“A dash of champagne, a flourish of canapés, a handful of stores, a pinch of pampering and a whole heap of freebies.”
That’s the vision statement of the company behind the Ladies Night Out (LNO) pop-up events. LNO Australia offers women play-dates with pampering experiences. Held at the enchanting Waterview Bicentennial Park venue, LNO Homebush delivered a bit of everything in line with their motto.
My night began with a detox foot massage offered by the Arbonne Company. Kathy Webb, a consultant with Arbonne, flew over from Adelaide to do the event. She did not need to hard-sell her products after the massage. The softness of my skin bore testimony to the richness of Arbonne’s quality. I also met Martine Anne Redmann, national President of the Arbonne Brand here in Australia. She combined expert product knowledge with friendliness making me feel anything but just another potential customer target. Try them (www.arbonneinternational.com.au). You won’t go wrong.
[easy-image-collage id=353597]As I milled around the room taking in the various products on offer, I felt like I was in some sort of indoor market. The mix of colours and smells transported me to the many markets I visited around the world. This one was uniquely targeted for women. My milling around took me to the handbag stall, DAK Sydney. Debbie Knudson, the owner is a former air hostess with fashionable panache. Her handbags adorned a triangle corner in the middle of the room. “I’ve always wanted to provide good fashionable bags at affordable prices,” she said. I was intrigued by her company name and found out the romantic history behind it. DAK is an abbreviation for Debbie’s husband name Dexter and her middle name, Angela. “K” is short form for Knudson. The couple decided to define the name in the end with the word ‘Sydney.” It’s the city in which they fell in love. “Fashion is something I’ve always wanted to be involved in,” Debbie told me. I noticed the number of brands on display – from Italian to Iranian and South American. I asked her how authenticates her brands. “My husband and I have been selling bags long enough to understand the technical aspects of what makes a good bag. Good bags have obvious attention to detail.” Obviously intrigued by this statuesque figure with so many personal bags it fills a room; I lingered around her a little longer. After all, it’s not just about buying a bag but about the conversation that flows around the product. That’s what women want; conversation, value for money and attentive pampering.
[easy-image-collage id=353599]“I like to acquire pieces that transcend from one occasion to another. I want to help customers get something for all seasons. Bags should be classy and convenient. Women should be able to put their makeup and everything else in these bags but still feel stylish carrying it. Bags shouldn’t be limiting,” Debbie said when I asked her about how she chooses her products. “I want my customers to feel like I’ve bought a bag from DAK Sydney but they didn’t feel exploited.” Well, I didn’t get exploited by Debbie that night. I bought nothing from her but I did jump online afterwards to scout for the Iranian handbag I have my eye on. I have to agree with Debbie when she told me that women love buying handbags because they make statements about who they are with the type of bag they carry on their shoulder. “Women display their earning power, fashion savvy awareness and prestige all through a bag,” Debbie said. Ladies, jump online to DAK Sydney www.daksydney.com.au) and allow Debbie to help you make your own fashion statement with your new bag.
My next stop was at the pretty Soap de Villa stall where I smelled an array of different soaps. Rebecca, the owner of the company prides herself on the company being Australian owned. The company caters for weddings and special events. I was so impressed with her table that I bought some soap for myself. The wrapping is handmade and a standout feature aside from the product. If you’re getting married or need products for an event, pay them a visit. www.soapdevilla.com.au
LNO is indeed a unique Ladies night out pampering experience. The next time you see an advert for one of these experiences grab yourself a ticket. Let Australian businesses pamper you for three hours. They’ll even throw in a few free samples in their goodie bag just for you.
– Bridgett
Bridgett Leslie is the 2014 Winner of the British-Australian Literary Award. Visit her at https://twitter.com/bridgettleslie
