The beginning of the end

"Whatever trepidation you may feel
In your heart you know it´s not real
In a moment of clarity
Some little act of charity

You gotta pull me out of this mud
Sweet baby I need fresh blood"


- Fresh Blood, The Eels


(guest song choice by Burnt Sienna)


Touchdown.
Berlin.
Day 1 = 
-dress-ups in our epic apartment
-rolling 'round on our water bed
-searching for low fat milk
-trying to learn more than one German word (other than Vunderbar. Which, to be honest, is quite a fantastic answer to most things anyway...)
-overcoming my fear of not remembering how to ride a bike...statement that snapped me out if it: "riding a bike is like riding a bike", Elliot.


side note: although playing dress-ups for no reason is more than ok. In fact, its absolutely phenomenal... This dress-up session was born for quite a significant reason. We started off in the wrong area of the city, and our first impressions were severely damaged by an abundance of un-friendly stares from fellow passer's by. Used to wearing whatever we want (and not being stared at for it), we were quite taken-aback and this resulted in us feeling forced to wear the 'jeans and tee-shirt' combo around (not even with jewellery. effing heck. i know right!)
So with an hour to kill, in the safety of our home, we had to vent and get our fashion hit.
We have since found our nook of the city and feel free to voice our fashion opinions (thank goodness!)


Stay tuned, as I have had quite a huge sway in style since being here...totally radical babes. You'll see what I mean very very soooooon.
xx

Clothing: All vintage
Clogs: my own
Rachael's shoes: Beaucoops

Just Quietly

"When things were a little bit clearer 
When you got nearer 
I shied from your touch 
Now that I know what I want, see, 
I think that it haunts me, 
I want you too much"
-Sweet Darlin', She & Him


Is there really anything I need to say about this?
The answer is no.
For the first time, I am actually speechless.
And, I have a baby feeling in my heart, this newest member to my love boat family may in fact take your breath away.

ok stop holding your breath now lovers

Shall We?

"I was a movin' man
In my younger days
But I've grown out
Of my ramblin' ways

I left that road
So far behind
And now I know
I got mine"


- I got mine, The Black Keys




Matthew Zorpas
He has been voted the second best dressed guy in the UK, and literally took London Fashion Week by storm.
Everyone was effing going on about this guy, and to be honest i was like "well, who the f%#k is he anyway?" (in my naive state).
He came and hung out for a while the other day, as we ran between buildings in Brick Lane to escape the rain.
He self described this day 'casual day', as after all the Fashion Week outfit madness, everyone was really vibing anything effing comfy. (I'm actually quite certain most people would have preferred to rock around in pajama's throughout London in fact, and if I had a Jeremy Scott 'all-in-one' I'm positive I would gone there).
So here he is, the man himself.
p.s we decided that the two of us are going to do our own Fashion Week in Berlin somehow. So stay tuned!

A button up cord shirt? In Mustard? A suit jacket with a vest attached? The answer is yes.

The backpack. Awesome.

Pass Fail

"She went to see a mystic 
Who made medicine from rain
And gave up her existence 
To feel everything, dream others dreams
Bid farewell to her family 
With one ecstatic wave 
(Please take care, I love you all)
Out the window as the car rolled away
She just vanished into a thick mist of change"


-Hot knives, Bright Eyes


Now unfortunately throughout London Fashion Week there were some shows and spectators that were.....a little less than impressive.
(not to complain. gosh. any show is an interesting experience)
It did give me an idea though.
For a 'pass and fail' post.
But keep in mind, the people named here are lovely and even if they have ended up in the 'fail' category, I'm sure I just caught them in a 'non-celeste' type moment. Which, is absolutely effing fine really, as this is just my opinion.

Feel free to let me know yours.

Frankie Sandford from The Saturday's...

Fail: a corset style prom dress? come on love. seriously? sack the stylist.

Front row...

Fail: glasses that light up like glow sticks. 

You can also see the confusion regarding the matter in the guy on the far rights's expression. 

Jasper Conran show...

Pass: Pastel mixing

Jasper Conran show...

Fail: Mesh, races style hats. They honestly killed the whole collection

David Nyanzi got a bit of both..
Pass: bow-tie. always.
Fail: bright green polo shirt and a wallet chain.

The Beginning

For those of you who are meeting me for the first time ('nice to meet you' curtsy), I just finished up designing for Aussie cult label One Teaspoon, after a 3 year love affair.
I found this interview from earlier this year, for Sarah from Beginning Boutique, and was happy to realise my point of view has not altered in terms of what I'm into (as it often wanders, in this industry, and I do get rightly obsessed about certain things).
I'm particularly still very passionate when it comes to the fashion plague that is still affecting millions the world over. Crocs.
Tell me you don't agree with my answer below:

3. What is your no. 1 styling tip?

Don't ever wear Crocs. Seriously. Fuck.
(Sarah Beginning Boutique: I'll have to send my mum the memo..)


