It’s slowly starting to warm up outside and we can feel the creative juices begin to defrost. So there’s a swell in our work space of background music to keep the energy ever ascending! Here’s some of our current favourite albums, some new and some new’ish’, all very nice indeed:

1: Zeebee - Be My Sailor
Dope Noir / Creative Vibes
Eva Angel is better known as Zeebee, chief chantuese for Waldeck’s aclaimed “Ballroom Stories”. But we love her in her solo gig on her third album, Be My Sailor. She has a pretty special mix of talents - this girl can do jazz, pop, electronica, acoustic and classical with equal flair, which makes for a multifaceted track list and an easy listening album from top to bottom. The kind of thing you press play to on a slinky, Spring evening.

2: Twin Sister - Color Your Life
Popfrenzy Records
If you like the Cocteau Twins, The XX or Stereolab, you might just want to check out the latest release from Brooklyn-based quintet Twin Sister. Atmospheric, hypnotic pop, with a nod to new wave, sub-romantic influences, they’re hard to define and just as hard not to fall for. There’s something so peculiar and enchanting about lead singer Andrea Estella’s super-relaxed, intimate vocals that serenades and pulsates at once. Intrigued?

3: The Checks - Alice by the Moon
They’re only in their 20s, but New Zealand band The Checks have had a pretty rapid rise to fame in their homeland following the release of Alice by the Moon last year.  The Checks have a subtle blues tinge mixed with that great high energy rock sound, you know the kind you can adapt from a gritty pub gig setting to an india music festival vibe.  Liking a lot.

4: Mark Sholtez - The Distance Between Two Truths
Warner Music
It was a real pleasure to stumble on to Mark Sholtez and we fell for his first track on the album, A Thousand Lies. The rest just kept getting sweeter. There’ something very soft and pared back in this Australian singer/songwriter - he’s a little bit acoustic, a little bit crooner (think a more chilled out Michael Buble), a little bit jazz - a great mix, and we’re feeling whole lot of loving.

5: Kylie - Aphrodite
Warner Music
All hail Queen Kylie! The Goddess of Pop has returned to fine form with her latest album, Aphrodite, drowned in lush dance tracks. Yes, it’s pure Kylie - which means pure pop. But we love our girl. And this is one of her best albums to date. Go on, you know you want to …

- QH guest blogger Natalie Bannister

Last weekend I was one of the lucky thirty-thousand people to attend Splendour In The Grass www.splendourinthegrass.com. Although this blog title does hint that I’m going to rave about my incredible weekend in Woodfordia, breathe a sigh of relief… Because I’m not. Best Time Ever was in fact an instillation that was just one of the displays of magic the festival had to offer to punters.

Best Time Ever www.besttimeever.com.au was a twenty-three metre long timber staircase that descended from the heavens, and up close, revealed another face - a clock face. For the duration of the weekend, the staircase, with its tactical positioning, created a sundial and was used as the festival clock. Best Time Ever mirrored the ancient staircase, The Samrat Yantra, of which shares the same latitudes. You really had to witness this big, crazy idea to comprehend its brilliance.

The instillation was a collaboration between Byron Bay based architect Dominic Finlay-Jones and Sydney artist Lauren Brincat. The pair were recruited by Splendid Arts Laboratory www.splendid.org.au, a partner of Splendour In The Grass and other leading regional and nation art agencies, who develop talent and offer new creative experiences to festival audiences. I’m already aching to see what marvels Splendid will bring to festival-goers next year!

- QH blogger Michaela Tam

Exclusive to Brisbane, this exhibition is going to impress! Fashion lover or not .. I think Brisbane is pretty excited about this one.

Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future’ is a major exhibition exploring the work of the celebrated Italian fashion house Valentino, known for its sophisticated, timeless design and glamorous clientele. GoMA will be the exclusive Australian venue for this major exhibition, developed by renowned institution Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris.

The exhibition encompasses haute couture from the first collection designed in 1959 by the house’s founder, Valentino Garavani, through to work from the Autumn/Winter 2009–10 creations by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli – appointed as creative directors Read the rest of this entry »

I am so excited about this project by QUT Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA) I can’t even begin to explain. Ok, so I am a Creative Industries student, but this doesn’t hamper the magic The Fleet Store will weave for Brisbane’s fashion scene. CEA is doing sensational things by giving up-and-coming creatives both the chance and support to achieve their dreams. CEA www.creativeenterprise.com.au establishes, develops and grows business in the creative industries, and this time around is collaborating with QUT Fashion and the Wintergarden www.wgarden.com.au to showcase Brisbane designers at a new pop-up concept store - The Fleet Store.

Pop-up stores are all the rage at the moment and The Fleet Store will play host to Brisbane designers like George Wu www.georgewu.com.au and Francis Leon www.francisleon.com, as well as QUT Fashion students both past and present. I have a number of friends participating in the initiative, and it’s so fantastic to Read the rest of this entry »

A few months ago, construction began on Queensland’s new children’s hospital at South Brisbane, which will see the existing Royal Children’s and Mater Children’s hospitals merge. Australian architecture firms Lyons www.lyonsarch.com.au and Conrad Gargett Architecture www.conradgargett.com.au have been commissioned to design this mammoth project. I know the new hospital is an extremely contentious issue, but for the sake of this blog post, let’s all leave our opinions at the door and look at the hospital simply from a design point of view.

