FairyFloss : alternative fashion

Showing posts with label alternative fashion. Show all posts

Friday, 18 September 2015

FairyLuscious: Alternative Fashion for Curvy Goddesses

Here at FairyFloss, we've always been committed to making our clothes available to all women, regardless of dress size; when we order them in, every item is available from S to XL. The stitching and detailing is carefully crafted to create a range of flattering effects; to slim and streamline on some bodies, to enhance a curve on others. We noticed, however, that the larger sizes fit, but didn't quite sit right, on some women; they still looked good, but the effect just wasn't the same.

We believe that every woman deserves to be able to rock her style; that clothes designed for curvy women should celebrate and move with their body, rather than hiding it. Clothing styles that do this are fairly limited; the most easily available are definitely fifties pinup style or sixties chic (think Dangerfield, Modcloth, Mad Men), but not everyone wants to dress that way just to be able feel like their clothes are flattering their shape.

FairyLuscious has been a project that's been a while in the making, but this summer, we're finally doing a soft launch. We're offering a few pieces designed specifically with curves in mind; to flatter, to move, to fit like a glove. We've also taken FairyFloss items that have proven themselves perfect for curvy women and ensured they're available up to size 16 (most have enough stretch or adjustment capabilities to fit an 18). Given that most Australian women are size 14 or 16, this just seemed like common sense.

FairyLuscious is for daring roller derby girls, bodacious yoginis, curvy hoopstars, festival queens, all women wanting funky clothes that are made from the highest quality fabrics, in a range of amazing styles.

We'd be so grateful if you could share this with your friends, because the better the response, the more extensive the range will get. You can sign up to be one of the very first to try FairyLuscious here - no spam, just a head's up when we have something new to show you.

Wednesday, 16 September 2015

Supply and Demand: Bringing Back Your FairyFloss Favs

We get a lot of messages through our social media channels. Most of them are desperate pleas from customers who've seen a sold-out item at a festival or somewhere around the internet, and REALLY want us to bring it back.

Obviously, we can't bring every piece back; we need room in our shop for our gorgeous, new season designs! But if enough people ask, we do listen...so if you really, really love a piece, it's always worth sending us a message and letting us know, or liking every picture of it that you can find. Even if we don't plan to restock that particular item, we can usually recommend something that you'll love just as much (maybe more!).

For example: since it went out of stock, we've had dozens of requests for the return of the Cosmic Lotus Vest (these are just the most recent few)...

So, we decided to bring it back just in time for this summer's festival season.

Or, check out how many likes these pictures of our Dreamcatcher Top got on Instagram...

With that many likes and our last lot having completely sold out, we decided to bring this one back too.

There's plenty more old favorites back for another round...check out our latest newsletter for more.

Wednesday, 12 August 2015

Wear It Your Way: Fashion and Identity

Choosing what to wear isn't just about finding something you like (though that's always important!); it's about choosing the identity you want to project for the day, the life you want to live. Whether it's something as practical as knowing you need stretchy clothing because you want to hoop later, or as abstract as wearing clothing intended for the other gender to play into stereotypes and popular images of queerness, it's all about what we want to do, and how we want to be seen.

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Punk rock emerged in the 1970s, and was a protest against the materialism and excess of mainstream music, and the fashion definitely reflected that; simple pieces, with dirt, rips and spikes added (in contrast to the flashy colours of disco). For women, mixing soft, feminine pieces with heavy, tough pieces (eg leather boots) was incredibly popular.

Circus fashion has always been a mixture of the practical and the spectacular; pieces that would allow performers to move, while drawing the eye. Sequins, glitter, feathers, ruffles anything that could move or sparkle without restricting the performer's movement was ideal. Female circus wear also tends toward the sensual, simply by virtue of how close-fitting costumes needed to be to avoid getting tangled or tripped.

Fashion is a cultural melting pot, and it's important to recognise the difference between inspiration and appropriation. Being inspired by particular styles and ideas and turning them into something simultaneously new and storied is great; stealing from another culture and removing all context is not (eg, it is NOT okay to wear a Native American war bonnet unless belong to that culture and you've earned it according to that culture's rules, end of story). Tribal fusion at its best celebrates the raw, earthy, warrior vibe that runs through the clothing of all indigenous cultures, celebrating without stealing.

