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If you have watched or read Paper Towns, you’ll know that paper towns are deliberate fictitious entries used as copyright traps to reveal copyright infringement. When Farfetch reached out to me and asked me to create my version of the perfect fashion week, it got me thinking about designers and their work and how it all gets filtered down to your local chain store outlet. Now I’m not saying that high street is just badly made-for-plebs stock since 99.9% of my closet consists of these unoriginal knock offs. What I am trying to say is that yes, fashion week is a strange and inaccessible phenomenon for us commoners but it shouldn’t have to be. The rise of luxury e-commerce retail has already bridged this gap with sites like Farfetch providing all the biggest international and Australian brands, both hot off the catwalk and dug up from the past vintage. We have public art galleries that everyone can access so why not do the same for fashion … get rid of all that exclusivity and caste system that goes something like editors, celebrities, a-list bloggers, etc.

Instead of runways, I propose presentations. I loved Ten Piece’s show in the Bondi Icebergs pool last season so public places like that and the steps of the Opera House would be great stages to admire these brilliant works of art. Reminds me of those Qantas ‘Spirit of Australia’ advertisements where the kids stand in different spots and sing. It would also save those poor photographers scurrying frantically around with their long lenses, trying to get all fifty looks snapped in under ten minutes. I would love to see Alex Perry, Ellery, Zimmerman, Alice McCall and Sass & Bide but more than anything, Paolo Sebastian. Couture is where the heart is at and Sebastian’s South Australian handcrafted pieces make me swoon.

Fashion Week, I believe is an incredibly stressful time in the fashion world. The amount of tweeting, snapping and gramming that happens before, after and during the show is insane. I, myself have never been to such an affair so I will compare it to what I find stressful: examinations. When I am stressed, I need to be comfortable … so I carry this sentiment into how I would dress for fashion week. A matching top and bottom set that reads like gallery worthy masterpieces (they are Valentino after all) but feel like sleepwear, Charlotte Olympia slippers that take the constellation theme to the next level and a bag that is this season’s it silhouette whilst still managing to resemble a sleeping bag so you can take a nap in between shows.

Shirt / Trousers / Shoes / Bag

To the uninitiated, fashion week is kinda weird … whats with all the bizarre everything? I realise now that fashion week is about putting a lot of stuff together and then hoping that you will end up on some well known street style blog deeming you the coolest kool khat of the year. If that’s the goal, then I want to be repping my favourite Aussies. Starting with an Alex Perry of course, shouldering with an Ellery piece and hiding my lack of face makeup with some Ksubi shades. Then there is the conversation starter piece – “oh this old thing … its a Chanel cosmetic bag that doubles as my camera bag” and then these garish Dolce & Gabanna sneakers that I am hideously attracted to.

Bag / Dress / Shoes / Sunnies / Blazer

This was an interesting post to develop. It required some research which taps into the business student that I am and I don’t really know how I managed to stumble upon this paper towns concept but I went with it even though it doesn’t really make much sense. I hope you enjoyed reading nevertheless and as always, have a great week ahead!

Blog Post created for Farfetch ‘Take Over Australian Fashion Week’

I hope you guys are ready for a rather chatty post this hump day. I’m starting a new series on Style Smorgasbord called SS Brunch and today I’m delighted to introduce Juliet from TheJulietReport on Instagram. The idea behind these posts is just to feature other voices and personalities on this blog so you don’t get sick of me and my puns all the time. We’ll talk about all kinds of random stuff and then open the floor to you guys as well so you can join in the conversation too! As a trial, we’re keeping everything lighthearted today but in the future, I would love to delve into some other issues too. And what better meal to pour over our chatty concerns than brunch!? So without further ado, lets give a hand to SS BRUNCH WITH JULIET! I fell out of my chair when she agreed to draw something for Style Smorgasbord and I hope you guys hop over to TheJulietReport for more of her work.

Karen: I thought I would wrap up my holiday posts with several travelling questions so tell me, what’s your favourite city to holiday in? Juliet: Even though I have been there about five times already I still always dream about New York. I feel a special connection with New York. There is always so much to do there, it is a very inspiring place. Karen: That reminds me I need to put Welcome To New York as my phone ringtone, the opening tune is the best!

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Karen: I feel like packing your carry on has almost become a science nowadays. There’s all these special compartment bags you can get and bottles that meet security guidelines … I tend to love overpacking reading material and then abandoning it for in flight entertainment … and then falling asleep! What are your personal in flight essentials? Juliet: I love to keep busy so I have to take my drawing equipment, a new book, magazines, skincare, especially lip balm and a refreshing face spritzer.

Karen: This is a bit of a strange one but I recently got my passport photos taking so I was wondering on a scale of one to ten (one being hate), how much do you like your passport photo? Juliet: Two. It isn’t a very flattering photo. I don’t think it even really looks like me.

Karen: When you step off the plane, are you a Kate Middleton or Miley Cyrus (i.e. polished and fresh or half dead haha)? Juliet: I’d like to think that I’m a Kate Middleton. I always choose style over comfort. Karen: Unfortunately, Miley for me. I just slap on a hat and sunglasses and hope I’m incognito lol.

Karen: Tell me about your creative process, do you draw at a particular time of the day? What materials do you use? Juliet: I have always been curious and always love to share what I know. Most of my inspiration comes from my world, the things I do, the people I know and the things that I am interested in. It always begins with an idea, a thought, or a feeling. Depending on where I am or what I’m doing, I usually just keep notes on my phone to remind me, or I take photos of things I’d like to draw. I draw all the time, I draw when I wake up, on the train ride to and from work, at my desk, at cafes on my lunch break. I am a little bit obsessed with drawing, I can’t stop. I love to use watercolour but at the moment I am having a lot of fun with using Copic Markers. Karen: That’s amazing! I can totally see it come through your work as well 🙂

Karen: When I first came across your feed, one of the things that struck me about your work was the little captions underneath. I personally think they’re charming, witty and relevant but what’s the significance of them? Juliet: The captions are usually things people have said to me, sometimes they are from things that I have read. I never know what they will be until I hear it. It can really be anything that I connect with, anything that makes me think, or question what I already know. The quote usually comes first, however sometimes if I see something I’d really love to draw, I then find a quote that will go with it. Karen: That is so interesting because for me, I always shoot my photographs first and then the caption or title comes later!

Karen: My readers would like to know your biography … or at least a little about you – what do you do, how you roll? Juliet: I was born in Perth and moved to Melbourne about eight years ago. As I mentioned, I’m super curious so that means I have tried many different things. I have studied, accounting, journalism, makeup artistry, fashion and textiles merchandising and currently I’m in my third year of a Fashion Design Degree. I have worked as a barista, in fashion retail, I worked in Finance for ten years and now I work as an Assistant Designer for a Menswear label and as a Freelance Illustrator. I love doing new things, I love spending time with my friends, I love reading, going to the movies and drinking coffee. Lots of coffee please! Karen: Wow, that is really something, thank you so much for sharing!