From left: Georgie, who should be a model, is just stunning;  Jess, of whatwouldkarldo.com, the chicest stylist/blogger I know; me, I tried to support as many designers we stock as possible…

Georgie: Zara jacket, Kookai top, Chanel necklace, Chloe python Paraty bag and Alexander McQueen booties

Jess: Zara jacket, Karl Who T shirt, Felder Felder cross studded skirt, Georgina Goodman booties, Chanel bag, bowler hat

Me: Karla Spetic blouse, Felder Felder ring skirt, Gail Sorronda dinner jacket, Lanvin pumps, Marc Jacobs bow bag, vintage pearl necklace. Detailed photo of Aris Geldis Paris bracelet I wore below:

I must admit, we are picky when it comes to fashion shows. Georgie critiqued the models, Jess critiqued the styling and I critiqued the designs. We asked: why were there so many bridal dresses for a runway show? Why did so many Aussie designers copy Lanvin? Why couldn’t so many models walk properly? Is it because they wore cheap shoes like Betts, Wittner, Aldo and RMK? And what about Lucy McIntosh’s (The Face of MSFW) alarmingly big grin….she is extraordinarily gorgeous, nevertheless

This coral suit from Yeojin Bae was my favourite look of the night- it sums up femininity and strength with one bright hue. And the tailoring is impeccable. It’s no wonder her garments are stocked all over the globe in the finest stores.

The one show we all enjoyed was Christine’s (where I got my Lanvin and Sonia Rykiel pumps from), we loved all the floral printes by Etro and Lanvin accessories. The looks were romantic, summery and lady-like Bohemian. Although Christine is not a designer but she is one fabulous buyer. And my mentor, she just doesn’t now it yet =)

These lace ears are stunning but I don’t have a spare $500…

Also the green florette dress by Yeo jin Bae was a show-stopper. Definitely the best look to end her runway series with. I like Aussie designers who don’t think like a typical Aussie designer- like Gail Sorronda and Karla Spetic. They’re on a league of their own and dance to the beat of their own drums.

Alice Burdeu in the floral dress. I was on Team Alice the whole season for Australia’s Next Top Model (when I used to have time to watch TV).

Overall it was still a great night, I met many beautiful bloggers such as Sarah from Sarah Style Emporium, LeeYong from Style Wilderness, Catherine from Whattowear, Phoebe aka Lady Melbourne, Sam from Fashion Recruit, Sarah from Style Melbourne, Cheryl of Busichic and the gorgeous Alisha from Sea of Ghosts.  Of course, Phoebe and Cheryl are also part of the Melbourne Street Fashion team.

Style Wilderness (with the funkiest earrings), Lady Melbourne

Sea of Ghosts, she’s also a jewellery designer… and a Daisy Lowe-look-alike in this photo. Adore her style. She has inspired me to dig out my long dresses again.

The beautiful Sam from Fashion Recruit, designer of Bento!

My sweet sweet friend Cheryl of Busichic, and the most outgoing fashionista I’ve ever met – she seems to know everyone who is anyone!

The night was fun but it is nothing compared with what I’m about to witness in Milan and Paris in September. So stayed tuned for some real fashion. And oh, I may meet up with Gail Sorronda in Milan!

So we replaced the dress with another Karla creation- the 2 tone grey Bree dress.

Left: Alldressedup silk singlet and cotteon shorts, Karla Spetic silk printed jacket

Right: Alldressedup silk blouse with Spijkers en Spijkers skirt; Felder Felder spike belt.

Which outfit is your favourite?

The host of the night was the gorgeous Lindy Klim, who is one of the most beautiful girls in Melbourne, in my view. And she was even more stunning (and slim) in real life!

Lindy and her sister-in-law. Lindy’s dress is from Lyndel’s Black Label collection. I love the sheer half of it. But then again, everything looks good on her.

The gorgeous girl in red is wearing a Miss Lyndel Yeo creation. My Marc Jacobs shoes have such a high heel I didn’t know where I was stepping, until I heard a rip. Her s(p)lit got higher thanks to me, but she thought the dress looked better now thanks to my clumsiness.

When I tried to make a booking for the event a week ago, the tickets were all sold out! But the wonderful Lyndel personally came to the boutique to give me 2 front-row tickets she had up her sleeves =)  Did I mention also that the dress code was ‘Red Carpet’?

Unfortunately all of my floor length gowns are at my parents’ house and I haven’t worn a long dress since my wedding. Since I only had 1 day to prepare my outfit (because I left it to the last minute), I pulled our a velvet trimmed black tuxedo that I had up, my closet.

I bought this outfit over 5 years ago and yes the pants were tighter! I only had 1 day to get in shape and I don’t like not eating. So I went on the exercise bike and read a book. Wish I had a long dress on instead like these ladies…

Aside from seeing Lyndel’s stunning African-themed collection and meeting a Melbourne A-lister, the highlights of the night were meeting Style Melbourne, Samantha from Fashion Recruit, she is also the designer of Melbourne-based label Bento, Lou from Peppermint Magazine, and the Fashionising team- Daniel and Tanya.

Sarah’s gorgeous dress is by Bettina Liano. Sam’s Ksubi glasses are to die for, her Ruby dress is from her own collection, so chic!

And no party would be a party without the stunning Amber Renae and her talented designer BFF Anthony Capon, who is designing for Etal. I believe Amber is wearing a creation by Anthony. He’s the only one wearing a skirt!

Necklace: Aris Geldis Paris; Jacket: Manning Cartell; Pants: Nicola Finnetti; shoes: Marc Jacobs; clutch: vintage Tippy

Thanks Miss Lyndel for a fabulous night and many thanks to my exercise bike.

