I recently have the honour of contributing and article for Matches Fashion's The Style Report. It's a run down of some of my favourite cities in the world along with the dream attire I would love to wear in each of those locations. Includes some of my travel snaps too! You can check it out HERE
So you’re lying on the couch watching Dr Phil re-runs and stuffing salty and sweet popcorn in your face like your life depended on it when you get a notification on your phone that says you’ve got an important meeting in 45 mins on the otherside of town. Damn it! Totally forgot about that!! Sitting there fist deep in popcorn looking scrappy in your comfy jeans and tee… what do you do?!?
Accessorise, accessorise, accessorise.
A blinging watch or cuff, a good stiletto or pump, a bag with some fancy details - anything with chains and gold, maybe a belt with metallic details - these kind of pieces will bring your sloppy attire to the office. Maybe throw up your hair and apply a red lippy. You’re out the door!! Simplicity can really work with an added touch of glamour. I’ve illustrated the strategy here with some cosy Mih jeans and a sweater and long sleeve t shirt. My shoes have a metallic heel and toe and then I’ve got a fluffy structured handbag and a silver watch to really tie up the illusion ‘This look was totally on purpose and I’m here for business’. Don't forget to walk with confidence, that'll sell anything.
Also - if you’re really not looking fresh, don’t forget to have a spray of perfume, a can of deodorant and dry shampoo on hand. We've all been guilty. ;)
Photography, Sara - editing, me
jeans, Mih
jumper, Michael Kors
bag, Furla
tee, Witchery
heels, Michael Kors
watch, Michael Kors
sunglasses, Michael Kors
If you're following me on instagram, you might have caught that that I recently hosted an event for skincare brand Kiehls in their newly opened Bondi Junction store. I was so thrilled to be asked to take part in the event, I've been a longtime fan of the Kiehls Avocado Eyecream (a long haul flight essential) and the Creme de Corps moisturiser - which I first learnt about while modelling because EVERY make-up artist brings it along in their kit. Hosting is something new to me - I didn't really know what to expect and was really feeling the nerves. I was due to be interviewed by the Popsugar team in front of everyone invited... Luckily however, being part of the Fashion Bloggers TV show over the past few months has brought me a new found confidence - and I actually really enjoyed speaking in front of the crowd, regaling my tales of NYFW and more.
I'm so grateful to have the support of Kiehls - I'm really a girl about skincare rather than make-up, a fan of a more natural look. Kiehls is really about unfussy packaging and being transparent over ingredients used - backed by dermatologists. It nice to feel secure in the kinds of products we put on our faces. The results can speak for themselves.
Looking forward to posting more about beauty and my routine in the not too distant future!
I'm a real fan of the preppy look - but it's a dangerous game because it can end up looking a little on the tacky side when done wrong... or even worse, a bit fetishy... Yikes! The secret I think is to 'class it up' (scuse the pun) with some modern accessories. It's pretty crazy how simple elements can change the whole feel of an outfit... for example, can you image this look with really high heels and a shorter skirt? It would be totally wrong!
I love these two pieces from Oasis because each one can fit into my wardrobe and be interpretted in a totally different way... I'm looking forward to wearing the skirt with an oversized knit and the tunic with boyfriend jeans and boots. Why all the talk of winter dressing? Well I've been steadily preparing myself over the past week or so, I'm flying back to Stockholm today where I think the current max temperature is about 4 degrees. I've even been refusing to allow myself to enjoy the sun over the weekend! I've been pretty fortunate to have enjoyed more than my share of summers of the past couple years - one perk of travelling between hemispheres is you really get to chase the good weather. I'm due to be in Sweden for a month and then headed back to Esperance for my family Christmas. Swedish winter is kinda tough, it's the darkness that'll get you. I'm glad to have my trip home planned to revive me!
