Sustainable Luxury Basics

It’s no secret that I am a friend and fan of Aicha Robertson of The Fashion Heist. We have collaborated on several shoots, so when she told me about her new clothing line, I was excited to see what this talented lady had in store. Of course this meant organising a photo shoot to give you a sneak peek of the new line! This was a fun and spontaneous shoot and I hope you love the results as much as I do.

Her label, The Great Beyond, created with partner, Nick Azar, focuses on beautifully soft basics created with sustainability in mind, using bamboo fabric. Even the colours are named to reflect the environmental focus: cloud, stone and night. Coming soon to an online store near you.

The Great Beyond’s vision is to create sustainable goods that compliments the fashion forward women or man and our environment.

A message from: THE GREAT BEYOND

Basics with a green twist, designed in Australia.

Australian fashion label The Great Beyond supplies the essentials your wardrobe needs all year round with the help of bamboo fabric. The Great Beyond’s vision is to create sustainable goods that compliments the fashion forward women or man and our environment. Each piece has been designed in Queensland, Australia referencing the classic styles you love and know.

Launch Collection: The Classics Collection

The Classics collection is here to stay for forever and a day, with a range of 12 designs available in four different colours. The Great Beyond works with a simple formula of expanding from your Classic Shirt into four garments with a simplistic design that will fit into your everyday outfit.

The Great Beyond’s Classics collection is for everyone who loves a classic tee to the simple black maxi dress. With our favourite four colours, cloud, night, stone and deep blue.

Last year I interviewed Claire Goldworthy who is the designer of Brisbane based, sustainable label, Harriette Hill. Her designs have been featured at Fashion Fridays and Undress Brisbane and uses a range of repurposed, antique, new and natural fabrics to minimise her environmental footprint.

Harriette Hill’s vintage, floral patterns on flowing dresses spoke to me of a hot, summer afternoon at the beach, with a light breeze blowing the soft fabric and the golden sun glistening on tanned skin.

I assembled an amazing team and we drove down to the Gold Coast on a sunny afternoon to create this editorial! With Cassandra Green (a fun, intelligent model with a gorgeous smile), stylist Ally Dunlop and makeup by Bek Kemp we had a great afternoon and were even blessed with perfect golden hour sunlight for our final beach shots.

Thanks to this amazing team!

Model: Cassandra Green @Sass Management Brisbane

Makeup artist: Bek Kemp on Facebook and Instagram

Fashion and hair stylist: Ally Dunlop checkout her portfolio, Facebook and Instagram

Photographer: Yolanda van Kimmenade check out my portfolio, Facebook and Instagram

Harriette Hill clothing featured: Floral Drape Kimono Jacket, Frosting Mini Dress, Ace of Cards Dress, Purple Blossom Maxi Dress.

There was a huge variety of fashion showcased by Brisbane’s emerging designers at the RAW Brisbane, Awakening event. From the theatrical costumes of Lotusdevi Designs, who’s models had big hair and even bigger personalities, to the soft, flowing eco-friendly garments of Juzu to the corporate women’s wear of The 400 Co., there was something for every taste!

As usual this is just a sample of what was on offer, so make sure you get to the next RAW event to see it for yourselves!

Juzu

Juzu is an eco friendly fashion label who create pieces that are soft, feminine and float down the runway. To embody the spirit of being more in touch with the earth, their models didn’t wear shoes on the runway.

Lotusdevi Designs

Lotusdevi Designs is a theatrically inspired label, focused on creating bespoke costuming pieces for dancers and alternative fashionistas and lines of limited runs on popular designs. I enjoyed watching these models playing the part of a characters from a cabaret show and having fun with the amazing styling.

Scarlett Menagerie

Scarlett Menagerie is created by Kristine Browning who specializes in custom made garments and accessories for the bold fashionista who loves a pop of colour and embellishments. Each garment or accessory is handmade, from the design sketching, pattern making and sewing.

Eliza

Eliza from Eliza McCabe, a Brisbane based emerging designer focusing on minimalist and modern forms, combined with delicate silk and plenty of warm golden colours.

Falling for Willow

Showcasing their Jungle Fever collection, accessories by Falling for Willow is handmade in Brisbane.

The 400 Co.

