Miu Miu of 2010

It seems almost pointless to covet a collection two years after it's release and when all skerricks of pieces online have long since gone, but Miu Miu and Prada have been releasing some of the best collections within the last few seasons and my favourite needs to be recognised. Fabulous fashion blogger, American teenager Tavi Gevinson has sported a few of their pieces, especially the Miu Miu silk shoes with sweet girly intuitive style such as the above photograph. Above is one of the sweeter combinations of vintage printed skirts and American Apparel lace socks worn with the iconic shoes. I myself had a lovely pair of cat silk shoes in a similar fashion, but alas they were too small and instead I sent them back to the online market to be re homed and find someone to wear them more than I did.

I adore seeing the candid photographs of fashion-hangers-on and models walking glamorous streets in amazing clothing such as these daisy Miu Miu silk pumps in tandem. While my legs may not be as glamorous and stick thin as a models, I would still love to see what they look like while wearing a good pair of Miu Miu shoes. It's sort of rare to see a pair of shoes that looks as good on their own as this collection did, but I think the little wall chart above of all the shoe designs proves my point rather nicely. I never imagined that something with such distinct structural shape and chunky heel would appeal to me in such a manner but the combination of 1960s flowers and Mary Jane shoes just seems so right.

Two years ago there was a wonderful array of knock-offs and copies abound in stores across all the common shopping centres. While I turned my nose up at them then and there was also a shortage of shoes in my size I wish I had been a little more persistent in my pursuits. The usual pallet of colours included variations among black, gold and baby pink but it's the wonderful and simplistic patterns that really impressed upon me the importance of design and simplistic collars and satin pumps.

I've managed to track down some leftover copy-cat Miu Miu shoes, including the high zipper boots pictured on the left in a glorious dark blue satin material and white daisy pattern. I'd prefer a size 40 to choose from and some of the reviews state the the sizes run small so I am a little skeptical, but at just $30 a pair plus postage I wonder if the gamble would be worth it. I had a precarious pair in size 36, a far stretch for my long feet but alas, they've run out of the favourable feline pumps. To further channel a hippie, moon-child vibe I can imagine them being brought to their full fashionable potential with a flowing, but sheer maxi skirt and a casual singlet top with a nonchalant and offensive slogan. That's one of my favourite combinations of clothes at the moment, it's a little hard to feel like you're working it going in to university everyday, the days splatter together and it all feels like a blur.

I have reserved opinions at best about wearing gold and yellow- it needs a certain skin colour to be able to pull it off as well as confidence but with this golden pair of swallow covered pumps I dare say a pale complexion would give them a heavenly glow. As well as the use of floral headbands and garlands amongst ghostly looking girls, I've seen a stunning semi-precious stone crown slung around the forehead from Opening Ceremony. Pair that with a translucent sheer white dress and some definitive pale pink undergarments and you have the making of a god walking amongst mere-mortals and forever trapped in a photograph.

There hasn't been as many mass-produced copies of detachable shirt collars in the stlye of Miu Miu butan armada of crafty and resourceful fashion bloggers at the height of the trend were determined to join the action and contribute their own styles and interpretation. I think my favourite of the collars is the naked lady, and yes, the original collar did have celebrated and pointed nipples on supple curves and marble-like complexion. With Winter fast encroaching on the Southern hemisphere realms of the world, I think detachable collars are a great piece to wear with a casual jumper for extra class and something provocative can give people something to talk about wherever you are.

Feminine Mystique

After staring at photographs of Vogue models for far too long last night it seems that I finally kicked myself into high gear to do a little exercise both last night and this morning. I even had a little salad on the side of my breakfast of leftover pasta this morning! I've been pretty slack recently in terms of keeping up with a diet but I really do want to be skinnier this year and look lovely when standing in front of flowers and buy ballerina inspired shoes...

