Vintage & Retro Sale at Hibernian House: February Edition

SATURDAY 13TH FEB: 9AM - 6PM

SUNDAY 14TH FEB: 10AM - 4PM

Level 6, 342 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills
Nearest train station: Central
What to bring: Cash
Attire: Sexy and Second Hand
Facebook Event Page

You, angel darling, don't need a halo to look heavenly. All you need is a visit to our Vintage & Retro Sale this weekend; a retrotastic blazer/dress/pair of dazzling shoes later and you'll be a picture of perfection. Just what you need to snag the man/lady/lady-man of your dreams this Valentine's Day. Indeed, on the weekend of love, we’ll be here selling mountains of insanely cool hand picked vintage & retro clothes from Hibernian House's very own penthouse. Before you get too excited, I should mention that it is, as per usual, in Sydney and, unless you've invented a transportation device, probably won't be financially viable for you international folk. Though, once you got here, it would be bargains galore so, you know, it'd all probably even out in the end. Not much in store is over $20, with prices starting at a measly $1. Katrina and Dominque won't be selling quite as regularly after this weekend so they've slashed prices on almost all of their stock. If I didn't know better, I'd say that we *invented* the word bargain. Not only is it cheap, it's also good. Very good. We've spent the better part of the last month running around collecting amazing stock for our already bulging rails from Melbourne, Sydney and everywhere in between.

Make your way to Level 6, 342 Elizabeth Street (click for map) for sick tunes, a comfy couch, change rooms, shoes (ranging from sizes 6 to 11), super stylish accessories, some bric-a-brac (including books, CDs and a collection of old records) and rails of amazing clothes from loads of cool cats including Katrina Noorbergen (Cassette Kids), stylist Grace Atkinson (NO magazine), Marissa Ziesing (fashion label FTW), Annabel Wurth and Emma Daniels (OwlandtheGrapes.com). It certainly won’t just be for the ladies though; we’ll have loads of mantastic pieces too, courtesy of Bobby Townsend (Drum Media), David Abram (Jingle Jangle) and Dominique Legrand (Awesometown).

Whether you're after something sexy and second hand for your loved one, or something sexy and second hand in which to woo a loved one, we're here to help. We're pretty ace at deciphering people's styles and helping to choose something they'll love. Check out the facebook event for directions and further details, invite your friends, bring your housemates and grab a massive bargain! Looking forward to seeing you there.

Saturday 13th February: 9am - 6pm

Sunday 14th February: 10am - 4pm

Western Front

Bobby and I were lucky enough to score tickets (look at me, I sound like a hardcore music user) to St. Jerome's Laneway Festival, a wonderful event that took place last Sunday at the beautiful Sydney College of the Arts (SCA). Amongst an amazing collection of talented acts, including Daniel Johnston, Florence and the Machine and The XX, local quintet Bridezilla dazzled the indie crowd and reminded me just how good their new record is. I reviewed it a couple of months ago - it was in fact my first ever album review - for This Way In. Bobby, I should also mention, reviewed the whole of St. Jerome's which you can find on his website.

Photo taken by the wonderfully talented Daniel Boud of award winning website www.boudist.com

If you're in Sydney, check out his exhibition at Mart Gallery in Surry Hills - the opening of which is tonight.

It takes some effort not to be jealous of Bridezilla. Not only are the quintet insanely talented, stylish, mature, musically educated, incredibly humble - even violinist Daisy Tulley, who’s notoriously crass - and more goddamn good looking than you or I will ever be, they’re all younger too. Whilst I’m getting pissed on other people’s booze, chain smoking and chatting up some guy (who I later realise is my boyfriend and not even worth my pick up lines), they’re likely to be found sitting in the darkest corner of the party having quiet, intelligent conversations. That is, if they’ve been coerced into going out at all. Their music is beguiling as they are, and the snowballing of their success comes as no surprise to anyone who’s seen them perform, which, let’s be frank, includes most of Sydney - even my Mother’s seen them - and, with the band having just returned home from playing the Flaming Lips-curated All Tomorrow Parties Festival, New York has now held witness to their explosive live show too.

