A few days ago, Fashion Week in New York came to an end for Spring 2012. The city was alive and pulsating with colour, prints, shine and a little pastel for those of you who like something a bit more, subtle. Let's not forget the people and media! Fashion Night Out kick started the event and I personally had a show and two parties to attend opening night. Nothing like it really!

What you and your friends can look forward to next spring (I know it seems an eternity away and let's face it... it is!), is some really pretty and some different trends to what we've seen of late. How exciting!

Spring 2012

Colour – feminine white & plenty of tangerine hues

Colour block dressing & graphic prints

Cropped tops – from tees to tanks/singlets

Floor-length dresses and skirts – oh so femme!

Metallics – super shiny with lots of sparkle

Pastel separates – think gelato shades of all flavours

Peplums - a pouf or flare at the waist on jackets, dresses, skirts and tops

Sporty fabrics – mesh all the way

Tropical Prints – especially on pants with super vibrant colours, and a lot of bird prints

White hot heels – say bye-bye to the nude of this year

Now the fashionista crowd travels to London, Milan then Paris. I wonder if we’ll see more of the same or something entirely different to what we've seen here in New York recently. Time will tell!

Have a wonderful week.

Be well.

L.

Here I sit in my dining room after a long day at work and I'm looking around me at the wall where our leak left a mark, thinking back to Saturday night when Hurricane Irene brushed and rushed past our apartment. What a weird night it was. 

The rain was thick and heavy and the wind carried a sense of the unknown... How bad were we going to be hit by Mother Nature? The million dollar question! We were one of the lucky ones. She came and went in about 12 hours or so and when we stepped outside of our home, we found ourselves thinking, "this is it?" Thank goodness it was. Life as we know it and back to normal.

I have since spoken to and heard varied stories of Irene's impact. From floods to power outages to fallen trees on property and cars to the tragic deaths... Irene touched the east coast of America very differently. We are most grateful it wasn’t worse in neighbourhood of New York City.

So, now to my favourite pieces from the Sara Spring collection. There are some cute outfits that are fun and flirty... Chambray, prints, spots and colour are options for the new season. 

Below are my personal must-haves: 

Sara Chambray Shirt Dress	Sara Tie Neck Tunic	Sara Shift Dress	Sara Maxi Dress
Sara Back Smoothing Bra	Sara Skirted One Piece	Sara Scoopneck Tankini Top	Sara Skirted Swim Briefs
Sara Tab Sleeved Cardigan

Enjoy the warmer weather approaching.

Be well.

L.

We are in the middle of our Sara Spring & Summer catalogue shoot in Sydney. This afternoon the crew & I fly to Noosa (Queensland) for four days. We hope the beautiful sunny weather lasts so we can get some beautiful shots of the new season’s collection.

Would you like a sneak preview of what’s to come? OK… you’ve twisted my arm. For Sara Spring & Summer, prints are big for the season. Eveningwear has beading and a great ruffle dress I simply love.

Stripes never left us and there’s a hint of the nautical. As far as bold colours go… purple, coral and green tones do the job this season. There’s nothing like a pop of colour to add some difference to your summer wardrobe.

Jeans are always a good basic and option in the warmer months. They go anywhere, anytime.

Some good news for those of you who simply can’t get enough of Sara bras… To add to the everyday essentials, there are some new and sexy styles coming your way.

Best I get back to the crew now. We have so much to shoot.

Have a wonderful week.

Be well.

L.

This is the amazing Sara crew on Monday afternoon once we wrapped-up our eight day spring & summer shoot in Noosa, Queensland. What a Mötley Crüe indeed! Thank you dear friends... I look forward to seeing you at the end of September.

Summer has finally arrived (not much of a spring to write about here)… Everyone in New York is thrilled about that and it’s all everyone seems to talk about. We are finally showing some skin and getting our dose of Vitamin D.

It certainly doesn’t take our little family of four as long to get out the door like it does in the colder months (think many many layers with a one and three year old)… Seriously in need of a chill-pill at times when attempting to get out the door in a timely fashion. Life is a little less complicated these days.

In a few weeks time, I’ll be returning to Australia to shoot the spring and summer Sara catalogues. I’m very excited to shoot the new seasons collection with the magical team that is the Sara crew.

We have a long weekend here this weekend... Memorial Day is on Monday. It unofficially kicks off summer in the U.S. A BBQ or two is on the cards I think. We have to make the most of this fabulous weather.

Enjoy your weekend.

L.

It’s officially spring here in the northern hemisphere however, it has not felt like it! We’ve had a couple of mild teasers although nothing to write home about. I can’t even imagine shedding my winter layers just yet. Enough already.

So, with New York fashion week well and truly behind us, spring fashion for 2011 is everywhere. All the storefront windows are brimming with soft, sexy hints of warmer weather to come. Bring it on I say!

