17 minute read
KEEP THE GIRLS IN
STYLE: ALEXANDRA LINGERIE
WORDS Hayley Pearson PHOTOS Elliott Thompson
Big-breasted women should have the confidence to wear bathers without popping out all over the place.
Our French big boob expert, Alexandra Lingerie, specialises in personalised bra fittings for women with big boobs. And exciting news — this gorgeous lingerie shop now extends to swimwear!
“Bathers have always fitted my body but not my boobs. If I bought bathers according to my dress size, my breasts would be popping out everywhere. But if I went up a size to fit my 8Js, then my bathers would fall off me — I couldn’t win,” says owner Alexandra. So, in her Adelaide Arcade store, she decided to stock a swimwear range that fits just like a bra, keeping everything in.
Her bathers are beautiful and give women the confidence to flock to the beach — and there’s a style for every Adelady. “We offer one-piece bathers, tankinis and bikinis ranging from an 8 to 20, and D to J-cups — whatever you feel most amazing in.” Whether you’re an apple, a pear, an hourglass or a string bean, you’ll find bathers to suit your body type.
And we all know you can’t buy bathers like you can a t-shirt — you need to be fitted properly. “As a curvy chick, I know exactly how it feels to be weighed down by an ill-fitting bra. Back pain, shoulder pain and headaches — no, thank you! It still blows my mind that some women haven’t had a proper bra fitting since they were sixteen.”
Alexandra prides herself on her personalised fitting service where you’ll walk away wearing the correct fitting bra for your body type 100 percent of the time. It also helps that she’s super warm, honest and supportive, just like the bras she sells!
Going up a size Exciting news for Alexandra. “We’re expanding by moving to a double store with more space, more stock and bigger fitting rooms!” But they’re still located in Adelaide Arcade, because Alexandra wouldn’t have it any other way. “Adelaide Arcade is gorgeous with all its history and ambience, and my neighbours are so lovely. We all look after each other and promote each other's businesses — I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” She gets it “As a woman with an 8J bra size, I had so much trouble finding bras that fit well and made me feel great. I completed my professional fitting training in one of France’s top lingerie boutiques and still struggled to find options for my size. What young woman would be happy facing a lifetime of wearing granny bras every day? Not me! So, at just 23, I set out to change the industry and the lives of thousands of women with it.”
Bounce less Your large breasts shouldn’t stop you from exercising. But at the same time, you don’t want to get knocked out by your bazookas hitting you in the face when you run. Alexandra stocks Panache Sport, a sportswear brand that reduces 80 percent of the bounce. “These sports bras are designed to help beat the bounce so your boobs don’t get damaged, and to flatter, keeping them in and up. It’s life changing for bigger-boobed women.”
STYLE: ALEXANDRA LINGERIE
@alexandralingerie alexandra-lingerie.com.au
STYLE: READY SET PAINT
Paint the town
WORDS Em Worthington PHOTOS Wayne Pearson
We spend the majority of our waking hours here, so giving the Adelady office a facelift was an exciting investment.
Photo: Filtrd. Photo: Filtrd.
Who dis? Fleurieu's first choice painters, Ready Set Paint brings homes to life from Victor Harbor to the Adelaide CBD. With owner Ben Greenwood leading a team of brush bosses, you’re in trustworthy hands for quality advice and a jaw-dropping result.
“I get excited by the before and after — being able to completely transform a space and adding value to a home. People put off painting thinking it will turn their lives upside down, but it doesn’t have to! We know it’s a big deal letting us into your space, so we keep things neat and respect your homes, like they’re our own. Give us a call and we’ll put together something that wows with minimal interruption to your life,” Ben says.
Saddle up, here’s what these lovely legends did for us…
Our little cottage on Mary Street in Unley is the ultimate base when we’re not zipping around SA. But, she’s WELL over 100-years-old and needed a little love injection to bring the Adelady vibe to life. Ben and his team rolled in, masked up and totally transformed our digs, making it a joy to turn the key in the door every day.
From consult to result With an unlimited budget, it’s likely we would’ve gone too far with quirky wallpaper! Luckily, Ben’s head is screwed on and in one visit he gave us a solid plan to give us the best bang for our buck. On the cards were two big ticket items — wallpaper and paint — and in just five days, our little office came to life.
“There are endless options when it comes to wallpaper — it’s a great way of giving a space character. You can find what you want or we can track it down,
STYLE: READY SET PAINT
even if it comes from the other side of the globe,” Ben says.
“For the Adelady office, Kristy found a vibrant tropical print from Crowie’s and I popped into their Malvern store to organise quantities — all she had to do was pay over the phone. I knew that making the front door a feature would tie in with the wallpaper and make it stand out from the road. Then, we framed the front of the office by painting the dull cream picket fence and woodwork with a crisp, bright white, topped off by painting the concrete verandah charcoal grey to complement the stonework and make it pop.”
So, for a team of fully qualified, licenced and insured painting pros, follow the easy peasy steps on their website for a free quote and let your walls come to life!
