Clio Peppiatt Fall 2014

As mentioned a bit earlier, I wanted to discuss Clio Peppiatt's collections starting with the most recent and then take a step back in time. It was in Fall 2014 that I recognized the brand's genius, which was largely facilitated by the over sized faux fur coats and photo editing featuring hand-drawn iconography by the founding creative director. I had always found the fusion between handmade and high fashion extremely charming, but Clio Peppiatt also proves that it can be sexy. Naturally as someone who dresses for herself and not for men (or other women), looking sexy isn't something I really care for. But the latex bustier tops in pastel colors with heavily sequinned hearts are the perfect balance between man repelling and sexy. There's something to be said for clothes which are fun and empowering for women. I think Clio Peppiatt does just that, it attracts the offbeat girls and women that march to the sound of their own drum and gives them an aesthetically super charged sanctuary. 

It's hard to ignore the backdrop to these photos which is so reminiscent of Froots (the Marine and the Diamonds album, not the food type). Florals were another strong element of the photo-editing, emphasising the blue photo-realistic roses on a few of the fur-lined jackets. As if that weren't enough, hand-drawn illustrations from none other than Clio Peppiatt's creative director are the finishing touch, and appear across the website. The website itself is a thing of beauty and features some designs which don't feature on the clothes. Although Tumblr doesn't quite have the pulling power that it once did, combining DIY with high fashion still seems to be popularized (as evidenced by Grimes playing at Dior). It's definitely an aesthetic which I very much admire because at its core it promotes creativity and individuality. Imagine if every member of the community were as obsessed with personal branding and celebrating their own uniqueness, rather than clamoring to become a member of an online following. The world would be a much more magical place, and a bit more eccentric in the way that Clio Peppiatt evokes. 

A number of pieces are the best of both worlds in my opinion: their sexy but still retain a sense of creativity. I'm specifically referring to the crocheted turtleneck bodysuit with pink flowers and latex sheer latex, bell sleeve dress with hand-painted motifs but it seems to reoccur within a number of Clio Peppiatt's collections. Yes, I've mentioned this before but it's worth pointing out a second time with two very cool examples. A lot of the clothes I wear are hard-wired as being "cute" and "fun" and I could hardly be accused as dressing sexy. However, colourful bustier and crop tops, as well as mini skirts are pieces produced universally, but typically for young girls and sometimes lucky tweens. In much the same way Courtney Love pioneered the kinderwhore aesthetic, I'd love to see more brands appropriate clothes which look like they were made for young girls but make them for women. Molly Goddard is another excellent example, coincidentally from London as well. Clearly what I need to do is accrue the skills to make my own sassy subversive clothes- but that might take too long (for now I'll stick to writing about what I know!)

Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee

One of the nice things about finishing my thesis is that I now have the capacity to become a functioning member of society again. OR, I can avoid society altogether, by playing a new video game. Obviously, I chose the later. I've started playing Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer on the Nintendo DS XL, and wasn't planning on blogging about it but everything is so aesthetically pleasing, and a big function of this game is taking photographs stored on an SD card, so since I was taking photos anyway I though- why not? 

So uh, avert your eyes if you want to avoid any spoilers or if video games aren't your cup of tea. Like the name suggestions, this game focuses on the interior decorating aspect of the game, so for every room I decorate I thought I would catalog each and pair them with a style icon or cinematic moment which inspired each room. I hope you enjoy!

I made my character look a bit like Andy Warhol with a pastel pink pixie haircut (something which I wouldn't try IRL myself, given that I've just graduated and am in desperate need of a JOB but I thought it would be fun. Otherwise I probably would have liked to make an avatar resembling Grace Coddington, Anna Wintour or Karl Lagerfeld. Unfortunately gloves aren't an option for avatars yet, so I'm still waiting for the perfect opportunity to make a mini Karl.

So the first room I got to decorate was for Lottie the otter, who also works at Nook's Homes (the office you work at in the game). She's pretty cute, has a blue polka dot bow in her hair styled with bangs in a bun. Naturally I approve of her pink fur. I decorated this room using the 'Lovely Furniture Set', which fans of the Animal Crossing franchise will recognize quiet easily, however, if you're NOT familiar with the series, it's appeared in just about every game since its inception. 

Anyway, it reminded me a lot of the bedroom from Grease, as well as the independent films of Samuel Shanahoy who also happens to run one of the most amazing Tumblrs. It's kind of tacky, which is why I love it and also ironic. If the room was a song, it would be 'So Into Yo' by Tamia. If it was an emoji it would naturally be a heart with sparkles. If it was a food, it would be a strawberry milkshake with two straws, shared by Haruka and Michiru from Sailor Moon. 

I must have a snake in my boot

First I'd like to take this opportunity to apologise for the deception in case you were looking for snakeskin boots. I'm obsessed with snakes in fashion, but rather than wearing their skins I'm digging prints and patterns. Take this Poppy Lissiman clutch and Hayley Elsaesser dress for example. Both gorgeous pieces which I currently cannot afford.

Ammerman Schlösberg Fall 2013

It's no secret that I adore everything about Ammerman Schlösberg, but I love this collection in particular as it reminds me of Sailor Neptune and Uranus from the Sailor Moon anime. While I'm not surprised that the English dubbed version censored the true nature of Neptune and Uranus' relationship I still find it pretty disappointing. Think of how many girls could have been helped if they knew their attraction to other girls was represented in mainstream media! Ugh, this is what makes me mad. While I'm still on the topic of girl crushes, the makeup and hair styling for this shoot totally makes me think of Harley Quinn. Yet another badass female villain with quite literally a clownish style but is still able to command respect. While the clothes aren't in themselves at the same level Ammerman Schlösberg maintain themselves at today, all these different associations are what give this collection its strength. It's also really interesting to see how the brand has developed since its inception and the slight differences in each campaign. No longer are models wearing six inch platform heels but the doll hospital of Fall/Winter 2015 was a sure fire hit, striking the perfect balance between Gothic and Lolita.

*All images via ammermanschlosberg.com/

Strawberry Fields Forever

Wearing: Thrifted jacket, sweater and trousers from Target, Kenji heels and Sara Sboul buffy muff.

First of all sorry about the rubbish quality of these photos, I've been so busy lately there hasn't been much time to really stop and gather my thoughts. Things have only been complicated now that my dad is on leave and has started gardening again hence the strange photo-bombing ceramic pot. I really wanted to show off my new Sara Sboul hand muff which I bought for 75% off the regular price (thanks to a special code on top of a half price discount applied to all hand muffs). I had hoped to win the complete look in their instagram competition but alas the lovely Glasgow fashion blogger from Forever Yours Betty won. She took some lovely snaps of her new accessories at London Fashion Week. The Buffy Muff was by far my favourite product from the trio so I just had to snap it up- it's so quirky and unusual! If you haven't heard of Sara Sboul her bags have also been seen on the Beckerman Twins and she's just collaborated with Clio Pippiatt on their latest line of accessories. I think she might be stocked at Melbourne's Lady Petrova very soon, plus there may be another collaboration with artist Esther Kim of estherlovesyou.