Therefore, given this reputation, it comes as some surprise that, on first listen, Bridezilla’s aptly named debut long player, The First Dance, is almost unbearably restrained. It plays in dramatic contrast to their passionate live performances, which see regular outbreaks from Tulley and Millie Hall on saxophone. The album is an understated, tense and sombre affair. There’s a tautness that runs through the record, threatening to break out into an explosion of improvisation though, amazingly, it never does. This is perhaps most apparent in the almost entirely instrumental Soft Porn. It’s certainly a beautiful self-discipline, and the way Holiday Carmen-Sparks’ seductive croons complement the dizzyingly harmonious instrumentation is mesmerising. The most jarring sounds on the album – and they’re not really very jarring at all - come courtesy of Magnetic Arrest, with it’s pulsing beat, it was inspired by Carmen-Sparks’ trip to America. Queen of Hearts and Tailback meanwhile, are two examples that the band are more than able to write attractive pop numbers, without compromising their gothic sound.

It’s easy to dismiss Bridezilla as a band whose hype has come courtesy of the novelty of their youth, which is mentioned in almost every review and interview, but with The First Dance, they truly have created something far beyond their years. It’s an album that stands alone. Immerse yourself in The First Danceand any pre conceived notions you have become irrelevant. Released this month, their much anticipated debut long-player (they formed all the way back in 2005) is brooding and measured. Perhaps you won’t be dancing around the room to it, getting pissed and chatting up every person you fall upon, but it’s the perfect record to have a quiet conversation to in a dark corner of the room. In fact, who needs conversation? Whack it on your iPod and seclude yourself in Australia’s outback (somewhere like The Colo River, perhaps). It’s wonderful. Of course it is. What else would you expect from Sydney’s finest five piece?

It's Not Fair

Apologies in advance for what's about to be a pretty uninspired blog post. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, it's 0.5 degrees off 40. That's bushfire hot. Exploding cat hot. Laptop overheating hot. And I've got a laptop on my lap. It should console me that if I overheat/melt/die at least I'll go with the thing I love most (sorry Bobby) but it doesn't. Don't be surprised if the next "What I Wore" post is of a dress in a puddle. Written from an internet cafe. So, because some things don't need explaining - even though, being me, I often explain them anyway, by way of an epic blog post/incomprehensible story - and in the interest of *not* melting, I'll try to keep it short - Lily Allen is Lily Allen; I'm going to take a massive leap of faith here and presume that you know who she is and, possibly more than once, you've caught a glimpse of one of her live shows. No? Let me sum it up for you: Flashing lights, rude words (oh my!), booty shaking, intelligently wry lyrics and a generous amount of leopard print. For even more details, you can keep an eye on Bobby's blog, as he was reviewing. Indeed, we saw her the night before last at the Hordern Pavillion and, though I can't say I was - or had the time to get - overly excited, it was actually really quite fun. And I kind of fell in love with the above stockings. Which is ridiculous, considering the heat, but the more I look at them, the more I decide I can't live without them. If anyone knows where I can get my hands on a pair/wants to make them for me, I'd be eternally grateful. I promise I won't even think about wearing them 'till Autumn.

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.

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.

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.

Great DJ

Last Thursday night, Marissa (aka DJ Stella) kindly welcomed Bobby and I into her weekly DJing slot at Club 77. We played Blondie, The Cure, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis and many other jingles to compliment her rocking '50s and '60s jangles for an hour or so until the gaggle of club-goers dissipated into the night. Admittedly, there wasn't a massive crowd (see above photo) but nevertheless, do you realise what this all means? We made our debut DJing effort. In other words, we're like totally legitimate, awesome and employable DJs now. Goodbye Bobby and Emma, hello DJ Bobbysix and DJ Meowcat.

