The Best Vegan Nights in Melbourne for Dinner

There are a few vegan nights in Melbourne that deliver vegan cuisine to a new level. Specially crafted vegan cuisine shows the world that incredible vegan food is accessible, possible and inclusive. Supporting the vegan nights in Melbourne also means supporting those businesses that are genuinely trying to seek a vegan path if they’re not already there.

Vegan Degustation Nights at Shu Restaurant

If you think of Shu Restaurant, think of delicious Chinese Sichuan cooking with a contemporary twist. This restaurant in Collingwood in Melbourne exudes a modern gallery feel with tasty Sichuan food with a modern vegan vibe. This is the perfect location for a vegan dinner night with friends who may be omni, and are curious about vegan Chinese food. Over the course of ten dishes you can celebrate the act of enjoying a good meal with good friends, despite life differences; all the elements for a memorable get-together.

Shu holds these nights regularly (particularly Tuesdays nights). Sichuan cooking is also known to be spicy, so it’s also one of the best places in Melbourne to experience this style of cuisine. Degustation nights also give guests the option to match their degustation dishes with matched wines.  And, here’s a fun fact – Shu is actually short for Sichuan, the southwest province from which this style of cooking originates. It’s an area that is known to be the ‘Land of Heaven’ where some of the world’s earliest people in China planted, harvested and foraged while using seasonal ingredients and being plant-based.

147 Johnston Street Collingwood Victoria 3066. $55 per person or $115 per person with matched vegan wines. Visit the website for more details or to make a booking. Gluten-free can be catered for.  

Vegan Nights at The Independent in Gembrook

The Independent in Gembrook is hosting its own vegan nights in outer Melbourne. Diners book in to experience Argentinean food over multiple courses, with or without matched drinks, and all crafted by Head Chef Mauro Callegari. Never during my first lunch there back in 2015 did I imagine The Independent in Gembrook would host these vegan nights on regular Fridays. On further investigation, The Independent in Gembrook now features a standalone vegan section on its regular menu. Take the car through the rolling, winding hills and bushland of The Dandenongs in Melbourne’s outer east, to feast on six share courses including dessert. Luckily, all dishes are customisable so those needing gluten-free don’t miss out. The kitchen takes care of this.

79 Main Street Gembrook Victoria 3783. Phone: 03 5968 1110. Six courses, inclusive of a dessert, $52 per person. Bookings are essential and a non-refundable deposit is required upon booking.  Check out the website for future dates for vegan nights. 

Exclusive Dinner Events at Soulpod Foods in Croydon South

Soulpod Foods has opened right next door to Eastfield Natural Foods as a day-time all vegan café, with good friends Adele McConnell Daniela De Martino running the business to ‘bring the best organic, plant based foods to the eastern suburbs of Melbourne’.  Exclusive dinner events like Valentine’s Day dinner and Tapas Nights are just a couple of the events that have already been hosted here. According to reports, tickets to the exclusive Valentine’s Day event this year sold out in less than two days with little promotion. This is testament to how Soulpod Foods has opened with impact and bringing their existing vegan direction to an enticingly fun level. Tables are regularly packed during the day for lunch, especially on Saturdays.

Adele and Daniela deliver love through food, something that seemed to be effortless at their Valentine’s Day dinner. Of course, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes on into bringing these exclusive dinners to life and to table. Over three courses, couples and friends can nibble through creative, healthy dishes while being serenaded by the tender flavours abound.

London Fashion Week 2019: Events for the public including runway shows, jewellery worshops and pop-up stores

London Fashion Week returns this week to showcase some of the most creative and innovative fashion designers in the world and ignite a city-wide celebration of the creative industries. 

On September 13th, international press, buyers, and influencers will descend on the capital for the bi-annual four-day fashion frenzy known as London Fashion Week.

And whilst the shows themselves are reserved for industry insiders, you don’t have to be a fashion editor to get a taste of the action.

Over the course of the next week, London is set to sizzle with a host of fabulous fashion events, and many of them are open to the public. Hell, most of them are free!

So don your sassiest get-up and get out there – fashion never sleeps, people. 

Here are all the ways to get involved:

Sit on the FROW at London Fashion Week

Want to rub shoulders with the fashion elite? You can now officially sit on the FROW at London Fashion Week, as the British Fashion Council have announced that two of London's finest homegrown brands, House of Holland and Self-Portrait, will stage public shows during LFW, where they will showcase their Autumn/ Winter 2019 collections during three different timeslots throughout the day.

Self-Portrait is known for its dainty and feminine designs, which have been worn by the likes of Michelle Obama and Meghan Markle, while House of Holland is known for its exuberant showcases and designs, with models such as Winnie Harlow, Cara Delevingne and Agyness Deyn amongst the famous faces who have walked for the brand. 

Both standard and VIP tickets can be bought here.

UNIQLO - The Art and Science of LifeWear: New Form Follows Function

 

For the first time, Japanese retailer UNIQLO is set to host an exhibition during London Fashion Week, which will showcase LifeWear from three perspectives, Art, Science and Craftsmanship in London. The brand has also partnered with NTS Radio, and the pieces from this collaboration will be available to buy at the pop-up store which will also be held at Somerset House, along with the exhibition. 

