Model/musician Matilda Dods on high school, guitar chords and Australian fashion

Meet the double threat.

Matilda Dods began modelling in January 2013 and by October, was in Vogue Australia. Byron Bay-born Dods was profiled along with four other rising Australian models in the October 2013 issue of the magazine. At the time, she had already met with Hedi Slimane of Saint Laurent and seen agents in Paris and New York.

The 17-year-old is still in high school and already following a double career path into modelling and music. “I’m about to start my final year of school, so it’s difficult to get the grades that I know I’m capable of when I’m missing school for work,” she says. “But it’s worth it in the end.”

Obviously, it was worth signing out of class to shoot the Strand Arcade’s spring/summer ‘14/’15 campaign. Dods will also perform an acoustic set of two self-penned songs at the Strand’s Evening With Our Designers on August 13 to a VIP crowd.

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“I’m really inspired by lyricists like Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Ryan Adams. I’m also a huge Bowie fan,” Dods says of her musical inspirations. “Artists such as Debbie Harry from Blondie, Joan Jett and Lana Del Rey have also really influenced the sound of my music.”

Dods has inherited her talents in equal parts from her parents; her mother was a model for two decades, while her father is very musical. “When I was 11, I demanded that my dad teach me to read chord charts so that I could teach myself guitar and start writing songs. And I’ve been writing ever since!”

But back to fashion and Dods is already showing signs of a model-off-duty style that’s suitably rock ‘n’ roll. “I wear a lot of a brand called Afends, out of Byron. They were the first brand I ever modelled for and are like family to me. I live in their faux leather Rock and Roll leather jacket,” she says.

As for her favourite piece on the Strand Arcade Shoot? “I love the red Alex Perry gown. It was the perfect Jessica Rabbit red. I felt like such a vixen in it.”

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Agent Provocateur's creative director on what not to do when buying lingerie

And how to wear underwear as outerwear.

Sarah Shotton, creative director of Agent Provocateur, started as a shop assistant (or as they call them ‘Agents’) in the lingerie label’s Soho, London, store 10 years ago. She then moved into the head office where she worked her way up through the design team to creative director. With her decade in the business and love for lingerie, Shotton has our full attention when it comes to underwear shopping advice.

What is the most common mistake people make when buying lingerie?

“People often buy lingerie in the wrong size as they don’t have time to try anything on. Our lingerie items are investment pieces and so it’s worth it to take time out of your day to find the perfect fit. You’ll get much more wear out of something that fits you like a glove.”

What are your top tips for being confident in lingerie?

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“Find a set that flatters your figure. My advice would be to try on as many styles as possible; you never know you may find something that looks amazing that you would never have picked up.”

What is the most seductive way to style lingerie?

“We put our signature Agent Provocateur mules in all of our changing rooms so our customers can try on our lingerie with heels on, as even the smallest amount of height elongates the leg and flatters the body. I’m also a huge fan of suspenders and hold ups. I don’t think any set is complete without hosiery.”

What is your attitude towards the underwear-as-outerwear trend? Are there any rules?

“I don’t think there are any rules. I’m a big fan of wearing a waspie over a white shirt and pencil skirt in the office. We also have girls that wear our bras under sheer open shirts that look fantastic. It just depends on how far each individual wants to go with it.”

Why did you cast Missy Rayder in the Le Salon campaign (above)?

“I always wanted to work with her. For me, she is one of the most iconic models from the 90s. We were looking for someone who would fit the dark smouldering character of the campaign.”

Where did the hedonistic theme for this shoot come from?

“Lately I’ve been obsessed with the 1970s. I started thinking about Studio 54 and all of the glamourous people that centred around that luxurious world of excess such as Jerry Hall and Antonio Lopez.”

What is your biggest indulgence?

“Alaïa. I love it all.”

