SmallNotes

A LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE

Once again SmallNotes has found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

To the delight of all women in Perth, Aurelio Costarella is having another one of his famous sample sales.  His highly coveted designer dresses have been popping up on red carpets around the world, most recently Jennifer Hawkins, Dannii Minogue, Jess Hart and Gerri Halliwell to name a few.

The sale starts on Monday 21st September, 10:00am til 8:00pm FOR ONE DAY ONLY at 32 Wickham Street, East Perth.

The sale is CASH ONLY, but with garments starting at $20 be sure to get in as quickly as possible.  His pot of gold has a habit of disappearing fast as well all know!

Check out his collections at aureliocostarella

CURIOUSLY CLEVER

A silver musket for self-defense (or self-adornment). Tiny mustaches to flutter against your earlobes. Nuts and bolts to hold you together.

These bizarre objects populate the cabinet of oddities that is the Giles & Brother online shop. Cleverly conceived, each piece elicits the feeling of having discovered a rare treasure. 

Visit Giles & Brother here for your own curiosity.

LET’S PLAY DRESS-UP

Imagine your childhood dress-up chest exploding. Little House on the Prairie dresses, church lady hats, ball gowns, cowgirl costumes, silk scarves all dismantle themselves and reassemble piece by piece into a purse. 

That is the sort of electrifying ingenuity you will find at Lulki, a Melbourne-based accessories line.  The bags are beautifully assembled from buttery leathers, lined with vintage fabrics, and feature surprising elements like snake skin, lace accents and brass rivets.   

You can shop online for Lulki here.

CANDY APPLES

Who knew something as trivial as molded plastic could prove so seductive? Melissa, the Brazilian footwear line, has emerged an unexpected muse for the likes of J Maskrey, jewellery designer; Vivienne Westwood, fashion icon; the Campana Brothers, design duo; and the list goes on.

Each designer has left their own unique mark on this unassuming medium. Silver wing-tips are punctuated with jewels borrowed from J. Maskrey’s skin jewellery line. Vivienne Westwood’s Mary Janes pop with the finish of a candy apple. The sparkling Zig Zag has been constructed with the same verve as The Campana Brothers’ Favela chair.

Visit Melissa here for more innovative, inspired designs.

RELEASE YOUR INNER MATA HARI

The spy’s mission would be long and gruelling, the difficulty compounded by the number of costume changes expected of her.  It seemed her only recourse was a visit to Frockaholics, the Aussie-based site overflowing with designer pieces from around the globe.

Logging on, she came across a 50s-inspired Trelise Cooper dress, perfect for her stint posing as a foreign dignitary’s wife.  Perusing further, she found that Camilla & Frank’s Eliza frock would allow her to blend in seamlessly among the patrons of Tokyo’s gang-infested speak-easies.  And if she needed to make a quick get-away, the generous lines of Ginger & Smart’s Bow Line dress could act as a parachute, allowing her to sail out a window to safety*.

When preparing for your own dangerous assignments, visit Frockaholics here.

*This dress is not a genuine substitute for a parachute. Please do not launch yourself out a window in this dress. Or any dress, for that matter.

INHERITED ELEGANCE

It’s your greatest hope that your female descendants will inherit your wit, creativity, and ability to tie a cherry stem in a knot with your tongue.

Unfortunately, the only material object you have to offer them is the rusted nameplate necklace from your Sex and the City / Carrie Bradshaw phase.

Bypass the expected well worn strings of pearls and visit Anna Sheffield’s new website, home to all three of her collections: Bespoke, Fine Jewellery, and Bing Bang.

Her affordable pieces are timeless: necklaces with dreamy blue topaz pendants punctuated by small diamonds, bold gold cuffs, and our favourite, the heart-piercing arrow two-finger ring.

Now, at the very least, this ensures you’ll pass down your impeccable style.

For more information on Anna and what’s inspiring her and her team these days visit her site here.

THE GENERAL STORE

Traditionally, the general store was where you rushed pre-blizzard to get kerosene and non-perishables. Claire and Isabelle, the two-sister team behind Ruck Rover General Store, run an updated incarnation to get you through both rainy afternoons and forgotten birthdays.

Ruck Rover is stocked with countless useful paraphernalia. Nothing says “you have my heart” like a plush and smiling version of what beats beneath your ribcage. Your neurotic best friend will love theWoody Allen brooch (as long as you tell her it reminded you of her wit). They also carry Polaroid film for you immediate gratification junkies that love photography.

Stop by the Ruck Rover General Store at Shop 4, 595 Beaufort Street in Mount Lawley in Perth, Western Australia.  If you can’t make it in person, click here to shop online.  And of course they ship internationally to all their non-Aussie admirers.

ALICE IN GARTER LAND

Hopeless Hotel Lingerie’s high quality underwear and sleepwear pieces call to mind smoky burlesque halls, with garters punctuated by bows and satin knickers layered with frills.  Each piece is lovingly is designed to evoke the feeling of being in a faraway dream world.

Offering us two collections: Posie Pepper, inspired by the singing garden in Alice in Wonderland, and The Jewel Thief, with pieces named for our favourite characters from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.  Blossom forth in the Daisy bra or wear the Fred knickers to lure him away from his typewriter.

Gabrielle and Dominique Adamidis, the sisters behind Hopeless, create most of the pieces to order and feature adjustable elements to fit and flatter an array of figures, hoping to promote a positive and healthy view of women and their bodies, no matter what size.

They could make Sally Rand throw down her ostrich feather fans just to get her hands on some.

For more information on Hopeless Hotel, your can find their website here, and Etsy shop online here.

BUILD ME UP BUTTERCUP

Cleopatra’s infamously velvety skin came from soaking in baths of fresh milk.  Having your poor milkman deliver 100 litres of milk might be a little impractical in today’s world, but, luckily, we have found the next best thing to making your sensitive skin soft and supple, especially during those winter months that can transform your rich, dewy complexion into a red, cracked and irritated mess.

MooGoo’s star product, Udder Cream, was originally used by dairy farmers to keep cow’s udders in good condition, but made such a fabulous moisturiser than they decided to tweak the formula for human use and turned it into little jars of milky gold.

MooGoo’s range of natural skincare products are only tested on the manufacturers’ bodies. Then their friends test it next, and if they like it and ask for more, well that’s good enough for MooGoo and into production it goes.

Join their Australian, and growing international herd of fans in saying, “Woohoo - MooGoo!”

You can find buy MooGoo online at moogoo.com.au or at selected pharmacies throughout Australia.