Tuesday, April 17, 2012

VietFace TV talkshow feature

Hi everyone!
Today, i worked with the crew of VietFace TV as they are doing a feature on me on their TV Channel, particularly with the Trong Thang Show. Trong Thang is on his first Australian trip to talk to Vietnamese-Australians of various different fields and industries.

The show is targeted at the Vietnamese community around the world so I spoke Vietnamese for most of the  show (i have to admit I DID slip in a few English words because I got stuck ... but my Vietnamese is absolutely improving, I PROMISE!).

Some shots throughout the process:
testing out the lighting :)
in fun, jovial conversation with the host, Trong Thang
the awesome sidekick, Vuong, photobombing on our set :)
I have to say it was most enjoyable chatting about anything and everything.
I did get asked what i was wearing:
Tato & Memi Gibb Shorts; Tato & Memi Iznik Silk Shirt; vintage scarf; Nine West pumps
It's bed time for me so I'll catch you all later! Some YouTube Channel action happening tomorrow!
Adios lovelies xxx
with grace and love,
Van-Anh

And for THE NOW:
Fav food: Millone's penne arabiatta and garlic bread (gluten free!!!)

Reading: a few SMS' :)
Wishlist: these amazing Chiara Ferragni heels!
to-die-for-pumps!

Current city: Sydney
Listening to: Erykah Badu
Fav clothing item: still... 'A Coat' by House Of Ezis <3
Next destination: Shanghai
Missing: dessert.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

FASHION FILES: CATHLEEN JIA DESIGNS

Aloha to you all!
What a week its been! In the department of music, its been truly productive and all guns blazing!
What's more important is that i've been so blessed to have such wonderful people who have supported me along this process! This includes the makeup teams, the film crews, the drivers, the teachers who have taught me and still are teaching me, my parents who deal with my craziness and my siblings (Thuy and Viet) who love me for the ridiculousness that is me, and of course my friends all around the world who make that loving bed of support and keeping me VERY close to reality. I have indeed left an incredibly important part out of this as last which are of course the DESIGNERS

I think if i say i love fashion, that would be an understatement. I have an obsession with clothes. An obsession with the brilliance of designers and how they are able to create such garments, such pieces of art that just falls onto your body so PERFECTLY, such colors that are picked, such fabrics and prints that are so finely combined to create heavenly pieces <3 I love being able to spend time with them, play dress-ups with their collections and pick at their brain :)

So, in today's FASHION FILES (which will be a frequent featured segment on this blog), i've had the honour of picking at Cathleen's brain, the founder and designer of Cathleen Jia DesignsI was in Melbourne for a performance in February this year and was lucky enough to be around for the Cathleen Jia collection launch. The A/W '12 collection was based on lime green, black and coffee hues which was reflected most suitably in the fine selection of venues- Domain Flowers.






love love love, my personal favourite!!!
Cathleen (designer) on the right; me on the left :)
with one of the guests and dear friend, Suzie :)
Guests and friends mingled in this gorgeous florist sipping champagne and nibbling on divine cupcakes (from Cupcake Central) whilst gazing on the pieces modeled one by one and of course, all handmade by Cathleen. What other way to spend a Sunday afternoon than to be amongst the fresh smells of flowers, fashion, food and drinks!


mingling with guests
a gorgeous back, gorgeous color, gorgeous silks.
delightful delectables from Cupcake Central
The dresses were also available for a try on afterwards and so I got my hands dirty and played dress-ups for a while. All dresses are made out of fine fine silk with ridiculously meticulous hand beading detail.

The dress designs come in all 3 colors with a very 1920's flavour to them. The range includes short and long gowns as well as cute cuffs and headpieces to go with it. They are pretty versatile in terms of sizing and come in XS, S, M and L.


I'd definitely recommend this for anyone looking for dresses for an event, a night out, to the races or even as bridesmaids dresses. You'd definitely be seeing me in one of Miss Cathleen's dresses for a concert soon :) 

Here is what Cathleen had to say when i picked at her brain:
Where did you study fashion?



I studies fashion at RMIT in Brunswick. It was a more hands on course, learning all aspects from design concepts to pattern making and garment construction. So I really got taught the real skills to make my own ranges.





What inspired this collection?



I want my dresses to be  timeless. I'm not really driven by trends or ït colors" of the season. I tend to get inspire from fabrics, laces, and embellishments, which I source locally and at many great fabric stores hidden in Brunswick. 
Before I do a range, I like to do mini road trips to the ranges or deserted beaches to get inspire by nature. The textures, noises, colours and everything about it triggers my creativity flow. To me, nature never goes out of fashion!





How long did it take for you to make the entire collection?



From initial design concept, to pattern making, sampling and production, its about a 5 months process.





What's next for you?



I'm hoping to get more exposure for my label first. I am still very new to the market, I want my customers to know what is Cathleen Jia all about by working on constant media exposure, collaborations. As for my goals for the label, in a short term, I want to be stocked nationally with my ranges and be know for my signature drapery styles and vintage details. In a long term, I want to eventually break into the Bridal market, doing custom made gowns for those unique brides who likes the 1920'2 to 1940's style dresses with a modern take on silhouettes. 





