Designer Buzz!

Dion Lee is a designer who i've been following quite closely for the last year (well as close as someone can follow on the internet...some may call it cyber-stalking). After graduating from Ultimo Tafe in 2007, he was given the opportunity to show in the graduate show for RAFW in 2008. Along the way he's been collecting a swag of design awards, including Australian Fashion Graduate of the Year and the 2007 Crosier Evening wear  Award. 

The buzz surrounding Dion Lee's debut solo show this morning was justified. The event was held in the bottom floor of the Kings Cross underground car park, and whilst too intensely claustrophobic for some, the venue suited the collection perfectly. Lee has continued develop his own recognisable look that is both minimal, yet structurally complex - a reflection of the John Chamberlain crushed car sculptures that he notes as inspiration.

(heraldsun.com.au)

(vogue.com.au)

John Chamberlain 

In other unrelated news...a present arrived in the mail for me today. A present...purchased by me...for me. Still, no less exciting!

My apologies for the cliché combination of docs and tartan pants. I was actually having a nap in these comfy at home pants when the fiancé excitedly came in to deliver the box like Father Christmas. I couldn't help but put them on straight away and take some photos. 

-Love Kaylene

The bipolar personalities of capes (a.k.a - too much time on my hands)

This is the sort of foolery that happens when I'm on holidays. Fear not, as of next week I will be preoccupied with Fashion Week, so you can expect less of the following time consuming ridiculousness. 

Love from a slightly ashamed Kaylene.

Experimenting with bleach Part 1.

Like any cautious D.I.Y-er, I did my research and tried a sample from Lax's old jeans before jumping in the deep end with my bleached jeans project inspired by seaofghosts.com. The sample went swimmingly. So you can imagine my surprise when my jeans turned out like this:

Salmon - RED!!! 

(This is completely unrelated but when we were last in Melbourne, Centine and I ate a pizza called "salmon rushdie". Hilarious!!)

My second attempt with a different pair of jeans was a little less of a shock, and in my opinion a more successful outcome. Just goes to show what the individual denim can make. Now that I have no black jeans left, I am on the lookout for some more cheap ones. I am determined to get the desired finish, like in my first sample.

DIY jeans worn with old Pixies t-shirt, vintage gold embroidered bolero and 70's brogues.

Love Kaylene

Never gonna give you up...

Let me introduce to one of my favourite vintage party dresses:

 It has been with me through some hallmark events, such as my 21st birthday:

June 2008

Alas, too much partying (and possibly too much cake) resulted in the deterioration and splitting of the silk underneath the armholes. And we all know a tattered party dress just will not do! So today I transformed my old party dress into my new party skirt.

What do you think? 

Love Kaylene

Something old, something new.

The military jacket craze has come in and out of style for the last few decades. The style was worn famously by Adam Ant in the 80s:
And more recently on every fashionista who can afford a Balmain SS09 jacket:While I, (along with the rest of the fashion loving world) adore these Balmain jackets, I have to say, if presented with the choice between owning a Christopher Decarnin interpretation, or an original 19th century uniform, historical accuracy would win out. 

Check out these amazing uniforms. I particularly love Prussian Hussar outfits.

Hussar Officer uniform, date unknown.

Prussian Lieb Hussar Officer, 1813 - Front

Back

British 6th Regiment of Foot Bandsmen, 1806 - Front

Back...

This one makes my head spin. Those crazy foot bandsmen!

7th Royal Fusiliers Officers Uniform, 1795

Images from: militaryheritage.com, diggerhistory.info, austenandrews.com, hollywoodstuffs.com, 

Love Kaylene

Mirrored Years

A word of advice: Learn from my mistake and do not go to see the Yayoi Kusama exhibition "Mirrored Years" whilst you have a migraine! 

I absolutely loved this exhibition, but i felt like my head was going to explode towards the end of it.

-Love Kaylene

A possible bonus bonus.

So i've already recieved the $950 Kevin Rudd Stimulus bonus for being a poor student, but word on the street is that I may also get a bonus for being a tax payer last year. Unfortunately the initial $950 is going entirely towards my car insurance, BUT, if that second bonus does come my way, I will be hunting down these:

ACNE fall 2009

My mum just told me to stop stroking the computer screen.

-Love Kaylene

Beijing - that's where it's at!

I'm not going to write much...cause it's almost 1am andI tend to babble endlessly when i start writing at this time. All I'm going to say is that i'm very excited about the fashion coming out of the Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology. I think the pictures from their graduate show speak for themselves. (Sorry I don't know the specific designers - If I find out i'll update).

I also really enjoyed these gowns by a Tsinghua graduate. They remind me of an elaborate version of Centine's Alpha 60 scarf.

Night Night, Love Kaylene xo

My head's in a whirr, my thoughts in a blur, when I think of my fur-bulous first rate fur.

"Gettin' Me Scarf On"

"Got Me Scarf On"

"Untitled Silliness"

"Vampire & Damsel Part 1"

"FUR-thermore I'll love you forever, fur" - Stuie Monster & The Arsitocats

The voice of reason ...(a.k.a - Centine)

Centine and I decided to check out Surry Hills yesterday. For me it was one of those days where I kept finding my self attracted to things that were so wrong that they're almost right...but not quite. Like this:
(I was feeling rather tactile when I spotted this beauty...might be because I'm designing a texture based outfit at the moment).
This one had a tag on it saying "vintage 90's rave top". That alone had me sold. But thank goodness I had Centine with me to say, "what the @#$% Kaylene...you can not be serious!". Usually I would be stubborn and buy such silly things regardless of whether i'll actually wear them, but in my current financial full-time student state, I actually have to start buying "investment" pieces. So instead I opted for this awesome Mad Cortes jacket.
I wish I had a better shot of the detail and cut. The front parts of the jacket loop back up and join behind the neck...kind of like a never ending jacket. That was a really poor description, my apologies.
Unfortunately the Australian label Mad Cortes recently had to call it quits (at least for now) due to a discontinuation of financial backing by Lisa Ho who had a 51% share in the label. Such a shame as designer Mira Vukovic is really talented. Fingers crossed she may find financial backing elsewhere. 

...We love you!

-Kaylene xo