launch Archives - Kate Waterhouse

Afterpay Australian Fashion Week: Day 3 – 25 Martin Place launch

2nd June, 2021

I had the incredible honour of hosting the launch of the latest fashion and dining precinct in Sydney, 25 Martin Place. The Harry Seidler-designed building formerly known as the MLC Centre has undergone a $170 million transformation and the results are pretty incredible. I wanted to honour one of the big stores taking up residence in the precinct while on hosting duties, so I embraced a Valentino look for today. Valentino will be opening a flagship store in the building so it only seemed fitting to wear a look by the brand to today’s event.

While I don’t think you can ever really go wrong with Valentino, there’s also plenty that’s so right with this particular take on the shirt dress. The silhouette is given a feminine touch with the delicate lace and the pleated skirt feature, while the oversized logo belt adds a touch of drama. I paired this with a minimalist neutral heel to complement the crisp white hue of the dress and old school waves to finish off the look.

Credits: Dress and belt, Valentino; Shoes, Stuart Weitzman

Fashion, Lifestyle

Kicking off Spring Racing Carnival

17th October, 2018

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.

Check out a few snaps of the evening below.

With my parents

Rebecca Vallance-Gasan and Elliot Garnaut

Lindy Rama-Ellis and husband, Adam Ellis

Melissa Singer and Brooke Meredith

Suzy Eskander and Sally Crinis

Nadia Fairfax

Actor Tim Kano and Mavournee Hazel

With Nadia Fairfax and Elliot Garnaut

The chic table setting

Our delicious menu for the evening

One of the amazing dishes of the evening

Beautiful florals set the scene

My guests relaxing and having a great time

Photography: Carly Ravenhall

Fashion, What I Wore

What I Wore: Maison Christian Dior Launch

26th May, 2018

I recently hosted a special event launching the new Maison Christian Dior pop up store at Sydney airport followed by a lunch at the restaurant, Fred’s. For a launch celebrating the iconic brand, I knew I definitely had to wear Dior from head to toe. I knew it would be spoilt for choice as far as design options went (it is Dior after all!) but I can’t resist a polka dot print so this dress caught my eye immediately. I loved the layered effect of the dress—the midi skirt overlay gave it a point of difference and the perfect dramatic touch. I think the long sleeves and wearing the collar buttoned up gave it a more streamlined, classic feel at the top which was the ideal counterpoint to the edgier look of the skirt.

I wanted to take advantage of the split feature of the dress and knew I needed to find some standout shoes to match. Enter these showstopper Dior boots! What else would you do with knee high mesh boots than make them a focal point of a look? As they were completely on show I loved the fact that they had a really strong, fierce vibe about them and held their own with the frock.

It’s always fun to be able to experiment with new looks and different silhouettes and this outfit allowed me to do both, whilst being able to wear one of my favourite brands.

Credits: Dress and shoes, Christian Dior

Photographer: Esteban La Tessa

Fashion, What I Wore

What I Wore: Pandora Shine collection launch

29th March, 2018

Set in the beautiful The Calyx in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden was a golden hued haven for launch of the Pandora Shine collection. As I had the honour of hosting the event I wanted an outfit that echoed the theme of the day so it was truly special when I was able to wear this gold number by Bec and Bridge before it even hit stores.

I love the look of gold satin as it has such a beautiful drape and finish and has a glam touch that was perfect the occasion. The long sleeves juxtaposed with the thigh high split is in keeping with my longstanding fashion formula of choosing one part of the body to focus on when it comes to outfits. The split was a definite showstopper feature but the sleeves helped temper it and made it work for a day event.

When it came to my accessories I wanted to keep most of the look quite tonal so I stuck to all gold jewellery. I found it added to my outfit without taking away from the beautiful dress being the centrepiece. Simplicity is always key when working with such a statement dress so I thought my black Alaïa heels would be the perfect choice. They added a touch of colour without being too over the top. And I’ve always found that black and gold is a winning colour pairing and dialled up the glamour of my look in a subtle, yet striking way.

Credits: Dress, Bec and Bridge (not in store yet); Heels, Alaïa

Photography: Guy Davies and Jason James

Fashion

Chanel at Marais pop-up boutique launch in Melbourne

21st June, 2017

Chanel at Marais boutique store front Melbourne

When anything involves the word Chanel you can guarantee that it will be a throughly sophisticated affair. Last week I flew down to Melbourne to attend the launch of the Chanel at Marais pop-up store and it was a touch of Parisian magic in the heart of the city. The Marais boutique on Bourke Street is housing the first Chanel retail experience outside of the brand’s standalone boutiques in Australia and is showcasing the Paris Cosmopolite 2016/17 Métiers d’art Ready-to-Wear collection.

In a nod to Karl Lagerfeld’s inspiration behind the current Métiers d’art Ready-to-Wear collection, the hub of Café Society that is the Ritz Paris, the decor of the store has been inspired by the iconic five-star hotel in Paris. Think vibrant blue-toned decor featuring everything from navy velvet sofas to indigo cabinetry and pops of electric blue LED lighting. The shopfront below is just the beginning of the truly immersive experience—once you step inside you’ll genuinely feel as if you’re in the middle of Paris.

After sipping on cocktails and losing myself in the boutique and browsing through the many Insta- and covet-worthy pieces it was time to head into an adjoining space to the Marais boutique for the launch cocktail party where everyone from influencer Nicole Warne to singer Isabella Manfredi were present. I also managed to catch up with a few friends which is also a nice bonus when attending an event! One of the highlights of the evening would have to be the performance by The Preatures on the rooftop bar. In one word: amazing.

It’s always a nice treat to be invited to such a glamorous affair and even more so when there’s retail therapy thrown in to make the experience even better. If you’re a Chanel fan run don’t walk to experience the Chanel at Marais pop-up. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to Chanel heaven.

Visit Chanel at Marais from June 15 until July 9, 2017. Marais is located at Level 1, 73-77 Bourke Street, Melbourne.