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All dogstar sale stock has been moved to our valley store to make way for the summer styles in all of our Brisbane stores. 
There is a range of pieces left, including the 3/4 poison dress shown above. This dress was $300 but is now $149 .  
Some styles are up to 75% off! If you’re after a bargin make sure you drop by our Ann St store and have a look.

dogstar winter sale – further reductions in store now!
25% – 70% off samples and sale items in our Brisbane City, Valley and Southbank dogstar stores.  Hurry – sale ending soon!

We know some of you are dying to get your hands on our beautiful winter stock. Well…heres exciting news for you – more has arrived! After busy times in production your favourite garments have arrived in store….head in today to snap up your pieces!

Oriental necklines with oversized paneled collars, crushed metallic fabrics in silvers and mochas, and the secret blossoming of a gentle lily, LAIKA winter 09 is elegant and mysterious. Inspired by the
fantasy of a secret garden full of winding pathways, cool shadows and restful water features, this range is majestic.

Traditionally the knowledge of Japanese garden making was passed on in  person from sensei to apprentice, and as it says in Zoen’s  Illustrations for designing mountain, water and hillside field landscapes (1466) “If you have not received the oral transmissions, you must not make gardens” and in closing, “You must never show this  writing to outsiders. You must keep it secret”. This secret knowledge makes the overwhelming beauty of these gardens even more magical.

come in store to view our new range, or drop in to our online store.

Lauren Orrel is a talented actress, a clothing collector, a mermaid, a could-have-been spy and dogstar’s favorite model. In this interview we find out a little about the girl behind the enigmatic winter 09 photo shoot.

Lauren in five words

Curiously devious but well-intentioned rabbit.

Where did things begin with you and dogstar?

I started out working in the store back in 2005 because I absolutely loved the clothes.  Masayo asked if I’d like to do a shoot, and I said yes, and it went from there.

Are you studying at the moment?

I’m currently in third year Acting at Queensland University of Technology and it is amazing…difficult but amazing.  I feel very privileged to be there.

What is it about acting that makes it your passion?

Part of it is an extreme curiosity about human nature.  I really itch to get inside other people’s skin, to observe, experience and hopefully to gain some insight into what ‘it’ (this life, this existence…) means, as individuals and as a collective.  How everything and everyone all fits. To find a greater empathy that leads to greater change. With acting, on some small scale, I think you get a little bit of that.  I think it pulls you, not so much away from yourself, but forces you to connect with people and places beyond you.  Hopefully into a place where you feel free to be and to dream. Another part is to satisfy my over-active imagination so it doesn’t manifest itself in not so productive ways.  Yet another part is just blatant attention seeking! And finally probably just a small amount of masochism.  I’ve never really thought outside of performance as far a career goes.  It started with dance when I was kid and kind of just grew from there.  It’s like there’s never really been another choice for me (although I did briefly consider the positions of jockey, spy and fairy princess at various points in my life!), I just kind of knew this is where I come to. Every time I’ve thought past it, tried to settle into more ‘every day’ jobs, I just felt really lost.  It’s not easy, but it’s where my heart is.

What have you been working on recently?

A feature with WWE wrestler Raven called Sleeper (www.sleeper-film.com).  It was directed by Dru Brown here in Brisbane and shot on the smell of an oily rag and Red Bull (or as a friend of mine calls it “Acting Juice”).  It’s a lovely little thriller about obsession and deceit (with some awesome fight scenes!).  A short feature (if that makes any sense) called No Balance Place by Sean Gobey.  A lovely little tale about wasted youth.  A project called The Brisbane Line directed by Sean Maher.  That’s an interesting one. It’s shot like a doco about corruption in the police force during WWII—can’t wait to see the finished product.  The rest of the third year company and I are currently rehearsing Moliere’s final play “The Hypochondriac” or “La Malade Imaginaire” under the direction of the great Bille Brown. So far the experience has been beyond words; incredible doesn’t come close to what I’ve gotten out of the process so far. We open on the 12th of March at Gardens Theatre. Should be a show defiantly worth having a squiz at! (www.gardenstheatre.qut.edu.au)

How did you start modelling?

After years of swearing I wouldn’t, I did (this is the general theme in my life!).  Mum suggested I should get an agent. I was a really shy kid and teenager and I think she thought it would help bring me out of my shell and for the most part it has.

Can you tell us about any especially interesting, strange or memorable shoots from your modelling days?

Anything shot around three am is generally strange, but sometimes hard to remember.  Being a mermaid for an ad was pretty strange, having to learn to swim in a tail. You can actually go really fast in those things!  One of my first shoots as a model was in a cemetery in the middle of the night, and that was downright creepy at times, but in a “just watched Texas Chainsaw Massacre and have to go to bed now alone” kind of way.  Sleeper was really memorable, the people really made that experience—I really miss those times.  And finally, a Brian McFadden clip that was shot Queen St Mall.   The soccer was being shown at a pub up the road and at about three am out of nowhere this group of drunken folk started mobbing Brian, and the crew had to try and disband them so we could keep going. It turns out it can be pretty tricky to negotiate with drunken soccer/Brian McFadden fans!

What’s in your wardrobe?

My wardrobe is very eclectic, lots of pieces from op shops, hand-me-downs.  I have everything from old bridesmaid dresses, denim cut-offs. There’s this amazing red dress I found for $4 in a charity store in Santa Monica (or wherever we were at the time, I think we were lost…), which was bought for me for my birthday.  It’s a floor length gown, high at the neck with no back.  Lots of t-shirts, my favourite is my pirate one my friend Laura gave me. I love playing with a variety of textures, so there’s a lot of pieces I can layer or mix.  I’m slowly working on my shoe collection (being a student makes this very difficult). I love heels and boots—particularly suede textured boots for some reason.  I try to go for really bold colour—reds, blacks, blues and whites, but occasionally I’ll be drawn to something softer.  There’s definitely a lot of opportunity for play with my wardrobe.  I’m yet to run out of new ideas. Lots of dogstar of course, I get so many compliments on the pieces when I wear them out and they’re something you can really play with. I still have every piece I’ve bought (except for one which I sadly lost at a friend’s house!) and wear them at the very least a few times a week.

What was it like doing the dogstar winter 09 photo shoot?

The location was amazing! We shot it at the Old Museum which complimented how dramatic some of the pieces are.  Long days, but well worth it—the shoot looks stunning. It’s my favourite shoot to date.

How would you describe the range?

Dramatic.  Beautiful contrasts between the structured and the feminine.  The fabrics feel divine.  I loved the Poison Dress.  It just floats, it looks and feels wonderful. The scarves are great as well, I like the detail of the crucifixes on the end.  They look beautiful against the fabric, almost a little gothic.  The petticoat and the jacket as well. The tailoring on these pieces is exquisite!

Finding a location for a photo shoot is like searching for the perfect world to house your creative vision. With winter 09’s mysterious undercurrent and allusion to the underworld, photographer Trudy Bolton and dogstar headed to Brisbane’s Old Museum to make use of its archways, old brick work, dark basements, haunting staircases and one curious piano. Having undergone many changes in function, this gorgeous building was constructed in 1891 for the Queensland National Agricultural and Industrial Association, and has since been the home to many creative endeavors (including the Queensland Art Gallery). Currently, the Old Museum is a Concert Hall, and home to the Queensland Youth Orchestra (and a 120 year old organ!).