Chitra's Closet (featuring Trouve accessories) - "The Cat's Meow"

(Images from fashionising.com...please visit this blog for more photos from the parade)

On Friday night, my good friend Heather Davies and I ventured over to the other side of town to Sydney rd Brunswick to see a fabulous fashion parade. Entitled, "The Cat's Meow" the show featured the 2010 Winter Collection of Melbourne label, "Chitra's Closet". I had worked with Melbourne designer Chitra on her parades in the past and this time it was fun to go along purely as an audience member to just enjoy the show.  Knowing the stress and hustle and bustle that goes on backstage, it was amazing to see the show from the front of house delivered with complete perfection, with no knowledge of the usual wardrobe dramas that go on behind the scenes..misplaced gloves, shoes that don't fit and hats that fall off !

The show was especially exciting for Heather as it featured her range of accessories, "Trouve accessories" a business that she began only a few months ago. This was the catwalk debut for Trouve and the range was a hit! The quirky, vintage inspired designs teamed beautifully with Chitra's forties inspired pieces. As you can see the look was glamorous yet not overly 'frilly'. Pieces that are superb as styled here and teamed together with complimenting items from the range, but pieces that have so much character that they would look great teamed with denim or wardrobe staples such as black pants.

We are already proudly stocking a range of limited edition Trouve pieces in store at Fanantique and are very excited to announce that we will be introducing some selected pieces from Chitra's Closet into the boutique too! We think that her classic, yet quirky style will compliment our vintage pieces superbly.
While there is nothing more fabulous than finding a gorgeous vintage piece, there is nothing more frustrating than finding that it doesn't fit!!! Chitra's garments are renowned for their great fit and flattering shapes...so we can't wait to get the range in store!

Images are all from 'fashionising.com'.

mmmm Cake and Champagne

Champagne Friday kicked off early this week with 'Champagne and Cake Thursday afternoon'.
While it doesn't have quite the same ring to it, it is delicious. While we shouldn't need an excuse to celebrate, I had the perfect reason with a visit from the lovely Emma Leah, perfumer extraoidinare.
Emma has fast become a great friend of Fanantique (and a dear friend of mine) with a selection of her luxurious range of Fleurage products being sold in store. (look out for a more in depth post about the world of Fleurage in the near future).

A selection of the glamorous Fleurage range available from Fanantique.

As we sat and enjoyed a lovely sunny Autumn afternoon we decided that the only thing better than Champagne, was the combination of Champagne and cake. So in honor of this conclusion, this week's cocktail recipe is cake inspired, served in a Champagne flute of course!

Cheesecake Rodriguez
champagne flute

45ml Licor 43
15ml lemon juice
15ml lime juice
10ml orange syrup
dash of orange bitters
dash of egg white
splash of prosecco
twist of orange and 1/2 split vanilla bean to garnish

Combine all ingredients, except for prosecco and garnish. Shake and double strain into Champagne flute. Top up with prosecco and garnish with a twist of orange and vanilla bean.
mmmmmm.

recipe taken from "Cocktails and Rocktails" by Jane Rocca, published by Hardie Grant books

Fabulous Friday

 

Happy Champagne Friday! I just love this picture of Marilyn...you can see a certain sparkle in her eye as she enjoys a glass of bubbles. This week's cocktail I chose for it's name , "Diamond Glove" it seemed very fitting to accompany this image..but reading the list of ingredients, it does sound delicious! I love the combination of apple and cinnamon. yum!

Diamond Glove

highball glass

60ml Irish Whiskey

15 ml sour apple liqueur

15ml apple juice

10 ml cinnamon syrup

3-5 mint leaves

45ml ginger beer

apple slices to garnish

Combine whiskey, liqueur, juice and syrup in a shaker. Shake with ice and pour into a highball glass. Slap the mint in your hands and stir into the drink. Top up with ginger beer and ice if needed.

Garnish with fanned apple slices.

Happy Champagne Friday! - Riddle Me This.......

HAPPY CHAMPAGNE FRIDAY!!!

Just in time for Champagne Friday, we have just received this gorgeous vintage, French oak Champagne rack. The best part about it ? It can hold up to 120 bottles !  I admit that this piece is now mainly appreciated for it's aesthetic quality, but back in the day it actually had a very important purpose.

I was lucky enough to do a "Champagne making tour" (well technically it was a Sparkling wine making tour because it was outside of Champagne France) . It was at the Moet & Chandon winery in the Yarra Valley , Victoria, Australia.  During this informative tour I learned many interesting Champagne related facts, the first one was the correct pronunciation of 'Moet' I now know that you are supposed to pronounce the 'T'. I had always assumed Moet was a French man and had been saying it with a silent T. I have since learned that he was Dutch. Anyway, another interesting thing I discovered was about a process called 'riddling'. This is where these racks come in. (apparently, they are called 'puprites') During this stage of Champagne making the bottles are placed in the rack at a 45degree angle with the cork pointed down. Every few days the bottles are given a slight shake and turn and dropped back into the rack. (I wonder if people who do this job are called riddlers?)

 This manual way of riddling sparkling wine is still used for Prestige Cuvées in Champagne, but has otherwise been largely abandoned because of the high labor costs. Mechanised riddling equipment are used instead.

