Vol. 3 No. 5 June 2015
THE
AUSTR
ALIA
TIMES
®
fash ion
07
|
Editor’s note
08
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Australian Designer Flair
showcased at World Boutique
Local fashion designers with a view to the bigger picture
are increasingly looking to growing markets overseas for
future business...
16
|
70s Boho for Beginners
How to nail the ‘70s trend and NOT look as though
you’re reviving disco
At least once a year the fashion movers and shakers
claim the ‘70s are back, clutching crochet in one hand
and flares in the other...
23
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Blank Space
Fashion Editorial
fashion
08
23
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Independent Media Inspiring Minds
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40
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How to confidently dress
for yourself
As women, we are constantly manipulated into thinking
that we must subscribe to a very idealistic view of what
it means to be beautiful...
44
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Plus de Soleil
Always looking fly is Nicholas Tedman of fashion blog
Plus de Soleil...
53
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Magic behind Millie
Feature on Millie Savage of Savage Silver
Millie Savage is a cool 20-something year old, but is
also the proud owner of her own one-woman online
business, Savage Silver, and is busy creating...
44
53
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
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EDITOR:
CINDY MAN HUN
CONTRIBUTORS:
CHERI DEANE
LAURA BARRY
KATELYN REW
CHRISTINA KARRAS
COVER IMAGE
Skullwindows Photography
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Independent Media Inspiring Minds
5
EDITOR’S NOTE EDITOR’S
EDITOR’S NOTE
Editor’s
Australian
Designer Flair
showcased at
World Boutique
Local fashion designers with a view
to the bigger picture are increasingly
looking to growing markets overseas
for future business...
by CHERI DEANE
THE
AUSTRALIA
TIMES
®
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
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Australian
Designer Flair
showcased at
World Boutique
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
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FASHION
Local fashion designers with a view to the bigger
picture are increasingly looking to growing
markets overseas for future business.
Many production factories are in China,
and designers often time their visits to the
manufacturers to coincide with the twice
yearly fashion weeks held in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Fashion Week (HFWK) is a major
international sourcing hub for womenswear,
menswear, childrenswear, babywear, accessories,
mannequins, fabrics and trims.
Earlier this year, a group of Australian designers
took part in the exhibition and runway shows
of the annual International Fashion Designers
Showcase, World Boutique (WB), which was
co-located with HKFW Fall/Winter. Organised
by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council,
the dual fair ran from January 19-22 at the
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
(HKCEC) in Wan Chai and attracted over
38,000 buyers from 87 countries and regions.
The Australian brands showcased at the fair
included Sirens Swimwear, Fionnuala, Danielle
Chiel and By Weave.
NSW based designers Weave Dibden-Neck
and Danielle Chiel took part in WB 2014 and
“Our styles are carefully constructed with powerful shape-wear
lining and built-in-bust support to ensure
our customers look and feel like modern day sirens.”
World Boutique-Hong Kong Fashion Week 2015
Sirens Swimwear
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returned to show their collections in this year’s
fair, while it was the first time that Fionualla and
Sirens Swimwear had garments modelled on the
runways of Hong Kong.
Owner and director of Brisbane based Sirens
Swimwear, Bettina McLeod, acquired the label
over a year ago and channels the looks of the ‘50s
and ‘60s to create a stunning vintage swimwear
collection, combined with all the trimmings of
modern fashion. (www.sirensswimwear.com.au)
Sirens from the silver screen such as Rita
Hayworth, Ava Gardner and Marilyn Monroe
provide the inspiration for the glamourous
swimwear designs produced by the company.
“Our styles are carefully constructed with
powerful shape-wear lining and built-in-bust
support to ensure our customers look and feel
like modern day sirens,” Ms McLeod says.
She points out that showing the label in Hong
Kong represented the perfect opportunity for the
company to extend the label’s international reach
and make Sirens Swimwear more accessible to the
global customer.
“Results have been encouraging, with a variety of
international businesses expressing interest in the
swimwear,” Ms McLeod says.
