Author Archives: gracienumber1

Upcycle with Melanie Child

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It’s a fact that the fashion industry has a bad reputation for being wasteful. Very wasteful; shamefully wasteful. But we all have to wear clothes on our back, so what to do?

By Wendy Johnson

Melanie Child, a fashion designer from New Zealand, says we have to think about what we wear and make decisions about whether we want to add to the problem or do something about it. Melanie, who runs independent fashion label Melanie Child, knows a thing or two about the topic. She is an award-winning designer specialising in upcycling, and not just any old upcycling; high-end, fashion-focused upcycling.

Upcycled by Melanie Child

Upcycled by Melanie Child

In Melanie’s world, upcycle means to reuse one item to create another of higher quality or value than the original. “We live in a world saturated with mass production and its by-products,” says the designer. “Approximately 4 per cent of total annual waste into landfill in New Zealand alone is textile waste. It’s a big problem.”  Continue reading →

Getting Special with your Slow Cooker

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Healthy recipes for slow-cooked comfort food

By Emma

Do you know slow cooking is really healthy? There’s little added fat, and if you use fresh, organic fruits and veggies, skip the sweet packet sauce mixes, and make your own stock, you’re getting comfort food that’s good for you, and sustainable!

Lamb shanks with spicy plum sauce and garlic mash

Lamb shanks with spicy plum sauce and garlic mash

Winter is the perfect time to get out your slow cooker and put it through its paces. You can pop everything in the cooker in the morning and leave it until dinner-time, or alternatively, let it cook overnight, refrigerate the next day (so the flavours fuse together and are further enhanced) and warm it up for dinner. Even better, pop on your favourite pastry top and you’ve got the perfect winter pie!

The following recipes are super tasty, super healthy, super easy, and all have something a little different to make them super special! Check out our terrific comfort food slow cooking and enjoy! Continue reading →

Melissa-Rose Boutique Terrariums

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Glass Balls of Beauty!

melissa rose Succulent terrarium           melissa rose terrarium1

Melissa-Rose Boutique is a small emerging business in Bungendore specialising in terrariums (terraria), kokedama (moss balls), and gorgeous boxes and hampers with succulents, cacti, quirky plants, chocolate, biscuits, and bubbles. LFW caught up with Melissa-Rose a couple of weeks ago at the Old Bus Depot Markets. Read on for more about Melissa-Rose terrariums Continue reading →

Who is MirandaSAKHINO?

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By Wendy Johnson

It’s hard to peg Miranda Seakgosing. A fashion designer? A style blogger? Well, she’s both, and a new mum and definitely model material. I mean, look at her in these gorgeous photos.

Photographer: Andrew Kiyingi. This photograph is copyright and not to be used without permission

Miranda. Photographer: Andrew Kiyingi. This photograph is copyright.

Whatever role she’s playing, Miranda, of contemporary label MirandaSAKHINO, has her hands full these days. She’s busy putting the finishing touches on her latest collection, which she’ll showcase on Friday, 15 May at FASHFEST. This is Miranda’s debut appearance at the event and when she’s not busy backstage getting her models zipped up—to wow guests with her designs—she’ll be in the audience with her co-designer and photographer husband, reporting for the event. How versatile is that? Click the link to check out more stunning photos including from her latest collection.  Continue reading →

Canberra’s Inspirational Design

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The inspiration that is Canberra

By Wendy Johnson

Whoever says Canberra isn’t a truly inspiring part of the world is, well, very misguided. Very misguided. Just ask several of the fashion designers madly working on their new collections for FASHFEST 2015 about their inspiration. They’ll tell you the bush capital, and surrounding region, offers up plenty to work with.

BMdesigns by Barb Mickelson

BMdesigns by Barb Mickelson

Click the link to read who’s inspired by what at FASHFEST 2015! Continue reading →

CIT has Talent!

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CIT Graduate All-Stars at FASHFEST

By Wendy Johnson

Travelling. Tea parties. Sports. Psychoanalysis. Luxury resorts. The corporate environment. What’s the common thread?

The recent graduates in fashion design who will be launching debut collections on the catwalk at FASHFEST 2015, culminating in an All-Star Showcase on closing night. The six young designers, fresh out of studies at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), promise guests an exciting experience. “It’s rare to have such a diversity of aesthetic,” says Steve Wright, who teaches fashion and design at CIT and is FASHFEST’s producer. “It’s why we decided to do the showcase on Saturday, with all labels forming one segment. It will be challenging to choreograph because of the diversity, but intriguing for guests.”

