Inside Outside
Happy October!
This month is destined to be one full of sweet new things ... but it is possible that we received the absolute sweetest thing on the very first day. Martha of new label Inside Outside delivered a round of collars to Milly Sleeping yesterday, and we saw fit to put them straight into the window.
There are three styles and three colour ways currently in store (with more to come) all of which look lovely and sophisticated with a range of different necklines and outfits. Each is 100% cotton and part of an edition of 50; they fold up flat and come with a neat little drawstring bag, which makes them a great gift or a delightful treat to receive in the mail...
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Inside Outside Limited Ed. cotton collars are just $66 each. Mail orders will attract no postage charge. Email leah@millysleeping.com with enquiries.
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02.10.2012
Don't rock the boat
It has taken me so many goes to upload these jolly images today, I feel like their presence before you is as miraculous and precarious as a house of playing cards.
Its lucky that I have so much practise building card houses for my nephew (whose sole but great pleasure in my work is the chance to blow the finished product down).
Now I know you're excited but please don't jump about and bump the table...
New ffiXXed garments have arrived in store (via Jota Castro's paper boats)
- and don't they look lovely with a touch of Livia Arena and a twist of High Tea..?
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ffiXXed La minalapinta lasanta maria printed cotton t-shirt ($175);
Livia Arena white Ellipse top (RRP $180);
ffiXXed Scarf Tie jacket (RRP $285);
Livia Arena mulberry Drape top (RRP $160);
ffiXXed Simple Enjoyment cardigan ($245);
High Tea with Mrs Woo Overboard top w. ties (RRP $258);
all images - last pair ffiXXed Infinity trousers (were $206 now $175)
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27.09.2012
Stringing Things Together by MüCKE
Many of you know that Ellie Mücke is fastidious about working with recycling and reinventing materials to make her lovely clothes and accessories... If you ever wondered just how fastidiious, this is how!
This necklace has been composed from the scraps of scraps, ie. a different style of Mücke necklace has already been made from salvaged, cut-up old T-shirts... and these (hundreds, thousands, gazillions?) of off-cuts have been carefully saved, and eventually strung together. The result is a beautiful, unique piece - evocative of something traditional/tribal, and celebratory.
We asked Ellie a few questions about the work:
MS: What does Stringing Things Together mean/suggest to you?
EM: Stringing Things Together was interpreted quite literally for me in this show, quietly threading thousands of small fabric scraps onto a fine silk thread. The results though are a work of process and quiet reflection on all the things we waste in the world and all the time we waste doing things thoughtlessly. This work asks the world to stop, slow down or just take time to reflect. Just be nice and do good things. Simple!
MS: Do you enjoy repetitive tasks such as cutting up the t-shirts and threading the scraps?
EM: Most definitely. A lot of the pieces are already cut to size for a necklace like this though, as they are a direct waste product of the t-laces that I make. But I do enjoy the repetitive tasks in my work, it's pretty much like time out for me, because there is so much thinking/ planning/organising that has to happen the rest of the time running a business.
MS: Do you consider yourself a jewellery wearer?
EM: Yes, I love jewellery! But my taste in jewellery has changed a lot over the years and now I am only really interested in quite specific work, pieces that complement the clothing I design. Since I started making clothing, my focus has shifted further away from metal jewellery so as to not over-shadow the clothing itself. I do though, feel a little bit naked without wearing earrings and my ring, which are all usually silver...
Thanks Ellie! The name of this incredible one-off piece is Ellie's best and educated estimate, based on her experience making shorter necklaces, as to how many pieces are threaded together. How many do you think there are..?!
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__ thousand, __ hundred and __-four
Cotton/Elastane t-shirt scraps, silk thread
$525
Stringing Things Together can be viewed until Sept. 29 on Fridays and Saturdays between 12pm and 6pm at Von Haus, 1A Crossley Street, Melbourne. The individual pieces can be purchased for collection after the exhibition period. Enquiries: leah@millysleeping.com.
