Uniqlo: Melbourne's Newest Fashion Giant

The cult Japanese retailer opened its debut Australian store at Emporium Melbourne this morning – and there were lines around the block. 

I was lucky enough to be invited down to take a look at the store yesterday before it opened to the public. So many exciting new retailers are coming to Melbourne its hard to handle and Uniqlo is one of those fabulous internationals that is bound to shake up the local market.

Photo: Brook James

Ready or not, here they come. Emporium Melbourne’s official ribbon-cutting was scheduled for 9am this morning, but the anxious queues were already wrapped around the block well before. One of the most anticipated openings inside the new, seven-storey mega-mall is cult Japanese basics label, Uniqlo, with its debut Australian store.

Following its Swanston Street pop-up in January this year, the permanent store is the latest major foreign retailer to join a very rapidly growing party, following Zara, Topshop, A.P.C., H&M and Muji, to name a few.

When you walk beneath the glowing red sign into the brightly lit store, the first thing you notice are the meticulously colour-coordinated shelves, arranged by jeans, T-shirts, cashmere jumpers and the brand’s iconic ULD (ultra-light down) vests. Housed over four floors (that’s 2150 square metres of shopping space), Uniqlo’s range covers men, women and children. You’re truly spoilt for choice, with all key apparel items offered in a range of 24 colours.

If you have any hesitation or enquiry, you can bet on finding an eager Uniqlo employee by your side in seconds – there is 320 staff in Melbourne alone.

The store is spacious, light, and easy to navigate. Well-dressed brand ambassadors smile down at you from posters on the walls – Pharrell Williams, local street artist Rone, even chef Andrew McConnell.

With more than 1300 stores worldwide, this is the 16th market that Uniqlo will have a presence in globally. If you’ve been to a Uniqlo store anywhere else in the world – don’t expect a dramatic reinvention. It has found a formula that works, and judging by the jostling lines out the front, its Australian fans agree. 

Article: Broadsheet

VAMFF Wrap: National Graduate Showcase

Australia’s next crop of talented fashion designers showcased unusual and inspiring collections as Central Pier played host to the National Graduate Showcase last night.

Photo: Lucas Dawson

The National Graduate Showcase presented us with big ideas, innovative design and a whole lot of talent. From androgynous pieces to distinctly feminine collections, there was something to excite and surprise everyone in the crowd.

Molly Younger

Molly Younger’s collection kicked the show off with a statement – latex dresses and coats and gloves covered in cracked paint paired with leg warmers. Younger’s collection was eerie and sterile, sharing a strong resemblance to Maison Martin Margiela. Not for the faint-hearted.

In a word … Unusual

Lillian Chan

Intricate laser-cut leather paired with silk layers, textured fabrics and woven details. Chan’s collection brought together beautiful textures and materials, creating dreamy, soft, girly silhouettes.

In a word … Delicate

Photo: Lucas Dawson

Yan Wang

Yan Wang’s menswear collection was graphic and monochromatic, with boxy shapes and unusual details. Suits with structured, cubed collars, black-and-white check pants paired with zigzag shirts and 3D detailing were all very unexpected.

In a word… Bold

Edwina Sinclair

Drawing inspiration from emoticons and pop art, Edwina Sinclair presented a range strong in colour and texture. With knitted onesies and matching hats, dresses resembling hospital gowns, colour blocking and an amazing ankle-length pastel pink coat.

In a word … Colour

Roxane Chan

Pastel denim two-pieces, boxy shapes, raw edges, crop tops, overalls and tartan. Roxane Chan’s collection was fun in a ’90s-meets-today way, her standout number a cropped two-piece in mustard and denim check.

In a word ... ’90s

Photo: Lucas Dawson

Wing Chiang

A beautiful range of delicate floral dresses, shirts and jumpsuits. Chiang drew inspiration from daisies, using the flower consistently in her striking prints. Pastel greens, reds and blues were perfectly matched with silk layers and structured, yet feminine shapes.

In a word … Pretty

Photo: Laura Grogan

Juliette Booth

Juliette Booth’s striking designs were created to be worn by men and women – she removes the darts from her garments to create unisex pieces. The result is a really cool collection of oversized jumpers and hooded vests, in quilted, graphic fabrics, paired with baseball caps and tough, gold hardware.

In a word … Edgy

Chin Hau Tay

An unusual menswear collection of oversized, red-and-green tartan jumpers and jackets with fur detailing, plus a fitted, red-velvet suit. Parts of this collection resembled oversized teddy bears, a mixture of textures, fur and velvet, and one very large, fluffy, full-length red fur coat.

In a word … Bizarre

Gabrielle Brown

A mesmerising collection of intricate layers and 3D printing, delicate silks and structured neoprene, perfectly put together to create a striking and hypnotic range. The standout piece was a white, neoprene bodysuit, featuring a 3D printed collar and a beautiful woven skirt. Gabrielle Brown is one to watch.

In a word … Attention to detail

Photo: Laura Grogan

Anne Marie Gruber

Inspired by the film Vertigo, Anne-Marie Gruber’s range included geometric-shaped tops, knitted hotpants and shift dresses. Very space-age, Gruber’s pieces used bold lines, shapes and textures with a monochromatic colour palette of greys, blues and greens.

In a word … Original

Victoria Thaniotis

This range was full of bold colours and shapes with a focus on texture, such as needle-point felting and surface manipulation. The standout piece was a beautifully structured grey and orange backless dress, showcasing a strong eye for detail. Bold and innovative.

