aubergine

photographed by cathrin jo ann wind for jewel magazine

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:22:00 +0000

via gosee

just a little of what is inspiring me at the moment. that first dress is heavenly!

mina tander photographed by dirk messner

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:59:00 +0000

via gosee

returned!

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:19:00 +0000

did everyone enjoy their halloween? i certainly did - it was my first weekend free from the clutches of uni. i have finished! woohoo! a friend of mine had an undead birthday gathering on halloween, and this was my attire, the sexy zipper eye courtesy of this this tutorial. did anyone else do any ghoulish? send me links to pictures! i love costumes :)

anyway, a very short post today i'm afraid, i'm terribly busy watching gossip girl ;) - i am newly addicted!

loves!

the finders keepers independent design markets

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:20:00 +0000

you may or may not have noticed a little 'finders keepers' icon way over there on the right hand side of the screen (if you are reading this in a blog reader... probably not). in case you were wondering, it's not a paid advertisement, i actually make no money from this blog, though i have had offers, i don't think this blog is serious enough to warrant such things. no, the 'finders keepers' is the brainchild of a dear friend of mine, and writer of the now defunct blog, 'fascination with inspiration', and this weekend she is holding her first ever independent design markets in brisbane. the markets originated in sydney, but she is branching out, and coming to qld! if you are around about the place, it would be well worth your while to drop by and have a look, you may even bump into me ;)

sarah has a real passion for encouraging independent design and designers and i truly admire her for the work that she is doing in this area, designers are truly undervalued! so if you are able, please come round and check them out. they will be open on saturday from 12pm till 9pm (plenty of time to recover from friday night!) and sunday from 10am till 5pm. the markets will also feature live music, with a garden cafe and a bar open all day.

more information about the finders keepers markets, and the designers you may find selling there can be found on their (amazing) website here.

see you there!

edit: because this final design project is robbing me of sleep and braincells and i can no longer construct coherent sentences - ugh.

collette and the dog

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:56:00 +0000

oh my, looky here - an outfit post! i was rather excited about this, i have been stuck inside doing nothing but uni work for too long, so a friend's 21st was a lovely opportunity to actually wear something interesting! (i still have no idea why this camera gives me such shit quality photos - i think maybe it's because i set the self timer then run in front of it, so it's not actually focussing on me, because it takes really good photos usually, but i have no idea what to do about that....)

also, i got to babysit my mother in law's dog for a couple nights. she is the cutest, happiest dog you ever laid eyes on. i mean seriously, just look at her!

cute! the collette part of this title refers to the collette dinnigan top that i am wearing, woohoo.

alright, back to the uni. 12 days to go.....

edit: please don't send me to dsyc, i swear that skirt is longer than it looks!!

shoe lust 2010

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:52:00 +0000

favourite shoes from ss2010 so far - dior. i'm not usually a fan of 'skin' on shoes, but on these, they work. i would probably still prefer patent black though ;)

sorry, this is all i have time for today - busy busy busy. not long now till i'm finished my degree - can't wait!

hair lust

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:52:00 +0000

this week i have been suffering from a major case of haircut regret, which is a fairly new phenomenon for me, because i'm not particularly precious about my hair - i will/have tried everything at least once. everyone has been telling me that it looks good, but..... it's just not what i wanted. and i am an idiot, because i always tell hairdressers to just do whatever they want, which works for my super-amazing hairdresser violet, but she has been in london for about 18 months now (sad face). so as a consequence of the haircut regrets, i have been paying very close attention to everyone elses hair, and have mega lust for these lovelies. hopefully my hair will grow back soon and i can feel pretty again (it's amazing how much a bad haircut can just make you feel like the ugliest person alive), and hopefully, it won't be long before violet is back to put an end to the bad haircuts!

a flower not fading nor falling apart

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:43:00 +0000

hello lovelies! have you missed me? :) it's october today, and october is the month i finish university!! it is very exciting! it is also the month that two of my dearest friends get married, and i am bridesmaid for both - it's going to be a busy month! anyway, today i was in a heels mood, so i chucked these on to go to my local westfield ;) i'll be spending the rest of the day trying to do something productive with uni, before heading over to some pre-wedding drinks at bride-to-be number one's house. perhaps i will show you my dress after the weekend - we are all wearing a black alannah hill dress - luckiest bridesmaids ever i think!

lots of love and sunshine xx

ps, a gold star to whoever can guess what song this title is from....

rodarte ftw!