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The Best of Korean Beauty Delivered to Your Doorstep

“There’s an app for that.” Everyone knows the Apple-invented phrase the world over, but I’d like to put my own spin on the notorious tagline: “There’s a box for that.” What I’m talking about is the overwhelming number of beauty subscription services that send deluxe samples to your door each month in hopes that you’ll get hooked and return to buy the full-sized bottle or tube. There are packages for curly girls, brides-to-be, manicure mavens, and more. But as cute as those miniature vials of perfume and bottles of shampoo are, I’m frankly a bit over the whole thing—after all, Birchbox began in September 2010 and has since become an empire with its own freestanding store in New York City. What set this original sampling service apart was the aspect of “discovery,” a word founders Katia Beauchamp and Hayley Barna have used in numerous interviews. But with so many mail-order options and Sephora stores popping up as frequently as Starbucks, the opportunity to bring a never-before-seen product to the masses is quickly disappearing. That is, until Memebox entered the highly competitive space.

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With Korean beauty quickly becoming a buzzed-about topic, it makes sense that founder Hyungseok Dino Ha created a way to satisfy American consumers’ curiosity. “Our goal is to deliver Korea’s cult favorite beauty products globally,” he explained. “We work with our in-house beauty aficionados to identify the hottest trends and ship them straight from Korea.” The squeal-inducing boxes come brimming with adorable Asian cosmetics not yet available on the mainstream market in the U.S. Similar to other services, Memebox has formed partnerships with YouTube stars (CutiePieMarzia, top) and bloggers (The Pink Diary, bottom) to customize its offerings. And for those who aren’t fluent in Korean, each box comes with a breakdown of what’s inside and how to use it. My two favorite finds thus far: Babyface Volumer Essence (a gel laced with skin-plumping hyaluronic acid) and Pure Smile Gelee Labo Strawberry (a single-use fruity face mask that comes packaged like an individual serving of Smucker’s jam). As a jaded beauty editor, it’s tough to surprise me, but these international delights have me expecting the unexpected.

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Whatever Happened to Shoulder Pads? Spoiler Alert: They're Kind of Feminist

Shoulder pads: You either love them or you hate them, right? JUST KIDDING, OF COURSE YOU HATE THEM. Who likes shoulder pads? Oh, you’re “kind of into them”? Geez, I’m sorry… I just thought we were all sort of on the same page here.

Sure, the shoulder pad is one of those items that’s intended to convey all the right things: Power! Capability! Confidence! Unfortunately, in real life, the shoulder pad often looks like all the wrong things: Clunky. Unflattering. Totally ’80s. But no matter how many awful fashion mistakes have been made with shoulder pads in a starring role, there’s one thing they have going for them. Believe it or not, shoulder pads have something of a feminist history — in that they’ve always been used to help women keep up with the guys.

Technically, shoulder pads were invented in 1877 by a Princeton football player named L.P. Smock. But shoulder pads for sports are so different than shoulder pads for fashion — unless you’re wearing that jacket with the padding to protect yourself from injury? — that’s it’s pointless to compare the two. The Fashion Shoulder Pad sprung to life, fully cushioned, in 1931, championed by designers Marcel Rochas and Elsa Schiaparelli. A year later, when Joan Crawford wore a massively shoulder-centric dress in the movie Letty Lynton, the verdict was in: the shoulder was the new EVERYTHING.

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As World War II came crashing through the annals of history, shoulder pads became more than just a fashionable look. They became a confidence-booster, a way for women to signify that they were leaving the home and going to work and doing it all for their country. Suddenly it was hipper than ever to dress courageously, defiantly, boldly, and what better way to signify boldness than the mannish silhouette of the shoulder pad?

After the war ended, the shoulder pad’s time was up. People no longer wanted to dress the way they had during wartime, and Dior’s “New Look” of 1947 celebrated all things anti-shoulder pad: slinky silhouettes, drapy fabrics, and sweeping skirts. “We were emerging from the period of war, of uniforms, of women-soldiers built like boxers,” wrote Dior — referring, we can only assume, to the ubiquity of shoulder pads. His New Look was all about the ultra-feminine, and shoulder pads have always conjured up the man (just like “broad shoulders” is always compliment when referring to a man, but can be an insult when used to describe a woman).

