A Lesson about Reaching for the Stars with Lotus Mendes Designer Victoria Cheatham

We all have a dream, but not many of us are brave enough to pursue that dream.

This is certainty not true of Lotus Mendes designer, Victoria Cheatham. I had the opportunity to hear Victoria speak at my college yesterday. Can I just say, this is one truly inspirational and determined lady. She is also a designer to keep your eye on for Spring/Summer 2011.

Like most of us creative types, Victoria had a hobby that subsumed most of her spare time since high school.  Her hobby was jewelry making. Victoria spoke about going to Vinnies and purchasing pieces of jewelry. She would then stare at these pieces for hours before dismantling each piece and reconstructing them with a contemporary twist.

After high school, Victoria went to university but found that it was not fulfilling so she went overseas. After a couple of years, Victoria came back to Australia and finished university but still did not have a sense that she had found her place in the universe. Despite working various jobs in different industries and completing further studies, Victoria still knew that there was something missing. 

It never dawned on Victoria at an earlier stage that she was destined to be a jewelry designer. But seeing how passionate she was talking about her own label, that showed at Sydney Fashion Week this year, you wonder how she would have ever been happy doing anything else.  

Lotus Mendes pays homage to the warrior women within all of us. Despite taking 12 years to launch, Victoria never gave up hope of pursuing her dreams. With her goddess rings recently featuring in Grazia and InStyle magazine, all her hard work has truly paid off.

Victoria's designs can be found at Fringe Bar markets and on the Lotus Mendes website (http://lotusmendes.com/default.html).

Your friend in fashion,

Miss Midge

Inspirational Fashion Photographs

This is a photograph of the actress Rita Hayworth in a mid-riff evening gown by designer Jean Louis. The photographer was Bob Landry.

Despite Rita Hayworth being one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood (to date might I add) and that the evening gown being quite revealing for the time, it still shows her innocence and almost youthful naivety.

I love this photograph as, unlike many fashion photographs, it shows some personal traits of the model. It helps to make the photograph more engaging and memorable.

 Your friend in fashion,

Miss Midge

Buy the Girl a Pair of Pants: Why the Leggings Only Trend Continues to Annoy Me.

I know that I am a little late to the game on this one.

I have not just noticed that girls have seemed to have forgotten to buy pants for the last two years. I am writing about this now as, two years after this disturbing trend hit our shores, it continues to annoy me. A lot.

The most disturbing element to this trend is that most girls believe they actually look good in skin-tight leggings that expose every bulge and lump. Whilst being easy to style an outfit around, and available in every god-awful colour and print, they should really be avoided by 90% of the population.*

Leggings specifically do not look good on:

• Anyone over the age of 16;
• Anyone bigger than the size of a tooth-pick; and,
• Anyone who insists on wearing full briefs underneath.

So, unless you are pre-pubescent with legs like a baby giraffe - PUT THE LEGGINGS DOWN AND BACK AWAY!

Your friend in fashion,

Miss Midge


*Totally unscientific estimation

Rock 'n' Roll & Alternative Markets: Sunday 18th September 2011

Calling all Greasers and Pink Ladies!


The Sydney Rock 'n Roll & Alternative Markets are on this Sunday.


These markets are a must for all those after great vintage, rock'n'roll, burlesque, ska and alternate clothing or those in the mood to jive to a few cool tunes.


Where


Jets Sports Club, 2 Holbeach Ave, Tempe NSW.
Catch the 422 bus from Newtown Station, or take a 10 minute stroll from Wolli Creek or Tempe Train Stations.


Times


Market Stalls are open from 11:00am - 4.30pm
Music from 11.45am - 5.30pm


Entry Cost

Entry by gold coin donation.


Your friend in fashion,


Miss Midge

Inspirational Fashion Photographs

Gina Lollobrigida is a famous Italian actress and an iconic sex symbol of the 1950s. This photograph was taken in 1952  by Haywood Magee for Picture Post magazine and it is still one of my favourite fashion photographs of all time.

What has always captured my attention with this photograph is its casual sophiscation. Despite the setting being rather unglamorous, Gina's hair being styled in a very relaxed fashion (especially for the 1950's) and her rather casual posture; there is still something beautiful and high fashion about this photograph.This photograph really deconstructs the notion that a fashion photograph has to be all about glamour- the perfect hair, opulent settings and catwalk perfect make-up.

Feel free to post your favourite and inspirational fashion photographs and tell us why they are special to you.

Your friend in fashion,

Miss Midge

Perfecting Your Vintage Look

Most people neglect the impact that proper hairstyling and make-up has on an outfit. 