How cute is Sarah's little comment...in real life, she better have given her mother the memo. As should you guys! (even though I already know, you know better)

To view the full interview

click here

Hope your having a lovely day my little hippie love children
xx

Love Me Do

"I take 1 1 1 'cause you left me
And 2 2 2 for my family
And 3 3 3 for my heartache
And 4 4 4 for my headaches
And 5 5 5 for my lonely
And 6 6 6 for my sorrow
And 7 7 7 for no tomorrow
And 8 8 8 I forget what 8 was for
And 9 9 9 for a lost god
And 10 10 10 10
for everything everything everything everything "


- Kiss Off, Violent Femmes
(this particularly doesn't have anything to do with my post but I effing love singing these lyrics really really loud when I'm excited about something. I'm really excited about heading to Berlin on Saturday. Ef Yah!)


Tyrone Shrives (which I keep pronouncing Shivers...I must like the sound of that better)
Ty was my date to Broadway markets the other day to check out some cute fabric stores, some handle-bar moustaches, some street style, and some serious babes.
He took me to his favorite coffee place (in which we waited for around half an hour for our capuchinos. worth the wait though.), and while I had him I decided it trivial to interview him on the 5 top things a fashion lover has to do when they visit London.


Here are his answers:

1.       Spitalfield Market on a Sunday

2.       Broadway Market on a Saturday (A for the Kiwi coffee shop and B to go and sit in London Fields)

3.       Go to the magazine stall opposite Liberty’s who has the best international fashion magazines in London and then go and sit and drink wine and read them!

4.       Camden passage in Angle and then hit the breakfast club for the best breakfast wrap and coffee ever!

5.       Berwick street in Soho has the most amazing fabric shops like the Cloth House.

So there you have it fellow wanderer's. Skip to it!

xx

The man himself : Ty

Do you think this lady bought this dog at the market?

vintage Mexican hand woven throws? the answer is yes.

 

Coolest couple of the day goes to these two. Cool rocker boyfriend, and hot Asian hippie chick? yes please.

I wore: One Teaspoon shorts, One Teaspoon tee, Vintage lingerie cape, Vintage fur shawl, boots made by me, 

Dior sunglasses,  and you can see in my left hard the wool I bought for my pom poms. 

It came in a cute red and white candy stripe paper bag! Made me fall in love with it even more!

For the love of Pom Pom's

DIY 

pom pom head piece

Now, apparently I seem to be the only unlucky soul to have missed 'how to make a pom pom' lesson in primary school (which, mind you, I was extremely upset about, and would truly love it if some of you missed that class also....so I do not feel like some sort of Primary school badie, who always missed classes and instead chased boys around the play ground in her favorite game of kiss and catch). Actually let me come out of the brackets for a second, as you must know, for the record, I was really effing into primary school. Probably too into it. I wanted to do everything. I did everything. So now you might see why this pom pom matter is very confusing for me. Surely I sat there, at the front of the class, listening to every word and wanting to be the fastest person to finish the exercise? (let it go, let it go).

Ok I'm back.

So anyway, my friend Holly Hipwell (I am mentioning her last name as it is a very primary school thing to do) showed me how to do it not long before I sold up my whole life and moved away (I'm also feeling a little cranky today) and ever since I have wanted to make a headpiece made of HUMUNGOR pom poms. When I went to broadway markets (more coming soon) I found the cutest fabric store with the thickest wool I have ever seen! So, last night, Ladies and gentlemen...I did it.

Here is how:

1. decide on how big you want your little beauties to be and cut 2 X cardboard donuts accordingly.

2. cut off a piece of wool long enough to go around the outer edge of the donut, leave to the side.

3. tie the end of your yarn of wool around the two donuts, so they are pressed together.

4. Slither the seperate piece you cut in step 2 in-between the two donuts, so you can see the ends poking out.

5. wrap your wool round and round and round the donut until there are no gaps.

6. brace yourself, this next part is hard.

7.using sharp scissors, cut in-between the two donuts at the outer edge, making sure non of the wool falls off the donut.

8. pull the two ends of the looped wool (done in step 4.) all the way together and knot.

9. remove from donuts and you have your pom pom! (horray!)

warning : this may take longer than you would expect it to. I reccomend super thick wool, and some super strong patience. Dont give up after 1 like I did and try and make it work. It won't.

photo's of the actual head piece to come...stay posted xx

To Market To Market!