I had meant to take more photographs in the new year, rather than present what other people have been doing and achieving but I have greater motivation to toil away over the keyboard and watch things such as my stats for this blog rather than getting out into the field and getting back into photography again. I have a few rolls of film sitting on my desk and waiting to be developed from last year as well as numerous 35mm film I stocked up on but nothing really exciting is happening in my life at the moment. Instead I'm stuck in this strange purgatorial half living state from when high school has finished and university has yet to begin.

The outfit posts I've contributed to this blog have been amateurish at best- I suppose I don't think enough about the use of props and coordination of accessories. I'm still nervous about positioning myself in front of the camera and delivering a fierce look rather than the overall presentation. Having a large and colourful bouquet of flowers more similar to exploding fireworks would be a good excuse not to look at the camera or to worry about make-up. It's a pity I don't know of any largely weeded gardens or fields to stand in front of for such a photograph though; still, I am quite content with the plain wallpaper of my hallway as well as the framed pictures of birds for my outfit posts.

As damaging as it is, I would like to go blond just once in my life, but with my dark brows the dye would become even more prominent and I enjoy not having to worry about my roots showing and the up-keep of dyed hair. My usual routine is a wash and brushing away fallen bits, maybe a braid overnight or using the hair-dryer but things have been really simple lately and I think since I last attacked my split ends with scissors my hair grew a little bit in response but it doesn't seem to be growing much at all now. Still, I can boast having long mermaid length hair like the model above and it's as shiny as her in my respective colour. Today was the day I was meant to get a trim but the postponement of that appointment can be attributed to the fact that Chinese New Year is tomorrow.

Photographs such as the one shown above of a fairy is the precise reason I favour film photography over digital now. Sure the effect can be achieved by filtering and effects, but the grainy and dream-like quality of an all plastic camera can't be beat. I love the large floral wreath in her hair as well as the shape of her wings, they're very pretty and realistic to that of an actual butterfly. Currently one of my favourite stores, Tree of Life, is selling a large variety of white cotton dresses so maybe you'll see me dancing around my yard in a similar getup one of these days.

My room doesn't quite resemble a studio space but maybe that wouldn't quite be a bright idea considering I may be inspired to put together some crazy photographs inspired by illustrations. I will never be swayed to photograph myself nude, no matter how much pink is involved or how tasteful it is.

As a student under the discipline of science I know that there's no such thing as fanciful mystical beings such as unicorns and sprites but there's still the artistic side of me that holds on to a small seed of hope. Some of my favourite pieces of romantic literature and poems revolve around magical beings and as a child I loved reading about mythology of any origin but like all good things I've had to abandon my childhood dreams and ideals to become an adult. It always seemed a lot easier when I was younger, also a little more fun that it actually is.

Tomorrow if I can rouse myself off my fat ass and get over to the shops I'll be handing in my resume left, right and centre to see who wants to take me on, maybe buy some nice scented candles and finally check my eligibility for my staff discount where I was a Christmas casual. I assume the portal would be closed by now but I have my fingers crossed to get some book bags for university as well as a brown leather looking satchel and cheap Exercise books.

I really do need to read more magazines and literature if I ever hope to splice images together such as this mountain and these pink daisies. I quite like the combination of the two together since they have a similar type of lighting used- it's the sort of thing I imagine I would do if I bothered with scrap booking as well as reading more magazines. Newspaper quality could never do justice to such interesting and colourful tableau.

Girl about Town

While stalking one of my favourite eBay sellers and spotting a whole glorious bunch of vintage clothing I've gotten into a bit of a sweet and girly mood. My favourite dresses I spotted were full length and in black, but when I dressed this morning to receive and exchange gifts with my boyfriend for Christmas I dressed in a 1960s inspired dress in purple and paisley- if that's at all an indication of my current mood. I'd really love to collect all my socks from school and sew on to them my own strips of lace or raid American Apparel but right now it's staying at home and enjoying the company of my family and waiting around for Christmas.

