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Van Gogh Vodka, A Sampler

Some of you may have been keeping up with my "What to Drink" posts in the forum (if you haven't you should definitely check it out). I thought since we all now had the chance to contribute to Rogue's Lifestyle blog I would start writing about it in our Culture channel

So what to start off with? Last night we had a bit of a celebration (I've left my current job to give more time to Rogue Ménage) so to celebrate we had a little night out culminating in a sampling session of alcoholic beverages, and for this experiment we thought we would give the green light to Van Gogh Vodka. And why not? The Dirkzwager distillery has received royal appointment from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, so it was probably a safe bet. 'Hold on Allan', I hear you say, 'wasn't Van Gogh a painter, and didn't he cut off his own ear?'. Ah, yes. But, with both the brand and the painter being Dutch it seemed enough of a reason to name the range after him; they are after all proud of their heritage, traditions, and methods;

All Van Gogh flavoured vodkas are distilled and bottled by the Royal Dirkzwager Distilleries in Schiedam, Holland, a city famous since the 16th century for innovation in the distillation sciences.
Handmade in small batches by our own Master Distiller Tim Vos, Van Gogh Flavored Vodka is painstakingly crafted using only the finest fruit, grains and purified water. The grain alcohol goes through a multiple distillation process followed by an all-natural double infusion flavoring process, an innovative six-week procedure pioneered by the Royal Dirkzwager Distilleries

Melbourne Fashion Industry Meetup

For anyone involved in the fashion industry, there is a meet up group being held on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 7.00 PM. A great opportunity to network and meet other people within the fashion field.

When: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 7:00 PM
Where: Acqua e Vino
18a Anderson St, Yarraville
Melbourne
(03) 9687-9006

More information can be found in the forums (link below) of at the Melbourne Fashion Industry Meetup Group.

H+M Make Move Into Japan

H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) have just announced that its first store will open in Japan.

According to the release: "the store will be located in the best business location in one of Tokyo's prime shopping districts, Harajuku. The building is under construction and the opening is expected in the autumn of 2008. The selling surface will be around 1,500 square meters. H&M is negotiating for other contracts in Tokyo."

Image from H&M

Paul Smith Expands his Fashion Empire

Having opened his first shop in Nottingham in 1970, Sir Paul Smith is no stranger to the world of fashion. Over the past three decades he has established himself as ecclectic, eccentric, but with unrivalled imagination and attention to detail. This month has seen a significant expansion of his label, with new flagship stores opening in Paris, New York, and Russia.

SOYA Awards 2006 - Fashion Design

SOYA (Spirit of Youth Awards) is an initiative run by the Australian government each year, and sponsored by airline QANTAS. Last year's winner of the fashion design category was Rogue Connect member and amazing creative force Lang Leav, with her label Akina. This year's finalists include Mic Eaton, Trimapee, edandbek, Limedrop and SEWN.

Dress from SEWN's shortlisted 'Among the Gumtrees' collection

Visit Noise.net for more, and watch this space for details of the winners.

Where is the Sexiest Island in the World?

Wanting to take an exotic holiday, but not too sure where to go? Well perhaps you might take a look at Forbes' list of the World's Sexiest Islands.

"To compile our list of the World's Sexiest Islands, we searched from sea to shining sea for remote, appealing locales. Some are well-known, while others you may never have heard of. But all of them will compel you, an otherwise sane traveler, to throw off your shoes, hide your watch and voluntarily give up Internet access. Now that's sexy."

'Tea Party' Fashion Accessories Exhibition - Melbourne

From now and until August 20, you can catch "The Tea Party Exhibitionism" at Gallery M in South Melbourne.

The Tea Party table plays host to the exhibitionism of seventeen of Australia?s most brazen and independent accessory designers. Set in the middle of the gallery, the tea party table awaits the eyes the curious spectator. Amongst semi-consumed cup cakes and sandwiches, each collection mingles with the silverware: silver necklaces sit intertwined with sliver spoons and forks; pastel ceramic pendants difficult to distinguish from the like coloured candy.

Curiouser and curiouser, we begin to wonder... Who are the guests? Where are they and why did they leave their wares behind?

How Not To Travel Internationally

When this one came across our desk we could only think "how chav".

The story ... tells the tale of a woman on board a Cathay Pacific plane in Hong Kong, bound for Tokyo. The woman, it seems, caused the flight to delay for over an hour because she refused to stow her Gucci handbag under her seat for takeoff.

Apparently, flight attendants tried hard to get her to act, but she refused, and so finally guards were called in and she was removed...with her bag over her arm.

Yes Gucci bags cost a fair bit. But holding up a plane as you're concerned it might get a scratch simply lacks decorum.

Source: Gadling

7 Star Hotel To Open In Europe

Europe's first seven star hotel is set to open later this year, in the heart of fashionable Milan. The Town House Galleria will be the world's second hotel to have a seven star rating - the other being Dubai's Burj Al Arab tower. Reuters reports,

Town House Galleria in glitzy Galleria Vittoria Emanuele, an elegant shopping arcade between La Scala opera house and Milan's cathedral, will have less than 30 suites and an army of butlers, drivers and nannies to look after guests.