When I had the opportunity to go and see Dita Von Teese launch her new vintage inspired fashion label, I knew I wanted to wear something pretty but not too over the top. Of course an occasion like that feels as though it calls for the christening of a new outfit as well, so it was the perfect opportunity to take my new ‘Honey’ dress out for a spin.

The ‘Honey’ dress by Trashy Diva, is available through my wonderful sponsor who carries all manner of beautiful vintage reproduction dresses, Miskonduckt Klothing.  I have a real fondness for their pieces, not only for their retro sensibilities but also for their quality fabrics and construction.  This dress is a gorgeous scarlet polished cottoning a heavy weight, with some stretch and a side zip. It allows for a very figure hugging fit without the danger of splitting a seam in a moment of haste.  The skirt is super full and perfect for a spin round the dance floor, but my favourite hidden feature? Pockets!  There is something so wonderful about these 1950′s style dresses with pockets on both sides of the full skirts; it just makes you want to start posing around like a movie star on her day off.  And thanks to my lovely friend Helen McLean Photography, that’s exactly what I did.

Outfit Details

Dress – ‘Honey’ dress in red by Trashy Diva of New Orleans, available from Miskonduct Klothing

Shoes – Red faux suede wedges – Spendless shoes ($40!- a great find and super comfortable)

Stockings –  Voodoo “Bombshell” seamed stockings

Suspenders – (unseen) Kiss Me Deadly Vargas roll on girdle in blue.

For my all my new readers, thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you find things here to delight, inspire and help you on your glamorous journey. Make sure to follow me on my official Facebook Fan Page and Twitter to keep up with all the events and news hot of the press. You can also subscribe to my Super Kawaii Mama You Tube Chanel to be the first to see all the new interviews and tutorials.

Happy Melbourne Cup Day all!

Friday morning I was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet Dita up close and personal at the global launch of her new vintage inspired fashion label Muse. Taking inspiration from her much loved wardrobe of 1940′s fashion, Dita has created a simple and elegant line of garments built on couture principles. Each garment is constructed using high quality fabrics, in built corsetry for support and structure as well as those vintage details that those of us so familiar with the nuances of these garments, will applaud. Grosgrain hemming tape and internal waist tape are just two of the immaculate details Dita has included in her creations.

Understanding her fan base has meant Dita created a collection that will both appeal to, and fit, her legion of glamour girls in training. With sizes ranging from 8-20, much thought has been applied in creating these garments that fit, flatter and will remain elegant wardrobe staples for years to come. Each piece has been carefully chosen to compliment the life of a modern women seeking to inject the simple chic of a vintage garment without wanting to appear too retro. From the gorgeous draped, one shouldered formal wear dress to the must have trench coat, this collection is the perfect capsule wardrobe for a woman of style and grace.

Dita’s stunning, 1940′s inspired, print dress featuring her own hand print and signature.

Such a delight! Dita takes time out for a quick chat.

Beautiful friends from Highball Burlesque and I were thrilled to see this collection.

Appearing exclusively in David Jones, this range will be available to the public from February 2012. Watch this space for further updates!

Since July, things have gone at such a pace I’m not entirely sure what has happened to the time. I know one thing for sure, it’s been crazy around here!

Wedding season has kicked off with a bang and as a specialist vintage hair and makeup artist, it has been a haze of ivory toned lace, antique brooches, brocades, lace and all manner of other vintage bridal looks. I can’t wait to get back some of the images from last Saturday’s wedding at the amazing mid century Boyd Baker House, where the bride was a classic 50′s dream and her groom so suave, he may as well have stepped straight from the Mad Men set.

The gorgeous Marina had planned her vintage wedding with so much care and detail that she’d been collecting original fifties frocks for her bridesmaids from all over the world. She found them matching hats, shoes and even had made each bridal bouquet from a stunning collection of vintage brooches. She came to me with a vision of Audrey Hepburn for her big day and isn’t she just a picture!

Given that I live in Melbourne, home of the Spring Racing Carnival and the Melbourne Cup, it’s not only wedding season, but Racing season. And there are lots of parties to plan for, outfits to style and ladies to transform into vintage queens.  So if you live in Melbourne and you’ve been wanting to create a stunning, polished look for one of your events; you’re in luck! I’ve decided to run a special Spring Summer promotion for anyone based in the Melbourne Metro area on weekdays, to work my hair and makeup magic on you and help you entrance your audience.

