Keeping the Faith.

Whilst I adore Paloma Faith's music, it actually wasn't what I first found her for. A few years ago she was featured in a  fashion magazine that I was flicking through and I was so drawn to her amazing style that I went and googled her and then came across her music which just as much reflected her amazing Classic yet quirky style. 

I love when she really gets the balance right between Classic elegance and Quirky Individual, it works so amazingly well and it suits her completely. Although she has missed the mark a few times and probably ended up on the 'what not to wear' lists, she seems to take it all in her stride and makes up for it a million times over in my opinion when she gets it right.

I read over here in a little Q&A article with her that she does work with Stylist Kimi O Neill, but mainly just in sourcing different pieces of clothing. Either way I think that over time she's just been getting continuously better at getting it 'right' and she's definitely kept my faith in her as an absolute style icon and shows that you can be completely Glamorous and Classic whilst remaining so edgy, quirky and individual.

 Anyway, here's one of my favourite video's from her - the film clip for 'Do you want the truth or something beautiful?'

..."I am happy to deceive you"

The Mod Flapper.

I've always loved both the Nineteen Twenties and the Nineteen Sixties and the styles that came with each decade. I think it's something about the changing social attitudes of both periods in history with women flighting for more rights along with equality between sexes and the way that men reacted to the more 'empowered' women. 

I've definitely noticed in recent emerging styles even in just recent collections from designers at Paris Fall 2011 Couture week, styles from both the Twenties and the sixties emerging and sometimes a really interesting cross over of both decades. 

From both these decades I love the fashions that were worn by the Flappers in the Twenties and then my the Mods in the sixties. Whilst individually these styles are very different due to such different times and what was socially excepted to begin with and then how it was 'challenged' through what was worn, they do generally have quite a few similarities in certain structural elements and what they were overall trying to achieve.

Apart from just the clothing styles of these era's, I particularly love the hair and make-up styles of each era. The hair was generally shorter - reflecting a more so masculine style and making a statement to equality between sexes - yet the make-up became a lot bolder to previous styles.

On this topic, I just two days ago got all my hair cut off! I used to have really long wavy hair that I generally wore with it's natural wave through it and it was that real bohemian inspired style. It just got to the point that I was not only sick of looking after all my hair. but it just felt like that's all I'd had for so long that I decided it was time to move on and got it cut just below the jaw line. I don't have any pictures yet, but it's cut to sit just below the jaw line at the front and it follows the angle of the jaw back to be slightly shorter in the back. I didn't want a fringe at all and kept just my middle part for now but I can easily change it up whenever.

I love the style because it can be styled to look so different - when it's sleek and straight it's quite a 60's style with how I tend to do my everyday make-up, yet if I put a finger wave through it, it's such a 1920's Flapper style - god I love it and I'm so glad I just did it!

Some inspirational pictures for you from these two era's and also some modern interpretations of these era's and some of the recent 'cross over' styles I mentioned:

From Fall 2011 Couture Fashion week:

ElysiumE

This great blog actually found me on Independent Fashion Bloggers, but I'm so glad they did! 

ElysiumE is a great blog that is a content led website with a unique view - primarily - on the work of a fashion stylist. Targeted at all individuals with an interest in the visual art of image building and instinctive, progressive fashion styling 

A space dedicated to the creative minds behind the imagery we adore, whether they be students or professionals, undiscovered or established, we give our readers the opportunity to understand the image from the perspective of the creator - with featured interviews from internationally renowned stylists.

Head over and have a look at http://www.elysiumeditorial.net and feast your eyes and then find out a bit about the concepts and thinking behind the styling.  

There's not much of this around at all yet and it's definitely great to have an almost exclusive look into part of the fashion industry that is so often overlooked. 

Mulberry Fall 2011 Campaign.

I Adore the Fall 2011 Campaign for English Fashion Label Mulberry. Whilst of course the clothes are great - I adore some specific pieces but others not as much, yet I love the way they are captured and the setting they are placed in. I love the set for this shoot and I think that it works so well to kind of support the clothing and the communicate the feel of the collection and it has me wanting all the clothing shown here, yet when I see pieces individually I notice that they're probably not pieces I'd actually wear!

This is an example of a great set that achieves it's full potential of what it can and should do. I bring this up mainly as I had made comments on an editorial that I featured in this post a week or so back. Whilst I adore the editorial, I barely notice the clothing - the whole purpose of the editorial. 

This set really supports the clothing and whilst it is completely dreamy and whimsical, it doesn't take away from the clothing at all - instead it adds to them by almost sharing the story that goes with the clothes to the viewer.

This Campaign was Photographed by Tim Walker, an amazing photographer that I've written about before, I would consider to be the most inspiring person to me over the last few years of my life and in my photography work. 

An here's the video campaign...

Designer Market in association with Melbourne Spring Fashion Week.

"Perth is where it's not at" - whilst Perth is slowly developing more and over the last few years we have had a lot of progress with the 'Fashion Industy' here in Perth as well as more and more creative individuals actually collaborating together to make more amazing things happen, we're still so far behind not even the rest of the world but Melbourne and Sydney on the other side of the country. 

Anyway, I'm constantly stumbling across great events in Melbourne and I just wish I still  lived there! (I was born in Melbourne, yet our family moved to Perth when I was really young) ... I'll get back there eventually though!

Whilst reading on the Fashion Journal website I stumbled across this Designer Market which will be held in association with Melbourne Spring Fashion Week in September. It gives up and coming designers to hold fashion shows, sell their products and meet with customers - what an amazing opportunity! 

So, I thought I would just share for anyone in Melbourne for Spring Fashion week that is a designer and wants to get their work shown as well as anyone who would be interest to go and see the talent!

So the event is being held at The Lithuanian club on the 11th of September and entry is $2. 

And apart from just this special event in association with Fashion Week, The North Melbourne Market runs Monthly as a normal market with a great amount of stalls featuring anything From vintage fabrics and clothing, sweet treats, designer clothing, handmade jewellery and homeware.

More information about all of North Melbourne Market website: http://www.northmelbournemarket.com

bottom picture from http://themarketroll.com.au

Nicole Trunfio for LoveCat.

Love, Love, Love this editorial with Nicole Trunfio, shot by Aram Bedrossian for LoveCat Magazine #1; it has such a classic sex appeal whilst remaining edgy and modern.

I love the different furs, feathers and leather featured throughout this spread which again creates such a classic feel through the furs, yet the feathers and leather and more so the way they've all been styled makes them more edgy. 

Whilst I know people bang on about how it's wrong to have models smoking and such because it glamorises Smoking, in the end it's up to individuals to make their minds up and I think it just adds such a classic elegance and timelessness to the photos.

My favourite photo's would have to be the last two. I love masks and the mystery that comes with it, you're left wanting to know who's behind the mask?, I think it would have worked really well as the first picture of the spread to draw the viewer in.

I adore the one that was before that even more though - looking at that photo alone it could easily be a photo taken back in the 1940's. It is the epitome of classic elegant and every aspect of the photo works together in such harmony.

...I guess I'm also just so drawn to this editorial because it's black and white with such lovely contrast and balance between inky black and soft white. 

I also again found a lovely video to go with it - behind the scenes...