Sydney based designer Danielle Chiel showcased
a range of high end hand knits made from
Australian merino wool, cashmere, cotton,
linen and silk. Her garments reverberated with
a patchwork effect of various knitted textures in
vibrant hues of red, yellow, orange and pink. The
vividly toned pieces featured knitting work done
by women in a rural Southern Indian village.
(www.daniellechiel.com.au)
Weave Dibden-Neck used bias-cut merino wool
in her contemporary ‘WildHeart’ collection,
inspired by the “brave and free” spirit of
‘70s Fleetwood Mac singer, Stevie Nicks.
(www.weaveworld.squarespace.com)
Through the use of natural fibres in her label, By
Weave, the designer sought to bring softness to a
world she views as increasingly man made. “I want
to nurture and encourage the use of what mother
nature has created for us. Silk and wool are just
such beautiful materials to work with; they mould
and flow compared to plastics,” she says.
Adopting a softer take on her usual style, the designer
points out that since she has shifted to a rustic
country region to live, her days are a lot calmer, and
this is reflected in her ‘WildHeart’ designs.
“My collections used to be very rigid, and I am
so happy to be maturing in my knowledge of
empowering women through strength, but being
gentle in that.”
Ms Dibden Neck teamed her By Weave garments
on the WB-HKFW runway with shoes and bags
designed by Sydney based accessories designer and
personal friend Jodie Lee. (www.jodielee.com.au)
The dual fashion fair featured a number of local
and internationally renowned designers, such
as Hong Kong based design duo Eric & Philip
Chu and Butoni’s Ika Mardiana; New York based
Loris Diran, Swedish designer Lars Wallin and
Beijing based Wang Yutao.
Visitors to HKFW find the sourcing fair
particularly interesting in terms of new trends in
garments, fabrications, manufacturing, labelling
and trims. One of the highlights for Ms Dibden
Neck at WB-HKFW this year was meeting a
Himalayan yak wool supplier exhibiting at the
fair. Her aim now is to incorporate yak wool in
an upcoming collection.
“My dream now is to travel to the women’s
tribe where I can watch them weave and learn
the traditional techniques. I will be utilising this
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FASHION
“
I didn’t feel scared this time and
could not wait to get onto the catwalk
and show what I had created. It was the
best show I’ve done and now I can’t wait
to do it all over again.
”
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Himalayan tribe for my winter 2016 collections.
The colours are extraordinary, and in this crazy
world of futuristic techniques I want to also
utilise old world tradition. I would hate for that
to ever be lost,” she says.
Ms Dibden-Neck has learned that the follow up
in the weeks after taking part in a fair such as WB-
HKFW is vitally important for designers, pointing
out that the sales she received for her ‘WildHeart’
collection was as a result of the afterwork.
“I was able to pick up one of Asia’s largest
e-tailers called Zalora and am over the moon to
be launching on that site later this year.” The
designer admits to approaching her debut at WB-
HKFW last year with trepidation, but was full of
optimism when taking part in the recent fair.
“I didn’t feel scared this time and could not wait
to get onto the catwalk and show what I had
created. It was the best show I’ve done and now I
can’t wait to do it all over again,” she says.
HKFW Spring/Summer is scheduled to take place from July 6-9 at the HKCEC. The next WB
will be held concurrently with HKFW Fall/Winter at the HKCEC from January 18-21, 2016.
World Boutique-Hong Kong Fashion Week 2015
By Weave
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FASHION
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for Beginners
by LAURA BARRY
How to nail the ‘70s trend and NOT look
as though you’re reviving disco
THE
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For more ‘70s inspiration, check out Westfield and Boohoo online,
both of which have specially curated collections dedicated to the trends.
At least once a year the fashion movers
and shakers claim the ‘70s are back,
clutching crochet in one hand and
flares in the other, desperately trying
to work out how not to look like
Farrah Fawcett. While this season is no
different, the trend has become more
modern and wearable, designers such
as Zimmerman, Tome, Rebecca Minkoff
and Creatures of the Wind presenting
retro collections at the Autumn/Winter
2015 shows. Perfect for the Australian
winter, the colour palette for this
season features dark jewel colours, such
as burgundy and bottle-green, and
neutral camel tones spread across suede
skirts, boots, jackets and this winter’s
staple – the turtleneck skivvy.
