I was on holiday relaxing by the beach in Byron Bay when I received a message from the gorgeous stylist Linda Lola asking me if I wanted to go to the VIP Fashion Night at the Brisbane Arcade. My initial response was no as I was in complete holiday mode and I had walked past the little nook off the Queen Street Mall a thousand times and had never ventured in. When I got back to the beach house I did a little research and snapped myself out of holiday mode long enough to realise I would be crazy not to go.
I ended up really excited as an amazing photographer, Craig Scarr, agreed to come along and take some pictures for me (which is why the pictures are awesome!) and I was informed that there were going to be a few designers there as well! The night was held to showcase the new seasons collections from the various designers in the arcade.
When I first walked into the beautiful heritage-listed Arcade I was surprised. For starters I had no idea what to expect as I had never been there and I had no idea that half the designers I saw at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival were in one spot!
There were more shops than I expected and I didn't manage to get around every single one in the 2 hour time frame we had but I did get into three good ones!
The first boutique I went into was Darb Bridal Couture.
The first boutique I went into was Darb Bridal Couture.
I love wedding gowns and I am sure every person has some kind of appreciation for gorgeous bridal couture, even if they don't believe in marriage there is something magical about a wedding dress. All the different shades of whites, materials and embellishments... the choices really are endless and the result is pure beauty made just for you! It's a shame we only get to do it once... with the different dresses that come out every season I would be wanting to renew my vows every year! Especially after browsing Darb's stunning collection.
Designer and owner Brad Webb has been designing for over 15 years and has won many awards for his bridal couture. I was lucky enough to meet Brad on the night and he was lovely! So warm, welcoming and passionate about what he does! His pieces in the shop are there merely for display to give a future bride an idea of what some of her endless options are and as a guide as to what she might like. A Darb wedding gown is designed over a series of private consultations with Brad himself and then the magic begins!
"There are a few people in Australia doing work of this level. His craftsmanship, design, fabrics are equivalent to what the top designers in Paris do." George Gross
To see Brad's latest creations go to www.darbbridalcouture.com.au
You wont be disappointed!
Next up.... THE HAT BOX!
With Melbourne Cup coming up I am all too happy to talk about hats! Usually I am not a hat person but when I walked into this store I felt like a child in a candy shop! So many colours and features! It really was a visual delight! I actually, in all honesty, had never heard the term millinery let alone knew what it meant until I saw The Hat Box showcase their pieces at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival! For those of you (if there are any?) who did not know the term (like me!) Millinery refers to hatmaking, particularly the making of women's hats.
I met the owner of The Hat Box Dale Olsson (pictured right) who explained to me that she does not make the hats herself but she employs over 15 of the finest milliners from around Australia (Patricia Balmer, Ann Boyle, Minette Collins, Kim Fletcher, Petrea Gordon, Neil Grigg, Jonathan Howard, Claire Luttrell, Meredith McMaster, Kathy Neumann, Richard Nylon, Elizabeth Reynolds, Phillip Rhodes, Sandra Robson, Peggy Stone and Karen Valentine) and is now also stocking hats from Stephen Jones, London.
You can check out Dale's stunning range of hats, fascinators and other bits and pieces at http://www.thehatbox.com.au but I do suggest you go to the shop and have a look. I certainly am going back there to get something special for Melbourne Cup!
Now to talk shoes!!
I went into Vein Shoe Store, had a browse and met my first shoe designers! Christopher and Szuting McCallum are the owners of the store which holds Christopher's men's range labelled 'Vein' and Szuting's women's range 'Kitty Croquet'! The boots pictured above I fell in love with! They were so unique and carefully crafted...! The shoes in this store really were nothing like I had ever seen before and it was all so impressive! I had a bit of a chat to Christopher who informed me that when he was thinking of a name for his designer label he realised that there really were not too many men's shoe stores in Brisbane and that men should take more pride in their appearance and basically get a little more 'vein'! Love it!
Christopher's range of men's shoes are nothing short of brilliant and I am so glad I went into this store because it really is a treasure trove of shoes! Christopher also informed me his shoes can be customised to meet your needs and taste!
You must must must (especially with fathers day coming up!) check out the website http://www.veinwear.com/
and for the women http://www.kittycroquet.com
It was a great night and I only wish we had a bit more time to get around and I had asked for photos of the designers... doh! Rookie mistake and I will remember that for next time!
Stay fabulous! x
"There are a few people in Australia doing work of this level. His craftsmanship, design, fabrics are equivalent to what the top designers in Paris do." George Gross
To see Brad's latest creations go to www.darbbridalcouture.com.au
You wont be disappointed!
Next up.... THE HAT BOX!
With Melbourne Cup coming up I am all too happy to talk about hats! Usually I am not a hat person but when I walked into this store I felt like a child in a candy shop! So many colours and features! It really was a visual delight! I actually, in all honesty, had never heard the term millinery let alone knew what it meant until I saw The Hat Box showcase their pieces at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival! For those of you (if there are any?) who did not know the term (like me!) Millinery refers to hatmaking, particularly the making of women's hats.
I met the owner of The Hat Box Dale Olsson (pictured right) who explained to me that she does not make the hats herself but she employs over 15 of the finest milliners from around Australia (Patricia Balmer, Ann Boyle, Minette Collins, Kim Fletcher, Petrea Gordon, Neil Grigg, Jonathan Howard, Claire Luttrell, Meredith McMaster, Kathy Neumann, Richard Nylon, Elizabeth Reynolds, Phillip Rhodes, Sandra Robson, Peggy Stone and Karen Valentine) and is now also stocking hats from Stephen Jones, London.
You can check out Dale's stunning range of hats, fascinators and other bits and pieces at http://www.thehatbox.com.au but I do suggest you go to the shop and have a look. I certainly am going back there to get something special for Melbourne Cup!
Now to talk shoes!!
I went into Vein Shoe Store, had a browse and met my first shoe designers! Christopher and Szuting McCallum are the owners of the store which holds Christopher's men's range labelled 'Vein' and Szuting's women's range 'Kitty Croquet'! The boots pictured above I fell in love with! They were so unique and carefully crafted...! The shoes in this store really were nothing like I had ever seen before and it was all so impressive! I had a bit of a chat to Christopher who informed me that when he was thinking of a name for his designer label he realised that there really were not too many men's shoe stores in Brisbane and that men should take more pride in their appearance and basically get a little more 'vein'! Love it!
Christopher's range of men's shoes are nothing short of brilliant and I am so glad I went into this store because it really is a treasure trove of shoes! Christopher also informed me his shoes can be customised to meet your needs and taste!
You must must must (especially with fathers day coming up!) check out the website http://www.veinwear.com/
and for the women http://www.kittycroquet.com
It was a great night and I only wish we had a bit more time to get around and I had asked for photos of the designers... doh! Rookie mistake and I will remember that for next time!
Stay fabulous! x
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