These photos may not quite do them justice but the way that these wonderful pants found their way to me is a pretty unbelievable story: a year and a half ago I wandered into a vintage clothing store in Wellington and saw these black lace flared pants and thought 'wow those are pretty cool.' Then I walked out of the store and didn't think much of it. But a while later I decided that actually I really wanted some lace flares just like those ones I had seen. I spent a good year dreaming them up and trying to find the perfect pair but couldn't find what I wanted anywhere... Until about a month ago, when I was in Wellington again visiting friends, I coincidentally wandered into a familiar shop on Cuba Street and sure enough - there they were, the exact same pants, waiting for me!

I love this top aswell, it's made out of pure wool. It's quite bulky but it keeps me warm while still being breathable and looking funky - perfect for these inbetween seasons when the temperature is constantly changing. I actually found out that it was handmade by a woman in Nelson back in the 70's, her daughter messaged me as she recognised it in these photos.

My boots were given to me by my best friend Gemma. I was with her when she first found them in an opshop and was extremely jealous but eventually she got sick of them and said I could have them. Yay! Clothes swaps with friends are the best.

These photos were taken on my cellphone at the Grand Mercure resort in Monarco when I got back from my latest Wellington adventure in August.

xxx
M

These are a few of the outfits I wore last week at Luminate Festival.

Day 7: On the last day of the festival I traded Briar's Vagabond (her new brand name which is replacing Rethreads) crochet cardigan for a few hours working in her stall. She hand dyed it using pieces of iron and leaves. The dress is from Trash Palace and the elephant belt is from the Vinnies in Aro Valley.

Yesterday I made this top out of some old fabric that's been lying around for years (mum says it was probably once my grandma's). I'm so exited because it's one of the few pieces I've made totally from scratch, even creating my own pattern for it. It wasn't actually made to fit me, I was planning to sell it, but I think I've fallen in love... This is probably my favourite piece of clothing I've ever made. Photography is by the amazing Isaac Henry.

I'm heading to a Luminate Festival today, for eight days, and I'm planning to photograph my outfits each day and create some kind of blog series out of that for you, along with must haves for festivals etc. Also I'll be helping out in my friend's stall Rethreads where she sells her amazing clothing all made out of secondhand fabrics. I might even be selling some of my own creations alongside her brand. So if you're coming up, come visit me! Eek! I can't wait!

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M

I hope you enjoy my second video blog post. I know my hand gestures are as awkward as my kiwi accent, but I hope you can still understand what I mean. I enjoyed visiting Wellington so much, the opshops, the people, the music, the parties and just everything about it is wonderful. I definitely plan on spending more time up there next year. Thanks so much Gem for giving me a place to stay and so many awesome clothes! You're the best.

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M

So I've never worn these pants out anywhere because there's some things that, even for me, are just too intense! But I thought it was about time because look, they are just too amazing not to share with you guys. This is actually a two piece but there's no way I could pull of both the top and pants together. If you're wondering where I found them they were actually a gift from my grandmother in Austria. I love the whole design of these, from the pockets and reversed leather panels down the side, to the pleats and the domes and the way I've folded up the bottoms.

The shoes I'm wearing are my brand new Jeffery Cambells! I'd been wanting a pair of these for ages and as I was wandering around Nelson with my friend I followed her into a shoe shop and there they were. I love that they're platforms because I suck at walking in heels but they are so comfortable and don't hurt my feet.

I'm wearing two tops layered because the fishnet one was a bit revealing on it's own and I think the hint of red underneath ties it all together. I would've worn a jacket with this but it was soooo hot in my room, yay this means summer almost here! 
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M

Well I had fun editing these, especially the last one. I felt like doing something a bit different so I played around with some settings on my camera doing alot of movement based stuff. I also experimented with layering photos on top of eachother. 

I've been meaning to do a post with these pants for a while but could never find anything to go with them. Then I thought instead of just wearing them with some boring colours to make them stand out, I'd wear my bronze jacket and stand in front of a gold curtain instead. Typical Maniana logic really. Some will think it's a horrible combination I'm sure but I love things that catch people's eye, even if that's not in a good way. 

I got these pants at Ladybug Boutique in Nelson (formally The Great Mistake) and this jacket was an old dress of my mum's. My Johnny Depp t-shirt is from Booklovers, one of my favourite shops in Nelson, and I put the mesh top over it which I scored at Trash Palace in Takaka. You can't see it in any of these shots but the belt has little elephants on it, I got it last time I was in Wellington at the Aro Valley opshop. The yin-yang necklace I made with a bit of ribbon and a bead I found at Whirled, which is also where I bought the bracelet.
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M

Here it is finally, my surprise for you! The video basically says it all. Do not judge my technical abilities too harshly as I'm still learning how to edit videos, and half of this is filmed on my webcam and the rest on my cellphone.

