Whether it's the smell of opening jasmine, warm northerly breezes or the still shy crickets' song ; summer is on it's way and let's face it- boy does it feel good. I travelled to Paris recently to shoot some fun stories (that I cannot wait to share with you) but before I left Sydney I had to move house and nearly froze in the weird coldsnap storm that gripped the city in it's frosty clutches. Coming back home was a delightful and decidedly beachy welcome and my only plans for this weekend include assuming the lazy lizard pose on the Bondi Beach sands ( oh please stay sunny! )

This summer's edit for Shona Joy was such a hoot to make. Shot  at the hip Beach Club resort on Hamilton Island, my photographer and I ran around the beach and grounds of the hotel while I pretended I was a spoilt heiress with all the funds and time in the world to enjoy being absolutely languidly fabulous. I feel Shona's clothes have been going from strength to strength with amazing new silhouettes and I have had so much fun shooting the edit this year in fabulous locations around Australia. This season, revel in flippy hems, high thigh splits and exuberant print - a summerliscious SJ affair indeed

above: pop white with red for a Billy Idol kind of white wedding ( Shona joy dress, Christian Louboutin heels)

Wide legged pants and tunic tops are what leisurely summer days are made of ( Shona Joy top and pants, Chloe wedges, vintage hat, Sarah and Sebastian jewellery )

Hello sailor! Don't be afraid to play it sexy this summer ( Shona Joy dress, Sarah and Sebastian necklace )

A simple dress gets tricky with side detailing and mixed print while staying firmly boy friendly with a deep neckline ( Shona Joy dress, Amber Sceats necklace, Pushmataaha bracelet and ring )

Whether it's lazing on a yacht or surveying the beach, this dress is on the prowl ( Shona Joy dress, Dita eyewear sunglasses, vintage Prada sandals )

Waiting for your heart on the dance floor is this little number- just wait 'till you see it twirl! ( Shona Joy dress, Chloe sandals, Pushmataaha bracelets )

 

Shot by Alice Wesley - Smith

With thanks to Hamilton Island and Beach Club Resort
beauty note : Charlotte Tilbury's lipstick in Lost Cherry and Beach Stick in Formentera will brighten up day or night

A breton striped t-shirt is always on trend; either as a low key basic, rock ‘n’ roll staple or sailor-esque addition. Whereas a pinstriped shirt always works tucked into a suit for the workday or loose and oversize on the weekend. This spring/summer, stripes were all over the catwalks in a myriad of variations, but to me stripes always represent being on a vacation– whether at a resort or holiday house, stripes add a cheeky yet elegant touch to any look.
Above:A pinstripe shirt is always a good idea – keep it unbuttoned on holidays, a nod to riviera chic. Or keep your cool in a wide legged pant, the perfect getaway cover up. (Massimo Dutti shirt,Zimmermann lace shorts, Thomas Saboo anklet )

There is nothing like a backless maxi for warm spring afternoons – this one pairs stripes and florals, yet looks suprisingly minimalistic. (Ruby Sees All dress)

Forget all you knew about playsuits – the new crop features soft upscale tailoring and clean lines. (Zimmermann playsuit, Nomadic State of Mind rope sandals & Ray Ban sunglasses)

Raffia is always a good choice for holidays – this stripey combo works well with straw and navy (Shona Joy skirt and bralette, Kate Sylvester jacket, Lack of Colors hat & Chloe wedges)

The Spy Who Loved Me was one of those definining moments in my life when I realized that skiing may not be such a bad thing to be into. The movie was 23 years old by that point, and it wasn’t James Bond’s epic skiing/ parachuting down the cliff scene that convinced me of the benefits of snow sports, it was the scene back at the chalet, the one snuggling with a gorgeous blonde on resplendent rugs by a roaring fire.  All of a sudden, skiing didn’t represent cold, snow and sweat, it meant warmth, luxury, mystique and all around sexiness. I cannot say I have made much headway into the sport since – my one and only attempt was a terrifying mulled wine fuelled snowplough down the Black Diamond run that could characteristically be labelled a complete fail. However , adapt at apres ski I most certainly am.

