Rachel Gilbert AW10.

I meant to post these for you all yesterday, but I got home fairly late from seeing the Berlin Philharmonic play at the Sydney Opera House. I think that's worth a couple of paragraphs' spiel in itself!!! My jaw was on the ground the entire night (how embarrassment) and the orchestra and Sir Simone Rattle really were mind blowing.

Just like the beautiful AW10 collection of none other than Ms Rachel Gilbert (who you all know I love). I was lucky enough to go to the AW10 showing on Monday and the details, beading, sequins, and finesse had certainly stepped up into a new class of sophistication, but in a much more accessible way - especially given that, for the first time, Rachel did a Ready-to-Wear collection! The separates still had her amazing, shiny details, but also a lot of buttery leather (yummm) and browns, khakis and blacks. Physical restraint required, people.

Having said that, the gowns were, as always, absolutely stunning. Once you stare at the embellishments for long enough you go a bit cross-eyed, so needless to say I looked a bit stupid standing in the showroom! I loved that the cuts and shapes of all the dresses would suit so many body shapes - padded shoulders aren't out yet!













Way too much "AAAAH" and "I NEED THIS" for my own good.

Thanks so much to Charlie and Maz for having me - hope you all enjoyed the photos as much as I enjoyed squealing at the gorgeous collection :)

Rachel also recently launched an online store, so check it out HERE.

*love*

xx

Who are you wearing? Dalia MacPhee.

I'll make it no secret that I am so excited to be interviewing the dress extraordinaire, Dalia MacPhee, whose gowns, frocks, and party party pieces have graced red carpet, after Dancing With the Stars, after magazine cover and shall we throw in another red carpet or a thousand? At some point, you've all admired her daring vibrance or muted sophistication on Amber Riley (yeah, Gleeks), Miss Universe, Audrina Patridge, and Maiara Walsh to name just a few. Dalia's latest collection, however, is so much more about the other-worldy class of a woman - while I do feel like a star just looking at these shots, there is definitely a fresh new femininity and playfulness in each piece.

I'm a ridiculous amount in love with that rosetted first dress, as well as this one, and with a formal on the way, I think I'll definitely be looking to Ms MacPhee for inspiration:



Hi Dalia! How’s it going?
It's definitely Going!!! How are you??

How did you start out as a designer?
I grew up in an apparel family. My parents had clothing stores across Canada and brought me on all their business trips from a very young age. Today they might call that "Child Labor"... Back then they called it "Shut-up we need sixteen Dresses by Midnight!!!"

Who's the girl who wears Dalia MacPhee?
She comes in all ages, sizes, ethnicities, classes, and sometimes, gender... ;) (but that's just in Hollywood). She's someone who loves to feel beautiful and is moved by timeless elegance.

You've been dressing every big star, name and face I can think of! Congratulations - where do you think that'll take you in terms of your design work?
I think it will bring more awareness to the line and hopefully some of the causes we're involved in... I love to create, and love to make women feel beautiful... but my first dream is to help facilitate change in the world... and I think involvement with the Big Stars helps to being attention to the company and what we stand for.



Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Oh boy, I'm not sure if I know where I see myself in a year!! :) Ideally, I see this being an international brand that stands for something Good in the world.

Which is your all time favorite Dalia MacPhee dress?
That's Like asking me which of my children is my all time favorite... and since I'm writing this in my showroom and all my gowns... er em... "children"... are present... I would have to say... I have no favorites!! However if we grab a drink later I may spill the beans on which one I love the most!!

Who’s your favorite style icon of the moment?
Hmmmm... That's actually a tough question... I'm not sure who I would answer on that, although I will say my current personal fashion icon of the moment would be Valentino...
I am moved by his story, his passion, his talent, and who he is as an individual.



What do you think of the new wave of bloggers coming through?
I think it is fantastic. This is a new Era... An Era of major change, a time for anyone who has a strong voice and vision to come forward, express their opinions to the world and make a difference. In terms of commerce, bloggers are helping to promote small businesses that you otherwise may never have heard about-- and I think that is Amazing...

One of our previous interviewees, designer Gail Sorronda, would like to know: What’s your favorite conspiracy theory and why?
Oh boy.... Well.... I believe 2e have already found a cure for cancer but the Government, FDA and the Major Drug Companies have kept if from us in protection of the billions of dollars of Revenue they would loose in Drug Sales.

And last of all, what’s a random question would you guys like to ask the next interviewee?
I'd like to know if you only had a month left to live, and money was no object, what would you do?



Thanks so much Dalia!

It's so wonderful to see someone in such a great creative headspace and position being so down to Earth.

Check out more of Dalia's amazing dresses and gowns HERE - and just quietly, her previous collections are well worth the flick-through too!

P.S. I've had a fair few of you emailing about my blogging for the LG Voice of Fashion - so glad you're liking what we have to say! So if you haven't already, be sure to stop by and leave a comment or seven on what the LG Bloggers have been working on :)

P.S. I just thought share that I have some insanely (I don't use this world lightly) exciting things in the works... and that my exams finish next Wednesday. I think that combination calls for a lot of celebration!

*love*

xx

Wide eyes.