It all started over summer (as all
good flings do), with classic denim
flares and innocent crochet bikinis.
However, fashion’s love affair with the
‘70s has carried right into the chillier
season and is all about layering shapes,
colours and textures. Longtime boho
babes such as Nicole Richie and
Florence Welch are the role models of
this trend, nailing the perfect balance
between super ‘70s shapes and prints
with modern basics. The trick is to
look less like you warped through time
and more like you’re giving the nod of
approval to an iconic fashion era.
A skivvy tucked into a leather A-line
skirt with opaque tights is a low
key way of referencing the ‘70s this
autumn and is surprisingly flattering
on all body types, while high rise
flares look amazing on long legs. It’s
important to keep your outfit simple
in order to make the look modern,
such as wearing one killer ‘70s
piece at a time, like a suede fringed
jacket or platform shoes in groovy
colours. If you’re still unsure, stick
to the subtle basics, such as adding
a pussy bow blouse to your work
wear or going for paisley dresses in
flowing fabrics, worn with opaques,
a biker jacket and boots to reference
the trend while not giving away the
game altogether.
With so much going on within this
trend, it’s important to keep hair and
makeup minimal and fresh. Air dried
hair or gentle waves with a centre
part is neutral and effortless; look
to girl band Haim for inspiration
to stay clear of any Farrah Fawcett
comparisons! Makeup is bang on-
trend, with this season’s less-is-more
approach favouring medium coverage
dewy foundations, natural browns on
eyes and light contouring that suggests
a summer skate session to Bob Dylan’s
‘Forever Young’.
How to nail the ‘70s trend and NOT look
as though you’re reviving disco
Independent Media Inspiring Minds
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FASHION
Mercedes-Benz FASHION WEEK 2015
TOME BRINGS BACK THE ‘70s IN STYLE
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all images by Lucas Dawson Photography
Mercedes-Benz FASHION WEEK 2015
TOME BRINGS BACK THE ‘70s IN STYLE
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photographer:
Skullwindows Photography
hair & makeup:
Kochou Hair & Makeup
stylist:
Sovanny Vu (The Style Gem)
model:
Mia Nicolazzo
clothing:
Mode Madison
vintage handbags:
Volcano Vintage
shoes:
Bygone Days Vintage
swim hat:
Tatty Old Bits
jewellery:
MY Boutique
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for
by KATELYN REW
how to
confidently
yourself
DRESS
40
A
s women, we are constantly
manipulated into thinking
that we must subscribe to
a very idealistic view of
what it means to be beautiful. We are
told to dress in a certain way, do our
hair in a certain way and to an extent,
behave in a certain way. Have we ever
asked ourselves why? When we choose
our outfit in the morning, is it because
we like it, or is it because someone
else might? Scientifically, it is said
that woman subconsciously or not so
subconsciously dress for other women.
Personally, being in a relationship, I find
myself often choosing outfits based on
what my partner might find alluring.
Knowing all of this, how do we find the
confidence to dress solely for ourselves?
A good way to start is by practicing self
acceptance and self love. What better way
to achieve comfort in your own skin than
by loving the beautiful soul underneath
it. Start off your day by waking up and
listing all of your good qualities. Practice
this as your morning mantra and notice
how you feel throughout the day. That
way, when you open your cupboard
doors and peruse your outfits, you
will be choosing them based on a high
measure of self worth, and not because
of subconscious deep-seated insecurities.
The old adage ‘dress to impress’ need not
apply here, because although your new
found confidence is no doubt impressive,
so is the ability to have power over your
own thoughts and not have to look to
other people for acceptance.
