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

Fashionable insider adviser

I love Style.com's pre-fashion week articles.

The best are those that focus on fashionable types' preparations for the week-long events in New York, London, Paris and Milan.

This one features the eccentric and chic offspring of '90s supermodel Stephanie Seymour and her ex-husband multi-millionaire Peter Brant; shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood; and swimwear designer Lisa Marie Fernandez among others.  

But it's those Brant boys' advice that takes the cake, additionally, they are so striking and prove that Stephanie sure has some strong genes.

Fashionable rooms

Long and lean, skinny black legs and elegant timber veneer are a timelessly chic combination for furniture.
Match that with dizzyingly high ceilings and a whole heap of stylish threads, and you'd imagine a lot of cash is dropped inside Orla Kiely's New York shop (which I found over at SF Girl By Bay).

Mini rooms inside the expansive retail space. 

Mine, mine, all mine!

Well, here we are. A look in my wardrobe and beyond. You've asked, I've delivered. Finally.

Enjoy...

Colour-coded wardrobe. Yes, seriously. There's not much in there that was made after the mid 1970s. 

I have a signature fragrance, until it runs out, then I move onto another one.  My current choice, and the perfume I wore to my wedding, Tom Ford's White Patchouli (What about that bottle!  Hello 1970!). Behind that, its most recent predecessor, Aqua Di Parma Iris Nobile. And behind them both: a nearly empty bottle of Madame Rochas.

No, Converse do not need a shoe box, but the others do! I keep the boxes and use the photos for a few reasons: They are well protected and therefore last longer and look better, they  store neatly, and they are easy to find. Nerd!

Old meets new: a double-breasted tuxedo jacket from Zara and a vintage cotton lace and duchess satin frock.

Some of my jewellery. I make it. I buy it. I collect it. I covet it. Ugh. It's taking over.

Woollongabba gabba hey!

Mid-century modern retailers are the order of the day at Woollongabba. The city-fringe suburb is also home to the 'Gabba and the Brisbane Lions, but we went for the antique shops. The Woollongabba Antique Centre is the pick of the retailers, with a large array of shopkeepers with consignment spaces. Among the best on show were Danish sideboards,vintage lighting, kitsch naked lady art prints, '50s and '60s glassware, a lovely smattering of industria and plenty of vintage frocks, hats, bags and accessories. The fashion was steep, with most dresses in the $100-$200 bracket. Amazingly, I grabbed a great '70s jade polyester disco-stylised kaftan with silver glittery ric-rac detail for a mere $29.

Tales to inspire

Fashion stylist Natalie Joos' blog Tales of Endearment either makes me want to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe of fabulous vintage clothes, pick up my camera and start taking better photos, or jump on a plane and move to Paris or New York. Read: she's an inspiration.
This post is especially beautiful. Yes, Paris, I also love you too.

And what about the Zac Posen Z-Spoke dress below!? F A B U L O U S! J'taime indeed.

Etro, spring/summer 2012

Etro placed lovely patterned cushions for comfortable bums on seats at its Milan show late last month. the glamourai snapped the image.

Like those lovely cushions, Etro traditionally uses incredible fabrics in its collections, so I thought I'd take a look at what it has planned for European S/S 2012.

Oh, that black, tangerine, lilac and white floor-sweeping frock. I L O O O V E it...

Lilac and turquoise are such a fabulous combination. The Art Deco details are divine too.
All Etro SS 2010 images from Style.com. The one-shouldered long, black frock is from Etro's SS 2010 collection.

Kammtastic

Ooh, yes, I do like this fashion label. Sadly, I don't think one can buy Jesse Kamm in Australia and it doesn't appear to have e-commerce on the site.

I love this pants style for summer and always a sucker for the right shade of yellow.

Playing favourites

Think I've found another new favourite blog - the hilariously named The Man Repeller  (ladies you know what Leandra's talkin' 'bout, right? ...jumpsuits, socks with heels, edgy threads and all the stuff we love but men hate. Ha!) Anyhoo, the NY native has style and she's dead-set hilarious too; her tales are as funny as her outfits are cool.

A bevy of beauties

1960s actress glamour, rock chick model chic or mohawked avant garde cool? Beautiful all of them, no?

Raquel Welch and interior composite image from Sf Girl By Bay.

Mario Testino photo of Kate Moss and Jamie Hince, from US Vogue, but found here.

Anakim from Tales of Endearment.

Red alert

Wow, a whole week without a single blog post; busy is an understatement.
Right now I'm in the middle of creating a necklace. I'm using vintage plastic coral red beads and an ivory-coloured '70s interpretation of Art Deco buckle, I'm thinking of throwing a large circular diamante scarf clasp into the mix, but don't want to make it all too busy. While I'm deciding what to do, these pics represent where my jewellery-making head is at.

SF Girl By Bay.

Closet Visit.

SF Girl By Bay.

Dressed to impress

Anaessia is quite the confection, isn't it. The store literally shimmers, like a sparkling 1950s diamante necklace, on the first floor of the modernist jewel box that is Melbourne's lovely, former GPO building. The one-off Anaessia creations are simply divine and are worth saving up for for a super special occasion.

Bow wow wowie

I was pretty young when I first developed a crush on David Bowie.
I liked his look first, I suppose, and grew to love his music as I got a bit older (my big sisters' musical tastes helped shape mine).
His early '80s Let's Dance was my first album/tape, but it's his '70s recordings I really love now.
He was a beautiful young man, and he makes a very respectable fashion icon - I regularly go for a Bowie-esque look. Somewhat narcissistically, I can see a bit of my own big-eyed, big-nosed face in Bowie's. Sheesh, a rather worrying realisation.
...and...I'll die happy knowing I've seen him perform live. It took me until 2004, when I saw him in Sydney, with two of my favourite people of all time.