The 400 Co. is clothing inspired by the 400 fashion elite who were selectively chosen by Mrs Astor, self-crowned queen of New York, to attend her annual ball, The 400 Co. is dedicated to providing fashion forward Australian women with stylish corporate clothing.

And the winner is… Fabled and True! After 4 huge heats Fabled and True were voted the winner of Capulet Bar’s Fashion Fridays by a team of judges and the fashion savvy audience.

Using beautiful vintage fabrics and lace, these unique dresses (pictured below) are produced sustainably in Brisbane by the lovely and talented Jaye Wolfe (pictured above centre).

The runner up was Flynn who’s structured plastic accessories and simple yet flattering silhouettes impressed the judges.

The event vibe was more subdued than usual, mainly because it was a Sunday, but the designers still brought their best pieces to compete for the title!

Fabled and True

Fabled and True produces beautifully made, limited run, dresses and other vintage inspired pieces. The designer, Jaye Wolfe practices sustainable fashion as all printed fabrics and the majority of the lace and lining are either pre loved, repurposed or vintage.

Jaye Wolfe of Fabled and True with Fashion Friday’s organiser and Harriette Hill designer Claire Goldsworthy.

A Fashionable Crowd

Judges from left: Kyrane Hounslow – Pretty Please Boutique, Emma Gaffy – No Name Style, Andrew Wilson – Dirty Love Photography

Brisbane bloggers Ashleigh of The Blonde Silhouette, Claire of Fashion’s Sweetheart and photographer Elise Walsh of Offbeat Imaging.

Ashleigh of The Blonde Silhouette looking gorgeous and demure in pastel.

Flynn

Flynn designer, Vanessa Flynn with Fashion Friday’s organiser and Harriette Hill designer Claire Goldsworthy.

Flynn creates accessories that work with plastic in new and innovative ways. Her clothing is designed for those who love to have more involvement with their clothing as the wearer can alter and change the shapes formed by Flynn.

Sweet Treats!

Emerge supports and showcases new fashion labels and designers, connecting them with helpful industry contacts and prospective established boutiques. Emerge organised Fashion Fridays and is run by Claire Goldsworthy who is also a fashion designer.

I Found Lucy

I Found Lucy is a sweet and cheerful clothing label filled with memories of childhood dreams. Each time I see these gorgeous designs there is something new and even more adorable, this time? A cupcake printed dress with a rainbow of colours splashed on the skirt! You can’t get any sweeter than that for a summer garden party!

Jessica Tovey

Jessica Tovey (designer pictured above left) showing off her trademark structured silhouettes and edgy tailoring, Jessica Tovey’s designs showcase her signature monochromatic colour scheme. Her collection is created locally using luxurious fabrics and quality craftsmanship.

Lipoa Threads

Lipoa stands for ‘LIttle Piece Of Africa’ which you can see reflected in designer Kristy’s collection, as she pairs African inspired accessories with colourful dresses, tops and shorts.

Undral

Undral is the label by young Brisbane designer Undral Altan, her clothing is playful and her feminine designs are flattering to all shapes. I especially like her colourful use of prints such as this skull and flower playsuit!

Evelyn Curtis

Evelyn Curtis is the creation of Brisbane designer Lexi Wittke (pictured above left). The brand focuses on luxury materials, feminine finishes and unique designs. Each showcase is different as Lexi says she loves trying different styles and new silhouettes, this collection features evening wear including a full length cocktail dress with sexy splits and lingerie.

HoskiN Designs

HoskiN Designs was born from the love of all things creative, spectacular and divine. These pieces by South African born Natanja Hoskin, are all about mixing textures and fabrics to create inspiringly creative garments. Not for the wallflower, these pieces represent couture with attitude!

The energy of youthful exuberance and the creativity of Brisbane’s emerging fashion design and art scene is what makes RAW Brisbane an amazing event. The last RAW Brisbane for the year did not disappoint with an animated short film screened at the beginning of the night, musicians rocking out on stage, finishing with a fashion runway showcasing talented local designers.

The fashion showcase featured couture garments galore and creative hair styling and makeup making the runway a feast for the eyes. If you missed out on attending RAW this year don’t worry because they will be back in 2014!

Fabulously fashionable attendee, Tamzen Holland (fashion stylist) with her husband.

Luna Candy

Luna Candy is original art prints and handmade adornments created by artist Katie Moon. Katie loves popular culture, beverages, plush sharks and pug dogs.

