Looking back at the noughties...part 6

'Dora' Autumn/Winter 2006 'Love Lucy', Modeled by Hannah Fell

'My first hat'

2005 my final year at Tafe and the class has halved again we are now just 17 girls and 2 guys. Lucky for me most of my friends survived the cut! It was an amazing and stressful year. It saw my designs featured in the paper and I finally got to create my first collection for the catwalk.

I still love elements of my first collection and was excited when I saw a very similar dress to my navy satin dress 'Dora' in Scanland & Theodore the following season. I very much doubt they even saw my dress, but for me it meant I was on trend and that my fashion forecasting had paid off.

It was also the year I discovered millinery and made my first hat (As pictured above).

Chef Emmanuel Mollois
(I just adore his glasses.)

Macarons from Choux
Source: Choux Cafe website 

Gwyneth in 'Sky Captain...'

 

 

 

March 2005 and Misha Barton is the girl of the moment, Scarlet Johansson has come into her own and Sienna Miller is the talk of the town with her easy laid back chic.

Macarons are coveted by the fashion elite for their soft pastel sweetness. I recommend Choux Cafe in Swanbourne for French Pastry Chef Emmanuel Mollois' delectable delights. His Lychee Macaroon has to be the ultimate taste sensation.

The film 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' has just been released with the fabulous 30's inspired costumes by Stella McCartney. It is a homage to the film noir and is stylistically beautiful, but where it falls short is the lack of well scripted dialogue. The film relies too heavily on the background graphics, famous cast (Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow & Angelina Jolie) and costumes. Having said that it is worth a watch for the style alone. It is only a pity that it wasn't taken that one step further, it could have been a truly great piece of cinema.

The trends of  the season are floral, gold, easy chic, tribal, glitz and glam. The swinging sixies get a nod thanks to Sienna Miller in 'Factory Girl' a bio-pic on Andy Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick.

Memorable moments from 2005...

Who could forget when Dries Van Noten sent his models down a chandelier-lit dinner table, set for 500 guests or Victor & Rolfs Flower Bomb inspired show complete with ribbons and organza bags encasing the models heads.

Source Images (Unless otherwise stated): Vogue Australia Mar 2005, Vogue Australia Sept 2005 & Harpers Bazaar Australia Sept 2005.

Looking back at the noughties...part 5

2004 I'm in my second year at Tafe and the number of students has been halved. There are 40 of us left and just three of them guys. This year has given me the opportunity to design and produce my own range. Inspired by the decadence of the 1930's it comprises of velvet and silky satin. I can't say it was my finest work, but I was certainly proud of it at the time.

June 2004 and Nicole Kidman looks stunning in the 1930's inspired gown on the cover of Vogue Australia and they dare to ask is 'Perth; The new Paris?' With models (Gemma Ward & Megan Gale), actors (Heath Ledger& Sam Worthington) and musicians (Empire of the Sun) all hailing from the most isolated city in the developed world (Perth, WA). Is it any wonder that speculation abounds, 'is there something in the water?'. After growing up in Perth, all I can say is isolation breeds creativity.

In the Vogue Australia October issue Perth model Gemma Ward features in an advertising campaign for Prada. Prada is the darling of the season setting trends left, right and centre, with her jewelled brooches, adding quirky key rings to the latest it bags, not to mention the stunning dresses.

Miuccia Prada on dressing for an event...

"...it's much better to be comfortable and be yourself than be worried about what you have on, which is a horrible thing - and looks it."

2004 also saw the return of the domestic goddess...

Ladies who take tea in Royal Albert, eat delicate cakes and munch on dainty cucumber sandwiches never go out of style.

Source: Vogue Australia June 2004 & Vogue Australia October 2004

Looking back at the noughties...part 4

The year is 2003 and I am in my first year at Tafe studying Clothing Production (Fashion). It was a completely foreign environment to the all girls high school I attended the year before. That is apart from the fact that there was only 3 guys and 77 girls doing the course. (The poor guys were very outnumbered.)

I already knew the sewing basics, now I was learning how to use an industrial sewing machine, pattern making and mastering the art of using colour.

This was when my magazine collection really began taking shape. When you tell people your studying fashion you get inundated with offers of fabric, clothing and you guessed it magazines. This is how I acquired the 1970's and 1980's issues from a family friend. I was also given a collection of British Vogue's from Judy Burbury of Adam Heath Boutique, Claremont.

In the January/February Harpers Bazaar Australia 2003, Donna Karan is showing off her new figure thanks to the raw food diet. Health has influenced fashion with the sporty look the main feature of the issue. The other stand out is the length of skirt hems, short, super short, crotch grazing short.

