10QQ with maria.

For this month's 10QQ segment, we're talking to Maria, a 15 year old art enthusiast who lives in Australia and runs Avenue Maria. As the picture above suggests, Maria is definitely a pastel-donning, floral-esque girly girl, who's style is predominantly comprised of thrift-store gems.  After a lengthy scroll on her beautiful blog (I get so carried away with reading her awesome posts!), I can safely say that her flawlessly-formatted "Avenue" is of higher quality than most fashion blogs you'll find out there. With her radiant smile, deliciously pink & girly blog and unforgettable sense of style, things for this sweet dreamer can only get better from here.

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1) A female singer you look up to and why: Adele. There are so many people who complain and imply that she should be thinner, yet she still stands her ground and loves herself just the way she is.

2) Favourite color for Spring/Summer: Pinks and light blues. I love to wear pastels in the Spring and keep things very girlie.

3) A designer you think is overrated: Chanel is very overrated. Some of their collections are beautiful but most of it is tacky and I'm sick of seeing the logo on oversized,
brightly coloured earrings and bags. Coco Chanel was represented as a classy, sophisticated woman. The logo is now nothing more than a cheap, overdone version of what she created.

4) What your style is inspired by: Mad Men, Anne of Green Gables and anything vintage!

5) Something you like to do in your free time: Op-shop and read...I could wander around a thrift store for hours!

6) Favourite subject at school: Art. It combines two of my favourite things: drawing and talking non-stop.

7) Why you like fashion: I could go on and on about this question! I love it because the sky is the limit... you can dress up in absolutely anything and it could be warped into 'fashion'.

8) The best thing about blogging: Definitely the friends you make! I have two lovely pen pals (as a result of blogging) and I have found numerous blogs that I adore and am inspired by.

9) Three foods you hate: Yoghurt, pumpkin and salt-and-vinegar flavoured anything. Bleh!

10) 5 things you always have with you: Baby Lips lip balm, a good book, pens, paper and water. I know, how boring!

 What do you think of Maria's style and Avenue Maria?

Interested in being featured exclusively in one of Seven Inch Stilettos' monthly 10QQ posts?

Email me here with your name, age, country of residence, nationality, some information about yourself, and 5-7 pictures of your style.

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sri lanka 2012.

As some of you might already know, I was lucky enough to spend a relaxing week in Sri Lanka over my Spring Break. It was the first time I'd been there, and although we didn't do much exploring of the country and culture (we sort of villa-hopped and shut out the rest of the world and lazed on the beach and ate way too much for a whole week), it was a rejuvenating haven away from the bustling city life I'm so used to. Punctuated with exotic spicy Sri Lankan curries, sunkissed days (and slathering aloe-vera gel on our sunburn the next morning!) and the rhythmic crashing of azure waves, it was a lovely, albeit lazy and unproductive week!

The first place we stayed at was an absolutely beautiful villa (by the equally beautiful name of "Auraliya" - seriously how great is that name?) belonging to some friends of ours - pictured in the two images above. With spacious rooms, a priceless sea view, a large lawn and the best service I have ever experienced in my life, the few days we spent here with our friends were so memorable. 

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Seriously though, how awesome is that pool?! As soon as it got dark each night, they turned on these little fairy lights which completely illuminated and transformed the pool into a blanket of stars; at your feet as opposed to over your head!

Although we didn't do much exploring of the country, we did go on a safari in Yala National Park! Although sitting in a seriously bumpy jeep for 7 hours was a challenge, the scenery, the animals, and the sheer amount of open space made me feel so infinite. Rolling hills, vast lakes, and animals literally everywhere - Yala was truly a sanctuary of abundant, untouched nature.

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"I love places that make you realize how tiny you and your problems are."

 Apologies for the excessive amount of sunset pictures in relation to everything else - seeing such stunning sunsets every night was the most wonderful way to wind down a long day. After Sri Lanka, I feel like I have a newfound appreciation for this simple phenomenon. It's as if the light is melting away into darkness, accentuated by succulent swirls of burnt hues. Amber, sienna, vermillion, gold, magenta and ochre streak the sky in opulent doses, and for a precious few minutes, the sky transforms right before your eyes. 

