Late 50's soft, ladylike styling: ELLE Sweden August 2010

I am smitten with the August edition of ELLE Sweden's retro, ladylike, soft styling and glamourous vintage looks. Say bonjour to fuller figures and longer hemlines, as the skirt and dress silhouette of the late 50's and early 60's swing their way back onto the scene as a 2011 trend. You can go the sweetly conservative debutant route I will probably be taking, per Fendi, Dries Van Norton and Louis Vuitton, or try Isabel Marant's sexy siren look, a la Olivia Newton-John as 'Sandy' in Grease (after the makeover!). Another alternate silhouette of the sensual 60's is the pencil skirt or the straight cut sheath - not only cinching in the waist but clinging to the hips as well (see L'Wren Scott S/S 2010). 

Model: Mona Johannesson

Photographer: Jimmy Backius

Stylist: Lisa Lindquister

Trend: Turban

I've been meaning to get a turban for a while now, but you know what? My silk scarves will just do fine. Why pay up to $200 for a short lived trend I say? 

Dan Kling, Go Fly a Kite

My favourite male model, Dan Kling, playing in his band 'Go Fly a Kite'.

Muse: Dreaming of Dree

Every fashion blogger is doing it. Blogging about legendary Earnest Hemingway's 22 year old ballerina-turned-model great granddaughter, Dree Hemingway. She may have extreme beauty and an intriguing pedigree, but I'm just wild about her excellent personal style! Her wardrobe preferences tend to be quite Parisian in nature, with a dash of New York casual thrown in. Moreover, I love her fondness for black, white and grey colour palette - it's simple, stark, and sophisticated. I'm learning from her, the ability to blend the timeless with the timely that shows up in her outfit selections.

P.S. in the last photograph, spot the poor man carrying his girlfriend's handbag.

Mulberry Fall 2010 Campaign

Although this one's not as girly as Mulberry's Spring 2010 Campaign, it still looks just as fun and silly! With Abbey Lee Kershaw and Hanne Gaby Odiele indulging in cake, jumping on beds, having pillow fights and all the while clutching some of Mulberry's latest luxury handbags.

Checklist for the New and Improved Me

• read more
• sketch more
• public speaking
• always hunting and gathering inspiration
• always carry a diary
• be more acquainted with articles, journals, news, opinions, prints, digital, web, video, film etc.
• stop reading for pleasure (don't think I will have time anyway)
• cease communicating normally - speak like a designer
• become a 50's housewife, minus the housework and husband (organised, multi-tasking, perfectionist, determined, high-maintenance, well-groomed, and merry)
• work on building character - patience, gentleness, love, faithfulness, goodness, joy, self-control, peace, kindness
• no eating after 10pm
• try to blink less. At least try. If I can remember.
• stop staring at the back of the head of that extremely good looking jerk during lecture and pay attention.
• eat fruit more. Once a month isn't enough.

Paths to Abstraction

"Even in canvases where colour did not yet blaze openly, the stroke quivered, simmered, darted in all directions, spilled over the outlines of forms, seethed, scattered itself, whirled, melted and abruptly broke off. Abandoned to the maenads of colour, the realistic image was torn to tatters." - Pierre Schneider

So, a couple of days ago, I paid a $5 visit to the Exhibition of Abstraction at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. I particularly liked the transition from Impressionism into Abstraction - fifty years that changed the course of art forever. The exhibition featured individuals who experimented with colour and form, and explored new and exciting ways of seeing and imagining. I'd say I made quite a few brilliant discoveries! My visit was also made more enjoyable having an eye-candy who I kept looking at (in appreciation), he was another work of art! Here were some of my favourite pieces. You will probably recognise a few.

Claude Monet

France 1840-1926

Stacks of Wheat (End of day, Autumn)

Oil on Canvas

Pierre Bonnard

France 1867-1947

At the Theatre

Colour Lithograph

Gabriele Munter

Germany 1877-1962

Village Street in Winter

Oil on board mounted on wood

Patrick Henry Bruce

USA 1881-1936

Painting Still Life

Oil and pencil on canvas

Paul Klee 

Switzerland/Italy  1879-1940

Nordlicher Ort (Northern Village)

Watercolour on paper on cardboard


"For me, the subject and the background have the same value. Neither is more important than the other. Only the composition, the general pattern counts." - Henri Matisse

Menswear Picks

Men's style can be inspiring for women. I'm actually as intrigued by menswear as womenswear. There is something inspiring about this idea of a uniform that is evident in the way that men dress themselves (suit, pants, shirt). It's investment dressing because menswear is not as disposable as womenswear. I've heard men are (usually, or more) drawn to detail, whether it's the collar, the cuff, the buckles, or the stitchings. Is that right? And so who better to look to than refreshingly well-dressed gentlemen on the streets? Here, I share with you, photos from my 'Inspirations' folder.

Sources: www.dapperkid.blogspot.com, www.englishcut.com, www.acontinuouslean.com, www.buckets-and-spades.blogspot.com, www.stockholmstreetstyle.feber.se

Male Favourite: Dan Kling

Male-models are a bit under-represented. So here, I introduce to you a recent discovery. Dan Kling, is up there on my favourite male models list. He might actually be my favourite! The moment I first laid my eyes on him, I was intrigued by his stark, oddball beauty. I seem to be drawn to certain types of models - tall, slender, juvenile jawline, feline features, long neck (and a protruding adam's apple in male-models). Like how every designer has a certain 'look' they like when it comes to model castings. Dan Kling is a Swedish 16 year old from Major Paris. He is a musician in an indie-rock band Go Fly a Kite. Clearly, there's something about musician slash model thing we can't get enough of. Or it's just me. Still a fresh face, Dan has stirred up something of a frenzy amongst international agencies wanting to sign him up.

Name: Dan Kling

Date of Birth: April 5 1993

Height: 189cm / 6'2.5"

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Blue

Place of Origin: Falun, Sweden

Agency: Major Paris

L'Amant: Erin Fetherston Resort 2011

With each click of my mouse, the girlie-girl in me is squealing with pure delight with the Erin Fetherston Resort 2011 collection. I longed to blog about it, so I apologise for the lack of post these past few weeks! With Erin Fetherston, who remains to be one of my favourites (since her 2009 Fall RTW), you always know what to expect from her collections - feminine, flirty and dreamy - her signature aesthetic, this time with delightful details such as bows, pleats, boater hats, peter pan collars, sweetheart necklines, cigarette pants, and oh so pretty cocktail frocks. And that soft metallic gold one-shoulder minidress is a real knock out! I love it how she's so fantasy-driven (quite like me) and she is always consistent with her vision. This collection is inspired by the French film L'Amant (The Lover) set in Indochina in the 1920's. I'm in love...

L'Amant (The Lover)

P.S. The model is Emily Wake, a beautiful Australian who apparently did her first shows last season. I absolutely adore models with 'juvenile' features! Keep a look out for her. I have a feeling she'll become a sought after first-face by every designer.