Liz's Heart

Australian by birth certificate, New Yorker at heart I believe that luxury should not be left in the closet for special occasions, but worn even on the days you are slumming it!

 

The evolution of my fashion choices and sense of style truly has like me, grown into a woman.

In the beginning . . .

It was home made and op shop ensembles. Worth mentioning one of the most laughable collaborations, circa 1996. A home made pair of pink satin calottes, the bottoms edged with a squiggly strip of pink sequins (hand stitched) and sewn below the sequins a cuff of white fluffy balls. A t-shirt with a iron on fairy that was made up of various textures including a satin bodice and real tulle tutu skirt! A purple vinyl backpack with a large plastic winding key jutting out and some text about space invaders, to match my bag was my hair, yes purple hair, an abundance of glitterati on my face and the piece a résistance, a must have item for any dance party regular, my first ever indulgent purchase costing me $300 dollars at the age of sixteen, my designer glow in the dark red trainers… my Chipies; www.shoewawa.com/chipie-trainers.jpg

Also during these times there was an abundance of tie-dyeing going on, mainly silk nighties to be worn with faux fluffy coats and of course doc martens. In fact it took a house fire to snap me out of this grunge phase, and after all my clothes were burnt my mother armed with the insurance cheque saw the opportunity to redefine my sense of style… it was then I discovered brands.

Discovering Brands . . .

My initial discoveries were extremely humble and could all be found in David Jones. Morrisey, Marcs, Witchery and David Lawrence to name a few. I also spent a lot of my mother’s money in General Pants and relished buying a new pair of Lee jeans and anything Mooks. My sneaker obsession grew partly because I loved sneakers and needed a comfortable vessel with all of my dance partying and partly because by the time I was sixteen I already had a size eleven hoof (sorry Sammy your size tens can’t compete) Vans, DC Shoe Co USA, Etnies and of course Chipies littered my wardrobe.

Once I left school and became a working woman I had to finance my own wardrobe. Wearing a suit every day meant the only way to express my style was through accessories. Still to this day I can not go past the perfect handbag and perfect pair of sunnies. I believe you can be wearing rags as long as you have a designer tote and perfect pair of shades.

About two years ago a made a choice I call the ‘Bag Movement’ this was a promise to myself that I would only own designer bags a true tribute to discovering brands. So like trash, I threw away my mimcos and now have a beautiful bag family consisting of “Violetta” the purple miu miu, “Roberto” (Cavalli of course), Luella (the maiden purchase), “Birdy” by Marc Jacobs, Rachel Ruddick and Natalie Brilli. Little did I know this brash move was the beginning of a significant style shift within myself.

Out with the old in with the new....

Was it simply the perfect craftsmanship of my first ever designer handbag “Luella” that made me want such quality in everything I wore? Was it just an evolutionary leap in growing up and embracing my inner woman? Whatever it was the ‘Bag Movement’ begun a fashion momentum that hasn’t stopped. Out with the old, in with the new was my motto when tossing out nearly everything I owned and going on a designer spree.

I now have an abundance of designer threads jammed into my miniature closet! Each hanger has no less than three items on it and if you think summer and winter can reside together – forget it! Each season I have to pack up my babies and swap seasons to fit it all.

To be honest, it’s all about winter for me. I can cope with a few kaftans, my swimmers, a hat and thongs in summer. But winter is my indulgence. The perfect coat or cape, the soft supple feeling of cashmere on my skin, never ending gloves that travel well past your elbow lined with soft lambs wool, long leather boots from Italy, woollen dresses, hoods… it’s winter that is true fashion.

Unfortunately I am not blessed with the ability to sniff out a bargain, or shop vintage. I am a sucker for a boutique and a passionate fashion sales consultant who will do anything for a sale. I treasure a Pretty Woman shopping experience, you know when she is trying on shoes and they have ordered her pizza.. amazing! I nearly always pay full price unless I have an insider who can pass on a staff discount and will sacrifice toothpaste, lunch and soap to finance an outfit.

If you were to raid my closet right now some of the friends you would find are: Kirilly Johnston, Ginger & Smart, Paul & Joe, Becker Minty. Marc Jacobs, Camilla, Fleur Wood, Husk, Thurley, Alistair Trung and Camilla & Marc. I own a lot of Australian brands purely because you can not get any of the good stuff here when it comes to International brands, for them you need to go overseas!!

Me and my other loves … My Heart

So now you know my fashion passions and how far I have come, let me share with you some of the other great loves of my life.

Food: Cracking the perfect crème Brule, the perfect snapper and anything dessert. It’s sweet for me anytime and any place.

The Water: I could not live further that a short car trip from the sea. It is the sea that washes away the day and revives my spirit. The Mediterranean is one of the best seas I’ve swum in so far, with the best swim ever being the Isle of Capri 2006. I have no fear in unknown depths of water and relish a snorkel in unchartered seas.

Animals: I have adoration for all things living. I long to one day have my own monkey and wildcat. I have very vivid images of myself in a seaside mansion staring into the horizon with my Cheetah by my side. I am all about a good animal documentary on a Saturday night and love my son Chunk (British Shorthair) and my daughter Panda (fluffy moggy) very much.

Travel: Is another passion of mine and something I have done far too little. This is a direct result of favouring my foremost heart… the clothes. You see the money I may have used to travel worldwide, well put plainly… I am wearing it!

 

“fashions fade style is eternal” yvessaintlaurent