Style Palace

Style Palace talks to Nina Maya…

admin — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:07:25 +0000

Palace is excitedly waiting for more Nina Maya spring/summer stock to arrive any day now and was delighted to have the opportunity to sit down with Nina Maya during her visit to Perth this week to discuss the inspirations behind her current collection and have a sneak preview at what she has in store for winter 2011.

Nina’s background is in textile design and she always starts her collections with the textiles and prints. Nina was inspired by a combination of modern Aboriginal art and French impressionism for this year’s spring/summer collection.

‘Coming through on the catwalks of Europe were lots of nude tones and pastels so I looked to Monet’s Waterlilies Series for inspiration and I actually got out a canvas and paints and painted for a couple of days until I had this washed, brushed artwork that I was happy with and then I turned that into a digital print for the chiffon dresses.’

‘And the aboriginal inspiration was from their modern line paintings rather than the dot artwork and again I painted a canvas with line prints which I then turned into the Stripe Out Mini.’

The Stripe Out Mini was one of Nina’s favourite pieces from this season’s collection because, ’it has the great bold shoulder, the black contrast, an amazing silhouette and you can wear it day or night’ and she also loves the Fancy Free strapless jumpsuit as featured online at www.stylepalace.com.au because of its versatility.

Nina’s passion for textiles and fabrics were developed early in her career when she spent time working for a textiles firm in London and a high end fashion house in Italy.

‘I think the thing I learnt most over there was an appreciation for quality fabrics because I had access to the best fabric houses in the world so I have really kept that at the forefront of my designs and I am constantly collecting and sourcing unique fabrics.’

Nina has beautifully adapted her international experience to her Australian designs but her love of European fashion and style is evident as she speaks of the difference between designing for the European woman, compared to her Australian clientele.

‘I think Australia is a lot more casual than Europe and because we don’t have such strong seasons we are very trans-seasonal.’

‘ In Europe they have very strong winter collections with wools and furs, felts and fabrics that we would never consider using for the Australian market and I think they also have a much higher level of dressing for events, theatre and dinner whereas we are much more relaxed,’ said Nina.

Nina has achieved so much since launching her label in 2006 and believes it is the youth and energy of Australia’s fashion industry that sets it apart from the rest of the world.

‘I think it is young, and fresh and really quite individual compared to the rest of the world. We take inspiration from the international catwalks and we have a very unique lifestyle that I think really stands out in our designs.’

Despite Nina’s obvious love for the international fashion industry it appears she has aspirations to expand her brand in Australia with plans for her first flagship store in Sydney.

‘We had a pop-up store a couple of months ago which did very, very well so now it’s a matter of finding the right location and investing in that,’ said Nina.

Nina’s creativity and drive are inspiring and Style Palace was also delighted to find out Nina shares an extravagant approach to shopping. ‘I originally stayed away from online shopping because I am really quite an extravagant shopper but now I mainly buy accessories, shoes, jewellery and lingerie online.’

Nina also has some great style advice for customers of Style Palace who are in the process of buying their new spring/summer wardrobe.

‘I think it’s good to get a base of the key looks for the season such as the nudes, textured whites and then also pick up on the accents as there are a lot of bold colours. For us it was the watermelon. And have fun at night time with the metallics, the sequins and the beautiful bronze colours.’

And keep your eye on Style Palace in anticipation of our next delivery of Nina Maya spring/summer items due any day now! To shop Nina Maya visit www.stylepalace.com.au

Style Palace Launches the 2010 Smokefree Perth Royal Show…

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 08:06:04 +0000

It was a madhouse of baby animals, acrobats, musicians and models this morning at the Claremont Showgrounds in Perth, Western Australia, as Style Palace partnered with the Royal Agricultural Society and Australian Wool Innovation to launch the 2010 Smokefree Perth Royal Show.

Darlene Gianoli, Founder and Director of Style Palace, took to the microphone as MC and Style Palace provided a sneak preview of the fashion parades that will take place daily at this year’s Royal Show. The parades are a collaboration between Style Palace and Australian Wool Innovation to showcase the best of Australia’s natural fibres including wool, cotton and silk.

At the media launch five models from the Star Factory were styled in wool and natural fibres from some of Style Palace’s most popular Australian designers including Camilla, Viktoria and Woods and Jessie Hill. The preview included swimwear from White Sands and a fantastic selection of shawls, scarfs and jumpers from Pit Willow Alpacas. Jewellery and accessories were from Samantha Will and Luxe Accessories.