The always vibrant Aicha from The Fashion Heist.

Clone Designs

This range from Clone Designs is focused on using timbers and leather that has been reclaimed, recycled and re-purposed. Breathing new life  into home wares, leather wear, accessories and jewellery. All pieces are unique as they are printed by hand in the Clone Designs studio.

This amazing flower creation is by Wedding Flowers by Julia Rose!

Hunting Faith The Label

Hunting Faith The Label creates pieces inspired by the glamour of the 70′s fused with the effortless chic silhouettes of the 90′s. It was all about short and sexy for summer on the runway showing off the label’s rebellious sophistication.

I Found Lucy

I Found Lucy is a sweet and cheerful clothing label filled with memories of childhood dreams. With amazing hairstyles including an ice-cream inspired look, flowers in their hair and creamy pastels for summer these ladies are ready for a garden party!

HoskiN Designs

HoskiN Designs was born from the love of all things creative, spectacular and divine. These pieces by South African born Natanja Hoskin, were all about mixing textures and fabrics to create inspiringly creative garments. Not for the wallflower, these pieces represented couture with attitude!

Hoskin Design’s creator Natanja Hoskin, with her models.

Kallista Ironmonger is the talent behind Kalistque Dolls, a makeup artist specialising in day, evening, formal, wedding and special effects makeup. She also created elaborate hair styles for Rebecca Cobbing Couture’s runway show.

Rebecca Cobbing Couture

Rebecca Cobbing Couture garments are one off couture pieces, designed solely for the client. Every individual design is its own artistic instalment where the client is the muse. These pieces are intricately designed and hand embellished, the fish tail silhouettes and ball gowns made me wish I had a black tie event to attend!

Silhouettes are bold and dramatic, handmade embellishments adorn classic tailoring and modern textiles accentuate femininity with extravagance and mystery.
- Rebecca Cobbing Couture

Lisah and Nash

Lisah and Nash clothing is made locally on the Sunshine Coast. The collection is for both women and men with key pieces designed to be unisex.

It was a flurry of sparkling garments and beautiful people at the recently opened Aje boutique in Westfield Carindale where, during a VIP night hosted by Westfield, they celebrated their debut with a VIP launch party.

There were bloggers, fashion designers and industry insiders assembled to admire the beautiful clothing. The collections have a focus on luxurious fabrics and embellishments, while always finding ways to combine different textures and add an edginess to feminine silhouettes. Their pieces are created using hand-loomed and hand-embellished fabrics.

Aje is a label synonymous with effortless glamour, tough femininity and disheveled elegance.
- Aje Designers

Aicha Robertson from The Fashion Heist working at Aje and wearing a sequin and feather embellished dress inspired by the colours of magpies.

Ashleigh of The Blonde Silhouette wore an Aje dress, embellished with sequins and feathers and inspired by Australian galahs.

Ashleigh with Aje designers Adrian Norris and Edwina Robinson who flew up from Sydney and were happy to chat about the store and their collections.

Claire Goldsworthy who was recently featured on BNE Style, is the designer of local label Harriette Hill with Anna Nolan.

Attending a fashion show with these two lovely ladies, Ashleigh from The Blonde Silhouette and Amber from Fashion Avenue is always a pleasure! We were treated to front row seats at the Brisbane Designer Fashion Show, in the historic Old Museum with its warm wooden floors and high ceiling. The fashion show was put together by Niki Teljega who’s label, of the same name, closed the show with her couture gowns.

Showcasing a wealth of Australian talent on the runway with designers like La’Or, Charlie Brown, Lipoa Threads and Erin Hassall Designs. With an abundance of flowing summer dresses in bold prints and sparkling evening gowns, this was a feast for the eyes!

La’Or

This is the third time I have seen La’Or at a recent fashion show, first at RAW Brisbane – Translations and then at Undress Brisbane and each time I am transfixed by the way their garments sparkle on the runway. La’Or clothing is made ethically by skilled artisans in Cambodia who hand-loom and hand-dyed the beautiful silk fabrics.

Lipoa Threads

I met the lovely Kristy from Lipoa Threads at a Shop Late event a few months ago and purchased one of her bright yellow, African inspired beaded necklaces. It was exciting to see her fashion collection on the runway, pairing African inspired  accessories with colourful dresses, tops and shorts.

