The Wall

Guess what this owl/sometime cat/rare(ly) lady is doing this Wednesday night?

I'm DJing at World Bar in the Cross (that's Sydney, folks) from 8 till 10! It'll be the best night since that time got your dog wasted and played fetch with the bottle* - ALL FOR FREE! Check out the Facebook for more info here. See you there guys (which is meant in that all-gender-encompassing, 'Yo wassup guys?' kind of way).

P.S. They totally fucked up the poster so that it looks like I'm headlining. Which basically means that I am actually headlining. Over Surecut Kids and DJ Crane from Bad Wives. The. Best. Fuck. Up. Ever.

P.P.S. Warning: If the floor's empty during my set I *will* blame you. Despite all the niceties in the previous post. What? Me? Bipolar? Phh...

*Don't do this at home. Cruelty to animals is not a joke. Unless it's like, really, really funny. But even then it kind of sucks.

Fairytale of New York

Why, don't you look lovely today? Is that vintage? You got it from one of my vintage sales, didn't you? Yes yes, I know how these things work. How was your holiday? I'm avoiding the C word (no, the other one, you dirty scumbag) as *I* don't discriminate. Also because I kind of hate the C word and the fat man and all his imagined buddys (I'm looking at you, God) and it's much nicer to just think of it as a celebration where everybody takes a little time off, eats and drinks 'till they spew and laughs at the dude with obvious bad luck in straw drawing sweating his arse off in an atrocious, hired red and white suit. Though that said, I kind of made a tree. Out of material. But it was done totally begrudgingly. Well, a little begrudgingly. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed/are enjoying your holiday. I hope it is/was peaceful and I'm really sorry about Aunt Alice interrogating you about your sex life. She means no harm, she's just a bit of a perve. I hope that the fish cooked through properly 'cause no one likes undercooked fish. Except the Japanese. And some owls. Speaking of owls, Bobby got Wiggi the Owl an easel. He hasn't stopped tweeting about it. Not tweeting about it silly. He can't use computers, obviously.

Wishing that the New Year brings you many a merry time and all. Sending my love (in a totally non-pervy way. Are you listening Aunt Alice?)

P.S. We're only just beginning to run out of all the food we made on the 25th. By run out, I mean we only have maybe three lunches and ten deserts left. I think we may have over cooked.

Coming Up Roses

I haven't the best reputation when it comes to making soft toys. First there was that time I tried to make plush number six for the boyfriend, the reason being that the boyfriend's nickname is Bobby Six (which, if you're wondering, refers to a Native American Bounty Hunter in a '90s television show called Renegade. Obscure? Try telling him.) Frustratingly however, this six just wouldn't turn out. I tugged and pulled, used scissors and chopsticks and all I got was a frickin' worm. I saw no other option but to slap an eye (read: button) on the bugger and give the cyclops worm to him for Christmas. Needless to say, Bobby was not impressed. Some time after that harrowing experience, prompted by the event that was Bobby's then-housemate's birthday, I spent hours making a near-perfect big eyed owl from vintage fabrics. Said birthday girl was all "Wow it's amazing, I totally love it," lulling me into a false sense of security, thinking my curse had been lifted. A month later however - right in the midst of uni exams - she kicked Bobby out on the street. We've lived together ever since. I kind of blame her, but mostly I blame my sewing skills.


Thankfully however, there are curse-free people on this big balloon with mountains more talent than I making and selling beautiful things so that, should I not want to, I needn't ever touch a needle and thread ever again (well, at least not until it comes 'round to adjusting my second hand clothes). One such crafty creature is my very dear friend, Rosie Miles. Rosie makes, amongst other things, sulky fairies (see above photos). Which are kind of the most perfect Christmas gifts ever. If you're London way, pop along to the London Designer Makers' Christmas Sale this Saturday, where she'll have a stall. It's at the St Aloysius Social Club near Euston and she'll be there from noon til 6pm along with a bunch of other local creatives including Julia Pott and Daley Walton. Rosie's threatened to sulk and read twilight books all day if no one shows so, you know, serious pain and suffering hinges on your going. Oh, and there'll be cake and tarts too. Check out Rosie's blog for more details. On second thoughts, details or no, check out her blog anyway. Also if you can't make it on Saturday, head over to her Etsy shop to treat your loved ones (or yourself) to one of her creations. Though you'll have to order today if you want to ensure it arrives before Christmas day. Quick, quick! If you miss out, I take full responsibility. But personally, if given the choice between a late present made by the lovely Rosie Miles, and no present from her at all, I would certainly take the former option. I'm sure your family and friends will agree.

P.S. If anyone has/knows of anyone with a teleportation device, I would appreciate your passing on the deets as I'd very much like to be in London for this event this weekend. Thanks in advance darling ducks.

VOTE FOR ME!

You may have noticed the little pink box to the right of the page screaming 'VOTE FOR ME!' This is because Owl and the Grapes has been nominated as Best Australian Fashion Blog! And, to win, I need your help. It takes all of 2 seconds to vote, honest. Go here, click on the Best Fashion Blog category and vote for Owl and the Grapes! Voting is open 'till 20th December. Thank you! You (yes, you!) are lovely.

P.S. Sorry about the superfluous use of exclamation marks! They're like Pringles - once you pop, you can't stop! Also, I'm very excited! Let's win it, baby. Well, actually, let's help me win it, but you know, tomatoes, potatoes.