Vintage & Retro Sale at Hibernian House, No. 6

Greetings Sydney-siders!
We wouldn’t be entirely surprised had you thought that, after you guys bought us out CLEAN at last month’s sale, we’d never be back. You’d be wrong however, as we saved some Grade A European stock out the back for another time (read: THIS time), and we’ve been oh-so-busy dashing around town collecting new (old) retro goodies to fill our rails. We've picked up a remarkable amount of goodies, including a pair of beautiful Karen Walker denim shorts, loads of shudderingly cool t-shirts for the boys, leather skirts and shorts, a Diesel check shirt, teddy bear, floral and embroided vests, some number of amazing cropped, midriff-bearing pieces and, of course, florals and great prints in every cut.

We’ll also have refreshments, The Kinks (on the speakers), a comfy couch, shoes, super stylish accessories, bric-a-brac, books and MOUNTAINS OF HAND PICKED VINTAGE & RETRO CLOTHES from loads of cool cats including Marissa Ziesing (of fashion label FTW), Bobby Townsend (of Drum Media), Dominique Legrand, Katrina Noorbergen (of Cassette Kids), stylist Grace Atkinson (from NO magazine), David Abram (of Jingle Jangle) and Emma Daniels (of OwlandtheGrapes.com). It certainly won't just be for the ladies either. We've got three man-oh-man sellers with loads of mantastic pieces. And if it all gets a bit hot and sweaty we'll even crack out the fan for you. Alternatively, grab one of our sweet little one-piece swimsuits.

Almost EVERYTHING in store is around the $20 mark. And when I say almost, I ain't exaggerating. However, do remember that we only be accept cold, hard CASH (we like to do things the old fashioned way). If you do come unprepared however, there’s an ATM just down the street.


Also, now that we’re back from the EU we can finally make this sale a regular by-the-calendar event. So, from here on in, every second weekend of the month, rain, dust storm, apocalypse or shine, you’ll find us up at 601 selling our wares. We’ll also be open longer hours for all you kids who want to sunbathe your little white arse blistering red at the beach. We’ll be open an hour extra either end of the day on Saturday and an hour earlier on Sunday.

We're close to Crown St, Oxford St and pretty much everywhere. You'll be hard pressed to find parking, but be an environmentally friendly one and walk or hop on the public transport to Central Station from which we are less than a minute's walk. Find us on Level 6 of Hibernian House, Surry Hills. Zip up in the lift to level 5 and follow the signs.

If 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 a recent issue of Elle Korea and in online publication Two Thousand (who made us out to be much cooler than we actually are. Hah! JUST KIDDING. We really are that cool.)

RSVP on the facebook (if only to show off your unbelievable coolness), invite your friends, bring your housemates and grab a MASSIVE BARGAIN!

SATURDAY 10th OCTOBER: 9am - 6pm
SUNDAY 11th OCTOBER: 10am - 4pm

Vintage and Retro Sale at Hibernian House, Part V

Herro Sydney folks (feel free to skip this post if you ain't based in Sydders),

Guess what? Our vintage and retro sales are back! With loads of goodies from countries afar. And we'll be open all weekend! This might possibly be the single most exciting invitation of your month slash life.

I know, it hurt, right? Six months sans our (usually monthly) sale. You guys must be frickin' starving for some retro action. Well, never fear, the first sale's approaching faster than the Enterprise at warp speed. The best part? We brought back so many goodies from Europe to share with you. Paris? Check. London? Check. Berlin? Checkity Check Point Charlie. The first sale will be loads of fun and you can expect even lower prices too, with most pieces being $20 and under. We will have liquid refreshments, Bat For Lashes (on the speakers), one famous cat, a big comfy couch to chill the flip out on, shoes, handbags and belts, bric-a-brac, a little jewellery, books and mountains of hand picked vintage & retro clothes from loads of cool cats including Marissa Ziesing (of fashion label FTW), stand up comic Julia Clark, Bobby Townsend (of Drum Media and Bobbysix.com), Dominique Legrand, Katrina Noorbergen (of Cassette Kids fame) and ME.

