Bell Street

Summer School Exhibition

2012-01-21T22:10:00.001+11:00

For the past two weeks, I've been teaching fashion & textile design to some very cool kids at summer school. Last night they had their graduation and exhibition to show off their work.

The summer school was held at UTS for year 11 students from priority funded schools. I was amazed at the creativity and talent these kids showed across three areas of design - fashion, visual communication and industrial design. They spent two days learning about each of these disciplines before choosing one to concentrate on for a second project.

The first project for fashion design was screen printing. The students designed paper stencils and printed on t-shirts and bags. It's a tricky technique to perfect but they picked it up very quickly.

Two awesome examples of making your mistakes work for you. When the girl doing the Patrick t-shirt forgot to put the whites of his eyes in, she painted on some sunglasses. When the text on the Mickey Mouse t-shirt bled, the designer grabbed a paintbrush and roughed it up to make it look more purposeful. I thought her t-shirt had a very 'street art' feel to it, with the black stencil and fluoro orange 'LOVE'.

The second project concentrated on transforming recycled junk into sculptural fashion pieces (it was all very Project Runway!). This dress was a tribute to obsolete technology, using cut up CDs, video tape and a necklace made from broken headphones.

Wrapping paper, laser-cutting offcuts, vinyl, and pink safety pins.

Top made from woven strips of garden tarpaulin and an inflatable cactus party decoration. Skirt made from paper, fake flowers and green cable ties.

The industrial design workshops revolved around making lamps, displayed here in front of visual communication's posters.

For their second project, industrial design worked as a group to turn the sample prints and sketches from all of the first three workshops into a beautiful mobile.

Christmas shopping reminder!

2011-12-12T16:35:00.002+11:00

Christmas is less than two weeks away and if you're as disorganised as me, chances are you haven't done any Christmas shopping yet. To help you out, I'm having a bit of a Christmas sale.

When shopping in the Etsy store, enter the code YAYITSXMAS at the checkout for 20% off your entire order. That's better than my staff discount at work! That code can be used by anyone in the world right up until Boxing Day (EDIT 27/12/11: this code has now finished).

Also, for Australian customers ordering between now and Sunday 18th December, I'll post your orders by Express Post at no extra charge to make sure it gets to you as quickly as possible. I'll even giftwrap them if you want me to send them straight to the recipient.

Get shopping!

Terms & Conditions (doesn't that sound serious!):
2. The Express Post offer is available only to Australian customers until midnight Sunday 18th December, AEST. I send all orders via Australia Post, from Sydney, on the next business day after receiving your order. Australia Post guarantees next business day delivery within the Express Post network. However, all those letters to Santa can clog up the postal system at this time of year so please use your own judgement to decide whether your order will get to you on time.
3. Santa is always nice to people who support small businesses!

Adventures in Machine Knitting, Part 1

2011-12-12T15:51:00.000+11:00

I have recently acquired an old knitting machine with a LOT of accessories for a bargain price. Do I know anything about machine knitting? Not really. I used machine knitting in my graduate collection last year but I was lucky enough to be sponsored by a knitwear company that did it all for me on huge computerised machines. The process is a little bit different.

Luckily, the machine came with its original instruction book. So, last week, I laid out all the parts on my work table and started reading. I stuck post it notes on any parts that were identified in the book. I managed to thread the machine with yarn. I worked out how to cast on. I knitted three rows! Success!

Then the carriage got jammed. Now, the book says 'do not force the carriage'. So naturally, I forced the carriage. It moved! Then a tiny little unidentifiable bit of metal fell out of the machine. Oops.

I turned to The Google. Some lurking on the Ravelry forums told me that my machine is missing a rather essential part (a sponge bar, for those playing along at home). Turns out that this is the absolute first thing you should check the condition of when buying an older machine as they can deteriorate. Knitting without one causes death and destruction or something like that. Of course my trusty instruction book didn't tell me that because it was written thirty years ago for the proud owner of a brand new Empisal Knitmaster 260K. Thanks, book.

I found the part on eBay for just slightly less than the cost of the entire machine itself, and it is on its way to me from Hong Kong right now. As for that tiny little unidentifiable bit of metal, I eventually found where it belongs and put it back in. So while my knitting adventures have been stalled for now, I'm still feeling pretty good about it all. I'm hoping to have stripey scarves in the Etsy store by next winter (Australian winter, that is).

Stay tuned!

Transformation

2011-11-22T07:25:00.000+11:00

Thought I'd share with you a video I made for the U@UTS Summer School that I'm teaching at. We had an orientation for it the other day and I made this video as an intro to the fashion workshops.
The first few clips are from the 2010 UTS Grad show, and the others are all related to the 'transformation' theme of the summer school. Enjoy!

Untitled from Ali Kenworthy on Vimeo.

Some of the clips used are:

ISSEY MIYAKE - Animation by Euphrates
Hussein Chalayan - Transformer Dress
Hussein Chalayan - Autum/Winter 2000
Animorfos
Viktor & Rolf

Shop update!

2011-10-23T09:23:00.000+11:00

My online store now has all of the pretzel necklaces, bags, t-shirts and reversible skirts. Yay!

Now get shopping!

A fashion week rainbow

2011-10-05T10:23:00.000+11:00

All images from style.com
Sass & Bide
Roland Mouret
Mulberry
Paul SmithCacharel
Martin Grant
Viktor & Rolf
Norma Kamali
Nicole Farhi
Nanette LeporeMoschino Cheap and Chic
Rebecca Minkoff
Monique Lhuillier
Milly

New store

2011-09-25T16:53:00.000+10:00

Just a quick update to let you know that the old store is now closed - I have moved all of my bags over to my Etsy store which can be found here.

When I find the time and get a nice day, I need to photograph more products like the reversible skirts and printed t-shirts so that I can put them in the store!

I liked the layout of the old store (hosted by big cartel) but the monthly fees weren't worth it and Etsy has a great community and existing customer base, so it suits people like me who don't have time to always be promoting their store! The downside is that I can only set prices in US dollars - you can shop on Etsy in Australian dollars but this means that whenever the exchange rate changes, the prices change. There's not much I can do about that.

Today is rainy and horrible here, which is annoying after all the nice warm weather we've had. I'm going to make Cha Siu Pork for dinner which is that red coloured, sticky sweet chinese dish. I just marinated the pork and it smells really good!
What's the weather like where you are and what are you having for dinner tonight?

Things to look at on a Sunday night

2011-09-04T22:44:00.000+10:00

The title says it all - this is just a random selection of photos, art, fashion and design that have caught my attention lately.

1960s London by Tripendicular

Sterling & Noble clock by doe-c-doe on flickr

Amethyst by The Pairabirds

Miu Miu in Dazed and Confused (via slow motion crawl)

Clementine by Ashley Goldberg

I don't know where this photo is from. It's cool though.

Explore the Universe, via Etsydudes

Awesome girl with a clock, via Tripendicular

Bend chairs (via Elle Decor)

Collaged map artwork by Matthew Cusick (via but does it float)

Krisatomic's map of London

Modern Retro clock by Stevo

Kasimir Melavich

Suprematism (Supremus No. 58)

1916 (via Hollywood Babylon)

New York by Bianca Gomez (via Grain Edit)

It was my birthday on Friday. I had a 60s party.

Our market stall

2011-08-31T14:49:00.000+10:00

We had such a fun day at the markets on Saturday! It was great to be back at UTS and meeting so many lovely people on Open Day. We did pretty well for the day considering that not many people knew about the market, the alphabet rings were a best seller!

I also had fun catching up with other students who had stalls and some of my teachers who dropped by. The market had a few stalls from fashion students, some from Industrial Design and lots of yummy food stalls. Oh, and I won a bag of popcorn for throwing a ball at a target so that was pretty exciting.

I'm currently moving my shop back to Etsy - I don't like their interface as much as bigcartel (which is what I'm using at the moment) but I do like that they have a solid customer base already there and there are lots of good opportunities to publicise your work. Anyway at the moment the bags are still at the old store (here) and the Etsy store has some Alphabet rings and pretzel necklaces. It's all still in transition mode though so I'll let you know when it's done!

Syb's stall - she's in fourth year

Project Menagerie - I love the idea of this. The first year students designed some motifs, set up some screens and have spent the last few weeks madly printing t-shirts to sell at the markets. Isn't that cool? I bought a t-shirt from them.

s.e.v by Sarah - a third year student & awesome model!

Some of Sarah's jewellery

This is the t-shirt I got from Project Menagerie!

Bell Street at the Street Fair!

2011-08-26T18:21:00.001+10:00

Tomorrow I'll be holding a market stall at the University of Technology Sydney Open Day! For the first time ever UTS is closing off Jones St and holding a Steet Fair. There'll be food, music and market stalls from UTS Design students and alumni.

