Marie Claire

Sydney's most stylish folk frocked up last night to celebrate the best in fashion and beauty at the 2013 Prix de Marie Claire Awards. The black tie gala, hosted by editor Jackie Frank at The Star casino, was full of drama — and not just thanks to the formal dress code. A spectacular perspex runway was suspended high above guests' heads, allowing for a unique viewpoint. International designers were popular with the A-list crowd with Lara Bingle looking chic in Christian Dior, Jodi Gordon donning a fabulously frilled Gucci number and Megan Gale baring a little flesh in black Bottega Veneta. Thigh high splits were a popular choice with designers Sarah Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton of sass & bide, Terry Biviano and Samantha Wills all showing a little leg — and special mention goes to Kylie Gillies who showed off her spectacular legs thanks to an unexpected gust of wind.

On the fashion-front, the magazine awarded Best Australian Designer to wonderkid Dion Lee, Best Australian Evening Wear Designer went to Collette Dinnigan, Jenny Kee and Linda Jackson were honoured with a Special Achievement Award, Zimmermann scooped the Best Swimwear title, newbie Christopher Esber took home the Best New Designer gong, Rachael Ruddick received the Best Australian Accessory Brand Award, the Best Australian Fashion Brand went to Oroton and sass & bide got a special mention by taking home the award for Fashion With Heart. Readers got their say too, nominating Cue and Samantha Wills for Best Australian Fashion Brand and Best Australian Accessory Brand respectively. Step this way to see the stylish people at play . . . 

Olivia Wilde gets honest about her relationship with Jason Sudeikis in the April issue of US Marie Claire. She posed in a sheer blue dress for the cover of the magazine and opened up about her insecurities when she first started dating Saturday Night Live star Jason. Olivia also revealed their plans for children in the future and details on their romantic, and kiss-less, first date. Read on for more from Olivia Wilde in Marie Claire.

• On her first meeting with Jason Sudeikis: "We were both seeing people but were single. He seemed to really see me, see through the bullsh*t. He said very few words and couldn't keep eye contact. He was so handsome, and he could dance."
• On her first date with Jason: "I thought, 'I'm not beautiful enough or his type.' I couldn’t wait to sit down and hear him talk. On our first date, in New York City, we closed the restaurant down at 2 a.m.! He didn't kiss me, and I was madly in love. I was overwhelmed."
• On having kids: "We've discussed all our ideals and hopes. I can't wait for children. I'm open-minded about how many, but three, which I love, is like a little party."

US Marie Claire took "ladies who lunch" one step further, playing host to a Hollywood dinner that pulled in quite the A-list set. Dressed in one of the chicest wrap skirt iterations we've seen in a while, Zoe Saldana wore a look from Bottega Veneta's Resort '13 collection, pairing it with Yves Saint Laurent pumps. This has "office sophisticate" written all over it. Also in the mix? A print-clad Elizabeth Olsen, Lea Michele in a non thigh-high slit ensemble (and we're loving it!), and a ruffled-up Olivia Munn. What we wouldn't give to be a fly on that wall . . . on second thought, we've got your insiders' head-to-toe look at the fashionable guests right this way.

Marie Claire US magazine gathered a group of starlets together last night for a special Hollywood Dinner held at Fig & Olive in LA. The magazine's editor in chief, Anne Fulenwider, held court over a meal that brought out Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Olsen and Lea Michele. Mad Men's Jessica Paré also made the rounds with Magic Mike leading ladies, Cody Horn and Olivia Munn. Leslie Mann, who has This Is 40 heading to cinemas Jan. 17, donned a colourful Monique Lhuillier dress to make the rounds. Zoe also upped the fashion ante in Bottega Veneta, and Lea wore Maria Lucia Hohan. It seems a good evening was had, as Lea later tweeted, "Amazing night tonight at the Marie Claire magazine party!!"

Gwen Stefani showed off her rock-hard abs for the cover of Marie Claire's October issue. She's promoting her upcoming album with No Doubt, Push and Shove, and is also getting back to performing. Gwen kicked off the NFL season on stage in NYC last week, and recently announced new LA concert dates with her band. She's busy with her career, but took time to talk about her family life, husband Gavin Rossdale, and how she's trying to cut back. Here's more from Gwen Stefani in Marie Claire:

• On her marriage: "My biggest accomplishment is my marriage so far. Because it's hard, everyone knows it's hard. [Marriage] is something that I always wanted to do successfully. It was a dream of mine. I like the official-ness and the family-ness of it all, having the same name and making decisions together. [Our relationship] is better than it's ever been. Like, we're learning about each other all the time. He's an amazing dad, he works so hard. He balances me out. And he — he never stops liking me, which is awesome! It makes me feel happy, that someone likes me as much as he does."
• On wanting a third baby: "I really, really, really wanted one about two years ago. And it didn't really work out. So . . . I feel good with what we've got. Everything works out how it should. You can't plan anything, right? You can try."
• On cutting back: "I've got myself in a lot of trouble by not saying no. This last year I kind of stopped working out. I think my body just needed a break. And so I did that, and focused more on feeling good as opposed to beating myself up. I have learned to delegate. I missed the last two Fashion Weeks because they were when school started; I can't miss the first week of kindergarten."

Just as sure as the flickering and flashing of a hundred photogs' cameras set off with Anna Dello Russo's arrival at the shows, we can count on our favourite fashion insiders to turn out their own collection of inspired style outside the tents or sitting front row. Beyond the designer collections, these are Fashion Week's other most-anticipated styles — the signature looks from our favourite editors and fashion fixtures. Each of these women — be it Dello Russo with her quintessentially over-the-top accessories and thigh-high minis or It Brit Poppy Delevingne with a cool-girl spin on luxe — has captivated us with a style all her own. Inside is a who's who of the fashion world's most fabulous — study up, get inspired, and shop their looks just in time for Fashion Week.

Kristen Stewart posed with Balenciaga creative director Nicolas Ghesquière for the Vogue 120 list celebrating the magazine's 120th anniversary. The issue has Lady Gaga on the cover and features some of the biggest names and faces in the fashion world right now. As the face of Balenciaga's fragrance, Kristen has been rocking the line at events and representing the brand in print ads since autumn. Along with this stunning Vogue shot, Kristen is also in September's US Marie Claire, but both of these photo shoots took place before her recent headlines. Kristen is taking a break from the spotlight at the moment, though it was recently announced that her movie On the Road will be at the Toronto Film Festival next month. She's skipping the UK premiere today and may not be taking part in the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel, but she still has a busy spring full of promotions ahead of her so she'll be back on the red carpet soon. Check out lots more from US Vogue's September issue list on Vogue.com.