I Know There's an Answer

Semi recently I was been asked to answer a couple of little questionares. The first was a follow up to the article I wrote for Brighton Frocks on Brighton Fashion Weekend with the purpose of having them publish it on their website (I'll update this post with a link when it is) and the second lot of question and answers was part of my application for a month long internship at 2threads. It was all (until now) sitting unpublished on Bobby's laptop gathering cyber dust and generally being a waste of space so I thought I might post it here. If I've repeated myself (in fact, there's no 'if' in the matter), I invite you to skim or even skip this post.

2THREADS: WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE DESTINATION FOR A FASHION FIX? "Earlier this year, whilst in England, I covered the Brighton Fashion Weekend. I spent some time travelling around the back alleys of Europe and trawling through boxes of goodies in tiny vintage shops and totally fell head over boots for the place (on more than one occasion, almost in the literal sense of the phrase). Next time I make my way over I‘d love to cover Amsterdam or Berlin Fashion Week, if only for my own blog, Owl and the Grapes."

LIST YOUR TOP 5 SOURCES FOR FASHION & STYLE INSPIRATION.

1. "I’m constantly in awe of the structure, the peeling paint and the artworks that dress my building. Not to mention the beautiful and creative people it houses.


2. I could go on and on about the wonders of a slick of red lipstick but I fear I’d bore you. There are no downsides. And when it ends up smeared across your face the morning after? Who cares? Clowns are cool.


3. Films, books, comics, photographs and magazines are obvious but priceless sources of inspiration. I love Russh in particular.


4. When I have some internet time on my hands, there are loads of blogs I like to peruse. Photography blogs, writing blogs, fashion blogs and simply unclassifiable blogs.


5. I also often make my way over to a nearby pay-by-the-kilo warehouse, where I trawl through mountains of (mostly rubbish) clothes on the chance that I might come across a gem. Thankfully, I almost always come out with a couple of mind blowing ’80s pieces. I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t influenced my style."
   

IF YOU COULD INTERVIEW ANY DESIGNER OF YOUR CHOICE WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION YOU WOULD ASK THEM?
Whilst I, like most ladies, love Alexander Wang, Preen and Balmain, I don’t think I could resist interviewing Karl Lagerfeld. If only to ask how he comes up with those Twitter gems. “Florals are for middle-aged women with weight problems.” Or, “Fur is not murder, but it is quite expensive.” Wow. Both statements are completely wrong. But still, wow. And you know what? The more he does wrong the more I love him. Once we’d covered the whole “Are you actually mad?” thing, I’d move onto more important issues: Colours, collections and in what year he was really born. I’d quite love to pry my way into his mind and have a swim around.

WHERE WOULD WE FIND YOU ON A SATURDAY NIGHT? Out and about on the bustling Sydney scene (often, wherever free alcohol can be found), ‘networking’ (it’s my new favourite word) and snapping photos. If I’m not out, it’s likely it’s because I’m frickin’ knackered after a hard day’s work running my monthly Vintage and Retro Market from my Surry Hills warehouse. In the case of the latter, I’ll spend my evening drinking smoked tea, reading, blogging, organising my next market and listening to a whole lot of very good music.


BRIGHTON FROCKS: WHY DID YOU ENTER THE BRIGHTON FROCKS COMPETITION? I entered the competition because I thought it would be a great opportunity to gain experience. I simply love fashion and love Brighton so what could be better than being part of the event that marks the combination of the two? As you'll know if you've read my article, I had also never interviewed anybody before, so, while I was super nervous, it was good to get out there and do it. Now, hopefully, next time I do it I'll be a little better and there'll be a little less pee in my pants.

WHY SHOULD PEOPLE CARE ABOUT FASHION? What do you think of when you think of Marilyn Monroe? I think of that white halter neck dress. And Audrey Hepburn? Why, Breakfast at Tiffany's of course, and that stunning black Givenchy dress. Fashion is a way of expressing yourself. 'Don't judge a book by it's cover' is a pretty piece of advice however, unfortunately, it's not at all human nature. Good personal grooming and a solid sense of style are more or less essentials. And anyway, who doesn't like playing dress ups?

WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO ENTER NEXT YEAR? Yes, of course. It was a fantastic weekend. Everybody involved with Brighton Fashion Weekend is so friendly, and they were all only too keen to have a chat. It's a wonderful chance to make industry contacts and the article was great fun to write. Oh, and I came out with a few goodies too.

WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO FIND YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS TIME? In 10 years time, I intend to be a professional writer. I would love to write for Russh or Frankie; Australia (where I live for most of the year) has some really great publications. I've always wanted to write a book, but I think it's important to find my own voice first. Also, back in my Sydney warehouse, I run a monthly Vintage and Retro Market. I'd love to have the finances to be able to facilitate the entire floor as a store. A space where people could drop in and buy vintage, retro, some new and some old clothes and pretty things, drink coffee made by our (currently non-existent) in-house barista, have a beer and hang out on our (also non-existent) Astroturfed roof. I would also have a cinema room with super comfy little seats and a gigantic projector that screened cult hits and shit we like but no-one else does. Yes, I'd like one of those in Sydney, one in Brighton and one in Berlin please.

