Fashion Event - L'Heure du Thé (a French High Tea)

Over the weekend, L'Heure du Thé (a French High Tea) was held to raise awareness and funds for the amazing work of the National Breast Cancer Foundation. 

Surrounded by talented, inspiring and glamorous ladies!
From L to R: Leeyong from Style Wilderness, Kyra from Pybus PR,
Iolanthe from Ruby Slipper Consultants and Jessica who made her own hat!

Organised by Pybus PR and Le Style, the decadent High Tea, hosted at the beautiful Langham Hotel in Melbourne, treated guests to beautiful desserts, a live harpist and tea provided by Madame Flavour. Domain Flowers kindly donated all the beautiful floral pieces on each table and installation in the Petit Emporium.

The Petit Emporium housed a variety of pop-up stalls showcasing French-themed treasures. Amongst the stalls was beautiful jewellery from the talented Wendy from Ghost & Lola and perfume from Peony Melbourne Haute Parfumerie.

Melbourne fashion institution Madam Virtue & Co presented a beautiful installation showing a select range of stunning couture gowns from their own in-house label and private collection.

Miles Mason Training Company donated a beautiful Marianne Guedin candle luxuriously scented by wild flowers, sage and sheets of tobacco for the best-dressed guest.

Thanks to Pybus Pr, Le Style and the Langham for hosting such a wonderful afternoon!

Here are some of the beautiful pictures from the event and the stylishly dressed guests:

Entrance to the beautiful Langham Hotel

Thom from Everyone's Celebrity, stylist and vet Cecylia,
designer and one half of Madam Virtue JC,
Chian and Sarah from Sarahs Style Emporium

Check out the beautiful ladies in their cute French Maid outfits,
kindly provided by I Heart Dress Up Parties!

The stunning Madam Virtue & Co couture installation.
Here's a bit of trivia for you, the stunning black opaque paillette gown
in the middle is the prototype of the gown commissioned
and worn by Jane Menelaus (Mrs Geoffrey Rush) to the 2011 Oscars!

Kyra and JC, both decked out in Chanel accessories

Me with the amazing stylish duo from Madam Virtue Dean and JC
standing in front of their stunning couture installation

Kyra, Jessica and Iolanthe looking glamours in their
Parisienne themed outfits
Kyra's stunning Luca Luca gown is available from Paris 99 and 
her stunning vintage Chanel jewellery is available from
Parisian Street Society

Cecylia, Leeyong and Suzi looking very classy!

Check out this amazing couture gown embellished with safety pins
dipped in gold bath and hand placed
to form a beautiful architectural pattern by Madam Virtue designer JC

JC with one of the french maids!

Iolanthe with her beautiful dress
which had a pretty star print!

Suzi, my amazing photographer looking cute in her red beret!

With the amazingly talented designer of Ghost & Lola, Wendy.
You have to check out Wendy's stunning designs which
are stocked in Nordstrom in NYC and Liberty of London.
All her pieces are handmade from vintage treasures so no
two pieces are the same.
I'm wearing a beautiful swallow cuff from Wendy's collection
which will no doubt be the first of many pieces I get from
Ghost & Lola!

Thom wearing one of Wendy's beautiful feathered necklaces
as a statement accessory!

With the beautiful Lady Melbourne looking
glamourous with her Chanel accessories from the wonderful Parisian Street Society!
Check out Lady Melbourne's blog post to learn more about the wonderful treasures at the Parisian Street Society

Kyra, Thom and Dean

With Kyra, Sha from from Le Style dressed by Madam Virtue in Lanvin
and Leeyong who had the cutest Chanel brooch in the shape of a
bottle of perfume!

The beautiful Marianne Guedin candle for
best dressed from the Miles Mason Trading Company

Thom and I in front of the beautiful harpist
What I Wore
Dress: Livia Arena silk Windmill dress
(it has the most intricate detailing
on the sleeve like a windmill!)
Bag: Chanel make-up bag from Madam Virtue
Hat: Mini top hat from Diva
Accessories: I started the day with lace gloves from
the Lost & Found market and finished the
day with my new Ghost & Lola cuff! (check out the Stylus Muse
Facebook page for a close-up picture)
Shoes: Tony Bianco

Images by Stylus Muse, Suzanna Zhang and Thom Whilton

Interview - Cecylia Kee Part 2

In Part 1, we learned about Cecylia's experience going from working as a vet, to starting her own boutique. In Part 2, we learn more about some of the challenges facing retailers today.

6. You only stock designers who manufacture their products in their own country. Are you finding it increasingly difficult to find designers to stock given that so many are shifting production offshore?

Yes, many are turning to overseas manufacturing and the GFC really has not helped. But we have found a whole shop full of them!

