Material matters

Only a handful of Australian fashion designers have the goods to compete on an international level.

So, the annual (Sydney) Australia Fashion Week, is more of a local showcase, even though it is part of the official international Mercedes Benz fashion circus.

Toni Maticevski caused a stir when he sent his first collection down the MAFW runway in the early 2000s; he is one of the few who has the cutting and draping skills and innovative styles to make it beyond the domestic market.

Although heavily influenced by designs by Lanvin's Alber Elbaz, this style from Maticevski's spring-summer 2014 collection is a stunner.

The key: the generosity of fabric.

While Oz designers create for climate etc. the lack of fabric often seen (or not seen, as is the case) during Sydney's annual runway extravaganza, is a let down.

The piece from Ellery's collection (bottom) is a case in point. 

It's an interesting style, but there is just not enough fabric. 

Has Ellery cut corners to save costs? Or is that the fashion...?

See more from the rest of MBFWA at Vogue Australia's website.

Toni Maticevski ss 2014

Ellery ss 2014

In the studio

 

These vintage pennants were a recent market find. There's a selection from tourism spots from all over Australia.
My wall of inspiration. It's recently  been refreshed after salvaging a handful of pages from big piles of magazines that are destined for recycling, op shops and a couple of fashion aware youngsters.

Italian beauty

Every year the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund  (Council of Fashion Designers of America) award an up-and-coming designer. It's an esteemed competition, and even making it to the 12-strong short-list usually heralds a commercially viable  future in the fashion industry.  

The 2012 group included fledgling Italian label  Giulietta, whose designer Sofia Sizzi produced the most beautiful fashion illustrations. 

In my humble opinion, I think she should have won.

Watch the first of the series of fascinating videos of the finalists vying for the top prize here.

Adorable illustrations from Giulietta's Sofia Sizzi. 

Sofia Sizzi's Giulietta website home page.

Take a dip into modernism

Modernism at its finest: simple, elegant, restrained.

That streamlined, curvy poolhouse could translate just as well to a home design.

Ombre, ombre, yeehaa!

I love ombre and I love statement neckpieces.
These one-off, vintage handmade neckpieces are made from stained wooden "spikes" and arranged in a colour-graduated fashion.
Leave a comment or email me if you would like to make a purchase.

Sorry, I am SOLD

Curved wooden spikes (between 5cm-8cm), rescued
from a vintage necklace are now fierce ombre beauties. 

Peacock-feather blues, greens and purples make up this  neckpiece.
Plastic discs connect the necklace to a stainless lobster clasp at the back. 

Nailed it!

Ombre nails are it.

They're everywhere.

The best things take a little time.

Now, how do they do this...?

These are courtesy of Door Sixteen's Anna Dorfman.  

From Pinterest, originally from here. 

From Pinterest, originally from here.

Showing off the loot

Seek and ye shall find, that's my picking mantra.
And the most recent looking has unearther some particularly worthy loot.

Finally, the disco ball arrives. I've wanted one for some time - god knows why, but they are the kind of thing that turn up on streets, in rubbish, and in skip bins, and typically, this one (with the motor etc still attached), was rescued from the tip. It was thrown in together with a heap of stuff from the Top of the Town hotel, in Burnie (oh, what has the disco ball been privy to over the years?).  The council workers didn't even bat an eyelid when we asked them to pass it to us, after we spotted it in the land fill about to be smashed up. The Panthers plaque was a recent score, as was the retro dartboard, while the white glass and metal light fixture is pure mid-century gold.

Getting to the garagies a little earlier paid off with a good vinyl loot to take home. "$1 you say?" "Why yes, I will take all of these fine, rare pieces of musical history, thank you."

Kookaburra outside my house is looking retro, new Tony Bianco shoes on old leopard, and a remarkably beautiful full moon.