Lace & Stars: a journal of pretty things

George Gross dress

Jade — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 04:01:59 +0000

I really adore the colours in this dress by George Gross:

{I’m sorry for no updates lately, life has been busy but hopefully I’ll start making regular posts here again soon!}

Neet Magazine

Jade — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 05:43:06 +0000

I LOVE Neet magazine. I’m not normally a fan of online magazines - there’s something about holding the real thing in your hands, being able to turn the glossy pages, circle the things you like or tear out the pages you love to put up somewhere (or keep for inspiration), but Neet Magazine is fantastic. The design itself is fantastic - interactive flash pages that you click on to turn to the next double spread, as well as links within all the pages so if you see something you like, you can click on it and go straight to the designers webpage; but most of all, I love how the magazine features independent designers, creators, artists, photographers and writers. The amount of talent in these pages is incredibly inspiring!

The magazine is free to view online — I hope one day it becomes an actual paper publication, as it definitely beats some of the other fashion magazines out there on the newsstands currently…

Bloom cosmetics

Jade — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 09:48:23 +0000

Following on from my last post, some more pretty packaging that I love:

Bloom Cosmetics has become sort of the poster child for Australian women starting their own businesses and going on to be huge successes - Natalie Bloom started her company in 1993 (at age 22!) after displaying a handmade candle-making kit at a trade show in Melbourne. These kits caught the eye of a Myer buyer who promptly ordered 5000 of them - which were later made by Natalie and her family on the kitchen table! Bloom Cosmetics are now stocked in 14 different countries, including Australia, the US, UK, Japan, and various countries in Europe and Asia. Her range includes makeup and skincare, candles, and bath accessories.

I particularly love this new range of packaging - the pretty pastel colours and delicate florals suit my tastes perfectly!

Pretty packaging

Jade — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 13:13:01 +0000

I adore things that have pretty packaging - perhaps that’s superficial, but the way a product is packaged can definitely influence a person’s decision of whether to buy/use a product or not (and packaging doesn’t always have to mean it’s unenvironmental-friendly, for those who are eco-conscious!). As you’ve probably gathered from this blog so far, I’m quite partial to girly/whimsical designs, so when I saw the designs on the following products, you know I had to write about them for future inspiration…

Bourjois Paris

Charles Worthington, dream hair collection (sorry these are so big, but any smaller and the detail was lost)

They might not be particularly groundbreaking, but I think the designs are pretty, and definitely the style I love.

magazine love

Jade — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:08:05 +0000

Okay, so you’ve probably gathered from my collage posts at least that I am a bit of a magazine addict (just ask my mother or my boyfriend!) Two magazines I have recently fallen in love with though are a little more unique than the usual Vogue/fashion/beauty mags that I happily indulge in, and they are quite inspiring as well as being an enjoyable read.

Frankie and Yen are Australian magazines and feature a lot more independent designers (both Australian and also some international ones, though the main focus is on Australian talent, which personally, I find quite refreshing), as well as other talented artists, photographers, writers, and musicians. I suppose they are the Australian equivalent of Nylon magazine (now that there is no more Australian Nylon magazine), with a fresh perspective on fashion, music, art and photography. They are only bi-monthly - but I suppose that’s a good thing for my already-out-of-control-magazine-addiction…

a little update

Jade — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 06:04:28 +0000

Sorry for the lack of updates this week; I’ve been flat out at work and home, and everything in between. I have, however, found time to fall in love with this dress, designed by Christopher Kane for Topshop in the UK:

I also very much wish I could do this course at the London College of Fashion… except for the fact that I live in Australia. Rats.

More updates to come soon!

Marie Antoinette

Jade — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 09:45:18 +0000

I finally saw Marie Antoinette last night, which I have been longing to see ever since I saw the photo spread in the September issue of US Vogue last year, and it didn’t disappoint at all. I don’t know how historically accurate the film was, but I fell in love with the beautiful costumes, the scenery and set design, the exquisite details, the pastel colours.

Some of my favourite screencaps/images from the film:

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some things I love this month

Jade — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:42:49 +0000

Just a few things that are sustaining me at the moment…

{Smitten handcream from Lush; my 4gig iPod Nano with some favourite music by Emilie Autumn and Queen Adreena (amongst others); Born Lippy flavoured lipbalm from The Body Shop; inspiring books by Jerry Oppenheimer and Leiza Clark; and of course, my favourites, Vogue magazines from Australia, US and UK (yes, I’m a little addicted!)}

&some things that aren’t in the collage: my boyfriend Noel ♥, letters from dear friends, nice weather, vanilla coke, reading about fashion shows, & stuffed toys.

Spencer & Rutherford

Jade — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 06:18:41 +0000

I have been a fan of Spencer & Rutherford handbags for quite some time - I adore their whimsical designs, beautiful materials and exquisite detail. Spencer & Rutherford began as a creative collaboration between two sisters in Sydney, Australia, and has grown into a label carried by some of the biggest stores around the world.

To me, Spencer & Rutherford bags are the epitome of decadence - the only problem is that some of them wouldn’t be big enough to quite fit all the stuff I carry around with me every day! Here are some of my favourites:

I also adore this diary from their range:

Elie Saab

Jade — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 02:27:18 +0000

From this year’s 2007 Spring/Summer Haute Couture shows in Paris (held late January), some of my favourite pieces were by a Lebanese designer, by the name of Elie Saab. Saab taught himself how to sew as a child, and when he was 18, in 1982, launched his Beruit-based label. He showed his first Haute Couture collection in Paris in 2003, and is now a permanent fixture on the Paris runways. He has dressed celebrities such as Halle Berry, Beyonce Knowles, Salma Hayek, and Catherine Zeta Jones.

His clothing features silk, chiffons, embroidered lace and pearl beading for a feminine aesthetic - so you know I’m going to be loving his items!

Some of my favourite pieces from his show this January:

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