STYLEAID BLOG

Well here we are nearly at the end of fittings for this year!  With only 12 days until the big night we only have 3 more disigners out of 18 to see today and then we are just about there with our fittings.

I cannot beleive how smoothly it is all running.  Thanks to Aly who ran the day like clockwork and made it all flow so well that we actually had time to do other things, like eat lunch.

With over 80 models and 18 designers all coming in, having 3 fitting rooms going at the same time really helped us to make the process run well.  It is a credit to Aly and the fact that we have a strong team working with us that we were able to have such a great fitting day.

Now it is time to move into the nitty gritties of the event and finish following up goodies for our gift bag, extra tombola items and bits and pieces that all make the night a hit!

After seeing the amazing stage in construction at the end of the week, the excitement is palpable for us here.  I even got a chance to have a chat to Pat from Preacher about the shirt that she is designing me to go with another amazing suit this year.

The website keeps going from strength to strength in terms of the numbers of people visiting and I do hope you are enjoying it this year and also the blog.  You will get more from Aly this week as well so keep a look out for it.

Mark xoxo

Well dear reader, you have made the STYLEAID website a hit again this year! Just this month alone (and we have a few more days of the month to go) we have already hit 318,000 hits on the site and I would like to thank you for taking a look at this amazing event and the wonderful WA designers that are going to be showing their fantastic clothes on the night.

 With only 2 weeks left and one of the biggest audiences yet for our 10th year I am getting so excited already.  2007 promises to be amazing and all of your support for the work we are doing is really appreciated.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can’t believe its just over two weeks, the last month has flown by! Am feeling the pressure right now as Sunday is going to be the biggest fitting I have ever handled. Last years fitting was a bit of a disaster with models not being able to attend and some designers with garments still in production. I did a quick survey at casting this year and it dawned on me that many of the models have Saturday work so, this year I have squished it all into a single day.  On Sunday I am about to manage 85 models + 18 designers in an 8 hour period.

Luckily for me I have the elite team - Satya and Penni my right hand girls.  Mark will be there as always helping wherever. Plus, this year a group of fashion students who have volunteered their time to assist in Styleaid preparation.

Thanks to
RENEE BLAKE  
JOANNE CARUSO
CHRISTINE LEE
NICOLE FERRARO
GENEVIEVE JONES
JESSICA GEACH
TEAGAN SEWELL
CHLOE SPALDING
LING SEW
 
In addition to these girls I met two angels last week who, assisted me with a Forrest Chase shoot and David Jones castings. They are Emily and Moon, amazingly talented and energetic!!!

The stage is set, models are booked. This is a tough job, sifting through piles of comp cards after a day long casting session, As the event is volunteer - based models get bookings at the last minute for paid work and can no longer commit to the show . I am well prepared this year with a list of reserve models.  This can be arduous with numerous emails going back and forth from agency to me, me to agency trying to find replacement girls and boys. They need to be of a certain height and colouring to fit into the groups I have created.

Hair and makeup briefs have been delivered to Paul McClurg and to Carol Mackie, can’t wait to see the results!

Zu shoes and Wanderlust have come to the rescue with boys shoes and Zomp have agreed to providing over 100 pairs of shoes!! Wow amazing.

No going back now, the show must go on……………….are you sure?

Last week Matt Lee and I hit the streets of Mt Lawley and more specifically Preacher to have a chat to Pat about designing and making something for Matt for STYLEAID. As the naming right sponsor for the event and all round fashion icon…Matt has a distinct and amazing style that needs a creative eye like Pat to put something together for him that will really meet his desire in terms of look for the event.

With much discussion on fabric, style, cut, cuffs, look, etching and design on the table a unqiue and amazing design evolved from out of Pat’s creative mind and I know she will create the vision of what Matt is looking for to give him an outfit that really melds his personality with his flair for clothes.

It promises to be a HOT look that people will be talking about on the night and is sure to make all of the social pages.

