ShowTellShare one Hundred and Eighty-Six

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

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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

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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

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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…

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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!
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This mini-comic says it all, really …
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ShowTellShare One Hundred and Seventy-Two

Show: It’s wet weather… and I’m invited to a wedding celebration for my dear friend, Tim (visiting briefly from New York)… and I need to get to the North Shore…

Let’s. Do. This!

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Tell: Ken Done umbrella, Ken Done glasses, Tatty Devine ‘watermelon’ earrings and necklace, fluro singlet from op shop, Spin Dance petticoat, The Social Studio silk dress gifted by Jo, Black Milk leggings, Fluevog shoes (from Sole Devotion), Linda Jackson vintage bag.

Share: I love a celebration, rain or shine! And a happy weekend to you, xo

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ShowTellShare One Hundred and Forty-Nine

Show/Share: Today, I briefly found myself in this *great place* on the eve of an important Australian speech, twenty years ago now…

And then we headed out to my university end of year celebration.

A lovely afternoon with colleagues and friends, and what I called the *wolf-dog*. She’s huge, but camera-shy, so the day involved me chasing her around to try and catch the evidence of her MASSIVE ears and head…

Good times.


And just a *touch* of some orange lipstick on the eyebrows, because, you know… xo

Tell: Handmade necklace, Retrospec’d dress, vintage leather belt from secondhand store, Spin Dance petticoat, retail stockings and socks, Fluevog sandals, vintage knitting bag from op shop.

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Forty-Six

Show/Share: My reaction to urban surrounds as summer breaks in Sydney…

Feeling the need for a breeze and some greenery….

Now that’s better!

Tell: Tatty Devine necklace, Hilo Hattie Hawaiian shirt borrowed from the Hawaiian First Officer, “Jaxon Dee’ vintage cotton dress from Prahran, Spin Dance petticoat, Happy Socks, Fluevog shoes, Honolulu Academy of Arts bag. Fan from Barcelona.

And here I am from Thursday last week. Wearing The Social Studio and pink eyebrows as I head off to a meeting about The Social Outfit

Tell: Handmade earrings, Tatty Devine necklace, The Social Studio dress gifted by Jo, TS14 dress underneath, Tatty Devine belt, ‘Beechers Brook’ pants from op shop, Camper sandals.

Loving my pants – found years ago in an op shop – that look mostly black, until you see the electric blue satin *shining* from underneath. Classy! xo

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Thirty-Nine

Show/Share: On Saturday morning I left the house at about 7:45 a.m. and returned at about 12 midnight. Needing a *long-haul* outfit, I went for pattern-clash and relaxed…

During the day, I was part of an Action Learning Set; working with a small group of people trying to get our social projects off the ground and to get them working effectively. It helped having a nice view while working hard…

Tell: Handmade jacket from op shop, handmade necklace (from owl found in Hawaii), Dragstar dress, Caledonia tights, retail socks, Fluevog boots, Jenny Kee bag, Viva La Wombat scarf from op shop.

Show/Share Two: … And then today, we had a Sunday lunch birthday. This outfit literally just made itself as I started mixing blue and orange and white, and then repeating the colours over and over again, and going for my *love* of over-matching.

The Hawaiian First Officer and I aren’t known very well for our outfit matching, and so when the *genius* moment of the HFO’s use of blue, orange and white occurred here too, I was MOST excited. Plus, a Hawaiian shirt, no less! (And you, dear reader, well you know the HFO: not quite so keen on the multiple selfies!)

A *good* weekend. I hope for you too xo

Tell: Ken Done for Canteen scarf from op shop, necklace from op shop, vintage Snoopy brooch from op shop in Canberra, secondhand cardigan from Retospec’d, vintage cardigan clips from op shop, handmade dress from Bankstown op shop, Spin Dance petticoat, retail stockings, Happy Socks, Fluevog sandals, ‘Vintage Penguin’ bag from UK. Earrings from op shop and ‘Diamonds Ain’t a Girl’s Best Friend’ cloud ring from London, UK.

