let’s take a peek at the snaps from the launch of our ‘home sweet home’ collection.
on sunday, we celebrated our summer collection ‘home sweet home’ with a lovely bunch of our gorgeous maiocchi ladies and a little party in our paddington store.
this season we have taken inspiration from the things around us, the australian landscape, our native flowers and our home grown artists.

the delightfully gorgeous and hilarious bianca dye from 97.3fm hosted a parade which featured some of our customers as the models.

we really love to show our garments on the gorgeous ladies who wear them. it shows the frocks as they are worn in real life, rather than on a size 8 catwalk model. all of our super models were varied in age and shape, and they all totally rocked the red carpet!

another of the things we love most about these events is getting to see so many of our guests wearing their favourite ‘vintage’ maiocchi pieces from collections past.

our guests were treated to aussie meat pies, lamington macarons and mini pavlova tarts from the divine montrachet restaurant.

a big thank you to all who came along on the day, take a peek at some of the snap pics taken gorgeous friend and fabulous photographer kate from kate luke photography here….

for our ‘home sweet home’ summer collection our designer dee,  took inspiration from the things around us, the australian landscape, our native flowers and our home grown artists.
to help her create the beautiful hand painted australian blooms prints, she enlisted the help of talented local textile artist lauren from the indigo room.
we have asked lauren about her experience working with dee to create these beautiful prints…
 
how did you get started as a textile designer?
i grew up in colour-saturated tropical north queensland, where most of my childhood was spent exploring the bush and the sea. when you couldn’t find me outdoors, i was experimenting creatively; dancing, painting, and dressing up. from a youngster, i also had a strong desire to understand what makes people tick and to help others, which manifested in a career as a children’s occupational therapist.
 
my textile design practice was sparked whilst experiencing a deep loss. to cope, i took to sporting bright, bold prints as a type of “wonder woman” suit - infusing me with optimism and courage and empowering me to re-engage with the world and others. this time also reignited my childhood passion for illustration. after becoming a qualified interior decorator and some soul (and internet) searching, i found my path and passion for textile design. i am mostly self-taught, taking online courses, tutoring and working at textile companies and print houses. the indigo room is my freelance textile print design studio, where I specialise in creating bespoke wearable art for independent australian labels. i also love sharing my knowledge and passion for textiles through my workshops, mentoring others and private tutoring. 
 
what do you love about your job?
as confucius said "choose a job you love and you will never work a day in your life". there are SO many things I love about being a textile designer! i love... the melding of creative minds to create something beyond what either could have ever imagined; telling stories through wearable art on fabric; empowering and inspiring women who wear my prints and the power prints have to create connections with others. beautiful unique prints are such amazing conversation starters!
 
what was it like working with our designer dee on the ‘home sweet home’ collection? 
it was a rare and amazing experience to collaborate with such a celebrated brisbane designer on a brief that is so close to my heart. dee knows her "maiocchi woman" so intimately and the energy and love she has for maiocchi is just infectious. 
 
what was the brief she gave you?
dee has fostered such an incredibly loyal community of maiocchi VIPs and is so in-tune with what they love! leading up to the design of this collection, she was getting lots of hints from the maiocchi community keen to flaunt frocks celebrating our unique natural beauty in oz. dee wanted to take the maiocchi lover on a little journey with this summer collection - starting in the east with apanese inspired graphic prints and classic maiocchi retro cuts, then "coming home" with more relaxed styles and prints synonymous with our sunburnt country. dee was inspired by vintage aussie tourist tea towels, famous aussie artists, native wildflowers, and the magic of the bush. 
 
what was your process for creating the prints? 
to be able to really capture the essence of this very special collection, dee and I met together to talk through her moodboard and bounce ideas off each other. once I was crystal clear on how to tell her story through print, i surrounded myself with dee's moodboard inspiration and aussie flowers and got painting! for this collection, i loved working with gouache and watercolour paints as they are so flexible, bright and colourful. for prints this complex, i painted all of the flowers, leaves, and branches individually, before scanning, editing and then re-arranging them using a software program called adobe photoshop. from there, I pieced all the elements together like a beautiful jigsaw puzzle, making sure to create the perfect colour balance, layout and flow. at this stage, we kept in close contact with each other, making sure the prints really captured the story dee wanted to tell whilst ensuring the print was going to look fabulous on the maiocchi frocks. with her final go-ahead, i worked on putting the print into a seamless repeat. we played with different colourways and then sent it to the fabric printer to be digitally printed on gorgeous bamboo spandex, rayon and linen!
 