Being a child of Africa, surrounded by bold culture, textures and vibrant colour it is hard not to be inspired.
- Lipoa Threads.

Kaftan Queen

Kaftan Queen showcased their bold printed, beautifully embellished kaftans which invoked summer memories of lazing by the pool, cocktail in hand. The garments are hand-crafted and sustainably sourced.

Howard Showers

The Howard Showers design philosophy is focused on original prints and premium quality fabrics that keep evolving every season.
- Howard Showers

JK Couture

JK Couture is a Queensland based designer who specialises in made-to-measure evening and bridal wear.

Erin Hassall Designs

I recently met the lovely Erin at a Shop Late event (where she was sharing a space with Lipoa Threads) and saw her collection on the runway at MBFF’s emerging designer fashion show. It is exciting to see Erin Hassall Designs continue to evolve and garner more exposure. Her collection includes beautiful prints on flowing dresses and kaftans which are perfect for our Queensland weather. Erin sources fabrics from all over the world but hand makes the garments in Brisbane.

Charlie Brown

Charlie Brown is an iconic Australian brand with a long history in the fashion industry. She favours bold colours and animal prints which compliment with her sexy, edgy aesthetic.

Niki Teljega

Niki Teljega, who was the architect of this event, closed the show with her couture gowns. Featuring plenty of sparkles and some risqué cuts, her colour palette featured black, white, gold and silver giving cohesion to her collection.

Only someone of imposing stature can make a great dane look like a normal sized dog, and Aicha (of The Fashion Heist) achieves this with ease! Pairing Aicha with Levi, the monochromatic Great Dane to shoot local designer, Jessica Tovey’s collection was the perfect choice to showcase Jessica’s strong, edgy clothing. Her pieces are tailored to perfection and she is one up-and-coming designer to watch, recently showcasing some of her new collection at Capulet Bar Fashion Fridays.

Collaborating with the very talented Charlotte Reeves, pet photographer, who is a close friend and mentor, and local makeup artist Amy-Louise Blair, made this shoot a fun and educational experience.

Shooting at the Commissariat Store Museum, (thanks to the Royal Historical Society of Queensland) in the historic area of Brisbane city was the perfect juxtaposition to Jessica Tovey’s modern, structured clothing.

On a location scouting afternoon Charlotte and I discovered Brisbane’s historic district and found this amazing building, which was built by the Commandant of the Moreton Bay Penal Colony and is the only convict built building in Brisbane still in daily use. Exploring the lower levels which are still in their original condition is like stepping back in time.

Claire Goldsworthy’s fashion label, Harriette Hill is a creation that stems from her love of vintage fabrics. She doesn’t design seasonal collections, instead selecting fabric and letting the quality of the material speak to her which catalyses the creation of her beautiful handmade garments while minimizing waste. I spoke to her about her busy schedule, fashion career aspirations and love of op shopping!

The Genesis of Harriette Hill

Fashion is in Claire’s blood, her Great Grandmother owned a dress shop in Victoria in the 30’s and 40’s and left behind a treasure trove of vintage fabric, which Claire used to create her first pieces.

With a love of crafting, Claire’s Grandma taught her to sew. Her need to be creative inspired her to design garments which she sold at markets, and then after receiving positive feedback from her customers, moved her operation online.

Claire has difficulty describing Harriette Hill’s style mainly because so much of the design of each piece comes from the unique vintage fabrics she uses. She loves clothing that isn’t too fitted and finds that each of her garments can be accessible to women across a few different sizes. She rarely uses black in her clothing, instead favouring vibrant colours and patterns, giving her clothing a bright, summer feel.

An Eco Friendly Approach

Did you know it takes 8500L of water to grow enough cotton to make one pair of jeans? Learning about the huge amount of waste in the fashion industry through her university course (she studies a BFA Majoring in Fashion at QUT) further cemented the need to have a sustainable approach to her label. Claire even donates the off-cuts to another local sustainable business called Little Mother Creations (who make children’s clothing and accessories). By hand making all of her garments, Claire is able to weave sustainability into every part of the process.

Claire has enjoyed being involved with Undress Brisbane for the last 3 years (all of the images of Harriette Hill clothing in this article were taken at Undress Brisbane 2013). She loves the chance to show consumers that sustainable clothing isn’t just for eco-obsessed hippies but that any type of garment, from swimwear to evening dresses can be made sustainably and ethically.

