The start of 2012 |

To my dear readers - Happy New Year! 

I'm aware that some of you in the Northern Hemisphere are probably getting into the swing of NYE celebrations right now (it's about 7pm over there in the US right?) and those in Russia are probably snoozing at around 4am and recovering from the big night before! It's amazing how time zones work :) 

Here in Australia we are currently sitting at 11am on New Years Day - the 1st of Jan 2012!!! Aside from watching one of Melbourne's iconic buildings catch on fire after the fireworks and getting trapped at Flinders Street station in mosh-pit-like conditions for 1/2 an hour, I've had a great start to the new year so far! 

Just wanted to say a big thank you to each and everyone of you for reading my blog! When I started this blog back in July 2011, I really didn't think anyone would read it so thank you for coming back and revisiting once in a while! 

Best wishes to you for the new year, and I'm looking forward to sharing many more great fashion moments with you all. Happy 2012!! 

xoxo 

Photos taken on 1 Jan 2012 12:07am in Melbourne, Australia. 

Indian Princesses on the Paris Bombay Express|

From the underwater world featuring the beautiful voice of Florence Welch to a palatial Indian setting in the Grand Palais, Karl Lagerfeld once again delivers a stunning collection for Chanel fans to feast their eyes. The latest looks from the Chanel atelier encompass shimmery gold harem pants, soft draping bottoms paired with structured jackets as well as the traditional boucle and tweed in red, plum, cream and hot pink. New accessories come in the form of large pendants adorning the models' foreheads, sitting atop piles of dreadlocked hair or a simple low bun with a middle part. Personally I prefer the dreadlocks, it gives that almost punk, rebellious princess feel. On the accessories side, the wrapped-parcel style handbags have been carried over from the Spring 2012 collection but we're also seeing some Indian henna influenced prints on clutches and mosaic-on-pyramids designs (see photo below). 

Whilst flicking through the photos of this collection I could not help but marvel at how clever it is that the team at Chanel has steered their focus towards India when every other luxury brand seems to still be fighting for their share of the booming Chinese luxury market. It seems that the other brands have almost forgotten about the potential growth of India's emerging luxury market, which, if you think about it, really plays out to Chanel's advantage. No doubt this Paris Bombay Express will raise a few heads. I wonder how the other luxury giants will respond? x 

Photos sourced from Style.com and CHANEL News. 

Rachel Zoe Pre-Fall |

Every season, I look forward to Rachel Zoe's collection as much as I look forward to those of Gucci and Burberry. Since first launching her first capsule collection last year, she has proved herself to be worthy as both a designer and a stylist (against the odds and the negative perception that she's just an airhead attention-seeking stylist). Where her past collections have focused on her favourite era, the 70s, this Pre-Fall collection branches into the 60s with a mix of details including mod-dress short hems, cap sleeves and thigh splits; but the faux fur and the pussy bows are kept to maintain the 70s feel and as a note to us that the era has not been forgotten by Zoe. The photography is as exquisite and simple as always. Can't wait to see more from you Rachel Zoe. xoxo 

Style Spotlight| Delta

These days, Delta is better known as the girlfriend of one of the Jonahs Brothers; but back in the days, she was   a successful, talented Australian female artist, fresh out of "Neighbours" and breaking into the music scene with self-written, self-composed pop ballads that took the charts by storm whilst braving cancer all by the age of 21. Here is a tribute to Delta's elegant style (and a Delta gallery for my friend Bruce - Delta's No.1 Fan). x 

New Love | Ceviche

It is Christmas Eve, that special time of the year when we scurry around the supermarkets and the kitchen, cooking up a storm in preparation for that all important Christmas meal. This year, I am waiting to try out a recipe for Ceviche, a South American cuisine that I discovered last week. It is my new obsession and I seriously can't get enough of it! In case you're wondering, Ceviche is basically raw white fish cooked by citrus juice with a whole bunch of other fresh ingredients thrown in. Here is a recipe from SimplyRecipes, it seems pretty easy to follow :) the recipe suggests wrapping the ceviche in a tortilla with lettuce and salsa but I think it tastes best as a salad. 


Hope you have fun trying it out! 


Merry Christmas
xoxo 

Style Inspiration| Collars

Camille Co. from Lookbook shows us how to style a detachable collar for a festive party look! 

The TwentySeven Exhibition |

Yet another week has gone by and I am now almost halfway through my internship! It is amazing how much time flies when you're working full time. This week has had its few emotionally challenging moments mixed with some good times including work Christmas functions and a movie date with Richard - we watched New Years Eve, the new all-stars cast Hollywood rom com and it wasn't too bad actually! (aside from a few cliches)

On another note, here are the photos from the "Twenty-Seven Exhibition" that I went to a few weeks ago. Featured are the works of some very talented Textiles Design graduates from RMIT, including my best friend Jaz whom you've met before in this post. As Commerce students, what we have to show for our work at the end of three years is simply a list of grades and a piece of paper. But design students bring us colour, patterns and beautiful designs at the end of their 3 years of inspiration-seeking and numerous sleepless nights. We head into the real world armed with our brain full of  theories and soft skills while they head out with their bulk of designs, it's amazing how 3 years can take us down vastly different paths in life.

All above designs from The Secret Garden collection by Jazmine Bradley. 

To find out more about the exhibition, click here and head to the official website.