"And they all want to love the cause
'Cause they all need to be the cause
They all want to fuck the cause"

- Cause = Time, Broken Social Scene

I was lucky enough to get an insiders tour of the deliciously amazing Brick Lane and Spitalfield (yes, I googled how to spell it correctly girls!) Jen (styleeast) and Kit (style slicker)met me for some vintage digging and coffee drinking, people watching and people snapping.

This is certainly my kind of nook, and my favorite area in London.

Highlight of the day was Jen nearly getting mauled by a group of super angry anti-fur protesters.

They stood at the door of the epic vintage store Beyond Retro(there was only 1 entrance mind you!), and yelled at people as they walked into the shop.

Jen was wearing a faux fur shrug from H&M and I saw one of them spot her from across the street and whisper to the others.

It was on.

Kit and I stood in front of her, genuinely concerned yelling "it's fake fur, it's FAKE!", but Jen took it in her stride and waltzed straight up there!

I was hesitant and lingered behind, and one of them yelled out "wearing fake supports the industry!", which actually, to her credit, made me think twice about what she had said....

As I followed the others inside, one man at door yelled 'If you buy anything from this store you are supporting what they are doing".

Frightened as F%$K I said back, "i'm not going to buy anything!"....and as soon as those words came out of my mouth I knew I was doomed to find THE most amazing stuff I have ever laid my vintage sleazy eyes upon!

As we walked in we were greeted with a whole rack of vintage fur, and any doubts I had quickly slipped out the window. Kit and I proceed to hug the fur in gratitude (see below), and as a protest right back at them!!!

My rule has always been that if it is vintage, I did not kill an animal....but am I supporting the industry by wearing it?! I would really like to know what you think, because this could actually be a life-changing, style-altering moment right here....and I'm effing FREAKING OUT!

Oh yeh, and there were really cool people and artworks everywhere and it made me very happy, and Kit wore Jeremy Scott sunglasses and I nearly fainted when I saw them.

The end.

Jen wore....vintage dress and brogues

leather from ebay
faux fur shawl H&M

(this was pre-protest attack)

I wore...Jacket: Dsquared

Dress: Jil Sander
Clogs: Michael Kors

Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Kit wore....

Red vintage hat - Christy's London from Beyond Retro
T-shirt - Comic Relief from TK MAXX
Silk scarf - MEXX
Jeans - Levi's
Sunglasses - JEREMY SCOTT
Shoes - KATE KANZIER
Belt - MEXX
Bag - BEYOND RETRO
Leather Jacket - from Hong Kong
Vintage camera - YASHICA FX-3 Super 2000

Yes Please

"Love, love me do.
You know I love you,
I'll always be true,
So please, love me do.
Whoa, love me do.

Someone to love,
Somebody new.
Someone to love,
Someone like you.

Love, love me do.
You know I love you,
I'll always be true,
So please, love me do.
Whoa, love me do."
-Love me Do, The Beatles


Masha Ma.
Oh baby.
Let me tell you a little thing about this London Fashion Week show - It was off the effing hook.
This collection rubbed me up all the right ways last week in their debut show.
Now, as much as there is alot of great newness and epicness and 'heart skipped a beat' awesomeness going on in the fashion industry at the moment....there is also, a whole lot of awful tasteless rubbish...and this show, my friends, was definitely not the later.
I've already got quite a good relationship going with minty blue, and this really took it to the next level.
Mix it with stark white, some silver, and a non-imposing print and we have a bubbling cauldron of deliciousness ready to get truly high off. (a.k.a levitating off the ground from the happiness in the heart etc etc)
There was also one model in there that really stood out....she was all Asian coolness, and pouty lips and had a kind of 'i'm really quite cranky' in a very cute way, expression going on.
The collection all made perfect sense, and the beauty of it was almost mathematical.
You know it's going to be killer when the models do their final walk and each outfit flows into the next, rather than individual pieces really sticking out.
I (as you may already noticed) am their new biggest fan.
Thanks to Shini Park (Park&Cube) for the ticket (you little effing legend) and thank you Masha Ma  for making my day.

More More More

"Eyeless in the morning sun you were
pale and mild, a modern girl
taken with thought, still prone to care
makin tea in your underwear
you went out in the yard to find
something to eat and clear your mind
something bad inside me went away"
- Those to come, The Shins

 After reminissing about my home the other day with the shots of Angus and Julia Stone, I remembered another shoot we did there, for the epic webiste weartogetit.
It was a profile on me, designing, and favorite hang's.
I love the photography, and it really captures the strangeness and epicness of my den.
Word of warning: I had pink hair. It didn't suit me. It lastest a week. I promise I won't do it again. (until I feel like it mwahahaha!)

Vintage beaded dress from my favorite sneaky antique store in the Northern Beaches

To check it on out,

click here

dare.
you.