If you're more of a night owl though, don't panic, as NTS is hosting two special late-night events on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th September, which are open to the public.

This event is free to the public and is being held at Somerset House. 

The Anya Hindmarch Postbox Maze

The fashion designer responsible for previous London Fashion Week installations, including a giant bean bag and Chubby Hearts, is back, this time having designed a post-box-inspired maze. To celebrate the launch of Hindmarch's new Postbox Collection of accessories, the exhibition will last four days over Fashion Week and its design was inspired by the patterns found in M.C. Escher's Metamorphosis III mural, which was installed in the Hague Post Office 50 years ago. Calligraphy workshops will also be on offer. 

The Anya Hindmarch Postbox Maze is at Brewer Street Car Park from 13th- 16th September. Tickets are £12.50 and can be bought in advance here. 

Browns East x Peggy Gou 

Adwoa Aboah takes to the catwalk at London Fashion Week in support of Grenfell survivors

Adwoa Aboah said she remains “heartbroken” by the Grenfell tragedy as she joined survivors on the catwalk ahead of London Fashion Week. 

The supermodel joined singer Emeli Sandé and DJ Becky Tong to support for the Justice4Grenfell campaign. They donned T-shirts emblazoned with the message “72 dead and still no arrests? How come?” at 180 The Strand.

Aboah, who was born and raised in west London, said she “didn’t have to think  

Faisal Metals, who runs Grenfell Speaks, said: “We created the T-shirts as a way to remember the 72 who died and bring it back to why, as a community, we do what we do in terms of campaigning and social justice. It’s amazing to have backing from such famous people.”

Nabil Choucair, who lived on the 27th floor of the tower and lost his mother, sister, brother-in-law, and nieces in the fire, said it was a good way to bring the disaster back into the limelight. 

Entrepreneurs: Future looks bright for fashion designer Olivia Rubin

Surrounded by boxes, measuring tapes and rails full of dresses and jumpers, Olivia Rubin kicks off a loose fabric strip stuck to her Chanel sandal. The designer giggles loudly and then say: “Welcome to the organized chaos room, also known as my Ladbroke Grove studio in the run-up to London Fashion Week.”

The 37-year-old scrapes back her blonde hair into a bun and sits down for a quick break. She says she is feeling “nervous” about her eponymous label’s first time presenting during London’s five-day fashion extravaganza, which starts this Friday.

You can see why: Fashion Week is a huge opportunity to impress thousands of influential retail buyers and shoppers. Taking part is the latest in a string of landmark moments for the two-year-old clothing start-up that Rubin set up using personal savings. Last month singer Katy Perry wore an Olivia Rubin frock to celebrity Ellie Goulding’s wedding, and the brand has been getting stocked in some of the world’s most famous department stores, from Saks Fifth Avenue to Selfridges.

While she worries Brexit could delay customs checks on materials and products she has made in Europe and Asia, she says: “I don’t imagine leaving the EU will seriously hurt my firm’s ambitions.”

Her plans for expansion include a new homewares range and investments in sustainable fashion. 

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Rubin, who is wearing a £250 rainbow cardigan (one of her own creations, naturally), got the creative bug as a kid growing up in Maida Vale. Her granddad enjoyed painting in his spare time, which inspired Rubin’s creative side, while her father Daniel is the founder of the footwear firm Dune. Rubin would watch The Clothes Show every week on TV and helped organize her secondary school’s first fashion show.

She went on to study fashion print at Central Saint Martins and as part of the degree did some training schemes with Christian Dior and Alexander McQueen. After learning about stitching, pattern cutting, and designing, she did a business course and some freelance print design jobs.

In 2009 she set up a small label, designing dresses for the wholesale market. Products would be made in China, shipped here and sold online or by some High Street chains.

That lasted until 2011 when Rubin decided to close the business and take an indefinite break from the industry. She says candidly: “It was so tough. There wasn’t really much social media for small designers like me to promote their work, and I felt like half the time I was chasing up invoices.”

The entrepreneur adds: “I just felt momentum was dying around my business which was in its infancy. Maybe my personal ambition was plateauing.”

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Rubin continued to do some freelance work but largely took time away from the apparel sector to bring up her two young daughters, now three and six.

A return to fashion came in 2017. Rubin, who owns 100% of the firm, wanted to brighten up her own wardrobe and created a rainbow sequin stripe skirt. She posted pictures on Instagram and suddenly had hundreds of people asking where they could buy the product. “I realized there could be a gap in the market for mid-priced, colorful, quirky, and special pieces.”

Scores of orders were made whenever Rubin released new outfits. Then wholesale agency Polly King got in touch and helped the brand get stocked in Selfridges. Says Rubin with a grin: “That was an amazing opportunity.”

Since then Olivia Rubin ranges have sprung up in shops in the UK, US and Middle East. 

