Vicious Venus

Sexy, hourglass silhouette inspired designs are the lifeblood of Vicious Venus. The joint venture of Australian designers Joy Liakis and Natalie Fowler, the shop is a tribute to the feminine contours celebrated in years gone by, fused with a funky post-​feminist contemporary attitude. Cartoon characters, bright floral patterns, lace and other cutesy and occasionally aggressive motifs grace the fabrics of the dresses, along with a few staple black, block coloured and textured varieties. Perusing the shelves is like getting your hands on the Mad Men wardrobe department, were the show filming an episode about a female punk group.
Though the designs are apparently centred around the more voluptuous side of the female form, I have had difficulty finding dresses flattering to my particular proportions when actually worn. This is perplexing, as my figure is well within the target size range and actual type for this kind of frock. Perhaps I just haven’t tried on the right dress yet, as I see enough women wearing their designs around town and looking fabulous.
There’s a modest range of accessories available, including some gorgeous patterned tights and funky high heels. According to the website, they also do custom handmade wedding dresses. The prices are what you’d expect for a local designer, and therefore the clothes are more of an investment purchase for most women.