geeksdigme

Kate Moss by Steven Klein

2012-02-23T23:02:00.000Z

I love Steven Klein's previous photos of Lara Stone. His work is always dark, sumptuous and glossy and these new photos of Kate Moss for W Magazine are no exception. Portraying her as 'Good Kate' in silky, silvery white with wreathes of flowers and 'Bad Kate', latex clad and flanked by feathers he manages to make photographs of a famous face look interesting and different. Haunting and gorgeous.

Images from High Snobiety

Confetti System

2012-02-18T15:25:00.000Z

Amazing work by artistic duo Confetti System. They use materials like tissue paper, cardboard and silk and make anything from piñatas and blindfolds to full blown installations and sets. They even created work for one of Karen O's (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) birthdays.

As someone who spent a lot of her time in University hand making sets out of random pieces of material and collecting scraps to hopefully transform them in to something beautiful, I admire the way they've taken something as simple as cardboard and turned it into something covetable. They say their 'creations, occupy the space between the ephemeral and the permanent, evoking a sense of nostalgia and lighthearted fun.'

Things I Love

2012-02-17T18:07:00.001Z

One - Album Anatomy by Duane Dalton, Two - Glittery Eyes at Dsquared, Three - Dress from to be adored, Four - Work by Anthony Neil Dart, Five - Iridescent dress by Chanel, Six - Architecture by gigon & guyer

The Handbag Project : Anabela

2012-02-15T18:58:00.000Z

I don't think I've ever met anyone that carries as much in their bag as Anabela, therefore this drawing has many things missing that might be in her bag. I've drawn her notebook which says, 'Another day cloudy memory: at this moment I am drawing to remember or to erase', one of her silk scarves, gloves, her wallet, chanel lipstick, one of her tote bags, iphone, headphones, watch, satchlet for Instax Mini pictures, Olympus Stylus Epic camera and a Jetoy cat diary. All of these are in her pretty, leather, blush tote from ASOS featured in the middle of the drawing. Anything I've missed can be found in this blog post. She takes some beautiful photographs to put on her blog, quite a few of which are peonies, which are one of my favourite flowers, so I thought it would be a lovely idea to cut a little part of one of her flower photographs and collage them into the drawing. I like the idea that it mixes our arty things together and makes the drawing a little more personal to her. To see more of her pretty items and photographs you can view her blog. Or you can take a look at her shop, fieldguided where she sells some gorgeous totes (amongst other things!)

Silja Magg

2012-02-12T17:52:00.000Z

Aesthetica Magazine recently gave out an issue of their magazine for free to anyone who got in touch, which obviously I did, mainly because of the incredibly striking image on the cover by Silja Magg of a girl reflected in many mirrors, sequins and jewels which was dripping in luxury and reminded me somewhat of Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Room. The vast array of beautiful photographs on Silja's website, mainly of gorgeous women in dreamy, raw landscapes all portray her amazing eye for detail and to me, shows how every image of a woman that she takes, is directly influenced by the environment around here. My favourite photographs are the ones in water where the women look like they're practically one with the waves or like modern, sad, lost mermaids.

The Handbag Project : Alannah

2012-02-08T21:13:00.001Z

I've been incredibly behind on all my drawings for The Handbag Project but this week I finally got around to finishing this one of the very beautiful Alannah who I met briefly at the Astley Clarke showroom late last year. As a freelance fashion and lifestyle journalist, she carries around a hefty amount in her vintage Gladstone bag that she got from ebay, including her Olympus dictaphone for impromptu interviews, muji pens, because they're her favourite, ray bans, MAC tinted lip balm, leopard print pumps from Zara, a New Yorker magazine, Tom Ford perfume, moleskine and snacks. I'm quite surprised she doesn't fall over from the weight of it all! To see some of her work, check out her website.

Sweet Like Sugar Venom

2012-02-07T23:24:00.002Z

My Valentines

I don't believe in gaudy cards, kitschy trinkets & teddy bears, but I do believe in romance.

Instead of the usual, celebrate by watching In the Mood for Love, re-reading Jane Eyre before it comes out on dvd, drink frothy strawberry milkshakes, look at anything with Marlon Brando and James Dean in it, read Laughter in the Dark for Lolita like fun and braid your hair.

Sweet.

Nicholas Alan Cope

2012-02-05T21:31:00.000Z

From the series 'Stamen' by Nicholas Alan Cope. I love these photographs, which to me look like the remnants of dusty, dry and dead flowers when they're crumbling away. His very minimal photographs of architecture are also absolutely amazing, as are some of the product photography for various brands. All of his work seems to be abstracted and full of really clever compositions. See more of his work here.

Let Them Eat Cake

2012-02-04T17:30:00.000Z

Some photos from my phone from the week just gone. I've realised that, very fitting to the Marie Antoinette film I watched (for the first time!) the other day, that a lot of my life revolves around cake. Scott and I found this gorgeous little bakery with the poshest looking cakes that come all wrapped up in pink ribboned boxes and had chocolate cake and mille feuille. The week was also filled of seaside walks, drawing and wearing some of the gorgeous jewellery I had for Christmas. Tres spoilt.

Carlos Pereira Photography

2012-02-03T19:31:00.003Z

I'm always looking for beautiful new inspiration and as a general hoarder of visual things I spend a fair bit of time looking at other people's work. I came across 19 year old Spanish student, Carlos Pereira's photographs a few days ago and I think they're just gorgeous. He works in both film and digital and I feel his photos have this delicate, gentle nature, a little floaty and whimsical, full of sun light and specks of floating dust. See more, here.

Love, Dior & Parisian Style

2012-02-02T21:58:00.001Z

I decided to put together a post full of beautiful things I like to start off the new look of my little blog. I feel it's slightly more minimal and closer to my own style. Featured photos include a sequin dress with a peter pan collar, a street shot of Paris since I'm currently fawning over anything Parisian (I'm pretty sure I over romanticise it) clothes by the amazing Ulyana Sergeenko, adorable, swallow collar tips, one of my favourite books about love, just in time for valentines, and a beautiful shot from Zimmermann.

Famous Frocks : Patterns & Instructions for Twenty Iconic Dresses

2012-01-26T20:45:00.001Z

Famous Frocks

Patterns and Instructions for Twenty Iconic Dresses

by Hannah McDevitt and Sarah Alm

Published by Chronicle books

£19.99

Ever wanted to dress like Marilyn Monroe? Maybe Twiggy or Audrey Hepburn?

I'm betting the answer to at least one of those questions if you're a girl is hell yeah! Famous Frocks, sent to me by Chronicle books, is an illustrated 'how-to' which shows you how to make the iconic dresses that contributed to each style icons fame. The ten icons chosen for the book, who vary in style and body shape are:

Bette Davis, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Twiggy, Diana Ross, Farah Fawcett, Stevie Nicks and Maddonna.

I personally love Rita Hayworth. I think she embodies old school glamour and her hair is the kind of hair I wish I had, and try to force my hair to be, but alas, never works, so I like that her style is in the book. I also love that all the dresses, including Rita's, come with modern variations to try out, like making the sleeves shorter or adding or taking out ruffle trims. The problem with all this (and I'll admit, it's a big one) is that I can't sew. Not one bit. I was the kid in home economics that broke the sewing machine or got all the threads stuck and tangled within five minutes of touching it. So, if I could have taken the patterns out and showed you how to make the dress I would have but instead I'll just talk about the sheer amount you get inside the book and the absolutely gorgeous illustrations by Kerrie Hess.

There are quite frankly loads of tips and tricks that even I could probably get to grips with and have a good go at making something, along with guides for what the writers, Sarah and Hannah consider to be beginner or intermediate. and the pink pocket, shown in the photographs above contains 10 huge fold out patterns that would make the 20 dresses inside. They also note what they think would be a good material for each outfit, without using too much text and confusing you. In fact I think the illustrations really balance out the diagrams and guidelines to making the dresses, so that it doesn't look too scary to attempt.

I've featured a few of the illustrations, photographs and diagrams above but there are plenty more inside and I think, for what you pay for the book, if you love to make things, it'll keep you interested for a long time, and if you can make 20 dresses out of it, then that's pretty impressive!

Create In Brighton Illustration

2012-01-26T12:39:00.001Z

This was an illustration I finished for a competition only applicable to people in Brighton, based around the word 'Discover'. Mines a girl with a little pop up book about Brighton. Sadly it didn't win but I thought I'd share it anyway.

I never like briefs or competitions that are based around one word. I always feel like the person or judge has something specific in mind but are holding it back and I feel I could finish something to a better standard if I had more information. It's all good practice though and I think this picture was a good example of trying to mix my portraits with patterns.

You can see it in higher resolution here.

