Friday 25 July 2014

EVENT POST: WHITE.HORN LABEL LAUNCH

Last night, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the launch party for WHITE.HORN, a brand new Melbourne Fashion Label, founded by Natasha Mapleson (Designer) and Olivia Wasson (Business Director). Held in the newly refurbished top floor of The Wolf and I on Chapel street; the venue complemented the collection perfectly. With high ceilings, crystal chandeliers and deep teal walls, the venue was the perfect fusion of vintage and modern glamor.

Sourced from Chadwicks (click the link to go to webpage), the models were youthful and walked the runway barefoot. Like fairies with their fishtail braids courtesy of Oscar Oscar Salon and flawless makeup by Rob Povey, the showing was whimsical and inspiring. Beautiful shell and Feather embellished dresses, skirts, crops and belts stole the show for me personally. Hand crafted, right here in Melbourne, I was impressed with the quality of the garments as well as the aesthetic. The collection as a whole was soft and romantic with elements of drama seen in the over-sized fur coats, lace and embellishment. Resort 14 was very reflective of the designer, even the barefoot models were distinctly Natasha. It was young, fresh and perfect for the young Australian Fashionista.

While both Natasha and Olivia mentioned how nervous they were, you never would have known from looking at them. The event ran seamlessly from start to finish,with glowing reviews all round. Business Director, Olivia put together the event and organized sponsorship from a number of local business', including the incredible Vegan Lipstick brand, 'Shanghai Suzy'. The hubba-bubba scented lipsticks were gifted to all guests and featured on the models.

I am among many who are excited to see what's next for this innovative young label. With an ever growing cult following on social media, supporters of the label will get the opportunity to see an Australian Fashion Label sky-rocket to success. If you want the updates and insider info, follow them by clicking the link whitehorn_official 

I've included some personal shots from the evening, however due to lighting and a few wines, they're a little more "artistic" in nature, so I've shared a few from the event photographer, APL Photography aplphotography.com.au. You will find further contact details for WHITE.HORN beneath the event photos... enjoy.









BACKSTAGE// WHITE.HORN
FROM LEFT// OLIVIA WASSON  & NATASHA MAPELSON 

ROB POVEY// MAKEUP ARTIST BACKSTAGE

AND THE DOORS OPEN



























FROM LEFT// OLIVIA & NATASHA
FROM LEFT// DENVER STYLES(ME) & NATASHA

                                           









 THE BEST LIPSTICK EVER! VEGAN, LONG-LASTING & SMELLS LIKE HUBBABUBBA
SHANGHAI SUZY 

 FROM LEFT// OLIVIA WASSON (BUSINESS DIRECTOR) & NATASHA MAPELSON (DESIGNER)







Follow on instagram @whitehorn_official (click the link to follow) enquiry.whitehorn@gmail.com
IMAGES COURTESY OF WHITEHORN_OFFICIAL INSTAGRAM


So thrilled for Natasha & Olivia, keep an I on these two, I've got a feeling that big things are coming.
I hope that if you didn't have the pleasure of being there, you now at least feel as though you were.



Peace & Love to you all.
xox

Thursday 17 July 2014

H&M: Melbourne Store & Sustainability Review

One of the perks of being a Fashion Student is that you sometimes get told by your University lecturers that it is mandatory that you go to the city on a shopping tour instead of going to class.. Poor me right? 

It's been a while since I've shopped in the city and a lot has changed! New kids on the block H&M blew my mind. Over three levels, they occupy Bourke street's GPO (former General Post Office) The beautiful architecture is a nice change to the converted warehouse look that most Bricks & Mortar stores (physical stores) are adopting at the moment. To be honest, I assumed it would be very similar to Topshop and Zara, great and cheap overseas with inflated prices and selected stock in Australian Stores... I was wrong. The price point is ridiculously reasonable. If I only had money, I would have purchased this amazing faux fur jacket, it felt and looked incredible and it was only $39.95.. It was hard to walk away but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do right?

