BAM IT'S JOANNE

Remember my last Billini giveaway? I'm happy to announce that winner Jean Tan is now the new owner of an amazing new black clutch from Billini. Congratulations & can't wait to see how you'll style it!

Also from the same post, I promised to answer some of your questions you guys popped in the comment box, so here some of my answers :)

1. Who are your style icons?

Rumi Neely (can't believe I'm meeting her in person tomorrow!), Victoria Beckham, Miraduma. All 3 have very different styles but I draw inspiration from each of them to achieve my own.

2. What is your favorite brand of clothes?

I don't usually go for brands. If I see an individual item that's amazing, I'm hooked. But generally speaking, my favorite labels that always, always nail it are Josh Goot, Dion Lee, Celine and Balmain. 

3. How do you perfect the eyeliner?

Practice makes perfect. If you're talking about winged eyeliner, it's about the tools as well. I use Stila Stay All Day liquid liner & it's seriously the best. I've gone through 4 of them now and it's literally like drawing using a felt tip pen. Makes cat-eye so easy to achieve.

If you have more questions, feel free to comment below & I'll answer them directly! :) 

Have a great week ahead guys. xoxox

I'm wearing: random beanie, Anthony's sunnies, Billini shoes, St Frock blazer, St Frock fur vest, RES Denim jeans via St Frock, SHEIKE top

If you don't invest in an oversized scarf this winter (see post below), invest in a fur vest. This is possibly one of the most versatile article of clothing you can possibly find, and it's wearable season after season. 

I particular love this one by St Frock because 1. it's incredibly warm, and 2. it's crazily wearable given the black and white.

I've layered it over a two-toned blazer for that casual/chic vibe, and because it's a blazer, if I just change it from jeans into work pants, it's instantly translatable to workwear. Talk about versatility!

Photos by Anthony Stewart

Anthony is wearing: Zara blazer, ASOS chinos, belt from a random market, ASOS shoes, Cotton On t-shirt and random sunnies.

When styling Kayne, I drew inspiration from Anthony. This got him a little pissy and in need of a photoshoot (aka ATTENTION) to reclaim his Bam It's Joanne prominence.

This is Anthony's signature style: a simple casual tee shirt, throw on a blazer, some chinos and a pair of nice shoes, and he's ready for a nice night out.  I learned a lot about men's fashion just from observing his wardrobe and how he puts things together. 

I've learned so much from Anthony and I realized that it's simple, really. I'll break it down for you guys out there who are looking to revamp your (or your man's) wardrobes. 

There are 3 basic components: Blazers (sweaters are casual and cool, but you can never be overdressed or underdressed in a blazer), T-shirts and Chinos.

STEP 1: Keep the T-shirt simple. White or grey (never black) are great as a base as they provide the perfect backing to nearly every colour. To start off, hold the T-shirt component as a constant (i.e just wear a simple white tee or grey, because these go with everything) and experiment with colour pairings between blazers and chinos. 

STEP 2: Anthony's secret to standing out is to CONTRAST. Bring colour and wow factor with chinos or the blazer. Decide on your blazer and the rest of the outfit will flow from here.

STEP 3: Chinos, pair your dark blazers (dark grey, navy) with lighter coloured pants such as light grey, stone (beige), pale blue, etc. If you currently own dark-coloured chinos, try a lighter pairing such as a chambray or a beige linen blazer for that fashion-forward look.

STEP 4: When it comes to shoes and belts, match them with the pants and the blazer will just work. Wear black at own risk. In an informal setting black can come across too strong, whereas brown is always safe & stylish. For a bit of fun, mix up the texture of the shoe (these had a basket weave), or go for suede when you are feeling adventurous.

STEP 5: Rock it with confidence. 

I hope this little tutorial helps you start off your little fashion project. If you're still a little worried & in need of inspiration, Anthony and I will continue to do a few more Blazer + tee + chinos combination to show you how to mix and match (his blazer and chinos collection is endless...) 

At the end of the day though, fashion is all about experimenting and lots of fun. Mix and match with what you have, and you'll be surprised with what you come up with. Feel free to ask me questions in the comment section below.

Photos by Joanne Phua

Here I took a picture of Kayne in the SHEIKE oversized scarf. Who wears it better?

Kayne is wearing: Stussy top, Asos chinos, Converse shoes, Patek Philippe watch, Nixon belt, random necklace, Persol sunnies via eBay

We went down to the waters near where Kayne lives and even though it looked really sunny in the photos, it was pretty chilly. 

I love this outfit combination on Kayne. At first, he was wearing dark grey chinos with this shirt, and I made him change into this beige color and I like is so much better! My number 1 rule of print-dressing (for both guys and girls) is to pick one color from the print and match it to the bottom. 

Photos by Joanne Phua 

Kayne is wearing: H&M Blazer, Kmart white tee (similar here), Industrie chinos (similar here), Squire shoes (similar here), Patek Philippe watch, random necklace

Remember my last menswear post? It was a long time ago, and during MBFWA I met quite a few menswear bloggers who reminded me that I should be blogging about mens fashion again!

