Ipswich Fashion Festival Delights With New Looks

IPSWICH’S much anticipated Fashion Festival kicked off in style on Friday with a Gala Fashion Evening at the Metro Hotel Ipswich International.

Fashion lovers gathered in the venue’s Grandchester Ballroom to see some of the latest offerings from local designers.

Among the designers on show was Leigh Buchanan, a former Bremer State High School student who was a runner up in the first series of Project Runway Australia.

Mr Buchanan showcased his collection alongside established Brisbane fashion designer Vanessa Hoe who presented items from her When Freddie met Lilly’ label.

Also featured at the runway were collections from Naked in the Night Clothing Co, Queensland Bridal Design and Pret a Porter.

The festival continued the next day at the Retro Rockabilly Fashion Fiesta in Ipswich City Square, with a fashion parade and stalls packed with vintage and retro clothing and accessories.

The fiesta was followed by the Catwalk Collections’ fashion parade at Riverlink which showcased designer pieces, bridal fashion design, retail ready to wear and the PFAFF Student Design Award winners.

Photos by Rob Williams

James Blunt - Moon Landing 2014 World Tour

The Frontier Touring Company is delighted to announce the return of James Blunt to Australia in 2014., Blunt and his band will visit for a very special run of shows in May/June next year, with guests Busby Marou.

The timing for this exciting announcement could not be better, with Blunt's brand new single 'Bonfire Heart', taken from his upcoming album 'Moon Landing', peaking at #1 position on the iTunes single chart and debuting at #5 on this week's ARIA single chart! 

James Blunt shot to fame in 2006 with the smash singles 'You're Beautiful' & 'Goodbye My Lover' from his platinum selling album 'Back to Bedlam', one of the UK's best-selling albums of the 2000's. For fourth studio album Moon Landing, Blunt wanted to go back to sounding... like himself. 'I was playing a lot of ukulele - mainly because it makes me look bigger,' says James. He also returned to producer Tom Rothrock, and to working with just the two of them in the studio, occasionally bringing in selected musicians from the Back To Bedlam sessions. 

Picking up a guitar and writing his first song at 14, Blunt wrote his university dissertation on the music industry, took that guitar to the war in Kosovo, and always dreamed of making music, saying what success has meant, more than anything, is freedom. 'What it allowed me to do was go on tour with a band. That was absolutely amazing'.

 But it also meant much more than that, with three world tours, four number one singles, five Grammy nods (plus two BRITS, two Ivor Novellos and a host of MTV awards), a six-piece band, seven whole years on the road, nearly 17m albums and 20 million singles sales worldwide following. 

Bringing a full band with him for the tour and renowned for his charm and grace on stage, Australian audiences will surely be captivated when he returns for his first visit since 2011, playing songs from his highly anticipated new album as well as a collection of hits.

'There's just something romantic, old-school and lonely about the moon landings,' he explains. 'A nostalgic memory of something huge that we can hardly believe we once achieved, and for some sad reason, can't achieve again - like first love.'

"Goodbye My Lover was everything Sydney's jilted lovers could have dreamed of. His timorous demeanour whilst sitting at the piano worked rather well here, giving the hit song a raw touch and awarded him a well-deserved standing ovation."

- The Music Network 2011

It's an exciting week for Australian duo Busby Marou, with their new album 'Farewell Fitzroy' (out now through Warner Music) debuting at #5 on the ARIA album chart this week, they have also been confirmed as special guests for this Australian/New Zealand tour with James! Two years on from their acclaimed self-titled debut, Farewell Fitzroy is 12 tracks of folk-pop and country-tinged song craft, distinctly Australian storytelling, and the gifted musicianship of Tom Busby and Jeremy Marou.
"Marou's sometime-falsetto and Busby's earthy, clear lead vocals combine in heavenly harmony, and their guitars do likewise."

- The Australian (4.5 stars)

James Blunt is certain to make audiences swoon at these theatre shows and tickets won't last, so be sure to grab yours.

TOUR DATES*:

Sun 1 Jun - Newcastle Civic Theatre, NSW
Mon 2 Jun - Brisbane Convention Centre, QLD
Fri 6 Jun - Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre, SA
Sat 7 Jun - Royal Theatre Canberra, NSW
Fri 13 Jun - Riverside Theatre Perth, WA
*Ticketek is selling for the above venues only.

Dolly Parton Announces Australian Tour

US country singer Dolly Parton is returning to Australia in 2014 for a national tour. Parton will bring her Blue Smoke World Tour Down Under in February, promoter Live Nation announced on Monday."Australia, here I come again.

We have a lot of new and exciting things for the show and can't wait to share it with you. I love my fans in that part of the world.

You've been so very good to me for so many years and I know that we're gonna have a wonderful time," Parton said in a statement.Parton, best known for her hit 9 to 5 and her 1983 duet Islands in the Stream with Kenny Rogers, last toured Australia in 2011.

Her The Better Day World Tour! was lauded as her most successful Australian tour of her 45-plus year career after performing to record-breaking crowds across the country. Tickets go on sale on November 1.

Get Ready to Celebrate City's Style - Ipswich Fashion Festival

STYLING UP: Kimberley Allen-Ankins (left) and Shauna Darr show a glimpse of what will be on offer at the fashion festival. (IMAGE: David Nielsen)

FASHION students, local designers and retailers will soon take centre stage for an event fashion lovers will not be able to resist. 

The Metro Hotel Ipswich International is readying the runway for a Gala Fashion Evening as part of this year's Ipswich Fashion Festival. 

The premier regional fashion event will showcase the latest creations from local and metropolitan designers and retailers. 

Designer collections on show include Leigh Buchanan Designs, When Freddie Met Lilly by Vanessa Hoe, Queensland Bridal Design and much, much more. 

Metro Hotel Ipswich International general manager Ted Matthews said the evening was a wonderful way of showcasing the enormous amount of local talent and fashion that is available in the city. 
"Ipswich is fortunate to have so much wonderful fashion on offer but we also enjoy getting together for a great night out," he said. 

"The Gala Fashion Evening has been organised to not only celebrate the diversity of fashion and design here in Ipswich, but to also be a night of great fun." 

The event will be held at the hotel's Grandchester Ballroom on Friday, October 25, from 6.30pm and include wine and canapés before the runway show. 

There will also be a performance by Ipswich-based Allula Productions' burlesque show and the announcement of the winners of the Pfaff Student Design Awards. 

For guests who can arrive early, Stefan Hair Salon will provide a complimentary hair and beauty bar from 4.30-6.30pm. 

Tickets to the Gala Fashion Evening are $22 and can be purchased from the Ipswich Events Corporation on 3812 2974. 

For more information about the Ipswich Fashion Festival visit ipswichcentral.com.au 

Other Ipswich Fashion Festival events 

• What: Vintage Vixens and Retro Rockabilly' Fashion Fiesta.
• Where: Ipswich City Mall.
• When: Saturday, October 26, from 9.30am - 1.30pm.
• What: Catwalk Collections' Fashion Parade.
• Where: Riverlink Shopping Centre
• When: Saturday, October 26, from 1pm.