silk

Vintage kimono silk Crazy Cat softie, AUD $35 by sallymac

I spied sallymac's Crazy Cat (pictured above) at Platform (at LIFE inSTYLE). I love his cheeky expression and wild eyes, AND the amazing graphic print on his vintage kimono coat. He had to come home with me...

Japanese cotton play mats (100x80cm) by sallymac. Polyester filling, machine washable, AUD $64 each. Cotton dog softie AUD $15.

The term eto refers to the Japanese zodiac. It is based on the ancient Chinese concept of zoning time and direction into twelve blocks, each block being given an animal name. Your eto is decided by your birth year and the twelve animal signs are the mouse, the cow, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog & the wild boar.

Japanese cotton machine washable bibs (AUD $15 each) and cotton Dog softie (AUD $15) by sallymac

Sydney designer Sally McCarthy has based her gorgeous range of sallymac softies on the Japanese eto. She combines exquisite vintage kimono silks and contemporary fabrics to create these sweet characters, as well as various baby gifts, accessories and unique kimono silk lampshades.

Japanese cotton Cat softies, AUD $18 each by sallymac

I love the serene expression on faces of the Japanese cotton cat softies pictured above - sleep tight kitties!

Waffle Towel with Japanese cotton hood, 70x70cm, AUD $35 and cotton Sheep softie, AUD $35 by sallymac

This here is just too cute for words!

Japanese red cotton Dog softies, AUD $25 each by sallymac

These pups are perfect for those who prefer bright colours for babies - bold red prints on Japanese cotton. (I think you could be forgiven for naming them Spot!)

Japanese cotton Dog softie, AUD $18 by sallymac

You can see that sallymac's Japanese cotton Dog softie (pictured above) has a classic "cuddle me" shape. These are toys which will become instant favourites with your little ones...

Japanese cotton Dragon softie, AUD $25 by sallymac

This one represents me! The dragon (tatsu) is apparently the most peculiar of the 12 signs of the Zodiac cycle. Supposedly we are healthy, energetic, excitable, short-tempered and stubborn, but also honest, sensitive, brave and inspire trust in people. (We can also breathe fire!)

If you're wondering where to find one of sallymac's eto critters, I heard they live in the following habitats:
NSW: MCA (Circular Quay), Bella Emporio (Rozelle), Ekho (Thirroul), Kido Store (Randwick)
ONLINE: Karimu

For a full list of stockists, visit www.sallymac.com.au.

Bamboo Dress by Kisu

New dress! New dress! As I type, I'm wearing the prettiest new addition to my wardrobe - the Moon Flower Dress by Sydney label Kisu. I'm over the moon about this new find, first spied through the window of Kisu's Newtown boutique a couple of weeks ago. I chose the black/grey patterned option pictured in the style below left (in the red/orange colour combo). It's hard to see the pattern in the photo, but it features same delicate geometric design as the Jasmine Dress on the right.

Moon Flower Dress (AUD $139) and Jasmine Dress by Kisu

It's always a challenge for me to find a dress that fits well. The extra curves don't really suit the strappy dresses or crossover tops which have been everywhere the last few years. Not only does the Moon Flower style have a gorgeous neckline and fitted & flattering A-line cut, it is also made from cotton with a little stretch, so it really sits beautifully - and not just in the tiny size being modelled in the pic! The detailing around the waist is so cute too...

Butterfly Shorts and Summer Grove Top by Kisu

Kisu is the creation of Sydney fashion designer Mylinh. The doors opened to the Newtown store a couple of years ago - any Sydney indies from the Newtown area will recognise the cute & enormous head of the Japanese mannequin as well as other characters who have appeared in Mylinh's colourful window displays. It's always hard to resist popping in to admire her designs (and shoes!) which are totally different from anything else in the area.

Red Leaves Dress by Kisu

You can download Kisu's full Spring/Summer 2008/2009 catalogue from the web site at www.kisudesign.com.au or visit the store at 179 King Street, Newtown 2042 (phone: 02 9519 2668). The designs are all quite different - so something to suit everyone!

Spearflower Stitch Dress and Lotus Dress by Kisu

Peachypan designer Fee must barely be able to keep up the pace - so many of her handmade Kanzashi hair accessories have moved to the "Sold" section of her web site since last I looked! (which wasn't that long ago...) The floral pretties pictured here are so beautifully handmade and all are currently for sale at www.peachypan.com. Japanese Snowdrop (my favourite for now!) is pictured above left while Marie Antoinette is featured above right. Below are Coconut Ice (delicious, left) and Forest (right) with its sweet leaf green highlight. Each of these is listed under "Everyday Kanzashi" - most of which are AUD $8.99 each.

