NZFW : Day Three

What I wore - Day Three (sore feet and the start of a cold)

Today felt like everyone stepped it up another notch. Fashion finally found the flamboyant fabulousness I was looking for! 

Key colours: black, blue and buttercup yellow.

Textures: understated; today it was more about prints and colour.

Outfit I wanted to rip straight off the model: The blue rose print dress at BLAK (actually the first 10 outfits at BLAK), and the beautiful yellow dress at Salasai .

Most fabulous fashionista off the catwalk: Colin Mathura-Jeffree! After playing it safe Tuesday and Wednesday, he finally went a little crazy today and I loved him for it. See a pic below.

Favourite makeup look: the BLAK models were gorgeous, both hair and makeup.

Favourite catwalk styling: The urban navajos at Salasai.

Highs: the street fashion was the best it has been all week, plus sitting next to the lovely Charlotte Ryan at BLAK.

Lows: fashion burn-out.

Backstage at BLAK. 

 Lauren Gunn's gorgeous hair for BLAK.

Black roses for the BLAK front row. 

Colin Mathura-Jeffree and Nick Klarwill 

Photographers' Pit at the end of the runway 

 Models getting ready at Salasai

I'm playing hooky tomorrow and missing the last two shows, but I will post some more pictures over the next few days.

x

NZFW : Day Two

What I wore - Day Two (a little Spring colour)

Day Two and everyone seems to be hitting their stride. The energy back stage was brilliant today, and the textures being created with model hair were divine...see below. The evening finished with Trelise Cooper, who brought much-needed 5* glamour to FW Day 2. Two down, one to go!

Key colours so far: cherry red, jade green, English mustard yellow, periwinkle.
Textures: velvet (yes!) including beautiful black velvet lace at twentysevennames, open-weave knits, more fur and lots of shine.
Outfit I wanted to rip straight off the model: I would quite happily have worn most of the outfits shown today, although I felt most affinity with twenty-seven names.
Most fabulous fashionista off the catwalk: Samantha Hayes, gorgeous with her flame red hair over a yellow knit. Best star quality so far, without looking over-styled.
Favourite makeup look: I couldn't get a good shot of it, but I loved the twinkling green in the corners of the Riddle Me This models' eyes.
Favourite catwalk styling: A tie: toffee apple red rubber sandals and grunge-beanies at twenty-seven names and the gorgeous, whimsical brides at NZ Weddings.
Highs: the Blue Sky fashion show, with Ingrid Starnes and twenty-seven names. Great food, fresh coffee and a genius venue that let almost everyone sit front row.
Lows: Maybe I'm getting old, but the music at most of the shows is way too loud, I noticed a lot of gritted teeth. I also wish the models looked like they were having a little more fun (Penny Pickard excepted, she positively bounces down the catwalk).

 Yummy breakfast canapes at Blue Sky

Pretty in pink by MAC for Ingrid Starnes

(image courtesy of MAC) 

Runsheets

Strawberry Shortcakes at twenty-seven names (and those toffee apple sandals) 

Kokako Chai Latte and Coconut Ice for morning tea 

Amazing hair texture back stage 

Many hands make light work.

 My favourite model, Seon, backstage before NZ Weddings.

Beautiful front row at NZ Weddings.

Flower nymph brides at the NZ Weddings Show.

Back again tomorrow!

x

NZFW : Day One

What I wore - Day One (palette inspired by the weather)

So, New Zealand Fashion Week rolls around again! Today has been crazy and fun already, and it's only half over. As I type this, I'm about to head backstage again to shoot Hailwood, Juliette Hogan and Zambesi. Wicked!

Key colours so far: nudes, jade greens, ox blood red and, of course, black.
Textures: fur and sequins (hoorah! half my wardrobe already...) and some gorgeous floaty prints on satin and chiffon.
Outfit I wanted to rip straight off the model: Coop floral velvet bed jacket over a gold sequined dress.
Most fabulous fashionista off the catwalk: none yet, still looking! Although Michaela from MAC is leading the charge (see below).
Favourite makeup look: Cybele by Olivia Russell for MAC.
Favourite catwalk styling: Grunge-inspired beanies at Ruby.
Highs: Being part of the buzz back stage.
Lows: realising the 'emergency' chocolate bar I was saving from my NZFW loot bag was in fact a sachet of Chai Latte.

Michaela from MAC

Cybele makeup by Olivia Russell for MAC

(image courtesy of MAC cosmetics)

Model downtime, wearing new MAC shade 

Gorgeous platinum blonde

Grunge-inspired beanies at Ruby.

Will post more later! Let me know what you think?

x

moochi moochi blues

moochi Spring mood boards

Well, Beaunz belles, it's been awhile! And who better to coax me out of my frenzied screenwriting haze than one of my favourite local brands, moochi. I was invited along to their Spring showroom day (complete with chocolate brownies made by Kellie's mum, yum!) and what a breath of fresh air it was at the end of a (rare) wet and windy week.

There were too many beautiful things to only show one photo, so here are a few. Keep your eye out for new arrivals from next week onwards, instore and online.

Gorgeous, slinky blue pyjama-style blazer.

This look took me back to eating grilled squid at sunset on Oia, Santorini.

Amazing ombre-texture pumps that remind me of this gorgeous knitwear by Alexander Wang.

I'd like to buy both of these and belt them over a breezy summer maxi.

And of course, I had to finish on Kellie's mums delicious brownies. I have a few more goodies to post about (come back tomorrow for the cutest shoes I've seen in months) but the others you'll have to wait until I have purchased them first, just in case you beat me to it.

