New stockist in Double Bay

I'm delighted to announce that Joolz will be available from 1st September at the Vintage Luggage Company, 19 Bay St, Double Bay. In celebration of this, a pre-launch cocktail party will be held on 27th August. Numbers are extremely limited. Please contact me if you would like to be considered for the VIP guest list.

The Vintage Luggage Company specialises in rare and vintage pieces from around the world, embodying perfectly the ethos that beauty, craftsmanship, and quality never go out of style. They are the perfect home for the Joolz collection! I'll hand over to them to explain further:

"150 years ago, beautiful luggage artfully designed and expertly crafted by famous trunk makers of a bygone era were an obligatory requirement for the wealthy upper classes whilst they undertook fantastic journeys to exotic locations and foreign destinations. "Getting there was not as important as how you got there".

The luggage also needed to exude an air suitably reflecting the privileged circumstances of the blue-blooded aristocracy who formed the travelling elite.

French trunk makers Louis Vuitton and Goyard both designed and crafted trunks of unparalleled quality and inimitable style. Expertly and painstakingly constructed by hand from metal, timber, leather and brass, these trunks were highly sought after and favoured by royal families and international high society alike.

In modern times these exquisite and eclectic pieces of luggage are best enjoyed as stunning decorator pieces in the home and office arena.

Steamer wardrobes and courier trunks are perfectly proportioned as beautiful coffee tables, cabin and hat trunks make ideal side tables or blanket boxes at the base of the bed. The Vintage Luggage Company offers an impressive choice of authentic Louis Vuitton,Goyard, Hartmann, Marshall Field and Oshkosh vintage luggage.

Our aim at the Vintage Luggage Company is to enhance the aged beauty of these exceptional trunks without tampering with their originality. Therefore, while the trunks are meticulously cleaned and the brass fixtures fastidiously polished to a lustrous glow, we refrain from adding new "spare parts". This ensures the integrity of each trunk remains intact and its potential as a valuable investment item is unrestricted.

To experience first-hand the grace and character of these precious pieces from the past, please visit our showroom in Double Bay where a unique selection awaits you."

New stockist in Double Bay

the "Kreativ Blogger" Award

The very lovely Catherine sent me the "Kreativ Blogger" Award. She has the fabulously gorgeous what.to.wear.com.au blog - lots of great stuff on there. Her latest post is set to be a great one for comments, I think, its called: Super Sunday - Super hot or super not? She posts a picture of someone she has seen on the street, or alternatively you can email her a picture, and people can rate the outfit being worn.

Its lovely to receive this award, although it does come with strings attached! You have to tell people 7 things about yourself that they may not know, and then you must pass the award on to a certain number of other bloggers. Now, I am always a little hesitant of those things where you have to pass it on to 'x' number of people - it hints a little of chain letter to me. Although I think in this case, its a nice way of interacting with your fellow bloggers. And I'm pleased to discover that I'm not the only one who thinks this way! Simon's version of the rules, and history of where this particular award seems to have originated, is great!

So although I do think this is a very sweet idea, I've taken out the number of bloggers that you have to 'pass it on' to. I think those kind of things really should be up to the individual to decide. I'll let you read down further to find out what my 7 things are, and whom I've decided to share this award with.

So here are seven things that you wouldn't necessarily know about me...

1. Seven is a special number to me! I am the eldest of seven children. I have three younger brothers, and three younger sisters, whom I love dearly.

2. I am the only one in my family who lives in Melbourne. I live in Melbourne, but I was born in Toowoomba, Qld, and grew up on a remote rural property in between two small towns in north-west Queensland called Julia Creek and Normanton. Its a place of wide-open spaces and I still miss those amazing night skies full of stars.

3. When I was a kid growing up in that remote part of the world, I won a BMX bike in a competition to design a road-safety sticker. I can't actually remember what I submitted, but I think it was something to do with "buckle up to stay alive"!

4. My family still call me by the nickname that I earned when I was a baby. Everyone else calls me Airdrie or a variation on that - Air, Aird, Airds (and once, Pear Tree) lol

5. I have travelled across Russia on the Trans-Siberian railway. Yes, I would do it again.

6. I used to make and decorate cakes in a previous business which I started up when I was just out of high school. However, I find wedding cakes rather stressful to create, and only do it for friends now as a very big favour. Wedding jewellery, on the other hand, I love to create!

