MSIT Diploma Fashion Graduates Parade

So to be honest I actually completely forgot that I had a blog for a few weeks there...tafe has been crazy hectic :s On Wednesday night we had our showcase at tafe of our work we did while studying the Diploma, so I thought I'd at least post the pics of my garments on here:




Tomorrow we start making our Avant Garde garments...my inspiration was this teapot (the first one on the page). I'll have to let you all know how it goes, we only have 4 weeks to make it...EEEP!

Also if you want to see everyone else's work from the show click here.

xoxo

A Quick Holiday Shop

Hey guys, I know I've been a little slack with the blogging, I've been really lazy over the holidays and now that I'm back at tafe I'm gonna be super busy :s But I thought I'd show you the couple of things I bought over the holidays...mainly because I'm procrastinating lol.

First buy. Pair of denim Bardot shorts. Probably an unnecessary item since I already own 2 pairs of denim shorts, but these ones are ripped and I really wanted some ripped ones. I think they cost about $80. They're really creased in the photo coz I was sitting in them all day at tafe yesterday. (I've never come across denim that creases that much, but there you have it). Please excuse terrible self-photography.


Second buy. New pair of ballet flats. My black ones are starting to fall apart, plus I wanted a lighter coloured pair. These ones are a dusty pink colour and were on sale for about $50 from Betts. I love the little plait detail running across them.


Soooo that's actually all I bought, not overly exciting. This is gonna be my next buy tho:


I know I already own a pair of sequined chucks but I love these. I'm gonna buy them in a hi-top (I couldn't find a picture). The sequins are black on one side and gold on the other, so all you have to do is flip them around for another look :)

Oh and while I remember, I've fallen in love with "Typo". It's a new stationary shop in the Cotton On family. Their stock is soooo sweet and it's really cheap too! (Of course the 2011 diary I want would have to be $30, but I swear that's the most overpriced item in the whole store).

That's all for now...I should hopefully have some better photos of my Piress Finesse studio garment soon so I'll post them up when I get them.

xoxo

MMA Launch!

Yes I am well aware that it's been a whole 48 hours since the launch of Mirror Mirror Agencies, and no I'm not slack I just haven't been home since Wednesday morning. So now that I am home I'll tell you all about it! (Well what I did see anyway because I had to leave early) *Insert sad face here*

I had seen the launch proposal prior to the show because I was making costumes for the dancers, but nothing I read could have prepared me for the brilliance that took place on the night of the 22nd. Congratulations have to go to Tin Nguyen and everyone else who participated in putting the show together, it was quite a feast for the eyes!

The show was split into several themes, including Military, Jail Bait, Crypt Fiends, Circus Puppets, and Winter Wonderland, and Tin spared no expense when putting together props to help portray these themes. Jail cells and mad science laboratories were just a couple of examples of the elaborate scenery on display. I also must say that I am insanely jealous of the skills the make-up artists and hairdressers possess...I can only dream of ever being able to make myself look as amazing as the models looked that night. All the hair and make-up mimicked the themes of the sections the models were walking in.

Anyway I'll stop rambling, you'd probably all just rather look at pictures anyway, so I'll leave you with some shots from the night (the first one is of the dancers in the costumes I made). Photo credits go to Sigrid Alison Sagorski Photography.


Personally, I can't wait to see what Tin comes up with for the next show :) The official Mirror Mirror Agencies website will be up and running within the next 2 weeks. Visit it here, or in the mean time look em up on facebook!

xoxo

ps....I'd also like to apologize for my lack of description...I'm still kinda lost for words it was THAT mind blowing...

First Mirror Mirror Op Shop...

So yesterday my friend Gabs took me op shopping in preparation for the next Mirror Mirror Fashion Show (not to be mistaken with the Mirror Mirror Agency Launch). The theme for the next show is 'Op Shop Chopped' (or something to that effect), so as you can imagine it means buying a bunch of op shop stuff and remaking it into something new and amazing :) We went to the Gabba, Annerley, and Wynnum.