Turn It Around

The wonderful, equally talented and beautiful, singer/songwriter Erin Marshall recently inquired as to whether I would be interested in bathing her in some vintage goodness and taking some press shots for her. My instinctive reaction was, admittedly, to simply stand dead still and gawk, rather like a bit of a buffoon. Style and photograph? There are very few things I'd rather do (the only one I can think of is writing with a purpose which, if you take all my blabbing into consideration, rarely happens.) Once my brain kicked back in however, I quickly and enthusiastically accepted. I invited Erin over to my space in Hibernian House (from which I also run my Vintage & Retro Sales on the second weekend of every month) and she jumped, played guitar and swung on swings with incredible enthusiasm whilst I followed her around adjusting bows and belts and shooting shots. As would be expected I suppose, she's similarly excitable on stage, dancing and grinning the whole way through her sets. Indeed, you won't find any shoe gazing at her shows. Keep an eye on her Myspace for info about upcoming gigs and such. Anyway, here's the finished product of the shoot. More photos can be seen on my flickr.

This was part of a very small series of shots taken downstairs in my dear friend Olly's space on Level 3. He was in the midst of a project himself, which involved a video camera (you can see the tripod in the background) and very limited time, so we had all of about one minute to hoist Erin onto the swing and take some photos.

These were taken on the Level 4 courtyard, getting onto which involves quite the struggle, particularly when one's wearing a dress/skirt. Luckily, there were no little rats with spray cans and/or junkies hanging around on this occasion (as there so often are).

The blue '50s suitcase on the very bottom of the pile played a significant part in ensuring no vintage pieces I had picked up got left behind in Europe on my return to the great land of Oz.

For these, we used my housemate Grace's mini piano and a vintage jacket my bestest friend Elle lent me. They were taken on the roof of Hibernian House, a roof which must be tip toed upon, lest one fall through.

The bow in Erin's hair is actually a bowtie I found in England. It required quite the significant amount of positioning just so, so as to prevent it from falling off. The belt belonged to my Mother when she was my age.

Erin's wearing her own dress here, a vintage number she picked up from the markets.




As the sun was setting, we had a play around with the light in our hallway, taking photos with no real expected outcome, the perfect conclusion to what was a lovely day.

Vintage & Retro Sale at Hibernian House, No. 8

If you're not a Sydney-sider, you're probably better off skipping this post - I wouldn't want to be responsible for any largely expensive long-haul flights purchased in answer to the call of temptation. However, if you do reside in this lovely Australian city, you should be excited to hear this little piece of wonderful news (which I did mention briefly all the way back in November, but I figure it's about time for a reminder): Next weekend the bell will ring for us to open shop again. We'll be here selling our goods (and boy, are they good) on Saturday and Sunday, the 12th and 13th of December. Drop by for a new wardrobe, a browse, or just to hang out and say hi. It'll take an iron will not to spend a cent though, as there'll be mountains of insanely cool hand picked vintage and retro clothes and, here's the clincher, almost everything is a tenner or less either side of the $20 mark. If I didn't know better, I'd say that we *invented* the word bargain. Of course, you must realise what this means; it means that you will no longer have an excuse to lie around in your underwear (as in the above portrait). Not only will you be too proud of your new threads to ever spend another moment trapped indoors again, but when you have a beautiful retro dress for every day of the week, who needs underwear?

On the weekend, we’ll be offering up refreshments, sick tunes, a comfy couch, shoes (including a large selection of ladies size 9 to 10, so if you're sick of all those pretty vintage shoes being too small, you might just find the answer here), super stylish accessories, some bric-a-brac (including books and CDs) and rails of amazing clothes from loads of cool cats including Katrina Noorbergen (lead singer of local band Cassette Kids - check out their new clip, Lying Around, directed by renowned fashion photographer Pierre Toussan below), stylist Grace Atkinson (NO magazine), Marissa Ziesing (fashion label FTW), Brooke T (Re:new Vintage) and ME! It certainly won’t just be for the ladies though; we’ll have loads of mantastic pieces too, courtesy of Bobby Townsend (Drum Media), Dave Abram (Jingle Jangle) and Dominique Legrand (Awesometown).

Whilst the Christian Dior blazer has long gone (for $50, mind you), we still have those Karen Walker shorts and some amazing vintage floral dresses just begging for a new home. Last week we picked up THE most fantastic tutu ever, a bunch more animal T-shirts, a few nautical pieces and thirty new kilos of hand picked brilliance. Apart from the regulars (for the most part listed above), our big guest seller for the weekend is Re:new Vintage, a local bunch whose stock I'm drooling over. Get here early before I buy out their stall. With all my non-existant money. Yeah, that's not going to happen, is it? Still a good idea to get here early though. There's a high likelihood that there will be other droolers, with existant money.

If all that isn’t enough to have you lining up at 9am, I should also mention that we've been featured all over the joint. Not least of all in Elle Korea, Side Street Sydney, This Way In, FBi Radio and Two Thousand.

Lastly, we'll be selling a super small selection of clothes downstairs on Level One of Hibernian House at Doldrums (previously Yvonne Ruve), in a collaboration with FTW and some of Sydney's finest lo-fi punk rock bands (including Kirin J. Callinan), this Saturday from 1pm till 5pm. If you're in the area, pop along and say a mighty hello.

Looking forward to seeing you at our Vintage & Retro sale next weekend. Check out the facebook event for directions and further details, invite your friends, bring your housemates and grab a MASSIVE FRICKIN' BARGAIN!

SATURDAY 12th DECEMBER: 9am - 6pm
SUNDAY 13th DECEMBER: 10am - 4pm

Image courtesy of the wonderfully talented Annette Pehrsson.

Raw Power

A couple of weeks ago, the clever cats at V Raw asked me to write a few sentences about my experience as the editorial intern at 2threads. Of course, ask me to write a sentence and you get a paragraph, ask me to write a few sentences and you get a frickin' essay. Nevertheless, it made it through the editorial process completely intact. So, here's my two pennies worth on the subject of interning (more specifically, interning at 2threads).

