Over the last few outfit posts you will have seen a few extremely cute new additions to my wardrobe like this stunning purple cardigan and these bow bangles. Each of these pieces are by local Melbourne label Friends of Couture.  I absolutely love Friends of Couture and you will have seen me wearing their pieces for some time now, remember this little lamb cardigan? Occasionally you come across a collection that you think to yourself, ” Oh that is all so me, I just have to have it!”, well that is the way I feel about everything FOC does.  They have a brilliant knack of combining vintage inspirations with super cute detail and modern chic, which  is why when they invited me to review their latest collection, Paris After Dark, I jumped at the opportunity.

Jo Matheson, (chief designer) and Candice DeVille aka Super  Kawaii Mama

Nicole looks stunning in the “Little Red Ridinghood” dress is azure blue with the red striped Matelot top underneath.

Paris After Dark is the new Autumn Winter 2010 range by Friends of Coutures head designer Jo Matheson.  Inspired by the romance of vintage lines and a strong traditionally French colour palette, Jo has created something that is both wearable, collectable and very very head turning. The collection takes a journey from the flirty and feminine lines of sweet floral chiffon with a distinctly 1930’s flavour and meanders through to stunning, slightly puffed sleeved cardigan with beaded art deco detailing. I particularly love the Hotel DeVille cardigan in a soft, buttery cream wool with deep blue beading.  There are the iconic pieces that take wardrobe staples and give them just that much more punch by creating a strongly waisted silhouette and drenching you in azure blue; as well as classic boat necked tee’s with stripes that Gigi would have been proud to wear.

Jo Matheson is responsible for the beautiful Paris After Dark collection.

Hotel DeVille Cardigan (left) clearly must have been named after me! Little Drummer Girl cardigan (right).

The feminine detailing doesn’t stop at the figure flattering cuts, but continues through to corsages, bows (that can even be worn in the hair!), tulle skirts and the softest of soft cropped angora cardigans. (I don’t know about you, but the snuggle factor of angora wins me over every time.)  I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to find a local, accessible label that knows how to combine current trends with timeless classics in such a seamless way. For example, they’ve taken the military feel (so popular in that Balmain jacket) and managed to capture the essence of the style in soft, wearable cardigans that make the most of our assets without having to cash in any to buy them!

When I start to think about “Paris After Dark”, my mind drifts to Parisian bordellos (clearly I watch too many films), smoky eyed women in sumptuous fabrics, with kissable lips and strokable hips.  Jo has woven this intensity and edginess into some of the darker pieces in the range using velvet and sequins (bows!), strong shoulder lines and strategically placed zippers. While our Parisian girl by day may be all feminine pinks or jaunty stripes, at night her walk takes on just a little more wiggle in body con electric blue, violet and black.

Oh, and for those of you who have been drooling over my high waisted jeans… let me tell you, this collection has the most amazing pair of wide legged, high waisted black pants, Sartori.  With flat fronts, button detailing, even button on suspenders; when I tried these on, they fit like a glove and I even gave a little Squee in the dressing room.  You are going to LOVE them. ( Watch out for an outfit post with them next week.)

See them on the left? Awesome Sartori pants!

Friends of Couture pieces get my seal of approval for not only being infinitely stylish and cute, but also for their quality. I’ve worn some of their pieces over and over and over again in the last three years, washing the knit wear and popping it back on the next day, and they have kept their shape, their colour and their edge. I can’t say that for a lot of modern pieces in my wardrobe, especially not those others of a comparative price.

Yes, I could go on and on about how fab this range is, but you really must see it for yourself.  If you are in Melbourne you can head straight to the stores at:

225 Chapel street, Prahan

186 Sydney Road, Brunswick

Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Melbourne CBD 311 Swanston Street, Melbourne

And, because one can’t possibly not share something this good with the rest of the world, you can get your hands on some of these fantastic pieces for a ONE DAY ONLY 20% off Valentines Day Sale in the online store!! Just enter “bemyvalentine” at the coupon section at the checkout for 20% off on ALL stock!

***EDIT: Just to clarify they do sell online and will ship to ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! So get in there while the Aussie dollar is still a bargain!***

So yay for awesome new designs and a great big yay for special sales too!!

