the last make-up look of the year!

here's old' lang' kandee.....like Auld Lang Syne ...
here's she lies...the last make-up look of 2009!!!!!

This is the new year's look I will be wearing if I have any plans to go out tonight! ha ha ha ha..it's a smokey, sultry look, that just looks gorgeous, and doesn't look lik eyou have 20 pounds of make-up on! ha ha ha ha...and I get compliments like crazy every time I do my make-up like this....


this is also my "rant" about new year's too! ha ha ha ha



this new year will be even more amazing, fresh, new and filled with hope than this year! whatever you do, know in your heart that this could be the year that your dreamd come true, no matter what they are! huge love.....kandee

sparkling new website updates


Websites are like paintings - no matter how much you work on them, they are never quite "finished" ... there is always more you want to add, change, improve or tinker with (perhaps the same goes for blogs, too...)

So, after several weeks of writing, editing, collecting wedding photos from my recent clients, and defining exactly what my label Culture Shock is all about, i am very pleased to announce my website is now fully updated, and that i am really, really excited about it!

i have revamped my PHOTO GALLERY section, with lots of fab new examples of our most recent "Couture Bridal" Gowns, and added a whole new gallery of "Inspirational Themes" which i hope will assist in inspiring brides to think outside the square, and step away from the outdated big white meringue look! Within these sections, I've added new photos from 2 recent photo shoots i did with Nicole Ritchie (awesome photographer!) and my latest obsession- fabulous bespoke hats made by the talented milliner Sandie Bizys, which complete the look with a dash of fun and old-school Hollywood glam.

in my NEWS section, i've added some "Testimonials" from a diverse range of my bridal clients over the past 6 odd years, with photos to show just who is saying what about Culture Shock... Also in NEWS, i have offered a group of downloadable PDF's, with articles i have written myself, containing loads of helpful tips and advice from the perspective of an excitable Sydney wedding gown designer who loves to share her knowledge and passion about all things bridal fashion!

so, if you haven't done so already, check out my website, and feel free to email or comment on it... i love to hear feedback! http://www.culture-shock.com.au/
xx lisa

Dreamtime dinner with a President


OK, so i am going to brag a little... sorry, i just can't help myself, it's so exciting!?!!
Tonight, my dear friend and former Miss World Australia, the lovely Caroline Pemberton, is off to the Opera House in Sydney to attend a gala black tie function... dressed in a fabulous couture Culture Shock gown!
Due to her wonderful and very dedicated fund-raising work in East Timor during the 2007 Miss World competition, Caroline met and befriended a very famous East Timorese leader, the Nobel Peace Laureate President José Ramos-Horta. Tonight Caroline will be accompanying Mr Ramos-Horta to a special dinner at the famous Sydney Opera House, and she'll be proudly wearing our black silk "Dreamtime Gown", as pictured.

My team and i created this one-off couture gown last year especially for Caroline to wear to the Miss World finals in China. The authentic Aboriginal dot painting was meticulously handpainted onto the silk by a very talented indigenous artist, Yarramunua. This gown has also been worn by Caroline at the Melbourne Grande Prix last year, and always grabs attention due to the colourful artwork, her gorgeously curvey figure, and of course the "spirit of reconciliation" in modern Australia, which i think this gown helps to represent. Yarramunua is having an art exhibition in Melbourne of his work in September, and this stunning creation will be travelling to the exhibition to be displayed as part of his body of work - i'll be heading down there to say G'day to him with dress in hand! xxx lisa

bigger is better....


when it comes to heart.....

sometimes we get so caught up in the business of our lives..we forget about all the other hurting people in the world....
my sister got me this awesome hot pink heart, paper weight, carved out of soapstone, from Africa..., for me for Christmas! You can buy these cool, and rare products...that are handmade by women in africa, that support themselves and the orphans in that area....
you can go their website and see all the really cool handmade items, jewelry, bags, scarfs....and you can pick the country where it's made to support them...!
It's really neat, and you'll have something that no one else will have!
I really like the jewelry they have too!
these are the handcarved serving utensils...and my beautiful heart!

