The Year I Chose to Lose.

I completed a Bachelor of Fashion Design last year. People who have studied other design disciplines or completed very similar courses understand what undertaking that final year really means. It takes a toll not just physically, but also emotionally. 2011 was probably the most draining, stressful, sleep deprived and challenging year of my life. It was also the year, however, that taught me patience, time management and most of all, taught me exactly what I was able to achieve if I really tried. It has taken me a year to be able to talk about it without feeling sick. I picked up my garments this week from college and as I stood there looking at the results of my hard work, I smiled and I knew progress had been made.

I am finally able to think of it as a 'learning process', whereas a year ago I would have said it was probably the worst life choice I had ever made. It is so hard to explain, but it is like making a horcrux (for those Harry Potter fans out there). Taking a piece of your soul and placing it into 9 garments and 5 bodies that will become your Magnum Opus. It is not just 9 garments. It is 9 garments defining exactly what you are about as a designer, what you want the world to see, and you only have this one chance.

I had never received amazing marks in my design subjects. I was more interested in theory and design history subjects. So when we were presented with this winter brief I was more than just nervous. The first week we were to present 5 looks for 10 garments. That is 50 drawings, which take time and a lot of thought. Churning out that many ideas in one 7 day period is incredibly taxing. I had been thinking about this collection for two and a half years at this point and yet, when it came the moment when I was to put these thoughts to paper and express them to my teacher, I couldn't.

I began searching for more inspiration. Stylesight became my bible. Who were my style, designer icons? Who weren't? Should I utilise alternate design disciplines like architecture?

I fell in love with Frank Gehry, the amazing Guggenheim Bilbao architect. This led to me looking at designers who also drew influences from architecture such as Gareth Pugh, Felder Felder and, of course, Alexander McQueen.

After 6 months I had done some pretty incredible things. I had put back together a rusted stud machine after visiting a stud maker in Marrickville, I learnt how to sew leather, how to cut out silk without it slipping, I had fused together silk and neoprene with quilting glue. I dreamt designs, I dreamt solutions, and would wake up writing them down furiously. I sat up night after night with my wonderful friends sewing, typing, drawing, painting and in the end I made something I was really proud of.

Here it is below:

The Chevron Coat

Bondage Pant, Triangle Shirt

The Fly Away Dress

The 1000 Pieces Dress

Goldfrapp Jacket

Armourdillo Dress

The Carnival Dress

The Biggest Week of Online Shopping Ever.

This week began with Cyber Monday. Arguably the biggest day of online shopping in the entire year. The interesting thing about this year in particular is that it was officially the biggest day of online sales ever. IBM tracked 500 online retailers across the day and the world showing a 30% increase in sales from 2011. 
Why is Cyber Monday the biggest online day of the year? Well, it follows Black Friday. Black Friday is the massive Thanksgiving sale that happens each year in lieu of the American public holiday. It boosts sales pre-Christmas and allows people to justify a lot more readily why they should be buying (Christmas Presents, Clothes are pretty etc...). 
So what is this information saying about the fashion industry and people in general?
They are becoming more and more comfortable with the online world and less interested in poking around Westfields. 

Who Did it the Best?

Opening Ceremony (my love, my all) offered a killer sale mostly on clothing, however, once again let their international customers down with their $40 shipping (it does arrive in 48hours though).

Barney's were offering a great broad range of designer gear for 30-60%. They also gave their international customers free shipping over $200. (I may have partaken in this wonderful opportunity *cough leather pocket shirt cough*).

Urban Outfitters offered 2 for 1 deals, $5 stocking fillers etc... as well free shipping over $50.

Then the UK retailers jumped on board with The Outnet giving an extra 40% off certain categories within their ranges.

Solestruck (the best shoe site in the world ever) have the best Cyber Monday sale of all. 50% extra off all their sale product in which there are over 2000 styles. It is huge. Last year the server crashed on my friend and I and we had 4 computers on hitting refresh, panic faced and crying... yes shoes are that amazing especially when they're $70. Fortunately, all worked in our favour and I was seen to be wearing my lovely Cheap Monday boots to work today, all thanks to Solestruck's amazing sale.

So What Next?

The fashion industry is as I said before at a crossroads where they are needing to spend equal money and time getting their websites looking amazing and incredibly stylistic, offering unique deals that their own stores aren't offering etc..., however, also needing to keep their shops trendy and fashion forward as well as differentiating themselves from their competitors.

Where this leads in the near future will be incredibly interesting especially with this exponential growth in online sales. Exciting times ahead!

Barney's Co op Steal

TBA James Boot - It's Love!

Christmas is here AGAIN! What/Who/When am I buying these perfect presents?

It's that time of year again... that time of year where everyone pretends to like each other in their family, where we buy each other presents that attempt to be 'unique', 'interesting', 'different' not only from the year before, but from everyone else and most importantly, a time of year where everyone gets to eat a big ham.

Present shopping is not easy, exciting (unless it's for ourselves) nor is it satisfying. It is usually done panicked during those two weeks prior to the big day when we are hungover from our work parties, feeling particularly apathetic towards work and when the last thing you want to do is make informed and personal decisions regarding other peoples' well being. Last year this was me, the year before this was me and yada yada yada. In an attempt to alleviate this somewhat, I purchased a heap of items online (too late of course) and no one got their gifts until the second week of January owing to delayed shipping.

This year I am going to become captain organised. What? I am a grown-up with grown-up things going on in my life like... a job, a credit card and a shit load of shoes.
I hopped online last night and purchased a good amount of stuff for my close circle of friends and immediate family. I. am. done. A month out, a few hours in the comfort of my own home with my pj's on (cat on my lap) and a cup of tea - I. am. finished.

