La Fashion Style: Pamela Anderson

Wheels & Dollbaby is one of my favorite brands, having discovered it age 15 by reading Australian teen mag, Dolly. The brand was unlike anything I'd ever seen, clothes drenched in rock & roll fused with feminine style and a touch of sleek 50's tailoring. I grew up with Wheels & Dollbaby, who just celebrated their 25th anniversary. Melanie Greensmith (below) was born in London, and her Mum was a Bluebell showgirl at the Lido in Paris. "I grew up with that naughty but feminine thing". Melanie spent her childhood playing dress ups in her Mum's wardrobe and making dresses out of nighties. In her teens in London, she was taken by punk edged, subversive designers like by Vivienne Westwood, Boy of London and rising star John Galliano. She hung out with musos, making them clothes.

"I love glamour, but I also love hanging out with sexy guys in bands. Dressing them seemed like a really clever way to get to know them." Melanie took off overseas at 19 ending up in Australia where she launched the first Wheels & Dollbaby store in Sydney in 1997, basing the name of her & boyfriend's nick names. The day before she opened it's doors, Michael Jackson popped by and ordered a customized leather jacket for his Bad tour. Inspired by vintage, art deco and rock & roll and rock chicks such as Debbie Harry (who is a friend), Anita Pallenberg & Marianne Faithfull.

''I've spent years making the hot girls look the hottest they can be. I only want to do what I like.'' Sydney Morning Herald.

Nicole Trunfio in W&D

Pics from campaigns and Perth Fashion Festival

"While other people disappeared along the way from heroin or spent it all on cocaine, I just kept making clothes and saving." Over the years the rock & roll glam style of W&D has become a firm fave with cool girls - check out the roll-call below.

Nicole

Dita

Katy

Courtney

Debbie

Kate

Britney

Lily

Daisy

Amy

Ruby

Pammy

Courtney opens New York Fashion Week 2011 in Wheels & Dollbaby

Living in Sydney in the noughties I was always in their Darlinghurst store just off Oxford St, with the black & white striped canopy. It was my one-stop shop for fitted Tees & Tanks with original prints, cool party dresses and coquettish tops. I'd marvel at the gorgeous punk Dollbaby shopgirls, leopard print carpet and French Louis XV style furniture. Melanie's house is decked out similarly in crystal luster lamps, chandeliers, chaise lounges, gilt mirrors, vintage trinkets & velvet, accumulated from various trips to Europe. "It's a bit '70s rock'n'roll, a bit mock-tudor mansion."

Melanie is now with long-term partner Mark McEntee from The Divinyls, and he played at their 25th Anniversary show yesterday at Perth fashion week, with long term buddy Katy Steele from Perth band Little Birdy (below, in punk W&D shirt) stepping in for lead singer Chrissie Amphlett. Here are some pics from the 25th Anniversary show @ Perth Fashion Festival 2011.

Perth stunner Nicole Trunfio

Cool girls wear leopard

Alison Mosshart

...and cool boys! I have long been a fan of leopard print. I have to admit that I think the obsession stemmed from my Mum's love of Rod Stewart in the 70's - I loved his leopardy looks, and infact still love his early music today.

And The Faces - check 'em out here. Funnily enough, Rod is not in leopard here, but Keith Richards is playing with them and has on a fantastic leopard print jacket.

My next leopard memory is watching Coronation Street with my parents as a little kid, and thinking how cool Bet Lynch looked.

Luckily my style is a little more refined than Rockin Rod and Bet, but I still love the edge leopard print brings. Quintessentially rock chick, leopard print can be worked into any look - you can go full on or subtle. Whether it's a cardigan or a belt, scarf or a pair of heels, leopard contunualy finds it's way into my wardrobe. Leopard print is huge this Fall (Autumn), but I never need an excuse to add a piece to my wardrobe. Waves of leopard popularity just add to the new designs that appear whenever it comes around in vogue, as it doubtless does every few years. However brands like Wheels & Dollbaby will always feature leopard print heavily in their ranges - and the leopard print carpet at the Darlinghurst shop is to die for!

I highly recommend you check out Wheels and Dollbaby here for sexy, rock and roll chic. Founder and designer Melanie Greensmith (below) is a legend.

When going leopard, just be careful, as some prints can be a tad ugly in design and colour- there is a wide range. This season, large print features and it looks fab, especially within the Dolce & Gabbana, Thakoon, Cavalli and Tom Ford collections.