MISS SHOP BLOGGER PROJECT

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of shooting with my favourites Pedestrian TV for an exciting new campaign with Miss Shop Myer, one of Australia's largest and leading department stores. The Miss Shop Blogger Project has brought together 15 Australian bloggers to pose for various themed shoots in vibrant locations to model their new Autumn/Winter 2012 collection. Akila Berjaoui, Elvis Di Fazio, Nirrimi Firebrace and Thom Kerr were also asked to come on board to capture the youthful essence that is the Miss Shop brand. My series was a sixties pop theme, with bright pops of colour, knee high socks and over 30 helium balloons making this possibly one of the funnest shoots I've ever been a part of. I've always wondered what I should wear to a game of Badminton or what I would look like with a short bob with matching bangs... Can't wait to see the rest of the girls (Zanita from ZanitaZanita, Mandy from Oracle Fox, Sara from Harper and Harley, Jess from Tuula to name a few) shoots as their released over March on the Pedestrian TV site here.

Photographer: Thom Kerr // Stylist: Chris Ledger // Hair: Sina Velke // Make-up: Rachel Brook

B E T T S . B E A U T Y .

(Stylist/Model: Nicole Warne, Photographer: Zanita Whittington, Hair & Make Up: Vanessa Collins)

A few months ago Zanita and I collaborated on a new spring/summer campaign for Australian shoe retailer Betts. The campaign revolved around a colour blocking theme which I styled and modeled, whilst Zanita worked her magic behind the lends once again. Candy coloured pumps, bright two toned wedges and chunky platforms packed a punch in Betts new summer range and made this campaign a breeze to shoot. This was actually the project that started my full on colour on colour phase which you can see is something I'm still going through months later. I love how Australian brands like Betts and Bonds are embracing, supporting and encouraging the blogging community and I couldn't be more grateful for this wonderful opportunity. Like always, it was like mixing business with pleasure shooting with Zanita again and I even picked up the 'slightly concerned' and 'half surprised' look this time round. As well as a lovely little feature in one of our national newspapers, The Sunday Telegraph (pictured above).

Betts are also running a styling contest over on their Facebook Page where you have the chance of winning a $5,000 shopping spree with Westfield! All you have to do to enter is submit a photo here of your most stylish outfit with your Betts shoes and get your friends to 'like' your look. The girls with the most likes will make the finals and the winner will be chosen in a weeks time by none other than Vogue photographer Candice Lake. I thought I'd choose my favourite 6 styles to provide a little inspiration for you all. I have a feeling this summer is going to be our biggest and brightest yet!

F E E L . T H E . C O L O U R .

A few weeks ago Bonds commissioned 5 Australian bloggers to star in their new summer campaign called "Feel The Colour". The brief was.. well, brief, and we were given complete creative freedom to interpret it however we pleased. Bonds are known for their iconic basics and briefs and have just released their new Microfiber and Mesh Hipster range in an array of bright and bold colours for summer. I wanted to stay true to the Bonds so I kept the styling extremely simple and focused on creating a mood instead by trying to capture natural action shots. I basically spent the day jumping, leaping and rolling around the grass in my underpants (which wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be), often forgetting we were shooting because I was laughing too much or trying to stop 21 helium balloons from floating away. After working on a few things together it's become second nature to shoot with Zanita and I'm constantly learning something new every time we do. I love the natural shots she's captured here and now you all can finally see what I look like when I'm smiling!

Bonds gave us a few meters of their new fabric to play with and I absolutely love how slinky and smooth the Microfiber feels on your skin, which I made into a billowing maxi skirt that caught the wind perfectly. The textured mesh is available in bright neon colours and I felt instantly happier by wearing it, even if it was hiding underneath my clothes that no one else could see. When I think of Bonds I think of young, fun, colourful and playful campaigns so I hope mine is something along those lines too. Special thank to Bonds for having me on board. I grew up wearing Bonds and have always been a boy leg kind of girl. Definitely feeling the colour for Spring/Summer!

All underwear and fabric: Bonds
Knitted Pink Jumper: Ruby
Red Blazer: Zara
All other pieces: Gary Pepper Vintage
Nail Polish: Bloom x Sass & Bide

L A V E N D E R .

(Vintage pleated skirt/hat/cross necklace, Random Top, Alexander Wang loafers)

With the rain holding back and the sun finally behaving like it should this time of year (you know, rising early and setting late) I've been able to start wearing some of my favourite vintage hats from my ever growing collection. They're cute, fun and practical all rolled in to one and keep my face protected from the harsh elements that come along with Summer. This black satin hat fits my head perfectly and comfortably sits on the back, top, or side of my head without falling off, which is impossible with shallow, wide brimmed hats! I always find it weird when you stumble across something that makes you question if it was indeed made for you and if it was fate that you found it?