Whilst the media launch provided the opportunity to get fun and playful, the parades at the 2010 Smokefree Perth Royal Show will highlight how natural fibres such as wool can be used to make the transition from winter through to the summer months. This can be achieved by layering finer garments in the cooler months and enjoying lighter fabrics such as cotton when the sun starts to shine.

The parades will showcase many popular designers from Style Palace, as well as designers from the Australian Wool Innovation Woolmark Wardrobe including Friedrich Gray, Romance was Born and Therese Rawsthorne. This is in addition to woollen items from Pit Willow Alpacas and a bridal gown from Sapphire Bridal.

Style Palace is committed to supporting Australian designers and the 2010 Smokefree Perth Royal Show provides a great opportunity to extend this support to encompass the local agricultural industry and their fabrics.

If you live in Western Australia be sure to visit the Jim Horwood Sheep, Shearing and Wool Pavilion during the 2010 Smokefree Perth Royal Show. We look forward to seeing you there!

Style Palace & Australian Wool Innovation Fashion Parades
2010 Smokefree Perth Royal Show
Jim Horwood Sheep, Shearing and Wool Pavilion, Claremont Showgrounds
25 September – 2 October 2010
Parades daily at 11am, 1pm and 3pm
Saturday, 25 September – 4pm only

New to Style Palace – Poppy Lissiman

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:39:24 +0000

As featured this week in the Style section of The West Australian newspaper, new up and coming Perth designer Poppy Lissiman is taking the Australian fashion industry by storm and we are pleased to announce a number of her designs are now available online at www.stylepalace.com.au

At only 22 years of age, Poppy already has three collections to her name. Her third, which is in stores now, is about to be showcased at the Perth Fashion Festival as part of the WA Designer Collections on the evening of September 11. Poppy is predominantly a designer of dresses ranging from colourful show-stopping maxidresses, through to one shouldered party dresses. Poppy’s selection of prints are bold and eye-catching, with a great use of unexpected design details such as hot pink fringing, or bright green synthetic belts. She has been sewing since the age of ten and took out a bank loan when she decided to start her own label after working full time at local Perth shoe store, Zomp. It was the contacts Poppy made during her time at Zomp who have helped her along the way.

‘I picked up a lot of contacts through my job because a lot of the people who work there are also designing or you’d have stylists coming in to borrow shoes. I had a lot of support from other designers like One Fell Swoop, who put me in touch with the right machinists and pattern makers. A lot happens in Perth through word of mouth and from people being willing to help each other out.’

Style Palace keeps a careful eye on up and coming Perth talent and first became aware of Poppy’s work last year. Style Palace was impressed with the designs available in Poppy’s spring/summer collection and the first two dresses are now available online with more stock coming soon.

To shop Poppy Lissiman, visit www.stylepalace.com.au

Supplementary source: Style, The West Australian, 01/09/2010

Fashion Photos on Show in York, WA

admin — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:45:33 +0000

Fashionistas in Western Australia have the perfect excuse to get out of the city throughout September to view the Fashion Trails photographic exhibition from well-know fashion photographer, Michelle Taylor, which is being hosted in the historic York Mill Gallery which was built in 1892.

This exhibition will give viewers an all access behind the scenes pass into the much-loved world of fashion and follows the annual mass migration between fashion capitals, including the winter lights of a dim and seductive Milan, a grey cloaked secretive Paris, a bright eyed NYC and the melancholy comforts of London.

Michelle Taylor spent eight years working overseas in the designer fashion industry, living in hotels and surviving many months of every year on a gruelling work schedule and very little sleep. Her work has appeared in Marie Claire, Oyster, Sport and Street and her exhibition doesn’t focus on polished fashion images but captures moments of poetry and stillness in an industry known for its fast pace and at times, hysteria.

York is a scenic 97km drive from Perth and Michelle’s exhibition provides a great excuse to spend a day or a weekend in the country. All work is for sale so be sure to check it out.

Fashion Trails by Michelle Taylor
4 September – 3 October 2010
The York Mill Gallery
13 Broome Street, York WA
Thursday to Tuesday, 10am to 4pm
Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 5pm

STYLE PALACE FEATURED IN THE GRAZIA ‘ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ONLINE SHOPPING’

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:20:31 +0000

As always, at Style Palace we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of our Grazia magazine this month and were absolutely delighted when it arrived and we discovered the ‘Ultimate Guide to Online Shopping’ attached to the front! We were even more delighted when we looked inside and discovered that Style Palace was featured amongst other favourite online boutiques from Australia and around the world.

Thanks to all our wonderful customers and supporters because you all make Style Palace the popular online shopping destination that it has become.

And thanks to the Grazia team – we love your work!