Are you planning to open your own boutique or stocking in certain stores? Where can people buy your designs?



I am going to be stocking at SWOON in Hawthorn Melbourne, they are opening in the next month! I do hope to get into more boutiques not only in Victoria but nationally, boutiques like Lady Petrova, Alice Euphemia, Scene and Babushka Ballerina which I adore. If you do want to purchase my designs right now, you can always make an appointment for a private showing at my studio, it is quite intimate and I promise I won't bite. 
As for a boutique in the future, I would love to do that when I do have my own bridal collection. Of course, if I have the demand for it I will definitely do it!





When you're not sewing, what do you Iike doing?



During my free days I like to relax with my partner, he is a MASSIVE coffee fan and it kind of has rubbed on me, so when we do get a chance we like to check out new or amazing cafes. 
I am also addicted to Vintage shopping. Especially lately, I find myself buying mostly from op shops and either wear it as it is or alter them to my liking. I just love the fact that no one has the same and I can transform it to something uniquely mine. Alse the fact that most vintage items made in Australia back in the 60's to 90's, the fabrics and laces they use were exquisite and inspiring.





Which designers influence you? (who do you admire)?



I am a huge fan of Gwendolynne! I actually met her recently at a good friend's launch and she was so nice and friendly. She has great talent and her styles are so timeless and intricate. I not only love all her designs but also the way she runs her business and the way she has branded herself as the custom bridal specialist. It is hard for someone with such great talent to not want to take over the fashion world, but she has done so well keeping it so intimate and accessible and being really famous for that! And the fact that she is so humble made me love her even more! 





Best place in Melbourne for a bite to eat?



Melbourne has AMAZING food! I like to think I'm a bit of a foodie. It depends what food you are feeling on the day. For a budget eatery I love Tom Phat in Brunswick. Its a quirky little place serving modern thai food, they also do great cocktails. Also Chiba in Moonee ponds is a great little hidden Japanese restaurant, serving only the freshest sashimi. If you want to do fine dinning, the option is endless too! My fav so far is Cumulus Inc and Cutler and Co, great atmosphere, fab service and all round great food.





What's your ultimate goal?



As I said, I would love to break into the bridal market one day. But you never really know, it really depends where my demands are. I am a fairly new label so I need to find my feet in the market place first and go from there. I'm not afraid of taking risks, so I could be in Paris doing runway in 5 years time, who knows!



So, ladies and gents, that's all from me for now.
Til next time, love and grace,
Van-Anh xoxox


And for THE NOW:
Fav food: gluten free Muffin Break Double Choc-Chip muffin

Reading: my journal and reflecting on the last epic 4 months of 2012.
Wishlist: STILL.... the Butterfly Dress from House Of Ezis, this is a sign!
Current city: Sydney
Listening to: Nicki Minaj
Fav clothing item: still... 'A Coat' by House Of Ezis <3
Next destination: Shanghai
Missing: some sleep!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Day 2 of filming with House Of Ezis

Good morning (it's the wee hours of a new day),
I'm finally back in Sydney! This is only going to be a short one because i'm totally knackered.

Day 2 of filming the video clip was incredibly different to the first, focusing on the details and close-ups.

All i can say is lying around all day in 50+ metres of silks and materials is surprisingly incredibly tiring! 
Andrzej Pytel (founder and designer of House Of Ezis testing out lights and angles)
Lazing around in gorgeous silks and materials ... life is difficult sometimes ;)
You wouldn't think it but we powered on for hours on end and forgot to eat lunch (a rarity for me these days). Fascinated by the weaving of fabrics and the angles of which light played with the contours and reflections off the fabric consumed us all. It wasn't until we sat down that we felt light-headed from the focus on the art .. and maybe lack of food and drink. 

Amidst this, we did have a break or two and i went straight into playing dress ups with the House Of Ezis garments (really, they should be called pieces of art because they truly are!). Talk about falling in love with every piece! There is just a way the material falls and sits on your body that is so elegant yet casual and sexy all at the same time!

2 of my favourites are:
'The Unit' Dress with its incredible back drape 
'Butterfly' Dress
(this is only one way this dress can be worn but it is incredibly versatile and almost looks like a playsuit here)
A lot of the day was based on experimenting and i'd have to say Cam had a true experimental moment:
Cam Gould ... or a ghost? :)
The end result was that we got some awesome footage of which, now, i sit back and wait for the magic of Andrzej Pytel and Cam Gould to transform it into what is my first video clip.

For those who aren't familiar with House of Ezis, get familiar! It's Australian Designer wear at its finest. An absolute GOLD MINE!!
That's all from me right now. I'm about to K-O!
More updates soon!
With love and grace,
Van-Anh xox

Oh and of course, THE NOW:
Fav food: olive and salami toasties
Reading: One Day - David Nicholls (still.... slowly)
Wishlist: the Butterfly Dress from House Of Ezis
Current city: Sydney
Listening to: Aloe Blacc
Fav clothing item: 'A Coat' by House Of Ezis
Next destination: Adelaide
Missing: my car keys (which are currently locked in my own room!... what a klutz!)

