I love discovering a new fashion find and sharing. With winter edging around the corner, I was looking at my wardrobe and thinking it needed a refresh – particularly in the jeans department – when lo and behold, I stumbled across this FAB brand that fitted the bill (and bum) in more ways than one.
The iconic look for a pair of New London Jeans involves studs and stitching. Tres cool and probably a bit pricey, right? Well, here’s the bonus. They DON’T carry a ridiculous price tag like some of their competitors. And the reason they sell so well is that they’re designed for real women BY real women.
Statement stitching is a hallmark of New London Jeans
Sales and Design Director at Chris Alexander Agency, Claire Alexander, has worked in fashion ever since she left school and has helped run the Chris Alexander Agency with her husband for the past 15 years. About three years ago, they decided there was a gap in the market that needed filling – that women (about 30-years +) wanted jeans which were comfortable, affordable and looked cool.
After a bit of research, they came across New London Jeans, which was originally launched by a French designer. Along with some Chinese partners, their agency now supplies the Australasia region and business is booming.
‘We now work with Anthony, the designer, to broaden the range to suit our market here,’ said Claire. ‘Each range is different and we’ve been developing it largely based on customer and store feedback. We now have a strong loyalty base which is great, because women really love it’
One of Claire’s largest clients is Eco-D, which has twelve stores around Australia. ‘The managers give me fantastic feedback on fit. That has really helped with the success of the brand.’
Claire speaks from personal experience when she describes what women want. ‘We’re giving something to women who are not necessarily brand devotees. I mean, I don’t want to wear what my nieces in their 20s are wearing and I don’t want to spend $300 on a designer-label pair of jeans. We want a good product with a bit of a fashion statement that’s comfortable too.’
With a median price of around $150, Claire says a lot of their customers will buy two pairs – one as a fashion statement and another for day-to-day wear. ‘And the quality of fabrics we use stacks up well against the more expensive labels,’ she added.
Winter colour range in New London Jeans new four-way stretch fabric
Here’s another bonus with New London Jeans. They’ve just been released in a new fabric that is exclusive to the brand. It’s a four-way stretch denim, making it super comfy.
‘It’s like wearing trakky pants but they look like jeans,’ said Claire. ‘And they don’t go baggy around the bum plus they wash well. It’s one that all the retailers say is performing really well. It comes in five colours this season – the turmeric colour is our key fashion statement for winter.’
I reckon the real key to the success of the brand is because they make each style in three different ‘types’. Claire says they classify them as a taper fit, a pipe fit, and a pole fit. ‘ A taper is like a skinny jean – it’s a mid-rise jean and it tapers off down the leg, but it’s not as tight fitting as a skinny jean,’ she said.
‘A pipe fit is similar to a trouser leg – more like a cigarette leg – straight all the way down. And the pole fit is a bigger fitting jean with a higher rise and a fuller leg and better suited to bigger girls. So for instance, with clients like Eco-D, they’ll mostly want the taper fit. Then other stores who cater to more mature customers but also want a cool look, go for the other two styles.’
Yep, it’s all about the FIT. Claire says they work and work and WORK on the re-fitting and shape of these denims until they get it exactly right.
This season there are several ‘trends’. Colour is huge – as seen in the new four-way stretch design. Then there’s animal print and velvet, which Vicki, who works with Claire, kindly agreed to model for me.
The STATEMENT piece this season, which features on the New London Jeans stylebook cover, harks back to the brand’s core look – with studding and stitching.
Claire says they never rest on their laurels. ‘We don’t want to keep on doing the same old thing. We want each range to be fresh and to offer our customer different styles each season. We’re constantly working on ways to improve.’
And while New London Jeans has a website, you can’t buy these babies on-line. Claire says it’s best with jeans to try them on to get the ‘right’ fit. ‘All our styles are on-line so people an browse and see what they like and then find a store that sells it. That way they get the right fit. We also try and help our stores become ‘jean specialists’, with direct advice and a style guide, which works really well.’
