HOMIES: Brian Lichtenberg & Les Plus Dores

It’s all about the statement tees and sweaters right now. Well it has been for some time… but upon hearing that Tuchuzy (Bondi Beach, Sydney) have been blessed with exclusives, I’m just itching to get my hands on them, on all of them.

We’ve had Kenzo (still hankering over a tiger emblazoned sweater in emerald-green), and Henry Holland back in the day (yes, I guess I’m a slave to a micro-trend – I owned the UHU GARETH PUGH and GET YER FREAK ON GILES DEACON t-shirts), wow that was a fair few years ago – when Nu Rave reared its ugly head and many of us followed, including me embarrassingly.

However, these below are a little more subtle but give you the ability to add a quirky statement to whatever you please. With many in monochrome, they’re a blank canvas to accessorize and style accordingly.

Skinny jeans, leather pencil skirts, heels, flats, a blazer or oversized cardi, you can team these with so many pieces… and if they’re good enough for Cara and Rihanna…

Brian Lichtenberg… and his take on Gucci, Celine and Hermes (ranging from $69 to $120)

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And Les Plus Dores (these are exclusive to Tuchuzy and priced at $99 a pop)

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DIY: Ripped Skinny Jeans

I’ve had my Topshop Jamie jeans now for a number of years and I absolutely love them. As lovers of the skinny jean will know it’s hard to find pair that stay skinny and don’t go baggy at the knees. I’ve bought Diesel jeans and Tsubi jeans before, costing in excess of £150 and both have disappointed me, losing their tightness and shape. These were a fraction of that cost at only £40.

Originally jet black, they are now a faded grey but I prefer them this colour. However, as a very much-loved wardrobe staple, they have had a LOT of wear and I felt they needed a new look, so took a pair of scissors to them.

Worried I’d ruin them beyond repair, I watched a few tutorials on Youtube in order to get the right ‘rip’ – Topshop still produce the Jamie jeans but they are a made of a much thinner denim and I’m not a fan. Luckily I really like my new look jeans (pictured above) and managed to stop myself from overdoing it and getting scissor happy…

Here’s how to do it…

And here are a few images that inspired me to attack my favourite jeans with the scissors…

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Get Ahead…. Get a HAT

This weekend I shall be purchasing both a Trilby and a beanie… With Sydney temperatures dropping, I feel it is time to treat my head to a bit of warmth.

A hat is an easy way to add a bit of colour/style by accessorising an outfit – just like these stylish sisters have been snapped doing on JAK & JIL.

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CHOIES Love

I love discovering new brands and Choies footwear has caught my eye.

Innovative designs at very reasonable prices. If you’re on a budget, this is a great website to scour, with several of their designs mirroring the more expensive brands on the market like Senso and Balenciaga.

I especially love these metal toe-capped boots ($149.99)…

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A Sunny Afternoon at Paddington Market, Sydney

Today was a beautifully pleasant 23 degrees, not bad for an autumn’s day! Having pulled myself out of bed at dawn to watch the stunning sunrise over the beach, I was then wide awake, energised and ready for the rest of the day. Watching the sunrise is one of my favourite things to do… to sit and watch the waves, and the pink and orange sky, large latte in hand, is total relaxation, a great time for thinking.

It was the perfect day to head to Paddington Markets for a spot of shopping. It’s only a short bus ride away from Bondi Beach and there’s lots of handmade jewellery, vintage clothing and yummy food stalls – a feast for the senses.

I couldn’t resist a few treats. This large vintage leather bag was only $15! I was only thinking yesterday how I wanted one with shorter handles (not another over-the-shoulder number) and there it was, willing me to take it home – so I did!

And I also got these tiny rings to wear on the upper half of my fingers. Very reasonable prices and sterling silver too… The one on the left was just $8 and the one on the right was $12.

Paddington Market in Sydney is on every Saturday from 10am.

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How accessories can change your look…

Polyvore is a way to unleash my creativity when it comes to styling, if I haven’t had the pleasure of doing it for a while…

The world is your wardrobe on this site and the choice goes on and on…

Below I’ve taken two simple outfits that I’ve styled, and worked a selection of accessories around them, showing just how easy it is to completely change the look of your outfit with a few carefully selected accessories.

On the first image, the look on the left has a fairly vintage feel, yet the look on the right is very elegant, with a slight edge. On the left of the bottom image, it’s quite casual, and on the right, quite fierce (you can clearly see my love for Sophie Hulme, Superga and Michael Kors here too).

I’d wear all four looks. In fact I don’t know which one I prefer…. If only Polyvore were my actual wardrobe and not just a virtual one.

