les jours d'été // mychameleon

 

 

A little while ago Giselle from one of my favourite online stores, MyChameleon, approached me to design an illustration for a limited edition tote bag. I absolutely love the labels MyChameleon stocks including local favourites Petite Grand, Dress Up and Gary Bigeni. I have been wearing my Gary Dewi dress everywhere, I love the bright red for daytime with a pair of ivory sandals or dressed up at night with my favourite Zara pumps and double anklets. 

Giselle has amazing taste (have you seen her top 10 over at So Much to Tell You?) and I had so much fun sketching out a few ideas themed around summer. One of the main inspirations for the tote bag and MyChameleon's SS12 poster are these very beautiful images of girls and flowers by Polish photographer Lukasz Wierzbowski.

MyChameleon will be giving away my tote and their collection poster as part of Vogue's online shopping night (happening this Wednesday), you can head over here for more information.

 1 & 3. MyChameleon Les Jours d'été  (Summer Days) tote bag designed by me, 2, 4, 6 & 8. Photographs from Lukasz Wierzbowski's Flickr, 5. My Gary Bigeni Dewi dress, 7. MyChameleon SS12 keepsake poster.

interior mood

This is a new section of the blog I'm starting, it's basically a monthly mood board of interior inspirations. The theme for the first post is spot colour, it's all monochrome with pops of bright yellow and the introduction or a few ikat style patterns to break up the black and white. I hope you like it!

Spot colour type by Rohan

1. From top left corner: painting by me, sign from the Anteroom hotel in Kyoto, textile swatches from Elle Decoration UK Sept 11, watercolour background by me.

2. Missoni Home cushion and throw from net-a-porter.

3. Watercolour background and ink pattern illustration by me, Hammam soap dishes from West Elm, paint swatches from Elle Decoration UK Sept 11, Malin + Goetz dark rum candle from tobi.

stonefox

"Trip waited for the applause to peak before he spoke again. The he said, "First I'm going to come over and watch the tube at your house. This Sunday. Then I'm going to ask you out." Again he waited for her to speak, but the only sign she'd heard came from her hand which, turning palm up, suggested he could do what he liked. Trip stood up to go, but before doing so leaned over the back of his vacated seat as the words he'd been keeping down for weeks came pouring out. 

"you're a stone fox," he said, and took off."

-The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey Eugenides 

When I heard that the publishers of an old favourite, SummerWinter were back with a new magazine, Stonefox, I immediately thought of that quote from The Virgin Suicides.

I have read the book and watched the film countless times and am always transported back to the days of writing film quotes in my diary and fawning over the picture of Trip Fontaine I had stuck inside my highschool locker. There's just something about this story, a portrait of American suburban life told from the perspective of infatuated teenage boys, that is both deeply poignant and beautiful. 

All images, Stonefox magazine. 

Pencil and watercolour illustrations by me and quotes from The Virgin Suicides.

le mepris

Godard's Le Mepris (Contempt) is always a favourite holiday watch. 

I love Brigitte Bardot's stripey tops and headscarves and the stunning Casa Malaparte on Capri island, Italy. The house was created in 1937 by architect Adalberto Libera. I can't wait to visit it someday...

Film stills of Le Mepris (Contempt) by Jean-Luc Godard, 1963 from google images.

white heat

 




 

 

 

Summer is coming.

The new issue of Self Service magazine, despite being F/W 12 has given me some summertime inspiration. Codie Young on holiday in the Ukraine, Malgosia Bela in Hollywood captured in black and white and Gertrud Hegelund at the Catalina Beach Club, Atlantic Beach, New York.

I have one week left of my design course, so beach time is just around the corner. This morning I took a study break in favour of a little collage and painting, I have hardly had any time to draw for the past few weeks. I'm also looking forward to picking up the new Murakami book, 1q84, and having afternoon reading breaks in the park.

Next on my book list in Poolside with Slim Aarons, I just love the sixties and seventies imagery. I also want to find the perfect black summer dress, like this one snapped by Vanessa Jackman. The understated accessories make this just perfect, I have been wanting these little alphabet and knuckle rings from Catbird for a few months since I saw them on Honestly wtf. They're on my Christmas list along with a few BRVTVS pieces, fingers crossed!

