Cobalt Goodness

Currently loving this Barry M Nail Polish in Cobalt Blue. Can't quite face watching the Eurovision Song Contest so showing my patriotism to the country (and to Blue) through my nail colour.

Playing Dress Up

Just a few photos taken behind the scenes at a friend's Uni Critique... LOVE her collection, and her models were amazing! I really want the long strapless dress for my holidays! <3

Ring Ring

Backstage... There's No Backstage For You.

It's that time of year again when the University Crits are getting underway and everyone is stressing over a sewing machine. I miss it! Reminisced today with a good friend about my own Critique last year for my graduate collection... so thought i'd add a few photos from the day.

This is one of the models hair i did for a friend... Looked incredible but im guessing it would have been a nightmare to brush out!

One of my girls in a piece of mine <3

The clothes getting sorted into running order...

My work station once i had cleared up! It took a while!

Another one of my girls pre-dressing...

The photos could go on forever but ill wait for a more relevant post! <3

Ready For Her Close-up...

Behind the scenes and ready for her close-up.
Included in this edit:
Vintage Headband
Shoulderbag by Pull & Bear
Fur Coat at Zara
Necklace by Chanel
Skirt by Maskeradaffaren
Hotpant shorts at American Apparel
Corset by L.A.M.B
Heels by Marni
Socks by Gudrun Sjoden

<3

Ps. I really love this model on Looklet, Mabintou, i think a model's skin colour and tone can make a huge difference on the impact of a look.

The Ever-Changing Portfolio

Still working my way through the portfolio, and with a little help from Polyvore (www.polyvore.com) have made a couple new moodboards. This one's for an old brief based on Elle and Levis joining forces, focussing on the Best Of British. Tally Ho!

FINALLY!

Finally started coming up with a couple title images... basic, i know, but this will do for now! Just got to work out how to order the whole blog now!

Etienne

Had a little play around with a styling app and a whole new bunch of clothes and accessories for AW2011 as the Summers "old faithful" 'Modern Safari' trend progresses into the Fall (yes im working a season ahead).

Included in the images:
Sunglasses - Marc Jacobs
Gloves (Worn as arm warmers) - Vintage
Bag - Annlouise Landelius
Cape - Patrizia Pepe
Ring - Cornelia
Belt - Topshop
Corset - One Teaspoon
Pants - Max Mara
Suspenders (Two pairs) - Vintage & Tags
Skirt - Valerie
Ankle Boots - Givenchy

<3

Dear Coco...

I've fallen in love with Justine Picardie's 'Coco Chanel - The Life & The Legend'. The book is so perfectly recorded and illustrated, and the story so elegantly written that i find new quotes to swear by every time i turn a page. This is one of many, a handwritten dedication from a 1926 manuscript of La Peau de l'homme, by Pierre Reverdy, French author and lover of Gabrielle Chanel. <3

Lip Service.

Made the most of the price differences at MAC here in Canada and had yet another splurge on lipsticks. I really really REALLY want 'Pink Friday' by Nicki Minaj for MAC, but cant get it anywhere, as I expected. It seems my only option is eBay, but i dont want to pay stupid amounts for a potentially used lipstick, or a fake. Urgh. A couple of the girls in MAC told me that mixing 'Snob' (photo below) and a regular bright/hot pink will get a close enough match, so naturally i went and bought about 3 different shades. 'Snob' is really lovely anyway, so actually it's quite the investment!

Ps. The MAC girls were right... the colour is spot on. <3

A Wise Man Once Said:

"The brightest stars burn the fastest, and die the youngest." <3
Now i'm sure he was more drunk than wise, but nevertheless, he's not wrong.

Anabela-Ella-Ella

Alexander Wang Anabela Boots... Beautiful. $262 Sale Price, not as beautiful, but still pretty good. They are on my lust list! Tick off two trends in one with Alexander Wang's block-heeled camel ankle boots, perfect for Spring Summer 2011 with all the 70's Jerry Hall inspired looks that are around. I have a similar pair, but flat, and not quite as dark a tan (ill post a photo when i get round to it), but i really want these! Available at Theoutnet.com <3

Georgia On My Mind.

