ROCKING THE RUNWAY AGAINST BREAST CANCER // FRANKIES BASICS & MY DESIGN DEBUT

Thursday 23rd of October was Frankies Boutique's 'Rocking the Runway Against Breast Cancer', the event was hosted by Prue Garner, Creative Director of Frankies Boutique in the beautiful Warrandyte. Held at the Grand hotel on Yarra street, the event was an evening of Champagne, Cocktails, Fashion, Canapes and all whilst raising vital funds for The National Breast Cancer Foundation.

I was given the opportunity to design a small Capsule Range for the boutique's SS15 Australian Basics Collection. Made locally in Kilsyth, Victoria the fabric is a beautiful Rayon/Elastane Blend, designed to be an essential basic for every closet. For those of you who don't know, Rayon is regenerated plant cellulose (plant matter) it's 60% more absorbent than cotton and holds its shape after multiple washes. It feels incredible against the skin and is perfect for the Australian climate. Prue designed the Frankies Basics Range based on staple basics that she had in her own wardrobe, tweaking them slightly to accommodate for the Frankies customer and Australia's Fast Fashion Climate. My 5 designs are a part of the Frankies Basics Range that is due to hit stores next month.

This is the flier I designed for the Basics, art work by moi.. Not long now until they're all available for pre order online. Until then, pop in store or give us a call on 03 9523 7688 to order over the phone.. 50% deposit required.

 The Geo Tee is one of my favourites, featuring a sheer chiffon godet centre back (a godet is a triangular cut generally at the center back seam, not that you can see it here, but know it's there)

 The Capsule Range I designed features the Audrey Crop & Tubular midi Co-ord set. I designed this to flatter the silhouette of most women, creating an hour glass figure and emphasizing a small waist. The midi skirt is elasticized at the waist and features a kick pleat to improve flexibility and movement of the design. Basic in Black, this look is so flattering and comfortable without loosing the Fashion Edge.

 The Illusion Maxi was a crowd favourite, featuring splits up each side & flattering colour blocking, the dress will be changing slightly when it comes in. We will have it a touch shorter and in a different fabric so that the drape of the dress is improved and not so clingy.

 

Our beautiful model Amy is rocking the Rings of Saturn fascinator that is now sold out.. sorry ladies.

 A beautiful group shot of our models wearing my designs and our incredible makeup artist Brooke Pearson who did amazing work, helping us out with so much! She is beyond amazing!

Amy & I pre show, she's rocking the Frankies Basics Swing Singlet in Cobalt.. already put my order in for this one.. so easy to wear this summer!

 Prue Garner, the woman who made all of this possible & myself, all excited before the show..

 Ester sporting our Frankies Spring Collection that's available in store at the moment, so come and visit!

 

One of those awesome backstage moments

 Our Cobalt Vision dress is just stunning! You can get this online at Frankies or in store and it's only $89!

 The Frankies Basics Circle Tee.. such a great look for Summer & you can wear it with just about anything.. this one is also available for pre order in store & will soon be online.

 The Frankies Basics Swing Singlet in Mustard being worked by the beautiful Ester

 Completely surrounded by my designs, I cannot tell you how happy I was in this moment. It was taken right after the runway show, as you can see I was beaming.. The Ringleader tunic pictured on the far right was another crowd favourite. it can be worn as a dress or a top and has a hi lo hem with tails at the back, I don't have a full length shot of this one but I'll be doing a shoot next month to celebrate the arrival in store.

Stay tuned for the Basics range to hit the store early December and will soon be available for preorder online. This was by far the best day of my life to date.. I hope you enjoyed sharing it with me. A huge thank you to Prue, Emma, Emily, Brooke, Maddie, Fannie, the models, our photographer Jacinta Mae, our DJ Marco Lepore & everyone who made this night possible. Our MC Craig and ofcourse the beautiful Tash York who performed a skit from "These Things Take Wine"with a very talented young man Daniele Buatti.. Any woman that can rap, sing & blow up Balloon Animals at the same time is alright by me. You can catch her full act at The Butterfly Club in Melbourne, checkout the facebook page here. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Thank you to everyone involved for an incredible event raising money for a cause that's so close to our hearts. Stay tuned for what's next at Frankies Boutique.