Appropriate hairstyling and make-up is particularly important when styling a vintage outfit as it really captures the essence of a decade.  There is nothing worse than seeing a girl with the cutest vintage frock but has GHD curled her own hair and then had her face attacked by the Napoleon Perdis girls (for my international friends, it’s the equivalent of looking like you had your make-up done by a drag queen or a pre-schooler with crayons).

I thought that I would share these two books with you.  They are the best vintage reference books on hair and make-up that I have found to date.  I purchased my copies from the lovely ladies at That Shop - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/That-Shop/179136394420

With the hairstyling book, it has a step-by-step guide to achievable looks for a variety of hair lengths. 

The make up book also has step-by-step guides to achieving key looks from the silent movie era through to the 1970s.

Why not bring out these books at your next girls’ night in (along with the champagne and cupcakes) and practice achieving some classic retro looks!

Your friend in fashion,

Miss Midge

This Season's “Lust Have”: The Platform

The platform was once considered the height of fashion (mainly by our mothers).

In the 1970s (or so I’m told – by my mother), the platform was the footwear staple equivalent to today’s ballet flats. Unfortunately, any attempt by shoe designers to reintroduce the platform back into fashion has created something equivalent to what you would see strapped to a stripper who is twirling around a pole in Kings Cross. Not flattering to say the least. Certainly not suitable for going on a shopping day with the girls or meeting the boyfriend’s parents for the first time over Sunday brunch.

Ladies, I am glad to announce that the style drought has now been broken.

When I was backstage dressing last weekend for ACP’s “30 Days of Fashion” parades, all the models were wearing the most fabulous platforms like the picture above.  They are definitely the “lust have” for this coming spring/summer.

It got me thinking of different ways to style platforms into a contemporary outfit.  Here are some of my suggestions:

-       With a shift dress that has a bold print for a funky work outfit;

-       With denim mini-shorts and a nautical striped top for a resort inspired outfit;

-       With tight ankle length pants to give the illusion of long, lean legs; and,

-       With your favourite LBD for a look that is totally now.

So ladies, go forth and raid your mother’s wardrobes- the platform is back!

Your friend in fashion,

Miss Midge

Designers we are loving right now - Penelope Red

I had the honour on Tuesday night of attending the fashion launch for Penelope Red's "Red Flora" collection at the Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel. Let me just say girls- another season, another beautiful collection from Penelope Red. She never disappoints.

The designer behind Penelope Red is Penelope Bolkovsky (pictured above in the divine red wrap dress). Penelope is inspired by vintage clothing, old Hollywood glamour and 60's and 70's prints. Her designs are ultra feminine and full of colour.  Her outfits could easily take you from your office desk to after work drinks in a flash. Some of the designs that Penelope creates uses wonderful vintage fabrics that Penelope has sourced herself, so they are limited in number (which is part of their apppeal).

Penelope does not buy into the mass-produced culture and prefers to sew all her creations herself, sometimes with the aid of an additional seamstress. The construction of her garments is flawless which is in stark contrast to the shotty construction found in today's fast fashion labels. I completely believe that you get what you pay for.

So if you want to introduce some colour into your Spring wardrobe with quality garments constructed with love, please head over to Penelope Red's website (http://www.penelopered.com/welcome.html) to either order online or find out which markets she will be at.

Your friend in fashion,

Miss Midge

Why . . . . hello there!

Welcome fellow fashionistas and trend-setters,

My name is Miss Midge and I am just a regular Sydney fashionista who wanted to create a blog to share my fashion-related purchases, thoughts, trials and tribulations (and not to forget- a bit of bitching) with all my fellow fashion-obsessed peers.

Although I am a lover of all the finer things in life (including Ferragamo Varina flats, Coach sunglasses and just about anything Chanel), I have a deep love of vintage items and finding great emerging designers (think Bondi Beach Markets and Paddington Markets). I have an utter disdain of “fast fashion” (think cheap and nasty clothing made of poor quality fabric aka Dotti, Supre, Sportsgirl and the like).

This blog will show you how to find great vintage pieces and how to style them into jaw-dropping outfits; share details of fabulous markets and emerging designers that I have stumbled upon in my travels for the next perfect outfit; review current trends and seasonal “must haves”; and discuss celebrity fashions.

So may you raise your glasses (of Moet in your perfectly manicured hands) and toast to living the rest of your life in absolutely fabulous clothes.

Your friend in fashion,

Miss Midge.

A New and Exciting Fashion Blog

A new and exciting fashion blog will be starting here shortly. So if you are a total fashion diva or just the slightest bit interested in current fashion trends, I highly recommend that you watch this space.