It must be the start of Spring time, the change of weather and the gorgeous sunshine; but all I want to do at the moment is skive off and go shopping.  I get this insatiable urge to hit the streets and just wander on days like this, but it always seems to happen just after I’ve paid off all the bills and don’t have much in the way of ‘walking around money’.

Picking up a new magazine is an exercise in anxiety more than inspiration these days, as they spend so much time telling you whether you’re ‘In’ or “Out’, what new jeans you need, or even if your eyeshadow is too last season. It’s enough to make you want to live in a cave. While I was out today, wandering aimlessly in a large shoe store, I saw two ladies (in their mid 50′s) wandering around with little black dresses in hand, picking up every pair of silver glitter platform shoes they could find.  One says, “Why don’t you just get those pretty black one?” to which the other replied, “They are so beautiful, but black is out so I have to get these glitter ones.” Oh man…. really?!

One of the greatest things about being a vintage style aficionado, is that whatever I love is already so far dated, that its ‘classic’. But that doesn’t stop me falling prey to that feeling of intense shopping lust that can take over when the sun is shining. But instead of just being a consumer today, I decided to channel that energy into something more creative and start planning out some DIY rescue and Make It Yourself projects.

I have a cupboard full of clothes that I can pull apart and put back together, boxes of fabric, flowers and hot glue gun. All I need now is an evening on Polyvore, a list of my favourite craft and DIY blogs like Violet Le Beaux and about two weeks to produce something really amazing. So given that today is the beginning of school holidays, I’ve decided to enlist the assistance of Miss 7 in my office here and turn our shopping bug into a great school holidays project – Be Your Own Fashion House – and let Miss 7 work with me on creating our very own, one off fashion collection to kick off spring!

So with the collage above that I’ve put together, I’m getting started on making my own version of this outfit with some taffeta plaid I have on hand, a pair of wedges dying to a DIY and some old handbags that have been relegated to the back of the wardrobe. Stay tuned to see if we can breathe new life into these outfits and find some new tutorials along the way!

Last Wednesday evening, the Mission 65 Fashion event for Prahran Mission went off with a bang! The show was a total sell out with people still turning up at the door vying for a space to see the show. Created as a fundraising event to assist people living with mental illness, it brought together top designers, stylists and fashion students in a time honoured tradition of philanthropy meets fashion. It was an honour to show with Jenny Bannister, the incredible team at Madam Virtue, Anthony Capon, Kim Kniepp, and Philip Boon amongst others.

This year the Mission turns 65, as does the House of Dior; and so it was that a parallel was drawn and inspiration for the evening began. In 1947 as the world was emerging from a time of darkness and austerity, fashion was rediscovering the spirit of celebration and was once again used as a tool to lift the spirits. As a contributing designer my brief was this – to take garments found in the Prahran Mission Op shop and in the spirit of the  Make do and Mend, re-create them into a 1940′s styled master piece with a slightly modern twist.

I wanted to create something that not only looked good, but as much as possible mirrored the quality techniques used in garment construction. Choosing fabrics of the best quality and producing an outfit that would last 65 years. After finding my muse, I went on a hunt to uncover the materials I’d need. And here is a look at the process of creation.

After two days sourcing, one day of cutting and machine sewing, then another 14 hours of hand sewing to perfect the trim; it was ready for it’s close up!

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A BIG thank you to two wonderful bloggers Fashionising and Business Chic who had my back on the photo front for the evening. Please do visit their blogs to see and read more about the evening.

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As you’ve probably figured by now, the inspiration for this piece is the late 1940′s woman’s Western Suit look – particularly inspired by to good friends of mine who are masters of this craft and converted me heart and soul. The Western look was very much in vogue right throughout the late 1930′s to the late 50′s and still has a strong following today.

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I wanted to create a chic ensemble that could be worn as separates or a as a whole for this intensely beautiful look.  The blouse hidden underneath is  sheer red georgette with self rose print. It is collarless and has puffed mutton sleeves that taper to the elbow. I finished it off with vintage red flower glass buttons and a removable blue neckerchief.

The hat is an original Velveteen black structured beret (another op shop find), which I custom trimmed with vintage pieces from my own stash, including the veil with it’s beautiful soft texture.

The jacket and skirt are both fully lined and in wool, and the skirt has a red velvet ribbon trim woven through the scalloped hemline. ( I should note that on me the hem comes nicely below the knee but on my gorgeously statuesque model was rather shorter). From my own stash I added the vintage trim – silk cord and woollen pom poms. The doilies came from the Mission op shop and were just the right thing to add more colour and shape. The snoods did indeed come from my personal stash, but finished off the look perfectly.

Not only was I honoured to create this piece for the event, but I was also Director of Hair & Makeup, ensuring a cohesive vintage look all around.  I wanted to keep it a simple 40′ flavour, without any of the high fashion interpretations so often seen on the catwalk. To me, I felt that each model should shine in the outfits; a radiant version of themselves to echo the tones of celebration for the evening. So yes, as you flip through the images of the evening, you will no doubt recognise my finger prints on these looks.

On one hand it was totally exhausting doing all this, but on the other a totally revitalising and reinvigorating experience. Breathing new life into old garments like this opens up a whole world of possibilities for your wardrobe.  Yes, it is time consuming, but it expands your imagination onto new horizons and goes to show that style doesn’t take a whole lot of cash. The Make do and Mend philosophy of the show was something that I was indeed academically familiar with, and while I’m always restoring my vintage garments, I’d never taken the principle to these lengths. The world of possibilities is endless…

Hi there, remember me? Yes it’s been a hectic few weeks with all these events on, and I’m still right in the midst of the chaos. But to make matters worse I’ve also been coping with a total hard drive failure due to insidious spam! There has been so much rubbish going around the internet of late, that it is hard to sort out the important from the pure evil, so if anyone has been emailing and not heard back, or had your messages over looked, I do apologise as things have been in damage control mode.

