Montage Collective 3

Hi All,

On Thursday this week me and 14 other buddies from the Perth indie-designer-biz scene opened up our third pop-up shop under the moniker of Montage Collective. Our first attempt in Fremantle earlier this year for three weeks in February was a slap dash of whatever we could get together into the HUGE, cobalt blue carpeted space. The second go was in a beautiful old shop in one of the underground/trendy spots in Northbridge which is just coming to be known to regular people, after about 5 years of independent bars, retail, and a super-interesting east-asian community making a dynamic and awesome street.

Our little shop was due for a reno, having been a barbers shop for more than a couple of decades at least - which meant horrible walls and man-hair in every single crack and crevice of the space. The original high pressed-tin ceiling was a real show stopper though! We were there for the month of July, with a vintage/retro furniture theme - which I loved to bits!

This time around we're slicking it up though - CBD location, immediately across from the train station, in one of the partially restored heritage retail spaces in the 140 William precinct. The beautiful main building by HASSELL was the host to the last Made on the Left market, which until a couple of weeks ago I was Vice-Chair of (my masters course uni commitments mean I have to take a break for a year and a half), and they also host many of the "cooler" Perth Fashion Festival events in their awesome industrial/office spaces. Plus a couple of my uni mates work at the Perth branch of HASSELL :)

Anyway, back from architecture to Montage! In the space this time around we have had the wonderful fortune of being sponsored by Shop4Shops for our shmick, more professional retail fittings, which really help pull in the city-type people. I hope you can go have a look at the space, it really is something awesome. Otherwise, check out the photos on our facebook page.

Oh, and we have a man-land themed space, so you can start thinking about fathers day!

xx Lauren

Day 3 : Shopping and Inebriated Wanderings

Inebriated wanderings in gumboots, no less.

SO.

Today I went shopping for my cousins dress and rest-of-outfit (she is the sister of the groom, who's wedding is the actul cause of us being in Q. She looks very nice in it :)

Being the first time in a long time that I've shopped in a real store, not just a dollar shop or an op shop or groceries, I went a little crazy and bought; owl gumboots, a flip clock - you know, the ones with the numbers that flip over - and several Chrissie presents that are awesome but I cant tell you cause I know they read my blog (hey Ali, hey Niina). But rest assured they are very cute/awesome/appropriate.

They are also unavailable in WA, cause the shop that all this awesome stuff was in is actually in every single state and territory EXCEPT MINE. Its a REALLY COOL STORE AND I CANT HAVE IT SO I'M ANGRY. Its even in FREAKING NEW ZEALAND!!! So yes, exclusive gifts.

And I also bought this ring. It is two tiny deer on a log bridge. It is hugely cute. It would be cuter if they were kissing though. :)



And then tonight I got taken to a gamer-bar. Manabar? I think? Anyway I got my photo taken by the staff and apparently its going on facebook so my geekness can be shown to all of mankind. But I have to say I cheated a bit cause I just played mario-cart and arcade style games, as well as had a "Princess Peaches" cocktail, plus a mint one and a chocolate/cream shot that were also named with assorted gamer references, of which I got none (I am not a gamer, but my two little brothers are so I "get" stuff more frequently than the regular poulation, but not enough to not be completly inadequate at Halo... But it was a cute tiny place, and the toilet graffiti and stickers were excellent. Which is really all you need from a small bar.

Once we were suitably bored of playing games, we went on a wander around what is sort of a better version of Northbridge - less scary, more bars, more people, less dickheads.

Anywhoo I just got told by bigger-little-brother that it's actually "Mana Bar" - which references a thing in a game thats like a "Health" bar, but a little different. So thar yee goo.

Ok, at this point I need to tell you that my cousin and I had worn our gumboots out to the bar for kicks-and-giggles. We both wore short black dresses and tights too. We were matching.

On our walk around, we went down a Chinatown mall, which had awesome fountains, which in our lightly tipsy mood automatically became a stomping ground for our awesome gumboots - weird how something which was just initially for random fun turned into totally appropriate footwear. Plus we also raced boats made from asian-community newspapers and put paper hats on rainbow carp statues.

I'll spare you all but two of the many grainy/blurry videos and photos. If you're a facebook friend you can have a look at the whole hilarious mess. Well, it was hilarious at the time, now I'm just full of McYuk fries and really tired.