I must admit I'm not a very good op shopper. I always see other ppl who have a flair for the activity and come home with all this amazing stuff so I go out with a great deal of optimism, but I think I'm just too picky and fussy. Everything I found I decided was either too expensive, or just wasn't the right size. (Tin you need to find fatter models, op shops don't have much in a chick's size 8 or guy's 30). So I'll prob have to go check out some other shops (if anyone knows of any good ones on the northside plz let me know), but here's what I did find...


This was probably my favourite find...it's a fully boned broderie anglaise bodice with little blue flowers on it. It has hook and eye running right down the centre back. Pretty cute. Was $8 from some shop in Annerley.


From the same shop in Annerley...this pink mesh slip by Table Eight. Charged me $12.50 for it because it's 'designer' (when did Table Eight become a brand worthy of 'designer' status? Also since when do Table Eight stock see through clothing?) Aaaanyway it's embellished with metallic pink embroidery and diamonties, I'll probably turn it into some sort of cropped singlet. Maybe.


This Billabong skirt (probs from the 90's by the looks of the old school labels) was from a shop in Wynnum. Paid $10 for it. Might change the buttons and do some other shit to it, not sure yet.
Paid $6 for these jeans from another store in Wynnum. Couldn't find any size 8's, so they're a 7, but I'm sure one of those models can squeeze their skinny ass into them lol. I'll prob turn them into a pair of shorts.

And check out the awesome metallic pink pocket detailing :p

Ok last item....this pair of black guys jeans. I must have spend HOURS (literally) searching through racks for a size 30. I really wanted blue jeans, but maybe i can bleach these into more of a grey colour...will prob turn these into shorts too coz they're a really wide leg (ewwww...). I think they were about $12.

Well that's it! (For now)...I know alot of those items were pretty expensive by op shop standards, but like I said, I'm picky. I'll let you know when I find more stuff :)

xoxo

Mirror Mirror Agencies (MMA) Launch

Guys I hope you're all free next Wednesday night (the 22nd)....coz Mirror Mirror Agencies is holding it's official launch! You should all know about the Mirror Mirror fashion shows that I've been involved in. Mirror Mirror Agencies is the modeling agency managed by the same Tin Nguyen. They've been around since September 2009, and a year later they're holding their official launch at Lightspace in the Valley. To get all the info click here. I've seen the launch proposal, and trust me it's set to be pretty amazing. Also, I'm making costumes for some of the dancers, so you should come and check that out too! Hope to see you all there...I'll leave you with some pics of some of MMA's models (photos by Sigrid Sagorski and Luc Graham)

To see more pics visit the MMA facebook page here.

xoxo

Style Notes. Bows.

Hey guys...for tafe assessment I had to write an article on a current trend for a specific blog/magazine/newspaper/etc and talk about dissemination and the history and future of the trend. I picked bows as my current trend. I also chose to write for the Religion of Fashion blog (coz I wasn't gonna admit to my teacher that I had my own blog...laaaame) :p So anyway, the lovely Zoe from ROF has actually published my article on the website...so go here if you wanna read it. The article I submitted for tafe had a heap of pics in it coz of assessment purposes (which Zoe couldn't re-publish for copywrite reasons). So if you want to see a pic of that Marie Antoinette Barbie I refer to, just google 'Marie Antoinette Barbie' - it should be the first picture :)

xoxo

Piress Finesse

Ok guys, I just got home from presenting my studio garment to the judges at tafe, so I'm pretty exhausted but I wanted to post up the pic of my garment that I have (yes I know my camera is shit, I'll post more after the parade in October). A big thanks to my lovely model Laura from Mirror Mirror Agencies :)

I was inspired by an old legend of pirate's treasure still told today in the City of Essaouira in Morocco (the city was used as a pirate stronghold in the 16th Century). I looked at the texture of the fort which still stands today (hence the crinkle fabric), as well as gold and pearls and the billowing sails of ships (see the bottom half of the jumpsuit). The edges are all frayed to add that raw and rough pirate feel. I called the outfit "Piress Finesse". Piress is Pirate and Essaouira put together, and Finesse rhymes with Piress :p (it also refers to the slight air of elegance that the gold and pearl beads add lol).

xoxo

A Procrastination Post

Hey guys!

