all stitched up.


Amidst all the fashion week madness down at the OPT, I took some time in betwen shows to accompany Aprilia to the Georg Jensen store on Castlereagh Street to view original artworks by Danish-Irish artist Inge Jacobson as well fawn over the collection of limited edition Fusion cuffs. The collaboration with the acclaimed Jacobson, saw Georg Jensen's A/W 11 campaign featuring natural beauty, Freja Beha Erichson, re-invigorated through traditional methods of cross stitching. I've always thought of fashion and art being intrinsically interconnected, but I'd never really considered craft to be part of the mix. But craft is making its comeback in the fashion world, especially with DIY on the rise. I thought this partnership was a truly unique idea and the perfect collaboration between the brand and the artist, the unlikely combination of mixed media harmoniously working together to create a modern yet classic and homely feel to the campaign. Makes me want to dig up my unfinished cross stitch patterns of quaint cottages and cute puppies from my female craft days some years ago.
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zimmermann rash guards.

Zimmermann exclusively for Shopbop

I'm sure I wasn't the only one who resented rash guards when they were young. My mother has always been extremely careful when it comes to my health and wellbeing, going so far as to stopping me from eating certain foods with particular colouring, so naturally forcing me wearing a rash guard to protect me from the sunburn/ skin cancer was high on the list. I never wanted to wear one (especially when all my friends are wearing tankinis or cropped bikini tops) and still remember the devious thing I used to do to make it look like I had worn mine. It involved me submerging the rash shirt in the pool for about 5 seconds and then making sure it ended up in the same plastic bag as all my other wet swimwear. Fool proof! Some ten years later and my feelings toward rash guards may have done a 180. I'm quite self conscious when it comes to swimwear (more so embarrassed because I'm way too lazy/ busy to work out) so I tend to wear a singlet on top of my bikini anyway. Zimmermann have found a way to made rash shirts cool again, infusing their summery prints with a sleek streamline fit. If only these were available back in the day instead of their terribly coloured neon predecessors - I would have worn them in a heartbeat! Perhaps I could convince my mum to buy me one of these? Hey, all in the name of sun safety.
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wang on my head.


I'm surprised I have lasted this long without posting about my beloved Alexander Wang beanie, the pride and joy of my winter headwear collection. Although I intended to buy the green one which seems a lot easier to coordinate with colour wise (coincidentally the Man Repeller was street snapped wearing it shortly after), the red suddenly became convincing after it's  slight reduction on Shopbop. Can't really explain what was going through my head when I decided to purchase a beanie that costs more than your average pair of jeans, except the fact my cost per wear would make it all worth it. Besides being physical documentation of everything I buy, I think my blog has become an outlet to justify my expensive purchases to others and to myself. So in keeping with the spirit of things, here are my top five reasons for happily handing over my hard earned cash for a beanie: 1) It keeps your head warm (captain obvious) 2) It acts as a simple solution to cover up the fact you ran out of time in the morning to do your hair 3) It doubles as inadvertent earmuffs (which I've come to realise is not so great when I wear it to work - lots of 'huh', 'what did you say' and 'pardon me's exchanged to customers) 4) Feeling like you've mastered the art of masculine dressing in one hit 5) Just generally reppin' the A.Wang. That's got to at least amount to a three digit figure?

...And one more for good luck 6) Being able to proudly proclaim 'I have a Wang on my head'. It's a fashion girl thing.

Taken by Aprilia Love on our overdue catch up session at Kawa yesterday afternoon. Yes seeing all those foodstagrams and Kawa cards did have an influence on our cafe choice.
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an ode to no one.


I first encountered An Ode to No One last year when their pastel watercoloured inkblot-esque prints popped up on my news feed. Having instantly fallen in love with the label, I was interested to see whether they would impress once again. An Ode To No One presented their SS12/13 collection 'Visions of Symmetry' inspired by art deco buildings and the work of MC Escher, but rather than the softness and femininity of the prints I had seen from them previously, designer Adi Setiadi proves his versatility by focusing his digital prints (in collaboration with the textile designers from Helm) towards the geometric and architectural (without being industrial) but with the same tailoring, clean lines and sleek shapes I had come to know. Visions of Symmetry opted for futuristic, dynamic prints in bolder colours whist still maintaining wearability in strong (and somewhat more mature) feminine pieces with fitted pants, structured shoulders and knee length skirts/ dresses. I love the fact the models walked to a live dj, Alison Wonderland (yes I was toe tapping the entire time) laying down beatz that really complimented the feel of the collection: hard and soft, angular and yet fluid. There was no shortage of prints at MBFWA this year (and yes I'll admit I'm a bit sick of them by now), but amongst a sea of florals, animal and abstract prints, I found AOtNO's kaleidoscopic take to be rather refreshing. 
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shopbop collection showing.

