ShowTellShare One Hundred and Ninety-Five

Posted on May 20, 2013 by JGRuddock

Sunday: A beautiful autumn day in Sydney…

To have some fun, and celebrate my birthday…

Yesterday we spent part of the day checking out some fabulous art at the Art Gallery of NSW. Not surprisingly, I responded *well* to the more colourful works…

It’s like looking into a mirror…

These artworks photographed are by Ugo Rondinone.

Artwork by Sol LeWitt.

And *naturally* I was celebrating the day of my birth by wearing some new, vintage Ken Done. This 1980s shirt had found it’s way to Italy, when I then bought it back recently via eBay to its Sydney home, probably some 10 or 20 years later. I just love it! And, of course, I was also wearing some handmade work from Abuk at The Social Studio.

Tell: Handmade earrings, Uniqlo skivvy, Ken Done vintage 1980s shirt, brooch gifted, necklace gifted for my birthday, vintage belt from UK, Tatty Devine bracelet, handmade bracelet made by Abuk from The Social Studio, ‘Diamonds Ain’t a Girls Best Friend’ ring from UK, Sportsgirl skirt from op shop, Jonathan Aston stockings, Happy Socks, Fluevog boots, and Tatty Devine balloon leather necklace.

Artwork by Ugo Rondinone, adjusted here by the *spectacular* Hawaiian First Officer and me.

And then, because I’ve been a little ‘light on’ with outfit posts recently, here’s some from the last few days…

Saturday: An ongoing love with secondhand 1980s Escada…

Tell: Handmade earrings, Kmart skivvy, vintage Escada shirt, Anthea Crawford skirt from op shop, Jonathan Aston tights, tights underneath from Japan and Fluevog boots.

Friday:

Tell: Earrings from op shop, Saba skivvy, Leona Edmiston dress from op shop, Tatty Devine cat bangle as necklace, Estilio belt, Sportsgirl tights as gift, borrowed socks from the HFO, Fluevog shoes, Tatty Devine balloon bag, gifted ‘Frida Kahlo’ bag.

Just me enjoying my mis-matched, but still matching earrings!

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Ninety-Four

Posted on May 17, 2013 by JGRuddock

Well the *good* news is things haven’t slowed down since we finished up with our Pilot; with more opportunities to meet people, hear ideas and think about The Social Outfit‘s next steps…

Recently I went to Auburn and met with some lovely people from the Australian Afghan Hassanian Youth Association (AAHYA), and then on Monday this week I met with a group of very welcoming women from Al Btool Inc, an Iraqi Muslim support group, in Bankstown. They hosted me, sharing their amazing home-cooked food, and we talked about The Social Outfit. Many of the women shared their sewing experience, as well as their love of colour, fashion, and making clothing. This week I’ve also been out to Fairfield High School, which has both an Intensive English Centre for newly arrived migrants, and also has a very high number of students from refugee communities. We’re developing some exciting ideas, especially when knowing how many young people positively respond to creativity and fashion.

Then yesterday, Nicole and I started another fashion workshop at the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown.

The Asylum Seekers Centre has recently moved, so it was really lovely to be in a large, light-filled room working creatively with many interested people. We had women and men of all ages involved in making gifts and fashion pieces for their loved ones, or themselves.

You may have noticed that when doing some workshops we don’t have photos or names of people involved. This is something we’re unable to do, so instead I try and capture the feeling of involvement, community and learning…

One young man, who has been involved in all our workshops, and is very keen on fashion, used a sewing machine for the first time. His stitching skills were amazing! He took to it like a natural…

I love that he has been involved in every step of making these scarves; from hand eco-dyeing them in our Rocks pop-up space, to then sewing them together here in Newtown. We’re so pleased to be working collaboratively with the Asylum Seekers Centre, their wonderful staff and clients, who’ve all made us feel so welcome.

I also finished up my university research work this week. As you know, thanks to the Vodafone Foundation ‘World of Difference’ program I can now go full-time on setting up The Social Outfit. Working at the University of New South Wales this past year has been amazing for further developing my research skills; and many of my colleagues have been really interested in The Social Outfit work too. Special mention goes to my manager, Kath Albury, who is a huge supporter of what we’re trying to achieve. She was brilliant to work with. And so here’s me and my colleague Paul – who has volunteered for The Social Outfit, especially for our November 2012 event – on my last day… And seeing as we both research media cultures, a dodgy, fun ‘selfie’ seemed appropriate:

I’ll be back to show/tell/sharing full fashion outfit posts soon too… xo

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Ninety-Three

Posted on May 13, 2013 by JGRuddock

Show/Tell/Share: We planned, we participated, we produced… Yes, we held a pilot to show “The Social Outfit celebrates the skills and styles of our diverse cultures in Australia” …

On Friday evening last week we closed the pop-up store, but not before some of our wonderful volunteers, (left to right) Antonia, Kit and Traci, drew out our lucky door prize winner. Oooo, something exciting is coming in the mail for them!

