Merry Christmas

Thank you all so much for your support during the first year of As seen in! I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and happy and safe New Years. We'll be back on the 4th of January with many more glossy buys, and what is sure to be some amazing sales!

Stay tuned for the exciting unveil of our brand new site, to be launched mid-late January!!!

Celeste Mitchell
Director
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Jungle Fever

As seen in... Grazia, Dec 21, page 29.




The peplum dress is back in full '80s style and we love this gorgeous design from Nookie. Click here to buy in size 6-12. Also available in blue and white.

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Rock the Kaftan

As seen in... Shop Til You Drop, Jan '10, page 140.




We love this embellished kaftan from Saxonne! Perfect for balmy summer nights sipping cocktails. Click here to buy from their e-store. Available in sizes 6-12 in sky, black or taupe.


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All-In-One

As seen in... Cosmopolitan, Oct '09, page 170.



This fresh and flirty jumpsuit from Fleur Wood is the perfect investment piece for summer. Click here to buy today!

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Swim Time

As seen in... Vogue, Nov '09, page 59.



With only one week of work to go before summer holidays (for most of us anyway), time is running out to grab that perfect new swmisuit. We love the colours in this White Sand bikini - available to buy here in sizes XS-L.


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Feeling Frilly

As seen in... Famous, Dec 7, '09, page 59.



This pretty one-piece can most definitely take you from beach to bar, doubling as a great bodysuit to wear with cute high-waisted shorts. Click here to buy from Trixan Body. Available in sizes 8-14.

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All Wrapped Up

As seen in... Cosmopolitan, Jan '10, page 43.



Looking for something a little different? We love the detailing in this Shakuhachi dress. Click here to pre-order and have your dress within 2-10 days.

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Tropicana

As seen in... Grazia, Dec 7, '09, page 49.



First dress for the party season - we love this vibrant one-shouldred silk dress from Mimosa! Click here to buy in sizes 8-12.

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Ships Ahoy

As seen in... Cosmopolitan, Jan '10, page 167.



Click here to pre-order this chic one-piece for mid-December delivery and get ready to relax poolside this summer!

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Style Speak: Alicia Acuri

We speak to Cooper St Head Designer Alicia Acuri about her role and the exciting new direction for the brand...

What is a typical day like for you?
8.30am start so I hit the emails early over a good hazelnut latte! We offer monthly ranges so there is almost always samples to check up on either concerning fit or fabrication etc. Fabric reps visit us daily especially with such a large surge of newer smaller companies opening up over the last 6 months so often I’ll be in a fabric showing or design or production meetings for the better part of the morning. If Craig our boss is in, I’ll talk him through the latest range direction too. We’ll talk about print selection, colour palettes, latest trends and what we’re doing at Cooper to cover them all. Normally I’ll have lunch over my emails again so to keep on top of them – there’s nothing more overwhelming than an enormous amount of new emails in my inbox! My afternoon will be spent either tweeking the latest range, working on prices for the newest styles or building the palette and direction for the next range – this will all depend on timing. These days with the opening of our new store I’ve spent a lot of time working with our interior designer approving different elements of the store along with sourcing the extra tid bits that make all the difference!

What is your background in the fashion Industry?
I consider myself still to be quite new to the fashion Industry. Cooper St was my first job while studying my final year of the Fashion Design Advanced Diploma at the East Sydney design studio which is now at Ultimo. I came into Cooper one day a week on work experience for a good three months. During this time I did a lot of sketching for the overworked design room… obviously I was thrilled just to be involved! At the end of my three months work experience, Craig asked me if I’d like to join the team - a student’ s dream! Given that I was in the final few months of a four-year course I took on the job part time while I completed my study. I continued my sketching and worked really closely with the Myer merchandising team on Cooper in all of their major stores in Sydney.

The workload continued to increase for the design girls and in time I earnt myself a full time spot as Design Assistant, a role which I kept for a good 3-4 years. In August of 2008, when the Head Designer finished up at Cooper and Craig offered me the role, I didn’t even have to think. Since then my work has been completely focused on earning Cooper St some serious fashion credibility as I felt that we were becoming a little predictable and safe. I’d like to think that we are much more on trend and at times even a little more directional which seems to be working out for us really well. Obviously our recent campaign was a great vehicle to exploit for this.