ShowTellShare One Hundred and Seventeen

Show/Share: The Book Launch of Courtney Collin’s The Burial and a Garden Party, no less! Now this is truly a time for a dress up and some fun…

Book Launcher: the delightful, Ms Meggan Grose – a.k.a Ms Koori Love – and Book Launchee: the author-extraordinnaire Courtney Collins

I was so excited about Courtney and her well-deserved success, that I *needed* to dress for Garden Party F-U-N! I was even asked to being a fruit platter, thus my 1950s Tupperware cake holder … Yes! I’m living the ‘domestic dream’! …

My 3D-Ant Farm Bag: the black ants are moveable within the plastic covering… All-Class!

*Spotted!* The Hawaiian First Officer in ‘proper’ vintage linen Hawaiian gear (which I found in the UK: *score!*) … and posing with lovely Hugh (they were having a green shoe moment together… THFO’s are Fluevogs, naturally :-) )…

*Bag-Love* starts early: Hugh’s daughter, Millie, was a total fan of the moving ants – that and really, all my baubles and whistles in costume dressing. She’s such a darling …

Then the Ukeladies gave a supreme performance for the launch (and Hawaiian-inspired, no less)… they are a DELIGHT…

Yup, I hope you can see why I am smiling on this lovely Saturday. Well Done, Courtney! And Well Done, Everyone and Anyone who follows their dream…

Tell: Glasses from op shop, Tatty Devine necklace, vintage cardigan from RetroSpect’d, Aywon vintage skirt from op shop, Spin Dance petticoat, Saba belt, Fluevog shoes, PigPen bag from Prahran shopping (early 2000′s), vintage Tupperware from eBay.

And you know, if you wanted to buy and read Courtney’s book, then that would be totally *RAD* (Kindle version here) xo xo

ShowTellShare One Hundred

Show/Tell/Share:

Earrings from Wa-Nyika, Uniqlo skivvy, handmade necklace, ‘Dress Code’ Made in Australia 1980s dress from op shop, SpinDance petticoat, Sportscraft belt from op shop, Jonathan Aston stockings, Calendonia stockings underneath, Fluevogs, bag from op shop. Bracelets from Australian Museum. By the way, both my necklace and a ring also had insects in resin… I’m nothing if not thorough… xo

ShowTellShare Eighty

Show: Happy Friday The 13th! (I couldn’t wait until Halloween to show you this *fantastically kitsch* sequinned vest I found in an op shop, so this was the next best date I could come up with…)

Tell: Glasses from op shop, earrings from Japan, Tatty Devine necklace, Kay Attali shirt from op shop, Versace men’s shirt from op shop, ‘Fashion Fantasy: Trick or Treat’ novelty vest from op shop, Saba skirt, stockings from Japan, SpinDance petticoat underneath, vintage boots from op shop.

Share: A day meeting up with some *lovely* people from the fashion side of things…

First up, I met with Kelly Elkin, who runs her own ethical fashion label, ALAS (specialising in sleepwear). Kelly is also heavily involved with ethical fashion community-building, especially here in Sydney (you can see more at her blog, Transparent Seams). She’s full of ideas, and I’m really looking forward to understanding this space better over the coming months. Go sustainable fashion!

Then I met up with Sydney/Melbourne/Tokyo stylist, Hayley Hughes. It was great to be able to hear her stories and insights into the broader Australian fashion scene. Plus, I’m a long-time fan of her own blog (Fashion Hayley), so it was *fun* to just catch up and get to know her ‘In Real Life’ (we met briefly at Penthouse Mouse in March this year). And, as the Sydney Outfit works towards our very own model of The Social Studio, I’m hoping to have Hayley and her very special skills involved.

ShowTellShare Seventy-Six

Show:

Tell: Glasses from op shop, H&M earrings from Japan, Uniqlo skivvy from Japan, Jessica Dance necklace, vintage Escada jacket from eBay, Ken Done skirt (reworked from a dress), SpinDance petticoat, Jonathan Aston stockings, other retail stockings underneath, Fluevogs.