SP xx

Claudia Comes to Life…

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:20:07 +0000

All regular Style Palace customers will be very familiar with our much-loved mannequin, ‘Claudia’. She has worked with the Style Palace team since the online boutique launched in October 2008 and has been responsible for modelling every piece of clothing that is featured on the website. You can even watch the ‘Making of a Super Model Mannequin’ at www.sptv.com.au

As the volume of amazing stock available at Style Palace continues to grow and we feature more and more exciting Australian designers online, we were beginning to worry Claudia was working too hard so we considered getting another model to join our team.

You can’t imagine our surprise in the lead-up to STYLEAID in Perth WA when a customer walked through the doors of our Showroom to find a dress for the big event and she looked just like a real-life version of Claudia! She is the same height, the same dress size, the same measurements and exactly the same physique.

Luckily for us, our ‘Real-Life Claudia’ has modelling experience and was more than willing to come on board and help us showcase our clothes. You will be begin to see her beautiful photos grace our webpages and we are delighted to be able to show you exactly what our clothes look like on a real female physique.

We are delighted with our new photos and we hope you are too. Our photographs, combined with the special zoom function and detailed style notes are designed to provide you with all the information you need to ensure your online shopping experience is a special one.

So, we would like to take this opportunity to welcome Stacie (our new Claudia) to the team and as always, if there is anything we can do to improve your Style Palace online shopping experience, be sure to let us know.

Check out the new photos by visiting the Style Palace ‘New Arrivals’ page.

Peter Morrissey Talks to Style Palace

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:24:19 +0000

Peter Morrissey is an icon of Australian fashion and has hit the headlines this week with news he will be returning to the runway for the first time in seven years at the Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival to showcase his ‘Man’ and ‘Woman’ ready-to-wear collections designed for Big W. This is the third season and the most comprehensive range to date, and Peter is loving the opportunity to dress everyone for affordable prices.

Peter Morrissey joined forces with Big W following discussions with LA based Bruno Schiavi, who is globally recognised for creating partnerships with celebrities who love designing. Some of Bruno’s most successful partnerships include the AceStar underwear collection with cricketer Brett Lee, his range of luxury linens with Priscilla Presley, and his collaboration with high profile plastic surgeon, Dr Rey, to design the ‘Shapewear’ collection which is available exclusively from Target.

Peter Morrissey’s ready-to-wear collections for Big W are responding to a gap in the market for affordable, designer fashion and are attracting the attention of budget conscious shoppers right across the country.

‘The women’s lingerie range alone has tripled in sales since the first season and we are now dressing 7,000 Aussies every week. I am very proud to be providing a range that is affordable, a great fit and appropriate for everyone,’ said Peter.

Throughout his 27 year career, Peter has been at the helm of two incredibly successful labels including 14 years at Morrissey Edmiston with former business partner, Leona Edmiston, and as creative ambassador for Morrissey until 2009.

Style Palace’s Founder and Director, Darlene Gianoli, was a big fan of Morrissey Edmiston during the 1990’s and Peter has dressed some of the world’s biggest stars including Elle McPherson, Nicole Kidman, Helena Christensen, Jerry Hall, Megan Gale and Kylie Minogue. But it now appears Peter is gaining the most satisfaction from bringing fashion to the masses.

‘Fashion should enhance your life. It’s the suit you wear to a job interview, the dress you wear to the races and I never think of fashion in terms of trends, I think of it in terms of occasions.’

Peter has been quoted as saying, ‘if you have to economise, don’t compromise’ and his highly anticipated return to Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival will highlight designer fashion doesn’t always need to come with a hefty price tag.

Suits in the ‘Man’ collection are priced from as little as $135 and it is highly likely you will see a couple of Peter’s favourite pieces from the new ‘Woman’ collection make an appearance on the catwalk.

‘I love the Sequin Blazer and the Venus Wrap Dress,’ said Peter. ‘Nothing competes and it can all be worn together. You can wear the denim shorts with the blazer and the little white tank.’

Peter also has some timeless styling advice for Style Palace customers.

‘Don’t follow trends, follow beauty. If you are looking at a magazine, don’t ask yourself, can I look like that? Ask yourself, do I want to look like that? Find what suits you.’ ‘Health is also a very important accessory. If you are fit and healthy, you can make any outfit look good.’

Unlike Style Palace customers, Peter‘s online shopping experiences are usually limited to wine and the occasional piece of art but he applauded Style Palace for being strong supporters of Australian fashion.

‘Just because something comes from overseas, it doesn’t make it bigger or better and I often have this discussion when I see an international designer on the front cover of an Australian fashion magazine.’

‘Australian fashion is distinctive because we design for our climate and our lifestyle and that is what gets recognised internationally. I often design for the Bondi girl.’

