Franny Gets Frocked: The Pursuit of Power

Tuesday 5 January 2016

The Pursuit of Power

Dress: David Lawrence stretch jacquard

Heels: Novo vinyl & lace-up

Bag: Jag vinyl

Cuff: Gift, vintage silver & shell

Spent Sunday in the pursuit of power... Medieval Power, that is! My younger brother & I decided to venture to the Queensland Museum together for the first time in years to view a selection of medieval treasures usually on display in the famed British Museum in London before examining the rest of the exhibits, wandering over to Southbank Parklands for a peek at the Collective Markets & delicious meal at Ahmet's Turkish Restaurant & finally, exploring the Queensland Art Gallery's varied artworks before relaxing water-fountain-side in the lush, statue-filled courtyard beyond...

Medieval Power admission prices were $22 per person for a single visit, with deals available for families or large groups & in my opinion, well worth it. Having traversed the British Museum three years ago, I was concerned that I may have already seen many of the artifacts on display but I was pleasantly surprised & astounded by the offering, which included delicate religious artifacts made from silver, gold & ivory; royal jewellery including tiara fragments dripping in rubies; intricate tapestries & stained glass windows; statues from a variety of castles & cathedrals & playing pieces from the celebrated Lewis Chessmen set to recall but a few.

Such a "big day out" required a casual, comfortable - yet stylish & artistic - ensemble & this monochrome spotted stretch jacquard sheath dress from David Lawrence with its high neckline, elongating "princess seam" cut & below-the-knee hemline was the ideal base, particularly when worn with a pair of speckled lace-up heels from Novo. In this case, the pattern-mixing works because of SIZE - the spotted print of the dress is a much larger scale than the speckled print of the heels, making the mash-up look intentional rather than accidental; the stylist secret to a cohesive yet visually compelling look.

Instead of adding a "pop" of colour with the accessories, I decided on a more muted choice & carried a black matte faux croc Jag handbag. A little tip I've learnt after years visiting museums & art galleries - it's always a good idea to carry a handbag that is large enough to fit in all the essentials yet smaller than an A4 piece of paper to avoid having to line up & leave it at the coat checking facilities, wasting time during busy periods like weekends & holidays. Most venues will check your bag for anything that may damage artifacts & artworks (water, paint, cigarette lighters) but as long as the bag has a sturdy zip or clip, they will often let you take a small bottle of water through as long as you don't drink it while inside.

When it came to jewellery, less was definitely more - a sculptural vintage silver tribal cuff with row upon row of small conch shells that a dear friend who lives in India sent me as a birthday present last year.