In the meantime, when the day closes and the night slowly comes out of its slumber. 

fragments

Then

Making friends with strangers while waiting in line and not knowing who they would become.

Arriving late to my first ever lecture.

Questioning existence with a best friend because that’s arts.

Discovering respect from others intensifies your self-worth.

Surviving a week with gastro by only eating German gummy bears.

Listening to Camera Obscura.

Spending a lot of study time on Facebook instead.

Experiencing my first death.

Coming back from Europe to find the train announcement voiceover had changed genders.

Sitting in a class full of girls and thinking it was weird.

Being able to smell the air differently and distinctly even though I was in the same place.

Getting my first proper job.

Exploring what it meant not to be shy.

Realising I was the smallest dot on a piece of paper full of millions of dots.

Feeling alone when my friends went on world adventures.

Being driven by the fear of mediocrity.

Trying different things out of curiosity.

Losing close friends and making new ones.

Finding out that school doesn’t prepare you for real life.

Reading the short stories of Raymond Carver.

Discovering maybe I could make something out of writing.

Struggling to choose a creative career or a career in politics.

Getting my wisdom teeth out and losing my mind to painkillers.

Splitting my insides on holidays in Sydney.

Getting driven home on a shadowed, windy night.

Listening to Sonic Youth and feeling safe the morning after the night before.

Being prepared to wait for the right time.

Realising I was in love.

Spending the summer planning the best year yet.

Lying about where I was and who with to my parents.

Giving everything I had to make it work for someone else.

Bringing it all together perfectly.

Believing I was crushed forever when everything fell apart.

Feeling disjointed from the inside out.

Seeing I was blindsided.

Finally making the link between wanting to be a writer and never being able to afford to move out.

Being frustrated at not having got my licence already.

Mastering the art of academic writing as a distraction.

Dreaming of acceptance in creative spheres.

Worrying I’ve fallen through the cracks.

Remembering I’ve not finished.

Now

darkness, depths

I spent much of last week in Hobart, breathing in clean air and freezing in my socks.  One thing that was more refreshing than both of those experiences put together was my long-anticipated visit to MONA and its exhilarating presentation of artistic form.  Built into the cliffs of the Berriedale peninsula, the three-level building subverts the eye to carry visitors into the catacombs and depths of the collection.  Although perhaps one day destined to slide into the sea, almost bottomless staircases burrow deep into raw sandstone walls to quickly remind you of the strength of creation.

As the largest privately-funded museum in Australia MONA presents the private collection of David Walsh, and it's an impressive one at that.  Sublime curation of artworks means that the old and the new blend seamlessly and without a hint of displacement.  A lack of signage on artworks also encourages this alongside greater engagement with the works, as you're forced to look harder, look closer, and find a tangibility in your own mind - which is perhaps also aided by the iPod Touch hanging around your neck.

While MONA has been lauded for drawing visitors to Tasmania from all over the world, the outstanding execution of the collection lies in it's ability to employ artwork, architecture and new technologies to innovate the traditional museum experience.  It is nothing less than inspiring to visit a space which holds artwork but also manages to reshape and reform the standards of art viewing.  There were a number of times I paused to appreciate the freedom of interpretation that MONA embraces.  From the lack of signage on artworks, the welcoming of photography and use of technology, to simply being in a space which encourages noise, dialogue and altered lighting, I quickly recognised the impact of these freedoms on my visual experience.  The museum might have been criticised for a stunning existence which illuminates moral bankruptcy, or the decay of society through it's explicit and macabre pieces, but never have a left a gallery feeling as sated by creation as I did MONA.  And importantly, I am encouraged and inspired to keep creating myself.  

"And we kept silent. And still."

The next six weeks are curated from the past six weeks.

 

take me there

Photo: Bobby Chen

somewhere
Level 2, Royal Arcade 314 Little Collins St, Melbourne

When you’re a student, and a lover of fashion, I can vouch two things: one, you probably have little money (…or none, I’m just being polite here); and two, you frequently receive the icy daggers of shop assistants who think you have little right to be in their store because of your appearance.  They might be able to presume your steamy liaison with aforementioned problem one, but that’s not the point.  Scuffed shoes and a baggy shirt with a hole in the armpit should not be your passport to belittlement.

And that’s where somewhere comes in.  Perched high above the Royal Arcade, this homage to Nordic style and design sits sleek in an airy white studio.  Don’t be intimidated by its appearance, though: somewhere provides some of the friendliest service encountered within Melbourne’s fashion scene, and has a distinct and carefully curated range of wearables to back it up. 

Local talent is combined with emerging and established designers from around the world to create a considered – and affordable – retail environment free from affectation, stocking labels such as Handsom, Cheap Monday, Why Red, Won Hundred, Carly Hunter and Resteröds.

somewhere’s cool and friendly nature is reflected in the sharp, classic aesthetic of its wearables.  And as if you needed anymore convincing, the store also has a gallery space aimed at supporting local artists and fostering an environment of collective creativity.  The accessibility of their retail endeavours, extended to young artists and designers alike, means that the two spaces symbiotically nurture creativity in a welcoming setting. 

Go visit somewhere and you’ll be assured a great experience in effortless design and clothing by some really cool people.  And what about the next time you’re in a store with a snotty shop assistant who faux compliments your appearance or new shirt as a totally transparent sales technique? Tell them you picked it up from ‘oh, somewhere’.

the meaning of it all

I went to France when I was sixteen for three weeks with my family, not knowing much about anything expect that it was obviously a very nice looking place...and that I could conjugate all my French verbs.  Fast forward four years and the more my memories of the trip become hazier and selective, the more I realise that all the architecture, elegance and urbanity of Paris had quite a subconscious influence on my personal aesthetic.  It's probably something I'll continue to wax-lyrical on this blog but when I look at my wardrobe and its predominant variations of black, grey, white, blue and tan I think this is only something that I created once I returned without even knowing it.

I don't know why it's taken me so long to write about the style icon I revere with great respect, but Sofia Coppola is definitely the one individual (that I don't know personally) I look to for inspiration in a lot of my creative endeavours.  That effortlessly-cool chic!  As foremost my favourite film director, Coppola has the creative influence across multiple channels that I've only ever dreamed of.  Despite this, all her work - as well as her personal aesthetic - is constructed with more thought than what appears on the surface, and is proof that minimalist chic doesn't belong solely to the French.  She's made black loafers, crisp unbuttoned shirts and tailored pants her absolute own and she pulls it off like no one else....so much so she can even collaborate with Louis Vuitton and create a stellar line of leather goods just as perfect.  Small pieces of jewellery and an always-perfect-and-simple bob make her look refined, comfortable and too-cool for words.  I think I'll just link you to this site before I explode because it probably sums up my argument quite nicely.

hello founder

I can't say too much about this lovely brand because they're little and new and I don't know a lot about them but what I do know is that they're great!  Let me introduce you to Founder The Third: a Melbourne-based design label doing super things for the local independent fashion scene.  As expected I really like them because they do good quality, affordable basics that possess a nice consideration of form and structure...and the shopgirls are lovely!  I'll compare them to Bassike, but depending on your price point are a little bit more accessible.  I'm interested in the challenge the local scene faces against larger, international, mass-produced brands so supporting local talent is always a plus - take a peek of this article on StreetFash, a super proponent for the cause.  After opening a pop-up store in Melbourne Central for a few months Founder have now relocated their store to coexist with their studio in Richmond, which is a great way of engaging consumers and closing the gap between production and consumption in a more sustainable way.  I'm definitely looking forward to watching them grow.

http://hellofounder.tumblr.com/