Picasso Exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW and my Inspiration for the Autumn/Winter Collection 2012

Last week I was in desperate need of some inspiration and motivation. My husband suggested that I visit the art gallery, and I remembered that there is a Picasso Exhibition on at the Art Gallery of NSW in Sydney. It was the perfect excuse to go!

I have to admit, I have never really been a huge fan of Picasso, and if given the choice, I would much rather see an exhibition on antiques, ceramics or classical paintings, rather than most modern artists. This being said, I still enjoyed seeing this exhibition, and since then it has given me some ideas!!!

I personally really enjoyed the brighter paintings, e.g. "Portrait of Dora Maar" (image below), where Picasso used lots of yellow, purple, red, green, blue, and heavy black outlines.



It just so happened that the outfit I was wearing that day was in very similar colours to this painting- so I guess it was meant to be that I would like this one!



Another painting I really enjoyed was "Large still-life on a pedestal table". Again because of its bright colours.




I have been thinking about my upcoming Autumn Winter 2012 Collection, and I think a little Picasso inspiration will be just the thing to blend with my Ballet Russe inspiration! I could imagine a lot of assymetrical lines, bright colours against black, and geometric shapes as my Picasso influence. Then I would add ideas of embroidery, trims, fur, and some special Russian vintage buttons that I have collected to the mix. I can't wait!!!

The images of the Picasso paintings in this post are from the Art Gallery NSW website. I encourage everyone who is interested in the creative arts to visit the exhibition while these masterpieces are close enough to our shores!

Behind the scenes: Raisa's beautiful hats for the Penelope Red Autumn Photo Shoot

Everyone who knows me well (or perhaps who has followed this blog) would notice that I LOVE my hats! Hats have this way of making every outfit look finished, polished and a little bit over the top in one. Most people would not like the idea of looking over the top- but I love that extra glamour hit.

Last year I discovered a little Russian-Australian lady, Raisa, selling these divine handmade hats at The Rocks Markets- not too far from where my market stand was. I instantly fell in love with Raisa's craftsmanship, and with her passion for what she does. It isn't very often that I come across a fellow designer at the markets, who actually creates most or everything herself, like I do, so it was nice to get to know Raisa.



When I organised the Penelope Red Queen Collection photo shoot for Autumn, I didn't initially think of hats to be included in it, since it was going to be taken in doors. Since Raisa's hats are more like fascinators, and more a decoration rather than a full brimmed hat, they worked perfectly for the setting. Besides, I wanted everything to be glamorous, fun, and a little over the top!

These photos are not the finished professional photos, but they were taken to show you the hats we used. All of the Penelope Red designs that the models are wearing will be added to the Penelope Red website soon!



Raisa handmake's all of the designs herself, in her home, in Sydney. If you are interested in purchasing a handmade hat, please contact Raisa on: 0412031612. If you live in Sydney, she will be at The Rocks Markets every Saturday and Sunday throughout April 2011.



I purchased one of Raisa's hats last September, to wear to the races. Raisa designed and created the hat specifically for me to go with a particular outfit of mine. You can take a look at Raisa's handmade hat for the races here. If you have a particular outfit in mind, she is happy to design something to match it, and her prices are very competitive. You can email Raisa on: rmyndra@gmail.com

You are invited to The Rocks Winter Showcase featuring the latest Penelope Red designs

The Rocks Markets has organised another Fashion Showcase, and the next one, on the 2nd and 3rd of April will feature my Autumn designs, The Red Queen Collection.

Each day is split into 4 parades; the first is always children's wear at midday; the women's wear parade's are on throughout the afternoon at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. At this stage I have not been able to confirm the particular time that the Penelope Red section is on, so I suggest to everyone to head into the city for the middle of the day.

Included in the parade will be Asymmetric Black Silk Emilie Blouse:



and the Black and Cream Isis Knit Top:



plus many more exciting styles! The Rocks Markets will be open for trade on both the Saturday and Sunday, 10am til 5pm, and my Penelope Red boutique market stand will be there with the latest styles to try on!

Penelope Red at The Rocks Market: 26th & 27th February 2011

The Penelope Red boutique stand will be at the Rocks Markets on the 26th and 27th of February, 2011.

The photos included in this post were taken a few weeks ago when I had my stand set up at the Rocks Markets. It was fairly quiet, so I decided t0 continue hand sewing the gold sequinned silk top I am creating for the new Autumn Collection.



I love giving my garments that handmade appeal, and even though hand sewing sequinned lace onto a top is time consuming, I know this design will be stunning! Already people were wanting to take a look at the unfinished piece, let alone the finished piece. I can't wait to see this in the photo shoot!



The Rocks Markets, Sydney is open from 10am til 5pm, both Saturday and Sunday. Please note that the Penelope Red boutique is not at the markets every week, and if you take a look at the official Penelope Red website, there is a notice of the next time I am there.

Centennial Park Autumn Leaves

The weekend just passed was yet another stunning weekend in Sydney! I spent it at the beach and at my favourite park in Sydney, Centennial Park, soaking up the rays. Anyone could be forgiven for thinking it was Spring.

Although the photos of the beautiful Autumn leaves were not taken this weekend (they were taken in June), I wanted to show you how beautiful Centennial Park is. This is just one small part of the park.

Hope you enjoy, and maybe it gets you out to your local park!

Wicked: The Musical

Last night, my husband and I watched "Wicked", the Broadway musical, in the Sydney Capital Theatre. It was my birthday present!



I had never seen it before, or heard the story, and the only song I knew from it was "Defying Gravity" (mainly because I had seen it performed in one of my favourite TV shows, "Glee"), so I had no idea what to expect. It was really good- my favourite part of the entire production would have to be the costumes- stunning! The photo above was taken from the wicked website.

