inspiration: boo radley

I wanted to show you what I've been making lately but Tim keeps running off with both our cameras for his volunteer work at the AYCC. They're a bit different in style to the tshirts up in my shop at the moment, because I've included more lace, more detail, more flowiness, and they're all one-offs.

It's so stinking hot here in Melbourne at the moment that sleeves are too much to bear, so I've been making light and flowy sleeveless tops and I'm going to start on summer dresses today. Pictures to come!

I'm having difficulty working out which method works for me best: sticking to styles or creating one-offs. Styles take more effort to prepare, but once prepared they're easier to make up. One-offs can often be a headache as they can be quite challenging and time-consuming. And sometimes they don't work out. But they are more interesting to make. I guess I'll just make some of each. Maybe the one-offs can be samples that I'll make up into styles if they're well received.

On another note, here's a local designer samples outlet just down the road from me that I entered for the first time and I was so impressed by the collection of interesting pieces - there's very few 'trendy' items there, just timeless goodness. If you live in nearby I really recommend it because the prices are very reasonable too. It's called Neo Rococo and it's at 269 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn.

They stock a Melbourne label called Boo Radley and I have been feeling very inspired by the pieces I saw. I checked them out online afterwards and found that the styling wasn't my cup of tea, but I think the work is so much better in person. They have a very good eye for interesting details.





And! Boo Radley is having an end of year summer sale at their warehouse in Collingwood. Everything below $50.
Thursday Nov 26th to Sunday Nov 29th
Boo Radley Warehouse: 114-118 Campbell Street, Collingwood Vic 3066 (off Johnson St.)
9:30 am to 5pm

Yay for local talent.

the uniform project

It's rare that I find something online that makes me inwardly squee. But this has done it because it's fashionable, it's ethical, and it's just a really cool idea. From 'About the Uniform Project':

Starting May 2009, I have pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies. Think of it as wearing a daily uniform with enough creative license to make it look like I just crawled out of the Marquis de Sade's boudoir.

I'm jealous of her superb style and admiring of her ethos all at once. At least it's motivating me to get my style together, because lately I've just been wandering around in as many layers are clean. It is freezing here in Melbourne and I am not a cold weather girl. I suddenly want some cool sock/tight combinations...

You can add the Uniform Project via RSS to your blog reader for daily doses of sustainable style inspiration. Or just visit the site at The Uniform Project.

Inspiration collage and photography

Further to my last post about market research, I've created a survey and would appreciate if you'd fill it out for me! It's here. I'll post the results when it's finished.

I made this inspiration collage from a poster out of Frankie magazine and ideas from magazines that I cut out.


My work area is such an uninspiring mess at the moment that I thought this might brighten it up a bit and get ideas flowing. I'll add more inspiration pictures when I find more that I like. I didn't realise until after I made it that there are scissors on the poster - quite appropriate. I don't normally search for inspiration this way, I usually find it in the materials I use. But I've been feeling a bit uninspired lately, so this is a pretty remedy idea.

I constantly get new ideas in my head about non-clothing projects to try and things to learn. The ideas either fizzle out, or are stored in my head for later use, or I go out and find all the necessary materials I would need and then the idea fizzles out. Heidi & Seek is one of the ideas that I've followed through with, and that's immensely satisfying (even though it's been a long road).

This year I've 'decided' to start making jewellery, bags, armwarmers (all from reclaimed materials), write a novel, write and publish a beginners guide to sewing, exercise regularly, and, my most recent addition, learn photography. I've started each of these projects but haven't seen any of them through. Maybe I'll return to them later. But, for the minute, I'd like to talk about photography. I know enough to get by, taking decent enough photos for my online shops, but I'm still very much a point-and-shooter, occasionally fiddling with white balance, thinking vaguely about light and doing a lot of Photoshop editing. I've read guides on Etsy and such, but I'd love to delve deeper into the field. I love the idea of photography - capturing beautiful scenes in a picture forever. I'm sure it will make my shop look better, too.

I have an account on Flickr (which I've neglected up until recently) at flickr.com/hayleylau. I accidentally for some reason created two accounts when I signed up, and flickr.com/heidiandseek exists but isn't in use by me. Anyway, hopefully there will be more attractive photos up there soonish.

Green indie wedding

Tim and I have been engaged for over a year now. We didn't set a date because a) we are naturally procastinate-y people and b) we didn't have enough spare cash to fund the event. Tim just got a raise so we're starting to plan the thing (by 'starting to plan', I mean we had a conversation that went, "We should start planning," and, "Yes. Yes we should.")

I really don't have much direction at the moment. I've only been to two weddings before, and I was a kid then. At age 22, I don't have the benefit of seeing what my friends have done first because none of them are married. I know that we don't want a traditional wedding. It won't be in a church, things won't necessarily be white, I won't necessarily have bridesmaids. It'll be small, green, indie. I don't want to buy new things that will just be thrown away afterwards, so we'll look for eco-friendly alternatives, or skip unimportant traditions altogether.

I'm starting with the dress, because it's probably the easiest. It doesn't necessarily have to be white (I mean, with a daughter I'm obviously not exactly 'pure'). Actually, I don't particularly like wearing white, anyway. I'd like it to be unusual, and preferably not exclusively for wear as a wedding dress. I'm thinking something with lots of layers and textures.