Moving right along, whilst all this has been happening and I’ve been tech limping along, I’ve also finished two major projects; the first of which I soft launched on the weekend and the other that debuts on Wednesday night!  I’ve been sewing night and day to create my masterpiece for the Mission 65 Fashion event this week. Because I’m such a glutton for punishment and such a mad perfectionist, my creation includes not only all the time for sourcing, designing and machine construction; but also a grand total of 14 hours of intricate hand sewing! There was something rather Dickensian about sitting there from sun up to sun down developing a hump in my back all for the glory of the garment.

I know it isn’t all that fair to be such a tease telling you about this project and have nothing to show, but all will be revealed shortly. I can say this though; my outfit is something you’ll not likely expect and like nothing you’ve ever seen before…. cue dramatic music..

I can’t show you my finished outfit just yet, but I can show you the shopping expedition in the Prahran Mission OP shop where I sourced my materials.

Watched over by Elvis, who, for all intents and purposes could be the patron saint of vintage shopping.

I’m told the event is now a sell out, but there will be all manner of features to come later in the week.

And while we’re on the topic of shopping, here’s a look at the outfit I wore while tackling this shopping quest and a freezing cold Melbourne day.

Outfit Details

Black Woollen Sweater – Country road – Op shop find

Black swing bolero (with pom poms! Love it so much I bought two!) - Mimco

White Scotty Dog Brooch – Peta Pledger

Red and black boucle 1950′s vintage skirt – Circa Vintage Clothing

Shoes – Luca & Marc

Red Rose earrings – DIVA

Lipstick – MAC Russian Red

Oh, and the red hat box styled bag you’ll no doubt be asking about came from Circa Vintage store on Gertrude street, Fitzroy and is made by Glamour Puss. Yes, that’s right, it’s a fantastic repro!

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.”

Warning: Some content may offend. Please read this disclaimer.

This post contains pictures of artworks considered racially insensitive.

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So perfect, so kitsch – the Blackamoor barman with his bartools makes the perfect addition to my living room bar.

I’ve been itching to go on a decent treasure hunt for weeks now. So this weekend I took all my pocket money and headed off to markets, op shops and even my local antique dealer to see what awaited me.  I have a theory about treasure hunting; in order to find the most fantastic pieces and the best bargains, you first have to let go of some of your other possessions in order to balance out your shopping karma. Scoff if you will, but I can say that without fail, this system has stood me in good stead.

Now that I have spent the best part of four weeks doing a major, if somewhat unseasonal, spring cleaning of my house; I have sent out to the thrift shopping universe enough to cover me for the rest of the year! Over the last 24 hours of sifting through the trash to find the treasure, I’ve come up trumps with such a  selection of beauties I couldn’t be more pleased. Cue vintage eye candy!

I have to start with my absolute favourite piece because he is just such a stunner. This mid century blackamoor barman is too kitsch for words. In absolutely perfect condition he even still has all his tools so he isn’t just fabulous to look at, but can actually do his duty at my bar. And yes, the location of his corkscrew will no doubt leave me giggling into my 90′s…..

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I’ve unwittingly begun a collection of flamingos and lustreware in the last year, so adding to this is a very inexpensive but beautiful pursuit. Many small and unlabelled lustreware vases can be had for as little as $5, but their moonlight glow is worth far more joy.

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I love the faded elegance of vintage fabric flowers. They have a soft, dusty quality that is hard to find in reproductions and bundles of these can be had for a song.

More wonderful pin curl clips on their original card to add to my work kit,(Yes, I use authentic tools for creating authentic vintage style hair and makeup) as well as some fabulous buttons for restoring some lovely sweaters that had been sadly button – harvested before their time.

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Did I mention that before I went shopping I made a mental list of the things I needed and managed to find just about everything? Well I did! I went out looking for an anodised lamp for my newly tidy desk and picked up this soft pink one for a whole $7. I even found another bonus, a little plastic bead bag to add to yet another accidental collection. These are Italian designs but were made in Hong Kong in the late 50′s and early 60′s.  The bobbles on them remind me of seaweed…

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$4.50 can buy you a great selection of books at a church jumble sale.

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Although this pretty comforter has been dyed, it still retains its original beauty with the thick cotton damask design work. A little something to fancy up the guest room.

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And last but not least, this late 1940′s ice blue satin bed spread has been on my hunting list for ages! Given that the theme for my bedroom is a lovely shade of blue with a rather ornate feel, I’ve wanted just the right bedspread to finish it off. The problem though is that my bed is King sized, and nothing vintage was produced in that size unless it was custom made. When I saw this one, I knew it wouldn’t fit as it was only designed for a double bed… but, because the side of the quilt are designed to reach down to the floor as dust ruffles, when it is all spread out it fits!! All I would need to do is add a separate valance to compliment it and bobs your uncle. It did have a single rust stain on the pillow sham, so a little applique magic and no-one’s the wiser. So for the princely sum of $14 I found exactly what I needed. And by the way, I found this one in my local antique store where the prices, (unlike many opportunistic ‘vintage’ markets), remain very reasonable.

And now I’m spurred on, spurred on to continue the clean out and keep up the balance with my vintage shopping karma. Thanks shopping gods!