style caffeine: FASHION DOWN UNDER - A GUIDE TO AUSTRALIAN FASHION

For one month, twice a year, the fash pack are in full force. The editors, photographers, paps, models and PRs are pushed to their max, travelling night and day from show to show from New York, to London, followed by Milan, and finally Paris. Where fashion is concerned, these are the leading cities. Paris home to legendaries such as Karl Lagerfeld, Milan with iconic italian houses Prada and Dolce & Gabbanna, New York with the CFDA and Anna Wintour, and London the birthplace of countless british supermodels like Kate or Cara. Once these cities have showcased their goods, the editors return to their offices, the photographers touch up their work, and models proceed with editorial/commercial work. But elsewhere in the world, things are still moving. There's Stockholm, Sao Paulo and Dubai fashion weeks to name a few. Whatever the time of year, it's always fashion week.

In the past year or so, Australian brands, publications and the general oz lifestyle have taken my interest. I wasn't aware of MSFW (Melbourne Spring Fashion Week) before this spring, and am disapointed with how little coverage it receives in Britain. It seems isolated, further from us than the other side of the world. What is interesting, and perhaps why MSFW is left out of the fashion week roundups, is that collections are an entire year ahead, rather than just six months. So this MSFWshowcased next year's S/S, and this year's S/S would have been shown last S/S.

Obviously, I don't know much as I've never been to Australia, but I've compiled a few lists to serve as a basic guide to Australian fashion, before I write up the best of MSFW S/S 15.

Magazines
1. http://www.oystermag.com/
Updated with playful indie photo shoots and news bites every day, fun shopping section, all with a witty, humorous voice.

2. http://www.russhmagazine.com/
More grown up with chic, minimalist shoots, health and travel sections, blogging and cool covers featuring the likes of Jourdan Dunn, Cara Delevigne and Alessandra Ambrosio.

3. http://frankie.com.au/
Arts and crafty, cutesy mag with illustrated covers and lots of vintage.

Brands
1.http://www.shakuhachi.net
'The Shakuhachi girl is a sleek-limbed supergirl, as unashamedly nineties as giant blow wave hair, jangling gold earrings or a perfectly placed beauty spot'. Shakuhachi is all about prints, namely reptile prints. And florals, and mesh! Worn by Rita Ora, Millie Mackintosh, Iggy Azealea and Aluna Francis to name a few. Shakuhachi is now collaborating with Nasty Gal.

2.http://www.ksubi.com
Remember that top that read ' Boys Who Skate are Better at Grinding'? That was Ksubi. So were the green tropical print jeans, and more recently 'If I Were Riding a Horse I'd Wear Flannel, but I'm Going To a Disco So I Wear Channel'. Ksubi has created many an 'IT' item, but is in fact a denim brand at heart, so you'd find lots of casual basics.

3.http://www.dionlee.com
Dion Lee is an up and coming designer, working with block colour, panelling, prints, and an overall sophisticated cut and silhouette. Definitely one to watch, even outside of Australia.

4.http://www.joshgoot.com/
Similar to Dion Lee with prints and sharp tailoring and panelling. Always paying homage to the reef with scuba shapes and prints. Guaranteed a cult print every season, its a little like Mary Katrantzou or Peter Pilotto with say, J.W Anderson shape.

5.http://www.alicemccall.com/
More prints! The girliest of the lot perhaps.

Bloggers
1.http://howtwolive.com/
Two incredibly tall, tanned and long haired sisters who initially started their co-shared blog to keep in touch when they were apart. Fans of brights, fluoros, prints, chunky sandals, extravagant silhouettes and reflective shades. They've collaborated with Australian shoe company Windsor Smith.

2. http://shinebythree.com/
Margaret Zhang's blog is luxe. High quality photographs and decadent clothes. Like an up market version of fashion toast, (but with print and colour rather than just black on black outfits)