I just wanted to share what I think is the most beautiful photo of that golden film era - Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn remain style icons, and the simplicity of this backstage shot highlights that (taken at the 28th Annual Academy Awards).

How incredible would it be to own a dress like that... maybe I won't skip the gown section next time I'm thrifting?

Also wanted to thank the lovely Katy of midnightintern for passing on more Happy 101 blog love to me. So now, I get to add another 10 things to my previous list of things that make me happy:

1. Shooting stars
2. Op-shopping
3. Amazing up-and-coming everythings
4. Sitting in non-awkward silence
5. Feeling healthy (usually after swimming)
6. Seafood
7. Tea on rainy days
8. Reminiscing
9. Motivational speakers
10. Finishing something I started

And here's more passing-ons: STOCKHOLM AND SOUTH, Coco & Zaahb, 10.17, Where the Wild Things Might Be, v i v i aa n, WASHINGMACHINE, To the Glamour Born, The Flowerchild Dwelling, Not So Naked, IDYLLE.

Monday tomorrow - sigh. How was everyone's weekend?

*love*

xx

Zuhair Murad Haute Couture SS10.

Look! Big HD runway images! :)

I couldn't think of a post-title more awesome than the name itself.

I think Murad takes the cake for beading - it blows my mind. Also: third image - pockets in couture gowns is quite possibly the greatest idea of all time. Not that I run around in couture gowns - if everyone else jumped on that bandwagon, I'm sure many formal (prom) goers would appreciate it. Muchly.

*love*

xx

I believe more in scissors than I do in the pencil.

To start with, nobody scream that I've gone and snip-snippety-snipped HD runway photographs, because I'm trying something new so you guys get the high quality of the image without having messy images everywhere, making my runway posts a million years long :) and also I think it looks kinda cool... though you'll all be the judge of that - go ahead, tear me to shreds!

Moving right along.

I am going to have to say that Elie Saab is the most consistently beautiful designer I have ever come across. And who is his set designer? The water reflection on the dresses was amazing! I especially love the nude lace and chiffon in, essentially, the four different shape-cuts in the show. May I also add that the hair was amazing and I wish I could braid my hair like that?

All hail Valentino's stylists and make-up artists - I love the coloured ninja band (well that's what I'm going to call it anyway). "Garden of Eden Cyberworld" is what the collection was meant to come across as, and I think it was done pretty well. Hopping on that chiffon bandwagon too - I think this confirms my thoughts of a chiffon wrap skirt for this coming Winter - I can see it in my head and I know it was on the Spring 2010 RTW or Fall 2009 RTW runway, but I can't remember by who :( help me out? P.S. those leggings are amazing :O

Jean Paul Gaultier did a little scenic tour of Mexico - with a mariachi band! I have to say, I did prefer the jungle end of the collection - those prints were incredible! Though that cage sombrero with cage shoulders was pretty impressive.

And finally, Maison Martin Margiela: such intriguing creations! I'm loving all this asymmetry this year - makes me feel like tipping my head to one side to balance it all out. I am admittedly in the strangest mood :)

Tell me what you think about all this snipping business!

*love*

xx

"Sometimes I wake up and I think I should start wearing a beret, but I don't. One day I'm gonna, though. You bet your ass, I will have a beret on."

Some of Tommy Ton's coverage outside the Spring Couture shows in Paris.

*love*

xx

Givenchy Spring Couture 2010.

Givenchy's details, dare I say it, were as good as Chanel's if not better. The layers, colours, cuts and fabrics - amazing. I love this season's look at gradients - shall have to invest in some :)

*love*

xx

P.S. Blogger was messing with the quality of my images :) So I pulled one of my sideways tricks again.

"... an electronic flash in my head at five o'clock one morning."

Chanel, Chanel - perhaps Karl's first ever collection with no navy or black. Romanticism, space age, and intense amount of hand-worked optical illusion on the tiniest scale - take, for example, the ruffled skirts and dresses that took a significant chunk of the show: the edges of each tier were frayed just slightly, then hand-tinted in such a way that it looked almost like fur. Similarly, lots of playing with textures went on - molten, frothy, liquid... and embroidery that looked like shattered glass. Snaps to stylists too - all the jewellery somehow worked itself into the clothing, so it was hard to tell if it was accessoire or embellishment. And would you look at those collars!

One thing. Make that two. The whole time, I kept thinking of Zac Posen's 'naughty Minnie' hair from Fall 2008. Two: is it just me, a trick of light (quite possible) or nothing at all, or did Mr Karl pull a softer metallic Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2009? I'm talking tights here. Not just tights. The tights I'm still hunting for 10 months on. *sigh*

*love*

xx

The Emancipation of Spring.

So here we go with the run of Spring 2010 Couture so far:

Alexis Mabille: Intense colour blocking and splicing - especially with that first one, you could quite easily say that someone did a photoshop job of a bright pink and death black zoot suit. Also love the Givenchy-esque part.

Armani Privé: I wonder if it was so necessary to make the moon theme so obvious, but the fabrics were so beautifully used, nonetheless.

Thimister: So, just to be different, Josephus Thimister showed us his Fall 2010 Haute Couture collection, which was very much bloodshed and militaria. Some of those blazers though: amazing.

*love*

xx