Peace & Love to you all.

xox

DIY // HALTER CROP (make your own crop top in 10 easy steps!)

So I was planning my look for a shoot with dear Maddie from Little Black Beau and I realised as all girls do far too often, that I had nothing to wear. My beautiful man brought me back a few pieces from London so I did have a few new things but I did not have a top to wear with my new skirt. Desperate and poor, I decided to get creative and make a crop top, tricky thing was that my sewing machine wasn't set up and I couldn't find a needle and thread anywhere. You may at this point be wondering how I was going to make a crop top if I couldn't sew it.. my answer to you is simple.. Staples. It sounds shocking but it actually works really well, I've used staples for a few emergency mends in the past and I always use staples when I'm making toiles (paper versions of designs) but I've never actually made a garment using staples before. Seeing that the fabric I had on hand was quite stiff and structured, it made it very easy and as long as you drape the garment on yourself and give it enough room to put it on, it can last for as long as you need it to.

I'll take you through a step by step of how the top was made. I'm really pleased with the result and it only took me about 20 minutes to make.

Materials

2 types of Fabric (half a meter in one, 10cm strip for the other)
Chalk
Scissors
Stapler
Staples

or you can use needle and thread or a sewing machine

STEP 1: Fold the larger piece of fabric in half, making sure that the finished edge of the fabric is your hem (this will prevent fraying)



STEP 2: Using the folded edge as a guide, decide on how long you want your top to be, it helps to hold it against yourself in front of the mirror. Using the chalk, mark the length and the width of the top, you want to leave about 2 cm for the side seam. now draw a pentagon shaped neckline

STEP 3: Follow the chalk lines and cut through the folded fabric in the shape of your top


 

STEP 4: Fold down one of the sides and cut along the fold line to create the back

STEP 5: Staple or sew the side seam to form the base of your top (hint: make sure you try it on before you sew or staple, leaving a little extra room to pull it on and off)

STEP 6: Get your other piece of fabric and cut a 10 cm strip

STEP 7: Fold the fabric over the neckline making sure it is centered and start stapling/sewing

STEP 8: Try on the top and tie the ends of the strap around your neck. If you have time you can trim and add in a hook & eyelet or buttons but since I was in a rush, I just tied it.

STEP 9: Look in the mirror baby, you've just made your own halter crop!

STEP 10: Take a selfie and send it to me. Tag me on instagram @denver_styles, mention and #denverstylesblog I would love to see your creations!

This is a great way to get rid of scrap fabric and save some dollars. I love my new Halter Crop and hope you all find this DIY as easy and as fun as I did. A big thank you to Maddie for shooting the look pictured below.

A big thank you to Maddie's dear Mum who let us shoot on her beautiful property, Emerald is such a beautiful part of Victoria, definitely going back soon. As always I hope you enjoyed reading and I look forward to seeing your own versions of my crop top.


Peace & Love to you all.

xox

T R E N D E D I T // TOP 5 TRENDS FOR CUP DAY, LADY OAKS & STAKES DAY

As Melbourne Cup day, Lady Oaks & Stakes day fast approach, I thought I'd help all of the last minute babes that are still looking for that perfect race day look. I've analysed the trends seen thus far at the races this year to bring you my 10 hottest trends on the field.

For those of you that haven't heard, there has been a massive debate on whether the crop and cutout trends have a place at the races, with most days putting a ban on the trend outside of General Admission. If it's done well, I think a bit of skin can be beautiful and extremely flattering. I don't see the need to put a ban on it as it's a personal choice. Fashion is largely about expressing yourself and feeling like the best version of yourself (well it is to me anyway) I think self expression needs freedom, so ladies, I say get the biggest envelope clutch you can find, hold that in front of your waist as you wait to get let into the Nursery, Birdcage or whatever marquee you want to go to. Break the rules.. If you feel amazing wear it! 

Well now that I've had my two cents worth on that topic, let's go into my top 10 trends for this years Spring Racing Carnival. 

1. SKIN (I think we all saw this coming, yes?)

This is the perfect blend of sexy and classy

The Peek-a-boo skin show.. Love this dress! (and the eye candy)

Now this is the perfect crop ensemble for the races.. How could they say no to this? She looks so fierce in this look, strong and empowered. 