I'll be there with my bags, as well as printed t-shirts, these cute & colourful reversible skirts, and some samples from my grad collection & business award range.

I've also made some very colourful pretzel necklaces which I'm a bit in love with. I've already grabbed a bright orange one for myself and haven't taken it off since I made it!

So if you're in Sydney, or maybe if you're coming up for an Open Day, try to drop by! It's tomorrow, Saturday 27th of August, 9am - 4pm. Jones St Ultimo is just off Broadway, next to UTS. Walking from Central, go past the Tower building and turn right. Look for the colourful flags!

Also, just a quick note - this means the online store will be closed tomorrow. Back on Sunday!

Patterns and updates

2011-08-07T09:27:00.000+10:00

I love repeat patterns - whether they're on wrapping paper, fabric, or found in nature. I have lots of photos I've taken of patterns found on my travels, which I'll share with you sometime soon. For now here are some patterns from my 'Pattern' board on Pinterest.

Quatrefoil tile from Katie Loves Design

From Orange You Lucky by Helen Dardik

Kaleidoscope from I Need Nice Things

triangle tribe by DREASAN, on Flickr

Bokeh by Robertsdonovan

(This link actually has a tutorial on how to take bokeh photos)

Chairs via Leilockhart

The Way I See The World by Maria Hatling

Dandelion Mobile Fabric by Miss Print

See more patterns on Pinterest.

I'm at uni again this semester doing a Masters in Secondary Teaching. It's a different uni to where I did my undergrad and it's nowhere near where I live so there's a lot of travel time! At least I only have to be there two days a week.

I also got a new job which I'll start in a few weeks - again, only two days a week so it'll fit in around uni and my other job.

This is my first weekend at home in about a month. I've been visiting my parents a lot and skiing with them, and went on a road trip to Victoria with my friends two weeks ago. With my weekends away and uni being out of the city, I'm very much living a half city/half country life at the moment. That makes me pretty happy as I can never quite decide which one I like more.

Just for fun, here's a video of my brother's dog determined to have a sleep in despite my brother and his fiance trying to wake her up:

Vegan Friendly Non-Leather Handbags

2011-07-19T19:48:00.009+10:00

I love leather handbags, but I feel like there's not a lot of variety amongst them. Do a search for 'non-leather handbags' and almost every result is some kind of fake leather look-a-like. I understand that people like vegans don't want to buy real leather, and the real thing can be expensive, but there's so much more out there than cheap polyurethane. So for people who purposefully avoid leather, or those who just want something different, here are some great non-leather handbags I've found lately.

Everyday Bags

Wool Shoulder bag, US$38, by Marbled

Preppy Nylon Sasha Messenger Bag, US$178, Marc by Marc Jacobs

Convertible Pretzel Bag, AU$58 by Bell Street

'Daniel' canvas bag, US$45 by christystudio

Mustard canvas bag, US$35 by TippyThai
(I have this bag in grey and use it all the time!)

Evening/Clutch Bags

Grosgrain clutch with perspex clasp, AU$51.38 by ASOS

Marcella Raffia Clutch, AU$60.92 by Mar Y Sol

Weave Metal Tip Envelope Clutch, AU$51.38 by ASOS

Remember I while ago I mentioned that I was working on a Bell Street Clutch? It didn't work out as well as I wanted it to so I never ended up posting pictures. I still like the concept of it - a clear plastic clutch with a fabric inner pocket - but I'm not happy with the execution so I need to figure out how to make it better.

Tote Bags

Aviator Tote, AU$84.62 by Rag & Bone

Window Shopper bag, AU$38 by Bell Street

Bicycle Tote Bag, US$10 by theboldbanana

Reversible ONE by FEED 1 bag, AU$47.87 by Shopbop

Small Bags

Patent Twist Lock Saddle Bag, AU$34.25 by ASOS

Ruffled Waist Purse, US$38 by Kinies

Saddle Pouch in Oatmeal, US$43 by Minus

Larger Bags

Spot Print Bowling Bag, AU$42.81 by ASOS

Laser Shiny Large Weekender, AU$116.05 by LeSportsac

TV Canvas Tote, $25 by Kormageaux

Summer Brights

Stockholm Large Stripes, US$59 by Ikabags

QT Canvas Tote, US$42 by Kinies

Convertible Pretzel Bag, AU$58 by Bell Street

Sailor Tote Bag, US$33 by Bayanhippo

Harry Potter: It all ends

2011-07-13T18:38:00.002+10:00

Last night (and early this morning) my friends and I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1 at 9pm and part 2 at midnight.
It. was. AWESOME!

That's all. Go and see it!

IFB Links a la Mode

2011-07-04T17:09:00.002+10:00

I haven't posted at all this week. That's not particularly unusual for me, except that I had gotten into a good blogging rhythm for awhile there and had every intention to keep that going. But, I didn't. I have no excuses.
Anyway, I was sitting here trying to think of something, anything I could post tonight to get myself out of the posting drought when I realised that I had been featured in this week's Links a la Mode from Independent Fashion Bloggers. Yay! That explains where the extra traffic was coming from. So, here's the full list of links featured this week, with an excellent introduction by Vahni.

Hey blogger. Get over yourself. Seriously.

Edited by Vahni of Grit & Glamour

This week I'm fresh out of love and rainbows, so there will be no kumbaya intro. Doesn't mean I don't love y'all, but I have got to tell you that lately, I'm a wee bit peeved by the fame-whoring and big-noting going on in the fashion blogosphere (and Twitterverse). Who of us doesn't want brand endorsements and blogging fame? We're all stars in our own right, and there is nothing wrong with ambition. But no one likes a self-absorbed, one-sided braggart. And no one likes an ass-kisser. Period.

Have you given props to someone other than yourself lately? Is every status update about hyping you? Is everything in your life now about the blog? As Emily of Ruby Slipper Journeys wonders in her post, are you capturing reality on your blog or manufacturing it? If any of this sounds like you, you might be on the road to becoming a full-blown fame monster. Maybe it's time to check yourself.

A Challenge

If you're destined for blogging fame, it will come through dedication, professionalism, and genuine respect. Through interaction, supporting your community, and authenticity. Let's take blogging back to its roots. This week's roundup is chock full of posts teeming with creativity, wit, and wisdom. I challenge you all to not only read and comment on at least 10 blog posts, but to share them as well. Find something that resonates with you and tweet it, like it, stumble it. All those hearts and thumbs up weren't made just for you.

Links à la Mode: June 30th

Beautifully Invisible: A Rant: Why Women Are (at times) Their Own Worst Enemy

Bell Street: Zero-waste patternmaking

Beyond Fabric: Key-carrying options for guys

Brunette Blogging: Tips & Tricks: How to get more blog traffic

By Anika: On being non-conformist from within

Divergent Musings: The blogger's dilemma: I want nice pictures, but do I get a DSLR?

Fashables: Men that like fashion are gay

Grit & Glamour: What V Wore: Modern Greek

Haute in Texas: Lingerie tips and tricks, because life is too short to wear boring panties.

In Between Seams: Tips on scoring an internship from a Teen Vogue internIndependent Fashion Bloggers: What Twitter Taught Me About Interaction Online

Kirstin Marie: Fashion Inspiration: Patterns & Textures

Made-to-Travel: Tumblr party pics and why you should join tumblr for fun—and for your blog.

Mis Papelicos: A sartorial and philosophical approach to keeping cool

My Orange Stilettos: The Campaign for Clearer Clothes Sizing

North On Harper: Runway To Room: Milla Jovovich (translating a red carpet look into a room in your home)

Over 50 Feeling 40: How I chose what the mother of the bride would wear

Ruby Slipper Journeys: The problem with "blogger poses," and getting back to what's authentic.

Sprinkles in Springs: DIY a spiked bag like Alexander Wang's Rocco satchel

Style Sizzle: It's hot out. Let's talk about (preventing) boob sweat.

The Citizen Rosebud: As a +40 personal style blogger I share what and why I dress the way I do.

The Loudmouth Lifestyle: Be a better shopper, part two: Implementation

-----------SPONSOR:

Women's Shoes Sale at Shopbop: Heeled Sandals, Wedges, Platform Sandals, Pumps, Ballet Flats, Clogs, Heeled Boots, & Gladiators Sandals.

This now means I've posted two links lists in a row, but I'll do some more original posts later this week. Promise! I'm thinking of doing some posts about general sewing tips - how to get to know your sewing machine, common newbie mistakes, handy clothes alteration tricks, etc. Do you have any particular questions or topics you'd like covered? What would you like to learn how to do?

Latest Links

2011-06-26T09:32:00.003+10:00

Articles, photos, blogs, art and other generally awesome things I've found on the internet lately.