7. If you want to make me do something, chocolate should be your weapon of choice.

In no particular order, here are the list of blogs I'm giving this Kreative Blogger award to. They are all different, united by the pleasure I get in reading them. Enjoy taking a look, and if you pop in, let them know I sent you :)

1. http://curiouslittleoyster.blogspot.com/

2. http://ilikeyouworld.blogspot.com/

3. http://mycharliegirl.blogspot.com/

4. http://lilymaemartin.com/blog/index.html

5. http://buctopia.blogspot.com/

6. http://heidiandseek.blogspot.com/

7. http://www.chidesigns.com.au/

Nominee Rules: • Thank the person who nominated you for the award • Copy the logo and place it on your blog • Link to the person who nominated you for this award • List seven things about yourself that people might find interesting • Nominate and post links to the Kreativ Bloggers you nominate • Leave a comment on each of the blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.

the "Kreativ Blogger" Award

RING RING!

I've been making big chunky rings lately. They are quite an obsession at the moment.

I met Alan Raga, a New Zealand photographer, recently and he's been photographing them beautifully!

One of my favourites is the Cameo Ring, but so far everyone else I've shown them to seems very keen on the Black Rose. Some of these rings are made from recycled earrings from the 80s (remember those big cluster things people used to wear on their ears? I decided they would look much cooler as a ring) and some are from vintage buttons, and some are beads... lots of different bits and pieces, and all great fun to make!
If you are a subscriber to the Joolz Newsletter which I email out every now and then, you will have already received the discounted pre-sale offer on three of these rings, which I popped in for those special people!

Which ring is your favourite? I'm curious to know if everyone's going to like the same ones that I do!

1. Black Rose

2. Smoke 'n' Mirrors

3. Cameo Ring

4. Macrame Ring (made with woven thread)

5. Japanese Black Widow Button Ring

6. Eighties Tread

7. Scallopine

8. BeadsBe

Last night I had the pleasure of being involved in a photoshoot alongside Alan, with model Esh, and makeup artist Tessa. Everyone was lovely, and we are all looking forward to seeing the final images... but I couldn't resist popping up this little sneak peek for you!

RING RING!

One of my favourite quotes

I read this somewhere, in fact I'm pretty sure it was on All Men Are Liars. The writer's sister has given it to him. I was so impressed by it at the time that I copied and pasted it into my calendar and set it to bounce up first thing every morning for me to read when I sit down at my computer. It really says it all for me at the moment.

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” Calvin Coolidge

I've since checked out his mini-biography on the White House site and it does seem as if he was a very persistent man himself. I guess to become the president you really do have to be. Having little to no knowledge of the American presidents that existed before my birth, it was interesting to do a little 'background checking'. Well, I must get out of here, I've got a busy day ahead of me. Just wanted to share that. Cheers!

One of my favourite quotes

Top 100 Indie Designers in the World

Well, what an honour! Nolcha (whose multi-faceted platform includes Nolchanetwork.com - online career networking community, Metier Magazine - a fashion business publication, Nolcha Fashion Week New York & Nolcha: London Fashion Week Events, and Independent Retail Week) has included me in their selection of some of the most talented independent fashion designers from around the world. I'm absolutely chuffed and thrilled to be up there. Here's the list: http://nolcha.com/designer-directory and here's Joolz: http://nolcha.com/designer-directory/728-joolz yippee!

Top 100 Indie Designers in the World

Hey UK ecofashionistas!

I found this on Gary Montgomery's Rolling Rack, and I think you might be interested!

"Expose your inner designer:

If you're jonesin to gage your inner design talent then you might want to check out this design contest thingy. As a means to shed light to the recycling of second-hand clothing into something new and eco-chic, Oxfam recently launched Oxfam DIY - a new online fashion resource designed to encourage "redesigning" what's old into something up-to-date and uber-fabulous. Divine British stylist Mrs Jones (aka Fee Doran who has styled The Killers and put Kylie into that white-hooded catsuit for "Can't Get You Out of My Head") styled a photoshoot made up of looks created entirely using garments from Oxfam's recycling facility, Wastesaver.

This time they've teamed up again on a unique fashion design competition. Design and create a customized garment from old clothing or recycled materials, and upload a pic of it to the Flickr stream Flickr.com/groups/OxfamDIY (but run, don't walk, entries close July 15th at Oxfam.org.uk/DIY). The top five designs chosen by Mrs Jones will be featured on the Oxfam DIY site, and the lucky winner will have a one-of-a-kind item designed for them by Mrs Jones."

Hey UK ecofashionistas!