Omaha Getaway

Earlier this week I ventured up to Omaha, about an hour north of Auckland, with some friends for  a couple of nights at a bach. It was the prefect end to the holidays and the good weather combined with the relaxed vibes made for a very enjoyable trip indeed.

Also I can whole-heartedly recommend eating gelato everyday, it's good for the soul.

All pictures were taken by me.


First off we made a stop at Charlie's, an ice-cream emporium that has the most incredible, decadent ice-cream, and at $5 for two scoops it became an everyday habit during our stay. If you know me you'll understand how it took many ums and ahs and minutes of patience to decide on my flavours, they literally have everything from the standard chocolate and raspberry ripple to peanut butter and apple crumble (which I can vouch, is v. good)

Charlie's Gelato Garden just outside Matakana.

Dark Chocolate and Blueberry heaven

We spent our second afternoon exploring the strip of boutiques and eateries in Matakana, which has the most pleasant, relaxing beach vibe. It brought back a lot of memories from our annual camping trips at Tawharanui beach, which is a few minutes drive away. 

One of Matakana's many cafés.

Inside the Matakana cinema; each room has a different theme and this is the cieling made of hundreds of artificial roses, it's incredible!

Jacket: Roxy; Shorts: Ksubi; T-shirt: Glassons;
 Jandals: Havaianas; Sunglasses: Ray Ban

I bought this Bill Fold wallet from NZ designer Paris House;it's the perfect amount of quirkiness and style.

Wallet: Paris House.

 A swim was braved at Omaha Beach, which was timed with a photogenic sunset.

Bikini: O'Neill

Shorts: Ksubi; Sunglasses: Ray Ban
I've had these shorts for a while now, after getting them from theiconic.com, but I never really wore them much until this summer, when I literally wore them to death. The fabric has such a cool texture with open frayed seams sewn onto the outside, and the drops of inky blue look gorgeous against the white cotton.



I'd forgotten how much I love a good bach, and this one had honestly everything you could possible need and more (including an abundance of bean bags).

Potentially the best bean bags ever from Coast

A corner nook filled with divine smells by Jo Malone.

Shopping

So now that I'm a poor uni student and no longer working, I don't quite have the same budget for clothes at my disposal. As this freezing weather's hit, I decided to look on the king of online retail, Asos, for a new winter dress, as I don't just want to wear jeans and pants all winter long.
Being me of course, the only dress I really liked, is by Sonia Rykiel and costs $560. Ha, keep dreaming.

But isn't it beautiful? There are a few prints that I can pretty much almost guarantee I will buy; fruit being one of them.
                                                 
                                                              Image courtesy of Asos

It's a bit like a winter version of this beloved pineapple print dress I've had for years from Ruby. Perfect for over my togs when I was in Hawaii! Sigh, seeing this photo leaves me yearning for sun and a warm Aloha.

Dress by Ruby, Sunglasses by Ray Ban, Jandals by Havaianas

Dior and Lou

I've just come back from the basement cinema (which in itself is worth a visit), where I watched Dior and I. The documentary follows Belgian designer Raf Simons' (above) move to Dior from Jil Sander, after the controversy created by John Galliano's swift departure.

I think there's this misconception that to be high up in a prestigious brand, you must be arrogant, I mean Karl Lagerfeld's not exactly known for his modesty is he? Yet Raf Simons comes across as someone who just genuinely loves what he is doing, It doesn't matter that it's one of the most influential fashion houses in the world, it is the clothes and the craftsmanship that he is most concerned about, and he treats his staff with such warmth and respect, I immediately liked him. The film gives a rare insight into what goes into an haute couture collection, and the fact that Simons did it in 8 weeks is really something to marvel at. I found myself really caring about the show and its outcome alongside Simons, and I felt almost proud watching him ascend the runway wiping away tears at the end.

Now I went to watch the film expecting to love it because it's French and it's fashion and basically everything I love, but honestly you don't even have to be interested in couture whatsoever to find this film fascinating. Seriously, go and watch it.

Lou x
ps. Raf Simons' right hand man Pieter Mulier is gorgeous and comes across as the sweetest person! pictured below with Simons

Brown Paper Packages Tied up with String and stuff

I thought I would compile a small list of some of my favourite things; this is procrastination at its finest.

Lou

Favourite Movie: The Devil Wears Prada (and the Sound of Music if I'm feeling sentimental)


Favourite Book: Seeings as a I can't choose just one Harry Potter book, it would have to be The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Dale, it's a great book but I love it for the memories it evokes more than anything.



Favourite Food: Avocado, followed closely by my Dad's hummus - So. Good.


