25th Anniversary
l’édition
A Letter From Creative Director, Donna Guest and Her Family
Bon Anniversaire Blue Illusion!
This collection is a nostalgic reimagining of our favourite looks from twenty-five years of making lasting fashion and lasting change in our community and around the world.
Blue Illusion started with a dream of how far retail in Australia could go and it has been an honour watching that dream expand into a reality beyond our expectations with the support of our family, employees, and loyal customers.
After twenty-five years of never compromising on the best fabrics, always looking ahead towards the latest fashion, and working together on global charity efforts, we’re so proud to say that the work is far from done.
Santé to the next era inspired by all things fabulous, flirty, and French!
But today, let’s celebrate how far we’ve come!
Avec amour,
Donna and the Guest Family xoxo
Style Made to Last
Specialising in natural fibres since 1986.
Even from our days as a family-run wholesale business, Blue Illusion has been obsessed with using lasting and sustainable materials. Why? Because they look beautiful, feel amazing, and make each garment an investment. When you can pass clothing on for generations, each piece becomes a story retold over and over again through new eyes.
Elevating Classics
Our recipe for timeless style is an enduring French base updated with a Blue Illusion twist.
Fashion-forward movements have always been connected to the advancement of modernity. Coco Chanel brought classic male garments into the world of womenswear and opened the floodgates for constant reinvention. Blue Illusion follows this same French principle of elegance and individuality by bringing our love of femininity and joie de vivre to pieces like the timeless trench coat.
Turning the Pages of Blue Illusion
25 Years of bringing fashion dreams to life, because everything is possible.
Our original wholesale brand, Patches Clothing, becomes the womenswear brand Blue Illusion.
1986
After ten years of selling our clothes to boutiques across Australia, we finally opened our first boutique in Hampton Victoria, where you can still shop today.
1998
Although we had been inspired by the history and style of Paris for many years, we made the full transition to a French lifestyle brand with our first “lifestyle concept” boutique in Moonee Ponds. Danny curated the aromatherapy candles himself.
2002
Blue Illusion goes global, launches the Bengajean®, partners with style icons from around the world, and hits 100 stores! None of it would have been possible without your support!
2012
25 years of retail, building family, telling stories, and living our French-style fantasies. With your partnership, in 2023 alone we proudly raise close to $300,000 for charity through our styling events.
2023
To date, Blue Illusion has raised over $6,000,000 for charity and sponsored 278 children through World Vision.
Merci beaucoup for everything you do in making our vision for lasting style and lasting change a reality.
Blue Illusion co-founder Donna Guest and her family celebrate Blue Illusion’s 25th retail anniversary in our exclusive film.
Feel Incredible
We’re obsessed with that parfait balance of taste and comfort.
Palazzo pants have had a long history of breaking down boundaries for women in fashion. From trendsetters like Coco Chanel in the 20’s and Katharine Hepburn in the 30’s, to designers like Céline in the 60’s and Armani in the 80’s, these pants have been reinvented through the decades to meet every modern woman’s needs. Styled simply with a statement accessory, quel chic!
Sequins are Forever
Se·quin: Parisienne for ‘Happy New Year.’
Despite being a popular style choice for women to welcome the new year, sequins have a surprisingly long history. Trendy since 2500 BC, these sparkly adornments made a particularly big comeback in the 1920’s, representing the glamour of the time, and have remained in vogue ever since.
Francophile is a Lifestyle
All great love stories deserve jewellery, but a modern woman buys her own.
In 2002 Blue Illusion began our love affair with France. We opened our first “lifestyle concept” boutique in Moonee Ponds and expanded our focus beyond garments to include aromatherapy candles, soaps, perfumes, accessories and more. The dream was to start a retail revolution that spoke not just to fashion, but also to women’s hearts. Today, we continue to reimagine the French lifestyle through stunning accessories and jewellery.
