Mrs Dorian Gray

What are you wearing in this photo?
It's an upside down Scottish tulip with a black cropped jacket.
I bought the dress from Dotti during a moment of vanity. Worn here for my Valentine about a week ago.
What do you think is in fashion for Australia now?
I have no idea. Ask the Japanese. The are so far ahead of us. Anything I saw for sale in Tokyo, last October is what we'll be wearing shortly. At the moment I like the shape of bat wings and the sensual look of black leather. For colors, I can't think past black, dark purple and grey but there are also metallic notes. I'm through with the mustard.
What would you like to see more of in the stores?
Whatever happened to cashmere? I love the contrast of soft cashmeres and angora wool against black leather. And I want more grey, there's not enough of it.


What part of the body is in focus this season?
I am going to say what I feel: the neck. So anything that valorises the neck and is itself, valorised through the neck. Oscar Wilde used to say that clothes should hang from the neck down in order to be beautiful, rather than emphasise the waist. It's a bit like that for me this season. Besides, you have to think in terms of semiotics: bat wings = vampire = neck bite. Everything in fashion is related and speaks to us through subliminal messages.
Explain your last statement.
Sometimes when we believe that through our innate fashion sense, we independently choose to endorse this or that color, embody this or that latest style, we are in fact merely responding to all the messages that our subconscious has accummulated over time, either through music, media or film or fashion. They are all related. To be always one step ahead of fashion is to be a little more psychic in every sense of the word. It requires one to be extremely receptive to the undercurrents of our times and to reveal these messages through one's choice of clothes. On the other hand, actively following fashion is bad. Not because it speaks of lack of originality or social comformity or vain stupidity - as some people would want to put it, whatever - but because it implies a lack of receptivity. To be totally reliant on the influence of marketing for making one's fashion decisions may be an indication that one is shut off from their subconscious.

What's the last thing you bought?
A wrap around purple belt.
Your favourite item of clothing at the moment?
My brown puff sleeve tee from Zara. I found it while shopping at Venus Fort in Tokyo. I've been a big fan of Zara since 1999. In big gold print on the tshirt, it says: "Always on My Mind". It inspires me and keeps me grounded.
Aren't you embarrassed of this vain post?
I try as much as possible to avoid being ashamed of who I am. Sometimes it works. I anticipate reading this when I'm 60 and thinking "I can't believe i did that!" But it's much better than realising: "Oh, gee. I haven't changed much after all those tame years." The joy of acquiring wisdom comes from living follies. Enigma's first album promoted a known idea that "The path of excess leads to the tower of wisdom." I'm still on that path.