We’re
launching our Winter 2012 collection titled Perpetual Motion online this week
and couldn’t resist giving you a sneak preview of our new campaign, shot on
location at Sydney’s Bronte beach.
This
season we’ve introduced silk to the range, seen above in one of our favourite
pieces, the California top in the colour Flame. A little known fact about this
beautifully luxe fabric is that it’s cooler and more breathable than cotton and
so ideal for the Australian climate and our moderate winter weather – a key
reason why you’ll be seeing much more silk in our future collections. But right
now we’re sure you’ll enjoy the luxe feel of our new silk shirts, silk-trimmed
merino wool cardigans and, one of our personal favourites, the silk-trimmed Le
Crillon poncho, seen at top. “Layer it up with a long-sleeved top, leggings, and a pair of
suede ankle boots,” says our creative director, Rebecca Powell. “It’ll be the
most comfortably stylish piece in your wardrobe all winter.”
“The
future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed.” William
Gibson
Researching
eco fashion tips and ways to make our lives easier we came across Slovakian
designer Adrian Mankovecký’s award-winning concept for a portable stain
cleaner, which he designed for the Swedish whitegoods brand, Electrolux. Genius.
And
in other, more fashion-related news, we’ve been watching the New York catwalks
as the international round of fashion weeks kicks off, and came across this pic
of infamous US Vogue editor Anna Wintour, passing the time on her mobile phone while waiting for the start of Victoria
Beckham’s show. You've got to admire a woman who is always on time, when the majority of the fashion industry during the next four weeks will be consistently late. This week, it's London's take on what we could be wearing next winter. For instant updates we're enjoying the view from the front row via The Guardian'sTwitter feed.
We love a stroll along the beach to wind down after a long day in the studio so photographer Mandy Barker piqued our interest with her inspirational series of images titled Soup, featuring collections of debris from beaches and coastal areas.
Photographed against a black background, the digitally produced images
show the items arranged by colour, theme and size. We just love the creative use of waste plastic, and the vibrant mix of colourful hues.
"We live in a world where we see more images flicking through a
Sunday magazine than a medieval peasant saw in a lifetime. Sometimes I
feel as if I have a whirling postcard rack in my head."
Artist, Grayson Perry
‘Slow Creativity’ describes a need for contemplation and
reflection amidst the speed of contemporary ideas. It's a subject close to our hearts as we get ready to launch our new collection, titled Perpetual Motion. Artist Olafur Eliasson's Your Activity Horizon, pictured above, is a great example of the way Slow Creativity, or in this case, slow motion has the power to fascinate, and almost hypnotise us. A darkened room with a coloured light
installation running along its walls at eye level gives the
impression of a limitless horizon whose colour changes every
50 seconds. And for those who feel time flies by too fast, take a look at the annual clock called The Present, which tells the time in seasons using gradients of colour.
Direct from Nashville (and in celebration of Australia's Country Music Week this week) we've discovered this track from the fabulous, yet underrated Bobbie Gentry. And if Country isn't your thing, this little number might just change you're mind.
While
researching inspirational images for next spring/summer’s collection (yes, we
work at least 12 months ahead) we came across the talent that is Kelly
Thompson, a New Zealand-born, now Melbourne-based illustrator who’s
intelligently seductive style, more often than not featuring beautiful women,
has gained her an international following in art and fashion communities
worldwide.
You
can check out her work – for clients as diverse as accessories brand, Mimco to
international publishers Hachette and the New Zealand Opera – here. Kelly tells
us: “The greatest results happen when you are employed to do what you do best
and are encouraged to push your boundaries and have fun.” We couldn’t agree
more.
Fashion legend and ex-American Harpers Bazaar editor, Diana Vreeland(1903-1989) has been celebrated in a recently released book, The Eye Has to Travel, which hails the high priestess of style as an enduring icon whose influence shaped the face of fashion,
beauty, art, publishing and culture. Illustrations,
original magazine spreads and famous photographs reveal
Vreeland’s vision and her impressive ability to invent and discover
fashion ideas, designers, personalities and photographers. If you didn't know already, Vreeland is also the queen of fashion one-liners - the precursor to the current king of fashion quips, Karl Lagerfeld. Keep an eye
out for the documentary film version of this book, to be released next
year.
The perfect summer hat: Ann Demeulemeester sun hat The perfect sunglasses: PersolSummer 2012 footwear: Simona Vanth
Welcome
2012! While many of our local readers are still enjoying their summer holidays
we’d thought we’d offer a few tips for keeping cool, and of-the-moment whether
you’re lazing by the pool or soaking up the sun’s rays by the beach.
The
perfect summer hat:We say stick
with the classics and make it a wide-brimmed Fedora or floppy 70s-inspired
sunhat a la Ann Demeulemeester's offering above – or if you appreciate the quality of handmade tradition, take a look at
these beautiful Panama numbers, all the way from Ecuador.
Moving
on from the see-it-everywhere Trilby, these handmade Fedoras have a certain chic sensibility
in keeping with our very own Tluxe take on relaxed glamour with a Studio
54-style twist. And let’s face it, in the Australian sun a wide-brimmed hat is
so much more than just a style investment. It will quite literally, save your
skin.
2012 footwear:The most down-to-earth footwear trend for this summer, and next, is all about mixing a few found objects
from your beachcombing with the look of raw leather, hammered metal, and
earthy, rough-edged textures. We just love the look of these sandals
from young Italian shoe designer, Simona Vanth.
Here’s
wishing every one of you a relaxed and laid-back Christmas. Our top tip for
surviving the mayhem is: keep it simple. We’re talking beachcombing for
Christmas decorations, a bbq and a few icey cocktails for lunch, and a lazy
summer afternoon, kicking back under the shade of a beach umbrella with a dip
in the ocean - or your neighbour’s backyard pool - if you feel so inclined (and the weather finally clears, which we're assured it will on Christmas day).
Ahh, Sydney in the summer. What’s not to love?
Olafur Eliasson, Your Activity Horizon
The perfect summer hat: Ann Demeulemeester sun hat
The perfect sunglasses: Persol
Summer 2012 footwear: 