I will also be wearing Preacher on the night, which has become a bit of a tradition for me over the past 3 years and have once again been fortunate to have an amazing suit created for me and the shirt is something that will truly reflect our theme for this year…

Earlier this week we met with stage and light gurus Tony Salom and Dave at PCEC to look over the design and do the table placement…finally seeing the full drawings of the stage with lighting options and everything that will be in place on the night really makes the event even more exciting.  With the theming from Emily Salom and flowers from Code Bloom all working together to create the look for the ballroom this will blow peoples socks off.

Add to that an amazing installation from Majool (the fantastic new furniture and homewares store in Subiaco) in the pre dinner drinks area and yet another creation from VanLee all taking shape I can’t wait!

Well it has happened once again…STYLEAID 2007 has sold out…with just a few tables still left to pay the fashion fundraising night of the year has officially sold out and the waiting list just in case any of those bookings do not eventuate is getting longer and longer.

I have already put an extra 6 tables into the ballroom and we will now have 720 guests on the night and so those who will miss out will have to make sure that they get in early for 2008!

Sorry if you have not been able to get tickets this year but hope that you will keep up your support and thank you for your great interest in the event this year!

With only 19 days to go the night is really shaping up as one that will really be a memorable experience.

I am pleased to announce that Chelsea Vadala from codebloom florist will this year be doing all of the table centres for the event.

This stunning new florist is located at The Mezz, Shop 4/148 Scarborough Beach Road Mount Hawthorn and is undertaking the task of creating some amazing looks to compliment our theme for this year!

Chelsea and her team will bring her eye for detail and incredible design talents to create some fantastic table centres that will add yet another dimension to the ballroom on the night.

Making a return visit to the stage for STYLEAID Reflectioins is a man who wowed the crowd last year with his singing prowess and stage presence…Hayden Tee will once again host the event as well as entertain the guests with some stunning show stoppers from his cabaret show…with a lead role upcoming in the Sydney State Theatre Opera ‘Dead Man Walking’ we are once again honoured to have him join us for 2007.

Joining him on stage will be WAAPA graduate Jeremy Youett who makes a return to Perth after finishing time onstage in Sydney in Priscilla the Musical.  Another talented young star who has a varied number of stage, screen and TV credits to his name Jeremy will join Hayden on stage to be our 2 hosts with the most and mark another milestone for STYLEAID that sees 2 male hosts for the first time.

One of the highlights from last year’s STYLEAID event was the stunning 1 carat diamond that was found in the special Treasure Chest last year and kindly donated by Stefan the Diamond Centre.

This year I am excited to announce that once again Fiona and the team at Stefan the Diamond Centre are once again donating a sensational 1 carat diamond that each of our guests will have the chance to win by purchasing a red wrist band with a key attached!

So for just $20 for each wrist band this sensational diamond could be taken home by one of our guests on the night…with just 500 wrist bands on offer this will be one more highlight that will once again make STYLEAID the fashion fundraiser for the WA AIDS Council.

So welcome back Fiona and the great team from Stefan the Diamond Centre…thank you for your support.

So once again our fantastic sponsors were treated to a sensational night of Veuve Clicquot, Chalice Bridge Wine, Gage Roads beer and San Pellegrino Mineral Water.

Sitting along side this was sensational cocktail food from the talented Hilton team and a chocolate tasting table in the centre of the room - please see the attached pic.  It all made for a great night to unviel the new STYLEAID photography for this year.

With support from all of the major newspapers, there taking snaps and our wonderful sponsors this was a great night and a fun prelude to the event itself in just over 5 weeks.

Tickets are nearly all gone and I expect that we will be sold out by the end of next week.

A special speech from Trish Langdon, our Executive Director, that reinforced why we are all involved and also took the opportunity to thank our sponsors for their wonderful support.

So all the wonderful champagne, wine and beer was consumed and the designers, photographers, sponsors, board and committee all seemed to have a great night…see a couple of great shots attached that were taken by Tony Salom.

So enjoy!