Alexander McQueen, RIP

When I woke to the news that fashion designer, Alexander McQueen had committed suicide I thought it was another cruel online hoax.

Sadly though, it is not a hoax and very true. Although the fashion industry will acknowledge that it lost one it's heros, what breaks my heart the most is that there is a group of people out there who's lives changed forever today.

I lost two friends through suicide in the 1990's and not a day goes by that my heart doesn't break. It's a strange sort of pain, you can feel it coming from a distance and within seconds, the sadness washes over your whole body and grips at your heart and then after what feels like a long time, but may only be a few seconds, it passes and life goes on.

If you feel that you cannot go on, suicide is not the solution, there is help and there truly is light (and life) at the end of the tunnel. Australian residents have access to a service called Beyond Blue, if you are not an Australian resident and you feel depressed or that you are finding it hard to live, contact your GP and ask for help.

Valentine's Day sale...

Just a quick note to let you know that all love-themed items in my store are reduced until February the 15th.

Take a look here.

Speaking of Valentine's Day, check out Pilgrim Lee's blog for some cute Valentine's Day goodness here.

"May I have straps with that dress please?"

The answer is YES. Well, in most cases. When Sean wanted to buy his gorgeous girlfriend Yani a Peta Pledger dress for her birthday, the one request he had was that she did'nt want a strapless dress.

Yani chose the Antique Pink Hawaiian Bark Cloth 'Lucky Diamonds' dress and I made it with removable straps.

For an additional fee of AUD$10, I can turn any of my strapless dress designs into a dress with button on-removable straps.

And remember that all custom made dresses have the option of sewn in or removable straps, providing the design allows for it.

Thank you for your support in 2009

The last custom order for 2009 was collected yesterday, a halter top made from Atomic print bark cloth (pictured).

I would like to thank everyone who supported my business this year, both online and in person. I have made some beautiful garments and worked with many wonderful people.

Thank you also to my retailers:

i dream a highway
Thread Den
Dagmar Rousett
Leeloo
Meet Me At Mikes
Five Boroughs
Heaven and Hell
Get Go Retro
Out of the Closet
Route 66
Midnight Black

I would like to wish everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year!

Peta x

We have a winner!

To ensure a fair competition, the lovely Lissanne from Sorted! chose a winner for her book giveaway, SORTED! The ultimate guide to organising your life - once and for all.

Retro Age, please contact me by email with your postal address!

Curious about the custom made side of Peta Pledger?

If you have been wondering why I have'nt added any new designs to my online store lately, it's because all of my time has been taken up by two things. The first one is being a mum and the second thing is custom made dress orders.

The 'Peta Pledger' label comprises of a small clothing label, but is primarily a made to measure service. As I handmake each garment myself, I have had very little time to devote to the label...but with a bit of extra hard work and luck, that will start to change soon!

I bumped into Justine, the editor of MixTape zine at the Melbourne International Film Festival earlier this year, and after a quick chat about what I was up to, Justine thought that some people may be interested about the processes involved in getting a custom made garment.

You can read the article in the latest issue of MixTape zine and it is available from here.

BOOK GIVEAWAY for someone who needs to get SORTED!

Before I met Lissanne Oliver 9 years ago, I was a hoarder. From shoes to magazines, fabric that I would never use, to gifts that were given to me that did not suit me or my personality.

As a person who has a parent with OCD, I was very lucky to meet her as she has re-trained my brain to think twice before keeping something.

Lissanne's company, SORTED! specialises in Organising & Decluttering people's homes, offices and anywhere else that needs a 'spring clean'.

Her company do not encourage "chucking stuff in the bin", they encourage recycling, reusing and giving unwanted goods to charity.

As this year has been one of the busiest years of my life, I am finding that everywhere I go in my home and studio, I am surrounded by imbaratz (junk, in Maltese). So I am taking a few hours this weekend to refer to my personal saviour, Lissanne's book titled Sorted! The ultimate guide to organising your life - once and for all and getting organised before the harsh Summer heat wave hits us here in Australia.

I have one copy of Sorted! to give away to one lucky blog reader who signs up to the SORTED! mailing list and leaves a comment on my blog, outlining why you should win this book.

The SORTED! newsletter is not spammy and is filled with useful tips including eco-friendly ways to wrangle your clutter.