http://www.yenmag.net/YEN understands that our readers want more than just a pretty face. YEN irreverently explores the social, cultural and political issues that face women around the world and at home. YEN promotes and helps develop the work of women across every creative, sporting and business pursuit. YEN looks beneath the surface, to approach health and beauty as one element of a holistic approach to lifestyle. And of course - YEN also has the hottest fashion and beauty trends around.Copyright PTMG 2009Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesYEN understands that our readers want more than just a pretty face. YEN irreverently explores the social, cultural and political issues that face women around the world and at home. YEN promotes and helps develop the work of women across every creative, sporting and business pursuit. YEN looks beneath the surface, to approach health and beauty as one element of a holistic approach to lifestyle. And of course - YEN also has the hottest fashion and beauty trends around.http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/07/02/festival-of-colour/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/07/02/festival-of-colour/Michelle Hendriks
Filed under: Culture

I am tempted to book a trip to India for next year to partake in the celebration of Holi, the Festival of Colors (Also celebrated in large Hindu populations). Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month. It would be my inner 5-year-old wish to be covered in a wash of soft rainbow colours.

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]]>Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:03:50 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/30/rachael-cassar-redeems-couture-with-a-refreshed-sustainability/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/30/rachael-cassar-redeems-couture-with-a-refreshed-sustainability/Rhiannon Bulley
Filed under: Fashion

                                      Eco- designing has graduated from bush talk to coffee shop gossip in the last few years, with sustainability becoming the trend that over rides all trends. It has it bags and high heels and now thanks to its new queen, Rachael Cassar it has semi-couture style garments with serious design edge. Rachael's dramatic cuts and sharp details create form-flattering columns with a strikingly empowered nature. The materials of old characteristic garments have the life breathed back into them. They are cut, shredded, layered, altered and re-constructed to create unified harmonies. Their intricate details are re-sculpted into a new imaginative aesthetic and equally innovative shape that swathe the body in the new style of elegance, Eco friendly elegance. Rachael's inspired idea of “Up-Cycling” saw her take home the premiere prize at Italy's prestigious Mittelmoda competition in 2007 and the global trend analysis and forecasting resource nominated her as one of the 12 new designers to watch. Rachael is on her way to a success that is as sustainable as her designs and here at Yen we are privileged to be unveiling her latest collection, Ruby. Ruby is brimming with dark romance and overflowing with fantastical mystery. The environmental deign concept was mirrored by the designers unique inspiration, a crow that frequents Rachael's balcony, “I became really interested in this creature as I was quite scared of it, but intrigued by its beauty.” The loss of a family member and discovery of the myth that accompanies these macabre creatures, a crow is a loved one watching over you, saw Rachael stick a massive image of a crow on her studio wall and design a collection of stylistic garments personified with memories of Rachael's Great Aunt Ruby and stamped with creature like features. Obsolete outfits from markets, op-shops, antique and vintage shops and auctions are sculpted into embellished treasures with a timeless aesthetic that over-rides everyday trends and mingles on the border of artistic couture. Layers of beads and sequins embellish dark silhouettes creating a sense of scintillating nostalgia for decades gone by while draping shredding, knotting and hap-hazard feathering denote the mystical forms and rituals of nature. Ruby is a story of black divinity framed by an essential sense of individual spirit and mystery. It whispers of secrets untold, worlds unseen and ghosts unforgotten. Rachael Cassar is lining the fashion world with poignant textile stories of imaginative re-creation that sustain not only the environment but their own timeless entity. http://www.rachaelcassar.com/

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]]>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:32:28 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/26/farewell-wacko-jacko/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/26/farewell-wacko-jacko/Jess Gardner
Filed under: Music

Whatever you think of his outlandish parenting antics there's no denying that Michael Jackson has been the musical talking point of our generation. There is just nobody else out there writing gems like Thriller while simultaneously holding their babies out hotel windows. So prolific, so many killer songs, so goddamn out there! I hope he enjoys his big theme park in the sky. Ow!

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]]>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:26:35 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/22/how-quickly-we-forget/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/22/how-quickly-we-forget/Jess Gardner
Filed under: Photography

  Palestinian protesters take cover behind an olive tree. World Press Photo General News: 3rd Prize singles. Kevin Frayer/AP Today I visited the World Press Photo 09 traveling exhibition at the Brisbane Powerhouse. It is a compelling celebration of quality international photojournalism, but also a powerful reminder of recent events. Conflicts, scandals and tragedies burst into our reality, but fade just as quickly. Right now I'm closely following Iranian elections, North Korea's itchy finger and psuedo-gangs in Melbourne, but for how long? Another week? How quickly I have forgotten a mini-war in South Ossetia, escalating violence in Gaza and Olympics-mania. Are we so fickle that we eat up world events as rabidly as celebrity gossip? I'd prefer to think not. Let's just blame our ever-connected, 24hour news lives and promise to do better. Lest we forget? The exhibition runs until this Sunday (and it's free!). Or check out the gallery of winners online.

