Rice Workshop Official Opening, Melbourne, VIC

When the invitation to the official opening of Rice Workshop landed in my inbox I was intrigued and more than a little bit excited. I was promised a new Japanese food concept along with an opening night dress theme of Harajuku. Having been to Japan a few years ago and immediately falling in love with its food and fashion I was looking forward to the evening- and it did not disappoint!

I've had a long time fascination with Harajuku style so I was happy for an excuse to go all out and aim for a super kawaii look to get into the spirit of the night. As a bonus Fashion Torque hosts Jenny Bannister and Phillip Boon were going to be awarding prizes for the best dressed. I plundered my wardrobe for all things bright, fun, sparkly and heaped everything on layer upon layer. Applying my makeup with a heavy hand it was time to brave the wet cold evening with my friend Anthony and find out what Rice Workshop was all about.Located at 238 Little Bourke St in the CBD Melbourne, Restaurateur David Loh and Chef Tomohiro Suzuki have brought the Japanese Donburi concept to the city. For those not familiar with Donburi it means 'bowl' and in food terms refers to a bowl of rice with toppings. Rice Workshop for a relatively small space has plenty of options on the menu and at very purse friendly prices. The restaurant is split over two levels and has a quirky and inviting interior with the upstairs being a bright open dining space. On offer at the launch was a delicious and delightful array of food with my favourite being the stewed beef bowl, which was so good I went back for a second helping (Known as Gyudon in Japan- Rice with beef and onion with a tasty broth).Plenty of guests had got into the theme of the evening with bright and colourful outfits lighting up a very grey evening. The fabulous Jenny Bannister as always was dressed to impress with a long blonde wig and big fuzzy spiders adorning her head. Jenny along with Philip selected me as the winner of the best costume with second place going to Milliner Richard Nylon. He went goth with flowers on his mustache providing a dash of pink. Third place went to his wonderfully fun assistant Kristine Live who had sequin eyebrows topping off her mad Harajuku, Kawaii look.

Given the great tasty food, excellent prices and central location, Rice Workshop is sure to be a hit- especially with workers in the CBD after a quick easy meal and students wanting to get some seriously yummy bang for their buck. I know next time I'm dashing around the city I'll be making a stop at Rice Workshop.By Angela Menz

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Wrap

Back when I used to live  in Australia, I always wondered what it would be like to attend France's biggest raceday, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Given how well the French dress in general, surely their raceday fashion would be mind-blowingly chic and their hats an elaborate array of millinery magic?As it turns out, this isn't the case. Compared to their Australian and British counterparts, French racegoers exhibit a more laissez-faire approach to racewear, rather than parading extravagant, show-stopping ensembles. In fact, the common raceday "uniform" spotted frequently around the course resembles little more than the usual Parisian uniform of skinny trousers-shirt-blazer, with either a wide-brimmed felt hat or fedora finishing the look. And many women choose not to wear a hat - even though entry was free for those who did (general admission was otherwise 8€).However, this year (the third year I've attended the event), I did note that the female spectators looked decidedly more glamorous than usual - there were more dresses, more coiffing, and - thankfully - more hats. Though still nowhere near the number of women who sport millinery on the lawns of Flemington for Australia's biggest raceday.Despite the understated French approach to racewear, it did not discourage the large contingent of international visitors from dressing in the style to which they are accustomed. The British were there in their tailored skirt suits or short cocktail frocks with wide-brimmed sinamay hats or crinoline headpieces, while the Japanese fans sported either traditional kimonos or the colours of their hero, Orfevre, who was carrying the nation's hopes of a first win in the Arc.Unfortunately for Orfevre's supporters, the gallant horse again finished a gutsy runner-up, this time to local three-year-old filly Treve, who ran away with the Arc by a staggering five lengths to retain her unbeaten five-start record and cement her status as the Next Big Thing in racing.With the recent retirements of Black Caviar and Frankel, the racing world wasn't sure when it would see its next champion, but now all eyes are on Treve to claim the mantle. That's when they're not enjoying some quality people-watching at the famed Longchamp course.