The fashion industry has re-emerged from its festive season hibernation with a jolt, with the men’s shows in London, the menswear award for the International Woolmark Prize, won by US label Public School, and the Golden Globes taking place since last Buzz last tapped out a column.

And it’s going to get a lot busier. One major event on the Australian calendar is the Virgin Australian Melbourne Fashion Festival, the largest fashion event in the southern hemisphere thanks to its broad range of happenings and consumer participation. Outside of the catwalk shows, its business series has long been considered a highlight for those with an interest in the machinations of the industry.

Buzz is pleased to announce that the headline act, as it were, is British design (and life) duo Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi of Preen. While the label is not a household name in Australia, rest assured that for fashion insiders and followers, Preen is creative catnip.

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The label was founded in 1996 with a store in London’s Portobello Green market, and in 2001 put on its first catwalk show, where its punk-meets-Victoriana aesthetic was rapturously received. Now, with both men’s and women’s collections, deconstruction is still key with a nod to recycling and utilitarianism. Over the past 19 years, the trend-averse duo has built up an impressive business; the label is stocked in more than 25 countries.

Preen will take the stage of the Business Seminar, hosted by Buzz’s colleague David Meagher of Wish magazine. In a change of format, the Business Seminar runs for a half day, with an opt-in of more interactive question time taking place in the afternoon.

Teal steals show

ONE down — many, many to go. The Golden Globes heralded the official beginning of awards season, and many attendees were clearly hoping to get things off to a colourful start. Sure, there was an abundance of white and silver gowns, many underwhelming, but those who chose colour really chose colour. Props to Naomi Watts for pulling off that most difficult of brights in buttercup Gucci, while many chose to match the carpet beneath their feet in vibrant shades of red, including Helen Mirren, Taylor Schilling, Viola Davis and Heidi Klum (looking tanned and ready for her trip to these shores in her new role as underwear ambassador for Bendon). If pushed to make a call on best dressed, Buzz would have to declare Felicity Jones, pictured above, in her teal (a most underappreciated colour) Christian Dior as the standout. Kerry Washington, pictured left, also deserves honourable mention for her choice of Mary Katrantzou dress. That length, not quite full length, longer than midi, was a refreshing change as was the two-tone mix of dusty pink and aubergine with a woven-effect finish among the swathes of satin and chiffon. Now, only 41 sleeps to the Oscars ...

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