Once Upon a Time...

I was young. And soon it's my birthday, and I will be not so young. But you know what? I'm fine with that. When I was young I liked Tiffany singing I Think We're Alone Now, and I liked to do the jagged encasing-the-face dance she did in the video. I had that bad denim jacket, and I had her hair too. I wanted Salt from Salt N' Peppa's hair more but I wasn't allowed. Same with Yazz. Whatever. Being older is kind of cool, I reckon. I have better taste.

Oh Cecil, I do so love a drama queen!

Is not Cecil's Beaton's photograph of his sister Baba, "Symphony in Silver", too inspiring for words? It is, so I shall speak no more.

Museworthy: Nancy Cunard, 1896 - 1965

As a leading member of the Corrupt Coterie pre-WWI, this Cunard ocean liner heiress ran around London seducing soldiers to make their last days lighter. Later in Paris, Nancy Cunard fell in love with a black jazz musician and edited the compelling, then deeply divisive Negro as a result. Her Hours Press publishing house was the first to publish the work of Samuel Beckett. Nancy Cunard was a journalist and a critic, a model and a muse, but above all a political animal and an idealist, hell bent on making a difference. By all accounts, it drove her up the wall to be judged by her clothes.

When her first book of poetry, Outlaws, was published in 1923, she was devastated when one reviewer focused on her hat, so I am glad she's not around to harrumph at my singling out her angular and exotic personal style. Sure, she was much much more than an armful of Bakelite bangles and a mysteriously Kohled eye, but that doesn't take away from the fabulous drama of her look. I find her inspirational all round - and that includes her sense of fashion. I mean, my goodness, what a great flying jacket! Somebody tell Christopher Bailey. And those sequins. Too good.

BEFORE...

J'adore those "Before" and "After" makeover shorts you see in Allure magazine. Here's Betty before she had her bangs cut! Here's Betty after she lost 10 kilos!
So I thought you might enjoy a snap or two of our disgracefully messy shop space before we fixed it up. The use of the past tense there was a little disingenuous - our rennovations are hardly done and dusted. But...we're getting there. Watch this space for the Big Reveal...

TALKING TO...LUCY & SHANNON FROM DESORDRE

Like a circus, Desordre was a travelling extravaganza, but now our favourite boutique is about to put down roots on South Dowling Street, Sydney. We heart Desordre for it's cool take on Australian labels and 'cause owners Shannon and Lucy are v. clever indeed.
Desordre means disorder, no? Where is the chaos in your life?
Lucy: "Hopefully there will be less chaos when we set up the permanent store, and we aren't certified fashion gypsies."

What do you love about fashion?
Shannon: "I think it can alter your mood, obviously your confidence goes up when your in a beautiful dress. But fashion now, more than ever is limitless. Everything can be worn in so many different ways. And outfits make a statement about you. It shows your mood, some mornings I wake up craving jeans, other days I really need a pretty dress."

Lucy: "I love that despite it being work, and an industry, there is always an element of fun and fantasy. I love pretty things, I like to to wear them, I like to be around them."

If not purveyors of fabulosity, what would you be?
Shannon: "I've worked on short films, and studied directing... something in media... a creative output. I've never been good at the sit down, 9 to 5 office work. I love horses too and worked at the stables, maybe I'd be a farm girl."

Which models do you rate?
Shannon: "I think the new Aussie girls are beautiful, Bambi, Avril.. if I could choose a model to look like the shortlist would begin with the Victoria's Secret angels."

Lucinda: "I'm still obsessed with Linda Evangelista and Claudia Schiffer they seem to be getting even more beautiful. Lily Donaldson is pretty much the hottest thing on two legs."

Mini skirt or maxi dress?
Shannon: "Both!"
Lucinda: "I concur!"

Sequins by day, clearly. Which other rules do you love to break?
Shannon:"I've always loved putting colours together that as a rule should be seperate: pink and red, blue and green.. Are there still rules in clothes? I probably break lots, I need to see the list."

Summer or winter?
Shannon:"I love summer for the beach and sunshine, but i love winter for the layers and jackets. I obsess about jackets, it's my downfall."

Lucinda: "Summer without a doubt, I spend most of winter wishing it was summer again."

Colour or noir?
Lucy: "I love colour but black is my friend as I am a bit of a klutz and seem always to be getting biro or coffee on me."

Shannon, please describe Lucy's style.
"Little Lucy can get away with being a little random! Her style is a bit quirky, and disheveled, vintage, splashes of colour, and lots of leg."

Lucy, please return the favour
"Shannon is always put together and elegant. She has layering down to a fine art. Her style is one part beach baby and one part glamour."

You DJ in your spare hours. Which records to you love to dance to?
Shannon: "I love old school music, 80s, 90s, good hip hop... The Cure, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Salt n Pepa... and I love to sway to indie cruisy music."
Lucinda: "My friend introduced me to this band called Crayon Fields, I have them on pretty high rotation right now."

Secret location?
Shannon: "Just out of Barcelona there is a little beach called Sant Pol de Mar, it's quiet and gets little waves.. and I'm sure that the sand is mineral rocks, it makes your skin feel like heaven!"
Lucy: "There is this place called Mui Ne in Vietnam near where I used to live there. It is a little fishing village with a stunning beach and the best seafood feasts you will ever have."

