While the great weight-debate has had buckets of magazine ink spilt over it in the past few months, there’s another bone of contention that’s slowly presenting itself within the fashion industry; the appearance of extremely young models on the catwalk. Outspoken NZ designer Lucie Boshier has hit out at the issue with the above poster (which kind of speaks for itself). Boshier claims to have been spurred into creating the “Lining up The Kids” campaign after seeing a twelve- year old girl on the catwalk at last year’s Australian Fashion Week; "Designers are using children - prepubescent girls - to model women's clothes, and they look terrible on them," she argues. "It makes women feel inadequate and it makes me feel sick."
What’s your opinion?

Ipso-Facto are another band coming straight out of Southend/ London to play all the right parties and woo all the right people. Not that that doesn’t make them genuinely good. The band is four friends with Louise Brooks haircuts and heavy eyeliner – the kind of ladies who probably only drink red wine and use really big words in conversation. They make self-described “melodramatic pop”: music that sounds like how haunted houses and creepy 19th century photographs look – all sepia toned and rich and mysterious. I think Ipso-Facto are very good indeed and so do the record labels that began falling all over themselves after they had only performed about three shows. Above is the video for their first single “Harmonise”. Close the curtains, fill your goblets and enjoy.

As a twenty-something you can generally expect your living zone to range from a room in a crowded share-house to a shoebox-sized studio; making what there is of your personal space very precious indeed - and one not to be cluttered with boxy, extraneous furnishings. Melbourne designer Dusko Lapcevic has acknowleged the space contsraints faced by nesting Gen Y’ers with the Dusko Collection from Smith Furniture range; a trio of multifunctional pieces that saw him take out the inaugral young designer furniture award in 07. Consisting of a sofa (as shown above), a day bed and a chair, the range is completely Australia made; utilising allergy friendly Dunlop foam for versatility and Warwick microsuede for a timeless and adaptable finish. As well as being easy on the eye (and back!) the Dusko collection is also wallet friendly, meaning you can spend both your space and your dosh on the things that young people should be.

This is the best thing I've seen since lolcats.

There may be a lot of backward things about America but one of it's more forward qualities is the fact that, since 1996, at least twelve of it's states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes. As any warrior for the multi-pronged leaf will tell you (often for hours on end), marijuana is quite the effective painkiller and its well-known hunger-inducing effects are also known to be helpful in treating sufferers of anorexia and those who have lost their appetite due to treatments like chemotherapy. In states like L.A, those with chronic illnesses can legally obtain the drug through a doctors prescription and there are hundreds of natural medicine stores supplying it in all sorts of strains and guises (brownies etc) but now LaLa land has taken it a step further with vending machines that will provide the seriously pained and ill with 24 hour access to their medication of choice. Not anyone can press C3 for a tinny though; not only does the marijuana come in capsule form but the machine will be guarded constantly in an enclosed room where customers will have to provide I.D, fingerprints and a doctor administered pre-pay card before getting their dose.....and heading off in search of a regular - Dorito holding - vending machine.

I was looking at this website the other day and came to the conclusion that not only does Perth rear more than it's fair share of really good looking people; it's also probably the most stylish city in Australia. To argue my claim further, I give you: The Family. Formed by five friends from the country's "most isolated state" The Family is both a much loved store and street wear label with a focus on beautiful fabrics, great design and more than a bit of cheek. Fitting then, that they should recruit music's most fashion forward, and naughty, princess; Uffie, to be the the face of their latest collection. Apparently, Uff and fellow Ed Banger signee DJ Feadz took quite a shining to The Fam and have been rocking their wares on their current international tour. The collection is titled "Bad Meaning Good" and if the shot on your left is anything to go by I'd say the range is looking pretty damn good indeed.

Ooooooh, not too long to go now! Here's a new still from Spike Jonze's "Where the Wild Things Are"; i.e the most anticipated movie, ever.
Jonze announced his plans for the film adaptation of Maurice Sendak's children's classic early last year;  immediatly spawning worldwide nostalgic frenzy, conjecture-filled fansites and, around these parts anyway, about a million Wild Things tattoos ("I got it 'coz i really liked the book hey"). The hype beast is slated for release in 2009 and, just incase you weren't already tearing up with impatience, Karen O is widely believed to be producing the film's soundtrack.