SYDNEY PHOTO DIARY

21st April 2013

Sydney is one of those place you arrive and never want to leave – the food, the lifestyle, the people – on every level it’s one of the greatest cities  in the world. And when the city is over-run with fashion fiends vying for a bit of tommy ton action and you get to sample new collections while skimming free coffees from the star lounge? Sydney couldn’t get any better. As usual fashion week seemed to fly by in a blur of seeing a few shows, going to meetings and shooting a segment with The Today Show, to be honest I’m looking forward to heading back to Hong Kong tomorrow and relaxing! Here’s a peek at what I’ve been upto.

Loving my sparkly new Macgraw short suit, and using my transparent satchel to death (stay tuned for the DIY).

Drooling over Elle’s Dylanlex neck party (stay tuned for a tutorial from the creator herself!)

Waiting waiting waitinggggggggg for the shows to start at the Carriageworks. The shoes? A sneak peek of an exciting collab I’ve been working on (insert winky face here).

Carpets and cuties at Camilla.

Shooting for The Today Show with Jamie Ashkar (missed it? Catch the segment here).

Models and ankles backstage at Jamie Ashkar .

Structural warehouse lego land  at Christopher Esber.

Wearing DIY mesh skirt, thrifted Gap tee, H&M jacket, Zara heels, DIY transparent satchel.

A quick pit stop at the Boy Charlton pool – Sydney certainly knows how to do the great outdoors.

Can we talk about the set at Camilla?

These Camilla carpets need to get on my floor asap.

Beauties in kaftans.

Jamie Ashkar sheer top and white skirt, Tony Bianco Heels and DIY transparent satchel.

Morning walk before hitting the shows.

Warehouse chic at Manning Cartel.

More shooting with The Today Show.

Macgraw short suit (can you tell I love a short suit?) and my new Mischa bucket bag.

I could get used to this! But alas, it’s time to head home.

DIY FOX EYE MASK

6th April 2013

Just in time for my flight out to Sydney for Fashion week, I bring you the cutest in-flight eye mask ever! I recently had the pleasure of stumbling across a label called Foxshop, a store that sells handmade floral fox masks, perfect fare for a hipster mascarade party, don’t you think? I got chatting with Lucille the designer and she offered to share with us an exclusive tutorial to make a fox inspired eye mask as part of my ongoing series – perfect for getting a good night’s rest and looking your best while you’re at it.

If you’ve never worn an eye mask to bed you honestly don’t know what you’re missing. So much more than just something your grandma would do, sleeping with an eye mask is like drawing the blackout blinds at the Waldorf Astoria without having to max out your credit card – luxury hotel quality sleep without the investment. For those insomniacs out there – wearing an eye mask has actually helped me to go to sleep by keeping my eyelids closed – winning!

 You need :

• 2 pieces of fabric
• 1 piece of duffle (it’s not required but it will be more confortable with it)
• a little elastic – 25 cm
• a piece of white lightweight felt
• a sewing kit
• a little piece of wool
• the pattern printed

1. Use this pattern to trace the outline of the mask onto the fabric and then order your fabric carefully with the lining fabric, then top fabric (right side towards you) and finally back fabric (right side towards you).

2. Sew all around using small stitches except between the ears as shown below.

3. Cut the shape out.

4. Turn the mask inside out through the hole left in between the ears and then iron flat.

5. Sew the hole shut.

6. To make the elastic for the back of the head, cut a piece of fabric around 6cmx55cm and then iron both sides in with an edge of 0.5cm. Fold in ha;f and sew the edges down. One you have done that,  use a safety pin to insert the elastic.

7. Sew the strap to the sides of the back of the mask.

8. Finally, decorate using felt and wool to create your fox face.

Done!

Thanks for the tutorial Lucille! Make sure to stop by her store and peek at her wares. And have a go at making your own – at the very least it’s sure to become an essential part of your carry on for long haul flights (along with ear plugs, paw paw ointment, a giant bottle of water and grey marl head to toe sweats – I call it dressing like a koala).