Fashion may seem irrelevant or
materialistic to some; however, the
fact is that the way we dress directly
correlates with our emotions. We
take pride in our appearance so that
we feel better about ourselves, and
instead of basing our self worth on
the compliments of acquaintances, we
must build ourself up so high that we
are not shaken by the views of others,
negative or otherwise. Unfortunately,
most of the time we can be our own
worst enemy. We constantly compare
ourselves with the supermodels of the
world and begrudge that friend on
Facebook who looks better in a mini
skirt. We do this simply because we are
taught that there is only one accepted
type of beauty, and that type is walking
down a Victoria Secret runway.
The truth of the matter is, beauty
comes in all shapes and sizes. Don’t
let a negative false perception ruin
your self confidence, as it will lead to
detrimental consequences in your day
to day life. We only get one body. Dress
it in a way that makes you feel proud
and confident and ready to take on
the world. Dress in colours that make
you smile, in fabrics that feel smooth
and soft on your skin, and in outfits
that you are ready to make beautiful
memories in. Be proud of who you
are and accept yourself exactly as you
are. At the end of the day, the only
person whose opinion really matters
is the one staring back at you in the
mirror.
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FASHION
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all images via Nicholas Tedman
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Always looking fly is Nicholas Tedman
of fashion blog Plus de Soleil. I questioned
Tedman on his individual style, styling and
winter fashion, and his responses were very
real and enlightening:
Tell me about your style and how you
think it differs from others’.
I don’t see myself sticking to one particular
style at this point in time, as I am still
experimenting and finding myself.
However, to sum up my current personal
style, I would say I am a minimalist
who loves a good monochromatic outfit
comprising of texture and structural
shapes. To break up all the black and white,
I strive to incorporate at least one or two
coloured pieces. This may seem weird, but
I live by the motto “fashion always before
comfort.” For example, I would prefer
to wear a pair of brand new shoes that I
knew would end in a blister outburst for an
entire day over a pair of comfortable shoes,
just for the simple reason being that they
complemented the coat I wore more. It
may not be ideal in the long run, but to me,
fashion
always before
comfort
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FASHION
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expression through fashion is a way of life.
Others may dress to reflect the occasion,
whereas I dress to reflect the way I feel
no matter the occasion. I don’t follow the
norm and the upcoming trends in fashion;
I make my own rules and I follow my own
aesthetic. I do admire trends, however. I
always manage to manipulate them in my
own way to mirror my personal preferences.
What’s one thing in your wardrobe you
find yourself wearing a lot right now?
How would you style it for low and
high dressing?
There are multiple pieces that I see myself
wearing in my wardrobe, but my all time
favourite piece would have to be my
Givenchy slip ons containing their famous
Bambi print. Ranging from ‘dinner event’
attire to a ‘running errands’ ensemble, these
shoes can be paired with nearly everything,
and can be worn to even the most exclusive
of events. It all depends on the styling and
the finer details of an outfit. I just love the
unusual print and pop of colour that the
slip ons reveal, which always gives the most
neutral outfits an edge.
What fashion trend do you see being
popular in Australia this winter?
I see large coats being even more popular
this winter, more than anything. I’m talking
about huge overcoats, like something you’d
see Kim Kardashian rocking down the
streets. They may already be quite big, but
I see there being an even larger influx of
these coats swarming our city streets this
winter.
Describe an all-round outfit you’d sport
this winter.
Depending on the location, my outfits do
vary a lot. To give you a taste of my classic
city attire – an oversized coat sported with
a pair of Céline shades, white ripped jeans,
a chic neutral shirt and my Givenchy slip
ons (of course) would be pretty damn close
to my ideal winter uniform.
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FASHION
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Image by Amy Woodward
SAVAGE SILVER RING
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Feature on Millie Savage of Savage Silver
by CHRISTINA KARRAS
53
Millie Savage is a cool 20-something-year old,
but is also the proud owner of her own one-
woman online business, Savage Silver, and is busy
creating magical pieces of jewellery by hand from
her home studio in Melbourne.
Making amazing statement pieces, to more dainty
ones, framed by silver and gold, the real features
of her designs are the incredible natural jewels
and stones – freshwater pearls that mimic
the moon, fiery opals filled with lava and
an abundance of gems that sparkle as
though an unknown galaxy is within!
