does a clearance sale, they do it properly - prices are continually reduced until the stock is gone.

I’ve picked up some great bargains on clearance stock at Myer over the years, and unless you have your heart set on something at the start of the sales, it’s often worth waiting to see just how low it will go.

Starting today you can get an extra 50% off previously reduced stock including clothes for women, men, kids, teens, shoes and intimate apparel.

This includes Australian and international designers in some stores, including Zayt, pictured here, which I wrote about earlier this year during Fashion Week.

With these kinds of discounts, things disappear quickly so don’t leave it too long.

By Caroline Warnes

Although not officially part of the Fashion Week program, Gail Sorronda launched her upcoming Spring/Summer collection just up the road from the main Fashion Week venue.

Sorronda, who designed a collection for Designers For Target towards the end of last year, showed a collection of pieces in her favoured black-and-white - in fact there wasn’t a drop of colour amongst the lot.

Obviously this is a collection you buy as separates and mix-and-match with the rest of your wardrobe.

The collection had a very distinct “1940s Bette Davis in the boudoir” feel to it, complete with longline mesh robes with feathered trim and shoes that were reminiscent of those fluffy high-heeled slippers you see most cinematic sex kittens of Old Hollywood wear (and after all, isn’t that the look we’re all going for, especially for work. Nah, just kidding. I prefer a longer ballgown effect for work).

Gail Sorronda’s off-site event was hosted in conjunction with hair care company Terax, who gave every guest a 200ml tube of its cult conditioner, Original Crema. This fantastic product is scented with rice flower, shea, bergamot, and juniper and is the ultimate treatment for stressed hair. I picked up two tubes of Terax Original Crema, valued at $29.95 each, and am giving them away to the first two readers who email me and tell me in 25 words or less why their hair needs help.

By Caroline Warnes

When it comes to accessories such as bags and belts I am a big believer in buying from the mid-range.

I would argue that you can get away with cheap clothes, even cheap shoes. However really cheap bags and belts look… well… really cheap, and some of the high-end designer bags are just ludicrously overpriced. Especially when you’re paying four figures for a canvas bag just because it has a certain logo on it. Not naming any names. But I mean, come on, it’s canvas. I would never pay too much money for a canvas bag. OK I did once. But never again.

But when you buy from mid-range designers (that is, not dirt cheap and not overly expensive) you tend to get a quality item that will last for years (often in leather) without having to pay over $1000 for it.

New to the Australian accessories scene is Ceinture, which was started in 2007 by two Melbourne girls.

The prices for Ceinture’s bags and belts range from $99 to $499 which I think is reasonable for something you are going to use for years.

I love the Leah bag, pictured above - and because Ceinture is a small label it’s not a look you’re going to have to share with everyone else.

By Caroline Warnes

After Monday’s brush with short short hemlines at Nicola Finetti I was beginning to despair for the coming spring/summer season.

Now I am no prude but personally I am not amongst those who want to get their gams out on public display constantly during the warmer months - give me a hemline at the mid-thigh and below any day.

Thankfully, there was a tendency towards hemlines from the mid-thigh to just above the knee at today’s ready-to-wear show, which showcases smaller and emerging designers.

I was especially impressed with the the pieces from Verduci-Smith. Many of them were loose, caftan- or Grecian-inspired dresses that would be perfect for a night out after a day at the beach in summer (such as the one above).

By Caroline Warnes

Another label with an impressive collection at RAFW was Zayt by Melbourne designer Therese Moran.

The fitted panel skirt - pictured here in the eyecatching “firecracker” colour - is very hot and reminds me of the infamous Herve Leger bandage dress (although that being said I am unlikely to ever be able to rock a bandage dress, unless my love of food miraculously disappears sometime in the not-too-distant future). The skirt also comes in blue-violet and black.

Zayt’s spring/summer collection, which featured some pretty dresses and casual separates, will be in stores in August.

By Caroline Warnes