Gala Curios Enamel Lace Jewellery

Many a month ago I recall seeing something of this whimsical and fantastic calibre on the blog of fashion blogger Susie Bubble of the Style Bubble! I can't believe Gala Curios (a brand I have previously covered) have created such diverse pieces in terms of design as well as the materials used. The necklaces you see before you are made from lace covered in enamel for a hardened look on a thin and chic silver chain. I love the minimalist chain which doesn't detract attention away from the large and feminine pendants- only recently I received my Stolen Girlfriends Club ring in silver with a bow motif and I already want to get the gold plated ring as well! Bows are such a great feminine statement, and when done well I think they look brilliant but when done wrong they make jewellery look cheap and tacky and clothing becomes childish rather than chic.

If you don't like the lace effect as well as perforated nature of the material then there's also the ribbon necklace covered in enamel which is the perfect size and shape for a large statement bow on a silver chain. I can't wait to get my hands on one of these enamel bow necklaces from Gala Curios for myself, especially in my favourite colour, lilac. The knot at the centre of the bow shown above looks a little neater than the lace bow but for both types of necklaces the bow loops and end sashes look great being a little larger and spreading out towards the ends.

If you have the money to splash around, maybe the lace bib necklace in aqua blue would be worn layered upon another necklaces, such as the lilac bow necklace which I believe has a bit of a longer chain to it. I've been in a bit of a fantasy mood lately- it must come from staying up a little too late and scouring Etsy for some of the coolest clothes and jewellery. If I had to choose between the bow necklaces and the small lace bib necklace I would choose bows since I like a longer chain but that's not to detract from the beautiful colour of this piece. Also, with different coloured enamel lace and bows there's contrasting chains in either rose gold, silver and yellow gold which are all pre-determined.

I've tracked down a website that sells these necklaces for just under $100 each so as soon as my term-deposit clears, I sort out the laptop situation for university endeavours as well as selling a few more bits and pieces on eBay I should be all clear to get my hands on a piece from Gala Curios! I love their jewellery, there's a statement and dramatic theatre approach to their designs but they use great materials such as precious metals as well as leather and lace dripping with enamel. The bow necklaces are a great way to add a statement to a plain dress and since I'm in love with my resin rose necklace, why not add another feminine motif and fragile necklace to my collection?

Wallets by Serpent & the Swan

Serpent & the Swan are just one of many brands you can find on the online store The Grand Social, and unlike a lot of other online stores I have mentioned in passing this one is actually Australian! I broke tradition last year in avoiding the Boxing Day sales in inner-city Melbourne and not hitting the big name department stores but instead focused my attention on the sale section of online stores such as these two leather wallets featuring a horse motif. They were originally roughly $150 AUD but are now both less than $80 and while I already have a very good and sturdy leather wallet which I paid $100 for, I don't have a black wallet and the horse head zipper attachment on the first wallet is rather cute.

The second wallet features two horse heads in a sort of baroque and cameo style facing in opposite directions as well as a loosely tasseled wrist strap. This would be such a chic wallet to bring while hunting around local and friendly markets. I myself am very anxious for the return of the bi-annual Finders Keepers Markets that feature some of my favourite new names in jewellery and crafts. Both of these lovely wallets come in black leather with a soft buttery touch to it as well as small braided detail on the sides for the zip. Although there is technically less detail in the first wallet I wish I could have both the detail on the leather and horse head attachment for my wallet doubling my horsey pleasure.

Shirt Gowns from Black Box Boutique

After having explored a few different online stores for my favourite brands I must be reverting back to a simpler time without lycra, wild galaxy prints and structure. It's back to the basics with me, I've been lusting over many oversized dresses, full length featuring draped hems as well as a full length button up shirt structure. I always feel safe and better about myself when my clothes are a little too big- it gives the impression that I'm a smaller size then I actually am.

This cheer shirt gown is perfect layering piece for the summer. Worn with a slip underneath buttoned up, or undone as a long layering piece.

 

Sometimes tight fitting clothes also can be a little uncomfortable since their confining and restraining. There wouldn't be any problems with these lovely dresses though, first we have the Shirt Gown by Kirrily Johnston. Strangely of all the black shirt dresses featured, they're all from different labels. I guess great minds think alike then huh? I like the little gathering effect at the back, it's still a very minor detail and doesn't over complicate the design but it's a nice touch all the same. I like the feeling of long and light weight skirts floating around my legs and holding them above my ankles as I walk around.  The use of black boots with this black and sheer dress is something I'd like to try myself, dressing it up with silver and brass jewellery or some lovely rose gold. This sleeveless dress really gives you room to move and would be great for Summer with a camisole underneath and some medium tight shorts. Like the disco shorts from American Apparel in black.

