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.”

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

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.”

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.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.

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.”

STYLEMELBOURNE.COM

Her hair, a brunette bounce, is a beloved fashion accessory styled specially for each occasion.

Sarah is no stranger to the cocktail bars of Melbourne, believing the fate of her night rests solely on the quality of her martini. Looming deadlines aside, there’ll always be time for a cheeky cocktail, Sarah’s favourite indulgence. With her elegant style and ladylike disposition, Sarah’s as delicious as the cocktails she so adores. A bona fide writer and a skilled journalist, it was an article she wrote about the races that gave Sarah her first break into fashion and inspired what is now ‘Style Melbourne’. An index of aesthetics and activity, Style Melbourne is a discerning Melbournite’s guide to the city’s delights.

Rushing from one event to the next, Sarah’s never without a spring in her step or a smile on her face, ever elated to be doing something so utterly darling. Her hair, a brunette bounce, is a beloved fashion accessory styled specially for each occasion. Laughing, she admits she’s been inspired by Barbie’s voluminous ‘do since she was a little girl. “Such body!” she exclaims, “It’s fabulous!”

There’s something about the flurry of fashion and fascinators that draws Sarah to the races, a quintessentially Melbourne experience. She’ll often attend with other bloggers, a tight-knit fashion family in an assortment of colourful dresses. Of late, she’s enjoying a new dress of blue silk, a ‘do anything dress’ that makes her feel so special she admits she’s popped it on for trips to the supermarket. Ask Sarah about music and she’ll tell you she has only one request; that the melody transport her to a Hawaiian island where she’s swiftly handed an exceptionally good martini.