The Wild Life

What better way to launch back into blogging that with Okay!'s AW10 collection, 'The Wild Life.' Doing what they do best, the boys are back with yet another seriously wearable, hideously fun and devilishly witty collection for winter. I suppose you've probably noticed by now that I'm a sucker for toothy reptiles, and the Okay! t-rex top is doing all sorts of funny things to my belly... So it's an Okay! lion roar over my indecent bits with denim shorts or as a dress for summer, but when winter rolls around I'm envisaging a gnashing dinosaur with Dr Martens, wool blazer and massive chunky knit scarf.

There's a bit of a rumour surfacing that printed animal tees are really naff, and I generally think that there's a lot of truth to the rumour, especially in light of the 'indie as fuck' saturation they've received in recent years. But like anything, done well, an animal print can be really striking as Okay! have now proven two seasons in a row. Besides, I don't think you'd really classify a dinosaur as an animal anyway, strictly speaking...

... And just when you thought the love affair between me and Okay! couldn't intensify further, the boys go and drop this beauty in my inbox...

A Brit of a retrospective

"Let me paint a picture for you. The year is 1998. I was 12 years old. I had just woken from a grunge induced coma where Kurt Cobain was God and I dressed like Gwen Stefani. I'd just started at an all-girls high school following my formative glory days at a progressive (read hippy) primary school, and suddenly boys and glitter eye make up were becoming increasingly appealing.

Enter Britney Spears..."

Click here to read the rest of my article for The Vine.

Tristan Blair's animal instinct

Tristan Blair is Australia’s pride in shoe design. A seasonal favourite, Blair goes from strength to strength with his exotically powerful designs and unique take on women’s footwear. And now, for AW10, Tristan Blair is taking his shoes to the African savanna and back with an array of growlingly gorgeous patterns and textures.

Characteristically juxtaposing hard and soft- for instance, supple peachy coloured leathers offset by stacked wedges and exposed zips- Blair retains his signature charm for AW10 while exploring previously unmarked territory. Infusing the collection with a roaring dose of animalism, Tristan Blair uses an array of faux animal prints including leopard and crocodile as well as patent leathers and velvety suedes on a rich palette of gunmetal grey, dusty nudes and brooding black.

Inspired by the African landscape, Blair’s collection includes a selection of boots, heels and flats- there’s literally something for everyone. Key pieces include ballet flat embellished with metal bows, leopard print pony skin heels open ankle stacked wedges. Reminiscent of some of the past years favourites including Acne, Opening Ceremony and Chloe, Tristan Blair brings the best things about contemporary shoes together and mashes it all up for an overtly inspiring collection. I can see it now- a pride of young women down by the watering hole, circling one another in a cacophony of stretches and roars, coveting each other's shoes and parading their own.

Click here to see my article for The Vine and for a full gallery of images.

How fashion forgot the little guy

Recently I've come to notice that fashion is little more than a series of discriminatory gestures. Essentially judgemental and exclusionist, fashion is a fascist wasteland where bodily imperfection is passive aggressively shunned. The fashionista cares not for democracy; she is a cackling beast that cares only for the sadistic pleasure of shaming those of us whose deformed features are unable- in a paradoxically twisted feat of nature- to slip into seasonal trends.

Take, for instance, the vertically challenged. Standing at a full five feet tall, I represent the woman that fashion has forgotten. If you consider next seasons trends closely, you will notice that they are by no means midget friendly. So in a burning fit of rage, I have compiled a list of looks from international runways that I really, really want to wear, but am brutally ostracised from because of my tiny stature...

Pants with knee bits
I am painfully aware that I can't wear any of these pants from (l-r) Acne, Alexander Wang or Chloe, because the niftily placed knee bits just wouldn't sit in the right place, instead grazing my calves to create an unfortunately shunted effect.

Anything with a drop waist
This just makes my legs look even shorter than they already are, creating a kind of deformed 'house of mirrors' look. Thanks for nothing, Charles Anastase. You dick.

Thigh high boots
More like fanny grazers. Once again, not catering to the little folk, Stella McCartney, Altuzarra and Hussein Chalayan fail to deliver sensible short people footwear.

Dresses with breast cups
I used to like Christopher Kane before he designed these dresses exclusively for tall people. Breast cups never sit in the right place on me, and make outfits way more porno than I'd normally like them to be.

Multi-layered ensembles
If you take something small and chop it up, all you get is lots of even smaller bits. If you have a long, languid body like the models at Marc Jacobs and Marios Schwab, it's less of an issue.

Knee and calf length dresses
Similar effect to drop waist dresses (see above). These sexy, femme fatale looks from Jil Sander and Phi would make me seem as though I just came from a scenic tour of the munchkin land.

Holly Fulton SS10

"In the lead up to London Fashion Week, there was a palpable tension that, like always, rose like a hum above the inner city din and sidewalk bustle. If you stood still for a moment, and listened very hard, you would sometimes hear a rushed whisper. A girl, a name- a collection like nothing you’d ever seen before. Following Fashion East that little whisper roared to life in a cacophonous crescendo, and now there is only one name being spoken loudly, boldly from the lips of Londoners and their eager international audience. Holly Fulton.