So it's onto another long haul plane journey for me... but I'm partly not so excited because I've just come down with a serious head cold. Sore throat and blocked sinuses and ears... any tips for surviving it through the conditions on the plane? I'm worried I'll be half dead on arrival and put into quarantine... now that's no joke!
pics, Gervin Puse - editing, me
tunic, Oasis (adv piece)
skirt, Oasis (adv piece)
shoes, Adidas
bag, Chloe
sunglasses, Spektre
watch, Michael Kors
I'm amazed I have the chance to post up these images - mostly because I had my doubt I would even be able to pull it together at all. The whole shoot was a comedy of errors - and a total nightmare for me because the whole affair was due to be filmed for Fashion Bloggers TV show... hopefully it's at least entertaining! To summarise, some of the garments for styling didn't arrive, we only had our location free for 3 hours and the model called in sick just 20 mins before we were due to start - meaning we needed a stand-in... Next debacle, my make-up and hair stylist Filomena was only available for two hours... which would have been fine - but of course... we didn't have a model. Anyway, it all came together and despite being under a load of pressure we were able to produce something worth sharing with you all.
Special thanks to our model Evelyn who was rudely awoken very early and traversed across town at the last minute to be part of the shoot. To my incredible Hair and Make-up artist Filomena - who pulled together a miracle, a hair and beauty look in around 15 minutes - before she had to race to another job. Special thanks to my assistant Gervin who dealt with my near meltdown and raced equipment between set-ups at lightening speed.
After all of that - the result is a shoot which was inspired by the dramatic setting of the QT hotel, which is built from the iconic Gowing's Building in Sydney, Australia's first department store. One of these looks is actually snapped in the original Barber shop. Love me a bit of history.
Photography, styling and editing - Me
Hair and Make-up - Filomena
Model - Evelyn at Chic
Assistant - Gervin Puse
all garments, Carla Zampatti
I have alot of say on the topic of photography and modelling (and there's more coming on this, sorry for the wait) but if there's one thing I feel bloggers should understand about outfit posts it's context. For example - in this post, I'm wearing a very warm blanket coat in the sun. Doesn't quite fit right? But I've tried to take the editorial route with this post and make things are little more artistic, so perhaps you can forgive me on the mismatch. The truth is - I ordered this coat from Neiman Marcus with the idea of having it to wear in Stockholm - but decided to shoot it in Sydney because the light is much more dependable at this time of year. I've used the sunlight to create harsh contrast and combined that with strong posing, movement and bad ass looking location to bring a dramatic result. If I snapped outfit in a flower garden and pulled the same stern expressions - context would be way out. It's a mistake that quite a few photographers and bloggers make, not factoring all elements to create a concise result. Too often I'll see new photographers testing models and encouraging them to bust out all the edgy and editorial poses while shooting them in the park in t-shirts and jeans. I was totally guilty of this when I started out - but it was really just all part of my learning process. Same goes for strong and sexy expressions, it doesn't really work in the casual context - but a great example of how it's done right? See my girl Angelica Blick - she rocks a strong expression and works the tough looking locations. Tells more of a story in that sense.
Anyway, one of my tasks while I'm back in Stockholm is finally getting the chance to work on my photography course - so I'm in that mindset right now, thus the rambling. Looking forward to sharing it really soon!
pics, Gervin Puse - edit, me
blanket coat, Burberry Brit @ Neiman Marcus (adv piece)
boots, Frye @ Neiman Marcus (adv piece)
dress, Opening Ceremony @ Neiman Marcus (adv piece)
bag, Michael Kors
Sometimes I feel like my life and work is a runaway train. Being a popular blogger affords experiences that a few short years ago, I never dreamt I could have. One of these recent experiences is the Michael Kors Escape, a day that began with a styling session in the Michael Kors boutique in Westfield Sydney and was followed by a day trip on private jet up to Byron Bay and Watego’s Beach for an incredible lunch - shared with some of my closest blogger friends Sara, Mandy, Kate and Jess. It sounds like something from the script of Sex and the City… but it happened to me! It was such a highlight to fly in back in over Sydney at the end of the day as the sunsets, feeling incredibly relaxed and pampered. What a way to travel!
It’s a honour to have the chance to work with Michael Kors brand, I’m a long admirer of the company and particular Michael Kors himself - who’s truly built a fashion empire from the ground up. If you’ve ever dreamt of doing something bigger than yourself and creating your own business then the story of Michael Kors is a great place to start to get inspired. I was given a beautiful watch as part of my Escape Experience, with an engraving of my name on the inside and a map of the world on its face, and I’m going to wear it as a reminder to work hard a strive to create my place in the fashion industry. You should never stop growing and working to become something better.