Trawlin' the archives: Group photos from Krisatomic

Not ugly shoes from Twins for Peace (via Frankie magazine). I love the idea of Toms: for every pair you buy, they give a pair of shoes to a child in need. Let's face it though - they're ugly. No matter how many cool people wear them and make them cool by association, they are not good looking shoes. Twins for Peace have a similar concept, and look cool.

"Each TWINS collection is associated with a Shoe Project that we establish in partnership with an NGO in a developing country. Each time you wear you TWINS, you act as a TWINS Ambassador. The TWINS you bought have financed the donation of a second pair of shoes to a needy child. The second pair of shoes are produced in the Shoe Project's country, as a way to stimulate its economy. Each pair of shoes donated is tailored to the needs of the children."

Draw! Pilgrim sells beautiful prints and also has a great blog

Should Be On The Nanny photoshops Fran Drescher's head onto current fashion photos that look like the sort of outfits Miss Fine used to wear on The Nanny. I don't think I need to explain why that's awesome.

I love these photos of Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas (from theredtelephone)

How To Steal Like An Artist (And 9 Other Things Nobody Told Me) by Austin Kleon

Top Tips for the Vintage Virgin from Hepwrights

Alice + Olivia Resort 2012 via Girl Loves Color

A very comprehensive Alexander McQueen retrospective from The Haute Hoosier

Kate and William looked gorgeous on Armed Forces Day last week (via What Kate Wore)

For next time - what's the best thing you've found on the internet lately?

Holly Fulton

2011-06-24T19:02:00.009+10:00

Holly Fulton is one of my favourite current designers. Her work is distinctive and instantly recognisable with her focus on jewellery and art deco embellishment.
I love her colour palettes, 60s silhouettes and geometric prints. When gathering inspiration for my grad collection last year, I had a lot of Holly Fulton images on my mood boards!

Royal College of Art Grad Collection

all images from style.com and hollyfulton.com

Which designers are you loving at the moment?

and...

Have you liked Bell Street's Facebook page yet?

New bag colours in store!

2011-06-22T20:40:00.006+10:00

Just wanted to let you know there are some new bags in the shop!

Convertible Pretzel Bag - Blue, $58

Window Shopper Bag - Blue, $38

The green bags have been in stock for awhile but I don't think I've mentioned them here yet. The turquoise print is less of a contrast than the orange/blue, but I love how it looks.

Convertible Pretzel Bag - Green, $58

Window Shopper Bag - Green, $38

Shop Here!

Also, I finally made a Facebook page for Bell Street. I'd love it if you could Like it and/or Share it so it looks a bit less lonely!

Facebook

Zero-Waste Patternmaking

2011-06-18T20:16:00.012+10:00

Zero-waste patternmaking is the art of creating a pattern for the garment which uses every part of a piece of fabric - so there are no scraps left over. It's a lot harder than it sounds and requires you to design 'backwards', in that the shape of the pattern pieces takes first priority over the final appearance of the garment. You might have seen it on Project Runway once, when it was set as a challenge. I think one of the contestants ended up making a handbag and stuffing the scraps inside!

I first learned about zero-waste patternmaking while I was at uni. We had a tutor called Timo Rissanen who was working on his PhD on Fashion Creation Without Fabric Waste Creation. He is now teaching at Parsons in New York and has become known as a bit of an expert on zero waste fashion and sustainable design.

Timo had an exhibition at uni while I was there and we were fascinated by his pattern diagrams and the interesting details on the resulting garments. Timo's blog has drawn my attention to other zero-waste designers (This post is a great place to start).

Sam Formo

Jennifer Whitty

Mark Liu

Holly McQuillan - Spot the words 'war' and 'peace' in these patterns!

Tara St James - Study N.Y. I think this is who my friend Laura is interning with at the moment. Speaking of Laura, her uni collection was also zero-waste.

Laura Poole

When I was working on my Convertible Pretzel and Window Shopper bags, I had zero-waste patternmaking in mind and designed the marker (layout of the pattern pieces) so that I could fit both styles in one piece of fabric with zero waste. This was partly for sustainable reasons, but mostly to make the bags more affordable and to eliminate mess in the studio! I can't stand having little bits of fabric all over the place, I'm constantly wondering whether a piece is a rubbish or a lost pattern piece, is it too small to keep or too big to throw out, will it come in handy at one point? So much easier to eliminate the waste altogether.

The marker for the Convertible Pretzel and Window Shopper Bags

I do, however, have two confessions to make.
One, zero-waste patternmaking is pretty easy when your patterns consist entirely of different sized rectangles. I'm not even going to try and compete with people who design whole collections this way!
Two, I wasn't entirely successful. I was left with a small rectangle left over that I have been trying to figure out how to use. Luckily, an idea for a cute clutch bag popped into my head the other day and I can't wait to make a sample and show you! It won't be a zero-waste pattern, but it's small enough that it will fit in that leftover space.
The eagle-eyed among you will also notice that the Convertible Pretzel bag's flap has rounded corners - so there are some teeny tiny scraps there!

Ten Photos - June

2011-06-17T21:43:00.005+10:00

Another post where I share ten random photos I've taken lately.

This is the river near my house. There are walking/cycle paths along both sides and I love going there in the late afternoon when everyone is out walking their dogs. It's a nice way to forget you live in a city.

I have so many photos of the opera house because I go past it on the ferry on the way to the zoo. Seems rude not to take a photo of some sort, everyone else is doing it!

Another ferry photo.

On the weekend we had a Queen's Birthday party. I love the Union Jack so I was a bit enthusiastic about the decorations! note my very special Royal Wedding tea towel hanging in the window!

Had a big sewing day yesterday working on Window Shopper bags. See the new blue colour? It has a bright orange print.

I love the look of my Bell Street labels all together and decided to store them in a glass jar so I can look at them more often. I think it looks nice!

I said in my last post that I don't usually photograph my food, but this salad was so amazing I had to take a photo to remind myself to make it again! It was grilled apples with lemon juice, bacon, blue cheese and chopped walnuts drizzled with honey. Yum!

Remember Steven Bradbury from the 2002 Winter Olympics? He won a gold medal in the speed skating when everyone in front of him fell over. Last weekend we discovered him at Perisher trying out the new ice rink at Smiggins with all the kiddies.

I recently started making popcorn the old-fashioned way (on the stove) and I'm immensely proud of myself! Have you ever mastered something really simple and felt like you're some kind of genius? just me? Popcorn makes a great sewing snack. I clearly made too much in this photo though, I have since gotten better at working out how much to make.

Vivid Sydney Festival

2011-06-06T23:26:00.005+10:00

On Thursday night my boyfriend and I headed down to Circular Quay to check out the Vivid Sydney festival. I'd already seen a bit of it with my parents the week before but I wanted to return with my camera and show James. Of course it was all ridiculously hard to photograph, but that didn't stop everyone from trying! I felt like everyone there had a camera, and we were constantly walking into people's photos! It was kind of funny.

The projections on Customs House were absolutely amazing to watch but all look pretty boring in photos. I guess it's because the amazing part was the way it all moved and changed - if you watched it long enough, it looked like the actual building was breathing in and out, transforming itself, crumbling down and building back up again. Had to be there, sorry!

I'm surprised the Bridge didn't put up any party lights. Try harder next year, bridge (but don't worry, I still love you).

The projections on the Opera House were my favourite part. They kept changing and there were lots of different styles - I liked this psychedelic one best though. There was also a good one where the sails looked like rainbow fans, opening and shutting. I could have watched them all for hours!

There was a fire show set to Katy Perry's 'Firework' and Stravinsky's Firebird suite. It was basically just lots of fireballs. Kept us warm though.

We headed to the Australian Hotel for pizza. I didn't take any photos - I know photographing your food is some kind of blogger cliche but it never occurs to me. I just want to eat it! So you'll have to just trust me that the Peking Duck pizza is delicious.

Testing night photography skills while waiting for the train.

Vivid Sydney is on until Monday 13th June. If you go on the weekend, the Rocks Night Markets are on too. Check it out if you haven't already!

Shh... Shop's open!

2011-05-31T20:03:00.008+10:00

Click here to buy Bell Street bags!
The store isn't exactly fully stocked at the moment but I needed to just stop procrastinating and get it all online so I can start moving some of these bags out of here!

The Convertible Pretzel Bag

The Convertible Pretzel Bag converts from a shoulder bag to a backpack in seconds. No clips, zips, buttons or fussy straps! Perfect for school/uni/college or travelling. Carry it over one shoulder for easy access and wear it as a backpack when you've got a long walk or your bag gets too heavy.

Available in yellow, orange and grey. Blue and green coming soon!

Untitled from Ali Kenworthy on Vimeo.

