this is a pastiche

favourite photographers vol v: baldovino barani

2010-11-05T10:20:00.000+11:00

My god, where do I even start. Barani is the definitive fashion photographer for me - he has this incredible talent of both showing off the clothes and creating a visually arresting image despite the clothes. There is always a great theme, sometimes even a plot, to his editorials and they are just so cinematic and gorgeous and well-composed.

thoughts right now (she's been everybody else's girl)

2010-09-27T21:05:00.001+10:00

Transitioning from student to prospective employee is absolutely terrifying. In about two months' time, I will no longer have the security of university. No longer will my days, months, years be scheduled around semesters and (avoiding) classes. Scary stuff. Granted, this is assuming I pass my units this semester, and I can't say that I'm not tempted to fail on purpose so I can postpone growing out of my student body (side note: was that some great phrasing or what? Damn. I'll have to try extra hard to not be so brilliant in order to get below 50% this semester).

I'm not worried about being incompetent. I'm not particularly worried about getting a job. I'm not worried about having a dismal future with no money or half-decent reputation to my name. But I guess there is a real sense of wariness and apprehension for any graduate, moving into the real world that our teachers love to go on about.

I think that journalism in particular is a difficult field to get into. It's competitive, and there seems to be a lot of luck involved - right place, right time, right person etc - when it comes to securing a job. There are so many talented people out there, and not just recent graduates, who are searching high and low for work. The worst part is that talent is never enough. Lots of great writers or broadcasters are jobless, and this combined with the rise of the internet makes it all a lot harder (which conveniently brings me to my next point. Curse my skills!).

The internet is both a blessing and a curse for journalists (speaking in the new-media sense, I don't want to get into the blogger/journalist debate here). On one hand, there are so many options and so much potential for success, purely based on its democratic nature. Literally anyone can start a website and secure an audience of some description. This can lead to anything. On the other hand, the fact that there are so many people doing the same thing makes it more difficult to get noticed. And this goes hand in hand with social networking; just look at the number of options you have - FaceBook, Twitter, Tumblr, Blogs, Forums etc. Everyone is spread so thin, but people feel like they have to be everywhere in order to be noticed. Even I feel the pressure sometimes, and my blog isn't even a blip on the radar.

At the moment I feel very overwhelmed with my options. Do I continue this blog? Do I look to the future and start a more professional website? Should I have an online portfolio? What should I do to make the best possible statement? I've done a lot of reading on the matter and I've come up empty handed. Everyone's situation is different and I'm not sure of the best route to take from here. So my thoughts right now are "Hmm, decisions decisions!" and then a bit of a blank. I'm worried about making a choice one way or the other, and regretting it later. I don't know. This is probably the wrong attitude, especially since all these new avenues open to me are rather new developments. Perhaps past graduates felt like they had limited options, and here I am complaining about too many.

If there's anything I took away from my internship at the ABC, it's that I can do it. I had originally not been very interested in broadcast media (I feel more comfortable writing and not having to think about pictures or audio) but I was surprised to find how comfortable I felt in that environment. I have the skills and I am very ambitious. I guess it's all a matter of where or how I channel my energy. End rant (for tonight anyway).

breaking news

2010-09-12T19:58:00.000+10:00

I'm currently a week into a two-week stint interning at the ABC's Northbourne office here in Canberra. While at times frustratingly dull (there has been a lot of sitting around doing nothing), the experience so far has been quite illuminating in seeing how things work in the real world as opposed to breezy university world where you literally have weeks to come up with a story. So far I've sat in on morning radio programs, interviewed and cut stories for radio, written news stories for the hourly bulletins, spent time in the Raiders' gym for a sports story (where I couldn't keep a straight face because I felt like I was in a real-life porn film), met the wonderful Virginia Haussegger, sat with her in the studio as the 7pm bulletin was going to air, and nabbed my first ever freebie bag (a sack full of Garnier products from the Floriade media launch). So far so good I guess. Here's hoping this next week goes well!

[I love this Special Report editorial with Hilary Rhoda. Fitting, no? Plus we pretty much have the same colouring and eyebrows]

mugshot

2010-09-03T12:56:00.002+10:00

I don't even know where to begin when it comes to plugging Bitch Magazine. For those unenlightened, Bitch is an American-based (I'm not aware of any Australian equivalent aside from the fantastic Lip) feminist quarterly, with exceptionally good writing, mostly of the pop-culture analysis variety. It is by far my favourite publication, and during the lulls between issues there are always great blog posts on their website to tide me over. I'm posting this because they are constantly needing more promotion and funding and I'm trying to help spread the word for a truly worthwhile cause, in my own little way. I joined their B-Hive this morning (while happily drinking coffee out of my Bitch mug, above), and I'm hoping they reach their goal of 1000 members by the end of the year. So if you're even remotely interested in contemporary feminist ideas, please take a look at their site or pick up a copy of the magazine (most Borders stores stock it here). Bitches, unite! Or something wittier that I can't think of right now ...

busy little bee

2010-08-25T22:04:00.000+10:00

lumps and bumps

2010-08-11T18:44:00.002+10:00

[from the incredible Comme Des Garçons SS97 collection]

monday links: i'm old edition

2010-08-09T22:18:00.001+10:00

- A great little video turning the "She was asking for it" idea on its head, here.

- The Sims Medieval Announced! Very exciting news for this Sims fan who can't find her Sims 3 disc. Can this be released, like, tomorrow? Please?

- An interesting article looking at the negative sides of Mad Men's treatment of female characters, here. Not sure how much I agree with these points but it's good to see some variety in what's written about Mad Men (ie: an article that is not wholly focused on Christina Hendricks' body).

- Another fantastic political ad from Get Up!, here.

- Hooray! Next year's Moleskines are available now. So keen to unwrap a fresh moley and get started on filling every page with lists and collages. Ugh, obsessed.

[image is a Polaroid of me, rather unattractively, blowing out my birthday candles at my 21st a few days ago]

required listening

2010-07-28T20:00:00.001+10:00

no angel came

2010-07-20T11:48:00.003+10:00

This week, fashion brand Rodarte (designer sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy) announced a collaboration with MAC cosmetics. In today's world of high fashion meets high street partnerships, this announcement seemed perfectly normal, and the line was a sure success given the popularity of other similar projects. Instead, the Mulleavy sisters are now being met with a ton of criticism given the inspiration of their cosmetic line (linked to their previous fashion collection) - a road trip across the US border into Mexico - and subsequently the names of some of the products - eg: 'Juarez' and 'Factory' are nailpolish shades in the collection. Many critics are calling this distasteful, given the many social problems in the impoverished areas that the Rodarte sisters were inspired by, as well as the fact that these are cosmetic products, and have essentially no meaning beyond that, so why weigh them down with such heavy issues? Is this really raising awareness? MAC are now backpedaling after the uproar online and assuring customers that some proceeds will go towards charities in the Juarez area.

Obviously fashion, and more widely, art, wouldn't be where it is today without people pushing boundaries and finding inspiration in the not-so-peaches-and-cream parts of life. But under what circumstances is one "allowed" to use tragedy and the suffering of others as crucial elements of one's art? Personally I don't think there should be any rules about where to source your inspiration from, but the execution must be flawless. If one is to use say, the horrible situation in Juarez as the stimulus point for a work, I think the answer lies in the result. Is the final product successful in conveying a message or raising awareness? Or does is come off as a weak attempt at social commentary? Or worse, is the inspiration being used solely as a means to make money? This is where it comes in handy to be critical and informed.

