I run the wide and wonderful world that is Ginny & Jude Designs; a fashion and accessories label that has been creating items of fancy for the perennially overdressed since 2008. For those familiar with my work it will come as no surprise that I am passionate about all relics of the past – fashion, architecture, typography, automobiles and so on. I am partial to a fine cup of tea, tap dancing, the odd spot of gardening, changing the displays around my apartment and a breakfast that lasts all day.

I’ve lived in and around Sydney all my life and delight at how unorganised and hectic it is; that the streets don’t run in a straight line; that there are so many hills; that we have the best weather in the world and that there are so many varied and spectacular things to be discovered at at given moment. My posts for Leeloo will happily trip the light fantastic that is my mother city.

My name is Murphy Bouma, and I’m a 19 year old Visual Arts student living in NSW, Australia. I love art, painting, photography, thrifting, drinking way too much tea, hanging out with friends and visiting art galleries. I am also very obsessive with film cameras, pretty skirts, old suitcases, british television and hats.

I have always had a love discovering great new talent and unique finds, which is one of the reasons why I started my blog, Girl holding a paintbrush. I am very grateful and excited to be a guest blogger here at Leeloo and during my stay I’ll be sharing with you guy’s beautiful and inspiring photography from some amazing young and talented photographers. I will also bring to you interviews from some of Australia’s young and upcoming photographer’s that I have come across in my blogging experience.

I am a Melbourne-based arts and fashion writer. I have loved writing since I was a child, when I would pretend I was a famous journalist and record interviews with myself. Writing for me was always an escape into another world, and to this day that portal is what sustains me. Writing is like having horses in your head that want to be ridden.

I have an abiding love of fashion. My inspirations come from travel, film, friends, music and visual art, but they could come from anywhere at any given time, the more unexpected the moment, the better. I often have ideas for art projects or fashion ranges swimming around in my head, but if you had seen my grade 3 fluoro orange macramé coat hanger you would understand why I am not a visual artist or designer.
I studied Arts, Professional Writing and Editing and Journalism and after all that study I realised I prefer journalistic modes to academic ones. Having said that, I often draw on theoretical concepts and I enjoy reading academic theory. The most important influence on my writing is probably my love of the poetic.

I am not the only person out there who would cross continents to attend an art show or to find the perfect dress. The problem is that creative people are exactly the sort to do something like that, yet they rarely have the money to back up their outlandish plans.
Some say you have to come back to reality eventually. But for now I enjoy living in the clouds.

As a devotee of all things strange and wonderful, Leeloo holds a special place as my one stop shop for only the best in unique Australian design today! I have but Leeloo to thank for those sweet compliments from strangers on my new brooch or from friends on the latest piece of art to grace my home. In order to share this love with you, I will let you in on my top five items at Leeloo each month.

If I’m not busy coveting their wares, you will find me working at a lovely orchestra in Victoria, or else enjoying some live music, a vodka, lime and soda, a night at the theatre, or moseying through markets looking out for a new treasure to take home. A quirky fact? I don’t have a Facebook account. Collective gasp! I may be coerced into creating one soon though as I am quickly losing touch with the world, gauged by only one of my voted songs making it into the Hottest 100!

Who am I? I’m the long suffering better half of Mrs ReJenerate, the hippie behind an environmentally conscious fashion label. I try to walk the fine line between being a member of corporate society and living by the punk ethos….. I’m still questioning if this is even possible. Needless to say my lifestyle choices and ideals require me to question pretty much everything I do and say, as well as asking questions of the perceived norms of society, because lets be honest, we humans do some pretty screwed up things “just because”, especially when it comes to animal welfare.

I am often extremely disturbed by “normal” human behaviour, but understand that not many people will be interested in reading another depressing opinion piece about the world. Throughout my blog posts I’m going to flirt with the concept of laughing at some of our actions rather than bringing on the rage or bursting into tears. That being said, there will always be a moral to each story and I hope my reader/s can take this away and at the very least put some thought into animal welfare issues that are sometimes overlooked or a result of habitual behaviour.

Sarah is one of the founders of the the Finders Keepers which supports emerging indie designers & artists through market events and website throughout Australia.

Sarah comes from a background of fashion & graphic design and works closely with partner Brooke Johnston who is a jewellery designer.
Their combined experience, knowledge and passion has seen them help to build and support designers through out the indie community. Finders Keepers has a leading reputation of being the best art & design market in Australia and they hope to continue to inspire, educate and support others through what they do.