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]]>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:48:12 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/18/friends-fur-ever/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/18/friends-fur-ever/Michelle Hendriks
Filed under: Diaries

Dust off your chef's cat (err hat) for the RSPCA's Cupcake Day. Its on Monday 17th August and whether you want to be an RSPCA Cupcake cook or a RSPCA Cupcake eater - all you have to do is register to recieve you cupcake kit  ... Woof to that!

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]]>Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:50:35 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/16/vote-for-gorgeousness/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/16/vote-for-gorgeousness/Louise Stewart
Filed under: Photography

Fleur Audet takes photographs as pretty as her name. Her nostalgic images of cherry blossoms, empty swimming pools and afternoon tea evoke imagined memories of an idyllic childhood. She managed to catch the eye of the people over at Google and has been shortlisted as one of only 36 artists from thousands in the Google Photography Prize. She's the only Aussie to make it, so get behind Australian art and help Fleur become one of the final six by voting for her today (polls close tomorrow),

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]]>Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:48:24 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/15/hey-isnt-that-the-guy-from/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/15/hey-isnt-that-the-guy-from/Jess Gardner
Filed under: Culture

Flight of the Conchords? Yep. But it's not Bret nor Jemaine (cute as they are in animal jumpers and big specs). It's Rhys Darby, the dude behind the hilariously awkward Murray, the bumbling manager of the band. On the HBO gem, Murray may play second fiddle to the quirky melodic observations of Bret and Jemaine ... but on stage he an absolute master of physical comedy. Shifting flawlessly from playing the dorky teenager sans walkman to a holidayer having sex with a mythical mermaid, Darby's realisations on stage are enough to make you leave the theatre clutching those abs. He'll be taking his show "It's Rhys Darby Night" to the Edinburgh Fringe this year... so expect him to start making regular appearances on your comic radar soon.

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]]>Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:16:08 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/11/david-lynchs-interview-project/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/11/david-lynchs-interview-project/Kirsten Drysdale
Filed under: Film

The space cadet who brought us Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire is back (albeit with something a little more coherent than usual). A documentary team embarked on a 70-day road trip across the United States. They "found people as they were driving along the roads, going into bars, different locations" and interviewed them about their lives. Each of the 121 interviews has been edited to a 3-5 minute 'episode'. A new episode will be posted on the project's website every three days for a year. Surely this is one of the coolest things on the internet?

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]]>Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:40:58 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/11/white-moon-rising/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/11/white-moon-rising/Michelle Hendriks
Filed under: Fashion

Lover have dropped their Spring/Summer 2009 love bomb on us with ' White Moon Rising'. So ladies, while these current frosty winter days may get us down get by with warm day dreams scattering explosions of pretty lace, tailored jackets, whimsical shorts and floaty dresses.

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]]>Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:57:57 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/10/this-summers-fashion-is-an-ode-to-no-one/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/10/this-summers-fashion-is-an-ode-to-no-one/Rhiannon Bulley
Filed under: Fashion

                                      Australian Fashion is rapidly obtaining a reputation as the industry that designs for the individual, offering wearable combinations that can be adapted, obscured and applied in various combinations to create an effortlessly stylish reflection of what is within. Adi the creative poet behind an Ode to No One is the latest designer to embrace fashion as a means of affirming a sense of individual self. Adi has bought his experience with the masters of Australian Fashion, Akira and Nicola Finitti, to his own line of youthful elegance that has an ephemeral touch, which lingers in an individual presence. His SS0910 collection, The Only Way Out is Through, is an edgy black and white elegiac spliced with vivacious verses of linear rainbow prints and vivid colour blocked hues in yellow, orange, blue and silver. It is a hopeful sonnet to the future with affluently structured tailoring and a contradicting tale of nostalgic romance with fluid ruffles and draping falling from the neckline to the knee. The garments are open to individual interpretation; the meaning is whatever we want it to be, whatever we are feeling. It is a reflection of personality and infliction of individuality. So get lyrical and write your own style ode for summer.

