Have a Safe and Happy Christmas...

And may 2010 be your best year yet!

Vintage Shopping Extravaganza!

I thought I'd share a few markets and other fab events that might help out with your Christmas shopping...

Vanity Fair Vintage Fashion Market
Antique, vintage, retro & designer clothing,
Jewellery, millinery, fashion accessories,
Fashion art, buttons and bows, linen and lace


Friday 11 December 2009 5pm to 9pm
Saturday 12 december 2009 10am - 4pm

The Leichhardt Town Hall is the venue for Vanity Fair Markets - Sydney’s monthly undercover vintage markets where dealers from all over Australia offer bargain hunters vintage, antique, retro and designer label clothing, textiles, jewellery, fashion accessories ranging from exotic millinery to Sixties ‘winkle picker’ shoes, fashion drawings, buttons and bows, boudoir items and so much more....................

Check out VANITY FAIR Website

KIRRIBILLI FASHION MARKETS
Kirribilli Fashion Market features approximately 90 outside stalls of new, second hand and vintage fashion and accessories, antiques and collectables, bric - a - brac and homewares.

The next Kirribilli Fashion Market date is December 13th.
BRADFIELD PARK
MILSON'S POINT

MORE INFO OM KIRRIBILLI MARKETS HERE


SURRY HILLS MARKETS
First Saturday of every month, at the corner of Crown and Collins Sts, Surry Hills, in Shannon Reserve, regardless of weather. In wet weather, the market may be restricted to the paved area. Over Christmas and New Year, the normal schedule is maintained, so there will be Surry Hills Markets on 5 December 2009 and 2 January 2010. Come and enjoy

CHECK IT OUT HERE

THE FINDERS KEEPERS
SPRING / SUMMER INDEPENDENT DESIGN AND ART MARKETS
CO-PRESENTED BY CARRIAGEWORKS

Revel in the simple joy of discovery and explore the best in new contemporary art and design at The Finders Keepers markets, a bi-annual event that showcases the work of emerging designers and artists from Sydney and around Australia.

With fresh designers, new artwork and original merchandise at every stall, the Spring/Summer installment of The Finders Keepers features over 70 stalls and free live music in the bar. Click here to check out the line up of local live musicians who will keep the stage busy and the vibe chilled all weekend.

Perfectly timed for finding unique Christmas gifts, The Finders Keepers are partnered with creative 'Three Things Project' by Oxfam, who will be present at the markets. The Finders Keepers merchandise also donates a percentage of the profits from their stall.

Check out Carriage Works Here

Of course, Bowerbird Vintage is a pretty good place to pick up a few great gift ideas too...or a fab frock for yourself. I will even give you a 15% discount on anything in store. Just type the promo code BBVBLOG into the promo field when you check out!

:-)

Love Vintage - The book Has Arrived!

The lovely and super cluey Nicole Jenkins, costume designer, vintage clothing expert and owner of Circa Vintage Clothing in Melbourne has just released a gorgeous book on vintage fashion.

Nicole has been my "Go To" girl on all matters of vintage. Not only has she been extremely supportive of Bowerbird but also very helpful identifying era's on some of my pieces and offering advice when I ask for it.

Her knowledge of vintage is extraordinary and her taste is impeccable so I highly recommend you pick up a copy. It's filled with helpful hints, beautiful photo's and lots of great information about fashion throughout different era's.

"This book is the culmination of almost 30 years of studying, collecting and repairing vintage clothes, fuelled by a passion for the art of design and a humble respect for the dressmaking skills of a bygone era that brought such creative visions into reality"

You can purchase online at CARTERS for $49.95 plus delivery or ask for it at your local bookstore.

Vintage Barbie Exhibition in Perth

Perths Art Gallery of Western Australia is currently holding a vintage Barbie exhibition to celebrate the iconic dolls 50th birthday. The collection includes vintage Barbies from 1959-73 including Dior Inspired models, hippies and mod era dolls.

Vintage Barbie @ The Gallery is on display at the Art Gallery of Western Australia from Wednesday 23 September - Sunday 11 October 2009, 10am-5pm. Closed Tuesdays.

