an invitation

Would you like to come to Juliette Hogan's show at New Zealand Fashion Week? Juliette has kindly given us two double passes to the show to giveaway, which is rather exciting as she is one of our favourite designers - and the collection that she will show looks like it is going to be beautiful!

If you (and a friend) would like to come along (and will be in Auckland on the day of the show), email us at somuchtotellyoublog@gmail.com with your name and address before September 8th. We'll select the two winners at random, and notify them the next day. Good luck!

Juliette Hogan spring/summer 2010

Photo by Guy Coombes

perfect

From here.

jazz hands

What do you listen to while you work? Sometimes I listen to Motorhead, sometimes I stream the Rose Quartz blog, but most of the time I listen to Sam Cooke, or jazz. I am listening to Chet Baker and it's breaking my heart.

that's all there is, there isn't any more

Young NZ designer Celine Chapman has been on my radar for a while, with her cute label Celine Rita. Last week she launched her latest collection, named after and inspired by my favourite childhood fictional character, Madeline (everyone who knows me knows that when I decide to have a baby, it will be one perfect girl child called Madeline). Think schoolgirl, think French, think, yup, cute. Oh yes, and I have to have that stripey blazer. See more, buy pieces and watch a video of the collection here.

mood board

Russ Flatt / Twenty-seven Names / Alexa Chung for Madewell / Catherine Deneuve / Georgia Jagger in W

This Spring I'm into exactly what I was into last year: pretty pastels, collars, dresses, beehives and flat shoes.

it's britney, bitch

Britney covers Pop's special "blonde issue", with Hillary Clinton, Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg girls inside. I am obsessed with these covers; can't wait for the magazine to come out.

covered up

Sweaters are sexy.

US Vogue September 2010

less is more, and other cliches

Have you noticed something lately? An obsession with minimalism is permeating everything in fashion - from my UK Vogue to the blogs I read and the collections I admire. I want to clean up, start again, sell almost everything I own and aspire to own a small, carefully curated selection of 'just the right things'. It might be attributed to the onset of spring, and that my disposable income is currently nil, which, as always, makes me irresistibly driven to refresh and spring clean.

It is almost fetishistic, an anorexia of the wardrobe, an obsessive, control exerting exercise in a bid to appear pulled together, clear, mature, level-headed. It's nice to not shop, not that I do anyway. This girl seems quite enamoured with the idea - a careful, slowly built wardrobe to keep forever. Capsule wardrobe! The suitcase wardrobe! I don't want to be boring, but your material obsessions are freaking me out! I don't want any more wedges or handbags or anything! It makes my brain feel fuzzy - I want to keep space and money for thinking about books and music and doing stuff.

sprung

we love gillian and gillian loves...

Gillian Tennant recently launched her new, eponymous collection of sweet, calm and vintage-inspired pieces. She is based in Sydney, and I really like what she is doing. You can see the collection here, and I suggest you do take the time to take a look. It's simple, pared back but pretty and I would quite happily wear all of it this summer, particularly this lovely top, and this and this... the list goes on. Here are her very harmonious top ten favourite things...

1. Doggies
I love dogs. In particular, I love my dog, Molly. I adopted Molly from the RSPCA five years ago and she's my little soul mate. Molly and I are a package deal - you don't get one without the other!

2. Gelato
My all-time favourite food. When I was travelling through Italy last year, I ate two cones a day. In Sydney, I can highly recommend Dolcissimo in Haberfield - the staff are a bit snippy but the gelato... oh so yummy!

3. Bloomers
How cute are bloomers? I'm looking forward to breaking these ones out from my collection as soon as summer hits.

4. Liberty prints
When I was a little girl my mum used to create the prettiest little liberty print dresses for me. Since then, my love for liberty has never wavered. I especially liked the Merci for Liberty range that came out a little while ago - so gorgeous! I'm in the process of developing a few liberty pieces for my next range.

5. Hand-made jewellery
My boyfriend learnt how to work with silver a little while back and made me the sweetest, most delicate little ring – I never take it off.

6. Washed Out and Worn In
I'm always attracted to a soft, washed out colour palette - even in winter. And I love my clothes to look worn in - aged fabric (especially natural fibres such as cotton, linen, silk and denim) is just so beautiful.

7. Sisters
I have three of them and I’m so lucky. Nobody gets me like my sisters do!

8. Chie Mihara shoes
Incredibly comfortable, affordable and very, very cute!

9. Sessun
Have you heard of this beautiful French label? I'm a big fan - www.sessun.com

10. Saying 'I love you'!
I probably say this too much, but I don’t care! I want the people close to me to know.