Stylish Blogger Awards

A big thank you to to Kerry of My Orange Stilettos for giving my wee Blog a Stylish Blogger Award! This is a great way to applaud and promote your fave Blogs. As a relative newbie, I am am very honored to receive this award from Kerry. So, I'm sharing the love. They tell me these are The Rules:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post
2. Tell us 7 things about you
   
3. Award seven recently discovered new bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers and let them know they've received the award.

Let's get started!

7 Things You Never Knew About Me

1. I am from Invercargill, which is known for:

• Being the birthplace of Burt Munro, The World's Fastest Indian. The expanses of flat, quartz-black sand of Oreti Beach is beautiful.
• Being dubbed the 'Arsehole of the World' by Keith Richards 1965. *I spoke to a cab driver who attended the gig this statement referred to. The Stones were still fairly unknown and opening for Roy Orbison in Invercargill at the grand old Civic Theatre. As a rural town - with an audience there to see The Big O - the audience did not take kindly to the rough & rangy Stones taking the stage, and apparently there was a it of booing in anticipation to get the Stones off, and Roy on.
  
• Its proximity to Stewart Island, one of the most beautiful places in the world.
• Cheese Rolls - Sushi of the South. One of the yummiest things you will ever eat - molten cheesey goodness.
  
• Location of the world’s leading captive centre for Tuatara at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery, run by my friend Lindsay.
  

2. I taught Art History for 2 Terms at Cargill High School in Invercargill. I was only a few years older than my students at the time.

3. My first job in London was at Harrods. I worked on the 4th Floor in 'Way In' fashion. Then I became a Beauty Consultant and worked in the Cosmetics and Perfumery Sections on the Ground Floor. Harrods was a great way to see celebrities up close & personal.

• Most aged looking: Mick Jagger
• Most charming: Robbie Williams
• Most polite: Leanne Rimes
• Most tiny: Isla Fisher
• Most shy: Paula Yates
  

4. I never had any wisdom teeth. (Obviously I am not wise?!)

5. I have a Rarotongan heritage. I try to get back there at least once every two years.
6. I was first published aged 10 in the Sunday Times. It was a little prose about a black stallion, that was also read out on Dick Weir's national kids' Sunday morning radio show. The publishing career has somewhat stalled since then! Interestingly - Dick Weir's son is in The Black Seeds!

7. My favourite movie is Wild at Heart - even though it still kind of freaks me out.
I would like to take this opportunity to nominate my friends' Blogs! In addition to My Orange Stilettos, I have added a few other firm faves at the end.

My sister
Very cute Blog from my Melbourne-based sister, a mixture of fashion, food, photography and all things creative!
Banana meet-cute

Wendy
Great Blog from my friend Wendy on living a sustainable lifestyle.
Give a Fig

Owen Allison
The very talented stylist, fashion photographer and makeup artist and old friend from the South!
Owen Allison

Tessa and Ari
My beautiful friends Tessa and daughter Ari's Crochet Blog.
Crochet Cool

Vanessa
Maker of beautiful baby clothes and all around styley new Mum.
Bubbalino

Isaac
I have to add Isaac, not new - but a firm favorite!
Isaac Likes

Jessica
Last but not least - I enjoy the gorgeous Aussie model Jessica Hart's Blog. Makes me very wistful for New York City!
Jessica Hart

Please do send me any fashion Blogs you think I may like - especially fellow Kiwis!

You are GOLD!