One of the goals I’d set mself for this year was to tackle so many of the outstanding personal projects sitting around neglected in my studio. Things like yesterday’s jeans had been on the waiting list since Septemeber!  So far, I appear to be off to a cracking start even if that does mean hand stitching by lamp light feeling rather Dickensian as my vision slowly fades….  Which is why I was quite thrilled to be featured in the January issue of UK magazine SEW!

Here is what it says…

-What do you write about and what inspires you to blog?

Super Kawaii Mama is primarily fashion and style related. It is all about choosing to live your most glamorous life, regardless of your income level or parental status!  Rather than focusing on the latest catwalk looks or fashion that needs to be constantly updated, I am passionate about vintage, recycled, cottage industry and alternative fashion.  It is all about creating a style that is unique to yourself and finding a sense of joy through what you wear everyday.

Amazingly, I never seem to run out of things to blog, in fact I have a hard time keeping up with my brain and sometimes have some very sleepless nights as it won’t shut off!  I don’t find much inspiration in current fashion trends but rather in things I come across in daily life that, when looked at from a certain perspective, open up a whole new world of possibilities. It could be a certain colour, a great old movie, or even a wheat field seen from the window of the car that inspires me to start thinking about Little House on the Prairie type fashion!
Everything is fair game and is interpreted through the lens of my own sense of style then served up on the blog ready for consumption.

-How does blogging aid you in the creative process?

Blogging has been the biggest boon in terms of aiding my creative process. It is a brilliant way to connect to like minded individuals as well as people that see things very differently to myself and thus open my eyes to the new.  It forces me to make sense of many otherwise unformed thoughts which means that so many projects that would never have made it out of my head, have been able to become a reality.
Blogging is also a great validation. When your life is so busy being a parent, wife and everything that goes with that; it is often difficult to justify the time we want to spend on projects for ourselves. Especially those that are simply frivolous fun!  So if I feel like making a fancy Cinderella gown that I may only ever wear once, I can justify it to myself when I share the process with others… Well at least that is what I tell my husband!

-What are your favorite things to make?

Wow, my studio is testament to my favourite things to make as it is full of supplies for projects I haven’t even started but have very good intentions to! I have a large collection of vintage patterns from the 1930’s – late 1950’s as well as reams of vintage fabric. I love making reproduction vintage pieces as it means that I can have the garments I really want in just the right size, as finding an authentic piece that is just what you want isn’t always possible.  I try to use all the original techniques and materials were possible when I’m doing these.  There is such a sense of triumph involved in getting some of these pieces right as the tailoring is critical, especially when the fabrics have no stretch and some that have no closures, just a complex construction.

If I don’t have the time to devote to such a big project, the other favourite is things that can be knocked over in a short space of time. Usually taking something old and altering and customizing it to become something entirely different.

-What are your plans for the future of Super Kawaii Mama?

There is some much in the works for Super Kawaii Mama in the new year.  The site is being redesigned for more depth and better navigation of archives.  I also get hundreds of requests for help and tutorials each month so I’m trying to find a better way to give readers what they need.  I have a number of creative collaborations in the works that will see the pages open up to a whole new audience and give you more choices in how you choose to interact with me. In short, I guess I never stop making things and never stop coming up with more and more outlandish ideas!

******

What about you?

Do you sew, do you want to sew or do you fear even the mere thought of reattaching a button?

Do you ever have those dreams, those perfect dreams where you find yourself in a charity shop full of vintage couture that is all for sale for $1? Well I do. But for one woman, this dream pales in comparison to her reality.  Meet Charlotte Smith, custodian of the Darnell Collection and author of the new book Dreaming of Dior.  Charlotte inherited a collection of over 3000 pieces of vintage couture from her godmother a number of years ago. Not only was this a treasure trove of fashion, but of history, of women and of life. During her lifetime of collecting, Charlotte’s godmother Doris had painstakingly cataloged the stories of each garment as told to her by the original owners and their families.  Dreaming of Dior shares that story with you, inspiring you to create your own suitably attired narrative.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Charlotte and seeing pieces from the collection of various occasions; it is truly heart stopping. So before you sit down to savour this delicious gem (not greedily devour it as I did in my eagerness – I’m a notorious speed reader), take a little time to relax and enjoy a moment of fantasy as I talked with Charlotte about her dreams of Dior.