2. VOLUME

Now don't automatically assume that volume will make you look bigger than you are.. When done well this trend is edgy and challenges the current ideals we have when it comes to silhouette. This next look is so perfect for Oaks day.. Feminine and chic, and you can eat & drink as much as you like! (No spanks required)

This look is very reminiscent of Peter Pillotos SS15 runway.. I'm really loving the full high waisted skirt at the moment.

3. TONAL

I'm not much for colour but something about wearing slightly different shades of the same colour really does it for me.. Especially in a nude or blush.. It's feminine & just oozes class and sophistication.

I just watched the episode of Bloggers about this look.. Hard to believe that she was going to wear the white Dion Lee and only found out hours before that it had a stain. She had her hat made in less than a day by the amazing Merida Winter and the look is just flawless!

4. IN THE NAVY

I've always been a fan of Navy.. This look is just perfection, so classic! I especially love the colour when styled with nude and rose gold accessories or black.. Some will say that the cardinal rule is that black & navy do not go together. As you can see by Miss Sobeski's look.. It works and it looks damn good!

5. PRINT & A POP OF COLOUR

This look is very fresh and young.. The splash of lemon really makes the look pop, not to mention, her fascinator compliments the print without overwhelming the look. I would have personally matched my shoe to my clutch but hey, each to their own right?

All images are from Vogue.com I hope this helps you when you choose your look for the races. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Peace & Love to you all

xox 

S P R I N G R A C I N G // INSPIRATION FOUND AT FRANKIES

 As we're all well aware, Spring Racing Season is here! We had our Spring Summer stock at Frankies storm the runway last week at our Breast Cancer Fundraiser with my new capsule range (post coming soon) and the new Frankies Basics Range.. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this amazing fascinator that our beautiful model Amy wore.. Surely you can see why. It's so different and well, stunning! You can expect to see me in this if it hasn't already sold. The beautiful and sometimes painful thing about Frankies Boutique is that the majority of the accessories are one offs. It's great on one hand because you know you won't see another Frankies girl rocking your look but not so great if like me your budget is tight and you can't afford the $79 for the most beautiful fascinator I've ever seen. I know $79 is nothing but I am first and foremost a student and a girls got to eat.. Come and check out the new ranges in store and online at ffrankies295.com.au

 INSPIRATION FROM RACEFASHION AUSTRALIA

 Amy rocking the runway for Breast Cancer in Frankies Rings of Saturn Fascinator only $79.. wow!

Short but sweet beautiful people, more coming soon.. watch this space!

Peace & Love to you all

xox

OUTFIT POST // FRANKIES BOUTIQUE

It has been far too long, I have been so busy making my dreams come true that I have barely had time to think, let alone post. If you follow my instagram and Facebook you will have already heard the exciting news that has me so busy of late. If you haven't this is it..  I've been asked to design a Capsule Range for Frankies Boutique's SS14 Collection! The range will soon be available for preorder online at frankies295.com.au with a special preview at 'Rocking the Runway Against Breast Cancer' a fundraiser being held at The Grand Hotel Warrandyte, Thursday the 23rd of October at 7pm. My range will be shown after the launch of Frankies new signature basics collection. I am so excited for the event for so many reasons other than the obvious. Most importantly due to the fact that 100% of profits go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

I'm going to get very personal for a minute here, my dear Nanna, won her battle against the disease but lost a breast before I was born. I remember being little asking her why she had to sew padding into her bra, she explained that she did it so she wouldn't look 'uneven'.. Being a child, I never really thought much of it, I didn't quite understand why she felt she had to be 'even'. It wasn't until I grew older that I realised what she must have gone through and how brave and strong she was. Sadly while she won her battle against Breast Cancer my Nanna died of Bowel Cancer in 1996. She was quite arguably my favorite person in the whole wide world. There's not a day that goes by where I don't think of her and miss her. Nanna was my first word and my best friend, a woman with so much strength and a woman who to this day is an inspiration to me. That's why when Prue Garner (Creative Director of Frankies) told me about the event I was willing to do anything to help get it off the ground. When she saw my design work from RMIT and asked me to design a range for her to be shown at the event, well that was a dream come true.