 

For more of a dressed up and mature look maybe sheer sleeves and a collar would be suitable? Because of the addition of loose hanging sleeves that drape nicely around the arms, as well as a collar and darts at the hem this dress looks more like a sack but has more of a sheer touch to the material and there's an openness about it. Reminds me less of Scrooge from a Christmas Carol and more of a modern witch trying to blend in with today's society. All these lovely dresses would go great with silver jewellery to really channel the dark magic vibes.

Lonely Hearts Dress- Sleeveless shirt dress with full length buttoning. Draped sleeves and sheer with a curved hem.

 

I like the little darts at the side of the hem on a hot Summer's day there's nothing more necessary then getting good air flow through your clothing and keeping cool. Despite the fabric being black and the colour most likely to heat up in the sun, I'm not at all deterred. My mother has pointed out that I'm a little like her best friend, if I can get it in black then I will. It's just easier to wear that way and there's less to worry about when matching it with bags and other things.

 

Just to mix things up and surprise you I've also thrown in another dress into the mix, all dresses available online from Black Box Boutique  and ranging between $350-$400 as a rough guide. Taking a break from all the loosely structured dresses in black I thought it would be a welcome change to introduce you all to this lovely lilac bustier dress by TR Ensemble. At the top of the dress is a fitted bodice at the top of the skirt- I sort of like the gathered and individual cups of the bustier. While it does add and focus attention on that area, if you don't have an ample chest, such as myself, it would look dainty as well as like a sweet imitation ballerina. While the structure is more suited towards a more formal occasion, the material and colour are very much suited towards the day. You could easily dress it up using a black velvet blazer though, or even better, lilac velvet blazer.

 

Just did a little eBay search for velvet jackets, found a beauty from Marc Jacobs 2002 collection in my size and I can afford it but I really do need to save my money for a rainy day and something more affordable. It would look so cute with that dress and those shoes but I have no where to wear it so it will just have to pass for now. I like the irregular hem cut of the dress, probably due to the gathering at the waist. I love that style of dress which includes a high waisted skirt and fitted bustier at the top and the fact that lilac is my favourite colour too only sweetens the deal. I have a great care bears backpack I could team up with it.

 

The dress that attracted me to the style was the buffalo shirt dress by TR Ensemble- the deep breast pockets as well as loose hanging sleeves look so casual, while it may not be suitable for working heavy machinery it would be a great shirt dress to wear for Sunday brunch with a friend. I like the touch of stunning black wedges for height and to make the hem of the skirt float even more so. There's a slight dip in the hem at the sides leaving you free to move around as well.

 

It's always a nerve-wracking feeling when wearing clothes that don't fit properly, I hate having to be weary of what my pants are doing even when I'm sitting down and while the long trailing hem may be in danger of getting dirty, if you've mastered wearing gorgeous heels or wedges why not dress up this simple look a bit and float around gracefully? I'd love to see the wind whip around this skirt while in wedges, it'd make you look like a grim spectre lording over the living.

 

TR Ensemble don't play favourites as far as colours are concerned- they've also made their shirt dress come in white for those of us who are drawn to pristine hospitals as well as a world of clean, pure white linen. Not me though, I'm much to fixated on looking like a witch and wearing my long dark hair out while feeling cool in a long black dress. I'm not too worried about the sheer factor having dealt with it before and being used to wearing camisoles, usually in black. That's why a black dress is more suited for someone of my taste, I had a white sheer dress I wouldn't have a choice between nude or black camisoles and I'm much more comfortable in black. As my space head, hippy of a Literature would probably diagnose, black is my 'power colour'.

The Eleventh Hour: Melt

Melt is the second collection of this youthful Sydney label, The Eleventh Hour which featured more of their signature french seams, folding and almost "architectural" strtucture of their clothes in luxurious materials and classic colours. It was this collection that I frist spotted while milling about the Alice Euphemia blog site on brands that they sell and my imagination was captured by the alluring sheer material as well as the sharp collars and vintage strcture of the dresses. This dress features a cut-out section at the back as well as sheer sleeves to really establish itself in a league of its own in terms of structure as well as adding a clever new twist to the garment.

The style of garment construction that The Eleventh Hour really lend themselves to could be described as classic, stylish and chic but with the use of luxurious materials as well as sheer materials to create seductive pieces. I'd like to see their take and use of lace material in their next resort collection as well as colours aside from baby blue, white and black. The backdrops used for their pieces and collection folios really allow their to be a heavier emphasise on the craftsmanship of each of their pieces.

