Our Throwback Thursday this month comes in the form of Melbourne writer and editor Lorelei Vashti. When we chatted with her way back in issue 43 she was working away on Dress, Memory – a 'museum' of memories and frocks housed handily online.

The tale of her decade of dresses has continued to grow since then, so we thought we'd give her a buzz to see what's been happening in her wistful world.

What have you been up to since we interviewed you in frankie magazine? Back then, in 2011, I was living in a tiny rural town in the south of France, writing weekly on the blog Dress, Memory and dreaming about eventually writing a book. Since then I've been fortunate enough to get a book contract, and I've spent the intervening years writing it (as well as doing various other writing and editing gigs to keep the wolves from the door!)

I also met my boyfriend, moved in with him and we've just had a baby, so... a lot has happened!



What kind of reaction did you get from the article? It was so lovely! People from all over Australia and the world saw it and got in touch. It really helped get the message of the blog out there to the sorts of readers who would most connect with it.

For people who missed the article, tell us a little about who you are and what you do. I'm a writer and book editor. For many years I felt very puzzled as to why it was I felt so attached to my dresses, and why I could never throw any of them out. I came to realise it's because each dress has a story - a memory. So for six months in 2011 I published a short story each week about a dress, and a memory I had in the dress, and each story was accompanied by one of Lee Sandwith's beautiful photographs. I called it 'a piecemeal memoir of my twenties in dresses' and it was a way to explore all the emotions that are associated with clothing.

What are you currently working on that you want to tell us about? I've just finished the final edits of the book, Dress, Memory, which will be out in September. And, as mentioned, I've just had my first baby! I'm trying not to add too much else to this year's To Do list, but let's be honest - the romantic comedy screenplay and the epic historical musical libretto sitting in the bottom of my drawer are bursting to get out, and must - soon.



Tell us about the process of putting together your book. It took much longer than I thought it would. I knew I didn't just want to republish the blog as is - I don't think online content and print content are the same, and people read books and blogs in different ways. So initially the difficulty was in trying to develop a narrative out of the decade of my twenties that readers could follow on the page, rather than just as snippets and fragments on the internet during their afternoon tea break. I assumed that because I had a blueprint to work with from the blog, it would be quite straightforward. But it ended up taking more than two years! I had to reconceptualise everything, and now the blog and the book are two entirely different beasts. I'm not sure if that's good or bad (I'll let readers decide), but it seems fitting because I've changed a lot since I started the blog too.

How many stages did you go through to create the final copy? Oh, I couldn't count them if I tried! I recently had a look back over my very first draft of the book, and realised there is hardly anything left of it in the final version. Which is as it should be, I guess? I found the writing process one of discovery, so I was only unearthing what I was trying to say as I wrote it. Lots of additional material has been added just recently in the final draft that greatly helped flesh out characters and paint scenes, so that now it's at the point where the whole thing seems hazy and I feel like I have no idea what I've actually written anymore. I guess I'll find out when it's published?!

Have you added many new dresses (and memories!) to the collection since we last spoke? I have! So much has happened in the meantime: I've travelled to Istanbul, Paris and New York and collected some beloved pieces from those places. I spent the past nine months being pregnant, so I've been inducted into the special world of maternity clothing! The best thing about it has been the opportunity to air some of my Mum's old maternity dresses which I've always worn anyway (while not pregnant) because they're so gorgeous, but it felt quite weird to actually fit into them without having to tie a sash around them or use safety pins to make them fit. When they fit me properly, it connected me to her in an even more intimate way.

As for the dresses that will be featured in the book—there are some old favourites from the blog and some new ones too! But I'll keep them as a surprise for now. All will be revealed soon!

Which dress is your personal favourite? Out of all the dresses on the blog, I still think my favourite is the yellow Love Crash dress. It just feels so great to wear - that cinched waist is like a tight hug from an old friend who doesn't want to let you go.

I also love the Girls of Slender Means dressing gown, which is lavender and frilly - maybe because it's the only one I can actually fit into right now, and it makes me feel glamorous even as I waddle around the house.

Do you still wear the dresses in your collection? Of course! The project was, in many ways, about me trying to let go of the dresses and give them a fitting farewell, but if anything it's backfired and I'm probably more attached to them now than ever. They have more meaning as a result of being a part of this special blog and book. So I think I'll always have them, and even the ones that soon won't fit me anymore – well, lucky I now have a daughter, I guess!

Where can we find out more about the project? The blog is at dressmemory.com and the book will be out in September by Allen & Unwin. You can also follow @dressmemory on Instagram to stay updated!

We have three copies of Dress, Memory to give away - to enter, shoot us an email here with your name and address, and tell us the story of your most nostalgic frock.


Top three images snapped by the clever Lee Sandwith, with the bottom four shot by Jo Duck for print.