VOGUE COVERS

One of the most beautiful coffee table books - VOGUE COVERS. A look at all the different VOGUE covers over time - from Illustrated to modern day, this book tracks a beautiful journey through the fashion eras.... Totally Inspiring. - SW

DEAR BLACKBERRY...WE NEED TO TALK

In my recent (ok, its not that recent) dependency on my Blackberry (or Crackberry as they are famously known) I took the time to write my closest digital friend the below in the attempt to not live & die by that goddam flashing light (BB users know exactly what i mean!)...

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Dear Blackberry,

I love you, you know that. But I really think we need to have a discussion about the little red blinky light that winks as me... All.Freaking.Day.

Red is such a harsh 'danger/warning' colour & currently, you only blink Red. How about we come to an agreement... If its urgent (I mean life or , or if John Mayer is trying to call) Red light is fine. If its my mum or any other family member, what about a nice shade of aqua. Work related (but not uber urgent...) Violet blinks would be welcomed. Friends could be blue flashy light & unknown numbers... well, no need to blink on these Blackberry because you know I screen 'Private Numbers' anyway.

My point Blackberry, is that is you INSIST on flashing Every. Freaking. Minute of the Day - red is a very harsh colour.

Love,

Samantha x

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[And Yes, if you have a good zoom on your laptop - the number of current unread emails on my Blkberry is 1881....]

[READING] GYPSET STYLE

I love to read. Like REALLY love to read. I have a pasison for art & fashion books & have made it one of my lifes ambition to build an amazing collection sof exquisite books to hand down to my children. At the moment, I am reading (& really inspired by) GYPSET STYLE, by Julie Chapman. Gypset (Gypsy+jet set) is about an emerging group of artists, musicians, fashion designers, surfers, and bon vivants– who lead semi-nomadic, unconventional lives…. I love the juxtaposition of some of these stories, wealthy people (eg Jade Jagger) who find solice in the most assuming of places. Weather beather beach shack decked out in Missoni furnising, Gypsy lifestyles of travelling the country in a van & experiencing a sunset in a different place every night. Not only a beautifully photographed book (some images featured above), but an insightful read that will encourage you to see outside the 9 to 5 rut we sometimes (all to often) find ourselves in. Published by ASSOULINE, this book is available at amazon.com. - SW

Know an amazing book that I should add to my collection? Let me know & post its title [here]

NOT THE 'DEAR DIARY' TYPE...

Journals. Notebook. Sketch Books. Stationary in general - I'm Obsessed. Take me to Office Works & give this girl a shopping trolley. I have no idea WHY I love stationary, but I do. I am not the Dear Diary journal keeper, I'm not near organised enough for that. I am the crazy note writer, design idea while in Woolies? (this is a grocery store for my American friends), No problem, whip out the notebook in my bag, jot it down. To Do list no longer fits in mind - clean page in journal..data is dumped from mind to paper. I am fussy about my journals & have no regard for the cost of them. It is purely if I love, I HAVE to have it; They HAVE to be hard cover. If it has elastic (Like Moleskin journal) this adds points to that journal coming home with me, but is not a deal breaker in our life together. I prefer A5, but if I come across an amazing journal with an exquisite cover/emboss/bind, I will waiver the A5 size rule & make it mine instantly. I buy journals when I see them. I may have a back log of 5 wallflowers waiting for the call up, I know I SHOULD buy a new one when i need one, but I have a fear of leaving an amazing journal un-purchased in a store, my fear is that I will think about it for the rest of my life, but NEVER be able to find it again, a life lived with regret over the book that could have been. I only use one journal at a time & the last page must be ink covered until I am able to start the next, AND I never through them away, as pointless as some of the content in them is. The above picture is one of many piles of full journals. A bundle of shopping lists, hopes, designs, dreams, chapters of books I hope to one day publish, sketches, ideas, nonsense & aspirations. Even though I LOVE keeping this online journal, long live paper & the written word. SWx