They capture the essence of the
elements and earthly powers, yet also
look like they belong to mermaids
amongst other treasures along the
bottom of the ocean. Contributor
Christina Karras spoke to Millie
about her imperfectly perfect designs
and creative processes, talking social
media, magic and mystical creatures!
How and when did you start to become
interested in jewellery making?
I started making jewellery about two years
ago. I was at RMIT doing a Bachelor of Fine
Arts, majoring in Painting. One day I realised
I wasn’t very good at painting, and I took up a
silversmithing elective and loved it! I always knew
I was going to be an artist, but it just took a while
to find my niche. I did it a few weeks before I
dropped out of university (I’m not very good
at the routine and uni thing) and did a bunch
of short courses, and a lot of reading after that!
So, you are relatively new to the industry and
you are a one-woman show. Can you tell us a
little bit about you and your design process?
I work from home, with my dog on my lap
and a cup of tea and chocolate on my bench.
I potter around my studio, pushing bits and
stones together until an idea clicks and then I get
hammering, carving, soldering, melting, setting –
whatever the design demands. It’s a very organic
and imprecise process.
How would you best describe your pieces in a
few words?
Wonky, magical, cosmic drops of goodness.
Image by Amy Woodward
SAVAGE SILVER MERMAID RINGS
Image by Amy Woodward
SAVAGE SILVER NECKLACE
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Image by Amy Woodward
SAVAGE SILVER COSMIC CHOKER
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To help give everyone a little idea of what
your work and you are all about, can you tell
us; If Savage Silver was…
A colour? Rainbow.
A season? There are no seasons in the cosmos.
A song? CHIC - Good Times.
A Food? Fairy floss covered in nerds.
How much time and effort goes into these
wonderful creations? Being handmade,
I imagine quite a bit?
Each piece takes days. But time flies while
I’m working, because I love doing it! Making
jewellery fills my life not only with purpose but
also enjoyment and freedom. I work really hard,
but I have the freedom to choose my hours,
which I love – I couldn’t do a 9-5. I normally
do a mid day to 4am! I’ve been fired from most
other jobs – my own dad fired me twice. Sticking
to a routine and organisation isn’t my forte, so
I’m fortunate enough to be able to be my own
boss.
All your pieces are so unique and magical.
What are the inspirations behind them?
Mermaids, nymphs, girls on acid with glitter on
their nipples, sequinned flares, iridescent jellyfish
ball gowns, hula hoops, the absurd and slightly
rude, the colourful and magical!
Do you have a favourite piece you have ever
made?
Every time I make a new piece it’s my new
favourite, until I make another one and it takes
its place. But there is only one piece that I have
ever kept for myself; it’s a huge necklace with a
big purple stalactite in it. The rest I just rotate
and wear until I sell them.
What is the best part about making jewellery,
for you?
Being able to be creative for a living is a dream
come true. The best part is challenging myself
and making things I wouldn’t normally, and
learning in the process.
And what about your least favourite part of
the job, if any?
Emailing – I hate it! And organising, computer
stuff! It’s actually a huge part of owning your own
business and I neglect it a lot.
I have been fortunate enough to stumble
across you via the greatness of social media.
What influences, both negative and positive,
do you think this new platform has on the
growing fashion industry?
For me, as lame as it sounds, I probably wouldn’t
have a business without Instagram. It’s helped me
make my reputation and gives me a platform on
which to share my work with people not just in
Melbourne but the world. I think it’s great for up
and coming artists and designers to share their work
and gain notoriety without having to be in a gallery.
You recently had a very cool little exhibition on
at Craft Victoria in Melbourne. Do you have any
other projects in the works? Or just general plans
for the future of Savage Silver and yourself?
Not really sure at the moment, but I’ll keep you
posted!
To follow Millie’s jewellery making journey,
find her @milliesavagesilver on Instagram,
or find out more about her wondrous pieces and
make purchases at http://savagesilver.com.
Image via Millie Savage
SAVAGE SILVER PEARL RINGS
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