Preview of New S/S 12 Illustration

2012-01-25T15:15:00.000Z

This illustration of one of the Dior dresses from the S/S 2012 collection is going to be part of a larger drawing featuring more beautiful girls and more gorgeous dresses, but I thought I'd show a little hint at it anyway.

Kate Moss for Mango S/S 2012

2012-01-24T20:58:00.000Z

If there's anyone that embodies cool British style, it's got to be Kate Moss. Named as the official face of Mango for S/S 2012, the model was shot by the amazing Terry Richardson (check out his tumblr, if you haven't already). Above is an interview that was sent to me earlier, with the model as she talks about her experience with the brand and what she thinks of it. In my opinion Mango has that good mix of higher priced clothing with affordable items. The kind of place you go for the perfect, easily wearable LBD or summer dress and it has a good 'fashion corner' on the website showing you what pieces to mix and match. I also love how Kate still manages to look perfectly at ease in any fashion environment, ranging from being in the Louis Vuitton S/S 2012 show to the more casual Mango advertisements. She looks beauuuutiful!

Video courtesy of Bespoke Banter

Photography by Marco Walker

2012-01-22T13:59:00.000Z

I love the candid, documentary style of Marco Walker's fashion photography. Take a look at his website for even more beautiful portraits and travel shots.

Sweet Spring

2012-01-19T22:52:00.000Z

NUDE

Inspired by Oscar de la Renta, Lanvin & Moschino Spring Collections.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

PASTELS

Inspired by Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton & Prada

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 Illustration

2012-01-16T22:44:00.000Z

Delicious

2012-01-16T16:56:00.000Z

Some pretty photos from my daily life last week. I really want to steal the wedding cake in the front of Cloud 9. It looks deeee-licious. Choccy Woccy Doodah has a new window display too, with a ridiculously decadent looking girl atop a flower covered horse and I've started a drawing of the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 collection and been gazing at pretty chandeliers (Brighton seems to have loadss!)

Company Magazine High Street Edit Finalist : Fashion Illustration

2012-01-15T15:44:00.000Z

This week I found out my work had been chosen as one of the Company Magazine, High Street Edit Finalists for fashion illustration. Unfortunately I didn't manage to win it but to be fair the winner's work is absolutely lovely and I was happy that my work had been recognised as good. I can't wait to see the issue when it comes out!

"If you've been following Company's facebook page, you'll know that our Art Director Tanita loves nail art, so Natasha's illustrations got extra brownie points! Plus we loved her skilled use of pencil detail."

Art & Design Books for the New Year

2012-01-13T20:48:00.001Z

I am a collector, hoarder, great swooner and can't-live-without-them kind of girl when it comes to books, and even though I love novels, sometimes there's nothing better than curling up with a cup of tea and a huge, weighty, hardback book full of illustration, photographs and visual lushness.

These are the ones I've been looking at and lusting over lately.

From top left down to the bottom right

Dior Couture - Text by Ingrid Sischy, Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier - When I was working as a fragrance consultant, the man who worked on Dior would come over and tell us about the history of the brand and how the Dior fragrance was made when the house opened, unlike other brands who start making fragrances after their fashion collections. I definitely became more interested in Dior than Chanel fragrance wise, and although I do love Chanel clothing, I think this dramatic Dior book which has portraits of over 100 gowns would keep me mesmerised for quite some time.

100 Ideas That Changed Fashion by Harriet Worsley- The author of this book teaches fashion communication and fashion journalism at St Martins, so I think I'd put trust in her opinion about fashion and how it's evolved over time. What I love about fashion is that any invention of new material, cut or style is a visual image of the current zeitgeist, so to learn about why things changed in fashion due to the culture at that time, would definitely made for a good read.

100 New Artists by Francesca Gavin - I read a few things by Francesca during my time at university and I tend to liker her take on things. She's a writer and visual arts editor over at Dazed and Confused. I'm sure this book would be full of shiny new contemporary gems and hopefully show a plethora of different artistic techniques.

The Copy Book by Taschen & D&AD - Not that I need any help trying to write copy for advertising but, I think this book is interesting during a time where advertising plays such a huge part in our lives. The book has a selection of essays and lots of illustrations showing both good and completely awful looking (in my opinion) advertising.

High Heels : Fashion Femininity Seduction by Ivan Vartanian, Stella Bruzzi, James Crump - Firstly, if any book cover is going to get me, it's going to be that one, aside from that, this book is full of fashion photography, and as someone who has folders on upon folders of editorials on her computer, this would be amazing inspiration.

Viktor & Rolf Fairy Tales - I know I've blogged about this before on some distant wishlist (and I still don't have the book, sob) but it's still on my want list purely because if the clothes are anything to go by, this book by Viktor and Rolf will be the most whimsical, lovely book ever. It's also illustrated by the designers themselves!

100 years of Fashion Illustration by Cally Blackman - I'm a fashion Illustrator. This book is all about that very thing. Enough said.

Illustration Now 4 - I don't buy every Illustration Now or every Art Now book, but Taschen continuously churn out amazing books with second to none photographs and Illustration Now number 4 does have some very good illustrators in it. I took a look whilst in Waterstones not so long ago and it's quite beautiful

Visual Merchandising by Tony Morgan - A must for anyone studying retail and anyone interested in retail, visual merchandising, stores and their layout or anything like that. How stores are laid out interests me greatly and definitely impacts on what customers buy. Also good for anyone obsessed with window displays like me!

Wishlist

2012-01-12T22:36:00.000Z

I'm the kind of girl that changes what she wants every five minutes. Every day I say I want or 'need' something (I never do) and then forget about it the next time something pretty comes along. I've always been like it. Eyes of a magpie. I also hardly ever treat things with the respect they deserve. If I own an expensive phone, jacket, pair of shoes, anything, I'll treat it the same as something that could cost me five pounds, so I'm not sure, if I had the money to get everything on this wishlist, that it would be treated with the love and care it deserves ... saying that, right now, I covet everything on here.

Two things that never change about me though, is my love of black and nude colours therefore it's quite fitting that my wishlist basically comprises of luxe, silky, girly things, with a harsh black edge. Also, I don't think I've worn a bikini for years, but if owned that Miu Miu one, I would wear it anywhere I could (round the house probably - no where in britain calls for a bikini).

Gorgeous.

One, Gucci Leather jacket £2,520 Two, Alexa sequinned tulle dress by Christopher Kane £3,985 Three, Fitted Black Racerback dress with breastplate from Alexander Wang $985 Four, Miu Miu dress £1,180 Five, Miu Miu bikini £250 Six, Stella Mccartney studded ankle boots £515 Seven, Alexander McQueen swarovski crystal embellished skull bracelet £275 Eight, Stella Mccartney playsuit £115

Models in Bunny Ears

2012-01-11T21:12:00.000Z

Illustration of models Lily Donaldson and Jessica Stam in bunny ears for LV.

It's from a really old photograph but I think it's adorable.

Alexa Chung for Vero Moda

2012-01-10T18:50:00.000Z

I must admit I have never shopped at Vero Moda but I do have a soft spot for Alexa's style so when it popped up on the Grazia twitter feed that the photos for the newest pre-Spring collection had been released I took a look just to see if there might be anything nice on there and I'm so happy that I did. The first image (above) with the floppy hat, peter pan collar and black tights is my perfect kind of outfit and the rest of them follow the same theme. Lots of floaty fabrics mixed with lace, collars and light knits. Swooooon.

I took a look at the rest of their clothes online too and I think they've got a few pretty things. Quite a lot of lovely sheer blouses and skirts.

Three of my favourites

1, Couture Trend Skirt, £28.88

2,Tea Highwaist Skirt £45.41

3,Peterpan Collar Dress £28.88

Might even do some sketches of these pretty outfits.

#5 The Handbag Project: Amy

2012-01-09T19:57:00.000Z

Today I finished the #5 Illustration for The Handbag Project which was of Amy.

She carries around lots of things in her Mulberry Bayswater, including L'Occitane Cherry Blossom Hand Cream, her sunglasses, filofax, White ipone 4s, Rose Petal Salve, and a Miss Dior fragrance (which I also wear and love!)

You can find out more about her on her blog Amy Antoinette which is full of beautiful, girly photographs and interesting reviews.

The image in editing process Finished Image

New prints!

2012-01-08T16:29:00.000Z

You can now buy these drawings as prints right hereeeee if you like.

Jil Sander Spring Summer 2012 Campaign

2012-01-07T19:15:00.000Z

Fallen in love with the new Jil Sander campaign.

images found here

www.jilsander.com

Dreamy

2012-01-06T19:34:00.000Z

All my loves.