You can even buy something and save it for a gift! I feel like this is so wonderful to help these precious people...and they, are creating beautiful, unique treasures!

check out all the wonderful items here:
www.heavenlytreasures.org

it's always good to share with those that don't have as much as us....your heart will be blessed and grow even bigger! huge love from my growing heart to yours, kandee

My first magazine cover.....



yesterday no posty...because I spent the day with the most wonderful woman in my life....my precious mama......we had a yummy lunch of baked macaroni and cheese with ham, and a guacamole-bacon burger...we're goin' out of 09' with a caloric bang! ha ha ha ha
we then went:
to the dollar store
starbucks
and then we almost laughed so hard trying to figure out the lyrics to "blinded by the light", my mom thought one part of the lyrics said, "swirly whirly round your anus".....ha ha ha ha.....in the wal-mart parking lot....it was an awesome day with my mama..then I said good-bye and she hit the road, for her 10 hour drive home.....i love that lady so much!

and then I got this awesome email from Christina Ciani, showing me this magazine cover she designed for a class project! I was so honored....I wish it was life size, I'd hang it on m y wall! hee hee hee...Thanks Christina for being the first person to put me on a magazine cover!!!!! huge love to you all...check back for an update...I'm gonna post a "special" NEW YEARS video up today!
xoxo kandee...who's so 2000 and 10! ha ha ah

Womens Fashion: Latest Fashion Trends



New photo shoot sneak preview

IT's always so hectic this time of year in the Sydney wedding industry - my staff and i are meticulously hand-finishing lots of fabulous new wedding gowns for all our current Spring/ Summer 2008 brides, and at the same time, i am chatting to lots of prospective NEW clients for their upcoming Autumn weddings in March/ April/ May 2009.

With lots of final fittings and often emotional "goodbyes" as we see our finished work leave the studio in the arms of the beautiful brides who will wear them so proudly, my team and i always get goosebumps and the feeling can best be described as "nervous excitement".... we hope the weather will be kind, the bride will look and feel AMAZING on her big day, and all the plans that have taken so many months to organise will all go as smoothly and stress-free as possible!!! I often wonder what sort of reaction will take place on the day- will the groom cry when he see's his bride in her gown for the first time?? Will the guests let out a collective sigh of "ooohhh's and aaaahh's" as the bride makes her grand entrance?!?! And what will the grandma's, aunties and best friends say to our brides after the ceremony and formalities are over, and everyone is relaxed and full of smiles and congrats?? This is when the goosebumps start appearing in anticipation! Luckily the Sydney weather is being kind for now, with a stunning weekend full of sunshine and mild temperatures ...so for our brides Gillian, Sarah and Helen, i hope you all had a BALL and enjoyed every moment of your weddings recently!!


In between keeping all our gorgeous smiling brides happy and looking just FAB on their big day, we've also been busy creating some exciting new designs for upcoming fashion shoots and magazine editorials. Although i deeply adore our Indian and Japanese-inspired looks, i know that it's not always what everyone is looking for.... so our latest Couture additions include a softer, more romantic "vintage-inspired" feel, using pastel dusty pinks, latte's and antique rose colours.




These hot new photos were taken yesterday at a brilliant shoot by "Empire Creative", with our stunning models Olga and Tereza, make-up by Danielle and hair by Corrine. i will soon be putting more images on my website, with the dream styling teams' contact details! If you're ever looking for recommendations on make-up artists, hair stylist, photographers and the like, don't hesitate to ask... personal recommendations for highly skilled people who are great at their job, keen and reliable, are always invaluable, and i am happy to pass on my contacts.

ciao for now, xx lisa

Kim and Carl do it in style...Wedding Gown

i get VERY EXCITED, often goosebumps too, when i finally get to see my clients' wedding photos- it's a real warm, fuzzy feeling of achievement, a reward for all the hard work and long hours my team and i spend creating a Couture wedding gown, and a beautiful & happy ending to a friendship made between the bride and all of us here at Culture Shock... it's also often the first time i get to see the lucky bloke they end up marrying, too!


