laneway photo diary

For the last two weeks I have travelled around Australia scoping the fashion and music at several St Jerome's Laneway Music Festivals thanks to the insane opportunity offered to me by Rimmel London Au. What I did, was write and photograph what I saw. What I saw was a great kaleidoscope of the bohemian, the feminine, the gothic and the grunge (and that is only scratching the surface of what was witnessed). What I found was that my beloved home town of Melbourne not only offered up a delicious taste of what was on the agenda for Autumn/Winter 2011 (thanks to a most un-summer like day) but also an untoward touch of the "to be seen and seen only". If only my dear city had been able to remove the pole from out of itself long enough to realize that a simple smile is actually the most fashionable accessory one can posses. Oh and please play it simple next time, we don't need a Russian fur hat paired with a leather vest, high-waisted jodphurs and leopard print boots to prove that we are one of the most fashionable cities in the world :))

Head to the Rimmel London Au Facebook Page to see more posts on the St Jerome's Laneway festivals.

come side with me

Anything that Alexander Wang does is never anything short of amazing. And whilst his spring summer 09-10 collection had everyone buzzing at New York fashion week, it really was his catwalk braid that set the tone for the new season.

Hit the blogs and you'll find every budding fashionista sporting the teased plait to Wang perfection.

Don't get me wrong, I do love it but as a hair-out kinda gal I'm issuing a warrant for the return of the tousled side part. Nothing excites me more than pictorials of the uber cool Alice Dellal in all her grunge glory with strategically placed side part, tousled just enough so you can glimpse her dark roots and wonder if she has just crawled out of bed.

Braids are of the moment, but the side part will always be epic.

the london look

get loaded in the park festival

borough markets

portobello market

camden

brick lane - shoreditch

A few feeble snaps from our adventures at the 'Get Loaded in the Park festival' in London last Sunday. Peaches was as crazy bold as ever, the party was relatively subdued but mostly well dressed, and the weather was c-c-coldddd (although I can't say its been much better back here in Melbourne since my return).

Then t'was for our tour of shopping and food.

For food of the best kind head to Borough Markets just near London Bridge, freshly made EVERYTHING and ANYTHING. Warning you will shed tears at the deliciousness of it all.

Portobello market is a must for anyone but the antique jewellery and furniture is what hooked me.

Camden markets are by far the better of the two, its all rock god glam, studs, leather and grunge (and that's just the people). Kitsch stores selling one of a kind pieces of clothing, jewellery and accessories are all the rage. But do make sure you check out one of the many tight shops on the high street for some truly original patterns.

But my personal recommendation would be to head towards Shoreditch in the direction of Brick Lane. There you will find outdoor bars in tiny little lanes, Spittafield's Markets, all things spicy curry, old record stores, vintage store upon vintage store and a coolness so uber you can't even look at it. Managed to score me a limited edition vinyl of the best of Creedance Clearwater Revival and green denim cut offs all for the grand total of seventeen pound. All in all, a success of sorts