Assisting on shoots, stringing words together to form... erm... sentences, mulling over the latest trends, snapping photos of pretty young things, reading blogs, flipping through magazines and listening to good music. These are a few of my favourite things. Amazingly, this is also my job description at 2threads. My days at 2threads are pretty much exactly like my days in unemploydom except that I have a team of inspiring ladyfolk around me to motivate me. Oh, and in terms of getting stuff done, it probably helps that I'm not slumped on the couch in my undies.

I'm quickly nearing the end of my month-long - full time - internship in the 2threads office. How am I feeling? Try totally devastated. When I applied, via a super short online questionnaire, I certainly didn't expect things would be this fun. I mean, would you like to spend one month nine to five being the office monkey and not even getting paid for it? No, probably not. I thought I might get some good experience out of it; discover more about how the industry works and that's it. Surprisingly though, the crew here are amazing, the work is so good I feel weirded out even calling it 'work', and the only one I've had to fetch coffee for has been myself (surprisingly regularly - I've discovered that the combination of early mornings and having to take pics at exhibition openings and launches with loads of free beer don't mix too well).

The office is large, airy and as open planned as one could hope for. In the centre stands Sexy Sally, our resident amputee mannequin. She's a nice lass. They're all nice lasses (not the other amputees - the other employees. Although I'm sure the other amputees are great too). I've been treated as one of the team. Much like a resident puppy dog ("Ohh, I wish we didn't have to give you up," said Jenna yesterday), but with a little more respect and a little less head petting. One thing I've noticed working on the laptop all day how quickly things move in the internet world. For example, when it comes to articles for the 2threads website, things are frickin' speedy. Jenna (the brains behind our articles) outlines content in a spreadsheet, listing the title and key words to be included, and within one or two seconds (no kidding), the stories are snapped up. I don't know how the 2threads writers do it, but they have the keenest eyes I've ever seen in operation. If I want an article, I have to put my name down before I've even had time to read what it's about. Alas, it's not necessarily a terrible thing, because when I have nothing to write about, I set on other tasks, such as promoting content on Facebook, Twitter and other interweb places, reading and contributing to fashion forums and browsing magazines and blogs for more article ideas to have translated into comprehensible concepts by Jenna.

I spent my first couple of weeks marvelling at how amazing the office dynamic was, how tight everyone was, and how good everyone seemed to be at their job. Then I found out that Stephanie had only joined the office a couple of weeks before me (she disclosed to me that she was thankful when I arrived as it meant she was no longer the newbie) and the team not only managed 2threads, but numerous other enterprises too - including Estile and This Way In. Needless to say, I was even more impressed than before. It certainly made me feel humbled to be the chosen one. Overall, the experience was truly fantastic. It's given me a greater idea of precisely what I want to do in the future (write and style for a zine, please) and I'm infinitely more confident in my skills. The merits of interning are innumerable and it's something I truly recommend to all, particularly if you're umming and ahhing about what to do at Uni/TAFE - or whether you should go at all. Studying is now something I can see myself doing, if I felt it would help me achieve my goal; something I now have clearly in sight. Ideally though, I'd rather just jump head first into the glossy paged pool. I cannot thank V Raw and Riley and the girls at Socialista Media enough for the experience. And if I could change anything about my experience, it would be to have had the pluck to come up with a nickname for Grace on the very first day of my internship, because living with two Graces and working with one has been bloody confusing.

Paris

I'm gettin' the guilt sweats for not being a good, regular blogger but unfortunately I'm up to my ears in shit I have to do and I haven't the time (or creative energy, if we're being honest) to write a whole, completely comprehensible and preferably entertaining blog post. Therefore, I'm reposting an article I wrote for 2threads during my internship last month about the beauties of harnesses and corsetry in fashion. Also, speaking of 2threads, don't forget to vote for Owl and the Grapes as Best Fashion Blog in the 2threads Australian Fashion Awards.

Whenever I consider this Spring’s trend of harnesses and corsets, which I must admit I do with some regularity, there are three words that never fail to pop into my head when I think of all those laces, buckles, knots and bondage: Thai Me Up. Before I know it, I’m daydreaming about all the other brilliant puns that have made me snort thanks to Thai restaurants. Why, there’s Bow Thai, Tongue Thai, Thaifoon, Thaitanic, The King and Thai, Thai Me A River, Thai Ranosaurus... Oh it’s an epidemic, really. Considering this, and how easily distracted I am, perhaps I’m not the best person to be writing this article. Alas, I will anyway, let’s just hope for everyone’s sake that I don’t dwell too long on the subject of great (or not so great, depending on how you look at it) Thai restaurant puns. Rather, I’ll try to keep focused on the topic at hand: Thairiffic Harnesses and corsets as the new accessory trend. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Harnesses and bondage have been peeking their tough little heads out in catwalk collections for a couple of seasons now, however it’s only this season that the trend is truly beginning to bloom and hell, it’s almost become almost normal to wear a harness outside of an S&M studio. Chain harnesses were featured in the Spring collection from Ann Demeulemeester and leather harnesses, paired with casual, simple clothes could be seen in Giuliano Fujiwara’s show. If you were lucky enough to get your hands on a Sass and Bide front-row gift bag, in it you would have found a beautiful - you guessed it - a harness.

