The air is humid and thick with impending rain in Melbourne at the moment. The steaminess is suffocating. I could never survive in a tropical climate – I can’t handle humidity under the best of circumstances; when it’s this muggy I become insufferable. Enterprises that require me to outfit myself and leave the house are held with the highest disdain. This was the best I could come up with yesterday.

I’ve had this maxi skirt now for months but had been very lazy about making a trip to my tailor to have it taken up. Due to the uneven hem it’s still dragging across the ground in places but I have an unnatural phobia of feet sticking out completely from a maxi skirt so I’d rather ruin the hem. Every time I come in to see her with a maxi garment we have the same argument about where it should be taken up to but I always win. I think she must hate me.

Also cut my hair and fringe a little bit shorter… the fringe is so much easier to style at this length.

Black Tank: VAVE Shoe Repair
Grey Silk Skirt: Nathan Smith
Black Sandals: Mimco
Rings: All Alicia Hannah Naomi

With all of the excitement of the awards event at the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blogging Awards in Malaysia I completely forgot to take proper outfit photos, but I’m so completely smitten with the beautiful dress I had the opportunity to wear that I needed to snap it properly for prosperity.

When I found out I was a finalist for Best Fashion Blog and that there’d be a red carpet awards ceremony I felt like I had a level of responsibility to engage with my outfit. My immediate thought turned to Malaysian born, Melbourne-based designer Lui Hon, who kindly obliged my request to borrow one of his beautiful dresses for the event.I chose the white silk with the grey print version of the Estherian Dress for something just a little different, but grounded the whimsicality with sharp black and chrome accessories.

I’d planned to wear different shoes, but when I happened upon these metal heeled pumps at Zara that very afternoon whilst out shopping with Janice in one of Kuala Lumpur’s enormous shopping malls, The Pavilion – the same shoes I blogged about a few months back – it was like a kind of fashion affirmation. The chrome spikes matched back perfectly with my wonder woman cuffs.

It was great to see that most of the other finalists for Best Fashion Blog went to as much sartorial effort as I had, especially Camille in her white-swan inspired ensemble, who I did not get the opportunity to meet; but whom I felt was the most deserving to win (and sadly did not).

Thank you so much to Lui, Luka and the rest of the team at Lui Hon for the opportunity to wear this gorgeous dress. I hope I did you proud!

Estherian Print Silk Dress: Lui Hon
Black Belt: ASOS
Chrome Cuffs: ASOS
Black Metal Heels: Zara
Black Leather Clutch: ANVE

You may remember some months back I bought a dress from ASOS whilst writing an article about the ASOS Australia launch. It was late at night when I’d been researching for the post and on sale for less than $35AUD it seemed like a logical purchase.

As pictured on the website, the dress appeared to be a short little one-shouldered affair with some interesting draping down the back. However when I received it I was appalled to discover that when worn as modelled, it almost completely exposed my left breast. Saddened and almost resolved to retire it to the “not without a shit-ton of hollywood tape” corner; I felt suddenly compelled to more closely inspect the draping on the side. Lo and behold there did appeareth a strange slit in the drape, which consequently turned out to be a sleeve.

Saved by the sleeve, I’m now convinced this dress is one of my best real bargains to date.

Black Drape Dress: Gestuz
Black Leather Tie Belt: Detached from my IMPROVD dress
Black Leather Clutch: Ursa Minor
Red Suede Heels: Dolce Vita

I’ve been dying for an occasion to wear this gorgeous silk dress, and tonight it was the perfect fit for the highly anticipated launch of Topshop Australia; least of all because the cut both hides and doesn’t irritate the highly irresponsible sunburn I got on Monday.

It took what felt like forever to acquire this dress — first with difficulties purchasing from the international site, then because after I was finally able to proceed to checkout the parcel disappeared off the face of the earth only to appear in my post box some two months later. I’m so pleased to be able to finally pull it out and give it the love it deserves. Even if it’s on sunburnt shoulders.

Black Dress: WHYRED
Black Belt: ASOS
Black Heels: Zara
Jewellery: Alicia Hannah Naomi
Lip Stain: Covergirl

Last night I attended the launch of SO:ME Space, a new retail concept, bringing together the best emerging and established designers in an innovative environment for the purpose of brand growth, experimentation and development.  SO:ME Space is located in the South Melbourne Market. Designers are regularly rotating so it’s worth making trips down regularly to check out what’s new.