Gold Coast designer Fee lived in Japan for a year and it opened her eyes to an amazing culture. She discovered the world of tsumami kanzashi - tsumami referring to the pinching of fabric, and kanzashi meaning hair clip. Kanzashi masters in Japan are responsible for creating the intricate hair pieces worn by geisha and maikos (apprentice geishas). Fee adored this unique art form & learnt how to make kanzashi from buying books in Japanese (quite a challenge when you can't read the language!) and from resources on the web. She finds the process coupled with the end result inspiring, and says that with a lot of patience, persistence and practice, it's extremely rewarding!

Elaborate Kanzashi: Crystal Drop (AUD $75) and Red Berries (AUD $50) from Peachypan

Inspired by "Kawaii" (a Japanese word referring to all things cute) she returned to Australia & in 2007, launched her own label, Peachypan - "Cute things for you and your hair". Specialising in her signature kanzashi, and with necklaces, rings, earrings, badges, tees & stickers joining the lineup, Peachypan is all about fun-loving colours and the sweet, cute simple things in life. Fee can't think of a better way to spend her time & hopes that the label above all offers people a cute fairytale escapism.

Pineapple Pieces and Lucky Star Kanzashi, AUD $8.99 each from Peachypan

As you can see, in addition to the "everyday kanzashi, Fee also creates "elaborate kanzashi" which are truly one-of-a-kind! They are incredibly detailed and range in price from AUD $50 to $75. The kanzashi-making process is quite complex. The first step is dying the silk. (This is perhaps Fee's favourite part - she loves colour & coming away with multicoloured stained fingers!) After the silk is dried, the huge sheets then need to be cut into tiny squares - certainly the most tedious part of the process... After that, each square is folded, origami style, into a petal. This is repeated until you have a flower. The true hair pieces worn by geisha and maikos have hundreds and hundreds of petals and would easily take up to a week to create.

Fee also creates super-cute accessories from found charms that she converts into necklaces or earrings - such as the Wishbone necklace pictured above (AUD $11.99). The sweet face on the neighbouring badge (AUD $1.99) is "Yagi", the playful black goat who also appears on Peachypan t-shirts.

Peachypan is stocked online at www.vintageartfarty.com and Leeloo, and of course, at www.peachypan.com

These sumptuous, predominantly leather handbags have been hand-crafted by Chenny K, who is based in Adelaide, South Australia. Everything here is a limited edition and each design has its own name and personality. Pictured above is the Flippod leather shoulder bag which is available for AUD $169.
It fastens with a magnetic clasp, and has been designed to stay comfortably around your arm.

Leather was chosen as the main focus for the label due to its strength and textures, as well as being a long lasting material. Chenny K uses a classical approach to design - using simple forms and adding a twist of something new and surprising to make each bag truly unique. They have created an impressively large collection of original designs, all of which reflect the essence of the brand - playful, chic & functional products that make a difference to the way in which a woman feels when purchasing or receiving a Chenny K gift. Pictured above are the Kou (left, AUD $129) and the Future Biscuit leather handbags (right, AUD $139). I particularly love the bold style of the Kou bag with its use of negative space to create handles.

While leather is the signature material of the Chenny K collection, other fabrics such as silk or denim are used to compliment the range. Pictured above are two fabric handbag designs - the Incu .03 (left, AUD $59) and the Scroll .01 (right, AUD $79) which features a wonderfully-shaped wooden handle.

The leather theme is continued above in the Ripe leather bag with its narrow straps and folded edge (left, AUD $99) and the Forever shoulder bag (right, AUD $139). The traditional shape for a handle has been rotated 90 degrees for the Window Wrist .01 (below left, AUD $49), creating both a striking visual shape, and a bag that fits comfortably around your wrist without ever getting in the way. The feature silk panel adds a finishing touch to this creative design. Finally, the gorgeous Camera Bag pictured below (right, AUD $39) may not fit my 30yo SLR, but it would be perfect for your slimline digital camera :) Once again, the detailing is simple, functional, and compliments the design perfectly! The entire range is designed & made in Australia and full descriptions of each bag are available at Chenny K's online store at www.chennyk.com. Delivery is free, no matter where in the world you live and the quality of craftsmanship ensures you will love your purchase for many years to come!