And on Saturday it was time for us to say goodbye to our The Rocks Pop-up space, and pack up our shop selling so many *great* goodies from The Social Studio. Well worth remembering too that this pilot was made possible in the first place thanks to the support of the City of Sydney Council, Community Grants program.

Packing up the pilot, which really was a display of the *hope* we have to set up full-time in Sydney, wasn’t nearly as fun as setting up… especially peeling off decal letters individually!

But it’s just ‘bye-bye’ to the pilot, because me and the whole The Social Outfit team plan on working just as hard to take our next steps forward in our development. In fact, we’re holding more fashion-based arts workshops at the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown this week.

And that’s because, as always, we remain committed to making The Social Outfit an ongoing reality here in NSW. As ever, I just want to keep “doing good in a fashion” and celebrating the skills and talents of people from refugee backgrounds living in greater Sydney… xo

Poster image copyright belongs to The Social Studio.

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Eighty-Nine

Posted on April 22, 2013 by JGRuddock

Show: Here’s some of The Social Outfit‘s volunteers – Kit and Sharon – helping out at the Pop-Up Pilot on Sunday. As you can see, two very happy people making sales, showcasing the clothes, and waving goodbye to this particularly *gorgeous* The Social Studio pink shirt dress to a new customer. Apparently the new onwner is a “lovely woman with blonde hair” who follows this blog; so a *BIG* thank you for supporting us, (as yet, unnamed) dear reader! If you’re keen, we’d love to a photo of you wearing this shirt in your own style soon… xo

And here’s me on Sunday, having had a few hours off to catch up on sleep, and then get back into the world to see Sydney’s first ‘Cherchez La Femme‘ event… a great chance to hear some interesting feminist thoughts and ideas, and especially support fellow fashion-blogger, Frances Lockie of Corpulent.

Tell: Glasses from op shop, handmade beaded jewellery, Tatty Devine necklace, retail shirt, vintage 1980s Australian designer ‘Mary Shackman‘ skirt (worn as dress) which I found in a Randwick op shop, Saba sample belt, Black Milk leggings, Fluevog boots and Tatty Devine ‘leather balloon’ purse. Beaded bracelet from The Social Studio.

And now to get ready for the *fun* of this week; especially Nicole Barakat‘s eco-dyeing workshop we are hosting as a part of our pilot. Exciting!

ShowTellShare one Hundred and Eighty-Six

Posted on April 7, 2013 by JGRuddock

Share: Meet Nina Maya, The Social Outfit‘s very own *new* board member!

We’re all really excited to have Nina involved; check out how amazing she is:

Nina Maya Skrzynski is one of Australia’s most outstanding designers renowned for creating collections with an emphasis on quality, silhouette and finishing. Since the launch of her Nina Maya label in 2006, she has developed a strong following from industry, celebrity and consumers alike. Completing a design degree, majoring in textiles at the College of Fine Arts Sydney, Nina has always held a strong penchant for fashion. Following this, she set off for London for an internship at a leading textile firm, before relocating to Italy where she worked for a luxury fashion house. Nina was honoured by an invitation to design her own range for the company, which was produced shortly after. Following her work abroad, Nina returned to Australia to establish her own business and further her self-titled label. Created with a style and design philosophy against the trend of disposable fashion, her focus on sustainability and a desire to create investment pieces have served as a solid foundation for the label’s success. Nina’s desire to push the envelope in design has seen her develop an artisan-like approach to her label.

In July 2009, the Nina Maya label was selected by MYER to be included in their stable of designer collections and is now stocked nationally. The brand has developed strong working relationships with a select group of celebrities, most notably creating one-off red carpet designs for Jennifer Hawkins, Rebecca Twigley and Delta Goodrem. The resulting recognition of this saw the introduction of the Nina Maya Bespoke service in which customers have the opportunity to have demi-couture designs created personally by Nina for a specific occasion or event.