Share: Given we’re off to see the Dame Edna Everage farewell tour tonight, I kinda *had* to make sure I was dressed with a bit of drag-fun-inspiration, yes?! And really, it doesn’t get much better for a Sydney winter than a vintage 1980s Escada puffer-jacket. *Bliss*

Smiles all round, that’s for sure! xo

ShowTellShare Sixty

Show:

Tell: Vintage Versace shirt from op shop, necklace from op shop, Saba skivvy, ‘Creaciones Natian’ Mexican skirt from second-hand store Santa Barbara US, Spin Dance petticoat (underneath), Fluevogs.

Share: I love this skirt. I can’t believe I never showed it during What Ken Be Done, but I was never quite able to coordinate an outfit with this Mexican *gem* and The KD Master. And then today I end up pairing it 1990s Versace… All in all, a perfect outfit for this Friday.

ShowTellShare Fifty-Five

Show:

Tell: Glasses from op shop, Tatty Devine necklace, unlabelled dress from second hand store, Spin Dance petticoat, Fluevogs, minature case from Japan.

Share: Yesterday I met up with Emma-Kate Wallace who runs an ethical fashion social enterprise called WEFTshop. It was really lovely to meet up and chat with her, and especially to look at the expertly-crafted fabrics and scarves made by the women she works with on the Thai/Burma border.

Moments like those are when I feel much excitement at the possibility in the growth of ethical fashion and manufacturing in Australia and beyond… Must. Make. It. Happen.

ShowTellShare Forty-Eight

Show: Today we took the car – *cough, cough* ahem – I mean the car handbag and my green eyebrows, and headed down to the new Museum of Contemporary Art

Tell: Glasses from op shop, earrings from Shag Melbourne, Tatty Devine bow necklace, 1980s Louis Feraud dress from a Berlin op shop (a fashion *score* of the century!), Spin Dance petticoat underneath, Fluevogs, car handbag from Hawaii, vintage bakelite cuff from my brother and sister-in-law from New York. A special thanks to The First Hawaiian Officer for such lovely, fun photography xo. Third photo is in front of artwork by WA artist, Rebecca Baumann.

Share: What a *lovely, lovely* way to spend my birthday xo xo

ShowTellShare Forty-Seven

Show: If I paint the top of my eyelids with colour, why wouldn’t I just paint my eyebrows as well?

Tell: Jean LaFont glasses, handmade earrings, Tatty Devine necklace, MKOne bolero from UK thrift shop, bodysuit from Berlin, Oroton belt from op shop, Ken Done vintage skirt from eBay (with Spin Dance Petticoat underneath), Fluevogs, Ken Done tote bag.

Share: Just returning to *Ken Done Love* after some recent press from The Vine about my What Ken Be Done project and KD’s influence on Australian fashion. The article’s title is ‘Australia’s Top 10 Fashion Brands’. And who knows, maybe in a few short years we will be reading about the influence The Social Studio fashion brand has had on our contemporary Australian landscape, including better, and more creative, opportunities for people from refugees backgrounds. I just know *something* like this is going to happen, in fact, I know it must.

ShowTellShare Forty-One

Show:

Tell: Ken Done glasses from eBay, Tatty Devine necklace, Annie Lantz blouse from Penrith op shop, handmade dress from Blacktown op shop, Spin Dance petticoat, Fluevogs, Australiana bag from eBay.

Share: On Radio National this morning there was a lovely program about being an Aunty. When I met up with the Hawaiian First Officer later I said, “That radio show must have influenced my outfit choice today, because I feel I’ve dressed *exactly* like an aunty is supposed to dress.” By the bemused look I got in response, it seems I’m the only one that thinks this. Oh well, it’s Friday and I have my BIG Ken Done frames on: so at least I’m making myself happy! xo

AND a Wonderful Happy Birthday to my darling niece today xo xo