For more info, visit the Art Gallery of WA

A Vintage Muse

I often stumble across wonderful blogs inspired by vintage creativity that I feel compelled to write about on my own blog - the love needs to be shared around after all!

Today, I stumbled once again onto something wonderful...and not via my (work avoiding) cyber trawling and keyword googling methods that I usually get up to either.

Today, one of my very dear customers quietly mentioned that she would be putting up pictures on her blog of the 50's fair at Rose Siedler house that was on over the weekend (and which I forgot to tell you to diarise - I'm losing my touch!).

Having sold several of my favourite (Bowerbird) vintage dresses and vintage bags to her in the past I was more than a little curious to check out the site and to put a face to the name I knew so well. That's the downside to having an online store I'm afraid - no personal contact means I never get to see how the vintage dresses I sell are transformed by the women buying and wearing them. And sadly that's really the most fun.

I do get happy customers occasionally sending through pictures of themselves in their bowerbird vintage finery which is wonderful and a real thrill but I definitely miss the personal interaction and service that comes with owning a shop.

So, it turns out that my lovely customer, who is a Sydney journalist, writes a beautiful blog with tonnes of stunning photo's and bountiful information about all things vintage, thrifted, arty/crafty and creative. I Highly recommend that you drop by right here: A Wild Tea Party

Oh, and yes, she rocks a vintage dress!

Samsung Tap & Take Fun!

I don't usually blog about technology but this is hard to ignore...not only because it looks pretty fab but also because there is stuff to win!

Samsung is launching a brand new camera ST500/ST550 with some very cool new gadgetry including a Tap & Take feature and two LCD screens.

For someone who loves taking a snap or two, this compact little camera might be on my Christmas list this year . The double LCD screens (on the front and back) lets you take a photo of yourself and your friends while watching the image. No self timers needed anymore and no more decapitations or blurry images ever again. Great for street fashion blogging too!

The Tap and Take technology means that you no longer have to use those pesky little buttons on top anymore. Simply tap the screen and it focuses and takes the picture for you. There are heaps of other techno features as well...take a look at the very cool Tap and Take website for more details.

Oh, and here's the good bit! If you sign up to the Tap and Take Twitter and the Tap and Take Facebook page, starting from tomorrow August 20th, you have the chance to win one for yourself.

Simply watch for clues posted on various Australian Blogs, including little ol' Bowerbird Vintage, then solve the (easy peasy) clues and you will have a Samsung Tap and Take of your very own!

30 Days of Fashion Fun!

It was such a hit last year that ACP magazines are doing it again this September!

30 days of Fashion & Beauty will run throughout September and promises to be another fashion highlight for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane!

The entire month is jam packed with competitions, exclusive offers, fashion and beauty workshops, talks by your favourite fashion magazine editors, runway shows and much more.

The event is also aiming to raise $30,000 in 30 days for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer (FTBC), a global breast cancer research charity. Just by donating to this worthwhile cause you could win yourself any number of fashion packs, including a Bobbi Brown make-up box, Pandora jewellery or stunning Akira Osawaga dress.

Check out the events calendar for a full listing of what's on each day of September.

Vintage Fashion at Sydeny Design 09

The Powerhouse Museums annual International Design Festival is on again from the 1st of August until the 16th of August. This year it is jam packed with fantastic workshops, exhibitions and talk from experts in all design fields including fashion. In fact, there are a number of vintage fashion events that will definitely weasel me away from my fixed position in front of the fireplace.

What looks to be a seriously unmissable workshop for any vintage clothing collector is the seminar on conservation & restoration of vintage fashion and accessories on the 2nd of August. Experts will be giving advice on preserving, storing precious textiles and garments, and restoring beading and fabrics in vintage dresses and the like.

Also for budding fashion designers is the From Trash to Treasure workshops which explain the process of creating fashion from what would otherwise be waste. The first workshop focuses on “upcycling” of discarded materials through textile manipulation and rich embellishment. Reworking vintage clothing is a passion of mine so I will definitely be booking a spot for this one.