I just wanted to share my creative process with you and thanks again for all your support. I had heaps of fun making this, I hope you enjoy! And feel free to subscribe to my new Youtube channel!

xxx
M

Today was fun, and I have a surprise for you which will be ready in the next few days hopefully! I've tried something new and I'm really exited to show you guys! But I will sshh for now...

Gemma gave me this wonderful jacket. The red crop-top and these gorgeous pants are from the Salvation Army opshop in Nelson. I love the shape of these pants and they have a sneaky zipper that's hidden in one of the pockets.

These images were taken around the old caravan that we've had since before I was born. A couple of my relatives from Austria painted it like this, I think the fish are awesome!

More photos will be up soon on my facebook page Maniana's Style.
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xxx
M 

​Yes this is a dressing gown, but I decided it would look nice as a kimono style jacket, I also thought I'd make do of the sash and use it as a belt to tie the outfit together. 

The skirt and the top were given to me by my friend Freya, the round glasses and the apple core necklace were a gifts from Gemma. My friends and I do alot of clothes swapping. I've known Gemm since we were kids and we've always given or lent eachother stuff. Now when I look in my wardrobe I think at least a third of it was given to me by my friends. 

You've probably noticed by now that I like clashing colours. This skirt is the weirdest, sickening shade of green but I love it because it stands out. Magenta and silver aswell... I don't know, but it made sense at the time. I tend to compensate for an outrageous item by wearing it with something equally bold, rather than letting it outshine everything else.

I also tried something different with my hair this week, I'm always experimenting, but I don't think these little bun things suit me much. It was damn near impossible to get them even so I eventually just gave up. 

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M

Today's look has a pretty obvious difference in quality from my past images, it's not because I got a new camera or editing software, it's because I finally learned how to use my camera properly! I've literally improved 100x overnight. Just thought I'd share that because I'm pretty exited. 

I love this jacket so much! I first spotted it when I was with Gemma in the opshop on Aro St, in Wellington. I tried it on but I didn't buy it because I wasn't sure that I'd ever wear it, I'm not used to such bright colours. The next day we went in again and it was still there so I figured it was meant to be mine, and then Gemm quickly steps in and says "I was going to get it for you for your birthday..." So I let her buy it for me and in the following few days she hid it and embroidered some sneaky symbols on the inside. I won't tell you what they are because that's my little secret that reminds me of her whenever I wear it. Best friends are the cutest. It is now my rainy days jacket because I like to look like sunshine and brighten up people's day when the weather is gloomy. 

I'm also wearing some tights that I got from Cotton On in Hastings when I was up there for NYDS in 2013, a velvet dress that Gemm also gave me, my trusty Doc Martens and a belt that mum used to wear for Egyptian dancing. 

I went on a little $2 shop mission the other day and bought some terrible quality sparkly eyeshadows, eyeliners, and colourful lipstick so that I could experiment with drawing on my face. It was fun.

If you haven't already, please feel free to like my Maniana's Style facebook page. The rest of the pictures from this shoot will be posted on there soon.

xxx
M

I don't know why I look unhappy in these photos, my camera's self-timer was misbehaving so that's probably it but I was actually in a really good mood, just in case anyone was wondering. Anyway...

I was inspired the other day when my friend came over and brought this amazing leather jacket for me. She said she'd kept it in the cupboard for ages and never worn it. A week earlier she had seen a pair of my jeans and said she'd always wanted red jeans. I had immediately thought, well I never really wear them anyway, and I was probably just going to cut them up and make something, but instead I just said "you can have them." I wasn't expecting anything back, I just knew that she'd use them and love them alot more than I did so therefore they were better off with her. I recently did the same thing with another friend when she gave me a few clothes she didn't want anymore, I gave her my favourite pair of pants because she liked them and they suited her.

It feels so good giving things away and not expecting anything in return. Life usually rewards you anyway, whether it's a physical thing or just a good feeling inside.

I got the fringe top at Paper Bag Princess in Wellington. When the guy at the counter was trying to put it in a bag for me it kept getting caught on everything it touched, he asked why the hell I wanted it and how I could possibly wear it without getting stuck. I love it though, so I went around cutting every single loop in half so that it wasn't so bad. Was very tedious but worth it.