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:33:00 +0000

if you've been hanging around ol' aubergine for a while, you will know i love rodarte. every year i hover over style.com in anticipation of their next collection, and today was the day for ss2010. i can tell you, i was not disappointed! i really feel as if rodarte are in a league of their own, the materiality, the details, the shoes (!!), even the runway order are all so precise and contribute to the overall story. while the collection may not be as 'wearable' as say, alexander wang and erin wasson x rvca, from a design perspective rodarte are miles above in my opinion. i had a look at the aforementioned collections yesterday, and i have to say was sorely disappointed. it may just be me, but i find them intensely boring. there is no originality, ingenuity or challenging of current norms, which as a designer, i believe are integral parts of the design process. while there is a very familiar character and attitude to rodarte's collections, they are always pushing the envelope just that little bit further, always doing things that no one else is doing, always creating a new and exciting world for the audience (and probably themselves) to be immersed in.

and just in case you needed anymore convincing, just look at these images. breathtaking!

just look at those crazy details! i just can't get over it... going to be gasping for the rest of the afternoon....

isabel in precious time

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:52:00 +0000

how proud are we of our little isabel? answer: very.

beautiful, talented and environmentally aware (and modest on top of all that). go isabel!

images via haute macabre

a call out for people in the brisbane area

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:01:00 +0000

hello lovelies, a short break from the normal bloggy business to do a favour for a friend. simon is an industrial designer doing his post-grad research into technology usability for the older generation (correct me if i'm wrong simon...), and is in need of participants. here's what he says:

I’m on the search for participants for my study! I’m looking for people over the ages of 18 (but mainly over 45) to help me create the new knowledge required for my research. I want to borrow your friends, your parents, your grandparents and your relatives!

The only requirements are that I don’t know the individual (to minimise bias) and that the individual does not live in an assisted living arrangement. Participation in the study requires recording of both audio and video data.

The experiment is conducted in the participant’s place of residence, as they are familiar surroundings, and means the participant doesn’t have to come to me. It takes a maximum of an hour, and involves an interview about the products the individual owns, and then a brief observation. The schedule for the study is flexible, and a suitable and convenient time will be arranged with the participant!

The research is focused on how to make contemporary products (such as microwaves, stereos, DVD players, and Mobile phones) more usable for older adults.

if you know of anyone that is able to assist, please email me at aubergineblog at gmail dot com and i will pass along simon's details. thanks!

uh, drew... are you ok?

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:46:00 +0000

can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here??!! please tell me it's some kind of character she's promoting....please?

via the superficial

hot hot shoes are within your grasp!

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:40:00 +0000

if you're a size 38....

.... or 37.5 go nab these beauties right now! and then send me pictures so i can go green with envy! at $315 and $310 respectively, 'tis a bargain!

i seriously think i could stare at these all day.....

from shoes and your mum

valentino "is almost never stubborn"

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:21:00 +0000

on monday night i took my best girl friend and went to see a pre-screening of 'valentino: the last emperor' at the palace cinema courtesty of wittner (my obsession with wittner does occasionally pay off!). it would have to be one of the best movies i have seen in a long time! it was funny, it was emotional, it was heart warming and it was endearing, and we both came out of the cinema with an all over warm feeling. and oh! the clothes! i even feel like the word 'clothes' is a far too pedestrian term for them, they are truly artworks, and to see the work that goes into them is truly awe inspiring. in the film valentino is called "the last true couturier", and it's a little sad that he is no longer designing. but i think the film does him and his art absolute justice, you walk out feeling like there is no other designer. a definate must see.

it opens at palace cinemas on september 17.

the september issue was also quite a fun movie and definately worth seeing if you've been thinking about it, but i have to say, valentino was my favourite.

ps, for those of you who wanted more info about the shreds and wedges post (mostly sarah from dwdj), i'm about to update the post, so check back in 15 minutes or so ;)

a stolen meme

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:52:00 +0000

us vogue 2003 (?)

