A beauty splurge for New Year's Eve.

New Year’s Eve is one night where venturing into over-the-top territory is perfectly acceptable, dare we say encouraged. Beyond the dress, the shoes, the jewellery (oh, god and the hair, the manicure, and new stockings, we need to make a list, we’re not ready), we’re also adding to our want list Guerlain’s limited edition La Nuit en Rose makeup kit ($230, guerlain.com).

Designed by creative director Olivier Échaudemaison to celebrate his ten-year anniversary with the French luxury cosmetic company, it contains a lipstick pan of bright fuchsia, a more subtle shade of pink for cheeks and a round brush all adorned in black pearls and crystals and housed in a simple pewter-hued pouchette. Only 410 sets are available worldwide, with 16 in Canadian boutiques–at Guerlain in Montreal and Toronto, and Holt Renfrew in Calgary–so you know you won’t see anyone else at the party wearing your makeup.

Vancouver: Banana Republic’s concept shop comes to Metrotown

A new Banana Republic store alone might not be reason enough on it’s own to hit the mall, but when it’s a new concept store, think again. The latest opening at Metropolis at Metrotown (4700 Kingsway, Burnaby, 604-438-7900, bananarepublic.com) is a 9,000-square-foot space that features shop-in-shops for each of the different Banana departments, each opening up to a wide, central boulevard. The store has a comfortable, slightly-residential feel, designed to feel like walk-in closets that you might enter depending on what you’re dressing for: There’s a closet for Sunday brunch outfits, one for fancy dinners…you get the idea. Like we didn’t already love shopping for the company’s clothing collections and accessories—seriously, the necklaces are always to die for!—now, we love it even more.

Michelle Jank:fashion

- Michelle Jank

Confidence reigned supremet in 2008 as many established labels returned tro show theri collections at fashion week.

Amounsgt them was Perth born designer Michelle Jank, who after being absed for seven years presented a collection of etherial goddess gowns adorned with bird applique and bold gold jewellery all set against a background of an atmospheris short film. It prompted vogue.com.au to write that the show "built to a creshendo with a dress scattered with a flock fiiving flashbacks of Tippi Hedren in an Alfred Hitchcocks thriller".

Alex Perry:fashion

Alex Perry

Designer Alex Perry had been showing his personal brand of glamour since Fashion Week began and in 2006 as Harpers Bazaar put it his 'Sugar-sweet micro-frocks, embellished with beads and sequins' dazzled the celebrity-heavy front row.

This year Simon Lock, the visionary event organiser who founded fashion week sold his idea to IMG Fashion Asia-Pacific and was in turn appointed to mange the event. Lock explained the sale, saying "It's been difficult for us as an independent organisation ... to cashflow the growth on the event ... This is going to give us the resources for the growth and development that the industry really deserves."

Willow: fashion

- Willow

This year saw the change of event venues from Fox Studios to the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Sydney's The Rocks.

Designer Kit Willow debuted her lingerie line in the smallest of the venues available at the show, but despite the size of room the response was massive, generating orders from both London and New York.

Two years later Willow was invited to show at New York fashion week as part of a showcase of young designers. Today her label is one of Australia's most commercially successful, being sold in over 80 stores worldwide. When asked about Fashion Week by the Sydney Morning Herald, she said "It launched Willow - I couldn't have done with out it"

Australian Fashion

This year Australian Fashion was all about the theatrics of the show.

Melbourne based designer Gwendolynne Burkin dazzled crowds with her second collection. Melbourne’s the Age newspaper commented on how the models walked a "long, rippling catwalk path between torn and stripped tree branches' dressed in 'swaggered, bustle-backed skirts thin jersey draped tops, long-sleeved blouses with an Edwardian puff at the shoulders".

As if that wasn't enough, designer Terry Biviano launched her new shoe range with a troop of pom-pom dancing girls performing a 'dream sequence' and Paablo Nevada recrated a rugby field on the runway, complete with mock commentary from Roy and H G Nelson

HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST in Fashion City!

HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST in Fashion City! Only 3 days! October 30, 31 and November 1! The number of Halloween costumes is limited!Not only will the winners of the Contest get Points and Diamonds, they will also receive a unique prize especially designed for their Condo! Good luck and have fun!