Galaxy Tights

image from here

How amazing is this pair of tights?! Kudos to Black Milk for creating such a great piece. I'm already thinking black t-shirt, blazer and a black patent, pointed stilettos. 

Mad love!!

Mara Hoffman S/S 2012

I seem to always start off my blog by saying how busy I am with uni work, hence the lack of post. 

But today let me just start by saying how INSPIRED I am of the mexican embroidery art! I LOVE and DWELL in absolutely everything colourful/ Central American/ folkloric/ European traditional costumes now. 

Love Mara Hoffman's collection for S/S 2012. It's exactly what I've been dreaming and thinking about. Wish I could travel to Latin America now. 

Her work is absolutely drool worthy. I'd wear it in a heartbeat if I could. 

All images from here.

Carven SS 2011

Absolutely knackered down by assignments and I've procrastinated on blogging more than I should've. What's new, ugh!

Whilst researching for my assignment, I stumbled across Carven! Talk about finding new love! Their pieces are so absolutely pretty and timeless. Not to mention that they're all in my favourite colours- nude, black and white. Oh so wearable. 

 Images from Carven

I'd definitely love wearing the black dress at the top right corner for a nice, Friday dinner date. The dark beige, cropped jacket and dress (3rd from top left) and the short, graphic day dress (3rd from bottom left) would be ideal running around doing errands in them, maybe with comfier shoes and switching to heels for a night out.

I looked them up if they had any of them selling in Melbourne and guess what, Belinda (in GPO) sells their pieces! I'm still a student now and yet employed, maybe could save up for a small splurge next time...that is if I can get around blowing maybe a couple of hundreds on a top or dress. But hey, they're still definitely worth checking out ;)

I've finally uploaded my photos of my work in Sweden into the computer. Now this post was meant to be about that. But editing is a real pain and can take hours for someone as particular as me. Everything needs to be in order and perfect...well, almost.

Monki + Weekday + Sale = Love

Made a last trip to Gothenburg about five days before I left Sweden, for good. Yes, I'm back in Melbourne alright, at a city where I experienced a temperature difference of at least 30-40 degrees C  overnight from Sweden. 

So anyway, during my last two weeks in Sweden, I've indulged myself in fashion blogs reading, many which are not tagged here on my blog, and that was how I stumbled upon Monki and Weekday.  As strange as it is, my friend, Kristin, actually did bring me to both shops when I first arrived at Stockholm. Maybe I was too caught up in exploring the city that I paid little attention to the items in store, apart from the obvious- H&M and Zara. With five days remaining in Sweden, I knew I had to check these shops out.

 

Weekday on Södra Larmgatan

Awesome nude coloured, asymmetrical sheer shirt I first saw on the other Weekday shop on Kungsgatan. On sale, it was reduced from about 300 or 400kr to 100kr = AUD15. 

I tried. I loved. I bought. Got another one in black. Why not, since shirts like these would have cost maybe about AUD70.

On sale Cheap Monday jeans on a huge table. All jeans about 60kr, which is AUD9. A pair of full priced CM jeans is AUD90. I was really, really excited!

Tried on this leather (perhaps a faux) jeans. Looked hideous. Not fitting at all.

Yup, CM jeans that have gone on sale for at least 2 weeks and still a variety of sizes in stock.

Contemplated about the weight of my luggage I had to lug home to Australia. Thought about how I already had enough jeans. Saw that none of the jeans really quite appealed to me. Finally thought about what my friend Glenda said once, "You don't actually save money in a sale, no matter how cheap the item is, as you still have an outflow of cash from your account". So true I thought, and I'd spent enough. So...I walked away. 

Yes, I walked away from 9bux Cheap Monday jeans. Ah, it was the right thing to do but still agonising a little over this decision. Still can't get over the price.

Exterior of the shop on Södra Larmgatan

Södra Larmgatan, Weekday on the left row and Monki on the right. Cool idea of the hanging jeans.

Monki rocks! Bought some really cool asymmetrical top and maroon, oversized boucle yarn. Both for about 60-100kr. Got a small black purse necklace here too. This is the shop to go to for affordable, cool and arty garments and accessories. 