Models: Lara Schroeder; Bronwyn Whitton; Georgia Whitton. MUA: Meg Stewart Makeup. Photographer: Kelda Rundle Photography

Models: Lara Schroeder; Bronwyn Whitton; Georgia Whitton. MUA: Meg Stewart Makeup. Photographer: Kelda Rundle Photography

CIT is FASHFEST’s official education partner. “We have always believed in growing the industry in every way we can,” says Co-founder Andrea Hutchinson. “That includes providing graduates with a platform for their work. This is about providing new designers with real-life experience and what is involved in the serious business of showcasing and branding a fashion label.”

Read more to check out all the CIT graduates and their labels Continue reading →

Music! Music! Music!

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FASHFEST has always been known to buck the trend and that includes with music. No boring piped-in music for this event. No pushing music to the background. FASHFEST is beating its own drum!

By Wendy Johnson

FASHFEST has always thrilled guests with live music and this year is no exception with 15 live musical acts on deck to entertain 4,000 guests across the event’s four nights. The line-up includes artists who have backed great musicians like James Morrison, Guy Sebastian, Christine Anu, Ricki-Lee Coulter and Grace Knight.

Ashley Feraude (Magnifik) FASHFEST Musical Director

Ashley Feraude (Magnifik) FASHFEST Musical Director

The music has been scouted and will be produced by Director Ashley Feraude (alias Magnifik), who has hand-picked 8 vocalists, 4 DJs, 2 instrumentalists and 1 producer—a record number for FASHFEST—including many respected and well-known names on the Canberra music scene. “Just like the fashion itself, the sounds of FASHFEST are truly memorable,” says Ashley. “These top acts bring their own sense of style to the guest experience.” Continue reading →

Jewellery reflects Canberra’s Infrastructure

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Canberra’s roundabouts inspire beautiful jewellery!

By Wendy Johnson

What do you think of when someone mentions Canberra’s infrastructure? Well, apart from the never ending road works, it’s got to be the roundabouts—right? And did you know there are 15 roundabouts between Belconnen and the airport? Talk about going round in circles! But those roundabouts, and maps of Canberra, do so much more than help us get around. They inspire!

TanjaVonBehrens_1

Tanja von Behrens, a contemporary jeweller living in Tasmania, is designing a new collection of pieces based on our streets and the aesthetic of the city so carefully planned by Walter Burley Griffin many moons ago. Tanja will launch her new jewellery collection at FASHFEST 2015, on the Friday of the four-day event (13 to 16 May). Her place in the four-day event is a great fit since the theme of that night’s show is ‘Cartographer’—the mapper inspired by location and place. For Tanja, this involves creating a piece inspired by Captain Cook Crescent, and a wrist cuff inspired by Anzac Parade. Continue reading →

Hustle&Scout – Bigger and Better!

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The Market; the Bling; the Newbies, and the Favourites!

By Wendy Johnson

When Hustle&Scout hit the capital, it did so with a bang. And ever since that packed-out inaugural event, Canberrans have flocked to the Twilight Market to, well, hustle and scout for fabulously designed and, more often than not, hand-made clothing, jewellery and more.

HS Flyer

The next market, 11 April, is the third that founder Tegan McAuley will hold at the expanded premises in Fairbairn and it promises to be the biggest and most entertaining. Planning is also underway, as if Tegan isn’t busy enough, for the first Hustle&Scout in Hobart, to be held at the gorgeous Long Gallery and Sidespace Gallery, Salamanca Arts Centre during the weekend of 20 and 21 June.

But back to Canberra soil. All up 63 designers will showcase their wares at Hustle&Scout. This includes 21 new stall holders, some Canberra-based and some from interstate, and five designers who will launch new collections on the runway at FASHFEST.

Designer: The Prodigal Daughter

Designer: The Prodigal Daughter

Read on to find more about The Market, the Bling, the Newbies, and the Favourites! Continue reading →

Latest ChinWag out NOW!

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LFW Dogs includes covers and articles from ChinWag, a quarterly digital magazine published by ACT Rescue and Foster (Inc) (ARF). To view the articles and images click on LFW Dogs in the posts list in the right-hand side bar.

Winter 2015 ChinWag Out Now! Download your copy from http://www.fosterdogs.org 

ARF Chinwag Winter 2015 mag cover

Our winter cover girl is Peppa (formerly Diva), a golden oldie at 8 years plus, who came into care from the Canberra Pound (DAS) and is now living a life of luxury at Lake Illawarra. Peppa has the honour of being ARF dog number 2,500 rescued and rehomed since the organisation’s inception in 2001. On average the organisation rehomes 178 dogs each year.

Read what The Canberra Times Gang Gang column said about ARF and Peppa here.

Find out more about ARF and how YOU can help, visit www.fosterdogs.org