How you ask? Well by internet shopping of course. Thank you Urban Outfitters.

Urban Outfitters - The novelty gift mecca. Full of stuff for your body, home and life that you never knew you needed, but then can't understand how you lived without. How did I not own a mirror in the shape of an own before, or a shower curtain with birds on it? Did you know I need a giant floral decal that sticks to my wall that looks like a bedhead? No I didn't either. It is awesome and lots of fun. It makes for hours and hours of fun Christmas shopping that involve the best socks $6.66 can buy. They are also doing free shipping to Australia with orders over $50 and with the list of 20 people I had buy for, that a piece of cake.
Here are a few examples:

I need these

Xmas Options


Yes please.


Where's Wally Hat!

Yayoi Kasuma - Orgies and Art

I was recently in New York City and went to the Whitney museum to see the Yayoi Kasuma exhibition there. I had previously seen her work in the Museum of Contemporary Art in 2009 here in Sydney and loved it. Her phallic themed, lively instillations and somewhat serious canvases from her early and later years made for one incredible exhibition in a huge space.

These installations lead you on a journey into a metaphysical world where fantastical ideas become reality. For example standing on a platform surrounded by water in a mirror room draped in fairy lights that lead into eternity. Kasuma wants to encourage escapism and projects her own mental instability (not necessarily in a bad way, however, she voluntarily lives in a mental asylum in Japan) onto her viewers.

Other works include a normal kitchen room with glow and the dark spots that respond to ultra-violet lights and a very in-your-face art-orgy also involving spots as well as panty hose. It's this juxtaposition of normality and found objects with simple, wacky ideas that enable her to have become one of the most successful modern artists today.

What also perfectly accompanied the exhibition, was how New York City embraced it. Scaffolding on buildings printed in Kasuma's dotted prints, buses covered in advertisements and best of all, Louis Vuitton. Their windows all over the city were spectacular and all in all made my trip.

Fireflies on the Water, 2002

Yellow Tree Furniture Room

Louis Vuitton Window on 5th Ave, New York

When good things happen to those who wait...

So today, something really cool happened. I went to the Newtown Festival which was an overcrowded hipsterfest with dogs and children on the side. It was a really lovely day in all with perfect weather, great company and good local music.

Whilst sitting on the grass waiting for our last two friends to arrive we were invited to a backyard garage sale around the corner by a nice modern gentleman. Off we went and were met with a quaint, tasteful backyard with pavers, and an open plan kitchen that opened out under a small portico. There were racks of clothes, shoes lined up and a table with bags. I fossicked through some shoes and picked up a nice pair of brand new pony skin Topshop sandals. I then espied out the corner of my eye on the table  - a specific bag, but it couldn't be... but it was...
The Mulberry Alexa Bag. I. DIE.

For $70, slightly loved, but in great condition, my very own real Mulberry Alexa bag that I have coveted for years. I also got some great advice about my line of work. Best. day. ever.

Amazing bag & an amazing lady - Alexa Chung

White as the Moon... my Skin that is.

I've been coming to terms more and more with my skin. My skin is quite dry (dry combination according to beauty therapists) and extremely pale. I'm talking paler than the most palest people walking around today. I have friends that look down at their skin and say 'God I'm pale...', whilst being at least 3 shades darker than me. In photos the flash makes my skin white and reflects off of it like taking a photo of yourself in a mirror. Door sensors can't see me outside supermarkets (I'm that pale).

So after years of attempting to tan and going lobster red, peeling and starting again, fake tanning (so much effort when you get patchy and not even exfoliating your dry-ass skin will fix it) - I've given up.
This is it, this is me. No changing it at all. I will be a freckly, paler than ivory person forever.

On the plus side it means I look quite good in black, which I wear all the time, as well as dark reds, dark purples, colours I like basically and perhaps for that reason. Pastels on me look like a potential vomit. I am becoming OK with it, I'm facing it. It's easier just to accept it now that I'm an adult. As a teenager I wanted to look like a 'hot beach babe' like the good Bondi private school girl (YUK) should, but no.

Fashion has accepted pale people too (thank you Alexander Wang and his models) and really, the odd yellow shoe doesn't go astray away from my face  - the only place a yellow colour on pale people can go.

My acceptable yellow shoes

My pale-skinned icon Dita Von Teese

Quentin Bryce (more like Quentin Dressnice)

Quentin Bryce or Quentin Dressnice as my mother and I call her is not only a fantastic role model for women, but she is also a great fashion pioneer. She is flawless in her public speaking, her eloquent word choices and her choice of shoe.

Why I think she is amazing:

She is our first female Governor General
She was the first woman to join the bar in Queensland
She was the first woman to became a faculty of law member at her university 
She NEVER looks bad
She ALWAYS wears amazing hats

I saw her addressing HRH Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles whilst on their visit to Queensland two nights ago wearing this amazing yellow shift dress and matching 40s style hat. She honestly looked better than every person there. It is funny how much seeing her representing Australia in that way made me so happy. I am no patriot and yet, her handshaking of the royals and her well mannered speech about their visit made me really content.

I am not one to have a go at Julia Gillard for her wardrobe choices, but she could change it up a bit and make it a bit more interesting. Maybe swapping that Carla Zampatti cream blazer for a nice print or something along those lines. Take a leaf out of Mrs Dressnice's book perhaps.

It's not that what you look like is most important because it is obviously not the case, however, in all truth - it is what people are going to see first and remember you by. Take Jackie Kennedy for example, that woman has gone down in history as one of the best dressed women well...ever.

It makes me consider sleeping with my hair in curlers and getting up 2 hours earlier just to try and replicate this look, ha!

    

The Amazing Jackie O

Quentin Bryce having a laugh this week with the Royals

Amazing