So let me introduce you to Kim and Carl, who celebrated their wedding earlier this year in Sydney, beautifully photographed by Guy Lerner at Guy Lerner Photography... http://laqtres-theelegantweddinggown.blogspot.com/
We created Kim's fabulous 2-piece Culture Shock Couture wedding gown from a fabulous vintage kimono we sourced together online ( a great way to go kimono shopping without leaving your keyboard!). Being a beautifully pale-skinned bride who wasn't into the often unflattering "white wedding look", the rich bold effect of black silk spliced together with the fab red/white kimono worked wonderfully against the industrial backdrop of their harbourside pier location. AND we're sure that Kim will be able to wear her fabulous wedding frock again and again... Just goes to show that breaking with bridal tradition can look amazing, and be so much fun to wear, too !!!

24 hours in Melbourne...


Isn't it FAB how interstate travel has become so quick, easy, cheap and accessible??!!

i have just spent the last 24 hours in Melbourne, and it's amazing how much you can do in just 24 hours, believe me! i had 2 glorious art exhibitions to visit, and lots of fabric sourcing/shopping to do for my new wedding gown designs, so with a combo of fast-paced walking, planes/ trains/ trams and friendly yellow cabs, it was a breeze!

After visiting my favourite kimono and Japanese textile collectors, and a few silk fabric suppliers, i sped over to the GORGEOUS Art Deco Exhibition at the NGV in St Kilda Rd, and fell in love with EVERYTHING!!! Amazing collections of jewellery, furniture, music, film, objects d'art and of course FASHION, the highlight for me was naturally absolutely breathtaking Couture gowns from the 1920's and 30's, by such luminary designers as Coco Chanel, Lanvin, Poiret and many more... definitely worth the trip, it's on until 5th October - see website http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/artdeco

Then last night i had the pleasure of attending my friend and fellow collaborator Stan Yarramunua's official opening of his stunning Aboriginal art exhibition, in the foyer of the prestigious 101 Collins St building. Yarramunua's collection of paintings are a refreshing, colourful and modern take on the traditional Indigenous dot painting, and his use of "totems" such as the sea turtle and the goanna, mixed with his main theme of water, are spectacular.

Also in attendance was the beautiful Caroline Pemberton, who modelled a glamorous silk Couture gown that i designed & made for her to wear at the 2007 Miss World contest in China, where she proudly represented Australia (see gown in photo's here). Her fishtail-shaped, personally fitted and sharply tailored Culture Shock creation was hand-painted by Yarramunua, and last night it looked just AWESOME on Caroline as she mingled amongst all Yarra's paintings... You can only imagine how it must have stood out to the other Miss World contestants last year when they were on the world stage- so uniquely Australian, and yet so chic and so sexy, too! This one-off Culture Shock showpiece will remain on show with Yarramunua's exhibition til the end of this week, so if you're in Melb, do drop by for a look.



WOW - what a trip! i ADORE Melbourne and always feel sad to leave so soon - it's such a pleasure to visit a vibrant, culturally diverse and happening city that makes everything so easy for it's guests... i will be back very soon, Melbourne, so don't go changin'!!! xxx

ohhhhh holidays....

me...my lil niece, and my lil sister.....

here's my grampa, my mom and my lil' niece.....oh, my grampa is wearing a wig, that is not his real hair...ha ha ha ha

I'm sure everyone has interesting family....and the holidays bring it all out...whether you get along with your family, your family hurts your feelings, you have past hurts...your family is difficult...I know this time of year is hard for some people....or maybe you're missing your favorite family member...
I know what it feels like to have "interesting" family to deal with.....sometimes the dynamics are a bit crazy...

but know that no matter what....you are loved...and adored.....I'd hug you if I was close....and you can't choose your family, but you sure can choose how to deal with them! ha ha ha ha

if your heart is hurting or sad....just know that you are wonderful, everything you've done in the past can be washed clean, and everyday is a fresh start to enjoy and change your life.....