how long did it take you to do each print?  
all prints take different amounts of time depending on the complexity of their layout and the number of original elements that need to be painted. the aussie blooms print featured in various colour ways on the "house Is not a home" and "made with love" dresses took approximately 20 hours to complete from original artwork, to a file ready for the fabric printer. this print featured LOTS of hand painted beautiful aussie wildflowers and a complex "jigsaw puzzle" layout. whereas the gumnut blossom print that looks divine on the "home among the gum trees" and "pinch me i'm dreaming" frocks took about 11 hours, being a more free flowing print.     
 
which is your fave frock from the collection? 
i love the "pinch we i'm dreaming" frock in emerald. i'm usually mad for all shades of indigo blue, but I have fallen in love with the energizing emerald green and contrasting pops of watermelon and hot pink gumnut flowers that "dance" all over this dress. the relaxed fit style is a fresh look for maiocchi. it is incredibly versatile - you can dress it up or down - and comfortable for our subtropical climes. i feel fabulous in it at 7 months pregnant (with plenty of growing room), but I also know I will love it just as much when I have my bubby and my waist back again!

our handy tips on how to find your winning style without so much as ruffling a feather....

 follow the traditions of the day...

derby day. 3 nov - it is traditional to wear black and white on derby day. think bold crisp prints for a chic and simple look.

melbourne cup day. 6 nov - it's the 'race that stops a nation' so this is the day to go all out with a colourful and fancy frock with head turning appeal.

oaks day. 8 nov - also known as ladies day, and our personal favourite, this is the day to go for pretty colours, fancy floral prints and ladylike styles.

stakes day. 10 nov - this is the last major event in the carnival season and has been coined 'family day' so you can wear something less formal on this day. have a bit of fun with colourful and whimsical prints and colours.

 the perfect frock needs a fancy fascinator to match!

we have a fabulous selection of floral head pieces in our stores that have been made especially to match our spring frocks. contact us for more details. 

our tip for a head piece on a budget? head to Spotlight and buy a headband and an artificial flower... grab your wire cutters and hot glue gun and you are set to go for a fab floral head band. 

 our mum tips for staying ladylike on the day...

stay hydrated, don't forget to pace yourself with water in between bubbles (you will thank us in the morning!)

consider a flat shoe or a low heel if you are going to an event where you will be standing for most of the day. there is nothing worse than having to hobble home with your shoes in your hand. 

 our ultimate tip for race day dressing... don't follow trends but rather choose a frock that you love and feel comfortable in.

remember, your best accessory is your smile, so smile often, laugh loudly and enjoy the day.

 it doesn't matter if you are doing a sweep at the office, catching up with the kindy mums at a local cafe, or going glam at a fancy restaurant or marquee trackside, take the opportunity to pop on a fancy frock and a smile and enjoy the day!

you can shop our perfectly pretty race day frocks here. 

“follow your dream reach for the stars but never forget where you came from”

a little while back (actually mid last year) we posted a picture of flowers on our social media and asked you ‘what flowers would you like to see featured in our prints at maiocchi?’

i was surprised at how many of you said you would like to see australian flowers, and this is initially what led me to the inspiration for our summer collection.

for summer 2018 i have taken inspiration from the things around us, the australian landscape, our native flowers and our home grown artists.

there is a certain comfort to the idea of coming home, and i have taken this idea to our styles for the season.

shapes that are easy and comfortable to wear, soft fabrics and textured linens.

we have worked with a local artist on our hand painted floral prints and featured all the glorious colours of the australian landscape.

for our initial inspiration i looked at vintage souvenir tea towels from the 1950’s and we have printed our australian blooms onto a gorgeous rayon linen cloth that gives it a beautiful vintage feel.

this season we’ve taken a different path, but we haven’t forgotten all of our favourites, and in the end it has led us home.

our designer dee is participating in frocktober this year to raise funds for ovarian cancer research. read what dee has to say about donning a 'frock a day' for the month of october here….
 
