TONI&GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe: Blogged & Bound

Blogged & Bound

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:26:00 +1000

Fashion is not defined by fabric or thread, but by ideas, life, people and places. It’s the elusive fibre that intertwines mass culture and individuality. Fashion is how the world talks to you, but your interpretation of fashion is how you talk back.

Hair Meet Wardrobe is the TONI&GUY philosophy. It’s the knowledge that fashion is infinitely greater than the sum of its parts. This philosophy is what we live and breathe, and we’re not alone.

Blogged & Bound is a dossier of twenty influential bloggers from Australia’s fashion blogosphere, and it’s the Hair Meet Wardrobe philosophy brought to life. Each blogger profiled in Blogged & Bound has a distinctly unique style persona, but whether Casual, Glamour, Classic or Creative, each is undoubtedly a guru of the overall look and an artist of the bigger picture.

These twenty bloggers not only uphold the Hair Meet Wardrobe philosophy – they live it.

It’s time to think differently about fashion. It’s time for hair to meet wardrobe.

Violet Le Beaux

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:45:00 +1000

VIOLETLEBEAUX.COM

It’s hard to believe she was once a green-haired hard core punk swathed in black.

Violet’s hair is a glorious puff of white blonde and pastel pink, springing from her head like fairy floss. She looks like a doll that’s just been taken out of the box, shiny and magical and smelling of strawberries. She’s the frosting on the cupcake, the sweetest of the sweet; it’s hard to believe she was once a green-haired hardcore punk swathed in black. She laughs as she talks about the phases she’s been through, comfortable she’s reached her destination. Her favourite colour is pink, but she likes blue too… the entire rainbow, actually.

Cupcakes and tea parties aside, Violet is an astute businesswoman who now runs her site ‘Violet LeBeaux – Tales of an Ingénue’ full time, usually while listening to korean pop. She’s famous for her sugary-sweet tutorials which showcase her marvellous ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, served always with a smile. Press play and you’re greeted with a tinkling pink and yellow cartoon intro, and Violet, cute as a button, the happiest teacher.

With a repertoire so vast, it’s hard to choose a favourite hair style. She purses her pink lips before revealing the answer. A one-sided bouffant, with curls coming down. “You know,” she smiles sweetly, “like Marie Antoinette’s”. Oh, of course.

Watermelon Crush

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:23:00 +1000

WATERMELONCRUSH.COM

Her hair, a delicious honey blonde, is thick and shiny, curving around her delicate features.

Steph is part girly, part grunge. She’s soft pastels teemed with tough leather boots… like when nothing really matches, but then somehow it really does. A lot of people don’t notice the gentle lilt in her voice, all that remains of her Swedish accent. She’s been living in Sydney for 6 years now, but talks fondly of her home in Stockholm and how fashion forward it is. “Not that Australia isn’t!” she says, politely. She smiles a lot and her manners are impeccable, but it’s her eyes that get your attention. They’re the definition of doe eyes, huge and inquisitive, sparkling as she speaks. There’s not a bad bone in her body, but there’s millions of good ones.

Visit her blog and you’ll find the story of the sweetest girl you’ve never met. She’s learning to sew, her boyfriend’s mum is teaching her, and she tells us excitedly how they sat together one night, making curtains for the apartment. Her hair, a delicious honey blonde, is thick and shiny, curving around her delicate features. She dyed it dark for years and years but has finally let it be, brushing it every night to make up for the years of torture. Her job as a graphic designer is an inspiration, fuelling her love for colour, clothes and beautiful things. Current obsessions? South Africa. She holidayed there recently and bought amazing fabrics, she’s going to make pants. Dubstep too; it’s weird but fun. Stop by her blog and you’ll see it all, a life laid out in pictures and prose. “My mum still goes on every single day,” she smiles. “She’s my number one fan”.

Gary Pepper Vintage

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:53:00 +1000

GARYPEPPERVINTAGE.COM

Nicole’s curls capture her romantic spirit, a cascade of timeless softness.