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Day 1 of filming with House Of Ezis

Good evening everyone,
I'm in a hotel tonight in Brisbane after a super early start with a flight from Sydney.
I'm working with the ever so talented and creative Andrzej, designer of House Of Ezis as well as Cam Gould, media and graphic extraordinaire!

We are filming my first video clip for my first single -- it's all shhhhh for now because soon, stills of the first day will be revealed however I can just say that we are following Andrzej's concept of 'The Unit' in creating the garment... More to come when the next blog interviews Andrzej himself and his unique approach to fashion and design :)

This was us setting up:



All I can say is we've had an incredible day of creativity, spontaneity, music and of course FOOD :)

We also had the amazing support from the one and only Steinway & Sons dealers-- Theme & Variations in Brisbane.



I'm bugger tired and we have Day 2 tomorrow so night night, out like a light for me xxx


Andrzej and I going walk abouts to find the Steinway showroom :)

So so excited about life right now! None of this should have could have business, JUST EMBRACE THE MOMENT and DO IT :)

With love and grace,
Van-Anh xox

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Pho Joints in HCMC :)

Hello hello!
Those who know me well enough know that i live to eat and on my last stint of Vietnam, i was taken to a few more Pho joints by my fabulous cousins! Locals know it best! No, Pho, as you know, is the official Vietnamese dish, being a rice noodle soup (pronounced 'fur' questioningly ... yes, that is the correct pronounciation of it!).

The Northern style of cooking Pho is very different to the southern and the eating style differs too - for instance, the Northerners don't add fresh herbs nor do they add hoi-sin sauce but rather, fresh slithers of garlic (yes, get the chewy ready) and chilli sauce.

The most famous Pho place is called Pho Hoa:
Name: Pho Hoa
Address: 260C Pasteur St, District 3, HCMC
Pho Style: Southern
Consensus: DAMN GOOD!!! there are 2 levels, the ground floor has no air-conditioning so go upstairs...it makes eating hot soup on a hot day much more bearable :) This place is so famous the Sydney Pho Pasteur is named after it. Truly awesome!

Another place is:
Name: Pho Phu Gia


Address: 146E Ly Chinh Thang St, P.7 District 3, HCMC
Pho Style: Northern
Consensus: also DAMN GOOD!!! it's VERY different to the southern style but still just as good - heaps of spring onions!

Another joint:
Name: Pho Hung
Address: 243 Nguyen Trai St, Nguyen Cu Trinh ward, District 1
Pho Style: southern.
Consensus: really good - it's more of a chain and i think there are about 3 of them around HCMC as well as across the USA, but just as good as the other 2 listed above.

I have still yet to eat the Central Vietnam style of cooking and other smaller regions but I'll be sure to be sharing more the next time i'm there to devour/inhale/gobble these delightful dishes :)
Adios!!!
with love and grace,
V-A xx

YouTube Channel up LIVE!

Ola ola!
I'm sooo slack on these blog posts! darn! Has it really been almost 2 months since the last one?
And all this time on the different cruise ships as well!

Well well well, if you haven't seen so yet, i've started my YouTube Channel with 2 clips up so far:



This is going to be a fortnightly thing so stay tuned for more to come real soon :)
I want to thank the fabulous Ms. Thao Le from Glamour World Beauty for being the fabulous makeup artist and Quan from Dragon Vision Productions for shooting these 2 clips .. it was a long exhausting day:

Of course, we couldn't have done it without Theme & Variations Piano Services of the wonderful Ara & Nyree who continually provide young musicians with a wonderful instrument and venue!

The last 2 months has been a whirlwind of cruise performances ranging from the Crystal to the Seabourn to the Silverseas! I feel incredibly blessed to have met so many wonderful souls of whom i know I'll cross paths again with, somewhere around the world. Connecting with people on a work level, on a personal level, on a soul level... it all means so much to me <3

Can I just say, travels and performances aside, it is truly and utterly FABULOUS to be back in Sydney and what a way to be blessed with amazing weather for the ENTIRE week! it's like Summer came late. I am so lucky to be able to call Sydney home. There's no place like it, truly!

And lastly but definitely not least, HAPPY EASTER :)

Hope you all have a safe one and are spoilt with chocolate eggs, bunnies, easter egg hunts and giggles.
The next blog will be a up close and personal with a talented Melbourne-based fashion designer by the name of Cathleen Jia so stay tuned for that too!!!

Adios amigos! with love and grace,
xxx

And for WHAT'S NOW:
Fav food: Holy Basil's Laos Papaya Salad (salivatingly good!)
Reading: One Day - David Nicholls
Wishlist: the new Bally flats
Current city: Sydney
Listening to: 'Different Worlds' - Jes Hudak ft. George Arthur. It's SOOO BEAUTIFUL!
Fav clothing item: Ralph Lauren boyfriend fit cardi.
Next destination: Brisbane
Missing: a few gold stars :)
 

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