I'm inexperienced at making intricate, delicate dresses, but I might give it a try. I'll try to use reclaimed materials so I'm not impacting the environment so much. I've been looking for inspiration.

The doily dress by Armour sans Anguish

A new piece from the lovely Tawny (who I interviewed here). I love this. I haven't seen anything quite like it before. Loving the textures and the flattering fit, though I think it's too short for a wedding dress.

Grey sparrow dress by Makool

I love the pop of colour in this, and the asymmetry. It's gorgeous and unique. I'm stuck between whether I want a floor length or knee-length dress.

Vintage grecian gown from designarchives

This is much simpler than I'd like, but I'm liking the idea of the big bow and the asymmetry.

Antique lace pouf sleeve shrug by hollystalder

I put the white one there to show what the whole garment looked like, but I like the dusky purple one much more. Who would have thought a giant shoulder pouf would look so amazing?

Too many ideas, not enough time to test them all. I'm sure I'll be making a few trials. I'll keep you updated. I have yet to shop for materials.

Eco-style find: Armour sans Anguish women's dresses

This week's eco-find is Tawny Holt's Armour sans Anguish, gorgeous garments made completely from recycled and reclaimed materials. Such lush colours! Such romantic designs! I would totally want this to wear to my wedding if I didn't want to try making the dress myself first.

The over the moon dress

I had the privilege of interviewing the brains behind this operation.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you make.
My name is Tawny Holt and I'm 26 years old. I make one of a kind clothing for women from recycled materials under the label Armour sans Anguish. I work from my home in lovely Modesto, CA and can be found dancing with my Go-Go troupe, The Radiowaves when I'm not knee-deep in fabric and pretty bits. I also enjoy thrifting, bike riding, and cooking up unique foods.

How did you start making clothing?
I literally got a sewing machine for Christmas 5 years ago and started selling clothing 4 and a half years ago. I sauntered into a local boutique, Queen Mab's, and they asked me where I got the clothes I was wearing. When I sheepishly announced that I had made them they asked if I would consider selling other pieces through their shop. After a couple of successful mini-collections of one-of-a-kinds in Queen Mab's, I started to expand Armour sans Anguish by selling through other shops and online.

The aquamarine dress

What kind of person shops Armour sans Anguish?
I would like to think it's the hopeless romantic; the eccentric girl who wants to wear the dresses she dreamed up as a little girl, but with a refined and adult twist.

Tell us about your materials. What new supplies do you use? What recycled?
Literally all of the supplies I use are recycled, save for my sewing machines and scissors! I even get thread, zippers, buttons, and needles at second hand stores. I become a bit obsessed, as I try to make sure that even my hang tags are printed on papers I've found at garage sales or thrift stores. It is always my intention to use what is already out in the world.

The pistachio dress

Why do you use recycled materials?
Not only do I want to contribute to the sustainability of our world, but I am also simply drawn to vintage materials--I think they tell better stories and lend themselves to the kind of romanticism I want to create.

Which item of yours is your favourite?
My items are always revolving and coming in and out of my life, so my "favorites" are constantly changing. Right now I'm in giddy love with The Blue Lagoon Dress because it all came together using colors I don't normally use. I was delighted with the result.


What advice would you give to designers who want to start working for themselves?
I would encourage an attentiveness to a sustainable rate of growth. Only take on what you're comfortable with as there is a desire from the eco community to do business with folks who keep their operations intentionally small.

What's your best eco-tip?
Networking with other eco-crafters and designers! Folks who are interested in sustainability are eager to find out how they can pass on their production "waste" to other folks who could use them. Don't be afraid to ask!

Thanks, Tawny!

Check out the Armour sans Anguish Etsy store.

I love the increasing variety of recycled handmade clothing online. Some might say it's counter-productive of me to feature the 'competition' here, but I really want to get these labels out there and show you that there are plenty of ethical eye-candy options. If you know of a recycled label for a future eco-find feature, please comment below!

Outfit favourites from the blogopshere

Some Girls Wander

Okay, so pretty much anything that Emily from The Black Apple wears, I adore. She has a cute classic style that doesn't seem to get boring even though she often dresses within a theme. Her pops of colour are also refreshing.

Hel-Looks

I'm a little iffy about the scarf, but everything else about this outfit is great. Particularly like the patterned tights, the smidgen of bright tangerine, and the round bottom hem of her coat. I'm not sure whether her tights are layered, but she's just given me the thought to experiment with that.

The Satorialist

I've been at uni or otherwise out for the past few days, and it seemed that plaid jackets similar to this one (a bit more 'bomber' in style, though) are everywhere. I automatically avoid 'all the rage' items on principle (even if I like them, i.e. gladiator sandals) but this girl's outfit makes it look fresh and I wouldn't say no to dressing like her.

The Coveted

The thing I love most about this outfit is the patterned dress coupled with a longer, deep purple skirt that pokes out at the bottom. I'm very much a fan of layered skirt-ing, especially when the colours are as complimentary as these.

Things to try:
Layering tights
Layering skirts
Incorporating bright, rich colours