@readysetpaintadl readysetpaint.com.au Get trendy When it comes to painting your home, basic is best! It’s amazing what a professional paint job using quality products can do.
“Everyone’s gone back to a minimalistic feel,” says Ben. “We’re inundated with requests for crisp white walls, which leaves a home feeling clean, calm and allows you to use features to personalise your sanctuary.”
Ben and his team are ready and set to do anything that involves paint, including cladding, render, textured walls, clear finish timber and painted features. Depending on your needs and budget, they’ll match the products perfectly — including everything from a standard line to washable paint — super handy when little monsters go to town with grubby fingerprints or Sharpies on your walls.
STYLE: GATHERED DESIGN MARKET
WORDS Hayley Pearson
There’s nothing as delightful as a day spent shopping at Gathered Design Market.
Proudly South Australian, Gathered showcases unique, locally-made products under one roof. You’ll be stretched to find anything that you’d see in a chain shop — it’s the perfect opportunity to find one-off pieces of art, jewellery, fashion and homewares to add extra pizzazz to your home or office. And with every purchase, you’re supporting local independent designers. Now, that’s satisfying!
For six years, Gathered Design Market has built up a strong tribe of loyal fans, both on social media and in person — and it’s now SA’s most anticipated design market, holding fabulous events four times a year.
Superstar creator and events extraordinaire Jenna is extremely modest, so you’ll never hear her tooting her own horn. “My vendors are the stars — they make Gathered what it is, and I love giving them a platform to sell their work and shine in front of a new audience.”
Gathered is the perfect stage for small business owners to grow. “Over the last six years, I’ve seen vendors expand from teeny tiny one-person stalls to having a permanent shop or stocking their products in boutiques all over SA — it makes me so proud,” Jenna says.
Gathered also gives you the opportunity to meet and be the maker with their creative workshops. Whether you’re dyeing your own silk scarf with local botanicals, painting ceramics or designing your own jewellery, you’ll have a ball and come home with your very own piece of art!
With great designers, comes great food and drink vendors — there are plenty to choose from and, of course, they’re all South Australian. Nothing beats homemade gozleme, packed full of flavour and oozing cheese, spinach or Turkish sausage.
MY VENDORS ARE THE STARS — THEY MAKE GATHERED WHAT IT IS. ADELADY + GATHERED FASHION WEEKEND We love Gathered so much that we’ve teamed up with Jenna to combine our two loves — fashion and markets! The Adelady + Gathered Fashion Weekend happens twice a year and puts 100 local fashion brands and boutiques on display under one roof. To be part of the next one, email Jenna at hello@gatheredsa.com.
The little piggy that went to market had the right idea because Gathered is licensed — kick back, enjoy live music, eat local produce and sip on a Chesterfield Whisky cocktail or a vino from XO Wine Co.
Whether you're a market lover or a local creative, keep your eyes peeled for the next Gathered Design Market. “People who come to Gathered, come to shop — they always leave with their hands full of bags,” smiles Jenna.
@gatheredsa gatheredsa.com.au
Colour me happy
STYLE: TANIA ALIIS LAPIDGE
WORDS Em Worthington
A painting by Tania Aliis Lapidge is like a confetti gun of happiness for your walls and a burst of sunshine for your soul.
There’s no way you can miss the good vibes that radiate out of a piece by local artist Tania. Her big, bold, neon abstracts are all different, but Tania’s positive outlook shines through in each one.
“I don’t have a set style, but I’m clearly colour obsessed,” Tania laughs. “I want people to feel the happiness I have when creating them — it comes through in all the colours and movement. And you’ll always see something different; a new little area that you love, every time you look at them.”
Growing up in the vibrant Unley area, Tania got the artistic-bug when she was just a whipper-snapper. “My parents had an art and framing business, so I was around it from an early age. Then, my Year 5 teacher was heavily into Van Gough and I caught her enthusiasm, but it was an Art Camp in Uluru that really sealed the deal when I was in Year 11. It was an amazing opportunity to mix with the indigenous students and see what they were doing,” she says.
Tania went on to study Visual Communications (Graphic Design) at UniSA, followed by Visual Arts at the South Australian School of Art, but she names nature as one of her biggest inspirations.
“My husband and I have done a lot of travel around Australia. We did a fantastic trip through the Nullarbor — the colour combinations in nature and the scenery is something I still draw on when painting today.” “I WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL THE HAPPINESS I HAVE WHEN CREATING THEM.”
Her family is right behind her — her dad frames the masterpieces and while becoming a mum to sons Ollie and Ari has made things more hectic, it hasn’t slowed Tania down one bit. Open for commissions and custom work, she’s always experimenting with different techniques and materials. “For my latest series, ‘In Full Bloom’, I used alcohol inks which work very differently. Then I hand-applied the gold foil, which is a signature of my pieces and a nice added bit of glitz.”
Jump onto Tania’s website or social to get a glimpse of her incredible pieces — we guarantee you’ll get that feel-good buzz that she so expertly conveys with her colourful creations.