1. Tibi pants 2. Theory knit 3. Tibi heels 4. Alexander Wang shirt.

At some point during your daily ponderings of life and other trivial matters, I'm sure you've thought about what Shopbop would be like if it were a physical store. Right before fashion week I was invited to check out some of the new arrivals on Shopbop... in person! It was like reaching into my laptop screen and pulling out the pieces to touch and feel with my own hands. As much as I love a good e-tailer like Shopbop (free express shipping makes them hard to beat), there's nothing like seeing a piece in the flesh, trying it on and taking it home with you the same day, so it was quite satisfying to see some of the things I've been eyeing off in right front of me. The hotel suite turned showroom was organised just like website with pieces arranged on the racks according to their corresponding boutiques. Selected pieces were featured from the designer, workwear, basic essentials and one by boutiques. 

Thanks to Shopbop and Torstar for giving me an insight into one of my favourite online retailers. 
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mbfwa day four. sparkle motion.

Aje sequin skirt, Nathan Smith skirt (from Desordre), Acne boots, Samantha Wills bracelet and ring, Molten Store necklace, Ellery sunglasses, Arnsdorf SS11 iPhone Case
Photos by Aprilia Love

Last outfit for MBFWA and although it's day four, I thought I may as well save the best for last. The week before Fashion Week I started getting second round invites to shows and realised that I may need more than just the two outfits I had initially planned. So I did a last minute trip to Desordre (always a fail safe option as long as you have the money) and came across this lone Aje sequin skirt that I had tried on last year but decided to pass it up because I had no occasion to wear it (unless you think uni is an acceptable place to wear anything sequin). But this time MBFWA was the reason, the perfect reason might I add, to add a little sparkle. At the time I tried it on with this muscle singlet and being me had to tone down the girly feel the sequins give off - I loved them so much together I just ended up buying the entire outfit.

 Luckily for me I was also able to raid the giant SW jewellery box (aka our showroom) and pulled these two amazing pieces from the SS12 collection, The Wanderlust (which will be released in the next few months). The rose gold, blush tones and gunmetal complimented the dusty pink shade of my skirt and tee perfectly. You saw it here first... but shh!

Injecting a bit of Man Repeller humour into my outfit posts (because fashion shouldn't always be serious!)

PS. 200th post! Thanks for your continuous support :)
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new gen 2: lf markey. ash to gold.

LF Markey

Ash to Gold

My two standouts from the New Gen 2 show were LF Markey and Queensland label, Ash to Gold. LF Markey presented a minimalist, clean, understated collection that brought back schoolyard nostalgia with their leather messenger backpacks, yellow anoraks and boxy button up shirt dresses teamed with black shoes and white rolled socks. Ash to Gold complimented simplistic designs, sheer layers and repeated textures, with the coolest geometric accessories I've seen all week including clear prism bangles (that I'm sure could double as self defence) and pyramid clutches. I've got these designers on my radar and can't wait to see how they grow from their fashion week exposure. 
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lust list. the wad jacket

The New Guard, Nam for Grazia.it, 4th and Bleeker

I've been frequenting The New Guard for the last few weeks and besides providing a successful outlet of procrastination, it's gotten me fixated on the Isabel Marant Wad Jacket. The structured collar, the tailored shoulders, the utility pockets, the textured embellishments and the boxy fit - it is perfection in vest form. It was spotted on Jess Blanch from Russh at fashion week teamed a relaxed double denim ensemble. Sadly the only thing stopping me is the $6499 price tag. I get it's Isabel Marant but isn't that just a tad bit too pricey. I get 1000, 2000 or even 3000 - unless each jacket was meticulously hand beaded and sewn and it's diamond encrusted. I would seriously consider handing over my savings for this beautiful thing and not buying anything for the next two years especially if I wore it everyday. But you could totally wear this over absolutely anything. I'm being reasonable right?
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as bad as i guana be.