There is a myriad of other fashion related workshops and exhibitions too so I suggest you jump online at the PowerHouse and take a look for yourself.

Of course, if markets are your thing then I highly recommend the Young Blood Design Markets at the end of the festival on the 14th-16th of August. These are one of my favourite markets in Sydney and are usually only on twice a year. You can meet and buy direct from the best design talent in the country including fashion, furniture, jewellery, graphics, landscape and lighting designer to name a just a few.

Vintage Swimwear!

I know it's not exactly sun baking or swimming weather here in Sydney at present but if you love a vintage aesthetic and you are daydreaming about warmer weather (like me!) you should get yourself along to the Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour to see the new Exposed! The Story of Swimwear exhibition which is on right now until early October. Check out the ANMM web site for further details.

Sublime vintage swimwear and a history of popular culture and design influence. Oh, and it's free!

Thanks to the lovely Nicole at Circa Vintage for giving me the heads up!

Oh, to be free as a birdie

I've sadly become a terrible blogger...I used to be so good - sometimes I'd even blog 2 or 3 times a day about various going-ons. Now, it's more like 2 or 3 times a month. And I miss the lovely blogger community and just taking the time to sit down and have a little wander around all my favourites and other cyber haunts like Etsy and Madeit.

Life has gotten in the way! Businesses to run, studies to attend to and husbands to nag (not really...o.k sometimes...he likes it though...)

I'm always startled it's Friday - then the weekend flies by in a blink and away we go again.

I know! that's everybody elses life as well.

So, lets take 5 minutes out of our hectic day and look at pretty things...with birdies on them

...like these:

Someone...please buy me a handmade lamp from the Etsy store The Owls are Hunting

Made from reclaimed and vintage materials from the 60's, 70's and 80's

I'm in love...

or, I'd also be happy with adorable handmade little scarf from MINGUS. Who also makes lovely vintage inspired bits and pieces from reclaimed and recycled fabrics

and finally...

You can snap this little cotton tee up from Erin Jane at Strawberry Jam - home of all things handmade and vintage inspired...

It's that time again...

Yep, we are off on a vintage treasure hunt! Coasting down south this time with plenty of scheduled stops at my favourite vintage collectors and suppliers then back via the Snowy Mountians (Ski season opens this weekend!!!). I love a road trip - and after finally finishing off my Multi Media project for my Masters degree I feel like I deserve a bit of a break.

Actually, we have a lot of ground to cover and lots of vintage fashion and accessories to purchase in 9 days so it might be kind of hectic but hey, I've already bags'd the passenger seat (I'm dangerous driving long distances - I have a tendency to nod off as soon as I get onto the open road...makes for a long trip with 227 roadside stops doing star jumps to wake myself up!). Anyway, have lots of gorgeous new fashion mags for when I'm awake. Yes - I'm great company on road trips! I do share my crossword puzzles though...and my chocolate brownies.

One thing I hope to get time to do is visit the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. I'm very excited about the Vanity Fair Portraits 1913-2008 exhibition that starts tomorrow and runs to August 30. I've always loved the amazing celebrity portraits in VF and can't wait to see some of the vintage photography on display from the likes of Florance Vadamm. also on display are photographs by Mario Testino, Annie Lebovitz and Bruce Weber. Surely we can't miss that!

See you in a week and a half

x

Vintage Appeal - 1980's style

Hooray...vintage fashion is most definitely here to stay. With the passing of Rosemount fashion week and the latest winter trends from NY, Paris and Milan being showcased for their next season ...it is official – a vintage aesthetic is still the stand out design favourite with many of the top fashion houses both here and overseas.











Louis Vuitton does 80's glamour perfectly

Most notably, the 1980’s is having a huge moment with serious shoulder pads popping up everywhere and body con dresses in fluoro colours a catwalk fave! I’m thrilled. I’ve always loved the 80’s – the fashion, movies and music (maybe because that’s where I spent my teens and am ever so slightly nostalgic). It was such a fun era though and required a complete disregard for taste and rules. All you needed was attitude and confidence...the more colourful and flamboyant the outfit the better and nothing was too OTT. Obviously, there a many things best left behind, most notably blue eye shadow, bubblegum jeans and spiral perms (all of which I am guilty of wearing – occasionally at the same time!)