I feel a bit foolish making a post about something I am decidedly undecided about but still. By blabbering about it with myself, I hope to eventually come to a point where I have a concrete opinion on the wider issue. In this case, I can see both sides of the argument, and as much as I want to side with the 'artists', I feel as a makeup line, it really doesn't send any kind of message other than the commodification of a tragic situation. Unfortunately for the Mulleavy sisters, I think their intentions are irrelevant in this instance. Obviously they did not go into this thinking to mitigate the horrific rates of rapes, homicides and constant gang/drug related violence in the city of Juarez - it's very likely that they wanted to draw attention to these problems. But as I said, the end result speaks for itself and from where I stand, this is an oversight on their part that has come off as very ignorant and too flighty to send the right message.

monday links

2010-07-19T21:48:00.001+10:00

- A beautiful (but unsatisfyingly small) selection of fashion illustrations, among other things, by Sophie McKay, here.

- Tom Wants a Job, a really fantastic blog by a journalism graduate looking for a job in the industry. Funny and real, I loved reading through all the posts and I can't wait for my own Katie-Wants-a-Job, not blog but general experiences once I graduate.

- My Culture is Not a Trend, shedding light on cultural appropriation and its negative consequences.

- Selfridges department store is opening a 'Forever' shop, selling only items that have stood the test of time (think Burberry trenches, Hermes scarves, classic books and even Bic lighters!). Such a solid, modern shopping idea, I can't wait to see it. Read more here.

- This blog post about dogs made me cry with laughter for HOURS ON END yesterday. I couldn't even get through the comments because they were making me laugh so much. Just read it. Thank me later.

why judging a book by its cover ain't so bad

2010-07-04T14:26:00.004+10:00

Typography, layout and design are all areas that you only realise the importance of when you really think about them. When you read the newspaper, a magazine, anything, you're taking it at face value, and your average reader will not question any of these elements. They are actually rather crucial elements to any given publication, and could sway a whole range of people to either read on or turn the page.

I came across Tush magazine on my travels earlier this year. I was sitting around at Charles de Gaulle airport waiting for a flight and I took my usual trip to the newsagent stand to buy reading material/chocolate. I instantly picked a copy of Tush up. Ranya Mordanova was on the cover and she is so striking. If I had taken five seconds out of my Ranya moment, I would probably have noticed that the magazine is written entirely in German, thus incomprehensible for me. I only realised this once I sat down to read it properly several days later, after much ooohing and aaahing at the gorgeous images inside. While first I laughed at my stupidity, I then realised that it didn't matter, because for me it was the visual hit that really drew me in, regardless of the quality written content it may or may not contain. It's so refreshing to see such original and arresting visual work, rather than the average, tried-and-tested presentation that most magazines have.

Tush magazine is just one publication that is proof of clever and beautiful design being able to transcend all kinds of boundaries. Locally, I think Russh is probably the best example. Their Style Icon, Fashion Album and Mix and Match pages are all fantastic.

[images are my crappy scans from the first 2010 issue of Tush]

pinhead

2010-07-02T17:12:00.002+10:00

So yesterday I scored this AMAZING Romance Was Born 'Pinhead' jacket on sale at My Catwalk and received it today in the mail (next day delivery is a girl's best friend). The collar and most of the inner lining at the front are covered with safety pins, and the back is slightly longer and beautifully sheer. Holy wow. This and coffee with old high school friends have made an incredibly gloomy (note the rain-soaked, now frizzy hair) Friday turn wonderful.

so ...

2010-06-28T20:21:00.000+10:00

I may or may not suck at updating. Feeling pretty lazy at the moment but I should be back up to speed soon, with new and improved writing and photo posts. Hooray! Now to return to my bed which is the only palliative in my freezing house. I would definitely not recommend having a broken heating system in the middle of a Canberra winter.

better than the alejandro video

2010-06-12T14:20:00.002+10:00

Robyn is fucking awesome.

monday links

2010-06-07T21:36:00.001+10:00

- A fantastic new food and fashion blog, Pumps and Rye. They have such a considered aesthetic, and some pretty amazing shoe choices.

- Green olive, walnut and pomegranate salad, a salad you could in fact win friends with. Hands down one of the most interesting and delicious things I have ever eaten. I had it with fried haloumi on the side too, also incredibly delicious.

- DIY Miu Miu collar. Pretty amazing.

- An interesting article from the Wall Street Journal which addresses a very interesting and pertinent question, Does the Internet make you smarter?

- My favourite of all favourite Buffy-related internet posts, The colours of BtVS.

- Also Buffy related, new blog The Whedoning tracks a fellow Whedonophile's rewatch of all Joss' shows consecutively. Hating myself for not thinking of this idea sooner!

[image from the new Givenchy campaign - so stunning]

omgwow

2010-06-02T13:00:00.000+10:00

Seriously. When did Miranda Kerr learn how to model for something over than swimwear? This editorial has blown my mind.

favourite photographers vol iv: sølve sundsbø

2010-05-23T20:46:00.002+10:00

Sølve Sundsbø is incredible. He has so many different styles and techniques which makes it difficult to sum up his appeal in one go, so I won't even try. I especially love the pops of colour he injects into any given photograph, whether it be stark against a white background like a few of the ones I've posted, or otherwise. Whatever the style, his photos are always emotive and thought-provoking.

sorry kirstie clements, but ...

2010-05-17T14:10:00.001+10:00

... Illyria did it first.

notes on a scandal

2010-05-10T13:08:00.004+10:00

So Royal Australian Fashion Week is over for another year, and once again I feel a slight disappointment. To preface this rant I'd like to say that yes I know, supporting local talent is important rah rah rah, but I think one needs to be picky and honest about what they like or dislike. Luckily blogging allows such honesty and I hope that there are others who feel comfortable expressing their actual opinions rather than saying that they loved everything which I'm sure isn't the case.

To be frank, I feel like some Australian designers take too liberally from the work of others, in some cases to the point of blatant reworking of another collection (usually from the previous international season). As someone who spends a lot of time looking at photos and videos of both local and international runway shows, this becomes clear pretty much every time RAFW comes around, and basically it fucking sucks. I'm not alone in picking up on this - Vogue Australia's Editor Kirstie Clements mentioned this problem in one of her Editor's Letters last year, and Alicia from Sea of Ghosts tweeted about it last month.

Obviously complete originality is impossible - Chuck Palahniuk's oft quoted 'Nothing of me is original, I am the combined effort of everybody I've ever known' line has informed my entire generation of that fact - but there is a line between being inspired by something and essentially using it. Last year there were blatant rip-offs of Balmain, Chloe and Givenchy. This year I can see many elements of recent Prada, McQueen and Marc Jacobs shows. Is this even conscious copying? Are Australian designers really that starved for ideas? Where is has the innovation gone? These are questions that a lot of people are asking themselves, and I think the only way to have them answered is for a change to happen.

