The world where we live

This is the view from the offices where I work. Not my office - I'm a few doors down and have a very different view of the harbour - but the view from my learned colleague's office. He got a new chunk of glass today (that's hip snapper talk for lens) and very kindly offered to take a shot of my jewellery. I'll show you that in a second, but first let me explain this - it is looking directly north over Sydney Harbour. You can see the Opera House just to the left and that imposing baroque structure with the wrong coloured steeples in St Mary's Cathedral. You can also see the trees of Hyde park, some of which are wearing their autumn colours.

It's a wonderful photo, no?

The next shot is my Dianna Porter Sybils necklace. If you look closely at each stylised charm, you'll note they are stylised figures of women, complete with little bosoms and each etched with a word. I used to buy one every time I went to London, and if I had a dollar for every time someone commented on this piece, I'd be travelling to London more frequently and in business class. I wear the charms on a plain chain with my wedding ring and a heart. It's one of my signature pieces.
Coming soon - jewellery made by my very gifted friend Romana and hopefully more of my learned colleague's photos.

Styling

I love style. I love the details of a person's style, I love to read about style and I love seeing what people own and use to create their style.

While I consume fashion magazine the way some people drink coffee (continuously, prone to a headache if I miss one) I'm not always enchanted by the people featured in the magazines. I don't think there's any skill to looking good when you're attended to by a cast of thousands and are in regular receipt of armfuls of free clothes. But when you're putting things together based on your own tastes and needs, when you're hunting and gathering your elements of style with a specific budget and within the limitations of of your time and lifestyle, well, that's when style, real style, becomes apparent.

In a short while (and by that I mean in somewhere between ten minutes and three days) I'm going to post my top ten favourite ingredients for creating my personal style. Before I do that I want to share some aspects of the remarkable style of Nat who sits one door up from me at work.

Sometimes I only going to work to see what Nat's wearing. She never disappoints. It might be a carefully blended mixture in black and white - an Anna Sui dress over a Chloe blouse, Wolford tights and Chi Mahara maryjanes. On Friday - if it's quiet and we're all confined to our offices - she'll be wearing a discreet Marc Jacobs knit with inky Paige jeans that just cover a pair of glossy black Marni platforms. Her style, like that of all stylish people, informs her attention to detail and is apparent in all aspects of her life and work. You should see her kitchen table if you're lucky enough to be invited to afternoon tea. You should her talk off the cuff on some complicated aspect of law. You should see her office:


There's a photo album open on the desk and the east Sydney skyline becomes the background for Manhattan.

Love that print! Note the Mulberry Maggie in green patent.

And you should see her dog! He's so stylish he's got his own crew.

Those squirrels are hanging on his every word.