The great thing about referencing a fashion era is that designers now cleverly deconstruct the look. Shoulder pads for instance were often simply a matter of sewing in huge foam pads, giving the garment an often boxy, rather unfinished look. The current trend for power dressing and a sharp shoulder is all about amazing nips, tucks, pleats and rolls in amazing fabrics. It’s definitely OTT, but it’s also art – just look at some of the dresses and jackets from the likes of Balmain, Givenchy, Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana – the beauty lies in the details.

Having said that, I have been collecting authentic 80’s for a few years now, particularly disco frocks and sun dresses in mad colours and prints with plenty of frills. For every trashy, poorly made garment from that era there are still a myriad of fabulous designer frocks in great condition to be found.

Unfortunately, during the 90’s when fashion took a turn towards boring and safe and I went travelling for a few years, I stupidly discarded many of my glorious 80’s wardrobe including high waisted cut off denim shorts (although I’m quite sure I would not wear these now even though I weigh less than I did then...no one needs to see a 36 year old women in tiny shorts) , a black leather pencil skirt, a leather biker jacket, a few man style jackets and a black silk tuxedo suit that would just be so perfect right now...sigh!

Beautiful Balmain get it oh-so-right!

A few little VINTAGE FASHION gems to add to your Blog Roll...

Being the vintage mad, Internet obsessed woman that I am, spending time trawling like minded blogs and web sites is part of my morning ritual.

Of course nothing is fabulous if it is not shared with others right?

So, perhaps you have time to check these little gems out...?






I've only just stumbled across this London based site.
This amazing vintage on line magazine is a must for any vintage fan. Choc full of information about vintage fashion, beauty, and interior style secrets...It's definitely worth adding to your favourites!




"Whether you want to find the hottest vintage action By Location or By Decade, if you have a vintage piece ready to be revamped in our exclusive Make and Mend section, or even if you want to steal the style from our 100 Vintage Queens, we’ve got more vintage style advice and gossip than you could wave a Mark Cross overnight bag at! So if you bask in Bakelite and frolic in frills, our dedicated team of vintage-obsessed writers and gurus are making it their mission to bring you all that’s fabulous in the vintage world"

I know I've mentioned WARDROBE REMIX before but this Flickr site really is a brilliant photographic ode to the art of thrifting and a how to guide for all those gals who want to know how to wear their vintage and look fabulously cool and right on trend!

I love trawling through the photo's ...great for a daily dose of inspiration!













VINTAGE VERVE

A wonderful little blog by a vintage mad girl living in the vintage capital of Australia...Melbourne of course!


And speaking of Melbourne...

One of my favourite bloggers and go to girl for all things lady-like and vintage inspired...
LADY MELBOURNE is one of those wonderfully chic gals who just makes everything look good!

Vintage Fashion, Fashion, Fun!

Ok, so a little round up of things you really should get along to over the next few weeks...




Sydney Vintage Clothing, Jewellery and Textiles Show

WHEN: 17th - 19th April
WHERE: Canterbury Racecourse,Canterbury
WEBSITE DETAILS: http://www.lovevintage.com.au/main/page_program.html

This is the best vintage show around. Jam packed full of fabulous vintage fashion catwalk shows, vintage best dressed competition, vintage fashion workshops swing dance exhibitions and lucky door prizes. The best bit though is there are dozens of vintage stalls selling clothing, accessories, posters, fabrics and much much more.

Fashion Weekend - Sydney

WHEN: 14TH - 17TH of May 2009
WHERE: Royal Hall of Industries
WEBSITE DETAILS: http://sydney.fashionweekend.com.au/rhoi/
Presented by Shop Til You Drop Magazine, this is the first event like it in Sydney. Featuring a catwalk show, beauty makeovers, manicures, hair styling, cocktails and statement purchases from dozens of Australian designers at a fraction of their retail price!

It's not vintage but it's still a must for any girl who loves fashion!

