Now here’s some exciting news.. I’ve been asked to design a special creation for the Mission 65 Fashion event! Drawing on the “Make Do and Mend” ethos of the 1940′s, I’m presently working on a fabulous creation that encompasses all the hallmarks of 1940′s fashion. And what fun this will be!  So do come along, break out your best 1940′s looks and support a very worthy cause.

“Something old, something new, we’ve made a difference, now so can you!

On the 1st of June, a selection of Melbourne’s most accomplished design talent and exceptional students from the Whitehouse Institute of Design shall come together to present a fabulous evening of 1940s glamour to celebrate sixty-five years of community support and contribution from the Prahran Mission.

Drawing on Christian Dior’s new-look as an inspiration, Mission 65 is a fundraising event, encompassing an interactive fashion show and silent auction. Using existing clothing sourced from the Mission’s opportunity shops, renowned Melbourne fashion designers, such as iconic Jenny Bannister, Project Runway’s Anthony Capon and the wonderfully innovative team behind Madam Virtue & Co, shall use their creative genius to transform everyday garments into exquisite outfits re-communicating the concept of making do and mending. The evening will be hosted by celebrity stylist Philip Boon and Jenny Bannister, also known as the sassy duo behind Fashion Torque.

Come and celebrate sixty-five years of the Prahran Mission by donning your most fabulous forties attire, and share in the glamour. Prizes shall be awarded for the best dressed, with the first prize valued at $550.

All monetary proceeds from the evening go towards the Prahran Mission. Information regarding tickets is available via our website, and regular updates of the event are being made both through Twitter and Facebook.

VENUE: Red Bennies, Level 1, 373 Chapel Street, South Yarra

DATE: Wednesday, the 1st of June, 2011

DOORS OPEN: 7:00pm

TICKETS: $20 for Student/Concession; $30 for Full Price. Ticket includes a glass of wine on arrival.”

Image by Miss Kitty

It was a great turn out this week to my first Melbourne Spring Fashion Week sessions on Vintage Glamour. The weather held back its dark clouds and although it was the coldest first day of Spring in twenty three years, we still managed to feel sunny on the inside.

I was fortunate to have three lovely friends on hand to photograph the days for me, so today’s post is photo heavy as I give you an inside look at my MSFW Vintage Glamour Extravaganza!

The beautiful Marianne making up. Images by Miss Kitty

My lovely assistant for the day, Hannah. Image by Miss Kitty

Images by Brooke Orchards

Images by Brooke Orchard

Images by Mr SKM

Many guests wanted to know about the various garments I displayed as a part of the presentation, so I’ve put together a brief source list to help you out.

• Waist Cinchers – Custom made to order right here in Australia at Vintage Charm by Kim
• Vintage styled lingerie with serious suspender clips – Kiss Me Deadly. Locally stocked by Circa Vintage Clothing
• Beautiful sleepwear and gowns – Samantha Sultana
• Floral headpieces (as worn on Tuesday)- Samantha Sultana
• First class vintage pieces as worn by the models and displayed in the cases – Circa Vintage Clothing in Melbourne

The good news is that more workshops are currently being tabled for the near future in Sydney so stay tuned for details!  In the meantime, if you’d like to book me for any workshops, events, one-on-one  advice or even classic pin up work; check out the Official Candice DeVille Website!

Esz, Kesenya, Me & Marianne – Photo by Nada

Making things look easy is hard work! Yesterday I gave the first of two lunch time session workshops for Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, and I have to tell you, pulling something like this together is no easy task.

Given that this blog and pretty much everything I do is a one woman show, I have to be super organised and multi talented to make it work. The last few weeks have really put me to the test to see just how much I can do and has also taught me that without a good team, there are some things that just can’t be achieved.

I’m sure that over the course of this week, you’ll be reading all about the highlights of MSFW, the shows, the clothes, the models; so I want to give you a different view into what goes on behind the scenes.  Here’s what it takes for me to put on a one hour session, and keep in mind this isn’t a whole production with multitudes of garments and models – that would take an army!

Firstly, you have to come up with your concepts.  This is the bit that most people enjoy the most, things like mood boards, topics, the imagination part.  Then you have to work out how you’re going to turn that into something that entertains and informs for a whole hour.

