Party people

Melbourne
THE ETERNAL HEADONIST LAUNCH, ANNA PAPPAS GALLERY
The hedonist, the voluptuary, puts pleasure above all things.

Natalie Barr & Jesinta Campbell at George Naim Khattar Foundation's 4th Annual Charity Gala all about love.

Natalie Barr & Jesinta Campbell at George Naim Khattar Foundation's 4th��Annual Charity Gala all about love. Photo: Dianne Engesser

The hedonist, the voluptuary, puts pleasure above all things.  She is devoted.  On Tuesday night at Anna Pappas Gallery in Prahran we were introduced to The Eternal Headonist, an amorphous identity, milliners online who put headwear above it all.

From left: Ashleigh Tibb and Adrienne Posar at The Eternal HEADONIST LAUNCH at Anna Pappas Gallery, Prahran. Click for more photos

Party people: Sept 19

From galas to birthday parties, here's a rundown of last week's events in and around Sydney and Melbourne. Photo: Shaney Balcombe

The Eternal Headonist is devoted to hats throughout the year, but is destined to be your new best friend as the spring racing season begins, stocking brands  such as Lisa Tan, Love Lotus, Richard Nylon and Angela Menz.

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We wondered, what gives you the greatest pleasure?  "Winning; winning everything," Ashleigh Tibb said.  "Being a really competitive person is detrimental but it is one of my strong personality traits.  That sensation when you win, when the excitement comes over you. . ."  When was the last time you had that feeling?  "I had a dance comp over the weekend, so when I won that."  What title did you win?  "It was ballroom and new vogue, so Vic New Vogue champions."

"My greatest pleasure is dressing up in a new outfit, putting on some bright lipstick and just dancing around my room," Petrova Hammond said.  "I just did Beyonce dance classes, it was very fabulous.  There's a Beyonce dance school where they only dance to Beyonce."  In homage to Queen B, do you have a fan blowing in your bedroom when you dance?  "In my mind, darling, in my mind.  Always."

EMIRATES MARQUEE LAUNCH, SMART ARTZ GALLERY

This year after the cab, car or 'copter trip to Flemington for the Melbourne Cup Carnival there is a journey, still, inside the gates of the Birdcage.  The Emirates marquee will be transporting its guests to Germany and into a fairytale; the marquee's exterior is inspired by the Neuschwanstein Castle in the Black Forest.

On Wednesday night the exclusive marquee had its launch at Smart Artz Gallery in South Melbourne and we wanted to know, what is your favourite journey?  "From country girl to city girl," Monika Clarke , from Swan Hill, said.  "I moved here when I was 17 and only knew one person."  What was the hardest home-town-habit to part with?  "One, drinking beer, and two, my 'country' speech.  I still have a bit of a country twang."

Lindsay Smith took a quicker trip, "to the bottom of a popcorn box," he said, "by the handful."

"The last few weekends we've been doing a coffee and croissant run," Frances Abbott said, looking at Smith, "we take it in turns."  Are you both big foodies?  Abbott laughed, "We're not foodies but we definitely like eating."

STONNINGTON SPRING FASHION RUNWAY, MALVERN TOWN HALL

Before the catwalk was coloured with spring looks by Alice McCall, Arthur Galan and Carla Zampatti at the Stonnington spring fashion runway on Thursday night, we snuck backstage to visit with the face of this year's event, Silvana Lovin Philippoussis , and to talk spring fashion and spring love.

"I always like very flowy, comfortable clothes that I can  manoeuvre around in, but I think my style changes daily," Lovin Philippoussis said.  Is there a look you love this season but you're a little nervous to try?  "The crop tops; I love that look but I don't think I can pull it off now, as a mother.  Maybe I've got to keep it a little more reserved."  Lovin Philippoussis married Mark Philippoussis last year and we wondered how it is that two people from Melbourne had to meet and fall in love in LA?  "We always laugh about it; we did meet on a couple of occasions in Melbourne, our paths crossed, he remembers vaguely seeing me, I remember vaguely seeing him, but we had to travel halfway around the world to find each other, to find our soul mate."

Sydney

FOUNDATION GALA ALL ABOUT THE LOVE

Broken hearts are one step closer to being mended thanks to the George Naim Khattar Foundation's Love Gala, a glittering night of fundraising for Dr James Chong and Dr Eddy Kizana, of Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research and Westmead Hospital.  One Australian dies of heart disease every 12 minutes, and both doctors are at the cutting edge of their fields in medical advances for cardiac issues.

GIRLFRIEND RIMMEL MODEL SEARCH

Fourteen-year-old Lilli Watt from Willetton,  WA, was chosen from more than 2000 teens and six finalists to be crowned Girlfriend Rimmel Model Search winner ��� the competition that launched the careers of Samantha Harris, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Ruby Rose and more. Jemma Baines, 2011 winner, stepped off the plane from the New York Fashion Week runways to attend the event and offer some wise modelista words for young Lilli.

MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY AT MEJICO

With more than 230 choices of tequila on offer, the party was always going to get started to celebrate Mexican Independence Day. Margarita madness ensued following a tequila masterclass with Mejico bar manager Will Atkins.  Luckily, an abundant Mexican feast of tuna tostadas, beef short ribs, achiote chicken, guacamole, soft-shell crab tacos and churros were on hand to attempt to balance the tequila effect.

CONNOISSEUR BUILDS EMPIRE

Connoisseur Empire Collection launched its new ice cream collection at Surry Hills' Blank Space Gallery, with new flavours stretching the imagination. There's Emperor Jing Zong, red-bean  ice cream  with coconut; King Louis XIV, french vanilla  ice-cream with choc flakes and Armagnac sauce; King Cyrus of Persia,  pistachio  ice-cream swirled with  cinnamon, honey and dates; and Emperor Nero, coffee hazelnut ice-cream with chocolate-coated hazelnuts and hazelnut liqueur sauce. Beer and cider blended surprisingly well with ice-cream and no doubt helped encourage new MTV VJ Krit Schmidt to get behind the ice-cream serving bar to help out.

BIOELIXIA SPRING BREAKFAST

Spring has sprung, and  skincare brand BioElixia decided it was a good time to launch its Multi Purpose Rescue Balm and celebrate its existing range of summer-body-ready products with a sun-drenched breakfast at the Atrium at the Grounds of Alexandria.

GOLDEN AGE CINEMA FIRST BIRTHDAY

The swinging '60s was the theme for the first birthday of one of Sydney's coolest picture houses. Inspired by Peter Sellers' 1968 hit comedy The Party , guests sipped Campari, Aperol, Absolut and Havana Club cocktails, Stella Artois beers and sparkling wine. Nibbles were served skewered into a pineapple centrepiece, as images from The Party were projected onto the walls.