chelsea blossoms.

{Top - Equipment; cardigan - Oroton; skirt - Zara; bag - Botkier; belt - ASOS; shoes - Guiseppe Zanotti}

Images taken by my gorgeous friend Minnie of the amazing blog Minnie Knows <3

As the northerly winds begin to blow their gentle chill across Australia, on a small street of perfectly congruent alabaster flats in London there are cherry blossoms ripening with the spring underneath the placid European sun. I could not have asked for a more perfect day when I spent the day with my new favourite Londoner, Minnie, a few weeks ago as we frolicked around Chelsea, devouring a leisurely brunch on Kings Road, followed by petal gelato cones...

Much love, Mandy. xx

chic eats : the butcher's daughter, NYC.

Inspiring food is difficult to come by. Inspiring raw, organic food is an insurmountable accomplishment. The Butcher's Daughter achieves exactly that - an experience that is delightful to the palate in a milieu that is as light and beautiful as its menu. A juice bar/cafe hybrid in the hip Nolita, it delivers the loveliest cold pressed juice melanges and smoothies (my favourite was 'cacao suave' - a divine concoction of raw cacao, cacao nibs, bananas, and almond milk) as well as dairy-free alternatives to their coffee selection (delicious cashew/almond milk). 

But moreover, it is their menu that stands out with a clear ethos that embraces gloriously fresh produce and salubrious ingredients - I had the quinoa salad and avocado toast, which were not only exquisitely presented but wholly droolworthy. There are few raw foods that induce cravings for me but the food here is so transcendent, so exquisitely executed, that I think about it almost every day now that I am back in the raw food void that is Australia. The crowd that linger here are also hip, but not in a pretentious way, and the place is warm with communal tables and effused light, which makes the experience all the more enticing. 

There is truly no more resplendent way to detox! 

Much love, Mandy. xx

The Butcher's Daughter

19 Kenmare St

NYC 10012

Ph: 212-219-3434

motel.

{Skirt and top - c/o TRACYEINNY; shoes - YSL}

Images by the gorgeous Love Yaz. 

My YSL-clad feet are well and truly planted back on home ground with the completion of my first day back at work in the restless ennui of a small town hospital in St George. Literally landed from London two days ago and generously imparted myself with 24 hours to reset my Circadian rhythm - completely worth it for an extra day in my beloved London! 

On a more sartorial note, tracyeinny is the most amazing purveyor of affordable fashion trends that doesn't compromise quality - this leatherette skirt has consolidated itself very stalwartly in my heart and you will find that almost everything on their site is utterly lovely. 

Thank you for all your patience with my slow posts but I hope I can resume the organisation soon!

Much love, Mandy. xx

Zara spring 2013.

{Zara spring lookbook 2013}

I was so enamoured with the entire Zara spring lookbook that I had to share these images so that we could collectively gush at the ubiquitous whites (definitely up my alley!), whimsical oriental prints, and Chloe-esque ruffles ... not sure how I'm going to restrain myself today at the London purveyors today!

Much love, Mandy. xx

Helmut Lang, NYC.

{Jacket & skirt - Helmut Lang; top - this is a plain tee; shoes - Guiseppe Zanotti; ring - Pree Brulee}

Images by the lovely Harpreet Kaur. 

It is difficult to describe with accuracy the manic phenomenon that is New York. From the moment I landed, everyone was so gregarious and embracing that I felt immediately at home, which in turn translated to a somewhat rapid adaptation to the local sartorial vernacular (slick, polished, and pragmatic upon a canvas of black). The thing I adore about New York is that you can make some really audacious wardrobe choices on a daily basis and still feel like you belong. Like the city itself, the aesthetic is so dynamic and bold that you can't help but fall in love with change...

...And just a note about this shoot - this series of images was taken by my beautiful friend Pree between the Frick Collection and Central Park after we traipsed around 5th Avenue for  our Laduree fix. Looking back at these images rich with gentle afternoon light dispersing through the foliage of Central Park, I am reminded that spring is truly the most whimsical time to visit New York...

