Lorelli Aspires To Be Top Model

Lorelli Aspires To Be Top Model

HOPES are high for 19-year-old Lorelli Monteath who will be strutting her stuff in the regional competition for Miss Teen Australia in Mackay later this month.

No rookie to beauty pageants, Lorelli has competed in Miss Showgirl, Miss Country Girl and some other smaller competitions.And despite the images of beauty pageants painted by Hollywood, she said it's a much more down-to-earth experience.

"I think the movies play it out a little bit," she said.

"A girlfriend of mine does the Miss V8 competition and she said it gets pretty full on there, (but at Miss Teen) everyone knows as soon as you walk in you're getting judged on your social graces.

"I know I would be happy to help other girls with their hair or makeup."And as the oldest of seven children, that maternal instinct comes into play as well.

"I do have quite a bit of a mother instinct," she said. "Some of my friends get a bit annoyed with me.

"I think that comes into play. It gives you a bit of a different attitude, you can put up with a bit more."

Luckily those six siblings, the youngest of whom is four, coupled with her mum form quite the cheer squad.

"Mum said I have to call her before and after," she said.

"They're all excited for me. The one directly underneath is a bit of a tomboy, so she's like 'why would you got to Mackay for a modelling competition?' but secretly I think she wants me to do well.

"My other two sisters get really excited, they want to know what I'm wearing and how I'm going to do my hair."

On August 18, Lorelli will compete against girls from Mackay, Bundaberg and Rockhampton, one of whom will be chosen to go on to the State competition.

Sean Penn Joins Chavez On Campaign

Sean Penn Joins Chavez On Campaign

US actor Sean Penn joined President Hugo Chavez at an election rally in Venezuela on Sunday, bringing a dash of Hollywood to the campaign as he rode with him atop a truck past cheering supporters.Penn is a friend of Chavez, who hopes to win a new six-year term on October 7. The campaign has turned into the toughest fight of the president's political career.

"Thank you very much for visiting us again, dear friend," Chavez said after introducing Penn to the big crowd in the central city of Valencia. "We're all Americans, from the north, the center, the south. Long live the American continent!"Penn, in a white shirt and sunglasses and accompanied by Argentine producer Fernando Sulichin, waved from the stage, fist-bumped and hugged Chavez, but did not address the rally.

The Oscar-winning actor, screenwriter and director is well-known for his political and social activism.He was a vocal critic of the administration of former US President George W Bush, and was involved in humanitarian efforts following Haiti's earthquake and Hurricane Katrina.Last year, Penn worked for the release of two US hikers who were arrested in Iran, flying to Venezuela to ask Chavez to intervene on their behalf with Iran's leader.

Most polls in South America's top oil exporter give Chavez a double-digit lead ahead of the vote. He says he is completely cured after three cancer operations in the last year, although few details have been released about the 58-year-old's condition.Chavez's rival, 40-year-old former state governor Henrique Capriles, has also been drawing big crowds. The opposition says its polls show Capriles will win in October.

Celebrity Fashion & Style - Olivia Wilde Designs, Promotes Alternative Apparel Bag for Haiti School

Celebrity Fashion & Style - Olivia Wilde Designs, Promotes Alternative Apparel Bag for Haiti School

Celebrity Fashion & Style - Olivia Wilde is using her fashion sense to help others, specifically she has designed and is promoting a bag that will use part of its profits for a school in Haiti.Olivia Wilde has created a bag for Alternative Apparel.

The 28-year-old beauty has revealed she thought of the idea to design a limited edition Message bag that can benefit the Academy for Peace and Justice - a secondary school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti - while on location in the country with her friend Barbara Burchfield.

She told PEOPLE: ''We really wanted to come up with a creative, alternative way of fundraising.

''One thing we always had with us were bags we could take anywhere - on a pickup truck, to a hospital, sleeping in a tent. It would have a scarf, bug spray, a camera, malaria pills - and we wanted to recreate it with Alternative.''

Check out more fashion photos in the gallery below.

Olivia - who was voted Sexiest Vegetarian by PETA in 2010 - is hoping to convince people to purchase the bag, which is available for $138, because it will be beneficial to the school and it can also be worn as a backpack or cross-body.

She added: ''We're encouraging people to think about where they spend their money. We're not telling people not to shop, but rather be conscious about your commerce.

''Not only does [Alternative] use sustainable materials, but they're a good company of good people. They have values that are parallel with ours.''

Bridge The Gap

Bridge The Gap

triking a balance between Eastern traditions and Western construction, Deepika Govind’s creations are both avant-garde and classic. Her Pop Patola line which was unveiled at the Lakme Fashion Week recently weaves together “the warp of the ancient and the weft of the modern”.

What is the story behind your latest collection, Pop Patola?
I spent a few years in Gujarat. It was a long and intense journey and I found myself spellbound by the exquisite handcrafted detailing (in textiles). We are aware that states like Gujarat and Rajasthan are rich in textile craft, but to actually experience it on the road was sheer joy. So that brought a question to my mind, how would a Gujarati girl living in the US, who had never known her culture, react if she encountered the wealth of her hometown? Being modern, she would interpret her tradition in a slightly offbeat, irreverent way…her expression of Patola would be contemporary...that’s how the seeds of Pop Patola were sown.

When you work with something like the Patola, which is so rooted in tradition, does it take a lot of creative courage to re-imagine it?
Patola is rooted in tradition but what I am trying to tell the world is, “Hey, look at this magnificent weave again”. I love the villages as much as I love the cities. This is my own way of trying to bridge that gap.

