jaci bailey

We have yet to see some semblance of summer in Melbourne just yet. However I have faith she is still coming...if so it's best to be prepared for those hot summer nights and sweltering days, grab the last of the seasons offerings from Jaci Bailey. Head to the website HERE to scope her summer 10/11 collection or head to Laneway Magazine to hear about the lady behind the label (of the same name) in my pre-christmas craziness interview.

lord of the rings

Its been a month since my birthday and a few months since christmas, so whilst I am now another year older and none the wiser, I am still smarting over the pretty bling bling gifts I received.

Exhibit A - my shiny new silver jade green ring to which I owe either many a compliment or many an akward stare (yes it is B-I-G). My dear dad actually put this one together, so not only is it prettier than I had imagined but it is handmade and therefore has all the more meaning.

Exhibit B - my most adored Christmas present (from Santa of course), my Friend of Mine MJ camel suede wedge boots. I put these on and life is suddenly a whole lot sweeter.

And lastly, I present my Samantha Wills charm bracelets...I wear one at least every day but they look best when they are dangling off my arm all together, in which case you can hear me approaching from a mile away.

Charmed indeed

And as would Julie Andrew's would say....'these are a few of my favourite things'.

nothing but flowers - TV collection AW10

So a little before the madness that encapsulated my Christmas I was in touch with the lovely ladies (Monika Tywanek and Ingrid Verner) that form the duo of fashion forward Melbourne label, TV. Luckily for me Ingrid was able to take a few minutes out of her very busy schedule to answer three of my most pressing questions (see below!!)

In addition, the girls were kind enough to send me a preview of what I would no doubt be sporting come Autumn/Winter 2010. Nonetheless after having viewed the lookbook I was neither surprised nor shocked that I had fallen in love....again, with a TV collection.

Eclectic designs, outrageous prints and quality craftsmanship are all once again present and are seemingly the only constant that follow on from collection to collection. You see, TV unlike other Australian fashion labels (take note Sass and Bide and your tried and tested tassels, frills and your barely there cut out dresses three seasons into the mix), don't stick to a working formula or try and transition what worked last season into the next. TV is all about the future, the present and the now, with little care for what has been done seasons before.

Each TV collection definitely has that modern element to it but at the same time you feel as if you are taking a giant step into an insanely amazing vintage closet filled with goodies you would never normally pair together.

Ingrid on the inspiration behind the latest collection, Nothing but Flowers:

The "Nothing But Flowers" collection retains a few tiny key concepts from last season (laser cutting, linear patterned knits) with a shift from harder more militaristic undertones toward the more feminine and optimistic. Fabrics play an important role in defining the concept. The contradiction between the natural and the unnatural; between the floral and the fluro. It's a bit of classic hits collection, of highly wearable pieces that in many ways defines the principle direction for TV.

Ingrid on her favourite piece from the recent collection:

The tapestry jeans and floral jumpsuit and the hand knitted fox stole

Ingrid on the development of TV and how they strive to do something completely different with each collection:

TV’s dynamism stems from its willingness to take risks. Absent is the compulsion to stick to a working formula or dwell on past success. We like keeping ourselves interested so we try not to get stuck on one thing and repeat it every season. International designers don't influence our label. Instead, the constant theme across each TV collection is the interplay between my designs and Monika's expertise in textile development.

P.s. a big thankyou to Monika and Ingrid for their time and the most enjoyable sneak peak of my new autmn winter wardrobe!

back from the dead

I'm back from the dead....literally. I had ran away from life and was sunning myself in Perth, West of Australia since ye old Christmas day. My-oh-my does it hurt to be back.

Put simply - reality bites.

Nevertheless I have my Feb edition of Rushh, a delightful new pair of Friend of Mine shoes, a free copy of Lure and a whole heap of wonderful blogs to pour through, to keep me going.

I also come bearing gifts in the next few days, that I had promised before Christmas.

So until we meet again, enjoy the pretty pictures...

jalouse is a curse

I'm not sure why (a sentiment of sheer boredom perhaps) but last night, I felt the need to go through a back catalogue of editions of Jalouse Magazine. Jalouse would have to be one of mon absolutement favourites (ssshhh don't tell Rush or Harper's, for I fear retribution).

A french magazine for the young and by the young, Jalouse has been the magazine devoted almost entirely to the trendy in crowd in Paris. Noted for its daring and contemporary editorial pieces since its inception in 1998, it looks towards pushing an avant-garde view that shakes up preconceived ideas and constantly innovates.

Such was my obsession with getting my hands on editorial years gone by that I hardly thought the need to sleep. A sleepless night and many happy hours later, the result is a little post on some of my Jalouse favourites....enjoy.

A subscription to Jalouse has been placed as number one on my Christmas wish list, lets hope someone pulls through.