Window Shopper Bags

The Window Shopper bag is roomy and convenient, perfect for a big day out or just doing the groceries. It features two clear plastic pockets on the outside of the bag, so you never have to hunt around for your sunglasses again. Use the pockets for your phone, keys, water bottle - anything you want to keep handy.

Available in yellow, orange and grey. Blue and green coming soon!

Shop Here!

Remember you can also order raincoats here

Mentors

2011-05-26T10:10:00.002+10:00

Awhile ago (actually, over a year ago) I did a post on Paul Smith, intended as the first in a series of posts about my mentors. I never did any other mentor posts - although I guess I could count Elton John as a style mentor and I have mentioned Kylie Hawkes on here before.
The mentor thing came about when this blog was being written as an assignment. The subject was called Professional Practice and it was all about preparing to graduate, finding jobs and exploring who we are as designers. We were given the task of identifying who our mentors were. At first I was confused because no matter what Whitney Houston might think, I've never searched for a hero or someone to look up to. My parents do the job pretty well and I've always liked to figure things out by myself.
I finally understood the task when my teacher explained that mentors don't always need to be like Mr Miyagi from the Karate Kid - they can be people you don't know, they can be in a completely different industry. It's just about identifying people who you admire and can learn from in some way.
This post by Nubby Twiglet reminded me of the whole mentor thing and I thought I should finally finish what I started last year and tell you about the rest of my mentors. I'm not doing a whole post on each, though - just a little bit about them and why I chose them.

Nubby Twiglet is my blogging/online mentor. She's a freelance graphic designer and has pretty much nailed the whole using-your-blog-to-promote-your-business thing. She's created a strong personal brand and an excellent website that showcases her aesthetic and allows readers to get to know the person behind the work. She's always generous with her advice and I can learn a lot from her through reading her blog, especially her 'Ask Nubby' posts.

Mary Quant is my ultimate I-want-to-be-just-like-you mentor. She was a huge influence on the sixties fashion scene and her first shop 'Bazaar' gave me the idea for my dissertation on fashion retail in sixties London. She inspires me because she managed to build a very successful fashion business without slaving to the deadlines and expectations of the ‘fashion world’. She ignored the conventions of two seasons a year and designed small collections all year round, constantly adapting and changing the brand to reflect what her customers wanted.

I have read her book 'Quant by Quant' over and over, and when Mum and I were in London last year we tracked down her original shop, which is now a pasty shop. We had a cup of tea there and when we checked with the waiter that it was indeed the location of her shop, he was so excited that we knew! He was a big Mary Quant fan and so was the other guy working there, who was a fashion student. He then introduced us to some people sitting outside who have lived in Chelsea since the fifties and had some cool memories of the King's Road and Bazaar. I love that even though the shop itself is long gone, there's a sort of Mary Quant appreciation club going on at the pasty shop!

Me with my new friends outside the original location of Bazaar

Kylie Hawkes is the only one I actually know personally. That isn't her in the photo, it's a model wearing my favourite ever shorts which I have in black and pink and the world's comfiest jumper which I have in grey. I've worked for Kylie for about two and a half years and am always learning. She did the same course as me at the same uni, and won the business competition that I came second in last year. Her eponymous label started out at Paddington markets and is now sold in select boutiques all around the country. Oh, and online - she happens to be having a sale on OzSale this weekend! what a coincidence!

Paul Smith is my if-my-dad-was-a-fashion-designer mentor. As I explained in my post about him, there are a lot of similarities between Paul Smith and my dad. They are both called Paul, they both get up early to go swimming every morning, they are both obsessed with cycling and the tour de france. They've also both owned a mini cooper and they both like Harry Potter. So they're pretty much the same except one's a fashion designer and the other isn't. Although with me doing a fashion degree and Mum being a fashion teacher, My dad's probably been to more fashion shows than the average dad. Now I've talked more about Dad than about Paul Smith but I already talked about why he's awesome in last year's post.

Now I feel like I have to mention my mum after all that dad-rambling. She taught me to sew and let me use as much fabric as I liked and use the sewing machine as often as I wanted. Then she said I didn't have to go to uni after high school which turned out to be a bit of clever reverse psychology but it worked so I have her to thank for becoming a fashion designer. She also let me take the good sewing machine and overlocker when I moved out, so that was pretty awesome. Mum had her own little business in the 80s making appliqued jumpers with koalas and gum leaves and stuff on them that hipster kids would probably spend $80 on now for their kitschy-Australiana-coolness.

Pete Townshend of The Who was also listed in my mentor assignment because I had this thing at uni where I would try to sneak The Who into as many assignments as possible (I was pretty successful). I chose Pete because, like my other mentors, he does things differently. He looks at everything as art and is always striving to do something new, preferring to write experimental concept albums rather than aiming for ‘hits’. He's a bit of a grumpy bugger now but I think you're allowed to be when you've had the same job for fifty years! He's got an autobiography coming out next year and I can't wait to read it.

Who are your mentors?

New (old) coat

2011-05-22T16:04:00.005+10:00

When my Dad and I were in Japan, we noticed girls everywhere wearing cute duffle coats. Dad saw one in a department store that was exactly like one he used to have. I said I knew exactly which coat he was talking about, because I've tried it on before and wished it was my size. Ever since I first read Paddington Bear I've loved the look of duffle coats.

I started looking for one of my own, which seemed easy as every store was stocking a variety of duffle coats. None of them were quite right though. They all had fur trims, the fabric was too thin and cheap, they had crazy linings, or if they were nice they were too expensive (or they only came in tiny Japanese sizes).

I kept saying to dad 'It needs to be that nice camel colour that yours is'... 'I want proper horn toggles like on yours'... 'I like how yours has a tartan lining'... you can see where this was going. Finally sick of wandering around crazy Japanese clothing shops, Dad said 'If you can make my old coat fit you, it's yours'. I thought about it and realised that although it would be a big job (literally - it was a huge coat), it would be worth it to have the lovely fabric and proper trims.

So when we got home, we dug the coat out of the wardrobe.

It was huge, had a few little moth holes and stunk of moth balls. I was happy though, because the fabric and trims were just as nice as I remembered and the way it was constructed meant that the job would be a little bit easier than I originally thought.

I re-set the sleeve, bringing the shoulders in and making the sleeve just the right length. I narrowed the sleeve and the side seams. I added princess seams at the front and darts at the back. I moved the pockets upwards and hacked about 25cm off the bottom.

I'm so happy with how it turned out! I'm glad I took my time to do it properly, and extra glad I didn't buy a cheap reproduction in Japan. I love this coat!

Of course the weekend that I finally finished this lovely warm coat has been the warmest weather in weeks! Winter is supposed to be just over a week away and we've had sunny 24 degree weather (that's 75 fahrenheit). So I had to throw on a winter-y outfit to take these photos because it looks stupid wearing a coat over a t-shirt and shorts.

I googled Gloverall and found that they are still making duffle coats in a huge range of beautiful colours! For three hundred pounds though, I think I'll just stick with my customised vintage version!

No longer a fashion student

2011-05-18T21:18:00.003+10:00

Yesterday I received a Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles with First Class Honours. It was fun! The Great Hall at our university is being renovated at the moment, meaning that this year's graduation ceremonies were held at Darling Harbour. I think it was much better than having it at uni as it held more people, was a great backdrop for photos and best of all, there was plenty of gelato nearby!

Pinterest and some art

2011-05-14T12:38:00.009+10:00

I'm finding Pinterest to be really helpful for doing these inspiration posts. If you haven't heard of Pinterest, it's this site where you can grab your favourite images from all over the internet and make virtual inspiration boards. The best part is that it automatically grabs the link for you so that the original source always stays with the image. Some of the boards I've made are Fashion, Art, Pattern, Apartment and Puppies. What? sometimes I just like to look at puppies. You can see all of my boards here.

I've been finding a lot of good art lately and wanted to share some.

Prints by Sonnenzimmer via butdoesitfloat (my favourite source for finding awesome art)

Art from maps by Louis Reith via design is mine

Prints by Kate Banazi via The Design Files

Transmorphism by Leif Podhajsky via butdoesitfloat

Landscapes by tchmo

Into the Wild by Amy from Cake With Giants

If you would like an invitation to join Pinterest, email me

Honky Cat - Elton John's Evolution of Style

2011-05-14T08:07:00.008+10:00

Yesterday a message popped up on Google Notifier telling me I'd received an email from Elton John. Actually it was from Ticketek telling me that he's coming back to Sydney soon, but the first thought that popped into my head was 'Oh! Elton's sent me an email!'

Anyway. It reminded me that I had all these photos ready to post. While I was in New Zealand I found a book called Elton John: The Illustrated Biography by Elizabeth Balmer. Being a big fan of Elton and his awesome style, I had to get it. I think you can really see why Elton is such a fan of Lady GaGa, the music industry had gotten far too boring!

