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In our current fashion media landscape, we are bombarded with the latest trends, personal styles, do’s and don’ts — all vying for a piece of our attention. It is now more crucial than ever to find a unique stand point and voice, to stand out from the rest.

Join leading Australian fashion panellists as they share tips, insights into the industry and how to
get a foot in the door. They include Melissa Hoyer, freelance stylist; Kate Gaskin, contributing fashion editor for The (Melbourne) Magazine; Emily Power, freelance fashion journalist; and
Anthea O’Connor, former Melbourne editor for Vogue Australia and fashion ambassador for the
Westfield Group.

The seminar will comprise of two 45-minute panel sessions geared towards inspiring participants and helping them uncover ways to break into the competitive fashion media industry, to be followed by Q+A with the panellists.

Tickets are $130 and include a Prospect 360 resource pack. To book your tickets, visit Prospect360 or call (03) 9682 9666.

Exhibited works include those designed by Emery, Tin & Ed, SouthSouthWest, Fabio Ongarato, Studio Anybody, Famous, Something Splendid, Moodie, Pidgeon, PSS, Round, Lancashire, 3 Deep and Vice Mag.

The exhibition will also coincide with the release of desktop magazine’s 25 year anniversary ‘Time Capsule’ edition, which you can peruse on the night.

Stemming from Karan’s own personal experience being diagnosed with advanced Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which he has since overcome, the name Half of Us also represents the frightening statistic that estimates 1 in 2 of Australians will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85.

Inspired by this and his side project The Daily Quickies, Karan will be carrying out an illustration marathon for Daffodil Day. The objective is to create 12 illustrations in 12 hours, and the resulting prints will be sold to raise funds.

For more information, visit Half of Us.

Stunning floral arrangements filled the store and guests were treated to champagne and delightful sweet treats including macarons, cheeky shortbread men and chocolate flowers.

The new season sees vivid printed dresses and lace details for the ladies and subtle yet charming details for the gents.

Ted Baker
220 – 224 Little Collins St, Melbourne

Another inspiring group of speakers have been invited along to share their insights including Ewan McEoin, Emily Wright, Philip Stokes, Kate Rohde, Justine Ellis, Janenne Willis, Jeremy Smart and Dawn Tan.

For more information on each of the speakers and to book tickets, visit here.

Transporting us to the extremities of the Canadian wilderness, Adidas rocked Melbourne with a thrilling launch party celebrating their new Ransom outdoor range. With no details spared, the night included a snow machine, taxidermy animals, real life lumberjacks, mesmerising light projected forest, arcade game machines, delicious pulled pork buns and good times all round.

Check out more photos here.

Later this month, he will be touring Australia as part
of the Portable Talks series, to speak about past and present creative ventures, as well as sharing insights and practical tips that individuals and companies alike can use to push bold creative projects to completion.

Named Fast Company magazine’s “100 Most Creative People in Business” in 2010, Belsky is also a frequent contributor to MSNBC and has worked with some of the world’s leading companies including General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, the United States State Department and the CIA.
Don’t miss the opportunity to catch him speak in Melbourne, tickets can be purchased here.

Performing tracks off his recent album FOMO and his debut I’ll Be the Lightning, the cosier venue will no doubt provide the perfect backdrop for Finn’s powerful set and stage presence.

Head here for tickets.

Since shutting its door in 2009 after 5 glorious years, the original St Jerome’s bar in Caledonian Lane was a Melbourne institution. Not only was it the place to hang out with friends, fill up on delicious, cheap toasties and chill to some fresh beats, the bar also spawned the St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, which now runs in seven cities and three countries.

Now, given a second life in East Brunswick, owners Jerome Borazio and Danny Rogers have called back a few familiar faces back to the team, along with guest DJs programming a playlist of local and international artists. Carrying on the spirit of the St Jerome’s – The Resurrection has finally arrived.

The grand opening is happening this Friday, in the meantime you can pop in for a quiet drink and have a sneak peak!

St Jerome’s – The Resurrection

Taking us on a fascinating journey through the inner-workings of one of the world’s most respected newspapers, Possi captures a media landscape fraught with peril and opportunity, debates and collaborations, tenacious jockeying for on-record quotes and skillful page-one pitching.

Nova Cinemas will be presenting a special preview screening of the film, followed by a panel discussion on the new media landscape with Michelle Bennett (Triple R); Sophie Black (editor Crikey); Geoff Lemon (editor Going Down Swinging); Zac Martin (Pigs Don’t Fly/The Punch); Catherine Deveny (writer/comedian); and Margaret Simons (journalist/media studies lecturer).