The Finders Keepers Markets

WHEN: 15th-16 May 2009
WHERE: Carriage Works, Eveleigh, 245 Wilson Street
WEB SITE: http://www.thefinderskeepers.com/markets.php

A showcase of some 60 emerging designers and artists from all around Australia. The markets brings together new contemporary independent artists and designers of original and high creative standards. Art, Fashion, accessories, Jewellery - There's something for everyone!

The markets will feature free live music, with a cafe and bar open all day.

Vanity Fair Vintage Market
WHEN: 9 May 2009
WHERE: Leichhardt Town Hall, Cnr Norton and Marion Streets, Leichhardt
WEBSITE: http://www.vanityfairmarkets.com/index.html

Held once a month in Leichardt, this is a great market for anyone interesting in vintage clothing and accessories. There is a plethora of fabulous finds including dresses, bags and items made from recycled vintage materials, vintage accessories such as bags and shoes, jewellery, sewing accoutrement's, linen and lace, boudoir items, gentlemen’s clothing and accessories, fashion art, shopping ephemera such as old catalogues and advertisements, patterns.

You name it, you can find it at Vanity Fair.

Fashion in the City

This just in from one of my favourite daily alerts for all things fabulous, DAILY ADDICT:

The MLC Centre in the Sydney CBD is having a fashion moment with a photography exhibition featuring works by 21 top fashion photographers including Derek Henderson, Carlotta Moye and Simon Lekias. From Barely There to Wondrous Exhibition until Wed 8 Apr, MLC Centre, Sydney CBD. Free.

The exhibition embraces everything from Miranda Kerr floating on a duck to Eva Mendes bringing true glamour to Bondi. Although entry to the exhibition is free you can spend a pretty penny on buying up some of the fabulous limited-edition prints which are signed, beautifully mounted and framed (85 x 65cm), for price of $750.

The best bit? All the profits will go straight to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. That should have you racing into town for a sticky beak surely?

Vintage Fashions Arriving This Week

I've been busy over the last couple of weeks travelling around the country picking up lovely new vintage pieces for the shop. I've also had the good fortune to collect some amazing garments straight from private collectors or sellers which is fantastic.

I love the stock trips. Not only do I get to travel to some gorgeous places but I get to meet lots of happy vintage aficionado's who are as enthusiastic about old clothes as I am!

The difficult part starts when I get back to Sydney and everything has to be dry cleaned, measured, styled, photographed and written up on the Bowerbird site.

Oh, and I have a paper due this week at university. Hectic days ahead...
xo

Plenty of dresses...

coats & jackets...and other vintage goodies will be avaialbe toward the end of this week at BOWERBIRD

Vintage Paris

The French Film Festival hits Sydney tomorrow and is promising its usual spectacular line up of French fabulousness featuring "the dernier cris of French talent including Juliette Binoche, Vincent Cassel, Virginie Ledoyen, Catherine Deneuve, Daniel Auteuil, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Beart, Gerard Depardieu, Gérard Jugnot, Ludivine Sagnier, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi".

Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing the cabaret style musical Paris 36 which kicks off opening night. Set in a working class suburb of Paris in 1936 (funnily enough!) it's been nominated for 5 Cesar awards (kind of like the French Oscars) including costume design, which I am especially interested in. All those fantastic vintage dresses and 1930's showbiz gowns!

From what I can gather the film is a loving tip of the hat to studio-bound French pictures of the World War II period that's both entertaining and fabulously over the top. Although I'm generally not a lover of musicals, the French really know how to put on a show (Ever been to Moulin Rouge???) and the reviews have been excellent so I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

There are some 30 films playing over the next couple of weeks at the Verona and the Palace Academy in Paddington as well as Norton Street Cinema in Leichardt. The festival is also on around the rest of the country throughout March in capital cities. Click HERE for screenings and session times.

Another Great Website Alert...

I love an online magazine. Partly because it's free...and also because I'm an Internet junkie. I get a kick out of finding really cool websites bursting with fresh idea's and talented people doing amazing things with graphics and layouts. So, an online mag is right up my alley. Especially if it's a fashion magazine that is promoting local designers, fashions and celebrities.