Everything on sale will be cash only. Some stuff you’ll be able to pick up for as little as fifty cents, but make sure there are a few notes in your pockets for some of the vintage bits on offer. (Never fear though, there is an ATM just down the street).

We're close to Crown St, Oxford St and pretty much everywhere. You'll be hard pressed to find parking, but be an environmentally friendly one and walk or hop on the train to Central Station from which we are less than a minute's walk. Find us on Level Six of Hibernian House, Surry Hills. Squeeze through the security door, buzz 601 or, if all else fails, just call the number pasted on the front door (don't worry, we won't pick up the phone and use up all your pretty credit. What we WILL do however, is run down and let you in). Zip up in the lift to level 5 (be patient, it does work) and follow the signs.

Oh and did I mention we've been featured all over the joint? No? Well, we have. Not least of all in a recent issue of Elle Girl Korea.

Check out the Facebook event over here for more details. Invite your friends, bring your housemates and grab a MASSIVE BARGAIN!

SATURDAY 12th SEPT: 10am - 5pm

SUNDAY 13th SEPT: 11am - 4pm

How Sweet It Is

Parisians, it feels safe to state, love their vices. Cigarettes oft (it's like often but older) haphazardly dangle from lips, wake-up coffees are replaced as the choice of drink no later than the early afternoon by red wine, cheese is bought by the kilo and, of course, macarons are enjoyed for every occasion one could think of. Wedding? Macarons! Baby shower? Macarons! Thursday? Macarons! And a good thing that is, because otherwise Laduree perhaps would not still be around today, some one hundred and fifty years after it's establishment. Laduree is the most famous, and certainly the best, patisserie in Paris for macarons. So famous in fact, that Laduree sells 12,000 macarons a day.


I first fell in love with the delicious clouds a few years ago, in the days when I often spent my evenings leafing through recipe books. It became my dream (well, one of my many dreams) to travel to France and try one of these magnificent looking creations. Of course, regarding myself as a little cook, I made numerous attempts at baking them. Alas, they all failed miserably, leaving me with flattened lumps ofmacaron and bowls of runny filling. Having never tasted or even seen one in the flesh certainly didn't help my exploits.


So, last week, it was with a huge smile on my face that I skipped into Laduree in Paris, and bought my very own box of six macarons. Actually, Bobby bought me my very own box of six macarons. We've already established that I have next to no money. But oh, they're wonderful! They're fluffy little clouds plucked from heaven which melt in your mouth better than M&Ms ever did. Melt in your hand not in your mouth my arse, M&M. Laduree make these macarons in all the colours of the rainbow and enough flavours to have you dizzy. They're made freshly each morning and with each box of macarons comes a little leaflet, containing a brief history and the date you're box of mouth-watering goodness was made. They're worth every cent and, even if you're as poor as I, I absolutely insist that you treat yourself to one (or six) next time you find yourself in Paris. Or get your boyfriend to treat you. Or a stranger. I saw a man put on a puppet show on the tram and, you know, he got a fair bit of money from it. So that's an idea. I'm just saying, given how delicious these things are, I know kids who would go to further lengths.


Paris, if this is what it feels like to love your vice, I'm with you. Just watch out for the withdrawals. You might just end up on the cigarettes and alcohol.

Cross Your Fingers

Brighton Frocks are currently holding a competition to find a writer for Brighton Fashion Weekend 2009. With much encouragement from Bobby, I sent through my entry this afternoon. And voila. Give me your verdict folks.


"Burgeoning British fashion label, Preen, have managed to encompass all things covetable in the AW09/10 shows into one beguiling ensemble. Cutouts? Check. Body-con? Check. Leather? Hell yes. The only thing missing was strong shoulderpadding which, lets admit, isn't all that flattering anyway. Preen's collection, like many others of the season, was dark; colour peeping through in only a fraction of outfits. A palette that is sure to have pleased the colour-allergic It Girls and fashion editors of today. The Preen muse, it feels safe to assume, was the beautiful misfit who sat at the back of class, smoking a cigarette. Now, all grown up, oh my, how she has blossomed.

