Lost on the deserted planes of the Mid West this captivating collection leaves a trail of dust and broken hearts. Effortlessly glamorous, this season revels in bohemian looks that seem perfectly dressed up.

The searing shades of a scorching summer paint silks in tangerine, chartreuse and emerald or fall in ombre silks from peacock blue to green. Linen and cotton blends in neutral shades of sand, rock and dust evoke the softly shifting dessert landscape while ice cream tones of fresh mint, apricot and vanilla white add freshness in the heat.

Stay cool in Quaker dresses that fall simply to the ankle, summer kaftans, flowing maxis and airy kimono sleeves, or turn up the heat in body-hugging showstoppers perfect for rooftop parties and wild days at the races.

Delight in perfect workmanship from handcrafted macramé necklines and straps to beautiful beading and chic sunray pleating. A collection of contradictions Destination Unknown sees multiple fabrics and textures in one garment and promises to look divine no matter what the location may be.

I love that everything old is new again. On the shoot for Destination Unknown we had this incredible old ute. It reminded me of an era gone by, of the simplicity of life and how simple pleasures can make us really happy. I love that the rustic, simple life is back in vogue.

It’s always hard to pick a favourite outfit from the campaign images but this season my top trend choice is the image where our beautiful model wears the Zion Maxi dress. I love the whole look, it feels free, almost magical and mystical. It’s incredibly romantic and reminds me of a scene from the English Patient.

I also love that we’ve been able include so much macramé in this campaign. My mother taught me the art – I started on pot plant holders and kept practising. I remember being very proud of my first handmade macramé handbag that I made complete with beading for extra detailing. This year I taught my production team how to create it for our dresses this season. We really enjoyed the feeling of making the garments by hand, the whole experience of craft and handwork is incredibly cathartic.

xx Annette

Miss Universe Australia Scherri-Lee Biggs has chosen Wish as part of her official wardrobe during the Miss Universe competition in Brazil. Check out the amazing Wish outfits she has chosen.

New Yorkers have such a great sense of humour – there are so many jokes already in circulation about Hurricane Irene! I survived the storm, safely ensconsced in my brand new hotel. The Nolitan is an incredible blend of homely and welcoming and uber cool. Hipster guests skate past on Nolitan-branded skate-boards! The gorgeous manager Patrick says he wants guests “to feel just like they’re just inside a very luxurious home” and that is exactly how it is.

With fashion week days away the city is awash with fashionistas. The world’s greatest designers, stylists and models are all gathering to put on their incredible shows. Lots of ex-Wish girls are in town for the runways – I’m loving catching up with our models and hearing their exciting news. I promise to post more news on our models next week.

xx Annette

Here at Wish we love our boutiques. We recently ran a competition for our stockists in Western Australia to see who could create the best Window Display. After much deliberation we selected Axel & Rose in Bussleton! They obviously love the Destination Unknown range as much as we do! If you are in the area make sure you check them out.

Axel & Rose
36 PRINCE ST
Busselton, WA, 6280
08 9752 4242

The maxi dress is a Wish wardrobe essential, an enduring fashion trend that never seems to wane. This season summer has again been dominated by maxis in a wealth of gorgeous fabrics and colours. Just what is it that makes the maxi dress such a perennial success?

Most people think of the maxi dress as a ‘70s trend but in fact it was first seen in the ‘60s. Oscar de la Renta is credited with creating the very first maxi – a trend that has since graced a billion fashionable ankles. In 1968 the New York Times praised a full length cotton lace dress that de la Renta had designed for the Elizabeth Arden salon and a fashion phenomenon was born. The ‘60s movie Dr Zhivago is also credited with some of the success of the maxi as fans craved the romance of Julie Christie’s flowing gowns. Fashionistas rejected the super-short micro minis of the late ‘60s and fashion reversed, sending hems to the floor.

The leading designers of the ’70s all embraced the trend: YSL, Dior, Cardin, Biba and Halston all created signature maxi dresses. As fashion took inspiration from around the world designers adopted the exotic sweeping silhouette of the Moroccan kaftan. By the mid ‘70s the maxi was everywhere, loved by bohemians, hippies and fashionistas alike in psychedelic colours, paisley prints and abstract designs.

Maxis were banished in the ‘80s as power suits with shoulder pads and Valley girls in rara skirts took over. There was no place for the romance of the maxi in the grunge of the ‘90s but finally mid-Noughties the maxi came back, longer and stronger than before. Kate Moss, of course ahead of the trend, was spotted in a stunning maxi at superstar make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury’s Ibiza wedding in September 2006. By 2007 runways were awash with fabric as maxis dominated the catwalks and shone at Gucci, Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney. Fashion hasn’t looked back – the maxi seems to be here to stay.