from... 'cause uni is doing my head in...

currently…

excited about: my oldest and dearest friend getting married in 5 weeks! woo!
worried about: the fact that i have 7 weeks left of uni (ever!!) and oh-so-much to do before then.
reading: the renewable city by peter droege
creating: a retail space based on the ideas of image and identity projection and the consumerist ritual... trying to at least.
loving: my fiancé. he is a true treasure.
hating: my insatiable need for procrastination... exhibit a....
wondering: what the hell i'm going to do once i graduate.
craving: time for lazing on the beach, in the beautiful spring sunshine
listening to: johnny cash, american iv - the man comes around
watching: my computer screen... day in and day out... ugh!
desiring: to be a silver screen hollywood glamour queen

(i changed 'net-flixing' for 'desiring') if you feel the need for procrastination, do participate! and leave me a link ;)

shoe lust: black buckled beauties edition

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 03:59:00 +0000

click on images for where to buy

it's been a while since i've done a shoe lust post! but this is what's been tickling my fancy for the last little while. you all of course would recognise the last two images, the sam edelman 'zoe' boots were of course, re-released and jeffrey campbell did a version of those chloe boots. and i have to say, as much as i love living in australia, it's times like these when i curse it. there is just no way to get my hands on either of these shoes (at least not easily) and it's just.not.fair! (pouty face).

the first two are from pixie market, and oh-so-delicious! those buckles! mmmm mmmm!

for now i will stare at my screen and sigh wistfully.

shreds and wedges

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 04:12:00 +0000

i shredded this shirt last summer, but i just never quite found the right things to wear with it. this works though i think.... (feel free to disagree!) in about 5 minutes i'm off to see the september issue with a friend of mine courtesty of lady melbourne (thanks lady m!). i'm a bit excited! i will let you know how it goes!

still enjoying this beautiful summer weather and sending lots of warm thoughts to those of you in the cold!

edit for those who wanted to know:

the shoes are from zu. they are the closest i will ever get to the marni version that has been all over the blogosphere, so i love them. i don't normally buy from zu, because i think they're overpriced for plastic shoes, but these actually have a leather lining so they're quite comfortable! ~~i know they were on sale a month or so back, so i have no idea if they still have them but the style is called "sparrow", so you could certainly go in and ask about them.~~ should have checked before i posted. they are available here for $45. i hate it when that happens, i paid $100!

the shirt is from lee and originally had these awesome white suspenders attached at the shoulders. one day i just thought it would be cool to shred it in line with the graphic pattern on the front of it (i'm wearing it back-to-front) so i did (you can click on it to see it bigger). camille from childhood flames did a pretty great tutorial on shredding here, so i probs don't need to do another, but feel free to ask me if you get confused!

the 'skirt' is actually a black lame dress and i got it at supre last summer. which i don't like to admit, but it was in the window, and it was just perfect! i have worn it so so much. actually, while i was trying it on, there was a 60 year old lady trying on the same one - so hilarious and so cute!

hope that's answered all the questions, thanks for the comments, i wasn't sure about this outfit, but i might have to wear it more often now!

my google reader is asplode!

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:49:00 +0000

this is the current state of my google reader, so many apologies if i have been neglecting your blog of late. that 'lecteurs' section is where i keep all of the lovelies who frequent aubergine, and it in itself is horrendously overflowing - i started trying to catch up this week and was reading posts from the 27th of july! so... i will do my best, but my final semester of uni just has to take priority at the moment, i'm sure you all understand. but i still love you all!

muah x

summer wardrobe

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:21:00 +0000

with summer fast approaching as mentioned in the last post (although, today is only 26 degrees, woohoo!) my thoughts have been turning to my summer wardrobe, which i feel is severely lacking. here's what i think it needs:

dresses dresses dresses! [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10] it's fair to say that more than anything, i want more dresses - cotton and silk (definately not polyester!). in our kind of heat you want to have as little clothing on as possible and dresses are perfect. you just throw it on, add sandals, and walk out the door. at the moment i am favouring silky, subtley girly type dresses and cotton t-shirt dresses with interesting details.

shorts [1 2 3 4 5]. pretty self explanatory really. i don't own any denim cut-offs, but i'm already over them (over exposure much? though i don't mind the nearly-white denim ones up there) i'd much prefer shorts with interesting details and fabric choices.

sandals [1 2 3 4 5]. you would think with the weather we get here i would have more flat sandals, but it seems most of my shoe budget goes to heels and wedges (whoops!), so i really only have one black pair which are slowly falling apart, and thongs. definately need more sandals (the less gladiator-inspired the better). love love love those coral ones!

now... if only i could win the lottery... or get a job - ha!

summer summer summer!