She’s undoubtedly one of the most beautiful girls you’ve ever seen, with black hair dripping from her shoulders and skin of a luminous gold. Nicole is humble about her success, grateful she’s had the opportunity to make a living doing what she loves. Her online boutique, Gary Pepper Vintage, is fast becoming one of the best known vintage outlets in the world, famous for its rich array of enchanting one off pieces. The girl behind it is playful and sweet, a whimsical dreamer with a penchant for tulle. It was a high school dress up party that saw her stumble through the door of her first op shop, a teenager on a desperate mission for the perfect outfit. She left hours later, dumbstruck, with a bag full of treasures and a head full of dreams.

Nowadays Nicole is still treasure hunting, the thrill of the unexpected a temptation she can’t resist. Her adventures in op shops have given her an appreciation for times gone by and a wardrobe that sings with variety. She raves about the quality of vintage pieces, of the 60 year old jackets in impeccable condition she’s bought for the grand sum of $6.

Nicole’s curls capture her romantic spirit, a cascade of timeless softness. She’s been curling her hair for a while now, a style that plays perfectly to the femininity of a girl who loves to dream. Wistful, she talks about the meadow she visits in her daydreams, she’s been envisioning it since she was a little girl. There’s green grass bursting with flowers and she’ll lie on her back, finding pictures in the clouds.

Daydream Lily

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:12:00 +1000

DAYDREAMLILY.COM

Her long locks trail behind her at the markets, wrapping through her fingers as she peruses the stalls.

‘Scientist by day and fashion blogger by night’ sounds like the opening line of a modern day fairytale, but it’s all part of a day’s work for eclectic country-girl, Liss. Learning to use a vintage SLR at age 11 was the start of a love affair with photography that eventually led to the creation of ‘Daydream Lily’, part blog, part creative outlet, part imagination.

With her relaxed 70s style and flower-child aura, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Liss was a visitor from another time. A vintage-lover with a passion for craft and a love of all things whimsical, Liss stands out from the crowd, in the most magical kind of way.

Her hair, a long, wavy, balayaged dream, lends itself perfectly to her quintessential boho style. She twirls it lazily around her fingers as she speaks, reminiscing about her childhood in the country and the endless days spent crafting things from ‘baskets of junk’. Winding up in weekend detention for painting her own school shoes never fazed Liss, who simply used the time to daydream.

A lover of length, it’s hard to imagine Liss without her long locks trailing behind her at the vintage markets, wrapping through her fingers as she peruses the stalls, dreaming always. And finally, we ask… who is Lily? Liss smiles with her eyes when she speaks. “Lily is sort of this persona. That creative girl we all have living inside of us. She’s my creative outlet.”

Oh Jamie

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 10:55:00 +1000

OHJAMIE.COM

He talks about the styles he’s sported over the years: mohawks, undercuts and quiffs.

Jamie moves like a shadow in black draped leather and beaten silver accessories. The smell of mystery shrouds him, like a cloak with pockets full of secrets. With his dark aesthetic and brooding looks, he’s carved a niche for himself in Melbourne as a photographer with an edge. There’s a shyness that lies beneath, hidden amongst layers of leather and intrigue. He laughs and says he’s not as dark as people think, his smile a brilliant flash of light.

Jamie wears an elaborate leather trench with bottomless pockets, custom-made by a designer friend. He hand picked the skins himself and the two collaborated on the design, resulting in a one-off piece he’s rarely without. On his fingers are an assortment of rings, twisted silver stories. He plays with them as he speaks, reflecting on the origins of the blog he started as a 17-year old kid.

Jamie has recently replaced his trademark topknot for a sleek buzz, a change that took his followers by surprise. Adjusting his beanie, he talks about the styles he’s sported over the years: mohawks, undercuts and quiffs; an aesthetic explorer. Driven by the allure of the unknown, he’s inspired by transformation, revelling in the opportunity to experiment in uncharted territories. His fascination with black-and-white photos emerged during a darker period of his life, a filter of self-expression that’s challenged the way he takes shots ever since. He’s started to add pops of brightness; it satiates his colour-thirsty readers. Ask him why everyone’s poring over his photos and

The Dot

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:11:00 +1000

THEDOT.COM.AU

Charmingly disheveled, her hair sings of Saturday morning sleep-ins and cups of tea in bed.