Lindsey Wixon photos sourced here

Chloe Sevigny Illustration

2012-01-05T21:21:00.002Z

My new illustration of the lovely Chloe Sevigny dressed as a cat (original photo here)

Also, anyone who's part of The Handbag Project, just know I'll be starting the new drawings soon. I was really busy and ill over Christmas so it's all been a little delayed.

I hope you're all having a lovely day!

Things I love

2012-01-04T17:06:00.000Z

All images sourced via my pinterest. Balenciaga book & LBD book can be found here.

Bridget Bardot Illustration

2012-01-03T22:29:00.000Z

Grey Day

2012-01-03T13:03:00.001Z

What a typically British, windy, wet and puddle filled day.

I thought I'd share some of the books I had as Christmas gifts, printed in the late 1800's. I'm a fan of the beautiful, detailed illustrations and the over romanticised texts.

Now to spend the day watching films, wrapped in a duvet with copious cups of tea.

Freja Beha for Chanel as a Cat, Illustration

2012-01-02T19:22:00.000Z

Freja Beha + Cats = Heaven.

Preen Spring Summer 2012 Illustration

2012-01-02T19:17:00.000Z

Pierre Huyghe

2012-01-01T16:38:00.000Z

In light of not blogging enough over the Christmas period and wanting to avoid traditional Christmas and New Years posts, I've decided to put up the beautiful work of Pierre Huyghe, instead. I hope everyones having a lovely NY day!

Illustration of model, Raquel Galvão from Daily Bless

2011-12-19T16:47:00.000Z

As a complete hoarder of editorial images and magazines, I'm always looking for new websites for inspiration for new drawings and my new obsession is DailyBless.com

I drew this image from one of their posts called Boyish Manners.

Over and Under the Snow

2011-12-15T21:13:00.000Z

Over and Under the Snow

by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal

Abrams & Chronicle books

Since the weather is cold and everyone's getting in the mood for Christmas and snow, I thought I'd feature a suitably wintery illustrated book this week. This charming book, Over and Under the Snow was sent to me by Abrams & Chronicle Books (who have a brilliant range of illustrated childrens books by the way) and depicts all the life, animals and nature that appear on top of the snow and secretly, underneath the snow. I really liked the authors note at the end which tells you all about the subnivean zone (the places under the snow) and how life carries on below it.

Aside from the story, the illustrations are beautifully simple and any illustrator or fan of children's illustrations would love this book and the lovely images with it.

Sweet Images

2011-12-11T19:00:00.001Z

all pinned from my pinterest

01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11

Loves & Lusts

2011-12-05T16:05:00.000Z

1. This handmade velvet peter pan collar with velvet bows and lace from Little Fille is so beautiful. I think it's just such a better investment to buy a collar and different style dresses to mix and match.

2. Feather skirt from Lipsy. This is texturally amazing, a good alternative to sequins or glitter for Christmas time.

3. I love pearls and silver so this gorgeous little ring from Boticca.com is perfect. It's also a perfectly small £21. Lovely stuff.

4. Lace trim playsuit from Miss Selfridge.

5. I know it's ridiculously expensive, but anything made by Chloe looks like something I've dreamt up. The Rachel bow, cross body bag and this leather bangle are too pretty. A combined price of £1,015 is a littleeeee to pricey though, even for Christmas.

6. These white and black loafers from Topshop remind me of some posh gentleman's posh slippers made shiny and feminine. Love them.

#3 The Handbag Project : Kerry from A Small Scoop

2011-12-01T18:29:00.000Z

#3 of The Handbag Project is Kerry!

I met Kerry at Astley Clarke and picked up her card showing her blog A Small Scoop.

I think her style is adorable and her photos are just brilliant so I'm very glad she decided to take part and definitely take a look at her photos if you have time.

If you'd like to take part just email natasha.nicole.w@hotmail.com

Jewellery by Gisele Ganne

2011-11-27T19:23:00.001Z

I'm a pretty easily excitable kind of person. Anything I think is good, is usually followed by screams of excitement and enough smiling to cause my cheeks to hurt, but Gisele Ganne's jewellery just surpassed those actions and went straight into the realm of complete freaking out. Her jewellery is absolutely gorgeous.

All the collections and pieces are amazingly titled things like 'Divorce Jewellery', 'The Black Widow', 'Mourning Jewellery' and the most recent, 'The New Amazon', featuring pieces called 'Dances With Wolves' and 'La Gazza Ladra'.

Gisele favours themes such as death and divorce following her love of the Victorian tradition of wearing mourning or memorial jewellery to mark the death of someone. I particularly love that her jewellery is at odds with the tradition that all jewellery is celebratory and instead brings something macabre but suitably exquisite into the world of jewels.

I'm head over heals with everything. EVERYTHING.

#2 The Handbag Project : Beanie from In Detail

2011-11-21T17:25:00.001Z

I've just completed the #2 image of The Handbag Project, featuring the lovely Beanie from In Detail, a blog that showcases beautiful jewellery.

Beanie was one of the girls at the Astley Clarke gemology evening that I went to, and knew she'd be one of the girls perfect for this project. Show here is her favourite bag from Thailand, her Canon G12, a big hairbrush, leather bound sketchbook and other daily essentials.

Definitely take a look at her and Harry's jewellery bloghttp://indtl.com/, the photos are amazing! And don't forget, if you'd like to take part, contact me on natasha.nicole.w@hotmail.com for all enquiries.

Natasha x

Sweet Images

2011-11-20T21:55:00.000Z

I'm so tired from work this week, and generally in a slow, sleepy mood so I'm listening to Nouvelle Vague and posting some sweet little images for you all to feast your pretty eyes upon.

Braided hair, ethereal dresses, beautiful blooms, shabby chic, cold and minimal, pink bike, turquoise tipped flats, jewellery, ceramic iphone speakers.

Lovely Fragrances

2011-11-15T20:15:00.001Z

A few days ago I received my fragrance training so my head is currently full of notes, accords and varying ingredients, all swirling around with information over load.

Not only that, but as if I needed another obsession, working with perfume everyday has now made me quite obsessed with a million different varieties and definitely helped me figure out what makes a good perfume (even if it's not to my taste) and what makes a bad one (there are many). Through working really hard, myself and the other girls I work with got perfume for free and obviously we get a discount on others too. Above and below I've pictured the Dior perfume I received, Miss Dior Cherie (Eau de Parfum) as well as getting a free Diorshow mascara and a Marc Jacobs Lola fragrance . I've also got Armani Code for men for my boyfriend (so nice!) and Valentina by Valentino. Here are a few of what I consider to be the best fragrances for women out right now, with some tips on how to test which fragrance is best for you.

One. Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf. Two. Rose by Paul Smith. Three. Valentina by Valentino. Four. Angel by Thierry Mugler. Five. Chance by Chanel. Six. Daisy by Marc Jacobs. Seven. Amor Amor by Cacharel. Eight. Miss Dior Cherie by Dior

Tips

1. Once you've sprayed a tester on your skin, or on a tester strip, always wait around 20 seconds before you smell it. Each perfume is made up of head, heart and body notes and if you smell the perfume straight away, you'll more than likely get only the head notes, which will primarily be the alcohol inside the fragrance. By waiting the 10-20 seconds, you'll start to smell the heart notes which is the 'true' fragrance and the one that determines the family it belongs to.

2. If you're looking for a new fragrance because you're fed up with the one you always wear or you've decided to start wearing perfume, don't come in and try every single tester all at once. Come in store on different days and try around three at one time. Trying too many will only confuse you, and as each fragrance informs the other, you'll quickly loose sight of the true fragrance you like.

3. If you can afford it, try to get an Eau de Parfum rather than an Eau de Toilette. The parfum should be more intense and generally lasts around 5-6 hours on the skin, unlike an Eau de Toilette which only lasts 2-4 hours. Obviously, if you're very liberal with your perfume spraying and maybe spray all over yourself/clothes then an Eau de Toilette will be cheaper for the amount you use it.

4. Don't come in and straight away ask the advisor what's the newest or most in fashion. Fragrances follow fashion and trends just like anything else so you may find yourself with a gourmand influenced fragrance (full of caramel, cream and chocolatey notes) or a chypre fragrance (full of Mediterranean and citrus notes) when really you like floral or oriental fragrances. Chances are, you won't end up with a perfume that best suits you and your personality.

5. Gift sets, especially at Christmas,usually cost the same amount as the 50ml bottles of perfume so if you can, buy a gift set instead. They usually have a body lotion or shower gel inside which means you can layer your fragrances from the moment you get up if you use the shower gel, then moisturiser, then perfume, which ultimately means your fragrance will last longer.

6. And finally, if you can, test the perfume on your skin. So many things influence the fragrance and the perfume won't smell the same on the tester strip as it will on yourself. Also! Silly as it sounds, try sniffing ground coffee or coffee beans between trying fragrances. It clears everything away so one fragrance won't inform another so much!

