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As far as clothing directions for cocktail events go, this one would have to be up there with the most on-trend and welcomingly practical.
When elite jeweller Tiffany and Co sent out invitations to just one hundred of Sydney’s most influential fashion personalities last month for its glittering end-of-year soiree by the harbour, a clever mood board showing a woman in tulle skirt and trainers alongside a gent in day suit and sneakers came attached. The gist: cocktails in kicks.
What was surprising (given, in truth, fashion crowds can tend toward sartorial rebellion) is that all but a few of the guests – who included Jesinta and Buddy Franklin, model Julia Nobis and Zoe Cross, actor Sarah Ellen, influencers Li-Chi Pan, Amanda Shadforth and Yan Yan Chan, and Moroccan/Egyptian supermodel Imaan Hammam – complied with the footwear rule, probably thrilled there was less chance of toppling down the sloping grassed lawn of historic mansion Carthona House into the lapping waves of Sydney Harbour if they did.
The occasion? The brand’s new Return to Tiffany collection of youthful-vibe, ideal everyday jewellery just happened to coincide with the beginning of summer. The event was a sea of Tiffany blue – from story-high hydrangea floral arrangements, ground cushions and heart-shaped balloons to an enormous signature bow box housing a very elegant gentleman handing out small white ribbon-wrapped gifts (each, of course, filled with Tiffany jewellery personally engraved for the individual guest).
Make-up artists set up inside the movie set-like mansion offered a range of glitter-centric face-painting for guests that ranged from diamante beauty spots to red glitter lipstick and a less subtle splash of stars across temples – all ready to be framed in an inevitable wave of selfies framed with a #lovenotlike Snapchat filter created for the evening.
Sarah Ellen with friends at the sparkle make-up desks
Not sparing a detail, after several hours of endless-pour French champagne and canapes, there was even an ice-cream cart manned by sneaker-clad suited wait staff arming guests with hand-made caramel toffee ice cream sandwiches as they began the long meander up the hill to their waiting limo/uber drivers.
The who’s who
Buddy and Jesinta Franklin freshly back from their honeymoon
Sarah Ellen quickly changed from pearled heels to trainers after photos
Face of the #lovenotllike digital campaign Imaan Hammam
Oracle Fox founder Amanda Shadforth
Australian model of the moment Ruby Jean
Badlands founder Talisa Sutton
Model Julia Nobis
Macgraw founders Beth and Tessa MacGraw
Yan Yan Chan in Zimmermann
Credit: All images and video courtesy Tiffany and Co
