Wednesday, May 30

Lulu in Chains


After a night of online window shopping, I discovered this label from Sydney, called Lulu in Chains. Considering the fact that I simply adore off the shoulder styles, and am something of a frill-seeker when it comes to dresses and skirts, I am head over heels for these flirty dresses and ruffled skirt / fitted bodice designs!

The design aesthetic reminds me a little bit of early collections by Story by Tang, and Cooper St.

It's been a while since I've really LOVED a dress, and this brand is doing well because I love the entire collection! The names given to the dress styles are sweet and suitable, with names like "Angelic Brutality", "Raw Refinement", "Bittersweet Vengeance", "Sinister Innocence", "Faithless Belief", and so on. They convey the duality and contradictory characteristics that compose a modern woman's personality - all at once, she is both sweet and seductive; elegant and rebellious; the wild child, and the girl next door.

I love the choice of models and location for the photoshoot, too. 

Images: luluinchains.com

xx

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Friday, May 25

Secret Garden

Meta brand and luxury high street fashion house Dior has created a beautiful film that is truly magical. The short film (of three minutes and thirty-five seconds) has already exceed five and a half million views on Youtube alone, and I don't doubt that many more views would have been counted on the company's website. It's not hard to see why!



Transporting you to a world of ultimate luxury and beauty, this film tells a story of desire - desire for Dior. The beautiful Palace of Versailles comes to life as Daria Strokus smiles to herself in wonder at all of the beautiful things surrounding her, and as she runs through the palace and its gardens. I wonder, is she chasing her dreams? Is she trying to find the secret to happiness? Or is she running to convince herself that all of these amazing things she has are real? Perhaps it's a combination of all of these things. It appears to me that she finds so much pleasure and joy in wearing beautiful Dior garments in such a wondrous palace, that she is simply running to capture all of the beauty in her stride. 

I love the choice of music - a song called "Enjoy the Silence", by Depeche Mode. The video, at first, felt like one of the aesthetically pleasing George Michael film clips from the 80s and 90s that featured the high-flying Super Models of that era. Or, possibly a Madonna film clip (Vogue, for example). The cinematography is perfect and crisp, and it feels very poetic and natural when scenes change in time with the beat and rhythm.


"All I ever wanted, all I ever needed is here in my arms." It's a very apt way of communicating to the audience that Dior has it all, and if you buy Dior, you can too. (I just love marketing and branding - it constantly amazes me!)


Having been lucky enough to have visited the Palace of Versailles in my travels last year, I am drawn to this video even more. It is such a stunning place, covering more land than you could possibly imagine, with gardens that unfold before your eyes to grow and grow, with almost no horizon in sight. The queues to actually get into the gardens alone are minimum of 2 hours, but to get into the palace, we were told could take another 2 hours. Because of time pressure, I chose to just wander the gardens instead...and even with 2 hours up my sleeve, I couldn't see it all! 


There are fountains dotted all over, pretty bushes and hedges, gorgeous bright flowers everywhere, and a cleverly designed walkway that feels like a maze, leading you from one surprise to the next. There is even a very large man-made lake or pond, which you can hire paddleboats to float around in. It really is magical.


Well done to Dior for leveraging their brand and all that it offers to become synonymous with such a powerful and beautiful French icon - a tricky thing to do.



Source: Dior.com


xx

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Saturday, May 19

Nicholas makes your heart melt and your toes tingle

Holly and Liz Heel in Emerald, Blue, Ruby, Mustard, Black and Navy

Lizzi Bootie and Peeptoe in Black, Wine, Navy and Teal

Natalie in Wine and Mustard

Linden in Dove and Black


And, exhale. If you are at all like me, you just held your breath in amazement while staring at these photos of the latest shoe collection from Nicholas.

I have to admit, I am not the biggest 'shoe person'. I appreciate shoes for the leather craftsmanship, design and unique details, but rarely do I actually LOVE a pair of shoes. Or in this case, 6 styles of shoes from the same brand. 

I'm also not usually a fan of suede, either. I think that is the practical side of me talking, because I would just hate to see the suede wear or become damaged by water! This hesitation is also partially due to the fact that I have only owned one pair of suede shoes. The first time I wore them, coincidentally on my first night out at age 18, they suffered the attack of many spilled drinks, and they were never the same. In great disappointment, I had to retire my beloved brown suede Mary Jane's from Tony Bianco before I'd even had a proper dance in them. 