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The April Lust List

Even though these would make me 7 foot tall I'm a little bit in love...

Topshop £85 (Even thought these would make me 7ft tall I’m still a little bit in love)

One Teaspoon $110 (You can never have enough One Teaspoon in your life)

Karen Walker at Green With Envy $295 (Always in need of sunnies in Australia, and these will fit the bill nicely)

Matthew Ames at Weekday £75 (Perfect day-to-night top in this season’s key colour: Navy)

One Teaspoon $99 (Wild thing, you make my heart sing)

Zara £59.99 (Ooh, love a good flare – in burnt orange too – take me to the seventies)

Zara £24.99 (Ideal with skinny jeans in a charcoal grey or tucked into a leather pencil skirt)

Nastygal $50 (I’ve wanted a pair of animal print flats like this for ages, these are just perfect)

One Teaspoon $150 (Brown and pink? Oooh it works surprisingly well, with leather sleeves too – puuuuurfect)

The Iconic $34.99 (Guilty pleasure but the question is do I go for clear, sparkle, lime green or purple….?)

OCRF Witchery $149.95 (Every lady should own a crisp white shirt – and this is in aid of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation)

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Young British Designers: My Draw in Light Treats…

Draw In Light Silk Dress £275

And in a different light…

Draw in Light Silk Dress £275

Draw in Light is a brand that hails from London. They are a silk screen printing design label and I was first introduced to them by the Young British Designers. Young British Designers represent a beautiful variety of talented designers, such as PAPER London, Eudon Choi, J.W. Anderson and Sophie Hulme, all based in the UK. It’s a carefully curated collection of fresh, new, creative work that is the creme de la creme of emerging British talent.

I am totally in love with my silk dress from Draw in Light. At £275 it’s a little pricey yes, but the beauty of these Draw in Light garments lies not only in the aesthetics and the feel but also because each piece is totally unique. Using free-hand silk printing techniques, a lot of love and time is spent making these garments look this beautiful, and this individual.

They specialise in elegant, minimal, raw yet understated shapes for women. And they have totally captured these elements within this design.

You may notice the creases but these were delivered to me over in Sydney, and therefore the amount of travelling warranted a few lines. I prefer the look of it like that – I’m not overly smart and prefer my looks to be a little relaxed/grungy. After all, each wearer of the piece is individual, just like the dress itself.

I love the feel of the dress, silk printed on the front, graduating from black to a champagne colour, and plain black cotton t-shirt material on the back. Perfect with strappy heels, chunky boots and worn over skinny jeans. Above was how I chose to wear it on a night out in Sydney harbour.

And here it is close up…

Draw in Light Silk Dress £275

Not only did I receive the above dress with a knock at the door, but the lovely FedEx man aso delivered this super soft, snuggly Draw in Light red sweater (£243).

Now red isn’t a colour I normally go for but I quite like it against the darkness of my locks. I chose to style this with Lee Stretch Deluxe Jeans (available at Selfridges), as well as my old faithful French Connection boots. I like to show a bit of ankle with a slight turn up.

This sweater is amazing for many reasons. The fabric is beautifully soft, it’s over-sized (extra comfort), the sleeves are mega long, which look ace scrunched up at the wrist and there are small hand-drawn/silk screen printed symbols dotted sporadically on it. It really is rather unique and now it’s my go-to sweater when I leave the house. Evenings in Bondi can get a little chilly.

Draw in light Sweater £243

The close up image has come up a little pink, however, you can see clearly the hand-drawn symbols, which have resisted the dye during the printing process.

Draw in Light Sweater £243

I shall definitely be checking out what they have to offer for the season ahead. I’ve kind of fallen a little bit in love with the brand…

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Young British Designers (YBD) represent many… talented, creative British designers. Take a little look here at the variety, it’s important to support the talent that is home grown within Great Britain and nurture this. It’s a great platform for which these creatives can make their mark in the industry. I predict great things for Draw in Light and I can’t wait to see what happens for them, and the other labels next…

www.youngbritishdesigners.com

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A Fashion Force to be Reckoned With…

Australia hasn’t been known for being the most fashionable of places, but this is changing, and at a pace. With designers like Ellery, Michael Lo Sordo, Christopher Esber and Manning Cartell making waves in the industry and with ladies like these below gracing the streets with their stylish ways, Sydney sure is climbing the fashion ranks.

Tash Sefton and Elle Ferguson, ladies in the fashion-know and creative brains behind Aussie blog, They All Hate Us, (we don’t hate you, we’re just really rather envious of your wardrobes) show us how it’s done during MBFWA.