But I couldn’t tell you about what’s been happening for everyone else’s special occasions without mentioning the biggest one for me this month…. the launch of my 2012 Some Fancy Ladies™ classic pinup calendar!! The calendar is only the beginning of a very exciting new business venture that I know you’ll be enjoying as each new piece is revealled.  The other fancy ladies and I are hitting the road next week to begin a round of launch parties and events that are set to be red hot.

The 2012 calendar is an homage to the 1940′s and 1950′s work of Gil Elvgren, and we’ve worked incredibly hard to not only capture the look but also the spirit of the original images. I have to say, I’m very proud of what we’ve created.  If you haven’t ordered a copy yet, do it now as the first 100 copies will be personally autographed by each of the ladies. Want to have a sneak peek at how it looks?

No doubt, there will be all sorts of other fun and games to come in the next few weeks. I have some great vintage cocktail recipes coming up for you tomorrow, another amazing pinup halloween tutorial, more scrumptious food then a great review of the shape wear you’ll need after you eat it all, and the story of some interestingly coincidental vintage finds.  If you haven’t already, you can subscribe to my Super Kawaii Mama You Tube channel where you’ll find all new footage delivered to your inbox before it even hits the blog.  And if you want even more secret tips, hints, trick and the low down on the vintage scene in Australia; make sure to sign up for the Official Glamorous Newsletter for email updates here.

Now I’m going to put my weary feet up for a little champagne and go a little crazy on Pinterest for a while. <3

Okay, so maybe I am a little bit biased, but hey I love my work!  I’ve been having so much fun recently working with all sorts of lovely people to help them find the vintage look they want to achieve.  You may or may not know this, but one of the things I do with myself is offer full vintage styling services. So this means I can often be found doing fabulous makeovers, amazing updo’s, killer cats-eyes, dressing, teaching and all round having a blast making people look and feel their best.

With Spring now well and truly sprung, it is now full on go time for Wedding season as well as all those parties and Spring Racing events.  So my kit and I are working full steam ahead creating loveliness.  Here’s a few shots of a couple of the ladies I’ve been working with over the last few weeks.  I wish I could give you some before shots too, but I’ll have to get some brave volunteers for that!

Here we wanted to create something that had a late 1940′s early 1950′s look to it that was straight forward to achieve and could be worn for everyday.  It is such a romantic and pretty softly curled look worthy of Rita Hayworth or Veronica Lake.

This delightful bride has such a love for the 1940′s and wanted to show her girlfriends what all the fuss was about. So we got together and created some glamorous vintage hair and makeup before they got frocked up to head out on the town. There was so many happy exclamations of, “Oh I look just like my Grandmother when she was young!”

I can’t show you this lady’s face because she is a bride to be and we wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise now would we? She’d asked for a 1940′s updo like the one worn by Sally Jupiter in Watchmen. It turned out just beautifully and we can’t wait to see the finished look with the dress and all.

This last lady was amazing.. we both wished we had a before shot from the day, but she came in with a DIY mohawk that had been growing all different lengths underneath and was so frustrated that she couldn’t do anything with her hair. Knowing she had a big wedding to go to soon and wanted to look very feminine, I set to work et volia! From Mohawk to Marilyn in no time at all! I just love this sort of challenge.

The next few weeks holds even more of this sort of fun as I head to Sydney this week to speak and style up some lucky ladies at the Love Vintage Fair. Then it is off to ‘retro-fit’ some rocking bands, get some Burlesque lovelies sparkling and help a vintage zombie bride make a killer entrance for her Halloween wedding!

Yes, I can be all yours too whether you’re in Melbourne or not. If you need something swanky just drop me a line and we’ll make a date to get you vintage fabulous! You can see all sorts of pics and dates over at my other page Candice DeVille.

Saturday – the sun finally shines and the spring time dresses come out!

Outfit Details

Dress – 1960′s vintage raw silk pleated dress

Necklace – 1960′s vintage plastic bead necklace

Earrings – Screw post 1950′s pearl clusters

Shoes – Emporio

White hair flower – Bexterity

Stockings – Voodoo seamed stockings

Lipstick – MAC Russian Red