There are a number of charities I’ve been involved with but the annual Ladies’ Luncheon fundraiser for The Royal Hospital for Women Foundation, organised by my friend Deborah Symond ONeil is one event that I like to get behind and look forward to attending. This year, the event raised $340,000 — much needed funds for a worthy cause that assists premature babies to survive and thrive.
A special occasion called for a special dress and I found the perfect candidate in this Camilla & Marc dress. The off-the-shoulder style is so perfect for a spring event, whilst the blouson sleeves are right on trend. The metallic colour also gave it a thoroughly modern feel, whilst the front split adds an edgy touch.
Working with metallic shades calls for simplicity which is why I opted for plain black Stuart Weitzman heels which are quite minimalist. A metallic pink Bulgari clutch added a pop of colour whilst beautiful Chaumet jewellery were the ideal finishing accoutrements.
Photography by Blake Heywood
Shop the look:
Dress, Camilla and Marc (currently not available); Jewellery, Chaumet; Heels, Stuart Weitzman; Bag, Bulgari
Attending the official opening of Daydream Island called for something fun, vibrant and bright! Enter this amazing co-ord set by Toni Maticevski. The gorgeous chartreuse shade was the ideal option for such an event as not only was it a nod to the sunshine and tropical weather of the location but it’s the perfect punchy colour that’s just made for party dressing. I’ve worn designs by Maticevski before and the one thing I love about them is that everything is guaranteed to have a knock out feature. In this instance the cascading ruffles on the skirt and the asymmetrical statement sleeve on the crop top.
For a look that’s already so bold I didn’t really need to go overboard with accessories. I opted for a simple, minimalist nude heels and a white statement clutch with embellishment for a bit of fun. As I was wearing my hair in a side swept style with accompanying florals, it was the perfect opportunity to show off some great statement baubles. These pearl drop earrings by Reliquia were just the thing and so perfect for the event.
Arriving at the event with LukeMyself with Lincoln Lewis and Phoebe BurgessWith Phoebe BurgessEnjoying the evening with Luke
Shop the Look:
Top: Flaunt Sleeve Bodice in Chartreuse Yellow, Maticevski
Skirt: Basque Ruffle Skirt in Chartreuse Yellow, Maticevski
This week has also been a great opportunity to snap up some special pieces with Harrold’s big sale. Lots of my favourite designers were on sale and some were reduced up to 50 per cent which to me is the perfect time to nab a few designer things I’ve had my eye on.
And to cap off such a big week, I headed up to our family farm to enjoy a relaxing weekend in the country. The girls always really love it as it gives them the opportunity to run around and have a great time with all the different animals my parents keep. I for one, am glad for the extra day’s break and will definitely be making the most of it enjoying the sunshine.
The Australian Open is always a huge event on the sporting calendar and is definitely one of the highlights of summer. So I was excited to be able to attend an event celebrating its launch at Melbourne’s Crown Casino over the weekend.
When it comes to outdoor events, I always like to keep my outfit light and airy so this co-ordinating set from Zimmermann seemed the perfect choice. Crisp white is always ideal at this time of year, and I loved the pairing of the crop top with statement sleeves and the drop hem skirt for a look that was feminine and polished yet still maintained a relaxed, summery vibe.
As far as my accessories went, I couldn’t go past my straw Poolside bag which has been on high rotation over the last few weeks. I’m really loving simple, natural textures worked back with more elegant pieces, which in this case came in the form of my fave Bottega Veneta heels. Topping off my look were my new Chloe sunglasses with their sweet scalloped frames and had just the right look and feel for this particular ensemble.
Credits: Top and Skirt, Zimmermann; Heels, Bottega Veneta; Bag, Poolside, Sunglasses Chloe
December’s been a hectic month for me and whilst I had a gorgeous time spending my birthday in Hawaii with my family, I was lucky to celebrate it again in Sydney. Sterling Vineyards once again, generously offered to host a party for me cruising along Sydney Harbour, which was the ultimate way to throw a belated birthday celebration.
I don’t think there’s anything better than spending a day on the water with close family and friends and that’s exactly what I got to do this year. Everyone from Luke, to my brother and sister-in-law and friends were all there to help me celebrate. This time of year is always really busy for everyone so I was so thrilled to be able to catch up with all my favourite people in the one spot – to not only celebrate my birthday but also to toast another great year together.
Birthday outfits are always so fun to style and this year I wanted to go with something summery so opted for an all-white ensemble by Christopher Esber. The cropped top and skirt perfectly suited the nautical vibe of the day.
Sydney Harbour Yacht Charter provided the perfect setting for the event and we were able to enjoy canapes and drinks whilst everyone chatted and mingled (and took about a million snaps of our gorgeous backdrop) cruising along the harbour. We then enjoyed a three course lunch on the main deck. We started with a baked forest mushroom tartlet with cauliflower puree followed by a main of barramundi with beetroot, fennel and leek. There were matching wines for each course and we were spoilt with Sterling Vineyards Prosecco, Pinot Noir Chardonnay and Sparkling Rosé throughout the afternoon. What really made lunch special for me was that Luke and some of my friends made some heartfelt speeches, which was so lovely of all of them.
We enjoyed a long, relaxing lunch before we got down to the main event: cake! We went up on deck for me to blow out my birthday candles and I was surprised by a drip cake decorated with pink blooms and macarons. It was a great way to enjoy our last course of the day and the cake was the ideal afternoon treat.
With the excitement of Christmas around the corner and the summer holidays stretching ahead of us, I was so happy that everyone was able to take time out of their busy schedules to celebrate with me. A birthday on the water was the most perfect way I could think of to mark another year of getting older.
Check out a few of my favourite snaps from the day below…
Birthday ready!
With some of my fave women
Toasting another birthday
We enjoyed a Sterling Vineyards Prosecco, Pinot Noir Chardonnay and Sparkling Rosé throughout the day
The gorgeous blooms on board
With my good friend Nadia Fairfax
Luke and I enjoying the day
The girls enjoying our picturesque surroundings
My birthday menu
The main was almost too pretty to eat
Luke saying a few words
Thanking all my beautiful friends
The cake!
Blowing out the candles
My crew
And another birthday is done…
Photography: Sophia Athas
This post was produced in collaboration with Sterling Vineyards
Last night I hosted a special dinner at the gorgeous Nobu restaurant at the Crown Resort in Melbourne to celebrate the launch of the Spring Racing Carnival. This is one of my favourite times of the year so I was thrilled to be able to kick it off in such a fun way.
I flew down to Melbourne early in the day and spent the rest of the afternoon prepping and getting ready at my hotel (not a hard ask considering the impressive rooms at the Crown Melbourne). My good friend Nadia Fairfax was also attending the dinner and staying at the hotel so we had a great time getting ready together for the event. My outfit for the evening was classic meets daring, comprising of a crisp white shirt, worked back with a Maticevski skirt that can only be described as a wearable piece of art and Off White heels.
Nobu is one of my favourite restaurants in Melbourne so it was exciting to be hosting a dinner there. It was a small event — I’d invited just 30 people, a mixture of friends, family and a few media people. This was great as it gave me the opportunity to catch up with everyone before the craziness of spring racing commences.
As you would expect the food we had was incredible. We were served a Japanese inspired menu of three courses and dessert featuring some truly delicious sushi and sashimi paired with amazing wine. I was in heaven and judging from my guests’ reactions, they were too.
Having my friends and family there, including mum and dad, made the night even better. We had a thoroughly great evening and it has made me more excited to throw myself into spring racing season.