GIRLFRIENDS

[L to R] Melanie, Me, Beth & Tara - NYE 2004

I caught up with two of my best friends (Beth & Tara) last night. My other best friend (Melanie) lives in London & unfortunately was a little too far for her to travel to be at the dinner. It was great to just sit with my friends, it has been way to long since we have caught up together & as I sat at my desk this morning, I laughed out loud at the irony of coming across the above photo (That I re-snapped on my Blackberry & emailed to myself to be able to upload to the blog today - hence the beyond bad resolution of it!). This photo was taken on New Years Eve in 2004, if it was not in black & white, you would see an array of bright colours & animal prints! I particularly LOVE the huge SW early day earrings that beth & tara are wearing. I remember making these earrings on the dining room table, they were so big & had so many charms & crystals on them, they weighed a tone! But being the supporting friends they, they wore them all night spruiking proudly their friend made them & quickly handing them a business card so they could own a pair also. While we have plenty of photos of a few os us together in many different places, I cannot recall a photo we have had all together since. Two things triggered from this - One, this photo has always been special to me, but in now so much more special, given we do not have another photo all together taken in the last 6 years (!!). And secondly, just how important it is, no matter how busy things get in life, love, travel, work, family..... to make time for your girlfriends. I love this photo of our 23 year old selves & will make sure the next group photo is taken well before it become a photo of our 33 year old selves.- SW

A DREAM COLLABORATION

These pictures need no explanation. The location was AMAZING (Villa Biscaya, a private residence in Sydney's Rose Bay. Aussie powerhouse Beauty Brand, Model Co, was launching new eyeshadows inspired by the Moroccan landscape. When MC Founder (the amazing) Shelley Barrett, (didn't even need to) askd me to design a few pieces for the models to wear that reflected each different cosmetic. the result? A divine morning on overlooking Sydney Harbour, sipping exquisite champagne by the pool. Turkish tea was served with canapes that could have arrived direct from Marrakesh. The makeup looked stunning & the jewel danced in the sunlight. For those of you who have followed the SW journey, you wll know that I have referenced Shelley over the years as someone I have looked upto & admired as a business woman. I remember thinking years ago I would love to work with Model Co in some way , shape or form, mainly due to the amazing brand that Shelley created, the honestly & authenticity of the brand & the now amazing success it has seen world wide. It was an absolute honour to collaborate with Model Co & especially co-host this exquisite event with someone who I have been in awe & admiration of since I started my own business 6 years ago.

For more on this event, check [PRIMPED]

IMAGE CREDIT: Belinda Rowland

[MY MUM] PATSY RUTH WILLS

The above photo is of my Mum taken in the 1970's when she was around my age. I love this photo so much, I have had it enlarged & it hangs amongst other vintage photos on my wall. Everyone who see's it says that they can see me in her in this photo & I like that.

Today is Mothers Day. A day we pay tribute to the amazing woman who went through 9 months of sharing her body with us, many years of nurturing, feeding, bathing & changing us. More years of teaching & guiding, hugging & kissing scraped knees & then broken hearts. She put up with us when puberty hit & smiled through gritted teeth through the bellybutton rings, nose rings, hair dying (Strawberry blonde Napro Colour so it could be the same colour as 'Angel from Home & Away' anyone?) & late night parties. It is only once you realise that your mum was once a young woman like you. She too went through puberty & probably pushed boundaries, not sure who Mum's favourite soap star was to match hair colours with, but I do know that the more I take the time to find out about my mum, the more I see her as a friend who I am lucky enough to have as my mum. There is nothing nicer then sharing stories with your mum over a late night glass of wine, hearing about her travels when she was younger, boys she dated, hearts she broke & the time she too had hers broken. As you get older, I find a mum's advice turns from that of an authority figure, to that of friend. Long gone are the days when her answers are black & white for the purpose of your safety;

14 year old me: "Mum, Can Melanie & I go to the beach party at Shelley Beach Friday night?"