Unfortunately this kind of thing goes on all the time; it happens overseas too (and this is independent to the trickle-down effect that we all know and love, I'm talking about "designers", not chain stores of any kind) but RAFW being a relatively small event which follows the international collections, it's all the more concentrated and pronounced.

You might be asking yourself, who am I to criticise? I feel like I'm justifying myself here but it's okay, no, important to be critical. If there's anything I have learnt at university, it is that every judgement is valid, at least to an extent. If I can make a critical assessment of Nietzsche for an essay, why not apply the same discerning eye to the big guns of the Australian fashion circuit for my personal blog?

I'm not saying that there isn't talent in the Australian fashion world - there is, and barrels of it. The wealth of potential is precisely why I would like to see more honesty in the designs and vision coming out of things like RAFW. This, I'm sure, would have nothing but positive effects on sales, credibility, and each label's fashion legacy.

On a more upbeat note, I love a lot of Australian designers for what they create, and I think these are the ones that should be supported most, by both the press and consumers. In my opinion, Arnsdorf, Karla Spetic, Romance Was Born and Dion Lee are leading the pack. Hopefully over the next few days I'll have time to post my favourite looks (a much needed burst of positivity to balance out this post, haha). Until then, you can see all the collections on the Vogue Australia website.

monday links

2010-05-03T11:51:00.000+10:00

Only a couple today because I'm trying to be somewhat productive. This week is pretty much going to kill me. I have a shitload of journalism assignments to get on with, plus on Friday I am having a monster day in Sydney. I won tickets through Oyster to a Fashion Week show (Garth Cook) and later that night I'm seeing Tegan and Sara at Luna Park. If I wasn't so frazzled with stress, I'd be peeing myself with excitement.

- A politics article I wrote for uni was published on our Journalism School website. I usually do pretty average on news stories because I'm more of a feature writer, so it's nice to be recognised for not being completely hopeless at hard news.

- What the Fuck Should I Make for Dinner? pretty much speaks for itself/is brilliant.

- Keep up to date with Australian Fashion Week here on Twitter. I love all the twitpics being posted from the shows!

[image from the Madonna episode of Glee]

holiday snaps

2010-05-02T22:47:00.000+10:00

So after a ten day delay in London and Paris (it's a tough life), I returned home on Tuesday to a cold house and a great sense of relief. Getting back into things has been a little stressful but okay. There are only two more weeks of semester as of tomorrow so I have lots of sitting around time to look forward to after that.

I've been trying to upload these damn photos for some time now but Photobucket and I seem to have hit a bump in our relationship. I've painstakingly managed to bring these photos to you by way of a complex system of pulleys and weights (by which I mean, several websites and programs at once - it was THAT much of an issue). Obviously with several assignments looming I was more than happy to spend time doing that.

These range from food to fashion to crappy scenic shots, in Paris, London, Berlin and a bunch of Turkish cities.

in which world war two propaganda is relevant

2010-04-16T20:41:00.000+10:00

Currently stranded in London over the weekend because of a volcano (A VOLCANO!) and won't be back home in time for next week's classes. I think "the dog ate my homework" now has a new rival for excuses regarding unfinished school work. Luckily I had the clairvoyance yesterday to a buy a 'Keep Calm and Carry On' jumper from Selfridges, which I am now wearing in an attempt to ward off stress. What an incredible situation, I've been bouncing between laughing and crying about it since I found out last night.

plato's atlantis

2010-04-13T15:22:00.001+10:00

Oh you know, just hanging out in Paris wearing an Alexander McQueen dress.
By which I mean, HOLY SHIT. I ACTUALLY OWN THIS THING NOW!? SO AMAZING.
When I saw a rack of McQueen clothes hanging in the Printemps Department Store here, I just knew it would be so special (actually, bittersweet) to own a piece of this fashion history. The dress is gorgeous - better picture on its way once I get back home - and one of those things you want to have on display rather than wear for fear of damaging it. Either way, it's obviously a keeper.

Anyhow it's my last day in Paris today (the worst part about coming to Paris is leaving it, I've had an incredible time). I'm leaving for London tonight, staying for three days and then heading home. I love traveling and all but I can't wait to sleep in my own bed! Not long to go now.

greetings from canakkale!

2010-04-02T07:25:00.002+11:00

Due to being Travel Girl at the moment, I have little to no time to look at nor share pretty things over the internet. Right now I'm in a beautiful hotel in Eceabat, Canakkale (Turkey) after about about a week in this amazing country (so far I've been to Istanbul and Cappadocia) and about a week to go before Europe. However I do have uni work to do before getting back home (a big assignment is due the day I get on a plane back to Australia; god teachers are horrible) so hopefully I can procrastinate by blogging to some extent!

Also: in this Photobooth photo (note: it took me about ten minutes to get a half decent photo since the sun was so bright and we were about to leave the hotel in Goreme so I was rushing, not to mention the hotel owners thought I was insane wandering around the terrace with my laptop posing every few minutes) I'm wearing my Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony "giraffe print" furry sweater which cost me an absolute fortune and was worth every penny. First time wearing it today and it kept me very warm and shed absolutely everywhere so I've left a beautiful trail of orange and black fur from Istanbul all the way here. You can't really make out the gorgeous backdrop of the photo - 'fairy chimney' rock formations, or so they're called - but they're incredible and I have about fifty photos of them on my SLR which I'll update with when I get home. Turkey really is one of the most amazing places I've been to. I easily identify with the European side of things here but there's another flavour that is so different and special. I can't wait to explore a bit more and buy a few dozen more unnecessary trinkets and bags and carpets and cushion covers and and and ...

monday links

2010-03-22T11:50:00.001+11:00

Apologies for the slow-down in posting lately, I've been so busy with work and going crazy with no time to myself. I'm heading overseas this Friday (!!!) which will be such a needed break and lots of fun. I'm taking my computer so hopefully free time will equal more posts! Enjoy these links today and I plan on posting about Paris Fashion Week sometime before Friday (I'm pretty much a month late, how hopeless).

- Love of my life Tori Amos looking incredible in a photoshoot for the first time in years, here.

- 90s Woman, a site I have spent so many hours on reading about (I won't say reliving, I was under the age of ten for the whole of the nineties!) nineties women's issues brought into the present. Among the most popular tags on the site are 'feminism' and 'Lady GaGa' so it pretty much ticks all my boxes.

- One of the best interviews I have ever read, Vice Magazine/Karl Lagerfeld.

- An extensive collection of very confronting advertisements here.