The latest celebrity offspring to diversify into the world of fashion design is Georgia May Jagger, daughter of legendary model Jerry Hall & Rolling Stones' very own Mick Jagger. Georgia has been the face of Hudson Jeans since 2009, and has now released her very own line, 'Hudson by Georgia May Jagger'. I've created a mini mood board of the Hudson range, and it's designer, for a simple set design competition for Polyvore. With some of the prizes including a trip for two to LA for a styling session with HUDSON Creative Director Ben Taverniti, and VIP admission to Nylon's Young Hollywood Party, it would be rude not to!

My favorite pair are currently the aptly named Georgia-May (see photo!)... with the vintage indigo wash and a mid-rise waist. The higher waist is not only very flattering, but is also bang on trend for SS11 with clear influence from the 70's. There are 5 styles available, all skinny leg openings with a mid-rise in order to fit a wide range of body types. The jeans come in black, white, gray and blue washes, all of which i'm sure are going to be gracing the pages of fashion magazines to come.

Cocohhhhh Chanel

Combining some of my great loves... fashion, Coco Chanel, and baking, i found these by chance online. Cupcakes Nouveau (google them) have the most amazing icing skills ive ever seen! They can literally ice anything and everything you could wish for. I particularly love these, the lipstick looks amazing! They also have some other pretty designer-inspired cakes, featuring the likes of Hermes, D&G, and the infamous prints from Burberry and Gucci. Delicioso. <3

Natacha Marro Shoes

Oxford style shoe as worn by Keira Knightley in Vogue and Chloe Sevigny in Elle. Saw these babies on Amanda Holden on The Graham Norton Show... and fell in love. Natacha Marro isn't really my style... they're more of a Bespoke/Custom shoe specialist, but i think these are fantastic. I also particularly like the Oxford Brogues... but they dont come cheap... both are roughly 340 quid so slightly out of my price range!

The Toast Of Paris

I need this in my life. "French Toast" Stamp for Bread on The CakeSpy Shop... www.cakespyshop.com (found this baking mecca after stumbling across their blog). "Just stamp your baguette, pop it in le toaster, and suddenly your relaxing along the Champs Elysées. French Toast is parfait - know what I’m Seine?" <3 C'est magnifique!

Sew Easy... (Pun Intended)

I found this treat at www.blog.bakeitpretty.com and am now addicted to their website too! The Bake It Pretty website itself sells everything my kitchen could ever wish to have, but i love the blog even more.

This "How-To" is for Candy Buttons...

http://blog.bakeitpretty.com/2009/01/sew-sweet/comment-page-2/#comment-29741

I cant wait to make them. The recipe is on their website along with some cute step-by-step photographs. The author, Amanda Krueger, has also produced a variety of high-resolution PDF printouts for packaging, in an old fashioned button packet style. Cute as a button.

Bakerella-ella-ella...

Now I usually post about fashion and arty type bits, but they certainly look good, so i'd consider them an exception. The image above is courtesy of Bakerella... www.bakerella.com (the baker extraodinaire who brought us Cakepops). This website is just amazing and makes me so so hungry! Her book, Cakepops, google it, has recently been published, and everything in it looks INCREDIBLE.

These Red Velvet Cake Pops seem quite simple to make, and after discovering Red Velvet Cake on 'Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives' i am dying to make them. Here's the recipe from the site...

Red Velvet Cake Balls
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.

YUM <3
I'm pretty sure in the UK that Betty Crocker will have the ingredients needed... but for the chocolate bark im going to settle with a Dairy Milk melted over hot water. EVEN BETTER!

Fleur Revisited.

2011's Stylist's take on my collection, Fleur.

A little clip i forgot about!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX4hmUM7Ev0

Our Graduate fashion show, 2010. Skip to 1 min 30 and watch! :)

I'll post a better video when i find it!

Stylist Extraodinaire.

Being a stylist with free reign is really my cup of tea. Id very much like this as a job, except with real life models and not just cheating on Looklet. But who is going to trust someone harbouring a shopping addiction with an infinite budget? That's the magic of this site.

The Latest Silly Man Trend

Alright so Man Uggs caught on surprisingly well. Which is a shame. But this has to be for me the silliest of silly man trends of late.
The black ones are bad enough, but god forbid a floral or leopard print number. Kudos, however, to man no.2, who despite wearing a silly clip on man clutch, looks vaguely attractive. However im not sure whether he is a step away from beign wearing swimming trunks.
Number 1... Go home and get changed.

Pinhole Wonder

...And yet another obsession begins. Aged 11, a friend and I went on a day long workshop where we made a pinhole camera. Im pretty sure ours didnt look like that, from Lomography, and im pretty sure the photos we took didnt look like the one below.