Mum: "No"

14 year old me: "But all the Year 11 boys are going!!!!!"

Mum: "I KNow. Thats why you can't go"

14 year old me: "Muuuuuum!!! YOU don't understand. EVERYONE is going. '

Mum: "No, not everyone is going. I spoke to Jade, Kate & Rachel's Mums. They're not going either.'

14 year old me: "Muuuuuum! Why do you not want me to have fun?! I can't believe you won't let me go. This is SO unfair. "

Mum: "Samantha. You're 14 years old. You're not going. End of story."

14 year old me: "But Muuuuuuuuum!!!!!!" [Continue my whinging for 2 consecutive hours].

Granted now I am in my late 20's, my situation is (thankfully!) slightly different, but now I go to my mother for advice & she gives me her opinion from either her own experience or helps me find a resolve to best find happiness in what you are searching for. Sometimes the situations are not always black & white or the 'traditionally' correct answer (which you would have been delivered as child/adolescent) does not factor, her advise comes from the heart. The heart of a friend, which most beautifully, is the heart of my Mother. I admire my mothers calmness, patience & ability in putting up with my Dad & myself (who have little patience & are quick to rush into things without much planning or preparation). I admire her style, both now & in the above picture (Sailor hat & oversized sunnies are back, Mum you were seriously ahead of your time!) & most of all I admire all that she is; A woman, a mother, a daughter, a wife, business woman & friend. I hope that I grow into half the woman she is.

Happy Mothers Day Mum, All my love today & everyday - Samantha x

[INSPIRATION] AN UNSUSPECTING MUSE

[INTRO] In every interview I do, I am always asked 'Where do you get your inspiration' I can honestly say there is no one source, it is continually changing & evolving - and that is the way I like. How dull if you were only inspired by the one thing? .An Unsuspecting Muse is the current collection that is in stores now. I have tried to put into words where my inspiration for this collection came from & have included some photos I have taken in my travels that appear thru out the look book for this collection.....

I am lucky enough to be able to travel the world with my job. This is not something I ever take for granted, I always try to take in as much as possible of the surrounds of my temporary city, and sometimes have to actually ask myself if I am really there experiencing so many cities, because the concept of being able to travel the world, experience cultures I had only read about, see things I had only seen in movies and get paid to do so, just seems so obscenely indulgent.

Inspiration can come to me in so many varied forms... The concept for an entire collection could be conceived from the detailing on a beautiful teacup used in a cafe in Paris; a vintage lamp sitting on the bedside table in a Bungalow Suite at LA’s Chateau Marmont. From a watch that hasn’t worked in years but somehow found its way into a stall at London’s Portobello Road Markets. Other times the inspiration comes from the story behind an item... The artesian who hand cured the design on the teacup, who spent many a night at the Moulin Rouge in the 1940’s. Or the romantic, tragic & mysterious whispers of the happenings that took place behind closed doors at the Chateau in the 1960’s. Or even the memories that the watch holds after having been passed down through multiple generations.

I often find myself looking at things that could be perceived by some as ‘common’ or ‘everyday’. The door handle featured left is a perfect example. The moment I saw this door handle in a boutique hotel I was staying in at Santa Monica, I was mesmerised. Here is a snapshot of what went through my mind when I glimpsed it... The juxtaposition of the metal, so masculine; sharp, defined & an aggressive shape. Reminds me of New York’s Chrysler building. The Chrysler Building. Art Deco. New York. 1930’s... 42nd St... Collection possibilities: we could incorporate blood red jewels, set romantically in vintage metals. Earrings, we’ll do drop earrings, with dark jade & Swarovski crystals which we can match back in a cocktail ring that would stop traffic! ... The exquisite, vintage crystal-esque handle. Beautiful detailing, soft & feminine, glamorous yet not too flashy. The handle reminds me of a chandelier, circa 1940’s. We could take the shapes of old chandelier crystals & modernize the piece by wrapping in metallic chains. The door handle is aged, probably used to open & close the door thousands of times, over many decades. The people that have walked through the door, the things that have happened on the other side of this door. Love; young love, unrequited, lustrous affairs, parting love. The secrets that have been shared & have never left the room. The laughter, the tears, the memories people have of their time there; some would reminisce about it every day, others only once in a blue moon. Guests staying on business, on holiday, staying at the hotel to escape from something, find something or some may have even been staying in this very room with beautiful views of Santa Monica Pier to just... find themselves. All of these people & so many more entered through this door & turned this door handle... And that’s how I saw it. Its beautiful aesthetic inspired me; the colour, the shape, the varied materials, but it goes beyond that. This door handle was ironically the door to so many other things both past & present.

