ART | DIVINE PORTALS

We have been fans of Kyle Montgomery's since way back, and we are lucky to have two of his Mary's in our collection along with some earlier works. A resident artist of China Heights, Montgomery's work is captivating and spiritually beautiful.

And now the time has come for you to own one too. But be quick, DIVINE PORTALS opens tonight at Mild Manners in Melbourne. With almost 1/2 the pieces sold already, before the doors have opened, it will surely sell out.

The Crystal Mary - is an intentional collision of two separate beliefs in physical form, it combines religion and spirituality to create the ultimate icon. 

View the full catalogue here

Presented in association with Mild Manners Gallery

RVCA Corner Gallery, 82 Stanley St, Collingwood, Victoria

Opens Friday October 23, 6-8pm 

Exhibition continues until November 8.

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THIS IS MY CITY | Adriana's Melbourne

We love the guide that Adriana Giuffrida, the creative brains behind jewellery label Poms, put together for Melbourne. When we asked her to do one she admitted that sometimes she misses living in Sydney... Adriana, sometimes we dream of moving to Melbourne! Korean BBQ, watermelon granita and the best art in Australia. What more could you possibly want? This is Melbourne, by Adriana.

Melbourne CBD

one. Best thing about Melbourne? I think the best thing about Melbourne is being able to head into the CBD and wander around aimlessly and be able to eat amazing food, check out some wonderful galleries, and shop to your hearts content.

two. Worst thing about Melbourne? Battling the ever changing weather conditions when trying to do the above!

three. Favourite secret spot? My new favourite secret spot is Kobo in the CBD in Hardware Lane. Its an amazing KBBQ (Korean BBQ place) that has Korean BBQ tacos! Sounds crazy, tastes amazing! 

Cookie

four. Favourite everyone-knows-it-but-it's-still-good spot? COOKIE! In Curtain House on Swanston Street. It is a Melbourne Institution, and it never fails. Best food, best drinks, best building. Its just the best.

five. What is your newest discovery in Melbourne? Supernormal Canteen on Flinders Lane.

Emporium

six. Where is the best place for.... morning coffee? meal with friends? romantic rendez-vous? late night drink? even later-night boogie? For a morning coffee, I keep it local and head to Oli & Ari in Brighton, or Pantry. Don’t judge, but I think the best new meal spot is the food court at Emporium. The European at the top of Spring Street is also amazing, and then you can get a mouth watering ice cream from the Grocer next door for a sweet treat. Cumulus is also great, and Supernormal which has just opened on Flinders Lane, for some more Andrew McConnell amazingness. Also Pelligrinis for a watermelon granita on a hot day, or Cellar Bar for a killer cotoletta and tiramisu! For a late night drink, you can’t beat Toff in Town's bubble cup cocktails.

Pellegrini's Bar

seven. Where are Melbourne's style spots? Where is the best shopping? Curtain House on Swanston street houses my two fave spots, Pet Shop Girls and Someday. These guys have the best in local and international fashion going on and its not your run of the mill stuff. Marais is also good for your higher end wares. I also love going to Savers on Sydney road, which is an amazing supermarket sized op shop. Also Camberwell Market on a Sunday morning is great, get there early though, cause the bargains get snapped up, its not as secret as it used to be.

eight. What is something you can get/read/experience/eat that you can only do in your Melbourne? Heide Museum of Modern Art Gallery in Heidelberg is really quite special. John and Sunday Reed purchased the block in 1935, and opened their home to like minded individuals such a Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker and Joy Hester among others, and the Heide Circle was born. Now the old homestead houses exhibitions of incredible modern art, and the gardens and grounds are also spectacular, and they also have a Cafe Vue, for a yummy mid gallery feast.

Heide Museum of Art

nine. You can tell a lot about a city from their airport. Describe yours. Hmm… I can’t say our airport speaks as highly as it could of our incredible city, but enjoying a lil treat from another Cafe Vue situated at the International gate is pretty good!

ten. How would you describe Melbourne to someone who has never been there before? yum yum!

You can read our previous this is my city guides here.

