Heart of the River

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Dress: Asos cotton, elastic

Heels: Nine West suede, patent

Clutch: Adorne lace, wood

Necklace: Gift, plaster of Paris, paint, silk thread

Bangle: Gift, plaster of Paris, paint

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So elated to be sharing these beautiful photographs taken a couple of months ago on the Riverheart Parklands boardwalk in my hometown of Ipswich, nestled beside the in-turn mighty & meandering Bremer River. Yes, this really is South East Queensland on the cusp of wintertime - no jumper or jacket required, bare legs & warm sunshine peeking through the cloud-cover, turning everything vibrant shades of green.

I'm posing against the stunning backdrop wearing an amazing white cotton balloon-sleeved mini smock dress with elasticated waistline from online retailer (well, at least in Australia) Asos that is pretty much an EXACT REPLICA of a design by Copenhagen-based designer Cecilie Bahnsen for (I kid you not) less than ten times the price; the original far more than this fledgling fashion blogger, stylist & commentator could afford to spend on one item, beautiful though it may be. 

In all honesty, I do wish that I could afford the genuine article when it comes to issues like artistic integrity & environmental sustainability but this isn't always possible or practical & I do, of course, recognise that there is a premium involved in certain "it" names within the fashion industry that has nothing to do with the monetary cost involved in producing a product. Regardless, I'm heartened by the fact that the Asos version is made from material sourced in conjunction with the Better Cotton Initiative, the governance group promoting better standards in cotton farming & practice in over 21 countries & is therefore less detrimental to Mother Earth even in some small way.

For this particular series of shots, I've styled the dress with a pair of sky-high black stiletto heeled suede pointy-toed mules with shiny patent straps from Nine West for the perfect juxtaposition of textures, a black lace "pouched" clutch with maple wooden handles from Adorne & for the final flourish, a matching vintage gold-painted paper mache sun "face" pendant on black silk thread & a sunray bangle, gifted to me by some dear friends & purportedly handmade in Venice as part of an opera costume.

Keep scrolling for a final look at this amazing ensemble...