Source: Oyster

After gaining exposure last year at the RAFW Innovators show, many thought of her as the new 'Romance Was Born'. Earlier this year she became the designer that caught Kanye West's eye after he bought her tribal/ boho/ futuristic themed backpack at Alice Euphemia in Melbourne. A year on and Emma Mulholland has cemented a place for herself in the Australian fashion landscape. I became obsessed with her 'Great White' shark collection this season (in fact I still am), to the point where I get a little too excited when I spot it on the streets (shark backpack you will be mine). Though slightly disappointed Mulholland didn't show at MBFWA last week, my disappointment has subsided after seeing her SS12/13 lookbook 'As Bad As I Guana Be' and  there's a lot more to love than just the punny collection title. Mulholland continues with her animal-inspired collections, this time featuring a signature black and green iguana print with a sportswear feel accompanied by bomber jackets, bustiers, caps, overalls, backpacks, bodycon dresses and more. Did anyone else think of Ms Frizzle's pet iguana Liz from Magic School Bus? Following on from the success of her AW12 campaign, Mulholland chose to work again with her winning team - Ollie Henderson as the face of the campaign (massive girl crush following my encounter with her during MBFWA), Byron Spencer behind the lens and Paul Bui looking after the styling. Bold prints and intense colour aren't regularly my thing but I'm happy to make an exception for Emma Mulholland. Her designs just spell street cred and I love that the campaign makes a nod to my favourite sport, basketball. Can't wait for this collection to come out... because it also means the shark printed pieces will be on sale! Boo yah.
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dylan cooper.


I walked into the Dylan Cooper showing on Monday with a string quartet cover of 'Lovecats' (originally by The Cure) blasting through the room as seventeen models stood prim and poised (with killer updos might I add) in front of me. I loved how perfectly the music choice matched the mood and brought together elements of the collection so much so I've attached the song in the hopes of recreating the atmosphere for you. Fresh from his win on Project Runway last year, 21 year old Cooper has shown a maturity and sensibility to the designs in his collection well beyond his years. Clashing statement prints are fused with strong tailoring, clean shapes and form fitting separates while bold brights are contrasted with crushed pleats, sheer blouses and modest cut outs. The Dylan Cooper woman relishes in her femininity, she loves her tailored suits for the day and midi dresses for the evening. The Lovecats cover created a decadent yet dainty parlour-esquire feel, but with a hint of edginess from the modern strings which was exactly what Cooper's debut collection epitomised - feminine yet still dynamic and forward.

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mbfwa day three. black and blue.

Alexander Wang knit, Wish leather shorts, Zara heels, Rayban sunglasses, Molten Store necklace.
Photos by Aprilia Love

First it was black and gold, now it's black and blue (I am of course referring to Miike Snow).  Now all that's left to complete the song matching outfit trio is black and yellow, although I can't say I own anything yellow. When I told you I was going back to simple after day one, I really meant it. This is about as basic as it gets. I'm was also quite stubborn that day because I refused to change my outfit plans despite the fact I could tell I was getting sick and it was going to be chilly in the evening.

I've been holding out to wear this knit until fashion week. Unlike most other people, I seem to be able to resist the temptation to wear new purchases straight away - this one was hiding away for almost two months. I always feel like when you wear something for the first time it should be for something special or something worthwhile at least. I bought this baby in Tokyo on the first day after hunting down the then newly opened Alexander Wang store-in-store at Isetan, Shinjuku and from the moment I put it on I knew it was meant to be (despite the extreme markup on the yen to dollar exchange rate - but of course that didn't stop me). 
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backstage at miss unkon.


Before the Miss Unkon show on Monday I popped backstage to get a glimpse of what things are like behind the scenes. I was amazed by the amount of detail that goes into the presentation of the models, from the immaculate wire plaited bun, to the smokey eye and patterned stick-on nails, all for that 20 second walk up and down the runway. It's crazy to think of how much time is spent on these elements when most people watching the show would hardly notice it or even be able to see it at all, so I considered myself extremely lucky to see it. With this in mind, it truly made me appreciate the attention to detail that went into the production and made me enjoy the show even more. 

