You might have noticed that Closet Voyage has moved to a brand new website with a whole new look! As Closet Voyage is now on Wordpress, you will no longer be able to follow my posts via Google Friend Connect. However, the good news is, you can still get all the goss on my Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin’ and my new Mailing List.
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The giveaway is being held on my new look website - click here to enter!
| In the lead up to this year's highly anticipated FASHFEST - Canberra's biggest annual fashion event - I've teamed up with a number of FASHFEST designers to show off a little of what you can expect from our local talent (More accurately, I turned up at the FASHFEST designers' hang out at Three Little Birds & Little Boy Blue in New Acton last week and grovelled until they let me wear their beautiful clothes!). Suzan Dlouhy is a bit of a Canberra institution. Apart from being an established local fashion designer, she was a prolific Canberra blogger many years before I even knew what blogging was, she's an artist and a musician, and she's a reoccurring face in the local social pages. She's also one of the first local designers I ever had the pleasure of befriending when I first came to Canberra. Her label, SZN is a mix of minimalism and experimentation. Her pieces could be described a enigmatic, always leaving you wondering: what are they made of, and how did she come up with this? Suzan, being a sustainable designer, names the fabric itself as one of her main inspirations. Her materials are largely salvaged scraps from other design processes. Most of the times they come in inconvenient shapes or small scraps, and the challenge of working with these gives rise to innovation. Suzan’s finished products are always conceptual and often take on a sculptural quality. While SZN is on the Avant-garde side of designers showing at FASHFEST, there's always a dress or a separate that just beckons street styling. Everyone wanted the 'Sarah' dress after Suzan showed at last year's FASHFEST - a mod inspired tunic dress made in Suzan's signature monochrome palette. It was renamed the 'Sarah' after Sarah Kelly, the first woman in Canberra to get her hands on one. I’m wearing Suzan's hand tied net dress, made by meticulously tying elastane off-cuts. The construction brings to mind chain mail, fish netting and, inevitably, mermaids - not so much of a jump, surely. It's that incredible texture that I loved so much when it walked down the catwalk at last year's FASHFEST, worn by Mimi Fairall. Needless to say I was tickled pink to be able to photograph it myself. I thought, given Suzan’s 2013 collection was what inspired me to buy myself a wide brimmed black fedora, it would only be right that I wore it with her amazing dress. The gorgeous photography also deserve a mention - taken by my talented blogger bestie Heather (Heatstorm Blog). SZN will be showing at this year's FASHFEST, Canberra's biggest annual fashion event held over four nights from 30 April to 3 May 2014 with different designers every night! Get your tickets here before they sell out! Also, read my blog post detailing all the types of tickets up for grabs. Also get all the news on FASHFEST's twitter and facebook!
Hand knotted net tunic - SZN (website/facebook/twitter) |
| This month, Canberra's radest fashion boutique Mussen turns one. Birthday snaps are all important, so that's my excuse for playing dress up in my favourite items in store now. I was head to toe in Staple the Label for this shoot - isn't it obvious from the copious mesh insertions and the feminine-masculine lines? This sheer chambray shirt is double trouble, long enough to wear as a stolen boyfriend shirt-dress, and also perfect for layering with fitted styles to create off-beat silhouettes. Let me also assure you that there is a very good reason I'm floating around Jamison Plaza. If you haven't heard of Natsumi Hayashi, then where have you been! I remember back in 2010 I first came across her photography website Yowa Yowa Camera Diary, and I was hooked immediately. Every post was entitled 'Today's Levitation', with stunning photos of Japanese girls ostensibly levitating while doing everyday things: vacuuming the floor, talking on the phone, getting on a train, crossing the street. I would strongly argue that Natsumi's photos sparked the whole levitation photography craze. Recently, Natsumi announced her first solo exhibition in Tokyo. Being unable to see it in person, I guess this is my homage to her inspirational work. I hope you agree with me that levitation x Staple the Label x Mussen go beautifully together. Find Mussen online, or at it's physical location at 17 Mort Street, Canberra. For good measure, go ahead and follow them on their gorgeous facebook page.
