Darling in Deco

 

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Dress: Sacha Drake silk, embellished silk

Heels: Jo Mercer leather

Bag: Sportsgirl woven straw

Bangle: Gift, vintage shell mosaic

Bracelet: Gift, vintage shell pieces

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Avid readers of this blog will already know how much I absolutely adore not only art deco styling but the complete works of British mystery author Agatha Christie & the fact that famed director Kenneth Branagh has decided to take on the role of Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot (made famous by Sir David Suchet, in my opinion) and film a plethora of new films based (somewhat loosely, as the case may be) on his most famous fictional cases & set during one of my all-time favourite time periods is cause for celebration! To wit, I donned this absolutely divine cream, navy & blue floral print silk wrap dress with peaked cap sleeves, bias cut & embellished belt from Australian designer Sacha Drake to truly immerse myself in "Death on the Nile" & the heady world of 1937 Karnak and Luxor aboard a luxury ocean liner with a handful of seriously devious & fabulously rich individuals... all with secrets that they'd be willing to kill for... I styled it up with a pair of silver leather strappy heels from Jo Mercer to add some height to my five foot frame, a natural woven straw bucket bag from Sportsgirl to carry all the essentials while adding a jaunty "sea cruise" vibe & a pair of matching vintage shell jewellery pieces in the form of a chunky mosaic bangle & large piecemeal bracelet, both with a distinctly ocean blue tinge to complete the look.

For those wondering, I did enjoy the film, however if I'm truly honest, I must admit that I consider it to be third in line for this particular tale - after the David Suchet version from 2004 & the Peter Ustinov version from 1978 which was a literally smorgasbord of superstar performances from Angela Landsbury, Jane Birkin, David Niven, Maggie Smith, Mia Farrow & Olivia Hussey to name but a few. I found it to be a bit slow in some spots (the same as I found with Branagh's version of "Murder on the Orient Express") & some of the changes to Christie's work were unnecessary & in one particular case, quite upsetting. Regardless, it was enjoyable for the amazing scenery, the stunning costumes & the cunning murder plot which many find to be contrived but I consider to be a hallmark of Christie's work, where the timing always works perfectly & every little piece falls into place as if by magic. Have you seen the film? I'd love to know what you thought of it in the comments section.

Scroll down to see more pictures of this beautiful look... including a little photobomb from a certain furry feline interloper...

Joan

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Dress: Anthea Crawford embroidered mesh, lace trim

Cardigan: Review lurex knit

Pashmina: Dream Gems Winston Glades silk, wool

Ankle Boots: Wittner patent leather

Bag: French Connection vinyl, pompoms with silver hardware

Hinged Bangle: Precious Stones Jewellers silver

Bracelet: Kellie's Antiques Victorian silver, filigree heart locket

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All dressed up & ready for an event celebrating the release of the film Red Joan, starring Judy Dench, Stephen Campbell-Moore & Sophie Cookson, scrutinising the events of the thriller loosely based on the the real-life events surrounding British physicist Melita Norwood (Joan Stanley in the movie) who led a double life as the longest-serving British spy for the KGB after being recruited while at Cambridge University, the partnership (as it were) spanning more than half a century from the outbreak of WWII to the year 2000. There is so much to "unpack" about a film such as this... from discussion about how someone comes to be radicalised & whether or not this alleged "brainwashing" is their fault to why someone would betray their country for the sake of ideals & whether or not this is ever an acceptable defense to whether the world as we know it today is so far removed from the aftermath of the war that we cannot truly understand how difficult it must be to live in its shadow to how far someone would or should go for love.

For the occasion, I'm wearing a gorgeous navy & pink floral embroidered mesh shift dress with lace trim from celebrated Aussie designer Anthea Crawford, sparkly navy lurex knitted cardigan from retro-themed "girly" label Review, rainbow silk/wool pashmina with fringing from a little boutique called Dream Gems at Winston Glades, a pair of shiny navy patent leather ankle boots from Wittner & vinyl crossbody bag with pompom strap & silver hardware from French Connection to carry all the essentials. When it came to jewellery, I donned two of my favourite silver pieces - an art deco inspired hinged bangle from Precious Stones Jewellers & chunky Victorian bracelet with filigree heart locket & teeny tiny key from Kellie's Antiques.

Scroll down to see the look without the pashmina...

Tip Top

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Dress: Jayson Brunsdon Black Label jacquard

Snood: Orange Sherbet wool

Mules: Wittner suede

Bag: French Connection suede with silver hardware

Hinged Bangle: Precious Stones Jewellers silver

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As someone who lives, eats & breathes the creative arts, I feel that it's important to support other Aussies who do the same... particularly when it entails having the chance to spend some time with my perpetually-busy, perennially hardworking brother & sister-in-law. In that spirit, I am excited to share share a few outfit pictures, a film review of the newly-released "Top End Wedding," directed by Wayne Blair of "The Sapphires" fame, co-written by Miranda Tapsell starring herself & Welsh actor Gwilym Lee of "Bohemian Rhapsody" & "Midsomer Murders" fame, as well as snippets of the fare on offer at American-style BBQ rib joint Special Rub in Coorparoo.

For the occasion, I donned a gorgeous blush, black & pale blue floral jacquard 1960s style shift dress with fluted three-quarter-length sleeves from Jayson Brunsdon Black Label exclusive to Myer stores, chunky black wool knitted snood (or infinity scarf, as some call it) from an amazing little boutique called Orange Sherbet at Redcliffe, black suede pointy-toed mules from Wittner with matching boxy suede handbag with oversized silver handles from French Connection & finally, an art deco inspired, wave-shaped silver hinged bangle from Precious Stones Jewellers to complete the look.

Now to the movie review...

For me, "Top End Wedding" was a bit of a contradiction. The themes were brilliant & timely for both Australian & overseas audiences but the writing was a little bit clunky in certain places. The jokes elicited an amused smile when they worked (with possibly a few laugh-out-loud moments) & were horrendously cringe-worthy when they didn't. Some of the tropes were a little tired & somewhat stereotypical & cliche but the authenticity & sincerity brought to the project by both Tapsell & Lee offered glimpses of a new, vibrant energy. Perhaps a slight revision of the final script would have "tightened" it up even more & left a better overall impression but never-the-less, I still left the theatre with a smile on my face after a hankered-for happy ending & the catchy soundtrack had me humming under my breath for hours afterwards.

BBQ Beef Brisket with Fries, Slaw & Sauce

Cornbread with Honey Butter

Washing it all down with non-alcoholic American Root Beer...

Blue Room

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Dress: Anthea Crawford sateen

Heels: Wittner leather

Bag: Forever New vinyl with silver hardware

Tote Bag: Homes by ASF woven

Cuff: Najo via Precious Stones Jewellers silver

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A few little snapshots from a morning spent enjoying the ambiance of Rosalie's Blue Room Cinebar with the family, catching the latest screening of "The Aftermath," starring British screen darling Keira Knightley, Alexander Skarsgard & Aussie actor Jason Clarke. I'm posing in front of the impressive entry-way wearing a gorgeous vintage floral printed sateen fit-to-flare dress with portrait neckline from Anthea Crawford, blush pink leather lace-up heels from Wittner with matching blush pink vinyl crossbody bag with silver chain strap from Forever New, circular woven tote bag (ideal for carrying absolutely everything... including the kitchen sink, quite frankly) from Homes by ASF at Rosalie & finally, a silver tribal cuff from Najo via the divine Precious Stones Jewellers.

** Tip: Make sure you order some Thai food from the menu to snack on during your film - it comes from the restaurant next door & is absolutely delicious! Spring rolls, in particular, are highly recommended.**