… and I raise it with, er, another hanky. Technically, I realise ‘raising’ implies going one better, which one could argue I have failed to do. Perhaps I’m just adding to the general hanky theme. The one photographed beautifully above (thanks, P) is another Sally Scott one (thanks, Manabu) that I’ve already crumpled by wearing as a neckerchief. I love the pink and red together. Now if only Third Drawer Down did hankies as well… wait, they do.
:: Arwen ::
The fine art of gift-giving: to find something that the giftee will love, but would never have bought for themselves. The delightful and talented Manabu (an aforementioned friend of O.W.L.) is an incredibly generous and considerate gift-giver. Last weekend he arrived from Japan with a bagful of gifts, including one for yours truly – the gorgeous embroidered Sally Scott handkerchief pictured above.
Being rather fond of disposable paper products for my nasal hygiene, I would never have dreamt of buying myself a handkerchief, but this beautiful example has forced me to re-consider other, non-nasal, hanky uses. The Handkerchief Society has a helpful list of occasions where one might have need for such a thing, including (among others): fainting, tying one’s belongings to a stick before running away from home as a child, surrendering, opening a door while working as a private detective, and rendering someone unconscious with ether. Handy!
:: Kate ::
{ Previously on O.W.L. : Sally Scott and Manabu }
Papier Labo – perhaps the world’s coolest paper and stationery shop. You’ll drool, you’ll weep, you’ll wish you didn’t have a stationery fetish. Unless of course, you don’t have a stationery fetish, in which case Papier Labo may not be for you. Given that it is also in Shibuya, Tokyo, you’ll only have to worry about said stationery fetish if you’re in Japan. (Kate and Reuben, look out…) They sell all those things that you don’t need but want, like tiny useless notepads, cool pens, strange-shaped envelopes, letter openers and buckets more.
The photo above is approximately what the store looks like, but the shot above was actually of the Papier Labo temporary ‘kiosk’ at the Spiral Market in Aoyama – another place best avoided by stationery fetishists.
:: Arwen ::
This is an old one, but I’d like to share a wonderful 1967 short film by Danish director Jørgen Leth.
Not a lot to say really, except that I found it beautiful and strangely touching. And inspiring in a retro kind of way. And of course, I thought some of you may like the boots…
:: Reuben ::
The guy who runs the lunch deli on the floor below where I work takes a strange interest in my accessories – to the extent that he won’t serve me my soup & salad without first checking out my brooch/necklace/earrings and remarking delightedly on it to the decidedly less interested lunch ladies (yes, lunch ladies – it’s just like a school canteen). The occasional un-accessorised outfit gets a severe tut-tut.
After the Design Market the other week I ventured downstairs, hungry and with just a little trepidation, wearing my beloved new necklace by Thomas Seymour. Success! Mick liked it, and I got my lunch.
Yes, it’s flat. I’m a sucker for a good optical illusion, particularly one rendered in steel – and so is Mick, evidently. You can contact Mr Seymour via his site to get one of these or another of his gorgeous geometric designs, or hold on to your horses until local stockists get wind of his talent.
NB: Honourable etched-jewellery mentions also go to Nervous System and pseudorepublik.
:: Kate ::
What better to do on a Sunday than read? Just finished Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey, an Australian writer, and thought it was worth posting the cover because you don’t often see this style on Australian books. It feels much more like a UK cover, Rob Ryan being a potential reference point, but this is a bit less cute and a little edgier. It’s an engaging read, too – for those of you who want to gain a deeper appreciation of the book (or just perv on the author), you can watch Craig Silvey talk about Jasper Jones online.
:: Arwen ::
Okay, I have 60s fashion on the brain these days, but even my grandma can see that Cacharel’s most recent s/s collection is hittin’ up the Mad Men decade for inspiration, no? Look at these mini dresses! A-line coats! High-waisted skirts! Secretary fashion meets The Party, or something like that. It’s not particularly surprising, I guess, given that Eley & Kishimoto are now apparently designing for Cacharel (yep, the doctor’s waiting room is a great place to catch up on year-old fashion news) – see my various other posts on E&K’s retro looks.
It’s not a look you see much in Melbourne, as the love affair with skinny jeans continues, but there are still a few people (well, let’s be frank, girls) who wear vintage and mix a sort of 40s/50s/60s look to very cute effect, as per the following:
Courtesy of Melbourne Street Fashion
Courtesy of Street Peeper.
:: Arwen ::
Allison Colpoys, we salute you. This talented young lady was recently named the Young Designer of the Year at the APA Book Design Awards, and with good reason. She somehow manages to have a distinct feel while creating very different covers – versatile but unique. She’ll be blushing right now too, because she’s also ridiculously humble. Read her being misquoted here at the Sydney Morning Herald, and see some more of her covers here.
:: Arwen ::
Like many others, I’ve been spending far too many evenings staring at a screen watching Mad Men. I’m halfway through season two, and the costumes just keep getting better. Not only that, but I find myself mesmerised by Joan (above left) every time she appears on screen. When do we ever see women with curves like that on TV (outside of a Beyonce video clip)? Betty, meanwhile, (above right) may not have the curves, she does have that whole Grace Kelly thing down to a tee. Love the coat and gloves below.
In the last couple of months I’ve been poking around op shops for high-waisted skirts, with reasonable success (ah, but there are high-waisted skirts and high-waisted skirts… the cut can transform you from front-bottomed home economics teacher to Joan). Now all I need is a huge whalebone girdle to keep everything in tight and one of those crazy JP Gaultier-style bras.
:: Arwen ::
We are Arwen, Kate, Reuben and Lee
and we live and play in
Melbourne, Australia.
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