What was your inspiration behind the Summer 09 Collection and the coinciding 'Wear Yourself Out' campaign?
Summer for us was all about re-inventing our label and making it very clear that we were headed toward being a force to be reckoned with. We used an explosion of colour representing youth and optimism in the face of the ever looming recession. Our signature colour for the season was without doubt “Sorbet” which we toned through versions of watermelon, coral and super-bold pink so to keep it fresh. Our campaign was built around the concept that you can wear yourself out while quite literally wearing Cooper St out! Lord knows we wore ourselves out to get it right!

We’re very excited to hear of the Cooper St flagship store opening in Bondi Junction next month! What does it mean to you to have your designs showcased in such a way?
Needless to say I’m absolutely thrilled that it is finally all happening. I came to Craig in January of this year with the idea, though at the time he was not convinced. Fast forward 11 months and it’s now going to be a reality! Cooper Bondi will be the only store in Australia to stock our full range every month. We’ll be having weekly deliveries of new styles to keep up with the demand. I’m really happy to finally be able to have a space where we can not only offer our full collection but also merchandise it in the way that it was designed, It’s a very hands on approach but it will also bring us closer to our customer – I plan on working in there occasionally incognito too!

Do you get a buzz when you see celebrities wearing your designs? Who has been most memorable for you?
Absolutely! Given our obsession with all things celebrity these days there is no other better form of advertisement. I even get excited when I see normal every day girls out on a Saturday night wearing our stuff – it’s the biggest compliment a person can give you. I think Jess Mauboy was spotted wearing our stuff along with Erin McNaught and Jen Hawkins which is more than I could ever ask for. The most memorable though would definitely be Rachel Finch, Miss Universe Australia. We were lucky enough to have Rachel shoot for us only months out from winning her title. Since then she’s asked us to dress her throughout her reign which we were ecstatic about. Her coverage at the moment has been huge so it has been our pleasure to dress such a beauty.

What is your favourite piece from the summer collection?
I love love love maxi’s for summer. I have every single style we’ve delivered.

Cooper St pieces are heavily featured in the latest mags – do you still get a thrill when you see them in fashion editorials?
Of course! We keep a scrapbook of them all like proud parents! My experience in this industry has been that it is all built on passion – the second you lose the excitement of seeing your stuff anywhere, I think that’s when you know your time is up.

What trends are you loving this season?
I love that the Australian summer can be completely focused around colour. Combine a beautiful apricot print with a voluminous maxi swirling around your ankles and some beautiful jeweled flats – it’s quintessential Aussie glamour.

Who are your celebrity style icons?
I love how Rachel Zoe can pull together boho chic with a nod toward Grecian goddess twisted with a hint of old-world glamour. I love that she is so decided on each of her looks – I think she’s just bananas!

How would you describe your own personal style?
Actually you don’t have to look too far… My personal style is written all over each range! I’m a girl's girl - I love warm earthy tones and fruity colours. Soft metallics and textural fabrics are also at the top of my list. I own a million pairs of jeans but I mostly wear dresses since I feel more feminine and glamorous. I love to get dressed up, even if I’m only headed to work. People who know me will know that I love a good pair of heels but a good pair of flats with chain or stud detail will also send my heart a flutter! I’m a big fan of layering too, especially in winter. Drapey, oversized or chunky knits are my uniform for the colder months. I’d like to think my style is not unlike Rachel Zoe’s though on a slightly smaller budget!

The Cooper St flagship store is due to open in Westfield Bondi Junction the week beginning December 14.


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Girlie Glamour

As seen in... Famous, Dec 7, '09, page 55.



Gold Coast label White Sands has the most divine, girly swimsuits for this summer and this one-piece is on the top of our wish list! Click here to buy. Available in sizes XS-L.

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Sweet for Summer

As seen in... Marie Claire, Jan '10, page 190.



This sweet cami from Fleur Wood is too pretty to pass up! We're imagining it teamed with a powder blue skirt, or light denim cut-offs. Click here to buy.

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Short Stories

As seen in... Cosmopolitan, Dec '09, page 231.



We love these silk tailored shorts from Hussy (which are quite clearly influenced by Chloe) - available to buy here now!

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December Mylookbook

Check out Celeste's top summer picks in the new issue of mylookbook - online now!


*Click on image to enlarge

SHOP IT LINKS:
Anna and Boy pants
Bebe dress
Witchery necklace
Zimmermann one-piece
Bag Ladies tote

Fun in Florals

As seen in... Girlfriend, Dec '09, page 88.



Every girl needs a cute floral skirt this summer (well that's what we're telling Santa anyway). If you love this Supre skirt as much as we do, click here to add it to your Christmas shopping basket.

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