Anyway, I've been patiently waiting for my new backdrop and studio equipment to arrive in the post so i can finally start taking photos for the store. I haven't told you all yet but I'm launching my new online store in just a few weeks! It's been a secret for so long now that i didn't really know how to go about telling you all, so i opted for the super casual approach instead. It's been 3 months in the making and I'm so excited to show you all the work I've been quietly doing over the past few months, not to mention the new branding, blog, lookbook and stock i have coming! I'm so nervous and anxious to see if it's going to go well and i never anticipated the amount of stress that still comes with launching something you have put your whole heart in to. I've already burst out crying once, let's hope it doesn't happen again!

To give you a better idea, I have backlogged over eight hundred beautiful dresses alone, ready for the launch, with another three hundred expected to arrive just before Christmas! Then add jackets, jumpers, cardigans, skirts, shorts, tops, and boxes full of new accessories i have accumulated and you can imagine the amount of stock i have right now! If everything goes to plan you will all be seeing it very very soon and i honestly can't wait to show you the amazing pieces i have. A sneak peek will be up next week so stay tuned :)))

N E W S P A C E .

These are just a few photos i took around my newly converted office this morning. It's big and white and utterly perfect for what i need right now in terms of where my business is at, and i couldn't be happier with it. In the mornings it's filled with a beautiful light which comes straight through the window, where i can not only see the ocean but watch the sunrise too. It makes those early morning starts just a little more bearable. I thought it would be interesting to show you all what it looks like now to what it will look like once I've properly settled in and covered every inch in cute little things i pick up along the way. It's slowly coming together and I'm beginning to find a home for everything. I seem to be spending late nights, early mornings, and any minute i can locked away in this room - I just love it so much that i never want to leave! But the most important thing is that it has only enhanced my productivity and provides a beautiful open space for Chloe and i to work away like crazed, vintage loving pixies, without disturbing anyone else :)

The first (and only) thing that i've put on my inspiration board at the moment is an illustration Chrissy kindly gave to me last week when we went for breakfast. It's insane (or insanely inspiring) that she drew this cute little jellyfish from just a few colored biro's! This was just one of so many illustrations she has floating around her place and i still can't believe how talented she is.

As for the second last photo, it's one of my favourites. Just three pieces of paper that i hold so close to my heart and each represent different parts of my store. I'm not sure if most of you know this but Luke was the one who drew my Gary Pepper banner, the one of the owl with a girl in an owl suit, and he had the original artwork framed and gave it to me for Christmas. The other two include the original art work of the Gary Pepper Girl with her panda head beanie by Chrissy Lau and my certificate of registration as a company. I don't think Chrissy and Luke realise how important, and how much they contribute, to my store and how much i couldn't see GPV without them. So these frames are a little reminder of the people who make Gary Pepper, well, Gary Pepper :)

So that's my new space at the moment. I'll post more photos soon - there's still another half of the room with racks of vintage lining the walls, a bathroom, and walk in wardrobe dedicated to Gary Pepper Pieces and the Tuchuzy collaboaration! Oh and just another little thing in my office at the moment? A rose pink box that arrived on my door step a few days ago. Yes, my heart skipped a beat when i opened it and i just can't wait to show you my new Miu Miu's! Photos to come, i promise!

B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S.

So like i said in my previous post, my friend Chad has been putting together a short video of the day we spent shooting in the city and i am so happy i can finally share it with you! Chad is a freelance film maker, the creative force behind the extremely popular BOOM podcasts and has worked with people like pedestrian tv and semi permanent. I really am blessed to be surrounded by such amazingly talented and creative friends, friends that want to happily contribute their part to my store and friends that take time out of their busy lives to make mine that little bit sweeter. Then there is also the special kind of (boy)friend who is always willing to share his photography skills and limited time to help take beautiful photos for my blog. So a very big thank you, Luke and Chad - you're honestly the best and make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have known you both.

I'd also like to quickly thank Maggie Eckford for giving me permission to use her song 'For What It's Worth' and for being the 'voice' to our very first video. I came across her super cute music on Triple J unearthed and loved that i could, in some way or another, support up and coming talent here in Sydney. If Gary could sing i would picture her to sound something like this :) You can listen and buy Maggie's music on Itunes here.

And last but not least to Ty and Solestruck.com for sending me these amazing 'Snick' wedges by Jeffrey Campbell. They were the shoes that inspired this entire video and i have fallen head over wedge in love with them. I can't wait to post the rest of the photos but for now, as promised, here is the video we made that "takes you behind the scenes of the gpv x solestruck.com collaboration and into the whimsical world of Gary Pepper and all things vintage". I hope it gives you a little insight into how we shoot my photos, how much fun it is, and in some ways makes me seem more like a human than the photos you see on here.

It is the first of many more to come so i hope you all like it! Enjoy :))))

Spread the love and reblog this if you can :)

L E O P A R D C I T Y.

