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Style Icon Ms Fitz

March 4, 2011 by

One of the truly quirky fashionistas who has been influencing me to wear clashing prints and colours, as well as baggy pants, is the inimitable Ms Fitz. She has a very inspirational blog, http://themsfitz.blogspot.com.

I just look at her outfits in amazement – they are so stunningly individual, and complete, and maximalist, and renegade and BRAVE. She WILL wear clown pants, she WILL wear a fur bag on her head as a hat, she WILL draw on a monobrow when it suits her, and throw caution to the wind when it comes to prints and fluoro colours. She doesn’t have that much cash, often wears thrifted/vintage stuff, and often wears the same items over and over (like the pink fur bag).  See for yo’self:

    

  

   

  

* Many of her portraits are by Thom Kerr and Elvis Di Fazio.

For those who don’t know her, she is an aussie fashion stylist now living in New York…and doing bloody well, too! She’s also Fashion Director at IN*Tandem Magazine, and is working on her new neon jewellery line and debut EP.  Busy!

On her inspirations:

“My style is inspired by my philosophies toward fashion—that fashion is for everybody, that fashion is an extension of your attitude toward life and that your own style is something valuable and beautiful. I’m currently inspired by my travels around the world.”

On how her style has evolved through the years:

“A lot, I hope! Otherwise I’d still be wearing MC Hammer pants. Oh wait…I am. Actually, my style evolves constantly; my inspiration changes all the time. But the common theme is that it is tongue-in-cheek, contrary and colorful.”

Here’s a vid of her modelling some looks for Time Out magazine:

She also has a regular feature called The Avant Guardians! She brings us exclusive “What I Wore” posts from people who rock incredible, genre busting looks everyday. I have to agree, both these and her own looks are the sort of looks you see in Harajuku, in the street style snaps.

You may not like all her looks (lord knows I can’t stand the vintage Coogi knit she wears, as an aussie who lived through the horrors of it in the 80’s), but you can’t help but be arrested by her use of print and colour combinations. She encourages me to be more zany and daring in what I wear, and I hope you’ll have a look at her site and be similarly encouraged. Fashion is bout expressing yourself and having fun, right? Let me know what your fave looks are.

Filed Under: Alternative Fashion, Blog entry, Designers, Fashion Tagged With: , , ,

Older style icons – Daphne and Cyndi

February 16, 2011 by

Since I’m going to be 47 this June, I especially love it when I see older ladies rockin’ it, whether on the red carpet at awards, or just whooping it up at a party somewhere. Age appropriate – BITE MY ASS! I’m so sick of that phrase, and honestly think it’s far more to do with your body type and attitude, that governs and inspires what look you wear, NOT your age. (Knee high socks the exception).

Apropos of that:

My absolute style icon hands-down is the divine Daphne Guiness, and though I know she should eat a few burgers to plump up her thin frame, I love that she makes choices that are all about FUN, and GLAMOUR, not *shudder* age appropriateness.

At Bryan Ferry’s album launch (for “Olympia”), Daphne once again rocked the special effects contact lenses, that readers will know I also wear regularly. (The party was last October, but the pics have just been published in March Harper’s Bazaar UK).

 

Back in 2009 she wore similar lenses (and love her outfits and dramatic eye make-up too)

 

Cyndi Lauper at 57, was rockin a great messy hairdo and leather dress at the Grammy’s. (I’ve got a photoshoot and a DJ gig coming up that I may well nick the hair idea for) OK so the neck gives her age away…but she IS almost 60.

I was pleased to hear Kelly Osborne on the Fashion Police this week, point out that it was Cyndi that first had yellow blonde hair, some 20 to 30 years before Lady Gaga, and it’s Cyndi that had teenagers colouring and shaving their hair and generally being inspired to be different. Well said!

Gaga gets enough mentions so I won’t much here, except to say the black rubber bodice with the fake buttocks at the back was a hoot. And this is one look that very few ladies over 50 could pull off: Madonna & Cher being two I can think of (and Joan Jett 53,  and Chrissy Hynde, 60 this year). But will Gaga still be around when she’s in her 50’s? Hmm…time will tell…but I think not.

 

Have you seen any older ladies rockin it recently? What do you think of Cyndi and Daphne?

Filed Under: Fashion Tagged With: ,

Style Angel

December 5, 2009 by

I don’t believe in angels or spirit guides. Not literally, anyway.

But somehow, just when I’m considering deviating from my style or adventure path, questioning whether at 45 I should still be sporting blue hair, or going off on mad adventures solo, an angel comes along to show me the way back.

Yesterday it was Vivienne Westwood. No, I didn’t run into her, but I read a thoughtful article and interview with her in the October issue of Elle UK, and her words really spoke to me.

Like a Style Angel hovering over me, she dragged me back from the temptation to get mired in the mainstream, water down my eccentricity and, well, just be more normal.

Her words? On page 263, when asked to give advice to ELLE readers:

‘Stand out!’ she commands.

‘It’s heroic to stand out. My clothes have always been heroic, whether it’s a latex negligee or a corsetted ballgown. So much of modern fashion is ordinary, but I notice young women in the street and I think they look very good – because they know it’s not about fashion, it’s how you put it together.


First you have to know who you are – or who you want to be. Then you have to use your clothes to tell your personal story. And be confident. I’ve never worried about what other people are wearing or what they think of me. I’m only interested in how I want to feel and look. You have to cut a figure. Step off the treadmill of fashion.’

She is so right. So much of fashion IS ordinary; I see it in so called street-fashion snaps and lookbooks all the time. Whilst other people are exclaiming over certain outfits, I’m yawning with boredom. Skinny jeans and a scarf around the neck do not a fashionista make.

In the end, you have to dress in the way that is exciting to YOU.  The vision you have is unique to you, and only you can truly bring your style vision to life (even if there are many others who share a similar vision).

Her words encourage me to explore, to push my own boundaries, to make the world a more colourful, exciting place. Let our mantra this week be:

“use your clothes to tell your personal story”

Tonight I will be embracing my blue-ness. Not only the hair, but I will wear my new aqua Lime Crime  lipstick ‘No, She Didn’t’, and maybe a blue leopard print corset and skirt, perhaps.  With a punch of some other colour to mix it up. And big platform boots, cos I love ’em.

What will you wear on your next night out, that expresses YOU?

Filed Under: Blog entry Tagged With: , ,