I'm in love with sequins and bling at the moment. Search as I did in December for a sparkly NYE number, nowhere in Auckland seemed to be playing ball. Again, good old NZ is draped in drab dark colours and hardly any SHINE! Pastels being the brightest colours I could find....no hot pink in sight! As Summer wanes, I'm desperate for some gold, fuschia, electric blue or hot coral dresses and tops. Speaking of gold, I adore this fabulous Balmain dress on the ELLE cover. No wonder it (or aversion of it) has now graced 7 covers so far, including UK ELLE, Vogue Spain, Russia, India and Germany, Harpers Bazaar.
And I love Blake Lively's Versace on the cover of Cosmo. Although Blake is looking rather odd. PShop overload! A beautiful girl like her does not need that much PS, surely!
Another fave, Olivia Wilde's sparkling Marchesa masterpiece was my favourite at the GOLDEN GLOBES. With my favourite Louboutins (although I agree with Guiliana - silver may have been a better choice):
The Globes were awash with beautiful gowns this year, with green, red, sparkles and nude dominating the red carpet. My other faves were as follows:
Emma Stone in Calvin Klein Collection - this one actually looked really bright coral-pink on the telly.
Anne Hathaway in Armani Prive.
Clare Danes in Calvin Klein Collection. Similar to Emma Stone's, I just loved the colour. And the 'Statement Shoe' - majorly beautiful sky-high, Jewell encrusted shoes were flashed from beneath long hems, another fave being Leighton Meester's Jimmy Choo's.

Rodarte for Black Swan

I am saddened to hear that Rodarte will not be eligible for any Best Costume Design awards this season. Sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy, who are Rodarte, created 40 costumes for the film. In The Hollywood Reporter, Merle Ginsberg explains that there is a history of designers working with the film’s costume designer, but not getting the award(s) or credit. For example, Edith Head winning the Oscar for Sabrina - when Givenchy outfitted Audrey Hepburn for the film.
I watched the film recently and loved it - while not big on horrors, I love a good edge of your seat psychological thriller! I like Natalie Portman but I love Mila Kunis so it was great to see her again.The dancing is beautiful but the costumes - ahhh, the black swan tutu is just amazing. It embodies the delicacy of the swan feathers but the strength of the Black Swan's strong, dark character - with a punk-edge!
The character's everyday costumes are also glaringly related to their personalities - Natalie Portman's delicate, meek Nina swathed in soft creams, pale grays and pastel pinks and Mila Kunis'es the sexy, sassy Lily in blacks, dark grays and charcoals. Love Nina's frothy, downy scarf and pale pink coat below. Very ballerina!
Check out the movie here & the trailer below...

Kate Moss and Lea T in LOVE

Yay, my fave mag's latest issue is out! the Theme 'This is Hard Core' aligns several of my favourite things - Kate Moss, Mert & Marcus, and Pulp! The song 'This is Hardcore' by Pulp, one of my favourites, is featured in the promo.
Kate Moss on the cover - great to see her back in an edgy shoot, with amazing styling from the faux-hawk to her clear, freckled skin. She looks beautiful. Kate is photographed by Mert & Marcus with Lea T, a trans gender model who is in the process of a sex-change. Lea - born Leonardo - was discovered by Givenchy Creative Director Ricardo Tisci.
LOVE Ed Katie Grand saw Lea (above, second from right) at the Copacabana Pool Hotel, clad Givenchy: "At first I didn’t notice her gender, just that she was wearing Givenchy couture and looked amazing!'"
Riccardo Tisci insists that, despite the impact of the decision, casting a trans gender model in his latest campaign is not intended purely to raise fashion eyebrows. The model, Lea T, is his long-time personal assistant and former fit model - and Tisci insists she perfectly embodies the collection. "She's always been very feminine: superfragile, very aristocratic. She's part of the family," Tisci told WWD, adding that including a trans gender person in the campaign exemplifies the masculine-feminine dichotomy that has become one of his design signatures." Vogue.com. French Vogue features a nude Lea T in this confronting image. The fashion industry may discriminate against larger models, but it is admirable that more often than not don't discriminate against gay, trans sexual or trans gender people.
"When you are a transsexual, you look for your future, and you can't see it," Lea told the New York Times. "I thought this would be a nice message for another tranny: 'Look, we can be the same as other girls and boys.' It's small, but it makes you feel like you have a little chance. Maybe a transsexual will open a magazine and think: 'That's cool. We can be whatever we want.' That's why I did the Givenchy campaign." Vogue.com

More power to you Lea!

Here's 'This is Hardcore.' xox

Abbey-Lee Kershaw for Tom Ford

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Loving this new billboard in LA snapped by [Frockwriter] that went up in time for the Golden Globes - thanks to Isaac Likes for the head's up! Aussie model Abbey Lee is looking amazing with her new platinum blonde locks! Cannot wait for Tom's collection to drop...