The other Weekday shop on Kungsgatan in Gothenburg

Ugh, I've been trying to post this post up for at least 4-5 times but my Firefox kept crashing. 

I'm lazy to type now. And this post is missing a photo as the internet connection (as well) is crawling and freezing at the same time. 


So I may just leave this till next time!

Elin Kling for H&M

It seems like just really recently that H&M just launched her collaborations with Lanvin. But this Spring 2011, H&M will again launch a new collaboration, this time with Swedish Elin Kling. Elin is a the first fashion blogger in the world to do a collaboration with the gigantuan chain label. She's won several awards for her blog and and web-TV show. She's also worked as a fashion editor, head stylist for Swedish Idol and now is the fashion director of her own fashion magazine. 

Hope they would have launched the collection earlier, since it's only available in Sweden. :( :(

Boo Australia!! Many countries have H&M, even China has them! My Chinese friend was shocked when she heard that Australia doesn't have H&M. What a bummer. Sloooooow!

Anyway, here are some photos of the collection from Elin Kling's blog.

My absolutely favourite from the collection

So beautiful!

Elin wearing her own dress

All photos taken from Elin Kling's blog

For more photos of the super wearable collection, click here!

Hope you're having a good Sunday! I'm off to Knalleland near my place now!

Sincerely, Jules

Stumbled upon this awesome Californian girl's blog called Sincerely, Jules

Love her somewhat minimalistic yet oh-so-chic assembles in every outfit. Love her makeup/ hair, everything! 

Do check her out! 

My favourite outfit- Comfy clothes with statement necklace, simple wedges, great, natural make up with tie dye hair

All photos above from Anarchy Street Blog

Tribal Romance Revisited S/S 2011

Came across these yesterday at Zed-Eye.

The brainchild behind this label is Nigerian-born Ngozi Pere-Okorotie, who is a graduate from London College of Fashion and takes inspiration from Vivienne Westwood.

This collection is a revisitation to Ngozi's earlier collections, where she played with colours, textures and silhouettes.

For better photos go the site itself! I'm loving the headwear already.

Fashion Illustration

Currently I've got a student directed project that allows me to do just about anything I want for the project, so long as it is fashion/ textile related, of course. 

I've always been fascinated with fashion illustrations. I love drawing girls with beautiful dresses. My best friend from high school used to think I might study fashion instead of architorture (which was SO not for me, hence I fired my bosses... JK!! Reno, Jenny and Tim are great people) coz of those drawings. Neither am I in fashion as well, btw, but in textile design :) Anyway, a decade or more after my first attempt in my extremely primitive sketches of girls with pretty dresses on, I'm now given an opportunity to fully control the direction of my project.

Here are really simple boards that I've come up with after diong some research. Illustrations are all by other super talented artists. Kelly Smith, Bec Winnel, Brittany Lee, Yulia Brodskaya and Catherine Campbell are amongst those whose works I've used to convey what the illustration style/ technique/ materials that I'd like to explore in this project. 

Laura Laine is exceptionally noteworthy. Her illustrations are simply amazing. I'd wish to develop my own style of illustration too and this project would defo be a great stepping stone towards that.

Hopefully they'll turn out as great as I imagined them to be. 

Winter Loves

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

I absolutely love just seeing what real people wear on a daily basis. It beats just always looking through fashion mags for inspiration. 

Did you know that streetstyle and chain stores emerged in around 50s- 60s, when youths became more financially independent from their parents?  Opportunities arose for full-time employment for this age group in the 60s. Having financial freedom, coupled with rebellion against the previous generation's mentality, way of life and cookie-cutter looking clothing, the youths in the 60s decided to live and dress drastically different from their parents. Hence most of their earnings were spent on music, movies and clothing. With an increasing demand on individualistic pieces, that's how streetstyle and chain stores emerged. The prominent influence of couture, ever popular before the 60s, as a result, dwindled in power and couture houses began to even adopt streetstyle fashion as part of their design. 

The Sixties was a decade when new syntheic materials emerged, streetstyle and chain stores appeared, people went to the movies, Rock & Roll real popular and the ensemble of a blue jean (inspired from labourers/ miners), white T-shirt (usually only worn as undergarment) and a black bomber jacket (from fighter pilots of the World Wars) symbolised the epitome of youth rebellion coz they'd look waaaaay too different from the squeaky-clean, buttoned up, prim and proper look of the society. 

