Pucci

This Italian label oozes endless style, craftsmanship and luxury, while remaining true to its roots.  Emilio Pucci started the company in 1950 after unexpectedly making his way onto the pages of Harper’s Bazaar magazine with a ski suit he’d created for a friend 3 years prior.  A Florentine aristocrat, Pucci’s family home- a palace of course- provided the perfect, dramatic backdrop for press and clients to view the collections. 

The infamous ski suit

The incredible success of these collections led to Pucci developing concepts and designs for avenues which no other designer had before explored - including uniforms for an airline, the logo for the Apollo 15 space mission, and more recently a printed sail for Wally yachts and furniture collaborations with Cappellini.

Today the brand continues to stay fresh and provides gorgeous clothes which have been seen on fashionable women all over the world, including Audrey Hepburn, Princess Grace of Monaco, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Jacqueline Kennedy.   

Yours Fashionably,

Nat xo

The Nightmare that was Zara

Ok, so I might be overreacting, but in all seriousness this opening was the most epic shopping experience I’ve ever witnessed.  I say witnessed because I didn’t actually buy anything, but spent most of my time in the store being pushed and poked and, of course, waiting in line.  I waited in a queue to get into the store (granted it was only for about 10mins- and felt like I was in line for a night club more than for a shop), I waited to get close to the racks of clothes (which were actually mostly thrown onto tables usually saved for jeans or folded knits), and then I waited in a queue to try on a fur vest, and two leather dresses.  Thankfully I wasn’t particularly taken by them because then God knows how long I would have had to wait in line to purchase them.

Now I realise that I might be sounding very cynical, but I don’t mean to be because there were actually a lot of very reasonably priced pieces available to buy.  Prices range from approximately $50 (for jeans!) up to around $450 for leather jackets; however by the time I got there after work most of the good things were already gone.

Zara has been a favourite store of mine since I lived overseas for the year in 2006, partly because the clothes are affordable, but mostly because the fashion pretty much goes straight from catwalk, into store- Zara prides itself on the 2 week turnaround and the strategy seems to be working.  With more than 1700 stores in 77 countries and sales amounting to over 8 billion Euros in 2010- this is one damn successful company which is very likely to make other Australian retailers really work for your money.

Whatever your thoughts on the brand, you can definitely appreciate their business model and of course the fantastic trends they have on offer. I highly recommend going to check out the store- remember that they also have great mens and childrenswear on offer.

The line outside Zara on the day of their opening

Yours Fashionably,

Nat xo

Nail Art

Is your outfit missing something?  Even though you are already accessorised H2T? (That’s Head to Toe).  Try some nail polish.  This inexpensive, subtle but stand-out way to improve your wardrobe comes in so many different shades, trends and crazes it’s hard to pick just one. 
I definitely think it’s worth splashing out the extra bucks for a quality lacquer- OPI is by far the best on the market ($19.95 per bottle), but if you don’t want to spend quite so much Kit, Sportsgirl and Napoleon have some fantastic shades at a more affordable price.

Most magazines will tell you which colours to wear this season, but I’m a big believer in wearing whatever you want to wear- what suits you won’t change from season to season just because the weather does.  However, if you do want to follow Autumn/Winter fashions this year, the following should be perfect for you.

Creamy nudes, beiges and browns were seen on the catwalk this season, as well as military khaki’s, cool blues and shimmery glitters.  Snap up some of the following while you can!

If you want something which is oh-so delicious, try (that’s if you can still find) OPI’s Black Shatter Top Coat.  This nail polish has been so popular that the waiting list when I went and asked at David Jones last weekend was 400 people long.  This lacquer which you paint over the top of any colour you like, cracks when it dries to reveal an incredible effect on your nails.  Insiders say that OPI will also be bringing out a silver shatter in their Pirates of the Caribbean range, which will have the same effect.  Check out the video below for a demonstration.

The best thing about painting your nails is that you can be as wild or as restrained as you like- check out some of the fashions from fashion week below, and remember- have fun with your nails!

Yours Fashionably,

Nat xo

Chicken Cuffs

It’s true, I have been a bad blogger this week- I apologise.  My 8 loyal followers are being neglected!

To make up for my bad behaviour, I have something particularly delicious to show you.  These chicken- that’s right, I said chicken- leather cuffs by Dutch designer Rakel Hafburg (available from Pod People Designs) are the perfect accompaniment to any dull outfit (in case you ever have one).  They all have slightly different shapes due to their organic nature and can be easily dressed up or down.  The worst thing about these cuffs is trying to pick a colour- in all seriousness the reason that I haven’t yet bought one is because I am absolutely unable to choose which one to get.  If you have any ideas as to how I should make my choice- please let me know!  Cuffs are available for $49 from www.podpeopledesigns.com.au





Check out http://rakelhafberg.com for more incredible leather products by Hafberg.

Yours Fashionably,

Nat xo





After The Apple

It’s not often that I find a handbag that I really love, or which is really very different from much out in the marketplace, however when I saw a handbag on the seat next to a friend of mine, sitting humbly and beautifully, minding its own business- I had to know where it was from.

‘After The Apple’ she said.  What on earth is that, I wondered and went straight back to work to Google it.  What I discovered was not only a bag designer, but a designer who has actively thought about the handbag, what it represents, where is has come from, in short- the essence of the handbag.

Designer Rachelle Dendle (who spent 9 years as senior creative of Mimco) believes that there are 12 distinctive styles of handbags by which all bags are derived. The timelessness of these styles and how each season we continue to be drawn to these styles as they are recreated is what After The Apple is all about.  Dendle focuses on two aspects when designing- luxury and practicability and the pieces showcase this perfectly.  The twelve styles are as follows;



The Mother- $550


 

The Slouchy- $485

The Handbag- $460

The Briefcase- $475

The Reversible- $295

The Duffel- $495

                   

The Hobo- $495

                   

The Everyday- $495

The Clutch- $350

The Rucksack- $425

The Shopper- $395

The Tote- $545

All of these styles aren’t particularly to my taste (The Mother, Slouchy, Everyday and Tote are my favourites) however I can understand why all these styles would suit different people, and why they have lasted the test of time.  While these pieces are reasonably pricey, I found a website http://www.17twelve.com/ which, for a limited time will offer 30% off- so grab a bargain while you can!

Yours Fashionably,

Nat xo