secret south.



Naming a business or a brand is like naming a child. You only get one shot, so you'd better make sure it's a good one. But on the odd occasion you feel like you've outgrown your name, there's always the option of changing it. Secret Squirrel have emerged this season under its new name Secret South. Creative couple Bri Cheeseman and Andrew Prince describe Secret South as 'Secret Squirrel's stylish older sister'. Indeed, the duo have preserved their understated, modern classic feel and minimalist, refined aesthetic that we have come to know and love over the years. Smart tailoring and timeless silhouettes in the form of luxe separates live on in their spring/ summer collection 'Introduction'. 

 Every collection weaves a signature print or two throughout (winter being the tessellating tri print and scattered sequins) and this season they have once again collaborated with Elke Kramer to produce  a mix of vintage inspired florals and geometric aztec  - you can shop it all here. They've even added accessories to the lineup, including scarves, belts and clutches (NEED). 

There stands a huge risk when renaming a brand (a huge process in terms of marketing and also the uncertainty of how loyal fans will take it) but for Secret South I feel the transition has been seamless, a natural and fitting process given its gradual growth and maturity of the label. I have had nothing but praise for SS in the past (I seem to constantly be blogging their new collections) and I'm not about to change mind anytime soon. Long live Secret South.

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proenza wallet.


Here it is in all its glory. It’s been a long time coming but in the long process of a wardrobe facelift, I have finally gotten around to upgrading my trusty Fossil wallet of three years to a Proenza Schouler (disguised in the form of a 21st birthday present from my parents) and boy is it beautiful - complete with the new leather smell. 

I came across the PS1 wallet at the Opening Ceremony store in Japan at the beginning of the year but didn't have enough money to buy it there and then. In searching for a wallet, I wanted something classic, timeless and recognisable but still unique - ignoring all the standard Miu Miu, Prada, Chanel wallet choices. While I’ve a seen my share of PS1 (and PS11) bags, I’ve seen few in wallet form.

The other day I saw a girl walk past with the tiniest PS1 satchel and cracked a joke about how that’s all she could afford. Then I realised I’m not one to talk. My PS1 isn’t even a bag. But hey, any Proenza is still a Proenza!
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flowers in my hair.

Hey look at me testing out my tripod/ self timer skillz.
Taken on a Mamiya Press.

If you stalk follow me via any other social media outlets, you'll know that I have developed an attachment to this Limedrop headband in the short span of time I have come into possession of it. Not sure I can bear to part with it. Although loaned for my shoot on Saturday, I could easily say I wore it more than the model herself (which has lead to Jack dubbing it my 'stylist headband') - I even wore it to Woolworths earning myself a full on dirty from an old lady walking past. What? A girl can't wear flowers on her head now?

While you can't go wrong with a white dress and floral headband (channeling some serious Lana Del Ray circa Born to Die sans the tigers at her feet), I love the hard/ soft, masculine/ feminine contrast between the Baddies singlet + leather jacket and the white flowers. Just gives it a totally different (or mixed) vibe for those days when you can't quite figure out who you want to be. And on a completely unrelated note I have a theory that wearing flowers in your hair to work quells angry customers. 

Limedrop headband, Mister Zimi leather jacket, Ksubi singlet
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kapow.

Mister Zimi leather jacket, 3.1 Phillip Lim tee (from my-wardrobe.com), J Brand Houlihan cargo pants, Zara heels

I often describe my style as model off duty. Sans the model.  Though I feel as if a leggy blonde could get away with this outfit more easily than myself. The rest of us ordinary people have to work harder to be able to pull off the same thing. Something like this just seems too simple that I feel the need to rely on other elements like makeup, hair, heels and accessories to make up for the lack of skinny pins (not that I have done that here though, hypocrite).

I took these photos with Christine (who I met during MBFWA backstage at Watson x Watson) in between some time out at our shoot on Saturday. If you've been following me on Facebook or Instagram, you'll know I had the opportunity to style my very first photoshoot for the UNSW Photo Club. Let's just say I have a huge respect for full time stylists. It's a tough job. Sourcing pieces, formulating the creative direction, pulling enough options in case something doesn't go quite right on the day, taping shoes - I'm about to embark on the task of returns... all without a car (hooray for public transport). It took a lot more work than I had initially anticipated, but definitely worth it. I'll be sure to post the fruits of my labor in the coming weeks.

Photos by Christine Ai
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kb's outfit perfection.