I wonder if he and David take photos of their baby wearing Elton's glasses... I know I would! He definitely has the best collection around.

I'm far too poor to go and see him in concert, but that's ok because I saw him a few years ago and it was such a perfect show that I kind of want to leave it there. Is that strange? Have you ever had a really great experience and then when you try to repeat it, it's just not the same?

Get your raincoats here!

2011-05-11T08:25:00.006+10:00

I know it's been a long time coming, but I am finally accepting orders for raincoats!
I'll be making them to order so you can choose your size and binding colour.

The raincoat is made from clear PVC with cotton binding on the seams. It fastens with invisible plastic snaps down the front and has two large pockets. The coat is fitted around the shoulders and flares out into an awesome swinging A-line shape!

Please note that the coat in the photo above has wool binding - this gives the seams a raised fuzzy look, while the cotton sits flat. The coat you order will have cotton binding like the coat in the pictures below. This keeps the costs down and is quicker to produce, meaning you'll get your coat faster!

Here's how it works:

1. You email me with your measurements and preferred binding colour. The best way to get the right measurements is to find a (non-stretch) jacket that fits you well, and measure the width of the back between the shoulders. This is the most important measurement for me as this is where the jacket is most fitted. I'll also need your sleeve length and a bust measurement.

2. I'll find the binding in your preferred colour and email you a photo, as well as a time frame for production. This will usually be around two weeks, but may be slightly more or less depending on how many other orders I have and how busy my other job is.

3. You approve the binding colour, confirm your order and pay for the coat with Paypal. The cost of each coat is $110 (Australian dollars) + $15 shipping for Australian customers, or $25 shipping for international orders.

When the coat is finished, I'll take a photo and email you to let you know it's on it's way!

If you have any more questions, feel free to email me or ask in the comments.

Order here!

Ten photos

2011-05-10T09:29:00.003+10:00

I take a lot of random photos that don't really fit in to any of my iPhoto events or blog posts - you know those photos you take when you're bored, or playing with your camera, the ones that just sort of sit by themselves in a lonely little folder and get forgotten about? I have so many of these that I decided I'm going to start putting them all in a folder together, and every time that folder gets to ten photos, I'll post them here. Ok? Let's do this.

My boss recently got back from Bali and gave me this cute beaded basket/box. When I was little I had a pair of shoes covered in sequins and beads like this!

I made meringues to eat while watching the Royal Wedding. Did you watch it? We were lucky in Australia that it ended up being on in the evening so we didn't have to get up in the middle of the night or miss it while we were at work. My mum and I were on skype the whole time so we could have a kind of long-distance wedding party!

This pink VW is parked in our street all the time, I'm not sure if anyone ever drives it. Perfect subject for the 'select colour' function on my camera!

I took a photo of this outfit as a kind of 'note to self' to wear more colour, more often. I love working with bright colours but as soon as the weather cools down I tend to go for navy, khaki or grey! Bright colours are so much more fun.

Whenever I remember I like to get a $5 bunch of flowers to have in the house. I think my big vase broke so these had to live in my red jug, but I think they suit it.

When Dad and I were in Japan we were shocked at the price of these Hina dolls we kept seeing in department stores. Mainly because we knew that I had a set at home! My 'Japanese Grandparents' sent them to me when I was two and thankfully my Mum recognised that they were special and didn't let me play with them! There is a bride and groom, little furniture for them to sit on, flower vases, lamps, a screen and a music box. They are given to little girls as part of Hinamatsuri or Girl's Day.

There is a new installation thingy at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. From the outside it kind of looks like a mound of dirt with some grass growing on it, but inside it is really light and tranquil and... hard to describe.

Right in the middle of the installation.

My dad loves to cook Japanese food and this time he really outdid himself! Edamame, yakitori, gyoza, Japanese pickles, miso and cabbage with tongkatsu sauce. Yum!

This little elephant had his first birthday in March and the zookeepers put on a little party for him. He got lots of boxes of bananas, big ice blocks filled with treats and a big shiny blue ball (inside the cardboard box). After about five minutes he was completely overwhelmed and stood next to the keepers while the rest of the heard enjoyed his presents. It was all very cute!

My Dunedin photos

2011-04-14T11:55:00.000+10:00

These are some of my photos from our trip to Dunedin for the iD International Emerging Designer Awards

Arriving in torrential rain and hail

The beautiful (and freezing cold) Otago Peninsula

Helping myself to some free samples at Speight's Brewery

Display of vintage fashion photos at the Otago Daily Times, who hosted the opening night pary

My models dressed & ready on judging day

My friend Laura taking photos at an exhibition we went to at Salisbury Boutique.

Cadbury Factory!

Haul from the Cadbury factory... actually I ate a few things before I took this photo!

Backstage at the Emerging Designer Awards

One of Laura's headdresses

Doing some hand modelling to pass the time

My Collection on stage (wish they'd given my dad a better seat!)

My awesome assistant, Margo

Akira Isogawa's collection at the railway station

Dunedin Railway Station

The conservatory at the beautiful Dunedin Botanic Gardens

So glad we finally got a warm-ish sunny day to explore the gardens!

We took a little road trip to nearby Invercargill which also has beautiful gardens. This little goat lives at the mini-zoo in the gardens.

I love bunnies.

iD Dunedin Emerging Designer Awards

2011-04-13T10:54:00.010+10:00

I spent last week in New Zealand at the iD Dunedin Fashion week to take part in the Emerging Designer Awards on Thursday night. Despite the freezing weather all week I had a lot of fun and enjoyed being part of such a great show.

Having finished the collection almost 6 months ago the judging day and awards night was relatively stress-free for me as I already know that the collection 'works' and I'm not as emotionally attached to it as I was when I'd just spent three solid months making it. So it was easy to talk about to the judges & media (I'd be pretty happy if I never had to sum up my inspiration ever again) and didn't really require any pre-show prep like ironing, steaming, mending etc. Opening the show also meant that I had plenty of time to get the models ready, and I was able to just enjoy the rest of the night taking photos backstage. I should also mention that students from Otago Polytechnic volunteered as dressers and assistants (yes, I got my own assistant!) so that was a huge help in making the night run smoothly.
No prizes for me, which was a shame but I did enjoy the honour of opening the show and finding my work in various media publications around Dunedin!
I haven't found too many photos of my work from the night, but then that might be a good thing because this blog is pretty much filled with photos of this collection! I did like the natural hair & makeup much more than our grad show so I'm glad I found a few photos.

Photo: Seen in Dunedin
Models (L-R): Clementine, Tara, Nicole, Cecily & Christina from Ali McD

Photo: NZ Herald
Model: Tara from Ali McD

Photo: Otago Daily Times
Model: Nicole from Ali McD

Otago Tourist Times

Air New Zealand in-flight magazine

Remix Magazine

A couple of articles that mentioned me:

Fashion NZ
"It is possible that this reviewer likes sci fi a bit too much, but with Alexandra Kenworthy’s (Aus) Pierre Cardin-esque/2001 A Space Odyssey sixties space age future wear to the Dune stylings of Marie Kelly (NZ), Sarah Peterson (Netherlands) and Jo Templin (Aus) – Hollywood need look no further for innovative costume designers for their next film." (Miranda Likeman)

NZ Herald
"Amelia Boland's white baby doll dress and Alexandra Kenworthy's fun Carnaby Street-inspired yellow jacket had me scribbling 'I WANT' in my notes." (Zoe Walker)

Also, while shamelessly googling myself to find media about the show I found a blog post on Flaming Hippo Lips with photos from last year's grad show. Because clearly you haven't seen enough photos of this collection...

Edit - Mum just let me know that I was also mentioned on the Vogue Italia website when the finalists were first announced!

These are some of the other collections that showed on Thursday night:

I'm not usually into all-black collections but I loved Marielle Van De Ven's styling.

Miyoko Kamijo's collection had amazing accessories and one of my current favourite colour combinations - yellow and grey.

Hui Vivien Zhang went to uni with me - I love the purple dress in the middle, it has a gorgeous back view too.

Laura Poole also went to UTS, and did a zero-waste collection using digital prints.

The other UTS rep was Sarah Mok who won 3rd Prize.

I thought Julia Campbell's collection was particularly good because her collection was very diverse yet still worked together beautifully - very hard to achieve in only five looks!