Sorry I've been a crappy blogger again, I've been swamped in tafe work. Next Wednesday afternoon I have to present my studio garment to a panel of judges from industry (Elio from Elio Moda, Pina from Fiorenza Bridal , and Zina from Red Cordial), and I've been madly fraying garment edges and sewing beads trying to get it all complete. The winner gets $5000 so that would be super nice (but I'm not really expecting to win lol). This is a post done in procrastination because I'm avoiding doing all the spec sheets that go with the garment (kill me...)

So I wasn't going to show you my recent buys until they actually arrived, because I've been doing all my shopping online, but now seems like the perfect time to show you :) HELL YES PROCRASTINATION!

It seems I've gone a little leotard crazy in the past week...I BOUGHT 3! What the hell is wrong with me? lol. Here goes:
This one is actually for a costume, but I strategically bought it in a colour that's coming into fashion this summer in a big way, so I can wear it with shorts and what not after I use it as a costume :)I'm really looking forward to getting this one in the mail...it's BLACK VELVET! To be honest I've never really been in to velvet ever since my mum made me a dalmatian print velvet vest back in my childhood (it was cool back then I swear), but ever since then it's been all I ever think of when I see velvet. Terrible.

I'm hoping like hell that this one fits (or that I can successfully take it in). It's a size 12 and I'm a 10, but I desperately wanted a lace leotard. I know its super hard to see it in this photo (which is part of the reason I was gonna wait til I got the item before doing this post), but it has a triangle of lace through the centre front (it's bigger at the top and tapers down to the crotch). Other than this one, the only lace leotards I came across were 100% lace...meaning 100% see through. I dunno about you but I think leaving your bra and stomach on display for all to see is just a liiiiiitle bit skanky (not to mention I have no desire to show everyone my non-supermodel stomach). I did consider buying one and layering it over my lilac leotard, but in summer you don't really want a million layers. So I'm quite happy I found this one...fingers crossed it fits!


One last buy...it's not a leotard but it's super cute :) I bought this one from a shop on Facebook called "Lou Lou" (as you can see from the photo I stole from their website). They're based in Perth I believe and they only make limited quantities of their garments, so you gotta get in quick if you want anything. They currently have their second collection available, as well as some garments from their first collection. If you search "LouLou Onlineshop" on Facebook you should be able to find them.

Well that's all for now my pretties :) I'll post up a photo of my garment next week after it's complete and on a model.

xoxo

Alice In Wonderband

I'm back again! Seems I've been blogging a bit lately, but I keep finding amazing things I want to share with you!

This time I've come across a store on ebay that has the most adorable alice bands (probably better known in Australia as head bands, but alice bands sounds so much cuter). You can check out the store here. The store is unfortunately based in South Korea, so anything you buy will most likely take about a fortnight to arrive, but if u don't mind the wait then go nuts! I've yet to buy anything from them so I can't be sure of the quality, but I checked the feedback and there's only a minimal number of people whinging about a bit of glue showing here and there. It probably depends a bit on the style. Most of them range from about $7 to $15 including postage.

Here's some pics of some of my favourites (click to enlarge):


xoxo

Bordello

As some of you know, I do pole dancing as a form of exercise. Despite what a lot of people think, it's not stripping, and unlike the skanks of the world I don't go flaunting my talents on street posts. It really is a lot of fun, and it really helps build muscle tone. As an added bonus I could tell I was losing weight after just a couple of weeks of attending classes. So to anyone who has ever considered giving it a go, I say just go for it, it's so addictive! Wear the inevitable bruises as a badge of honour and pride!

Anyway to the point of this blog post. You all saw the lacey shoe in my last blog right? Pretty isn't it? Well the brand of that shoe is Bordello, which just so happens to be a brand of POLE DANCING SHOE. So to anyone who has ever referred to the shoes that the strippers in the clubs wear as 'stripper shoes', you should know that they're actually specifically designed for pole dancing, and strippers just happen to wear them. My guess is that this is part of the reason why people have negative ideas about pole dancing.

So as a treat I have some pics of some AWESOME pole dancing shoes that would be perfectly acceptable to wear just about anywhere. I'm sure most girls at some point in their life have worn something VERY similar...
Love these...very Dorothy from the Wizard Of OzFAVOURITES!