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Shoulder pads fell out of mainstream fashion for a couple of decades, and when they resurfaced, it was once again to help women assume — or overcome — the role of men. It wasn’t pretty, but prettiness was the enemy. The ’80s power suit, shoulder-padded within an inch of its life, was an embodiment of the “dress for success” mantra, and during the ’80s, dressing for success meant dressing like one of the guys. And what better way to convey power and in-charge-ness then a silhouette with broad, strong shoulders?

Like women smashing through the glass ceiling, shoulder pads no longer felt confined to the suit, either. They leaped onto dresses, blouses, and casual jackets, making everyone in the ’80s look a bit more broad-shouldered. No one was safe.

Post-’80s, shoulder pads fell back into oblivion in in favor of, uh, anything else. But you can’t keep an odd-looking piece of shoulder jewelry down, and the trend is making a third comeback, of sorts, today. Stars like Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, and Victoria Beckham have all been adopting the powerful silhouette, and decorated shoulders — that’s epaulettes, FYI — are also fairly popular these days as a sort of shoulder pad-lite look.

Why now? This time around, shoulder pads aren’t designed to bring confidence in wartime or masculinity to the working girl. What do they bring, today, to the women who wear them? Hard to say exactly, but my money’s on outer space. The shoulder pads of right now are studded, twinkling, and a little bit sci-fi. Until now, shoulder pads have been a weathervane of the times, embodying women’s fears, aspirations, and futures. Maybe the first person on Mars will be a woman, and maybe shoulder pads are telling us that right now.

Your New Wardrobe Staple Is Hanging in Your Boyfriend's Closet

I will admit that I looked like something of a crazed bag lady. It was around 11 p.m. on Sunday evening, and I was digging through heaps of mangy cutoff band tees at my boyfriend’s apartment, attempting to find a shirt suitable for the office Monday morning. The reason for this last-minute race to create some sort of bootleg, work-appropriate ensemble? My boyfriend and I live in different boroughs (which in New York is comparable to living in different states) and with the lull of the weekend still hanging over me, I was way too lazy to make the trek back home. The challenge: The only clothing I had with me was a bleach-speckled oversize tank and a pair of blue skinny jeans. The only semisuitable garments he had? A pair of button-downs in white (complete with coffee stain) and faded denim. Even though I don’t feel quite confident that I’ve yet mastered the art of denim-on-denim, I picked the latter. (Desperation drives people to do crazy things.) And yet, the next day at work, two editors complimented me on my outfit, with it’s air of “undone chic.” Little did they know how undone: I had scrapped the prized quasi-rag out of a closet of dog fur–covered, beer-splattered, once-worn pile of laundry.

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And I’m not the only person who creates makeshift looks out of my boyfriend’s clothes. Comedian Chrissie Mayr has a bit that relates to one-night stands (also applicable to those in committed relationships who neglect to plan ahead): Her solution? Open up a store that sells women’s workwear at 5:00 a.m. And Mayr, if you’re listening, I’d invest: When I blasted a social media message out asking if any women wore their significant other’s shirts to work, my inbox was flooded with responses. A banker pairs her boyfriend’s collared shirts and sweaters over trousers while a designer wore her father-in-law and husband’s button-ups with skirts. One of my acquaintances wore a full suit pilfered from her boyfriend’s closet. Their reasons varied: One mentioned that they enjoyed blurring gender lines, another that she enjoyed the comfort and looseness of a men’s fit—they all mentioned being often short on time. (But long on style!)