Trends you love for winter...
Shannon: "Neutral tones, khaki, layers, thigh-high stockings and boots, varying textures, leather."
Lucy: "Fun tights ( I saw some the other day that I want in my life, on the back of the left leg they say 'wanna' and the right 'party?), statement blazers and all kinds of head wear, you lose 70% of your body warmth through your head, you know."

Trends you loathe for ever...
Shannon: "Inappropriate tight clothes, fluoro, two-tone silks that were used in American proms, matching tanks and cardigans..."
Lucy: "Guess handbags, Crocs, kitten heels, leggings as pants and Sketchers."

Pretty clothes to make you smile

The very best thing about our new office is that all sorts of people drop by, wearing all sorts of inspirational things. So we decided to diarise them and post them on our blog...

Friday, 4pm, Arlene wears:

- A pale lemon cheesecloth dress of her own design ("can I say that this dress has a 100% date success strike rate?" Yes, Arlene, you can)
- Her delicate jersey cornflower blue scarf by French label American Vintage (confusing but true)
- A frilly bolero that started life as an Austrian national costume. "The sleeves unrolled are very 80s puff and the bodice very square, but I love the lace so I cut it short and put an internal drawstring in it. I often find things like this at Bondi markets, but I have a rule that I only buy things that I'm prepared to alter that day."
- And beat-up Fry's boots that match our floorboards perfectly

INTO THE WARM: STUFF FROM MY HOUSE IN COLOURS I ADORE

I'm starting to think about designing Winter 2011. It's lovely when the new season turns up at your place and sets down roots. I can see them growing into the cutest little 1930s-inspired jackets with darling pleated peplums; all sorts of draped necks and leg-o'-mutton sleeves, dramatic curves, swooshy long lines...

So the question is: paint it black? As usual. Or drench it in the crumbling tones of the Venetian pallazzo I call home in my dreams? I looked around my house this evening, and I spied with my little eye...rich tones hiding in all sorts of corners.

And then I realised it: that all the soft, aged colours I adore in my home would perk up a winter wardrobe rather wonderfully. Hello sunshine! Hello pearl, egg shell, copper, mint, vintage glass, flamingo, burnished gold, Hello Pocahantas blue.

What say you?

RED ALERT! A JOY INJECTION VIA THE FEATHERED SKIRTLING

Funny how a diamond in the rough can twinkle so bright it makes the rough seem smooth, no? Somebody had stolen my Friday feeling and replaced it with a sever case of misplaced Monday-itis.

Then the frocks came along and changed everything. Suddenly the hills inside were alive with fashion fairytales... Fay and I dropped by Fernando Frisoni's studios to buy some treasures from his SS11 collection for our new store. It was love at second sight (we started our crush at his show last week). Anyway, suffice to say, we are fully smitten now. With Fernando, as usual, but more importantly with his Ballets Russe-worthy creamy white feathered skirtlings (if that's not the diminutive form of skirt, it sure should be) which also come in fire engine red, his draped silk tulle and lust-have cashmere. Hurrah for him ... and for our long-term wardrobe planning.

DINOSAUR JNR.

You can't wear it (unless you willingingly welcome the old point-and-laugh), you can't afford it (it's in the 59 hours of sewing, 6000 of your hard earned dollars realm) but that doesn't take one iota of the fabulosity away from Romance Was Born's dinosaur themed wonderland last week. I love it; I really do. Makes a pencil skirt look rather dull, no? Still, reckon I'll go the pencil for work Monday....

HEY, DOLL FACE

Had you told me when I was a whippersnapper that one day in the dim n' distant future I would be drinking fizzy wine on a grand terrace overlooking one of the seven modern wonders of the world with a bunch of 20-something fashionista stilt walkers trying to decide whether a Chinese Barbie in a one-shouldered black mini dress would look cooler accessorised with white stiletto zippered boots and a squashy metallic toten or clompy black platforms and a mini envelope clutch, I would've scoffed.

As if! Adults don't play with Barbies. And Barbies live in the toy box under the stairs not on glossy Perspex plinths with Sydney Harbour views. And hello, like Barbie is Chinese!

Well actually Barbie can be Chinese. Or Afro American. Or Sri Lankan. Or Polish. As long as she's a super model. Because Barbie is a high fashion icon (even though she's 50 - she must have a good plastic surgeon, no?). It was inevitable I suppose, that a girl with legs up to her ears, wide eyes and ironable hair who never complains about her fallen arches (which surely muse make her calves very ache-y indeed) would make the ideal fashion model. And as for fashion editors playing dressups on plastic dolls for a living, well durr.

Barbie Basics comes with more accessories than Henry Bendel, and is available at a Target store near you. Oh, and news flash - Ken is a waiter! I know because I saw him serving Veuve Clicquot at the Australian Fashion Week World's Most Expensive Barbie event last night (that would be Babs in Stefano Canturi diamonds). Anyway, I know it was Ken because his name was on his T-shirt. He didn't look 50 either.