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It happened yesterday. Ruby Assembly sista Kate and I headed down from our Queen Street studio to the Yarra River, which glittered in the honey-yellow morning sun. Crisp but comfortable under the hypercolor blue skies, we wondered at the blissful feeling of sun on our winter-weary limbs. The usually-grumpy denizens of the CBD smiled at one another as they passed, the seasons announced they had turned and we all begin to anticipate the long days of the party and pleasure seasons to come. And there’s lots to love, in my opinion – I’ll share with you not only a few sunsoaked images of a morning by the river, but some discoveries I’m delighting in daily.

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There’s just something about huge skirts that is magical. Others observe their swishy grandeur with appreciation, while you stay snug and ultra-femme into the deal. A favorite of mine: Micky In The Van skirt (a very fine corduroy floral, reminding me of Ulyana Sergeenko designs) and a nordic gingham rose print in Wedgewood blues from Uniqlo. I feel so happy and confident when I wear weighty skirts, a kind of nod to my eastern-block forebears paired with waist-cinching flattery.
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This spring I’m enthusiastic about:

  • British author David Peace. His most famous works are the  Red Riding Quartet, a hard-boiled noir series of books about Leeds during the 1970’s.  A pulsing narrative, key protagonists of questionable likeability and enough description of paint a picture leaving you to do the rest. I’ve learned much about writing from this set of books, which I hope to incorporate in my own work. He is also the author behind an elegant read called The Damned United, recently made into a Michael Sheen film.
  • Big hair and handfuls of volumising mousse. Sounds 80’s, but the new-breed mousses are lighter and not crispy at all. Pop a couple of heaving portions into long hair and blowdry vigorously. Instant glamour.
  • The Merri Creek. Running from Reservoir to Dight’s Falls in Abbotsford, this bike path along the gurgling creek feels like you’re a million miles from the city. Last weekend I strolled from the Orthodox Church past the Under-13’s Brunswick Zebras soccer game at Sumner Park and onwards towards Northcote. Very happy-making.
  • Bubble tea. Part snack, part drink, all good. Try Chatime or GongCha in Melbourne’s CBD.
  • 90s playlists on Spotify. I’m finding the mix of Madonna, one-hit-wonders I remember dancing to at my Debutante Ball and low-fi rnb very invigorating!

In other news – Ruby Assembly will soon be a book! Yes, you will be able to enjoy Ruby Assembly for keeps in a real-life coffee table book – charting the unique cultural moment we are caught up in. Festivals, fashion, art, the relationship between urban and rural, activations and projects and commerce – all in  one elegant tome. Interested in grabbing a copy? Email info at rubyslipper dot com dot au.
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