(Blouse: Vintage, Band Skirt: Some asian store in Sydney, Wedges: Jeffrey Campbell, Leopard Backpack: Vintage)

Just a few random photos from when we all went to the city the other week. I don't usually walk around in my wedges during the day but in all the rush i packed three pairs of Jeffrey Campbells for the shoot and forgot any form of flat shoe. Lucky for me i find platform wedges extremely comfortable and weirdly enough can walk better in them the higher they are? I think it evens out my really long torso... Anyway, these stockings are so thick and warm that they actually feel more like pants than anything and this leopard backpack is my favourite purchase of the week. It's easy for faux fur to look tacky (especially a leopard print backpack!) when it clashes with bold prints and vibrant colours - two things that are a plenty in my wardrobe, so i don't get to wear it as much as i would like to.

I won't bore you with the business side of the store even though it's consumed my entire week so far but i can tell you that i have started sourcing my new collection which should be up by next week! I had planned a huge road trip and wanted to make it as far up the coast as i could, then stay in a hotel and keep going the next morning but i simply ran out of room in my car and had to turn around. I plan to set out on attempt number two in a week or so when my auctions have closed and all the ciaos of sending out items has settled down again, hopefully i can make it a little further this time!

I feel like i have so many things i want to share with you all but either i'm sworn to secrecy or i don't want to get my hopes up just yet. But I received some cute little surprises in the mail this week and can't wait to do a post dedicated to them with plenty of 'thank you's'. Luke also finished editing the photos for Solestruck.com so hopefully i can post those photos very very soon! For the time being, my friend Chad has been putting together a 'behind the scenes' video of our day in the city that hopefully will be up sometime tomorrow! I fall in love with it just a little bit more every time i watch it so i hope you all like it :))))

P A S S . T H E . P E P P E R.

{Checkered Jacket: In store soon, White shirt: Vintage, Grey Jumper: Vintage, Shorts: Camilla & Marc, Red Clutch: Vintage}

Oh hey, hey there. I haven't seen you in a while - how have you been? I really have no idea how the days slipped by me so quickly but this is by far the longest i have ever gone without posting on my beloved blog. I seem to be taking a very carefree approach to the immense pressure on my store at the moment and am struggling to prioritize the large amount of work and projects i seem to be juggling at the same time. I think the words that come to mind are pottering or perhaps procrastinating? So what have i been doing this past week? I've been busy sourcing my new collection (which should be up by the end of the week), shooting photos, sending out hundreds of parcels, inspecting potential studio's, meeting up with my accountant to start planning for the new financial year, planning photoshoots for frockshop.com and Solestruck which are set for this weekend and also spending a few hours on penning a few more of my designs - which i haven't been doing for months! And with a whole weekend of photo shoots planned and a crazy week ahead of me, i'm feeling more inspired than ever and ready to jump head first back into my work.

So this afternoon in between replying to emails and trying to find some sort of food in my house (i settled for a banana and two pieces of toast?), i squeezed in some time to shoot a few photos of my new favourite purchases - this red straw clutch and purple checkered jacket. Both incredibly colourful and my cup of tea. The brighter the better, i say! I also wanted to share with you all the incredible places Gary Pepper has been spotted this past week too!

1. Glossy Magazine - UK. Glossy was kind enough to not only feature my photos but to run it across a four page spread in their latest issue! Their new issue is now available online and their editorials are absolutely stunning - defiantly a must read if you're looking for some inspiration. A big thank you to Tallulah in London for featuring my store.

2. Covet Magazine - AUS. I was so overwhelmed when i saw how large the article was, not to mention how cute the title is! A very big thank you to Elena for writing such a beautiful and well written article on Gary Pepper.. please :)

3. NYLON. I really couldn't believe it when i saw that one of my photos has made it into their top 8 street style picks on their website! I absolutely adore Nylon so even the thought of having someone there looking at my photos is rewarding enough.

4. YEN. This was a feature i just happened to stumble across on their blog and i couldn't believe how lovely the write up was! They went as far as to say my store was a 'force to be reckoned with' and like i said with Nylon, the thought of people at either magazines even acknowledging that my store exists is just insane to me.

5. 2threads.com. One of the most nicest and heart warming write ups i've had the privilege of reading. A very big thank you to Neonblonde for her extremely kind words - you have me beaming from ear to ear!

And last but not least, the new issue of Peppermint magazine is due to release next week so i can't wait to get my hands a copy and see what they've written! I also received news one of my photos will be run in the next Dujour magazine from the US - a magazine that is as cute as Frankie and Lula.

And the cherry on the top? I received a very random email yesterday from Shop Til You Drop magazine asking if i wanted to come down to Sydney to do a quick shoot for their real girls section that they run every month! The shoot is tomorrow morning and i even got the green light to bring my camera along to take a few behind the scenes shots for my blog - talk about accommodating! Well wish me luck everyone. I sure have missed you :)