This time around the maxi is rather more glamorous than the original. Fabrics today are much better and horrible sweaty tales of the ‘70s polyester and manmade fibres now seem like unreal nightmares as we enjoy lightweight cotton, beautiful silks and chiffons. Silhouettes, while now even longer, tend to be sleeker and the feel is less hippy and more refined. Colours are bolder, prints are chic and details are more polished.

Perhaps the reason for the longevity of our love affair with the maxi is it’s total flexibility; more than any other garment the maxi has a chameleon like ability to transform from daywear to glamorous eveningwear. Worn with flats and minimal accessories it’s the perfect summery garment for the beach, a day at the markets or lunch with the girls. Add bold wedges, a signature belt and some eye-catching ethnic earrings and you are ready for date night at a romantic restaurant or a wild night out at the coolest place in town. Take a couple of maxis on a weekend getaway and you are ready for every adventure.

HOW TO WEAR YOUR MAXI

As maxis are now longer than ever be sure that your dresses fall to the perfect spot – never wear a dress that trails on the ground – if you are wearing flats the hem should fall to your anklebone, not below.

It’s a myth that shorter girls can’t wear maxis, but it is wise for petite fans of the look to choose more tailored silhouettes as dresses that are both long and billowing will simply swamp a smaller figure.

CELEBRITIES WHO TAKE IT TO THE MAX

Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and Georgia May Jagger define the new bohemian Brit chic while LA fashionistas Nicole Richie, Rachel Zoe and Kate Hudson bring sheer Hollywood glamour to the iconic retro look. Tiny stars Eva Longoria and Kylie Minogue show that small can be beautiful in the perfect maxi dress.

Thank you to everyone who entered. We loved reading every entry and it’s good to know just how much you love our Wish girls!

To win the competition you were invited to guess the ex-Wish girl who is returning to the brand to be the face of Winter ‘12 – and tell us which of the models from all the years of past campaigns is your all time favourite Wish girl.

Wish Winter ‘12 will feature stunning Caitlin Lomax. It seems we chose well this season as by far the biggest number of entrants named Caitlin and her Almost Famous Winter ‘09 campaign as your favourite ever Wish shoot.

Thanks for all your entries! Make sure to be on our mailing list for news of our next great competition.

PRIZE PACK INCLUDES

$1000 of the hottest Wish Winter fashion

$1500 two night stay for you and your guest at the Grand Harbour Suite of Sydney’s top celebrity hotel – the luxurious Shangri La. Fashion doyennes Elle and Alexa Chung are both fans! A bottle of bubbles will await your arrival so take in the stunning view of Sydney harbour and relax. We’ve included daily buffet breakfast and access to the Horizon Club Lounge

$280 of nourishing hair treats – Miranda Kerr’s favourite Original and Mineral Liquid CCT Gloss Treatment at Atlantis Hair including wash, blow dry and style plus Original and Mineral gift set of It’s In The Bag and Mini Minerals Maintain the Mane

$324 of pure organic make-up – our supermodel loves NVEY Eco because it’s just so good for your skin! Enjoy your gift set of incredible colours for your eyes and lips and beautiful powder and bronzer for your skin

$280 of the perfect supermodel glow – get glam with a Vani-T Sunless Tan Treatment at Dr Naomi plus a gift set including the Vani-T Bronzing Custard, Boheme Mineral Bronzer and a Bare Bronze Temporary Tanning Mousse and Sunless Tan Remover Mitt

$215.00 add sparkle to your flutter with two sets of the Parisian Romance Signature Collection Lashes from top brand Lash Republic, as well as a placement tool and a Swarovski Crystal Curler and Tweezer Set!

Head to the winter mountains where romance flourishes against the odds. Revel in the escapism of the bohemian life in sweet ‘60s and ‘70s styles. Gorgeous garments include cute gathered necklines, wild bat wing kimonos and ladylike A line skirts.

Rebel with your lover in vintage shades of mustard, teal, merlot and bourbon and cute retro motifs in reworked paisley, fine oriental patterns and bold kaleidoscope prints. Tease your beloved in crepe de chine, chiffon, silk, suede, jersey, ponti, leather and fur; add lace panel detailing to be perfectly on trend. Be winter perfect in boldly silhouetted draping blazers, signature fur vests and sweetly demure jackets.

Browse the collection in our eBoutique.

Caitlin Lomax is well-known to friends of Wish – she first starred in our Winter ’09 shoot Almost Famous, one of our most popular campaigns of all time. The stunning rock’n’roll images of the young model became instantly iconic as posters were proudly displayed in boutiques across Australia and the bus and tram ads stopped traffic!

The WA girl has become an international sensation – three years on and Caitlin Lomax is now one of the most successful Australian supermodels working at the very top of the model industry. Australian Grazia were amongst to pick her beauty; from their very first shoot with her they marked her out as one to watch, likening her rising star to that of Catherine McNeill.