The concept for the design is that of ‘a living tree,’ a network of ‘trunks and branches’ which permeate the building and connect inside and outside. What I love about this design are the vibrant colours and the seemingly oscillating exterior - it almost reminds me of The Caterpillar’s abode in Wonderland. What’s more, the structure sits in a generous urban park which can serve as a gathering place for the children and their families. I think the establishment is architecturally bold for its purpose and has been thoughtfully designed, keeping in mind the clientele and showing a commitment to evidence based design.

Once completed, the Queensland Children’s Hospital will have about 71,000 sqm of floor space and around 359 beds. The hospital is due to open at Southbank in 2014.

- QH guest blogger Michaela Tam

Shannon Garson www.shannongarson.com is a ceramicist specialising in thrown, decorated porcelain, and her practice continues to grow with a collection of exhibition work and limited edition tableware developing hand in hand. Garson has fast become one of Australia’s most collectable ceramicists, combining strong draftsmanship and a controlled design flair for the simple and organic. Her pieces explore ceramics and life through the synthesis of surface decoration and form, and reflect a strong kinship with the Australian environment.

Garson uses a myriad of techniques to garnish the final product, and her background as a painter is evident with the lively drawings that transform everyday objects into works of art. Each piece connects the visible world with the intangible and mysterious, a massive metamorphosis from meagre lumps of porcelain clay. I’m especially loving the rustic appeal of the Read the rest of this entry »

For me, there’s always something mesmerising about objects made from recycled, all natural materials. I don’t know what it is, but whenever I see creations that are monuments to Mother Nature I always feel at peace. Perhaps I was some version of an itinerant in a past life? So when I discovered Greg Hatton’s www.greghatton.com furniture on The Design Files www.thedesignfiles.net, I grew weak at the knees. Hatton is a Melbourne based furniture designer/landscaper/stonemason/ever-restless creative soul that breathes new life into reclaimed materials and found objects with his love for design, nature and creation. Hatton is sometimes affectionately referred to as ‘Twiggie,’ a fitting nickname that reflects the simple and raw beauty of his designs.

What I find intriguing about Hatton and his designs is that his clients are highly involved in the creative process. As a majority of his work is made to order, I think this fortifies the personality of each piece, and ensures that each design is truly one of a kind. Hatton confesses that his clients are “mainly pretty creative types who know that they want,” and his practice is all about evolution rather than rigid designs on paper. Furthermore, Hatton reveals that it’s often the materials he finds that tell him what they are to become, and I don’t think you could have a stronger affinity with nature than that!

QH guest blogger Michaela Tam

I fell head-over-heels-stomach-in-knots in love when I found these beaded animals on Safari Fusion www.safarifusion.com.au. I think these abstract interpretations of Africa’s wildlife are fascinating and absolutely charming. The animals were handmade in South Africa, with beadwork the domain of many women within the Xhosa, Zulu, Ndebele and Soho tribal communities. Passed on from mother to daughter, the craft is thriving and forever evolving. And what’s more, by purchasing handcrafted products from these communities, many African artisans are provided with a living.

Safari Fusion is an online store that is home to a mind-blowing collection of handmade contemporary design pieces from all over Africa. Creator and owner, Kellie Read the rest of this entry »

Jumpers And Jazz is a winter festival that has been held annually in Warwick since 2004. The festival invites all visitors and residents of the town (including neighbourhood flora) to rug up and celebrate winter in all its glory. Patrons of the festival will have the pleasure of indulging in a diverse lineup of music, art workshops, craft markets and inspirational exhibitions. Local residents are all for spontaneous acts of art in their streets, so come prepared!

What makes this festival unique and wonderful is the centrepiece of the festival - an estimated 150 trees that are transformed with artworks that really have to be seen to be believed. Creative types are encouraged to think outside the box and use traditional crafts like knitting, crochet, felting, and doll making, to make jumpers to dress our timber friends and keep them snug. I couldn’t imagine a better way to embrace winter than to walk down the streets, complete with scarf and beanie, and see trees sporting similar attire.

The festival will span 11 days, commencing on the 15th of July and continuing until the 25th of July. For more information and a full program, visit  www.jumpersandjazz.com.

British fashion designer Paul Smith www.paulsmith.co.uk has lent his classic yet quirky brilliance to Scandinavian design house, Stelton www.stelton.com, to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Following Stelton’s only request, to “please have a look at Arne Jacobsen’s world famous Cylinda-Line, and give it your own look,” Sir Paul has certainly incorporated his innate sense of colour and genuine sense of humour to the line of stainless steel tea and coffee pots. The Arne Jacobsen Cocktail Set has also been thoughtfully tweaked by the design virtuoso.

The Cylinda range of stainless steel products, designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1967, are a true mark of ‘Danish Modern’ style. Smith has reworked the collection to include sharp block colours, and some strategically placed engraving adds to the initial charm of the iconic Read the rest of this entry »