All photos from Seen in Dunedin

Pretzel bag

2011-04-05T13:27:00.000+10:00

This is the second of my Bell Street bags. I've been calling it the Pretzel bag simply because it has a pretzel printed on it, but then so does the other bag! This bag was designed first and in my mind it'll always be the pretzel bag.
So I invented this one while I was at uni, where I had to carry ridiculously heavy books and equipment to and from uni every day. I would sometimes use a backpack, but being a fashion student I wanted something that looked better. I also hated having to take my backpack off every time I wanted to get something out! I decided I wanted something that could be a backpack during my 40min walk to uni, and convert quickly into a shoulder bag on arrival. There are hundreds of convertible backpacks out there, but none of them were right for me - they either looked hideous (I would rather have just been seen with a normal backpack) or the conversion was too complicated. I didn't want to have to stop, put my bag down, and deal with fussy zips and clips. I'm pretty much always running late so I needed to be able to convert the bag while walking up the street.
I'm so proud of this bag. There have been a few versions of it where I have made little adjustments to the size and straps, but I'm really happy with this final version. They key point for me is that when you are wearing this as a shoulder bag, you can't tell at all that it can also be a backpack. Oh, and it converts in a matter of seconds.

Untitled from Ali Kenworthy on Vimeo.

Shopper bags

2011-04-03T13:44:00.006+10:00

This is one of the two main bag styles I have created for Bell Street. The Shopper is roomy, has an inside lining pocket and two clear plastic outer pockets for important things like your sunglasses, phone, keys etc. There's nothing worse than digging around a bag full of school books to find your keys, or having your sunglasses squished by a bag of vegetables!
I love the size of this bag and the pockets are so handy. I take this to the supermarket a lot and the staff have often commented on its practicality!
I've been making up samples of these and hope to be able to start production when I get back from New Zealand - I leave tomorrow. I'm going over for the iD Dunedin International Emerging Designer Awards. Exciting!

Label

2011-03-28T13:24:00.002+11:00

Finally got some labels made for the business! I love the colour combination, but it is ridiculously hard to photograph/scan. It looks good in person, I promise!
I'm madly making bag samples and getting everything organised for iD Dunedin Fashion Week, so I haven't had time for much else lately. When I get back I'll be setting up an online store with some samples from my business presentation collection and some bits and pieces from last year as well.

Filling my days

2011-03-08T22:28:00.005+11:00

Today I set up a (very primitive) screen printing workshop in my garage. It needs more work and proper furniture, but it works pretty well as is! I had so much fun setting it up and making a big mess printing, then I was able to just shut the door and go upstairs to my clean, print-free apartment. Perfect.

In the middle of all this I went out with my friends to have a milkshake, and we stopped to play at the local park on the way home. The flying fox is just too good to walk past without having a go!

I also woke up yesterday to a beautiful big hibiscus on my balcony. It's gone today, so I'm glad I got a photo while it was looking pretty.

Guys of the Sixties

2011-03-06T19:07:00.005+11:00

I kind of miss all the sixties posts I used to do. This blog started out as an assignment for uni and so I had to be publishing regular content, but I think by the time the assignment was over I had sort of run out of things to post about! I really liked those posts though (if you're a relatively new reader, have a look through my archives from March-June last year), so I want to start doing more of them again. To start off with I'm going to post some pictures of some of my favourite sixties guys... Why? Because I feel like it. Enjoy.

Pete Townshend

Mick Jagger

Ray Davies

Jack Nicholson

John Lennon

Elton John

Keith Richards

Jimi Hendrix

David Bowie

John Entwhistle

Ray Charles

Roger Daltrey

Michael Caine

Keith Moon

Jim Morrison

Thailand

2011-02-27T16:59:00.008+11:00

I loved our trip to Thailand because neither of us really had much of an idea of what we wanted to do there! I was very much looking forward to playing with the elephants, and I had a vague idea about a place where you could get close to tigers, but apart from that I just wanted some good Thai food and quality beach time! I got all of that and more. I especially loved all the colours everywhere (my camera did too). I kept taking photos of plants, and just today my boyfriend and I went to the nursery and bought a bunch of tropical plants so our balcony now looks very Thai!

We now have something very similar to this on our balcony

This fence reminded me of Nubby Twiglet

We loved the delicious cheap fruit shakes available everywhere we went!

Bought one of these today too!

Mimi, the adorable 2 month old tiger cub

Sunflower, the 1 year old.

The Chinese New Year Lion visiting all the businesses in Chiang Mai

My naughty 2 and a half year old elephant, Tongkham

Decorated float for the Chiang Mai flower festival

Fairy Floss time...

Beach time!

Kyoto, Nara, Shiga Kogen, Tokyo

2011-02-19T09:15:00.008+11:00

I'm putting the rest of my Japan pics all in one post because I want to get to the Thailand photos! Half of these are on my old camera and the rest are on my new camera - can you tell the difference?

A family friend was kind enough to open his Kimono shop to show me all the different textiles. It was so interesting!

We rented bikes to get around Kyoto & Nara - it's such an easy way to travel in Japan! It started snowing several times during our ride in Kyoto.

Cute deer at Nara

Amazing patterns in the bark of this tree

Arriving at Shiga Kogen to more snow than they'd seen in a long time!

Tokyo!

Awesome rockers dancing at Yoyogi park, Harajuku

Yoyogi park flea market

Tokyo Disneyland

2011-02-15T22:24:00.007+11:00

I have LOTS of travel photos to post so I'll break them up into smaller pieces. Today I'm posting my photos from Tokyo Disneyland! My Dad and I (actually my whole family) absolutely love Disneyland for the awesome rides, beautiful grounds, happy atmosphere and of course that indescribable 'magic'! Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disney park we went to, when my brother and I were only two and four. When Dad and I were planning our Japanese ski trip, we just had to include a trip to Disneyland and DisneySea!

The day before we went, I bought a new camera in Tokyo so Disneyland was the perfect place to try it out!

I know I put these kids in my last post, but HOW AWESOME ARE THEY?!

Splash Mountain

Pirates of the Caribbean

Mickey Mouse pork bun!

I've been wanting to see the Electric Light Parade ever since I was little, when I saw a picture of the Pete's Dragon float in a book. It was every bit as good as my six year old self imagined it would be!

The Mediterranean Harbour at DisneySea

Have you noticed my new camera has a 'miniature' mode?

'Cape Cod' at DisneySea

Arabian Coast at DisneySea

Cute things in Japan

2011-02-01T01:03:00.004+11:00

I got back from Japan almost a week ago but I've been working pretty much the entire time. Any time I haven't been working has been spent trying to keep out of the heat and preparing for our Thailand trip! We leave tomorrow! So until I get back, look at these cute things.

Dogs that live on the top of a mountain

A little deer from Nara

A very cute monkey trying to keep warm in the snow

The most awesome kids ever dressed as Donald & Daisy Duck at Disneyland!

I'll post more photos when I get back. By then I'll have Thailand photos too!

How to dress for skiing in Japan

2011-01-16T21:27:00.023+11:00

For skiing in Australia I'll usually wear a long sleeve tshirt under a normal tshirt, my ski pants and jacket and maybe a scarf. In Japan the temperatures are about 20 degrees colder than your average Australian ski day (the max temperature today was -19 degrees celsius, with the windchill making it -29). This means a few more layers are required. In fact some mornings I think the pile of clothes I'm not wearing is smaller than the pile I am planning to put on! It all feels a bit ridiculous so I thought I'd draw some helpful diagrams to explain how to layer for sub-zero temperatures. I hope these pics work because blogging from an iPod takes forever!

Underwear

Singlet

Tights

Long sleeve tshirt

Leggings

Wool jumper

Another wool jumper

Socks

More socks

Ski pants

Circle scarf (looped around neck and over head)

Ski jacket

Ski boots

Gloves

More gloves

Mittens

Ninja face mask

Ski helmet

Goggles

Skis & poles

Ready!

I'm in Japan!

2011-01-13T22:03:00.005+11:00

Here's the proof! That's me up to my waist in snow today. My dad and I were in Kyoto for a couple of days, now we're skiing for a week at shiga kogen before moving on to Tokyo and Disney land!
I'm on my iPod so it's a bit hard to post properly but I'll post lots of pictures when I get back. That's all for now!

New apartment - living room

2011-01-03T21:33:00.003+11:00

As I've mentioned several times now we've moved fairly recently, and so lately I've been busying myself trying to get things sorted out and make the place look home-y. I've made a lot more progress this week since taking down the Christmas tree and decorations, and I feel like I can almost call the lounge room and kitchen 'done'. I had the genius idea of taking pictures tonight because it looks so pretty and cosy with the lights on, but then remembered that I have a crappy camera that doesn't deal well without natural light. I'm posting them anyway, but be warned that they're a bit blurry and off-colour.

Kitchen

First time owning a tv since I moved out of home 5 years ago!

Print by Emily Martin

I love this mirror and didn't really have anywhere to put it in my old place. Now I get to look at it every day before heading out the door!

The unintentional red and green garden

I hate capsicums but my boyfriend loves them and the mini ones are so pretty on the plant!

