Tina Kalivas

I was hoping to take these pictures under blue skies or the pale pastel perfection of a London sunset, a bluesy piano and lazy “Summertime” vocals floating in the air. Instead I had to deal with the unpleasantness of a typically unsettled English weather: sun, wind and rain battling with each other incessantly. Well, it was wild and it was messy but I had fun. The motivation was definitely there. The idea was simply to show a Tina Kalivas piece I own and adore. If you read this blog, you’ll already know that I’m a huge fan of her work. I love the way her clothes always evoke a certain complexity and fragility while looking exquisite. A close friend of mine always refers to her garments as glorious works of art. I have to agree. The fashion world can be a restrictive place but occasionally you’ll come across a fearless character who is focused on staying completely free to create. Tina Kalivas is that person. Her sensibility is broadly ethnic, perhaps influenced by her origins, I’m not entirely certain. Her clothes definitely have an emotional and intellectual breadth but it sits comfortably in a fashion context. Seeing her collections is like a blaze of pure visual excitement and pleasure. The fabrics, textures, precise and satisfying shapes, mastery of radiant colours and neon accents are all strong and create an invigorating experience. History and reality collide in new ways.
The trouble with certain brands is that one is lucky to see a tiny percentage of their collections. This used to be the case with a lot of great Australian names. Here, in London, we’re lucky to have Yasmin Sewell. Liberty has benefited from her exceptional vision and it has marked the beginning of a new era for the department store. She also gradually launched a kind of capsule division of Australian designers showcasing their aesthetics, infusing a little bit of her country cool into the British institution. And then there is the Robinson Pfeffer agency, which presents a great blend of people including Tina Kalivas and Arnsdorf (another firm favourite).

A huge thank you to Tina Kalivas and the Robinson Pfeffer team for making a dream come true!

Pictures by Mat & Jaja

I'm wearing a Tina Kalivas bustier, stripy Charles Anastase cardigan, black vintage embroidered cardigan, Levi's shorts, Burberry platform booties, jewellery by Pamela Love and vintage Dior

Tina 2

13 comments:

I V Y said...

tina kalivas- definitely one of my favourites! cool blog!

young-shields said...

Totally gorgeous. You're so lucky to be able to collaborate with such talents.

S said...

These photographs look remarkably Mediterranean rather than rainy British!

The bustier is such an unusual shape – I don't think I've seen anything like it before, and although I'm not usually an appreciator of ethnically influenced patterns, I can definitely appreciate the originality of this piece.

cats eyes said...

T'es belle et le sac aussi. Mwah

tea and cactus said...

this is beautiful

K A T H L E E N said...

the colors here are so rich looks fab!come follow me xoxo

Laura McLaws Helms said...

Lovely, as always. Tina's work is really gorgeous- I was first exposed to it at Browns Focus years ago (six years?) where I fell in love with a collection based on galaxy prints. I only bought one skirt- I've been meaning on having it taken in but when I do I will send you a photo (though it won't be anywhere near as dreamy as these ones).

Kate Gibb said...

... not only can you take an amazing photograph, you look just stunning in them too.

Luna Love said...

Love Tina Kalivas.
Great Blog!

Luna Love said...

Love Tina Kalivas.
Great Blog!

galatea. said...

how magical xx


galatea
http://candidebyvoltaire.blogspot.com

Sarah said...

I love those photos, so hazy and atmospheric - the perfect combo with the Tina Kalivas bags I think.

storyzoo said...

Really hot pics. Pun intended!