So after that history lesson, I'm thirsty. Of course, I will have to make another Champagne cocktail.
This week, it's an oldie but a goodie, the Mimosa. One of the best things about this drink is that it's perfect for breakfast and will be sure to kick the day off to a great start.

(Once again, this recipe is taken from "Highballs High Heels" by Brooks, Bosker, Darmon. published by Chronicle books for Barnes & Noble) 

 Blood Orange Mimosa
Champagne Flute


2 oz  fresh blood orange juice
2 oz fresh tangerine juice
 6-8 oz well chilled Champagne


Garnish- 2 spiraling blood orange peels


1. Combine the blood orange and tangerine juice and divide the mixture between two Champagne flutes.
2. Slowly add enough of the Champagne to fill the glasses, but do not stir.
3. Drop a blood orange spiral into each drink to garnish.


Enjoy!

Meet Gomez

Several months ago, while Gabor was scrolling through the Trading Post (as most men do) I happened to come across a small ad that was set to change my life. It simply said "Kittens- free to good home" this would not have been too hard to ignore usually, BUT this ad included a photo of the most gorgeous little black balls of fluff that I have ever seen! I had to have one.."PLEEEASSSSE can we get one???"
Gabor, wisely knew that he would never hear the end of it until he said yes. I rang straight away and told the lady on the other end of the phone that we were coming. There's only two left she said. I knew we had to hurry, these kittens were adorable!! Before we were even in the car, the phone had rang, it was the kitten lady.."Now, there's only one left . Are you still coming?"
"yes, yes, please hold him for us!!!!"

So, we jumped in the car and set of to the other side of town to pick up our little bundle of joy. As we drove across the Westgate I had visions of life with my wonderful new cat. He could come to the shop with me and hang out while I drink Champagne...........

 After that, he could sleep in the window and enjoy the warmth of the afternoon sun.......

 He could generally just hang about the shop being cute , be adored by the customers and keep me company..........Yes, my new kitten and I would indeed by a stylish pair..........

 

But I was in for a very rude awakening indeed. As soon as we got little Gomez (named after Gomez Addams of course) home , things began to change. The first thing to change were our curtains. It was cute at first when he would race up the fabric, but as he got a little bigger and a little heavier, he would tear them as he climbed..our place was turned from 'shabby chic' to just plain shabby overnight.

When Christmas came around, he thought he was in heaven, so many things to play with!

We have recently found out that Gomez is an "American Bombay" cat. This cat is described as the perfect cat for someone who would enjoy having a monkey for a pet! This explains a lot. He loves to run up our leg and sit on our shoulders!

So as gorgeous as he is, I don't think he will be my shop cat for a while, he will have to stay at home until he can be trusted not to shred the Vintage Dresses! In the meantime, I will try and get my hands on one of these divine "Cat carriers " like Dita Von Teese has, Gomez would love to be carried around in such style!

Fanantique, Melbourne

Fanantique, Melbourne

Champagne Friday - "Drunk Chocolate"

Happy Champagne Friday!
This week I have decided on a Russian theme for 'Champagne Friday'. Last night I enjoyed one of my favorite treats , first introduced to me by my lovely Russian friend, Lana. It's simple really, we all love Champagne and we all love chocolate, why not combine them?! Such a simple idea, I can't believe I didn't think of it myself. One day as I sat with her drinking Champagne, she dropped a square of premium dark chocolate into our glasses,  she seem taken aback by my look of surprise and confusion .
"Vat ? You have never had chocolate in your Champagne?!" she questioned me. "well....no..I haven't."
but I knew she could be onto a good thing (this is a lady I used to work with, she would call me out into the back room for sneaky sips of cognac....she also introduced me to Russian Vogue..amazing fashion, gorgeous women and beautiful furs, oh so wrong, but oh so gorgeous!) So I knew when it came to taste, she was an expert. She had actually invited me for Champagne and a viewing of her designer shoe collection, but I digress.

"Take a sip." She insisted (like I needed encouragement!)
mmmmmm as I brought the glass up to take a sip, the bubbles danced around my nose carrying with me the delicious aroma of chocolate. This sensation made Champagne drinking even more exhilarating than it already was. But this was not to be the best part, as Lana told me, "Ven you eat zee chocolate it is drunk!" mmmm alcohol infused chocolate..how marvellous.
And so to Lana, a toast , "To the woman who brought my two great loves together, I applaud you!"

A Russian Champagne advertisement, " IN VICTORY YOU DESERVE CHAMPAGNE, IN DEFEAT, YOU NEED IT" truer words were never spoken.

To celebrate Lana, I will be making a 'Russian Double Agent' cocktail. (taken from Cocktails & Rocktails once again)

RUSSIAN DOUBLE AGENT
large old fashioned glass

30ml espresso coffee
30ml tia maria
dash of sugar syrup
30 ml cream
30 ml vodka
3 coffee beans to garnish

Combine espresso, tia maria and sugar syrup in one shaker. Combine cream and vodka in another shaker. Shake both then strain coffee mix over ice into large old fashioned glass. Layer cream mix ontop and garnish with coffee beans.

Enjoy!!