Busy busy....

If only work was as carefree as this ad from the 1960's makes it look....I've been so busy working on the business side of the business (as opposed the more fun creating fashion side) and I feel very un-inspired  hence why posts have been few and far between. Deadline for what I'm working on is this Thursday so after that I will be back to more balance between the two : )

A great fashion photographer

As I try to learn more about photography myself I have been inspired by the work of many brilliant fashion photographers, at the top of my list at the moment for modern day photographers is Nicoline Patricia Malina. Based in Indonesia Nicoline has worked for some top magazines and brands in The Netherlands, China & Indonesia including Elle and Harpers Bazaar among many and received Elles Young Photographer of the Year award in 2009, some great achievements in only 5 years. I love her whole portfolio from the soft fairytale dream of the first couple of images here to the slightly sultry beauty of the last few, Nicolines work is so diverse, for more see http://www.nicolinepatricia.com/. I'd love to hear who your favorite modern day fashion photographers are too : )

Then & Now: hair inspiration

As I've never failed to state I just adore the 1950's and 60's fashion and take a great deal of inspiration from the era, the one thing I struggle with though is the hairstyles. They look oh so glamorous in the pictures but I find it hard to translate them to a modern look. I fnd there are many dresses that I could easily pull out of a vintage fashion photo and wear today without changing a thing (hence the popularity of vintage these days I guess) but the hairstyles I just can not do - they seem to require alot of time and effort (something I lack when it comes to my hair) and on the odd occasion that I have tried they just don't suit me, and it doesn't help having long thick hair which is not at all suited for true vintage styles. I do however find inspiration from Taylor Swift, love her or dislike her she does often have a great updo, classic and glamorous with a hint of vintage that never looks overdone and she still looks young and fresh.

Where do you get your hair inspiration from?

image 1: simplicity pattern book 1957

Seeking vintage hats

When I first saw this gorgeous picture my first thought was a post titled 'Gossip'....umm but I don't have any.

So what I'm actually posting about is vintage or vintage inspired hats for Winter. I've never really worn hats other than to the races, but in going through all my favorite classic fashion pictures it's reminded me that back in the days of glamour hats were an important everyday accessory and were the perfect accessory to top off an outfit. It's provided me with a bit of inspiration for styling the photoshoot for my Winter collection and I also plan to add some cute millinery to my wardrobe this Winter. Below are a few of the many styles I have on my favorites list, I found most of these on Etsy (both vintage and handmade) but they are all from the US, I'm all for supporting Aussie designers so I would just love to find an Australian designer to buy from, does anyone know of one with a great array of vintage inspired headpieces?

Bella

This is my sweet little dog Bella, I spend more time with her than anyone. Because I work from home she's at my side all day every day, she comes in the car for short trips, travels home on the plane to Brisbane with me and I run with her for exercise. I can't imagine life without her : )

Wearing: her adorable pink name collar that my boyfriends mother gave her for Christmas, I was so excited to open this present!

More Bows...

I've got bows on my mind today...This beautiful image is by Henry Clarke, another brilliant fashion photographer who was at the height of his game in the 50's &  60's.

Lilac & Bows Lilac & Bows Lilac & Bows

My cutting table is full of this gorgeous lilac silk jersey fabric and bows at the moment, I'm using it in  my Autumn/Winter 2010 collection which is finally nearly finished : )  Pictured is the pile of bows I sewed onto the skirt of one of the last dresses today, there's quite a few on this particular dress (40 to be exact) which makes it quite time consuming but the result is delightful, I can't wait to share the final images in 3 weeks!