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.
Showing My Ken Done Love as we launch our *Ken Done auctions for The Social Outfit!* Check out all the *goodies* set to find new, exciting homes! These pieces online are the last gems of Ken Done donated by enthusiasts during our What Ken Be Done year. Plus, we’ve added some *extra* fun vintage bits and pieces we hope you might like… All money raised will go to supporting The Social Outfit…
This was me on Wednesday night, off to see two spectacular films as a part of QueerScreen. The first was the premier of Aquaporko!, a documentary story of “Melbourne’s fat femme synchronized” swim team. And the film lived up to the description: it was SO *delightful*! The theatre was packed with supporters and nothing beats ‘wooping’ aloud in a cinema to show your appreciation. And then there was an older, brilliant documentary on the life of Leigh Bowery, whom I’ve loved for years. He was a dressing genius!
The timing of these events seemed quite serendipitous. Because apart from our own Ken Done auctions, I was also wearing Ken Done on Wednesday to pay my own tribute to the artwork of Kelli Jean Drinkwater, who is also the director of Aquaporko! Check out below the *stunning* art-piece Kelli Jean has produced of Ken Done appreciation…
Copyright, Kelli Jean Drinkwater (Australian artist, activist and filmmaker). Photo by Penelope Benton.
And titled here, by JGRuddock as, “One of the Most Fabulous Pieces of Artwork, EVER.” xo
So there you go. Happiness all round! And now while I skooch off again to keep at these funding deadlines, please help spread the word of our Ken Done and vintage auctions. All money raised (less auction fees) goes directly to The Social Outfit. And supporting us means *doing good in a fashion*… xo xo
Tell: Tatty Devine necklace, robot necklace from Young Bloods markets, Ken Done vintage t-shirt from eBay, Ken Done 1980s skirt from eBay, Jonathan Aston tights, retail socks, Fluevog boots, vintage Ken Done makeup case.
Share: ’Twas a coloured-eyebrow kind of weekend clearly…
Show: Sunday involved a Positive Psychology lecture at the Sydney Opera House, and a festive outfit to match my upbeat mood…
Tell: Ken Done 1980s glasses from eBay, vintage beaded necklace from Santa Barbara, vintage handmade dress from op shop (with some adjustments by me), Jonathan Aston tights, Fluevog boots.
And Saturday was all about more Hawaiiana…
Tell: Cambodian silk scarf as hairpiece gifted by my Mum, vintage Hawaiian top gifted by the Hawaiian First Officer, Katies skirt from op shop, retail tights, Happy Socks, vintage boots from op shop.
Show:
Tell: Glasses from op shop, handmade beaded necklace, ‘Ara Modell’ vintage jacket from Perth op shop, Laura Ashley shirt from Canberra op shop, Sportsgirl dress from op shop, retail tights and Fluevog boots.
Share: For the most part, I keep my university work and my The Social Outfit work pretty separate (although clearly both inform each other). I divide out my days and try and keep my focus on the task at hand. So it was a little weird yesterday participating in a graduate workshop at the University of Sydney with the visiting Professor Ann Cvetkovich (from University of Texas). She specialises in gender and cultural studies, especially theories of the ‘archive’, feelings and intimacy. Each person had 7 minutes to present their own work, and so I talked about young women and ‘selfies’ (self portraits, usually taken with one’s own mobile phone) through a lens of my own experiences of What Ken Be Done, The Social Studio, The Social Outfit and fashion archiving. It proved a really interesting exercise, and one I reckon I’ll be thinking through for some time to come. Then, on the way home, I saw this quote on Twitter: “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” I’m pleased when I take up opportunities to put myself in different ‘rooms’, and keep being open to learning. I feel like that’s so important for the progression of The Social Outfit, and myself. There are so many smart and wise people to learn from; many in completely unexpected places. That I also get to dress up, and *love* fashion at the same time is a complete bonus. xo
Share: One *good* thing about sitting in a holding pattern on our flight from Sydney to Melbourne for over an hour on Friday night was that I got to watch more and more of Mike Nichols’ 1988 US classic, Working Girl…
And, as you can see, it was from the 1980s eyeshadow that I took *most* inspiration for my Saturday’s outfit!