So maybe you’re hating me just a tiny bit right now, for being so spoilt which such an incredible and fashionable day … but the exciting part? Michael Kors is running a competition where you and three friends can have the same jet set Escape experience! You’ll be flown in a private jet to Byron Bay, treated to a champagne lunch, indulge in a spa treatment and receive a Michael Kors watch. Head to http://www.michaelkorsescape.com.au to find out how to enter. Wishing you lots of luck! It’s really a once in a lifetime chance.
Hope you enjoy my pics from the Michael Kors Escape.
Watches, jewellery and clothing - Michael Kors Photography, Me
It's cold and raining in Stockholm this weekend - which calls for practicality in attire, big puffy jackets and heavy boots. Here's a nodd to what I'd rather be wearing...
I think whoever came up with the term 'A feast for the eyes' must have been speaking of Marrakech. To be honest while I was there, I felt a little more in work mode and wasn't truly able to live in the moment and breath it all in as I would have liked to - but thanks to these pictures, the memory seems really strong and maybe even the better for it. Marrakech is another one of those cities where if you look into the right places there are sights that seem unchanged for hundreds of years. The souks are a must see, I could spend hours (and loads of money!) wandering around each colourful stall. It's really a photographers dream! I'm glad I went to town on the snapping, you have to invest a little more the way your view the scene so you can get the really good shots but it wasn't hard to find those interesting elements. The people are so beautiful and there's so much character - and all the whole experience was more special to have shared it with my friends Jess (Tuula), Andy (Style Scrapbook), Lainy (Haute Inhabit), Gala (Amlul), Hedvig (The Northern Light) and Candice Lake.
I was invited to Marrakech to shoot with Jimmy Choo/Who What Wear - so I'll include those pics in the next post.
I have a second photo diary to come! Hope you enjoyed these - my favourite pic is the fifth one down, how adorable is that tiny woman? She started dancing and smiling when she saw I was going to take her picture. Precious.
So here's the results of our journey to Marrakech, a mammoth collaboration with Who What Wear and Jimmy Choo, a day spent shooting in and around the extravagent La Mamounia Hotel. I'm excited about the pics - I was so intrigued to see how each of the girls looked in the outfits and how the pictures turned out. Candice Lake was the photographer for this gig - but it wouldn't have been right unless she was also part of the editorial - so the images of her were snapped by yours truly. How incredible is the location!
I'm glad we had the chance to venture out of the glamourous hotel with our designer attire to see the city and the people - all in all a very humbling experience. With all these extravagant experiences I'm having, it's important to keep things in perspective and remember what's important. We love shoes!! But we're also EXTREMELY lucky to have the means to be part of such a scene.
Zanita wears...
Look 1 - Issa Dress and Jimmy Choo Heels
Look 2 - Temperley Maxi Skirt , LNA Blouse (similar) and Jimmy Choo Flats and Clutch
Lainy wears...
Look 1 - Bottega Veneta dress and Jimmy Choo Heels
Look 2 - Erdem coat and Jimmy Choo flats and clutch
Hedvig wears...
Look 1 - Erdem Dress and Jimmy Choo heels and clutch
Look 2 - Temperley Dress and Jimmy Choo Heels and clutch
Gala wears...
Look 1 - Own dress, Jimmy Choo flats and clutch
Look 2 - Temperley top and skirt, Jimmy Choo flats
Candice wears...
Look 1, Issa Poncho and Jimmy Choo Flats and Bag
Look 2, Alessandra Rich Dress and Jimmy Choo Heels and clutch
Camille wears...
Look 1, Acne dress and Jimmy Choo Heels and clutch
Look 2, Chloe skirt and top Jimmy Choo heels and clutch
Andy wears...
Look 1, Tibi jumpsuit and Jimmy Choo heels
Look 2, H&M suit and Jimmy Choo heels and clutch
Jess wears...
Look 1 - Temperley dress and Jimmy Choo heels
Look 2 - Alice by Temperley dress and Jimmy Heels and clutch
Sara asked for more of these special stick figurines i'm doing so here we go - I'm thinking this could be a fun regular occurrence right?