Meanwhile, corsets have been spotted on so many celebs it’s actually getting quite ridiculous. The list includes: Katy Perry, Paris Hilton, Eve (of course), January Jones, Lily Allen, Rihanna, Taylor Momsen (isn’t she a bit young?), Scarlett Johansson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mischa Barton, Jessica Simpson, Beyonce and even notorious good girl Jennifer Anniston. But why wouldn’t they? Celebs – get ready for a massive generalisation here – love to expose and exploit and will often wear whatever will garner the most attention. Unfortunately, because of this, the corset trend might not be entirely popular with some fashionistas. When Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan are doing it, you’ve missed the trend wagon, right? Normally, yes. However, in this case, the outerwear as underwear trend is one that’s incredibly flexible (which you wouldn’t think, given that they’re made outta whale bone, wires and leather). To avoid looking like a D List celeb vying for the camera lense, the trick is to layer, layer, and then layer some more.

Wear your leather, chain and waist cinching garments over loose, sheer and cocoon-like clothing. The trend looks best in neutral colours: Lots of nudes, pale pinks, creams, white and blacks. Look to Australian Richard Nicoll’s Fall 2009 collection for inspiration. If you’re a bit curvier, wear your corset under a loose fitting cropped top (or at least ensure your breasts aren’t spilling over) and don’t forget to add a generous pinch of androgony, if only to balance things out. Juxtapose a tight corset on your upper half with some billowing trousers on your lower half. The key is to wear them as accessories, not as your entire outfit. To get your hands on some harnesses and corsets, I’ve found the sweetest rewards come from spending lunchtimes scouring Etsy (try Garbage Dress and iheartnorwegianwood) and eBay, although you can also find some vintage inspired pieces at Supre, if you can bring yourself to enter the place. Otherwise, if you’re really wanting to spoil yourself, check out Bordelle where some wonderful pieces can be found that would almost certainly be worth a trip to the pawnshop. Then there are all those simply amazing swimsuits in the fashion stratosphere at the moment that dance the line between corset, harness, bondage wear and swimsuit. Try the trend soon, before we all get Thai’ed of it, as we all know it won’t be too long before Paris Hilton conditions us to vomit at the sight of anything bondage.

You're The One For Me, Fatty

I wrote this article about Gemma Ward's retirement from modelling for 2threads a few days ago and, to celebrate/lament the ending of my internship today, I'm posting it here. Enjoy (or not, if you're a Gemma fan).

The possibility of Gemma Ward’s retirement from modelling has been looming dangerously in the fashion air like a giant fluffy pair of highly unstylish neon legwarmers for some time now. Rumours on the subject have ranged from the plausible to obscene: That she was to quit modelling in pursuit of Hollywood, that the devastation of her dear friend (and supposed lover), Heath Ledger, led her to depression/emotional eating, forcing her to quit, that she will quit Prada and the like in favour of plus sized modelling (can you spot the obscene one?). Finally however, that silly old highly excitable rumour mill can give up the speculations and head back to bed because Gemma Ward has officially announced through her agent that she has no plans to dive back into the modelling world. It’s over, folks. Gemma Ward is quitting the modelling industry. And it’s probably for the best. Hell, if I had half the amount of attention on my thighs as she does, I’d surely be in a straight jacket by now, rocking myself to sleep on an empty stomach.

Unsurprisingly, given the media’s obsession with weight, she regularly makes headlines for being either far too skinny or too ‘fat’; anorexic or a ‘roll model’. International fashion blog, Bryan Boy, hasn’t helped the publicity epidemic; whilst perhaps not saying anything particularly cruel himself (apart from that she could “Give Crystal Renn a run for her money,”) many commentors on his website have been vicious on being presented with paparazzi photos of the 22 year old sporting her new body. Insults include such comments as "homegurl needs a dose of jenny craig and were good to go." Whilst of course it’s clearly something only an idiot would say (if the subject matter wasn’t a clear enough indicator for you, you can tell by the terrible spelling and grammer), such remarks have – at least in part – been blamed for Gemma Ward's decision. Gracing the cover of Vogue for the first time at the tender age of 16 (alongside Gisele Bundchen, Natalia Vodianova and Karen Elson), it shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone that she’s put on a little weight in the last few years: It’s called puberty y’all. In the end, she looks healthy and rather than speculating on the whys, we should consider and celebrate the highlights of the wide-eyed Australian talent’s career.

The Perth-born beauty was originally discovered via Australian television series Search for a Supermodel. Remarkably, she didn’t make it into the finals but thanks to the small amount of publicity she received through the show, before long, she was signed to Vivien’s Model Management. Chris Fox (from Viven’s) remarked that her first impressions of the blonde haired, green eyed young lady were that she was simply “surreal, beautiful, very European, wide-set eyes, angelic, not a skerrick of makeup." Soon, with the help of Fox, Ward was strutting her stuff down Australian runways and a household name (in Australia). Within a year, the soon-to-be-supermodel signed to IMG and was plastered over magazines the world over. She made her runway debut at the Spring Prada show in Milan, all the while garnering masses attention due to her “alien” and “otherworldly” look. In July, 2007, she was named one of the highest paid models, according to Forbes (ranked #10).

Ward has been photographed by some of the best, including the Vogue regular Steven Meisel. In 2006, she played Grace Kelly to George Clooney’s Cary Grant in a Vanity Fair shoot, dressed to the hilt in old Hollywood glamour. She’s modelled for Valentino, Calvin Klein and Prada and stalked the most prestigious runways. The ethereal creature can lay claim to being on over 30 Vogue covers, i-D, W, Time Magazine’s Style & Design issue and Numero, to name just a few.