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ART | Miso For Chanel

Miso, or Stanislava Pinchuk, is a Ukraine-born artist establishing her practice across the urban fronts of both Melbourne and Tokyo. Beginning her work as a street artist, Pinchuk now incorporates illustration, tattooing, photography and design into her work. She often works with finely cut paper, resulting in quite ephemeral artworks and experiences. she has been acquired by and exhibited in the quite prestigious locations of the National Gallery of Victoria, the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia, and now she adds Chanel to her impressive list of collaborators and clients.

The intricately cut paper is masterfully crafted into a Parisian shop front, and accompanies some her of her detailed illustrations in Chanel's Flinders Lane boutique in Melbourne. It stands true to the sprawling history of Chanel, existing in pure black and white, which Coco Chanel herself perceived to be the ultimate in balance. However, the delicacy, and the nuanced consideration is all Pinchuk's own. Hopefully it will be a permanent addition to the boutique, because it certainly adds a certain je ne sais quoi!

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THIS IS MY CITY | Jessica's London

London has always been the place of Australian dreams - the land of opportunity, and beer, and boys, that you kick back to after slugging it away at home for a few years. London is where you can go to find a fashion scene more vivid and out of control than anywhere else, a music scene that is so vibrant and fiercely individual, and all this thriving alongside one of the oldest metropolitan cities in the world. We've always loved London for this combination of history and modernity - but modernity as it seems in books and poetry and movies, it's not quite the modernity of, say, Tokyo or Hong Kong. And we love that Jessica agrees with us. A Melburnian relocated to London, Jessica is an incredible freelance writer and strategist with a fantastic blog, and we are so pleased to have her writing a travel guide for us. This is London, by Jessica.

All photos by Jessica Stanley

one. Best thing about London? The best thing about London is that it's the physical manifestation of the world in which so many of my favourite books are set. I had visited just twice before I moved here, but because of Conan Doyle, Woolf, Murdoch, I felt like I knew it.

two. Worst thing about London? When I lived in Australia I used to say winter was my favourite season. But the winters in London go on for months, and they're not just cold, they're grey. It's takes some getting used to, and careful holiday planning too.

three. Favourite secret spot? I have two. The best walk in London is from Bethnal Green to Islington along the canal. You can stay by the water and look for baby swans, have a coffee at the Towpath Cafe, or nip up the stairs and do some shopping as you pass by Broadway Market or Dalston. My second secret favourite place is Hackney City Farm, especially during lambing season. It's open to the public and there is nothing more relaxing than looking at some farm animals/dodging hens then retiring to the cute cafe for a jam tart. Plus they have a children's menu of dishes that are only £5 but are big enough for an adult's lunch - bargain.

four. Favourite everyone-knows-it-but-it's-still-good spot? East London owns my weekends. There's nowhere better. On Saturday: Broadway Market for a egg and cheese roll, a Climpsons coffee, vegetable shopping and a browse. On Sunday: a walk through the Goldsmith's Row book market down to Rospo for vintage clothes and furniture, on to Columbia Road flower market then a late brunch of buttery, bubbling baked eggs at Leila's Shop. If you look on a map, everything I just mentioned is in a straight line probably less than a kilometre long. It's magic! 

five. What is your newest discovery in London? My newest discovery is probably Toppers of Hackney in Wilton Way, where I get my hair done. It's a walk through London Fields from my place, and they are just lovely in there. They don't use any specific line of products, so they've got Morrocan Oil, dry shampoo from Boots, MOP volumiser, beautiful smelling shampoo - whatever they love the most. They always have the newest Vogues and Elles - and also a small salon dog called Scout. What about somewhere you've been going forever but can't quite give up? A place I've been going forever is the London Buddhist Centre's charity shop, Jambala. My boyfriend used to live down the road in Bethnal Green and when I first moved to London in deep winter it was about as far as I could walk without getting too cold. Their selection of art books and fiction is excellent, and the staff are very kind.  