There’s more to infusing your wardrobe with your beau’s leftovers than efficiency. Take a cue from the French street-style stars who have mastered the look: Every Fashion Week, Vogue Paris editor Emmanuelle Alt is seen in a loose-fitting men’s button-up tucked into skinny jeans, topped off with a pair of heels. The key to making the look “your own,” according to Vogue Market Editor Kelly Connor (who, it bears noting, was wearing her fiancé’s shirt while we spoke) is to focus on accessorizing. “The boyfriend shirt should be worn buttoned a bit lower with a great gold necklace,” says Connor. “I think a bit of wrinkle gives it personality, and also a good roll to the sleeves and pushed up around the elbows,” says Connor. “Otherwise the silhouette can overwhelm.”

And for those without sticky fingers (or male love interests with a lenient lending policy), there’s no shame in investing in some great menswear pieces for yourself. It’s the perfect laissez-faire late-summer staple. And trust us, the look isn’t going out of style anytime soon.

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The one food rule you should adhere to

Count kilojoules, always eat breakfast, don't eat carbs after 6pm.Whether it's public health advice or conflicting opinions in the media about nutrition, we hear a lot of messages about what and how we should eat. But there's one message that needs to be louder, says Gabriella Heruc, an Adelaide-based Accredited Practising Dietitian - listen to your body's hunger signals.

According to Heruc, who specialises in eating disorders and disordered eating, tuning into your body's inner appetite signals is more useful than observing external food 'rules.'

"People often get fixated on counting kilojoules, for instance, but learning to count kilojoules doesn't teach you to listen to your body," she says. "One characteristic of people who have a healthy relationship with food is that they eat more intuitively and are more aware of their appetite. They rely on internal hunger and satiety cues to know when it's time to eat and when it's time to stop - and their reasons for eating are physical, not emotional."

But ignoring your body's hunger and fullness cues, eating for emotional reasons, eating mindlessly or having your eating choices dictated by food rules that demand you avoid certain food groups may be clues that your relationship with food isn't healthy, she adds.

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Why do so many of us develop troubled relationships with food?

"The reasons are very individual and can include perfectionism, low self-esteem and poor body image. But they can also include the home environment, especially if there are frequent discussions around weight, appearance or diet in the home," she says.

"Non-hungry eating is very common and the availability of so much food is one reason. But we also know that emotions and thoughts can override our physiological appetite signals - research has shown that stress can increase hunger and food intake in some people - although it can decrease hunger and food intake in others."

Nutrition information - and misinformation - in the media may also be playing a part. In the past 10 years Heruc has noticed an increase in the number of clients whose disordered eating is driven less by concerns about body image and more by anxiety about particular foods.

'I've seen many people who've had mild gut symptoms and who then self-diagnose a problem with wheat, gluten or dairy and cut out these foods - and even if the symptoms persist they still continue to avoid them because of fears that their symptoms would get worse if they went back to eating them," she says.

"So many people are cutting out carbohydrates from their diets thinking that they're 'bad' - yet carbohydrates are the body and brain's primary source of fuel. They're also an essential source of fibre that helps lower cholesterol, regulate blood glucose levels and optimise bowel function."

Fat is another target, says Heruc recalling the client whose father had died of heart disease and who avoided all types of fat as a result.

"Fat is one of the most misunderstood nutrients. Yet fats are essential for optimal brain function and nerve signalling in the body, as well as hormone production - including production of hormones that are important for sending fullness signals from the gut to the brain."

How can we nurture a healthier relationship with food? Eat mindfully - besides making you more aware of what you're eating, it makes it easier to pick up your body's hunger and fullness signals.

"So many of us eat in front of TV, at our desk or while talking to others, and don't pay attention to our food - most people have experienced looking down at an empty plate and being unable to recall even eating the food that was there," she says.

Sometimes, but not always, the seeds of future eating problems are sown in early childhood but there are ways to help prevent that.

"It's good if we can keep emotions and food separated so that food isn't seen as an answer when someone's upset," she says. "Teach children to listen to their hunger signals as well as to love and trust their bodies."

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Lynn Yaeger Travels to Provence for a Fashion Master Class with Creatures of the Wind at SCAD

Fashion writer Lynn Yaeger joins Creatures of the Wind designers Shane Gabier and Christopher Peters in the rolling hills of Provence for a master class in fashion at Savannah College of Art and Design Lacoste—and a vintage shopping adventure.