Other than accessory design, photography is one of my other passions in life. I love to look at photographs & I love to take photographs, I am rarely, if ever, without a camera. As much as it saddens me that film has been made redundant with the takeover of digital, it is a blessing in the way of saving space, as I just was running out of room to archive all the photographs I have taken over the years. When travelling, my camera is as important to me as my passport. Where I go, it goes with me. So I photograph objects... Like door handles in my hotel or beautiful windows that bring so much more than light to a room; tiles in underground tube stations or ‘stage door’ entries to an old theatre tucked away in the back alleys of New York City. I am excited to be able to share some of the things that have inspired this collection with you, through a series photographs featured throughout this look book. I have only explained my train of thought on the door handle photograph, the other images I hope will speak to you themselves & you may see a completely different story to what I saw. As with our collections, we design pieces for you to wear how you wish, you cannot define the style of the SW girl & we would never want to. Her style is completely her own, ever evolving & unique, diverse & adventurous. She sees each piece differently to how you or I see it, & that, we believe is the beauty of accessories.

Enjoy the photographs, but more importantly, if you have time, allow yourself to become immersed in what you see in each image & take the journey...

The most beautiful inspiration is often found in the most unusual of places. The Unsuspecting Muse - SW

[NOTES] Thank you

In A digital era, it is SO lovely to receive handwritten notes in the mail (I say posting on my blog!). The texture of the card in your hand, the detailing of the seal, the emboss or foiling. the ink, sometimes smudged & most importantly, the note & sentiment behind it. Today I received a beautiful note from Channel Seven's Style Team, Thanking us for the loan of our jewels for their talent who walked to Red Carpet at the Logies. Such a simple, but such a beautiful gesture. Long live the written (as in ink on paper - not Macbook Pro) word. - SW

[PHOTOGRAPHS] TRADED EVERYTHING FOR LOVE

Found this beautiful image online today. No post required. - SW

PERSONALISED NOTES...

We asked & you answered. The SW Blog will now become more of my online travel journal / sketch book / photo album. While I will leave the finished product to the amazing SW tech support team to sit sparking on our [website], this Blog will be maintain & written by me to show you what is inspiring me in NYC, photographs I take or thoughts I have. You may visit every day, you may visit once a month, but what you will find on here is 'handwritten' notes from my travels & experiences, some funny, some sad, some embarrassing, some (hopefully!) inspiring - but all honest. Would love your thoughts, feedback, questions... so please be in touch by [posting notes to me] - SW

WHEN HARRY MET ... SAMI

[FAR TOP] Vintage brooches at NYC Flea Market

[ABOVE] Harry.

THROUGHOUT the week, it is just one of NYC’s many underground parking lots.

Located on 24th St, between 6th & 7th Ave. As all the cars clear out on a Friday afternoon, no cars are allowed to park in their till the following Monday morning as the underground Parking lot turns into a Vintage flea market called GARAGE MARKETS.