AND THERE’S MORE!! Great to see that as well as jeans, Claire has included a denim skirt in this season’s range. Not just any old skirt, either. This one’s a bit classier than the rest, sporting a ‘coating’ which gives the black denim a very smart finish. In fact, it’s even proven a hit with – believe it or not – GOLFERS.
‘Next summer we’re bringing in bleached denim skirts and coloured denim skirts and some are even in sateen, because we’ve found this style is really popular with golfers. It’s hard to find a non-daggy golf skirt, so this has been a big hit.’
Whooda thunk?
And here’s proof of the brand’s success. Last summer, New London Jeans had twenty-five pieces in the range. Next summer, that number will be double to meet demand, with more than FIFTY styles. Go, Claire!
If you’d like to see more of the New London Jeans range, and to find your nearest stockist, visit the website at www.newlondon.com.au
It’s not often we get GOOD NEWS about cancer. It’s also rare to hear about health issues from men, because generally speaking, the male species tend to be less vocal about personal matters. So I was delighted when I asked a friend of ours, helicopter pilot Ian McKeown, if he’d mind sharing his story and (with a bit of arm-twisting) he agreed.
Ian’s been through the wringer and back after being diagnosed with lymphoma. Only a matter of weeks ago, he was officially declared to be in remission. Woo Hoo – pop the champers, I say!! And while Ian can’t drink grog just yet, he’s celebrating in his own way.
Most importantly, he wants to thank the wonderful staff at Melbourne’s Peter MacCallum Institute, his wife, Inge, family and friends for their support. Plus he’s got some great advice, which we can all learn from.
This interview is in Q & A form because Ian explains his story far better than I could.
Jen: When did you first realise something was wrong health-wise? Ian: Probably about 18 months before I was diagnosed. I went to a couple of GPs who put me on antibiotics and the general consensus was that it was a mosquito-born virus, a bit similar to Denghi fever. They told me not to worry – that it would go away. I also saw a hematologist, who was also convinced it was a mosquito-born virus and told me not to worry.
Jen: Did you have a gut feeling they were wrong? Ian: No, I believed them but I was getting frustrated because I wasn’t getting better. But I soldiered on and continued to work two jobs.
Jen: What symptoms did you have? Ian: Just a general feeling of un-wellness, which is hard to explain because I was still eating and exercising, but getting out of bed was becoming harder. I was feeling tired and I had a rash on my belly and chest that would come and go. My glands were also up a bit but not always, up, which is probably why the haematologist didn’t think it was cancer, because generally they come up, and stay up. But I did have a feeling something wasn’t right. I just couldn’t pinpoint it.
One day I’d just had enough. So I went to a GP that I’d never been to before. Just completely out of the blue. I went in and said, ‘Look, there’s a medical imaging place across the road. I want you to write me out a referral so I can go over there and get every scan possible so I can satisfy myself that is just a virus. To make sure it isn’t anything else.’ I did this off my own bat. A simple ultra-sound showed on screen, clear as day, that it was lymphoma. That was evident from the large tumours in my abdomen. While the technician tried to hide it, I could see it. And that was how we got the ball rolling.
Jen: Have you lost your faith in the medical profession because of their inability to find out what was wrong? Ian: No. But I have urged all my family and friends to get second opinions and to keep pressing on if you think something is wrong health-wise. I’m very surprised I wasn’t sent in for an ultra-sound at the beginning. It’s a simple step and it may have made my treatment easier because it wouldn’t have been so advanced.
Jen: Did you ever ask what might have happened if you hadn’t taken the initiative? Ian: No, but I know. I wouldn’t have survived. I would have been too far gone. As it was, I only just got it in time.
Jen: How did you react when you found out it was lymphoma? Ian: I was so relieved. A lot of people think it must have been the worst day of my life. No. The worst days were not knowing what it was. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. And I knew I wasn’t being a hypochondriac.
