dolce and gabbana fall/winter 2013

On the 26th of February I had a lovely friend of mine remind me that at 11pm that night was going to be the live streaming of the Dolce and Gabbana Fall/Winter 2013 collection. It was one the best 45 minutes that I have put aside in my life. I cannot even begin to express my admiration and love for all the inspiration and sheer brilliance behind the Dolce and Gabbana 2013 Fall/Winter collection.



Each garment was made from decadent fabrics, intricate in the detail and adorned with embellishment of gold, sequins, jewels and lace; all of which paid a brilliant tribute to the beauty of italian art and history.



Its very evident the love and passion that Domenico and Stefano have not only for fashion but for the love of all things italian; there was a very strong sense of patriotism when you heard the vocals of Pavarotti playing in the background - which still gives me goosebumps thinking of this show. Not to mention the patterns and prints and jewellery which were seen on the models which resembled some what of the fresco's in the Sistene Chapel in Rome. I was surprised that Domenico and Stefano did not go to the extreme of painting 'The Creation of Adam' on the ceiling of the show.



If I didn't understand before, I do now, of what it feels like to live and breath fashion to the extent of which Domenico and Stefano do.



Two of my favourite pieces on the night would have to be the garments worn by Natasha and Lily; absolutely exquisite pieces. Its evident that this winter will be very much baroque inspired - clothing that is created with an unusual and artistic edge to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in the sense of colours, embellishment, patterns and prints and styles.

design. craft. food. fashion; boutique markets feb 26th

This weekend was all about food. My inspiration this week came from my experience at the Boutique Markets. Boutique Markets is a national boutique shopping event showcasing high quality handmade and limited edition goods by some of the best local talent in art, craft, food and design. On the weekend I was helping some family friends in their preparation for the Boutique Markets.



The inspiration behind their stall was based around the French markets. After surfing the internet of different images of French markets I was able to understand the theme behind their stall. I found an image on the internet of a blog; Travel Avenue, that featured an image from a French food market in Ile d'Oleron; an island off the Atlantic coast of France.



Although the food that is being sold is completely different, the colour schemes and ideas are still there - the white and red colour scheme and the black board writing labels.





Basically the concept behind their product is you can have amazing traditional Italian recipes using the best ingredients and simplest techniques all in the comforts of your own home - your very own Kitchen Angel. Kitchen Angel has been designed to allow you to produce quality desserts of your own with limited effort, whilst using the best ingredients and following their family’s traditional recipes. What you can see in the images is the finished product of their pre mix ingredients.

All of Kitchen Angels pre-mix products are nut based and preservative, gluten and dairy free. That’s right – with the exception of whatever additional flavours or ingredients you may choose to add, this product is made only from natural ingredients.

The pre-mix range is provided to you as dough. Add wet ingredients and your own creativity to cut, shape, pipe or roll, bake fresh and finish off as desired. They give you the base product that has a long proven tradition and you make it uniquely yours. If inspiration or creativity is low, I’m sure you will enjoy the great taste and melt in your mouth quality of the biscuit from the basic pre-mixes themselves.

As you can see the products speak for themselves; from all ages across the board this pre mix recipe really has that melt in your mouth factor!

comfort at my table

Here’ is Comfort At My Table, a two-year-old cafe on Milton’s Cribb Street. And evidently, its soft rose-coloured walls, vases of flowers and crotcheted cushions definitely provides you with all the comforts you need. Not only are the surroundings welcoming but the food is to die for. Definitely Comfort At My Table.



Of course I order for breakfast, my all time favorite - avocado on toast. Attention to perfecting each element is clear: the avocado is extremely fresh and melts in your mouth (I can't stand when some cafe's give you avocado that is as hard as a rock), the tomato only just holding together its juices in its roasted skin, the eggs softly poached, the soft and fresh fetta - but what really made the dish was the lemon. To actually partially cook the lemon I think was pure genius on the chefs part. By doing this makes for more pungent flavour, which I feel the lemon in any avo on toast is the star of the dish.



What I particularly like about this cafe is the vintage feel - from the cakes to the ornaments to the artwork on the walls to the wallpaper.



The sweet, homestyle touches are everywhere - a shelf of recipe books, little pots of flowers on the tables, the basket offering shiny red apples to customers on their way out. Many cafes try to make people feel like they're in someone's home, and Comfort At My Table goes a lot further than most in actually succeeding.

the journey from here to beyond

So, last week was O Week (Orientation Week) for University. I had or should I say have quite a bit of time on my hands now. I have time to sit and enjoy the ambience and my surroundings. On my break from Uni, I decided to take a trip to West End. I stopped by The Music Kafe on Boundary St. I enjoyed a lovely serving of fruit toast which had the cutest little mint tree sprouting out from the toast. I couldn't help but take a picture of this as on that very same day I was sporting a pair of vintage jeans which reminded me so much of this little mint tree.



As I was on my way back to Uni I stumbled across this amazing graffiti on the walkway. Today was definitely filled with all things art and inspiration.

azul marino

Last Friday a friend and I got together to put together some looks with her amazing short designs. In this image I am sporting a pair of flat platforms from ZOMP, a black milk clothing 'galaxy' bodysuit teamed with my friends shorts - Be Bitko Azul Marino shorts.

