Phiney Pet Spring 2016

Once again, I've missed out on all the fun and frivolity of London Fashion Week on a technicality: living on the other side of the world in Melbourne. It's not all doom and gloom though, at least I got to see the presentation for Phiney Pet's glorious, 'let them eat cake' inspired Spring 2016 collection. Let them Eat Cake is unofficial, please don't quote me on that, but it's so fitting considering there were handpainted biscuits including jammie dodgers and a bonnet? Like an actual bonnet, you wear on your head. Remember when Dazed announced on Twitter that Bonnetcore was going to be the next trend? Ah, memories. So that CLEARLY did not happen (for better or worse) but there were a number of cute hats which disgruntled old people, namely my mother would be offended by, especially when worn by young people. It's amazing how a straw accessory can be improved upon when black flocked tulle and smart ribbon are employed with artistic flair. I still hate straw handbags though, always have and always will. Straw boaters are still utterly charming and make me wish I had the conviction to dress like I wear a school uniform everyday for the rest of my life. 

 Unlike a school uniform, Phiney Pet is a whimsical myriad of pastels, lace and gingham. If Marie Antoinette were a spoiled brat living today, preferably in Notting Hill, she'd be all over this collection like a bad rash. What do I mean by that? Well, for one thing, the bands of lace on the shorts and trousers of this collection are not too dissimilar from the layers of a cake. Particularly a wedding cake produced by a tormented baker, forced to emulate the colours and decor of the tables. Now, I know nothing about baking and I'm not saying that you should take head of anything that may or may not revolve around a rolling pin but that sounds tortuous, even to me. On the other hand, sewing a bunch of cute frilly layers onto an otherwise stiff pair of shorts sounds nothing short of marvelous. If you like dressing like a cake (I know I do).

What I did find surprising is that Phiney Pet teamed up with Teva. I've never really understood the appeal of Teva or Birkenstock (and the judgmental bitch in me usually labels those who wear them as basic) but I actually really liked these sandals. I couldn't find any close up photos of them on the Phiney Pet Facebook page, which is where I got these photos, but they were embellished with the ribbons which appeared on the pastel green tulle dress. I also really like the long leg, big clumpy shoe trend and like to wear the look as often as possible. More so in summer for obvious logistical reasons. So for a big nerd like myself, it's easy to imagine oneself hunching over old sandals and giving them a new lease on life after a trip to the craft store. That kind of DIY is made easier when one has easy access to a hot blue gun, but for those more invested in making handmade things last a long time, sewing sequins or buttons or whatever is also an option.

A lot of the visuals reminded me of vintage Disney as imagined by animator Mary Blair. A lot of that has to do with the imagery of small woodland creatures, a la Bambi or Snow White alongside kawaii birthday cakes. The hand-painted leather jackets, which I practically cried over they were so good also featured a similar mix of small baby animals in pastel colours and common items from the kitchen. In that way it was very much an amalgamation between nursery rhymes, Beauty and the Beast and The Great British Bake Off. For those who hate baked goods (do people like that exist?) there were a number of intricate floral pieces and tulle dresses which completely swallowed the bodies of the models. There was basically something for everyone, and for people like me, everything spoke to them on a spiritual level, but also facilitated the intellectualization of any and every piece. I have a lot of love and respect for this brand, so it makes me even happier that they've made their clothes commercially available. Unfortunately, my bank account isn't quite as happy.

*Photos via PhineyPet.com

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!)

Reblog: Japan Candy Box Giveaway

The lovely Celia of Ceedling is having a giveaway over on her blog- check it out for a chance to win a Japan Candy Box full of yummy treats! You can check out the full unboxing and tasting video here. Good luck to everyone who enters!

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.