 I loved the hidden dandelion tattoo behind every model's left ear, so discreet and subtle you would not have been able to spot it from the stands. I spoke to Miss Unkon designer, Courtney Meyer (I initially mistook for a model) who told me that was a magical element to the collection 'The Life Between', a reminder of the little things in life and has also become show tradition to include some form of temporary body art on the models. Such a fitting detail for a collection that strives to capture the essence of undiscovered beauty. Pictures from the runway coming soon.
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mbfwa day five. romance in rainbow.

Romance was Born tee (borrowed from Deb), Joe's Jeans denim, Molten Store necklace, Sunday Somewhere sunglasses, Steve Madden heels.
Photos by Aprilia Love

Fashion Week has come to a close much to the relief of many (a little part inside of me is overjoyed). You probably don't believe me but waiting in a queue five times longer than the show actually goes for, running around from one venue to another and taking hundreds of photos whereby only one out of a hundred is semi decent is actually quite tiring. I only went to a couple of shows each day and didn't sleep any later than usual but I am exhausted (and as a result sick in bed). I can only imagine what the editors, writers and top bloggers must be feeling like. 

My secret goal for the week was to be street snapped (Tommy Ton, Nam or Phil Oh preferably) which was unfortunately never achieved. What I learnt was that to be street snapped you either have to be a big name in fashion (ie. Taylor Tomasi, Rumi Neely, Christine Centenera), a model off duty or wear weird crazy shit that photographs well. Since I don't fit into the first two categories I thought I'd attempt the latter and go all out with colour, which as you know, is a huge step for me. I love how the blue on printed Romance top matches the colour of my jeans. Sadly I didn't achieve what I set out to (there is always next year), but I am pleased with the way this outfit just came together.

By now you should know that I don't blog chronologically (or do I just hide it really well?) so you may start seeing collection recaps and posts all jumbled up. Keep checking back for more.
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mbfwa day two. matching ombre.

Ellery skirt, Betsey Johnson boots (borrowed from Deb), Saba leather jacket, Ksubi singlet, Ellery sunglasses, Alexander Wang tote.
Photos by Aprilia Love

After being surrounded by so many beautiful people in extremely beautiful clothing, I realised there was no way I could compete. So I decided that my outlook for the rest of the week would be to not try so hard, and I was pleasantly pleased with the result. After Debra's recommendation to pair her amazing Betsey Johnson boots with my Ellery skirt, I ended up putting this outfit together in five minutes this morning. I even spent about 80% of my day wearing these boots, walking from Wynyard to Circular Quay and back. For a girl who's a klutz with heels I'm quite proud. I think the boots really make the outfit, so grateful my bestie and I have the same size feet! I also noticed that my hair matches my outfit... how funny. Ombre hair, ombre outfit. Day two was flowers For a Vagab0nd. Unfortunately I had to skip Toi et Moi Sydney because I had a compulsory tutorial at uni. Uni and fashion week  aren't exactly the best of friends. 
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mbfwa day one. dress up.

Marcs shirt. Dress Up pants. American Apparel belt. Acne heels. Samantha Wills cuff.
Photos by Aprilia 

I kicked off day one of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia in this little ensemble. The fabulous and fierce fashion pack were out to play and I wanted to do my best to keep up. I went for the printed pants look - I saved my Dress Up pants from my shopping spree with Dee just for the occasion and paired it with a simple Equipment-esque button up shirt and my new Acne heels. The heels were a tight fit especially at the front (but I bought them anyway because I loved them too much to part with them) and I will be the first to admit they were an absolute pain to walk in. After two hours I caved and put on my loafers. I'm a terrible I know, just go ahead and judge me. I also refused to eat anything until I had these photos taken. Not because I want to look skinny or anything, I had the perfect dark red lip and I did not want to ruin it until I had it captured on camera (I even denied my morning coffee to keep it in tact). Mecca Cosmetica did an amazing job getting me done up for the day (as they always do).

Day one was Dylan Cooper and Miss Unkon, extremely sore feet mixed with a bit of confusion about where to go, how registration works and learning that fashion shows never run on time. It's like the first day at school. Day two ran a lot smoother for me. More MBFWA to come x
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