my love of dresses is real.
in fact, excepting for workout gear, i only ever wear dresses.
that’s right, my life is like frocktober every day of the year.
i actually don’t own a pair of pants or jeans.
some people find this shocking, but i have been a dress wearer since i was in pre school when, as my mum tells it, i simply refused to wear anything but dresses. in particular, dresses that twirled!
one of the things i love about dresses is that you can just 'frock n' go'. you don't need to worry about what top or skirt you are going to match back with a dress, it's super easy to pop on a frock and look fabulous without even trying.
 
my dislike of being in front of the camera is also real.
it can be a bit of a problem for a fashion designer, who from time to time is asked to have her photo taken for various reasons.
i can think of nothing worse than having a professional photographer telling me to 'SMILE', so i mostly try to avoid having my photo taken.
i have realised for a while that, being more comfortable in front of the camera is something i need to work on!
 
enter one of our favourite maiocchi ladies - sam pidgeon….. i followed sam last year as she posted  'frock a day' pics on her instagram account, and i learned this year that sam is in fact their individual all-time highest fundraiser - how amazing is she!
sam has inspired me to join this passionate sisterhood of women who proudly frock up in october to raise funds for this important cause, thanks sam, for being such an inspiration!
 
ovarian cancer is something which impacts women everywhere, and frocktober is fun and quirky fundraiser that empowers  women to rethink something  they see everyday ( their wardrobe! ) and transform it into something special.
 
in 2017, 417 people frocked up, collecting over 6,000 donations and raising over $407,00.
if you are participating in frocktober, please tag us in your maiocchi frocks  (@maiocchi_ on instagram or message them to us on facebook)  as we would love to share your pics and help spread the word about this important cause.
 
we will be sharing dee's 'frock a day' journey on our facebook and on our instagram stories if you would like to follow along.
 
if you would like to make a donation on dee's page, now here's the exciting bit, we are giving away a maiocchi frock! 
all of the lovely people who make a donation on dee's page will go in the draw to win a maiocchi frock (of choice to the value of $250)
 
it doesn’t matter how big or small your donation is, every dollar counts and each donation goes in to the draw.
here's the link, you can donate on dee's page on the frocktober official website:  https://www.mycause.com.au/page/186697/deanne-mayocchi
 
we will draw the winner out of a hat on instagram and facebook LIVE at the end of the month.
 
don't forget, if you are taking part in frocktober,  tag us in your maiocchi frocks...happy frocking and thank you in advance to those who are kindly going to donate xo

french women have a way of looking oh so chic without even trying,
their effortless style is perfectly polished, whilst never looking like they take themselves too seriously.

french girl style has long inspired the fashion world, including us at maiocchi.
with our latest collection ‘pardon my french’ we thought we’d give you a few tips on how to nail that iconic french girl style.
we’ve cracked the code to french style, and we're making it super easy for you!
 
here’s how to get the french girl ‘I’m so chic and cool’ look (without so much as ruffling a feather!)

1. ride a bike with flowers in the basket (extra points if you add a baguette and a bottle of french bubbles!)
2. eat macarons, whilst wearing a floral frock. this would make you look french, surely? (who cares, it is the perfect excuse to eat lots and lots of macarons)
3. as above but with french fries.
4. a striped tee is the ' piece de resistance' of french girl style, but you can also add a striped shoe or purse to add the certain 'je ne sais quoi' to your outfit.
5. wear frocks that are timeless. french girls never follow fads or fashion trends.
6. leave your hair natural and go for a fresh make up look, it’s the things that french women don’t do that make them so fashionable.
7. wear low heels, french women would never wear sky high heels, think ballet flats or low heeled sandals, perfect for walking through the jardin des tuileries (or for school pick up)
8. lastly, and this is our most important tip - do all of the above with an air of nonchalance and an ‘I don’t care’ attitude!

our latest collection “pardon my french’ is available in store and online now…. we have the perfect breton striped tee and timeless frocks that will be sure to make you look ‘parisian chic’ no matter where you are xo

last week we hit the run way for the mercedes-benz fashion festival brisbane with our ‘pardon my french’ collection.
here’s what our designer dee had to say about her experience of the week and the lead up to the show…

i just love seeing our frocks on the runway, i think seeing them move and seeing them all styled, perhaps a little more over the top than how most of us would wear them in our day to day lives, makes it oh so special.
the lead up to the show is always a bit stressful as we have so much going on at this time of year, with only 2 weeks until our winter 2019 photo shoot, it can be a bit tricky fitting in a runway show as well.
plus, i will admit, i am the type of person who tends to leave things until the last minute, i think it’s something that goes hand in hand with being a creative type and the lead up to MBFF was no different.