Sheer Chambray Oversized Shirt - Staple the Label - Mussen (online or in store) |
| Being a tomboy could may well be what I'm best at doing in life, so dressing appropriately for tree climbing and mud pie making is paramount. Who says you can't be an adult that climbs trees and makes mud pies? Just be Perpetually Five. Yes, that was my (clever) attempt at segueing into talking about these fabulous shorts by Canberra Fashion Designer, Mitch Thompson. His label is Perpetually Five. Why? Because you should just be if that's what you want. I remember, with all the vividness of a favourite childhood candy, Mitch's graduating collection shown at CIT Kinetic Parade in 2012 - a slew of printed men's pieces made from children's imaginative drawings of paper ducks, purple seahorses and florescent cows. Two years later, he's continued on with those same brilliant ideas and expanded his pieces to jumpers, t-shirts and headbands (printed with miniatures of his own face). So of course, I was thinking, why should be boys have all the cool thing? Just like when I was a kid, running after my male cousins for their clothes, I jealously horde menswear where I can. These shorts by Perpetually Five had my eyes lit up like an RC robot on full batteries. They're roomy (for the tree climbing), structured just right and remind me of kindergarten handkerchiefs with the name tags ironed on. Perpetually Five will be showing at this year's FASHFEST, Canberra's biggest annual fashion event held over four nights from 30 April to 3 May 2014 with different designers every night! Get your tickets here before they sell out! Also, read my blog post detailing all the types of tickets up for grabs. Also get all the news on FASHFEST's twitter and facebook! |
Photographs by Heather Lansdown - Heat Storm Blog
| Plaid Mens Shorts - Perpetually Five Silk Button Up Shirt – Sportscraft "Pashli" Satchel - 3.1 Phillip Lim Cutout Chelsea Boots - Shoe Cult by Nasty Gal |
| People often think that I must have a lot of clothes, and wonder how I can afford it all. Let me answer this with this question - how many style bloggers have you met who aren't in dept? (#jokingnotjoking) Apart from supplementing our wardrobes with 'sponsorship' from brands, most of us bloggers get by, by heavily mixing high-end, low-end, and thrift buys. Every style blogger's got their sights set on a Givenchy Antigona, a collection of Josh Goot dresses and as many pairs of red soled Christian Louboutin's as monetarily possible. Why? As much as you say it's because you like to invest in quality, when it comes down to it it's probably because the other bloggers have them. Even though these things cost your entire paycheck in a pop? Talk about living outside of our means. So that's why today's Thrift Day - a day I wear as many thrifted pieces as I can. Today it's my $3.50 Mickey Mouse T-shirt and a $5 pair of polka dotted jeans. I've always been a Sailor Moon girl myself, but I can't deny the ubiquitous charm of those big round ears and humorous pants. But am I the only one who thinks that Mickey Mouse doesn't look anything like a mouse? |
| Mickey Mouse T Shirt - Thrifted - Salvation Army Warehouse, Fyshwick, Canberra (similar here, here, and here) Polka Dotted Jeans - Thrifted - Salvation Army Warehouse, Fyshwick, Canberra (similar) |
| This month, chic Canberra fashion boutique Mussen turns one. Starting out as an eBay shop, it officially opened a physical location this time last year on the corner of Mort Street in Civic, Canberra. To celebrate, Mussen invited me to raid their racks and play dress up for some birthday snaps. Ironically, this time last week I posted about how it's so very me to dress like a man, and now here I am in a pencil skirt - nothing could be more feminine. But if it's going to be a pencil skirt, it's got to be this one. Stylestalker blows me away with their healthy mix of of femininity and edge. One can't go without the other. If you're gonna get all dressed up in florals, that flower had better the the size of a baby elephant. That's edge you can't fake. A statement skirt is, in my book, one of the most easiest pieces to style. Once you have that large scale floral on your hips, you almost can't go wrong. Wear print on print with a similarly loud pattern on top, or let the skirt have the spotlight with a simple white button down shirt. So how does a girl who likes to dress like a man style a skin tight pencil skirt? With a slouchy sweater, of course. Mesh and chiffon fabrics are my favourite materials, especially when used in sportswear inspired styles, like this grid insert mesh sweater by Staple the Lable. It's femininity and decadence juxtaposed against structure and functionality. Top and skirt are from Mussen. Find Mussen online, or at its physical location at 17 Mort Street, Canberra. For good measure, go ahead and follow them on their gorgeous facebook page.
