O Georgia

This painting by Georgia O'Keefe is completely evocative of my inspiration for Spring Summer. The light, the sparsness, the sensual feeling of heat and open space.

Like The Boys

This season, head to your boyfriends closet for some inspiration. Blazers, tuxedo jackets, peacoats and pleat front pants all come with the nonchalant ease of your partners old worn in favorites. Simple and slouchy is the key.

Think Tank

Looking for that perfect something to wear under everything? Think Tank! Both InStyle and Marie Claire magazines have; recently featuring our bias cut silk tank tops.

A fantastic wardrobe staple - layer under a jacket for work, wear with a pair of our great linen pants for an easy weekend option, dress it up with a statement necklace or an arm full of cuffs and bangles or go nude with our champagne coloured tank under an organza coat for effortless evening attire.

You don't need to be a member of an international fashion Think Tank to think of this tank next time you need a great basic.

Spring Summer 09

Here is the video from the Spring Summer 09 Collection.

Thanks to Alexander Edwards for his great work on the film. To see more of Alex's work head to: www.randommoment.com.au

Spring Summer 09

With Spring just around the corner I thought I would give you a preview of our Spring Summer collection, dropping in September, look out for listing of stores near you.

An evocation of Summer – of LIGHT, AIR, SPACE and BREATH.

A modern woman who moves though the world with grace, strength and style. -clothes that reflect her life, personality and passions.

Linen, washed silk and silk jersey.

The palette – like an ombre of the summer sky. WHITE light on the horizon as day breaks, a subtle shimmer of gold – CHAMPAGNE from the sun, SLATE blue arcs overhead in the haze of the mid-day heat, temperature drops as the night falls to a sheltering sky of NAVY, deepening to a rich dense BRONZE in the darkness before dawn.

Carefully considered classics: building blocks for every woman’s wardrobe.

Pull on pants perfected – cut to be chic and modern, flat fronted or with soft tucks.

A bias tank; a silk top – subtley nuanced with shape and flow, holding and forgiving as needed.

A caftan drapes languidly around the body, belt it for business, leave it loose for louche luxury or open as a cardigan for casual comfort.

Draped dresses of a single piece of cloth wrap and fold around the body like a gentle summer breeze.

A gentle wrap and drape. A cowl like a tromp toeil. The air of soft volume. An arcing back. The gentle breeze of cloth over the body.

Sensuality, sophistication and style.

Pieces with versatility and value.

Things that women will love and want to wear.

Ben Smith Brides

After a number of inquiries after my most recent show asking about the possibility of some of the dresses as wedding dresses, I thought it might be an interesting idea to put some wedding dresses together.

The cut of each dress is based on my exploration of draping a single piece of cloth around the body to create a dress. The way it hangs, is draped and caught creates the shape in relationship to the body underneath.

The results were simple chic dresses that move around the body with grace, elegance and ease.

Like all the dresses I create these are for women who want something reflective of thier life and personality, something intelligent, thoughtful, stylish and easy.

Feel free to contact me if you want to know more.

9am

On Friday I had the good fortune to be profiled on the channel 10 program 9am with David and Kim by the show's Fashion and Beauty Director Dhav Naidu.

Here is the link to watch the piece online a get a bit more insight into my work and the anon. women label.

Enjoy.

Link to show

Anon. Women - Josephine Hamilton

My Mum recently turned 50 and this is a tribute to her.

To celebrate she jumped out of a plane, diving into a new chapter of her life with the same, joy, passion and excitement she has every previous one.

Anon. Women was started as a label to celebrate women like my Mum - women with life, personality, passion and style.

She has always had an effortlessness and ease about the way she dresses, reflecting really her general approach to life. She gets dressed in the morning with little fuss, throwing whatever on and approaching the day with confidence and joy, the best recipe in my books for great style.

At 50 I think she is still looking great so to my Mum - Happy Birthday!

The New LBD

The LBD has long been considered a staple for every womans wardrobe, how about instead of the little black dress you try a little (navy) blue dress. This is a great example; a simple crew neck, slight cap sleeve and cut to hold the body where it needs to be held and forgiving what needs to be forgiven. Wear it belted or loose. Layer over a jersey long sleeve dress with opaques for winter; throw over slouchy boyfriend blazer or a simple cardgan for work; a sharp tux jacket and some statement jewels and a pair of killer heels and you are set for a night out.

So next time you reach for your favourite LBD make it this blue one from anon. women.

Luxuriously Layered

Fine layers in natural fibers like silk - which is a great natural insulator - is a great way to stay warm without adding too much bulk.

