Futuristic wonders...

Amazing costumes from the Bauhaus. Isn't it a wonder that these guys were conceptualizing all this decades ago?

Mad as a....

I'd forgotten how stressful moving house was!

Between that and a multitude of poorly timed commitments etc. this week has been stressful in an extreme way.

Anyway lovelies, the trauma may not yet be over, but after the completely satisfying, borderline orgasmic meal I just had I thought it was time to post something.

I have a fashion fetish. Actually, I have more than one, but among the many is my complete love of head wear. Hats of all shapes and sizes, hair pieces, headbands, you name it. There's something so classic and lady like about a gorgeous creation of satin, lace, feathers, etc. perched atop fabulous, shiny hair. In the words of Stephen Jones, Milliner extraordinaire,  "A hat makes clothing identifiable, dramatic - and most importantly Fashion... it's the cherry on the cake, the dot on the eye, the exclamation mark, the fashion focus. Everyone from showgirls to dictators knows that by wearing a hat they will be the center of attention."

It kills me that I didn't have the opportunity to see Mr Jones' Exhibition at the V&A this year. Anyway, lets all salivate over the simple, yet adorable mini berets by New York based Leah C. I know I want one.

fantasmic snapshots

I can't even remember where I sourced these from or who they're by, but it is just one of those sets that inspires me every time I look at it.

Lazy, Ill and absent

I know,  know.

Major neglect lately. Between uni, being ill and a quick visit home I've been quiet preoccupied.

I promised myself that I'd be vigilant at maintaining this and I regret the decided lack of effort. Hopefully now I'll be able to get back on track.

As anyone who's ever been a student knows, funds tend to run tight when studying, and as a side effect there's been less shopping than usual in the last 3 or so months for me. It's all very depressing, but that said, there have been a few [guilty] purchases here and there.

Among them:

by blanc + delta. Despite the styling for their winter '09 collection, 'Through the Stain Glass Flower Windows', [I'm sorry, but I'll strongly against footless tights - especially plain black ones throw under everything] this label holds some cute pieces. Australian too.

Also a structured top by french brand ba & sh - heavy material also [winter clothing, I am in desperate need of!] and very, very 60s minimalist. I love the shape, it is fantastic with just my waist high jeans, a chunky necklace and ankle boots. It also perfectly compliments the Alannah Hill [Yes, I'm as shocked as you are that I've purchased something from there. My excuse is that it is clearly a knock off of the 'riding helmets' that reappeared on catwalks a couple of seasons or so ago.] 'hat' I acquired some time ago.

Now the problem is stopping once I've started.

PHM: Secret Squirrel Clothing

As bad as this sounds [or good from a marketing POV] the first thing that caught my attention about this label was well... the label. I mean, Secret Squirrel Clothing?! How can that not make you stop and take a look!

Catchy names aside, this Sydney-based brand by Bri Cheeseman and Andrew Prince is a great source of simple yet classic pieces.  And I suppose, with a background in design, music and floristry, they can't help but make for an interesting collaboration. At this point I've got to stop an comment on the great female/male duos that seem to be popping up in fashion as of recent. Some of my favorites at the moment [Lover, Romance Was Born, etc.] are a partnership of the sexes, obviously the POV of both genders can combine and contribute to some great results. 

Back to Secret Squirrel, their AWo9 collection 'Darker Than Blue' is a mix of modern and art deco inspired pieces - tuxedo shifts, tweed skirts and antique-esque lace abound, I must say I'm more partial to the old-school than the new - military jackets and t-shirts with prints by We Buy Your Kids.  I would certainly add their floral smoking jacket, with it's billowing sleeves, to my 'lust list'.

PHM: Limedrop

I’m not unfamiliar with Limedrop, which I’ve seen floating around in various places, but some of the jewellery from their new A/W 09 collection ‘The Huntsman’ held particular appeal to me. I’m not sure whether it was the fairytale imagery or their signature organic wooden cut-out/carving look that drew me, but there is a lovely sort of sweet-but-not-too-kitchy aesthetic to their pieces.

And I must admit to wanting one of these gorgeous martini glass necklaces from their classic collection... just because!

Mice with super abodes!

A kind soul from uni was nice enough to inform me about Penthouse Mouse's opening night on Friday, so my flatemate and I decided to wander down to The Capitol and have a look. For those of you who do not know [which was me till I actually went to see it] it's what's been described as a "Guerrilla Pop-Up Shop", a temporary exhibition, showcasing the talents of emerging designers and artists. It's part of the LMFF program and run by Moth Design. This year it was held in the space that use to house the Fun Factory [ahh, doesn't that evoke some childhood memories...]. If you are in Melbourne, and have the chance, I suggest you go and have a look [it runs from the 6th to the 22nd of March] there is some really promising material on display, that, to borrow one of my Dad's favorite expressions, certainly had my 'creative juices' flowing.

... Looking over all the various pamphlets and material I picked up just now, I realize I have more to gush over than I initially thought! And definitely more than one post will give justice to! So I'm thinking I might have to break it down a bit, doing a post for each of my favorites from the display. I apologize, but bare with me, these guys deserve a bit of individual attention. 

Return...

I can only blame my unexpectedly swift move and lack of [free] internet for my recent neglect. Three pairs of shoes, five…six magazines and who-knows how many coffees later I’ve finally, sort of, started to get into the rhythm of things here. A fact that is probably helped by uni starting up, though this and next week are only 3 days it helps to have something other to do that spending all day trying not to spend money [a battle which I’m not quiet sure if I won or lost…].

It is actually terrifying how many things have been compiled on my ‘Lust List’, I suppose the sheer number of shops here compared to lil old Perth should have been some indication of the huge increase it would suffer. You would think I would be a bit more immune to it after having traveled to so many larger cities around Asia and Europe, but I suppose the constant exposure does wear on one’s resistance.

Among the things that have managed to niggle their way into my wardrobe recently are: a lovely link necklace from Quick Brown Fox [in fact a present from a visiting family friend] and a gorgeous coat/dress [in the colours of the German flag, as my housemate pointed out] with a white peter pan collar. There is, of course, the additional, if nearly not as exciting, arrival of boxes carrying [a portion of] the rest of my wardrobe from home. It really is amazing how anxious it made me not having more of my stuff on hand… a bit pathetic I know. But it was like Christmas everyday a box arrived, especially the ones holding my newer purchases – op shop finds from my last hunt in Perth. A batwing leather jacket, unique burn gold interior-style-fabric embroided blazer and insanely vibrant purple high-neck back-button blouse being some of my favorites. As many people here appear to be avid “vintage” shoppers compared to the fledgling market back West, I know it will be a while before I come across such lovely finds with such lovely pricetags.

Link Necklace - QBF, Batwing leather jacket - thrift store.

Burnt gold blazer - thrift store.

My roommate and I were really stoked about the Roman Was Born [fabulous local designer, if you don’t know ‘em, look them up] collection for Sportsgirl – got to say, a bit of a letdown… Too few pieces and a lack of variation, though points for the flamingo handbag…Hoping for a better collection from TV for SG.