An apple a day

They’re back. Easton Pearson returned to the runway at SAFW after quite sometime off (terribly busy and important in Paris it seems) with the most magical collaboration I’ve seen in quite some time.

With a nod to the hand painted fabric obsession we have seen so much of in Europe this year these BRISBANE girls brought us a mystical, rainbow palate of colour and extravagance. Layers of jewel coloured silks, satins, dipped feathers and hand sewn embroidery accessorized with the most extraordinarily head pieces of flowers, fruit and fernery. Some might say just too extreme and some what fancy dress (ah la Carmen Miranda), I say, simply stunning and let's raid grandmas fake fruit bowl (have I lost the plot? Possibly yes).

The highlight for me was the bouffant, pink, bubbled hemmed organza gown with the prettiest soft, printed black sheer overlay (above) – Get Thee To The Ball…….

Our Diggers

The use of medals in New Zealand designer Kate Sylvester’s SAFW show this morning has caused an up roar "This demeans the whole purpose of the commemoration of Anzac Day," the national secretary of the RSL, Derek Robson said this afternoon in the Sydney Morning Herald.

This is a tough one – fashion week personnel have retaliated that Sylvester would be “devastated if people said there was a lack of respect."

I’m as true blue as they can get and although I don’t find it particularly disrespectful I can see where our servicemen are coming from. I could imagine Kate would have spent under 30 seconds considering all of the above when putting her collection together and I took more of “An Officer and a Gentlemen” inspiration over a Gallipoli theme from the show. None the less she has caused a stir and so close to Anzac Day the timing is truly unfortunate.

Your Thoughts?

Whose line is it anyway?

I figured there was no real point to a day by day break down of Australian Fashion Week (SAFW SS08/09) here on MOMTD for 2 reasons really:
1. By the time I have had the chance to cover a show my loyal Aussie fans will have seen (if you're one of the lucky ones) and read all about it 10 hours prior to it reaching me.
2. I haven’t lived there for nearly 2 years so my opinion is based solely on what I read on line, Australian Vogue when I can get my hands on it (a rare find) and what my Mum sends via care package (handy hint: can be risky, I advise to always give the mother a style code, they can’t go wrong this way).

What I’m really interested in though is the front row? Who’s in it? How they got there? And most importantly what they are wearing? Let’s hope those super impatient official photographers get right in there and send some inside scoop over to their expats here in the UK.

I do however wish all those involved the very best for what I’m sure will be yet another super successful week of home grown style and edge.

Let the show (& "constructive" criticism) begin....

Does this come in Emerald Green?

Flatting in London is tough. Space is limited, hot water runs out (in winter), lights short circuit, doors fall off their hinges and land lords seriously suck. I currently live in the basement flat (which may have been the servant’s quarters in the yesteryear) of a lovely 1956 Mansion block. I live with 2 uber stylish Aussie girls in a terribly posh suburb of West London. Our flat is small, dark, underground, televisionless, sometimes damp & chilly but terribly hip. We love it and it’s kind of cheap- for London standards anyway.

Tink who has been a friend for more than 10 years lives in Bedroom Number 1 with yours truly residing in number 2 and Chloe in the quieter of the 3 rooms. Tink recently returned from yet another trip home to Australia to visit her lovely (also Australian) boyfriend – on her arrival back to London Town her suitcase seemed to burst in some kind of volcanic manner with all the colours of the rainbow. With an obvious summer frame of mind (wishful thinking) Tink went into over drive purchasing stacks of florals and sunny weather inspired prints. Her room seemed a sea of canary yellow, beautiful fuchsia pinks, the brightest of reds and lots of lots of yummy sorbet coloured greens.

Her closet looks so gorgeous now it’s all hung and somewhat organised, it reminds me of one of those quaint vintage stores that display all their clothes in actual bedroom furniture; however, Tink favours high end labels over the much loved, dusty, second hand garments that grace my coat hangers.

I've diagnosed Tink with a syndrome I like to call “Does this come in other colours?” you may be familiar with this condition and may even suffer from it yourself, an example of this follows:

When a pair of cute sandals recently presented themselves on an overseas holiday Tink initially picked them up in a lemony patent colour (perfect for Spring), however, also fancied the same shoe in electric blue, she simply, no questions asked, no reservations, parted with the cash for both pairs.

This has become quite a pattern for Tink and something that may need to be addressed when considering saving for ones future nest egg. Recently she returned from a spree at Charles and Keith at Singapore airport with a preppy pair of black patent Mary Jane’s with the cutest cream coloured piping, only to then stumble across the exact same pair in the reverse; cream with black piping – “I’ll have both thanks” a definite victim of the “DTCIOC” syndrome.

Tink has come from a long line of stylish women with a Nanny who hands down her antique diamonds and vintage Oroton glow mesh purses and a mother who wears full skirts with tulle petticoats and favours classic labels like Covers and Harry Who (huge hit with fashion savvy Australian Mothers). I think if reincarnation really did exist I would come back as the 4th generation Tink (A-Bell) Heiress – what a stylish life I would lead…... and I'd have 2 of everything.

Neighbours

Prior to moving to the fashion capital I lived in one of those ridiculously cool converted flats that once hailed as some type of factory, a cannery factory in fact – my flat mate and I would joke about hearing asparagus screaming through out the night (bad, bad joke). You may be asking how on earth tortured vegetables are at all related to the recurrent theme of fashion you find scrawled across these digital pages daily?

Well… back in 2005/6 my neighbour at this cannery place was a funny little eclectic, some what odd maybe even charming Malaysian lady. I would visit her weekly, show her my recent purchases, drink cups of tea, talk about her 2 daughters, the trials and tribulations of her single motherhood and the love we all seemed to share for fashion and design. One ordinary day, In the middle of one of these weekly drop ins, from a bedroom toward the back of her flat appeared a very tall, very slim beautiful young lady circa 19 years maybe 20 at a stretch. We began to chat and once again the common thread of fashion became a topic. Little did I know at that point that for the next 2 years I would live next door to a young Australian girl known as Gail Reid who would one day become the ‘Gail Force’ (oh the play on words is too much) behind the ever emerging label Gail Sorronda.

Soon enough the Gail Sorronda Brand began to feature in free(maga)zines all over Brisbane and before we knew it she was showing at G’day LA and stocking all over the country including big movers and shakers in the Queensland/Australian fashion world like Blonde Venus, Natalie Denning and The Cornershop (Belinda Seper actually claiming to have founded this great new talent).

SS06

I much prefer her earlier work over the collections she has launched of late - SS06 (which may have been her graduate collection – stab in the dark here) was very pretty with lots of wrapping and bow details and I of course love a good ruffle on the behind. Move foreword to AW08 and we find some type of goth inspired, all black, simple not so 'wow' range of jersey and lycra. Could there be a too much too soon, not enough time spent at the desk theme here? I also heard a rumour Gail managed to fit in a designer collaborative gig with Target at some point also. No Comment.

AW08

With limbs not so model like I unfortunately was not built to wear a Gail Sorronda creation. I find her work not so easy or even close to the literal meaning ready to wear, however, I do appreciate her mish mash of hard structure and soft draping all on a tricky, stark pallet of black and white. I can most certainly see her appeal to Seper and co. and although I won’t be a consumer I am always very proud of Aussies who make their mark in the ever difficult and guerrilla market that is fashion. Well Done You.