Favourite Song: I couldn't pick just one: Beautiful Day - U2, Clarity - Zedd Feat. Foxes, Princess of China - Coldplay Feat. Rihanna, Take Care - Drake Feat. Rihanna, The Ground Beneath Her Feet - U2, Another Love - Tom Odell... the list is long!

Favourite NZ Clothing Designer: I've always been found of Ruby and although I don't actually own anything, yet, Juliette Hogan's pieces are beautiful. Brooke Fraser wore this sequin dress a little while ago and I love it.


Favourite NZ Accessories Designer: It's a big tie between classic KW, Deadly Ponies and Saben. Moochi does some hella cool shoes too! I've always loved these court heels.

Favourite Destination: In Januray I went to O'ahu and Maui in Hawaii and fell in love; it was such a good mix of a beach and city holiday. This was our sunset view from the hotel in Maui.

Dream Car: A Jeep Wrangler! Another reason why I loved Hawaii - they're everywhere! We hired one for the day and it just cemented my love for this car.

Dream Destination: Greece closely followed by India! In fact I just want to go everywhere, I feel as though if I don't travel I'll miss out on the best life experiences.

Hobbies

One of my favourite past times is to go on net-a-porter.com, put everything I love into the basket, go to the checkout and then... not buy it.
As the total amount is generally more than I'll probably ever earn, it seem kind of strange to put myself through this practice, taunting my temptations with gorgeous pieces that I can't afford.But I still love it, I could spend hours on couture fashion sites, and I have done many a time. I think that was when I knew that fashion is what I'm most passionate about. I don't need to buy the clothes, just seeing and envisioning them is enough, for now!

Anyway here's a few things I would buy if money were no object.

Enjoy lusting with me

Lou x
ps. All prices are in US$

Acne Studios Brittia Chiffon Dress - $497
Acne Studios would have to be one of my absolute favourite labels, they always seem to find the balance between casual and super luxe.




Anya Hindmarch Frosties Tote - $2220
This just reminds me so much of my childhood, when we were allowed Frosties as a treat!

Anya Hindmarch Fashion Fund Purse - $218
I always seem to buy small leather purses that aren't really that practical, but just look so good. This one is a perfect example of something I would buy!


Balenciaga Papier A4 Tote - $2374
This bag on the other hand (pun not intended) would be ultra useful and cool, which can be a hard combination to find in fashion these days (for some reason this reminds me of my mum who's always telling me to be more practical with my clothes - I think Balenciaga's the answer, right mum?).

Chloé Lauren Leather Ballet Flats - $506
Scalloped edges are gorgeous, especially when they're Chloé.

Victoria Beckham Mini Dress - $1890
I've been a fan of VB since I was about 13, she is just so damn cool, and her clothes are even cooler.


Burberry Prorsum Printed Leather Tote - $3170
The colours and the print are such a good combination, I love the unique shape of the bag too.

Burberry London Gabardine Trench Coat - $2000
You can't go wrong with a classic trench coat, but I like the pastel colour rather than the usual tan or black, navy would be chic too.


Saint Laurent Wool-twill Jacket - $4690
I'm not sure how often I'd wear this, but it it so bloody cool I feel like that justifies it.


3.1 Phillip Lim Mini Skirt - $808
You could wear this with a plain white t-shirt and still be the classiest girl in the room; such a unique design.

Grand Total: $18,372 US - This number actually scares me

Wrap up

So as it's coming into autumn (or more like straight into winter in Christchurch), I've compiled a list of potential new additions to the wardrobe. I have the bad habit of never wearing quite enough warm clothing, the complete opposite of my mum who takes a cardigan with her pretty much every time she leaves the house. Seriously.

Enjoy my list of autumn additions (which are mainly scarves, just warning you)!

Adios
Lou

Subtle Luxury Metallic Scarf
I first spotted this bad boy on Louise Roe's Instagram (which is my daily fashion envy), and fell in love pretty quickly. It combines my love of light grey and metallic perfectly.

Photo Credit: A Vibrant Day

Rag and Bone Fedora
I can't really justify the need for this hat, it's just awesome.

 
Boohoo Bethan Knit Dress
I love the blush colour of this dress (I couldn't find a photo of it so below is the baby blue); I know New Zealand fashion is 90% black but I find it quite refreshing to wear brights or pastels during the freezing period (ie May to August).


Swaandri Wool Scarvie
Probably the only practical item on this list, but hey this is a fashion blog not Kathmandu (I do still love 'Mandu tho)


Witchery Fringed Wrap
I like that even though this is classed as a scarf, its a monster and as seen in the photo you so can use it like a wrap. I also really like this one from Asos


And last but not least, this Citta Purse is not autmnal whatsoever, but the colours are cool and the French is even cooler.


All photos come from the website links unless otherwise mentioned.