Tickets can be purchased here or at the box office. For more info, visit here.

Highlighting the duo’s ongoing advocacy of the Australian film industry, support for art-house and foreign film, anti-censorship campaigns, and their substantial contribution to the field of film criticism, the exhibition also features unforgettable reviews and never-before-seen interviews.

Margaret’s famous earrings will also be on show, as well as David’s ASIO file and candid photographs of big silver-screen stars. Visitors will have the chance to play critic, reviewing films in a custom-built television studio.

Coinciding with the exhibition’s opening, the pair will take part in a series of public programs at ACMI including Reviewing the Australian New Wave – where you will be able to catch David Stratton in conversation with acclaimed producers Jan Chapman, Matt Carroll and director Phillip Noyce as they revisit the Renaissance period of Australian film in the 1970s. More details here.

Margaret and David: 25 Years Talking Movies

The invited speakers are: Evan Lowenstein, Director of Lowensteins Arts Management, jeweller Tessa Blazey, Yann Burden of Energy Return, Rhiannon Hardingham, owner of i dream a highway, Natalie and Ben Mason of Rebound Books, freelance writer and editor Dylan Rainforth, stylist and writer Ruth Welsby and Pip Lincolne of Meet Me At Mikes.

The seminar is $80 or $40 for Craft Victoria, Museum Victoria Members and groups of 10+, morning tea is included. Places are limited, for bookings and more info visit here .

Brought to us by the folks behind Soundwave — Harvest Festival aims to bring a typical European festival model to our shores, packing all the greatness into one day, without the filler acts.

Headlined by Portishead, who will return after a 14 year absence(!!), they will be joined by The National, The Flaming Lips, Bright Eyes, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Holy Fuck, The Family Stone, Mercury Rev, Death In Vegas, The Walkmen, Dappled Cities, PVT, This Town Needs Guns, The Holidays, Phosphorescent, Foxy Shazam and Kormac’s Big Band with more to be announced.

Head over here for more info and tickets!

Join Melbourne designers and other industry professionals as they shed light on the things that matter to young designers. From dealing with and charging clients, what to put in your folio and how to present it, the must have books and must read blogs, knowing who actually owns your work and what does a day in the life of a designer really involve, it will be a great opportunity to gain insight and have your questions answered.

The speakers are:
AgIdeas
K.W.Doggett
Fine Paper
Chad Willats (Finsbury Green)
Studio Motherbird
Jono Wallace (Alter)
Vali Valibhoy (Mag Nation)
Simon Mundy (AGDA)
Nick Hallam (Positive Posters)
Mr. Singh
EMK Lawyers

Tickets are $40 and can be purchased here.
For more info, visit Positive Posters.

Curated by Dell Stewart, the exhibition features works by Lyn Balzer & Tony Perkins (Sydney), Jennifer Bartholomew (Melbourne), John Brooks (Melbourne), Brett Day Windham (Brooklyn), Renilde De Peuter (Antwerp), Penelope Durston (Melbourne), Mona Electric (Melbourne), Julie Floersch (Brooklyn), Maricor/Maricar (London), Max Olijnyk (Melbourne) and Dell Stewart (Melbourne).

Check out the group exhibition blog here.

This was the question at the heart of The Great Debate – How Experience Design Moves Customers. On the panel were Midu Chandra, General Manager Digital & Social Media at Telstra, Jennifer Cook, National Customer Experience Manager at AMP Capital Shopping Centres, Stephen Van Elst, Director of Design at Boffswana and Robbie Robertson, Managing Director of e2. Covering a diverse range of backgrounds and representing both online and traditional; client and designer—it was great to get insight from all perspectives.

With the boom of online retail and the ever-growing number of possibilities it offers, traditional retail has struggled to keep up in the last few years. Yet as with
all challenges, the flip side is opportunity.

Here is a quick run though of the key points raised by the panel:

While online retail can often be cheaper, faster and a great way to research a product before you buy, people still love the feeling of trying on a piece of clothing, sharing that experience with their friends or family and the personal engagement with the salesperson of making a purchase in-store.

We all know the joy and instant gratification of an impulse buy, however as Van Elst suggests, making an online purchase and then forgetting about it, not only lessens the guilt factor of an expensive purchase but also the happiness and thrill you get when a gift like package arrives
at your doorstep a week later.

