LIONS SHARE OF FASHION

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Newschick

After taking my girlfriend Rochelle, to a hospital appointment in the city the other day, we needed something to lighten the mood. The consultation went well, but any length of time spent in a medical establishment can only serve to spark a carpe diem shopping spree.

Brunswick Street was only a whisker out of our way so we decided it was worth exploring. It’s one of the few-strip shopping locations in Melbourne that still feature niche boutiques instead of major franchise stores. It didn’t disappoint. The hours evaporated rapidly. And just when we thought we were done, we came across a store perfectly suited to Rochelle who is famous for her obsession with cats.

Lion In Love

Lion in Love. I was thrilled for Rochy, and also for myself, because I instantly had a willing model. The store does mainstream chic with a touch of the bohemian, plus a few pieces that tastefully incorporate feline into fashion.

Okay, so there are about three trillion t-shirts out there featuring lions and cats, but this sequined number stands out from the jungle because of it’s particular attention to detail. This is taking bling to a whole new art form. And we love those hypnotic red eyes… the lion that is, not glamour model Rochelle.

Lion In Love sequin t-shirt - $89

T-shirt - $69

Being more of a dog lover myself, I was pleased to find the boutique also caters to those with a penchant for pooches. Or wolves…

Leopard print has made a big comeback this winter (again…) and because we know it will always be in fashion, it’s a worthwhile investment. We loved this dress because it also gave us a chance to experiment with the many very reasonably priced accessories in the store.

Leopart print dress - $99, Black/gold belt - $49, Gold plate necklace - $49

But just to prove Lion In Love does have pieces without a feline flavour, here’s a dress that’s a bit Jackie O and a bit Chanel-ish. The ring is also from the store’s accessories collection and is just $29.

Red knit dress - $159

Rochelle did such a great job as a model, I’m going to have to ask her to come with me on my next fashion foray. And just for the record, (because someone asked after the last fashion post) no, I am not paid by stores to write this. I just focus on shops I come across that appeal to me and hope will also be of interest to you.

Lion in Love

Lion in Love is located at 329 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. (Ph – 03 9415 14660

A Sweet Mistake – finding Urban Soul

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Newschick

Truth be known, I wasn’t looking for a new fashion find. I was driving up Glenhuntly Road in Elsternwick when I spied a new Discount Lollie shop. Well the brakes just screeched to a halt practically of their own accord and I found myself automatically racing in to stock up on all my favourites – chocolate covered honeycomb, raspberries, chocolate bullets, liquorice all-sorts… My excuse was that I was headed to a friend’s house-warming party that evening and I was sure she’d welcome a lolly bowl to help feed her guests. But I knew I’d scoff my fair share before handing over whatever remained from my personal binge-fest.

So there I was, heading back to the car with two bags full of sugar when an unassuming boutique caught my eye. It was the red dress in the window that did it…

Urban Soul, Elsternwick

Curious, I dropped my guilty purchases in the car boot before exploring. Urban Soul is a treasure trove of affordable fashion from an eclectic range of local designers. They also showcase a creative mix of accessories.

Urban Soul jewellery

Better still, Urban Soul is holding a sale right now, so if you drop in soon, there’s plenty of bargains to be had. Here’s my favourites.

Elliat Burnt Orange lace top - $69.95

(1) I very much fancied this peach lace top by Elliat. You’ll need to wear a cami unless you like the exposed-bra look, but using different colours underneath will help give you a fresh look every time you wear it. And it’s on sale – reduced from $89.95 to $69.95.

Shona Joy Old World Body Con dress; emerald green - $200

(2) Continuing with the lace theme, there’s also this emerald green dress by Shona Joy. At least this one comes with lining and costs $200.

The dress though, that I really wanted to buy was the red one I’d spotted in the window, by Maurie and Eve. Right on trend, it sports a peplum feature, plus (although it’s hard to see from the photo) the centre panels separate when you put it on, giving a sneaky cleavage reveal – which contrasts naughtily with its initial prim impression .

Maurie and Eve Peplum dress: poppy - $249

Sadly I knew I’d be devouring those lollies in the boot before long, and was unlikely to ever fit into the coveted red dress. The best option for covering gluttonous sins was this wildly decorative cape. Love at first sight.

Mad Love cape - $169.95

Urban Soul can be found at 395 Glenhuntly Road, Elsternwick.