Be Bitko is an up and coming label online from Brisbane founded and designed by Brisbane based owner Emily Bitkow in June of 2011. At Be Bitko they mix their own uniqueness with global fashion trends, creating edgy pieces that are bold and dramatic, yet completely wearable for day or night and all in between. The designer Emily Bitkow came up with new and even more fashionable ways for women to carry their valuables while attending festivals, clubbing or travelling. Three distinct locations where women want to know that their valuables are secure, yet they have the freedom to enjoy themselves without fear or worry of losing their items.

With these designs you can be as imaginative and as creative as you like. Every day at Be Bitko is like a festival. Life is meant to be taken advantage of, and its here where they encourage the highest in style, taste, health and happiness

i am going to platform over you

Raiding the stores for some shoes to purchase I noticed that super high heels are just not in any more. In fact, some of the best known shoe designers, Christian Louboutin, Charlotte Olympia and Yves Saint Laurent are taking their shoes to greater heights - incorporating when they can the platform style. I can actually argue that walking in a four-inch platform can be just as challenging as walking in a six-inch heel - nearly having rolled my ankle today after purchasing my platform shoe trend, but the truth is, it's all a matter of getting accustomed. The most comfortable option for most women these days are those that combine high heels with a platform.

  

Image source: From left; Derek Lam and Marc Jacobs S/S 2011 (www.fashionspot.com)

As much as some may disagree I think that the wedge/platform will be sticking around a while.

To add to my wardrobe trends I bought my first pair of flat platforms from ZOMP!

in the jungle

Image: silver bloch brogues, vintage paisley jeans, crop tee mink pink

With a passion for one of a kind pieces I wanted to introduce my love for vintage and unique clothing to others. I did a bit of a search and destroy in an old cupboard that is filled with vintage clothing. I stumbled across these pair of jeans. With trend reports noticing that patterns are in I decided to bring these back.

Think whimsical patterns for this Spring Summer 2012. From bird prints to deers, fruit, feathers, florals, you name it - as well as tops, also to be seen with whimsical prints. You will see everything from blouses to dresses to tops to pants all sporting Whimsical prints.

inspiration; oscar de la renta fall 2012

With my love for fashion and design peaking at an absolute high, I thought that I would focus on a particular designer that has been the inspiration behind my creations. Oscar de la Renta has been an inspiration to me with their beautiful patterns, use of fabrics, colour, style as well as classic vintage beauty look. There is a timeless look about his designs that intrigues me.







Oscar de la Renta Fall 2012

Featured are some of my favourite peices from the Fall 2012 Runway show.  Their Fall 2012 show had an undeniably youthful edge. One candy colored confection after another, dresses were short and girly with little puff skirts and fitted tops. The silhouette is a favorite of fashion It-girls like Alexa Chung; another one of my style icons and fashion idols. A lot of the designs that were featured in this runway collection was inspired by social media. As the OscarPRGirl mentions social media in terms of image sharing has grown in the last few years which has prompted designers to look for inspiration from the ones who mean the most to them; the fashionistas.

inspiration; jeremy scott s/s 2010

Jeremy Scott S/S 2010

Image source:  fashion156.com

Definitely needed to reblog this; Jeremy Scott ss 2010. Most of my Sundays I spend lounging around, but mostly blogging and researching what is around at the minute. I happened to have FTV playing in the background. Always on a Sunday afternoon they showcase a designer as well as their shows from when they started to present. They happened to be showing Jeremy Scott, an American fashion designer.

Scott started his runway career in Paris and has since shown collections in Paris, New York, Los Angeles, London, Moscow and Seoul. Part of his inspiration behind this show was from living in Los Angeles and being surrounded constantly by colour and festivities.

I felt the need to post this because as a up and coming designer you need not to be scared of producing fun, quirky and unique designs. You should not be worried about what other people think, but like the envy that comes with being an artist. Because that is what fashion is all about; expressing your love for art.

U Weekend, Sunday Mail 12th Feb 2012

Enjoying an awesome night out at the Shop Late event at Cloudland hosted by Natalie D'Alessandro's Fashionista Events. Local designers include Gail Reid, owner and designer of Gail Sorronda as well as Emily Bitkow, owner and designer of Be Bitko. Also featured is myself, Caterina Francesca, stylist, publicist and fashionista.

HEAT Fashion Event @ Cloudland, Brisbane

From left: caterinafrancesca, stylist, publicist and make-artist and Emily Bitkow, owner & founder of Be Bitko

Last night I attended an event at Cloudland called HEAT Fashion. HEAT Fashion showcases the creativity and talent of Queensland’s fashion designers. It highlights their innovative spirit, their fresh approach to colour and style, and their robust individuality. HEAT Fashion aims to open new international and national markets for Queensland’s fashion designers. The HEAT Fashion program raises the profile of Queensland fashion globally and drives an increase in sales.

I attended the event with designer Emily Bitkow, owner and founder of Be Bitko. Be Bitko is an up and coming label online from Brisbane. At Be Bitko they mix their own uniqueness with global fashion trends, creating edgy pieces that are bold and dramatic, yet completely wearable for day or night and all in between. Be Bitko's concept is to create gorgeous pants, shorts and beautiful bags as a statement accessory in new and even more fashionable ways - in versatile ways where women can carry their valuables while attending festivals, clubbing or travelling. Be Bitko's collections are made out of quality and eco-friendly fabrics, with an added level of practicality.

Such an amazing event and met so many very important people within the industry. It's amazing how even though every designer in their own area of expertise and creativity, they were able to all come together and share their place, ideas and views within the fashion industry.