perth gets special

Fast times ahead! There's a big bunch of fab events happening in Perth over the next few days and I couldn't help putting together a wee guide. Ready?

To start us off, here's a damn lovely way to spend a friday evening. Wander down to Flyrite tomorrow from 6 pm to enjoy some sweet wares and sick tunes. I'll be there with a few vintage and op shopped pieces to sell, along with a charming group of local bloggers. It's totally free and totally awesome. (And please come say hello!) Full details here.

Heading into the weekend, starting saturday is an incredible exhibition at the Western Australian museum - a 30 year retrospective of Aurelio Costarella, easily one of the state's most successful and influential designers. I'm heading over tomorrow for a sneaky gander before the exhibition opens so I'll be sure to let y'all know what's what - but I've a feeling all I'll be saying is 'amaaaaazing'.

Also filling up the weekend is a heap ton of art and zine goodness! Karys McEwen (you may remember me mentioning that name - she curated Bright Lights, Small City) is opening her first solo show saturday afternoon, that damn talented woman. Exploring love, sex, adolescence and friendship through collage, photographic and illustrative work, trust me, this is going to be good stuff. It's called Love and Other Indoor Sports (BEST - there's little I love more than a good Judy Bloom reference) and the arvo will also feature musical and spoken word entertainment. 2 pm at Common Ground's upstairs gallery.

And sunday! Aunty Mabel's Zine Distro is putting together a hell of a zine fair, Let Them Eat Zines. Featuring stalls from local and international artists, it'll be one big happy celebration of zine-making and DIY publishing. Plus there'll be lovely music. Plus there will be me, taking photos! 12 pm at the Perth town hall undercroft, all ages, free entry.

And finally, to celebrate Halloween the very best way you can in this town, head along to Devilles Pad this saturday night. If you're not familiar with a Devilles Halloween, basically - it's big. It's very big. And it's loud, and it's fun, and it's full of the best monsters you could spend a night with. I'll be there leading the screams with my fellow Sataniques, amongst all sorts of wicked entertainment. Tie that ripped up school tie, splatter on ya (fake) blood and head down early - did I mention it'll be big? Full details.

The next few days are going to be glorious, I can feel it! Happy (almost) weekend!

Lisa xx

bright lights, small city

Well, this here is VERY exciting. Some photos of mine are in a real live exhibition! It's called Bright Lights, Small City and it's going to be wonderful. A great big group exhibition featuring photography, paintings, sculptures, mixed media and just about anything else you can think of by an eclectic mix of emerging Perth-bred artists. Curated by Karys McEwen, who is a real delight (and who I have actually collaborated with before, a very long time ago!) She's doing an excellent job, showcasing some real talent and celebrating all that is young and ambitious in this fine town of ours.

Taking over Buratti Fine Art Gallery and with every piece for sale, it's an incredible opportunity for local emerging artists and I'm super excited and thankful to be a part of it.

Perth I, one of two images I have in the exhibition

Opening night is tomorrow evening from 6 pm, with the exhibition running until the 12th of October.

There will also be a couple of artist talks - one focusing on artist-run initiatives and another talking about life as a photographer in such an isolated city (which I'll be speaking at!)

Full details of the exhibition on facebook.

High fives all around for local art love!

Lisa xx

Tale of a Tall Fellow "The Hunted" Launch

Here's an up and coming Perth label you don't want to be skipping past! Tale of a Tall Fellow crafts some delightfully fine button up shirts for men, made ethically with love and wit. Last week saw the launch of the label's latest collection, The Hunted.

Local creative gal about town Di Nguyen, the brains behind the clothes, has teamed up with visual artist Josh Tavener (you might remember him from his beautiful China Doll exhibition I featured earlier in the year) to create some charming designs full of animals traditionally hunted for sport. Foxes, rabbits, you name it - and all original prints.

The dapper lads behind Seed & Sprout quenched the crowd's thirst for the evening. I loved their old school beer fridge, and I've a feeling it won't be long before you're seeing it all over town. The boys have a pozible running for their sick craft beer - show them some love!

Find out more about Tale of a Tall Fellow, including where to get yourself some sweet wears, right here.

Lisa xx

city of vincent presents constellations

Boy, I am loving my new neighbourhood. A wander down the road last night led to a hell of a late night shopping treat - the City of Vincent with the Perth Fashion Festival put together Constellations, a celebration of all good fashion things in Leederville. Mannequins coming to life in shop windows, market stalls a plenty and a top runway show featuring all the local talent you could dream for - talk about a way to (basically) kick off the weekend.

Oxford St really is one of my favourite spots in Perth to shop, regardless of convenience. (Spoiler, friends and family, but I think I've barely bought a birthday present anywhere else this year.) Of course it's not news how great the area is, but now there's more reason than ever to head down and have a gander!

(I sadly couldn't stay for the runway show but there are some rad photos kicking around the local blogs - the lasses over at Le Fanciulle especially got some sick coverage.)