[image from Chanel's Spring/Summer 2010 campaign]

thisisapastiche presents: milan fashion week blooper reel

2010-03-21T19:34:00.003+11:00

Milan is always pretty solid, and there weren't any real lows to speak of this season. However some of my favourites went in directions I really didn't understand or like - Jil Sander was (sadly) really dull, Fendi had its moments but also had some downright hideous fur and Marni was too loud for me, not enough of the simple colour-blocked clothes to gorgeous overbearing accessories ratio.

prada fw10

2010-03-21T19:29:00.000+11:00

Such a change from last season but I guess that is to be expected of Prada. There was a much more demure look overall this time around - everything from the fabric, the cuts and model choice. There were some great prints and colours, and the whole thing made me think of modern tweed - classic looks made interesting and brought into the present. For instance, the incredible 'eyebrow' sunglasses which were such a quirky idea to throw into something so reserved. However I think if Miuccia was going to use fuller figured models (which she did), she should have gone a bit further because so many girls were swimming in the clothes and selling them poorly as a result. Yes it's a relevant and interesting topic of discussion which she's brought to the runway, but I feel like it could have been a bit more concrete.

gabriele colangelo fw10

2010-03-21T19:11:00.002+11:00

I really don't have much to say about this collection except that it was pretty much flawless. I loved everything from the hair to the colours (or lack of) to the incredibly subtle shapes of the dresses. Gorgeous.

albino fw10

2010-03-21T19:08:00.000+11:00

This collection is very clean cut and deceptively simple, with amazing use of graphic qualities and proportions. For me, the long dresses were the winners here (in fact long dresses in general have been catching my attention for a while now) as well as the minimal colours, not straying from peach tones, black, grey and white. I absolutely love obvious (but not overdone) coherence in collections, and this theme was stretched just enough without becoming tiresome. I remember really liking Albino's previous season too, so hopefully the label continues to hit the mark with such great work.

thisisapastiche presents: london fashion week blooper reel

2010-03-08T17:45:00.003+11:00

My main comment about London Fashion Week is that I'm really disappointed in Christopher Kane, who used to be so fantastic and is now completely losing his touch (or his mind). Come back to us next time with something amazing please!

charles anastase fw10

2010-03-08T17:42:00.002+11:00

This is the perfect example of something I click with but can't explain why. Most of the (surprisingly small?) collection makes beautiful sense to me and even though I can't figure out any coherent theme, I still love the abstraction and the playfulness of everything. I wish I could figure out what goes on in this man's mind. Oh and also the incredible shoes are back - in more colours this time around - still haunting/taunting me.

louise goldin fw10

2010-03-08T17:38:00.002+11:00

I wish I had something more erudite to say about this collection aside from "That is SO fucking cool!" but I don't. It's so incredible to me that someone can mould these materials this way, not to mention having the vision to do so in the first place. This whole thing gave me such a visual kick.

todd lynn fw10

2010-03-08T17:32:00.003+11:00

I've never paid much attention to Todd Lynn before, and looking at this collection makes me wonder why on earth not. Fuck this was so good; everything was so slick and impeccable! I loved the contrast of materials, especially the looks that featured leather. Yes the whole thing was a little samey but it was so futuristic in an everyday sort of way, and god I can't get over the craftmanship. Beautiful work.

erdem fw10

2010-03-08T17:25:00.003+11:00

This collection wasn't nearly as polished as previous seasons, it was a bit darker and an obvious attempt at moving in a new direction. As such there were hits and misses. It was a bit all over the place with the excessive frills and the outerwear looks were superb but didn't really seem Erdem-like at all. On a more positive note, his signature dress silhouette was still there and gorgeous as always. Plus I loved the selection of colours and prints even though they're not really my style.

thisisapastiche presents: new york fashion week blooper reel

2010-03-01T22:38:00.002+11:00

New York is well known as the most safe, even boring, of all four Fashion Weeks. Who would have thought that 'boring' would give us such interesting (read: lolworthy) runway looks!? Enjoy.

yigal azrouel fw10

2010-03-01T22:30:00.001+11:00

I can see a more adventurous side this season, moving this line into more dark and serious territory. After seeing all the suits and all the leather, I was nervous for a moment that no (signature) knits were coming, but Azrouel delivered as usual. The only thing that didn't work for me were the slightly bodycon and showy dresses; definitely not where the talent lies here, and not true to the brand at all. The strongest looks were more often than not the ones for men, and I especially loved the pops of reddish tones here and there which weren't too overbearing and added some nice variety.

gary graham fw10

2010-03-01T21:11:00.000+11:00

Gary Graham's collection for me was a little like the opposite of Jeremy Laing's in terms of consistency; Graham has a way of making everything look like his own work. This is important as the whole thing was controlled chaos, incorporating everything from preppy to futuristic elements. Overall the collection has great dark undertones, and just look at the shoes! Chunky and sharp and amazing. So far this is the only New York show I've liked both this and last season. I think Graham just keeps getting better and better.

jeremy laing fw10

2010-03-01T18:54:00.001+11:00

The thing that I like best about this collection is that it comes off as true and real; like a normal girl walking down the street wearing a few different labels at once (this is perhaps not best illustrated by the looks that I've chosen though). Now that probably isn't the best critique regarding coherence, but I like pretty much all the looks. Overall it has a very New York feel to it; very cool and laid back (especially the fantastically casual draping of the dresses), but with some obvious thought put into it.

marc jacobs fw10

2010-03-01T13:52:00.000+11:00

It's collections like this one that keep my mind interested in fashion, in that they make me want to know more and more about the industry and design concepts. I think that some designers require more work on the audience's part than others in order to really "get" what they put out there - not just making kneejerk aesthetic judgements. When it comes to Marc Jacobs, I'm getting there; I think I'm about halfway. Anyhow, on to the actual collection. There's an interesting mix here; texturally with everything from knits to fur to thick embellishments, and also more broadly in terms of the clothes' accessibility. Jacobs has put out an array of things that I can see being worn by women of practically any age and style - most of these pieces seem up for anything, and the kinds of things that wearers can easily make their own. The laid-back styling really works for this reason, and acts almost as a blank canvas for buyers. On a negative note, it's a shame that the second half was a bit gaudy; there were definitely some mistakes there.

monday links (early!)

2010-02-28T18:24:00.001+11:00

- A fantastic article on the history of technology and its social effects, here.

- Who ever thought you'd be able to deconstruct a toaster? Wow.

- Fashion Notebook; a set of beautiful scrapbook pages on Flickr using pages torn out of fashion magazines. Some of these pages have such amazing colour schemes. Things like this make me wish I had more time for my scrapbook Moleskine.

- Gender bending some of the great thinkers, artists and leaders here. Why not?

- Beautiful iPhone and iPod cases here.

- And what I think is the most important link, Collective Shout. Everyone should take a good look at this site, I think it's a really great initiative battling a increasing problem facing all females. If you're in Australia, you may have already heard about it (Melinda Tankard Reist has been doing a lot of press lately), and I recommend signing up to the site for access to a selection of blogs, videos and outside links on all kinds of relevant material. Also check out Melinda's website here, and another of my favourite female activists/writers, Virginia Haussegger's blog here.

[image from Bjork's Hyperballad videoclip]

i go through all this

2010-02-27T20:24:00.002+11:00

Drowning in fifty kinds of stress at the moment.
Fashion week posts coming super soon!

stuff &things

2010-02-20T07:04:00.004+11:00

The amazing Zanita has tagged me with this little quiz. Seriously, check out her blog if you haven't already.

What is the most worn item of clothing in your wardrobe?
Probably my American Apparel tri-blend slouchy jumpers or deep V t-shirts. I wear them to bed, to class, to the shops ... anywhere and everywhere.

It’s Oscar night and you can be dressed by any designer, who would you choose?
Marchesa.

What trend are you tired of?
Obnoxious gladiator sandals (or worse - those slip on shoes with fabric covering only your heel and ankle. Please explain?), and maxi dresses (mainly the ugly ones, that's not really a trend though is it .. oh well).