For this reason, when Shona Joy mentioned doing an apres ski story for the next installment of my Winter 15 edit of the collection, I jumped in wholeheartedly. And what better place to embrace the luxury of winter than the amazing One&Only Emirates Wolgan Valley resort?

For this edit, my heroine was Barbara Bach’s feisty 70s beauty playing a double agent in the beforementioned spy film – I wanted to connect the delicious tweed, sexy lame dresses and loose 70s suits with a powerful woman waiting for her spy, calculating her next move…

She spotted him skiing down the slope towards her. He is sure not to suspect anything whilst she wears trustworthy tweed

In retrospect, stealing the documents was easy when she looked so elegant in her neutrals doing it

Could she even trust him? At least her leather enveloped her with the sort of protection she always wanted from a man

Tonight is the night. She is sure to find out his deepest secrets when she slips him the truth serum at dinner

Is Is that right? She feigned surprise as the truth serum started to take hold

Was she right to betray him? Her mind was unwavering but her heart longed to see him again...

 

 

Photographed by Alice Wesley- Smith
With thanks to the One and Only Emirates Wolgan Valley resort

Catching the last bit of summer holidays in the gorgeous Jarvis Bay National park was enough of a joy, but shooting these vibrant Shona Joy dresses on it's Murray's beach was absolutely hilarious. My photographer Kasia Werstak and I got there early in the morning (my call time was 6am ) and arrived to the peninsula realizing that a dark cloud hung over the pristine white sand like a coal rag. This was in no way the shoot we imagined and we started to despair. Here we stood, two shipwrecked girls with many bags , colourful dresses and sharp Louboutin stiletto heels on the far side of the beach getting strange looks from rare passersby. We wanted to shoot early and get out before it got hot, hence we didn't eat breakfast, but now hours passed and the sun played tantalizing peekaboo behind the clouds, never quite peering out enough to shoot 1 picture.

Luckily, around 10am, it finally broke through the heavy clouds and we found ourselves in visual paradise. Apart from a snake slithering behind my photographer's legs, curious dolphins ,even curiouser children and the fact we nearly became cannibals and ate each other, the rest of the shoot was a dream.

For this story the vision was that of a 1950s inspired movie star; immaculate even though she is marooned and disoriented , holding on to her heels, thinking all the while that she will be rescued swiftly and needs to maintain her pristine composure at all times. I wanted to create a disjointed composition between the sexiness and urban feel of the clothes and the amazing, tropical background we were blessed to have for the shoot.

Shona Joy's clothes are so full of joie de vivre with their exuberant prints and punchy primary colors whilst remaining sexy in an understated manner. I am happy to announce I will be doing the edit of Shona Joy collections for the next few seasons - there are many great clothes coming your way yet and I will attempt to create a fun character for them all. For now, enjoy this fun autumn collection - it is perfect to dance the last of summer in. Hope you like ! xTG

 

Clothes by Shona Joy
Stilettos by Christian Louboutin
photographed by Kasia Werstak

Monochrome is a mainstay of most women's wardrobes and a clean,tidy and polished way to dress, especially for work. Best of all, everything can mix and match, eliminating the headache inducing need for making up outfit combinations in the rush of the morning. Sadly, monochrome can also sometimes mean boring, as in yawn inducing separates that go together, yet don't provide any inspiration, cool factor or most importantly - fun. They fill a need, yet don't possess originality or je ne sais quoi. Well, here at M.E.L ,we like to have fun with clothes, so for this story, I picked some sexy, awesome pieces that will work hard at having fun during holidays and beyond...

