by Candice DeVille | Apr 6, 2016 | Accessories, Interviews & Features, sponsors
Brought to you by Nuffnang, The National Trust & Miss Fisher Collection
Stepping into the sultry, glamorous world of lady detective Phryne Fisher has just become one step closer to reality.
Phryne’s own award winning costume designer Marion Boyce has just announced the release of an exclusive, limited edition line of Miss Fisher accessories to charm and delight.
“Golden hour” was the perfect time to visit Marion at the historical Labassa Mansion, the stately home where episode 6 of the latest series 3 was filmed.
Including scarves, wraps, handbags and jewellery, each piece in this range has been lovingly created to exceptional quality standards.
The collection was designed to reflect Miss Fisher’s sense of irreverent elegance, taking cues from the colour palette and luxury of her 1920’s look rather than being overtly art deco influenced.
“These [fashion] pieces are all made in Melbourne, by the same team I use to make Phryne’s costumes.
Finding the fabrics was one of my greatest challenges, as in Australia it is just very limited, so I need to go back to one of my favourite places – the Shanghai fabric markets. I’ve been collecting trim for months and months.. it is all hand sewn.”
Cloth is very much a part of Phryne’s style, I use cloth as a character for her. She has this quite volcanic nature so fabric needs to announce itself into the room with Phryne. I’ve tried to incorporate that, fabrics with beautiful sounds.”
The jewellery collection, sourced from around the world, is all hand made in sterling silver with touches of marcasite, green agate and freshwater pearls.
These are timeless pieces that can be worn in a classic or cutting edge modern way. What we like to call Future Vintage – pieces you’ll keep forever.
There is a distinct hallmark of quality in all of these pieces evidenced by the drape, the weight and the finish. The shawls swing with purpose, hems weighted with superb trims. There is no “nasty Nylon” in this range.
“All of these pieces can transform what you’re wearing very simply. I wanted them to be devices so that if you need to dress up quite quickly for dinner, you can just have simple black dress or little top, then wrap yourself in this…. It has a great silhouette. You don’t need 65 new pieces of clothing, just one beautiful piece that can completely transform and make you feel a million dollars.”
It is no overstatement to say that with a few pieces of simple black in your wardrobe, this collection could enhance their beauty and purpose to an entirely luxurious ensemble. They make the concept of keeping a minimal wardrobe with exceptional accessories incredibly appealing.
Regardless of age or your existing closet, there is something in this range to suit every taste, from the extravagant to the understated.
The Miss Fisher Collection is available online now (yes, with international shipping) just in time for Mother’s Day. The range is also available in the National Trust retail stores as part of the travelling Miss Fisher’s costume exhibition.
For even more Miss Fisher glamour to add to your look, check out our Phyrne inspired 1920s hair and makeup tutorial!
by Candice DeVille | Apr 27, 2015 | Accessories
Oh my fellow vintage loving friends, do you know just how much I adore SparkleLux? I first came across these delicious designs not long after they launched in 2010. SparkleLux is the original reproduction confetti lucite company, hand making each piece in their Palm Springs studio. Unlike many imitators, SparkleLux pieces are of the highest quality with stunning metallic flake and mirror high sheen. My very first pair (seen here) were the pink “Date Bait” numbers which are in my top 10 accessories and travel everywhere with me.
To celebrate our wonderful American vintage road trip, we’ve teamed up with SparkleLux to give you the chance to WIN your very own pair of custom made gold crescent earrings!
I highly recommend you check out the stunning range of pieces in the SparkleLux store, the home of high quality mid century inspired accessories.
Simply click through to enter!
by Candice DeVille | Nov 18, 2014 | Accessories, sponsors
‘Brought to you by Nuffnang and Cash Converters’
I am a treasure hunter.
There is nothing else that gives me quite the same rush of endorphins as finding a one of a kind, beautiful piece at a bargain price that totally knocks my socks off. The thrill is not just in the piece itself, but the overwhelming feeling that I am a genius, smarter than the masses, to have found this hidden gem. This is a feeling that all shopaholics and vintage lovers can relate to.
The problem is, with the mass market being exactly that, mass; it is getting harder and harder to find sources for this special kind of joy.
Last week I was invited by Cash Converters to come into store and explore the range of jewellery they have on offer. I’ll be honest. I’ve never shopped in a Cash Converters store and neither have they ever come to mind when I felt the need for a special piece of bling. I knew they existed, but they have just never registered on my radar either as a shopper or as a bargain hunter. It’s surprising just how quickly things change.
When I stepped into the store, I was greeted by the smiling face of the sales lady polishing up her jewellery counter. Light, bright and shiny, and without a hint of “jewellery store intimidation”. (This is the feeling you can get when you walk into a store with diamond filled cases and feel like you’re being sized up for whether you should be allowed in there or not)
Surreptitiously, I began to peruse the cases, expecting that I would be viewing rows and rows of out-dated 1990’s gold rings and bad chains.
Can I show you what first caught my eye?
An emerald and diamond vintage bracelet.
SERIOUSLY!! How freaking gorgeous is that!
Once the store manager Anthony came in and introduced himself, my mind was well and truly open. The cases held a beautiful mix of classic, current and very vintage designs. I imagined myself wealthy enough to take my pick and fill every finger, yet I still couldn’t narrow it down to a top four.
Cash Converters source their jewellery from all kinds of situations. The Emerald bracelet that I later discovered had a matching necklace (oh dear god!). Some pieces have been remade into custom designs, taking gems from various pieces and turning them into stunners. Others have been acquired for their high-end stones and beautifully modern settings.
