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Chrisst Complex – sample sale Feb 9th

February 9, 2011 by

It’s definitely time to turn my attention back to some alternative designers…and aussie ones, while I’m at it!!

Andy Chrisst of  ChrisstComplex has a dark, glamorous aesthetic, and has been retailing out of House of Fetish on Oxford Street for some years now, as well as his own studio.

He has been involved in numerous fashion events in Sydney, had his creations featured in Tangent Mag, and consistently comes up with edgy yet wearable garments for the adventurous.

On Wednesday 9th February, look out for his giant SUMMER FASHION SAMPLE SALE – of labels Chrisst, 2040  and Glamordeath –  at 419 Parramatta Rd Leichhardt.

Chrisst and Glamordeath offer dark alternative looks, such as pvc catsuits, slinky dresses, collars, pointy shouldered jackets and more, while 2040 focuses on sexy, glam resort looks such as sequinned tops and summer dresses, bikinis, kaftans and bodysuits.

I’m in love with quite a few of his current creations, and so share them here with you:

Deluxe Zipper Dress

 

Jacket with Loop Top Sleeves

 

PVC Motocross Catsuit

 

Velvet Long Sleeved Catsuit or bodysuit

 

While some gothic brands can look a little old-fashioned, Chrisst’s designs are always edgy, and are such that the pieces can be worked into non-gothic wardrobes – as  various magazine fashion stylists have found.  Below are several Tangent Mag shoots utilising his fashion, first as worn by Tammy Stone, and the other by Camille Yi:

For some eye-popping colour, here are some Glamordeath pieces:

 

and there are definitely cool threads for guys as well…(yep, that’s the man himself to the right…)

 

For summery goodness, have a peek at some 2040 fashion:

 

and as seen on the rack at The Salon:

 

If you can’t get to the sale (as I cannot), then pay a visit to his studio at Crystal Street Petersham (call 02 956966354), or check out House of Fetish, the Chrisst Complex online store or Andy’s  facebook page.

Stockists:

HOUSE OF FETISH – 93 Oxford St Darlinghurst Sydney
THE SECRET WARDROBE – Parramatta Rd, Leichhardt (2040fashion)

Filed Under: Alternative Fashion, Designers, Fashion, gothic fashion Tagged With: , , , ,

Minkpink & Evil Twin sample sale

January 21, 2011 by

There’s a couple of aussie brands I’ve seen popping up everywhere in the Japanese magazines Vivi andGlamorous – 

MINKPINK and EVIL TWIN!!

Well, they just so happen to be having a sale, beginning at 7.30am Friday if you’re up in time….

Other labels in the sale are The Lost Girls, Staple, Somedays Lovin, and MinkPink Swim.

I love many of the current looks for summer festival wear especially. How about these fun shimmy-shimmy Wild West fringe shorts? Or the khaki “This Is a Drill” pant?

 

Someday’s Lovin “Rumours” cutout dress is chic for summer, perhaps paired with Staple’s garden print Kimono cape (and killer wedges, not flats!):

 

At 80% off retail, there’s bound to be some affordable and oh-so-stylish samples to nab yourself. GET ON IT, Sydneysiders!!

(Oh, and for others who can’t get to it and want to shop the brands, check out Market HQ).

Filed Under: Designers, Fashion Tagged With: , , ,

Sister and Candy – edgy fashion in Shibuya

January 11, 2011 by

Last Thursday I visited the hipper-than-hip store Sister, with Candy underneath. It really is a must-see for any fashionista visiting Tokyo.

You approach it from a laneway just near Parco and Loft in Shibuya…and at first you think, “it can’t be this little laneway…it’s a bit desolate!”. And then you see this:

Yup, a bunch of mannequins with the word “FAKE” emblazoned across their chests. Then you see a bright yellow doorway and hot pink kerb behind them.

 

The telltale spooky lettering of Candy totally gives it away.  You know you’re in the right place.

It’s time to venture in, so up the stairs you trot (gotta be fit!)

Once inside, you’re greeted with polished wooden floors, shiny, almost mirror-tiled ceilings, sumptuous window drapery..and rack after rack of to-die-for, glam-rock clothes. There’s an eclectic yet cohesive mix of cutting-edge designer looks from the likes of Giles, Mark Fast and Marios Schwab, vintage pieces and shoes, tights in amazing designs (as in my post on great tights here), and millinery.

Yes, they stock the designs of the awe-stonishing Piers Atkinson, as well as that of Stephen Jones, UK milliner and tophat maker extraordinaire. You can just see a Christmas card from Stephen on the top shelf in the pic to the left.  Jones’ latest collection is the most modern I’ve seen yet, with that stunning triple tophat a standout:

I think B-grade sci-fi may have been his inspiration for this collection, entitled XYZ : X is for X-Ray. Y is for Yesteryear. Z is for Zombie.

Piers’ headwear is from the Winter collection “It’s Later than you Think” (seen below), and is so punk and gothic in aesthetic that it makes me want to go back to millinery myself! This is the stuff I’d like to make – and wear! What do you think?

  

Back to Sister, the store. There’s distressed leather, jackets with metal panelling (just seen below), as well as exquisite vintage embroidered pieces:

They’re not afraid of print; alongside tartan and spots there’s digi-prints and 70’s psychedelic prints:

Each piece in the store has a very luxe feel; I love the deconstructed zipped leather, leopard dresses and fluffy fur jackets jere.

As you head towards the stairs to head down to sister-store Candy, you’re greeted with this Hannibal-Lecter like concoction that is spooky yet fun. It is a parka-like jacket with lots of black ripped muslin dripping from the sleeves and edges – very Naoto or Stigmata-like, might I say:

 

(and yes, that is a stuffed bear that watches you as you descend the stairs)

I personally found Candy less to my taste…but can easily see where some of the Shibuya and Harajuku hipsters I see around (like S.P. with his blue hair) get their gear from. It is full of nu-rave gear, very bright neon in colour, with lots of paint splatters from the 80’s. There are a few KTZ items as I mentioned in my KTZ post here.

So we came, we saw…and went back back upstairs and bought the Femme Fatale tights, before finally bidding our goodbyes and hitting the street.

Bye bye, Sister and Candy…you KNOW I’ll be seeing you again!

Sister/Candy: Udagawa-cho 18-4, Shibuya-ku, tel: 03 5456 9891

Candy online shop,  Sister online shop

Filed Under: Alternative Fashion, Designers, Fashion, Japanese Fashion Tagged With: , , , , , ,