#1 The Handbag Project

2011-11-15T19:09:00.001Z

I've started a few of the drawings for The Handbag Project now, but the first to be finished is of the lovely Lily, writer of What I Heart Today.

Featured is her favourite handbag, gorgeous Miu Miu purse, L'Occitane hand cream (which I know from experience is amazzzing), amongst all her other daily essentials. It was a pleasure to draw her as the project's #1 and if you want to follow her twitter, click here because her fashion and beauty knowledge is pretty marvellous!

Don't forget, if you want to take part, email me at natasha.nicole.w@hotmail.com

Debra Baxter : Crystal Bomb

2011-11-13T19:52:00.001Z

A cross between jewellery and sculpture, coming across Debra Baxter's jewellery has made my evening.

Absolutely beautiful.

Loves & Lusts

2011-11-09T20:39:00.000Z

One. GLITTERY MIU MIU SHOES. All my shoe prayers have been answered. Why kill your feet for high heels when these amazing sparkly flats will make you look just as glamorous? Just need to find the $585 for them now...

Two. The Splat Collection by Flux from edc London. A quirky ceramic take on the much loved polka dot. Amazing.

Three. Nugget Drop Earrings by Monica Vinader from Harrods. They're a hefty £275, I know, but they are too swoon worthy. Black onyx and green gold quartz. Perfect for winter.

Four. Black Chiffon Maxi Skirt from Miss Selfridge. £37. I love this skirt. You could dress it up or down and it would look beautiful, swishing around under a big, warm coat.

Five.Alexa Mulberry Bag. Perfect, practical and understated.

Six. 60's swing Coat from ASOS. £280.Possibly the most expensive coat on the whole website but just look at it. I love the lack of collar and the wide, short sleeves. It really wouldn't matter what you wore underneath it.

Seven. La Mer Multi Leaf Charm Watch. £69.04. I'm considering buying myself this watch. I came across a different version on Pinterest a while ago, but they discontinued the watch I liked but I found this really similar one by the same brand. They come in different colours with different charms, I loveeee them.

Flowers & Girls

2011-11-08T22:22:00.000Z

A very large illustration I did ages ago that didn't get into something I submitted to, but I thought I'd post it anyway.

Harper's Bazaar : Greatest Hits

2011-11-06T15:10:00.000Z

Harper's Bazaar Greatest Hits

by Glenda Bailey

publish by Abrams books £39.99

Fashion books, how I love thee. Your glossy pages, witty anecdotes and plethora of model photos put me in to a visual coma, where no amount of shouting or waving can distract me from your pretty delights. Initial swooning over, but as you should all know, I am a HUGE collector of fashion books (particularly the ridiculously expensive, hardback variety) and Harper's Bazaar : Greatest Hits which I received a short while ago from Abrams is no exception.

Compiled by editor in chief of Harper's Bazaar, Glenda Bailey, the book celebrates her decade at the helm of the publication and all the creative people involved from 2001 to 2011. The foreword, written by Stephen Gan, quotes her as saying 'Fashion reflects what's going on in our world and Bazaar makes pop culture fashionable.', which seems quite apt for the collage of images outlining the cover of the book, which mixes current icons of pop culture, actresses, pop stars and models with high end couture gowns, make up only fit for a fashion show and sets only fit for behind the lens.

The huge book shows many familiar faces to the average magazine hoarder and fashion follower such as Karl Largerfeld, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs, Valentino (my favourite and pictured with his gorgeous pugs!) and Ralph Lauren, to name a few, as well as containing extracts from the magazine itself, and text rounding up different styles and attitudes within a particular era.

I love that the book has given a special small section to the undeniably amazing Diana Vreeland, with words by Ali MacGraw about what it was like to be her assistant, that the images are high quality and range from magazine covers to make up close ups, to wildly fantastical images of models like Naomi Campbell straddling an alligator, but most of all I like the sheer weight of the book. The weight of images you can keep as reference materials, chronicled easily into seperate years with applicable text and small details about who designed the clothes and photographed each and every photograph.

This book is indespensible to anyone who follows fashion and you want it on your bookshelf. Trust me.

What I Wore Today (First Time!)

2011-10-27T12:03:00.000+01:00

I've seen lots of photographs and illustrations lately about 'What I Wore Today', which I think is a really good idea to get to know the person who's writing you're reading online. Since I like to write about fashion as well as art and the two kind of merge together to form my love of fashion illustration, I thought I'd start some little weekly posts on what kinds of things I've been wearing this week so you all can get to know me better. This was yesterdays outfit.

I wear A LOT of black, and a lot of lace and usually use accessories and nail varnish as something colourful to add. I'll probably post these 'What I Wore's once a week or maybe more if I have something in particular I'd like to show everyone.

Also, I know I've chosen not to post my face and hair as well as my clothes, but it's not because I look like Fiona from Shrek, honestly. I just figure that if these posts are to have a theme, there's no way I'm every week going to worry about my hair and make up and facial expressions just for a post. I'd be a worrying mess! So, it's just clothes for now.

Natasha x

Peter Vogel Exhibition

2011-10-27T11:52:00.001+01:00

A few days ago I went down to the University of Brighton, with Scott (he's a digital music and sound art student there) to see some work by artist, Peter Vogel that was being exhibited.

Even though it's a small show it is one of the best I have seen in soooo long. I'm incredibly interested in art you can interact with, things that merge art and design allowing you to sit on, participate, play with or get involved with the pieces themselves. That's not to play down any other kinds of art, obviously as a viewer you are also 'interacting' with a something like a painting just by viewing it, but this exhibition in particular show's how you can physically get involved.

Most of the pieces work by reacting to your movement or sound. Therefore if I ran my hand through the air past one of the pieces, sounds would play, and the move I moved my hand, the more notes came out, finally making songs that are individual to each person, depending on how they're moving. Others required you to speak, shout or clap to make lights flash, music play or fans to start swirling around. My explanation of it comes no where to near to how fun it is to actually stand there waving your hands around, trying to work things out, clapping and peering at the work till you get the desired result.

The best piece there was the one in the image above where you can see my hand (and also a larger photo of it above that) where you had to sit down on a small plinth and could play all the instruments by touching the buttons in front of you. Every button you touch, makes a different instrument move so you can make your own songs. They aren't conventional sounds like a key board, but more weird clangs, high pitched squeals and low drums. The nicest thing about it, is that you can see each instrument move to make the noise and as the work is lit up, the shadows behind move simultaneously. If you're in or around Brighton, I'd definitely recommend taking a look. if this doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will!

Natasha x

Photos by Scott Hitchcock

Illustrated Book, The Conductor

2011-10-26T10:40:00.001+01:00

I think it’stime for more lovely photos of an illustrated books I’ve been sent and thisweek it’s The Conductor by LaetitiaDevernay.

Published by Chronicle Books, The Conductor is a dreamy wordless narrative about an orchestra conductor, who causes trees’ leaves to rustle and fly, eventually morphing into all manner of whimsical objects and patterns. It’s the kind of book for children and adults alike and for me, as an illustrator it’s a beautiful book to keep just to look at. As an avid fan of all things patterned, I particularly like the mixture of absurdly intricate and completely sparse pages and find the limited palette to make the book look minimal and classy. Laetitia Devernay is an award winning author of several books for children which I’d recommend taking a look at. Follow @ACKidsUK or find them on facebook for more beautifuuuuul illustrated books like this.

(P.S, sorry about the state of my nails on the photos. I had glitter polish underneath which would NOT come off.)

The Handbag Project

2011-10-25T17:40:00.002+01:00

I briefly mentioned The HandbagProject in an earlier post and here I’ve finished the icon/logo for the wholeproject (it’s a Ralph Lauren bag by theway). I have a bit of a handbag obsession (alongside jewellery and accessories) so for me this project isbasically an excuse to draw pretty girls and handbags. Can’t argue with that,right? I’m currently in the process of starting the first image and I’ll slowlybut surely be getting in contact with girls (or guys!) I think might like totake part. I’ll be keeping the logo in my sidebar, underneath my main profileinformation on my blog so if you’d like to take part, just look for the imageand my contact email beside it to send me an email.

Basically all I want to do is create illustrations based around your favourite handbag and what you carry inside it. Each image will incorporate a portrait of each person, the handbag and some possessions so each drawing will be personal to the person involved. This is an ongoing project which I hope to make into a book at some point so if anyone would like me to draw them as part of the project, just email!

Natasha x

Astley Clarke's Gemology Event

2011-10-25T17:23:00.001+01:00

Hello lovelies.

