clothes

Barena Venezia

i haven’t been able to get the spring lookbook for Barena Venezia out of my mind since spotting it at Honey Kennedy yesterday. Jen and i were actually swooning over it on twitter too, and we might have gone off on a tangent about bearded men and Roman gods… and bearded men as Roman gods (or in this case, Venetian gods). but please, don’t get side tracked. i need you to focus here.

the name ‘Berena’ comes from the Venetian term ‘baro’ which describes the territory of the Venetian lagoon between the land and water. in ancient times people in the baro traditionally wore versatile and functional clothing since they were farmers, hunters and fisherman – creating a distinctive style unique to the area.

The Barena collection is in fact inspired by the peculiar dress code created and used by the people who lived in these areas. Many of the garments in the collection are the reinterpretation of unique pieces found in museums, antique markets or books that portray old images. In fact, many of the wools specifically reproduced for the Barena collection, come from the archives of the most prestigious mills in Veneto, no longer in activity. Specific focus is given to construction details which make the garments unique in their simplicity.

Comments { 14 }

& Other Stories

whenever i discover a new online shop i go through various stages of emotion. 1. i’m excited by all the beautiful clothes. 2. i’m sad that i can’t order any of them. 3. i’m relieved because my credit card sits untouched. rinse, and repeat.

so when Catherine alerted me to & Other Stories i went through all these stages, but i also marvelled at the care that went into the look & feel of the shopping experience. i ended up browsing for far longer than i usually would any other online shop.  i’m also taken by the beautiful design of their in-house beauty range - which i’m actually lusting after more than the clothes. i can just imagine these pretty serums and potions sitting atop my sink.

& Other Stories is actually a brand under the H&M group, it kind of feels like a rad Scandi version of Zara. they just opened a shop in Regent Street in London, so i expect they will be branching out further afield soon enough.

Comments { 27 }

Zofia Chylak

Zofia Chylak is a polish fashion designer who specialises in fine construction and tailoring, and draws inspiration from her background as an art historian in her designs. i love her simple pieces, like the no.1 silk dress and the no.2 silk georgette dress. she also has beautiful coats in her collection – something i could see myself wearing this winter.

photographed by Małgorzata Turczyńska.

Comments { 13 }

Centre Commercial, Paris

Centre Commercial is one of those rad Parisian concept stores that sells all sorts of accessories, clothes and accoutrements for men and women. i particularly love their collection of bags and shoes by designers like Sara Barner, MimiOsborn, Christine Phung andLa Botte Gardian - who make those amazing flat work boots. they also offer worldwide shipping, so if you can’t get to Paris any time soon…

Comments { 19 }

Samantha Pleet Spring 13

Mallory shared the latest Samantha Pleet spring collection over on Gems yesterday, and it pretty much nails what i’d love my wardrobe to look like this summer – especially those floral numbers. the one thing that has been quite difficult for me to find, in south africa at least, is the perfect skirt length… which in my mind sits somewhere just between the knee at the calf, and hangs in that perfectly soft way that a summer skirt you’ve worn in for many seasons tends to do.

 Photography: Jacqueline DiMilia / Styling: Martha Violante / Shoes: Wolverine 1000 Mile by Samantha Pleet /Jewellery: Cold Picnic / Headpieces: Sarah Frances Kuhn / Set design: Patrick Pleet

Comments { 3 }