What's in my closet? St Kilda TV producer Jane Avery

Jane Pike opens the closet doors of fashionable locals in search of their five favourite things.

Jane Avery is an independent television producer and director.

She lives in St Kilda with her husband, Jeff, and their 12-year-old son, Angus.

A confirmed fabric-oholic, Jane is also a talented seamstress and designer, making many of the beautiful creations in her wardrobe herself.

I was fortunate enough to be let loose inside of Jane's wardrobe to capture her five favourite things.

And just in case you were wondering, she made all of these herself.

I know, don't worry. I was jealous too.

 

 

Favourite Item # 1- The vintage ribbon bomber

This is my latest creation - a bomber jacket with beige velvet and black satin ribbon which I sewed together to make the stripes at the front. It is still a work in progress- it still needs the lining and so forth- but I am really enjoying making it!

It all started when I found a reel of vintage velvet at a brocante market in France, near Villeneuve D'Avignon, it was absolutely wonderful. I was filming there with Peta Mathias, who is my business partner- we could have spent a lot of time there looking and buying and going crazy!

I snatched up little pieces of whatever I could. I think if you see something that you really like and you have a visceral connection to, you just have to buy it.

I knew I was not going to go back there or pass through again, so it was like, right, you're coming with me!

I have had this velvet since 2010 and I have had a few imaginings about what it should become and here it is. I am really excited about it.

It has a cotton layer on the other side and I am going to line it with a beautiful soft satin. It's going to be like a nice, warm shell as well as a bit of a fashion statement. Pair of skinny pants, some high-heeled boots and you're away!

Favourite Item # 2 - The sensational pink show stopper

I just love the colour of this jacket, it is such a showstopper. I mean, you walk in the room and you are going to get noticed in that! I couldn't resist the material when I saw it.

Modern Miss Vintage in Moray Place was having a sale. There was a whole box full of fabric and this popped out- it was $20! I just loved the feel of it, it's like a heavy satin.

It's probably not a natural fibre- I think it's probably from the 60's- but I don't feel bad about synthetic fabrics if they are vintage. They are already in the world so you might as well use them!

I have only worn it once so far, but I have plans to wear it again at an event next week. It's pretty special.

Favourite Item # 3 - The Iris Apfel Special

This jacket was inspired by something I saw in a book by Iris Apfel, a New York socialite who spent her younger days travelling the world and collecting amazing things.

She is well into her 80's now and always wore these great big black-rimmed glasses- there's a fabulous book about her and her collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York also did an exhibition with her clothes.

Anyway, there was a wonderful coat like this, and I had this huge piece of material, which I guess was a Victorian table covering or shawl for a crinoline or something. I actually took it into a shop to try and find a lining for it and the lady told me not to cut it up but to have it valued instead!

I told her that there was no way this was going on my table, I'm turning it into a coat!

So now it is a coat, and it's really fun to wear. I actually wore this to the Steampunk Weekend in Oamaru, I was like a Russian Princess. I love this coat.

Favourite Item # 4 - The 1950s vest top and puff skirt

This top was styled on a 1950's pattern. It was originally a cream piece of watered silk but I dyed it green- it's the sort of fabric that marks really easily.

The pattern actually has a belt with it but I think it chopped it up too much so I decided to leave it out. The wood turned buttons are really gorgeous- I got those from a second hand shop in south Dunedin.

The white skirt Peta Mathias bought for me in India. I had asked her to find me a big, white Indian cotton skirt and this is what she sent. I love it! I really like the black dots on it, they are just so random.

But the really fabulous thing about it is that it is padded from the back and all across the hips. It really works. If you have a narrow waist and you pad your hips out, you can pretend that you have J-Lo bootie. It's fantastic. Then all that's left to add is a pair of heels!

I wear this on stage when I work with Peta, so it's quite special to me. I produce her live stage shows and am also her cooking assistant on stage. It's a great excuse to dress up for the evening!

Favourite Item # 5  - The snappy party dress

What I like best about this dress is the contrasting orange piping.

The armholes were too long when I made it- they were a bit rude for Dunedin- so I decided to use this orange fabric that my mother in law had sent to me in a bag of scraps. I really like the orange buttons too- I think it would be quite a boring dress without the splashes of colour.

I have only worn it once, to a New Year's Eve party at a friend of my mum and step dad's. It was right up on the hill above Cromwell and had an incredible view.

It's a very happy dress.