In Pursuit of Style

After reading renee-anne's article in (sydney) magazine I was more inspired than ever to achieve my vintage/invest resolution. I'm nearly always thinking about clothes, the combinations, what I already have and what I 'need'. It's quite obsessive actually. Having said that, I hardly ever buy clothes anymore. I used to buy loads of cheap stuff, trying to bring to life some imaginary vision of myself with the most amount of clothing for the least amount of money. Of course none of it lasted, never looked quite right and the empty hole was never filled.

Now that I spend all my money these days on art materials and resources for my career it's made me re-evaluate my approach to fashion. Since meeting Renee and Angela at {twin set} and writing guest posts for them, the idea of cheap, throw-away fashion feels totally wrong, not to mention boring and unoriginal. The most expensive pieces in my wardrobe are the one's that are still in good condition, and generally are classic and timeless (since I didn't want to spend that much money on a trend driven garment).

I don't know about you, but I need a visual reference to clarify the direction I'm going in with my wardrobe. That way I know I've found the item I've been searching for when I bumble through the markets, online and in-store. So I've put together these images to help divide between what I'd like to buy vintage and what I'd like to invest in:

Invest

• Jeans - you can still find awesome jeans second-hand, but personally, I like contemporary waistlines. I always had trouble fitting jeans growing up - but now the lower waistbands suit my shape better. And a good pair of jeans will go a long, long way in life.
• Sloppy Joe - I'm loving the sloppy joe sweater trend coming in this winter - teamed with floral dresses, leggings or skinny jeans. I'm quite keen on the range by Bonds which is reasonably priced.
• Jazz Flats - I'm quite won over by this style of shoe. Makes for perfect footwear during the day while running around. Anyone know a local Aussie brand?
• Socks & Tights - I keep coming back to Topshop's tights and socks. I've been wanting to buy over knee socks, ankle socks and patterned tights for ages (true sign of an enduring trend). They're fairly reasonable price-wise and buying from the one shop saves on delivery costs.
  

Vintage

• Oversize Shirt - both plaid and floral patterns. I'm searching for the perfect pre-loved ones to wear with bralets and leggings (envisioned riding a vintage bike...haha)
• Boots & Accessories - Also desperate to get my hands on some vintage lace-up black boots and I'm keen to explore belts and scarves (even sunglasses).
• Dresses - I've never been a huge fan of dresses. I bought one not long ago and I find myself going back to it all the time, which suggests to me that it's worth finding some more!
• Boyfriend Blazer - An outgoing trend? I dunno, but I still like them. When a fitted blazer is too formal, a boyfriend style is perfectly casual - mix and match with formal/casual.
  

Who are your favourite vintage stores - online and brick-and-mortar?

Top Image: vintage ferragamo by dont pay on the paddy pig

Run Around. Get Excited.

(unknown, someone please tell me the credit - it's just too awesome)

What a gloriously crazy day it's been today...

First, I finally tried styling some proper photos of my new cotton rag prints to list on Etsy. Turned out quite well. If there was ever an excuse to buy a bunch of flowers every few days - then this is it. I also trudged over to the studio with a wheely bag full of trinkets - a little blue china box-thingamy (someone please enlighten me as to it's appropriate name), my beaten up Popular Penguin novel, a blue glass bottle and my awesome vintage gas-station number from 26olivestreet. I'm thinking tea-cups, miniature London cab and some vintage books next time... Perfect way to get inspired for all the new work I need to start/finish!

(merci beaucoup Ms. Unreliable Girl)

Then I hear in Twittersphere that the awesomely talented renee anne is in today's issue of the (sydney) magazine (part of the Sydney Morning Herald). And not just in it, but the headlining story and photo for Cool Customers - before Kirrily Johnston and Megan Gale. Love it.
What I loved, other than seeing such an awesome chickie in glossy print, was that Renee talked about vintage, pre-loved, handmade, ethical and sustainable fashion. The fact that she's the first of the cool customer profiles says a lot about the profile of vintage fashion nowadays. As interesting as the other peeps were - their favorite stores and labels went over my head. If I can't afford designer threads then I'm not really interested in knowing who they are. Sorry.


