Saturday 31 May 2008

The Gradual Migration Of Australian Fashion


Aussie Rules is the proud name given to its self Styled football game (A combination of Gaelic football and rugby league), simply called “Australian Rules Foot-ball”, or as commonly phrased “off to the footy love” it is gaining international popularity concurrent with Australian budding fashion designers. The name of the game is play by the rules, or you will have to front the tribunal and if found guilty of fowl play, miss a few games.

Thanks to its long-standing multi=cultural heritage, Australian designers can draw from Western, Polynesian, Asian and Aboriginal influences; the net result is Aussie Rules Fashion, like footy its serious business.

Though Europeans scorn Australia for its lack of culture, by drawing comparison from their own, however, Dame Joan Sutherland and Dame Nelly Melber, two of the greatest female soprano’s were born and raised in Australian cultural back water. En route through the continent and England, were met with countless standing ovations and duly awarded by Royalty the highest honour bestowed on women, “Dame” equivalent to “Sir” So naturally like any of the arts, if you want to say you’ve made it, you have to get recognition in Europe, England or America.

Australia’s holistic approach to business disciplines became evident at the 2000 Olympic Games haled as the best organised in history. An example of how seriously they take to getting on with business.

R.M Williams the man, brandished power with reins in both hands to tame wild horses while mustering longhorn over thousands of miles, across treeless plains and parched river beds. On developing the bushman’s outfit, his gentle nature observed the needs of his fellow Jackaroo’s booting needs, thus began The R.M Williams tradition, which is now part of Australian heritage.

Now spanning the Indian- Pacific from somewhere in the middle of nowhere, caught between the far east and Antarctic, Aussie fashion is poised to blitz the world with its out door style that reflects diverse cultural heritage. They’ve taken the best that Europe had to offer and improved on it, now as fashion stultifies with a pungent generic odour, time for cool change, as fresh as the “Fremantle Doctor” on a scorching hot day. This is the name given to a sea breeze in Perth Western Australia. It’s the only thing that occasionally dispels the blistering heat, like a doctor’s medicine cures fever.

In search of a greater audience to pitch against, they look towards London England the fashion capitol of the world and extend a long standing, harmonious relationship.

As an outwardly conservative nation, the well dressed man about town, even in searing heat; it’s common to see those wearing suits and ties. Ian Flaherty, renowned jewellery and cufflink designer working out of London, his biggest international buyer is David Jones and Australian Department Store equivalent in quality to Selfridges or Nordstroms.

Australian fashion encapsulates all its cultural oddities, naturally, unencumbered, adaptive and well managed, is capturing hearts.

Mr Williams legacy, riding boots the fairest and finest of all, moulded from a single piece of leather, there are no seams to split.

Purveyor of finely crafted men's fashion accessories: designer silk ties, handmade silver cufflinks & leather wallets, by British Designers, like, Vivienne Westwood, Timothy Everest, Ian Flaherty, Veritas Gifts, LBB London, and Shane McCoubrey. Perpetuating traditional English made clothing accessories is part of our ethos.

Thursday 22 May 2008

Fleur de leys cufflinks


Perpetuating her own unique style, Vivienne Westwood marks a new creative direction for men’s fashion accessories and jewellery design. As in this ornate pair of cufflinks the Fleur de leys, one of many different styles to look out for.

Monday 19 May 2008

Spring Forward, Fall Back, Fast Forward For Fashion


Fashion is a fast forward industry, but continually falls back on archives to draw new inspiration from old styles. It’s as repetitious as the 1-2-3-4 beat of rock and roll including the back beat.

Often it’s easier to gauge changing weather patterns than to predict the rise and fall of fashion clothing. Like an inexperienced sailor navigating un-chartered waters, you’ll be tossed about by the waves and loose any sight of direction.

Many designers, ill equipped have been left high and dry on the high tide line. It’s a ruthless industry and piracy is rife.

But there’s always good weather on the way.

For those who are anecdotal-wise, here is one of particular interest, the outcome of an accident that changed the direction of men’s neckwear.

In the late 1940s, a silversmith named Victor Cedarstaff went riding with friends in the Bradshaw Mountains outside Wickenburg, Arizona. When the wind blew his hat off, Cedarstaff removed the hatband, which had a silver buckle he did not want to lose, and put it around his neck.

When his friends complemented him on the new apparel, Cedarstaff returned home, and wove a leather string. He added silver balls to the ends and ran it through a turquoise buckle.

Cedarstaff later patented the new neckwear, which was called the bolo because it resembled the lengths of rope used by Argentine gauchos to catch game or cattle.

Now mass-produced, bolos are usually made of leather cord, with a silver or turquoise buckle. They are common throughout the west and are often worn for business. In 1971
Arizona legislature named the bolo the official state neckwear.

Twenty years before the advent of the Bolo, another innovation took shape, when a pioneering Paris fashion designer, Jean Patou, invented the designer silk tie. He made silk ties from women's clothing material including patterns inspired by the latest art movements of the day, Cubism and Art Deco.

To a puritan, known, to a novice fascinating, to an aspiring designer essential knowledge, because fashion is based on historic events that helped shape the world. It is underpinned by the formation of style.

Definitive styles, without dropping names, are pretty thin on the ground. The dark suit is one that has been around for centuries and since the 20’s has changed little other than a few cosmetic alterations. Punk, as defined by Vivienne Westwood is in constant pursuit of perfection and still a major influential concept 30 years after inception.

Perpetuating her own unique style, Vivienne Westwood marks a new creative direction for men’s fashion accessories and jewellery design. Far removed from her early days of Punk; a comprehensive selection from her current collections of finely crafted silk ties, cufflinks and pendants for men.

If you want a tip of what fashion style is due next? Keep one eye on the weather it can change any time.

Finally another anecdote to fall back on: 1952: Douglas Fairbanks Jr declares 'Savile Row has recaptured the tailoring supremacy of the world'. Fairbanks Jr is one of the 20th century heroes of Savile Row. As far back as 1937, it is recorded in Anderson & Sheppard's ledgers that he recommended Marlene Dietrich to the firm when she was in England to make Russian revolution epic Knight Without Armour.

Have things really changed that much?