The discussion then quickly moved into debate about where this is all heading and what each
form of retail can learn and embrace from the other. The consensus: consumers want to have an unforgettable, engaging experience.

Dedicated, personal and top quality customer service should be synonymous with the retail industry. It is what Australian consumers are crying out for, yet we are often left disappointed.

Customer service is now more crucial than ever before—it is what traditional retail can offer customers that online can not.

With the rise of social media, consumers now have the power to voice their opinions and in turn influence retailers and brands. This combined with the convenience of online shopping has posed a challenge for traditional retailers with consumers coming to expect far more.

Yet the advances in technology also provide an opportunity—with smarter and more creative shopping experiences—traditional retailers can attract customers back into their stores.

So what does the future hold in the retail landscape?

The future is not about online versus traditional, it will be about working out the best way to engage and speak to their customers.

There’s no question that online and traditional will co-exist with one another. Understanding and making the appropriate use of these tools will be the most effective and strategic way.

If brands want to experiment with technology, they should do it right and make no shortcuts. It’s not about jumping on the bandwagon but rather addressing the desires of the shoppers. They cannot simply “dip their toe in” as Cook put it. They only get one chance and customers these days are not so easily fooled.

The future also sees shopping centres becoming more supersized, with the addition of gyms, high-end restaurants and unique stores. It will be about immersing consumers in experiences that leave an impression.

Smaller boutique or specialties stores will continue to do well. The challenge will be on multi-brand retailers who will need to alter their strategy in order to attract customers to buy in store, rather than merely using them as a fitting room and later buying products online or elsewhere.

The smart use of both worlds, incorporating them together to make the shopping experience richer and more fulfilling, will be the key.

On Thursday 4th of August, the 2011 Craft Cubed festival launches with the opening of Craft Victoria exhibitions material and I’ll Show You My Craft If You Show Me Yours: Interstellar Gown with
a special opening night performance by Adele Varcoe.
RSVP is essential to rsvp@craftvic.org.au by Monday 1 August. More details here.

Highlights include the Super Maker project Magical Tent, presented by The Social Studio and Craft Victoria. Transforming The Atrium at Fed Square into a stimulating community space for craft-making, you can try your hand at a series of excellent workshops including hand embroidery, fabric dyeing, weaving and traditional tailoring techniques hosted by Super Makers from Sudan, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Samoa and Sri Lanka. Check the Super Maker Workshop Program for details.

This year’s program also includes open studios, satellite events, online programs and the NEW Craft Hatch market at 1000 £ Bend.

Craft Cubed 2011.

Food and the importance of feeding our cities was on everyone’s lips at the annual Comme Design Dinner last Thursday night.

With cities covering only 2 per cent of the world’s surface yet consuming 75 per cent of its resources, it’s an enormous issue which we need to address for future generations and the wellbeing of our planet.

With a panel discussion led by State of Design’s Creative Director, Kate Rhodes, British architect Carolyn Steel, Broadsheet publisher Nick Shelton, Food LAB founder Michael Howard and Joost Baker of Greenhouse engaged in thought-provoking conversation and Q+A with the audience.

Accompanying the stimulating topics on hand, Comme’s executive Chef Daniel Southern and his team had conceived a wonderfully thoughtful menu using local and sustainable ingredients, with much consideration on quality of produce and minimum food miles. The delightful three course dinner included the luscious Mushroom veloute with Meredith dairy goats curd and black olives, Sirloin of beef ‘tongue & cheek” and beautiful cheeses from Millawa.

With many initiatives already underway to tackle these issues, the evenings conclusion was that our biggest challenge now is to help influence and educate the wider population.

Having to vacate their previous locale on Anthony Street, the new home of the gallery at 225 Bourke Street incorporates three galleries (small, medium
and large); a project space (to support the creation of artwork on-site and incubator projects); and a forum space (which will host events, artist talks, screenings, performances and exhibitions). A library/work space is set to launch later this year, designed by Melbourne artist Spiros Panigirakis.

To celebrate the beginning of an ambitious new chapter for West Space, come join in the festivities with an exciting series of exhibitions from Carmen Reid, Taree Mackenzie, Dan Price, Nick Waddell, Ian Haig and Kotoe Ishii. There will be celebratory cake by Hotham Street Ladies, a ribbon cutting ceremony by Hit & Miss, music by Qua and a permanent artwork by Andy Hutson which will also be unveiled in the evening.

Check out their fresh new site here.