i Fashion JANE ROCCA TALKS TO ROSEMARY

Fashion
\ JANE ROCCA TALKS TO ROSEMARY
MASIC ABOUT REACHING FOR THE STARS.
I
t was the Depeche Mode song The Darkest Star that
got the creative ball rolling for Melbourne designer
Rosemary Masic. The dark beats and gentle
hypnosis of that track inspired her autumn/winter 2012
collection to embrace all that is cosmic
and otherworldly.
Masic loves to create slightly left-field pieces. She has
been running her label, Nevenka, since 2006 and it is
one of the lucky few Australian brands to be sold on the
prestigious Net-A-Porter couture website.
This time her wintry focus is all about sheer blouses
with stars, lace skirts, shirts with lace trim and a
bohemian beauty coat, which re-emerges this season in
black as well as a pink/charcoal number in a mixture of
mohair and wool. We love her use of Chantilly lace and
how she can trick up an otherwise simple shift dress
into something quirky by blending contrast lace on
sleeves and hemlines.
“My love for lace started early. It is a strong part of my
eastern European family history,” says Masic, who has
always created feminine pieces.
“My earliest childhood memories are of lace curtains
in our home facing the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, lace
doilies covering wooden bedside tables and bedspreads,
as well as handmade cotton crotchet tablecloths at the
dinner table. Lace is delicate, beautiful, European and
an alluring texture on the skin. I can’t imagine it not
playing a role in any collection.”
The Darkest Star is supposed to capture the essence
Freedom of Expression Dress \ $599
Bohemian Beauty Coat in black \ $599
Party Like A Rock star blouse \ $299
Dancers at Pirouettes Skirt \ $349
Strength v vulnerability jacket \ $599
The look
Dancing At A Wedding Dress \ $799
Nevenka’s Rosemary
Masic gravitates to
the dark side with her
latest autumn/winter
2012 collection. It’s all
about sheer chiffon
blouses with stars,
Chantilly lace trim
for ’80s new-wave
romance and
bohemian coats for
laidback chic.
of love and how it makes you feel. Masic takes a
philosophical approach and plays on various notions of
darkness. She can see the bright side of a dark situation
and lets that energy enlighten her latest collection.
“I began to explore the emotions that love brings into
your life when you really open your heart,” says Masic.
“The energy that the universe sends us can be deep,
heavy and powerful. The Darkest Star represents the
darkness and the light that you experience at exactly the
same time.”
Masic, who regularly practises yoga, has rejigged her
work schedule to include earlier nights to bed and
is focused on the “healthy mind, healthy body”
mantra. That calmness and self-confidence is felt
through her collection.
Before embarking on a new collection, Masic says she
has to have a clear mind.
“For my mind I practise power-flow and Anusara
yoga. This has truly opened up my creative and business
minds. It has given me the opportunity to get centred
and feel calm. I must be in this place before I design a
collection. I don’t work late any more. I go for long runs
instead. It’s a form of meditation for me. I have more
energy for life and work.”
The use of birds represents being free in mind and
spirit while the dark textures that make Nevenka this
season hint at how love can leave you feeling raw and
exposed. Masic creates luxe bohemian chic to a tee,
only this time she brings with it a hint of rock prowess.
We love the flirty sheer chiffon shirts and use of crystal
buttons that highlight her beloved attention to detail.
“I research and keep ahead by being knowledgeable
about the world and what’s going on in my industry,”
says Masic. “I create all my own prints, colour palettes
and silhouettes. I don’t buy fabric from fabric ranges.
I don’t follow fabric supplier trends and their overseas
forecasting. I just do what feels right and it’s working. I
guess I just need to stick with that.” \
jrocca@theweeklyreview.com.au
» www.nevenka.com.au
» 12 Howey Place, Melbourne. Phone 9663 5873
style file
kerryn russell
& julie wyss
Designers
Trend
Friends for more than
20 years, the duo behind
Melbourne jewellery brand
Charli Bird – Julie Wyss
and Kerryn Russell – make
timeless pieces that include
wide enamelled bangles
and necklaces with doves
and message pendants.
Handmade with love.
www.charlibird.com.au
Joe’s Wardrobe is a service launched
by the folk at Joe Black – it’s where
men can customise an off-the-rack
suit to complement their shape and
taste; with personal fittings part of
their bigger picture. Think quality
yarns, European-made shirts, ties
and outerwear.
Joe Black, 149 Little Collins Street,
city. 9663 1713
www.joeblackthetailor.com.au
Must-have
ke it h t- sh ir t
\ $5 9. 95
Few rock legends live to
tell, but the Rolling Stones’
Keith Richards is one of
its seediest survivors.
This T-shirt hails all that is
rock worthy in this ageing
star, who once said:
“I never thought I
was wasted, but I
probably was.”
www.blackbooktees.com.au