Pilgrimage to Witch Mountain

I normally pride myself on my ability to look at fashion inspiration from around the world and synthesize it into something new, but perfection cannot be improved upon. And so, I humbly hope you enjoy this photo shoot styled by Shirley Kurata shot at Salvation Mountain. Two of my favourite things in the world artfully combined together and showcasing the best designer couture pieces with vintage treasures. The affect is simply too stunning for words.

Photography: JUCO
Styling: Shirley Kurata
Hair and makeup by David Tolls with Workgroup
Photo Assistant: Tom McKenzie
Stylist Assistant: Sue Choi
Model: Nora at Muse Management

Swamp Witch

Wearing: Romance Was Born dress (worn as skirt), thrifted bloused, thrifted cardigan, Dr Martens boots and DIY fringe cape.

As I come closer towards the end of my candidature, as well as writing applications for my PhD and completing my thesis I've become more drawn towards problem solving through words as well as experimentation. I know what tasks I have to do but can easily feel overwhelmed and paralysed at the thought of not being able to write well. Dreaming of new outfits has been my escape from academia and through creating a different set of problems has allowed me to work different parts of my brain. The DIY cape was originally a decoration I used for my twenty-first birthday last year but couldn't bear the thought of throwing it away. I was also really inspired by Patience Hodgson's outfit from Splendour in the Grass this year, designed by the lovely Rachel Burke from I make it, You wear it. I wore it with a 70s aesthetic blouse I picked up from a thrift store last year, inspired by the discussions surrounding Slimane as the creative director for Saint Laurent. This outfit has undertones of a rockstar, reimagined with interesting colours and textures. 

Wild Child

Wearing: Vintage coat, Rodarte X Target dress, American Apparel socks and Nicholas Kirkwood X Rodarte Shoes.

I should have done worn this outfit sooner since I love both these Rodarte pieces so much, even though the dress is technically only a collaboration piece from Target but whatever. Owning this vintage coat has really changed how I approach style though and it's been totally liberating owning a piece that's so versatile and the perfect shade of baby blue. It was always a color that made me feel really awkward because all my school uniforms were the color blue but now I can wear it in a way which is just really comforting. None of the colors in this outfit match perfectly and there are so many different aesthetics and themes going on at once but I love it. I don't slide around in these shoes either so I thought the socks were a nice touch despite American Apparel still somewhat problematic despite the fact they fired Dov Charney in December last year. I guess I wanted to reference Style Rookie as well as Rodarte circa 2011 when the brand was still growing, as was Tavi's career. Both still have unlimited potential and I suppose that's what I want for myself.