Rugged up like I was embarking on Antarctica, I had read about this market in a NY ‘Things to See’ Guide & made my way underground to check out what the GARAGE had to offer. As I walked down the cement ramp, I could see across the entire market, vintage brooches, cameras with worn leather casings from the 1970s, one gentleman had old newspapers that where yellowing from age, each had a history defining front page , ‘MAN WALKS ON MOON’, ‘JFK SHOT’, 'MARILYN MUNROE FOUND DEAD IN HOME’. It as like an emporium of yesteryear.

As I wandered around the market, I stopped & looked at the different stands, I listened to the conversations being had between customers, between stall holders, bartering & the craziness of all of it put together into a huge cement carpark, usually idle with waiting cars & now alive with people & conversations.

I spent some time looking at a stall that had four large tressel tables, each with ends touching to form a square. Allowing no table space to be seen, the tables where covered with vintage brooches, earrings, necklaces & charms. I circled the stall for about 20 minutes picking up charms to have recast into our jewellery ranges, vintage animal brooches & random coins.

I held out my selection of jewels to the man behind the tables. He was probably in his mid 70’s, had on a grey sloppy joe with an old, worn navy parker over the top. His beanie was like the one Rocky wore when he was running in the snow & as he took the jewellery from me, his hands looked like they had lived a full life, scuffed & scratchy with dirt under his fingers nails.

‘I’ll take these’ I said.

‘Good choice Blondie.’ He said in the most authentic old school New York accent I have ever heard, ‘Where you from?’

‘Australia’ I replied.

“Thought so. I used to be in love with a girl from Australia. She was bew-udiful ,’ He said instantly transported to his affair with the Australian woman. ’God that was a long time ago, must have been the late 50’s, or, wait, maybe it was the early 60’s. She was over here, trying to make it as a singer. ‘ I smiled at him. ‘We were so in love, absolute love of my life, Blondie.’.

‘What was her name?’ I asked.

‘Elaina... or Evette, or was it Evetta...?’ He trailed off trying to recall the love of his lifes name. ‘You remind me a bit of her, she was tall & blonde too.’

I smiled at him, secretly amused at his clear passion for this woman from his past, yet unable to recall her name. “We spent one night together.’ He continued, ‘She was singin’ in a bar I was workin’ in, givin’ me the eye all night from the stage you know?’ as he raised an eyebrow in my direction, I didn’t know, but nodded anyway. ’So when her set was over, she came up to me & said ‘I’m new in town, would love for you to show me around’ I couldn’t believe it, she was like goddess. We walked & I showed her the city. It got to about 4 o’clock in the morning & I asked her where she was staying so I could walk her home. She took my hand & looked up at me & said ‘I’m staying at your place’.

By this stage, He was so transported to that night with Elaina, or Evette or Evetta, that I don’t even think he remembered he was talking out loud. ‘We spent the night together, it was amazing. Best f#%k I have ever had in my life.’ Hoping he had some concept he was still talking out loud & was not going to give me a run down of their bedroom antics, he continued, ‘We fell asleep as the sun was waking the rest of the city up & when I woke around lunch time, she was gone. And that the last I ever heard from her.’ His voice trailed off to silence. There was a pain in his voice of loneliness. Of loneliness then & loneliness now.

‘What’s your name Sir?’ I asked interrupting his trip

down memory lane.

‘Harry’ he said as he handed me the jewels in a crumpled paper bag.

‘Nice to meet you Harry, My name is Samantha.’ I said looking him directly in the eye.

Nice to meet you to Blondie" he said, clearly not one for names.

Hey Harry,’ I said as I started to move to the next table.

‘What is it Blondie?’ he said raising his eyebrows as if he could take or leave what I was about to say.

‘Elaina, Evette, Evetta.. Whatever her name was, to get to spend if only one night with you, she was one lucky gal.’ I looked at him a wry confidence spread across his face. ‘Thanks for the jewels,’ I said as I jiggled the crumpled bag.

‘Your more then welcome Blondie.’ He said with a twinkle in his eye.

I smiled at him as I walked away. - SW