This look is called the "Holiday Power Snuggle" styled up for those special occasions where you're at some holiday event and its minus whatever outside and you wanna dial on chic but wearing a party dress is totally in the too hard box. The look is one step away from Grandma's wardrobe but arms deep in 'I'm doing this fashun business'. Those Mary Janes are referencing Saint Laurent but the style of them isn't exactly timeless. I don't know about you but I won't drop thousands on heels unless I know they are gonna last the distance, style wise... and also practically speaking... I could never splurge on silver heels beyond my means, I'd scratch the shiz out of them before you can say "Bae - look at my new shoes!".
Let's hear it for Geek Chic this holiday season!!
If you had the chance to see the recent episode of Fashion Bloggers - you’ll know I was given an exciting new project, to realise a blog campaign for Jacob’s Creek. The beauty of this project was dreaming up an idea that worked for my blog and the ways I could connect with one of their ranges, Twin Pickings. I feel like I won the lottery on timing - because by chance, one of my best friends and fellow bloggers Rebecca (Raspberry and Rouge) was visiting Australia for the very first time… meaning she could be part of it with me - and the truth of it all is - good wine is best shared with friends.
Rebecca and I pow-wowed over how we envisioned the campaign and I set about planning all the details. My idea was to have an extravagant picnic in a wild Australian setting… there a few elements that didn’t quite come together as I initially dreamt of - but that’s all part of it. Sometimes variables can enhance the final result, provided your open to change. For example - the weather was an absolute nightmare. I initially planned on shooting on top of a hill in the park - but gusty winds prevented that location from being feasible and I had to find a new place at the very last minute. I don’t really understand what’s happened to my luck - but this was the second shoot of mine to be filmed for Fashion Bloggers where things started to go wrong… the last thing I need is to have a melt down on TV! Thankfully - I found a spot to shoot that was even better than my initial plan and everything started to fall into place.
Hope you like the results of my Twin Pickings picnic! Thanks so kindly to Jacob’s Creek for inviting me to produce this shoot, I’m feel so lucky to have reached this stage in my career to work with such iconic brands. Cheers to the future!!
Special thanks to Rebecca (Raspberry and Rouge) for being an on shoot and off shoot bestie.
Prop Stylist, Caitlin Melling
Hair and Make-up Artist, Danielle Butcher
Photography Assistant, Stephen Wellsmore
Here's part two of my Photo Diary series from Marrakech (Part 1 HERE). This collection of images is mostly snapped while driving around this vibrant desert city, portraits of it's people and also some scenes from our visit to Jardin Majorelle - also known as Yves Saint Laurent's Gardens. I could spend hours wandering around the city centre, photographing the people. The scene is so colourful and the energy is vibrant. If you visit in early November you can mildly warm days and cool nights - so it's a pretty comfortable temperature to explore and adventure. One of my favourite features of this city is the Atlas Mountain range that crown the horizon - it's such a thrill to spot them in the distance, so majestic.
Hope you enjoy part 2 of my series and thanks again to Jimmy Choo for inviting myself and my blogger friends - Jess (Tuula), Andy (Style Scrapbook), Lainy (Haute Inhabit), Gala (Amlul), Hedvig (The Northern Light), Camille (Camille over the Rainbow) and Candice Lake - along for the experience.
I don't know if you can all tell but I'm on somewhat of a posting BONANZA. Two posts a day!? BOOM! But i've a new goal to post more frequently so that means I have to change up with some new content. Since it's almost Christmas - I figured some gift guides would be a good start - but dayyyaaammmm do these things take freaking ages to search out?! Maybe it's just me - but I like to pride myself on the art of gift giving and place myself in the shoes of the giftee (if that's not a word it should be). You can't just buy any old thing - especially when you're going to drop over 100 pounds...
Starting here with some gifts for your boyfriend, husband, brother, father - whoever! My strategy - first try for tickets to their favourite concert or show or experience, failing that - use your brain to come up with something cool. These days, people tend to buy alot the things they really want themselves - so you need to find that one thing they never knew they wanted! Failing that, something practical. A beach towel. A bottle of whisky. That ol' chestnut. ;)
Hope you like what I've come up with!