Show:
Tell: Earrings from Japan, Dragstar dress, Oroton belt from op shop, handmade silver necklace gifted by Iain, robot necklace from Young Bloods Markets, Black Milk leggings, Birkenstock sandals.
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.
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
Show/Share: When I thought about getting dressed yesterday all I had in my mind was ‘Colourful Sister-Wife’… and this is what happened. I’m not entirely displeased.
Below is my first *go* at a GIF. Mostly it’s about catching what it’s like when the Hawaiian First Officer and I work together. Made more special by yesterday**, with us hanging out down at the harbour and in the Museum of Contemporary Art. This GIF captures me getting told, ‘Stop closing your eyes and looking stoned’… and then me trying to keep my eyes open without looking *INTENSE* …
** Happy Birthday, sweetheart xo xo
Tell: Glasses from op shop, ‘Van Der Glas‘ earrings bought for a The Social Studio fundraiser (TEETH casts! TEETH casts!), Laura Ashley shirt from Canberra op shop, Tatty Devine necklace, vintage necklace gifted by my Mum, vintage handmade skirt from Broadway Betty, retail tights and socks, Fluevog shoes, Linda Jackson bag.
Sydney-town, me and my green eyebrows love what you offer on a beautiful day… xo
Show/Tell/Share:
WELCOME TO… my last three relaxing days in Melbourne…
NEXT STOP: the final update on my 10-Day-Melbourne-fashion-challenge comic…
Friday Day 8/10, 14 September: Ken Done glasses, earrings from Japan, Country Road vintage denim jacket from op shop, Kmart skivvy, NEW Ken Shaw dress from op shop, leather belt from op shop, Sportsgirl stockings gifted by my Mum, Fluevog shoes, Linda Jackson bag.
I think this photo below shows up my purple eyebrows particularly *well* – check those dark arches in the large Ken Done frames !! And this new 1980s ‘Ken Shaw, Melbourne’ dress is a find from Frankston, and clearly *gold*. The photos aren’t doing it quite the justice I think possible, so you’re likely to see it again soon…
Then the weekend was spent wandering around and spending more time with family. Check out this great sign spotted by The First Hawaiian Officer (and no, we did not partake in any such ‘instant’ beverages)…
Saturday Day 9/10, 15 September: Pashmina scarf from Italy, American Apparel shirt (borrowed from The First Hawaiian Officer), skivvy from Kmart, Levis jeans, Birkenstock sandals.
Then home to Sydney.
Sunday Day 10/10, 16 September: Pashmina scarf from Italy, Ralph Lauren cashmere skivvy from op shop, vintage denim dress from op shop, Saba belt, Fluevog shoes.
Ah, a *good time*. Now the comic recap WITH UPDATE:
Show/Share:
And SUPER thanks to the *lovely* First Hawaiian Officer for this clothing challenge idea… much better than just hearing me complaining about packing!
Here’s me on the other side of the flight, then train ride down to Frankston, THEN already having gone to two op shops (and yes, already found *things, things, things*!!) xo xo
Tell: Uniqlo skivvy, The Social Studio dress gifted from Jo, vintage belt, Ken Done leggings, Fluevog shoes.
And earlier today, this morning, a little more ‘together’; ready for an Adventure xo
Show: Pink eyebrows… anyone… anyone?!
Tell: Glasses from op shop, Tatty Devine necklace, handmade earrings, Esprit sample jumper (found years ago), Saba top, Review skirt, American Apparel two-tone tights, Fluevog boots, gifted vintage bag.
Share: More writing work this morning for our The Social Studio Sydney development work, and then off to see Wanyika’s own boutique store at the Young Blood Designer Markets. She’s rebranded her designer accessories label from ‘Froq Afriq’ to ‘Wa-Nyika‘ and her range is looking really great. So wonderful to see her producing an African line of accessories for the Australian market.
As I hope you can see, I was all up for a bit of Saturday *fun* … xo
Show:
Tell: Skivvy from Kmart, vintage ‘Durben’ top from op shop, Levis jeans from US, handmade gloves (re-worked old socks!), Fluevog boots, Honolulu Academy of Art bag from Hawaii.
Share: This is what I wore on Saturday. It was a great, relaxing day. Sometimes, that’s just what you need, right?
Well, that, and dark blue eyebrows…