God gives us a fresh new canvas to paint our lives on, every morning...

happ almost getting ready to ring in the fresh new year....kandee

gangsters of christmas past...


things I didn't do this year:
make a new Kandee Christmas card.....
make a million dollars (ha ha ha ha)

things I did do:
start making videos on youtube
feel so much love from all my new "kandee" family on here

this was my christmas card from last year.....I don't know how, or why, but this year, my december was so busy, I kept thinking...oh I'll make it tomorrow...and nopey nope nope...it's the day after Christmas and I'm still have nothin' but this old "cyber" card to show ya! ha ha ha

I had an awesome Christmas....it was fun, and wonderful...and filled with yummy food..which I am very thankful for!

I remember a Christmas, a very long time ago, where I didn't have any Christmas decorations, but a piece of cardboard I had cut out in the shape of a Christmas tree and taped to the wall, and I drew some ornaments on it! We didn't have any food...and I don't remember what I had to eat....and there weren't any presents in sight....all of these things make me sooooo, thankful for having a home, a tree to decorate, and lots of yummy food to smell and eat. These were all things I dreamed of having that one Christmas....I always had hope that it would be better in the future.

And after all...Christmas is really to celebrate Jesus' birthday.....So merry day-after-Christmas, and let's get ready for an awesome new year!!!!

I'm off to help celebrate my gramma's 90th birthday with all my fam!!!

Huge love to you all, kandee

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!

may your floor be filled with wrapping paper, and your heart be filled with joy and love....
merry christmas from me....huge love from my lil' house to yours....xoxo kandee kandee
yay! my candy cane earrings....I'll be wearing all day...more later, but now I'm behind on my Christmas morning..........


to see what we did last night click here:
www.adventuresinkandeeland.blogspot.com

The Traditional Corsetry-Style Gowns



















I've noticed so many more brides these days wanting "lighter" wedding gowns... made from fabrics that are lighter in weight, styling that's softer and more flowing than The Traditional Corsetry-Style Gowns, less restrictive construction, and of course - more COMFY!
I guess this need for wedding dresses that don't weigh more than the bride who wears them is due to several reasons:-

a)- Global warming! Who wants to be hot 'n' sweaty on their big day under multiple layers of thich, heavy fabric?
b)- "Bridget Jones" undies - whether we like them or not, the Nancy Ganz-type of super-stretchy shapewear and control lingerie (aka- "foundation lingerie") out on the market these days REALLY WORKS! So it now enables brides to rely less on corsetry in a wedding gown, and gives women the choice of having lighter-weight gowns and much more comfort in the lingerie dept, whilst still getting a great silhouette, flat tummy and nipped-in waist.

c)- Beautiful, soft, flowing gowns using sheer fabrics look SOOOOO romantic, whimsical, elegant and classic... the ethereal "Grecian Goddess" inspired look is definitely here to stay, as seen at every glamorous Awards ceremony this year... and you DON'T have to be a size 6 to rock this look!





I recently did a fabulous photo shoot to showcase my Grecian-inspired Couture bridal gowns... & as you can see, we created some beautiful looks on the day! Big thanks to the super-talented team that worked hard to create these images with me on a Sunday afternoon- Dario Gardiman the photographer, Simone and Claire the fab make-up artists, Jack the hair stylist and our gorgeous models Alicia and Zara - stay tuned as these images (and more) will shortly be appearing in more detail on my website, too!


ciao, xx lisa

White Ribbon Charity Fashion Parade of Wedding Gown


It was such a pleasure to be invited to show my gowns at the "White Ribbon Charity Fashion Parade of Wedding Gown" at the funky DOME venue in Surry Hills, Sydney, last week. There were loads of exciting local designers showcasing their work, some up-and-coming, and others more established, and the level of enthusiasm, excitement and energy on the night was AWESOME!



