Peter has also designed for a number of high profile corporations including designing the corporate uniforms for one of Australia’s most recognised brands, QANTAS.

‘The uniforms are designed to tell a story,’ said Peter and are instantly recognised by millions of people around the world every day. Peter’s international profile will continue to grow when his ready-to-wear collections are launched in the US later this year.

‘It was never the intention to target the US market, but more of a natural progression in the evolution of the brand’, said Peter. Regardless, it is yet another exciting development in the colourful career of one of Australia’s most celebrated fashion designers.

The new ‘Man’ and ‘Woman’ summer collection for Big W by Peter Morrissey will be showcased at Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival on Wednesday, 25 August 2010 at 12.30pm (AEST). Tickets available from Ticketek.

Fendi Paris Loves Lil Designs…

admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 04:09:46 +0000

As reported in the current edition of the Style Palace eNewsletter, items available online at Style Palace caused a sensation recently when one of our Style Palace Princesses popped over to Europe for a whirlwind two week holiday. She was stopped on the street and in stores by girls eager to find out where they could buy her Samantha Wills ring, Carly Paiker wrap bracelet and Hussy sandals.

Now it appears more of our items are turning heads in the northern hemisphere with news a client was stopped several times on the streets of Paris whilst enjoying a little shopping spree in her strapless Vintage Peasant Maxi Dress from Lil Designs.

Lil Designs is the brainchild of Sydney designer Leigh Borg. Her bright floral and vintage print fabrics are always in high demand and her designs are easy to wear and perfect for lazy days at the beach. A Style Palace scout spotted her designs in Sydney a couple of years ago and we have proudly been stocking her dresses, shorts, playsuits, tops and vests ever since!

It appears Style Palace isn’t the only one in love with Lil Designs – staff in the luxury fashion house of Fendi in Paris also stopped our Style Palace shopper to ask where her dress was from. Even when surrounded by the best of Europe’s shoes, bags and accessories, our Australian fashion still stands out in the crowd!

Shop Lil Designs online at stylepalace.com.au

Rachel Zoe invites Samantha Wills

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:43:45 +0000

Samantha Wills has been asked to join Rachel Zoe in The Hamptons later this month, in support of Donna Karan’s annual event ‘Super Saturday’. On Saturday, July 31st, 2010, the annual Super Saturday will take place in the Hamptons and will be hosted by Donna Karan and In Style magazine. This is the 13th Anniversary of Super Saturday and Zoe will be hosting her ‘Designers A to ZOE’ booth, a showcase of all her favourite designs, which will each be sold with proceeds going to The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF). Last year, the booth raised $44,000 and was top fund raiser at Super Saturday 12.

Samantha Wills will supply 10 pieces for Zoe’s booth and Samantha herself has been asked to attend this high society Hamptons event.

The Samantha Wills brand will be in great company with items from over 200 of the most prominent international luxury brands; Coach, Fendi, Hogan, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Vera Wang, Bill Blass, Michael Kors, Salvatore Ferragamo and Zac Posen.

Rachel Zoe first became aware of the Samantha Wills brand when RZ Inc. dressed Eva Mendes in the now infamous Samanth Wills Bohemian Bardot Ring and Bella Bangle set last year. Rachel Zoe has played a key part in the brands phenomenal growth throughout the US, continuing to dress her A- List clients in Samantha Wills jewellery.

Diamonds in the Sky…

SP Princess — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 07:57:00 +0000

Style Palace recently attended the “Diamonds in the Sky” event hosted by Diploma, at their riverside Penthouse in Perth.

Guests enjoyed champagne on arrival and were encouraged to sample wines from the Berry Farm and enjoy the stunning views of the Perth skyline…

The Style Palace Princesses spent their afternoon styling our expressionless mannequins (Claudia was left in the Palace)… Here are a few pictures of how the Princesses made the mannequins sparkle and come to life…

Style Palace

Style Palace talks to Nina Maya…

Related Posts

Style Palace Launches the 2010 Smokefree Perth Royal Show…

Related Posts

New to Style Palace – Poppy Lissiman

Other Posts You Might Like

Fashion Photos on Show in York, WA

Other Posts You Might Like

STYLE PALACE FEATURED IN THE GRAZIA ‘ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ONLINE SHOPPING’

Other Posts You Might Like

Claudia Comes to Life…

Related Posts

Peter Morrissey Talks to Style Palace

Related Posts

Fendi Paris Loves Lil Designs…

Related Posts

Rachel Zoe invites Samantha Wills

Other Posts You Might Like

Diamonds in the Sky…

Other Posts You Might Like