Ph – (03) 9523 5500

VEGAS FASHION – TO BLING AND BLACK

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Newschick

Given this recent trip (featured in the Opinion section) was a family affair, I knew I’d be spending less time trawling fashion stores than I usually do when travelling child-free. But in Vegas, Ronnie and I racked up a few kilometers in the heat – which wasn’t so hard given that most of Vegas’ prime shopping is set up indoors in uber-glamorous shopping centres.

In this modern era of globalization and chain stores, most of the fashion is the same in every major city in the world. Except that the high-end stores will be a season ahead of their counterparts in Australia.

One chain store I was delighted to come across was the English label All Saints. It’s a favorite if we’re in the UK and one chain store that has yet to reach Aussie shores.

All Saints

The Cosmopolitan

All Saints is part of the Cosmopolitan Shopping Centre (attached to the hotel of the same name) along the main strip of Vegas. It’s more famous for it’s glitzy Chandelier Bar than the shopping, but it’s still got a decent enough selection of stores to make it worth a visit.

All Saints exterior

Being in Vegas, I was naturally drawn to the ‘bling’ factor – and All Saints had plenty of it.

Embellished Pipail dress

From this‘Embellished Pipail Dress for $495 (US) ….

…to several other sequined numbers – selling for slightly less.

I tried a couple on, but was having a ‘fat day’ so put them back on the racks.

Beckley

Beckley at the Cosmopolitan was another find – although they wouldn’t permit photos inside. Their fashion range is fab – featuring designs from Zac Posen, Herve Leger, Opening Ceremony, Cut 25 and Vivienne Westwood.

Moving on to Caesar’s Shopping Centre, there were more of the high-end chain stores – such as Jimmy Choo and Burberry.

After being saturated in sequins, I was instantly drawn to something rarely spied in Vegas – PLAIN BLACK FASHION – a feature of Burberry’s new winter range. A true Melburnian, I was naturally drawn to the dark side….

Black Burberry bag

Black Burberry boots

But I couldn’t afford the four-figure price tags. We’d just taken a chopper ride over the Grand Canyon after all. I could but yearn…

So then Ronnie and I ducked over to The Boulevard Mall – an outlet shopping centre at 3528 S. Maryland Pkwy for something more in our price range. The Boulevard has a great range of discount stores as well as sporting goods shops – excellent for buying nephews caps featuring logos from their favorite US baseball team.

Ronnie scored some cute denim shorts and a couple of t-shirts, while I picked out a couple of fluro striped singlets for a mere $4.50 each. Now that’s what I call a bargain.

Rock Shop, Brighton, 19.6.12

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Newschick

The Fashion Update brings you pictures and news about clothes I’ve spotted and coveted at various shops around Melbourne. I hate reading about fab clothes in magazines that won’t be in stores for months, or I have to phone a Stockist to find it… This way, I’ll bring you ‘on-the-spot’ snaps of fave fashion, tell you where you can buy it, the label, the price and phone number/address for the store it’s from. So if you DO want to snap it up, you can do so immediately.

Here’s what I found today at the Rock Shop in Church Street, Brighton.
It’s a store that lives up to its name – rocking it with a great range of funky dresses from a variety of independent, smaller local designers. The price tags are pretty reasonable too, which makes it even more appealing.

(1) Just because it’s might be winter, doesn’t mean you have to wear black ALL the time. I love a splash of colour when the skies are grey and this Bec and Bridge dress will definitely lighten your mood.
(See more of this label at http://becandbridge.com.au)

Amazonia Crimson dress by Bec and Bridge – $220

(2) Or you can opt for winter white polka dots in a Maurie and Eve number. It’s a little on the short side, but if you’re blessed with a great set of pins, go for it!
(See more of this label at www.maurieandeve.com)

White polka Maurie and Eve mini dress – $220

(3) Heading into the evening, you’d find it hard to go wrong in this Shakuhachi leather contrast shift. It’s a bit tricky to see from the photo, but the bottom part of the dress if leather – hence a slightly higher price tag. A great cut plus a bit of sparkle. Nice.
(See more of the label at www.shakuhachi.net)

Shakuhachi leather contrast shift dress – $580

The Rock Shop is located at 93 Church Street, Brighton.
(Victoria, Australia)
Phone number – 03 9592 9836

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Category Archives: Fashion Update

LIONS SHARE OF FASHION

A Sweet Mistake – finding Urban Soul

VEGAS FASHION – TO BLING AND BLACK

Rock Shop, Brighton, 19.6.12