By the way did you know that ‘milk’ is Klim spelt backwards?

Left: Alldressedup silk top, leather bag with shoelace handle and silicon bow belt, Gail Sorronda silk skirt

Right: Karla Spetic silk blouse and silk printed skirt, Aris Geldis Paris necklace and Felder Felder spike belt

Left: Karla Spetic silk dress with wool cargian; Felder Felder spike belt

Right: Alldressedup silk top, Felder Felder Amber ring skirt, Karla Spetic cashmere blend sleeveless jacket

Left Karla Spetic wool skirt worn as top, Gail Sorronda silk dinner jacket, Antonia Goy wool padded leggings

Right: Alldressedup short, Karla Spetic silk printed skirt with Alldressedup silicon bow belt

Left: Karla Spetic knot dress worn as top, Gail Sorronda African fringe jacket, Alldressedup silk pants

Right: Gail Sorronda silk dress with Felder Felder ring belt

For all pieces, please call our http://cecylia.com.au/boutique.htm#contact.

I have been a fan of Romance for years. I love Anna’s quirky style, she’s Australia’s Zooey Deschanel. She is a rare mix of beauty and brains. Here she is wearing a Hermes scarf turban, Gail Sorronda dress and Therese Rawthorne cardigan. I really want to learn to wear head gear too! Something that really amazed me that night was when Anna told me that she and Luke and design everything for themselves. They create what they love, they don’t complicate their fantastical ideas by imagining what their ideal customer would like. They just make what they adore, their art is pure. Perhaps it’s because of this that they have a cult following and are considered the best pair of avant-garde designers of this century.

The collection was called ‘Renaissance Dinosaur’, you will see the fantastical creatures below. The resin wall plaques are  stunning.

I love the wall paper! It was made into a silk T shirt dress and a tote bag. How cute are the owls! ‘Hoot Hoot!’ Each modern dino is ravishing.

There were a few head pieces on show. I don’t know how many people can wear them…maybe to a fancy dress party. This hat reminds me of Dragon dancing during Chinese New Year.

Wearing a vintage top, blazer, De Denim jeans, Miss Sixty pumps and Jerome Dreyfuss bag. This is the best head piece, you can probably wear it to a Cos Play party. I thought of Neliel from Bleach as soon as I saw it, must be the horns.

It’s no wonder Romance was Born is so popular in Japan as well. Their pieces are wearable pieces of art. They are designers, they are also artists.

Worn here with a vintage French horn necklace, cashmere T shirt and Karla Spetic’s Lily skirt.

Standing outside a native garden, wearing a turtleneck, Preen leather dress, Omero tights and Miss Sixty pumps.

Here’s the belted leather dress on a model:

I wasn’t allowed to take photos of the paintings so I snapped a few pictures of the outdoor sculptures. My favourite is the ‘Running Man’ but the 3 cows are pretty sweet too.

The Heide site comprises 16 acres of buildings, gardens and sculpture park presenting a dramatic combination of indoor and outdoor spaces.

I have been a fan of Preen for years and always dreamt of owning a piece. When I saw some Preen dresses on the Outnet I almost, alsmot jumped at the opportunity. But thank God I didn’t because their sizes are relatively small and their garments definitely need to be tried on! The clutch was a recent purchase from the local market- for $2! The early bird gets the fancy donut!

So what did I eat at Cafe Vue?

A pistacchio excargot served on a matte porcelain plate! What a beautiful day, got my share of sweet treat and intriguing art. If you have a day off, I highly recommend visiting the Heide museum.

This is Karla Spetic’s next season – entitled “Centre”, it is inspired by the Australian Outback.  A large selection of these will be hitting Cecylia in September 2010!  I want most of it for myself so you had better come and get it before I buy it all!

I haven’t demonstrated it here but there’s actually a hood hidden in all the ruffles! It’s wool jersey, very warm. I’m wearing a vintage necklace and belt, and my Repetto booties. Hope you like Antonia’s pieces as much as we do.

I have friends that buy more than one colour in the same style when they find something that fits really well or is just damn beautiful. I don’t do that, mostly because I can’t afford to, and since I used to be a vintage shop-aholic, everything vintage is usually unique or one-offs. I however made an exception for this Karla Spetic top ‘Maxine’. I already had it in black. But after 3 months, I finally gave in to the violet. It was against my principles but the violet shade was a special note in Karla’s Dreamer collection.

Here’s the black blouse, worn with vintage cotton pants, vintage YSL-esque belt and Repetto denim/nude ballet flats.

And here, wearing my Dr Denim jeans, vintage necklaces and Miss Sixty pumps. I’ve heard so many people say that they think violet doesn’t suit their skin tone. Some complain that they’re too pasty and some say that dark skin don’t suit this colour. I think it’s a gorgeous colour, cut in the most romantic style possible and the blouse suits most people. We shouldn’t let our erroneous preconceptions exclude ourselves from this amazing blouse.

Here are some poses I’ve been working on. Remember in my last post that I’d try to be more adventurous with my poses? Well I tried my hardest and got these blurry shots…

At least you can appreciate the sheer chiffon sleeves =)

Also as a side note, if you are interested in milinery or fashion design or want to become a stylist- come to Kangan Batman Tafe’s Open day on September 15th. Let me know if you’re coming, we can meet up!

Here’s the link to the event =)

I look forward to wearing this trans-seasonal top in many more days to come. So tell me, are you the type that buys the same style in more than one colour? Come on, ‘fess up!