The shape and material of their collars in relation to the rest of their blouse construction is what catches my eye; it's reminiscent of the Miu Miu 2010 collection but a bit more minimalist and formal. That leaves it the versatility to be dressed up and styled with a range of different jackets and jumpers as well as pants to evoke a certain mood as intended for a stylist of fashion blogger. I really should get the motivation to do some of that myself but I have yet to clean out my room properly, sort out things to be sold on eBay or work to find a space for photography for this to become a proper styling blog. In the words of my wise brother: "Can't be assed".

Long have I searched for a bustier top that doesn't look cheap and isn't an expensive vintage piece being resold past it's intended value- I was almost surprised by the bold move in stucture and the garment The Eleventh Hour chose to take on but the result is fantastic! On a hot day in Australia I may be able to get away with wearing a piece like this with long and airy gypsy pants and long silver necklaces. The styling for the photo shoot advertising the second collection of the Sydney label, Melt, opted for classic and chic pleated pants that taper towards the ankles. I love the result of airy and free clothes with the formal and straight-forward and luxurious material that have combined to create such a signature look for the brand with a casual flair.

I only have to wear formal attire when the occasion calls for it or when I'm trying to dress to impress at a job interview but I really do love the long and trailing tails of the jacket, the large lapels and soft pleats of the jacket. This is what impression The Eleventh Hour have left upon me and what I believe to be their design and construction at it's best, relaxed and within its element. It makes me feel hopeful for young Australian brands such as themselves to make an appearance at RAFW. The slick design also reminds me of some of Ellery's more minimalist designs and dresses before they branched off to use more materials with texture and colour to them. Still- it's nice to find a brand with a greater focus on the fine details rather than the overall and sometimes, dramatic aesthetic of an outfit. Maybe what's most appealing is the way it's worn without a shirt and the bare skin showing in between the jacket.

I'm curious to know as to whether the fols and intricate pleats of this dress would fair well without the aid of a belt but I do like the use of folds of material that don't look stiff and uncomfortable. The design is eye-catching and perhaps the most far-fetched or rather fantastic of the Melt collection. Maybe something more suited to what performer Lady Gaga would wear at a funeral with the accentuated and winged hips as well as the ruffles of the skirt. In this minimalist shade of black in a near-transparent black material the black somehow catches the light in a way I haven't really seen before. I do hope that The Eleventh Hour continue to go from strength to strength and invest in making more of these types of pieces in their collection that are playful and whimsical in terms of their shape and movement.

The Eleventh Hour: Modern Romance

This Sydney based label first came to my attention when scouring the Alice Euphemia website. The 'Modern Romance' collection is the 2010/2011 Resort collection and the debut for this fashion label. The future looks bright for the up-and-coming brand on the move with their strong emphasise on the structure of clothing as opposed to the colour or material. I do find the absence of colour and the minimalist approach as a young person to be a bit plaintive but it also allows the label to establish an identity within the fashion world through structure. The Eleventh Hour describes their own aesthetic as "architectural".

Their earlier pieces featured quite a few sheer panels which I find interesting and alluring but it does make the piece less accessible and easy to wear when in public unless of course there was something underneath like a leather bustier as well as leggings to save grace. It's a bold move construction wise, I'm just not too sure whether it would have payed off in terms of profits.

The Eleventh Hour was founded by Sydney based designer Anne Tu. Described as being a haven, catering "for those who appreciate quiet details, clean lines, luxurious fabrics and precise tailoring."

It certainly doesn't have any of the theatrics of Romance was Born but there is a mature look about it as well as versatility to wear the pieces at work functions with the drapery pants and jackets. The lacy dresses remind me a bit of Lover by Susien Chong in its early days of the Rose Army collection which I do love. The sweet lacy and black ruffled dress can easily have attitude added to it by wearing Doc Martens and silver skull jewellery.

I love the sweet sheer ruffles that mimic a cape structure with this black ruffled dress and pointed collar- it all seems so Edwardian to me. It's a dress like this that I adore for it's simple design but also the glamor about it as well as the luxurious material. For a singer or any other musician who wants to dress with style this dress is perfect, ticking the boxes for dressing in musicians black but the dress is also light weight and would let you move freely. Yesterday while awaiting for my shift to start I saw two gorgeous necklaces that would suit a dress of this style- one was a small cameo and marcasite piece and the other was a cow skull in sterling silver. You can chose your accessories to create and evoke a certain atmosphere. The skull would be more suited to using a Ouija board and burning candles while the cameo necklace would be suited for high tea with the queen. Pieces like this really rev my engine- versatility all in the same style of dress means you get twice the wear out of them. Despite all my dresses I don't have a nice plain, little black dress yet.