Some major trends to look forward to include:

• Bright prints (splash of colour)
• Crochet & sheer tops in cosmetic neutrals (oh so feminine)
• Flare denim jeans (bring back the ‘70s)
• Friendship bracelets in all palettes and styles
• Maxi dresses (loving these)
• Maxi skirts (something a little newer to our wardrobes)
• Mixed metal accessories
• Oversized glam shades (when did they ever go away?)
• Stripes (everywhere)
• Wedges (love these babies)

Happy days!

Be well.

L.

So what do you think of the Sara Spring catalogue? Thoughts, comments etc. As usual, I have my favourite pieces. They are:

Sara Two In One Cardigan	Sara Ruffle Blouse with Camisole	Sara Mesh Dress	Sara Broderie Jacket
Sara Two for Drape Vest/Tank.	Sara Handkerchief Hem Tunic	Sara Soft Pants	Sara Ruffle Top
Sara Military Jacket	Sara Lean Jeans	Sara Trouser Jeans	Sara Long Cargo Pant
Sara Drape Frill One Piece	Sara Ruched Front One Piece	Sara Print One Piece	Sara Linen Dress
Sara Anorak

Happy shopping!

Be well.

L.

During our media time last week, we filmed the key trends for this year's warmer weather. As mentioned in my last blog, there are a few to watch out for. The Sara spring/summer collection includes a nautical return, embellished tees, sequence, denim and bright, bold colours that spice up any wardrobe.

I also shot for David Jones. It was a fun day spent making beautiful pictures. I wore some different Sara pieces that I hadn't worn/seen at the shoot a week prior. The buyer is full of surprises!

My week also had family flying up from Melbourne for the weekend. A close friend and her family also flew up to Sydney from Melbourne to spend time with us. We ventured to the Aquarium and surrounding area for the day. Our children loved the sea creatures they saw. Mila was beside herself with excitement. We love seeing and spending time with those we love and cherish.

Less than a week to go and we return to the heat wave in New York. Quite a concept isn't it?

Enjoy your week.

Be well.

L.

Congratulations to Janna who was the Perfect Pose winner. Janna and her lovely sister Lisa came and spent a morning with the crew and I in the studio this week. We shared some laughs whilst on set and some additional tips on how to look your best in front of the camera.

We just finished shooting the spring and summer collections for 2010. We had a great shoot that lasted just over a week. The location days in Sydney were chilly to say the least, especially the early mornings.

I was a great source of entertainment for those living in the south of Sydney, shooting swimwear on the beach in the middle of winter with my Ugg boots on and wrapped in blankets in-between shots. Thank goodness for the outdoor heater our producer Andrea organised to keep me warm!

You can expect to see bright, bold colours for the next two Sara collections. Some key trends include nautical, ruffles, embellished tees, sequence and denim. The colour mint is one of my favourite this season.

It won’t be long before you see the next Sara catalogue.

It's wonderful being back.

Be well.

L.

Divine spring-like weather has finally reached us here in New York. What a pleasure it is to walk down the street without the need for coats, scarves, hats, gloves and boots. Yeah!

Everyone has a ‘spring’ in their step and you can see how a mild sunny day can change a person after such a long and cold winter… enough already!

We are starting to take our new babe out of the apartment ever so slowly. The weather has been the main factor for keeping Levi indoors, out of the cold and away from crowds where people could be sick with the flu. These are things we think about here in New York.

The parks are filled with children’s voices again and parents/nannies sitting around on benches sipping coffees and chatting (usually about the weather at this point). Argh… the delights of warmer weather.

Hope the weather is how you like it to be… wherever you are in the world!

Have a fabulous week.

Be well.

L.

Spring is approaching us here in New York (thank goodness) and there are many trends that are emerging in fashion and beauty. Take what you will on board...

Some of the HOT list includes:

• Short hemlines are in – show off your legs in above the knee lengths to thigh-high heights
• The clog sandal is a spring favourite in earthy/natural tones
• Metallic accessories glam up any outfit – shoes, bags & belts are fab against natural, skin tones
• Bangles and cuffs continue to make an outfit pop and dazzle
• Oversize sunnies are big again for spring (when aren't they though)
• Heavy fringes and long bobs (past the shoulder lengths) are a fresh look for spring 2010
• Hair is soft, loose and undone – no sculpted dos
• Soft natural highlights are in demand
• Lucite jewelry is back – go for big, chunky pieces that make a bold statement
• The hot colour for nail polish is a warm gray for spring, an alternative punch to the natural tones
• Lips should be highlighted in red, pink and coral hues for spring – make it vibrant
• The updated denim for the season is chic chambray

Have fun with fashion and beauty. Don’t take it seriously and make it your own! Have the confidence to wear it and mix it.

Have a wonderful week.

Be well.

L.