And here, to further prove how behind the times I am, is a review of Lisa T's Autumn fashion show (mere weeks after it actually took place!) and written in a slightly bitter haze after
the inimitable Susie Bubble wrote about Lisa before I did.
Goddamn that Susie Bubble...Pioneer of the fashion blogging
scene while I wasn’t even cool enough to have a live journal, discovering
Christopher Kane while I dripped sauce on my Sportsgirl top, and now, with one blog
post, ensuring the worldwide superstardom of Canberran artist Lisa Twomey while
I was meant to be writing a review of her Autumn fashion parade.
To be fair, Susie has a knack for uncovering exceptional
talent, so it was only a matter of time before she stumbled upon the sequin-sprayed
pixie that is Lisa T. But, now that
Ms Bubble has stolen my thunder and provided the definitive description of
Lisa’s work (noting that they could be embedded with Clare Boucher’s voice, no
less), I guess there’s nowt left to
do but post a gushy, fangirl love letter before Lisa becomes too famous.
Lisa is one of life’s very fabulous little magpies, hoarding
mountains of fabric, sparkles and inspiring things until they explode over
vintage jackets and dresses. The result
is a riot of colourful embroidery, sequinned shoulders and heavily embellished
fur coats, the likes of which paraded around
Honkytonks on a cosy, slightly
drunken Wednesday night back in April.
On Thursday morning I woke up with images of lethally
studded jackets in pinks and blues and fur coats dripping in jewels and
quilting running through my head. Sleeves were either fringed or covered in
lace, and were combined with flowing kaftans and nightgown-inspired shifts that
a 90s-era Courtney Love would do unspeakable things to own. More of the 1990s was evident in the bare
midriffs, floor-sweeping boho skirts and Adidas stripes, but Lisa’s creations
elevated these touches beyond the tired, self-conscious styling that has become
almost inescapable.
It goes without saying that choosing a favourite look
amongst all this was rather impossible, but I must confess, a creamy, vintage
lace gown still haunts my dreams, and it has become my life’s mission to own a
jacket with pagoda epaulets covered in chainmail and leather fringing – at the
very least to ensure bitches don’t mess with me in bar queues.
Lisa T’s work constantly stands out in a sea of hopeful
designers, not for the sequins and sparkles or David Lynch dreaminess of it
all, but for the absolute honesty in every single piece - Lisa collects and she
creates and she covers her work in things that she loves or is inspired by.
There is no marketing push or trend-following in Lisa’s work, just the energy,
talent and inspiring aesthetic of a real artist who is wholly herself –
something the fashion world sorely needs.
Aside from an incredibly cute and self-deprecating blog,
Lisa isn’t one to self-promote, so I’ll take the opportunity to do it for
her... buy a piece of her “shamans and shit” (her words)
here!