Last week Iwas fortunate enough to be one of the few invited to the Astley Clarke jewellery showroom for champagne, sushi and looking and learning about theprettiest gems I’ve ever seen.

Now,compared to the Carrie Bradshaw’s of the world, my level of girlynesss and loveof shoes is probably easily beaten. I’m a firm, black high heels or balletflats kind of girl … but my love of jewellery and handbags? Second to none.Therefore I was practically dancing my way down the train from Brighton toLondon at the prospect of getting to look at beautiful stones I’d never heardof.

Walking into the Astley Clarke showroom gives youthe same feeling you get when you’re a little girl peering into your mother orgrandmothers jewellery box. A complete sense of awe and wonderment at all theglittering surfaces and a delight in the glass boxes holding hidden treasures.For a visual magpie like me with a penchant for all things reflective andshiny, it’s basically heaven. Shortly after arriving and after meeting Founderand Managing Director, Bec Astley Clarke and her team, it was patently obviousthat these women have such a passion for what they do and the messages theywant to convey about jewellery and how it should make you feel. You can tellthey genuinely love the jewellery and hearing them talk about the pieces theypersonally liked was far more interesting and gave a greater insight to eachperson individually than just looking at the gems alone.

After being given a gift of a jewellers 30X-21mmmagnifying loupe to look at the gems very closely, we were introduced to theincredibly interesting gemologist Amanda Good, who showed us how to use it toview the intricate gems (making sure yourhands touch to keep steady) and passed around different gems to see howstrikingly different, and even more gorgeous each gem was when viewed close up. We looked at many different gemsincluding moon stones, (a huge newfavourite of mine) labradorite, sapphires, tourmaline, opal’s and manyothers and listened to her explain the mythology and meanings behind each oneas well as the more technical side of which gems are good for everyday wear andwhich are more suited to be worn only for the best occasions.

Top tips

Don’t keepyour jewellery all together in a draw or bag where they may clash or hit eachother. Each gem has different properties and softer ones can be easily damagedby general wear and tear. Try to keep them in soft pouches or separately inboxes.

Nothingbeats a toothbrush and soapy warm water for home cleaning of your jewellery toget everything sparkling again!

I think the most important thing I learnt was tostay true to your personality when choosing jewellery. Unlike diamonds, I thinkgemstones really have the ability to portray you as a person. For instance,gemologist Amanda really likes sapphires and optical effects, especially inquirky jewellery. Other girls were more interested in the meanings of the gems,whether it was their birthstone or what the mythology was behind the piece.Whilst others simply loved certain gems for favourite colours and would pickthings for purely visual reasons. I also learnt not to stick to what you know.Titanium for instance is something I never would have gone looking for, but thematerial is so light and easy to wear and looked so different to everythingelse that it’s something I’ll now definitely seek out.

My personal favourite out of the many lovelythings we looked at (and shown below)was the Astley Clarke take on the Victorian tradition of creating a ringspelling out ‘dearest’ as an acronym, using six different types of gemstone. Toupdate it, the ‘darling’ ring was created (amuch sweeter term in my opinion) where each gem represents a letter in the word.On the train home back to Brighton and mentally running through all the piecesI’d seen that night, this ring was definitely my favourite. It’s delicate,meaningful, and something not everyone would have (If I could afford to be frivolous toward myself and get this I’d be thehappiest girl ever. Although may become transfixed by it and never leave thehouse). Definitely the gem of gems. Serious swooning. Below I’ve shown thisring and a few of my other favourites, all in different price ranges for you tofawn over.

One.Aventurine Pebble Pendant by Astley Clarke Pebble £125. This piece is sodelicate and beautiful. The colour is light and fresh and I love the way it’sleft to speak for itself with minimal fuss. Very clean and contemporary.

Two.Labradorite Cobachon Ring by Anne Sportun £1,150. This is perfect forautumn/winter. It’s a dark and moody gem, but lightened by the 18ct gold ringthat it’s set in. I’d never heard of labradorite before, but up close it’s oneof the prettiest things I’ve seen.

Three. IonianIslands Enamel Ball Pendant by Astley Clarke Colour £145. For those looking forsomething a bit different but still special, this green enamel ball pendant isspot on. This necklace features rose cute white topaz and comes from the AstleyClarke colour collection which is full of bright, stand out jewellery.

Four. Darling Ring by Astley Clarke Couture £850.It’s perfect. That’s all I have to say about this ring. Perrrrfect.

Five. AmmaCluster Earrings by Vinnie Day. I can’t believe I never realised how prettymoonstones were before. This is a cluster of them designed exclusively forAstley Clarke and would look beautiful with minimal make up and sleeked backhair.

Six. MiniLuna Ring by Monica Vinader £70. I adore this ring, and at that price I mightactually by this one for myself. It’s part of a collection where you can buymore than one ring and stack them in different ways as they all fit seamlesslytogether. I’d also wear this one by itself because it’s so understated andpretty.

Seven.Gemstone Bracelet by Pippa Small £550. Beautiful and colourful. I like that ithas other gems hanging down slightly from the main bracelet so the piece hassome movement. Great for catching the light and making the gems sparkle.

Eight.Double Spinel Ring by Astley Clarke Aravalli £1,225. This ring features a deeppink and blue faceted spinel. Considering the price, it really is one of thosepieces you would look after carefully and pass down to your granddaughters. Agorgeous investment piece.

If you’re a lover of all things that sparkle I’ddefinitely recommend giving Astley Clarke.com a visit. The gems really arebeautiful and the extremely broad price ranges mean you can save up for aninvestment piece (or cheekily ask for oneas a gift) or you can buy slightly lower priced jewellery, one piece at atime to create one of their quirky stacks. You can also create a wishlist,which is really helpful for keeping track of the items you’re really swooningover or just give them a call on ‘personal shopping’ for help, information orto buy. They’re really friendly and really knowledgeable about everything theysell.

Also, it was lovely to meet other people who blogabout similar things and even though I didn’t have time to chat a lot, as I hadto travel back to Brighton, I have looked at their blogs and they’re prettyfantastic, so take a look at Rebecca’s blog, FlorenceFinds, A Small Scoop byKerry, In Detail by Beanie and Harry, Or Flase Glitter by Sarah, The Style PAby Jenny and Alannah’s site – you’ll probably lose hours looking at all theirvisual delights.

I seem to have swooned and rambled my way into fartoo many paragraphs now so I will shush and try to stop thinking aboutjewellery now.

Natasha x

Loves & Lusts

2011-10-22T17:54:00.000+01:00

One. Purple enamel skull clasp bangle by Alexander McQueen(£145) The cold weather is coming, and you know what that means, dark evenings,black dresses and a little bit of goth attire (for me anyway.) This bangle isthe perfect British addition to a dark British autumn evening.

Two. Dazed & Confused : Making it up as we go along book(Rizzoli). For their 20^thanniversary they’ve decided to make this absolutely crackin’ looking book.Featuring some of my favourites, Chloe Sevigny, Kate Moss and Bjork, the bookchronicles Dazed & Confused since the beginning. I bet it’s a visualdelight. Want.

Three. Lace Mesh full skirt from Topshop (£40.00) It mightbe dry clean only but it often baffles me at how many items of clothing I ownthat are hand wash or non machine washable so it’s a problem I can deal withfor this pretty skirt. Romantic and lovely.

Four. Lace collars.Pretty collars have been everywhere. I particularly love the lace and peter panones for autumn/winter. Detachable collars are a god send for little plaindresses. Like jewellery you can mix and match them to change your wholeoutfit.(Unattributed photo.)

Five. Nan Goldin forJimmy Choo. Famous for her raw documentary photos, depicting partying, sexdrugs and all that lark, Nan Goldin has moved away from such things for hercollaboration with Jimmy Choo. The new ad campaign features beautiful peacock like colours and similarlybeautiful models displaying this seasons shoes.

Six. Blouse on Top Dress from Miss Selfridge (£39.00) Clean,simple, sheer and covered at the same time. Split down the back, can be worncasual or dressed up. Perfect mutli functional dress? Probably.

Seven. Make up byLOOK magazine. Basically, it’s their job over at LOOK to know what’s infashion, right? So they’re make up research knowledge is going to be second tonone. Now they’ve made their own make up line which starts at £4 for eyeshadowand goes up to £18 for a Glow Kit. The packaging is simple and classic and Ican’t wait to try it.

Lily Donaldson, Harper's Bazaar Cover

2011-10-19T18:00:00.002+01:00

After looking at so many vintage Harper's Bazaar covers recently, I decided to illustrate one of the more recent covers.

Drawing from the new Harper's Bazaar's Greatest Hits book (which I'll show you all soon) I illustrated Lily Donaldson holding a gorgeous, little leopard cub.

