Forgive me for the excessive outfit posts in the last week and a bit, I’m currently snowed under with so much work that I haven’t been able to finish some of the things I wanted to bring you. I’m making up for it today with a huge recap on the weekend as well as all the outfit fun, so hold on for a huge selection of photos!

Anyway, my world is a whirlwind at present.  A mess of designing, writing, sewing, events and attempting to keep body and soul together for everyone in the household. It has meant a few 2am bedtimes, but I just can’t seem to ever tame my over achieving nature.  There was a small welcome break in one of these roles over the weekend however, as Mr. SKM took the girls on a trip to the country whilst I stayed in town for Fashion week events, parties and watching some very talented girls get their kit off!  Intriguing?

Saturday began with a quick trip in to to Circa Vintage Clothing, seeking out patterns for inspiration for my Friends of Couture collection as well as my own personal stash. Nicole at Circa has more patterns than you could possibly imagine and it is like a little piece of nirvana to sit there and search through for heartbreakingly beautiful gems. Yes, I found something amazing, but that will have to wait for another day when I can show you the finished product.

Then it was onto Worn Wild Alternative Designers Market as part of the LMFF calendar.  A great opportunity to check out lots of hand made and custom pieces as well as to meet and talk to the designers. So after a day of shopping and waltzing about looking at pretty things, it was off to see the amazing Sugar Blue Burlesque troop, over from Perth for one night only.  Oh, if only there were more shows! Sugar Blue were out of this world amazing!  The costumes, coreography, innovation and the downright cheekiness of it all. They really deserve their own post of highlights, so stay tuned.

So after all that shopping, socialising and sexy spangles, I finished off the night watching two beautiful friends perform at The Burlesque Bar here in Melbourne. The delightful Foxtrot India and the dark and devilishly good Miss Nic. What. A.Day!

And just what sort of outfit is going to tackle that kind of a schedule from 10am till 3am on a 30 degree day?  That would be this one!

Outfit Details

Leopard print shirt – Zara

Gothic lolita bustle skirt – Fanplus Friend from One Day in Paradise here in Melbourne

Shoes – “Japan” from Wittner

Over the knee stockings – I wish I could remember!!

Little Birdy – Harem on Brunswick street

All that and it was only Saturday!

Still to come.. A Vintage Afternoon Tea, all the fun of Sugar Blue Burlesque and hitting Loreal Melbourne Fashion Week.

Last Saturday was the day for the alternative fashion event of the year. Circa Nocturna is a yearly catwalk show held as part of LMFF that showcases goth, retro, rave, victoriana and all manner of alternative fashion.  It is a smorgasbord of black, lace, ruffles and plaid.  It has become one of my favorite LMFF events as it never fails to surprise with new talent as well as still having that raw, independent quality. Unlike almost everything else you’ll see as a part of fashion week, Circa Nocturna is far less trend driven, less seasonal and much more about fashion as a defining statement

This years line up included some old favorites as well as the launch of new ones, in particular my favorite Darling James by fellow Melbourne blogger HarbourMaster. Full of retro goodness but spiced up with shorter, flirty lengths and glimpses of neon tulle. Trashglam was another surprise that had old skool raver meets Harajuku Girl written all over it.

My perinial favorite Dolly Q did not disappoint with rococo looks, high fashion styling and delightful separates. Vanyanis showed an eclectic grouping of pieces than ran from the retro to the baroque with particularly dapper menswear so as not to be out done by blushing debutantes. Emilie Gray showed just what can be achieved with an update on simple vintage lines and produced a cohesive collection of highly wearable and affordable day wear. Beserk Clothing with their dark anime influences, lit up the catwalk with hot reds and electric blues, blinged out “Love &Hate” knuckle dusters, and the most awesome ‘maned’ legwarmers I’ve ever seen!

The evening was a showcase of paradox, defining what alternative fashion should be, what it should have left behind long before now and where it is headed. It seems that Circa Nocturna gets better with age, attracting more diverse designers, more polished collections and yet more things for me to covet.

If you’d like to find out more about any of the designs or designers seen in the gallery, check out the Official Circa Nocturna site.

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All the highlights of the evening are here for your viewing pleasure and inspiration. Just click on an image to see it enlarge and navigate from there. There are arrows at the bottom of the photos, but you need to change proof sheets from the main page.

Should you wish to use any of these images, please just email me for permission.

The first thing that occurs to me as I started getting these photos ready to post, is that I really need to allow more time before events to take some proper outfit shots! I always end up running out of time and then taking a few hasty shots during the evening that doesn’t really capture the detail of what I wore. Oh well, at least you’ll get the gist if it.

Saturday night was Circa Nocturna, the annual catwalk showcase of alternative fashion, and a place where so many of my loves can all be found at the same time in the same room!  I had planned to wear a particular vintage Gautier dress this evening, but the weather had other ideas with very high humidity and a storm that had cars floating down the roads and roofs collapsing!  So I had to do a bit of improvisation last minute.

I’d picked up these amazing boots (yes, a post on just these by themselves is coming) earlier in the week and was dying for an opportunity to take them out on the town.  Bit in the abcense of the previously planned dress, I had no idea just what I would wear them with.  So with an hour to go before heading out the door, I grabbed a pair of neglected black pants, chopped the legs off, whipped them through the machine and knocked up a pair of shorts!

It ended up being the perfect combination to keep cool in a very hot and humid evening, as well as dance the night away at the afterparty!

It wasn’t until I saw photos of myself with the lovely Hexotica, (who makes some stunning fascinators and accessories) that we realised how much we matched. In a sea of black, black and more black, a little white goes a long way.

Outfit Details

Black satin and chiffon shirt – Cue

Black buttoned cincher – CMK

Shorts- a quick creation from an old pair of trousers!

Thigh high boots – Novo Shoes

Faux fur collar – Target children’s wear! ( yes, the secret is out)

Silver clutch – Thomas Wylde

Earrings – Diva

Fingerless gloves – Forever New

Mini Tiara – borrowed from Miss 5