From a professional stand point, I was totally blown away by the Visual Merchandising, the displays featured 5-8 mannequins all styled very cohesively, almost flawlessly so. Yes, there were a few that I wasn't all that fond of personally but you can't deny that a lot of love and thought goes into it. It's been my dream for a while now, to suspend mannequins for a VM display. H&M have done it and done it so well! Trees in store with mannequins suspended from swings, I mean wow! I managed to snap a few sneaky shots for you all to enjoy. 

What also impresses me is H&M's commitment to Sustainability. Going through their industry reports, I was impressed by the transparency, efficiency and dedication to reducing the impact they have on the environment because let's face it, the Fashion industry is wasteful as it currently stands. Fashion today is considered disposable and we're all after something for nothing. We generally don't like wearing the same outfit more than once, especially if photographed. If you care about the environment, planet and its people, we can at least choose to purchase from companies that are making steps towards improving sustainability. Check out the H&M website, click the link to view. H&M SUSTAINABILITY




That 90's vibe.. it's everywhere!




If you want to do more to reduce the effect that the Fashion Industry has on the planet and its people, you can start by thinking of how you get rid of the clothes or accessories that you no longer want. It is easier today more than any other time in history to sell your unwanted goods. You can sell via Ebay for free, set up swap meets, set up an etsy store, book a market stall and even sell via Facebook or Instagram. If you want to be really nice, you can also donate to your local charity store (op shop) or even friends and family. Making the right choice at the time of Fashion disposal will stop your unwanted garments going to massive textiles landfills, if you google this topic, it will mortify you, guaranteed. The long term environmental costs of clothing, footwear and accessories going into landfills has yet to be calculated but the decomposition of such materials, contribute to Global Warming, the dyes and chemicals used to treat fabrics can contaminate the soil and the ground water as well. For more info head to http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/01/textile-waste-be-banned-landfills/

image of textiles landfill in Syria

I hope you've enjoyed this more meaty post, I would love to know what your thoughts are on the topic, comment below or head to my Facebook page Rags to Riches

Please follow and subscribe if you enjoy.

Peace and love to you all.

xox


Tuesday 15 July 2014

TREND ALERT: ACTIVE WEAR


With the release of Net-a-Porter's new Active Wear Category, it's more than official that Active Wear is here to stay. It's almost as if, every where I go, I am surrounded by Active Wear. Okay, I'm not going to lie, my life basically revolves around Chapel street but that doesn't make what I'm telling you any less accurate.

When I first moved here from Brisbane in 2009, Chapel street was the Fashion Capital. Unless you were running or within a two minute walk from Fitness First, spandex and kicks was not the most common attire you'd see. I remember being mesmerized by the glamorous women that would strut their way down Chapel street with their many designer shopping bags in hand, high heels click clacking on the pavement. These days, men and women look more like they just stepped out of a sports luxe shoot. Perfectly styled gym attire, perfectly groomed and not a drop of sweat insight.

Personally I'm a bit apprehensive about wearing even Vans anywhere but out for a walk and the morning after a sleepless night of study at uni but I get the appeal, it can look good, it's comfortable and hey, maybe it will motivate exercise too. Now I'm sure that actually going to the gym is a very large part of the Active Wear Trend and so it should be considering that the textiles technology they're using for garments like skins (smart compression tights that aid in muscle development and stimulation during exercise), sports bras and absorbent 'dry touch' fabrics. The use of this technology makes Active Wear an expensive investment. So for my super healthy and active readers out there, I present to you a budget friendly guide to Active Wear.








Get the look..








































                                          http://www.nastygal.com.au/sale-accessories/?seg=4

















 So many online bargains! 



Don't be afraid to head to sites like these to get luxe labels for less, particularly with active wear as the fit will either be loose or stretchy.

Enjoy your evening ladies.

Peace & Love to you all.
xox


















 *Fashion images sourced from pinterest, respective websites and meme found via google.com