In a word … Fearless

Tan Thanh Trieu

Inspired by architecture and the green on his Vietnamese passport, Tan Thanh Trieu presented a stunning, well-thought-out collection. Models dressed head to toe in long, textured, green silhouettes, with beautiful shapes and detailing such as fringed hats and voluminous fabric panels.

In a word … Mesmerising 

Runway Takeaways

Expected? Show-stopping talent

Unexpected? Men’s jackets reminiscent of teddy bears

Highlight: Gabrielle Brown’s intricate detailing

Overheard … Onlooker: “It’s high fashunn, darlink.”

Spotted … A woman with a light-up tulle skirt and blue hair sitting front row

Photo: Laura Grogan

Source: Broadsheet

Hollywood

There are few things in life I enjoy more than spending time in an art gallery. Probably eating which is closely followed by aimlessly wandering around beautiful art galleries. It’s something I don’t get to do nearly enough. I miss the life of gallery luxury I was living while traveling Europe, I would be exploring a new gallery every three to four days. Bliss!

So when ACMI announced that they were bringing Hollywood Costume from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London I was just a little EXCITED! The V&A has curated some of the world’s best exhibitions, Victoria has been lucky enough to play host to some of these wonderful exhibitions. The Bendigo Art Gallery has presented a few V&A exhibits in the past few years, Grace Kelly: Style Icon and The White Wedding Dress. Now it’s Melbourne’s turn with Hollywood Costume.

A whole exhibition on costumes. I get excited enough over a good costume at the movies, but in real life? Eeeeeeeeee! It is amazing, I don’t use that word lightly either. Curated perfectly, interactive, interesting and beautiful all in one. The Hollywood Costume exhibition brings together famous cult films along with their famous characters costumes. From Fight Club to Marie Antoinette,  Kill Bill to Dreamgirls, Gangs of New York to Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

I lost the plot a little seeing Audrey Hepburn’s infamous Givenchy dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, she was tiny. Seeing that dress in real life and being so close to it, pretty rad to say the least. Renee Zellweger’s sparkly crystal embellished number from Chicago. There was a little Hogwarts and Gryffindor with Daniel Radcliffe’s costume from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, wand, glasses, cape and all.

The section of the exhibition I loved the most was Scene 2, where they had the costume designers and directors of The Birds, Gangs of New York, Sweeny Todd and Closer talking about where the ideas, inspiration and concepts for the costumes came from. The whole creative process behind creating costumes that reflected the characters and their stories. They talked about how important the costumes were in creating the character and how much research and time goes in to creating these costumes.

Open until the 18^th of August, I highly recommend a visit. Even if you are not one to frequent galleries, I promise there is something you will enjoy. I mean who wouldn’t get a little excited over seeing Spiderman, Captain Jack Sparrow or The Blues Brothers?! A little something for everyone who enjoys a good movie. 

 Photo: Vanity Fair

Photo: Source Unknown

Photo: Source Unknown

Excuse me, I can see your...

I had the pleasure of going to the Big Day Out in Melbourne over the long weekend. Celebrating Australia Day the only way a Melbournian should, with music, friends, food and lots of dancing. Going to a festival has many pros, I got to see the Killers (they blew my mind), I danced until my legs could not support me any more, I got to scream and shout and eat Dagwood dogs. There are also I feel, far too many cons, which mainly come in the form of what some girls lovingly refer to as 'festival dressing', which could be more aptly named 'festival undressing'.

I need to give a disclaimer here, I am not trying to be mean, but if you choose to wear inappropriate clothes (show me your vagina, nipples, or various other unpleasant body parts because of your ill fitting clothes) you really do leave yourself open to criticism. Read this with a pinch of salt and a little humor.

It was a pleasant 24 degrees, not really denim cut off weather, however, that did not stop the vast majority of girls wearing what would more appropriately be worn to the beach in 30+ weather. There was midriff, shorts that would more suitably be referred to as denim knickers and so much boob. Do girls have no dignity any more? From the ages of 16-20 it seems that the less they can wear the better they think they look. I wonder if these girls have parents, friends or brothers to tell them they look like $2 peep show girls?! I am by no means a prude, I am all for the short skirts and shorts. However there is a line, that line is passed when I can see your vagina. If I can tell what type of wax you get it is probably far too short! Daisy Duke has a lot to answer for!

My eyes were bombarded the entire day with girls wearing clothes that were ill-fitting, tight in all the wrong spots and had fabric screaming everywhere. I choose to go to a festival to see awesome bands, I did not sign up to see practically naked teenagers. If you have a sister, friend, girlfriend or daughter please do them the service of informing them that the world does not need to see what they had for breakfast. It's nice to leave somethings to the imagination, yeah you might have an amazing body, but I don't care for seeing EVERYTHING you have on offer! See below:

 Too much EVERYTHING

 If I can see your butt cheek, I can see too much

If I can tell what kind of wax you get, it's too short!!

 As above... This one I was unsure if she even had pants on, from this angle probably not, and she gets a Brazilian

 Not a girl but serious fashion faux pa

See butt cheek comment above

Yeah you have a nice bum, but some clothes on, pants wont kill you!

Apart from the excessive butt cheek on display, as always BDO delivered. Such an amazing day, The Killers blew my mind, they were better than I could of ever hoped! I have been to 5 BDO's and I think I can safely say that The Killers set was the best set I have ever seen there. I was a little disappointed with the Yeah Yeah Yeah's and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, such epic bands but they failed to really get the crowd involved. All in all a great day, I danced so much that I was still sore on Monday that's a good sign! Until next year BDO I'll just reminisce on all the memories.

My Biddies

Mr. Burger, the best burger I think I have EVER had!

Brandon Flowers, Marry Me?!

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers