Melbourne Spring Fashion Week 2013

Started today! Well technically yesterday, but all the same it's pretty exciting as I love Spring and always love Fashion Week. Being a 'a celebration of all that is unique about fashion and culture in the city' it makes me proud to be a Melbournian. Having being running for 19 years now, MSFW provides a valuable platform for local designers, brands and retailers to showcase their work and new season stock. 

To get tickets to any of the events on during the week click HERE, and more importantly to figure out what you want to see exactly and what's on, head to the Program page HERE . With local designers featured in more than 70% of the collections, the MSFW: Designer runways celebrate Melbourne's status as an iconic fashion city. Also supported by Kevin Murphy and Mecca Cosmetica, two highly recognisable Australian brands. It's definitely worth heading down if you are in Melbourne! Not only this, but there are opportunities to see up-and-coming and emerging fashion designers who always cease to amazing me with their incredible designs and creativity! I go each year, however I am unfortunately heading away for the whole of September- so will miss out this year! 

Both my sisters 'Alice McCall' and 'Life with Bird,'will be showing their latest collections in the 'Designer runway Two' on Wednesday 4th September at 6:30pm and a second showing at 8:30pm. Click HERE to find out more info and to purchase tickets to the show!

Below are some photos from the launch and previous years from photographers Pinirou, Lucas Dawson and Sam D'Agostino just to get you in the mood! They make me want to go to a show and get amongst it! Enjoy xx

HAZEL accessories.

A good friend from work Rebecca Young, who's incredibly talented, has been working on her amazing accessories line 'HAZEL' for some time now and it is gradually growing and going from strength to strength. I first saw her collection of handbags some time ago while working at HUSK, as we stocked her collection. Her beautiful leather handbags are so original and gorgeous it's hard to pick a favourite! Not only that, but they are practical and very wearable, making them a great investment. Her new collection will be available soon and up on her website so definitely stay tuned!! Here is some info below from her site so you get to know a little about the brand;

"Discover HAZEL, a new bohemian chic range of elegant accessories. All hand crafted, our brand is EXOTIC, ORIGINAL and EARTHY.

HAZEL is a business project initiated by designer Rebecca Young.  This first collection was inspired by an amazing adventure to North Africa, where a spark ignited the passion to design such beautiful pieces. These pieces, handcrafted in Morocco exhibit a commitment to keep bringing traditional materials and age-old artisanship to the new world.  Working with indigenous art cultures, our aim is to continually evolve and develop accessories using the methods of vegetable tanning and hand woven fabrics, which we believe makes them as eco-friendly as possible.  

We are proud and excited to show and share everything HAZEL has to offer.

HAZEL Accessories Pty Ltd is a Melbourne, Australian based label."

View Bec's amazing collections HERE. Inspiration and scrapbook HERE. Stockist info HERE. Orrrr probably just head to the website and take a look!! Click HERE and have a look for yourself :)

Here are some of the beautiful photos from one of Bec's past collections.. Can't wait to see the next designs!! xx

FAIRLEY. PART 2

So below I am sharing the breakdown of each 'story' in the collection, that Susannah was kind enough to send to me. I'm sure you will fall in love with it all just as much as I have. Can't wait to order some pieces ASAP! :) xx ISADORA: "the gift of Isis"

The vibrant colours and gypsy charm of the Marrakech night market inspires the Isadora collection, named after Isis, the goddess of magic  and life, who remains a famous image of female empowerment and  femininity. These solid sterling silver and 18k gold plate rings, cuffs and earrings have been hand pierced and filled with rich coloured resin,  designed in geometric patterns to resemble Moroccan mosaic work.

ALEXA: "defender of mankind"

The Alexa collection is strongly influenced by the ancient Greco-Roman era and mythological objects of war, worn to defend mankind. The gold and silver leaf motif cuff is inspired by the leaves of the olive tree; an ancient emblem of the city of Athens. The gold and silver swirl motif cuff, a Minoan symbol synonymous with the Labyrinth in Greek Mythology, can be worn both on the wrist and upper arm. The Alexa cuff design is a modern version of ancient Greco-Roman filigree. The sandblast finish on the Alexa rings gives them a lush creamy texture and a distinctive look synonamous with Greco-Roman jewellery. Each piece is made from solid sterling silver and 18k gold plate.

AURELIA: "the golden one"

Aurelia, the golden one, is a collection of individually hammered sterling silver and sterling silver 18k gold plated bangles, cuffs, earrings and rings. Each piece is hand-hammered, creating a unique pattern and texture, reminiscent of a distinct Middle-Eastern aesthetic. This ancient form of artisan craftsmanship is at the heart of this collection.

SAMARA: "soft precious light"

Originating from the same gemstone family, sapphires and rubies are two highly prized gems that emanate soft precious light. Fairley's Samara collection draws influence from its love of these beautiful stones. Fairley has combined handpicked Indian faceted rubies and sapphires with solid sterling silver and 18k matte gold plate to create rings, bracelets and necklaces. Each piece has been handcrafted to give it a Middle-Eastern aesthetic. This collection in particular shows Fairley's desire to create contemporary designs using ancient artisan techniques.

SERAPHINA: "the fiery one"

Much like the precious gemstones that travelled along the Silk Road from Persia, the Indus Valley and the Far East, Fairley travelled throughout India and Turkey in search of fiery, vibrant gemstones that would perfectly fit the Seraphina collection of rings and earrings. Inspired by Jaipur's colourful bazaars and spice markets, Fairley carefully hand selected green amethyst, Brazilan amethyst, kyanite, smoky quartz and citrine for this collection and combined these stunning gemstones with solid sterling silver and 18k gold plate to create a rich two-tone effect.

FAIRLEY. PART 1.

"Jewellery is not something to wear just because it matches a outfit, but because it has a narrative.. a story that can spark a conversation," (Susannah Fairley).
It is this very quote above that speaks so truly of Susannahs collection and label 'Fairley'. We met up last week to catch up on some long lost years, and to find out more about what each other had been up too. I have to say, the whole time we were pretty much talking about her jewellery and designs, because I am in love! They are truly beautiful, wearable and timeless. Having launched in 2013, she has come a tremendously long way and I am super impressed! 
I begged her to send me more information so I could share with you guys as not only are her pieces beautiful, but it is always so interesting to find out more about designers, where they get there inspiration and how they start out in this very competitive industry. So here is what I found out.
Aussie born, Susannah Fairley has always loved accessories and jewellery. Collecting bits and bobs from the age of sixteen, she would then design and create jewellery that she would sell to local boutiques and markets. After gaining greater knowledge from a business marketing degree, Fairley became an accessories buyer for a major Australian chain for six seasons, which finally lead to her launching her own label. She has said that 'style is always fashion,' and focuses on the fact that her collections are not trend driven, but classic pieces that tell a storey and are therefore timeless.
The debut collection draws on influences from Fairley's extensive world travels, taking inspiration from Morocco, the Marrakech night markets, Delhi, Jerusalem, India and the list goes on. 
She is extremely passionate about quality and details, hand-picking each gemstone for its individual beauty from places such as Turkey, Brazil and India. Particular pieces such as the Aurelia bangles, earrings and rings are individually hand-hammered to give the pieces authentic Middle-eastern aesthetic, while the Alexa rings have a matte brushed metal finish to give a lush, creamy texture. 
Each unique piece in the Fairley collection tells a story and is a direct reflection of the designers vivacious personality, timeless design sense, ability to reinterpret classics and love of history, beauty and exotic locales. Below are some Campaign shots from her debut collection.
If you could like to contact Susannah, her email is as follows susannah@lovefairley.com
Also, to see more, head to her website HERE