“Fashion East has meant everything to me. Without the push of doing it, I may never have taken the plunge to show my own line. Lulu and the team there are incredibly supportive and I feel very lucky to know I could ask them about anything I needed help with without feeling stupid. I even had to call Lulu to ask how to open a door once but she still didn't make me feel like an idiot!” Door opening skills aside, Fulton has lived a seemingly charmed sartorial existence since graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2007, with two seasons of LFW Fashion East shows already under her belt, as well as winning the title of Young Designer of the Year Awards at the Scottish Fashion Awards earlier this year..."

Click here for a flick through pages and to read the rest of my interview with Holly Fulton.

Nathan Smith SS0910

Nathan Smith designs in nebulous generalities; the notion of gender is superfluous and shape is no boundary to expression. For SS09-10, Smith blurs the lines into cloud-like oblivion, with a series of unisex pieces designed for easy going, warm weather absorbing, city and beach dwelling boys and girls. Smith’s eponymous label is thus less of an endeavor of design, and more of an extension of himself. Like owning a secret, Smith’s collection is created in shards of self; highly personal and blindingly reflective.

In a kind of postmodern expression, none of Smith’s pieces are intended to be worn in any particular way. Sex is irrelevant, as is length, layers and even sleeves for that matter. Smith’s designs are essentially a dare, goading unsuspecting wearers into tying, ripping, turning upside down or any which way in a bid to create something unique and unbridled by the traditional restrictions of bodily attire.

With an easy organic spirit and natural grace, Nathan Smith is a must have for the coming summer. Staple pieces include oversized tees and singlets that can be worn with slouchy trousers, tailored shorts or as dresses for women, translucent, light shirts and relaxed knitted cardigans for mild evenings.

Click here to see the rest of the collection in my article for The Vine.

And You Love Arnsdorf

"Still, graceful, haunting and romantic, Arnsdorf has captured a generation of Australian dreamers with its girlish whimsy and silent strength. Reminiscent of 90s Californian beauties- think Brooke Shields for Calvin Klein- Arnsdorf has now added another dimension to the label’s already richly layered dynamic. Drawing on the quiet power of feminity for S/S 09-10, Arnsdorf takes the girl next door, rolls her together with natures grubby handed, intrepid explorer and adds a generous dose of simple, just-as-she-is sex appeal for one hell of a covetable package. ‘And You Love’ is a collection bursting with a myriad of conflicting elements- modernity and nostalgia, softness and toughness, innocence and sex. Arnsdorf designer Jade Sarita Arnott talks to Dazed Digital about ice skaters, parachuters and the endless Australian sky…"

Click here to read my full interview with Jade for Dazed Digital.

Colouring Rittenhouse

"With watercolour prints and embroidered patterns embellishing the simple cuts of their dresses and skirts, Rittenhouse are taking their latest range in an exciting new direction. Here, one half of the Rittenhouse design team, Sally McDonald, talks to Dazed Digital about this brave new direction, the pains of losing much loved clothing, and transforming her daughter’s childhood artwork into fashion prints…"

Click here to read my full interview with Rittenhouse for Dazed Digital.

Graz and Chronicles of Never, Body of Axis

Georgina Thomas' Southern Heart

Friday was a special day. I discovered Georgina Thomas. Like a summer breeze that tickles the back of my dampened neck while the sun presides over an endless expanse of park land and daisy chains, and somewhere on the distant horizon a familiar tune plays into the sunset- Georgina Thomas came into my life.

Georgina's S/S 09-10 collection is simply captivating, in the way that feminine simplicity always seems to hold me awe-stricken. 'Southern Heart' takes its queues from the Dolly Parton lyric "and my Southern heart is weary..." exploring the Southern girl's inner dichotomy- the saccharine girl next door versus the sexy, dominant power woman. A woman after my own heart, Georgina says she likes "to design with an unexpected beauty in mind. And also contradictions like covering the body and exposing only one part. Balance between tough and sweet that hopefully results in a different kind of beauty."

Maybe it's because Georgina described my style battle so aptly, but this designer officially has me spell bound. Her genius cut-outs, tailored pants and splashes of colour beckon me into a world that is as once as comfortingly welcoming as it is thrillingly exciting. This summer, I want to be a Georgina Thomas girl- sweet and flirty, picnic basket toting and sing-songing, but with a secret spark that reveals itself in the evening, sometime after sunset...

Carly Hunter AW10 preview

"Perth based Carly Hunter is getting stronger every season. Her work is illuminating, thought provoking and pervasive; an unavoidable beacon on stuffed racks that speaks volumes of styles often botched hard/soft dichotomy. The young designer’s deft performance has left my tummy rumbling over the past few seasons, eager to gorge myself on more of her canny craftsmanship. Luckily for me - and now for you too - Carly is giving us a sneak peek at what’s in store from the Hunter vault for AW10...."

Click here for more images to read the rest of my article for The Vine.

Everything will be OKAY!