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]]>Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:19:43 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/05/its-not-just-me-then/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/05/its-not-just-me-then/Kirsten Drysdale
Filed under: Film

Have you ever had the experience of hearing the comments of your fellow audience members as you shuffle out of a cinema, and finding them so far off your own response that you have to wonder whether you did in fact just sit through the same film? I saw Samson and Delilah a couple of weeks ago. In case you've been living under a rock, this is Warwick Thornton's first feature film about two young Aboriginal kids who live in a remote indigenous community in the desert near Alice Springs. It won the Camera d'Or at Cannes this year, but perhaps an even more telling sign of its critical reception is the fact that Margaret and David actually agreed on something for once, both awarding it 5 stars. No doubt it's an important, powerful movie and beautifully shot. That I don't dispute. But when the credits rolled and I heard the group of women in the row behind me remarking on how “uplifting” it was, and “what a delightful story about love and the human spirit”, I had to ask whether they'd been smoking crack. Call me nuts, but I don't find a film about poverty, substance abuse, rape, violence, alcoholism and squalor to be all that cheery, even if there are a few rare moments of tenderness and humour thrown in the mix. So I was relieved to read Gary Johns' take* in The Australian yesterday – it made me feel a little less contrarian. What do you think, on the whole, – joyous love story or sobering exposé? *Spoiler alert: this article is a bit of a blow-by-blow account of the plot, so you may not want to read it if you haven't seen the film yet.

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]]>Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:59:20 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/04/revenge-of-the-nerds-/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/04/revenge-of-the-nerds-/Michelle Hendriks
Filed under: Fashion

I wasn't very popular in high school, in fact i was often labelled a geek by the 'popular crowd'. Pity it took 12 or so years for that 'geek' look to catch on. Finally, the fashion world has realised that you can be smart, thoughtful, and intellectual, as well as looking darn stylish at the same time. Never has being called a 'geek' been such a compliment.

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]]>Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:24:04 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/02/adorable-loves-company/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/02/adorable-loves-company/Michelle Hendriks
Filed under: Fashion

Still on my winter rant from yesterday I couldn't help sharing this lil etsy find from Yokoo. I just love the Minnie Mouse inspired knitted bow headband, even if I have to wait two weeks till I get my frosty mittens on one. Perhaps you will see me cutting the ice at the Winter Festival wearing mine.

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]]>Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:38:05 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/01/loving-luela/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/01/loving-luela/Rhiannon Bulley
Filed under: Fashion

                                         Luela Luela is a kaleidoscope of elegance. Utilising their experience in design, apparel and costume, the faces behind the young Australian label, Julie Shaw and Brenda Ayoub, deliver a sophisticated and wearable take on occasion wear. The latest summer collection, “Porcelain Doll, ”offers innocence with an alluring, eye catching nature that is perfect for the races or any night out. Outfits comprise distinct cocktail dresses and elegant skirt and short combinations. Maxi dresses and summer coats sweep the floor with subtly elegant tailoring that is mystical in its sensuous nature. Exclusive feather motif prints and beading add depth and texture that  reflects an attention to detail that affirms Luela's exceptional nature. Soft pleating and crochet deliver a feminine feeling that contrasts edgy cuts and fluid tailoring to create romantic silhouettes. For something special Luela are the label. Available in stockists nationally, http://ww w.luela.com.au/

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]]>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:31:58 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/01/first-day-of-winter/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/01/first-day-of-winter/Michelle Hendriks
Filed under: Diaries

From June 18-21 Sydney-siders can come out of hibernation and into St Mary's Cathedral Forecourt for the The Sydney Winter Festival, featuring the first outdoor ice rink in the CBD since 1959.

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]]>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:51:35 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/01/a-different-gale-blows-through-djs/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/06/01/a-different-gale-blows-through-djs/Kirsten Drysdale
Filed under: Issues

Not Megan - Julie Gale, founder of "Kids Free 2B Kids", a not-for-profit organisation of Australians "concerned about the increasing sexualisation of kids in the media, advertising, and clothing industries". You may remember the fallout after The Australia Institute published a report in 2006 titled "Letting Children Be Children: Stopping the sexualisation of children in Australia". A number of major retailers were accused of intentionally sexualising children - girls in particular - as young as 10 in their advertising material. (Having primary schoolers look all pouty and seductive while they modelled kids clothes made for better sales.) The folks at David Jones were especially unhappy about being accused of "corporate paedophilia" and sued the institute. The move backfired and DJs dropped the lawsuit after realising that all it was really doing was generating more news stories linking the David Jones brand with paedophilia. At the time, DJs insisted they never "knowingly cause the publication of material which can be used by paedophiles for their s-xual gratification." But Gale didn't buy it - she dug further, using Freedom of Information laws to obtain documents relating to one of their kidswear ad shoots. After much to-ing and fro-ing and initial attempts to withold the stuff she was really after, her hard work has finally paid off. The David Jones/Saatchi & Saatchi brief for the shoot in question states that "The age is from 10 to 12 years so slightly more adult and sexy." A freelance photographer has been cited as the author (read: scapegoat) of the memo. Read all about it at Crikey.