White doesn't have to mean pristine or virginal. Toughen up white with a leather skirt mixed with a cuddly angora sweater = a devilishly angelic look perfect for a hot date. (Above and here : MLM leather skirt, Life with Bird sweater, Gianvitto Rossi heels,Swarovski rings, by Charlotte diamond necklace )

Black doesn't need to spell s.i.m.p.l.e. This baby makes the best of curves and has cool details to boot ( Dion Lee dress, Christian Louboutin shoes)

Jump on the bandwagon of voluminous , wide legged pants that are all the rage now and next season. Choose flattering high waisted cuts paired with easy t-shirts for a 70s inspired summer ( Macgraw pants, Rag & Bone t-shirt, Gianvito Rossi shoes)

Feminine and polished yet vintage inspired and fun - culottes are the perfect mix of all of the above. Mix with a simple bra top and jacket for urban cool ( May The Label bra top, Shona Joy lace culottes, Christian Louboutin heels, vintage Lover jacket )

photographed by Ana Suntay-Toledo

‘Tis the season to start planning your festival inspired outfits…

The Australian summer isn’t all about the beach, surf and barbecues even though these are welcome perks of living in the beautiful land of Oz while tfor a myriad of small and large festivals. It means sunny days with friends listening to some of the best artists in the world in gorgeous sunny locations. It means long nights, singalongs to your favourite band and cold local ciders. It also means packing your best mixture of rock and roll, bohemian folk, techno queen or pop inspired easy pieces that will work hard at nonchalant cool. Here, I share some of my favourite pieces that I packed for a festival trip recently…

Every girl needs a sexy dress to dance the night away in. This number works hard in cute cut outs and leopard print while staying demurely knee length. Add a palm ear cuff for the ultimate tropical feel. (Shona Joy dress, Thomas Sabo earring)

What would a summer holiday be without a bikini? This spotted baby is incredibly supportive and doubles as a graphic bra top under an open shirt. (Zulu & Zephyr bikini, Giambattista Valli slides, Loom band anklet)

Pack a vintage inspired dress and strappy sandals for long summer days. (Alice McCall dress, Ancient Greek Sandals, Borsalino fedora)

Photographed by Kasia Werstak at For festival, Croatia.

Voyaging to Ibiza had always been my dream - that island where Spanish summers are hot, cocktails are cold, beaches are beautiful and parties unforgettable. Before I left, my friends retold their stories and added how there are many Ibizas to discover - each time they went they found a new place awaited them. This was somewhat perplexing to me : Is it because new restaurants have opened or they are staying in new accommodation or is it because the weather is different each time? It seemed like a puzzle to piece together and not one of them offered to elaborate on this confusing statement.

So, as they sometimes do, stars came together and offered a quick trip to this balearic paradise a couple of months ago. Renting a beautiful house with dear friends on top of a hill with a sparkling pool and sunset vistas. Heaven. And we did have fun! Languid lunches and long nights, swims and cocktails and even a sail to Formentrera...but everyone said; it will be a different Ibiza next time.
Then, one afternoon, I had a look at the art hanging in our rented villa and found a big cork board with amazing pictures. There was Vera, the woman who rented the house to us , in all her Ibiza editions. In a pink vinyl jacket and a perm hugging Charles Bronson, in an iridescent swimsuit with Naomi Campbell in the early 90s, looking rock n'roll in black leather with Gary Coleman of Different Strokes, innocent in white with Johnny Hallyday and bohemian with some French band . That's when I realized; this is why each time people visit Ibiza it changes. The experience of this island depends so much on the people you are with, the things that you are attracted to at that particular moment in life and what kind of style you want to emulate. Ibiza itself is merely a gateway to experiences so it's up to you which part you magnetize yourself to and attract into your sphere. Glamour and attitude never go astray in this corner of the Med and fashion is as much an expression of your aesthetic as an advertisement of what sort of lifestyle you aspire to.
Mainly though, I realized : Vera, in all her experimenting incarnations , might be my spirit animal .

Dress by Shona Joy
Necklace and bracelet by Swarovski
Sandals by Proenza Schouler