Summer PJ sets – Paris says: “That’s hot!”

Imagine our surprise when we opened this week’s edition of New Weekly and discovered Hollywood’s favourite incredibly-shrinking celebutante, Nicole Richie, strutting around the set of The Simple Life in one half of a Vilain Boutique Summer PJ set! While we wouldn’t exactly put her at the top of our VB ambassador wish-list, she’s a serial best-dressed-list topper and she does have a knack for jumping on trends before they crash and burn in the mainstream (read: massive vintage sunnies and leggings under shorts – sooo 2006).

A quick scan of our database failed to reveal any members – on either side of the Pacific Ocean – exhibiting her details. Unlike her Simple Life co-star Paris Hilton, Richie has never graced our shores, so we’re scratching our collective head wondering how she got her bony little hands on our hot green running shorts (as you know, we only offer free postage and handling to customers within Australia).

We can only conclude that Richie’s new BFF, the equally-incredibly-shrinking ex-Popstar Sophie Monk passed them onto her. The Queenland-raised “singer/actress” is now based in Hollywood and is engaged to pop punk “rocker” (we use these terms rather loosely) Benji Madden, and his brother and Good Charlotte bandmate Joel is dating – you guessed it – Miss Richie.

But wait – here’s the best bit – all four of these AAA-list celebs are expected in Sydney next month to co-host the MTV Australia Video Music Awards! How sweet would it be if Nic and Soph hit Bondi Beach in matching VB shorts?!

While any publicity is good publicity, quite frankly, we’d prefer our shorts to be photographed on celebs with more generous proportions, or at least people who our customers wouldn’t want to throw headfirst into a Sizzlers all-you-can-eat buffet. After a quick conference in the Vilain office, we decided we’ll be sending off some Summer PJ sets to Scarlett Johansson, Libby Lenton and Chloe Sevigny. Watch this space…

Come and support Paddling for Refugees!

Yes, yes, it’s been a while between blog posts, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been keeping our friends posted (bad pun, sorry) about all the news with us. Between our wicked Wednesday newsletters and our online forum, our members can hear from us more often than their family members if they like – that’s the way we like it. But Ok, we will do our best in the coming weeks so our blog doesn’t feel like the neglected child. More posts more often!

We heard about this great community initiative, Paddling for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, last year when its founder Simon Keenan completed a 2,226 km, 114 day, solo paddle down the Murray River (pictured below). His adventure raised more than $13,000 to help refugees and asylum seekers who are living in Australia on Bridging Visas and Temporary Protection Visas.

Although these refugees are living lawfully in the community, many are vulnerable and desperate because they can't legally be employed, they have no access to Medicare, and no access to Centrelink or other government services. Paddling for Refugees and Asylum Seekers estimates there are more than 1,000 of these cases in Melbourne alone, and some have been on these visas for over 5 years.

As we type and upload this post, Simon and his band of supporters are preparing to paddle the length of Melbourne’s Yarra River to raise more funds and awareness of their initiative. They’ll finish off with a Mega Benefit Celebration on Sunday afternoon at Melbourne Rowing Club near Flinders Street Bridge in the city. The entertainment includes performances by hip hop groups TZU (pictured below), Diafrix and Symbiosis and short films will screen. They’re also running a raffle or an auction, not quite sure what… but we DO know there are some fabulous prizes to be won, including a VILAIN BOUTIQUE SHEET SET – just the thing to curl up in after a big day of kayaking in the great outdoors! We’re really chuffed to be supporting the Mega Benefit Celebration and you can be sure some of the Vilain crew will be getting down to TZU on Sunday night!

Tickets are $20/$15 concession and available on the door.
All proceeds will go to Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Hotham Mission Asylum Seeker Project.
For more info, check out http://www.paddlingforrefugees.org/