Finally, I sat down (after a horribly jerky bus ride home) to pore over the pages of the latest Frankie magazine. Oh I do love a crisp white page and a nostalgic photo. The printed teatowel feature gave me some ideas.... And I am totally grateful for the feature on how to shop for vintage frocks (especially after reading Renee!). Plus cutsie caravans (want), a brand new calendar for the next two months + poster by Caitlin Shearer (yay!). Also loved the accessories shoot featuring illustrated cut-outs by Catherine Campbell (yay again!) - so clever, cute and unique. More please!!

Phew...think I need a nanna nap after all this excitement.

In the Grey

Who said grey had to be depressing? I think in the right context it can be ultra feminine. These are a few gorgeous girls who's made it into my inspiration folder. I'm loving the layering of greys and neutrals together as an alternative to black on black in winter - and I plan to pull out my grey body with relax fit jeans and heels just like the last lady.

Bits & Bobs - Props for Awesome Photos

The secret (I think) to selling your art (online) is awesome photographs. And it's not about deceiving the buyer - but showcasing your work in a way that shows it to its best advantage. When I see an amazing photo I have an immediate emotional connection, quite often the artwork is secondary to grabbing my attention. There is a certain vibe, style and mood to a photo that inspired you to emulate it, "I want my sideboard to look like that"-kinda thing. It makes you look at the artwork in an entirely new light and appreciate it's subtleties which are overlooked in a cursory glance.




These are some lovely examples of such photos. It all comes down to cute, quirky and nostalgic props, some very considered placement and fabulous natural light. Something that takes a lot of trial and error. I'm about to attempt some more (nicer) photos of my artworks. I am yet to master the subtle art of display, and lighting always seems to elude me. But I'm inspired by these loverly compositions, so I'm giving it another go.

Product Details

Same Shit, Different Day

recovering lazyholic

Some days, actually most days, I wonder why I bother at all. It is monumentally depressing to know the vocation I have fallen in love with isn't viable in the short-term to sustain my existence. It seems no matter how much time and money goes into it - the rewards barely break even. This is not to say that my talent isn't viable in the long-term - I've had fabulous feedback and encouragement and things are definitely looking up. I don't think I'm quite the misguided talentless fool stubbornly pursuing a career as an artist.

From the outside it is easy to suggest that by simply getting a 'real job' part time I can earn enough to live, whilst doing my art in my spare time. I see this as akin to the super-mum debate - women who try to balance work and family and 'have it all'. There are few mothers out there who succeed and I'd say the same goes for artists. At the end of the day it's like having two full-time jobs and that's going to burn anyone out.

So what are the other options? Well, of course there are grants. But they are few and far between and hotly sought after. The chances of succeeding there are almost as good as winning the lottery. Welfare? Ah yes, of course. Most artists, actors, musicians etc are 'dole bludgers'. A quick browse through art and dole highlights that most of these creatives take their career deadly seriously, seeking jobs that directly relate to their chosen career as well as other educational, volunteer and networking opportunities. Doesn't sound 'bludgy' to me.

Unfortunately, Centrelink does not share the same view. For every 'job seeking' effort that falls under the creative title, two 'real job seeking' efforts must be recorded. So you waste two thirds of your time looking for an unrelated, undesirable 'real job' (such as plucking chickens...) and further prolonging your journey towards a full-fledged self-sufficient artistic career.

I would have thought it made more sense to support artists actively pursuing these creative opportunities in an effort to get them off welfare sooner. Which is something this idiot evidently hasn't considered:

Artists who believe tax payers should support their insignificant lifestyles are best described as parasites. Dole bludgers are dole bludgers.

Dole bludging ‘artists’ produce work that is notoriously of little value to broader society and doesn’t change a thing. The dole isn’t a grant. The dole is a safety net to support the WORKFORCE in times of need. Fricking parasites.