With more than a nod to Sean Young's character in Blade Runner, this '80s-reminiscent, thigh-skimming dress hugs the body so tightly it probably has restraining orders against it. The cut and fabric lends a futuristic edge that screams androgony and brings out the Pinocchio in you. Only, in this case, you're not wailing to be a real boy, you're wailing to be an android. The leather chest panels let way to exposed skin and the twist of fabric at the midriff is a style also seen in Alexander Wang's SS09 collection and will be, no doubt, a major trend with girls in the know come Autumn. The tight neckline of the dress and long sleeves help to reinforce the power-woman image and balance out, well, everything else. While it makes little sense, when you throw all these features - generally best left to dominatrix types - into the pot, what you get is a painfully cool, dark, motorcycle riding woman.

If the top fashion blogs and next season's trend forecasts are anything to go by - which, obviously, they are - by the time the SS10 shows roll 'round, we'll be bombarded by bold colours. So, while it's in fashion, I recommend you leather up, strap on the studs, cut a few holes into your top and put some L.A. Guns on. Actually, that's not a bad idea regardless of the fashions."


So, basically, now I'm asking you to cross your fingers on both hands, wishing that I win a beautiful felt hat AND a job reporting on behalf of Brighton Frocks for Brighton Fashion Weekend. I hope, for your sake, that I don't enter any more competitions, or I might ask you to cross your toes too. And we wouldn't want that because then you couldn't walk properly. And when I asked you to come up to the stage during my acceptance speech you wouldn't be able to without looking a bit weird, and that would be sad.

Magazine

The talented and discerning people at ElleGirl Korea have done a feature page on yours truly. You can find it in the March issue of the magazine. Yes, I do realise that it's April now. However, you see, apparently it takes weeks upon weeks to ship things from Korea. By the time it finally arrived in Sydney, I had already left for England. Hence I had to coach my Mother in the art of scanning and saving a picture file as a picture file, not as a Word document. This kind of implies that we were successful. We weren't. In fact, I just wasted an hour and a bit of both our time. Thank God for Skype, otherwise I would be even more broke than I am now (if such a thing were possible). Lucky for me however, over the weekend she had a computer-savvy friend visit her who, on hearing about the saga, wham bam emailed it right over. Et voila!


I feel that it's important to mention at this point that I don't speak Korean. So for all I know they could be talking about my weirdly long and wonky fingers in the photo where I hold Miranda July's No One Belongs Here More Than You. Or my typically (roll of the eyes) indie taste in music/film. So rather than give you a long list of what they might be saying, here is a copy of the article I sent them, in English and in the full. I'm the non-bold bits, in case, like me, you're easily confused.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF. "My name's Emma Harrison. I'm twenty and I live and work on the top floor of an amazing heritage-listed, graffiti-ridden, green maze of a warehouse building in Sydney, Australia. The building is also home to a monthly Vintage and Retro Market that I run."


DESCRIBE YOUR DAILY LIFE. "My days usually consist of buying (and getting very excited about) lots of beautiful old clothes, browsing the Internet for inspiration like the below picture, blogging, arranging my next market, sketching and listening to very good music. Sometimes, if it's not 40 degrees as it is today, I might lounge on my roof with a book. If there's a glint in my eye and I have my thinking face on, it's almost certainly clothes on my mind."


WHAT'S YOUR DREAM? "I would love to one day be making enough profit from my Vintage and Retro Markets to be able to turn my entire floor into a space where people could drop in and buy incredible clothes and pretty things, drink coffee made by our (currently non-existent) in-house barista 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. And if people were hungry we'd serve them brownies."

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
"Books
No One Belongs Here More Than You is a collection of beautiful, quirky and often sad stories by Miranda July. Writers like her inspire and influence me more than anything else. The images that a wonderful writer can conjure in one's mind is difficult to beat. It might be a phrase or a chapter, it might be the way it's told or the way it unravels. I consider styling and thrifting to also be processes of telling a story and when I shop for vintage clothes I like to consider the direction the piece's story has gone and will go in, often with the aim to take it in a direction it hasn't seen before."