This is the very first Super Kawaii Mama Podcast – so feel free to listen, download and take it to enjoy on your weekend road trip.  Just click the link to listen.

Interview with Charlotte Smith Author of Dreaming of Dior for Super Kawaii Mama

As a rule I wouldn’t give you two cracking interviews in the space of one week…. but this is an extra special one. Today I spoke with the author of the new Australian book about to be launched tomorrow - Our Girls. Our Girls looks at the unique and poignant stories of Australian Pin Up girls from the 1940’s – 1950’s.  These women and their stories are unique to our country, our history and sense of who we are.

Meet Madeleine Hamilton Phd. – The Dr.of Dames!

Tell us a little about yourself. When did you first become interested in Pin Up culture and the stories behind it?
I guess I first caught the pin-up bug when I got short bangs cut 10 or so years ago. A work colleague said I looked like Bettie Page. I didn’t know who she was, so looked her up. From that point I was hooked on 50s pin-up queens. At the same time I was doing my Masters thesis on the Melbourne Truth newspaper in the 50s and it was chock-full of Australian swimsuit models. I thought, ‘Who were these women; what happened to them after they appeared in a major tabloid in their bathers; what did their families and friends think?’ When casting around for a PhD thesis topic, I decided to track down some of Australia’s forgotten pin-up babes and tell their stories.

Is it a purely academic interest or the more personal passion of a vintage-o-phile?
A combination, I’d say. I’ve long had such an intense yearning to just be able to step back into the 1950s. For a period I wanted to open my own vintage homewares store and started acquiring stock, but then I did a business plan and rapidly lost interest (hehehe). I am a devotee of vintage fashion, but a bit too lazy to search for it, care for it, do the grooming, etc. To have the discipline to complete a PhD thesis you have to have a strong emotional attachment to the topic, so I’m definitely passionate in terms of the looks, characters, style and ideas of mid-century Australia. Taking an academic approach also enabled me to investigate some of the complexities of pin-up culture – such as the idealisation of whiteness in Australian popular culture, Australian-American relations, and how men have historically used sexualised images of women to bond with one another.

Adelie Hurley (sitting with legs displayed gorgeously), early 1940s

What prompted you to focus on Australia’s early pin up culture as opposed to the better publicised American version?
For my PhD – on which ‘Our Girls’ is extracted – I needed an original research topic. American pin-ups have already been covered thoroughly and, as you say, very well publicised. Much to my surprise, no historian had researched or written about Australian 40s and 50s pin-up girls. I originally wanted to do a comparative study of American and Australian pin-ups, but quickly gathered enough fascinating material to be able to focus on the Australian side alone.

When you first began advertising for anyone with contacts or stories about Australia’s pin up girls, what was the initial reaction?
I got a very good response from the Australian media and did lots of radio and newspaper interviews. So it was obvious very early on that there was widespread interest in the topic.
About 30 people responded to my requests for interview participants, including former models, relatives of pin-up girls, and former servicemen. To my disappointment, I didn’t get any responses from men who photographed pin-ups.
Of course, as probably anyone doing a PhD thesis will find, there are always people who are bamboozled as to why you are spending 4 years researching such a narrow topic. Then there were people who didn’t like the approach I was taking, particularly some feminist historians who thought I should be more critical of mid-century pin-up culture. But generally I got lots of support and interest.

You mention in your book that upon meeting your contacts you became aware that the journey in writing this book was to be more emotional than you first anticipated.  How have these encounters moved or changed you?
The main thing, which I wasn’t expecting, was that my affection and respect for Australian men increased greatly. The wonderfully warm and polite tone of Australian diggers’ letters to pin-ups was just delightful. I was expecting them to be suggestive and explicit, but they showed great vulnerability. It was just heartbreaking – as I checked their service records in the National Archives – that so many subsequently died. It really was a great honour to Australian pin-up girls that their pictures were so treasured by men enduring such dangerous circumstances.