The more Anthony and I spoke, the more I realised I’d stumbled across something fantastic. Here I was, standing at a gleaming jewellery counter, where not only did the pieces make my eyes glaze over with lust, but that I could afford.
I am very (very) partial to spending my money on jewellery; not only for its beauty, but I see it as a good investment. Rather than always buying the “disposable” costume jewellery, there is a perfect way to outfit yourself in diamonds, gold and precious stones. Swapping out your wardrobe!
Think of it like this; if you took all the random bits and bobs you have lying around in your jewellery case, old 21st presents etc, and took them into Cash Converters, you may have enough to upgrade to a more impressive piece. Then, once you’re over it, simply go back and trade up again.
This is the same system I use when acquiring so many of my beautiful vintage dresses but I’d never found an easy way to do this with jewellery. I have a number of pieces I no longer use or want and would like to sell. But doing this through an auction site can be costly, unreliable and a long-winded process.
Because Cash Converters sell most of their pieces beautifully restored and with a valuation certificate, I don’t have the same hesitation that I do when looking at supposedly vintage or antique jewellery online elsewhere. And yes, Cash Converters sell jewellery online and have close to 17,000 pieces listed. So any time of the day or night, when the need for a new and impressive piece calls (like the possibility of meeting royalty on my next overseas trip), I know exactly where I’ll be looking.
Oddly, I’d never once considered Cash Converters as a place for treasure hunting, yet I felt like I was pretty clever to discover this secret; even though I’d been invited. Yes, I’d gone in looking at jewellery but I’d also come out hyper excited about the prospect of diamonds and vintage video games!
Since my visit, I’ve been dropping Cash Converters into conversations with a number of people, trying to find out if they ever shop there. I’ve yet to hear anyone say yes. And you know what this means to a treasure hunter like me? The possibility of an undiscovered honey-pot!
I rather feel like I’m giving away a new secret location to you here, and if they hadn’t asked me to spread the word I may not have. (Just kidding, I love you guys).
So as I write this I have several tabs open on my computer; bookmarking some beautiful diamond earrings and a stunning art deco ring to put on the list of Christmas gifts I’d like to give myself. And just like the diamonds in them, I’ll know that these are one of a kind treasures.
To stay up to date with all the latest Cash Converters treasures follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Google +.
by Candice DeVille | Sep 24, 2014 | Accessories, sponsors, Vintage
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The last few days have been, without a doubt, two of the most fabulous of the year. They are the days when the last of the winter feelings lift and I feel compelled to break out the oysters and Chardonnay. The sunshine is almost hot at 4pm and everything in my garden is coming back to life, including me. It may only be September, but the summer holidays are so close I can almost taste them.
Being the thematic dresser that I am, I love to celebrate this moment with something special. A new pair of shoes, a pair of bright red peddle pushers (that’s today), and blouse buddies in these beautiful figural forms. I went to visit my friend at Designer Showcase and had a poke around to borrow some of her most wonderful vintage figural brooches that capture the season for me.
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If you fancy adding these guys, or any of their garden friends to your Spring wardrobe, have a chat to Marsha at Designer Showcase vintage jewellery (a good friend and sponsor of the blog), and she’ll help you find just the right thing in her extensive collection.
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by Candice DeVille | Aug 18, 2014 | Accessories, sponsors, Vintage Shopping
It’s wonderful the people you meet at local vintage fairs. These shows aren’t just good for the frocks and the chats, but for uncovering the hidden gems in the vintage vending world.
While I sat at my stand I spent most of the day eyeing off pieces at the stall directly opposite me. A black cloche hat with a waterfall of feathers, a large silver bow with strategically placed diamontes, and the perfect little leopard print pill box hat. When I realised I could wait no longer and simply had to add the leopard print to my collection, I wandered over to make the deal. While handing over my paltry sum for this pretty piece, I struck up a conversation with the stall holder and owner Marsha Byron. Here was a lady with a familiar sense of drama and a passion for fabulous I could well relate to.
Marsha began to tell me about how she and her daughter had set up their business, Designer Showcase, when the passion for vintage jewellery over took them both like wild fire. Seeing its beautiful construction, the settings both delicate and decadent, and learning its history, became something they longed to collect and share. Like me, they both have an enduring passion for beauty but are quite miffed (is that a nice way to say it?) about the trend for “cheap”, imitation vintage jewellery.
When shopping at your local mall in Australia, you’ll now find fewer than three retailers who all sell these sorts of pieces. Sourced in bulk overseas, tarted up with the marketing wand, then sold off to you at the “bargain” price of $49.95. Your “new vintage” jewellery may last the night if you’re lucky (I’ve tried and can say every single one has needed repair after the first wear), but it’s not a patch on the real thing.
A week of so later, I went to visit Marsha in her studio amongst black velvet cushions of jewel encrusted pins and displays of dripping milk glass adornments. It’s easy to see why I stayed nearly four hours.
Simply referring to the Designer Showcase pieces as “Vintage” is a bit of a misnomer, as there are pieces in this collection from Victorian times. While not all of the very oldest may still be wearable in their original form, Marsha takes a sensitive hand to rework some of these pieces into new forms. A lonely earring becomes a cocktail ring, a hair slide can become a statement brooch; and so the story continues.
This story has a lovely ending / beginning for us too, as I’m proud to announce that Designer Showcase Vintage Jewellery is now an official sponsor of Vintage Current! This means that we’ll have the inside track on all kinds of lovely pieces for you, competitions, giveaways and even more beautiful pictures.
With prices beginning at approximately $20-$55 for earrings, brooches around $30-$60, necklaces at $30-$100+ for those super special special pieces, this is my new Australian online go to for all occasions. So don’t waste your hard earned pennies on “cheap” new tat, go vintage all the way!