"Lipstick
Lipstick can bring a giant white singlet and shorts from a sunny sandy day into a wonderful summer night. It brings together an outfit not unlike a great pair of shoes does. Lipstick reminds me of autumn. Lipstick makes me feel okay for not wearing any other make-up to a party. And when it ends up smudged across your face in the morning, it's okay because clowns are cool."

"Home
The wonderful thing about my building is that it's full of surprises. New artworks (some of them mind-blowing, others horribly amateur) crop up constantly. It's where the cool congregate and the amazing and creative live (me being more the latter than the former)."

"Millie
While it's difficult not to admit that she is by far at her friendliest when she's looking to be fed, my cat is still a beautiful creature. Millie's a lovely companion. I named her such because she was born in the Millennium year. Clearly, my creativity came later in life."


"Bobby
Since my boyfriend Bobby and I have been together, I think both our senses of style have developed. While, individually, we have always had a keen eye for the old and the newly put together, I think that, as a couple, we serve to inspire and open each other's minds. He borrows my blouses and I borrow his skinny ties. It's a pretty sweet deal."


"Cafes
With all the little cafes so close by it's easy to take a little time out of my schedule to sit down and relax with a mug and a sketchbook and let the ideas flow. The moment you sit down and make that decision to do very little, you find yourself noticing things that many people are looking too hard to see. The twist in the girl's hair who's sitting next to you, the amazing shoes that just stomped past, the way the old leather is cracking on the seat beneath you. People-watching is a rewarding sport if you pick the right spot."

"DVD
Ghost World is so wonderfully put together. The colours and perfectly framed shots of those big Docs with those dowdy clothes and wonderful glasses just couldn't get any better. And how could one not relate to such a film? I doubt that there is anyone who has never felt like an outcast. But despite the characters being total losers, they are also some of the coolest ones to grace our screens."


"CDs
I'd like to quote that CSS lyric and say, "Music is my boyfriend". The truth though is that my boyfriend is my boyfriend. However, you can't put my boyfriend on the stereo (very loudly) and dance badly around the room to him. No matter how hard you might wish."


"Pay by the kilo thrifting
Some things you have to be in the right state of mind to endure. Getting up early on a Saturday morning and trawling through mountains of (mainly rubbish) clothes at the pay-by-the-kilo warehouse we frequent is hard work. But it's worth the effort when you chance upon a gem. I always manage to find the most ridiculously wonderful '80s garments."


"Vintage and Retro Market
The Vintage and Retro Market I run is my baby. Once a month I gather together a bunch of little indie sellers and we set up our pop-up store. Personally, I collect and sell things that I want to wear but just don't have room for. Quirky vintage dresses and sweet little skirts. It's lovely to see Sydney's cool kids visit my place and discover their own new treasures."

"Art/photography
Comic books, superheroes and vintage photos are fantastic eye candy. Also, magazines are a great quick source for photographs and art that are put together with the sole purpose of intriguing and inspiring. Even junk mail can be visually inspiring."


"Blogging
Since starting up my blog, I find myself constantly searching for new and inspirational things to blog about. It keeps me on my toes. It makes me strive to put together better outfits. I have a file on my computer and a few little art books lying around that I use to collate ideas. It very much helps when you can't remember what you were getting so excited about just an hour before. Writing it down or writing it up on my blog also helps to cement the ideas in my head and is, for me, a way of keeping track of things."


Update: Thanks to the very kind and multilingual Grace, what follows is a translation of the introduction to the article. "Emma (Age 20) lives in Sydney, and is a fashionholic. She never wears normal t-shirts and jeans, but each day creates a new style by following her mood and mixing and matching vintage items. On a typical day this red haired dreamer usually spends time shopping and blogging, but hopes to run an atelier of her own some day."