While I'm thinking of the camera issue, I'm planning to get a new camera in Japan, any suggestions? I want one of those ones that's sort of in between a point&shoot and a DSLR (like this kinda thing). I would mainly be using it for the blog and photographing products for my business, but also for travel photos too! I have no idea what to get.

Pics from the fashion show

2010-12-22T18:26:00.006+11:00

We finally got the internet connected at our place! Here are the show photos, finally. The runway photos (ie, the good ones) were taken by my brother.

My friend Jess O'Connor's amazing knitwear collection

I won a couple of prizes!

Grad show update

2010-12-10T19:52:00.003+11:00

So I've picked a terrible time to not have proper Internet, but we've moved recently so for now I'm blogging from my brother's iPad. The fashion show was on Wednesday night and went really well! I came runner-up in the business award so I've got a bit of cash to produce some bags and stuff to sell, and I also won a prize sponsored by the co-op bookshop which a nice surprise! Today I found out that I'm a finalist in the iD Emerging Designer Awards, so I'll be showing the collection again at Dunedin Fashion Week in New Zealand next year. It's all very exciting and I'd love to attach photos from last night but I don't think I can do that from this ipad so they'll have to wait unfortunately.
Just wanted to update you and say a big hello to any new readers who were at the show on wednesday! There'll be lots of exciting things happening around here over the summer so stay tuned!

Random backstage photo on facebook - hope it works!

Look four

2010-12-05T17:01:00.006+11:00

The countdown to the show is ON! It's happening this Wednesday night, and I couldn't be more excited! I just found out the other day that I'm also being included in the Preview Show, which is where the uni selects 16 designers (out of 42 in my year group) to present to the media and fashion industry people. Yay!

I also had my presentation for the business grant on Tuesday, I had to present to a panel of ten people and it went for 45 minutes! I was told to prepare for about 15-20 minutes. I think it went pretty well though. My mum and I took some photos of the clothes the morning before, they're not great as we had rain all of last week so we didn't have much light.

Yes, due to popular demand, the rain coat will be part of the new range! Who wants one?

A more ready-to-wear version of the yellow coat from my grad collection

The panel LOVED this bag. It's a satchel that can be worn as a backpack while you walk to uni or when your shoulder needs a break.

I love this bag too. I have a bit of an obsession with big tote bags but I'm sick of losing little things like my sunnies and phone. Plastic pockets to the rescue!

Look Three

2010-11-28T20:41:00.004+11:00

Another look from the collection! I clearly have nothing else to post about. I've been working on some new samples for Bell Street to show in my interview for a business grant on Tuesday!

Yep, that's a pretzel print. The collection is inspired by the Tiergarten in Berlin.

Look Two

2010-11-25T18:17:00.004+11:00

The second look from my graduate collection. This collection already feels 'done' to me, even though we haven't even had the show yet!

That may be because I've already launched myself head first into the next collection! I was selected as one of four finalists to receive a business grant from uni, and I need to do a presentation next week so I've been very busy whipping up samples. I should say my mum has been very busy, she's been helping me a lot while I've been working. I'll take some photos when I have more made up.

Look One

2010-11-21T12:46:00.004+11:00

As I said in my last post I've been undecided whether to reveal my finished collection after the assessment (which was almost a week ago now, oops!) or after the design show. I decided I'll post one look at a time leading up to show. So I'm starting with my favourite, the rain coat look. It's also my favourite photo from the shoot!

It's only a small photo sorry, we moved house yesterday and my hard drive is packed somewhere, so I had to grab this one from an email.

Finished!

2010-11-14T18:38:00.004+11:00

I hate to be such a tease with these pictures, but I'm still deciding whether to do the big reveal of the collection after my assessment (tomorrow) or after the fashion show (December 8th). I'll probably do it tomorrow. This is a photoshoot I did on Thursday with Natasha from eMg Models.
So everything is finally finished. I present it all to my teachers tomorrow, then it's off to the pub!
I am really really really excited to be done!

More collection stuff

2010-11-05T20:19:00.005+11:00

The cupboard is starting to fill up with lots of colourful and exciting things!

I felt like this jumper suited the policeman's helmet. Isn't it the best jumper ever! so keeping this one for myself. That's right, hands off! mine.

THE big puffy cocoon coat. I have made six versions of this throughout the year (you can see one on the chair in the corner of this pic). So I gave this job to my mum because I pretty much never want to look at it again. Also because she was the applique queen in the 80's with her appliqued jumper business.

I always hated this jacket whenever I toiled it but the coloured knit fabric makes all the difference. I like it now.

Lots of lists to keep us organised....

We get a bit silly in the workroom....
My mum kept calling these her 'Adam Ant glasses' after a cartoon she watched when she was a kid. I just googled it and it's actually 'Atom Ant' so now I feel a bit silly.

I forgot to mention earlier, thanks for the comments on the last post. For those who love the raincoat, I am definitely doing a version of it when I start my business next year so you WILL be able to have one! As for the rest of the pieces in the collection, I'll set up an Etsy store to sell some of the garments and some toiles too. Be warned that anything from the collection will be pretty expensive as they are one-off garments made from expensive materials, most hand-dyed, screen printed, or custom knitted. If anyone is REALLY interested in a style, we can discuss re-creating it using more affordable materials and techniques. Thanks for all your interest! It means a lot to me.

Raincoat, skirt, dress finished

2010-11-04T08:41:00.001+11:00

Some more finished garments from the collection. I have a few other things done but haven't taken photos yet. Back to it!

Dress finished

2010-10-24T20:46:00.002+11:00

Finished this dress earlier this week. The weeks have been going really slowly, I feel like I finished this ages ago! I guess that's a good thing, getting lots done. There are a few more nearly-finished things and lots of half-done things. So it's all happening! On Friday I finished up my last bit of screenprinting and handed in my business plan for the business grant application, so that was a good day. Lots more to do though.

First garment finished!

2010-10-20T07:44:00.003+11:00

Yay! I've been so busy working on the collection I haven't really had time to write about it. My mum is helping me and things are coming along really well but it's still kind of overwhelming to think about the amount of work we have to do! I was determined to get this coat finished first because we need to hand in a photo of our work on Friday to be used on the grad show website and little personal profiles we get to hand out at the show. Most fashion students end up using an illustration or a picture of their textiles, because it's unlikely anyone has a whole look finished at this stage. My frustration in previous years has been looking through the profiles to find a particular collection and not being able to connect any of the images with what was shown on the runway. So I was really happy to have this coat finished and ready to photograph on my friend! I will probably use the picture below for the grad show stuff (it has to be a square image).

Note Jenni is wearing my awesome Pucci gumboots! I love them so much.
We're still sewing and printing away, and I'm also working on my business plan so that I can hopefully win a bit of money to start up Bell Street! Next week I'm going to Queensland for a couple of days to visit my cousin and her baby and see the Valentino exhibition, so I should have lots to talk about!

This is the online invite for our grad show. Isn't it cool? The fashion show will be streamed online, so definitely save that date!

Things

2010-10-16T19:36:00.003+11:00

Some random things that I like this week.

Photos of Berlin by Hilda Grahnat

Paintings by James Marshall (via Nubby Twiglet & but does it float)

Trivets from Istanbul via kris's color stripes

Wooden watches (I want one!) from WeWOOD (via ShareSomeCandy)
Cute pigtails in 'balloon' by bubbo-tubbo on flickr (via design is mine)

Paintings by Raul Perdomo (via but does it float)

Alphabet plates and Polaroid coasters from Just Noey (via Hello Tiger!)

This photo of John Lennon from Child of the Moon:

Workroom

2010-10-10T18:42:00.002+11:00

Wanted to show you where I've been hiding lately! We're currently in the process of moving house, and the first priority was to set up my workroom. I love it so much! My boyfriend kindly let me use the biggest bedroom, meaning I've got plenty of room to work and lots of storage space. Best of all, there's lots of lovely natural light and a balcony! Having a separate workroom has made me so much more productive and efficient, I can't believe I've been working in the corner of our bedroom for all these years! My dad and I made the work table from a piece of board and some sawhorses, then used some brackets to raise the height and allow for a shelf underneath. It's just perfect!

Gould's Book Arcade, Newtown

2010-09-30T00:07:00.005+10:00

While procrastinating on Twitter today I came across these photos of Newtown shopkeepers by Nic Bezzina. The photo of Gould (6th pic) reminded me that I took some photos inside his shop a few weeks ago. Gould's bookshop is a bit of a Newtown institution, having been here for over twenty years. The two story emporium (about the size of two tennis courts, according to their website!) is completely packed with second hand books, magazines, videos, records, cassettes and maybe a few CDs. They're open late every night so my boyfriend and I often go after we've been out for dinner and spend about an hour wandering around, usually walking out with a big stack of books!

