October 16, 2009 | New Events | by Laura McWhinnie |
With the price of gold hitting an all time high, it was only a matter of time before designers took a hard look at what this metal represents. But just because gold has never been more unattainable, doesn’t mean our jewellery box has to suffer. That’s where Sydney design group Ten More Girls come in. Standing true to this philosophy, their latest exhibition Girls Against Gold kicks off this Saturday at the Blank Space Gallery in Sydney’s Surry Hills. They believe that preciousness lies not in the materials used, but in the piece’s emotional value. Crafting silver, brass, wood and bone, they’ll have you lusting after a whole new array of materials. Read more
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October 13, 2009 | New Fashion | by Laura McWhinnie |
Life is made up of a series of moments. Some of them you’ll blink and miss, but others can shake up your entire world and leave you questioning just about every baggage purchase you’ve ever made. Think we’re being dramatic? Take a look at ex-Mimco designer Rachelle Dendle’s label, After the Apple, because her first collection titled FINS is going to stop you in your tracks. Made up of twelve basic bag shapes that will be adapted to a new theme every season, each bag fits a particular person’s need. This season’s dozen takes inspiration from under the sea, giving us injections of tropical colour and flashes of marine form. So which bag will you be fishing for? Read more
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September 28, 2009 | New Fashion | by Laura McWhinnie |
The fashion pack may have renamed the common ‘fluro’ to an edgy ‘neon’ this season, but that doesn’t mean we’re about to step out in the head-to-toe highlighter hues we’re seeing on the catwalk. Out in the real world it’s all about subtlety, and what better way to make a statement than with a pair of iridescent chandelier earrings by Irish designer Tom Binns. Inspired by the early twentieth century Dada movement, Binns takes crystal embellishment to a whole new level with neon pear-shapes and studded fringing. These babies are just what your wardrobe neutrals need. Read more
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August 31, 2009 | New Fashion | by Laura McWhinnie |
You’re having a relaxing Saturday when suddenly a phone call throws your wardrobe world into chaos. It’s your peeps, and they’ve decided to start the night early with some afternoon drinks in the sun. Sounds like heaven, until you realise that carefully planned after-dark outfit just won’t do. It’s enough to throw even the most stylish member of the crew into a full-fledged fashion meltdown. You need threads that can go from day to night, which is what Aussie label Illionaire do best. Their latest collection, Echoes, has colourful figure-hugging minis for the girls, and digital silk printed tees for the boys. With a palette like that at your disposal, your fashion future looks bright. Read more
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August 5, 2009 | New Fashion | by Laura McWhinnie |
If you ever asked for a brag-worthy souvenir as a kid, only to have your dreams crushed by some play it safe relative, then chances are they brought you back a tourist tee instead. Now, it may not have cemented your status as the coolest kid in school, and you certainly couldn’t take it into show-and-tell. But by the looks of Melbourne label Limedrop, you might have been onto something. Their latest collection, Places I’ve Never Been, takes inspiration from the vintage tourist t shirts they’ve collected over the years, and the cities they aspire to visit. Slip into nomad mode wearing featherweight fabrics, and travel to faraway lands without even leaving your hood. Who knew dreaming about travel could be so fun? Read more
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July 2, 2009 | New Fashion | by Laura McWhinnie |
As we made our way to the bar at RAFW this year, it was obvious something was going down. A crowd had gathered around what we assumed to be an off-duty supermodel, but as we ordered our white wine spritzers (they were all the rage) it became apparent that this was no ordinary celeb spotting. The fashion pack were salivating over a man wearing what looked to be a life-sized rat dipped in some sort of neon plastic coating. We needed to know who was behind this, and now finally after months of extensive of research the mystery has been solved. The girls responsible for this Zoolander-like moment are Aussie label Make Believe. They coat flowers and toy rats in high-sheen latex to create scene-stealing jewels. Who’s up for a bit of menagerie accessorizing? Read more
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June 4, 2009 | New Fashion | by Laura McWhinnie 
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You’re running for your chosen mode of public transport when suddenly you realise that pocket full of shrapnel you’ve been carrying around for a week is gone. It’s at home in your coin jar, along with the change from last night’s cab ride that claimed your last twenty bucks. We know what you’re thinking: ‘why does this always happen to me?’. Well, we can tell you why, it’s because you don’t have a coin wallet from New Zealand label Deadly Ponies. Their latest collection, Hathor’s Revenge, breaks down the nanna like stigma often associated with a coin carrying device. Using deer and cow hides in nude, grey, black and purple hues, these unique designs will have you paying with coin at every opportunity. But be warned, they’re a real conversation starter.