Today editors around the world agree. You’ll see Caitlin Lomax’s distinctive looks on the pages of all the top magazines including Vogue and Harpers Bazaar while she’s a new favourite at the uber-cool fashion bibles Dazed and Confused and Love with super stylist Katie Grand casting her whenever she can. The trend guru’s at Pop Magazine shot Caitlin for the current TOP TEN NEW GIRLS, a defining moment when we knew she’d made it.

The biggest brands can’t get enough of this gorgeous girl – in the past few months she has fronted campaigns for top luxury houses including the ultimate elegance of Parisian Guy Laroche and been the beautiful face of Top Shop’s gorgeously grungy make-up campaign.

Caitlin Lomax is hot news on the catwalks and is now a regular at New York, London, Paris and Milan fashion weeks. She has walked for Chanel and Louis Vuitton, met the world’s biggest fashion names from Karl Lagerfeld to Donatella Versace and giggled backstage with her new colleagues Kate Moss and Miranda Kerr.

We are very proud that this new Australian supermodel is exclusive to Wish for Winter ’12 – the Renegade Romance campaign starring Caitlin Lomax is set to be a new Wish favourite.

Striking new ground on the edge of discovery, this collection brings together cocktail sipping decadence and the natural beauty of days gone by.

 Cutting edge citrus highlights blaze trails through plains of burnt orange, dusty earth and fading sunsets. A Hawaiian oasis of cool hues offers a silken seascape abounding in tones of ocean, sky and blue azure.

Adventurous embroideries play amongst daring digital prints, sunray pleats and neon hues. A bounty of tassels and intricate beading offset slinky metallic knits that flirt with layered sheer chiffon.

Bear witness to a showdown between origami inspired dresses, asymmetrically draped tops and a cavalcade of summery skirts.

See you on the Paradise Frontier.

Winter is wild when you go the extra mile. Take an adventure in Wish’s signature exclusive prints which dominate the season from retro paisley prettiness to bold ethnic patterns sourced on trips to the most distant corners of the world.

Expect the unexpected, as printed panelling is juxtaposed with street sharp leather. Add must have opulent velvet burnouts in shades of flames, and essential ink dyed furs for the ultimate luxurious winter wanderer look.

Take the road less travelled in borrowed boyfriend cut jackets and patchwork shorts. Go where the wild roses grow in bright metallic rose brocades and rose print fabrics. Arrive in style in glistening metallic gowns, fused lace jackets and street smart motorbike ponti pants.

Annette has hand-picked her favourite Australian and New Zealand bloggers to participate in the ultimate style competition – the Wish Style Challenge! Bloggers are required to:

1. Choose their favourite item of Wish clothing
2. Style it up and post it on their blog before midnight Sunday 7^th April
3. Tweet to us (@WishClothing), tag us in an Instagram (@WishDesigns) and cross their fingers!

The winner will be judged by the head designer and creator of Wish, Annette Cannock. An instinctive fashion forecaster, Annette has a lifetime of fashion experience under her belt, as well as a passion for individual blogger style! Our favourite entrant will received a $1000 Wish voucher, and a promoted feature on our Facebook.

Best of luck to all our entrants – stay tuned in April when we announce the winner!

Wish celebrated the launch of the amazing new collection “The Castaway” at a unique venue in Sydney. Check out some of the photos below or head to fb.com/wish.xoxo for more!

The Castaway transports this iconic Wish collection to the heyday of romance as stunning model Yulia Drobozhan finds herself glamorously shipwrecked in a perfectly romantic wardrobe.

Summer shades are perfectly pretty in lemon, tangerine, buttercup, emerald, magenta and khaki while monochrome brings the elegance of steamship dining in the first class lounge. Feel the textures from smooth iron to polished wood in perforated suedes, subtle printed micro prints, smooth silks and crisp cotton.

Sail away in floating silks that flutter in the breeze, and maxi’s that sweep to the deck. Be vintage cute in midi dresses and sweet peasantry styles and add chic in shimmering fitted pants. Delight in divine details from the instantly classic Delft blue print, the reborn art deco bird motif and fine gold embroidery.

Congratulations to former Wish model Dakota Johnson on her casting in the lead role of Anastasia Steele in the upcoming 50 Shades of Grey movie. Dakota hung out with Wish in Sydney while modelling for the Rising Star campaign in 2010.

Read more about Dakota and other Wish Girls on the models page.

Days shorten, cool winter winds roll in and the city becomes a wild winter playground. Sepia tones inject an urban edge into soft florals while unique native block prints whisk your wardrobe effortlessly from crisp sunny days to cool nights.

Clean, modern silhouettes are adorned with baroque inspired embroidery as fresh fuses elegantly with traditional. Key faux fur cropped coats, full length vests, detailed soft leathers and cool cream PU jackets bring stylish ease to staying warm.
Exude femininity in delicate lace and mesh inserts across a silky monochrome palette. Shine in daybreak shades of vibrant reds, cobalt and pale blues, blush pinks and pops of magenta as Wait for Sunrise leaves you lusting for wintry days.