It's interesting what my course has taught me so far, always learned most whilst writing essays. Maybe I'd put up a post one day about my essay and some of what I've found. 

Above are just some favourite photos from some blogs I visit regularly these few days. :)


Have a great holiday!

The NGV

Had an excursion to the NGV this morning for a subject. We were looking into a couple of exhibitions and 'Drape' was particularly interesting. I love how the NGV constantly changes the items or subjects to keep people coming back. Previously there was an exhibition on the Jane Austen era costumes in the same space, under fashion and textiles section on the 1st floor.

So here are just a few photos of the new items from 'Drape' I took that I fancied.

 

Vivienne Westwood. Not surprised that she created this beautiful dress. Pretty cool elevation at the rear I say, probably could even hold a couple of drinks up.

 

Left: A day dress made in England c1883 using silk, cotton lace and metal buttons. It was mandatory in those days to have corsets but due to ill-health effects on the wearer, as proven by scientists, the custom of wearing one soon faded. 

Gruaur Evening Dress by Dior, 1949. I love 50s fashion. Pretty phenomenal and historical what Christian Dior did in reclaiming feminity in fashion against styles during the war.

L-R: Sorbet Pink Evening Dress by Jean Desses, 1954; Ball gown by Christian Dior, 1953

Giambattista Valli's creation for Kylie Minogue, 2003. Very grecian statue-esque and elegant.

 Kylie Minogue's outfit that she wore on 50 different occasions. Dolce & Gabbana I think. 

Another exhibition we went to was Chinoiserie (pronounced shin-noo-ah-se-ri). Many european pieces of homewares displayed had distinct oriental inspirations. Some motifs common to the East were copied with or without knowledge of the symbolisms that they reflect, apparently. They were just simply borrowed. I've taken just a few photos from here but I love the plates below. Imagine eating your sandwich or nasi lemak on them. Hah. 

Japanese porcelain dish from Edo period, 1720-40

Chinese plate from Qing dynasty, Qianlong period in 19th Century

Some European male clothing that was oriental inspired. Worn at home whilst welcoming guests. 

Okay if you'd like to see more just go NGV one day. Kinda tired of uploading photos for now. Chinoiserie will be on till this Sunday I think. 

Admission's free! :) 

 

Miss Ruby Eugenia

Ugh what's wrong with blogspot! I can't seem to enlarge the image without having it really pixelated though it's definitely saved at the best quality and size. Same goes with my other posts' photos. Can anyone please enlighten me if you know how to deal with this? (P/S: I just solved it hehe)

Anyway yes about this piece, basically just edited it on photoshop and added things here and there, for example her pearl ring, ribbon and her olive clutch, which in actual fact is a yo-yo I made last sem. Changed her lippie colour for a nice contrast with her green eyes, which I've also highlighted further. Her skirt design is composed of my previous pattern design coupled with a piece of black netting I scanned in last year, resulting in a meshed, laced effect on the corseted skirt's surface.

I guess you could say that somewhat the corset concept of the skirt was inspired from an image I had in my head since ages ago of Gisele Bündchen wearing this figure-hugging, light pink Dolce & Gabbana dress from like, Spring 2003 RTW collection. I managed to find an image of it on style.com. It looks like this.

I know it's ages ago but I wanted to fill the skirt with some details so that was what I could think of!

Colour choice came from my favourites: Nude, Black & Grey. Here's something that's a little more recent:

Alexander Wang's pre-Fall 2009 corset dress in nude & black! Soo nice and look, Paris Hilton's wearing the YSL pumps I made Ruby wear, just that hers was in grey.

YSL black tribute pumps

I used to think that these heels are just plain ridiculous, for practical reasons and also I thought they were kinda ugly...a little unrefined due to the really thick platform. However, I kinda change my mind now. They actually do look really good and can look really feminine. Though I can't afford luxury items like that, it was still pure fun drawing and painting them :)

Isn't she just preeeetty? :D Kinda wished I've got hair like hers.


Click on the image above so you can see greater details of Ruby!


This will be my last illo post before I leave for M'sia in just two days. So...till next time! God bless!