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April 29, 2009 | New Fashion | by Laura McWhinnie |
Cult indie label Maise shunned Rosemount Australian Fashion Week and instead went for an off-program showing in a secret inner-city warehouse before the event’s official launch. Inspired by teen flicks from the late 80s and American high school culture, the label’s designer, Claire Greaves, and Sydney styling guru, Ms Fitz, had guests sitting in the bleachers with the venue decked out like a high school gym. Read more
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April 28, 2009 | New Trends | by Laura McWhinnie |
It’s embarrassing to admit, but Barbie’s recent anniversary got us thinking. Are we the only ones having trouble telling young starlets apart? You know the look: teeth get whiter, hair gets blonder, and dress sizes get smaller. Luckily, a backlash against this so called ‘perfectionism’ has been building, and we like it. Over the last few years, fashion houses have been turning to unconventional beauties like Charlotte Gainsbourg, Chloë Sevigny and Vanessa Paradis to inject quirky nonchalance into their brand. And finally we’re seeing a trend emerge with an edgy new wave of models, actors and socialites who are embracing gapped teeth, scars, prominent bone structure, freckles and birthmarks. So if you haven’t already realised your flaws are features, it’s about time you started working them to your advantage.
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April 28, 2009 | New Products | by Laura McWhinnie |
Common Projects is in the business of making damn cool kicks, and the latest collection from designers Prathan Poopat and Flavio Girolami could very well tip you into the obsession category. Their current season will have you harnessing safari styles and perforated leathers, without looking like a fashion victim. What these guys do best is subtly incorporate the latest trends into their designs, while maintaining the brand’s signature understated silhouette.
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March 26, 2009 | New Trends | by Laura McWhinnie |
Just when you thought you’d seen the last of dumpster chic, the derelict look is back with recession ready regrowth. Look around people, times are tough. We’re now cutting back on basics like trips to the salon. But from this new way of life, a ‘recessionista’ has been born: one who’s not afraid of change or pushing out a hair appointment. Two-toned hair has become acceptable and, as a result, a French colouring process called Balayage has been resurrected. Now, we haven’t seen roots this carefree since the technique first appeared on the Parisian scene back in the 1970s. Used to create a sun-bleached effect, Balayage has taken on a new look with hipsters heading into salons actually asking for regrowth. Sounds like you may need to cancel a hair appointment.
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February 19, 2009 | New Fashion | by Laura McWhinnie |
What do you get when you mix one of Australia’s top fashion designers with Afghani women living in the outer suburbs of Sydney? A breath of fresh air. Named Zarafshan, after one of the skilled women she worked with, the latest collection by Tina Kalivas takes inspiration from a country that’s no stranger to the news. Contrasting Afghanistan’s colourful culture with its rough terrain, Kalivas works military overtones alongside ethnic emblems to deliver neutral toned pieces with fluoro tribal trimmings. Wear the collection M.I.A style with high-tops, or step things up a notch in a pair of nude patent pumps. However you mix it up, just make sure it’s accessorized with a whole lot of attitude. Read more
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February 16, 2009 | New Fashion | by Laura McWhinnie |
The current economic crisis has got us missing our frivolous spending past. But we need to be strong and resist fashionable purchases, right? Wrong. We’ve just got to get a little more creative with our rationalisation. And that’s why we don’t just want a hand-made one of a kind silk scarf from label Trust Fun. We actually need it. Started by Sydney-based graphic designer, Jonathan Zawada, this label’s signature scarves support our justify-it-to-buy-it philosophy with their multi-purpose versatility. Soft sheer silk in amazing one-off colour combinations just don’t go out of style, and with more uses than we can list, they’re one piece you can validate. It’s the rescue purchase we’ve been waiting for.