six. Where is the best place for.... morning coffee/pick-me-up? meal with friends? romantic rendez-vous? late night drink? even later-night boogie? The best coffee is definitely Climpsons in Broadway Market. Nothing else comes close. The most beautiful food in the entire city is at Railroad Hackney in Morning Lane. How can I describe it? They have three entrees, three mains and 2 desserts on every night, each is locally sourced and freshly made in their small kitchen… I don't know what else to say except they are the best dinners I've ever had. The chef is a very talented woman called Lizzie Parle. I can't recommend it more highly. If you'd like a pub meal I love the Coach and Horses in Clerkenwell. For drinks I like Off Broadway in Broadway Market: well-mixed cocktails, an aperol spritz with both a wedge of orange and a green olive, and Mexican food if you get hungry. 

Railroad cafe - source

seven. Where are London's style spots? Where is the best shopping? The best book and record shopping is Dalston Oxfam. Books are only 99p so if you're on holidays and need to restock, drop off your old ones and pick up new ones for almost nothing. Then continue up Kingsland High Street: go to Pelican and Parrots for tightly-curated vintage, and Beyond Retro for vintage that's completely unedited but lots of fun. Otherwise - and I'm almost embarrassed to say this because it's so unlike me! - I've developed a strange love for the huge new Westfield in Stratford. Imagine Westfield Bondi Junction but with English shops. It's really fun and very convenient. Even though it's not very cool.

eight. What is something you can get/read/experience/eat that you can only do in London? England definitely do the best newspapers. A perfect Sunday experience would be to buy the Observer and then take it to Violet Cakes in Wilton Way; order a cinnamon roll or slice of Victoria sponge and get a big pot of tea for reading with. Hopefully someone will have left their Elle UK or copy of The Gentlewoman up there. It's a perfect way to spend an afternoon.

nine. You can tell a lot about a city from their airport. Describe London's. London's airport is completely nondescript. Apparently one of the terminals has been recently tricked out to be very posh but I can't recall seeing it. One nice thing about Heathrow though is that even though they take security very seriously, the passport men and women are always ready to laugh a bit meanly at you if, after a 24 hour journey, you say something silly. That's very English, and very nice.

ten. How would you describe London to someone who has never been there before? Lots of warm, exciting little villages inside an immensely old and sometimes cold city.

Cacti for sale at Colombia Rd Flower Markets

Benah's This Is My City guides:

Elise's Paris

Estelle's Melbourne

Hannah-Rose's Hong Kong
Katerina's Mexico 

Dee's New York

Tiffany's Berlin 

Dee's Sydney 

Talisa and Rohan's Tokyo

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THIS IS MY CITY | Estelle's Melbourne

Good old Melbourne. City of artists and culture (and food!) and museums and fashion (and really really good food!) and coffee and laneways (and excellent, mouth-watering food!). We've always loved Melbourne's creative instincts and vibrancy, and only wish we got to spend more time there. One lucky girl who lives in Melbourne is Estelle Dévé, talented jewellery designer and lovely thing with excellent taste. Her molten creations are both futuristic and archaeological, informed by art and history and literature and culture. We knew she would be the perfect person to put together a Melbourne guide for us, and her picks have us dreaming of a little mini-break to the Victorian capital. This is Melbourne, by Estelle.

Melbourne - sourcehttp://lipmag.com/culture/melbourne-a-quick-guide-to-the-cbd/

one. Best thing about Melbourne? This is going to sound cheesy, but.. my boyfriend and the close group of friends I've made along the years. I feel like I could be in the most amazing place, if they weren't around, it wouldn't be worth it. Fun is meant to be shared! That, and the fact that I can find the best Asian, Spanish, Greek and Italian food within any 20 minutes tram ride. 

two. Worst thing about Melbourne? The weather (9 months a year of rain and cold anyone?), and the cuteness overload: if I have to see another knitted tea cosy, pair of clogs or fawn ceramic collection I might have to just give up on life altogether.. 

three. Favourite secret spot? "Shanghai 1930" 959 Whitehorse road, Box Hill.  It's a bit of a trek but best Chinese food ever! My amazing friend Jade (stylist extraordinaire!) took me there for the first time a few weeks ago and were definitely going back soon! Try the Jellyfish, it's amazing! 

four. Favourite everyone-knows-it-but-it's-still-good spot? "Movida", 164 Flinders street, Melbourne. Mom is half Spanish and I've been brought up on Spanish food so this is little a little taste of home. A Melbourne institution: it's in-cre-dible! & "Chin chin" at 125 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Asian fusion at its best: great food and even more amazing cocktails. Be prepared to wait though, there's no bookings and a never ending flow of hungry people waiting around. 