Lisa xx

home is where my heart is

Listen up, y'all, this is pretty special. I'm so excited to be volunteering for Home Is Where My Heart Is this year - a terrifically inspiring project. It's no secret how powerful art can be as a means of communication, and how creating can be a therapeutic process as well. A talented group of youngsters have worked hard and are featured in the exhibition telling their difficult and very personal stories of homelessness through photography.

Opening night is this thursday, 6 pm and everyone is welcome. If you're a Perth lass or lad I totally encourage you to head down on thursday or sometime over the next couple weeks to check out what will be undoubtedly moving work.

For more info or to follow along, have a gander on facebook.

Lisa xx

restyle 2013

So it's been a whole year since 30 Days of Restyle! What a divine month last august was, op shopping like a mad woman and embracing the challenge of wearing purely thrifted clothing, with my fellow fabulous restylers for the good folk at Perth Fashion Festival.

Now it's time to follow along with a gorgeous new group of local bloggers! This year each lass is exclusively shopping and blogging for one charity, and there's a style prompt for every day (mixed prints, less than $10, etc.) Slightly more challenging than last year! But these ladies are going to do a most wicked job; I can't wait to see what they come up with. And as always, it's awesome to see such wonderful charities supported so enthusiastically (and so stylishly!)

Check them out, yo:

Monique of Little Miss Mon Bon, for The Salvation Army

Adelle of Where The Styled Things Are, for Good Sammy

Brighita of The Kids Are in Trouble, for RSPCA

Angeline of The Love Thread, for Anglicare

Nadine of Modern Girls in Vintage Pearls, for Australian Red Cross

Emily of Vintage Chic, for Save the Children

Claire of The Harbour Master, for Vinnies

Happy restyling!

Lisa xx

urban couture: eclectori

A runway by the harbour? Pretty damn divine! Wednesday night saw the eclectori runway along the Breakwater Jetty in Hillarys, featuring a number of fantastic WA designers (Jessica Martino, Wild.Horses, Kim Barton, Peppermint Milk, On A Whim and Lonely 8-Bit Heroes) previewing their Autumn/ Winter collections. If Winter is coming, I don't think we have anything to worry about here in Perth.

Here were my favourite bits...

Peppermint Milk

Peppermint Milk has taken a turn for the dark and I am so into it. The classic bodice and regal style is still there, now with some edgier cuts and more shadows lurking in the corners. And that black and gold print, oh MY. It's kinda Wednesday-Addams-goes-to-prom and damn if that isn't a vibe I want to get on board with so badly.

On A Whim

On A Whim doing what it does best - sweet lines, picnic-worthy dresses, a general air of equal parts cuteness, cheek and confidence. A perfect Autumnal palette, a charming amount of gingham and accessories to win any heart. AND CAPE. I need cape.

Lonely 8-Bit Heroes

Oh my LAWD. Slap me into this please, drop me into a video game circa 20 ish years ago and leave me there to fight crime and break hearts. I feel like there's very little that couldn't be done in this get up. 

All of these delicious items will soon be stocked online at eclectori. The site is brim-full with local Australian designers - so worth checking out if you haven't already. (And they've free shipping within Australia! Raddest.)

For photos of Peppermint Milk at last year's Perth Fashion Festival you can head here, or here for On A Whim.

Lisa xx

midnight snack

Holy smokes, I'm surrounded by some talented folk here in Perth. Delicious local artist Bonnie Boogaard has just opened her second solo exhibition, Midnight Snack, at Tú's Stairwell Gallery. Inspired by her love of food she explores the personalities, idiosyncrasies and dark habits of your favourite edible treats - in particular what they get up to while you're resting your head. Whimsy and wit abounds - plus the most charming collection of food related wordplay you ever did see ('swallow the leader', 'blood orange', 'banana split personality') - I'd love to see what it's like inside Bonnie's head for a day.

'Home sick' (above) is my favourite. That poor lil' slice of cheese.

Midnight Snack is running at Stairwell Gallery, nestled between Tú and Tea for Tú (have you checked that sweet little cafe out yet? So damn pleasant) until the 8th of April. Hop to it!

Lisa xx

urban couture: aperture and lace

The City of Joondalup's Urban Couture is now in full swing! I had my first taste of it at the preview of Aperture and Lace, a wonderful mixed media exhibition combining fashion, photography and wearable art, featuring some damn bright local talents. (I even ran into one of my favourite pieces from last year's Perth Fashion Festival - very top left - designed by Charissa Schlink!) I also very happily ran into blogger babes Sharon of Sass and Spice (above left) and Heidy of Love Thy Muse (above right), both looking stunning, no surprises there.

Aperture and Lace can now be checked out at The Blend(er) Gallery in Joondalup. Urban Couture runs until the 27th of March and there are heaps of rad (and free!) events, all the deets here.

Lisa xx