But, "dazzling square-format images, all dreamy and soft-focused" (as it says on the website) – wouldn’t that be nice? "This medium-format pinhole camera can deliver that – and can be tweaked to take 35mm film, too!"
I 100% wouldnt produce images like that, i could put good money on it. But i think im going to try. I really love things with a vintage feel, a bit home made... like this camera, so, we'll see.

Lomography, cont.

Now in a previous post i had hyped up Lomography even though i had never really heard of it, but the more i look, the more i find. Hit Urban Outfitters in Calgary at the weekend and there you have it, in the Homewares section (which i love as it is) Lomography products make an appearance. The love affair continues. Im still a novice so for now im just lusting over other peoples fancy cameras and fancy photos. Here's a taste of what i found on the website...

♥

Beautiful Beautiful Blair

I'm not taking credit for these photos, i WISH i had the ability to take photos like this! However, as soon as i can get my hands on a half decent printer, they are going on my wall. Just a little collection of images i found whilst wasting some time, these photos should be put to use somehow! They are just beautiful. I really hope that whoever took and edited the Chanel Avenue image has it on a huge scale on their wall. It really is wonderful. Now THAT is a street id like to live on.

Love Is All There Is.

I really am obsessed with 50's esque images like this. I think it's pretty relevant in difficult situations and moments. When it comes down to it, love is all there is.

Going Gaga for Gaga

I love Lady Gaga all of a sudden. That's pretty much the gist of this post. Born This Way seems to have been my soundtrack today. I think i'm going to use this as a moodboard for a Gaga inspired collection... time to get illustrating.

Ooh La La Looklet...

Looklet welcomes you to a world where playing dress up isn't restricted to a box of old clothes or fancy dress costumes, it really is a stylist's dream. The site plays host to thousands of designer, vintage, and high street items, all cleverly edited to fit models perfectly however you want them to be worn. It really works beautifully, and allows me to procrastinate for hours on end. The website features a number of Guest Stylists, Blogs, and Magazine articles, along with allowing you to feel like Vogue's newest stylist. Always a winning combo.

Its a simple concept produced fantastically. Choose a model, a backdrop, a range of clothing, shoes and accessories, and just style away. When you're done playing Style Adviser, choose how you want the image to look; Glossy and professional, vintage and 70's style colouring, or as if straight from a magazine page. The list goes on. I really recommend any wannabe stylist plays around with this for a good few days!

Paris s'il vous plait...

Now this is a print that i actually really love, despite it being a total mess. I had intended to use it as a textile design, cushion covers, blinds, etc, but then did nothing with it. I guess my next project is getting this printed on some soft linen or even a basic canvas fabric and stuffing it. I intend to hand sew a few red mismatched sequins and beads onto the car, and onto the hidden Metro sign, and then some fringing or piping around the edge of the cushion... and then add it to a collection of Vintage inspired bedding in my soon to be decorated bedroom. The intention is there, it's just getting round to it!

Hello San Francisco...

Productive procrastination at its best. Watching TV and trying to figure out what to do with my life and by coincidence a commercial came on about Fashion degrees at The University of The Arts... San Fransisco. Thing is i already have a degree. I just need a job. Or, i could go back to uni. Either way, my portfolio WILL be immaculate i'm determined! So, as i type im currently adding a couple hand drawn illustrations, and a technical drawing here and there. BOOM, there's a page for the old folio. Im a firm believer that travel really does broaden the mind.

Stop Calling!

Yet another afternoon has been stolen by Polyvore. But, it's step one of a new page in my portfolio. Not bad for procrastination.

Pretty Pretty Polyvore

This is what i like to think of as a faff free Photoshop, and man alive i LOVE it. The site is pretty self explanatory (check it out... www.polyvore.com), and allows an absolute beginner through to a pro to make an array of collages, or "sets" as Polyvore calls them.

For the young fashion enthusiast, they have ongoing competitions and contests (beware, your competition is FIERCE!) ranging from sets based on celebrities to sets devoted to a brand's new range. One thing to look out for is the effect of teen heartthrobs and pinups on this site... The Twilight Saga hits HARD each time a movie is released, for example. Whether this is a positive or a negative is down to personal opinion, but the presence of a Justin Beiber set on every page you visit doesnt do much for the fashion addict in me.

This website is however amazing for procrastinating, and the majority of the items (clothing/shoes/accessories) are available to buy... so this appeals to me. A lot.