She’s renowned for repeating her favourite outfit ensembles unashamedly until she tires of them, but Nicole makes no apologies. Wearing only what makes her happy, she’s a fan of floaty pieces and there’s joy in every outfit. Throwing things together is a daily pleasure, each garment a treasured member of her cheerful fabric family. She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear, a cheeky escapee. Charmingly disheveled, it sings of Saturday morning sleep-ins and cups of tea in bed. A playfully tousled ode to the funner things in life. “perfection,” she says, “is boring”.

Nicole dreams of picnicking under the Eiffel Tower as she follows the trail of Coco Chanel. She’s enamoured with the late style icon’s tenacity, inspired by the way she disregarded trends to carve her own path. Her blog, ‘The Dot’, showcases an affinity for the unusual, underpinned by a wealth of fashion knowledge she attributes to her years working as a David Jones buyer. The strong focus on up-and-comers (Designers of Tomorrow) is refreshingly upbeat, much like the girl herself. Bubbly and open, there’s a rawness to her that’s similar to the honesty you find in children. She laughs about her partner’s disinterest in fashion, delighting in her daily opportunity to style him.

Nicole spent the first 6 years of her life living with her grandmother, a woman famous for once out-shopping Nicole. Early memories of frolicking around the kitchen covered in flour are some of the fondest she has, so it’s no surprise she’s a passionate cook. She admits speed is not her forte and smiles, delivering the line her partner has heard on more than one occasion. “My theory,” she says, “Is that masterpieces are always worth waiting for.”

Sassy Bella

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:09:00 +1000

SASSYBELLA.COM

Her love of styling tools was born that sticky summer, sweating in the bathroom, the neighbourhood master of the crimped side pony.

A sizeable chunk of Helen’s childhood was spent begging her parents for legwarmers. Everyone on Beverly Hills 90210 was wearing them, so why couldn’t she? When her parents finally relented, there was another surprise in the box. The brand new crimper sizzled; it was pink, it was plastic and it was utterly fantastic. Her love of styling tools was born that sticky summer, sweating in the bathroom, the neighbourhood master of the crimped side pony.

Helen has since hung up her legwarmers and traded the crimped pony for a sleeker style; it swishes when she moves. As one of the original Australian fashion/beauty bloggers, Helen’s a familiar face on the PR circuit. With her classic style and perfectly groomed looks, she’s become somewhat of an oracle, famous for her comprehensive reviews. The girl behind the blog is surprisingly funny and refreshingly honest. A self described ‘teenage geek’, she was given a computer by her parents in her mid teens, to help with her studies. The idea for a website came to her one Saturday as she sat in Chinese class, not doing any Chinese. Another girl in the class had a website, and Helen, not to be out geeked, decided she wanted one too.

It wasn’t until a few years later that Helen, semesters deep in a journalism degree, created what we now know as Sassybella. She’s a writer, ironically rare in bloggers these days, and a good one at that. Her style, forever immaculate, is always carefully considered. When she styles her hair up, she wears red lipstick. “Casual but glamorous,” she says. She’s mastered it.

Circa Now

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:06:00 +1000

CIRCA-NOW.NET

The blonde hair is what you remember her by when she’s left the room.

Tessa has blonde hair and a bubble gum smile. She laughs when she talks about the outfits her mum used to dress her in as a child, tiny party dresses and shiny leotards, her white blonde hair curled with hot rollers. A true girly girl, growing up surrounded by boys didn’t phase Tessa, who’d turn up to play with a Barbie tucked under her arm.

These days, fashion is everything. She’s landed her dream job in fashion PR and tells us, wide eyed that she can’t believe her luck. Blogging about fashion sounds like the last thing you’d want to do after spending all day immersed in it, but this isn’t the case for Tessa, who logs on the moment she gets home. Before she knows it, the night has slipped by in a blur of colour and floral, coming at her from every corner of the globe. And of course, there’s the secret purchases, tomorrow’s surprises.

For Tessa, being blonde is the only option. Like the dreams that live inside her head, the blonde hair is a part of her, it’s what you remember her by when she’s left the room. She laughs, shuddering, as she remembers the time she dyed it black. A bleak period spent hiding in hats. Today, her hair is loose, centreparted, free. If hair had moods, you know hers would be happy, sunny like the florals she so adores. Her favourite things? Colour and sparkle. And flowers. White lilies.