I am so grateful for Easter weekend, because that means I can finally have time to properly shoot some outfit photos! I spent Saturday with my friend Kayne, and we drove around Balmain and found little hideouts like this parking lot. And then we got hungry and went to Chur Burger in Surry Hills.... BEST DECISION EVER. (But please don't get the vego burger... IMO They still need to refine their vegie patties..)

Kayne used to model when he was a little boy, but has since been banished and forgotten by the fashion/modelling industry :P So with some coersion he was willing to model for me (he was a little smug about it though).

I hope you guys like this outfit I styled on him (he's a personal trainer & isn't really into fashion)! If you guys would like to see his face again, leave a comment below and I'll use him for my next menswear post :) 

Photos by Joanne Phua (yours truly)

Wearing: Vintage angora wool knit (similar here), SHEIKE skirt (dropping in stores & online soon), Tony Bianco boots, MIU MIU shades via Sunglass Hut, Her Fashion Box necklace

There is no better sensation than feeling like a fluffy cotton candy, wearing shades too wide for your face, and generally badass-ing in strut-worthy stiletto boots. 

And what better way to deal with this excess energy of happiness than to wear it to the final day of MBFWA, which I did, and totally do not regret, no hashtag YOLO required.

I am so eternally grateful for SHEIKE to allow me to a part of their fashion week adventures, in great company with Amber Renee and Dasha Gold (The Trend Spotter).

Also, if you're interested in the story behind this green sweater: 

In an effort to debunk Anthony's St Patrick's Day theory that no one looks good in green, I pulled out, from my mom's* wardrobe, numerous articles of clothing that even remotely resemble this majestic shade of envy. Anthony's ridiculous, off-handed comment and/or facebook status put me into a whirlwind mission to prove him wrong. Did I do green its rightful justice? You tell me.

Either way, in hindsight, I'm glad I did that because I would not have otherwise uncovered this gem of an angora wool sweater sitting at the back of mom's wardrobe, long forgotten by its owner. 

*green is my mom's lucky colour because her astrological book says so, so it just makes sense that her wardrobe is filled with shades of said colour.  She recently announced that mine is yellow. Should I be redecorating my wardrobe to this colour?

I'm wearing: Prada PR 29PS sunglasses via Sunglass Hut, SHEIKE Arctic Crop Knit (black will be in stores soon, meanwhile you can shop the Mint version here), Hello Parry Alice Neoprene skirt, Vintage sheer top from Japan, Billini Sia ankle boots, Her Fashion Box Androgychic ID bracelets worn as ankle cuffs

This was my #MBFWA outfit for Day 3. I wanted to wear comfy heels (you'd do the same after experiencing two whole days of stilettos), so these ankle boots were perfect. I've been doing the bracelets-as-cuffs thing lately and I'm loving it because they add a bit of detail to an otherwise mediocre monochrome outfit. 

I'll be posting runway photos soon, after I get my Macbook Air fixed. Fashion week meant running around like a mad headless chicken from Sydney Uni to Carriageworks and back, so my laptop was exposed to the rain & water got into it and now it refuses to turn itself on. I'm working off Anthony's Macbook now so no complains, but I would much prefer to have my Air back D:

Now that fashion week is over, I just want to express how happy I was meeting all my new fashion friends that I wouldn't have met otherwise. 

Special thanks to Yvan Rodic, Caitlyn Paterson, Troy Beman, Jess Rogers, Katie, Maddie and TJ Riley, Elle-May Leckenby, Nikki Chowdury, Xian Han Shen, Christina Vahaviolos, Christine Ai, Elliot Hunt, Myles, Andrea Hetherington, Christopher Haggarty, Warren Pasi, Mike & Kei, Darren Luk, Chloe Morello and everyone else for making my first Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week experience so special. I've linked to their blogs/websites so you guys should definitely check them out by clicking on their names. These are some seriously talented and underrated people out there. Keep in touch & I have  no doubt we will see each other again soon! :)

Photography by Yours Truly

I am still in awe. This is my first ever (I repeat: ever!) Mercedes Benz Fashion Week experience, and I don't think I'll ever forget it. 

More than just an eye-opening experience physically (the overwhelming street style photographers that were so kind to want to take pictures of me- why me?!), this is also one of the most emotionally influential events in my life. 

As a final year Sydney Uni Commerce student studying Accounting and Economics, I have friends constantly talking about which Big 4 accounting firms/ prestigious investment banking firms they're applying for grad jobs this year. Needless to say it makes me just a little hesitant about my choice in wanting to work in fashion. 

"Are you sure? Fashion is so competitive. And it doesn't pay very well. You should just work in accounting, earn a steady, healthy income & spend that on fashion instead!"

Sometimes I'm swayed by it. I sound so certain about my choices but to tell you the truth, I'm actually so, so scared of the potential consequences. What if I don't make it in the fashion scene? Will I have to one day choose between dinner or rent? 

But after attending this show, after seeing this amazing designer's work featuring lots of bright pinks and fluffy feathers, it left my heart palpitating for hours after the show ended, and just made me so much more sure about my future career in fashion. 

This may sound so cliche, but I'd rather be broke and spend my life breathing fashion, than be rich and sell my soul to Wall Street. 

Saks 5th Avenue here I come.