Speaking of Supermodels...

I was reading about the original super model last night - 60's icon Jean Shrimpton - Apparently, (according to wiki ) the word "supermodel" was created to describe "The Shrimp". Her debut of the mini dress in 1965 at the Melbourne Cup elevated her to icon status.

Jean Shrimpton - What a beautiful face

I'm putting Jean at number 1...but here's the rest of my 10 best super's of all time:

2. Twiggy - of course! (have you been watching her as panelist on America's next top model? Still lovely!)

3. Veruschka - another 60's icon. If you have ever seen Blow Up 'm sure you will agree she is one of the most stunning women of her era

Michelangelo Antonioni's "Blow Up" 1966

4. Gia Carangi - Most famous face of the 70's and probably one of the most tragic too. She died in 1986 of Aids and was also a herion addict.

5. Cindy Crawford

6. Linda (i don't get out of bed for less than $10000 a day) Evangelista

7. Naomi Campbell

8. Christy Turlington

9. Claudia Shiffer

(The above five in any order - They resurrected the word Super in the 1980's)

10. Elle MacPherson - obviously

and tie breaker,

Kate Moss - The face of 90's heroin chic is still going strong, although coke is her drug of choice I'm told!

oh, and Giselle - For those cheekbones

OMG - This modelling gig's not as easy as it looks!

Today we did a few more photos for the web site using me as model. I was hoping to escape modelling duty actually, as posing in front of a camera for me is akin to being tortured. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be that girl with the natural smile and confident strut but all I see when I look at photos is FLAWS!


I'm doing it for a few reason's - mainly convenience as we will be adding new items practically daily and the clothes look so much better on a human than they do on a mannequin, although I'm also using mannequins to.


Asking someone else to model everytime I need a real body will be logistical nightmare though.

Maybe when we grow world famous I will employ a full time model!!!


The other reason is that it probably gives the web site a bit more of a personal touch. I was pretty hands-on in the shop so flashing my pearly whites around the on-line store will be like being the "face" of bowerbird I suppose.

Finally, it could be good for my confidence! Us ladies really need to get over the whole "flaws" issue. So, I'm no supermodel...who cares? I'm pretty magnificant anyway (right mum?)
xx




Me pretending to be kate Moss

Summers Hot List

Ten Things To Buys For Summer Blue 1970's Maxi Dress available at Bowerbird in a couple of weeks time!

1. White White White: Frocks, Linen Pants, leather sandals, wedges, tee shirts & singlet tops. Wear it all White

2. 70's Maxi Dress: Goodbye baby-doll, The maxi dress is back. Wear it to the floor proudly. Vintage is best though so try and find the real deal

3. Sailor themes: I love red, white and blue. In Stripe & Spots too. So fresh

4. Fresh Water Pearls: Pearls are such a summer jewel I think. Have a look at the amazing range at Paspaley Pearls

5.Vintage Inspired swimwear: Everyone from Collette Dinnigan to Sass & Bide are bringing out swim wear this season and the look is very 1950's pin-up girl in both one-piece and bikini's

6.Retro sunglasses: rayban wayfarers, 1950's style round frames or oversized 1980's with colourful, striped frames. Check out One Teaspoons/Le Specs at Birdmotel

7.Large colourful canvas tote bags: for all your beach necessarities

8.Embellishments: including handmade silk floral brooches, handsewn fabric necklaces, resin jewellry, sequinned neck ties, silk scarves and simple white tee-shirts adorned with beading, sequinns and stones

9. Red and White Striped floppy sun hat from Country Road . My latest purchase!

10. Trapeze shaped dresses in gorgeous summer colours like coral, fushia, emerald green and topaz

Beauty

"Beauty of whatever kind, invariably excites the human soul to tears"

This photo is of the Bowerbird shop window in Glebe. I loved this quote by Edgar Allan Poe so much I had it stenciled on our display window. I might try and incorporate it into the web site as it still captures the essence of our little store...

Balmain Art& Craft Show

The Balmain Art & Craft show is on next weekend. It's been going for 12 years now and is an established part of the Sydney contemporary art scene.
Around 200 artists and artisans show their wares at the Father John Therry School, Eaton Street, Balmain

Check out http://www.balmainartandcraftshow.com.au/ for all the details.

Cool Crafty Web Store! GeorgieLove!

This store is a must see for those of you who love individual designs and crafty one off pieces from fab Aussie talent. Selling fashion, jewels, toys, bags, purses and every other crafty creation imaginable - it's worth the visit! Click here

Think I'm gonna buy me one of these cute little brooches.

Decisions, Decisions....

The pyschology of hair colour

In the last ten months I have come full circle - almost. In january I had very light (long) blond hair which by March had been highlighted with caramels, after taking a photo of Giselle into my hairdresser and declaring that I wanted her hair (who doesn't ?). A month later I was sitting in the chair again saying it's time for a change! Cut It Off! This time the photo accompanying such a declaration was of Audrey Tattou's cute little pixie cut.

A week or so later I decided that short hair needed a dark hue for a more polished look. Unfortunately I was in Coles in the hair care section when I made that decision so I trotted off home with a Clairol Dark Brown permanent hair colouring kit in my groceries - Who knew colouring your own hair would be so messy...and dark brown?!!!

The very next day I had my (long suffering) hairdresser fix it with some highlights....This lasted another month before I had them die it BLACK. That was definitely a PMT based decision and one I regretted immediately. Two weeks later it was stripped again and dyed Red (I've always wanted to try out hair the colour of Lily Coles).

Unfortunately (that word pops up alot in my hair stories) I looked more like Ronald McDonald than Lily Cole and it was promply died back to dark brown the very next day.

Over the last six months it has slowly been lightened again and finally I am back to blond.

What does all this say about me? I love change? I'm insecure about my looks? I'm artistic? eccentric? eccletic? mental?

Mostly, I think it says I have very strong hair
x

Vintage = Green

I read an article recently written (very eloquently) by young British model Lily Cole about ethical fashion although I'll be damned if I can find it now - I'm sure I tore it out and put it somewhere safe!

Anyway, it basically extolled the virtues of recycled clothing and how we can all do a bit for the environment by not treating clothes as disposable products (and YES, she was aware of the irony re: her job as a top model flogging luxury goods).

I 100% agree with her though, and I really believe that it's an important issue. Particularly the human cost of our cut-price clothing. All those luxury rip offs and cheap clothing lines that we bargain hungry shoppers love to buy are often at the expense of dirt poor people in places like China, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka whose national economies rely heavily on textile trade. (have a look at http://www.list.co.uk/article/1127-ethical-chic/ for more info)

Sweat shops are not new but as a community we have a responsibility to understand the extent of exploitation and dismal conditions of workers in poverty stricken countries - Our desire for bargains and the department store sale wars ultimately have a huge impact on those people as their manufacturing is directly proportional to our consumption which often times means even longer hours for less pay.

Doesn't this make the idea of vintage clothing even more appealing? Buying Vintage not only means you have something unique and beautifully preserved, but you can also be responsible shoppers without comprising on style.

Right On!