We The People

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:59:00 +1000

WETHEPEOPLESTYLE.COM

From the softness of curls to the sharpness of short, Jessie’s convinced there’s a transformative power to shapes.

Her hair is the longest it’s ever been and it’s blonder than blonde, sunny like springtime. A self-described ‘explorer of beautiful things’, Jessie’s a talented observer with a gift for noticing things most people wouldn’t. You’ll find her perched on a stool at your local café, watching the world go by with a camera and tea. Her blog, ‘We The People’ somersaulted into the spotlight within 2 weeks of her starting it; life through the lens of Jessie, it turns out, is captivating.

Navigating the way through Surry Hill’s myriad of side streets is a wonderland of surprises of which she never tires. Armed with an ability to find beauty in the darkest of corners, she’s a friend to strangers, a girl who smiles back. Of late she’s enjoying beautiful portraits created naturally through silhouettes of hair against light. From the softness of curls to the sharpness of short, Jessie’s convinced there’s a transformative power to shapes. Drawn to colour that pops, she’d love to go pink.

A bouquet of classics and colour, Jessie’s wardrobe tells the story of a girl who appreciates the finer things. Exquisite high-end pieces rub shoulders with the most beautiful of basics, resulting in a personal collection you can’t help but respect. Ask if she’d like to spend more time in front of the camera and she’ll laugh. “Behind it”, she says, “is where I’m most happy”. Believing a good photo comes down to a genuine subject, fake smiles never fool her. “What you feel inside,” she says, “The photo sees it all.”

Oracle Fox

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:48:00 +1000

ORACLEFOX.COM

Her hair is that of the prettiest mermaid, tangles of gold and brown running down her back like water.

Her hair is that of the prettiest mermaid, tangles of gold and brown running down her back like water. Blonde from sun and curled by salt, it’s no surprise she calls the ocean home. The love affair started in high school when she first learned to surf, the salty revelation of her place on earth discovered. She She smiles as she describes the feeling of diving under that first wave, dry hair emerging wet. The transformation of girl to ocean, an endless stretch of calm.

Mandy spent her childhood pottering around the family cane farm, forever a little eccentric. She’d spend hours lost inside her imagination, giggling as she fossicked in the bush for trinkets and emerged from elaborately constructed cubby houses. Her parents celebrated her creativity and applauded every masterpiece she unveiled, encouraging her always to follow her own path. These days Mandy is a gifted artist who recently married the love of her life in a bohemian beachfront ceremony in Hawaii. For the freedom of her spirit, she credits her parents.

Mandy’s blog, ‘Oracle Fox’, is a creative escape inspired by her travels to faraway lands; one that’s hard to stop exploring. Her style, an eclectic mix of earth and edge, is an extension of the art that defines her. Floating amongst the realms of calm are slivers of a harder aesthetic, a throwback perhaps, to the time she rode motorbikes. Today the memories manifest in an appreciation for tough, leather pieces and weapon-like avant-garde shoes. There are memories scattered on every page, little pieces of Mandy; but of the name, Oracle Fox, her lips are sealed. It’s a secret, between her and the ocean.

Spin Dizzy Fall

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:39:00 +1000

SPINDIZZYFALL.BLOGSPOT.COM

She’s the type of girl who’s never overly groomed; her hair, long and dark, plays perfectly to vintage.

She’s vintage obsessed, with a wardrobe so big it’s taken over the entire spare room. Ask her to describe it and she doesn’t know where to start; it’s bursting, she laughs, it’s nuts. We picture her trawling through it, a trove of vintage treasures with secrets tucked in every nook. A dark-haired girl, lost forever in a sea of silk scarves and magic velvets… it’s hard not to get carried away with the story.

Emma attributes the ‘vintage thing’ to her upbringing. Her parents, she says, are extraordinary. Raised on a diet of creativity, her childhood memories include pink Floyd for afternoon tea, always on vinyl. Her smile is rainbow-coloured as she reminisces about family camping trips, reading books together by the fire, nestled happily in the middle of nowhere.