Creative Inspiration

One of the designers Claire admires is Jean Paul Gaultier, a designer who isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of fashion and doesn’t necessarily always conform to trends. Claire admires this ethos and loves to try different styles / silhouettes and let the fabric inspire her!

Fashion Fridays at Capulet Bar

What is a fashion designer who is also studying fashion to do in her spare time? Organise fashion events of course! Approached by Leigh, part owner of Capulet Bar, to help create a platform for local designers, the two came up with the idea for an emerging designers competition. Four heats, each of which has a winner voted by the fashion conscious public. The competition culminates in a final where the best designers of Brisbane will stomp it out on the runway to see who will win amazing prizes such as funding to create a new season look-book!

Claire believes that Brisbane has plenty of fashion potential but there are not many platforms for emerging designers to showcase their wares, other than online. This is why events like Fashion Fridays and Undress Brisbane are so important as they give new talent great exposure.

Personal Style

Claire’s personal style is very influenced by her mood. Her favourite places to shop are op shops and antique stores, as exploring and rummaging to find hidden vintage gems is one of her favourite past-times. Flowing skirts and dresses always catch her eye, and labels like Easton Pearson (which she is wearing above) and Camilla fit her eclectic style.

The more I meet designers like Claire who are focusing on eco-friendly processes and trying to change perceptions about sustainability in the fashion industry, the more I am excited about the future of fashion! Sure the price point of clothing for Harriette Hill is higher than in your average department store but these garments are unique, sustainable and made with love.

Collaborating with local bloggers, models and creatives is one of the things I love about fashion photography. This was my first time working with the lovely Jemma Lily who has a stunning smile and no hesitation playing with bubbles and embracing the bohemian style of our shoot! She is a young lady with big dreams of being an actress and the ease with which she works with the camera, I have no doubt we will be seeing more of her on our screens soon.

We were lucky to have a perfect golden hour on this afternoon, where the sun is at just the right angle to softly backlight the models. We had a lot of fun playing in the gardens and marvelling at the beautiful spring flowers that were blooming everywhere.

The gorgeous Ashleigh McCallum from The Blonde Silhouette was both model and stylist on this shoot and she will be posting part 2 of this collaboration soon!

The hair stylist was Faith Williams, who did an amazing job creating a wild, curled mane for each of the ladies. Makeup was done by the lovely Alana Williams who has been a collaborator on many of my shoots and of course my talented sister, Alisha van Bone assisted.

These beautiful silk kimonos are from Lisa’s Closet who are based in Byron Bay and create these signature garments with a conscience, read about Lisa’s commitment to ethical clothing production.

“The kimonos and silks are produced by hand using ancient batik hand painting methods. The traditional process of the clothing is a ‘labor of love’ and a beautiful hand crafted journey that transcends to the wearer.”

Playsuits (above) and soft, summer shorts and top (below) from online clothing store Vigari Fashion.

Handmade bohemian inspired jewellery from Gold Coast based Hunter Gatherer, I actually loved this chunky chain tassel bracelet so much I had to get one for myself!

5 Minutes with Jemma

How would you describe your personal style?
My style changes day to day, I go from a bit of a hippie in floral dresses and sandals to a rock kid in band tees and acid wash denim hahaha but I love white shirts/singlets with a cute pair of shorts, and playsuits!

Where do you love to shop?
I shop at City Beach heaps! (Partly because I work there) I can always find something I like there to suit any style. Other than that I just pick up things from anywhere and everywhere, I also raid op shops and make/ customise a lot of my own clothes.

Who is your style icon / someone that inspires you creatively?
I don’t have one particular style icon, but I adore Selena Gomez, Blake Lively, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Benson at the moment.

What do you love about fashion and modelling?
I’ve always had an unhealthy obsession with clothes and fashion so falling into modelling was the sickest thing ever! I love that I can change my entire style day to day. I’m pretty laid back most of the time so I usually don’t take shoots too seriously, I like to just have fun with it! I’m up for anything too which makes for some hilarious behind the scenes shots!

What else are you passionate about?
Aside from my style I love performing, acting, cheerleading and dancing! I’d really love to make a career out of screen acting.