Rada Priya

I cannot begin to explain how lovely it is to arrive back into the thick of an Australian summer. Melbourne is showing off, but the Mornington Peninsula is where all the action is... still we were able to find an uncrowded beach by the McCrae Pavilion for a dip in the bay and a long lunch I have decided to relocate down here, business and all. So after my Byron Bay trip next week, this will be my new residence, and I couldnt be happier to be back near the beach Happy Summer everyone! Casual dressing in Topshop skirt ASOS tee & Wittner sandal 

Impressed by what I saw at the orientation day of Polimoda school of Fashion, Florence, last week, I decided it would be worth attending the final presentations of students graduating with Masters degree's in Trend Forecasting. With high expectations, I was still surprised with the quality of work produced by the students, who hail from all corners of the globe. Over 4 hours we saw bodies of work that varied far beyond the limits of contemporary fashion, venturing from the culinary kitchen to outer space, from physical body manipulation to questions of our souls. It was clear that an education at Polimoda could add another dimension to my skill set, and if all the chips fall right, I'm convinced to attend there in the new year. Fixed by each individuals take on Trend Forecasting, I managed to capture only the few images you see below.

The days are getting shorter, and we are sleeping in more, so there is really not much light left to shoot day 4 of 'statement necklace week'. We planned a quiet dinner at my favourite restaurant in Florence - The Lorenzo de Medici , and brought the camera along in case we felt like shooting. I pinched Julian's favourite pair jeans, properly ripped and worn out, and threw on the biggest necklace I own. Giant perspex ochre & copper droplets hanging from a velvet chain, its really not as over-the-top when worn with a simple black tee...

A great jewel is not necessarily a big jewel, but in the case of my Anton Heunis necklace, statement making is first on the list. From his AW2013 collection, it was gifted to me by my best friend for my Maid-of-Honor role. Part of the 'Blade runner' inspired collection, it was hand made in Madrid out of chunky crystals, each a different colour, hugged by two heavy black pyramids of glass. Undoubtedly the most interesting statement necklace in my treasure box, it made its mark on this rainy day in Florence

DIY Story: I consider myself a bit of a domestic goddess, I know how to make a mess and I know how to clean it up - no metaphor here! Nothing like a spring clean, anytime of the year. But when it comes to keeping my whites bright its a frustrating repetition. This blazer was once a bright cream (and a dry clean only) - one go in the machine and it came out grey :( Lucky my dye skills are much better than my washing, so now its a nice minty green. Love this knapsack that was a gift from Saci who picked it up on her last trip to Cambodia / I made the scarf/tie to go with this DIY Bardot Blazer / H&M Blouse / NEUW Jeans / Dhalia Wedge Heels / Necklace from ASOS / Bangles and nail colour from H&M

On the weekend we decided to play tourist and head out of Florence into the surrounding Tuscan countryside. The weather was predicted to be cold and rain, but it turned out to be a warm spring day with only rain clouds passing by in the far horizon. We headed first to San Gimignano with its 14 medieval towers striking amongst the grapevine littered landscape. The city is small and only mopeds and bikes are allowed inside the walls. There are these naked statues at random spots through the streets - even one perched on the highest tower - their purpose puzzles me... For lunch we found this dark trattoria full of incredible art. We were invited to sit on the roof terrace, and although I wanted to sit in the romantic lit rooms to take in the art, nothing compared to the view from the rooftop - all of Toscana stretched out as far as the eye can see. We ate tagliatelle with local mushrooms and drank the wine famous in the region. The day was still young so we headed further south th...

29 perfect degree's      We, and the rest of Florence, were out to enjoy Every time I venture out into this beautiful city I seem to find somewhere new. Like today, we stumbled into this little piazza nearby the Pitti Palace. Santa Spirito is quaint and quiet, protected by the tall surrounding buildings. In the centre is a bubbling fountain, where art students are sprawled across it, drawing quietly the surrounding architecture. The huge trees are what make the space seem smaller and more intimate, and the afternoon sun fills the square with warmth. We drink wine outside the bar in the corner and eavesdrop on the Australians sitting at the next table. Its nearly 9pm when we walk back to the centre for a pizza dinner... the sun still golden over the Ponte Vecchio Read More  ☟

One of my favourite pieces from my A/W collection is this black velvet pencil skirt. I wore it once before to a fashion week event, so when we got an invite to an event held at the Vecchio Palace, I got it don it again The wine, canapes, and mingling inside was ok, but it was a bit of magic outside in the square, with live music and a buzz of people admiring the ancient sculptures. Julian's best friends family were a host of laughs and enjoyment Read More  ☟