I associate fringe tassels with either 20's flappers or 70's hippies so I combined it with vertical striped stockings and denim shorts, and the leather jacket just ties it all together.

xxx
M 

I first saw this dress in an opshop, it was about five times wider than it is now, with extremely awkward t-shirt sleeves. But I took a chance because I loved the fabric, so I took it home and adjusted it. Trash Palace in Takaka (Golden Bay, New Zealand) is probably my favourite second-hand shop ever. Every item is only $1 or you can fill a bag for $7, I've got so many awesome clothes there, including this dress. The Madcat jacket I got in Wellington from the opshop in Aro Valley, but it's actually made by a designer in Nelson. The tie is an old one of my dads which I like to wear as a belt because my only actual belt is turquoise and therefore clashes with almost everything. I got these wonderful leather shoes for $5 at the Sunday market in Nelson. It just shows that you don't ever have to look far to find awesome, affordable, unique clothing, you just have to know where to look. When you're opshopping you always find interesting things rather than a rack of basically the same shirt in a few different colours. I find most of those normal clothing stores boring. Basic sewing skills are always good to have because when you're opshopping and something doesn't fit quite right you can't just grab a different size, everything is a one off! Plus I find it makes a garment more special when I've made the effort to adjust it myself. Also a personal rule of mine when doing any kind of shopping is I always ask "do I need it?" and if not, "do I love it?" This way I rarely end up with a pile of things that I never wear. 

xxx
M

Yesterday I was listening to The Beatles song "Revolution" and it was raining outside so I figured why not dress up and take some new photos? I made the top out of my boyfriend's old t-shirt, the shorts were created by Rethreads out of second-hand fabrics, I made the flower hairpiece for Titania - Queen of the Fairies when I directed Midsummer Night's Dream, the leather jacket is second-hand from the Saturday market in Takaka, I bought the gold sparkle tights from Socks Queen in Wellington and my boots are Doc Martens. I want to start making more clothes, things like this cut up t-shirt and other more interesting pieces. I love being able to take something I like but never wear and make a few little adjustments and it's suddenly one of my favourite clothes. This outfit was inspired by the Anonymous movement, Bob Marley and The Beatles.

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M

I had so much fun taking these photos this afternoon! The lighting was just perfect as the sun was setting behind the house. I got a wee bit artistic with my poses this time, I figured it's more exiting than me just standing there. I stole this awesome jacket from my mum, I found the crop top at the red cross opshop in Nelson, the belt is actually one of my dad's old ties, the velvet skirt and the animal necklace were second hand from a friend, and I got the Mayan calendar necklace at Luminate festival in 2013. I love the patterns on my jacket, they're pretty intense so I always wear block coloured items with it. I also love velvet! I often experiment with different kinds of textiles in my outfit to create interesting variation in textures. I like wearing tight fitted things underneath looser over-garments so that my shape doesn't get lost in a sea of fabric.
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xxx
M 

Today I am wearing a 60's and 70's hippie inspired outfit. I found these amazing vintage flared jeans at the Nelson Sunday Market for $1, the top is also second hand and given to me by a friend. I love op-shopping so much, it's just amazing what you can find! Approximately 90% of my wardrobe is now second hand or locally made and I'm really proud because it's so much better than supporting the brand new, slave labour, clothing companies. I often used to get bullied in primary school for wearing second hand clothes but now it's becoming more and more "cool." It's great to see that people are starting to realize that it's better it is for the environment and how much more sustainable it is. I'm not actually wearing a bra in these photos just a lace crop top underneath so it's not see-through. It's much harder for chicks with big boobs to get away with but I figured, what the hell. If you're thinking of trying this I'd recommend wearing some sort of tight fitted top underneath whatever you are wearing so they're still slightly supported and theres less chance of anything showing through.

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M

It's now Autumn here in New Zealand, yay for cold rainy days and nature shedding it's Summer greens. So I decided to celebrate by wearing Autumn colours, red, orange and gold with a darker undertone. The butterfly top is second hand from Paper Bag Princess, the skirt is a piece of cloth I found and decided to use as a sarong, I can't actually remember where the fishnet top came from and the boots are Dr Martens that my wonderful boyfriend bought for me. I love mixing different cultures and styles together. Here I'm wearing an Egyptian print skirt and a bindi which is originally an Indian decoration, with a black fishnet top and knee-high Dr Marten boots which is a kind of punkish, gothic, grunge look, and a butterfly crop top which is very floaty, delicate and feminine. I like to accentuate my curves without actually showing much, so I prefer wearing long high-waisted and skirts and crop-tops with high necklines that only leaving a strip of naked waistline, or in this case covered in some sort of sheer fabric. The butterfly is a symbol of change and transformation, which suits the season of Autumn because it is when nature prepares itself for the harsh cold days of Winter.

xxx
M