At the risk of sounding like an old broken record, I've been neglectful of this little blog, and as a result I'm both down trodden and guilt ridden. It seems the culmination of my final year of Law as well as my final year of being able to drink booze and stay out til all hours on a week night, has left me with little time to do anything much more than study and party. It's all about to change however, as I've resolved to let my nightmares plague me no longer, and get back down and dirty in the wonderful world of blog posts.

So let's kick off this new season of hopeful blog love with my new OKAY! t-shirt. I wrote about OKAY! a while ago, and I was lucky enough to score a brightly coloured, banging tee courtesy of the wonderful designers. I'm really excited about this one for summer; for now I'm wearing it as a dress with tights, blazer and sky high, chunk-o-rama wedges, but I think cut-off denim and massive shades will cut it just fine for summer!

Lonely Hearts, What Is Your Damage?

"Although summer collections are only just hitting stores, it’s already time for us to turn our attention to winter 2010. Time to start building our imaginary wish lists of covetable items and must have ensembles. Time to sell our souls for a dress or a shoe or a blazer.

Lonely Hearts is leading the charge into winter with their new collection ‘What is Your Damage,’ and they’ve set the southern hemisphere A/W10 standard so high that it’s going to be a challenge to meet, let alone beat. Working with a palette that incorporates autumnal shades of maroon, grey and navy with soft florals, lilac and baby blue, Lonely Hearts presents a collection fit for a teenage princess in the midst of her angst ridden rebellion..."

Click here to read the rest of my article for The Vine, and to take a peek at the rest of the lookbook.

Supermarket Sarah

"Supermarket Sarah opens with an image of Sarah Bagner’s living room wall. Adorned with an eclectic mix of fashion, art, and other cultural trinkets Sarah’s living room doubles as the vivacious young blonde’s online supermarket. Showcasing an array of vintage clothes, weird and wonderful objects and selected works of new designers, the supermarket changes regularly, and each change heralds a new theme upon the wall. Purchasing from Supermarket Sarah is as simple as clicking on the wall item that interests you most. Sourcing her wares from all over England, Sarah took a moment to speak to The Vine about her unique online project…"

Click here to read the rest of my article for The Vine.

Check mate

Here is a very self indulgent post about my newest favourite thing- my check Topshop blazer with structured shoulders. This is a love affair that may never end, with a blazer I may never take off.

Topshop blazer; Sportsgirl t-shirt; Topshop jeans.

The Australian Ballet, Concord

A few weeks ago I was kindly invited by the Australian Ballet to attend the opening night of the Concord season, which is still open now in Sydney. It's taken me a while to get to this post, thought I should stress it has nothing to do with the show but with my own hectic life at the moment- the ballet was simply inspiring, and I had a magical evening that I hope I'll be able to repeat in the future.

Concord is split into three acts, the first being a Spanish work entitled Por vos muero, a haunting reincarnation of the forces that bring together and tear apart human relationships. The power, grace and quiet dignity of the dancers in this act was compelling to the point where I forgot I was watching a stage show and felt myself instead transported into the music, humming and trilling about the dancers nimble bodies. Combining mythology with the simple science of human emotion, Por vos muero was raw and moving, relating to a place of great beauty inside us all, a place we may once all have visited, and may indeed be afraid to go to again.

The second act was a classical work called Scuola di ballo, and while it was entertaining and beautifully choreographed, I didn't connect with it in the same way I did with the Spanish exposition. I can't pin point exactly why I felt so disconnected from this act, suffice to say that my relationship to the performance lacked an emotional investment; while I was completely captivated by Por vos muero, I felt more like a passive observer of the Scuola di ballo. Don't mistake my meaning though- the show was delightful, and I giggled right through as the dancers expertly acted out the humorous story line.

The third and final act was easily my favourite. An industrial performance based on the interconnectedness of all things, and on the early 20th century boom in production Dyad 1929 consumed me with excitement. The obtuse movements of the dancers coupled with the surrealist set and simple costumes created a contradictorily nebular certainty in which the dancers represented development, the heaving bosom of human life and thriving new technologies.

Images by Jim McFarlane.

TV Army Dreamers SS 09-10

I've been sitting on TV's S/S 09-10 collection, 'Army Dreamers' for quite some time now. Following their runway show at RAFW, I was a little bit confused as to whether or not I liked it- there was something aesthetically pleasing in the ebb and flow and final crescendo of the collection as it walked by me, and yet I wasn't quite convinced about the jungle inspired colour palette for summer. It hasn't been until just now, as TV's stock trickles into Alice Euphemia and I've been able to touch, play with and try on the garments that I'm completely convinced that I need to own them for the coming months.

Army Dreamers takes guerrilla warfare and turns it into something completely style focused. This is what a sartorial warrior would wear for camouflage- a vivid pastiche of jungle green, mustard and maroon as she lurks beneath the foliage or within giant mythical flowers and as she bounds between the vast canopy of tree tops. Characterised by a mesmerising digital print, expert laser cutting and layered denim, TV takes all things 90s to a refined new level, adding a pinch of utilitarianism for our generation's femme soldier, the tough but feminine predator who paradoxically does not chase, but is chased by many a smitten admirer.