Linda Browne (standing in lovely white swimsuit with matching high heels) photograph by Reg Johnson, c. 1943-4

What were some of the common qualities and traits you encountered when meeting the various “girls”?
From when they were little girls they were performers and exhibitionists. They loved the attention their performing talents and looks brought them. They danced and sang, and loved showing off their figures in swimsuits at the beach. As older women, they were still immaculately groomed. For many of them, having to give up performing, modelling and travelling to start their families at usually very young ages was a source of some regret. Motherhood and marriage, while they had their pleasures, were hard work and lacked the glamour and excitement of their earlier years.

Pin up culture has become much more wide spread and acceptable these days, however it seems that things considered controversial in the modelling industry now, were less so then. For example, your book talks about two young pin ups, the youngest of whom was eleven years old and gracing the cover of PIX, yet these days models as young as 15 are being turned away from catwalk work at Fashion Week.  How and why do you believe these standards have changed?
I think once advertising became overtly sexy after WWII, both fashion and pin-up models were read as representing sex and thus as promiscuous. Now there is the idea of protecting teenage models from what is understood as an adult industry revolving around sexual fantasy and desires. During WWII, these concerns don’t seem to have existed, so PIX could un-self-consciously present a pin-up pictorial featuring an 11 year old who looked older, and a respectable mother could encourage her 15 year old daughter to be a mascot for a group of older men.

Today’s pinup culture has moved past simply sexualising the culture (as we saw happen in the 1950’s) and into a darker territory with the invention of websites like Suicide Girls.  With the benefit of having studied society’s values / zeitgeist reflected at the time through pin up culture, what do you believe this trend says about us in the now?
I do find some borderline imagery, such as the Suicide Girls, somewhat disturbing because these models – often no older than 18 – don’t seem to have a good understanding of how their images will be received. They also don’t seem to comprehend that once their frankly soft-porn photograph is published and disseminated on the internet, they have no control how it will be read/received by the audience. Some then express horror/surprise when their image is altered or used for an unintended purpose. I’m thinking of Lara Bingle’s attempt to sue Zoo Weekly for adding a speech bubble reading ‘I’ll make you come’ to one of her early sexy photos which she didn’t given permission for them to use. So I’d say that while we all think we know all about sexuality and fantasy, there is really a great amount of ignorance.

Joy Power - promotional pin-up for Perth Tivoli c. 1946-7

The pin ups of the past evoked a more romantic and glamorous notion of womanhood. Do you believe that these qualities have been lost in the modern version of the pin up – and what lessons can we learn from “Our Girls” to help every woman rediscover her inner pin up?
Yes – modern pin-ups are so hard! Really – they look like adolescent boys with huge artificial pumped up tits. It really worries me that boys and men’s definition of sexy femininity is the Ralph centrefold – who is definitely not the ‘girl-next-door’ of the 40s and 50s. Women and girls (and men!) would greatly benefit look back to this earlier era for a more realistic and achievable version of Australian femininity. The emphasis then was on healthy, wholesome womanhood. Beaches rather than stripper poles; bare feet rather than hooker heels; flattering two- or one-piece swimsuits rather micro-bikinis, and natural hair colour, not bleached extensions.

Congratulations on creating an enlightening, entertaining and engaging read. This is one I’ll be keeping for my daughters to help keep the spirit alive. Oh, lovely! They were – and are – amazing Australian women.

*****

Our Girls is an extraordinary work, both for the heritage and for the amazing pictures of our very own, original pin up girls. You’ll love their stories and if you are anything like me, will greatly appreciate the gorgeous, un-retouched women they are! Buy it, read it, share it with your friends and show your daughters – Our Girl’s brings home what it is to be beautiful, glamorous and real!

I’m also very excited to tell you that I have a special interest in this publication as I have the opportunity to attend the launch tonight… as a pin up girl myself! I’ll be walking the catwalk in swimwear from the 1950’s and actually getting to meet some of these amazing people. Yes I’ll be taking loads of photos and will have a choice selection of shots of all the fun and frivolity of the evening!

So once again… stay tuned for more adventures!

*Please Note: All images used in this story have been used with the permission of the models and the author of the book. Please do not use, or reproduce in any part, these photographs or interview, without express written permission from the appropriate parties.*

Meet Miss Kika – the Sweetest of the Sweet!

