Away with the Lupins

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Wig - Taobao. Dress - Taobao » Oxygen Boutique.
Photos taken by @kohikaphotos
Shot on location in Lake Tekapo, New Zealand.

Wetlands | Sustainability

     

   

   
All photos by Kohika Weddings and Portraits - instagram

The walk at Travis Wetlands is one we do when we feel like something flat but rewarding with views. The Wetlands here are full of native wildlife and even a resident cat named Arkham.

It had been a while since we had last done a photo shoot so we made an impromptu decision to do one here. I want to talk about how I've been working towards making my closet more sustainable and this outfit is a perfect example of that.

               

                

Coat - Comptoir des Cottoniers (second hand). Dress - Kowtow (sample sale). Boots - Rollie (second hand). Beanie - Country Road (second hand).

The first step in cultivating a sustainable closet is to use what you already have. I have pieces in my closet from ten years ago and I still love them. If you take care of your clothes properly you can expect them to last a very long time. When I buy new pieces it always makes me happy to pair them with existing pieces and create new outfits, creating countless possibilities.

Buying second hand is an obvious way be more sustainable with fashion. Thrift shops have become increasingly popular in recent times and finding really original pieces that no one else has is always exciting for most. Along with your standard opshop there has been an increase in vintage stores and more high end second hand boutiques. Here in New Zealand we have Recycle Boutique which cultivates a selection of high end and designer pieces that have been well looked after by their previous owners. Of course buying from thrift stores is great but remember that if you have pieces of clothing you no longer wear and are in good condition donate them to your local store to continue creating that circular economy. My boots from this outfit are from Recycle Boutique.

Another way to own second hand items is through friends and family. I have a lot of pieces in my closet, like my beanie and coat in this look, which are from family members. My sister and I are constantly swapping clothes which refreshes our closet over and over again. It is always cool to see how certain pieces look on different people and how one garment can be worn in a entirely unique way by the new owner.

Lastly you can buy from ethical and sustainable brands. My dress is from Kowtow which is a sustainable brand here in New Zealand. An issue that is raised around sustainable brands is that they tend to cost more however this is understandable as they are paying fair wages to each employee in the supply chain and don't cut costs to allow for their pieces to last a lifetime. Combining two of my tips is to buy your ethical clothing second hand. For me, I bought all my Kowtow pieces at a sample sale. Sample sales is a great way to buy pieces of clothing that weren't sold during the season or clothing that is slightly defective but doesn't affect the integrity of the clothes, all at a discounted rate. Keep an eye out for sample sales in your area. At this particular sale I bought three pieces which I hope to share with you in future posts.



I'm hoping to create more posts around sustainability as this is something I am actively working towards.

Thank you for dropping by!

Sakura Skies

As many of you probably know, I have a very large soft spot for Japan in my heart. I love the music, the culture and most definitely the fashion. One of my favourite styles and the first one I discovered is lolita. I remember all those years ago when I was barely a teenager scrolling through every Harajuku blog looking at each snap of this beautiful and unconventional style wishing and hoping that one day I would own a wardrobe full of these wonderful pieces. I recall gushing about it to my parents hoping they would support my venture into this crazy world (and to borrow my mum’s seamstress skills) and their response being not what I was looking for. They were completely taken aback and thought it looked too much like a fetish and even though I tried to explain the history and how it was the furthest thing away from a fetish, they still didn’t understand and weren’t all that keen on me wearing it in public. 

It wasn’t until 2012 when we went to France to visit family and with our brief stop in Paris I persuaded my parents to let me visit the Baby The Stars Shine Bright store in Paris. I can still remember the excitement while riding the metro to the store of my dreams. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

Arriving I almost cried at the beauty of the boutique and everything in it. I was smiling from ear to ear and my parents said it was the happiest they had even seen me. 

It was this happiness that lead my parents, the skeptics, to buy me my first ever pieces for a coord. Those two pieces, a beautiful, baby blue coat and a cream Peter Pan collared blouse, are shown in this post and are my most treasured items. 

My partner and photographer shares this passion for Japan with me so of course, it’s only natural that we take advantage of the small amount of Cherry Blossoms that bloom in our city and do a photo shoot. I absolutely adore how these pictures came out. 

                                               

Bow (from coat) - Baby The Stars Shine Bright. Coat - Baby The Stars Shine Bright. Blouse - Baby The Stars Shine Bright. Skirt - Thrifted. Shoes - Hush Puppies (old).

Welcome to The Jungle

Trenchcoat - Laura Ashley. Camo shirt - Stolen from boyfriend, originally k-mart. Chiffon skirt - Supré. Loafers - Thrifted from Recycle Boutique.

Completely spontaneous shoot that came out amazing. Was assisting Cyren on another shoot and decided that the location was perfect for what I was wearing so hopped in quickly before going home and grabbed a couple of shots. Of course, the magic of these photos are thanks to Cyren's amazing eye, he captured exactly what I had in my head and more. This was shot at the Botanic Gardens, which is a place we shoot quite regularly because it's so diverse and every location has something different.
Some of these pieces are so old, like the skirt which I bought probably 7 years ago but it's so versatile. I love that just a different combination pieces can instantly change the mood and that's what I love about fashion, you can create anything with what you've already got!
As always, photos by Cyren's Cosmedia. You can find him on Facebook and Instagram.
Catch-ya later!

Week Review ~ 27/08 - 02/09

Greetings!
So I've decided I'm going to start doing a week review at the end of each week including what I got up to and just some bits and bobs. So let's dive in.

The first thing I did this week was a major overhaul of my bedroom. I added a second bed, completely organised my closet and put up a bunch of posters. Once it's all finished I will be uploading some photos but I already love it. I even bought a plant friend for my windowsill.

As you would have seen I uploaded three new videos this week, a try-on fashion haul, a recipe video and a night market vlog!

I ate some pretty amazing food this week:

That shake was absolutely incredible, I want to get another one ASAP! Follow my instagram @jantoness.

I also received some pretty awesome gifts:

This mug is my absolute favourite gift I have ever received! Cyren made it for me for our anniversary which isn't until the 14th however he wanted to give me this early. I am so in love!

We bought some absolute bangers at the night market:

This was my first find in the theatre thrift store, it was only $3! I have so many plans for it. When I first saw it I thought it would be perfect for a gothic lolita co-ord if I can find a skirt. I love pieces from the 80s so much, they're some of my favourites.

This sunhat was another find at the thrift store, it gave me massive Howl's Moving Castle vibes and it was $5. I can't wait to wear this on picnics this spring/summer with cute sun dresses <3
This here is Vince Bun Bun. He was $15 and I love him. We first saw these at a boutique on top of Cashmere Hill and was so stoked to find them at the market. I went for red because it reminds me of Cyren hehe. He's super soft and cuddly.

Finally we bought this beautiful card. The white paper flowers on it have seeds embedded in it and you place them in a pot of soil and they grow wee cute flowers. We've decided when we move into our new house we're going to plant them together.

That's about all for this week! Thanks for dropping by.
See you in the next post ;D

Try On Fashion Haul | Soeur, Laura Ashley, Country Road, Kilt, Uncommon ...

Hey guys! Here's a fashion haul for you, it's been so long.

Mentioned in video:

• Clothes from Soeur, Laura Ashley, Country Road, Uncommon Ground, Kilt, Zambesi, Etsy
• Range of high end, designer and custom pieces 
• Accessories, footwear and garments

Photos are from Cyren's Cosmedia, like usual, you know the drill, go check him out on Facebook and Instagram and give him a like, Cyren's Cosmedia on Facebook and @cyrenscosmedia on Instagram.

See ya :3