Hot Couture Christmas Party

Twas the night before Christmas, well it was the week before actually. I took my girls out for a wonderful dinner at our local pub. Greta and Stav have been so much support to me all year and it was the least I could do. We had loads of champagne and good food to boot and when we had finished the girls treated me to desert down the road at another fab restaurant. My fave part of the night was giving the girls their presents, I had spent all day in the city looking for just the right thing. I found the best Stav present in Borders, when I saw the sparkly red stilleto's I knew I had to buy them for her. I wasn't quite sure what they did but I knew they did something so I purchased them. They turned out to be speakers for her Mac, perfect. Greta was harder I went to all the stores where I thought I would find something just as perfect. In the end I stumbled on this fabulous cushion with retro cartoons all about sewing, hilarious. The girls loved their presents but were most impressed with the piggy key rings that not only lit up but oinked as well. It was only a small party but it was a good one. I have loved every minute of this year working with my fabulously talented girls. Thanks girls and thank you to all our wonderful customers, we have so many now that come back again and again. In fact next year we are starting up our customer of the month. Can't wait for that one. See you in 2011 have a great Christmas full of surprises and most of all stay safe. Love and hugs Joy.........XXX

Hot Couture Christmas Party

Artist Ruby Chew in Hot Couture!

Visual artist and fabulous friend of Hot Couture, the oh-so-lovely Ruby Chew had her Graduate Show at the the Norwood Central School Of Art on Friday. Her paintings are incredibly beautiful in the flesh: the way she paints eyes is spookily accurate, making her subjects appear like they're really looking at you. It should be weird but it's totally not, simply because they're so beautifully executed! The internet piccies really don't do her paintings justice, you'll just have to see what she's capable of in person at the gallery!

Gloria, Kane, Ruby, Oil on Canvas. 

We wish we took a full length photo of Ruby in her Hot Couture dress but the gallery was packed, surprise surprise!! She's definitely going places and making a strong and positive impact on the Adelaide art scene - it also helps that she's a thoughtful, articulate and incredibly personable young maiden with the world at her peep toe pumps. And we love a woman who matches her dress with her art!

Check out her blog to track the progress of her work. I realise I sound totes preachy but she shore is a special gal! 

xxx love Stav

H.C.H.Q welcomes Meg Costello..

We are so happy to have the very lovely Meg Costello with us here at Hot Couture. Below is a photo of Meg with one of her designs and my personal favourite from her graduation parade.
Meg started today and I have to say the day didn't turn out as planned but what day here ever does.
Meg started making up skirts in the morning and by lunchtime we were off to the city to catch up with Peter Alexander. It wasn't planned we had just heard that he was going to be at his new store and that was that we were gone.
 Peter is a bit of a hero of mine I bought his very first range of PJ's for my 3 kids in leopard print. He started cutting pyjama's for his friends on his mums kitchen table, with her sewing and pretending to be his receptionist. You have to admire that. He has gone on to become one of Australia's most successful designers and he deserves every bit of it. I had a photo of the three kids in his first lot of PJ's that I gave to him and he was genuinely pleased.
I knew he was a good guy, all of the money from his calendar goes the the RSPCA, so we had to buy one for Ginger who sadly couldn't come with us.
We managed lunch and a even coffee with a friend we ran into. All up I think Meg may have enjoyed her very first day, I know I did. Meg even managed to finish the skirts once we got back to the studio. Hopefully next week will be just as much fun. Like I've always said if it ain't fun I'm not doing it anymore. I really love our little team. XXX Joy

New Hot Couture girl.

Paper Doll Pin Up's

A few weeks ago I did a pin up shoot with Jen Rossiter.
I'm going to be very honest and say at 56 I ain't no pin up girl.  Having said this Jen couldn't have made me feel more comfortable. I arrived at her beautiful 50's style home to be greeted with a smiling Jen holding an umbrella. Right from the moment I arrived I felt pampered and happy to be there. After a lovely cup of tea we got right to it. I sat on her little stool while we chatted and did hair, nails make up the works, it was so much fun. Then Sven Kovac the photographer arrived and made me even more comfortable. I thought I'd feel kind of silly behind the bar pouring cocktails but it was quite the opposite I was so at home and we had a lot of laughs. Jen had gone to so much trouble even having 50's themed food bought in for the shoot. You can see Jen and Sven's beautiful work at www.jenrossiter.com or on facebook.
I can highly recommend this experience my only regret is I didn't go out that night. I came straight home with all my make up and hair done so perfectly, wouldn't you think I would have thought of somewhere to go.
Jen's home has a beautiful bar area, retro kitchen, cactus garden, fireplace and a very original very 50's pink and black bathroom. Have a look at the other beautiful girls on her site who have had their photo's taken recently. This is the perfect Christmas present for that someone special. You can contact Jen for pricing and anything else you need to know. If they can make me look good they can make you look incredible. XXX Joy

Hot Couture x Fabrication

A couple of months ago, Joy was asked to participate in the Fabrication competition at the Hotel Tivoli last week. The parade was a fundraiser for Canteen and was beautifully organised by Cristina Tridente and Katherine from CaughtCouture. Her challenge was to create a super stylish outfit from a bag of (super fugly) op shop stuff. Hot Couture model and all-round babe Marie Struggles gave Joy the inspiration to create this faaaabulous outfit channelling Katy Perry in the 'Thinking Of You' video. And whaddya know? JOY WINS SECOND PLACE IN THE COMPETITION. Know why? Because she is awesome.


Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

Here's the outfit shown alongside the GretaKate creation,designed by Hot Couture gal Greta Rumsby!! 

We wish we knew who took these gorgeous pics and are totally for crediting photographers but we don't know whose work it is! Let us know and we'll credit you Mystery Photographer!