 Movida - source

five. What is your newest discovery in Melbourne? After all those years, I've finally taken the time (read: been dragged by my friends) to rent a private Karaoke room in the CBD. I have blurry memories of singing 90s R'N'B favourite on top of my lungs, dancing on tables and rolling myself on the floor with laughter. We have nothing like this in France and I have to admit: it is a lot of fun. My favourite so far has been "K-Box" 52 LaTrobe street, Melbourne. What about somewhere you've been going since forever but can't quite give up? "Mixed Business", 486 Queens Parade, Clifton Hill Breakfast is easily my favourite meal of the day and even though I've been there hundreds of times, this place is always going to be my favourite. Try the Potato and Rosemary rosti with poached eggs. It's a winning combo. While you're waiting for a table, check out the florist next door, they always have the most amazing things.. 

six. Where is the best place for.... morning coffee? meal with friends? romantic rendez-vous? late night drink? even later-night boogie? There's plenty of good coffee in Melbourne and I find it hard to to pick a favourite. However, if I feel like something different I'll go get amazing green tea and Japanese breakfast at "Cibi" 45 Keele street, Collingwood. Or I'll get the perfect hot chocolate at "Monsieur Truffe", 351 Lygon street, Brunswick East, round the corner from my house. For a meal with friends I like "Gorski and Jones" 304 Smith street, Collingwood. Modern Australian cuisine to share, and a great selection of wine. Definitely one of my all time favourite. Don't forget to try the Kingfish carpaccio! And when my bank account says no, we'll all meet for Char-grilled chicken Pho at "Meekong" 241 Swanston street, Melbourne. The legend says that Bill Clinton had 8 bowls in one sitting there! I'm personally happy with just the one: it's tasty, filling and for $9.50 you won't find better.  For romance you can't go past "Matteos" 533 Brunswick street, Fitzroy north. A pretty fancy looking place, white tablecloth, chandeliers and all.. and still the only place I know where you can get both amazing sashimi, a mind blowing cheese plate and a great bottle of wine, all on the same night. The boyfriend and I went there for our anniversary and we had an amazing night. "Cutler and co" 55-57 Gertrude st, Fitzroy. Did anyone say cocktails and dessert? For dancing.... At the risk of sounding pretty old, I don't think I've truly enjoyed a night out in a club for a while.. I feel like Melbourne is more of a house/street party city anyway.. Put a disco ball in your living room, some 90s hip hop and I'm all yours! 

 Cibi - source

seven. Where are Melbourne's style spots? Where is the best shopping? There again, I tend to shop a lot more when I'm away on holidays or in a different city, so I probably wouldn't be the best a recommending stores in Melbourne. I do A LOT of online shopping (to fulfill my Dries Van Noten addiction) or buy stuff from Acne as it's just easy.. However when I find a little bit of spare time, I try to check out Incu and Green With Envy. They've both been supporters of my label for years and are carrying a plethora of brands I enjoy. 

eight. What is something you can get/read/experience/eat that you can only do in your Melbourne? Go to Fritz gelato and have the best hot cross bun ice cream you could ever dream of.

 nine. You can tell a lot about a city from their airport. Describe yours. All you need to know is: Cafe Vue lunch boxes at the International terminal. Best. Plane food. Ever "Cafe Vue", Tullamarine Airport, Terminal 2.

ten. How would you describe Melbourne to someone who has never been there before? 4-seasons-in-one-day-food-capital-city.

Melbourne's charm - Tuula

Benah's This Is My City guides:

Elise's Paris

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