To learn more about steampunk, check out our blog post on it; in short, it's the future as it was imagined during the Victorian Era (Steam Age). Female steampunk fashion is just glorious, infusing the style of an era known for its modesty and propriety with pure steel and spunk.

Monday, 20 July 2015

FairyFloss Around the World

We asked some of our Instagram and Facebook friends to tell us where they're from, and the proof is in the map we made below: FairyFloss is a truly international brand, with customers and outlets everywhere from Brazil to London to our home in Byron Bay.

Our customers take our clothes everywhere, to festivals and events all over the world; we've seen photos of them at Boom Festival in Portugal, a photoshoot in South America, a Grateful Dead concert in the US, and all of the major psytrance festivals in Australia.

We love our international friends and family! If you don't live in Byron and want to shop FairyFloss in person, there's places all over the world you can do so.

Delicious Boutique in Philadelphia, USA - a gorgeous little shop with beautiful clothes
Toon'z Shop in France - a very popular shop selling music and apparel
Psy7 in Germany - selling pieces with gorgeous psychedelic patterns
Camden Market in London - a British icon
Happy High Herbs in Santa Cruz, California - the US branch of a popular Australian chain

Thank you for all the love, and we're sending it right back!

Thursday, 21 May 2015

Spotlight on Steampunk

FairyFloss draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, from nature to sacred geometry to historical tribal wear; it's this fusion of ideas and styles which contributes to our signature Nature Punk style, and makes FairyFloss one of the most original designers on the market.

In this blog post, we're going to draw attention to one of our favourite sources of inspiration: steampunk fashion. We'll show you where steampunk came from and how we use it to infuse FairyFloss clothes with a dystopian flavour, to create pieces that are truly timeless.

(note: for the purposes of this blog post, we're just going to focus on clothes: for a truly excellent history of the steampunk movement more generally, check out this website)

What is Steampunk?

Steampunk is the science fiction of the Steam Age (Victorian Era), re-imagined from a modern perspective. It blends history, imagination and science into a wonderful world that might have been.

The invention of the steam engine made full scale industrialisation possible, and in turn, made authors and artists dream of a future where steam, not electricity, drove advances in technology and science. They dreamed of steam powered submarines, space travel, a mechanised life.

Modern steampunk enthusiasts re-imagine the 19th century with steam-powered versions of modern technologies. In this way, it becomes the perfect blend of alternate history and science fiction.

What Does Steampunk Fashion Look Like?

Steampunk takes Victorian fashion as its base, and adds industrial, futuristic elements. It aims to delight, entertain and engage. Popular features include corsetry, pinstripes, brass adornments, industrial machine parts (eg wheels and cogs), ruffles, frills and leather.

Steampunk and Popular Culture

Steampunk couture continues to increase in popularity, as it allows for a lot of imagination and individuality. The films Sucker Punch and Sweeney Todd have a very strong steampunk aesthetic; Amy Lee from the band Evanescence brings steampunk influences to her gothic Lolita stage outfits.

FairyFloss and Steampunk

Our unique Nature Punk style brings together patterns and hues from nature with the industrial features of steampunk; it takes two opposites, and fuses them into an original, sexy and stylish aesthetic.

We carry a number of steampunk-inspired neo-classical jackets. With lace-ups, frills, bustles, ruffles, and clockwork appliques, these jackets draw on industrial themes but provide a modern twist.

We create tough and strong vests and tops that combine sexy femininity with heavy-duty detailing like grommets, leather, studs and buckles.

We have plenty of tough, tribal and embellished skirts, both long and short. Studs, buckles, gathers, ruffles, ruching, appliques and 100% leather accents give these skirts the perfect mix of feminine and heavy-duty. These skirts look great with tough boots and goggles if you're going full steampunk; pick a hi-lo style with ruffling bustles for neo-classical style.

Steampunk relies heavily on accessories and adornments like goggles,studded belts and cuffs to fuse the Victorian and the mechanical. We have some great accessories in stock, perfect to add something special to any outfit.