To those that are local I would love if if you could come, tickets are only $55 pp, including champagne, a cocktail on arrival, canapes, entertainment by DJ Marco Lepore and a dessert buffet!. It starts at 7pm but doors open at 6pm, so please get your tickets here and show your support for Breast Cancer, Frankies Boutique & me.

Until then, here are some outfit shots taken by the very beautiful and very talented Maddie from Little Black Beau  we chose and photographed our favorite looks in store a few weeks ago.

Get the Look at Frankies!

http://frankies295.com.au/collections/dresses/products/stripes-dress

 

Black pleather skirt available in store only $49

Tiger dress available in store only $49

The incredibly comfortable black sandals are also available in white. 

The cute black charm bracelet is only $9.95 and they are all unique.

The black and silver ring is only $19.95, all jewelery items are one offs, so be an individual and get yourself one now (prices may vary)

New stock has also landed at Frankies, I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the buying trip with Prue, so I can tell you first hand that there are some very essential pieces for summer and some amazing dresses for Spring Racing. Head to frankies295.com.au to buy online or if you're local or fancy a nice day by the river shopping and drinking coffee at one of the cute cafes, head instore to 272 Yarra street Warrandyte.

I hope you can attend 'Rocking the Runway Against Breast Cancer' would love your support for NBCF, Frankies & myself. Click here to secure your tickets before they run out.

Peace & love to you all

xox

OUTFIT POST: ICONS OF STYLE // CHADSTONE SHOPPING CENTRE

Friday evening, I had the pleasure of attending Chadstone Shopping Centre's 'Icons of Style ' SS14 Trend Edit with the stunning Olivia Palermo and her husband Johannes Huebl. I'll be covering the event and Olivia's tips and tricks for staying fashionable this season in my next post. For now I'd like to share with you a few outfit shots snapped by the very beautiful and very talented Maddie from 'Little Black Beau'.

Being the poor fashion student that I am, I was forced to stick to a budget of $100.. Ouch right? My look for the night is featured below, scroll down to find out if I broke the bank and to get my trade secret for shopping labels on a budget.

 

In total the outfit came to $88.90.. which would have been perfect if I hadn't also purchased perfume, 2 new dresses, a new handbag and a new pair of sunglasses. What can I say, I got carried away with the low prices.

OUTFIT BREAKDOWN
Blessed are the meek crop $39.95
Poison white blazer (already owned)
Midi Skirt $16.95
Rubi Shoes Peep Toe Cutout boots $15
Lovisa Rings $10
Lovisa Choker $7

These low prices were mostly found at Trade Secret. A store I'd never really considered until wandering through Spencer Street Outlet Centre one afternoon. I was shocked to find some of my favorite labels at student friendly prices. Definitely worth checking out and since they merchandise by size and category, it makes the experience a lot less overwhelming. For those of you that can't get into a Trade Secret Store, shop the look here.

SHOP THE LOOK
(Click the links to start shopping)

Black Midi Pencil Skirt

Midi skirts and dresses are going to be huge for the next few seasons, I love the flattering silhouette it creates when worn with a crop or if you want to appear like you're not wearing teen youth bras, you can take a leaf out of my book and tuck a flowing blouse like my crop from Bless'ed are the Meek and create an optical illusion of a fuller bust.












Voluminous Crop

 


Worn with a midi or pencil skirt, gives the illusion of a fuller bust.















Cropped White Blazer

Perfect for Spring afternoons and evenings, this also looks amazing when worn with a monochrome outfit or a knock out midi dress. The white blazer is always on trend, don't be afraid to mix staples in your own wardrobe from seasons past with current pieces.
















Peep toe cutout boots

 Okay, now while you can get these online, I'd recommend going into the Spencer street Outlet Centre or your equivalent outlet to get the lowest prices.


















We are in a time where bricks and mortar stores are struggling to compete with international heavy weights like H&M & TopShop, as well as the online retailers like ASOS and Nastygal. This is a great time for us as consumers as it means that prices will get lower and service will improve as retailers do their best to optimize foot traffic in stores.

Stay tuned for my coverage of the SS14 Icons of Style Trend Edit with Olivia Palermo, Johannes Huebl and the designers from White Suede and Thurley.

As always, thank you for reading and please don't forget to subscribe, follow, and give me feedback if there's a topic you'd like me to cover.

Peace & Love to you all.
 xox