outrageously divine: Catherine Baba

Catherine Baba is an Australian aesthete/stylist/jewellery designer/fashion designer/muse living the dream in Paris. She has been called the most stylish woman in Paris by Diane Pernet.Working within the idiom of fashion where everything is shorter, tighter and newer Baba cultivates an aura of mystery around herself. She looks like a cross between a weimer Berlin cabaret performer and a Studio54 regular. She doesn't give many interviews. She does not reveal her age and insists she was never young. She is not forthcoming with any personal details of her life preferring to let her work and her clothes speak for themselves. She has a penchant for both vintage fur and vintage YSL couture and owns over 350 pieces. She is rarely seen without a turban or long fringed earrings. She rides her bicycle everywhere and is a regular sight at Paris fashion week precariously weaving her way through traffic in 5 inch heels. Baba has worked for Givenchy, Chanel, Ungaro and Balmain, styled for Vanity Fair, Dazed and Confused and French Vogue. She designed the costumes for Eva Inesco's autobiographical film "My Little Princess". Ms Baba said of the experience, ‘fashion and film are two completely different vehicles in aestheticism; I close no doors.’ Baba is a regular scourer of the Porte de Cligancourt markets where she shops for baroque maximalist pieces often from the belle epoque to 1920's and 1930's style Hollywood glamour.As Catherine says "Being divine is work!"

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Interview with Etsy store "Neon Vintage Design"

I regularly trawl the pages of etsy for an international selection of vintage treasures, typography prints, 80’s sewing patterns, antique jewellery, retro sunglasses, terranium kits and anything in between. I am never shy of adding at least 3 items to my shopping basket after a good 5 minutes. I was recently mesmerised by a wildly charming, fresh furniture store that revamped old vintage items! What is even more exciting is that Kristen, the mastermind behind this awesome brand is Brisbane based.. We were lucky enough to stop her in her tracks and have a chat to her about her online store.

Tell us about “Neon Vintage” and what inspired you to get into the vintage furniture market?

My inspiration was my mum, I spent many weekends as a kid trawling through antique and second hand furniture stores looking for odds and ends to furnish the house. I grew up in Adelaide and in particular the Adelaide Hills where there are bountiful antique stores dotted throughout the hills, a treasure trove of goodies waiting for a new home. But I also loooove modern furniture and love keeping up to date with latest in cutting edge design so Neon Vintage was born to incorporate this eclectic mix and create statement pieces for the home adding individuality to a room.

Do you have a favourite piece from your current collection? 

My favourite piece would be the yellow cane pretzel chair - it was my first piece and I spent many, many hours sanding it back to remove this ugly dark grey paint. It also took many hours just picking the colour, there are so many beautiful paint colours out there, so spoilt for choice! Just seeing the change the paint made to the chair was so exciting, I was hooked then and there.

If you could raid anyone’s home from any era and keep their furnishings – whose house would it be?

Paul Frankl - The Art Deco Master Extraordinaire!

You are a Brissie local, any hot tips for your favourite place for coffee, shopping, dinner and drinks?

Favourite coffee is Two Brothers in Bulimba, I LOVE a good oppy so the trip out to Ipswich is generally well worth it for the awesome bargains but I also love venturing into Jardan and Space in the Valley. Dinner is Vagelis on Racecourse road, its ticks all three boxes (great food, awesome service and friendly on the hip pocket) and drinks, I just can’t go past The Bowery for their amazing cocktails.

Where do you see Neon Vintage in 5 years?

Hopefully still creating modern edgy pieces using vintage furniture and materials but also incorporating different techniques and artists into the equation.

With Valentine’s Day coming up, what do you think would make a vintage loving girl’s heart skip a beat?

Well it would have to be my vintage love heart cushion of course!!   

 

but I’m also loving this cute vintage hair clip on etsy.....So boho

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