Jen: What was the next step? Ian: My sole focus was telling my friends and family, but not alarming them. That was made easier because most people know that if you get cancer, lymphoma is probably one of the better ones to get because it is treatable.
Jen: But there are many types of lymphoma, aren’t there? Ian: There are, and I still don’t know all of them. And I’ll say right here and now, ignorance is the best friend you can have if you’re going through cancer. Don’t ever Google anything, don’t try and find out. DON’T DO IT! If my doctor wanted to explain anything, I’d say, ‘Don’t tell me. Just tell me what I need to do and I’ll do it.’ I didn’t want to even THINK that I might not get through it. So if friends or family tried to tell me about my illness, I’d stop them in their tracks. And I still don’t know or want to know much about it.
Jen: Is that because you believe in a positive attitude being necessary to battle cancer? Ian: It’s the MOST important thing. It’s a tough thing to get through, but you need to try to stay positive throughout. The doctors gave me HUGE piles of paperwork to read. Seriously, it must have been about five kilos. And I told them I wasn’t going to read it. I have never read it and I will never read it and that’s just how it is.
Jen: What helped get you through? Ian: I wanted to read books about adventure and inspiration. Not depressing stuff. I wanted uplifting. I drew strength from reading that book of Lance Armstrong’s, even though it’s a tragedy he’s fallen from grace, because I knew I wasn’t as sick as Lance. So every day, going through the chemo, I’d think, ‘Well, I’m still not as sick as Lance.’ I’ve also never watched so much football in my entire life. I got right into the 2012 season.
Jen: How did Inge help? Ian: She was the most wonderful rock. Her work colleagues were very supportive. She gave up a lot of work to spend time with me when I was really sick. I was lucky that for the first four rounds of chemo, I wasn’t nearly as sick as I was expecting to get. However, the final round, when I had a stem-cell transplant, it did catch up with me and made me very, very sick for months. In the end, being nauseous became the new normal. Inge was there for me through all that.
Jen: How long did the chemo treatments take? Ian: I was told my lymphoma was the ‘more difficult’ one, but I didn’t want to know any more than that. I just wanted to get on with the treatments. I’m sure I had quite possibly the best treatment available in Australia at the Peter MacCallum Institute. I took the attitude that my new full-time job was getting better. So I started my first chemo on the eighth of March last year. It was quite daunting, being on a drip with bags of chemicals and tablets to take in over that time. They’d wake you up at four in the morning to take in a different type of chemical.
There’s sleep deprivation and being with other people in a shared ward who are sicker than you. Even going to the toilet was really difficult. I had to go in for four days every three weeks. Some of the drugs I had must have been incredibly toxic because there were spill sheets on the floor and curtains had to be drawn. They had a special trainer wearing goggles plus a stand-by nurse in goggles and gloves and gumboots. They’d put this chemical in and I could feel in tracking up my arm and going into my body. A bit like battery-acid infusion!
Jen: Did you ever have days when you thought it was all too much? Ian: No, I don’t think so. I just wanted to get on with it and get it over with so I could get better. I always tried to plan things to look forward to in the future. Like getting to northern Australia and getting out on the Great Barrier Reef, going snorkelling and diving and spear-fishing. I always said, six weeks after my treatment’s finished, I’m going snorkelling! It didn’t happen, but that didn’t matter. It’s what got me through.
Jen: Is there anyone in particular you’d like to thank for helping you get through it all? Ian: Having visitors – friends and family come in was wonderful. I also liked to try and cheer up other patients who were down in the dumps. I made that a personal challenge. I’m so, SO grateful to all the wonderful people at Peter Mac who helped me. And I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for blood transfusions. I needed LOTS of blood transfusions. so I’m grateful to the donors. I was honoured to be asked recently by Peter Mac, to speak with another patient who was diagnosed with the same rare type of lymphoma I have. He wanted to speak to someone who’d been through it. I was just so honoured. I just want to show him that I’m living proof you CAN beat this. To tell him to stay positive and that I’ll be there for him anytime if he needs me. I’d like to volunteer to help if I can to pay back my debt to the community. I feel like there’s a big debt there.