My name is Amanda Whitelaw and I own and run Hungry Designs, a small business based on the Gold Coast/Brisbane that specialises in creating wearable art that is hand drawn and coloured by myself. I graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, Scotland in 2007 with an Honours Degree in Illustration & Printmaking. I love to dabble with baking – the brighter the better and I have an addiction to buying comic books and cupcake cases.

I enjoy attending exhibitions and take part in markets around the Gold Coast and Brisbane areas. Brisbane and the Gold Coast have a lot to offer to the handmade and art community. There are many wonderful societies and groups that specialise in handmade, craft and art. It is so important to encourage and embrace the handmade and indie designer movement. Groups and stores such as BrisStyle, Bleeding Heart and Leeloo are all doing this. With people’s perception of arts and crafts shifting away from “something your Grandmother does”, buying handmade is something that not only helps fund and encourage designers to continue pursuing their passion but also helps to make the public aware of ethical shopping.

It is encouraging to see so many artists and designers with the confidence to exhibit their work. This can only give more exposure to the community that I am so proud to be a part of.

I’m a visual merchandiser, interior stylist, chain tea drinker and mother who is currently living not on the mainland, but on the island of Tasmania.  Since arriving here some years ago, I’ve been impressed and inspired by the amount of super talented people creating their beautiful wares. There are many festivals, design markets and other events throughout the year, providing a supportive and nurturing environment for the designers and crafty set.

In the years BC (before children) I was a news journalist and studied Communications at uni, majoring in Journalism. When I kept suggesting we re-arrange the newsroom furniture and maybe paint a wall or two, I began to think I was in the wrong profession. A few sidesteps later, I was visual merchandising for large retail stores and small boutiques and loving it. I also worked as an interior stylist in commercial and residential projects with my work featuring in various publications. And now…my sweet gig as guest blogger at Leeloo means not only can I pore over gorgeous fashion, art and other handmade treasures, I get to write about it too. A very happy medium indeed.

I’m a writer and researcher based in Perth, Australia. I’m currently an Honorary Research Fellow within the Department of English and Cultural Studies at The University of Western Australia, where I completed my PhD in film and literature. I also work as a writer for The Australian Ballet and Desktop Magazine, and a freelance writer for various other print and online magazines. When I’m not typing away there, I can be found on my blog, le projet d’amour, which is my own creative space. I cover Perth-based art, fashion, photography, vintage, markets and indie designers for Leeloo blog, and I’d love to hear from any Perth artists, creatives, designers, photographers and market organisers.

Having recently relocated from Melbourne to Sydney, Jo Morley is happily on the hunt for all things design, art, and caffeine-oriented… and she looks forward to sharing her adventures with the Leeloo reader! An illustrator and artist, Jo also runs Humming, a small design studio. Her design and travel writing has been published in loads of magazines, and she has taught design at UTS and Shillington College.

Jo is interested in those who are doing things a little bit differently; creatives who build communities, focus on sustainability, or break from the norm to achieve change and success. She’s also involved in some exciting new collaborations and events of her own in the very near future!

Hello I am Soné Moriarty, I live in a town called Hamilton in New Zealand.   I am a 23 year old Graphic designer, blogger, wife, photographer, craft maker & tea drinker.  I live to be inspired and to be an inspiration.  I immigrated from South Africa 6 years ago and made New Zealand my new home.  I graduated with a Degree in Media Arts in 2008, specializing in Graphic Design.  I enjoy handmade art, collaborating with artists,companies, attending exhibitions and volunteering my skills to the community.

Finding fresh creative talent & being overly dependent on word of mouth, I decided to start Polli blog in 2008.  My very own hub of inspirational talent!  Atlas my cravings was cured and I was free to keep & share all my blogs, websites and links I have been storing on my computer.  I have been blogging ever since, my blog has grown so much over the years that I have been blogging 6 out of 7 days.  I am an extreme visual person and find my inspiration for many of my posts through everyday life.

 

 

NB: opinions expressed by our guest bloggers are theirs and are intended to open discussion, to inform and to get you thinking…they are not necessarily the views of Leeloo.  We take no responsibility for having them tell you how they feel about things and we welcome mature conversation but we will block nasty or inappropriate comments.