If you could give any celebrity a makeover, who would it be?
Rihanna, hands down. And less of a makeover, more of a makeunder so she would stop looking like such a try-hard the whole time. I like her but for god's sake! You can make a statement without looking like an idiot.

Who is your celebrity style icon and why?
I don't really have an icon per se, but I love all kinds of celebrity style - fashion forward like GaGa, simple like Kirsten Dunst, ever-changing like Chloe Sevigny etc etc.

I tag Softest Grey and Velveteen.

Anyhow. I'm heading to Sydney this morning for a long weekend of shopping, Soundwave-ing, and who knows what else. There is a pair of Burberry gumboots in the city David Jones with my name on it (Tacky? Probably. Necessary? You know it.), and hopefully Newtown op-shops will be overflowing with great things for me to buy too.

what my winter is going to look like

2010-02-15T13:00:00.002+11:00

All of these are from the Viktor&Rolf pre-fall collection.
New York Fashion Week is on at the moment and I'm trying to find coherent and non-boring collections to post about. It's proving to be difficult so stay tuned, if only to see the really horrible/funny looks I intend on posting.

monday links (on a tuesday night)

2010-02-09T21:15:00.004+11:00

- One of the funniest sites in the vein of FMyLife, Sorry I Missed Your Party etc, Unhappy Hipsters.

- A look at what Monopoly is doing for its 75th birthday, here.

- The Print Society, a place to find a great range of artists' work on display (and for sale too!). Plus the layout is killer.

- A very interesting (though not exactly recent) interview with photographer Juergen Teller on his craft, and the philosophy he holds, here.

- E-waste, a photographic series showing a side of technology that I've frankly never thought about. This series is appealing both intellectually and visually.

[image of Lady GaGa's performance at the Grammy's]

dare to be one of us girl

2010-02-06T14:53:00.003+11:00

Let me start by saying that I hold only glimmers of patriotism for Australian culture (a Hungarian mother and years of French education will do that to you; it's all about Europe for me). However Australian magazines have been putting up a good fight lately - Russh and Vogue in particular. Covers are getting stronger, the editorials are getting more widespread attention, Australian models are getting bigger and bigger (Abbey Lee in particular is huge at the moment, other mentions go to Samantha Harris and Rachel Rutt), and thinking about it all recently gave me a tingle of pride in having such great work come out of this country. I hope to be a part of it one day soon.

On a side note - the brights trend is everywhere at the moment, and the way it's being presented in these magazines is turning even my head. Despite being in 'hurry up winter!' mode, I find myself being attracted by this aesthetic. Bold, bright, sports/swimwear ... all of it is coherent and appealing in a visual way that I don't completely understand.

I've also become fascinated (read: jealous of) by visual thinkers lately, and I've been doing a lot of reading on design and related theory. Unfortunately I'm unable to take a class in that area this coming semester, but I do have a class that is going to touch on sub-editing and design at some point so I'm really looking forward to it.

Happy weekend! I'm going to make vegetable soup tonight, lounge around in extra cosy pyjamas after this incredibly long week, hopefully finish a couple of books, and see Precious at the movies tomorrow.

i heart stationery

2010-02-03T12:50:00.000+11:00

Nothing like brand new stationery to boost your mood, drain your bank account and prepare for the semester ahead, all in one sweeping spree. I'm loving Kikki K and Typo in the Canberra Centre at the moment. It's fantastic to see places like these build a solid reputation with their own merchandise and then add more and more far-reaching (yet relevant and coherent) products to their stores; ie: Moleskines and helpbooks at Kikki K, quirky homewares at Typo. They're both great examples of lifestyle brands with very considered aesthetics, something I think we need more of in Canberra. If only I didn't want to re-do my office, bedroom, kitchen (and pencilcase!) every time I go into one of these stores ...

fuckwow

2010-01-30T06:29:00.002+11:00

[backstage photos from Gaultier couture ss10]
~~Danny Devito~~ Jean-Paul Gaultier I love your work!

monday links

2010-01-25T22:56:00.001+11:00

- One of the coolest things I have seen in a while, NewsCred allows you to create your very own newspaper online. I haven't tried it out yet but (speaking as a Journalism student) what a fantastic idea!

- A really great article at the Slant Magazine website discussing three cult television shows, their impact, themes, and how well they represented their respective audiences, here.

- I've been completely addicted to Life Hacker lately, scrolling back through countless entries on every topic imaginable. The stubs on this site are unpreachy, straight to the point, and very helpful. It takes a bit of wading through to find topics that concern or interest you, but it's well worthwhile; I've found an ton of useful links on everything from food to Firefox.

- A very cute Diagram of Geek Culture that I think makes a lot of people feel slightly better about the extent of their geekiness. I mean, I feel pretty great about not being a fan of pie charts or space pirates ...

[image from the Prada ss10 lookbook]

sat in your lap

2010-01-22T15:08:00.001+11:00

favourite photographers vol III: camilla åkrans

2010-01-14T23:12:00.003+11:00

This woman takes some of the most stunning fashion photographs I have ever seen. I love how feminine and muted everything is; she's like a tamer, slightly less cartoony equivalent of Mert &Marcus. Her work is sometimes quirky, sometimes a little too samey but always beautiful to look at.

so this is the new year

2010-01-04T21:31:00.002+11:00

Happy 2010! One of my New Year's Resolutions is to be more proactive, and despite that, I've been meaning to post all this stuff for the past two weeks. Stupid resolutions not resolving themselves.

The festive season this time around has been pretty fantastic. I had a three day boozefest (if you have never had a Moscow Mule cocktail, you are really missing out) in Sydney with family for Christmas, catch-ups and movies with my newly-back-from-overseas bestie, and lots of relaxing days at home decluttering, making lists and detoxing my poor unhealthy body. The only let-down I guess would have to be New Year's Eve where it just didn't really happen for us, so we went home after eating burritos and pizza at about 1 in the morning. In two ways it was a positive, though; (1) We realised that spending NYE out is almost always a dud (2) My first day of 2010 was spent practically hangoverless. Silver lining etc etc.

Anyhow. I've spent a bit of time tweaking the layout/header on the blog because I can never shake that 'new year = new everything' itch. I also deleted a few older posts because they were crappy, and I wanted to extend the aforementioned itch to the blog in that I think I need to stop treating it like a tumblr account, and (try to) have more original content. It'll be good practice for writing jobs in the future at the very least.

I also need to work on segways (who am I, Naomi Robson!?). Now onto my favourite part of this time of year: PRESENTS.

Some of these I bought for myself but whatever. In 2009 I read 22 books and I'm trying to read at least 30 this year, starting with these (Fun fact: I gave Tori Amos a copy of the Greer book when I met her in Sydney).

I have spent the past few days drowning in Lush products, this face mask being my most recent and successful purchase. Flora is just beautiful, and the Bulgari haircare prodcuts are green-tea-scented and divine.

One of my presents was a double bed (I'm all grown up). My two cocker spaniels like it even more than I do.

Cropped jacket from Sportsgirl and dark green Jil Sander V-neck.