Start with a silk jersey crew neck long sleeve top, against your chest this will keep your body warm, layer over a silk basic top, wear with wool pants and a great little jacket, a scarf around your neck will keep you nice and toasty.

Playing with different shades and textures of the one colour - here we use navy - make a really sophisticated statement while avoiding being too 'matchy matchy'

Cloth Dripping

A single piece of cloth is wrapped and draped around the body, it holds and caresses, smooths and flows, a waterfall sweeps down the back. The simple geometry of a length of fabric becomes dynamic as it is allowed to drip, to drape and interact with the wearer.

Favorite Things - Inside the Square

I am constantly inspired by certain designers, artists and objects. I tend to be drawn to the clean lines and honest simplicity of 20th Century modernism. I think my work reflects this tendency - the concentration on the form, fit and finish of clothes rather than on their decoration and embellishment.

Anon. Women - Icons: Lauren Hutton

At 65 Lauren Hutton is still breath takingly beautiful. This gap - toothed beauty shot to fame as a model in the 60's and 70's championed by iconic Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, she became the first model to score a million dollar cosmetics campaign. I love her effortlessness, her ease in her own skin (in a recent piece in London's the Telegraph fashion editor Hillary Alexander writes a tribute to Huttons embracing of wrinkles!) and her chic take on classic American sportswear.

Get the look with a simple silk Trench Dress, a great tote and a pair of flats - chic, effortless and easy.

1 Dress 3 Ways - Pea-Coat Dress

Value and versatility are two key ideals I keep hearing from women in regards to what they expect from clothes these days. They expect bang for their buck, clothes really need to work for them, from work days to weekends; day to night. This silk Pea-Coat Dress is a great example of this. Wear it as a dress, cinched in with a belt or sash for work; make it casual on the weekends by knotting it at the wait worn over a great jersey top and pants; and open over a jersey dress for cocktails.

Have a play and see what else this dress can do for you!

Cocooned

I woke up this morning to a fog covered city, the cold creeping in all around, I want to be wrapped in a blanket, cocooned and caressed. If you want the same feeling of comfort but with a healthy dose of style this is the perfect coat for you. Cut in a wool and cashmere coating, the shape softly envelops the wearer. Be cocooned this winter!

MasterChef Master Style

My current T.V. obsession is the channel 10 show, MasterChef. I love food and cooking and am addicted to this show, so have been so excited to have been able to dress the host Sarah Wilson. First up we dressed her in a bronze silk one shouldered draped dress for this years Logies. Last week she wore our rosewood silk cowl dress. Sarah is such a great example of the type of woman I love to dress - she is intelligent and articulate with great personal style and confidence.

Make sure you tune in to channel 10 7pm weeknights and watch out for more appearances of Anon. Women.

UPDATE:
Sarah wore our navy silk wrap dress on the wedding episode, she looked great!

Reverberations of Rothko

I really love the energy and feeling of Rothko's work. I love that the colours almost vibrate on the canvas in a seductive dance.

For fall I was wanting to capture the essence of twilight, the way colours and shapes shift and merge. This painting had to me something of that sense about it.

Feeling Fall

I love fall!

The drop in temperature; the golden blanket of falling leaves; the softened light of day; the desire to be cocooned and comforted.

Updates

I have to apologise for my delayed absence from the blog. I have had a hectic couple of months, doing fashion week, taking delivery of the new Autumn/ Winter collection, appointments with agents to take over sales and distribution of the collection and now back in Melbourne working on the collection for next Winter . . .phew!

Its a busy time but all is going really well, we had a great response to the collection we showed in Sydney - I have posted some of the reviews previously. Look out in the coming weeks and months to see it coming out in various magazines - I will keep you posted as details come to hand. We were also lucky enough to dress the gorgeous Sarah Wilson - host of master chef - for the Logies, she looked fantastic in a tarnished bronze one shouldered draped silk dress. Stay tuned to Masterchef (my current TV obession) to see Sarah wearing Anon. Women in upcoming episodes as well.

And now for winter....

Anon. Women ss09 preview

I have just returned from sydney where I presented my new Spring Summer '09 collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Despite power failures, the show went on to a great reception.

Here are some of the reviews:

http://www.femail.com.au/anon-women.htm
http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/b/famous/23870/famousanon-and-illionaire
http://fashionistas-littleblackbook.blogspot.com/2009/04/anon-women-fashion-show.html
http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/b/marie-claire/7826/natural-beauty-at-ben-smith/
www.canvasmagazine.net

thanks to Jeremy Stewart for the animated look book: http://www.myspace.com/jeremystewartmotionwork