Nina Maya has now extended the  application of her skills to launch Nina Maya Interiors. After returning from London to Sydney, Nina Maya Interiors was launched in early 2012. Since then, Nina Maya has completed residential and commercial interiors design projects in Sydney and Beijing, China.

In terms of philanthropic work, Nina is a Trustee of the Sky Foundation, a founding member of the ‘10 x 10 Project’ (aimed at engendering a culture of philanthropy and giving within the young professional and creative communities), and a member of the New Gen initiative at Philanthropy Australia.

Welcome Nina!

Show: And here’s some photos from last Friday, as a bunch of us were preparing and working hard at The Rocks Pop-Up spaces, in what will soon be The Social Outfit‘s new home whilst we run our pilot project…

There is a tonne of work to do: Eeeeek! But rest assured I’m making a real effort to make sure our creative workshops, exhibition space and ‘The Social Studio‘ pop-up store are *super interesting* for you to come and visit! For more details as we develop, check out here …

Tell: Earrings handmade, ‘Tokyo Kamen‘ brooch from Japan, ‘Promenade’ shirt from op shop, The Social Studio singlet, TS14+ dress, Black Milk leggings, Fluevog boots. All rings from Italy.

And this is today…

Tell: Wa-Nyika earrings, scarf from op shop, handmade necklace, dress from secondhand store, vintage leather belt from secondhand store, Spin Dance petticoat, retail tights and socks, Fluevog sandals. Vintage Australiana bag from secondhand store.

Check out also the First Hawaiian Officer’s *lovely* vintage shirt (below); we’re wearing matching retro-greens… And a BIG *thanks always* to the FHO for such great photos!

This mini-comic says it all, really …

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Eighty-Five

Posted on April 1, 2013 by JGRuddock

Show/Share: Taking today easy…

Tell: 1980s Ken Done glasses, earrings from op shop, handmade beaded necklace, ‘Simona Sport’ 1980s shirt from secondhand store, skirt from Kmart, retail tights, socks from Barcelona, Fluevog boots. Linda Jackson bag.

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ShowTellShare One Hundred and Eighty-Three

Posted on March 28, 2013 by JGRuddock

Share: Wow… The things I find myself doing in the pursuit of making The Social Outfit happen in Sydney. Take today for example…

In this outfit,

At one point, I was standing in an elevator, talking straight to a professional camera-man, pitching The Social Outfit concept in just 45 seconds. Do you know how quick that is?! “Hello, my name is Jackie, and I’d *love* The Social Outfit to happen…” and BAM! 45 seconds is up! Plus, talking to a camera is REALLY hard. And then, a person who works inside the building got in the lift with me too while we were recording live – I don’t think he had any idea why I was standing in a work elevator talking to a camera crew. Heaven knows what the video ended up looking like! One thing I do know: I sure did try my best.

You see, today was my Vodafone Foundation ‘World of Difference’ interview. I’m lucky enough to reach the Top 10 this year, and *FINGERS CROSSED* this time we get it. Honestly, what a ‘world of difference‘ this support would make! A BIG step closer to opening our doors.

Naturally, too, I was wearing The Social Studio for such an important event. And, does my dress look a little familiar perhaps? That’s right, this is the dress Hawanatu showcased in our November 2012 runway show…

This gem is made with vintage fabric, and I simply love the design of these The Social Studio dresses: so comfortable, so easy to wear. A worthwhile purchase for me!

Tell: Glasses from Japan, handmade earrings and necklace, The Social Studio dress, Fletcher Jones skirt from op shop, retail tights, Happy Socks, vintage 1980-90s Fluevog clog shoes.

And finally, look how we are developing with our The Social Outfit Pilot Project:

We had so many great people offer to be involved in our workshops, and I’m so pleased that we have on offer a great range of workshops of fashion-related fun. Thanks Nicole, Catharine and Soraya! And soon, we’ll all get to watch the genius-creativity of young people from refugee backgrounds… Exciting!

If you want to be kept up to date as the event develops, follow our Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/520967514627304/

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Eighty-One

Posted on March 24, 2013 by JGRuddock

Show:

Share: Friday was one of those really busy days; meeting with a range of exciting people, and then catching the moments in between to send off emails and make deadlines. I was zipping around the city from one stop to another, propelled in part by one of my favourite, *vibrant*, The Social Studio silk dress…

Tell: Jenny Kee for The Wilderness Society scarf, earrings from op shop, handmade necklaces, beaded necklaces and bracelets gifted by my Dad and step-Mum from South Africa, The Social Studio ‘Magical Tent’ collection silk dress, ‘Birthday Suit’ stirrup leggings, Trippen shoes from Berlin outlet.