TRAVEL: A QUICK GUIDE TO BANGKOK’S CHATUCHAK MARKETS

4th February 2013

Bangkok’s sprawling Chatuchak (or Jatujak) weekend markets is, for some, the absolute idea of hell. But if you really dig in and, importantly, know where to look, you’ll be  dumbstruck by the utterly amazing and unique pieces you can find. Spread over 27 sections (more than 110,000 square m or 35 acres), the market is one of the biggest in the world, and surely must rival the Souks in Morocco for its ability to completely confuse you. On the surface it’s what you might typically find in a market in Thailand – mass reproduced Hmong fabrics, teak furniture and embroidered handicrafts, as well as mountains of simple household items which draw in the locals, however, if you roll your sleeves up and hit the right areas in this maze of stalls, you’ll be spoilt for choice. After going there a few times, here are my tips for getting out of the markets alive (with a bundle of goodies).

- Choose your section wisely. As I mentioned, the market is made up of 27 sections with similar products co-located together, if you set off in the wrong direction and find yourself in section 9 for example (household appliances) you’ll be knee deep in toasters, your face will melt off and  you’ll be ready to retire to your hotel quicker than you can say ‘taxi’. My favourite sections have to be 5 and 6 for clothes (6 is where you will find all the vintage stalls),  and sections 22 – 26 for homewares and antiques.

- Vintage vintage vintage. Generally the clothing and accessories being sold are similar to what you’ll find in most Asian markets (cute, girly and often frustratingly one size), and for that reason I think it’s best to hone in on the vintage on offer. I was absolutely awestruck by the amount and quality of vintage pieces in Section 6 – mountains of levi’s from the 70′s, enough vintage bomber jackets to sink the titanic, reworked dresses and skirts, rack upon rack of Hawaiian shirts, distressed denim jackets, logo tees by the arm load – I could go on all day. Apparently there are more than 400 stalls in section 6 selling vintage, including lots of mens pieces as well as women’s. A true hipsters dream!

- You won’t visit the same store twice. You might think you have but no doubt you will have wandered miles from where you originally were. So if you like something, bargain, and then buy it.

- Stay hydrated. You won’t believe how hot the aluminum sheds can get (even if the humidity of BKK hasn’t managed to ruffle your feathers), so keep up the fluids, and when you’re done stop off for a drink at Illy Bar for a cold Singha or pitchers of margaritas. The Saturday afternoon/night we were there the locals randomly staged a runway show, drag queens and all, they simply rolled a red carpet out onto the road and went for it. It’s those completely unplanned moments that you remember the most.

- After hours. I noticed that after hours the pedestrianised roadways around the market came alive with jewelry and clothing sellers, obviously those people wanting to avoid the cost of an actual stall – and lots of them had great stuff. Although the markets are supposed to close at 7pm, I found when we left around 9 they was still a bit of action.

- Bargain. Although not entirely perfect, the universal ‘divide the first offer by two and then expect to pay 25% more on top of that’ is a pretty safe bet (ie original price is 100, offer 50, pay around 75), although the rules of ‘dont let your eagerness show , ‘know the most you will pay’ and ‘be prepared to walk away’ are also useful.

- Eating. There are loads of food stalls around the markets, with roasted pork being a delicacy of choice. If you’re looking to take a load off, head to the food stalls on the outer edge of the market (just outside from section 6), grab a salad or a stir fry and eat it in Chatuchak park. Perfect way to relax.

- Other stuff. Bring cash – you’re going to need lots of it. Also, catch the sky train to Mo chit, and arrive by ten when stalls start setting up to enjoy the market pre-crowd.

For those of you who are interested in what I picked up, I bought a whole heap of high waisted Levi’s which will be perfect for turning into cut offs and embellishing for summer, two totally out there bomber jackets, a vintage nike logo tee and a mickey mouse tee. I could have bought so much more but I would have needed a forklift to get it home. If you’ve been to the market and have some insight, I would love to hear!

(more…)