Day One

It is 9:00 p.m. at the Café de Sade in Lacoste, it is still blazingly light outside, and Pierre Cardin, who is the unofficial mayor of this village in the south of France, is at a corner table. I am nursing a glass of rosé, awaiting the arrival of the Creatures of the Wind boys, as everyone calls them, who have just tumbled out of the SCAD van. They scramble up the stone steps, order drinks, and stare in stunned wonderment at the view.

We’re at the Provencal campus, nestled in a medieval village so idyllic it is almost ridiculous. (The Marquis de Sade, who once lived in a castle overlooking the village, liked it here, too.) The Creatures are in town to teach a master class to fashion design students; I am tagging along and mostly begging everyone to take me to brocantes, the flea markets that fill the streets of local hamlets.

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Day Two

In SCAD’s glorious sixteenth-century Maison Basse, an atelier that was once a silkworm farm (there are still holes in the walls where mulberry leaves resided) Gabier and Peters meet the students. It’s an all-female group, organized into seven teams of two. The Creatures guys give a brief history of their brand—the name comes from a Johnny Mathis song—and then move on to their main topic: the unleashing of creativity; the pursuit of your influences; the task of opening your mind, regardless of whether this leads immediately to the clothes you create. This kind of deep thinking is a challenge to the students, and as Peters reels off the line’s recent influences—Conan the Barbarian, hokey sci-fi epics, the outsider artist Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, star maps—the kids looked frankly stunned. “A collection is about emotional nebulousness,” Gabier tells them. “In the end, it’s greater than the core of components you bring into it.” Peters adds: “Fashion is an idealized version of your world.”

Day Three

Every time we pass a highway sign advertising the Cirque Landri, I turn into a demented seven-year-old screaming, “Circus! Circus!” So on Tuesday night, we go to this one-ring affair in the middle of a field near Coustellet—the juggler, animal wrangler, and rope-trick artist are the same guy; the aerialist and doggie trainer is the same sullen young lady (am I nuts, or did I see this wench wrapping her legs around a rope in a similar act a few months ago at the Box in Dubai?); the clown is also the stagehand; the bird lady sells cotton candy during intermission. At the sight of recalcitrant pups jumping through hoops, Peters laughs so hard he cries. In any case, everyone is in a very good mood tonight because earlier in the day, on a visit to L’Isle sur la Sorgue, we discovered a Valhalla called La Fripe Chic, an unassuming vintage store with (not lying here!) Balenciaga frocks for 60 euros, red leather Marni coats for 50, Margiela pullovers for 20, and Rick Owens cardies for 15.

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Day Four

We’ve settled into a pattern, and it is insanely pleasurable. We spend mornings at the brocantes and vide greniers (French for garage sale)—today the fair is in Bédoin, where Creatures find a pair of vintage Rochas sunglasses in the case for 20 euros that they plan to gift to their friend Liz Goldwyn. A dealer gives me a silvery bracelet when he finds out I am American (maybe something about my French tipped him off?) in thanks, he tells me, tearing up, for the allies who arrived near here 60 years ago and saved France. In the afternoon, we stop at the studio and see how the class is coming along. The Creatures’ recommendations have apparently sunk in—the students’ boards, once crowded with sunny pics of Grace Kelly and lavender sprigs, have become darker, more abstract, more mysterious, more personal—dreamy views of the countryside have been replaced variously with smoking nuns, menacing cicadas, Pina Bausch, and mad houses.

Day Five

Can this be our last day in Provence? How quickly the time flies when you are hanging with cool students, banging around markets, and gorging on poulet fumé. Gabier and Peters look approvingly at the students’ work and the progress they have made. “Never worry about how perfect something is,” Peters reminds them. “Explore what’s special, what’s close to you!” he says, as the Provençal light streams through the windows, and the supermoon, not in a hurry to leave—and nor am I!—still faintly visible in the morning sky.