Artists who can’t support themselves and are too LAZY to earn their own way are no better than the surfing dole bludgers on the coastline.

Get a job and contribute something of value to the people paying for your food and rent.

Comment by Mr M. S. — April 4, 2009 @ 6:16 am

Well excuse me. It would be lovely to think that the dole is a luxurious, easy lifestyle fund. Rent, bills, food, entertainment - all paid for by the government! But no, the average benefit available to most is about $250 a week (incl. rent assistance). Considering the average rent for a room in a share house is $200 a week (quite often sharing a room as well), it doesn't leave much for bills and food, let alone and art materials. And you can forget about entertainment.

I currently spend more than I make on my art. The cost of studio rent, phone, internet, stationary, pens, pencils, paint, fabric and thread, PO Box, domain name and registration, computer software, exhibition entry fees and countless other things that pop up - eats up all my income (and more which doesn't exist). No wonder I'm living at home with my parents still. There just doesn't seem to be any way for me to move out into a share house, pay utilities, feed and clothe myself.

It's an absolute mine field negotiating welfare. It might cost me $200 to earn $40 in an exhibition - and if you don't know your way around Centrelink forms then you can lose even more money on top of your initial outlay. Sites like art and dole are a god-send in that respect, but it's tiring work and it shouldn't have to be that way.

There needs to be a cultural shift in Australia - countries like Ireland, the Netherlands, the UK, even New Zealand have healthier attitudes to art and supporting artists through welfare. Any self-respecting artist doesn't want to live off the dole and certainly not long-term. We just need a little respect and assistance to get to where we're determined to be. Constantly fighting to survive, continually derided and oppressed...it's enough to make you give up and do yourself in.

A Fashionable Epiphany

Fashionista by ~Volfana on deviantART

Lamenting the sad state of my everyday fashion styling - I've struck upon a solution I've never attempted. It all began when the Lovely Ladies of {twin set} asked me to guest write some posts on their blog giving advice on how to wear their vintage treasures. They encouraged me to style my inspiration collages with eco-friendly, vintage, ethical and handmade items. Which at first mildly freaked me out. Where on earth do you find good eco-vintage-ethical-handmade anything that doesn't look like it escaped out of a hippie's arse?

Items in this set:
Moon Glow Dress 60s | LAVintage, $68
Beyond Skin - Vegan Shoes - SS10 SHOES, 130 GBP
Hemptress + Mona Satchel, $175
Ascensiononline.com : Jackpot Lyzet Pullover at Ascension, 50 GBP
orange modcloth cardigan - beige dress - brown shoes - peaches and...

So I entrusted Google to find out for me. It can be a slow process. Anyone who's dabbled in SEO (search engine optimization) knows that it's bloody hard to get your website onto the first few pages of Google's search results. So I knew that there were probably treasures out there that just hadn't been unearthed with the right combination of keywords. You can't find it all in one night. It takes time. And a lot of bookmarking.

Items in this set:
Blush Cable Crop Cardi, 35 GBP
Black 120 Denier Opaque Tights, $16
NEPALI by TDM Designs + Cloe Cashmere Loop Scarf, $140
Megan Combat Boots 9 | LAVintage, $62
Twin Hearts Vintage — Pink Flower Dress

With a large degree of skepticism I also did a search through Polyvore* (my preferred site for assembling styling collages - except no Etsy - boo) and was pleasantly surprised by the number of results. There were quite a number of eco-based websites logged in there - which just goes to prove that not all fashionistas covet designer and fast fashion street labels (impressed and humbled).

Items in this set:
Politely Pleated Top in Posey-Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage..., $43
7 For All Mankind Josefina Organic Slouchy Skinny Jeans, $200
Belts - Fair trade, organic & sustainable products, 28 GBP
You Know the Espadrille-Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $63
a day in the life

So getting to the point. I realised that it is indeed perfectly reasonable to be stylish on a pitiful budget using eco-vintage-ethical-handmade garments. A cursory glance through my wardrobe reveals a rather embarrassing predominance of crappy quality cheap clothing. I've always been one to spend $50 on three items of cheap shit rather than investing in a $50 garment that will be of more long-term value to me.

