australia

Nancybird SS15

Thursday 24 July, 2014 · 4

i can always count on the Australians to be on the same wavelength as us. weather wise, at least. i often get emails from overseas people who then round off with, “hope you’re enjoying the summer!” well it’s winter here, actually. hope you’re enjoying your summer, though! the Aussies and the rest of us southern hemispheareans are dreaming of summer. even a winter baby like me, i am quite cheerful these days when the sun comes out.

so the SS15 collection from Australian label Nancybird is quite nice to look at right about now. especially those sandals. look out for it later this year.

YEVU

Friday 28 February, 2014 · 8

i love the internet for just this reason: discovering a Ghanaian inspired fashion label, started by an Australian print lover, thanks to a recommendation from an Aussie internet friend, who i have never met, and now lives in London. YEVU was started by Anna Robertson who, after a year of living in Ghana, decided to bring the vibrant West African textiles to her home town of Sydney. she was particularly inspired by the print-on-print aesthetic of the locals, who aren’t afraid to be bold in their sartorial choices.

YEVU is a brand that was inspired by, and developed in Ghana in 2013. The idea was to celebrate and harness the beauty of West African wax prints and the craftsmanship of Ghanaian tailors and seamstresses, to create unique and fun apparel that fit the lifestyle of my friends in Summer in Sydney. Each piece is unique. The fabrics were hand picked from the markets of Accra, Kumasi, Togo and Cote d’Ivoire. Each garment has been constructed by hand in Accra in collaboration with local businesses. Its an ethically produced range which attempts to connect the buyer with the marketplace of West Africa.

you can follow along on their tumblr and instagram, and also read a great interview with Anna about the label here. and in case you were wondering, Yevu is the word for white person or foreigner in a Ewe, the language of the Volta region in Ghana.

&Attorney

Wednesday 30 October, 2013 · 5

&Attorney is an Australian shoe brand that, upon browsing through their website, made me say out loud – “i want that one, and that one, and that one, and that one…” from their classic loafers, to their sweet clogs and unique stacked sandals (love the mint!) i can honestly say i love every single pair of shoes they make.

at &Attorney we employ a “let’s ride this horse backwards” approach when designing in an effort to create truly charming men’s and women’s shoes. This allows us to look back with fond appreciation at the classic styling that has come before, while fulfilling a personal desire to perpetually move things forward.

Gorman

Tuesday 17 September, 2013 · 9

i love Aussie brand Gorman – their prints just scream S U M M E R. and since us south africans, and our counterparts in the southern hemisphere, are going into spring i feel like this is the kind of stuff everyone should be wearing. at the moment we are still having some cooooold days, but perhaps if we, as a collective, wear beautiful bold prints it will force the sun to come out.

there is a distinctive handwriting that underpins all of gorman’s designs, from its whimsical signature prints, directional knitwear and distinctive colour palettes. for all of its vintage and tribal references, gorman is thoroughly modern and inspired by the everyday, and the local culture and artists that surround us.

Kristy, Marky & Kuwaii

Wednesday 10 October, 2012 · 11

photographer Kate Berry recently snapped the lovely Melbourne home of creative couple Kristy & Marky. Marky is a musician, currently touring with his band Monnone Alone, and Kristy is the talented lady behind fashion label Kuwaii. i just had to include scenes from her cool little shop (also photographed by Kate) and some of my favourite pieces from her latest collection Landscape.

home & shop photographs by Kate Berry, clothing pics courtesy of Kuwaii.

Bumper Fashion Special No. 19

Saturday 12 December, 2009 · 2

you know, i’ve been skimping on the bumper fashion specials lately, mostly because i haven’t come across a lot of summer stuff that i find very inspiring (especially since at least 90% of what we’re exposed to fashion wise is from the north, where they are now settling into deep winter – jackets, coats, scarves, layers etc). so if you’re a southern african like me (or any other southern cousin), you’ll be experiencing 30+ degree heat by now – and black tights are the furthest things from your mind. that being said, i’ve done my best to collect some summer goodness from around the web. note: i’m not counting the spring / summer 2010 shows, which i covered pretty extensively here, here, here & here

herewith bumper fashion special #22…

lauren moffat spring/summer 2010:
probably the perfect summer collection

jeffrey monteiro:

marc by marc jacobs:

chloé:

diane von furstenberg:

something else:

state of georgia:

elise bergman:

stolen girlfriends club:

this is genevieve:

YTBA:

arnsdorf:

sunglasses….
(step away from the wayfarers, people. we know you look cool in them, but let’s try something different)

karen walker:

chloé:

the sartorialist:
he’s been in australia, so some summer coverage has slipped in

american gigolo
and for something slightly different, if you don’t follow café mode you really should – geraldine dormoy does an interesting series on the visual stylings in films she enjoys. her latest offering was american gigolo (which i haven’t seen because i don’t enjoy richard gere, but might have to rent now since it has the gorgeous lauren hutton in it). some stylish scenes….

flat white

Friday 11 September, 2009 · 0

A flat white is a coffee beverage prepared by pouring the creamy steamed milk from the bottom of the jug over a single shot (30ml) of espresso, it is most commonly found in New Zealand and Australia.

this is how i like my coffee (for future reference). the foam has to be so thick and creamy, that when you drop a sugar cube into it – it doesn’t sink. none of this bubbly watery foam on top of tepid filter coffee crap (no thanks, mugg ‘n bean).

speaking of coffee, i love the look of this australian run coffee bar in london called milk bar, done by an australian design company called a friend of mine. ‘milk bar’ is an aussie term for corner shop – somewhere you run to for a litre of milk and perhaps a loaf of bread. funnily enough, they have another coffee place in the same neighbourhood called flat white – both are top rated for their coffee & atmosphere.

the frowning clouds

Tuesday 1 September, 2009 · 0

the frowning clouds – time wastin’ woman

The Frowning Clouds are so 60s and very fun. Lead vocalist Nick (a dead ringer for George Harrison) and his poncho-wielding counterpart Zack rotate between singing and rhythm guitar duties. The coarse vocals of Zack lend backbone to “Time Wastin’ Woman”, oozing with the sounds of the Stones’ early catalogue – via who the bloody hell are they?

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