Jen: How long after treatments could you return to work? Ian: I went back in early December, part-time. I wasn’t one hundred per cent but I was fit enough to fly and put myself through a Class One Commercial Pilot’s medical and I passed that no worries. Work’s been great because I was getting bored, so it’s helped with the recovery.
Jen: How did it feel to be ‘officially’ told that you’re in remission? Ian: Before my professor even uttered the words, I could tell by the way he was beaming and his body language. It was so wonderful to hear those word, ‘Well, Ian, you are now officially in remission.’ I had no doubt, but I was still ‘Yee Ha!’ I couldn’t wait to tell my friends and family.
Congratulations to Ian on his great news. He’s an inspiration to us all and isn’t it wonderful to hear some good news about cancer? I reckon he’s earned that trip to the Barrier Reef now, don’t you?
It’s been a great week. We held a party for our daughter’s 18th birthday party and no one puked over the cake, got arrested or punched. We were also lucky enough to be invited by Swisse Vitamins to the Welcome Ellen DeGeneres to Melbourne’ party, which was fantastic.
But my biggest reason to pop the champagne was MY BREASTS being given the all clear after some serious testing procedures.
I wrote about the process back on March 6th. How I decided to have a full-on health check, which led to a mammogram, which led to an appointment with a breast specialist. At the time, after the mammogram looked fairly clear, I was a tad peeved with my local GP for then referring me on to a breast specialist. If the ultra-sound and mammogram looked clear, why was that necessary? Surely that was just a waste of time and money? Did I really need MORE people groping my breasts? My cynical journalist brain started imagining it was all part a medical fraternity plan to refer patients on for extra tests, purely to line their pockets.
Breast Changes pamphlet issued by the Health Department
Not so. The breast specialist I saw, a delightful and thoroughly professional man, Dr Peter Gregory, explained how in fact, mammograms fail to detect cancer in ONE IN FOUR patients. ONE IN FOUR. I was staggered hearing that. I’d imagined mammograms to be foolproof. Then it made sense why my local doctor had sought a second opinion.
Dr Gregory put my mammogram results on a light board and explained what was going on and why he’d like to take a sample for further testing. That’s when the sense of fear returned.
It’s never fun, lying on a bed, knowing a doctor is about to plunge a needle in to your breast to remove some tissue for testing, but I did very much appreciate the serene pictures of Italian coastline plastered to Dr Gregory’s ceiling to distract me and give cause for planning an imaginary holiday in Portofino. More doctors should copy that idea.
But then you have to wait for the results from the lab. Unfortunately I seem to always have tests done just BEFORE the weekend, which only serves to extend the agonising waiting process. I’d advise anyone undergoing medical tests to TRY to have them done on Monday or Tuesday – if possible.
So the GOOD NEWS is that last week, I was given the all clear. However, Dr Gregory gave me a pamphlet to explain further how breast detection works and what to look out for with any changes. He also said I’ll need a mammogram again in six months and six months after that, just to be sure.
Which is TOTALLY fine. I know this is not the most fascinating blog, but I’m putting it out there to encourage others to get to the doctor and have health checks. We all know early detection is the best weapon in the fight against cancer.
I’m so glad I went to Federation Square back in February to see actor Sam Johnson start his epic uni-cycle ride around Australia. Sam took on the challenge after his sister, Connie, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Together, they’ve launched the ‘Love Your Sister’ campaign, to raise money for research and to raise awareness about the importance of getting your breasts checked. Sam and Connie – your message is getting through. THANK YOU.
Okay, I’ll give you the heads up. A PR company approached me and asked if I’d like to attend an awards night that involved a high profile paint company.That was LAST NIGHT. I’m always curious to see what’s hot in the world of interior design and architecture, so would like to have been there but had to decline due to a full calendar.