There is a set to stage, making sure that things look pretty and that it all works. That your guests are warm and dry and that everyone can see and hear what is happening. There is a mood and ambience to set, all of which require props, lighting and people to make it happen.

Given that what I’m presenting isn’t really a catwalk show I needed to come up with ways to illustrate what I’m talking about and make the hour more than just me on stage like a bump on a branch. So I’ve been pulling together several outfits, beautiful models, doing fittings, repairing garments, writing booklets and doing all the graphic design, DVD presentations… all sorts of things!

The long and short of it all is that I’ve been working about 14 plus hours a day for the last three weeks just to pull together a one hour session. It sounds like an insurmountable task, which on some days it does feel like, but one of the most fabulous things to come out of all this has been the great team of people who have pulled together to make it happen.

Esz, Nada, Me & Marianne – Photo by Kesenya

We’re a small crew, but the marvellous Nada has been helping me prepare models backstage, Kesenya of Alice Jean’s has become my “Adrianna” (only you Australians of a certain age will know what that means), and the wonderful Marianne from Esme & The Laneway and Esz from Kitty’s Drawings, put up their hands to show how beautifully vintage can be worn.

So with all that prep time in mind make sure you get down to see Thursdays session at 3.30pm in City Square! Now that we are officially in Spring the weather is bound put on a good turn out for us… (positive thinking works).

It was such a super busy day yesterday that I didn’t even get a chance to take any proper outfit shots of what I was wearing! But you can get a fair idea from these pics at least. It was…

1940′s Silk Taffeta Blouse – via Etsy

French Navy Wide Leg Pants – Made by Me

Shoes – Black faux snake skin lace ups by Kumfs

White floral headpiece- by Samantha Sultana

I’m thinking after the last few weeks that it might be time to bite the bullet and hire an intern…. any takers?

Yes, it isn’t an elaborate creation behind the scenes to rival Project Runway, but it is my suburban sweatshop. Lots of you have asked me to post more about all my projects and design endeavours.  Most of what I create I create only for myself and my family.  But don’t be fooled into thinking that this was just some natural talent I was born with, oh no. It has taken many years of trial, effort, failure, study and stabbed fingers to get where I am now.  It is infinatley reqarding though, as it seems that more often than not I don’t really want what I find in the stores and must resort to my own skills if I want the pictures in my head to come to life.

Sometimes I work from patterns, some times I just make it up as I go along, and then occassionaly I combine the two and alter basic patterns to make them do what I want.

I do have a cutting table, but more often than not is just isn’t big enough for the scale of the projects.  I tend to spread right out on the lounge room floor, shoo the puppy away and try not to cut the tassles off the rug!

I am very lucky to have a dedicated studio space that serves both for blogging as well as all my other creations.  It isn’t the tidiest but then, I can always find what I need and I fit an astonishing amount of stuff in there!

But just what am I making….?

Stay tuned to see this week’s creation in the next Daily Outfit!

As some of you may know, I like to sew. Well actually, it’s not the sewing I really like, but the developing of ideas, designing my own things, and generally being able to have much cooler things than I can find in the shops. I spent many years coming up with all sorts of outlandish designs and bringing them home to Mum, begging her to make them for me. And for many years this worked a treat, until I was old enough to really learn to do it myself. Then Mum whipped out the measuring tape and told me to get cracking, in the nicest possible way. Well I tried, but I found that I wouldn’t get much further than cutting out the fabric before I would give up and Mum would give in. So my sewing lessons become a somewhat protracted event, and I have really only learnt to sew somewhat properly in the last two years. Now I find that my imagination is only limited by my skills, and for those things I love to make but really never have cause to wear; well, I’ll just have to whip up some frothy confections of delight to add to my Etsy shop.
Mum is never far away though, and when a pleat, pin tuck or placket gets the better of me, I still run on back to her for help. Thanks Mum!

The Sidonie – I love the pleats at the side. I can picture adding this one to my wardrobe in either an Emerald Green or Scarlet red.

The Leg of Mutton top

And the Cheeky Panties. These I love. I got some great fabric a while back and had an idea that I might make something like this but had never done it before.

Now I have the pattern there may be a little sexy sewing going on.

What creative endeavors are you tackling at the moment? Share you triumphs or tragedy’s with us for commiserations or celebrations.