Anyways, Joy created the outfit by re-dying ugmo fabrics different shades of orange and green, resewing buttons onto the pockets and turning a doillie into a fabulous oversized clutch bag!! Lucy from Tanya Powell models was the perfect face to showcase her design and looked so beau-ti-ful on the night. The Advertiser chose Joy to be featured in Adelaide Confidential with Lucy and her design, and they actually used a goofy pic, which we just lurve!

The show was judged by fashion designers George Gross and Harry Who, and gave Joy second prize!! After many requests from fans on the evening, the outfit is finding a home with Miss Struggles who provided the inspiration! Sorry gals, it's taken!!

More pics from the actual evening to come soon!

xx Love Stav

Hot Couture x Hola Mexico Film Festival!

Hot Couture was lucky enough to have our Mexicana-themed Summer 2010 ad screened before the fillums at the Hola Mexico Film Festival at the Mercury Cinema. We went a bit OTT for the Hola Poster Exhibition at the Mercury and dressed up in full Hot Couture regalia, with Day Of The Dead makeup thanks to my trusty Kryolan Aqua Colour palette. Hawt models Farrin and Marie let me go bananas with their makeup and I was pretty happy with the overall result!

We were stocked that The Advertiser printed our piccie advertising the festival (wearing Hot Couture of course, *cough* *plug*) which was a massive success! Those $5 Margaretas were a killer *shakes hands with bartender*.

More pics to come of us waring our outfits soon!


xx Love Stav

HALLOWEEN WEEKEND WRAP UP!

Well, the candy corn is gone (re: stolen), the decorations have blown and not one pair of legs has recovered from the monster dance fest that was last Saturday night. Yes folks, Halloween 2010 is officially over and we here at Hot Couture are officially counting down until next year because it was the OMG BEST PARTY IN THE UNIVERSE OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ginger on the way to ze plane.

The Qu'oran and I.

 The switch strapped in for takeoff.

Ahem. So Joy and I started our weekend with a faaaaaaaaabulous Japanese fusion dinner with our extraordinarily handsome friend Jim, a super producer with a super heart of gold who opened up the doors to his beautiful apartment to house us troublemakers over the weekend.

Jim in his everyday handsome lounging attire.

After a few lychee martinis and delicate Japanese grub, including Camembert with miso and garlic (drool), we frugged at the Colombian and propositioned the handsome security man for a dance to no avail. Sydney 1, Hot Couture 0.

Saturday began as they always do - with a big, fat, steaming breakfast at our favourite Turkish feedbag called Mint on Crown Street. Pinkie swear, this stuff is not food; it's manna direct from heaven.

 A lady with good taste in everything, especially hired staff and fried meat. 

This delicious mushroom toast was injected via intravenus approx. 2 seconds later.

After shopping on Crown Street, we nappity napped before getting our green on for the party to end all parties. Hosted by aforementioned Costume Designer and all-round hostess with the Mostess, Gypsy Taylor and friends, this Halloween shindig is unlike anything you've probably been to. With nary a Leg Avenue nurse costume in sight, everyone really goes out with homemade costumes - the more effort one puts into their garb, the higher the accolade bestowed upon by this fun lovin' group of creatives. Voila the evidence.

Gypsy, Queen of Halloween and Toddlers and Tiara's lil' beauty Queen gone oh-so-wrong.

Employer and Employee working late at the office. 

 Muvva and sonny boy.

The apps! Oh the apps!

 Ginger 'Doreen' Danger.

As you can see, a rockin' party to the utmost Heidi and Seal efforts. No one could possibly not have had fun at this little intimate shindig and we were so happy to fly over for the event! Thanks Gypsy and co. for putting so much effort into the best Halloween everrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!

Evidence that said Halloween was indeed the 'best ever'. Ergo, I literally danced through my shoes.

The next day, Joy, Ginger, Jim and I were kinda screwed up in the leg department so we trotted down Oxford street -

Trotting.

- and treated ourselves to an amazingly relaxing thai massage after swimming in Jim's faaaabuous pool. Ginger went home soon after (boo hoo!) and we sped over to Tamarama to catch the Scuptures By The Sea exhibition. Gettaload of these two hootenanny-ers 'supporting the arts':

After roast pork and fairy floss (mmm hmm) dinner at The Winery, Joy out partied us both and pretended to be tired when she wasn't to make Jim and I feel less like party poopers. Jim has an excuse being a 75-hour-per-week job but me? Hungover like a horse. Just sayin.

Monday morn we had a delicious organic breakfast with Gypsy featuring creamed corn and something Mexican:

 Too bad the only pic I have is of boring ol' pouring water.

We swam and hung out at the Qantas lounge before Joy jetted away in the midst of a lightening storm and I got stuck in Syndey overnight for perhaps the most nauseating 12 hours in existance, but hey, what a weekend.

Until Halloween 2011 Hot Couture compadres!

xx Love Stav xx

Hot Couture and Our Monsters!

We here at HC headquarters are extra stoked this mornin' because we just Skyped with Costume Designer extraordinaire (and Joy's fabulous daughter) Gypsy Taylor! Gypsy just wrapped on what's going to be our FAVOURITE SHOW IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE UNIVERSE*** called 'Me and My Monsters'. Here's a sneak peak of Gypsy with the OMG adorable Haggis who kinda resembles a more fluoro, less stinky Greek Uncle of mine who shall remain nameless:

Keep your eyes peeled for the show when it hits our shores in February for a Hot Couture cameo!

You can check out more on the show here http://mangodistribution.com/stickypictures.tv.


Whilst you're at it, gawk at  Gypsy's seriously inspiring and flipping amazing design work here http://www.gypsytaylor.com/.

xxx Stav 

*** Conditions apply, 'Toddlers And Tiaras' will always be number one in our heart of hearts. Amen.