 Hope everyone had an equally relaxing Spring Break; I'd love to hear about your adventures too!

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photo credits to my talented mother and her Canon 7D!

seventeen singapore!

This month, I was lucky enough to model for Seventeen Magazine Singapore! It was an absolutely amazing experience; modelling for such an esteemed publication was a true honor. I appeared in a two-page spread called "Work Your Basics," an advertorial for Japanese clothing brand UNIQLO. If you're in Singapore, do pick up an issue - Seventeen Singapore is one of the best magazines out there. It was an exhausting 4-hour shoot, but I really did have a lot of fun hanging out with the fashion and beauty writers of Seventeen, and I hope to work with them again in the future! 

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On another note; SEVEN INCH STILETTOS NEEDS YOU.

 I'm looking for anyone who's interested in being part of my 10QQ segment. For those of you who've never read one of these posts, they're basically a series of photographs and 10 quick questions which together provide a bite-sized feature on someone stylish. The questions aren't just limited to fashion either - they're about anything and everything! I've done a couple of these short interview posts (click here to see them) in the past, but I'd like to take this one step further by taking advantage of all my super-stylish readers and giving you guys a chance to be featured on here!

Requirements:

There is no age or gender requirement, you don't have to be a fellow blogger, and you can be from anywhere in the world. All that's required is a strong sense of style, an interest in fashion and an open personality to answer the 10 random questions I give you!

To apply:

Email me (seveninchstilettos@gmail.com) with 5-6 high resolution pictures of yourself and your style (a variety of different outfits would be appreciated, please!), and tell me your name, where you're from, how old you are, and a little bit about yourself. Remember you don't have to be a blogger to be featured- if you're someone from my school, for instance, then please approach me! This offer doesn't really expire either - so there's no rush because it'll always be open!

If your application is successful, I'll get back to you within a week :)

For legal reasons, the photographer wasn't able to send me the high-resolution digital copies of my modelling, so these Photobooth snapshots of the magazine will have to suffice!

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au revoir, ritz paris.

Not everyone gets a 14-page spread in Vogue magazine as a farewell gift...

But the Ritz Paris does!

The latter half of every Vogue issue is what I like to refer to as the "meat" of the magazine. It's home to all the endless editorials and lengthy articles of the month; with none of those superfluously scientific health rambles or European villa reviews to interrupt the fantasmical flow of fashion that awaits once the halfway-mark of the magazine is passed. 

This April, a bittersweet reverie of infinite luxury and sumptuous style graced the pages of Vogue as some of the top names in the industry recalled decades' worth of fond (models napping in-between shows in Donatella Versace's suite - fake eyelashes still intact) and wild (intoxicated designers and models staggering around, post runway show, with flutes of champagne till the early hours) memories at the Ritz Paris. Soon to close it's doors for renovation, Vogue took hold of this last opportunity to celebrate the glamour and regal heritage of this celebrated hotel by shooting the ever-breathtaking Kate Moss in a series of haute couture and custom "made for Vogue" ensembles by the world's most esteemed designers. From candy-colored confections to sombre, stiff tableaux, the variety of photographs is almost as splendid as the majestic, gem-adorned interiors of the Ritz. 

As well as photographing Kate Moss in all her finery, the lens also shifted to the meticulous organization "behind the scenes" (which was no less glamorous!). Pictures of the doormen, chefs, waiters, bartenders, receptionists and hotel management punctuated the dramatic scenes, such as the one of Mrs. Moss perched vainly atop a curtained bed. This editorial was unique in the sense that it included more than just photographs- it told an intimate story close to the hearts of many, and celebrated a destination that was more than just somewhere to crash for a few nights. The Ritz Paris transcended the boundaries of just a hotel; it was the home of the most fabulous moments and memories that the fashion industry has to offer. 

 After all, what better way to say "au revoir," or rather, "à bientôt," than to publish an editorial in honour of this iconic fashionista's haven?