Her latest love is a giant crocheted coat, it’s her mum’s from the 60s, a hand-me-down of dreams. She talks about it excitedly, wrapping a piece of hair around a painted fingernail, her arm littered with mismatched bangles. She’s the type of girl who’s never overly groomed; her hair, long and dark, plays perfectly to vintage. She braids it sometimes, and weaves through ribbons; there are always bits escaping. It’s longer than long and she admits she’s attached – she’s always been that girl with long, dark hair. Visit her blog and you’ll find the four words ‘stay young, stay free’. A personal mantra, she’s undeniably true to it.

LoveMore

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:28:00 +1000

LOVEMORE.COM.AU

Her hair is wavy and the colour of chestnuts, apparently with its own personality.

If the 70s and the 90s had a love child, it’d be Annabel. Her list of obsessions is a mile long and includes paisley, The Cranberries, David Bowie and “$2 jewellery from Woolworths - heaps of it”. For Annabel, fashion is dress ups for grown ups, and after looking at her blog, you’ll want to play too.

As a child she wanted to be a police detective and part time marine biologist, so it seems she’s always been a bit of a mixed bag. She talks about Drew Barrymore and Liv Tyler and the picture becomes a little clearer. She’s a free spirit, the fun loving type the one with a million friends. Her blog - an intriguing mix of high fashion, outfit snaps and op shop finds - reminds you a little of the friends you’ve made at parties, the ones you’ve kept in touch with. And the name, Lovemore? It’s Annabel’s daily reminder to herself, a phrase that helped her through a darker time.

Her hair is wavy and the colour of chestnuts, apparently with its own personality. She’s learnt to listen to it, styling it in a top knot on difficult days and straightening it on the days it plays nice. She tucks a rebellious strand behind her ear and tells us about the time she found her most treasured of treasures, a pair of paisley cords, for $8 at Vinnies.

Her newest love? Definitely party socks. They make her happy. She gushes with excitement as she tells us about her latest purchase, yet to arrive from Etsy. It’s a Labyrinth necklace, “And it’s got his head on it!” she grins, referring to David Bowie. How we’d love to see her face when she opens it.

Fashion Hayley

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:24:00 +1000

FASHIONHAYLEY.COM

She’s flirted with colour-dipped ends; her favourite is pink.

Hayley’s all about socks with sandals. Ask her about fashion rules and she’ll wrinkle her nose, for where’s the fun in that? For Hayley, fashion is an adventure, a carnival of colours. She was 16 when she first discovered ‘Fruits’ magazine, an experience she describes as life-changing. Time froze as she flipped open the front cover; doll-faced Harajuko girls exploding from the pages like cartoons come to life. Hayley, a 16 year old schoolgirl standing in a Melbourne shopfront, was head over heels for a place she’d never been.

It wasn’t long before the obsession had truly taken over. Hayley – unable to get a proper local fix online – started her own blog, well before it was cool. She laughs as she talks about the nerdy origins of blogging, a far cry from today’s glamour.

She moved to Tokyo and found work as a stylist, a dream come true. Never very good at fitting in, she dyed her hair from black to blonde. The decision – made on a whim – left her with a white blond bob, her signature look ever since. She’s flirted with colour-dipped ends; her favourite is pink. She admits she sees the hairdresser a lot. “Luckily,” she smiles, “It’s my mum.”

These days, Hayley works as a stylist full-time and has recently moved to Sydney with her interior architect husband. She’s wearing bangles on each arm, amazing perspex creations, and a necklace unlike anything we’ve ever seen, it’s hard not to stare. Hayley smiles and adjusts her belt; it’s got a giant plastic banana stuck on it. “It’s all about having a point of view. Being genuine. That’s all fashion really is.”

Boy Moments

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:16:00 +1000

BOYMOMENTS.BLOGSPOT.COM

His hair, asymmetrically -styled, features heavily in his photos. Some days, it’s a trademark accessory and other days, it’s a disguise.

Darren’s smile enters the room first, an effervescent glow that warms every corner of space. When he speaks, the words bubble from his lips and with charisma so infectious, it’s hard not to cling to every word. It’s easy to understand why Darren’s blog, ‘Boy Moments’, is so captivating. The boy is a party, and it’s the best one you’ve been to in a long time.

