life with Lei.

forgive me for not making it back home to have one last drink with you. please know that you alone made a difference in this lifetime. a positive energy that will never be forgotten. you resonate the same bright light as the colour you love so much. and i thank you for your presence in my life. i miss you so much. my heart is broken. 

rest in peace my crazy-Lou...

head over feet.

"…you treat me like i’m a princess, i’m not used to liking that

you are the bearer of unconditional things
you held your breath and the door for me, thanks for your patience
you’re the best listener that i’ve ever met
you’re my best friend, best friend with benefits…

- A. Morissette

my art is the love of my life.

i don’t even know how to start this post. i drew out a reasonable list of things i wanted to achieve in the next year and in just the past couple of weeks the universe has decided to throw a bunch of goodies my way. overwhelming to say the least. it makes all the down falls worth riding.

it started with back to back fashion shoots with my favourite photographer friend, Rhys Votano and an overdue collaboration with my mentor Ethan Mann.  come Thursday i booked my trip to Vietnam for February to get our next exhibition preparations rolling. and then on the same night got offered an amazing styling gig by a man whom i’ve looked up to since working for DJ’s, Dale McKie.

rewind back to Thursday day… he comes into my life. it’s been just over a week and i still can’t get my head around it. he’s not perfect, but he’s pretty much what i asked for in a man. the thing is, life is crazy busy to have a partner right now, but having him around feels right. i would half jokingly say that i couldn’t wait to hold hands with him, and now here we are doing just that. 

...

i love that you love pizza. it makes my world that much better. you make me extremely happy. welcome to the crazy world of Maie xxx

there's a secret i've been perfecting.

all photographs and edits by Tamara Lawniczak, 2013.

one can argue that the art of photography is being able to capture a candid moment in time. this is true. but to me to perfect this art is more than just having the technical skills to work a camera. anyone can learn that, but not everyone has the eye for composition or the imagination for concepts. which leads me to my official introduction to this creative i’ve had the pleasure of getting to know really well and finally collaborating with. my friend, Tamara Lawniczak. small in stature, but large in talent and creativity. i loved every minute of working with this girl, and i think it’s because she shares the same obsessive compulsive-disorder as me. she is an absolute perfectionist with her work and so i know i can trust her with the smallest detail. but besides her artistry i am honoured to have her be part of my network and social circle.

special thanks to the following people who made our visions come to life. such a great job all round. please take the time to click on their respected sites and ‘like’ them on FB.

photographer | TAMARA LAWNICZAK www.tamaralawniczak.com

https://www.facebook.com/TamaraLawniczakPhotography 

hair and make up | RENNAN DIZON www.rennandizon.com

https://www.facebook.com/rennandizonart
an amazing artist and close friend of mine who i've been collaborating with for years.
model | SEPIDEH ASGARI
a beauty that i have admired and had been wanting to shoot since last year. 
work experience assistant | BRANDY POSE
a beautiful young lady whom i've had the opportunity to watch grow. my first willing work experience girl.

view the rest of album HERE.

the epitome of our being.

i have this thing with collecting garment pieces i knowingly well won’t have anywhere to wear it to, but i purchase them because i know it will sit perfectly in my room amongst the other gems i’ve accumulated over the years. or alternatively, use them in a fashion shoot. this addiction goes hand in hand with what i like to do in my spare time collaborating with photographers and models.
earlier in the week i had been disheartened by the lack of appreciation and acknowledgement i receive from the hierarchy at work. the only cure was to surround myself with free spirits who want something so much more than what society measures success to be. so we sat down over coffee and planned a life in a studio in Brooklyn, a job that would allow me to travel, and pencilling in a forthcoming exhibition i will hold in the new year. after the crazy fulfilments of 2012, nothing is impossible anymore. i’ve also gone back to basics and started sketching again. my friend and i are making the commitment to go to life drawing every week to keep sane and motivated. already, by changing what would’ve been a draining week ahead and envisioning life after the rat race, i turned that silly frown upside down! come Friday i get a call from my photography teacher asking me to do some work for him. one could only dream of working alongside a mentor who inspired, supported and challenged me. and one that’s work i respect highly. 

i’ve often been very picky with the projects i’ve been involved with in the past, and now i know those decisions were the right ones. it’s reflected in the circle of creative’s i associate myself with now. my presence in the industry is minute, but i'm there. somewhere among the crazy artists i call my friends :)

just enough to fill the void.

love. i was afraid my perception of the noun had been tainted from the past, but in reality i’m surrounded by it. therefore how could one not be a believer or a witness to it, right?

submission and possession, i confuse the two for love. but this is how i see it. there’s this boy i know, and it wasn’t until i found out that he had found ‘the one’ that i realised our relationship was in every way an exemplification of the word. after all, this world only reflects what you see and believe in your own mind. i captured these images from the past couple of years knowing it would illustrate a story somewhere down the track. and here it is, the things i want in life. 
...
i know you randomly read these threads when you’re curious of what i’ve been up to. this post is for you. as pessimistic and closed off as you were about love when we first started to get to know each other, i am at peace with where you are in your life. words can’t explain how proud i am of you.

you are here.