I also brought home some old clothes and jewellery from my Aunt who I stayed with, plus bags of little presents from family and others (you know, the kind of stuff you keep in a drawer). All in all, some excellent loot. Not a bad way to end a not-very-eventful year. Eventful in the sense that something terrible happened, followed quickly by something amazing; my 2009 was fairly constant. Seeing as I pretty much thrive on drama (good and bad), here's hoping 2010 gives me a bit more of a rollercoaster. There are a few things I have lined up already that I'm very excited about:
- Going to Europe and Turkey in March/April.
- My twenty first birthday.
- Journalism internship.
- Completing my Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Journalism (!!).
- Going to France in December as a Graduation gift with my bestie.

Cheers to the New Year and the (temporary) motivation it brings.

merry christmas everyone!

2009-12-23T04:03:00.000+11:00

thunder wishes it could be the snow

2009-12-14T05:35:00.003+11:00

Okay, new obsession: Shalom Harlow.

all i want for christmas

2009-12-11T16:00:00.002+11:00

Cardigan by Karla Spetic.

(s)he ate my heart

2009-11-30T22:43:00.001+11:00

seven things, now with pictures!

2009-11-28T19:48:00.000+11:00

I have had an incredible (+stressful, expensive, tiring) few weeks and today is the first day in a long while I've had to myself. So hey there blog! My lovely fellow Canberran Velveteen tagged me recently to write up seven things about me so here goes.

1) I have one more year to go at university, completing a Journalism/Arts degree. Next year we're being offered internships which is pretty exciting. I'll need to post some written work here in order to qualify for the ones I want though (pick me, Sydney Morning Herald!). Really I just can't wait to work for a decent arts publication and work my way up. (That was more than one thing wasn't it ... okay shorter ones from now)

2) Despite the 40 degree heat, I bought a Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony sweater from Incu two weekends ago (the orange/giraffe print one if you're wondering, I'll post about it when the weather approves). It's heavy and luxuriously soft and amazing.

3) I can't wait for anything Christmas related (the shopping, the presents, the alcohol, the company or the hangover).

4) I'm possibly traveling early next year as a birthday present from my Mum :]

5) Currently tossing up between a few new fragrances for summer (sigh, I'll probably end up buying all of them ... it's practically Sophie's Choice); Flora by Gucci, Parisienne by YSL, Lola by Marc Jacobs or Nina by Nina Ricci.

6) I have about nine books I would like to finish before the end of the year but I'm an impossibly slow reader. Must take a speed reading class.

7) Thinking of Daul Kim makes me incredibly sad.

And on that positive note, here are a few photos from my recent adventures. I spent some time in Melbourne, came back home, then went to Sydney, home again, back to Sydney once more and then home. I saw Tori Amos four times, Britney Spears (and my Dad) once and spent way too much money on clothes, booze and delicious food.

overdue eye candy

2009-11-03T22:46:00.002+11:00

why i love sarah haskins

2009-10-25T11:56:00.001+11:00

jackpot

2009-10-19T21:02:00.003+11:00

This morning I stumbled upon a sale table of magazines at the newsagency in Kingston. There were 2006/7/8 issues of Vanity Fair, US and German Vogue, Marie Claire and a million other titles. I was already fairly excited rifling through these, but then I found four old(ish) i-D issues! One from 2006 and three from 2007. I can't wait until I have time to take a proper look through these, there's something really special about old magazines.

are you smizing?

2009-10-19T06:54:00.000+11:00

thisisapastiche presents: paris fashion week blooper reel

2009-10-11T00:00:00.005+11:00

I'm too exhausted to provide much of a commentary.
Uhm. I'm glad Fashion Month is over. It is so stimulating, so tiring and so intense. And all I did was watch videos and look at photos online from my bed! This whole season was pretty lacklustre in terms of OMG!AMAZING which is disappointing, but there are some real diamonds in the rough that I'm rooting for. Everyone's going to remember Alex Wang's braids, Marc's insanity, the girl-on-girl kiss at Chanel and that's pretty much it. No real standout clothes - sad. Come back, creativity! And come back all the regular girls! I can't keep up with all the new ones and their difficult Dutch names.

viktor & rolf ss10

2009-10-10T23:56:00.002+11:00

Conceptual masters + Roisin Murphy = something you pretty much can't argue with.
I'm kind of torn on this collection; there was a LOT of ugliness, but the concept is what keeps me completely in love with it. Even though a lot of looks fall short of what they were going for, these will all look amazing in editorials and get a lot of attention regardless.

haider ackermann ss10

2009-10-10T23:53:00.003+11:00

This started off broody, moved to denim, then sultry grey bodyslicks, blues, bare, and back to blacks. There was a nice play with baggy versus tight, fugly shoes and it's safe to say that most of the (practically) bare chested looks were a mistake. Counting those out though, it was a very solid progression with some real gems.

chloe ss10

2009-10-10T23:51:00.002+11:00

Really this show just gave me hair envy, I'm dying for this willowy effortless hairstyle. The sandals here were all awful but the clothes were simply beautiful. It all seems to work for a variety of ages and niches; these pieces will work for beachy as well as well as boardroom types.

bruno pieters ss10

2009-10-10T23:46:00.003+11:00

Ugh, this whole thing was so gorgeous. Deceptive simplicity at its best. My favourite looks were the ones playing with nude in more than one way (down to the clear shoes, which worked, unlike at Prada). So many of the pieces are just screaming to be used in a group Meisel editorial, a la the Mental Institution one. Pieters' clothes aren't used that regularly in print work but I hope this changes.

alexander mcqueen ss10

2009-10-10T23:44:00.002+11:00

Fuck the clothes, take a look at the goddamn shoes! Fiercest platform heels of the century. The End.

omg

2009-10-10T23:33:00.001+11:00

les amants

2009-09-30T23:17:00.000+10:00

thisisapastiche presents: milan fashion week blooper reel

2009-09-30T23:14:00.004+10:00

Yep, there were some great ones in Milan.
It's possible that Paris may be so amazing that a blooper reel isn't required. Let's wait and see.

prada ss10

2009-09-30T23:08:00.002+10:00

Aside from god-awful 90s plastic shoes and picking Lindsey to open (with that makeup! Are you joking? As if her lips need that shade of red to garner any attention), this was pretty much to die for. There was futuristic, there was feminine and above all there was flair. The whole show presents an image for a frosty cool summer, with greys and silvers mixed with iridescent brights. Ignoring the hideous jackets and fugly tanks over (adorable) bloomers, I love it. And I'd kill to see all of the embellishments up close, holy shit.

jil sander ss10

2009-09-30T23:06:00.002+10:00

Raf is an understated genius. That is all.

fendi ss10

2009-09-30T23:00:00.002+10:00

Dreamy, girly, chic. The good looks at least. This is the kind of show where the highs are high but the lows are six feet under. The shoes were a bit much for the most part and rarely matched the outfit that they were paired with. And some looks were leaning towards really edgy territory; these all ended up fairly disastrous. I mean, pretty much all the black looks were so very obviously trying to attract a new market that they failed to be half decent. However, the goods WERE good, and boy were some of them stunning.

albino ss10

2009-09-30T22:54:00.002+10:00

Such fabulous styling here. I LOVE the shoes and the oversized sunglasses, it's all divine. As for the clothes, I love the contrast between the flowing floral pieces (some really really beautiful prints, just not to be used for pyjamas, lol) and structured safari jackets. The progression to black is also great, mostly because the coherence is still there. You can see that D'Amato is really playing with structure and draping, sometimes separately and sometimes together, almost all very successfully.