 

At least I've been given time to recuperate and recover from working close to fourteen hours for the last two days and bask in the air-conditioned lounge room- also it's nice to catch up on all the goings on of blogs and post some stuff up. I'm also considering what places to hit up in preparation for the Boxing Day sales- there's plenty of gorgeous vintage clothing I now have my eye on but I want to check out Alice Euphemia if I'm not working or going to the movies. There's lots of great online pieces of clothing I'm dying to buy- makes me wish I had sorted out the pieces of clothing and books I had to sell weeks ago to come up with some extra money in preparation for the biggest sale of the year on the Australian calender.

 

I love this photograph because I'm dying to have a girly piece of furniture like a couch or an armchair when I move out and my style sits somewhere in between the sweet schoolgirl style of the little girl and the dark grunge of the teenager. It represents how I feel sometimes with my own personal sense of style- stuck in a purgatory world in which I can't decide to wear clothes that are light-hearted and flirty or dark vintage. Some days all I want to do is wear my old socks from school with my leather Vans and a nice skirt of dress and others all I can think of is wearing my Ashish for Topshop jumper with spiked epaulets and all black. I'm sure next year I'll manage to be more distinct in my style of clothing but for now I'm all over the place admiring both the sweet vintage style as well as the witchery style of magic and gaudy pieces of jewellery and candle burning.

 

I was very excited when I spotted one of my favourite New Zealand labels, the Stolen Girlfriends Club bow ring in gold featured in Vogue. I've only ever seen one of these rings, the silver edition hit eBay and the bidding was rather fierce so I think I may treat myself to buying one of the rings from the Superette online store, perhaps the silver body bow ring which is gold plated. I get all the glamor and sweetness of a gold ring without the extra expensive price tag to it.

 

Blogger Nicole Warne adding a touch of confetti to a field on what looks to be a promising and flawless Summer's day. I love the fringed and lace sleeves of her shirt as well as the bright red lipstick and matching nail polish. It's photographs such as this that make me want to abandon the black clothes within my wardrobe and absorb the sun but Summer in Australia can be at times, unforgiving and feel terrible and sticky despite looking lovely and bright. I may stick somewhere in between the two styles and wear long black dresses in a bohemian and airy fashion leaving versatility between the two looks depending on the shoes and jewellery I wear as a reflection of my mood at the time.

I was very impressed with seeing three of my favourite brands all on the same page for an extract of Harper's Bazaar magazine featuring golden high heels with a cut-out heart motif on the side by Marc Jacobs, a golden bow necklace by New Zealander Karen Walker as well as a silk skirt sporting a water colour print by Karla Spetic. I'm not a big fan of the Lolita seen and most often I think heart shaped sunglasses look cheap but I do love the inclusion of bright gold accessories as well as a skirt I've been chasing up for months. Just out of interest there is an amazing matching blazer to go with the Karla Spetic skirt too.

I love full length dresses when they're made out of a light-weight material and this sheer dress covered in white daisies looks so great when teamed up with scuffed and dirty combat boots. This is the style I would love to embody in my own personal life- that gentle balance and combination of a hippy dress as well as tough and grunge accessories. As I've said before I have my eye on two necklaces; one is a cow skull and the other a small cameo. Both could be worn with this dress it's just a matter of your mood at the time an the way you choose to style it.

Flower Power

I loved the combination of raw crystals in stalagmite shapes to create flower petals gilded with gold and having a circular agate slice centre for the pollen centre of the flower. I was just so impressed with the unique nature of this piece- the seemingly natural and uncut shape framed in gold to symbolise the sweet and fragrant flowers all on a large thick gold chain. I wish I knew who crafted a beauteous piece of gem rocks into such a gorgeous and sweet motif- it's not often you see this type of amethyst crystal material and so much of it used in one piece of jewellery. I'm sick of tiny booger sized gems bound on tiny strips of silver and gold, I want the large, the rough cut and hexagonal bold crystals and to be able to channel the bohemian and mystique look into my own personal style.