Spring has been teasing us as of late. Thursday was so warm that I wore shorts to uni and slept without the heater on. Score. Not used to wearing anything other than jeans and a tee for the last three months has made me lacking imagination in the summer wardrobe department, but Kate Bosworth is here to save us all. I just can't get over how perfect these outfits are. It's a no brainer - sleeveless shirt (see Equipment), high waisted shorts, strappy sandals (check out Steve Madden) and a shoulder bag. So simple and easily created. I only hope I can look half as cool as KB when I do.
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aesop addiction.


After 8 bottles and a couple of hundred dollars out of the pocket, it's safe to say I'm a self-confessed Aesop addict. I've never been good with beauty products - I don't possess the patience to test out numerous products based on recommendation and find out what works for me. When I look at The Top Shelf, I see bathroom vanities scattered with an assortment of products from various brands (although I assume some would be gifted samples) and wonder how many years and dollars it took to curate such a vast collection. While some prefer searching high and low for the best of the best, I opt for consistency and continuity with my skin care regime. Discovering Aesop late last year after glowing reviews from the bestie and other bloggers alike, I have yet to feel the need to try anything else. I'm not a good judge of when products work wonders - with my sensitive skin, as long as I don't breakout or resemble an oil spill I'm all smiles. Natural plant based ingredients full of anti-oxidants that are sweet smelling and gentle on the skin - not to mention the minimal aesthetically pleasing packaging. That's all any one could ask for.*

*That and free samples (I wish every beauty brand/ store would do this) every time you purchase something from Aesop (or simply want to try them out). I have enough sample sachets from all my recent purchases to last me for weeks.

 Not a sponsored post.
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two one.

Photos by Jack Loo

o1. Appropriately titled sign 
o2. Caffeine fix @ Workshop
03. Patiently waiting for a table @ Jamie's Italian
o4. The disappointing main size ravioli
o5. Dips and corn chips galore @ Flying Fajita Sistas, Glebe
o6. My mother, the scrapbooking extraordinaire.
o7. Fruit tart obsession continues @ Le Renaissance Patisserie, The Rocks
o8. Banh mi aka the best mini burgers out.
o9. A very flattering photo of me eating prawn toast @ Ms G's

The big two one was last weekend (though it seems like forever ago) and while I can't say I feel I different on the inside hitting the legal age in all countries, I can say I do feel different on the outside. Fat to be exact. Being the type of person I am, one would expect that armed with wadloads of red packets from relatives I'd shop until I dropped but in fact it all ended up being spend on food. Lots of it. It turned into one long food fest (resulting in a food coma by Sunday night) including visits to Jamie's Italian, Flying Fajita Sistas for dinner with my work friends, Le Renaissance Patisserie, Ms G's and finishing with a family Chinese banquet. Having worked weekends in retail for the last two years of my life, my aim was to take advantage of my time off (can't stress enough to you how rare an occurrence this is) and make my birthday as instagram-able as possible for you all. Hope I didn't disappoint.
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wild runaway.


Can't quite put my finger on what draws me into this A/W editorial by Door121. Is it doe-eyed Kendall Waters (one of my new favourite faces), the 90's grunge feel with the styling featuring the likes of Nick Campbell eyewear, Meadowlark, Viparo, Hansen & Gretel and Pol, the washed out grainy vintage look to the images, the eerie and hypnotic short film accompanying the shoot (I'm sensing a Virgin Suicides vibe) or is it its ability to capture a distinct mood and seamlessly weave together a narrative about a young girl escaping the dull and repetitiveness of daily life? Whatever it is, I'm absolutely captivated.

Photographer: Zachary Handley
Model: Kendall Waters (Priscillas)
Styling: Elena Antoniou & Sarah Leung
Film: Andrew Kaineder
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wishing and hoping.

The big two-one is slowly creeping up on me but I'm no where near as hyped as I thought I would be. I missed out on having a huge 18th birthday bash and I anticipated saving a celebration for my 21st but after months of sifting through venues, enquiring about minimum spends and contemplating guest lists I ended up opting for the low key dinner with some of my closest work mates. Not exactly what I would have envisaged but hey, let's just save the big one for the wedding*. I'm more excited about having a weekend. Jack booked us a stay at the Shangri-la which means a whole two days of rest and relaxation. 

Here's my obligatory birthday wish list in collage form. I was spoilt rotten by the boy who bought me a MacBook Air (cross that one off the list) and gave it to me a week early (blogging as we speak on my new baby), I've secured a Jordan Askill ring as my 'self' birthday present and I've chosen to spend my parents' birthday money on a PS1 wallet. I can't even comprehend becoming 21 - I still think I'm a teenager. Already fear I'm getting older and still haven't achieved anything significant in life.

*Not happening anytime soon obviously.
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