Oh Carla

Carla Zampatti you are the sister of my soul.
As far as I'm concerned (and seeing as this is my blog, that is all that matters) Carla Zampatti is Australia's best designer and can do no wrong. Upon seeing her past collection I actually shed a tear, it was that amazing.
I have recently purchased my first piece of Carla Zampatti, a silver wrap jacket. It is so wonderful, I'm thinking of going back for seconds!
Take note of the female flattering shapes, incredible form and structure and the gold! Oh! The gold!

Fingerskate

Hermes, pure marketing genius. Everything they do is brilliant, from their branding (packaging, business cards etc.) to their store design and windows, and of course, their advertising.

Here is a viral campaign they did recently. The idea is great but the production is even better, everything flows so smoothly and the product as a background item whilst the 'fingerskater' get's all the attention is something many fashion companies would not be game to do, and so wonderful.

Queen of Drape

Roksanda Illincic drapes a dress better than just about anyone. Flowing lines and water-like shapes appear in all of her collections, my personal favorite being the Fall 2010 Ready to Wear collection for all it's beautiful; rich hues and satiny-silky goodness. (F2101RTW collection available on Net-a-Porter now.)

Spring 2011 Ready to Wear

2011 Resort
Fall 2010 Ready to Wear

YSLove of My Life.

If I could only wear one designer, from head to toe, for the rest of my life, it would probably be Yves Saint Laurent. Whilst browsing YSL's site today I have decided I want it ALL. Everything is just so EFFORTLESS. It somehow manages to look perfectly timeless and at the same time excruciatingly sexy.

Most of all I want (or NEED) the Arty Too silver plated ring (last image). I cannot remember the last time I wanted anything so badly.

High-waisted leather skirt

Cascade-front silk-satin blouse
Muse oversized leather tote
Shearling-lined suede gloves

Chelsea tassel ankle boots
Silk-satin wrap-style dress

Cashmere and wool-blend oversized cardigan

Arty Too silver plated ring

All are available from Net-a-Porter.

The Men of Fashion.

Yesterday I saw the Ralph Rucci: a Designer and His House + Dressed for 10 Years fashion documentaries at ACMI (Australian Center for the Moving Image).
The Ralph Rucci film was so amazing, the detail that goes into his work blows my mind. He showed an example, from his recent couture collection, of a matching cocktail dress and coat which used over 140mt of fabric and took more than 1000 hours to make. As well as a dress which was made of a delicate silk with an overlay of sparkly beaded embroidery that was then covered in ostrich and vulture feathers so that the sparkle could only be seen when the wearer moved and the dress was so light it seemed to float.
Ralph Rucci himself was so effortlessly graceful, he was an American with the air of a Frenchman. His signature look of tailored pants or dark jeans with a light, white shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow, was pure elegance.


The Dressed for 10 Years film was a montage of selected footage from the cult television show Dressed. Hosted by fashion journalist Mademoiselle Agnes, the documentary shows the highs and lows of the fashion world over the past 10 years. From industry scandal and fights among design houses to the effect of 9/11 and the global financial crisis. The documentary details the trends each year who all the big events, such as Yves Saint Laurent's death.

Part of the film documented the rise of Tom Ford within Gucci and then his fall within Yves Saint Laurent where he was booed of stage by fashion photographers. Tom Ford now has a successful line under his own name. Through his ups and downs there was always one constant, women swooned for him. His screw you attitude, his methodicalness and his fantastic suits had (and have) the ladies falling at his feet. At the end of every runway show he takes a precise 12 steps down the catwalk, swings his left arm a little then nods his head and walks back. He is all class.



Another designer shown in the film is Joseph Altuzarra. He is just as beautiful as his clothes.



Mademoiselle Agnes's interview with Largerfeld muse, Baptiste Giabiconi, is hilarious. It revolves around her asking him to take his shirt off, him flexing and posing, her touching his abs and then demanding he do push ups. It ends with him saying he doesn't understand why girls are not all over him. It's hard to tell if he is being ironic. But really, who cares?


I highly recommend seeing this duo of films at their final showing this Saturday evening at ACMI (Federation Square, Melbourne).

All the Cool Kids.

Firstly, my opinion of children is hardly a positive one. I think they are unpredictable, messy and not particularly cute. That said, these kids are pretty darn cool. The following children's collections are wonderful and the styling and casting of their shoots is absolutely perfect.
The kids appear effortlessly cool and stylish without being trite. This is what all the children of the world should be wearing. Just say no to Dora the Explorer and Ben 10 merchandise.

I have said many a time that Marc Jacobs does advertising better than fashion and I'm sticking to my guns. The Little Marc Jacobs collections are lovely, the spring 2010 one especially so, but more lovely are the catalogs that accompany them. The children are who you want your children to be, they are gorgeous. And the photos are fun. Marc Jacobs has found the perfect medium between high fashion and kids still being kids, no contrived poses. The images all look spur of the moment and totally brilliant.




Talc is a french children's label. Their clothes are simple and stunning. They are all great for kids to run around in and still perfectly stylish. Never have I so badly wanted to fit into children's clothing. Like the Little Marc Jacobs catalog, Talc's is also beautifully cast. The children are stunning and are so wonderful in front of the camera. All Talc's catalogs feature children wearing masks of some sort and all their images have block coloured backgrounds and a lovely soft light. The girls in the 2011 preview catalog (last 2 Talc images) seem so effortlessly hip and chic, i wonder how they have attained this coolness at such a young age. Proving that the French really are a superior race.

(This boy is so beautifully elfish)(I want to be the girl in the brown floral jumpsuit)

I like selected pieces from Stella McCartney's collection for GapKids but in general I'm not a huge fan. The images however, I love. The simple sets and barnyard animals are brilliant. the casting isn't quite as good as Little Marc Jacobs and Talc, some of the kids appear too 'posey' and even mannequin like whilst others are great and natural. As a sucker for glitter i can't help but love the glittered animals too.