April's 2003 Vogue Australia was focused on romance. Floaty dresses, floral prints, soft hues, with an old world feel. Inspired by films the Award winning 'The Pianist' and 'The Hours' where Nicole Kidman donned the prothetic 'nose'.

This is when it all began, the fringe, that long poking in your eye fringe. We all had one, but unfortunately when you wear glasses it doesn't really work. So last year I decided to grow it out. Now for the 1st time in my life I haven't got a fringe!

Stay tuned for part 5, 2004, things are looking up!

(Images are from Vogue Australia, April, 2003)

Looking back at the noughties...part 3

It's 2002 and I am in year 12, the end of high school is near. I have decided to study fashion design at Polytechnic West (Formerly Bentley Tafe). Everything I do is geared towards reaching this goal.

In September of 2002 there are two distinct styles emerging. The gypsy queen still reigns, but is set to pass the crown to the new sexy polished look. It is all about curves and figure hugging black. Utility is also getting a look in, with khaki, excess pockets and cargo pants.

By November the gypsy queen has well and truly fallen from grace.The new sexy look has taken off. The theme is Dark drama, metal chains are draped and adorn even the most feminine of clothes.

Harpers Bazaar posed the question 'are some women really "too posh to push?"' and showed a photo of Gisele Bundchen using ' a new mobile phone capable of capturing images for posterity.' Little did they know that in less than 10 years the mobile phone will be capable of almost anything.

Next part 4, 2003, what will that year bring?

(Pictured: Drew Barrymore on the cover of Harpers Bazaar Australia, November 2002.)

Looking back at the noughties...part 2

It is April 2001 the tuxedo is the flavour of the month. Rockabilly is making a comeback and denim frayed and bleached to within an inch of its life is all the rage.

I am in year 11 trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. They don't tell us that ten years on, we may still not have the answer.

On the headwear front Chanel favoured netting, Ungaro headscarves, YSL boaters and wide brimmed straw hat and Dior hair rollers with headscarves.

September 2001 the gypsy queen cometh in all her blousy and frilly glory. Charlize Theron is on the cover of Australian Harpers Bazaar and America's Sweethearts and the remake of Planet of the Apes has just hit the big screen. The wedge is new big thing, a homage to the 1970's they are shiny and new and wouldn't look a miss on the feet of Carrie Bradshaw.

On a sadder note when this edition of Harpers went to print the September 11 attacks, were only something that featured in a bad dream. I remember seeing the second plane hit. I had been watching a film. At first I couldn't believe that it was really happening. However when I realised it was on every channel I looked on in horror. At fifteen watching it on my own (my parents had been out and my siblings were asleep in bed) it was hard to conceive that something like this could happen.

This week after 10 years the US Forces have finally caught and killed the man who was the behind the attacks. I can't say that I condone the reaction that some deem necessary. I was fortunate not to know any of the victims, so I'm not going to point the finger and say you shouldn't be happy he's dead. But by the same token is cheering and singing in the streets really appropriate when anybody dies, regardless of who they were and what they did?

Next part 3, 2002 sexy is back!

(Images taken from Harpers Bazaar Australia, April 2001)

Looking back at the noughties...

It is 2011 and the noughties are behind us. This post is the first of several looking back at the head wear and fashion from 2000 to 2009. Giving a nod to the glorious and not so glorious fashions of the recent past.

In 2000 I began year 10 (I'm giving away my age now). My interest in fashion had only just been ignited, I was still ignorant in many respects and made my share of fashion blunders. The only hats I owned were the baseball cap variety and a witches hat from my tenth birthday (that incidentally after long thought lost, turned up last week!).

Though my memory may be a bit fuzzy about the details, photo's never lie! I have an extensive magazine collection including classics from the 1970's and 1980's. Magazines have just about taken over my life. At one point I think I was buying 5 fashion magazines a month and that's not including the other magazine genre's. I only keep the best, I have every copy of Australian Vogue from Apr 2001 to the present day and every edition of Australian Harpers Bazaar from Sept 2002 to Jan/Feb 2010 (ever since Alison Veness-McGourty left, it just wasn't the same). My current love is Russh, with only 6 issues a year I have every copy since Mar/Apr 2006.

It's October 2000 and Christine Anu is on the cover of Australian Vogue and purple is everywhere. The only hat within the pages is a purple wide brimmed sun hat, still a hangover from the 90's. It reminds me of that hat worn by Andie MacDowell in Four Weddings and a Funeral. One thing I did notice was the unflattering lighting on quite a few celebrities, they obviously hadn't discovered photoshop.

Stay tuned for the next installment, 2001 and the coming of the gypsy queen or should I say the mutton dressed as lamb look.