Victoria Rowe 2013

Fluorescent yellow has always been a colour which has both transfixed and terrified me. Periodically fashion bloggers will employ it in contrast to their own monochrome wardrobe and in the blink of an eye the shade will fall out of favour and vanish in an instant. Unlike those dime a dozen fashion bloggers, Victoria Rowe has managed to employ this tricky shade in the most clever of ways- paired with the sassiness of a Disney Villain. That's the impression I was struck with and couldn't shake- the smouldering eyeshadow, slick black boots and the sensational leather jacket all screamed evildoer. It seems fitting that while the world eagerly awaits more trailers for the latest DC blockbuster, Suicide Squad (not sure how to feel about the title tbh), I trawl the Westminster archives for a designer who inspires such beauty and darkness. Purposefully threadbare sweaters and skirts shrouded the body in multiple layers and removed the usual sweet and honestly tacky connotations of fluorescent yellow. Instead of resenting what that peculiar shade of yellow represents amongst commercial practice I have something else to consider now.

*Images via Westminster Fashion

Interstellar

Wearing: Josh Goot dress, Romance Was Born skirt and Lipstik jelly sandals.

First of all I apologise for the clutter in the background but I ran out of time this morning and decided to take these outfits photos at uni rather than at home. Also it was raining this morning and I had too much to do today to wait for the weather to cooperate! On the plus side you can see the archaic (pun intended) folders in the background jam packed with palaeontology papers! While it's not totally inspiring to see my messy office space it does remind me of when I first started reading fashion blogs, particularly The Fashion Void that is DC. This later morphed into Moohoop a Tumblr blog and in 2011 Brooke Kao stopped writing altogether. She was among the first wave of fashion bloggers who really pioneered blogging as a platform for self-expression and although her photos weren't polished, her guide of vintage and thrift stores within Washington propelled her to success. I guess today I just really wanted to be vulnerable and removed from the realm of commercial, air brushed photos and perfect hair.

Poison Ivy

Wearing: Vintage jacket, Romance Was Born skirt, thrifted top and heels.

Please excuse this throwback to an obnoxious 1980s game show host, minus the tall quiffed hair but I was in a mood where I wanted to wear lots of purple and green. This colour scheme also encapsulates many Poison Grass type Pokemon as well as the Batman villain and total badass Poison Ivy- ergo uninspired blog post title. Even though it's Winter the garden has remained lush and vibrant which has really inspired me to spend more time outside. By far the best part of this year has been spent learning more about nature, particularly plants and fungi, in order to better understand how ecosystems interact as a whole. Basically nature is great and so inspiring and I can't imagine a point where I'd be so jaded I'd be incapable of appreciating its beauty.
Also, it's about this time of year that someone either online or IRL tells me that I need to cover my dark circles or do something about the bags under my eyes. Huzzah! I've come up with the perfect solution (although I'm not the originator):

Today I thought I'd share my beauty tip for
1. Buy glitter.
2. Cover dark circles.
3. Free yourself from the patriarchy.

Dyspnea Spring 2015

The downside to fashion week in Australia is that even when a designer does create a perfect collection, they receive only a fraction of the recognition they deserve. It's a real tragedy in every sense of the word. Maybe if Dypsnea had shown their runway collection at New York these talented babes could have achieved world domination by now. I thought there would be a noticeable spike in interest after their runway show finished streaming, but I guess not. Although not wearable and definitely not for the faint of heart each piece is a thing of beauty. It's hard for me not to get excited when there's so much fluff and marabou going on, as embellishments of the clothes themselves as well as the boudoir kitten heels. Although this collection is not yet available for pre-order there are a range of gorgeous pieces encompassing sheer, sequins and fur. Basically Dyspnea have everything you need to stay fabulous for any occasion, preferably during the warmer seasons. 

Images 1-4 from Stefan Gosatti for Getty Images, photos 5-8 via Fashion Blender

Melancholy

Wearing: Maison Michel rain hat, J.W. Anderson X Topshop sweater, Target skirt, thrifted heels and Deadly Ponies bag.

It's very unusual for me to wear an all black outfit on the blog, but I've tried to make it as interesting as possible in terms of texture and shape! I'm a happy little turd now that I finally have this Maison Michel rain hat, which I have coveted and searched the Internet for, for YEARS. I also recently acquired my dream bag from new Zealand brand Deadly Ponies which features these little fox tail charms, which are in fact made from sheep wool. I'm not a huge bag lady, unlike many other fashion bloggers who have mastered utilizing their accessories in cool and interesting ways but this piece just resonates with me. Both the bag and hat were first produced years ago and remind me of when fashion blogging was touted as the thing which would topple even the most influential fashion editors. Of course that hasn't happened and some fashion bloggers have been criticized as being too heavily commercial but it's the idealistic nature and design of each piece which I really admire.

Snug

Wearing: Cotton On beanie, Sweater from Disneyland, Vintage coat, Meadham Kirchhoff X Topshop skirt, American Apparel socks and Nike shoes.

We're well and truly in the middle of Winter now but I refuse to wear anything which will keep my legs warm and remain fiercely opposed to the notion of Melbourne CBD business culture. For those who are unaware there's this awful cliche about everyone wearing black in Winter which is awful because it's so true? Basically I wanted to challenge myself to dress in a way that contested these preconceived notions, but wear comfy clothes as well. I mean sure my makeup isn't threatening to melt off my face and I'm not sweating in front of an air conditioner but I still want to be relatively comfy. I realise that a glittery pink PVC skirt with pastel blue faux fur trim is not what everyone immediately thinks of when they think athleisure but I couldn't resist wearing Meadham Kirchhoff. It matched my vintage coat and wearing shades of blue and grey made me feel like I was the embodiment of a cloud which seemed fitting on this overcast day.  

I dream of Clio

Wearing: ASOS faux fur coat and skirt, Walter van Beirendonck turtleneck, Sara Sboul buffy muff and Nicholas Kirkwood X Meadham Kirchhoff shoes.

A couple of weeks ago now, during the Easter break Clio Peppiatt launched their new collection and offered a 30% off discount but because of bad timing (I had just bought a Shrimps clutch and there was a lull in work for three weeks) I couldn't buy anything and was super bummed out. Fortunately I still have my Sara Sboul muff and since she collaborated with Clio Peppiatt on her latest range of accessories it seemed fitting that I create an outfit inspired by both these designers. I wanted to wear this with my fluffy fur coat from Asos but wasn't quite sure as to how to go about it. The yellow skirt I'm wearing is a very similar to one sold by CP with two dalmatians on the front which is super lovely. For extra warmth I'm wearing my turtleneck is Walter Van Beirendonck but I'm wearing it backwards so that the muppet on the front doesn't show up on the bottom. Wearing my Meadham Kirchhoff shoes always makes me feel extra glamorous and it seemed fitting.