Boy Moments was born out of Darren’s struggle to find male-relevant fashion blogs. Never without a camera in hand, his mission is to capture the kind of moments you always wish you could remember seldom can. For Darren, the blog is a diary, his frenzied life encapsulated in montage.

Has this always-on approach affected the way he presents himself? His hair, asymmetrically styled, features heavily in his photos. Some days, it’s a trademark accessory and other days, it’s a disguise. After photographing an infinite number of people, Darren doesn’t hesitate in saying that hair can transform a photo. It’s one of the things that captures his attention when he’s at an event, trusty camera sidekick in tow. Jewellery too, draws his gaze. And colour. And black. And statement pieces. And subtle details. Like a kid in a candy store, he wants to taste everything. His only rule? That there be no rules.

And what else of the boy, the man, behind the sweeping black fringe? He brushes it out of his eyes, and smiles as he lets us in on a secret. “Naturally, it’s not actually sleek like this. Naturally, it’s kind of wild.” Much like the boy, then.

Il Etait Une Fois

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:07:00 +1000

ILETAITUNEFOIS.COM.AU

Her style is inspired by the cities she’s never been but longs to visit; Paris and Stockholm, visions in black and white.

She used to have chocolate brown hair long enough to sit on, but today Bianca’s hair is balayaged, a halo of softness around her face. As someone who lives for the winter, Bianca is very much at home on the streets of Melbourne, favouring an androgynous style that lends itself to layers. She’s her happiest self in blazers and coats; without them she feels strange, like a snail without a shell. She’ll admit she wears too much black. “I can’t help it,” she smiles “I’m addicted.” A true city girl.

‘Il Etait Une Fois’ (French) translates to ‘Once Upon A Time’. Talking to Bianca, you get the feeling that the blog is the place she goes to in her head when her eyes are closed, a world of make-believe. She’s enchanting without realising it, looking at her feet more often than you’d expect of someone so beautiful. Her style is inspired by the cities she’s never been but longs to visit; Paris and Stockholm; visions in black and white. She fantasises about what she’ll do when she gets there, of the leisurely hours she’ll spend shopping and people-watching, never in a rush.

Bianca’s days working in the local pharmacy are far removed from the evenings she spends floating through cyberspace. With every click there’s something new to behold; it’s a never-ending adventure, her dream within a dream. She twists her hair, gold-tipped and shiny, into a topknot as she speaks. She wears it like this often, simple and chic. She likes having it out of the way, it gives her more space to imagine.

Sabo Skirt

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:57:00 +1000

SABOSKIRT.BLOGSPOT.COM

It’s hard to believe they’re not sisters. Long legs and dark, flowing hair aren’t the only things these two girls have in common. Friends for over 8 years, it’s hard to distinguish where one ends and the other begins. They blend into one another like watercolours, two pieces of a puzzle, the prettiest picture.

Thessy and Yiota’s foray into fashion started in high school, harmlessly at first. They discovered magazines and – as teenage girls do – spent hours flicking through them, the same pop songs playing on repeat. They cut things out and stuck them places, pictures of dresses they couldn’t afford. The stickytape tore the paint from their bedroom walls and made their parents angry. But it was too late, they were hooked.

It wasn’t until Thessy and Yiota were at University, both studying marketing, that they realised they could make a living from all their dreaming. As a late night study session trickled into the early hours of the morning, they began to formulate a plan.

The result is Sabo Skirt, a blog and online store, flourishing faster than they ever imagined. Vintage pieces, sourced from America, are styled with the latest trends – they say there’s something for everyone. Thessy and Yiota model the store’s clothes themselves and none of the images are retouched. It’s refreshingly authentic. Their hair, balayaged, is styled to match every shot and always looks effortlessly perfect. Thessy laughs and confesses she can’t style her own hair, that Yiota does it for her. “Never one without the other,” they say. It couldn’t be truer.

Anniieemal

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:33:00 +1000

ANNIIEEMAL.COM

If life were a fairytale, she’d play Rapunzel, her woven mane tumbling from the highest window in the tower.