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]]>Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:01:07 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/05/29/its-gunn/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/05/29/its-gunn/Rhiannon Bulley
Filed under: Fashion

                                           Finally, Australia has its own luxury shoe label, Tom Gunn source their materials from Italy's top tanneries, who also supply much coveted labels like CoSTUME NATIONal and Marni and their designs are equally as timeless in their extraordinary nature. Since launching their first collection in 2008 the duo behind Tom Gunn, Gabrielle Thompson and Shannon Gunn, have forged a niche market for shoes that reflect the luxury of the materials in style and feel. After studying at the Ars Arpel School in Milan their girls decided to share their passion for craftsmanship and design with the women back home in Australia, who were tired of aching feet and stunning appeal or comfort and mundane footwear. So it was that the endless search for statement shoes with luxury craftsmanship and quintessential Australian design elements ended before some even knew it had begun. Even if you are not a shoe fanatic take it from me, we were missing out until now. The question has often been posed, what is the deal with shoe obsessed people? The answer is simple. Shoes protect our feet but, great shoes fill a gap. They defy nature to redefine feminine shape; they are the base structure that an entire outfit rests upon, turning the outfit into a sensation. They enable us to become walking ornaments and at night, when we crawl into bed in our fluffy bed socks they become stunning decor that reminds us of the beauty that surrounds us every day. Reality can never be perfect, but a pair of shoes can be and that perfection translates into a sensual feeling, which the Tom Gunn philosophy has captured and delivered in full, “shoes should be little works of art for your feet and should make you feel special.” Great shoes do not protect our feet they relieve our feet and our souls. The Tom Gunn Summer0919 collection reflects the vivid culture of India, through a kaleidoscope of colours, magentas, deep purples, saffron yellows, metallic greys and salmon parallel both scintillating and matte black and natural tones in exotic python skins and Italian nappa, pebble and patent leathers. The textures and patterns collide into arresting heels and characteristic flats that add statement and sophistication to any outfit. The pair paid extra attention to the silhouette of the shoe, which sponsors flattering lines that extend from the toe to the head. Tom Gunn shoes are sheer architectural craftsmanship. We no longer have to look across the oceans for shoes that resemble a work of art they are right here in our back yard and these shoes really are so fullfilling you will want to wear them in the backyard even if only your neighbours see. If you want to put a style value on fine footwear just remember, a dress features on one page of an editorial shoot, entire shoots have been based around a single pair of shoes. Tom Gunn is available in stockists nationally head to http://www.tomgunn.com/ to find out more.

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]]>Fri, 29 May 2009 18:49:13 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/05/28/new-math/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/05/28/new-math/Michelle Hendriks
Filed under: Art

You probably have seen these floating around cyberland but Mr Craig Damrauer's NEW MATH EQUATIONS are a hoot!

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]]>Thu, 28 May 2009 16:55:20 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/05/28/rabbit-heart/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/05/28/rabbit-heart/Lucy perrett
Filed under: Music

If you haven't yet heard of Florence & The Machine you may have been living under a rock (I hope a very nice one.) The mind-blowing, original sounds are the next big thing out of the UK. Triple J are currently playing 'Dog Days Are Over' from the EP 'A lot Of Love, A Lot of Blood'. But now comes the first single 'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)' from the much anticipated debut album 'Lungs'. It's a blistering pop track made all the more better with Florence's breathtakingly unique vocals. Check the dazzling video for a taste of this eccentric ice maiden…

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]]>Thu, 28 May 2009 14:23:08 +1000http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/05/28/margaret-atwood---author-or-clairvoyant/http://www.yenmag.net/news/2009/05/28/margaret-atwood---author-or-clairvoyant/Kirsten Drysdale
Filed under: Issues

I recently read Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake. If you've read it, you'll understand how unsettling the premise is. A post-apocalyptic world where 'society' is obssessed with genetic engineering and the creation of transgenic animals for all sorts of exploitative reasons. A couple of recent news stories give weight to her argument that it is a book which should be classified as speculative fiction rather than science fiction, because it "invents nothing we haven't already invented or started to invent". Are wolvogs and rakunks really that far off the reality of fluorescent puppies and green-glowing monkeys? Apparently Atwood is working on a sequel. Perhaps it will answer the questions she asked through Oryx and Crake: "What if we continue down the road we're already on? How slippery is the slope? What are our saving graces? Who's got the will to stop us?" Freaky days.

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]]>Thu, 28 May 2009 10:29:54 +1000