one wall painted yellow for calm

2009-09-27T21:40:00.002+10:00

And should there be a fire, we simply go out
this door to the left
up the stairs and out the door you came in, but
if for some reason
that door is blocked then don't worry we go back
along the hallway
and then down to the end where another door
swings through to the street.
Where we can meet and I'll be holding this list
of all your names to
check off against you and everything's fine, yeah?
Breathe out. Consider
simply that your hither-to cold, doubt riddled
Quest-to-find-a-Job
has gained a sudden cosiness. Oh I am
cognisant of course
you're not here by choice. Some of you might think
that you have other
things-to-do or lives-to-lead - that's natural and
all I can say is
it will pass. I know you're probably thinking
I'm just some geezer
who'd be like totally unemployed, if not
for the unemployed -
so we're all in this together. I always say,
we are each of us
individuals, to whom anything can happen.
Last week I had a chap
determined to be an Ambassador and
spoke six languages.
I said cool, you follow your dream. Only bear
in mind that dreams can
bend like starlight. Then a tailor rang me up,
quite sorely in need
of an apprentice and located quite near
where Pete lived. I thought,
I'll just offer it to him on the offchance.
And off like a shot,
he was working the very next day. Just being
in this room he found
himself a life. It's the life's the thing - the dream's
mere vapour waiting
to be coughed into any shape. I know this
room isn't pleasant
- someone said it's like being in hospital! -
but think of these walls
as holding your chances up. It's ok to
yawn. Standing up here
I can't get a true sense of the temperature ;
please sing if too hot.
And when you leave it's natural for me to say
'see you tomorrow'
or 'have a good weekend' but - and I do mean
this in a good way -
I hope you find what's looking for you, and the
future will take you
with swift undeniable closure. I won't say
see you tomorrow.

- Petra White

oh spring

2009-09-26T10:52:00.005+10:00

thisisapastiche presents: london fashion week blooper reel

2009-09-25T22:17:00.003+10:00

(In order: Pure fug, ten year old stripper, unflattering as hell, lolworthy from the socks to the pointy bra)

I don't have as many funny runway pictures to share this time, partly because I have been super busy this past week, and partly because most of the collections bored me to tears (or upset me to tears because GOD there were some shockers, I'm looking at you, Jeremy Scott) and I couldn't be bothered looking through the rest of the show photos. Next: Milan. If nothing else, Prada will serve up something fabulous. Let's do it.

charles anastase ss10

2009-09-25T22:10:00.002+10:00

God how I love this man. This whole show was such a great display of what can come of length and proportion manipulation! I mean, there were definitely some weak, almost boring looks in there, and the makeup was pretty awful but overall, big fat ily. This kind of conceptual art is what makes me really inspired. Plus look at the genius mix of materials. Gah! I'm going to go ahead and write "Mrs Katie Anastase" on each page of my diary ...

christopher kane ss10

2009-09-25T22:06:00.003+10:00

Okay, I know this gorgeous man likes to run with a motif, but this just felt too damn samey. Not to say that I didn't like the collection, it's just hard not to be critical when everything leading up to this point has been pretty fantastic (Sadly this seems to be a recurring theme so far for the fashion weeks). Anyway. There are some really beautiful pieces here (the kind of things that you'd really need to see and touch in real life) but with most dresses and skirts being cut the exact same way and the gingham being used similarly in each piece, it was disappointing. What is going on!?

luella ss10

2009-09-25T21:59:00.002+10:00

So the Luella girl has gone demure. There are still bows in hair and playful accessories, but now she looks aged (I think this is a bad attempt at showing wisdom). A lot of the looks were down this road to the point of looking really dowdy and middle-aged, and Bartley shouldn't stray too far from the young market because that's where all her success comes from. And what the hell is with all the coats? It's a spring/summer collection guys. Idk. I'm a little disillusioned. Some looks are truly bad (like the furry pink dress) and only the dresses with the typical cutesy Luella cut and print catch my eye. Please go back to the gorgeousness of two/three seasons ago Miss Bartley!

mark fast ss10

2009-09-25T21:50:00.002+10:00

This collection was a nice mix of ruggedness and class. And good on him for using average sized models for some of the looks; those dresses in particular were great because they were filled with bodies that suited them. Everyone knows waif types can make anything look half decent, but this really made a great point. And not in a publicity stunt kind of way. Things I didn't like: some of the ruffles looked ridiculous in a stupid twelve year old way, and the shoes were kind of fug. But whatever, it's obvious that this guy is super talented.

why i love joss whedon

2009-09-20T20:02:00.001+10:00

So, why do you create these strong women characters?
Cause they’re hot.

But, these strong women characters…
Why are you even asking me this?! This is like interview number 50 in a row. How is it possible that this is even a question? Honestly, seriously, why are you -- why did you write that down? Why do you -- Why aren’t you asking a hundred other guys why they don’t write strong women characters? I believe that what I am doing should not be remarked upon, let alone honored and there are other people doing it. But, seriously, this question is ridiculous and you just gotta stop.

So, why do you write these strong women characters?
Because equality is not a concept. It’s not something we should be striving for. It’s a necessity. Equality is like gravity, we need it to stand on this earth as men and women, and the misogyny that is in every culture is not a true part of the human condition. It is life out of balance and that imbalance is sucking something out of the soul of every man and women who’s confronted with it. We need equality, kinda now.

So, why do you write these strong female characters?
Because you’re still asking me that question.

thisisapastiche presents: new york fashion week blooper reel

2009-09-19T21:35:00.003+10:00

Actual lol at all of these photos (and many more that I can't be bothered uploading). Some look pregnant, some look out of their minds and some look trannylicious. Oh and Coco (first picture) just looks like a tragic frump. So good.

New York Fashion Week is over, now onto London. Overall I wish that some of my favourites had picked up their game (Julian Louie, Koi Suwannagate), or that talented people weren't all over the shop (Marc Jacobs) or that collections weren't the same dress thirty ways (Rodarte). And my gorgeous Georgina isn't making an appearance this season (going back to uni or something according to TFS), so I just want to cry slash find a replacement Serbian favourite model. Sigh. Looking forward to Kane, Anastase and Goot in London.

threeasfour ss10

2009-09-19T21:30:00.002+10:00

A new discovery for me. From the very first look you could tell that they were doing something really special with shapes. My eyes were almost always drawn somewhere unexpected (or mainly somewhere tits related in the case of the sheer dresses). However I did not like the print in the second half at all. It disrupted the coherence, and it sadly took away the magic. Otherwise stunning though.

karen walker ss10

2009-09-19T21:24:00.004+10:00

Whatever she does, I will always love Karen Walker. I'm a little disappointed in this collection. I mean, it's still really beautiful, youthful and adorable as usual, it just didn't capture me like the last one. Sad face. Definitely still interested in buying something from it though. Maybe one of the tiered ruffle skirts? We'll see. In the meantime, I'm holding out for the next autumn/winter season. Given the past week of collections, it seems to me like no one knows what to do for summer in New York ... I'm sure Paris will give it to us.