More recently, Ward starred in films The Stranger and Black Balloon alongside Liv Tyler and the highly respected Australian actress Toni Collette. Considering her highly successful crossover to film, it makes perfect sense for her to give up modelling in favour of a more rewarding (though perhaps not monetarily) career. Although, if she does decide to return to modelling, let’s hope that she’s welcomed with open arms because, despite what crap Lagerfeld and the like might feed us, the skin and bone phenomenon is passé. And truly? If you think Doutzen Kroes, Lara Stone or Gemma Ward are fat, you’re the one who needs a straight jacket.

Good Stuff

Check out the good stuff I've been doing when not doing things here (which is, let's be honest, most of the time). Yes, whilst this blog might feel a little abandoned at the moment, I've been typin' to the point of callouses on behalf of 2threads and This Way In.

I wrote my first (!) album review. And it was of none other than the lovely local quintet Bridezilla's long awaited debut. AND, the folk at Modular quoted me in Bridezilla's press release.

Want to give harnesses and corsets a go this Spring but don't want to end up looking like Jessica Simpson gone, well, *even* more wrong? The outerwear as underwear trend is one that's incredibly flexible (which you wouldn't think, given that they're made outta whale bone, wires and leather), just check out my guide on how to wear these adaptable accessories.

When you pour three trends into the one accessory what should result is a fashionable, on trend item that'll be as good as glued to your pretty thighs for the next three months. Unfortunately, this was not the case for Lady GaGa.

Oh, and I got interviewed by Jenna Black (from 2threads) about the merits of interning.

Also, check out my photos from last week's preview of the Britpop Photo Exhibition at the Abercrombie: An amazing collection of photos of British live acts from photographers Daniel Boud, Graham Denholm and Mark Metcalfe. Want a sample? Oh, okay:

I Forgot

The man and I held another Vintage and Retro sale last weekend and it was a massive bloomin' success. I only failed on one account: I totally forgot to tell all you lovely readers about it - I know, it's an epic fail, isn't it? Best sign up to the newsletter (email me at owlandthegrapes@gmail.com with 'Subscribe' in the subject line) or join our facebook group to ensure this never, ever happens again. Hopefully though, if you're a Sydney kid, you heard about it anyway. We were featured everywhere from uber cool newsletter Two Thousand to independent radio station FBi (or so my friend Guy says). And honestly? It's probably for the best that I didn't tell you because if it had been any more packed on Saturday I think the place would have burst. And then we'd never be able to have another sale again. So really, I did the right thing. Alas, I feel bad so, to make up for my abandonment, I will tell you well in advance (ie now) that the next sale will be on the 12th and 13th of December. If you play on my guilt enough I might even give you a discount on the weekend. Which, given how cheap everything already is, basically means I'm offering to GIVE you a heap of awesome clothes. How can you be angry with me after that? I'll tell you: You can't.

Here are some of the man's photos from the weekend:

Sweetest dog ever. I offered his Mum a swap: Clothes for dog. She wasn't too keen.

It was 7-Eleven Day. This meant free slurpees for everyone. I had two (or maybe it was three?) and then hit a major slurpee low mid afternoon. I'm pretty sure I had the sugar shakes. Amazing.

Millie threatened to jump out the window because someone stepped on her tail. It was pretty traumatising. She's okay now though, thanks for asking.

Monkey and the BrownMan

Last week, 2threads sent me behind the scenes on a fashion shoot in the heart of Newtown with Sydney label Monkey and The BrownMan. I took way too many photos of the photographer taking photos, assisted where possible and then wrote an article about it afterward for the 2threads site. Now, I'm reposting it here, because I'm not feeling very creative today. Summary enough? Yes, I think so. Article follows:

What does Monkey and the BrownMan mean? A fair enquiry, one might think, given the obscurity of the brand name. “Well, that is a good question” agreed Stacey Brown, Creative Director of the label, illusively. Entertainingly, this was, more or less, the end of the conversation. Further investigation was met with similarly ambiguous replies. So, whilst the meaning of it all remains a secret for now, shared between Stacey and her partner in life and business Chris Brown, I can tell you what they do. Monkey and the BrownMan design simple, comfortable and attractive T-shirts using high quality, certified organic cotton. Even better, it’s all ethically sourced and locally manufactured. An avid surfer, and often disposed to wearing his own designs, it seems Chris begun the business designing with himself in mind. Luckily for us, he’s a man with taste and his T-shirts echo the desires of many. In fact, there's a whole jungle of surfing, stylish ladies and gentlemen out there vying for Monkey and the Brownman’s limited edition wares.



However, Monkey and the BrownMan is much more than just another T-shirt brand. Chris and Stacey are personable, lively creatures whose inspirations and interests are as varied as there are colours in the spectrum. Stacey enthusiastically recounts to us a recent venture to Paris, where she completed a month long design course. Meanwhile, when Chris starts raving about the ‘amazing’ film he recently watched called Death Race 2000, I would be lying if I said there weren’t a few giggles in the room. The film is set in the year 2000, which, by ‘70s standards, roughly translates to lots of people (one of which is none other than Sylvester Stallone) in fantastical black leather jumpsuits and some very low fi graphics. The title is pretty self explanatory; the plot revolves around a transcontinental race in which contestants kill people for points. Frankenstein (David Carradine) apparently exclaims at one point: "You want to make love to me because I drive the Monster and wear this costume". Sounds pretty unbelievable, right? This being typical of the kind of entertainment Chris and Stacey enjoy in their downtime, it’s clear that they’re not the types to be swept up by the latest trends or blockbusters. This may serve as an analogy for their work; Monkey and the BrownMan is a label content to do it’s own thing, regardless of what’s in Vogue.