My Lookbook is a fantastic visual journal of designers and e-boutiques that showcases what's hot right now and what is currently in stores and online. Each fashion spread links directly to a website or e-boutique so you can purchase your favourite outfit immediately after drooling over it on the site (while at your desk pretending your working really hard). There's also plenty of celebrity inspiration, catwalk talk and insider interviews.

Visit http://www.mylookbook.com.au/ and Subscribe (I just did!)

New Fashion Length

It is a widely held belief that in times of financial crisis there are certain things in the world of fashion that also come crashing down. Despite the trend in recent years to show off as much skin as possible there now appearing to be an overwhelming trend towards longer hemlines. It seems the world economic downturn has inspired a more conservative approach to dressing and being overtly sexy and revealing is a little passé these days.

Personally, Ive always loved a demure hemline and I'm thrilled to see the 1920's and 1940's style calf length skirts returning to the run ways. A well cut calf length pencil skirt or Galaxy style dress worn with the right pair of heels is far more captivating and dramatic than a mini skirt any day of the week (unless of course, you have Miranda Kerr's body measurements).

Our current attitude of fashion austerity is definitely not new. The Skirt Length theory has been around for years in fact. The hypothesis generally speaking is that skirts get much shorter in times when general consumer confidence is high, and when things start to look a tad depressing and gloomy like they do now, hemlines fall and skirts are worn longer.

To be perfectly honest, I don't really have a whole lot of faith in this notion as trends move so fast these days that calf length is already so "5 minutes ago" according to the latest NY runway reports... but I am definitely happy to see a lean toward a more decorous and womanly aesthetic this season anyway - My knobbly knee's and I rejoice in the knowledge that they're not getting any shorter!




Victoria Beckham's debut collection was all about the calf length skirt

Our hearts are breaking for you Victoria...

If tears could build a stairway,
And memories a lane,
I'd walk right up to Heaven
And bring you home again

Currently there are 181 men, women and children known to have perished in the fires in Victoria. There are still many listed as missing.

donate online at:
https://www.redcross.org.au/Donations/onlineDonations.asp

Shoes Glorious Shoes

Now, I realise that they possibly look a little like a pair of shoes that say, Elizabeth Berkely might have worn in Showgirls (or Demi Moore in Striptease?)...And of course they are totally impractical, look like they might do some permanent damage to your Achilles and are the kind of shoes that everybody will remember which means you can wear them maybe twice before your friends start to wonder if you have other shoes.

But my, aren't they sublime? I adore the colour and I have just purchased a beautiful vintage 1950's navy blue party dress that would look absolutely heavenly paired with them.

Actually, I bought the frock as part of a stock haul for Bowerbird last week but I've fallen in love with it and can't stand the thought of selling it on the web site. Plus, it fit's me like it was made especially for me so that must be a sign right?
...And quite frankly it's been such a long time since I actually purchased vintage just for me that I'm working through the guilt associated with keeping something I purchased for the shop.

Oh, to buy or not to buy?

The problem is that Peeptoe Shoes have an enormous range of amazing heels at really reasonable prices. The most expensive is $249.00 and they regularly have half price sales. The last time I bought shoes online from Peeptoe I layed out a whooping $350.00...Justified away entirely by the fact that all three pairs were on sale. Of course that was a year ago and I still haven't worn one pair and another is a half size too small (they didn't have an 8 so I figured I'd be able to squeeze into the 7.5 - consequently I've worn them once and I could barely walk for a full 48hrs afterwards). On the bright side though, all three make my customised shoe closet look extra colourful and spectacular!

The other wonderful thing about Peeptoe's is that the shoes (as well as being very well made, high quality leather and super high heels) have a lovely bright red sole. So, even though I don't own a pair of Christian Louboutin's I can pretend I do and therefore I strut better, feel thinner and stand taller in them.

That's a good reason right there to buy them. Sold!

Fun in the Sun

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling a bit blah. The heat, I think, is finally getting to me and January, my favouite month of the year has slipped away in a blur of activity leaving boring old February to mark my journey back into the realms of serious business enterprise and the long hours of post grad studies. Not that I'm really complaining - by the time Feb rolls around I am always ready for new challenges and antsy to get started on new projects.

