Showing posts with label Shakuhachi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shakuhachi. Show all posts

Wednesday, 3 March 2010

Dress Up

I am very taken with Aussie label Dress Up.



The current collection suggests a preoccupation with a state of undress. Dresses fall off shoulders, or sections are pinned together, baring small, irregular expanses of skin. It's sexy and risque but quite the opposite of the sucked in, va-va-voom of body-con or burlesque's old-school kitsch.




Black, brick red and nude prevails, in degrees of sheer.




The perfect black trousers? Dainty and beatnik with flat sandals or pumps, elegant with wedges, and they'd tuck perfectly into some calf-length boots.




Dress Up are stocked at Liberty - and here's Yasmin Sewell, Liberty's Chief Creative Consultant, wearing the most wantsome skirt I've seen since records began. Photo by the very talented Vanessa Jackman, from her blog.

I also just noticed that fellow Aussie label Shakuhachi are now being stocked at Urban Outfitters. Long have I waited for this moment, Shaku fangirl that I am. I had a peruse yesterday - beautiful, loosely structured grey jackets with zip-off sleeves, softsoftsoft black jersey and drapey nude chiffon. Perhaps what you'd call quirky future classics. Pricey though, mostly £150-£200. All the more reason for me to get a permanent job, stat.

Photos, (c) Dress Up, except last photo, (c) Vanessa Jackman.

Sunday, 16 March 2008

Missed opportunities

Last year I spent a long time hankering after this jacket by Australian label Shakuhachi.



I wanted to wear it with cigarette pants, draped or tuxedo-style tops and high pointy brogues or flat ankle boots. Or over knitted dresses. UK stockists were non-existent, and the only websites I could find selling Shakuhachi's clothes weren't stocking this jacket. Now I'm living in high-waisted, tightly belted trousers, the jacket would still be the perfect piece to go with it. Alas.

Their current collection has a few consolation prizes though. Plenty of their trademark informally masculine influences, with summery 70s shapes and 80s prints - some of it seems to be informed by the Kylie of the late 80s and early 90s.



[All photos from Shakuhachi's website.]

Still no offline UK stockists, but you can buy in Australia, US, Ireland or Japan, or online at My Catwalk or 0Z Designer. I'm off to said websites to see if they have any of my favourite pieces...