It was glaringly obvious, whilst assisting on their most recent shoot, why Monkey and the BrownMan are so quickly gaining popularity; not only down under, but on the overseas market as well. Unusually for a fashion shoot, there was no chaos, no skeletons sipping on Diet Coke and no sleazy photographer (in fact, it was suggested by talented photographer Brad Mawby that I was the sleazy one, due to my apparently overzealous adjusting of the model’s clothing). Rather, the rail of T-shirts was wheeled by Stacey and I through the backstreets of Newtown to an old church where the model, Khan Porter, unzipped his bag to reveal a collection of his jeans from home. Whilst the direction of the shoot was crystal, all input was invited, and even Khan steered the shoot on several occasions. Stacey and I took turns holding the reflector whilst Brad snapped away. Afterwards, large lunches were consumed in a cafe downstairs from Monkey and the BrownMan's base and Khan revealed his unhealthy appetite and penchant for real Coke - whilst I sipped on my Diet Coke.



The team at Monkey and the BrownMan have their client base very clearly in mind: A client base that Khan embodied perfectly. They’re also intent on staying true to that client base who, likewise, seem devoted to the brand (and who wouldn’t be?), because, whilst there might be some obscurity when it comes to their brand name, there’s no uncertainty as to what Monkey and the BrownMan do and there are certainly no skeletons in their closet when it comes to sourcing and manufacturing. Though, speaking of skeletons, a little birdy on site told me that there might be a horror film of their own, with models clad in Monkey and the BrownMan apparel, in the works.



For more behind the scenes shots, check out the album here.
You can purchase and browse Monkey and the BrownMan's awesomeness here.
You can see Brad's work here and to book Khan, find him here.

SPAM

I received an email yesterday from a girl called Cynthia who exclaimed that my fashion articles for 2threads touch her in her spirit. Creepy? Yes. Am I making this up? No. In all honesty, it was, in all probability (ok, definitely), spam and I'm pretty sure she's actually a robot but I still took some joy in the wording of her (its?) email. She ended with this quote: "Remeber the distance or colour does not matter but love and concern matters alot in life." Which I'm pretty sure means that she's calling me a racist for thinking her a spammer. Which I'm totally not... I'm just a... robotist?

Last week in owllywood*:

I reviewed the film An Education, a surprisingly brilliant movie about a 16 year old schoolgirl's relationship with a playboy twice her age. Trust me, it's much better than the average coming-of-age/love story/shit that's come out this year.This is also my first and very possibly last ever film review.

Because I love you (and because I'm kind of awful at keeping secrets), here's my guide to shopping for vintage dresses on eBay - including my top ten most affordable eBay stores.

If you haven’t noticed the cool kids wearing them on the streets recently, you've surely been living in a barn (geddit? Like Lagerfeld!) Whether you juxtapose them with frilly dresses or do it Madonna style, adorn your hands with fingerless leather gloves this Spring.

*I totally stole this from my friend Olly, who, I only noticed last night, has a photograph of the Hollywood sign on his door. Only, rather than Hollywood, it reads 'ollywood'. Amazing. It's unfortunate it doesn't work as well with 'owl'.

Lying Around (with hobos)

This weekend has been a weekend of rest. Apart from going shopping for the next Vintage & Retro Sale (which is quickly approaching), I've spent the entire weekend, well, lying around. Despite my tasks thus far being insanely enjoyable/easy, working full time is tough. Particularly when your day to day routine involves walking through the dodgier parts of Surry Hills (ie more or less where I live). On Thursday afternoon, for instance, I plonked myself down on a park bench around the corner from the office, my intention being to drink the coffee I had just bought and to continue my reading of Breakfast at Tiffany's. Typically with a container of cous cous, this is how I usually spend my lunch breaks. Perhaps ten minutes into my break, a (presumably) homeless man walked up to me and jovially muttered something incomprehensible through a mouth full of bacon and egg roll. As is my nature when approached by a stranger, even when being asked directions, I uttered the stock response: No. In hindsight however, it seems he asked me something along the lines of: 'You're my sister. Did you know that we're family?' Because he then sits down next to me and proceeds to inform me that everyone in the whole wide world is descended from the same two people: Yes, none other than Mr. Adam and Mrs. Eve. I gulped down the rest of my rather awful and oversized coffee (no, it wasn't Starbucks, though it might as well have been) as I listened to this man tell be that, though he was forty-two, he only discovered the bible last week. He expressed his bafflement that the church didn't publicise the 'fact' that we're all relatives more, and his sadness that he didn't discover it earlier. "Because before, I probably would have come up to you and asked you for *sex* or something. But you're my sister, and I shouldn't be having sex with my sister." For the hard of hearing, let me repeat that: HE TOTALLY THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE HAD SEX, WERE I NOT HIS SISTER. He offered me some of his half-eaten bacon and egg roll before telling me to say hi to my Mum and Dad and tell them that we'll all catch up soon. As I was leaving, slowly and cautiously, he hugged me tightly and KISSED ME ON THE NECK. Suffice to say, on returning from my lunch break, I spent like, four hours in the bathroom vigorously soaping my hands and neck. Ah, okay, I'm being harsh, aren't I? Because well meaning hobos (as this one) are alright. Just don't let them have sex with you/kiss you. You might catch cancer.