The cape which has a button through seam of a shirt is a bit more casual then the ruffled black dress, the styling of a hard wood floor with a white painted wall shows off the pieces in black really well but the white background doesn't do justice to the detail, stitching and structure of the white pieces in the collection. I'm commentating and favouring the black pieces a lot more as well due to my own personal taste- if I can get it in black then I usually buy it in black. The sheer nature of the dress means you'd do better to wear a tight-fitting body dress underneath to save grace. I myself own a Stolen Girlfriends Dress which serves that very purpose which had a large red, tartan bow on the back. I use it for sheer things instead though and for layering and extra warmth. This dress would probably be more suited for wearing in Summer/ Spring due to the sleeves of the cap making layering just that little more difficult.

Designer of The Eleventh Hour Anne Tu studied at the esteemed St George College of Fashion and Technology, before spending three years at Kirrily Johnston as head design assistant, and cutting her teeth with UK based minimalist experts, Preen.
Anne personally oversees the the production of her pieces within Australia, ensuring that the details on the pieces are kept flawless, that the edges are smoothly bound and the french seams are carefully and expertly crafted to ensure the pieces are beautiful on the inside as well as the out.

“The Eleventh Hour aesthetic can be described as architectural. Intricate shoulder pleats look as never ending as the Scalinata stairs of Rome, translucent panels as irregular as the windows of a Frank Lloyd Wright home and elongated collars as sharp as the Empire State Building.”

Making appearances in fashion magazines such as Oyster, Russh, Fresh It as well as Russh online, I expect bigger and better things from Anne Tu and the creative dream team at The Eleventh Hour in the seasons to come. Maybe even their own show at RAFW with more pieces dabbling in colour as well as keeping up with their strong emphasise on architectural structure and french seams. If you're interested in seeing some of the pieces in store, head on down to Alice Euphemia or Fame Agenda in Melbourne or Fallow or Bessie Head if you find yourself in Queensland. Expect to see a post on their most recent collection 'Melt' appearing shortly.

The Eleventh Hour: AW12

While scoruing the Alice Euphemia blog for fashionalble pieces of clothing and accessories, my metaphorical prayers were answered when I spotted some of The Eleventh Hour's collection for Autumn/ Winter 2012. I was first impressed by the title of the brand, sharing the same name of the first episode within the fifth Doctor Who series and second was the minimalist design of the clothing.

The clean cut lines as well as the seemingly comfortable materials such as the cardigan pictured above are dreamily mixed with sheer inserts in a geometric pattern. I loved the puff sleeves and the thick, bordered cuffs around the wrists as well as the trimmed edge of this cream coloured cardigan. The sheer panel at the top of the shoulders at the back of the piece adds a little sexiness to the piece as well as glamor. It could even be worn over the top of a red cocktail dress to downplay the theatrical colour.

Manica Cardigan – Ivory (also coming in Black)

Above is the lovely Manica Shirt in Ivory, which reminds me a lot of British Model, DJ and television presenter Alexa Chung's personal style with the vintage inspired blouse in white and the distinct collar and button seem detail in black to make a statement. The Eleventh Hour are a Sydney label which delivers a beautiful collection full of essential Winter staples. The model on which the collection is shot on is the lovely Louise Van der Voorst.

What really caught my attention about the Winter collection is the bold statement dress in a light weight material. Dubbed the Manica Shirt Dress, it comes in either Black/Lavender. Above is the Black colour with an ivory panel on the right but I would be most interested to see the lavdender Manica Dress in contrast with the ivory panel. Again is the season's best trend, collars on dresses as well as blouses to add a touch of class to a classic design with a twist. The styling is so simplistic with ankle boots and a pair of shorts from the collection here and there but the sentiment of the collections is clean cute lines and Winter basics with chic class. You could even get away with wearing them in an office or dressed up with a bomber jacket for an event. I saw a fantastic Romance was Born red rose bomber kacet that would look great with dresses in this ivory colour.

Manica Trench Dress – Black 

“The Eleventh Hour aesthetic can be described as architectural. Intricate shoulder pleats look as never ending as the Scalinata stairs of Rome, translucent panels as irregular as the windows of a Frank Lloyd Wright home and elongated collars as sharp as the Empire State Building.” .

Founded by Sydney-based designer Anne Tu, The Eleventh Hour is a label for those who appreciate quiet details, clean lines, luxurious fabrics and precise tailoring. .

Anne studied at the esteemed St George College of Fashion and Technology, before spending three years at Kirrily Johnston as head design assistant, and cutting her teeth with UK based minimalist experts, Preen. .

The Eleventh Hour launched in October of 2010, with a Resort collection entitled Modern Romance.
The simplicity, precision and thoughtful intricate detailing balanced with an understated colour palette emanates a certainty rare in other emerging brands. .

The Eleventh Hour collections are made in Australia, where Anne ensures flawless detailing, smoothed bound edges, french seams and careful craftsmanship makes each piece beautiful, both inside and out.