UNDER 100
Taschen: The New York Times 36 Hours, 125 Weekends in Europe Cloth Bound Book
UNDER 500
Taschen: The James Bond Archives Hardcover Book
This is the second instalment of my Jacob’s Creek Twin Pickings Picnic - a photoshoot which aired on the recent episode of Fashion Bloggers. Rebecca - one of my blogger besties - was in Sydney all the way from Amsterdam and helped me bring the right energy I wanted for the shoot… It’s certainly not the first bottle of wine we’ve shared together! The result was a natural good mood and some very genuine laughter. One hiccup - I originally planned to have one Australian designer provide all the wardrobe but a learning curve for me - it’s not entirely appropriate to use designer clothing in an exclusive way for advertising campaigns. No worries though! I just had to rethink my vision about styling - keeping it a little more simple and casual. I’m really happy with the result - and an added bonus - I have some special shots of Rebecca and I immortalised in a way that kinda illustrates the way we like to hang out! Haha!
Here's a little teaser from my blog post coming soon - one of my favourite shoots to date, dancers with the Australian Ballet shot at Qualia Resort for Pas De Deux. What magnificent humans! And a beautiful example of dedication to an art form.
Excited to share the rest.
Happy Black Friday! Today is the day where online stores go HAM on the Pre-Xmas discounts! So it's the best time to get into buying your gifts online. Shopbop has 15% off, ASOS has 20% off and SSense up for 50% off! Your fave online store is most likely doing discounts today so look it up. Meanwhile I've made a pastel tree out of fun things I want right now!
Blue Equipment Shirt (Shopbop 15% off with code GOBIG14)
Peach Furla Mini Bag (Shopbop 15% off with code GOBIG14)
Blue Rebecca Minkoff Bag (Shopbop 15% off with code GOBIG14)
Mint Acne Sneakers (Netaporter)
Ryan Storer Crystal Ear Cuff (Netaporter)
Rose Gold Michael Kors Watch (Shopbop 15% off with code GOBIG14)
Sophia Webster Banana Heels (Netaporter)
To date I think I've featured this denim jacket in around 8 blog posts - but worn it dozens and dozens of times. How is that the best treasures from our wardrobes are those that have resurfaced from another time? There's so much killer vintage out there. I'm sorry to admit a fairly high turnover of clothing (guilty consumer), regularly cleansing my wardrobe to the Salvation Army bins. The only pieces I ever get sentimental over are the vintage ones. I wish I could find them again! Hopefully they went to happy homes...
You know you're obsessed with clothes when you refer to ex-wardrobe like an old pet 'Buster's gone onto a new family now Zanita'. :S
Anyway - this is a look I snapped before leaving Sydney a couple weeks ago. I don't remember the last time I wore a mini dress on my blog... but at least it's got sleeves. I'm also a fan of the fit-and-flare style, it works really well for my athletic build. I am quite conscious of styles that suit me and those that don't. Being that I'm very tall and fairly slim, people so often say to me "oh but you look great in everything" and maybe they are just trying to be kind - but it's certainly not true. Muscle tee styles make me look really top heavy - and pencil skirts highlight my my lack of curve in my hips and waist. I'm not complaining! I just think it's good to be at least aware of your silhouette so you can work you best features.
Anyway, enough rambling here - I'm working too much at the moment! But I can't stop! I love putting up loads of content on my blog :)
jacket, Vintage
key necklace, Swarovski (adv piece)
dress, Opening Ceremony (on sale!)
watch, Michael Kors
bag, Chloe Drew
Weeks ago I travelling to Qualia Resort, Hamilton Island to watch Pas De Deux as the sun set over Pebble Beach, a very exclusive performance by the Australia Ballet. Dancers Andrew Killian and Robyn Hendricks were generous enough to give me some time to snap these images after their morning barre warm up, in the beating sun. I knew I only had a short window to shoot the dancers (about 30 minutes) so I couldn't really demand a detailed concept with wardrobe changes. Instead - I purchased 4 metres of pastel tulle from Lincraft and requested the dancers work it around their moves. I'm so happy with the effect and the way the tulle worked with the light and the dancer's bodies and movement. These images are some of my favourite I've ever taken - though so much because I'm in awe of the talent pictured.
The whole affair was filmed for Fashion Bloggers tv show - and I'm so grateful for this opportunity. I hope that I have the chance to shoot ballet dancers again in the near future...
Robyn and Andrew were both absolutely spell binding.
Hope you like!
Photography and styling by Me
I'm lucky enough to own the Chloe Drew Mini bag - but now I can't stop dreaming about this version! It's got my name all over it. Shame my wallet doesn't agree :(
