Last night’s Fashion Connect event evoked a menagerie of campness, enhanced by Melbourne’s most debonair creative dressing and a good shake of a Chambord French Martini. I was delighted to attend with milliner and curator extraordinaire Jessica Piesse, and equally excited to wear the beautiful silk, vintage Connie Simonetti jumpsuit I inherited from my fashion-forward mother in law. With Melbourne Spring Fashion Week in full Spring, this Fashion Connect event was a great way to network with like minds and discuss their plans are for the upcoming fashion silly season.

Jessica and I arrived at the ‘taxidermist meets velvet underground’ Carlton and were greeted by two very lovely drag queens called Cher Noble and Minty Fresh. These lovely ladies (who have a deft hand with a makeup brush, let me tell you) helped promote Polaroid on the night, and took lots of happy snaps for Fashion Connect guests to enjoy immediately. We then proceeded to the bar to enjoy our complimentary French Martini before sitting down to let the people watching begin!

Jessica Piesse (with giraffe) in a beautiful Tamara de Lempicka-esque  forest green flapper gown, matching millinery and opaques. Style!

Before we knew it, the room was filled with friends of Ruby Assembly including the effervescent Jane Hayes of Jane Hayes Consulting, Kyra Pybus of Pybus PR, Lisa from Stylus Muse, Dean of Madam Virtue & Co….. my, the name dropping and tagging really could go  on! We were generously plied with mini-gelati from Trampoline to keep our energy up, and curiously flavoured Cocobella waters (I was briefly told that it’s the choice of Madonna – although I’m not sure if this is a recommendation in earnest).

L-R: Iolanthe, Jane, Kyra & Jessica

Jumpsuit still life with giraffe.

The evening also included an array of generous giveaways, MC’d  by host Amber Renae of Ciccone Cosmetics. The sweet 80’s tunes kept humming as space was made for Cher Noble and Minty Fresh to perform a Lady Gaga-style drag show which was both entertaining, and rich with melancholic pathos (as any good drag show should be).

L-R: Minty Fresh and Cher Noble. I’m sure I also have those sparkly pumps from Forever New.

In all, a highly enjoyable night with all proceeds raised going towards The Aids Trust of Australia. We also received rather fabulous gift bags which I rustled through with much joy upon my return to the office… including caramel crisp Lindt chocolate, Marc Jacobs Bang and Marc Jacobs Classic fragrance samples, Teadrop tea and Culture magazine. Well done OC Communications for running such a fabulous night.

Goody goody giftbag… featuring bling, fragrance and caffeine…..

…. and the retro-tastic Polaroid photos with Minty Fresh and Jessica to remember the night by.