La La Louche London

Ever gritted your teeth in a frustrated fashion grimace when walking towards you on the pavement / at work / at a music festival is some other gal sporting the same cute cardi / jumper / frock you are?

The creators of Louche know the feeling well, indeed it's one that inspired them to design a line of "fascinating, fun and occasionally frivolous" gems that would be unique and stunning to wear.

Louche began in London in 2007 and has since grown to become a trendy little label favourited by Euro-cutey-queens Audrey Tatou and Emma Watson!

We were thrilled when they asked us to house their wares in Australia, and we are proud to be their exclusive Aussie stockist!

Our favourites so far include:
 

This fabulous sheer Manzie Shirt - $62

Esmerelda Cardi - $70

Flocky the wonder jumper - $79

(out of stock already!)

Cloudy - $79

 Heidi Cardi Mustard - $59

Heidi Cardi Red - $59

Keep an eye out on our blog and facebook for when we reveal some more Louche knits and stunning Louche dresses coming soon!

Amanda Alessi

 This week we welcome a new label to the store. Local Perth gal Amanda Alessi has brought out a delightful range of tea towels, and we couldn't resist nabbing a few!

Here at Ruck Rover, Amanda Alessi's tea towel designs are making us all wish it was morning tea time. Well, it's 11am in the world somewhere! To wind down the clock 'til we can grab a cup of tea and a doughnut of our own, we asked Amanda to tell us the story behind her beautifully kitsch designs.

Who is Amanda Alessi?

I'm a graphic designer and typoholic who loves frolicking in fields, daydreaming about letterpress printing and eating sweets. I'm currently studying at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, and by the end of 2012 I will have a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Graphic Design. I am passionate about publication design, branding, typography and package design. I also hold an interest in photography and recently became resident photographer for a fashion blog called Poison in a Beautiful Bottle.

Where do you get your inspiration?

It's hard to pinpoint really. I find inspiration everywhere. It might be an amazing business card I see or a pretty photo on a blog. I've found that Pinterest.com is a great place for organising, and browsing for things of interest.

What's your favourite type of doughnut?

Haha well strangely enough I work as a casual at Brumby's so I'm often surrounded by doughnuts. They aren't as exciting as I once thought but jam doughnuts are definitely my favourite.

Tell us about the screen printing process?

Firstly I create a design and print it out in black and white to the exact size of the tea towel. The image is exposed onto a silk screen than has been covered in emulsion. After being rinsed, the design should show through the emulsion. Then you are ready to start printing! I usually have specific colours in mind so I mix my own inks. I also have to heat press the tea towels to set the ink. This means they can be machine washed and used vigorously without fading. The hardest part would be working with the emulsion. It is a very heat and light sensitive substance and a few months ago I accidentally left the container in my car on a hot day. Let's just say you learn from your mistakes.

What do you have in store for the future?

I started creating tea towels because I enjoyed screen printing. I didn't plan to sell them but I had a positive response from a lot of people so I thought I would give it a go. I'm focusing mainly on graphic design so the tea towels are a fun side project.

Amanda Alessi tea towels retail for $22 and are available from Ruck Rover in three designs. Choose from doughnuts (my favourite - yum!), tea cups stacks and the tea time tea bag design. They are lovely and large, measuring approximately 50 x 70 cm. They are 100% cotton and fine to be machine washed. Choose from a few colours!

You can keep up to date with Amanda's comings and goings via her website, her facebook page, her blog or her Pinterest!

First Comes Love

So, we are super pleased to be providing some of our wares for the Fashion on the Floor section of... First Comes Love! This event is an alternative bridal fair, and is not just for those who are planning on getting hitched, but anyone who wants to throw a party.

In one spot you will find photographers, stationers, celebrants, hire places, hair and make up artists, milliners, vintage cars, florists, musicians, jewellers, clothing designers and more.

We are really proud to be part of such a fun event, run by Angela and Leah, the lovely ladies of Mitchell & Dent and Studio Bomba.

So, how's about a few wedding-y things from the shop, for some inspiration?

 
Wedding cards can be a bit same old same old, don't you think? Not these! The one above is from Lazy Oaf and will set you back $7. The one below is a very pretty card from Blueberry which goes for $6. Both are blank inside.

What about a frock for the occasion? We've got some luscious numbers that will suit a bride wanting to stray from the traditional white dress, while still having fun playing dress ups and looking fabulous. We can fix you up with bridesmaid dresses as well, or even just garden party frocks for attendees. Let's face it, a wedding is a great excuse for a new frock whatever your role.

I reckon these Iggy & Lou Lou necklaces would make a great present for your bridesmaids! I know we bang on about these beautiful ceramic and sterling silver necklaces, but it's just because they're so amazing.

What about presents for the happy couple? These hip flasks make a nice his 'n' hers gift! There's loads of designs and colours: octopi, typewriters, cameras, deer, owls, cameos, mixtapes, tattoo art, anatomical hearts and more that I've forgotten. From experience we find these go down a treat.

And we dig these chalk boards as a way of livening up a garden wedding, or as a prop in a photo booth, or even as cake markers! We have arrows, speech bubbles, flamingos, flowers and cupcakes. Wowee.

First Comes Love is happening at the Oxford Hotel, on the 26th & 27th of May. We might see you there! x