My favourite moment in the musical was the "Defying Gravity" song performance- even my husband gave a huge clap after that song. I wasn't a huge fan of the story to begin with, but as it progressed, the plot picked up the pace, the jokes were better, and just generally had more action.

I started thinking about the last musical I went to see- it was "Guys and Dolls" at the Capital Theatre again- that was a fun production with Marina Prior, Lisa McCune and Gary MacDonald.

Before that, it was "Priscilla, Queen of The Desert"- now that definitely had amazing costumes! Even the movie had phenomenal costumes!



Anyway, "Wicked" was fun, easy to watch, and entertaining- everything you want in a musical.

The dress I wore on the night is, of course, another Penelope Red design: The Penelope Red Spring Tailored Dress. Take a look at this link to see more on my Penelope Red Tailored Dresses.

Penelope Red at The Rocks Market: 20th and 21st Feb

I will be trading at The Rocks Markets this coming Saturday 20th and Sunday, 21st of February, 2010. The trading hours are 10am til 5pm.

I am currently making a complete size set (sizes 8 to 16) of the Lichenstein Gathered Neck Blouses:



Then I will make another size 8 and 10 of the Tuxedo Corset- as these have sold out already.



And since the Wrap Around Halter Tops have been getting more and more attention recently, I thought I would make more of the Bohemian Sari Wrap Around Halter Tops:



The above designs are all available for purchase on my etsy shop, and they will be available at The Rocks Markets too.

ya hala Lebanese Restaurant

My husband, a friend and I visited the new "ya hala" Lebanese Restaurant, Randwick, Sydney, last Friday night. Such a great restaurant- great food, good service, and a nice friendly atmosphere.

The food is very fresh, served beautifully, and you can tell that it is cooked to order- rather than cooked in big batches.

I am a huge fan of lady fingers (lamb mince and pine nuts rolled into pastry, then fried- yeah not so healthy, but they taste oh so good!)- and the ones served here are divine!

The tabouli is very fresh- and just right, the shish kebabs are cooked just right.

If my hubbie and I ever wanted Lebanese, we always had to go to Surry Hills, in Cleveland Street, for anything worthwhile. Now we are so happy, as this place, I think, is better then what Surry Hills has to offer, and it is in our beloved East Sydney!

Next time, I am looking forward to trying the baklawa!

Ya Hala Restaurant
142 Avoca Street
Randwick
Sydney NSW
Australia

Ph: 9326 4122

Website: www.yahalarestaurant.com.au or join their facebook page.

Australia Day at The Rocks Market

I spent the Australia Day public holiday selling my Penelope Red designs at The Rocks Markets in Sydney.



I was situated in Playfair Street, surrounded by beautiful old buildings, and you could see the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background, so I thought it was a great opportunity for some photos.

(the above two photos were taken before it became too crowded, when we first set up)


It was a great day- loads of people, lovely weather, and performers floating around through out the crowds all day.



Follow me on twitter or facebook for more updates of my latest designs and finds!

Etsy Designer: Dominic McCabe

I found Dominic McCabe's store one day, when browsing through etsy. I adore his "Smoky Drops" earrings.



Dominic is a designer, based in Sydney.

The above Smoky Drops earrings, go with the below Smoky Cocktail ring.



I could imagine both of these together with my Black and White Tuxedo Corset!

Follow me on twitter or facebook for more updates of my latest designs and finds!

Bronte Beach

Sometimes I like to take a break from my work room, and wander around the surrounding beaches in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. There truly are some beautiful beaches and the scenery is gorgeous- and I am slightly addicted to my camera! So even though its slightly off topic, I thought I would share a few snap shots of one of my favourite Sydney beaches, Bronte Beach. A good way to get into the weekend mood!




Today I am working on a brand new design, and will hopefully have photos to share on Monday, so stay tuned!



Follow me on twitter or facebook for more updates of my latest designs and finds!

My first time at The Rocks Market!

The past weekend was my first weekend at The Rocks Market in Sydney. My debut! I had a great time, and it was lovely to show my ideas and creations with the unsuspecting folk in Sydney.



Each week that I am at The Rocks Market, my location will change; so if you are planning to visit me, make sure you take a look at the whole market!



I will also be at the Rocks Markets this Sunday, 15th December.



Follow me on twitter or facebook for updates of the next time I will be attending the markets!

Penelope Red at The Rocks Market

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I will be trading at The Rocks Markets this weekend, 7th and 8th November!

I will be showcasing my Penelope Red designs there, including:

The Paris Bow Top

The Coral Kimono

The Monet Pleated Blouse

The Pink Victorian Corset

I will also have many other designs there, including a selection of current winter designs (which can be seen in my Etsy shop).

What: Penelope Red at The Rocks Markets, Sydney

When: Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th November

Time: 10am – 5pm

Where: The Rocks Markets

Playfair and George Streets, The Rocks

Sydney, Australia

How to get there

The Rocks Website

The High Tea Party

On Sunday, my friend and I attended "The High Tea Party" at the beautiful Observatory Hotel, Sydney.

The Observatory Hotel is gorgeously decorated! If I didn't live in Sydney, I would love to stay there!

When we arrived, it was extremely crowded in the foyer! There were hairdressers, make up artist's, manicurist's, jewellery designers, shoe designer's, etc that each had a stall/room set up to sell their wares.

The high tea was nice- the room we sat in was even nicer. As much as I love baking, and entertaining, sometimes it is so much easier to let someone else do all the work!




I happen to be wearing the Black Bow Tie Top, which is available in my Etsy shop.