January in Sydney is my favourite time of the year because there is so much going on. The Sydney festival is in full swing with lots of free concerts, art exhibitions and and movies under the stars. The weather is glorious (perhaps a a tad too warm at times this year?), there are always visitors to entertain and everyone I know seems to have a birthday in Jan. Throw in a wedding or two and bunch of amazing gigs such as Leonard Cohen last week at the Ent Centre (Be still my beating heart!) and Glen Hansard (accompanied by his brilliant band The Frames) and Marieke Irglova performing songs from their little Indy flick "Once" at the Opera House. Yes, January is a hard month to beat.

...And then February brings me back to earth. I'm feeling a bit guilty that I 've had too much fun and a little panicked about the need to get my behind into gear and make a start on the infinite number of bright idea's and new projects I want to get off the ground this year.

So, yesterday did not begin well. Overwhelmed with what to do first and how I might go about making my budget stretch to incorporate so many things on my list, I found myself feeling a little flat. Fortunately, we had a photoshoot organised for the late afternoon and as soon as lunch was over I was completely absorded in dresses, locations, props and camera equipment. There is nothing like launching yourself into inspired activity to lift to the spirits.

Now I'm ready to roll ;->

Some of the photo's we took from yesterday's shoot...Lots of fun and the dresses turned out spectacularly!

More on Fashion Icons...An ode to Ms Deyn

Oh Agyness, you gorgeous (if somewhat over exposed) thing! Those cheekbones are criminal. Those big, wide blue eye's are mesmerising and who wouldn't sell their granny for such dewy, porcelain skin? Lets not mention your amazing figure nor your fabulous platinum locks for I shall surely die of envy.

Seriously though, I can probably get by without your youth and beauty as I've wonderful memories of my own formative years that I can always rely on to make me smile...And ageing has made me realise that being wistful about ones looks is in fact very time consuming. The results? Only lost opportunities and a drawer full of half used expensive, ineffective face creams and cellulite lotions I'm afraid!

However, I positively would sell Grandma (she'd understand I'm sure) to buy even a little piece of your incredibly fabulous wardrobe.

You are the essence of quirky glamour. You wear even the most detestable 1980's fashion with flair and elegance (see top photo for prove of this) - and you rock a vintage party dress like nobody I know.

You are my undisputed queen of vintage fashion (sorry Dita - your kinda 2008 now) and I'm eagerly awaiting your sartorial adventures for 2009.

Please don't disappoint me.







All photos coureousy of NY Magazine

Fashion Icons - Grace Kelly Style

Happy New Year!

We have been stumbling around the country side visiting friends at various locations around the State and then hiking in the mountains for over the Christmas break. We arrived home yesterday to some serious heat though - our few days on the mountains meant some pretty cold temperatures and a permanent beanie so it feels strange to now be assaulted by 40 degree heat...

It's nice to be back online after a week and a half of holidaying (I chose not to take my laptop on holiday for the first time in years!)

I've spent half the day catching up on favourite blogs as well as street style sites such as The Sartorialist and Turned Out - an old fave and my current obsession respectively. Which brings me to Charlotte Casiraghi...

Grace Kelly's granddaughter recently featured in Turned Outs blog and WOW - she certainly has grown up into a beautiful woman. I can see both her grandmother and her her mother Princess Caroline in her gorgeous face but it's her style that really makes her truly fabulous. She definitely has inherited that timeless glamour that Grace exuded in her heyday. Although her look changes regularly from young and funky to vintage fashion, relaxed boho and amazing couture gowns she seems to manage them all with grace and sophistication.



It's also great to see that she tries very hard to fly under the celebrity radar. Part of her undeniable glamour lies in her unwillingness to exploit her family name and spend her inheritance on partying (unlike her auntie Stephanie who spent the 1980's getting up to all kinds of mischief) and flitting around the world on private jets to attend the opening of an envelope.

I've always thought real glamour and style involved a good helping of restraint and modesty - Grace would be proud!