Final preparations for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia are in full swing. All over Australia fashionistas are being spray tanned, manicured, brow shaped and blow-dried. I caught up with Sydney Fashion & Style Blogger, and all around stunner Maria Vlezko of Crashing Red to find out what her fashion week preparations entail. (Now this is the inside scoop from a stylista.)

Maria is surprisingly casual and candid when talking about her beauty preparations for the big week. “Before and during the fashion week I only use my all-time favorite - Chanel Sublimage Eye Essential Regenerating Mask and Eye Cream. Younger looking and radiant skin guaranteed! No more signs of tiredness either.” Sounds like a Fashion Week must have to me!

If you’d like to read more of what Maria has to say about this little wonder-cream, click here to read her full post.

What about her other beauty preparations? “There’s a mani and pedi, of course, but I do it myself. I’m a perfectionist and I’ve never had a better mani/pedi than my own. Most likely I’ll be changing the color of my nails daily to match the look.” This is something Maria is well-known for. Her outfit-matching statement nails have taken on a life of their own and she even posts DIY Nail How To’s.

Note the gorgeous matching gold Chanel polish. When asked how she plans her outfits for each show, she calmly responds with “I just look into my wardrobe thinking: ‘Ok, what have we got here? What can we do with it?’ then I might add a couple of pieces to create new looks.”

What makes for a successful fashion week outfit?

“Your outfit has to be comfortable! If you’re comfortable you’ll feel and look fantastic! Plus, you never know when someone’s taking a photo of you – some street style photographers are sneaky, they like unexpected shots. Do you really want to be photographed with a face contorted by pain from your shoes?” No… you really don’t. Because chances are, that picture will get trashed. Maria has mastered the art of looking glamorous and being comfortable at the same time.

She continues, addressing the question further (and the underlying query that I hadn’t actually voiced.) “I wish I could wear something different to each show, but in reality that doesn’t happen. The shows run with intervals of 15-30 minutes, so there is just no time to change.” A sigh of relief from me, for one (And I’m sure from many of you as well.)

And the all important outfit choice?

“Basically I just dress according to the weather and my mood. It can be anything from Sportsgirl to a vintage piece, not necessarily a designer. (Except for shoes, I always tend to go for the higher end here – they’re comfortable and look wonderful!) Maybe one or two statement pieces in one look.”

“Yes,” she enthuses, anticipating my next question. “You can, and should go OTT in your looks – it’s fashion week! The more striking the better.”

And does she have any advice for ‘normal’ people (i.e. those of us who aren’t fashion bloggers and/or don’t have personal stylists) about choosing an outfit for Fashion Week?

She most certainly does:  ”Essential preparation is a must. Plan a few looks in advance – try on as many as you can, then choose the best. If you’re only going to one show – you can wear whatever, but if it’s a whole day event – your clothes and shoes must be super comfortable! And as for etiquette, the same rules apply for any event: be polite, don’t be shy and make a good first impression.”

I’ll leave you with one of my all-time favourite quotes from Maria: “The message I’m trying to get across is that life is as beautiful (and stylish) as you make it…”

Here here. You can find Maria in all her fashion and style blogging glory at www.crashingred.com (you’ll be addicted in no time, trust me.)

All Images courtesy: Crashing Red. Photography “Mirror” image (sixth from top): Valerie Ogorodnyk

Have a wonderful fashion week dolls!
Rose xox

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