Still, they sent me the results and I have to say, I am mighty impressed. Because I wasn’t there, I wouldn’t normally post this BUT being an arty type who dabbles in oil painting, even the use of wall paint intrigues me when it’s done with a bit of imagination. Who knows – maybe these images will inspire you to pull out a paint brush next weekend?
There were winners in both commercial and residential categories, plus interior and exterior awards, but I’m just going to show you the one’s that I liked the best. A quick Blog is a good Blog as Fletch always says…
Here’s just a couple of winning photos from the DULUX COLOUR AWARDS 2013:
The BIG MOTHER of prizes on the night was the GRAND PRIX 2013 Dulux Colour Award, for – ‘innovative use of colour in architecture and design’. This was awarded to the Atherton Gardens HUB Development in Melbourne and was co-designed by McCabe Architects and Bird de la Coeur Architects. That entry also took out the prize for Best Multi Residential Exterior. What a fantastic use of bright, bold colour to liven up a dull, inner urban environment! Love it.
Dulux Grand Prix winner – Atherton Gardens, Melbourne
Winner of the Best Commercial Exterior went to the Wintergarden Façade in Brisbane, designed by Melbourne company, Studio 505. A very innovative outdoor design (see below) that reminds me of a structured version of a Jackson Pollock painting – but WAAAAaaaay bigger. Maybe we should add one to Federation Square in Melbourne??
The next one, I fancied purely because of the simplicity. It’s perfect for an early-learning centre – bright colours, yet softly co-ordinated. This is from theJohn Septimus Roe Anglican Community School (JSRACS) Campus, in Western Australia by Brooking Design Architects. Isn’t that something we could all manage – surely? Stripes on a wall. Great idea.
John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School (JSRACS) Campus, in Western Australia
But for me, the category of most interest is Best Residential INTERIOR. I saw these pictures and was instantly BORED with the neutral, safe tones in our living area. I am feeling an urge for change. Big, BOLD colours!!! Like this winning design from a Queen St Residence, Melbourne, by Edwards Moore Projects Pty. Ltd.
In fact, apparently one of the main judges said on the night that the trend for BRIGHT colours was a common element among most of the entrants and winners. So there you go folks – looks like the days of beige, earthy interiors are over and it’s time to be BRAVE and immerse yourself in colour! Thank God. I am so OVER neutral. This could be fun…
Looking at the house above, I’m particularly keen on the combo of red and yellow, and yellow and black. I’m going to chat to Fletch about copying this in our backdoor entrance area. Although I think you’d need to get hold of some of those cool door knobs in bright colours too, to make it work. Fletch is going to be SO happy I have found a new domestic project for us!!!!
(If you’d like to see more photos of winners from the Dulux Colour Awards, go to this website: www.dulux.com.au/colourawards)
(NOTE: I was not paid, nor have I received any free paint to post this Blog. I just liked the story and pictures. People still find it hard to believe I don’t do this for money, but it’s true.)
Every year at the Aireys Inlet Open Mic Music Festival, there’s a surprise MYSTERY GUEST – someone famous who’s also achieved industry cred. In past years, the likes of Colin Hay and Tim Rogers have wowed the crowds. Usually this act closes the festival, performing last on the Sunday at around 6pm. It’s always the town’s best kept secret and absolutely NO ONE is allowed to know who the guest star is until they show up on stage.
So you can imagine the rumour mongering and guessing going on all weekend. Some said it was going to be Neil Young, who was out here from the US, but performing only the night before down the road in Werribee. But I didn’t mind who it was. I was happy enough to have discovered a remarkable young talent strumming the guitar earlier in the day at Truffles Cafe. Young Georgia Hughes is just eleven-years-old but plays the guitar like an old hand. Her play list is also impressive and her version of Skinny Love, made famous by Birdy, was outstanding.