But at age 22, I would like to think I drink in more sophisticated venues now, where people don't constantly spill their drinks (or steal my phone, for that matter), so taking care of these Nicholas beauties would potentially be a much easier task. Besides, they are too beautiful to dismiss!

I would give almost anything to have the Dove Linden's, even just for one night...they are minimalist and sleek, definitely sexy and they have a little bit of edge to them, that really makes me weak at the knees. The high shine metal heel is a much-needed detail for Winter!

The label, designed and made in Melbourne, is quickly carving its name in the Australian design scene as a leader in quality and style. The latest collection really captures the spirit of Melbourne women, and as a sucker for everything from the Victorian city, I just cannot resist the allure. Have you seen their neon knits, too? Cosy, but brightly brilliant!

xx

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Tuesday, May 15

Round of applause for Opening Ceremony

Opening Ceremony Fall Collection, 2012. This collection is absolutely adorable...I must have it all! The rich burgundy, emerald and rusty terracotta tones are very lush.



Collars peeking out of the top of knitwear are the sole definition of perfection! That rust coloured leather biker jacket with tweed sleeves deserves special mention, too. I haven't seen anything like it yet, but it's definitely an item that would perk up my usually dark Winter colour palette. Opening Ceremony, you make cold weather look so fun! (And on the coldest day Brisbane has experienced so far this year, that is an impressive achievement).


xx 

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Sunday, May 13

Smitten with Winter knits

I am yearning for a handful of snuggly, cosy Winter-warming knitted slouchy jumpers. My favourites are these from Acne, Witchery, Country Road, Marcs and Topshop. I am really feeling the chill right now, so their 'just throw over anything' appeal is at an all time high...

The question is, should I go for a neutral shade, primary colour, pretty pastel or a pop of neon? Decisions, decisions...

xx

Images: Acne.com.au, witchery.com.au, countryroad.com.au, marcs.com.au, topshop.co.uk




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Saturday, May 12

MBFWA Favourites


Showcasing a week of inspiring street style and amazing fashion design, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia showed the world exactly why Australian designers are worth celebrating.

Designs for Spring/Summer 2013 are in full bloom, with many designers making their own mark with floral prints. Prevalent hues included cornflower and cobalt blues, fuchsia and bubblegum pinks, mixed with candy pastels and a dash of metallic for a daring edge (as seen at Ellery and Aje, in the form of a lot of sequins!). 

The peplum held strong, and newcomer for this year, the bomber jacket, was shown in a variety of light and silky fabrics to help translate the look to balmy summer nights. I also loved the crisp white and mesh details shown by Zimmermann, Manning Cartell and kudos must go to the amazing Romance Was Born team of Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales, who literally started the week with a 'bang' (or was it a 'blam'?)!





These are a few (and I mean a few - there were many more, of course) of my favourite MBFWA moments, most of which were captured beautifully by the talented Yimmy Yayo who took his camera behind the scenes for Oyster Magazine. I made collages out of some of the photos, and superimposed others together...just for a bit of fun! 


ALICE MCCALL

Babushka dolls & girly innocence
Garden inspired prints and embroidery
A white & fuchsia fairytale



CAMILLA

The queen of colour paints her magic onto 
silk dresses and kaftans suitable for an island goddess




ELLERY

Space-age rounded shoulders 
Intricate zips, pleats and seams
Russian red and emerald green
Expertly draped metallics



MANNING CARTELL

Youthfully sophisticated silhouettes
Cropped blazers & bomber jackets
Frida Kahlo meets bubblegum-blowing high school sweetheart
Subtle embellishment & geometric prints


MICHAEL LO SORDO, ZIMMERMANN, AN ODE TO NO ONE
Bomber jackets, midriffs, fresh florals and gorgeous digital prints
(Outfit on the left was worn by Nicole Warne of Gary Pepper during the week as well, and she looked stunning in it!


WHITE HOT
Stunning white designs by Suboo, Ash to Gold and Blessed are the Meek in crisp white




xx



Images: Yimmy Yayo for Oyster, fashionising.com, au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/marieclaire

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