Staple the label - mesh ribbed shirt (Mussen, online and instore) |
| I don't know what happened but now all the shorts I have are trimmed with lace. This pair, surprisingly, came from the sleepwear section of my local charity shop. I guess I can't fault the shop staff for thinking it was a pair of bed shorts, what with the bedroom lace. And as for why I was in the sleepwear section in the first place, well that's just my current fixation with lingerie inspired day-wear. I figure, at least when ever this fad blows over, I'll have a very nice collection of bedclothes. While I love going all black, I do edit myself by adding a bright accessory or two.       Silk Front T-shirt c/o Elm Clothing Thrifted lace shorts Rebecca Minkoff MAC cross shoulder bag (on sale here!) Leopard Print Loafers c/o Jessica Buurman (here) Crystal necklace (worn as bracelet) from Wildwood Shop Canberra |
| It's amazing how many memorable outfits this $4 vintage skirt I purchased from Opshoppers has given me. I guess it just goes to show that it always pays to pick up vintage pieces in timeless cuts and modern prints. You can't wrong with midi skirts and stripes, especially when it's under $5. It's no accident of course, that I happened to pick out the one black and white piece out of a pile of miscellaneous apparel on Opshopper owner Fiona's living room floor. I have what might now be considered to be an unhealthy obsession with monochrome. I feel like I need to go to some Monochrome Wearers Anonymous meetings, where you are encouraged to introduce yourself by saying 'Hi, I'm a fashion blogger and I can't stop wearing black and white.' At last week's Westfield Flat Lay the Nation Bloggers Challenge event at Westfield Belconnen, my fellow Canberra fashion bloggers dared me to style a flatlay that isn't black and white. After faffing about with this colour and that colour, I ended up putting together an all black outfit. Somehow I don't think that's what they meant. Which ultimately leads me again to this nifty Ziggy Nicole Crop Top from Pemba Boutique. Black and white, cropped, halter neck, the roll-call of awesome goes on. It's such a versatile piece that I've been able to style it in so many different ways - with boyfriend jeans for something a little grunge and then with denim cutoffs and a big green bush (that grows in your yard!) for a disheveled pool party look. Incidentally, you can win this top in the Bloggers for Pemba Boutique instagram competition! All you have to regram the competition image tagging @closetvoyage, @pemba_boutique and #bloggersforpemba!      Ziggy Nicole Crop Top c/o Pemba Boutique (here) Vintage Pleated Midi Skirt (similar here) eBay Ankle Strap Heels (similar here) BLK DNM No.8 Leather Jacket (here, here or here) |
| If you thought that all there is to Canberra shopping is department stores and generic chains, think again. Just another testament to Canberra's burgeoning fashions scene is chic indie online-offline boutique Mussen. Want asymmetric skirts, printed bombers or white leather shorts? This is one of the only places in Canberra you'll find just that little on-the-edgy-side styles from both coveted and obscure designers: Stylestalker, Staple the Label, Hunt No More, Wish, and more. Being a Canberran naturally means that we think deeply about the ethics behind our fashion, and Mussen is leading the pack with their Animal Welfare Policy. They will not stock any real fur and leather must be by-products of the meat industry and wool must be sourced from producers with good animal husbandry. (Oh and did I mention that Mussen also has a legendary Brow Bar? My girl, Samara (Blond Ink) declared them the no.1 Best Brow Shapers In Canberra.) This month, Mussen turns one, the anniversary of the official opening on the corner of Mort Street in Civic. To celebrate, Mussen invited me to raid their racks and play dress-up for some birthday shots. It was so hard to pick just a few things so in the end we've decided to do three outfits. This first outfit is by special request by Sianne at Mussen. This is perhaps the one and only Bebe Sydney Lacery Sassy Dress left on the face of the earth. I have no words for how gorgeous this dress is. The structured bodice, the large scale pattern and the little off shoulder sleeves. Doesn't it make you feel like you're back in the black and white romance movie days? Find more styles like this at Mussen's online store, or at their dreamy physical location on 17 Mort Street, Civic, Canberra. Get on their facebook too!   |
| If you’ve just joined us, I guess I’d better explain what a ‘Flatlay’ is. In the world of ecommerce, photographing apparel laid flat on a white background just made it easier to create product images without having to bring models of mannequins involved. For fashion mags and bloggers, it’s an indispensible tool for creating fashion edits and style sets in flatlay form. Using existing flatlay images from e-tailers to create collages via websites like Polyvore is all well and good, but the best flatlays are created ‘in real life’. As part of Westfield’s Flatlay the Nation competition, with $500 given away every day, Westfield Belconnen invited me and fellow Canberra fashion bloggers Heatstorm Blog and Style H2T to the Westfield mall for a fashion blogger’s Flatlay-Off (coin-worthy?). If you’re on Instagram, then you’ve got to know how to do a good flatlay. Here’s my short and sweet instructional video on how to Flatlay Like a Blogger! Remember, the more effort you put into your flatlay, the more amazing it will look! Inspired? Create your own Flatlay and submit it to the Westfield’s Flatlay the Nation competition for your chance to win $500 each day, or the major prize of a trip for two to London! Enter here! |
| I’ve always have a soft spot for Penny from the Big Bang Theory and the relentless jokes about her lack of femininity (though the irony couldn’t be more effective, seeing as she was cast as the unattainable object of desire throughout the early seasons). My lack of appreciation for skirts, heels and brushing my hair back in my school days also made me the butt of similar jokes. However, try as I may, I could never become the girly girl that, as a kid, I thought was the standard for a girl. But pure femininity is not for everyone, after all, and to this day, nothing’s more comfortable for me than wearing what the boys wear. Slouchy shirts, wrecked jeans and stuff that’s so shapeless that they make all your lovely lady lumps disappear. Of course, I do throw in a particular shade of pink and a random flower bouquet when the mood suits. And note: the lacy camisole. Weekends are for brunches, and recently I’ve been rediscovering Canberra’s Kingston area. I hear that too adorable for words Penny University was opened by a couple of Canberran university students who were just like ‘f*** it’, and bought a cafe. You must try the Croissant French Toast, you’ll be in heaven. |
| Equipment Signature Silk Shirt (here) \\ DIY distressed black jeans \\ Vintage Camisole |