This is my cheesy i'm-actually-five-years-old grin.
Oh, and my (WINNING) boat. Hoorah.

my heart hands around my owl wellies.
cousin's peace hand and heart wellies.

Off to themepark #1 tomorrow. Get to test out my handmade bikini bottoms. You could be so lucky to get a photo of them... not on me though, I wouldnt do that to you. Or me (I don't think my bottom is ready for international stardom just yet...).

xx Lauren

Anyone else?

Anyone else going to Event 101 at Propel/Amplifier tomorrow?

Need a buddy :(

I think there might still be last minute tickets available on the website;

http://www.propel.org.au/projects/amplifier

I'm doing it so I can contribute more to the event side of things at MOTL, cause at the moment I'm a n00b.

Anyway if you'd like to go, buy a ticket on the website and let me know here in the comments so we can hang out :) xx

Popsicle 2010

Much more spacious and cool than the bus it was on last year (when, not to brag, but OSIER was on teehee - take a looksie)

If you want to know more about this year take a look at the Popsicle website.

Hello, I am Really Really Busy.

... and really, shouldnt be blogging about being busy as it is just one more thing to do, but have decided to show you tidbits of what I am up to and will continiue to do until Saturday arvo!

Pretty please come to visit me, you can do your X-mas shopping in the city at the same time.

Just hop off the train in the city centre, and head over Roe Street into the Cultural Centre, and keep an eye out for our fake grass floor marquee!!!

The Not-as-big-a-jerk-as-you-could-have-been Award

Can anyone tell me what anime show that is quoted from? If you can you are a superstar cool person.

As part of my night-before-a-market preparation (read "procrastination") I was looking at Perth's local DVD zine; Cut&Paste, as I hadn't seen my Popsicle interview as yet, so yeah, looked, and there it was! Apart from the stupid open-mouth-thing I have going on before the video starts, and the fatty-neck, I think I did ok! And I didn't say "um" or "yeah" a rediculous amount of times either... which is always nice.

My little bro said I dont really sound like me, and I think hes right... I've put on my "posh voice" haha.





Stupid thing didn't want to embed. Oh well. :)

I'm so tired

Hello All,

Just wanted a quick whinge about how tired I am from poster/promo bombing for Made On The Left today on William Street in Northbridge and Oxford Street in Leederville. All ready for the Colour Me exhibition opening tonight. Phew!

From the OnWilliam Website:

Hours: 7.30-10.30pm
Cost: $20 at the door
More Info: www.sugarblueburlesque.com

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Sugar Blue Burlesque proudly presents a Burlesque Graduation Show at the end of each of our Burlesque courses. Come down and catch our burlesque academy's latest graduates in all their glitter (and glory)!

See Perth's glamorous new Queens of Tease as they brave the stage for their burlesque debut, plus guest performances by the Sugar Blue Burlesque artistes.

Alcohol will not be available for sale at the Burlesque Lounge for this event. BYO beer and wine. Non-alcoholic refreshments and snacks will still be available for purchase.
These shows always sell out, so arrive early to avoid disappointment!

Colour Me

Hours: Opening night: Wednesday 4th November, 6-9pm. On display until 10th November.
Cost: free to view
More Info: www.onWilliam.com.au

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Take a walk down William Street to discover a treasure trove of colourful activity within store windows created by Curtin University Fashion Merchandising Students.
Colour the rainbow with collectable pencils from each location to reveal the colours of Northbridge.

Colour Me opening night across all venues from 6-9pm Wednesday 4th November, exhibition runs until 10th November.

Participating venues are Red Stripe Clothing, Harry Highpants, Fi + Co, Lala Orange, Last Chance Studios, Mixtape Gallery, William Topp and The Butcher Shop.

Outskirts & The Cultural Centre Markets

Guess what I did on Saturday?

...yep, this little piggy went to market.

Not to sell though, uni has been WAY too crazy for me to have been able to make enough stock in time, but because this week is study break with no classes and plenty of time, I have signed up to do Perth Upmaket this Sunday coming. More about that later.

People that caught my eye:

The Ginger Fox - great vintage at VERY reasonable prices,
check out her facebook page here.

Cocoa Pod - fine jewellery,
very classy and unique, her website here.


Ali J Art & Illustration- a favourite of mine; lots of colour,
imagination and style, check it out here.