The other week I watched Howl, and now all I can think about is Remington typewriters and readings in smoky New York clubs, and James Franco as Allen Ginsberg talking about falling in love with Jack Kerouac, and about falling in love with Neal Cassady, and about wanting to write so that they would “understand, nakedly, how I felt”, and about being in the psych ward, and saying, “There is no Beat Generation. It’s just a bunch of guys trying to get published.”

And all I can think is that if I was a cute guy all I would ever wear would be big black Ray-Bans and white t-shirts and plaid shirts. And then I thought, well, maybe I’ll just do that anyway.

Sometimes I get this feeling like, hey remember how I used to draw and stuff? And then I sit down with my charcoals and I realise how out of practice I am and it’s one of those things that just is not like riding a bike. So I cheat a little and I trace bits and copy stuff and I scribble and cry, and my cat walks all over it with his cute little paws and tries to eat it. But then I scan it in and adjust it a little and I feel kind of happy.

Anyway, I did this thing of Andrej and it was fun for me. (more…)

In a way I kind of hate going to fashion shows, because I feel so messy and unglamorous in my eBay hand-me-downs, and I’m a big poser pretending my knowledge of fashion goes any deeper than OMG LOOK AT ALL THE PRETTY THINGS. But in another way I love it completely, because OMG so many beautiful people and beautiful clothes and you can drink champagne and get free cosmetics and everything is so beautiful and cool. And this year’s L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival was pretty great in that same miserable/exhilarating/inspiring/depressing kind of way.

Obviously, even if I could afford to buy this stuff I couldn’t actually wear the styles I love, but that’s not really the point anyway. Designer clothes just aren’t really made for women  who are shorter than 5’11″ or bigger than a size 6, or who, you know, have breasts and hips – which is a whole other complex kettle of fish in itself, but I’ve made my peace with it, mostly. But in an imaginary world where I look like Georgia May Jagger and have her bank account as well, this is what I’d fill my wardrobe with. (more…)

If you had suggested to me at any point in the 24 years that I’ve been alive that we go to the ballet I probably would have said “Oh PLEASE, are you trying to lull me into a coma?” Even now the idea of sitting through two hours or more of the traditional sort of slow, cultured, pitter-pattery sort of affair isn’t all that appealing – I’m too fidgety, too used to loud guitars, too full of myself to think I could enjoy something so pretty and proper.

And yet. I’ve found myself strangely entranced by all the beautiful photographs I keep seeing lately in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of The Australian Ballet. Vogue described ballet and fashion as having “a beautiful simpatico” and that phrase has lingering in my head for weeks. There is something about dance that lends itself to the ethereal and dramatic – beautiful textures, delicate detailing, soft draping and striking feminine silhouettes. Just like dancers themselves, ballet costumes need to look weightless and fragile and beautiful, but also be sturdy as hell to withstand an incredibly physically demanding performance. And that’s pretty cool. (more…)

Lately I’ve been attempting to clean out my wardrobe. It’s difficult for me, partly because I use my entire apartment as my wardrobe, and partly because I can be a bit of a hoarder. I’m not what you’d call a domestic goddess (though I console myself with the reminder that I am a professional woman with things to do, and why spend my few precious spare moments cleaning dishes when I could be clutching my feline and eating chocolate?) but despite my belief that fretting about domestic chores is largely a waste of time, lately I’ve been reconsidering over the whole wardrobe thing.

Having a well-organised wardrobe has become a new sort of status symbol, a signifier of adulthood. To have everything either folded neatly or hanging properly on wooden hangers, sorted by colour or type of garment or level of formalness, or even a complicated system of all three, means you’ve really got it all together. It’s sort of like doing yoga, or eating organics. Remove all the clutter and you become calm and balanced.

But it’s difficult. Even though it’s common sense to get rid of garments that don’t fit or don’t suit you or that for whatever reason you’re never going to wear, actually putting them in the garbage bag is pretty hard. (more…)

I like books, and I like to look at beautiful clothes, and I especially like it when two of the things I like collide. Literature to me seems like a limitless wealth of inspiration for any kind of visual art and design, and there’s a long list of books I think could inspire some pretty cool fashion collections – On the Road, Cold Comfort Farm, The Secret History, Wuthering Heights, even like American Psycho. But also, these ones that have actually happened are pretty cool too…

