colour in

There has been so much discussion in the last decade regarding the internet's impact on the fashion industry. In particular the speed with which images can be globally disseminated has had some people wondering how fashion designers will be able to stay ahead of the copycats.

This year I have been looking at the international Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear collections, and for the first time thought about the trends in terms of my wardrobe for the upcoming (Australian) summer. The clothes shown at New York and Milan Fashion Weeks will be in stores for the northern hemisphere spring, which isn't till next March. Perhaps Australians have the unique opportunity to experiment with elements of the new fashions, especially through vintage clothes, before anyone else.

Paying attention to the international shows really highlights the shortcomings of Australian Fashion Week. From the time of the event's inception organisers liked to toot their horns about Australian Fashion Week (held in May) being 'the first fashion week in the spring/ summer calendar'. Look at the pattern of trends, however, and it become abundantly clear that we are the last.

To my mind one of the strongest trends emerging in the current international shows is the use of bold colour-combinations and prints. Nowhere was such a trend to be seen at this year's Australian Fashion Week, but I'll eat my hat if we don't see it at next year's event.

Anyhoo, here are some of the colours coming out of the international shows that make me want to twist and shout.

Fendi:

Alexandre Herchcovitch:

A Détacher:

Gucci:

PPQ:

Wes Gordon:

Rachel Roy:

Prada:

Prabal Gurung:

Milly:

Now I'ma head over to Etsy and find me some yum yums to fulfill my new jewel-tone hunger.

Australia's Next Top Model, Episode 10: Really? The Miu Miu?

In this week's episode the three remaining girls fought it out in a Harper's Bazaar maybe-cover shoot. One of the dresses all three modeled was this familiar little number:

Someone needs to stick a fork in this Miu Miu dress:

Composite image courtesy of Red Carpet Fashion Awards.

Cos baby, it's done.

p.s. This is the HB lady, right?

I'm sorry that you/ seem to be confused

Revelation of the day: Snoop Dogg and Brandy are first cousins.

And this isn't like that time I said Josh Hartnett was Tommy Lee Jones' son (even though I did tell people that for, like, ten years, believing it was true). The fact that their surnames are spelt and pronounced differently really should have been the tip-off.

work hard for the money

Hello dears, you may recall my excitement at having bought these vintage Chanel flats off Etsy a little while back.

Well, horror of horrors, they turned out to be rather too big for me so I now find myself forced to sell them. If you are a size 9 head over to my ebay auction and bid bid bid.

hells bells

I don't think I have the right figure/ personality to wear this dress but I wish I knew someone who did.

Pink leather and metal grommets? Love it.

You could have your choice of men but I could never love again.

Dunno why it took me so long to listen to my dear friends who know What's Going On, but I only just got around to listening to/ looking at Janelle Monáe. Do yourself a favour and check her out.

The video for her song 'Tightrope' is almost too fabulous. Is it weird that I'm relieved to see a black lady without a weave/ chemically straightened hair? Is that racist? I don't think so.

You don't win friends with salad.

Lady Gaga at the recent Video MTV Awards:

My woman in the know tells me that this is the original incarnation of Gaga's meaty ensemble:

Vanitas: Flesh Dress for an Albino Anorectic
Jana Sterbak
1987
mannequin, flank steak, salt, thread, color photograph on paper
Walker Art Center

Though I am on the whole majorly icked-out, I'd like to note two rather awesome things:
1. The line (uttered by Gagaloo herself), "I never thought I'd be asking Cher to hold my meat purse"
2. That salt is mentioned as the medium.

Edit: And now here's a dress from Jeremy Scott's Spring 2010 collection at New York Fashion Week:

Ridiculous. This is NOT a trend.

They got pig iron.

So Pedestrian informs me that the new In-N-Out Burger joint in Paddington is in fact just japes from the Ksubi boys. The building will actually house the new Ksubi flagship store. Well, the joke's on them, because I wasn't even that excited about In-N-Out. Now excuse me while I go weep into my pillow for several hours.

Nevermind, I'll just comfort myself with this burger ring. It's actually quite awesome - the bun, meat and cheese etc. are all separate pieces.

Your daddy's rich and your mamma's good looking

If you're in Sydney right now I'm sure you'll agree the weather could not be more blissful. I'm currently listening to 'Summertime' sung by Scarlett Johansson.

I love it, I love her voice and I even loved that silly album. 

And I won't hear nowt against her.

Harmful elements in the air.

So what do I say to both Zac Posen and Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti rocking out some sweet chinoiserie at New York Fashion Week?

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.

Anyway, now I'm aching to have some mandarin collars or a sexy cheongsam in my wardrobe:

fey and faded

"She's got that fey look as though she's had breakfast with a leprechaun" - Dorothy Burnham

I don't know who Dorothy Burnham is, but her words describe pretty well what I think when looking at Abbey-Lee Kershaw.

The blonde is good for her. As is the Dane.
Oof, what a pair.

Let's get the rhythm of the head, Ding Dong.

I just realised something extremely important:

Cornrows are so due for a comeback.

A banana, A swamp, An Afro.

So here are two dresses coming soon to My Catwalk

by Josh Goot:

and Dion Lee:

And here is the fearful symmetry of Alexander McQueen's Spring 2010 RTW collection: 

Of course in fashion everyone copies everyone, don't hate the player etc. But when there is such a considerable delay in even the copies hitting stores in Australia, I think that high-end local designers really have to think more about bringing something new to the trends they are aping. Goot and Lee are two of the most critically acclaimed Aussie designers around at the moment, but they can do better.

It's getting hot in herre.

I'd heard talk about the Diesel Global Warming campaign for a while, but didn't check it out because Diesel kinda sucks. As it turns out, however, the photos are pretty cute:

And definitely appeal to my love of all things post-apocalyptic natural-disaster. 

Top 5 disaster movies (natural, intergalactic or otherwise):

1. The Day After Tomorrow

2. Deep Impact

3. 28 Days Later

4. Independence Day

5. Err...

Well definitely not 2012. That was ball-sacktacular. 

...

I can't remember where I found this photo:

But I find it shocking. And that's a rare thing for me, when it comes to fashion spreads (ha ho).

My fellas are my propellers.

Karla Spetic's gorgeous S/S 2010 collections will soon be stocked at one of my (in theory) favourite Aussie online stores, Maximillia. 

I'm just gonna put it out there though, Murray Hewitt from Flight of the Conchords did this look first:

But Spetic shouldn't worry too much, she's in good company when it comes to ripping off the Conchord kids. Just have a look at Kanye West's awesome video for 'Power':

And then compare it to the world of Mel's dreams (specifically at 2.11):

a girl with charms such as yours

Oh my, who knew Uffie had a baby? Not me, that's for sure - though admittedly I didn't even know she had a 'new' album.

Anyway, I'm loving the song 'Illusion of love'. It makes me want to be Young and to dance at a club that the real me doesn't even know the name of. Wearing this:

swanning around

Shortly after writing a vaguely Swan Lake-themed post (about two below this one) I came across the trailer for Black Swan: 

I don't know what I'm more excited about, the film's costumes or the Rodarte dresses its stars, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, are sure to be rocking at the various premiers.

I've only ever seen one live production of Swan Lake. It was by Graham Murphy and was totally sublime: 

Hopefully Black Swan will spark a resurgence of tulle skirts (ideally worn below the knee).

Like this maybe:

slipped discs

Just stumbled upon this necklace on Etsy:

Of all the eyeballs, in all the heads, in all the world, it had to be there in front of mine. 

Must. Not. Buy. 

live by the river

Oooh, I'm loving these Strummer dresses:

In my head they will be called Odette and Odile, respectively.