Down Under Fashions Go Over Big In Texas - Austin American Statesman

By Michelle Smith, American-Statesman Fashion Editor

LOS ANGELES - It's no secret that Olivia Newton-John is hopelessly devoted to Australia, so much so that she's representing her homeland at brunch today in the home of Richard and Heather Marcus in Big D.

Neiman-Marcus, where Richard is president, asked Australia's famous blonde, chanteuse and owner of the trendy Los Angeles boutique, Коala Blue, to bring a little corner of Australia to Dallas to help kick off the store's annual Fort-night celebration.

This year, the Neiman event is called South Australia/Republic of Texas: 150 years of Progress. It begins today and runs through Oct. 25.

Koala in the store name stands for Korner of Australia in Los Angeles and Blue means friend in Australia. It was Newton-John's nostalgia for meat pies and milkshakes that made her ask, Why don't we open an Aussie milk bar? in 1982. She talked it over with her former singing partner Pat Farrar, who wanted to start a retail fashion business, and Koala Blue was on its way.

They opened in 1983, on a quiet end of Melrose Avenue that would soon be not so quiet once word got around about the shop. They celebrate their third anniversary this week.

The shop specializes in Australian clothing. jewelry, children's books and Koala Blue play-wear as well as Aussie delicacies such as Pavio-va meringue, filled with kiwi and passion fruit, and Vegemite, the Aussie version of peanut but-ter. Neiman's is recreating the Melrose store, complete with exotic Aussie desserts, in 1.000 square feet on the fourth floor of the store in Dallas.

Appearing in Dallas from Los Angeles are Farrar, who was born in Melbourne, (Farrar's husband, John, is Olivia's principal songwriter), Koala Blue managing director Diana Stirling, and KB executive David Siddell. The Koala Blue contingent was honored Saturday at a Texas barbecue and rodeo at the B.F. Phillips ranch.

Newton-John and Farrar have expanded their little Aussie colony to the Westside Pavilion in west. Los Angeles and to the South Coast Plaza in Orange County. They will open Koala Blues in Dallas, Hawaii, Sacramento and Florida this year.

The fashion direction is clean, with a hint of sass. One T-shirt on the center wall reads Where's Australia? It's where the America's Cup Is.

Another part of the room showcases four white boxes, draped sparely with a single, white handknit sweater, under a eucalyptus tree full of koalas.

The wall above the Aussie Milk Bar features koalas sunbathing. What else is there to do that close to Venice Beach?

Koala Blue was an early pioneer on that end of Melrose, but now, hot spots such as the Johnny Rockit diner have opened nearby, attracting an assortment of funky L.A. street life.

At first, we had many Australians in and quite a bit of tourists who were over from Syd-ney or Perth, said Farrar, but now it seems to have caught on well with the Americans.

The company has hired a designer to continue the colorful, lightweight direction of the Aussie fashion and there is an interesting assortment of Australian earrings, gifts and a wonderful French terry bathrobe.

Photo captions: Clean, flat white boxes, wooden floors and a restrained presentation of merchandise are the hallmark of Koala Blue, owned by singers Olivia Newton-John and Pat Farrar. The Los Angeles boutique is being duplicated at Neiman-Marcus in Dallas. Staff photo by Ralph Barrera
The Neiman-Marcus branch of Koala Blue will offer blue ice cream sodas and Vegemite sandwiches in the Aussie Milk Bar, patterned after the original Los Angeles boutique.
Subtle, pastel batik is the mood from Australia, in lightweight, casual materials.
The red Koala sweater is handknitted with yellow ray-on separates, at Koala Blue.
Olivia Newton-John and Pat Farrar will appear today at Neiman's in Dallas for the opening of their Koala Blue boutique.
Photos by Peter C. Borsari