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:21:00 +0000

here

i think it's safe to say that winter is over here in queensland, yesterday was, shall we say, rather warm at 35 degrees (95 if you prefer your degrees in fahrenheit). how's that for a heat wave you uk-ians :) ? and it's still technically winter! still, i'm rather enjoying it for now, it's nice to dig out the shorts and silk tops again and be able to open up my house without freezing to death - ah, fresh air! also, i get to eat zooper doopers, which i have just recently re-discovered - though they didn't have fairy floss when i was a kid. do you all remember these? yum! here's to beach and iceblock weather, woohoo!

here

compliments by proxy

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:12:00 +0000

i have to admit, i do find it more than a little thrilling when i see an outfit that is strikingly similar to one i have worn being heralded as "superb". i have those boots, i have various sparkly black mini dresses, and i have a long black blazer and i have worn them all together on many an occasion. i even scrunch up my blazer sleeves. now, just to have hair like that.....

on to the photographic evidence! i am not wearing the boots... but you can use your imagination ;)

thanks altamira!

the first glimpse of spring

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:15:00 +0000

something a little different for today - how exciting! today i am grabbing my oldest and dearest friend and am going to look at wedding dresses (!!). i have collected quite a number of inspiration images on my computer, which i would love to show you, but unfortunately my lovely fiance reads this blog too, and we just can't have him having any idea what i'm wearing :) i might try and figure out a sneaky way to show some to you anyway.... speaking of the fiance, he just doesn't quite grasp just how important this whole wedding dress thing is, or how momentus today is given that it will be the first outing to hunt out the perfect one. oh well, that's what girl friends are for!

it has started warming up here a little the last couple of days, i've actually been able to open all the windows and let some air in without freezing to death. and today is the first dress minus tights day i've had in quite a while (as evidenced by the pasty white legs that haven't seen the light of day in many a month!).

hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

edit: i just realised this is the first outfit photo since getting back from melbourne (naughty me...) where i had my hair cut at the glorious rakis on collins st. so, new hair! this is not the best photo of it, and i've had to cut my fringe a couple of times since (my hair is a super fast grower), but i do love it.

vogue is 50 and in my letterbox!

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:28:00 +0000

i'm so excited - i just got my 50 year anniversary edition of vogue in my letterbox and it's huge! i didn't get the cover i was hoping for (the first one), but these david downton images are all beautiful so i can't complain! (i got number four). i cannot wait to start devouring it! but... not now. now i have some uni to work on before we go see harry potter tonight. but devouring will definately happen soon.

has anyone else received theirs yet? which cover did you get? tell tell tell :)

ps, images via the lovely Kelly over at birdy and me

Bakumatsu Koshashin

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:33:00 +0000

bored with the internet? desperately seeking something to fill in those idle minutes? of course you are! well, i have something for you: the Bakumatsu Koshashin Generator.

i apologise for the ignorance, but i actually don't know anything about these kinds of photos except that they are 100-150 years old and japanese. also, despite my ridiculous wording... this is not a sponsored link, i'm just bored and procrastinating :) outfit photos to come when i no longer have computer issues.

edit: i'm also very glad to know i am not the only one that is sick of seeing ol' r patz, or having a distaste for twitter (best comment award goes to Zoë for "twitter is for twats"). also, i thought i was the only one who didn't like those shoes hence the silence, for fear of being lynched. now ms constantine and i at least can be lynched together, haha.

anti pop culture: an abbreviated rant.

noreply@blogger.com (josephine) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:30:00 +0000

for my own sanity, i need to take a stand:

i do not find robert pattinson attractive.
i think these balmain shoes look like they belong in a trashy trailer park
i can not stand twitter.

thanks. i feel better.