Shakuhachi

     
                                                                                                                         Words by Hannah Rose YeePhotos by Me, Layout, Edit and Handwriting by Talisa Sutton

Close your eyes. Let us take you back to a far-gone era. A time when hemlines were high, people gazed longingly at the stars and silver boots were a thing. The 1960s, you say? No. Actually, fashion week. A far-gone era of 14 days ago (an age in fashion terms, trust us). But, yes, the 1960s wouldn’t have been a bad guess. Because, you see, the Shakuhachi show drew inspiration from the 1960s. Andy Warhol’s pop palace, the aluminium-everything, the dashing derring do and the big-hair-go-go-boots sensuality of Barbarella, otherwise known as the inconceivably long-limbed Jane Fonda. That was the 1960s, but that was also the Shakuhachi collection. Short, sweet, and wickedly fun, the collection sashayed down the runway like a girl with a mission, oversized floral prints and shiny shiny, shiny boots of leather.

Almost as a testament to the playfulness that ran through the range, the models hammed it up behind the scenes - Charlie's Angels style - tossing their hair and blowing the smoke from finger guns. We even saw the normally reticent Ruby-Jean crack a wink and a winning smile to the throng of photographers milling around backstage. Maybe it was all the hairspray (the look was slick-back cadillac, with hair combed back tight into low ponytails and a few wet-look strands pulled out at the front) or maybe it was the sight of reflective surfaces (silver knee socks, opalescent shirting and pearly sequin detailing), a boon for magpies like the fashion crowd. It was clearly a hit for everyone; the leggy girls arm-in-arm in minidresses, the editors, making notes of the retro-fit two pieces and peep-toe go-go boots, the buyers, mentally placing orders for those metallic backpacks, those digital-print swimsuits and those perspex visor hats for truly modern resort dressing. And, yes, the bloggers, too. We loved that fun, flirtatious mood that managed to combine 60s ebullience with graphic futurism. It wasn't new but it was definitely compelling. 

From start to finish, from the first wink of multi-coloured sequins, the first swing of booty-short clad hips, the first flash of a crinkled metallic-twinged bomber jacket. Is this what is was like in the 60s? This fearlessness and flippance? This way of walking that said - no, shouted - 'look at me, look at me?' Maybe. But, this being fashion week, this is also going to be what it's like in six months from now, as those booty shorts and mini dresses and bomber jackets walk the walk right off the runway and onto bright-young-things all around you. Consider yourself warned.


Fashion week finished and the real world came crashing down and our my posts stopped! But you probably needed a break from coverage anyway, right? So next up is Emma Mullholland and then a little more of a look into what happens during MBFWA (for HTR) when there is no show on the schedule. Warning: it probably involves food. 

When Life Was Exotic





The satisfaction my eyes feel when everything that makes up a picture locks in and settles just right, perfectly even.

Photos: Camilla Akrans for Vogue Japan feat Nadja Bendon styled by Sissy Vian 

Ellery


Words by Hannah Rose YeePhotos by Me, Layout, Edit and Handwriting by Talisa Sutton

To be a champagne bubble of a girl about town - and who doesn't want to be, deep down, really? - in the town that is Sydney you have to own something by Ellery. She is the it-designer with the wardrobe to match, just as likely to be found on the pages of magazines as her designs are. She designs for girls who are just like her - good-time girls who are the first to arrive and the last to leave, girls who never take their brand new Celine heels off, no matter how much pain their feet are in - and this season was no different. Full of crisp separates and statement pieces to get the party started, this collection was a return to - and a celebration of - everything that Ellery has made her name with. Girls in the shortest skirts and the best hair and looks straight off the runway. This was a collection for the dedicated followers of fashion.

Goat-fur vests and caped shoes are not for the faint of heart. But you can hardly call Ellery devotees - who have previously sported everything from sateen bloomers to ballooning shearling sweaters - faint of heart. What they are is fearless. And that's what this collection was all about; not being afraid of wearing floral-printed flared trousers or , not caring one iota about tying your jacket around your waist. This was a collection full of the idiosyncrasies and quirks of styling that belong to those few who are regularly found on street style blogs. It was distinctly formal - evening dresses with padded cap-sleeves and boned corsets in Ellery's trademark shade of mustard yellow - with a surprising voluminous bent, whether through sleeveless tuxedo vests over trapeze-cut blouses and mini skirts or puffy tactile sweaters (there's that fur again).  