In other news, Scott and I have set up a little workspace at home so I'll post some photos of that, hopefully when we get some inspiring photos up on the walls.

Also, I'm embarking on a new self initiated project called 'The Handbag Project'. Combining my love of portraiture and fashion, I'm going to be illustrating A3 images of women, their favourite handbags and their contents. Obviously what we carry round with us is indicative to the kind of person we are and the lives we lead so hopefully it'll make for some interesting images!

If you'd like to get involved, all I need is a clear photo of yourself, your favourite handbag and some photos of the contents inside that you generally carry around, where I'll combine them all to make a lovely drawing. Each person involved will then get the opportunity to buy the original for a teeny £10 if they wish, otherwise, I'll keep them for my portfolio.

If you'd like to join with my project and send along some of your photos (you're not obliged to purchase!) then don't hesitate to email me at natasha.nicole.w@hotmail.com and I'll get in touch as soon as I can.

I'm starting the first of the series soon so keep an eye out for when I post it on here.

Hope you're all having a great week!

Diana Vreeland : The Eye has to Travel

2011-10-18T18:07:00.000+01:00

Diana Vreeland : The Eye has to Travel

By LisaImmordinio Vreeland

Published byAbrams books £35.00

Hello lovelies. I had this book sent to me a few days agoand I’ve barely put it down since. Thisis the kind of book that my literary dreams are made of. Coffee table bookquality photos with information and essays to rival any fashion reference book,all printed in a huge, thick papered, shiny cover. It was loooove at firstsight.

Usually, when buying books that have anything to do withart, fashion or any visual culture, I’m aware that there are (basically andwith exceptions) two types of book. The ones full of images, perfect forinspiration, scanning for projects and using as a visual aids and ones for textreferences, that are much more wordy, full of essays and generally more helpfulfor learning about a subject. Mixing the two is generally done, but not alwaysdone successfully, as I found out through three years of trying to find helpfulfine art books through university. However, TheEye has to Travel, is one of those rare gems that manages to inform andvisually make me swoon all at the same time.

If you’re not familiar with Diana Vreeland (1903 – 1989)then you should know that she was a fashion force to be reckoned with. Sheworked as fashion editor for Harper’sBazaar in the 1930’s, to then become editor-in-chief at Vogue magazine (1962 – 70) and went onto work at the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute (1972 – 89) as amuse-in-residence because of her unparalleled knowledge and sheer love forclothes and artistry. To me, she seems like the kind of woman that personifiesthe term ‘girl power’, because to accomplish all of that in one lifetime and tohave such an influence on such a large part of culture is incredibly inspiring.

The text in The Eyehas to Travel, including writing by author, fashion consultant and filmmaker, Lisa Immordinio Vreeland and essays by Lally Weymouth, Judith Thurmanand Judith Clark, give the life a Diana Vreeland, both a personal andhistorical context. Writing about her personality and passion, but also how sheand fashion as a whole influenced culture, and in turn, how culture influencedthe current fashion. The book chronicles 50 years of international fashion andcaptures each zeitgeist with quite frankly, amazing photos of editorials,magazine spreads and layouts, as well as showing images of fashionillustrations (by Marcel Vertes) and photography from the 40’s, side by side.Something I think our current fashion magazines should take note of. Mixinghand drawn illustrations and photography in the same article isn't as commontoday but I think definitely produces a much more visually interesting article.

The book is full of powerful quotes by the woman herself,photos ranging from 1930’s Balenciaga dresses, vintage Harper’s Bazaar andVogue covers, musicians, patterns, actors and costumes amongst others, and Igenuinely poured over it from the minute I got my hands on it. If you likefashion, art, art history and want to be able to read and learn about it whilsthaving beautiful images to look at too, then I’d definitely recommend thisbook. You won’t put it down, I swear. Unless it’s to make a cup of tea and goback to it, obviously …

[about photos fromthe 1930’s] ‘Those were the days when people dressed for dinner, and I meandressed – not just changed their clothes. If a woman came in in a Balenciagadress, no other woman existed.’

Dresses & Dalmatians

2011-10-16T16:51:00.001+01:00

Inspired by my love of polka dots and a lovely magazine editorial on dresses and dogs, I drew this dalmatian patterned coat and matching dog as seen in one of the photos I came across. I found drawing animals hard but I think it came out okay. I'm currently just finishing a drawing of a model and a little leopard cub which I'll post soon too.

Loves & Lusts

2011-10-16T16:38:00.000+01:00

One. Victoriana meets geek. This velvet dress is pretty perfect. I'm building up quite the collection of dresses with lace on them and I think a velvet one would be a great winter addition. ASOS, fine lace collar velvet dress (TBA) reduced to £85.

Two. Chanel, Spring/Summer 2012 runway. White, beautiful, clean, minimal. It looks like a wonderful white, fashion paradise. Definitely one of my favourite looking runways. Mary Katrantzou and Louis Vuitton also did beautiful 2012 ones.

Three. 'Irreverent' by Carine Roitfeld (Rizzoli) Parisian Chic + book = yes.

Four. Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation

Five. Grey Wild Flower scarf by Liberty. This reminds me of wild moors, wet British weather and reading books on a window seat. It's beautiful and timeless and if I thought I could pull off draping this scarf around me every day I would (I really am not that elegant, sadly!)

Six. Miss Dior bag by Dior. I'm a firm bags over shoes kind of girl and If you've got a spare £1.850 then this is the perfect classic little black bag. The chain makes it a little less prim and it comes in a variety of colours. I like the light pink and black the best.

Seven. Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 collection. I'm not a huge LV fan really, probably because of the overuse of the fussy little logo, although I do like the Takashi Murakami, pop kitsch take on the logo made for the brand a few years ago. However the whole show and all the clothes for spring next year really are so girly, light and lovely that I defy anyone to dislike it.

Press Here, illustrated book by Herve Tullet

2011-10-15T17:37:00.000+01:00

I'm a huuuuge fan of illustrated books and this utter beauty 'Press Here' by Herve Tullet is the sweetest one I've seen in a while.

Even though it's aimed at children, it clearly brings out the child in everyone. My 23 year old self, for instance went along with everything the book told me to do, 'press here' , 'shake here' and trying to transform the dots into different colours with a mere touch. The book manages to be interactive without being digital, like an ipad or other technological gadget. Instead, it needs you to interact and play along with it, pressing as though it's a touch screen and following the narrative until all the colours enlargen to ridiculous proportions and you have to start the book all over again. I really enjoyed it and I'm pretty sure it would be a good way to trick my one year old nephew into learning about colours, shapes and numbers whilst having fun.

You can find out more about this book and others like it on AC Kids UK's facebook page or follow them on twitter for more updates and if you might also want to look at the artists website because it's particularly bright and perky.

And thanks to the lovely Tina from abrams&chronicle for sending the book over!

Illustrating for The Clothes Maiden magazine

2011-10-14T14:20:00.001+01:00

Recently I made some titled illustrations for Clothes Maiden magazine, afashion filled, cute and quirky magazine full of loveliness.

My drawings sit amongstwonderful articles on street style, pretty things, up and coming fashionlabels, fashion editorials and interviews with interesting people. Below is a little sneak preview but you can view more of it online or you could buy it (which I highly advocate as the best decision since you get my drawings and good writing!)

You cancurrently buy issue #3 and look at previous issues when you click here. Also,check out the Clothes Maiden blog which is updated regularly with lots oflovely things and find out more about the magazine and it's creator.

Meadham Kirchhoff Spring Summer 2012 Illustrations

2011-10-11T10:31:00.004+01:00

Hello lovelies.

I'm sure lots of people have seen my seemingly endless moaning on twitter about my lack of internet at home, which I now won't have for another two weeks (thanks o2). So I've had a little trouble getting to my blog and writing anything.

I finished these new drawings of the Meadham Kirchhoff Spring/Summer 2012 collection a few days and here they are. The duo are amongst some of my favourite designers and this year I think they outdid themselves with their Courtney Love, Babydoll and balloons kind of fairytale mash up.

I draw a lot from photos and fashion magazines, and this time I used some of photographer Saga's photos as inspiration and resources for my drawings since they were better than some of the other photos from sites I usually use for inspiration. Take a look at her blog if you like fashion/photos.

I'm keeping this post short and sweet, but since the pictures on here are low quality so they're quicker to load, take a look at my PORTFOLIO to see them bigger/better.

Love & Lusts

2011-10-06T13:20:00.000+01:00

This week I'm lusting after the following...

One. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I went to see the film about a week ago because I always loved the book. It brings out the gothic romantic in me. It's dark, beautiful and I think that Jane's character is written as incredibly strong, which I find amazing for the time in which it was written. I really liked the film adaptation too, and I'd suggest to others to go and see it.