In less cancerous news, check out some recent snaps I took for 2threads:

Radio National iTunes Launch

Street Style: Surry Hills and Cassette Kids Gig

P.S. I just discovered I have 69 blogger followers and I totally giggled. Yes, I'm immature. But I have read the Bible, so I'm *allowed* to make jokes about sex. It's not like I'm gonna go asking my 69 followers to have sex with me. Although, if I offered them bacon and egg roll I'm sure they would totally be up for it. Oh, and actually, when I say I've 'read' the Bible? I mean four or five pages. Maybe less.

P.P.S. You know how I kind of made fun of the Bible/God? I take it back. All of it. Because, obviously, someone's fucking with me here.

WHAT THE HELL HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS? Make this stop and I promise I won't go ahead with trying to seduce my readers. Or make any jokes about sex ever again. I just saw this guy's photostream anyway and I'm pretty sure I'm SCARRED. For life.

Nine to Five

As of yesterday I am officially interning at 2threads. The folk there are lovely and thus far my job duties have included nothing but writing a few short articles on the fashion world, snapping the stylish folk around Surry Hills, attending a Cassette Kids gig in Circular Quay and having (oh my, what effort) to take photos of the beautiful lead singer Katrina, amongst others in attendance. All in all, working at 2threads is certainly the best job I've ever had, pay or no pay.

I've posted not one, not two but THREE whole articles on the website already. Granted, they were short, but nonetheless totally awesome. Not that the ladies at 2threads would know, because no one even wanted to proof read the articles before they were published. Don't get me wrong though - this is definitely a good thing, as I did kind of talk about how I reckon Hitler's a babe and, in all honesty, I don't think that's the kind of shit you're supposed to be rambling about on your first day. Check out the fruits of my free labour below.



The easiest DIY you'll ever attempt: Good ol' bum-cheek-exposing denim shorts that Daisy Duke would be proud of.

I'm totally digging the latest trend in Spring footwear: Gladiator sandals for men. Please don't throw rocks at me.

Remember velvet? That gothic, crushed, horrible and unflattering fabric? Well, thanks to Topshop, the velvet dress has made a comeback. But boy, has it changed.

Can You See Me

CHECK ME OUT ON THE AMERICAN APPAREL SITE. I didn't even have to get my boobies out. Neither did I have to sleep with anyone or pose provocatively. This is probably why I'm such a tiny feature on the page. Still, we all win really: I get to go "HEY! Check me out! I'm on the AA website." And you don't have to be subjected to seeing me half naked and/or sleeping with me. In fact, I might possibly be the most fully clothed person to ever appear on the site. Oh wait, Susie's already beaten me in her coat. Better luck next time.

God! Show Me Magic

You see that chick on the far left in the below photograph? The one who, by some incredible coincidence, was standing just one row in front of me at a Jamie T gig we went to a few weeks ago? SHE'S WEARING A BOW ON HER HEAD THAT I HAND-SEWED AND SOLD AT OUR SEPTEMBER MARKET. Awesome? Only a little bit... GOTCHA! Seriously? It's probably the most awesome thing to ever happen to anyone.


It has to be said however, that she took my floral bow off half way through the gig to place upon her head a sailor's hat. Which she, later that evening, removed to replace with a headband. So, you know, it could just be that she was a complete head wear slut and she didn't actually like my bow at all. It could just be that my bow was one of hundreds that day. But, just like getting down and dirty with an ol' weathered prostitute, just because she's a head wear slut doesn't make my five minutes of loving any less awesome.

Does anyone else have photos of leading ladies/grumbling gentlemen in our vintage/retro/handmade wears? Email me at owlandthegrapes at gmail with photos of you, friends and/or strangers rocking shit bought from one of our Vintage & Retro Sale weekends and I might even feature you here, on the blog. I promise I won't call you a slut. And if I do (because I have been known to lie, though the remainder of this sentence is entirely sincere), believe me when I say that I mean it in the most affectionate way possible.

Disclaimer: The aforementioned 'ol' weathered prostitute' is purely a figment of my imagination.

I Can See Clearly Now

The sun is OUT again! Well, yes, there is the whole gail force winds thing but unless you're on a ferry/anywhere unsheltered, who the fuck cares? It's blue outside!

In other news, I had my hair cut and dyed on Tuesday. This is far more thrilling news than it might seem. Actually, no, it's not really.


Our Vintage & Retro Sale is THIS WEEKEND! I know I haven't been able to shut up about it but I'm even more excited than usual. Maybe I'm just in an excitable mood this week. Or maybe it's because our stock this month is unbelievably good. Like, mind blowingly good. Sydneysiders, you simply must come along. If you're lucky, and flatter my website/writing/incredible good looks enough, I might even give you a bloggy discount. AND, we'll be open an hour longer either end on Saturday and an hour earlier on Sunday morning so you'll have even more time than usual to check out our racks (not in a dirty kind of way). Here are some more photos of me wearing some of said unbelievably good stock. I'll also be selling some super cool cassette tape necklaces like the one in the below photos for a miniscule four dollars. Click for more detail.

The glasses are a present from my lovely housemate Dom, the awesome red jacket and top are both from Anglicare (pay-by-the-kilo op shop), leggings from god knows where, the cassette necklace I made myself, the watch from Paddys market (actually my birthday present from Bobby) and the shoes you should all know by now. Man, I need some new boots.