Hope you are all having a glorious week and apologies for the chasm between posts! Am currently in London, but as always, you can follow my adventures (i.e. witness the disturbing amount of cake I am capable of consuming haha) on Instagram (frocks_frivolities). 

Much love, Mandy. xx

Madison Avenue.

{Images by yours truly.}

Perhaps it is the ingrained rose-tinted lens imparted by holidays, or maybe simply the abundant loveliness of New York in the spring, but everywhere you set forth there seems to exist only the gentlest sunbeams peeking through the fresh buds of spring casting its lovely soft light upon the glassy facades of the astonishingly beautiful boutiques that flank Madison Avenue. The summation of these elements means that I'm utterly convinced that this time of the year is the most impossibly whimsical means of absorbing the prettiness that is New York and that if you ever have the opportunity, to experience it for yourself, but in the interim, a few images to pique the curiosity... 

Much love, Mandy. xx

MBFWA outfit, day 2.

{Lace bomber jacket - Cameo c/o Lalabazaar; skirt - H&M; top - Finders Keepers; clutch - MNO.logie; shoes - YSL}

 I rarely dress so effeminately on a day-today basis but if MBFWA isn't an appropriate context to channel one's inner sartorial cream puff with exaggerated ruffled hems and lacey bomber jackets in an all-white palette, then I certainly do not know where else on golly earth one may indulge in such extravagances. The key to colour-block dressing is ensuring that there is plenty of detail to catch the eye and perhaps just the slightest pop of colour, whether it be a smear of orange lipstick (mine was done by the lovely ladies at Maybelline), neon nails, or a bold statement accessory. 

My first experience of MBFWA may well and truly be over but that is not to say that the adventure ends there! After a weekend of my final ED shifts (morose goodbyes on my part, I loved my time there), last-minute rendezvous with friends, and frantic packing in between, I am finally in New York! Couldn't have asked for a more spectacular greeting as I arrived in my gorgeous hotel The Bentley with a dazzling view of the glittery New York skyline at dusk. 

Keep updated with adventures via Instagram (find me! frocks_frivolities). <3

Photos by the lovely Cindy of Clash and Harmony. 

Much love from the Big Apple, Mandy. xx

Chic eats : Kitchen by Mike.

{Coconut yoghurt with blueberries and papaya & eggs Benedict }

"At Kitchen by Mike, we're aiming to strip down traditional restaurant dining to find something more honest" is the ethos that this delightful food purveyor lives by. And indeed, from the minute you set foot into its lofty, gorgeously light interiors, you immediately feel welcome by a wholesome sense of comfort and familiarity, almost as if you were in a good friend's (somewhat deliciously contemporary and impeccable) abode. The ambience is rustic yet polished, and whilst the menu isn't particularly generous, the food is delectable and clean and a joy to eat. If I had the privilege of living in Sydney again (yes, it's my birth place!), I would happily spend many languorous afternoons here with a lighthearted paperback. 

 Kitchen by Mike

85 Dunning Avenue

Roseberry 

NSW 

Much love, Mandy. xx

delirious haze.

{Jacket & skirt - Shona Joy from Adrenalin Boutique; top - Three of Something c/o Lalabazaar; shoes - YSL; clutch - Dancing at Dusk}

Am currently in Sydney for Mercedes-Benza Fashion Week Australia and feel so thrilled to be here to represent my little blog in a few of my favourite labels. These images of my day one outfit were taken atop the rooftop of The Crown Hotel, which, on the cusp of sunset, is a delirious haze of warm scintillating golden light. And whilst admiring the view, I couldn't help notice that it is a rather apt metaphor for my life of late what with the past few weeks a blur of consecutive work shifts, the current whirlwind of MBFWA, and then New York next week, it is impossible to have any sense of lucidity ... but wouldn't give it up for the world ... 

Much love, Mandy. xx