For the Love of Audrey

For years on and off I have tried many different ways to make my wardrobe work for me. I used to have a separate teaching/work clothes section for convenience but since I recently retired from teaching, I donated all of my work clothes to charity, hence I no longer have the need for separate sections. I used to have my clothing sectioned into shirts, pants, skirts, coats etc..Then I tried putting them together within the sections in colour spectrum, from light to dark, and used a couple of images from Google to help me put them into the right order. That worked for a while, but wasn't really helping me. It was pretty easy to find the garment though, but it wasn't perfect.   Low and behold during a recent Spring-cleaning frenzy (insert picture of a crazy woman dressed in a nightie and fluffy slippers, hair undone, makeup-less-you get the picture) I had a brain wave to section my entire wardrobe into the same colour stories, from white/light to dark/black, with the other colour ...

It's been some time between posts as I have been waiting for something to inspire me. So when one of my favourite designers, Sandy Liang, released the look book from her new Fall/Winter '22 collection, I was so excited, that I decided to edit these looks into ten of my favourites. Sandy Liang stays true to her aesthetic each season. Like previous collections, there are hints of Marie Antoinette and Ballet. The way Sandy Liang fuses the two together is amazing. I am drawn to anything to do with ballet, so, of course, I love this collection! My favourite pieces are the cotton dresses with bow detailing, the trench coat dress, camel corduroy skirt pants and layered knitwear. So wearable, but whimsical in a very grown-up kind of way. Pure genius! Can't wait for the collection to land in Australia. Which are your favourites? Yours in style,  Suzi x Photos by  @zorasicher  c/o Sandy Liang NY 

A couple of years back, I was so disappointed to discover that the beautiful Ralph Lauren Boutique in Collins Street, Melbourne, was closing its doors. Unfortunately for me,  it was actually closing permanently. I loved shopping at Ralph Lauren because they were the only store in Melbourne to carry the high-end Ralph Lauren Collection , otherwise known as Purple Label. So began the search for a store in Australia. Unfortunately, there was no good news, after several phone calls and emails to and fro from customer service. My absolute favourite label, the Ralph Lauren Collection, would sadly become a distant, fading memory.  Fast track forward to 2020-the year of surprises; a year proven to be vastly different and challenging, for many reasons which need no mention,  I found out some very exciting news which was like absolute music to my ears! Ralph Lauren Collection is now available in Australia! Ralph Lauren Collection is now available at Chatswood Chase, New South Wales...

Gucci's new collections just keep getting better and better. Led by creative designer aka creative genius,  Allessandro Michele since 2015, this new Gucci Fall Winter '20 collection is no exception.  Born in 1972, 70s style has always been a great influence for Michele. This collection sees a resurgence of the fashion worn by perfect little girls and their minders, nurses and nuns.  I was born in 1970 (I am admittedly one year older than Michele) and this collection has stirred up some very lovely memories of dressing up in my favourite navy velvet dress with shirring and ribbons. I remember wearing sweet little girl pinafores, one of which included my grey pinafore school uniform. I proudly wore my long prairie embroidered dresses  with the prettiest of cotton materials,  made lovingly by my mother, along with perfectly crafted knitwear and crochet, adorned with the most of darling of brooches. Yes, very fond memories evoked indeed.  What are your fa...

F L A N N E L , the Australian designer label of Perth-born designer Kristy Lawrence, was created back in 2006. Kristy's first piece was a feminine silk slip, which, 13 years on, remains the backbone of each new collection. Currently Kristy has a grand total of 17 stores spread across Australia and the USA, the latest being Rundle Street, Adelaide. The clothing is feminine, easy to wear and luxurious, using only the finest of silks, wool and cottons. I love the fact that Kristy has taken the guess work out of styling as colour ways and styles have been chosen carefully so they coordinate seamlessly with other garments from each collection. I had the pleasure of visiting the Albert Park boutique yesterday. Sadly, I didn't take any photographs, probably because I was so in awe of everything and so excited to find a piece to add to my closet. I was really well attended to by Rachel, who had an amazing eye for design and an amazingly effortless, chic style....

Pre-Fall Collection AW 2019 I was quite worried about the vision of new chief creative director for Burberry, Riccardo Tisci, for some time, up until recently. When he made his debut with the British high end designer label back in March, 2018, he really did push things to the extreme with his collections in the beginning. Fashionistas and style gurus on social media were quite disgruntled by Tisci's new revolutionary vision, while I wondered where on earth all of the classics had disappeared to.  Was this the end of Burberry's heritage as we knew it? I have been in awe of Burberry's classics designs for many years now, especially when Christopher Bailey was at Burberry's helm. When he left, I was quite devastated and a little apprehensive and wondered what would be next for the brand I so adored.  Fast forward to 2019, the classics have returned full throttle to Burberry's collections and my excitement has been renewed once again. Lace dresse...

I am thrilled to announce that, thanks to London's Victoria and Albert Museum, a fabulous exhibition, "Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion" is coming to the Bendigo Arts Gallery this Winter. The exhibition is timely, as this year marks the centenary of the first Balenciaga fashion house.  The exhibition will showcase the legacy of the house designer, Cristobel Balenciaga and will include his designs, which revolutionised what we know today as contemporary fashion.  "Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion" opens August 17 until November 10, 2019 at Bendigo Arts Gallery, 42 View Street, Bendigo.  Yours in style, Suzi x Images courtesy of Bendigo Art Gallery from The Richard Avedon Foundation and the V & A Museum, London (C)