So there you have it. Most places that stock Bordello shoes will charge approx $175 for a pair, or up to $230 for the rhinestone encrusted ones. However, the shop I get my 'stripper shoes' from stocks them for about $110 up to $170. They're called 'Shoes In Hollywood' and are situated at Bald Hills. You can check the website out here. If they don't have the item you want in stock they can usually order it from their distributor in America and it will only take them about a week to get it in. You can visit the shop, or shop online if you don't mind paying the postage costs.

Til next time...keep an open mind :)
xoxo

Love of Lace

I'm loving lace right now. I remember the days when I would have refused to wear anything flowery or lacey, saying it was too pretty. Ahhh how things have changed. Here's some of the lacey things i'm loving at the moment:
I would like to take this opportunity to say that i still don't like crochet.

xoxo

To Felix & Slink...

Thankyou to Felix & Slink for their apology regarding my experience at YEDP. I admit that telling others to avoid their events altogether was probably a tough call, however, the point of my blog wasn’t to put shit on Felix & Slink, but rather emote how disappointed I was with the event as a whole. Myself and many others were under the impression that the event was a show and not just a party and yes I understand that there would have been a lot more space had it not rained. I appreciate the efforts of Felix & Slink in regards to the event, and also in regards to their efforts in contacting me and apologising for my experience; it means a lot and shows that the agency cares. However, my blog is a reflection on what I experienced on the night and I do not think that any of the statements were uncalled for.

YEDP and Valentino

Hey guys...

Guess what? I now have 10 followers! We're in double digits baby!

Anyway I know I've been really slack reporting back to you about YEDP, I was waiting for a half decent photo from the event to surface, but since one has yet to come up I'll show you this one instead:Kudos to Edith for managing to look cute as usual while I look like a spaz who doesn't want to smile anymore.

Anyway, despite the celebrity attention the show got (Erin McNaught, Leigh Buchanan, Julie Grbac and Petrova Hammond), to be honest the show was really shit and not worth the $85 entry (plus the $200+ I spent on my outfit). I've read a review on the show that stated that 'not many shows are a sellout and a washout', and I thought woah someone is finally telling the truth. Well I was wrong. Turns out the 'washout' they were referring to was the torrential downpour we experienced that night.

The Laruche Bar is really nice, however definitely not suitable for a fashion show. The 'runway' consisted of people being moved to the side to create a gap in the crowd, the room was overcrowded, and very dark. There were about 8 garments shown (you can hardly call that a show), and unfortunately I couldn't see any of them because of the poor set up. Each model was also holding up a big sign with the designer's name on it. Great for exposure, not so great if you're trying to see the actual garment.

So the moral of the story is, don't go to any events hosted by Felix and Slink, and definitely don't go to any show's held at The Laruche Bar. I think we owe more to Brisbane's up and coming designers. Let's get these shows out of the bars where everyone is too drunk to appreciate whats going on, or at least hold them earlier in the night before everyone has a chance to get to that point. The venue opened at 9:30 and the show wasn't until 2 hours later (free drinks on offer). Oh and did I mention I ate a piece of raw chicken and spent the rest of the night feeling ill? I was out of there by midnight...

In happier news, I went and saw the Valentino exhibit at GOMA yesterday. Unfortunately you're not allowed to take any photos in there (some of the garments are about 50 years old and the extra light can be damaging to the fabrics), but I have some pictures courtesy of Oliver Black. You can see all his pics on his facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=195987&id=709224693 or if you follow this link to the GOMA website there are images of some of the garments on display: http://qag.qld.gov.au/exhibitions/current/valentino_retrospective/Valentino_gallery


Once you look at the first couple of garments you turn the corner into one of the main galleries...and WOW that is a sight to be seen! Platform upon platform of Valentino dresses, and the room would span a couple of hundred metres. It is just amazing to see these garments up close and take in just how much work has actually gone into them. I believe I once heard that other than major seams, all Valentino's garments are sewn and embellished by hand... if that's true then I can't even begin to imagine how long it must have taken to sew some of those garments! While I have to admit that not all of Valentino's work is really my thing, this is one exhibit you can't miss. Tickets are $16 for students and $20 for adults and it runs until the 14th of November. GO CHECK IT OUT! They have some pretty cheap merchandise too if ur a gift shop person, I got a magnetic bookmark for $2.50 :)

Til next time...
xoxo