Two. Knitted Fluffy Rose Jumper from Topshop. This jumper is a little pricey for how small it is I guess but it's so cute and today I felt the autumny breezes of Brighton and I'm sure this fluffy jumper and a mug of hot chocolate would make me feel cosy and warm. Also, last year I bought a little blue cropped angora jumper with flowers on it which was expensive for how tiny it was and I still wear that now, so it's a little bit of a good investment!

Three. Viktor & Rolf Spring/Summer 2012. I know, I know, I put them in my last weeks loves but that was a book and this is clothes, so I'm allowed to double up. I really didn't like their Autumn/Winter collection (red faces?) but this is them doing beautiful doll like things like only they can. Dazed & Confused have really good photos of the show if you'd like to see more.

Four. Wooden Owl Necklace from Tatty Devine. It's adorable. That's all there is to say.

Five. Rose Perfume by Paul Smith. It's my favourite perfume since I couldn't find 'Floral' anymore. I'm pretty sure it's the same perfume in new packaging. It's girly, sweet and light which is perfect for in your 20's. I always feel like I'm not old or womanly enough to wear half the musky vanilla fuelled heavy perfumes that I often see. Also, I start working as a sales advisor for Fragrance next month so expect more perfume on here.

Six. Beige Drop Back Skirt from Miss Selfridge. I always feel like people don't talk about Miss Selfridge as much as say Topshop or H&M but I always think they have better clothes in there and this skirt is beautiful. I'd wear it with black as not to look like a little lost ballerina.

Seven. Haruki Murakami's new book 1Q84. I can't give you much information because I flat out refuse to read the first chapter which is online or the blurb describing what it's about. But I want it SO badly. I've been waiting for it for ages. It's taking all my restraint not to go to Foyles just to get their limited edition version.

Eight. Brooch by Andrea Garland. I saw this via Grazia, and you really have to look at the Grazia website to see how cool they are in real life rather than just on the website. They're rings, brooches and other things full of lip balms. I love jewellery with make up/mirrors inside. It makes sense, it's practical and beautiful.

Heart & Lungs Zine

2011-10-04T12:11:00.000+01:00

So, this month I was featured in Issue #3 of Heart & Lungs.

It's a bi monthly zine created to allow people to collaborate and inspire each other and write and draw pretty things.

Every issue has a new theme and the one I'm in is 'Bruised Knees & ABC's'. So the issue is full of cute drawings, nostalgic childhood things and obviously, ABC's!

The best thing about this zine is you can choose how much you pay for it by clicking here and entering how ever much you think it's worth/would like to donate and they'll send you a lovely copy.

Here's the image I made for it and a few other preview pictures of other nice things inside.

Flamingo Magazine

2011-10-01T10:49:00.000+01:00

Yesterday the lovely people over at Flamingo Magazine sent me their second issue and it is paaaaacked with illustration loveliness, photos and witty articles.

When I opened it to read, one of the first images I saw was an illustration of Ai WeiWei by Shaun Lynch and I love Ai WeiWei, he's one of my favourite artists, both aesthetically in that I think his works are beautiful, but also politically because he literally has to fight for his right to speak and make art. Something we probably take for granted over in the UK. So, in my eyes, the magazine was off to a good start.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you everything in the issue (mainly because I think you should all go and buy it) but I particularly loved the article on Louise Zergaeng Pomeroy and her take on the way women are viewed, Dan Edelstyn's tale of vodka making and Russian history along with more cute articles like Maggie Li's illustrated map of stalking people you don't know and the Stuff and Things page.

Also if you ever want to learn how to make Mojito Cupcakes and Dream Machines then they somehow have all the information inside on how to do so too (I'm totally going to make those cupcakes). On a little side note, my favourite drawings were Emma Brown's 'pedigree chums'. Amazing textures and an adorable outcome.

You can find more cool stuff on their website or follow them on twitter like me to keep updated.

Fashion Week

2011-09-26T19:19:00.000+01:00

This is a round up of my fashion week favourites. Minus the eccentrically amazing Meadham Kirchhoff and the beautiful Honor brand, because those deserve special entries and maybe some swish illustrations too.

I can't explain how much I want the gold No 21 dress. She looks like she was dipped in gold.

Hello Mrs Midas.

Fancy Camera & Brighton

2011-09-24T22:31:00.000+01:00

Scott is trying to teach me how to use his fancy camera because it'll be good for my little mini worlds/sets, so earlier today we tried taking some photos of our pretty city (note, I still don't understand aperture but I do like fancy long lenses).

& it's a pity you have to lower the dpi just so the blog won't take ages to load.

Katy Perry & Will Cotton's Candyland

2011-09-24T08:45:00.000+01:00

The aptly named Will Cotton's paintings full of candy cotton coloured fantasy worlds are sickly sweet and full of nostalgia and all the nice things things in life. I'm pretty sure everyone would recognise his work now, since he was the art director for Katy Perry's California Gurls video and the same aesthetic is carried through all of his paintings and sculptures, spanning many years.

I'm basically obsessed with treats and cakes, overly sugary things and pretty decorations, as well as fantasy worlds, utopias and pretty ladies, therefore Mr Cotton just serves it all to me on a well iced cake platter.

Here's some Saturday sugar.

1. Ice Cream Katy 2. Pretty 3. Love Me 4.Candy Cloud 5. Untitiled 6. Delight 7. Cotton Candy Hannah

(All images can be found at the artists website via the link above)

Burst Magazine

2011-09-23T11:05:00.001+01:00

Burst magazine is an independent digital magazine created by the lovely Ali Salih, and I'm featured in issue #8 of it!

It's all about up and coming creatives and the latest issue is packed with amazing pen and pencil drawings following this months theme.

Go HERE and download it free to your laptop, ipad or whatever swish piece of tech you're using.

Below is a little preview of my work inside and a few of my other favourites that were included.

1, Erica Williams 2, Hanna Viktorsson 3, Jardley Jean-Louis 4, Rachel Claire Price 5, Harriet gray

Hannah Zakari

2011-09-21T08:25:00.001+01:00

Well, I've been incredibly busy moving my stuff from Cheshire all the way down to Brighton, so drawing and writing, my favourite things have kind of taken a back seat to all the boring, mundane things in life. However, just before my moving day, a lovely Hannah Zakari 2011 lookbook landed on my doorstep.
The lookbook is brilliant by itself, clearly lovingly designed and made with a sewn spine, a Gemma Correll postcard inside and pretty little stickers attached to create wishlists from.

Run by the very friendly Rachael Lamb, the independent boutique runs from both her Edinburgh store and online shop, which sells the cutest, quirkiest most adorable items ever that are handmade or designed by indie designers. I'm practically in love with everything (trust me, my boyfriend had to sit there whilst I looked through and showed him EVERY item online.)
I thought the name behind the business was really thoughtful and beautiful too, 'Hannah Zakari' meaning Blossom in Japanese, and below I've picked some of my particular favourites that I'll be adding to my wishlist.

1. Cross stiched moustache bobby pins by Magasin 2. Monster Truck Vessel by Paige Russel 3. Soft Cream Girls Print by Naoshi 4. Toyah the Trapeze Artist Brooch, by Haberdash House 5. Macaroon Ring by Petit Plat 6. Harriet Vintage Shopper by Showpony 7. Mr Darcy Charm Earrings by Hoolala 8. Wild Jezebel necklace by Kitschen Sink 9. Embroidered Anchor Brooch by Emma Ferguson 10. Pugs Not Drugs tote bag by Gemma Correll 11. This Belongs To... notepad by Little Clouds 12. Tea and Biscuit hairclips by Layla Amber 13. Custard Cream Pearl necklace by Biscuit Boutique 14. Big Matrioshka necklace by T-Boo

Felix's Machines

2011-09-16T21:18:00.000+01:00

Today I came across one of the most magical pieces of sculptural/musical/installation art ever.

Kinetic art has come a long way since the days of Alexander Calder and Felix Thorn portrays this beautifully. His machines show a live audience the sheer effort and complexity found in digital music by creating kinetic sculptures which act as a performance parallel to the intricate music being made by translating rhythmic audio structures. He says, "Although my medium focuses on the development of acoustic sounds, I am continually inspired by electronic music - the countless abstractions act as blueprints for the construction of its acoustic counterparts. I aim to build a space where artificial and dream-like environments can become a reality."

Just awesome.

Felix's Machines from Tom Mansfield on Vimeo.

This Weeks Loves & Lusts

2011-09-15T16:42:00.000+01:00

1. Deer and Butterfly paper lashes from lalalashes.com They're inspired by Chinese paper cutting and each set of lashes has a symbolic meaning rooted in Chinese culture. Not for daily wear obviously but worn on a lovely occasion, I think they'd be quite special.