Annie’s hair falls in thick, glossy sheets and catches the light like spun gold. If life were a fairytale, she’d play Rapunzel, her woven mane tumbling from the highest window in the tower. It’s the hair of dreams, a golden waterfall that shines brighter than bright… but what of the girl beneath it? Annie smiles shyly, thinks before she speaks and always makes eye contact. Look at the photos on her blog and you’ll find the story of a girl who somehow, effortlessly, always manages to get it right. So where did it all begin?

Growing up, she always wanted to be in fashion. Looking at her, you get the sense she’s understood style since her days in the sandpit, so naturally does it come to her. Best friend Celine started Anniieemal, naming it after Annie as a tribute to their friendship. Annie featured so heavily in Celine’s photos that joining her was only natural. The two now work together in a partnership so seamless, you’d think it had roots in telepathy.

Friends since childhood, the girls have always been inseparable, even though an ocean now divides them (Celine has moved to London). Annie describes it as a ‘long distance, long long long term relationship’, without the breakup at the end. And fall apart they won’t; even their hair speaks the same language, Celine’s a lustrous black beside Annie’s glistening gold. A story of two girls and their happily ever after.

This Island Life

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:10:00 +1000

THISISLANDLIFE.COM

Her sun-kissed hair falls in a salty tangle, her wrists wrapped with a collection of bracelets she’s picked up travelling.

Laura has over 30 bikinis, so to say she’s a beach girl is a bit of an understatement. Her blog, ‘This Island Life’ is based around the premise that ‘it’s always summer somewhere’ and reading it, you can almost smell the sunscreen. For Laura, the beach is a lifestyle, inspiring everything she does. Her sun kissed hair falls in a salty tangle and her wrists are wrapped with a collection of multi colourful bracelets she’s picked up on her travels. There’s a story behind each one, colourfully woven memories of sunsets, salt and sand.

Ask Laura what’s best about living in Bondi and she doesn’t know where to start; it’s a festival of favourites, a dream locale for people watching. She speaks breathlessly about the eclectic mix of individuals it attracts: creatives, surfers and travellers, inherently bound to one another through their love of the sea. Her blog was born of this love, a haven for anyone who’s ever enjoyed the sun on their face and the sand between their toes. Visit ‘This Island Life’ and you’ll find a little piece of paradise; the warmest destination in cyberspace.

Laura drinks smoothies as she writes. Tropical ones, they’re her latest obsession. She pauses to reflect on her teenage summers, warm nights and bonfire parties in the dunes. It’s a struggle to remember a time when there wasn’t sand in her hair. She runs her fingers through it, a wavy tribute to the ocean.

Friend In Fashion

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:15:00 +1000

FRIENDINFASHION.BLOGSPOT.COM

She’ll tell you that a bad hair day is a bad day, full stop. On the flipside, a good one is to die for.

Jasmin is striking, her exotic looks rivalling those of the Disney princess who shares her name. Her gentle disposition lends itself easily to her classic style; she’s a lover of the 40s and 50s, inspired by feminine pieces and immaculate tailoring. She credits her mother for her obsession with fashion, and refers to a photo she found recently in a dusty family album. In it, a 5 year-old Jasmin sits proudly on the car bonnet, a pigtail at each ear. She wears a pleated skirt, freshly ironed, but it’s what she’s holding towards the camera that captured Jasmin’s attention. Clutched in a chubby fist is her prized possession, a tiny leather handbag, the first of many.

Her hair is a ripple of rich chocolate waves, tousled and deliciously luxe. Ask her about bad hair days and she’ll tell you they ruin everything, that a bad hair day is a bad day, full stop. On the flipside, a good one is to die for. She laughs freely and admits she’s caught herself strutting out of the salon on more than one occasion. Jasmin’s blog, ‘Friend in Fashion’ is somewhat of a personal look-book, an enticing peek into the wardrobe of the girl with a glorious collection of things.

It’s handbags that make her melt, the childhood photo a true testament to the longevity of her adoration. For Jasmin, they occupy a special place in both wardrobe and heart. Jasmin speaks passionately about her favourite, a vintage Louis Vuitton, pilfered from her mother’s closet. She finds herself in there every time she’s over to visit. “To be honest,” she whispers earnestly, “I’m not sure how it happens.”