The La Luna bamboo lycra skirt and t-shirt are proving ideal late winter and early spring choices in Melbourne – with the option of a stylish tunic for cooler days. Dressed up for office or casual or leisure chic, this is effortless fashion. Colours range from charcoal to mustard, and I opted for the rich tobacco shade pictured above.

Fashion update: Mooning about La Luna

 

By Tilly Smith Dix

 

Some people talk a lot and dream a lot, and others simply get on with realising their life’s dream of making a difference.

Belinda Phillips, founder owner of La Luna Lifestyle fashion boutique in Sydney fits the latter category, and so much more. This former South African is an international designer and collaborates on environmentally friendly fabrics for fabulous, easy-to-wear fashion for women of all ages. Part of her admirable fashion design ethos is to support manufacturers who mentor previously disadvantaged people through teaching them valuable skills, thereby enabling them to live sustainable lives.

Such skills include creating seemingly seamless fashion ranges which have those smart enough to invest in Belinda’s La Luna Lifestyle designs clamouring for more, from the boardroom to the bedroom.

One of Belinda’s favoured fabrics is manufactured from organically grown Asian bamboo, which is combined with lycra to allow for stretch and durability. Bamboo is easily decomposed and has little waste matter in the production process, in contrast with most other fabrics, including cotton, she says.

Importing her designs from around the world, including South Africa, Belinda is determined to lighten the industry’s carbon footprint.

When gorgeous Belinda, pictured above, and I made contact as South Africans now firmly ensconced in Australia, we sensed a connection. Her focus on cherishing the planet and its people inspired me, while her sensational designs impressed me.

Belinda shipped a La Luna Lifestyle bag of her current leisure range to me and I’m hooked. The feather-light garments would also complement my travel bag, which has been a challenge, until now! The fact that the versatile pieces are also easy to wash, whilst crease-resistant, scores further points.

The La Luna Lifestyle attire I’ll be wearing the minute spring peeps through the rhododendrons in Melbourne include:

• Lycra skirt (@$75) and t-shirt (@$65), with option of the tunic – limited edition Italian fabric reduced to $88 (from $110) – for colder days. I like the warm tobacco shade.
• The hooded button-detail Sunwear tunic, retails @ $120 – the ink-blue was my colour of choice. The matching leggings are ideal for leisure- or active-wear, whilst the boho chic, slouch Sunwear pants have pockets to complement the comfortable fit, retailing @ $110.
• The synthetic fur wool-polyester blend waistcoat in metallic grey, retails @ $75 – it is ideal for dressing up or down, with attitude.
• The all-purpose metal grey long-sleeve T-shirt with defining stitch pattern, is ideal for casual or active wear, and retails @ $65.
• The luxe cropped striped dove-grey top is ideal to wear with the rest of the La Luna Lifestyle pieces or as a hero item with skirts, shorts or jeans.

I am a sucker for effortless glamour and tend to keep clothes for ages, as stated in previous Retail Therapy fashion blogs. Therefore, for this long-term lifestyle investment shopper, the La Luna ranges offer endless possibilities.

Belinda reports all her customers are loving the flexible designs, suitable for smart wear and even pyjamas, with pregnant moms-to-be looking and feeling stunning too.

Of course, those Sydneysiders are already luxuriating in the spring collection as they enjoy a more temperate winter than us Melbournians. I look forward to my La Luna Lifestyle spring 2017, and The Good Life!

Find La Luna Lifestyle on Facebook and visit the convivial boutique in Vaucluse, Sydney, where the service is awesome. Available in Melbourne via tilly@dix.co.za – email your requests to me for action.