Liz Lorini is the talent behind popular design and illustration creation Miss Kika. You may have seen her work around the web, in magazines and books – my favorite, Little Book of Kawaii. In fact it isn’t possible to call yourself an Afficionado of the Kawaii and not have seen her work! From Fashion to Freelance, Gallery Pieces to Vinyl Toys- Liz Lorini is a Queen of Cute - You can even have Miss Kika grace your iPhone! But there is more to this sugar sweet artist than meets the eye. Liz kindly took time away from her coloured pencils and strawberry tea to share a little more about herself with you all.

 You’re a woman after my own heart, inspired by pop imagery and Japanese cartoons. When do you recall as first feeling the strong pull towards this style of illustration and how did that come about?
I think I always was pulled to it, it was what I enjoyed, admired,  and just ended up drawing when I had the choice to do what I wanted!  As young as I can remember I was doodling around sparkle girls like lady lovely locks and what-not, so  it never really popped into my mind to draw anything else.  My 3rd year of college I had a bit of an “ah-hah!” moment and realized just what direction to take it to on a professional level though…what clients to pursue and such.

Were you a hoarder as a child, collecting packages, catalogues and the like?
Haha yes! I held on to lots of little scraps and tidbits with things I liked, also had way too many stickers that I just HAD to keep, but did not want to use!

Miss Macaroon - a glice print created for her solo show

How you do manage your collection of inspirational pieces?
Right now I am trying to work in sets, so I will go with a theme and inspiration and base a collection around that.  Its nice because it makes me feel like I have these little worlds of colors and themes I have planned out and can jump back into at any time. 

How did you make the transition from formal study to a business in illustration? Was this a daunting process?
It was a little confusing at first, and in a way just kind of happened and I embraced  and ran with it!  When you draw in school it can be a very controlled environment, so once I was finished I sat down and had to kind of retrain my brain to just go for whatever the heck I felt like….the result of which was a set of uber saturated  candy girl pinups!  I had a lot of fun just letting go and doing whatever I wanted, and when I posted them online the response was so warm that I just kept on doing it. 

Victoria

Does the aesthetic displayed in your work carry over to your personal sense of style?
I guess, I like a lot of color and everyone that knows me can usually guess pretty quickly what item in a store I am going to race over and ogle at!  I wish I was a little more ambitious with my personal style though, crazy color overload fruits fashion or rainbow hair with 100 cute hair clips! Haha!!  Sadly I’m a little more on the boring side I suppose!

Do you feel an affinity for any popular anime character on a personal level?
I have always loved Makino from Hana yori dango!  Since I was 13 she has always been my favorite character~  that could have something to do with her being the first character I ever saw flip the middle finger at another. lol

Is there any part of your daily life you’d like to see more creative flare in but just haven’t managed it yet?
Cooking and baking for sure!  I would love to be able to make lovely cakes or homemade cookies and decorate them Martha style!  I have been meaning to take some cake decorating classes to learn how to do icing things like flowers…. I should make that my new year’s resolution…..right after buying an electric mixer. Hehe.

Dottie Domestic

What is your cure all for a “blue day”? Strawberry tea and window shopping

Is there a talent you wish you had?  I wish I could sing well!!!  I wish that almost every day, because I sing almost every day in the car or shower off-tune!

With the demands of your various projects, professional and personal, do you ever find yourself getting “creative burn out” and how do you deal with this? I do get like that sometimes, usually after doing a bunch of pieces or projects in a row that I really did not enjoy or feel like working on… and in freelance you always have a few projects that are boring, but you must press through.  Sometimes to bring myself out of it I will try and work on some new sets of work, maybe plan them out and get excited and pumped.  Other times when I am just totally 100% burnt out with art I will try and take a week or two to step away…. Maybe go get a haircut, watch some shows I like, just kind of get out of the office and do something nice for me.  That usually snaps me out of it pretty good as well!

Hail Rainbow

 

 

 

If you could give three pieces of advice to your future 40 year old self, what would you say to her?

1. Don’t forget how to enjoy quiet moments by yourself drawing and dreaming
2. Get more sleep!  I don’t sleep enough now…and Im sure I will not at 40 as well!
3. Take care of yourself…. No more cake at 1am while you are working!

Sweet Rococo

And if all that isn’t enough eye candy for one day, you can visit Miss Kika for free downloadable Wallpapers, icons and all kinds of goodies… but beware once you find her shop your new cuteness factor should come with a warning label!