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January 5, 2009 | New Products | by Laura McWhinnie |
When my uber-creative and slightly eccentric twin brother announced one day that chainmail would be making a return, it only confirmed that he’d missed out on the fashion genes. But after checking out the fingerless chainmail glove in Toby Jones’ new collection — My hands are tied — it now appears he had a legitimate vision. Working a look straight out of a Mad Max scene, Jones’ designs will have us accessorizing in true post-apocalyptic style, using everyday objects as adornment. But you don’t need to be cruising around town in a black Interceptor to appreciate them. Be your own character with chain swinging padlocks and multi-purpose shoelaces. It’s about time you got your hands into something different.
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January 5, 2009 | New Fashion | by Laura McWhinnie |
When I first stumbled upon local label, MUSE by Good Mixer, in Bangkok, I knew I’d found something special. In an industry plagued by copycat designers struggling to find their own identity, you’ve got to admire the ones who have carved an original signature style. By taking unlikely inspiration from American football and mixing it with Eastern influences, the latest collection by designer Chaichon Savantrat plays masculine sportswear against exotic evening wear. Teaming structured shoulder silhouettes with free flowing fabrics, Savantrat uses a palette of black, white and red to showcase intricate embroidery. And with pieces for both men and women, he’s got both teams covered. Read more
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Banky’s done it before and now so can you, at least metaphorically. A group of Palestinian graf artists will spray-paint emailed messages onto the massive concrete wall that divides Israel and the West Bank and send you photos to prove it. The aim of the project is to creatively transform the physical purpose of the imposing eight metre high wall of separation into one of communication, joy and unity. It’s also a decorative, peaceful and simple way for the Palestinians behind the project to remind the rest of the world of their existence and plight. Funds raised go towards small-scale social and cultural projects in the West Bank, with the Palestinian Peace and Freedom Youth Forum behind the spray painting.
Alice in Wonderland-obsessives take note: the fantastical and whimsically surreal artist, Mark Ryden, will be signing copies of his latest book, The Tree Show, at the MOCA store in Los Angeles on Jan 31st. Read more
Quiksilver, the surfing apparel company, has just released what is being considered the world’s first eco-friendly watch. Made of sustainable ebony wood and running on automatic movement instead of batteries, this limited-edition watch is green down to the shipping of the raw materials. Every raw material used in making this watch is recyclable (the aluminum, the steel, and the mineral crystal are all 100% recyclable), and it also includes solvent free links and is shipped by sea rather than by air. The Ray has a five-year warranty, meaning that it has a longer life than normal watches.
Yum, yum, cupcakes are fun. These creations are so clever, so arty, so damn bizarre that it would almost be a shame to eat them. Almost! Read more
10:15 is a photoblog on which participating photographers from around the world snap a shot every day at 10:15am sharp and post the results. Read more
I remember the first time I saw a Mark Rothko piece at the Art Institute in Chicago. I’d only seen reproductions until that point, and I never understood why people considered the late painter so important. Read more
There’s an intriguing sense of urgency about Modest Mouse’s music. It comes at you in sonic waves, each one packed with enough bite to sink a small trawler.
WE'RE RESPECTING
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Scanners’ new single Salvation
I love this track by London based rock group, Scanners, which is off their latest album, Submarine. Having toured with acts such as The Horrors, The Wedding Present, The Charlatans, Electric Six, and Juliette & The Licks, Scanners could well blow up in 2010. Figuratively speaking, not literally. No, that wouldn’t be fun.
Forget battery powered vehicles. Cars made from ice are the future of transportation: no pollution, no honking horns, no painful rap music blasting out of souped up stereos. And if they melt, they melt. You just swim the rest of the way down the slipstream.
There is not a medium that UK illustrator Lizzy Stewart cannot wrap around her little finger to make the most beautiful, whimsical images. Read more
Karen Caldicott’s clay head models
British born, New York-based model maker Karen Caldicott has been making clay heads for all major US publications over the last decade. Read more
Thanks to Sony Australia, four Lost At E Minor readers will win personal audio prizes, including the new 8GB Walkman S series video MP3 player and the MDRXB500 Extra Bass headphones. Read more
These Stephanie Simek designed rabbit’s foot-like charms made from pussy willow buds dangle from the ears by strands of thin chains like silent wind chimes. The earrings are approximately 3 inches long plus ear wire and available for US$125. Read more
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