Items in this set:
Little Black Cat Skirt 80s | LAVintage, $48
Alkemie + Peace Dove Cross Necklace, $180
Alkemie + Single Black Rooster Feather Earring (1), $140
Alkemie + Sea Urchin Band, $100
Vegan belts, Belts, Punk Belts, Studded Belt, $60

I'm setting myself a challenge. To supplement approximately half of my future wardrobe with eco-vintage-ethical-handmade items and the other half on reasonably good quality investment pieces (given that Topshop is categorized as 'investment' on my budget). In a perfect world I would document this challenge with photos and collages and blog posts. If I know anything about myself it is that this is genuinely unlikely to happen. But I might surprise myself, you never know...




* TO DO A SEARCH IN POLYVORE - GO TO "CREATE". IN THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE WINDOW YOU'LL SEE TABS WITH OPTIONS SUCH AS 'MY ITEMS' AND 'DRAFTS' ETC - CLICK ON "ALL ITEMS". TYPE IN A KEYWORD (I.E. ECO) AND ANYTHING TAGGED WITH THAT WORD WILL DISPLAY. IF YOU WANT TO REFINE IT TO A PARTICULAR GARMENT TYPE - CLICK THE LITTLE HOUSE BUTTON IN THE TOP LEFT OF THE SEARCH RESULTS - SELECT THE GARMENT TYPE (DRESSES/PANTS/TOPS ETC) AND TYPE YOUR KEYWORD INTO THE SEARCH BOX AT THE TOP OF THE RESULTS. YOU CAN ALSO CHOOSE TO REFINE THE RESULTS TO A PARTICULAR COLOUR OR PRICE BRACKET - JUST SELECT FROM THE DROP-DOWN MENUS IN THE RESULTS WINDOW.

State of the Arts

It's no secret that for some time now Sydney's arts scene has been suffering some major blows. It seems every week there's news of yet another music venue or artist studio being forced to close. Today ThrowShapes revealed that indie music venue GoodGod has been locked up, shutting out it's owners with no explanation. This comes on the back of Marrickville venue Qirkz being forced to shut shop. And with bigger venues such as The Hopetoun and The Annandale breaking under the pressure - how do the smaller venues ever stand a chance?

Reports that Sydney's culture of greed, corruption, and soulless developing are steadily raping the live music scene are unconfirmed but believed by most.
Marcus, The Vine

And it's not just the independent live music venues - spaces occupied by artist collectives are also suffocating under the pressure. One of the few ARIs (artist run initiative) successfully operating is Red Rattler. Several individual mortgages and fire safety compliances later - they can now host events in order to subsidise film screenings, workshops, performance art and theatre. But few of us are able to loan the money or decipher the regulations.

But when it comes to things like fire safety and patron safety, we can't compromise on that.
Leichhardt's Mayor, Jamie Parker

Now there are fair arguments for both sides. Yes, these venues and spaces can generate a lot of noise and traffic which drives nearby residents bonkers. Yes, there needs to be adequate fire safety measures in place etc etc. No one is arguing about public safety or neighbourly love. The problem is, most artists and ARIs don't have the time, money or expertise to wade through all the red tape and do things responsibly. Why should they be treated any differently to other commercial businesses? I hear you ask...

Let me demonstrate for you. Go to your CD and DVD collection, empty the entire contents into your bin. Now pull down all the artworks and posters off your walls, throw them in the bin. Follow that will all the clothes in your wardrobe, your magazines, your jewelry...ok you get the idea. So most of those things may not directly come from the efforts of artists being evicted from their spaces, but the flow on effect does. All those big name fashion designers had to start somewhere, usually in their living room, bedroom or garage. The same goes for writers, artists, illustrators, photographers, film makers, musicians, designers, actors, costume makers....and on and on and on. Would it not be more feasible for government to support these creative initiatives rather than trying to mould them in with the commercial sphere? There has to be some kind of reasonable compromise.