i had decided which frocks i would include in my 15 runway looks long before, but in the days before the show i decided that we needed something extra special for our final look. we made a gorgeous flowing maxi dress in green, which i think really made a statement on the runway.
shoes were chosen and ordered from ASOS at the very last minute, only arriving the day before the show.
i decided on monday that i needed special earrings from the lovely folk at each to own (who shipped my sparkles the day after i ordered them – thank you kirsten, you saved the day!)
the weekend before i hurried off to spotlight to buy fabric flowers and got my hot glue gun out on the kitchen table and made 8 flower headpieces, each one matching perfectly to one of our spring frocks. this is the type of thing i love doing, it’s the thing i love most about my job, doing things like this is totally the ‘fun bit’ ( that and the bit where i get to drink champagne with all my friends after the show)
the morning of the show i went to the brisbane flower markets for fresh flowers to pop in the models baskets, so they would look like they were wandering through the french countryside picking flowers.
although it was all a bit last minute, everything came together perfectly, i couldn’t have been more pleased!

on the day of the show old government house at qut in the city was buzzing with pre show excitement, the designers had to arrive at 5-ish for the 7pm show, so we had plenty of time beforehand to fuss about backstage.
i went through each of my looks with the dressers to make sure that they knew how i wanted each bow to be tied and to make sure they didn’t put any of the frocks on back to front (yes, it has happened!) i also got to meet lorna jane out the back, who was lovely, and someone i have long admired in the industry.
there was some discussion about the designers not walking this year, and as i am a person who prefers to stay out of the limelight, i was kind of releaved. but in the end, it was decided that the designers would take to the runway with our last models. it was a veeeery long catwalk this year, which made it all the more daunting for someone who is not used to strutting the runway!
the atmosphere backstage is very exciting as everything is happening so quickly. before i knew it, it was my turn to take to the catwalk, and it was so exciting seeing so many friendly faces out there, i was totally glad that i did it.

i loved catching up with everyone after the show and seeing so many of our beautiful friends and customers wearing maiocchi frocks at the after party.

MBFF is always such a special event for queensland fashion, thank you to lindsay and the team at MBFF and to all of our customers who came along to support us on the night, and to those who watched the live stream from home. i am sure all who came along will agree that queensland fashion is worth celebrating!
i hope you loved the show and our spring collection ‘pardon my french’ – merci!!! xo

oh what a day!... we thought you might like to take a peek at the snaps from the launch of our ‘pardon my french’ collection.

last weekend, we celebrated our 'pardon my french' collection with a lovely bunch of gorgeous maiocchi ladies and a high tea in our paddington store in brisbane. 

this collection is inspired by all things french, fancy, frilled and fabulous, so we needed to put on an event that was equally as fabulous, and i think we nailed it!
 
our gorgeous friends and maiocchi models stacey mcgregor and lily riek hosted the parade which featured some of our customers as the models.
 
i really love that we use our customers to model, as it shows the frocks as they are worn in real life, rather than on a size 8 catwalk model. all of our super models were varied in age and shape, and they all totally rocked the red carpet!
 
one of the things I love most about these events is getting to see so many of our guests wearing their favourite ‘vintage’ maiocchi pieces from collections past.
 
our guests were treated to french bakery delights from the devine montrachet restaurant and boulangerie. shannon and clare, the owners of montrachet, were on hand to serve our ladies in person, which was a special treat; shannon was just named best chef in queensland in the courier mail food awards, and the french treats on offer certainly lived up to expectations!
 
a big thank you to all who came along on the day, it was so wonderful to see you all there supporting my small business, in this day when there is so much competition from a multitude of international and fast fashion brands, it is really fabulous to see such support of a local brand like mine-  thank you! thank you!  thank you! truly, I can’t thank you enough xo
 
you can take a peek at all the pics taken by my new gorgeous friend and fabulous photographer kate from kate luke photography here….