I took a chance on the afternoon sun and wore this summer inspired ensemble with a more weather appropriate black jacket for when the temperature dropped back down. After taking to twitter to poll for what colour I should paint my nails I decided to get a little matchy with my lolly pink belt.

Black Jacket: ComplexGeometries
White Tee: ComplexGeometries
Black Bandage Skirt: Supre
Black Boots (not pictured): Rick Owens
Pink Belt: ASOS
Jewellery: All Alicia Hannah Naomi
Manicure: O.P.I Strawberry Margherita

Last night I was invited to the gorgeous Peony Perfumerie for the launch of the fragrance Black Jade. The weather was warm and humid with a thunderstorm forecast for later in the evening, so I decided a maxi dress was the way to go.

This is probably my favourite dress; I bought it from The Outnet a year ago to wear to a friend’s wedding. I don’t wear it enough because it has a “wedding” stigma in my head, but it’s only cotton voile so there’s really no reason to keep saving it for another fancy occasion. The basket weaving of the straps on the bust and across the back is so intricate and yet the dress is perfectly minimal. J’adore.

I was delighted to receive a care package earlier in the afternoon full of lovely cosmetics and nail polishes from the team at Sweaty Betty PR. The lipstick colour is a departure from my normal shades, but I think the warm nutty tone is quite suitable for summer.

Black Maxi Dress: ADAM
Lipstick: Cocoa Rose by Face Of Australia
Rings: Alicia Hannah Naomi

I’ve been receiving a lot of excellent feedback regarding to the new jewellery I’ve been making (for which I am very grateful) and one common query — will they be for sale? The short answer is yes.

At the moment I’m blogging new experiments as I make them. My skills are still very much rudimentary in some areas and don’t feel ready to market my pieces as a range just yet. But for those interested, I am currently accepting custom commissions for pieces in the styles of that which I have made and blogged via e-mail.

This is a new journey for me, one I feel a great personal affinity with. With that in mind I have decided to brand these pieces under my own name, Alicia Hannah Naomi. The best place for updates is right here as I intend to continue blogging all new experiments as I make them; but I will be launching a new website shortly with an online store once I have come up with something cohesive enough to call a collection.

Lately I feel like the only jewellery I ever want to wear is on my hands and wrists. Earrings are dead to me at the moment and there’s something about a bare décolletage on a woman in the warmer months that’s just the sexiest thing in the world. But the other day I felt like I needed something around my neck so I threw the third ring in my Study Of Decay series on a short chain and found it to be a perfectly minimal pendant necklace.

Silver Necklace: Alicia Hannah Naomi
Black Dress: ComplexGeometries
Manicure: NEON Red by American Apparel

A reader recently suggested I introduce more grey into my wardrobe which I thought was an excellent idea, so I took myself down to American Apparel and picked up another of my favourite fisherman knit sweaters in this perfect shade.

Rings by Estelle Dévé, Deadly Ponies, Ithil Metalworks and Alicia Hannah Naomi

On Friday night I was invited to attend G-Star’s Women’s Night. The Bureau of Meteorology predicted a storm for the evening but when I got dressed it was still balmy so I opted for a dress and boots to keep my feet dry. I’ve been obsessing over neon bright beauty products since I won’t adopt any neon into my wardrobe – this lip stain by Covergirl is the only bright lip colour I seem to be able to carry off. It’s long wearing and tastes fruity if you accidentally lick your lips whilst wearing it.

I visited my hair dresser earlier in the week and said “I’m thinking of growing out my fringe”. She proceeded to cut about 60% of the bulk out of it, which I do not understand and am pretty unhappy about. It has a bit of an Audrey Hepburn kind of vibe to it now which I don’t entirely hate but it’s just not at all what I wanted. Why don’t they ever listen? I get about six or eight amazing haircuts out of a hair dresser and then they turn evil on me and do something nasty like this. Ah… first world problems, right?

Black Biker Jacket: eBay
Black Draped Dress: LIFEwithBIRD
Black Boots: Rick Owens
Rings: Alicia Hannah Naomi and Ithil Metalworks

Been running around like a madman all day from errand to errand. I’m exhausted, but absolutely psyched about some more new rings I’ve been working on, here’s a sneak peak. Details to come in a future post.

I worked out the other day I’ve had this jacket for almost four years. I bought it online for $130 and freaked out because I wasn’t able to try it on which was a big deal for me at the time. It’s still on high rotation.

Black Leather Jacket: eBay
White Tank: Bonds
Black Maxi Skirt: Supre
Black Leather Sneakers: Converse
Black Beanie: General Pants
Rings: Alicia Hannah Naomi