Organiser Sharon Garrard did an amazing job, co-ordinating and managing the whole event, and raising much needed funds AND awareness for this worthy charity, to help prevent domestic violence against women. The place was packed full of fun-loving fashionista's, and the parade ended on a high note with an Opera singer performing her aria as the Culture Shock Couture models glided down the catwalk for the grand finale - oooohhhhh, what a wonderful sight!








At the risk of sounding like a complete tosser - i felt very proud of my team, our work, the fabulous models, hair and make-up crew, and the great feedback we received on the night - so a veryheartfelt THANK YOU to all involved!!!

And a very special merci beaucoup to the talented photography team at ModalSoul Photo, who captured these brilliant Culture Shock pics on the runway.... one word, guys - W O W !!
xx lisa

Beautiful PURPLE SILK Wedding Gown


Beautiful PURPLE SILK Wedding Gown When your favourite colour is purple, & always has been purple, & everyone knows it.....then why not make a statement on your wedding day in a beautiful PURPLE SILK wedding gown!

Beautiful PURPLE SILK Wedding Gown
That's exactly what Kirstin did when she recently married Wayne in Sydney, with their baby daughter as a very cute little flowergirl. As you can see from their wedding photos, Kirstin looked simply spectacualr in her Culture Shock Couture wedding gown, which we created from ivory silk liqud satin, with a fabulous purple silk train, and a detachable jacket and Obi waistband constructed from a divine vintage kimono we sourced directly from Japan. The whole wedding day had a purple theme running through it – the bride’s purple shoes were purchased before she had even picked her dress!
Beautiful PURPLE SILK Wedding Gown
In Kirstin's own words:-

"There was a touch of purple in everything – from the invitations, dresses, table runners on tables, to the detailing on the wedding cake. We did try to keep things simple when organising the wedding by not sweating the minor details too much. We made sure the major details were covered – but didn’t really worry as much about the little things. This made it a much more stress free day for everyone. "


Beautiful PURPLE SILK Wedding Gown
i think that is great advice for future brides - to focus on the big important things, get them right, and let all the finer, smaller details fall into place.

CONGRATULATIONS, KIRSTIN & WAYNE, AND THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR WEDDING WITH US!Beautiful PURPLE SILK Wedding Gown

xx lisa and the team
at Culture Shock

on the day before Christmas...


I took pictures with my new favorite, fun thing.....mirror decals from FRED, they are hilarious..you close one eye til they line up perfectly with your "new" face....ha ha ha ha
click here to check em' out:
http://www.worldwidefred.com/funhouse.htm

this is the fruit of my precious, present-wrapping labor...yay for pink wrapping paper and pink plastic jewels!!!!
ahhhhhh...the vision of presents under the "snowy" tree........and I was still wrapping until 1 in the morning last night...and I wrapped til' abut 2 the night before......I'm just a wrap star! ha ha ha

and here's a little video to get you all warmed up for Christmas!!!!


Happy Christmas Eve day!!!!! hooray, I'll update you all our day activities here too!!!!
huge christmas cookies, kandee

Christmas past....

4 years ago...this is what I looked liked...
my hair was much shorter.....and same brightly colored earrings and accessories as always....
the Santa that you see with me...is none other than lil' Lanzi!

I am so excited for:
my sister, her lil' baby, her hubby.....and my mama to be here tonight!
that Christmas is almost here...
that some goodies that I ordered will be here soon
that I am going to make a cheesecake...yay!
that we are going to make gingerbread houses
and maybe go ice skating...

and I get to go back to Whole Foods and buy food and treats...
and go to Forever 21 to return this super ill-fitting gold sequin mini-skirt and some other shirts that looked ok in the dressing room...but UGLYYYYYYYY.......when I got home...or actually I had thrown them in my suitcase, and thought I had a cute outfit on my last trip....but nooooooo way!

Off to shower, shop, come back and clean my house!!!!

And hope no one is reading this, but I bought all the girls in my family FELINE black liner from MAC, beacuse I love it so stinkin' much!!!!!
happy almost....almost...Christmas! Candy canes and ornaments, Kandee
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