Longchamp Short 'choose your own adventure' film

I remember back in my school days being so fond of those choose your own adventure books. Basically, the storyline of the book is based on which story option you choose to continue onto, once the chapter is finished. The book tells you to turn to a specific page according to which story you choose and you read on from there and so on and so forth until you chose a storyline that leads your character to its doom either by killing them off or having them fail their mission. I loved the fact that I could start over again and chose a completely different storyline...all in one book! 
Well if like me, the mystery and adventure of those kind of books is your kind of thing then you would just love Longchamp's 'Keep on Riding' choose your own adventure style short starting the beautiful Audrey Marnay and several of the top fashion bloggers from around the globe in search for their new Balzane Bag. You've gotta try it...so much fun!!



xx Jo

In store tomorrow!

Here's a sneak peak of some just some of the vintage shot today. These plus more vintage dresses, skirts and bags will make its way to our online store tomorrow eve (UK time).

xx Jo

Finally, more vintage!

So I'm setting up a makeshift studio in my dining room to shoot some vintage tomorrow. Along with all that is trying to figure out the best angles and distances to shoot from whilst being shot (the joys of playing model/photographer). I've practiced my Zoolander pose but still felt kinda silly about the whole idea of 'modelling' but anyway, here's a little sample shot and sneak peak of one of the cute knits we'll have in store soon. 

xx Jo

Chasing the light

Another love of mine is photography. I love looking at beautiful photos and thinking about how they are produced and appreciating the emotions they evoke. Her is my photography set on Flickr. I own around 8-9 cameras and have taken thousands of photos. Will upload more soon, but here are some for now. 
'Photography ', my set on Flickr.

xx Jo

Tomboy

Being a woman is so high maintenance sometimes! I was raised with three very 'blokey' brothers which often ment that my parents dressed me in by brothers clothes and I played whatever they played on weekends and after school. This often involved making go-carts and racing them with neighbours, lizard collecting and making our special concoction of 'snail soup' (snails, slugs, water, salt...you know the rest :P) I never worried about how grubby I looked and it was often a fight for my mum to get me to wear earrings or anything girly.  Now I'm a grown woman but it doesn't help that I have three sons (no daughters), a professional rugby player husband with two of his male relatives living with us. I prefer to dress in anything baggy and often resort to wearing my husbands, 11 year old son's or my brothers clothes simply because I like it. Dressing in anything girly or sexy is a treat (more for my husband than myself) which I don't mind indulging in when I have the time or am in the mood for it.  This blog post is to pay homage to some of the beautiful celebrities who aren't afraid to strip off the stilettos and embrase their masculine side by doning mens style threads every now and then.

Quentin Crisp

Ruby Rose

Shiloh Jolie Pitt

Gwen Stefani

Ashley Olsen

Alexa Chung

Nicole Richie

Vanessa Paradis

xx Jo

Jennifer Collier: The Art of upcycling paper

I never tire of learning and being inspired by the many amazing uses of such a simple commodity as paper. So easily disposed of, its potential to be upcycled and reused into amazing pieces of art is so often overseen. Which is why I am so easily inspired by artists such as Jennifer Collier who have the gift of interpreting their imaginations through finely constructed works of art through the simple use of paper. Similar, but in many ways worlds apart from Ana Wili Highfield (who I have previously blogged about) Jennifer creates animated versions of everyday objects by upcycling literature, maps, music manuscripts, newspapers and many other forms of paper.

Having graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a BA (Hons) in Textiles. Jennifer often uses her skills in weaving, stitching, embedding, fusing, layering and laminating to create her works of art which are on display or available for purchase. Her inspiration is often drawn from objects in thrift stores, fruit and vegetable markets, and often poetry (among many others). 

I personally believe that a true artist always shares their talent not only through the sale and display of their art but through passing it on and teaching others their techniques and skills to others. The fact that Jennifer passes her work on through teaching willing students through workshops and seminars is very inspirational. She runs these workshops in an old converted barn called Unit Twelve in Stafford which she also shares with 4 other artists. 

More of Jennifer Collier's work can be found below.
Jennifer Collier Official Website
Unit Twelve Website


xx Jo

Visual Diary: Melbourne

While I was back in Oz, I paid a vist to my best friend in Melbourne. It's the 3rd time I've been to this beautiful city and whilst I love the vibrancy, the beaches and the fast pace of Sydney life, I do appreciate Melbourne's more laid back lifestyle and its appreciation for the arts which shows in its architecture, fashion and abundance of music, drama and art events. Another thing that struck me was how beautifuly and cleverly styled all the window displays were in many of the high street and independent stores I came across. Every time I visit, I can't stop going on about how much I love the layout of the city and how much it reminded me of a 'mini London'. I was only there for the weekend but because I was child free, we got a lot eating, catching up, shopping, eating, hanging out and of course, eating done ;). My favourites definitely have to be the different cafes and shops around the Brunswick area as well as the Camberwell Sunday Markets which I literally had to be pried away from.

Another great window display at a vintage store in Brunswick. I love how they've used pages out of a children's book as the backdrop! Cute.

MUD Australia's fabulous suspended tableware and cutlery window display. Their current range is pretty darn amazing too!

Bustling, eclectic and eccentric. Camberwell Sunday Markets.

Mooching...bargaining...mooching...bargaining...if only life were that simple.

Stunning asian inspired lantern.

Can never run out of ideas of what to do with old frames!

Vintage printing press letters. Completely useless unless you have a printing press of course but there is something I just love about them.

I was so close to purchasing these beautiful solid rose wood corbels to use as brackets for a ledge in our house in Australia. I still have nightmares about not getting them. So beautiful, so regretting it!

I purchased all this plus another pair of sunglasses for well under $60! I could have bought more but had no more room in my luggage :(.

xx Jo