@taniaaliisart taniaaliisart.com
STYLE: VOTRE LUXE
Labels and love
WORDS Hayley Pearson PHOTOS Wayne Pearson
What happens when you fall out of love with the luxury items in your wardrobe? You set them free.
How does it work? If you have a high-end item at home that you think deserves a new home, either make an appointment with Maggie and her fabulous team go to the Votre Luxe website and fill in the selling form. For anything that sells for under $3,000, Votre Luxe takes a very reasonable 20 percent commission on the sale; and if an item sells between $3,000 and $5,000, they only take 15 percent. “I much prefer our products to keep moving to make it exciting for our customers, so we always have new products online and in-store.” King William Road’s Votre Luxe gives your designer handbags and accessories a new forever home. Owner Maggie Qu realised her obsession with labels had reached a point where she could start her own online shop selling her pre-loved bags and watches to her besties.
“I hated seeing upset bags in my home just sitting there, not getting any love. My personal collection had over twenty items that were all in immaculate condition, so I started selling them to my friends... and then used that money to buy more.”
In a light bulb moment, Maggie realised that her little hobby could actually be a brilliant business idea for like-minded women. “People in Asia and Europe have been selling high quality pre-loved brands for years, but there was nothing in Adelaide quite like it.” Maggie decided to set up shop and now, label-loving women can buy and sell high-end, pre-loved bags.
And so, this environmentally conscious way of rehoming luxury items took off, and Maggie learned how to authenticate items. “Being able to authenticate brands is paramount in this industry, so I was expertly trained by the best of the best, a well-known authenticator in China.”
Now a gorgeous bricks-and-mortar store on King William Road in Hyde Park, Votre Luxe is a place where you can buy and sell designer handbags and accessories. Maggie offers a selection of rare vintage labels as well as the latest trends from Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Fendi, Gucci — the list goes on.
STYLE: VOTRE LUXE
More than handbags “Our initial offering of designer bags has now expanded to include jewellery, accessories, shoes and watches. Each piece goes through a meticulous selection process, so our clients can expect the best labels in the best condition.”
“We are also lucky enough to uncover some unique products like vintage, discontinued and limited edition pieces.” They even have Hermès Birkin and Kelly bags coming through, which apparently is a big deal for those in the know. “Hermès boutiques really only give their VIPs access to these exclusive brands so you may never get the chance to see or feel one in real life.”
In French, ‘votre luxe’ translates to ‘your luxury’, and that’s what the brand is all about. As you step inside the store, you’ll most likely slip into a dreamlike state, surrounded by every label of bag you’ve ever dreamed about.
And you wouldn’t even know they’d been loved before. “I’m quite picky about the product — we only accept items in great condition and our clients are the same. Anything under nine-out-of-ten is not acceptable.”
As we all know, a great bag is a big investment — it’s something you think long and hard about before purchasing. “What I love most is giving women who love labels the peace of mind that if they buy an original and fall out of love with it, they can always sell it and not lose. It’s actually become a fun game — my regulars buy an original, wear it a few times, then sell and buy another piece.”
@votreluxeau votreluxe.com.au
STYLE: WOHLERS
WORDS Hayley Pearson PHOTOS Wayne Pearson
Sometimes you need a good room refresh, and the best way to do that is with a big splash of colour!
For 33 years, Adelaide favourite Wohlers Furniture & Homewares has consistently served up great quality furniture and homewares at their three stores — Mount Barker, Richmond and Tanunda.
YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE This bright yellow buffet has moved around my house more times than a couch surfer in London. It started off in the living room, then had a few days in our hallway before my kids decided they’d grow (again) and needed extra storage space for their clothes. So, this yellow buffet is now the hero of their bedroom and the perfect home for their socks, undies and secret toy stash.
Whether it’s with Nordic recliners, LaZboy Lounges, theatre suites, dining, bedroom, office or outdoor furniture, this family-owned business is forever growing their range and listening to what their loyal customers want. Cue the Made By Wohlers, Boho Buffet collection. Now, this is exactly what Adeladies want! Beautifully handcrafted, these babies come in a massive range of colours, like fire engine red, sunshine yellow, aqua and hot pink. The Boho Buffets are a true statement piece that light up any room and you don’t have to worry about your bestie or mum having the same buffet in their living room (insert rolling-eye emoji) because you can work with James Wohlers to custom design and make your own unique piece… just like we did!
@wohlers_homewares_furniture wohlers.com.au PRETTY IN PINK Lauren welcomed her beautiful baby, Sofia Dalla Fay Burgess, in June 2021. At the 20-week scan, Lauren and her partner Ryan found out the gender and within a few days, this hot pink buffet was being designed — of course, the colour was kept hush-hush around town. Now sitting perfectly in Sofia’s nursery covered in teddies and photographs, it’s become a family keepsake. So, why not release your inner Boho goddess? Pop into your closest Wohlers store and start designing!