For his 2012 Fall/Winter collection, Honduran designer Carlos Campos presented a line inspired by Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s classic, excruciating story of unrequited love. With flourishes of fiery red (“the colour of love, passion and blood,” Campos says) against earthy tones of camel, terracotta and sand, the vibrant colour palette instantly evokes the exotic flavour of Latin America, recalling all the relentless passion and intensity so often associated with its culture, and particularly symbolised in Florentino Ariza. The bold block colours and clean-cut lines of the garments contrast against the luxurious softness of the cashmere, silks and wools reflecting something of the tension between intensity and delicacy that romance naturally evokes. (more…)

It’s the perfect way to mark the end of a long, cold winter. As the dark clouds and drizzly sky give way to crisp spring air and blooming colours, Melbourne Spring Fashion Week celebrates everything fresh, bright and creative, encouraging everyone to come out and play in the inspiring and invigorating Melbourne fashion scene.

Now in its 18th year, Melbourne Spring Fashion Week celebrates Melbourne as a fashion destination, showcasing the thriving creativity of the city from local emerging talent to Australia’s most iconic designers. The theme of “Be Inspired” will be realised through a diverse series of runway shows, seminars, workshops and shopping events, with fresh-faced Melbourne models Jake Sofo, Annaleise Smith, Emily Trimble-Thompson and Ebony Edwards leading the show.

Luminous brunette Annaleise Smith, who will front the Designer Series, says creativity and self-expression are at the heart of what makes fashion so invigorating. “I love the ability to express yourself through clothes,” she says. “Fashion to me is about taking trends and current styles and making them unique.”

The freedom to make styles your own flourishes particularly in Melbourne, where fashion embraces the eclectic and individual. ‘Australian fashion immerses its landscape into the aesthetic; it is not afraid to push the boundaries,” Smith says. “Melbourne has a reputation for indulging in black as a colour, but there is so much more to fashion in this city. Melburnian designers offer an array of beautiful collections that satisfy all tastes.”

The festival program is as multi-faceted as the style it celebrates, with a mix of iconic design and fresh, emerging talent all on show in a visual spectacular of colour, texture and movement. As always, the trademark attraction of the festival is the Designer Series, a suite of runway shows featuring the upcoming spring/summer collections from Australia’s premier designers. Over four nights, Melbourne Town Hall will become a shimmering hub of creativity, with stunning new designs by Toni Maticevski, Manning Cartell, Thurley, Scanlan and Theodore, Ellery, LIFEwithBIRD, Lui Hon and more.

Read the full story at 3000melbourne

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(Cross-posted at 3008Docklands)

There’s a scene in the movie Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (an adaptation of the novel by Patrick Suskind) in which a retiring perfumer discovers a fragrance created by a young olfactory genius. The scent transports him to a lush, mystical world in his mind. Surrounded by luscious flowers, a beautiful woman leans in and kisses him on the cheek and whispers in his ear. When he opens his eyes again, the change in him is visible – the scent has moved him, altered him in some way.

This is what Emma Leah believes fragrances should do. Working out of a cosy, beautifully decorated atelier on Park St in South Melbourne, Leah creates natural perfumes that she hopes will transport customers in a similar way. “Perfume is something that’s intimate, something that’s on the skin when you’ve got nothing else there. This is something that’s mixing with your body,” she says. “We want to go back to the lost art of perfumery, for people who feel passionate about fragrance and can’t find the rich perfumes that used to exist.” (more…)

(Cross-posted at Lipmag)

Confidence, individuality and classic sophistication are three key elements at the heart of Australian fashion label Mina & Katusha’s collection of comfortable and versatile designs.

Four years ago, RMIT design alumni Sarina Zammit and fashion entrepreneur Katya Baxter began creating and marketing their designs under the name Mina & Katusha – a reference to the nicknames the two women were given as children. Since then, Mina & Katusha has firmly established its place within the unique and creative fabric of Australian fashion, and the clean lines, classic silhouettes and playful detail of their garments have earned them increasing attention from overseas.

With the launch of their new collection, ‘Encounter’, Sarina and Katya spoke to Lip about their inspiration, passion and design philosophy.

How did Mina & Katusha begin?
It all started rather organically. We met one another through Sarina doing work experience for Katya in her textile agency. We came across a great cotton print fabric and decided to design some maxi dresses and sell them to friends, and see what came of it. Four years later we are still holding onto the fabric and so ecstatic that we have a label together. Our partnership works well as we worked together before becoming friends and we take care of different areas of the business with our different skills.

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