How do you stay enthusiastic enough to keep pushing the boundaries?
Every canvas is a signature work. Therein begins this journey to make an offering of something unique.

You’ve said that this line marks a new dimension to your design direction…in what way?
My work has always been so much more serious and research-based and at times, technical too. I was always inclined towards the sombre and mysterious aspects of the aesthetic. And all of a sudden, I just felt that this should be a celebration, it should be fun.

What formed your choice of silhouettes?
The silhouettes are clean and chic. The textile should speak, it has to be a stunning visual and whatever the silhouette or detailing, it has to be minimised so it doesn’t eclipse the textile.

Do you design for a particular muse?
My muses are all dusky-hued Indian girls with earthiness and allure….and the thousands of Indian women who have such fine taste and have kept cottage industries going by splurging on woven products.

What do you hope audiences will take away from their viewing of the line?
The concept that our traditions and our heritage can be fun too and could slip easily into our modern lives.

Talented High Schoolers Show Off Their Inspired Designs At Teen Fashion Awards

Talented High Schoolers Show Off  Their Inspired Designs At Teen Fashion Awards

The high school students designed and made outfits across four categories - casual wear, formal wear, wearable art, society and environment.

Georgia Colyer, 17, from Coromandel Valley, said she was inspired by the film Black Swan  and Swan Lake to create her dress for the wearable art category. "I used four packets of diamantes on my shoes. It took a long time to glue them on," the Scotch College student said. "I would ideally like to be a professional dancer but if that doesn't work out, I would like to do something in costume design."

Fellow designer Azzy Cisternino, 16, wanted to create an outfit with a sweet and sour concept before deciding on her "butterfly" piece.

"At one stage I lost hope and thought it wasn't going to work out, but I'm now glad it has turned out," she said. "It was great fun and we've got great staff here to help us."

Top placegetters will compete in the national final in Melbourne on October 6.

Gangs of Wasseypur's Richa Chadda Takes To The Run way!

Gangs of  Wasseypur's Richa Chadda Takes To The Run way!

Here's a look at designer Debarun Mukherjee's collection from the third day of the LFW. Photographs: Rajesh Karkera

Inspired by "the spiritual presence of the Almighty", Debarun Mukherjee showcased a collection of serene style called 'Omnipresent' at Lakme Fashion Week today, which opened with a graceful dance performance by renowned Manipuri dancer, Rinku Dutt.

Taking a cue from the famous iznik tiles of Turkey, all the garments were blue as a constant, with base tones of beige and black; fusion silhouettes tailored to the the festive and bridal season included layered dhoti skirts, Mandarin collar tops, elegant pleated pants and luxurious saris.

And while actress Richa Chadda of Gangs of Wasseypur closed the show, first on the ramp was her namesake, playback singer Richa Sharma, in a printed layered ghagra, high-collar top and double-layered inner.

Leading Footwear Fashion Brands At Espacio GLAM In Spain

Leading Footwear Fashion Brands At Espacio GLAM In Spain

MODACALZADO+IBERPIEL,  the International Footwear and Leather Goods Fair, will once again confirm its status as the leading showcase in the world for high-quality and creative Spanish footwear during the staging of its thirtieth edition between 22nd and 24th September at Feria de Madrid. The glamour Section and, specifically, its special area known as Espacio GLAM, will provide the best showcases in Spain for high-category footwear and accessory brands, whose products are likely to set the trend in footwear and leather accessories for Spring-Summer 2013.

It will be organised by ifema, the fair will take place from 22nd to 24th September 2012 at Feria de Madrid.Number of Spanish and foreign companies that have managed to position their products at the leading showcases in all of the world's capitals due to the high quality and prestige of their designs.

A good example of this is provided by the renowned designers who will be taking part in this area, such as Pura López, Chie Mihara, Luis Onofre, Muxart o Ramón Tenza; the exclusive and chic creations by Magrit, children's footwear by Ponti or the prestigious collections from brands such as Hoss Intropia, Homers, Baltarini, Patricia, Plummers, Platón Calzados, Uad Medani, Colchic Collection - Sinela and Lola Torres, among others.

The French brand, Robert Clergerie, whose label and designs are synonymous with the ideas of luxury and glamour that emanate from France, will be taking part in this grand fashion showcase within the espacio glam area, alongside the Danish brand, Ilse Jacobsen, that has won itself a niche within the fashion world thanks to its handmade lace-up Wellington boots.

Alongside the most striking and sophisticated footwear creations, espacio glam will also present the latest designs in leather goods, such as those of the German company, Abro, and the Spanish company, Dimoni, who have both confirmed their participation at the event and will present their leather accessory designs for next Spring-Summer 2013.

Since it was founded back in September 2009, Espacio glam has always been warmly welcomed by exhibiting companies and the trade professionals who visit the fair, not only due to the designs of this special area and its competitive stands (featuring a good image/price ratio), but also because of the high levels of quality, design and sophistication offered by the participating brands, all of which form part of the high end of the market.

In addition to the high stature of the products that are brought together, visitors to Espacio GLAM highlight its convenience, given that this area brings together all of the leading firms within the same section.This grand event will take place on 22nd, 23rd and 24th September at Feria de Madrid, between Saturday and Monday from 9.30 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. over its first two days, and from of 9.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. on its last day.