New Illustration / Falsk

September 24, 2007 | New Illustration | by Bianca Chong |

Swedish illustrator Falsk has exhibited Spain and Australia. More recently he’s been working as an illustrator for the Metro newspaper in Sweden. [see also Rolf]

*You drag rusted-out refrigerators and bits of confetti home thinking you’ll ‘use them’ some day. You should sign up for our free weekly newsletter*

New Fashion / Bowie

May 17, 2007 | New Fashion | by Bianca Chong |

Fashion editor, Bianca Chong, has been at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week: One of my favourite designers, Bowie, was the first show I saw for the week and as usual he didn’t disappoint. This season Bowie has an eclectic and quirky mix of fabrics, colours, and styles for both guys and girls that form his well-received collection. For girls, it ranged from his sexy, feminine designs — some with an overlay of lace or pleated fabrics — through to more structured pieces like the corset dress and pants. The main colours were lemon, salmon, black and red with a splash of metallic. For guys, there were his petrol pump shirts and his Si Fi jump suits in bright orange. His soft casual sports jackets and shorts in beige may also be a sign of what guys will be wearing this summer. My favourite piece though was the hot chili sequin t-shirt in black for that original and fun ‘look at me’ moment.

Cool Travel / Bangkok footwear

March 31, 2007 | Cool Travel | by Bianca Chong |

In recent years Bangkok has built amazing shopping centres to cater to every fashionista’s whims at breakneck speed. Top of the list is Siam Square where you must visit MBK centre, Siam Paragon and Central World to name a few. Shoe trends in Thailand at the moment vary depending on what your looking for, the whole ’80s revival is huge with patent, bright coloured pumps. For those who like their feet to sparkle, why not try the new Birkenstock glitter collection in a range of dazzling colours. But for those girls who want a shoe with a difference get hold of the gorgeous open toe butterfly shoe by World Wide Work. All of these shoes are available at the Platinum Mall on Petchuburi Rd.

New Fashion / Tessarella House – The Queens of Bling

February 13, 2007 | New Fashion | by Bianca Chong |

When I was buzzing around William St, Paddington in Sydney one night, I spotted two girls opening their doors to a room full of bling. I couldn’t help myself and asked cheekily if I could come in and have a look around. ‘Of course!’, the girls squealed. Sisters Anna and Contessa of Tessarella House are a welcoming pair. Stepping into their somewhat camp shop equipped with disco balls and red chandeliers is more like entering a nightclub than a jewellery store. Both sisters design all the handmade pieces displayed around the store including the hot pink satin sofa. I wanted to bejewel myself with all the bling and the Miss World Tiara [they recently sponsored Miss World contestant Sabrina Houssami] and lie on the hot pink sofa sipping champers. Tessarella House specializes in handmade creations ranging from amazing sparkly Swarovski crystal earrings, necklaces and broaches, to creations made out of semi-precious stones. [see also Lydia Holt; Marta Sanchez Oms]

New Fashion / Master/Slave

January 13, 2007 | New Fashion | by Bianca Chong |

The next time you’re walking down Liverpool St, just off Oxford St in Sydney, you may notice an eye-catching window display that draws you into an unknown world. Meet new kids on the block Roderick Ng and Elenie Kondos, owners and founders of clothing brand Master/Slave. The name Master/Slave was chosen as it signified a symbiosis of sorts, meaning one cannot exist without the other. Which is how these two feel about each other, and the Master/slave brand. As Roderick says of the typical Master/Slave customer, ‘he declares that he is a slave to fashion, but the master at play’. Walking through the doors you will find a Pandora’s box full of quirky and unconventional designs. A well thought out space of wall-to-wall creativity, they specialise in made to measure and ready to wear clothing including their luxury denim and funky t-shirts. Of particular interest are the elaborate couture dresses. You can see the quality workmanship that has gone into each piece. [see also Sumakhi]

New Fashion / Lynda Holt

January 8, 2007 | New Fashion | by Bianca Chong |

For all you girls out there hunting for that ultimate piece of jewellery that possesses the 3 ‘Gz’ — glitzy, glam, and gorgeous — and is sure to make a statement, turn heads and show you are a unique fashionista, then Lynda Holt is the jewellery designer for you. Read more