One of the greatest attributes that flowers lend to the world of modern fashion these days is their shape as well as texture. On my wall above my bed I have some fantastic runway dresses from Valentino couture starring doe-eyed models in dresses covered in floral motifs. My favourite is a dress totally consumed in a large white rose which takes up most of the dress from the bottom and bodice and the top neckline is black sheer for contrast. Prabal Gurung's collection which I have also featured on Secret Hipster incorporated some gorgeous tulle flowers on the flowing skirts and trails of his more red carpet worthy dresses. The combination of the model's rich curls in a sandy brown colour, the texture as well as vibrant colour and the dress as well as the light grey tights are all so dreamy and romantic. I love the romantic style and dress, also the poems and ideals of sensation and life full of feeling.

Black roses- the most coveted of rose colours yet to be bred. I once watched a television programme that claimed the person to perfect the colour of black roses would become a millionaire. Could you imagine it's uses in a florist or bouquets? I wouldn't mind it, in fact I'd be quite impressed. I've always been drawn to things that are rare and unusual but I'd really settle for receiving flowers of any type. It's just nice to be embarrassed and to take them home and put them in a vase. No matter what any girl says, she will always love getting flowers even if it's for no reason at all. Till black roses are made a reality I may just stick to putting white roses in a vase of black water to change the colour myself. These holidays I may even get the motivation to properly buy Photoshop, but I doubt it. I don't use the free version I downloaded as often enough but I can't save files to their original size in that programme so I don't bother so much. In any case I wouldn't no where to begin when changing the colours of roses to black electronically. Instead I'll just admire other's handiwork.

I have no reason to think about floats for parades but I am impressed with the handiwork of this skeleton model adorned in yellow and white daisies. Although skeletons are grim and remind us of are own human condition of mortality, when crafted correctly they can look like their grinning with happy eyes rather than the hollowed out sockets absent of eyes and jaws attached to craniums. They're probably not real daisies and even to someone who hasn't studied biology or anatomy the shape and thickness of some bones looks wrong but as an aesthetic piece this floral skeleton is lovely.

Cars don't appeal to me much other than maybe the sleek lines of the body on a Mustang from the 1960s but I can appreciate art and painting for what it's worth and owning this car dubbed the Rose Royce, most likely a Rolls Royce painted in floral motifs is to due for. It's the the movement of colour in the petals as well as the detail of the leaves and vines in the green background in contrast to the chrome that really appeals to me. If I were to ever win the lottery, this car may be a port of call but I doubt it. I haven't even qualified to go for my probationary license yet.

While studying in preparation for my final exams this year I had to turn down my own sweet mother on an invitation to the Royal Melbourne Flower Show which I was quite annoyed about at the time. I wanted to take my own soft focus photographs and bring out my beloved but rarely used Diana F+ camera to the show and see how it translated the wild and arranged colours of the flowers onto film and the variation in colour from indoor and outdoor displays. But alas, I wasn't able to do any of that this year but perhaps next year will be an opportunity for medium format photography.

Dreamy and romantic, a flower is the epitome of a life of sensation. It's short lived, spends its time storing energy to be beautiful and capture the imagination of many but for a few days before falling to earth and then rotting on the ground.

I love the use of multiple exposures for this shot, layering the sensual and fragrant field of lavender with the silhouette in colour of a girl against the sky facing backwards from the camera. Her hair and it's wavy texture captures all of the colour of the lavender well- it's all so heart-wrenchingly gorgeous I just want to break out my own Diana cameras and wander about till I find picturesque fields of flowers of my own to photograph. For now I'll settle on pouring my eyes over the flowers and imagining their scent tickling my sense.

Groeneveld but it's hard to say really. What I found most striking was the setting of the photograph with the titled angle of the camera making the sky look like a wide expanse of a blanket smeared in tones of pastel white. The horizon of the photograph looks dark and stormy but directly over head is the serene clouds over the copper tinged rock pools on which a naked model sits adorned with ruffles of tulle material and streamers making her face look like the centre of a flower. The beauty of a flower thrown out to sea is much like a wreath thrown out in honour of someones death. I love the aesthetic beauty of the setting of the photograph combined with the vulnerable but pure model and her make-up and headdress. There's really few photographs like it.