Spring Fashion Extravaganza, hosted by Fleurage Perfumery.

Part 1- "Ice Cream Cake"

My apologies for my long absence from the blog, but now I can finally share with you what I have been working on for the last month. Fanantique together with Fleurage presented our first Spring Fashion event, and what an event it was.
There are too many gorgeous images and too much to tell all at once, so over the next few posts I will show you everything. Firstly, I must credit Rob Luxford of Vivid Communications, for all of the professional photography. It's stunning! A big thank you also to our gorgeous models, Adrain of Delilah Hair studio (to find out more about Delilah click here) and to Rebecca of Beyond Andromeda for the beautiful make-up. The stylish hats are all by Ann Shoebridge (excluding a few pieces that are vintage)
To see more gorgeous images and a wonderful overview of the afternoon, please visit the Fleurage blog by clicking here . Emma, sums up the whole event wonderfully.
Set to the romantic sounds of Anna Boulic playing Harp and serenading the audience in French, our show commenced with our 'Ice Cream Cake' collection. Delicious shades of sorbet, the very essence of spring. To compliment this ,  Fleurage coordinated a signature fragrance to each ensemble.....Spring was definitely in the air!
Coming soon, our next collection, 'Hello Sailor'

Here are our gorgeous girls backstage before the show started, what a marvelous job they all did!

Happy Champagne Friday - Party Planning

Today's Champagne Friday post is a little late this week, but oh well, you know what they say, better late than never! Today I was joined for Champagne Friday by the lovely Emma of Fleurage. We were very excited to get together and brainstorm ideas for our Spring Fashion event, which is fast approaching. Of course all the details will be revealed in good time...but I will say that it will be something fabulously glamorous and of course in keeping with the vintage style that both our brands are inspired by.
I am delighted to have just ordered some gorgeous hats from Melbourne Milliner, Ann Shoebridge, which of course will be showcased at the event. This will be the first Spring Racing season for Fanantique and I am planning on making it something special.

Here's a sneak peek at some of Ann's work..........

Ann is also creating some special pieces just for Fanantique, they will be stunning!!

Anyway, during our day of event planning, Emma and I were lucky to have several visitors pop in and join us for a Champagne. Amongst the visitors we had the delightful Jean, who kept us entertained with her stories. She told us about a dear old friend of hers, now in her nineties, who keeps pictures of all her lovers framed on the wall. Whenever she heads off on vacation each year to Hawaii, she wraps up all her lovers and takes them with her! When asked if she sat on the Captain's table during a cruise, she replied, "Darling, I slept in his bed!"

In honor of this entertaining character, I thought this week's cocktail should be something Hawaiian and what better than a Pina Colada!

Pina Colada
45ml light rum, ie Bacardi
3 TBS crushed pineapple
60 ml coconut milk
crushed ice

wedge of pineapple to garnish

Mix the ingredients in a blender . Serve in a highball glass with a straw and wedge of pineapple on the side.

"If you want to get ahead, get a hat"

"If a woman rebels against high-heeled shoes, she should take care to do it in a very smart hat" - George Bernard Shaw 

I have just had two exciting deliveries here at the store, yesterday I received some gorgeous vintage hats and today I have just unpacked this stunning book: "Hats an Anthology" by Stephen Jones

I admit that I was guilty of judging a book by it's cover and ordering this book purely for the fantastic illustration on the cover. I didn't realize how great this book was until I opened it up and saw a foreword by one of my favorite designers- John Galliano.
Galliano has collaborated many times with milliner, Stephen Jones to create wearable pieces of art.

"Just as I wouldn't leave the house without a hat, I couldn't do a show without Stephen Jones:
he conjures up creations that bring Galliano and Dior shows to life. He is the frosting to any collection he touches." John Galliano

Galliano/Jones collaboration

 

Stephen Jones

And now, here's a selection of some of the new arrivals, I love the gorgeous, rich texture of the velvet!

Purple Haze

Happy Champagne Friday! Let's celebrate with a Purple Haze.

Selected items from the Fanantique boutique:  Vintage purple wool coat with mink collar, Comer & King purple regency chair, Vintage Vogue print, Organza flower brooch and purple wool felt hat.

With now less than one week to go until the highly anticipated (especially by me) Tim Burton exhibition opens, I am indulging my adoration of him and of anything with a slightly Gothic edge. I have been digging through my old folios and drawings and I can see that his influence on me is very obvious through my work.

Catwoman, pen & ink, photoshop. from greeting card series 2004

Business Card Design for Gina McCauley, Texta, Photoshop 2005

 

Fashion Design Project for Domus Academy, Milan. 'The Global Garment" this was a fashion project where designers from around the world came up with a collection that reflected their country's heritage in some way. I considered our convict past when completeing the project. This is one page of the work.
Pencil and Pen Illustration, 2000

 back in the day..me with my friend Anthony of the Goth/Glam rock band The Redresser (often mistaken as the hairdresser)

But even before I discovered Tim B, I loved the color purple, and I mean loved. I was very lucky that my parents were happy with me to express my creativity (within the confines of my bedroom) and allowed me to paint my walls and furniture purple...and not a light lavender or a poor excuse for purple, but a deep real purple. (I also adored Prince...another lover of purple, but that's another story)

 Sorry! Couldn't resist adding this!

Now, I still like purple but my obsession has ended and I am enjoying other colors too, but for old time's sake I have selected a few of my favorite purple pieces from the store as well as some of my illustrations to share with you. Oh yes, and being 'Champagne Friday' I also threw in a purple cocktail. This one- 'Purple Haze" (this is a nice easy one- less time mixing more time drinking I say!)

Purple Haze
old fashioned glass

45ml Vodka
15ml black raspberry liqueur
splash of cranberry juice

Shake vodka and liqueur with ice. Strain into old fashioned glass over ice and top up with juice.
Enjoy!

recipe taken from Cocktails & Rock Tales, by Jane Rocca

Selected accessories from Fanantique

Gorgeous framed print, art by Jennifer Gordon. In store at Fanantique.