Fresh Seasonal Changes

Here in New Zealand we are just starting to feel the colder weather. I love the change to cosier evenings, jackets, boots and warm foods.
Here's a few things I'm looking forward to:

Coats

Twenty Seven Names

Ruby

Twenty Seven Names

Knitwear

All Knitwear.com

Delicious, hearty soups from my new Kinfolk Table recipe book.

Winter travelling to some places like this where I was last Winter.

Fox Glacier Mountains

5 Winter Essentials

So I read this great blog about planning your next seasons wardrobe so that you are thinking more in terms of a) what you actually NEED b) you focus on quality items c) you don't make random terrible purchases d) smarter consuming.
All of these things sound good. Now according to the blog you plan what you will purchase (I love this part) by looking at gaps in your current wardrobe and then researching what you need. The trick is to spread out when you buy the items i.e. not all at once.

So here are my 5 Winter Essentials for 2014:

1. Kowtow Mustard Parka / jacket- love the shape and colour. This NZ eco label make divine clothing that lasts well and is the first thing I reach for in the morning.

2. Australian Shoe Makers The Horse are an absolute must for gorgeous well made footwear. I can't decide out of these two pairs...

3. The amazing Knitwear label All Knitwear have such rad stuff- I love their hats...

4. I want a really cool Fairisle knit cardigan. Maybe like this these ones:

or this Standard Issue Tweedle Dee one which is incredible.

5. A delicious black cashmere wrap for long nights and flights

From Art

Last year I saw this amazingly inspiring exhibition of the American photographer, Gregory Crewdson at the City Gallery in Wellington. He creates huge format pieces that a super dramatic and filmic.
The collection Beneath the Roses is set in small town Americana depicting scenes with untold crime / sexual exploits, violent acts have taken place. You get questions from his work but very few answers.
His works unnerve me and I'm strangely fascinated with them.

These images are from the Beneath the Roses collection.

Patterns from Moths

Some stunning and unusual patterns from various species of moths.

Photo source

Photo source

Photo source

Floral Works

Some of my favourite fashion photographers incorporate incredible floral designs into their works.

                                                                  Tim Walker

Helmut Newton

Miles Aldridge

Style Files

I love Street Fashion blogs like The Sartoralist, Advanced Style, Stockholm Street Style, the New Zealand bloggers Street and City Photos and Four Eyes and of course Bill Cunningham for the New York Times.
They offer a range of everyday fashion from ordinary people which is often a cheaper and more original way of dressing based on comfort, practicality and aesthetic. You can see geographical and seasonal trends. I love how New Yorkers cleverly cope with the heavy winter snows.

Photo source

Today I found a fabulous collection of large format fashion books in our local library so will be eagerly making my way through those.

This one being a favourite- Rare Bird of Paradise: The Irreverent Iris Apfel. I adore this woman. She has so much outrageous courage and guts with her personal aesthetic. Plus she is 92! Extreme role model of style.

From Nature

These are some older photos from a trip I took in 2013 to the West Coast of the South Island.

I saw a lot of beautiful, lushness and contrasting textures.