I do have a confession about Georgia. We are actually very distantly related. I ran into her Mum, Erica, the night before at the pub and it turns out we’re step-cousins!!! Which makes Georgia my step-second-cousin, but we’ve never met so I can hardly be accused of bias for featuring her here. I truly think at just 11-years of age, she shows incredible promise and has a wonderful future ahead of her. I can’t wait to hear what develops for her in the years to come.
From Truffles, we headed back over to the Aireys Inlet Pub again to see some of the bigger acts – the likes of Berlin Postmark and Axe Girl from Perth, all drawing huge support. The weather could have been kinder, but the crowd didn’t care. The grounds were packed with punters, soaking up the atmosphere (and the beer!!) and bopping along to the beats.
My quick-thinking pal, Vanessa, found one of the best seats in the house up on the windowsill – a huge bonus. Sheltered from occasional drizzle patches, along with good company, a chardy in hand and fantastic music filling my ears – I couldn’t have been happier!
Later we took a break, eating again at the pub and to be honest, I enjoyed the Thai chicken curry from the previous night so much, I ordered that again… But this time, I also decided to trash my sugar-free diet and scoff down some dessert. Well, when it’s good tucker, it’s hard to say NO.
Speaking to one of the many publicans, (there are ELEVEN of them after the locals rallied to buy the pub last year to save it from extinction!!!) I asked which dessert was the best. I couldn’t choose between lemon tart and chocolate mud cake, so I said, ‘I’ll leave it to you.’ And this is what I was served – NOT ONE – but FOUR desserts. I was in sugar heaven. (Told you they are very hospitable down here.)
The gossip still ran hot about who the MYSTERY GUEST was going to be and the clock was ticking down till they were due on stage, so we raced back outside to grab our windowsill seat and see… tick, tick, tick…
Then WOO HOO! The audience went wild as Mark Seymour appeared. The former Hunters and Collectors singer, performing as Mark Seymour and the Undertow, was brilliant – his powerful voice drawing everyone to the stage with his energy. Especially his rendition of ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’ – one of those musical spine tingler moments.
Festival director Marty Maher, me and Mark Seymour
I was lucky enough to meet Mark after the show, along with Festival Director Marty Maher. Mark said he was happy to come along to the festival, especially one such as the Aireys Inlet event, which really encourages young people to play instruments and be a part of the community. He’s also just released a new album – a covers album of love songs, which he says is a huge departure from the norm for him.
‘It’s a collection of love songs written by all sorts of writers, dating back to the late fifties till now. I just stumbled on the idea last year. I’d started an originals records and then someone suggested I record a cover and then I suddenly had two of them, so thought, why not go down this path?’ he said. ‘It’s really different but they’re all songs I’ve grown up with.’
It was the fantastic community vibe that Mark really loved when he was up on stage. ‘What I really liked was all those little grommets down the front giving me hell. I thought that was absolute gold. It was a very relaxed gig with several generations of people in the audience. That’s one of the great pleasures of gigging – playing to multiple generations in one crowd. It doesn’t get much better than that.’
And while Mark was the star attraction on the night, the other guy the entire community treated like a rock star was Festival Director, Marty Maher, who is pretty much a local legend. He started up the festival six years ago and says he likes giving back to the community, as he has two successful local businesses – a real estate agency and a bookstore. He says it’s important to give young people a chance to showcase their talents on stage and to have an event that draws the community together.
I asked him he managed to keep the festival as a FREE event and he said it was surprising how much people gave to the Donation Buckets scattered around the event venues. ‘People really do love this event and we ask them to give what they think it’s worth. You’d be surprised how many hundred-dollar bills turn up. It’s great.’
When you see young acts like the band, Altitude (who I saw the night before) and Georgia Hughes, Marty’s vision makes perfect sense. Altitude’s lead singer, Liam Brenner, has since sent me an mp3 file of one of their songs so you can hear it too.
I’m sure we’ll hear more from them both in years to come. And maybe in their Grammy speeches, they’ll thank Marty Maher for encouraging them along the way.