1 & 11. Collage by my me using watercolour and images from Russh magazine, 2. Do Son fragrance by Diptyque, a gift from one of my lovely friends which is perfect for summer, 3. Codie Young in Self Service issue FW12, 4. Images from Poolside with Slim Aarons from here, 5. My favourite floral print Lover bikini, 6. Isabel Marant's essentials in Self Service, 7.  APC fig and Jasmine candles, perfect for this weather, 8. Photos from Vanessa Jackman, 9 & 10. Malgosia Bela in Self Service, 12.  Gertrud Hegelund in Self Service. Photographs by me. 

p.s. From now on I'll add all the blog images to my tumblr to make it easier to reblog. Thanks!

under the wing

 

 

Today I spent a lovely afternoon with Hannah getting fresh juice at Gnome in Surry Hills and visiting the Under the Wing showroom. It was amazing to see such a strong collection of local (and NZ) labels and the studio itself was beautiful, think white walls and timber floors and racks and racks of beautiful clothes.

1. Dress Up

I've spoken about how much I love Stephanie's designs before and the winter collection definitely didn't disappoint. Her classic high-waisted, tapered trousers are back in my favourite colour for winter (burgundy for ever) and I immediately fell for the simple turtle neck top.

2 & 3. Lonely Hearts

Oh how lovely this burgundy parka is. I forgot to take a photo but it has this cute Navajo print lining inside and I love the shearling detail around the collar. 

4. The lovely Georgia who took us around the showroom. I have been wanting that BRVTVS Claudia bracelet for so long and I had to take a photo as soon as I spotted it. The watch is amazing too, right?

5 & 6. Carly Hunter

Hannah got this shearling vest in the natural colourway last year and I was so happy to see it make a comeback in black (I might have to get this!) It also came in a beautiful coat. The basic singlet came in a white and black silk or black velvet. I love the cut of this, it reminds me of an Alexander Wang tank I bought from the first T collection, high neck and low cut sides, very Hedi Slimane. 

7 & 8. Deadly Ponies

I love these wallet trios, how cute is the little baby one? 

9. Secret Squirrel

I loved the simplicity of this collection. Favourites were the tapered trousers and matching blazers with silk shirts and lovely knitwear. They did this great silk tee in a few different colours which I think would be a go-to layering piece in winter.

It looks like my winter wishlist is well on its way...

a little look at our place

  

 

Recently we had to take some photos of our apartment and I thought it would be nice to share them with you. I love getting a glimpse at peoples creative spaces. My favourite places for inspiration are Where They Create, work.place, Design* Sponge and Vogue Portugal's Room Service.

1 & 2. Our bookshelves in the living room. We may have way too many books. Across the top is my Lanvin wedding doll, Deyrolle butterflies (all gifts from Rohan) and two of Rohan's illustrations in perspex frames. Below is our Russh magazine archive, every issue from #1! 

3 & 4. Our Living room is pretty simple. We have an Ikea fold out table for when extra guests pop over and Philippe Starck ghost chairs. I always love to have fresh flowers in the house, at the time cherry blossoms were in season so we had a big bunch. Our little orchid lives between the bookcase and the windowsill. 

5. New bed! I have been waiting to get a new frame for ages, it has big storage draws underneath which are really handy. I also love using little apothecary bottles as vases. 

6 & 7. Some of my favourite books at the moment. I keep all my makeup and CDs in these draws. 

8, 9 & 10. My little vanity table. I think was actually a little school table, I found in the foyer of my old apartment building. The chair is vintage from Surry Hills markets. On top of the desk the boxed set of Rohan's portfolio booklets, my jewellery box (A sunglasses box from The Row) and my favourite Benah cuffs. I have a clothing rack set up next to this where I keep my go-to items. At the the moment it's a T by Alexander Wang white t-shirt dress, Benah pistachio lola clutch and Isabel Marant striped linen scarf.

11 & 12. Our little office. (I'm (Rohan) in here most days for most of the day, except when I'm out getting coffee. It's really lovely in the morning at about 9:30am in spring; the sun shines in through the trees outside and lights everything up.) 

13. Some of my favourite coffee table books and an A.P.C fig candle. I can't stop flicking through Home: Where They Create by Paul Barbera, Influence by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and Cowboy Kate and Other Stories by Sam Haskins. 

14 & 15. Our little kitchen window where the parsley and basil sometimes live. Yoshitomo Nara is one of our favourite artists. The print was an anniversary gift I got for Rohan, it has it's own little spot in our corridor which you see as soon as you open the front door. 

16 & 17. Our all black bathroom. Aesop is probably my favourite skin care brand, their handwash is absolutely amazing. We were given these Missoni towels at the Missoni for Havaianas launch party a few months ago, we don't have a lot of colour in our place so these help brighten things up.