Oh and looking at these again I want to point out how brilliant KW's casting always is. She's gone for the most beautiful new French model out there - Mathilde Frachon - plus she always uses Hyoni Kang and Rachel Rutt (who I just found out is Australian!). Good choices.

alexander wang ss10

2009-09-16T21:39:00.002+10:00

I'm so so glad Alex Wang isn't sticking to the schtick that made him famous, and yet so much of this collection (most of the dresses for instance) still can appeal to the market that he has made for himself over the past year or so. I love the colours (grey with tan especially!) and the toned down skankiness of it all. The leopard print shoes were a pretty bad mistake if you ask me, but those moccasin wedges (whatever they were ... I don't even know!) were fantastic. Giant ball of ily for the adorable braids, and OMG I WANT THAT SWEATER SO BAD. FUCK. 100% committed to purchasing that bad boy (in the first picture, worn by Iselin Steiro).

favourite photographers vol II: greg kadel

2009-09-16T19:45:00.003+10:00

Even just looking at this selection, you can see that Greg's talent lies in identifying good light. Take a look at the shadows, the flares, the highlights, the refractions ... beautiful.

[The last one isn't a particularly good example, but I just love that editorial]

gary graham ss10

2009-09-15T11:31:00.002+10:00

Some grunge, some prep, all incredibly stylish. It's this kind of thing that brings the Opening Ceremony crowd together with the Luella girls too. Gary Graham is giving a nod to everyone's niche, so all the pieces are really flexible. This has to win best set-up too, I mean with the smoke and mirrors (literally) it creates a nice atmosphere, something different.

costello tagliapietra ss10

2009-09-15T11:30:00.000+10:00

Such gorgeous dresses in this collection (some of which were able to be made casual, which is great). But more importantly, I am on the FLOOR about the styling; hair and shoes are perfection. And I really couldn't go past including a photo of the adorable Santa-esque designers. Seriously. I bet they're the jolliest men on earth, look at them! They're caricatures! Caricatures with amazing designing brains. Good for them.

davidelfin ss10

2009-09-12T10:11:00.002+10:00

OMG. I loved this damn show. The initial David Bowie look of Eleonora Bose + the "get confused" theme + the progression of colours just killed me, even looking at the thumbnails before seeing the slideshow. I love the sheen of these suits, and the obvious androgyny being not tacky or outlandish but just sort of there if you want it to be. The shirts made me think of the beautiful Arnsdorf SS10 collection with all the pretty button-ups and how much I want one. On the other hand, some of the girls' looks were a bit dowdy, and most of the draped looks (dresses and skirts) were unnecessary and a big weak point. That said I am all over this shit like a rash, and it's the kind of thing that places like Helsinki will eat up too.

rachel comey ss10

2009-09-10T15:29:00.005+10:00

This was the first of many beautiful fashion shows for a month. Prints (there were a lot of them) in general aren't really my thing, but I still love Comey's earthy but chic sensibility. And of course her shoes are always so damn good. Her shows just go to prove that sometimes less is more. I love these looks:

beautiful dirty rich

2009-09-09T22:57:00.001+10:00

In celebration of next year's Lady GaGa Australian Tour being announced (and tickets going on sale this Friday!), I bring you a short ramble on how much I love this woman, and some photos because her fabulosity surpasses the capacity of words.

Really I just wanted to say that all the haters are batshit crazy and wrong (I mean, I guess she's offputting and irritating if you're not into her thing, but .. come on! The fact that she's garnered such a strong reaction is her exact point). How anyone can fault a woman looking 100% comfortable doing an interview in a Jean Charles de Castelbajac outfit after somehow performing 'Poker Face' as a jazzy serenade at the keyboard using her feet is beyond me. Call it blind, stupid, nonsensical, excessive adoration if you will, but I can't get over her. Case(s) in point, for your viewing pleasure:

And let's not forget how stunning the video for 'Paparazzi' is.

My favourite part is her dancing as a cripple. IT'S SO FUCKING GOOD.
Oh and the Boudicca jumpsuit with the ruffles. I've been googling that all week and haven't found an answer as to whether or not the black ruffles were her stylist's addition. Someone help me out here.

crazy in love

2009-08-18T22:03:00.001+10:00

oh lol

2009-08-15T10:42:00.001+10:00

no pearl necklace jokes plz

2009-08-06T21:10:00.001+10:00

It was my birthday yesterday so I now am twenty years of age! Bye bye adolescence; I know I did you as you are supposed to be done.

Also: yes, this is a PhotoBooth photo taken at the university library. I hope the people sitting near me thought I was the vainest person alive. However I took this SOLELY to document this amazing birthday present from my best friend. It's the Karen Walker top I mentioned a while back. I love it so much, she is the best and I'm not just saying that because she reads this.

Also also: I am like disgustingly sick (this photo must have been taken before I started blowing my nose excessively and scoffing Cold &Flu tablets like a maniac) so I have no productivity in me at all. Readings are piling up and I'm sitting there sounding like a hoarse transvestite without having done any work, thus being completely clueless in every class. Sigh. And this weekend won't help in the healing since we're going out for a birthday dinner (read: getting messy in a restaurant) on Saturday. You bet I've factored a day-long hangover into my Sunday. And tomorrow morning I need to wake up early and buy a ticket for the recently announced second Melbourne Tori Amos show. I mean, I need at least ONE of the handful of shows where I'm within arms' reach of her. Not loving this 'Row R' shit that I've got for the Opera House show or wherever. Anyway. I think because of my debilitating cold I'll come straight home to bed tomorrow, and spend the day much like I am spending the second half of tonight; lemon ginger tea, maybe a movie, tissues at the ready, leftover birthday cake/chocolates and little to no movement. Fingers crossed this is what the entirety of my twenties is like as well.

Goodnight!

snej/srej

2009-07-29T17:53:00.003+10:00

favourite photographers vol I: jez smith

2009-07-22T21:44:00.002+10:00

What I love most is the sense of movement in each photograph. Jez is so great.

what was the question? i was looking at the big sky!

2009-07-18T22:25:00.000+10:00

A little stream of things that have caught my eye recently:

baby one more time

2009-07-15T14:12:00.005+10:00

Tori Amos covering Britney's Baby One More Time live in Oakland last night. So unexpected, slightly haunting and her voice actually sounds pretty decent. My love for this woman is officially infinite.

acoustic

2009-07-10T00:27:00.001+10:00

she's cracked

2009-07-08T12:08:00.003+10:00

My favourite of favourite designers, Miss Karen Walker (obviously sharing a name with Will & Grace's funniest character is beneficial too) is releasing her FW09 collection very very soon and I am very very (very!) excited. To my knowledge, the collection is being released sometime this month through a few Australian online stores and I'm thinking of pre-ordering because if they sell out before I get my hot little hands on them, I will probably burst into tears and refuse to leave the house until they are restocked.

The theme of the collection shown in February was "She's Cracked", using the broken strand of pearls motif and a shattered chinaware type motif. I love pretty much everything this woman sent out on the runway. The ones even without the motifs were effortless, casual yet put together. And she has the best eye for colours.

I'm hoping to buy this dress:

Or maybe just the long sleeved shirt version of it, I think one of the online stores has it with draped sleeves? And there's also a ruched grey skirt available too, one that wasn't in the runway show but adorable nonetheless.