7. What did you wish you knew when you first started your business?

That the average size in Australia is size 12, not 8.

8. Do you think there is enough support for small businesses? (e.g. from the government, council, community)

Maybe there is, but we haven't received much, aside from our dear friends at Madam Virtue. It may be just that we are so young, a mere one-year-old boutique.

9. Do you find that the Australian fashion industry is collaborative and supportive, or is everyman (or woman!) for themselves?

As a Gen Y, I would say that there is much more acceptance of collaboration and support all around. Again, I've only been in it for a year, so my judgement is probably flawed. But there will always be some who would prefer to keep their secrets to themselves, whichever era they are from.

10. Since opening your boutique, what has been the most surprising and
unexpected thing you’ve experienced?
That I would meet someone every day who inspires me from a different angle.

11. What do you love most about your job?
These interviews! :) Taking my family, hubby and Theodore to fashion shows.

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Thank you Cecylia for taking the time to give us an insight into the tough retail world! All the best for the future! I have no doubt your beautiful store will continue to go from strength to strength.

Check out some of the wonderful events Cecylia has hosted at her boutique here and here!

To check out some of Cecylia's enviable wardrobe click here and here.

Check out Cecylia Boutique's website here.

Like Cecylia Boutique on Facebook here.

Check out Cecylia's fantastic blog here.

So many beautiful things to buy!

A stunning Sophia Kokosalaki burnt orange dress

The beautiful changerooms

Beautifully set up clothes, shoes and accessories make
it easy to find a complete outfit!

You can always find the perfect statement accessory at
Cecylia Boutique!

Images by Stylus Muse

Interview - Cecylia Kee Part 1

The fashion industry is notoriously competitive, not only for designers, but for retailers too. With a lot of boutiques having to close down during the GFC, it has been a challenging time for stores, particularly with the rise in online retailing. One boutique that is going against the trend and is developing an increasingly loyal fanbase is Cecylia Boutique in Armadale.

I was lucky enough to interview the stylish and always lovely co-owner Cecylia Kee to learn more about some of the challenges facing retailers today.

The stylish Cecylia with her adorable "assistant" Theodore

1. You were originally working as a vet. When making your career change, what made you decide to open your own store instead of trying to find a job in fashion working for someone else?

I have worked in fashion retail for 3 leading labels for 2 years, whilst I was studying full-time at Melbourne Uni. I learnt most of my sales and buying knowledge at Miss Sixty, Third Millenium and Hussy. I've always had compliments about my name and its spelling so it's long been in the back of my mind to open my own boutique.

2. How have you found Australian consumers different to those from around the world? (e.g. you said your customers preferred finished hems as opposed to raw hems)

The majority of Australian customers are discerning but also less experimental. They tend to stick with labels they've heard of or read about, rather than to venture out and discover who's new and hip out there. That said, that is a generalisation. Thankfully, I have seen a fashion-forward pack that are willing to give other designers a go and are very capable of looking like the elite fashion leaders, without having to read every fashion magazine religiously. Their style is innate and I applaud these customers.

3. From a retailer’s perspective, how important is social media (e.g. Facebook, blogs, etc) in the world of fashion today? How have you used social media to support your business?

Social media has been our primary means of reaching our customers both in Melbourne, interstate and overseas. Blogs have become the new magazine, they have more of a personal spin, bridging the gap between the fashion dictators and the consumers.

4. With so many stores and online retailers available to consumers, how do you maintain a loyal customer base?

We have a really adorable pooch called Theodore who is a gun assistant. It's difficult for our customers to pat him over the cyberspace. Aside from stocking really unique labels and wearable styles, we offer a very personal service to our VIPs, we prepare desserts and bubbly if we know they are coming to visit. We hold runway parties for our customers, which is a very specialised service that I know not many boutiques across the globe do. Our customers repeatedly tell us that 'they've never experienced such good customers service before'. We really treat our customers, we treat them as friends.

5. From a retailer’s perspective, what are some of the major issues facing the fashion industry today?

Online shopping! It saddens me when some people try something on in the store and then buy the same thing from an online store. This is just not on. If you wish to support an online store, then go for it, but don't do it at the expense of another retailer. I hope we don't have customers like that. I wish someone would make an ad similar to 'the burning of DVDs' about the 'burning of the real retailers.'

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my interview with the lovely Cecylia! 

Lots of stunning and unique jewellery!

Love the range of Repettos

Check out the incredibly detailed Sophia Kokosalaki
leather skirt! It's like a work of art!

The shop is filled with beautiful little details like
these little hands which have been painted gold and
turned into hooks!

Images by Stylus Muse