It's good to be back :)

x

Tell me about it, stud

Love this saucy little collar from Saben, it would look so cute over a Juliette Hogan print dress, or a white button down, or on a bare-chested waiter...


x

A little Salasai promise of summer

SALASAI "GREEN" SS2013 from claire littler on Vimeo.

I had another post planned for this morning, but then this gorgeous Salasai video popped into my inbox from Showroom22, and I had to share it.

Love that lush, floral print and the fuschia shirt with gold collar tips is exactly what I'm craving for Spring.

It's a little promise of summer...just when we need it in the depths of winter.

x

Shopgirl : Juliette Hogan

Today's Shopgirl, Anika from Juliette Hogan on Ponsonby Road, is working a knee socks and boots look I've loved for ages but never mastered. My boots are always either too long and sleek or too short and slouchy, or my socks are the wrong colour for the leather. Seeing this easy pairing of nut-brown leather and black knee socks has inspired me all over again, so the hunt is back on for the perfect winter boot. Wish me luck, at this late stage in the season I'll need it!


As much as I love her styling, the best thing about this outfit is the dress. Quirky, moody and exuberant all at once, it's the thinking girl's LBD. I love that the Winter 2012 collection is named 'Bitter Sweet Memories' - something tells me any wearer of this dress wouldn't be in mourning for long.


x

Do the Fran Fran

Hello my lovelies, I hope you had a great weekend. The weather in Auckland was incredible!


I popped into Juliette Hogan on Friday and spotted these gorgeous Kathryn Wilson 'Fran' brogues, all shiny and cute. Don't they remind you of caramel made from sweetened condensed milk? I would pair them with leopard print tights,  this dress and a huge snuggly cardi.


While I was there, I also snapped the lovely Anika, tune in same time tomorrow for Shopgirl: the Juliette Hogan edition.


x

Be still my heart...

Are you sitting down? I wasn't when I opened the press kit,  and saw that Deadly Ponies Mr Chain Mail comes in dusty rose pink for Summer 2012/13, and I spilled my tea all over my new (coincidentally) dusty pink Topshop tuxedo pants. Did you know that tea is an actual dye? I didn't either, until now...

But I can't be grumpy because LOOK at how beautiful she is! A lovely (*&%@*!) friend beat me to the punch with the royal blue version this season, but I'm already planning my SS wardrobe around owning this little number.

Hands down, Deadly Ponies are my favourite local accessories brand, I'm crossing all my fingers and toes that they one day branch into shoes too...

x

Huffer to the rescue

I didn't think my love affair with Huffer could get any deeper...until they brought out my favourite tee as a hoodie, just as the temperature drops into single digits. 


As I sit here typing, it is so cold that I'm cradling a mug of tea with the other hand, and my knees are shivering under the table. Although technically it's still autumn, winter is definitely making its imminent arrival felt. 


Pah, nothing a little Huffer hoodie couldn't fix.


x

Watch out wolves

Image credit: Steven Chee for Fashion Quarterly

I have been looking for a dress to wear to a certain local celebrity's 40th birthday bash next weekend, and came across this gorgeous cherry red Black Tie Dress by Liam, the little sister to Ruby. 


I love its deep cowl backline, which could double as a hood in the likely event of a rainy evening, and the saucy thigh splits would make for great stepping-out-of-limo paparazzi shots.


All in all, the perfect party dress. Will I? Won't I? That would be telling...


x

Shopgirl : Miss Crabb

Tash, Miss Crabb, Ponsonby Road

Today is my first Shopgirl post, which will feature stylish shop assistants from all over town. 


How cute is Tash? She's in head to toe Miss Crabb of course, including the 100 year skirt in lilac, and a coat from last season which is being recut in a longer version for Winter 2012. It has an extra panel in the right side, which gives it a lovely lopsided fit. Her shoes are from Topshop, and that gorgeous lipstick is M.A.C. She looks cosy and fresh at the same time and has inspired me to pair lilac and khaki, a combination I hadn't thought of before.


Thanks Tash!


x

Shoes are the windows to the soul

Chaos & Harmony Cassandre heels

I recently stepped right out of my comfort zone and bought these gorgeous platform heels by Chaos & Harmony. I had been looking for new heels that would take me stylishly from work to events and home again, give me height without bumble and, most importantly, slide easily into my now perfectly curated winter wardrobe. I hadn't planned on going platform OR burgundy but the moment I saw them they were already mine. 


It got me thinking about shoes, and what you can tell about someone's mood from what they're wearing on any given day. So, here is a little game of 'shoe-mood association':


Stiletto - notice me, I'm hot
Platform - I'm hot too but I can't walk in stilettos
Ballet flats - I don't care if you think I'm hot
Brogues - I'm far too intellectual and cool to be hot
Slippers - I'm too tired to be hot (hungover, or new Mum)
Flip flops - I'm pretending it's still summer hot


Feel free to add any more in the comments.


x

Saturday Scrapbook : Colours and textures of winter

Creepers at Kathryn Wilson

The recent rainy weather has inspired me to start culling and curating my winter wardrobe, and I've enjoyed the thrill of squeezing into knits and velvet even in the muggy heat of airless changing rooms.


So, today's Scrapbook is all about the textures and colours I've noticed in the shops and PR showrooms for winter. Enjoy!

Beautiful tweeds and textures at Ciel PR 

Pretty pastels for winter at Ingrid Starnes 

Knitted accessories from Yellow Brick Road Boutique 

Beautiful greys at Moochi 

  The winter line-up thus far in my wardrobe

x