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26.09.2012
On their way ...
One of the highlights of every Melbourne Spring Fashion Week is the RMIT Student Runway.
Our one recurring disappointment is the feeling that the students scheduled earlier in the show have an 'advantage' over the students scheduled later - because as the show rolls along, the studio themes become more or less evident to the audience, and nothing seems quite as inventive in the second half. Nonetheless, this year's runway held at the Melbourne Town Hall a couple of weeks ago, was still a diverse and exciting show, imagining that the students have put heart and soul into every piece that ripples, floats, bounces, flounces or swooshes down the catwalk.
Many thanks to Alice Hutchison for these beautiful photos. More images of all of the students work can be viewed via MSFW.
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Students represented, in photo order:
Jiyu Hong
Lois Hazel
Emily Cox
Mia Zielinski
Laura Slaviero (two images)
Tanya Rapiac
Elinor McMahon
Georgie Wyrill
Nixi Killick
Hannah Cantwell (two images)
Simoena Roeder (two images)
Kara Liu
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25.09.2012
Stringing Things Together by Alexi Freeman
A few weeks before the submission date for Stringing Things Together, I went to Alexi Freeman's studio to talk through options for his part in the project. He was in the midst of preparations for a grant-funded trip to London and not entirely sure what would be right for Milly Sleeping's exhibition but, during our brief chat, managed to point to or pull out five or six works-in-progress, including a stunning 'chain mail' dress, woven charity shoelaces, and the beginnings of the hand-made necklaces and bracelets that we eventually chose for the show.
These pieces (which must have been finished by midnight elves in time for the exhibition's opening) remind me of friendship bracelets - in a kind of glamorous, Chanel way.
It is typical of Alexi to have so many things on the go, and no doubt he will impress the Londoners with his versatility, ingenuity and flair. Now enjoying his first week across the seas, Alexi sent us a little virtual postcard describing events thus far:
Has been just a few short days since I arrived in Ole London Towne and I must say it's been a quite an eye opening experience already. The women are certainly a lot more posh here. I've seen a plethora of girls carrying their handbags in the nook between their forearm and bicep - very lady like! And there certainly seems to be more of a nod to trad British fashion here (as you would expect) like bone coloured Burberry-esque trench coats, often teamed with lipstick, hosiery and heels and there certainly seems to be more of a digital print/knitwear revolution evident on the streets here. Certainly a lot more colour and vibrancy then I'm used to observing in Australia in any case.
I'm continually being told my work is very East London - and that it would sit well in stores like Harvey Nichols, Net-a-porter or Glassworks Studio so lots of potential stockists to explore while I'm here... Ellie Goulding's (chart topping UK singer) stylist contacted me and there's some talk of Jade Jagger loaning my (yet to be released) Full Metal Jacket - fingers crossed that will eventuate! I've always loved the Stones... I'm also booked in to show my work to the Fashion Editor of Dazed and Confused, and I've procured an appointment to show my work to Mr Shaun Leane - the jeweller that collaborated on all those incredible jewellery pieces with the late Alexander McQueen since the mid 90's.... I'm also booked in to catch up/show my work to Maurizio Galante (Haute Couturier in Paris)... and I'm attending the Vivienne Westwood runway show tomorrow which will be a highlight! So a few things starting to happen for me here but it's certainly very early days.
More news as it happens...
Alexi x
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Pictured:
Fluoro weave chain bracelet
(Silver-plaited steel, poly twine)
$99
Rainbow weave chain necklace
$242
Rainbow weave chain bracelet
$99
Twin weave fluoro bracelet
$121
(All styles are available in 'rainbow weave' or monochrome 'fluoro' yellow weave).
Stringing Things Together can be viewed until Sept. 29 on Fridays and Saturdays between 12pm and 6pm at Von Haus, 1A Crossley Street, Melbourne. The individual pieces can be purchased for collection after the exhibition period. Enquiries: leah@millysleeping.com.
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20.09.2012