Before the end of the year, she will be selling cushions, candles and other homewares through online marketplace Etsy. Meanwhile, dresses made solely with sustainable fabrics are being worked on.

The future for Rubin and her multi-colored garments looks bright.

Simone Rocha's fantastical feminine fashion at London Fashion Week

Alexandra Palace staged the first fashion show in its storied history last night as Simone Rocha lifted the curtain on her latest collection in the iconic venue.

As the fashion press took their seats on the balcony of the recently restored Victorian theatre, which reopened last year after an 80-year closure, it soon became clear that the designer was intent on putting on a spectacle befitting its surroundings. 

Accordingly, Rocha recruited an all-star cast to model her brand of fantastical feminine fashion with the line-up featuring a host of actors from the designer’s native Ireland. 

Chernobyl star Jessie Buckley, who hails from Killarney, was among those to take a turn on the catwalk alongside fellow Irish theatre actors Olwen Fouéré and Simone Kirby. 

Jessie Buckley walks for Simone Rocha (Simone Rocha )

Ripper Street’s Charlene McKenna and Valene Kane, who appeared in BBC dramas Thirteen and The Fall, also topped the bill together with English actor Lesley Manville OBE, rising star Tia Bannon and 40-year-old supermodel Karen Elson in an inclusive showcase which sought to celebrate beauty of all ages from young women to those in their mid-60s. 

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Having made a name for herself as a master of fairytale dressing with a subversive storyline, the designer and daughter of industry stalwart John Rocha was keen to ensure her established signatures took the spotlight. For next season, that includes frothy tulle dresses decorated with periwinkle embroidery and layered over crisp white shirting along with pearl-encrusted brocade trousers and doily-lace skirts. 

Match your socks to your embroidery (Simone Rocha )

Quilted evening jackets, trench coats cascading with ruffles and wallpaper floral puffball taffeta gowns further added to the drama, as well as the idea that this was an offering designed to be as nostalgic as it was modern. 

An abundance of accessories was also indicative of a confident collection from a designer intent on building her brand up from the smallest details through to the statement-making investment pieces. 

Chandelier earrings, pearl-encrusted brogues, and crystal-studded headbands have long served as bestsellers and remain a constant for next season, alongside a series of raffia-weave handbags to tempt a new customer into the Simone Rocha fold.

Victoria Beckham Beauty is already selling out

She’s conquered the world of fashion, and now it looks as though Victoria Beckham is on her way to nailing the make-up world too.

After launching her eponymous beauty line on September 14, a day before her Victoria Beckham London Fashion Week SS20 show (read our full show report here), the brand is proving so popular that items are already selling out.

The Tuxedo eye palette and Mink lid luster both sold out within hours of being released.

Commenting on the news, Beckham told the Guardian: “The reaction has been huge, bigger than we dreamed. We had aggressive targets, and we’ve smashed them.”

The carefully curated first collection from the brand includes eyeshadow palettes called Smoky Eye Bricks, potted pigment for eyes called Lid Lustre and eyeliners called Satin Kajal Liner.

All with a view to recreating the smoky eye which Beckham’s become renowned for.

Victoria Beckham Beauty, which has the tagline “Luxury Performance, Clean Beauty”, is refusing to pigeonhole itself as just a beauty brand, instead referring to itself as a “clean beauty movement.”

After they worked together to launch Beckham's capsule make-up range with Estée Lauder in 2016, Beckham hired Lauder's former global head of make-up marketing and product development Sarah Creal as joint CEO of Victoria Beckham Beauty. 

Make-up is the first drop from the beauty range, with skincare, fragrance, and wellness expected in the coming months.

The prices of the collection range from £20 - £48 and it's available to buy here.

Bethany Williams revealed as second winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design

Even non-fashion fans took an interest in London Fashion Week when the Queen sat front row at Richard Quinn's AW18 show in February last year. 

Although Her Majesty seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience, she wasn't just there to chinwag with Anna Wintour, instead, her debut was for a more important reason: to present the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.

Central Saint Martins graduate Richard Quinn took home the honor and since then his career has gone from strength to strength. A collaboration with Debenhams and dressing Amal Clooney for the Met Gala are just two of the highlights. 

Bethany Williams will become the second emerging British fashion designer to be honored with the award when she makes her London Fashion Week debut on Tuesday, 19 February, having previously shown her collection at London Fashion Week Men's.

Designer Bethany Williams at the launch of the Fashion District (PA)

Bethany graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2016 with an MA in Menswear and has since been tacking social change through fashion. 

From environmental issues to women's rehabilitation, Bethany's unisex collections not only represent the change she wants to see but also help to make that change happen. 

Made out of recycled and organic materials, her one hundred percent sustainable designs are often in collaboration with different charitable organizations. Her SS19 collection, for example, highlighted waste materials from the publishing industry and saw 20 percent of the profits go directly to Mobile Library Charity.

Her AW19 showcase will focus on recycled denim and newspaper waste, which was created in collaboration with Adelaide House, a women's shelter that provides support and interventions for up to 20 women who are experiencing difficulties.