KEY POINTS:
If you thought all fashion fringe dwellers signed up for permanent membership to Club Shallow or are proud citizens of the House of Fickle, you'd be wrong... well, usually.
Mr Trelise Cooper, otherwise known as Jack any other week of the year bar this one, told me last night as we guzzled expensive Moet champagne flute by flute, that he's signed up to work for Habitat for Humanity. Who'd have guessed? He's flagged the fickle world of fashion, resigning from his post, and found being a lad of leisure is not exactly his cup of tea. So, he drives his car (no doubt a pricey Merc, like his wife's) and heads out West to Glen Eden each day to build homes for the less well off in the community.
"I started knowing nothing about building," he told me and construction tycoon James Kirkpatrick (Gilda's hubby), "and now I can put up cladding and roofs. It's so rewarding," Cooper said. I believe him. Though, it must be quite a contradictory life - living in a lavish Parnell apartment by night, working for charity in West Auckland by day, and relaxing at their palatial waterfront holiday home at Omaha on weekends.
Also at the fabulous Moet party last night were Katrina Hobbs and John Bank's chief of staff Nick Clelland-Stokes, who introduced his boss to the trend-setting thesp. The pair - and I hope I'm not jinxing any new love relationship here - seem quite enamoured with each other. Bless.
Banksie was talking about spoiling his own girl - his beautiful daughter Natalia who turns 21 today. The Mayor's planned a day of pampering for his "little girl": shopping, beauty treatments and a sumptuous lunch.
Brooke Howard-Smith was there with his fiancée Amber Peebles (both pictured above) and talking black diamonds. The TV3 star and co-owner of an inner city night club, is now dabbling in the world of diamonds - ethical diamonds, that is. He's helping an Israeli-born, Melbourne-based friend who sells diamonds at wholesale prices. The pair met when BHS refused him entry into his Pony club and the diamond dude pulled out a pile of rolled bank notes, offering to buy/bribe his way in. BHS let him in for free, apparently, and the pair struck up a friendship.
Brooke, who it's fair to say can sniff a bargain no thanks to his show Target, swears the gems aren't blood diamonds, and there's nothing his friend can't source. He's already purchased black diamonds for Amber and his mum - they're the stone of choice for Angelina Jolie, he told me.
Also at the glamorous Moet party, surprisingly, was Denise L'Estrange-Corbet - the eve before her big show. The most anticipated show of the week, I should add. The fashion extravaganza - and it will be an extravaganza - starts at 11am today, but the models and crew had a call time of 4am! That should give you some idea of how over-the-top the hair and make-up will be with that kind of preparation time. I can't wait! Denise was looking gorgeously glam last night, accessorised by a dashing friend - Ofir Yudilevich, the executive chef at the Langham hotel. They stuck like glue all night. Has the single gal found love? I hasten to presume, but since she announced her split from Francis Hooper, I'd hoped Denise would find someone equally as special as she is.
As for me, well, I've found love - my Penthouse apartment at the Quadrant Hotel. I've checked in and I'm here for the week. The fridge is stocked full of Moet champagne, Gem wines, Heineken beers and bottled water (fashionistas only live on bottled water and large gulps of air during Fashion Week, darling. Thank god, I'm not a fashionista!). I'm having nightly penthouse parties, and I'll keep you updated with the latest goss.
In the meantime, check out these piccies from last night's official Air NZ Fashion Week opening party, and pics from the Moet party later that night.
Rachel Glucina
Photos by Norrie Montgomery.