You hear artists crying out about the importance of the arts in the community. And I hear most people cry back along the lines of what does it contribute to the economy? Which tellingly reveals how little the perceived value between the Arts and Sciences in school has changed outside the school gates. Anyone who thinks that art, music, or drama have less 'importance' than maths, science and economics needs to listen to Sir Ken Robinson.

I share a space in Redfern, in an old warehouse, with 13 other artists and creatives. We have a painter, film makers, a tango dancer, fashion designer, textile artist, cg-artist, writers...most of us can't live off our arts so we work elsewhere as well. We have a large rehearsal space in the middle which is available for hire for events, launches, rehearsals, whatever. Money generated from that subsidises some of our rent, keeping it low and affordable enough for all the artists. Unfortunately, we have a very belligerent neighbour who is determined to shut us down:

• We've been operating for about two years.
• She moved in 8 months ago.
• We've been slapped with a Council order to cease and desist until we have development approval.
• She's a law student.
• We hosted a fundraiser to pool enough cash for the application fee (in the hundreds of $$).
• She called the Council ranger to shut the event down. She also threw a bottle at one of our patrons.

Notice the coincidences? Best case scenario is we receive Council approval to operate as artist studios - but - our operating hours will be restricted and we will no longer be able to host events. Which, given that most of us work here after work hours and on weekends, poses somewhat of a problem. We also can't afford to make up the difference in rent lost through no event hire either. Nevermind the ARIs who depend on venues like ours to launch their independent publications, recordings, meetings etc.

Interestingly, nearby metropolitan area Newcastle, is opening up abandoned buildings to ARIs for free useage until a landlord materialises. The GFC has seen some developers offering spaces to ARIs after previous commercial ventures become too expensive to continue (check out the SMH article here). So there is light on the horizon, but it's very dim. And anyone who thinks that a thriving artistic community has no effect on the value of their property is kidding themselves (hello inner-city residents). Watch this space...

In Pursuit of Winter

Seagull 02>04, ukaaa

Perhaps this is very un-Australian of me to say, but I love Winter. Snuggling further under the duvet, woolly socks and beanies, wood-burner fireplaces (very un-eco, sorry, but I love the smell), steaming hot chocolate, dim candles and lanterns, indulging in a good book, a little spiced wine with friends.

Can't wait.

Just a Minute in March

Untitled by 'Zil

Sooo...what the heck have I been up to? I know, been a very bad Jordan on the social networking/blogging side of life. A hope to remedy this crime with the follow snippet...

Reading...I just finished Sebastian Faulks' Engleby. I wasn't totally fussed by it at first, but it ended up being quite thought-provoking. About to start Marian Keyes latest offering. Then I think I'd better pick up a serious classic to redeem myself.

Listening...I've fallen back to my Little Birdy albums. That's the problem with only owning a shuffle ipod - you always forget to reload it with new songs and end up listening to the same limited list over and over and over and...but I do love Katy Steele's songwriting.

Watching...I went and saw Alice in Wonderland. Twice. I actually enjoyed it for totally different reasons the second time around. Yes, it's not the classic story, but unlike the majority I don't think Tim Burton bastardised it that badly. I appreciated the weaving of old and new together into a new tale - at least you didn't already know the ending.

Eating...a lot of lollies and chocolate. When I'm chained to my desk working I like to have an assortment of sugar next to me. I can also be seen drinking Coke from a wineglass.

Aside from that I've been working my buns off doing some commissions - check them out here (I'm posting them as they go live). I've also written my third How To Wear It for the lovely ladies of {twin set} - be sure to keep an eye out.

I was also lucky enough to be a runner-up in the Finders Keepers art comp. My artwork will soon be adorning t-shirts which you'll be able to buy. Sweet. They also wrote a nice little interview with me. Perhaps the most exciting for you, dear reader, is my giveaway and special offer through That Unreliable Girl - don't miss it!