The cat pathway - always kept clear to allow the shop's cat to get in and out! The second sign is a warning about 'Intruder Cat' who apparently looks very similar to Shop Cat but is not welcome inside the shop! The sign says how to tell the difference between the two cats and instructs customers not to interact with Intruder Cat. I'm not sure whether Intruder Cat is still a problem, but there is a small sign at the counter now telling people not to ask about the shop's cat because they are too distressed to talk about it. So I'd say the cat pathway is more of a memorial now...

Don't forget to do my survey if you haven't already! Thanks!

Survey!

2010-09-23T16:53:00.003+10:00

This picture doesn't have anything to do with this post. My Mum took it.

I'm starting to work on my business plan for my clothing line, and I could really use your help with some market research. I need to define who my customer is and how they shop, so I've made a survey which you can complete here. It only takes a few minutes, although if you've got some time I'd greatly appreciate any extra comments! It'll help me a lot to design a range that you'll love.

I had an assessment on Tuesday where I had to present 6 toiled looks. I stupidly forgot my camera so I don't have photos of the looks on models, but my teacher took some for marking so I'll get those when I get the marks back. I'll put each of the looks on my mannequin and take photos to post here, but it might be awhile... I've been working on these outfits non stop for the last two weeks, I don't even want to look at them right now!

Love by Geneine Honey

2010-09-17T20:07:00.000+10:00

I'm sure a lot of you have probably already heard of Love by Geneine Honey - especially Frankie readers! Their jointed girl and boy dolls have gotten a lot of press and for a long time, I thought that was all they did. I visited their website the other day and was surprised to find a huge range of gorgeous jewellery! I love the sense of nostalgia to it all, without be too overly vintage-cutesy. All of these pieces and many more are available at www.lovehate.com.au

I want this Mary Poppins necklace!

Welcome to Bell Street

2010-09-12T13:38:00.005+10:00

Just a quick post to let you all know what's going on!
As you may know I am planning on starting my own clothing line after I graduate from this course in December. I have chosen the name 'Bell Street' for my business, so this morning I decided to change the blog's name to Bell Street as well. I wanted to get the domain name early so that I could put the address on business cards and promotional material for the end of year show. In December this will grow into a proper website that will include my portfolio, a shop and of course this blog. For now though I've pointed the Bell Street domain straight to the blog so that no one has to look at ugly 'under construction' pages! So the new address for this blog is www.bell-street.com, so update your bookmarks! Don't worry though, the old address will still redirect to here so no one gets lost. If you read this in an RSS reader, the feed name may still display as Worthy. If you want to fix this, just unsubscribe and then subscribe again using the RSS button in my sidebar.
I've updated the blog header too but I'm hoping I'll get some time soon to make something better. Hope you like the new look and new name!

Update! Just noticed that the new address somehow deleted my links list. I've solved the problem by importing all the blogs I'm following w/ Google Friend Connect so I now have the longest links list ever! However, if you're not on it and you'd like to be just let me know. Also let me know if your blog name is incorrect on the list, I have a feeling a few of them are. I keep it in order of most recently updated blog so the more you update, the more you get to be at the top of the list! Of course I'd also really appreciate it if you could return the favour and add me to your links if you have a blog. Thanks!

Inspirational London

2010-09-09T07:30:00.004+10:00

This post has taken me forever to put up, I kept looking at the amount of photos and getting overwhelmed! I wanted to do a post with all the photos from our London trip that relate to my collection. It was a bit late in the project to be gathering inspiration, but it was so much fun to actually be there and finding little details around the city that relate to my textile prints and my colour palette. It renewed my enthusiasm for the project and even gave me a few new ideas to work with! When the collection's done you'll be able to see how all of these images influenced my designs.

Photomosaics made with Big Huge Lab's Mosaic Maker (HUGE timesaver for photo-heavy posts!)

Half-toiled

2010-08-24T08:52:00.003+10:00

I had an assessment yesterday where I had to present three toiled looks. Toiles are like practice garments where you make up your look in cheaper fabric (that is, unless you're using neoprene) to test the fit of your patterns. I'm pretty happy with how my looks are going, I think the shapes are looking good. The panel I presented to had LOTS of comments and suggestions, which is a bit annoying sometimes but I guess I have a lot of work to do now!

Coloured illustrations of the three looks:

After the last assessment, I rushed home to pack my bags and fly to Paris that afternoon! Yesterday was a lot less fun as we have to pretty much get straight back to work, but I did spend the whole day on the couch watching Gilmore Girls so I enjoyed that.

Paris in the old days

2010-08-21T08:38:00.003+10:00

"Eugène Atget was the photographer of Old Paris" (Andreas Krase)

Continuing on the Paris theme, I thought I'd dig up this post from my old blog's archives. Yes, that's lazy, but I have an assessment on Monday so I'll do a better post after that.

These historic photos were taken between 1897 and 1927 in and around Paris. Atget captured the many different facets of Paris in the early 20th century and is now considered one of the most important photographers in the history of art.
I love the way these photos have a kind of eerie 'ghost town' look to them.. and I love the old posters plastered all over the walls! (Oh, and yes, the second photo is the Sacré Couer in construction!)

All photos from 'Eugène Atget's Paris' (Taschen) - I have the small paperback version, so it was a bit hard to scan!

Le Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen - Flea Market!

2010-08-18T22:39:00.006+10:00

Something Mum & I had been looking forward to the most on our trip was exploring real Parisian flea markets - we just don't really have proper flea markets in Australia. Saint-Ouen is said to be Europe's largest flea market, although it could be more accurately described as an entire suburb of different markets. Most deal in antique furniture, but there are plenty of other bits and bobs to be found around the place. I think Marche Vernaison is the most interesting, as it is very old, semi-open air and made up of endless narrow alleyways filled with all sorts of treasures - it has the most variety. We spent a whopping seven hours exploring the area, although if it hadn't have been so hot we probably would have stayed longer. It's definitely a must-see for any market-lovers heading to Paris! There's some useful information here, here, and here.

London photos

2010-08-08T21:29:00.009+10:00

Just some random photos from around London, I'm saving some others for a more specific post on how my trip relates to my collection & inspiration. Let's just say we took a LOT of pictures of fences! I think pretty much all of these photos were taken by my mum.

Oh and also I changed back to the old blog header because on my feedback for this assignment I was told that the original image was stronger. What do you think? I'll probably make another new one when I'm procrastinating one day.

One of these acrobats ran over and tried to pick me up soon after we took this photo!

Our idea of 'lunch'

World Cup Final day. Shame the Netherlands didn't win! They clearly had the best fans.

Update & Paris pics

2010-07-31T14:36:00.008+10:00

It's been a long time between posts! As I mentioned in the last post, this blog is no longer an assessment so I don't have to update it as regularly, but I do want to keep it going so this semester. I will try to post at least once a week, on Saturdays, and more if I have time or find interesting stuff to share. Please understand though that I have a lot of work to do this semester!
By the way, I got an HD (high distinction) for the blog. Woo!
Most of my break was spent in London and Paris, which is an excellent way to completely forget about the worries of fourth year! I was able to relax completely and do a lot of shopping, reading, and taking in shows and exhibitions. The YSL Retrospective at the Petit Palais deserves a post all of its own! I've got lots of new stuff to blog about but I'll start off this week with some photos from Paris. Most were taken by my mum, some by me. I got a bit lazy with the photography side of things! We were in Paris for a week, spending half the time in Montmartre and the other half in Marais (and a day at Disneyland!).

FAIRY FLOSS! There is not enough fairy floss available in Sydney and this needs to be fixed. The pre-made stuff in the bags at the video shop doesn't count.

This is my boyfriend in fifty years' time.

SNAILS! New favourite thing. Yum! (That top is also a new favourite thing).

Crits and Holidays

2010-06-22T22:07:00.007+10:00

As I've mentioned before, this blog was made for a uni assignment this semester. That assignment has now been 'handed in' (how do you really hand in a blog anyway? Hi Donna!), and so you may have noticed that I've kind of slacked off with the updates. I've been VERY busy with working on the collection lately. I feel like I've said/written that sentence a thousand times over the last month or so but trust me, I'm just as sick of saying it as other people are of hearing it!
Tomorrow is quite an exciting day as I have my assessment at 9am, then I'll rush home and run around my apartment madly trying to pack my bag as I'm flying out to Paris in the afternoon! I make it sound like a spontaneous decision but my mum and I have been planning this holiday for over a year so I'm very excited that it's finally happening! We'll head to London after Paris and then back home for another semester of madness. I do plan on keeping the blog going next semester so stay tuned!
For now I'll leave you with some of the endless mood boards we're always making, and the range drawings for the final twelve looks (Should be able to click to enlarge).

Abstract

Sixties London

Streets of London

Sixties lifestyle
Sixties fashion
Colour palette
Textile print development
Range Drawings
See you in a few weeks!