Showing posts with label Gabriel Lee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gabriel Lee. Show all posts

with me.


I literally haven't taken my Chloe boots, distressed denim and IRO leather jacket off. Three items in on high rotation right now in my work/ weekend wardrobe. Looks like I'm channelling badass biker with all the hardware, buckles, rips and tears. I never thought my clothes would have such power over my outlook for the day. Sound silly but sometimes I feel unstoppable and full of confidence whenever I'm sporting my biker best. 

Pairing it back with some floaty whites and a new favourite (like fresh of the runway new) from up and coming designer Gabriel Lee. Gabriel was so kind to gift Christine and I with a clutch from the Private Performance collection that showed at MBFWA this year. Lee's been making headlines with his sporty aesthetic mixed with feminine sensibility. This year he incorporated this lucious floral  deco print that I can't get enough of.

Zara top, J Brand jeans, IRO jacket, Gabriel Lee clutch, Karen Walker sunglasses.

Photos by Christine Ai

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game set match.


Photography: Christine Ai
Hair and makeup: Ali Stadler
Photographer's Assistant: Emma Chu

Sometimes what you envisage is not always what is executed. Sometimes it's better. Christine and I knew after seeing Gabriel Lee's collection at Fashion Week earlier this year that we had to shoot with his pieces (and we did get our selfies with his floral brimmed caps). Thinking up a theme that was fresh and unique as his designs was at a standstill until it was so obvious what it should be. The crisp whites and soft lilacs, the caps, the sweatshirts and the frilled skirts pointed right towards tennis. With a touch of Alice in Wonderland whimsy courtesy of Cai's stockpile of tennis balls (that was totally unplanned but I'm so glad it happened), we ended up portraying a delicate, fragile yet extremely assertive woman   and a visually beautiful editorial the whole team is extremely proud of. It's definitely my favourite piece of styling work to date. The shoot was also picked up by our friends at Lovage Magazine who have also released Issue 3 as a physical mag so I'm even luckier that my best work to date is immortalised in print. 

Clothing and accessories from Gabriel Lee
(Nine West shoes and American Apparel socks)
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floral perspex.


The day I met Gabriel Lee, he was calm, collected but most of all, he was cool. In true Gabriel Lee style, he sported the blue basket weave Kenzo x New Era cap (the same one I spent a week hunting down) and New Balance kicks and I knew immediately, even with his back turned to me, that this was the Raffles graduate who had so ingeniously come up with baseball caps embellished with lace, flowers and perspex. Fresh off his winner of a collection at Fashion Week, Lee said all the exposure had made his schedule much busier but was glad to have the attention. Christine and I wasted no time contacting him, begging to shoot the incredible The Daughter of a Maid collection as soon as it came off the runway. But deep down inside, the two of us were most excited to wear his caps.

I actually got a bit giddy, opening the garment bag housing the precious cap. It's like when a king finally gets to wear his crown. As a true headwear lover, I can appreciate the creativity that went into the design of this cap, which in my opinion was the standout piece in his collection. Some days I like to wear caps, other days I prefer floral headbands but when one can't decide, the only logical thing to do is to combine both. A true balance of masculine and feminine but not in the traditional suiting sense. "But it doesn't actually protect you from the sun!" you say. In all seriousness, who actually wears a hat for its original purpose? I know I don't.

Please Gabriel, do us cap lovers a favour and launch your online store already!

Photos by Christine Ai
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one to watch. gabriel lee.


Captured backstage at the Raffles show by Christine Ai
I contemplated for quite some time about not attending fashion week. The queueing in uncomfortable shoes, waiting around and the pretentiousness and strict hierarchy of the industry improved little from last year. But then I saw Gabriel Lee's collection as part of the Raffles runway and remembered why exactly it was so satisfying. It wasn't the it names in fashion that were the most memorable, it was discovering the newcomers, the rising stars who will take over the reins over the coming years. And I'm relieved to tell you, the future of Australian fashion is in good hands. 

Gabriel Lee isn't new to the Raffles lineup. Last year he presented a sweet selection of flowy feminine pieces and sleek tailoring in dusty pinks and creams that resembled the wardrobe of a young Judy Garland circa the Wizard of Oz. Still focusing on the fragility of the female character and his fixation on bygone eras, Lee made a statement this time around with his striking monochromatic print, contrasting textures and bold (and unexpected) accessories to match. But seriously, a cap with a clear brim and fake flowers on it? Groundbreaking (no I'm not being sarcastic). Cai and I are having dreams of taking plenty of selfies wearing these.

Taking inspiration from the wears of a housemaid in the Victorian era (ah now you see it), The Daughter of a Maid artfully modernises romanticism (delicate silks, lace sleeves, frilled headbands, voluminous sleeves, high waists and long skirts) with hints of the now sports luxe trend (baseball caps, muscle singlets and boxy sweatshirts). An innovative fusion of two very separate and distinct periods really set his collection apart from the others I saw during the week. And I'm even more impressed with the accessories he's designed - the leather clutches emblazoned with his label logo, the statement jewelled earrings, the floral embellished caps and of course that insane floral headband that just trumps everything Lana Del Rey has ever sported. The only problem with new designers is that their pieces are hardly stocked anywhere. Gabriel, please open up your online store. Those sweatshirts, hats and clutches are mine!
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