Fashion Commentator Glynis Traill-Nash Visits Australia’s First Zara Store And Dishes On Longer Skirts, Dinosaur Designs’ Insect Collection And Dannii Minogue’s Style Credentials

Fashion commentator Glynis Traill-Nash tells us all about the new Zara Sydney store, celebrates the long-skirt-trend and Dannii Minogue’s Model Co. deal.

Skirting —The Issue

Marc Jacobs started lowering skirt lengths in his autumn/winter 2010/11 collection, and thankfully the trend has now taken hold. Skirts have been too short for too long, and the new lengths are not only more demure, but much more flattering to most body types. The new lengths should hit between just above your knee to the full maxi. Knee-length skirts suit the ladylike trend perfectly, while mid-calf styles are ideal for the ’70s mood. There are many different styles to choose from. Certainly, every wardrobe would benefit from having a great black pencil skirt, to be worn with feminine blouses and chic cropped jackets. Full skirts—either full-circle ’50s styles, or those with gathered waistlines—are also great with tucked-in shirts and tops and a feature belt. A-line shapes are particularly chic—such as this example from Yeojin Bae. Maxis are also in vogue, either gathered or slimline versions in jersey.

Full skirts can be found at Scanlan & Theodore and Ginger & Smart; slimline skirts at Manning Cartell and Marni; pencil skirts at Natasha Gan, Witchery and Prada; and maxis at Lisa Ho, Lover and Sportsgirl.

Open Sesame

The wait is over—last week Zara finally opened the doors to its first Australian flagship store in the new Westfield Sydney. The enormous store covers more than 1,400sq m over three floors, with departments for women, men and children. At the launch last week, two things became clear. Firstly, any concerns that prices would be higher in Australia than they are overseas were dashed—indeed, prices are so competitive that many Australian high street retailers must be getting a little worried. Secondly, the store ticks off every autumn/winter trend: animal prints and motifs (including cute bunny tees), graphic spots and stripes, bright colours, tunic dresses, minimalism… They’re all here. Next up: Melbourne—while the date is not yet confirmed, the Bourke St store is likely to open at the end of June. This will be an even bigger space at over 1,700sq m. Now that’s some serious shopping space.

A Bug’s New Life

The Dinosaur Designs team looked to our creepy-crawly friends for inspiration for their latest collection, aptly named Insects. Whether it’s the outline of a ladybird, the wings of a butterfly or the segments of a centipede, the shapes and colours of the insect world are reinterpreted into necklaces, cuffs and rings, as well as beautiful homewares. Iridescent blues and greens are mixed with bronze and gold chrome for a metallic touch, alongside bright oranges and black.

Style Ambassador

Dannii Minogue shows off an enviable post-baby body while launching her involvement as the face of ModelCo’s Fibre Lash Brush on Lashes in London. The black-and-white bodycon dress is super-flattering, thanks to the asymmetrical neckline and those diverging white lines that don’t let the eye settle for too long on any one place. They also keep the eye on her upper body, helped along by her perfectly nude pumps. Chic simplicity.