 

sadly this trip didn’t bring me much inspiration artistically the way last year’s trip did. but that soul searching bullshit everyone is on about, i guess this was that…

i didn’t take as many photographs as i anticipated, seeing that i bought a new toy camera specifically for this reason. but the experiences i had on this holiday are archived for life. a quick rundown of the happenings from the past three weeks, in no particular order.
revisited my favourite shopping spots in Tokyo. dyed my hair three times in a span of a week. got told that i 'had game' by a Harvard law student. i don't know what that means but... thank you? classily knocked over a glass of wine at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant. got my tourist picture taken by some randoms, sitting next to a dude passed out on the bench, who had way too many hand grenades (i wish i had this photo). got a homeboy's name tattooed on my arm. i didn't really, but we're sticking with that story. podium danced to One Direction in Shibuya. left my friend at a club on Bourbon St with random guys, sooked about it for a day and then somehow became even closer. and whatever happened in Amsterdam, was inevitable. but the highlight of this trip would probably be celebrating what would have been my friends 29^th birthday, with an awesome circle of people he left behind. Andrew, this trip was solely for you. your girl doesn’t realise it yet, but she is one strong woman.

we're on the home stretch now. coming back to freezing Sydney. i can't wait...

the land of trouble: New York.

 day one// sweating through 5th Ave: Ksubi tank dress, Comme Des Garcons shirt, Timbaland boots.

 day two// strolling through Bedford Ave, Brooklyn: Nathan Smith dress, Apolis Global Citizen tote bag.

it was far too hot to be remotely fashionable in New York at this time of year. getting a photo taken and taking the actual photo was too much to ask for this leg of the trip. hence the lack of enthusiasm in these snaps. soz about it.

photo credit: Raelene Baget of RnR productions.

curiosity van black: Amsterdam.

day one// afternoon supper at Bar Baarsch: Acne cut out top.

 day two// Monday Antiek  Markt: Topshop oversized dress, Agent 99 choker, Mango jeans, 
Havianas, Apolis Global Citizen tote bag, Mimco bracelet.

   day three// befriending a feline after our Grasshopper visit: Maiden halter dress, Mango jeans, Doc Martens, Stussy bag.

photo credit: Raelene Baget of RnR Productions, Amsterdam 2013.

black in moderation: Tokyo.

day one// Comme des Garcons store at Omotesando: Topman beanie, Maiden harness and tee, Topman denim.

day two// searching for Rosso hairdressers at Shimokitazawa: Morgan & Taylor felt hat, Stussy bag, Topshop dress, Nike Air Max.

day three// window shopping at Ginza strip: Les Plus Dores team Margiela tee, Zara scarf, Mango denim, Timbaland boots.

day four// looking for Margiela at Ebisu: Topman beanie, H&M top, Mango denim, Doc Martens.

photo credits: Raelene Baget & Keiko Motoi, Tokyo 2013.

the damage from way back when it mattered.

my packing skills only becomes less organised with each trip i go on. i fly out in a few hours and i'm still dawdling around. but before i go i had to post, because we all know how badly i articulate what i need to say in real life, so i shall write my thoughts out with the aid of my thesaurus.

it's been less than a year since i went on my first world adventure. i caught the disease from a few gypsies i'd been spending too much time with at the time, and here i find myself at the airport again. to think, that once upon a time i was made to believe that traveling had to be saved for marriage life. nah. not me. my life consists of inconsistent relations, impulse buying and temporary highs but at the end of the day, i'm still doing what i want to do, right or wrong. i'm off to catch up with some friends around the world, but i know i'll always come home to family. 

peace.

photo credit: Rennan Dizon, Camden Markets London 2012

cover up where you've been.

the best way to keep on your toes is to take up a bridal job six weeks before you venture out into the big bad world all over again. i always thought i had a more conservative style of designing, but this project was a challenge and a half. stress levels subsided, and i can finally start getting excited about next week :)

only for the diligent.

i recall the time when it was no longer fitting to wear baggy jeans out clubbing. i also remember not giving a fuck about what was ‘socially acceptable’ to wear out in public. the ever growing trend of fashion blogging has somewhat destroyed the illusive world of fashion for me. it used to mean something to get accepted in a recognised fashion school to study the design principles among other enthusiasts and be taught by professionals in the industry. now all you need is a url and hey presto you are a certified style icon. here are my top 5 fashionista woes:

1. having mountains of clothes doesn’t measure how fashionable you are, i can guarantee you that a good amount of that wardrobe would not be accepted at Salvos.
2. designer wear is all the hype. half of you don’t even know why you spend thousands on a designer piece, other than the fact that it was featured on your instagram feed. high end fashion was once known for it’s impeccable detail, quality and exclusivity.
3. enhancing your body and saying it’s to boost your self confidence and then having the sudden urge to post provocative ‘model’ shots on the web AND THEN letting the world know you are unimpressed by the unwanted attention you get is just…confusing really. way to be humble.
4. throwing on all your mismatched clothing doesn’t make you eclectic. it just doesn’t.
5. and lastly, uploading shameless selfie pics (clothed or unclothed) with your iphone in the frame is not attractive. nor is it sexy.

this is not me being cocky, this is my developed thought process and evaluation of how quickly technology and society has advanced, or rather, misinformed the scope of fashionistas out there. dare to start a fashion blog, but please do have something different and informative to talk about.

the week that was.

this first picture to me is quite inspiring and captures the epitome of what dreams are about and where alot of hard work can get you. the measure of 'success' varies between each individual, but to me it's having the balance of doing your job well, loving it, and being able to celebrate each others accomplishments with uber friends. there is such honour in having a small piece of your work published in the same book as this historic image.

the David Jones 175th Anniversary is open to the public from today, for a month. it's definitely worth a peek also while Vivid is on.