Melbourne Fashionista loves….wait for it….. new Melbourne label….Ever Layne. Think outfits with an edge to wear with sexy tousled hair on long summer nights with a alcoholic beverage. Do you think I have a vision?

Ever Layne launched their first collection this summer and I am in love. Designed by Melbourne designer Sarah Turner Woolfrey it is heavily influenced by her own free spirited childhood in the sun-drenched central eastcoast of Australia. Her debut collection plays with texture and volume, without sacrificing a wearable, feminine and extremely sexy aesthetic.

100% made and designed in Melbourne, I think we should all get out there and support a great new Melbourne label.

Melbourne Stockists are as follows: Liquid Boutique, Dorothy & Evelyn, Green Love by B, Mint Boutique, The Thread Den, Mirror Mirror, Bronze Snake and Wilga.
P.S. I also got to have a sneak peek at Sarah’s winter’s range - can’t wait! I might even share them at a later stage. Maybe.

Super Cool. and Digging for Gold.

Check it out, all you super cool men out there and cutting edge females. I am totally digging Frances Rose Is…’s Digging for Gold collection. Think hipster ties, super cool cravats and western-style-with-an-edge tie pins. Just launched the label has only just made it into a couple of stores in old Melbourne (so your best bet is to contact them directly at this early stage), but I am sure we are likely to see much more of Frances Rose Is… Oh and by the way - you should definitely visit their website, the campaign seems to be channelling Brandon Flowers, The Killers and their Sam’s Town album….need I say more…. hot.

This very first collection by designer Amy Gopperth is inspired by the television series Deadwood, and is the Old West meets the Dandy in a modern world, with unique neckpieces and tie-pins which are hand crafted using one off, high quality fabrics and precious metals.

Amy’s has an extensive background in Visual Communication Design (Illustration) and Fine Art (Jewellery and Metals) so with many years of study, work and travelling behind her, she decided to settle down and plan her label. A year in the making the pieces are exquisitely made

I say contact Frances Rose Is… now and get a one of kind extremely special piece for yourself or a man friend. You/He will look hot…

Pieces retail from $55 to $350.

Frances Rose Is… contact@frances-rose-is.com +61404 296 253

I know I have discussed it before (the body suit is back) but the the strong influence of the eighties on the recent Rosemount Australian Fashion Week was unmistakeable. Shoulder pads, bodysuits, body con, crop tops the list continues. Out and about in Melbourne eighties trash was everywhere - suddenly acid wash was back again and looking cool.

I think I have a lot in common with a wild bear at the moment, I am carrying a bit of excess weight and more importantly my plans for the long weekend include hibernation or more accurately ‘denning’. Apparently before hibernation, or in a bear’s case ‘denning’ an animal will eat large amounts of food in order to survive the long period of winter….definitely rings a bell, anyway I digress. When I think of long winter weekends, my mind conjures up hot open fires, warm chicken noodle soup, beef and burgundy pie and the latest Vogue. However hibernation does not have to be unfashionable….

This post does not strictly fall within ‘Melbourne Fashionista’s’ jurisdiction however, I couldn’t help myself. Over the weekend I thought long and hard (yes I have no life) about whether I should write a post about RAFW, however I have justified this because, one, it is only the one post, two, Australian Fashion Week while held in Sydney, is a week where some of Australia’s best designers (including many Melbourne designers) showcase their spring/summer collections which will undoubtedly shortly arrive here in Melbourne finding their way into our boutiques and shops. So on Sunday I perused the shows online and found the following key trends.

Nudes

A trend which seemed to be everywhere was the nude palette. In loose free flowing styles nudes where shown at Lisa Ho, Karla Spetic, Arnsdorf, Camilla and Marc, TV, Juli Grbac and many more. Mostly in unstructured fabrications such as silks and jerseys, nudity was looking simply effortless. 

Super Brights

Often showing for Spring/Summer, and generally a must for Australian summer fashion are the super brights. These bright pops of colours seemed to be in stark contrast to the abundance of nudes. Cobalt blue was a favourite in many shows such as Lisa Ho and Dion Lee. Wayne Cooper always a fan of the brights, showed his party girl how to dress with tangerines, hot pinks, electric blue and lemon yellows. Kate Sylvester’s urban hiker themes were adventurous with hot pinks, greens and the ever present blue which seemed to be everywhere.

Strong Shoulders

Much has been said about Balmain’s influence on the entire fashion community and this was evident in the the strong and sharp shoulders showing up in the shows. Tailoring was everywhere and blazers were plentiful paired with shorts and slouch pants.

Ladies Who Lunch

Amidst the architectural and sculptural designs, was a still tailored, but also beautifully feminine side which was shown at RAFW. The best way I can sum it up is ‘Ladies who Lunch’. With waisted skirts, belts, pussy bows these ladies are always proper and always love a bit of ruffle. A little bit Mad Men with demure but extremely sexy and feminine shapes the look is flattering for most figures. At Jayson Brunsdon shirtdresses were plentiful, and were classic and pristine.

Body Con

Plenty of body conscious silhouettes were seen. Reminisent of the 80s this sexy silhouette is not for the self conscious. This daring look is often with cut outs and predominantly in black.

Catwalk photos sourced from vogue.com.au, news.com.au, and fashionising.com.

While I never advocate dedication to one brand (at the risk of sounding pretentious I think fashion monogamy is terminally dull) I have to admit when I saw Woodford & Co’s new range at David Jones I was tempted to change my ban on fashion monogamy. Each piece made me gasp with happiness. I think I may need to bottle the shopping rush as it is extremely addictive and unless I learn how to grow a money tree (and I am already struggling with the herb garden) my bank balance is going to suffer.

When I got there David Jones had already sold out of most of the sizes. But I have heard Crimson Pheonix and many other fine Melbourne clothing establishments stock this label too. As I was deliberating over one of the dresses a woman picked it up the last campus striped dress. As a consequence I don’t think their A/W 2009 collection (only second collection can you believe?) will be around for long.  I love all the pieces, preppy as a day at the polo with a cute funky twist !

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It is that time of the year again. Even a ‘dedicated to the cause’ shopper as myself (cue - gasp! horror!) has trouble thinking about - or even trying on - winter clothes when it is 40 degrees outside. As infatuated and fanatical I am with all things ‘coats’ - trying on winter jackets or pants in a cramped change room on the 30 degree day is trying - and a little sticky - on the patience. But a girl’s gotta do what a girls gotta do (also I have to get in there before they sell out of my size!). It is totally bizarre how they managed to stock all other sizes but consistently sell out of my size.  Anyway, I digress from the most important topic - here are some of my favorite new winter items:

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