First up I met with Melissa from Sew Make Create. Melissa and her *gorgeous-hilarious* dog, Pepper, were lovely hosts and showed me around their Ultimo shop and sewing studio. Sew Make Create is a great initiative; getting people together locally to learn sewing skills, and you can also hire the machines/overlockers there too. I really encourage checking it out if you’re in Sydney…

On Friday I also had the absolute pleasure of doing some of The Social Outfit‘s planning work with the designer, Nina Maya Skrzynski. Nina has proven experience with her own fashion label, and she’s interested in lending her skills and expertise to develop The Social Outfit‘s business plan further. Needless to say, we’re very excited at this prospect!

Finally, the response from the ‘call out for artists’ for The Social Outfit Pilot in The Rocks has also been overwhelming. People shared the information far and wide, and we’ve had so much interest. So thank you! It’s brilliant to see so many artistic people out there excited about working creatively with Sydney’s refugee communities. Stay tuned to hear how our workshops develop, and a *big* thank you to everyone who made contact and has shown an interest.

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Seventy-Nine

Posted on March 17, 2013 by JGRuddock

Show:

Share: With family in town, we headed off to the Blue Mountains for the day. Love a bit a *spectacular* scenery, and love *dodgy-retro* motel signs just about as much…

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Tell: Ben Sherman shirt ‘borrowed full-time’ from the First Hawaiian Officer, singlet from op shop, ‘Paris Blues’ 1980s denim skirt from op shop, Sportscraft belt, vintage leather bag gifted by Tamara, boots from the op shop. Tatty Devine rings and sheriff badge as necklace.

Plus I couldn’t resist the opportunity to bring some of my own bird-life on our day trip…

Hope you had a lovely weekend xo

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Seventy-Eight

Posted on March 16, 2013 by JGRuddock

Share: You know, I often feel very lucky about the people I work with. It’s not just that I ask them time and time again to meet me, and help develop The Social Outfit with their great ideas and insights; it’s also then that I ask for a photo so I can show you all who’s involved. Photos, photos for everyone!

So here’s Paul Bide and myself having worked together this Friday. I met Paul recently through the School for Social Entrepreneurs and Social Ventures Australia connections. Paul is an ex-finance guy, and he’s being a champion by helping me with drafting The Social Outfit‘s ‘First 90 Day Plan’. There’s *a lot* of work involved, so I really appreciate the opportunity to work through the detail with someone like Paul, and hear his own suggestions. Nothing like a deadline with someone to encourage motivation! Eeeep!

Then here’s the *fabulous* group of Ajak, Kit and Chloe, who are working together on our City of Sydney pilot project:

We’re just securing some of the important big details, and then I’ll be able to announce all the *fun* we’re about have with it. And I’m hoping you’ll be a part of our plans too! More soon.

And now to some outfits…

Show: Friday…

Tell: Handmade necklaces and earrings, The Social Studio top, vintage dress from secondhand store in Tasmania, retail tights and sock, Fluevog shoes.

And this was Tuesday…

Tell: Tatty Devine bracelet as pendant, vintage Fiorucci vest from op shop, Oroton belt from op shop, The Social Studio silk skirt as dress, Jonathan Aston tights, Fluevog shoes.

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Seventy-Six

Posted on March 8, 2013 by JGRuddock

Share: The Social Outfit eBay auction-extravaganza is getting closer and closer every day… Bargains! Ken Done! Vintage! 1980s! Doing *good*! Helping The Social Outfit! So many points of exclamation!

The auctions start closing this Saturday… Good Luck and thanks for your support! All money raised (less eBay fees) goes directly to supporting The Social Outfit xo

Here’s Kit yesterday wearing her Mum’s vintage dress…

And last night The Social Outfit team had a board meeting. Check out Sarah… her dress is from a social enterprise working with African communities in France. Gorgeous! And *bless* the gang for always being willing for me to take photos; I just love showing you how many there of us involved and how hard we are working…

Tell: Lafont glasses, Wa-Nyika earrings, Tatty Devine necklace, handmade necklace, The Social Studio singlet, Diane Freis 1980s skirt from op shop (made into a dress by me), stockings from Japan, House of Holland socks, Fluevog boots.

Jackie Ruddock

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Category Archives: From an op shop

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Eighty-Five

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Seventy-Nine