It's not an easy look - indeed, most girls can't pull it off - but that's what makes Ellery so immensely watchable. You can isolate the easiest things to wear (maybe you can tie a jacquard bomber around your waist, too?) but that's not the point, really. The point is to stride out to drinks at the Apollo on Friday night in a fur singlet and wide-legged maxi skirt slit right up to there and completely own it. Like we said, it's not easy. But at least there's an ideal girl you can model yourself on. She's the life of the party - a veritable champagne bubble - with a mop of perfect hair and a bright smile and a sense of wild exuberance in everything she does. Who is she? Why, she's Kym Ellery herself.

Romance Was Born



Words by Hannah Rose YeePhotos by Me, Layout, Edit and Handwriting by Talisa Sutton

What does the Romance Was Born world look like? Some years its a jurassic jungle, a volcanic mess of prehistoric craziness. Sometimes it's the urban metropolis, policed by superheroes with flame-red hair and piercing gazes. It's even been an ocean wonderland - this was the year that started it all - the pearls and the sparkles, the star-studded front row, the pastel frou... The only standard when it comes to Romance Was Born is that there is no standard.


This season's collection "Mushroom Magic" comes from a place we all know and love. The candy-floss, the sugar cane, the saccharine sweetness of marshmallows and glitter and things made out of fluff. That's a 90s childhood in pedal pushers and crop tops right there. Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales' world was a weird, wacky and totally wonderful fusion of that childhood exuberance (more is more is more is more!) and the knowing, winking smirk of a grown-up who ought to know better. Magic mushrooms meets just, well, mushrooms. Flouncy trapeze dresses were emblazoned with yellow daisies and pin-tuck pleats, tye-dye silk tee shirts met their match in shaggy sequin mohair flared trousers and two-piece boxy skirt suits were covered in graphic star prints. Was it a childhood fantasy, the kind you might find in a trip down the rabbit hole (well, the show was sponsored by Disney) or was it just, well a trip? We still don't quite know. 



The best thing about Romance, though, is that we are invited to witness their world - to touch it, feel it, see it - without feeling any obligation to get involved. They're just as happy if you sit by and take in the show than if you are keeping a diary of all the looks you want to buy and/or photograph and/or style. You leave thinking about the sets, the hair and makeup (glittery faces, pom poms glued to cheeks and pantone-matched wigs!) and the music (soloist Paz Lenchantin on multiple instruments singing Venus in Furs). But by the time you get home you're thinking about how the embroidered midi pencil skirt would look fantastic with a white tee shirt and sandals... But with Romance it's not about the end goal so much as it is about the entertainment. In fact, the entertainment is the end goal. No-one does a fashion show quite like Romance Was Born. It's Romance's world, we're just living in it.

That's day one shows covered...Check out Talisa's post on Christopher Esber and Hannahs post on Camilla and Marc and stay tuned for Day 2 shows to be posted tomorrow...hopefully...after some sleep. 
x


Day 0





 

Photos: Rachel Kara

Oh...one more...teehee...icecream ^_^


Funny business by Talisa. 

Essentials


 

There's this silly thing with fashion week, you become acutely aware of who you are (or aren't) and what your role is (or isn't). I'm very comfortable with the fact I am a photographer and attending fashion week to take pictures...and observe, and eat and giggle and work a little . We're off to a flying start with nails, mexican, icecream, The Voice and a blog post to boot. 

These are our (HTR) essentials

Me: scarf / sunglasses / notebook/ buziness cards / camera / memory cards / fragrance / lip/cheek tint / rings

Photos: Rachel Kara

Slick black










It's a presentation of many kinds, and this fashion week I am proud to be presenting with some of the cleverest ladies around; Hannah Rose & Talisa

Fashion week can feel as though you are excusing yourself from life for 5 days to visit an alternate universe that spins entirely on itself...and you know what - this year I am so excited for it! To help live this out we have a hotel, a schedule, dinner dates and Über.
omg
I am far from an outfit planner but at this stage the week is sounding fancy enough to induce those kinds of thoughts at the very least. 

Über (German pronunciation: [ˈyːbɐ], sometimes written as (ueber , uber or uuber) is an app which is known around the world but fresh to the streets of Sydney, that we will be using to book our private (slick,black) cars from breakfast to show to lunch to show to show to afternoon tea to show to dinner to the room and so on and so forth all week.

Download the app or sign up to uber and recieve $20 credit if you enter the code sweetbirdyouth



Do it! And don't forget the code for 20 big ones in your account. 





Photos: Jak & Jilgraphic by Talisa Sutton, image from Vogue Germany via Rag Pony