2. Viktor and Rolf's new book of fairytales (Hardie Grant Books). I cannot even think of a better duo for coming up with a book of fairytales. It will be published in October and will feature 12 stories, including one about a princess called Giselle who decides she wants a dress made entirely of gold, 'The dress was so heavy that it took five servants to slip it on over her silk petticoat.'

3. Motel Shannon Pleated Midi Skirt in Charcoal. Covers more of your legs for autumn but doesn't look dowdy. And it swishes, got to love anything that gives you a swish.

4. Topshop dog print blouse. The other day I tweeted about how in love I was with dalmatians after seeing one whilst walking through a field, and lo behold, this morning Topshop sent me a dalmatian collection filled email this morning which featured this beautiful printed blouse. I actually think it would look lovely with the midi skirt above.

5. A beautiful linen cushion by Jane Howarth. I love the owl print but you can get dogs, bunnies, all sorts

6. I really want a hat for autumn and I think this floppy fedora esque one is really cute and girly, especially with the bow.

7.I'm moving on Saturday so decoration is bubbling around my head, trying to come up with ideas to make a boring rented flat look lovely, so I've been crushing on grand interiors of beautiful minimal homes.

8. Luna and Curious tights! Quirky but I bet you literally cry if you (inevitably) ladder them.

Pattern

2011-09-14T23:07:00.000+01:00

The other day I made my first pattern! It's mostly hand drawn with some little digitally added Minnie Mouse ears (as all girls need, obviously) I think it's quite adorable. Ahoy new twitter background!

Mariko Mori

2011-09-14T11:45:00.000+01:00

Japanese video/photo artist and complete sci-fi esque cybergeisha Mariko Mori has influenced me for quite a few years now. She mixes science fiction with Eastern mythology and technically uses lots of interesting digital techniques to create layered non existent worlds of her own creation.

Aside from the fact that visually her pieces are surreal and beautiful, they all hold deeper meanings about connection with one another through exploring other identities. Apparently she's planning a 'futuristic island earthwork' where she plans to build a solar monument on Miyako island where the sun will shine on two sculptures, the 'Sun Pillar' and the 'Moon Rock'.

I loved the way she described the work, sounds beautiful.

“I believe that people will reconnect with the rhythm of the sun, the moon, and the sea while experiencing this work and become one with the universe of the mind that exists inside every human being."

New Biba Make Up Range

2011-09-13T11:27:00.001+01:00

Biba have launched a small new make up range for House of Fraser, to join it's amazing handbags and clothes modelled by the beautiful Daisy Lowe above.

I think the packaging makes me want the make up more than what's actually inside but the nail varnish colours in particular look lovely for Autumn and I can't explain how much I want that Biba lipgloss ring! Which by the way is only £15, which is quite good when you think of what you pay for costume jewellery in somewhere like Topshop and they certainly don't have a clever hidden little lipgloss inside.

I think wearing the brand is on trend with all the 60s dress shapes about and even if it had nothing to do with trends, you can't be black and gold. Classy.

Victoria Beckham Spring Summer 2012

2011-09-12T16:11:00.000+01:00

Anyone who knows me will know I LOVE Victoria Beckham. Firstly, she was the posh Spice Girl, which obviously makes her the best, secondly whenever I've seen her on a programme or speaking somewhere, she's incredibly witty, funny and doesn't take herself half as seriously as people sometimes assume, and thirdly, no matter what you say, that woman has incredible style.

I loved her clothes as soon as she started designing them but I know there was quite a lot of criticism initially about her creative abilities and whether she'd be able to break into the already full fashion market. However, I defy any girl to not love her lower priced (still expensive mind, but save worthy) Spring/Summer 2012 collection.This year she's taken her inspiration from the mini goth cartoon character Emily The Strange. Apparently one of the prints is called 'Victoria Cat' and another 'Cutey Cat' and some of the others feature moons and clouds.

Sounds darkly adorable.

These are just a few of the pre release 'sneak preview' photos of her dresses but if you follow @THELOVEMAGAZINE then you can see some of the new prints as they're photographing and tweeting them.

My 101th post

2011-09-11T16:07:00.001+01:00

I'd already started collecting images to make a 100th post that turned into a post about sketching, so I thought I might as well finish what I started and post my image collection a little late. Basically I think that sometimes, especially if you're very image orientated, your real likes or dislikes can get lost amongst the sheer volume of images posted and I feel I've done just that this year, making my blog a little bit of a mish mash. As an intrinsically indecisive person, my likes change on a whim anyway, but the things below I think truly represent my taste.

Therefore, if anyone's interested, these are the things I love. A little bit girly, a little bit gothic romantic and a little bit literary.

Note that since I love art so much I've neglected to put in all my favourites as we'd be here forever, so instead I'll do smaller posts on specific artists instead.

Swish.

Note, images are not my own unless specified.

Polka Dot, Charlotte Free, Mermaid Hair Inspired Sketches

2011-09-09T18:24:00.000+01:00

This is actually my 100th ever blog post. Hooray for me. My blog is positively a baby to the age of lots of other girls but I guess it took a while for my ego to catch up and grow big enough to steal a slice of the Internet for itself.

Anyway, I had plans to do a large post for my 100th as a little marker full of all these things I love but then I got sidetracked and did some sketching instead ;)

This is a little showing of progress and one of the pages I had near me for 'inspiration' when drawing. Full of polka dots, models with pink hair and patterns.

Click heeeerrreeee if you want to see the image better/bigger.

Wes Gordon, fall 2011, New York Fashion Week

2011-09-09T00:18:00.000+01:00

I love coming across designers I've never seen before, especially when they make me swoon, and today Wes Gordon did just that. He's had internships at Oscar De La Renta and Tom Ford, and this fall he brought out his debut collection which is quite frankly, beautiful. He says all the designs are inspired by all the girls he wishes he knew, like Lauren Bacall and his clothes mirror the same beauty and elegance while still looking creative and young. Loveeeely.

I also adore Jason Wu's fall collection, and the collection by Ruffian, all shown at New York fashion week.

These are some of my favourites.

Images from Fashionologie

Mariele Neudecker

2011-09-07T23:13:00.000+01:00

During my third year of university, last year, a lot of my time was spent researching artists for journals, for inspiration, and of course because you have to have some sort of tangible proof to your lecturers that your work has context and place and that you aren't just making things for the sake of it.

At that time the work I was producing was all about fantasy world, ideas of utopias, dystopias and heterotopias, therefore many of my pieces were based around landscapes, the feeling of belonging in a place, feeling out of place or feeling overwhelmed by somewhere. I used a lot of romanticist paintings as a reference to create the feeling of awe, but also used a lot of more contemporary artists as inspiration, particularly for technical processes, and also I guess to find someone obviously interested in the same themes as myself.

One of the artists work that I loved the most was Mauriele Neudecker. She's most well known for her landscapes in glass vitrines and cases which to me look terribly romantic and almost give you the same feeling as a Caspar David-Friedrich painting - a sense of awe and beauty of surroundings. These are some of my favourites.

Givenchy Fall / Winter 2011 Runway & Panther Glasses

2011-09-07T12:25:00.000+01:00

I've been working on some runway drawings from my favourite designers and one of those is Givenchy. I absolutely love cats so the riding hats with cats ears and panthers on the skirts mixed with see through fabrics and black taken from the fetish trend = amazing for me.

Freja Beha & Vintage Style

2011-09-06T18:31:00.000+01:00

I'm currently really getting into more fashion illustrations (mainly because I'm sickly in love with so many different designers clothes) so here's my week of beloved fashion beauties to drool over (Freja Beha included obviously!)

(all images sourced as much as possible in the labels below)

Lako Bukia s/s 2012, Amelia's Magazine & sketching

2011-09-05T18:46:00.000+01:00

This week I did a couple of illustrations for Amelia's Magazine (click the link to see the review and more images) of clothes designer Lako Bukia's new pieces for S/S 2012. I had very little to work from really, just some photographs of the dresses hanging on rails so had to imagine the length and the way they'd look on a model.

Usually when drawing I go with my first instincts, hardly rubbing out anything and working from my initial outline. I find that works best for me. But yesterday my first attempts were quite frankly, awfulllllll. I really don't know why, I must have been having a severeee off day, but alas, I did finish the pictures and here they are.

Horse Print Jumpers, Skull Earrings, Anna Sui's Book & Chloe Bags

2011-09-02T19:12:00.000+01:00

This weeks loves and lusts.

1. Playsuit from River Island. It's ridiculously cute, has the ever coveted peter pan collar, pretty buttons and can be worn bare legged right now and with tights when the British weather inevitably (and quickly) gets colder. Lovely.

2. Horse print ASOS jumper. You can get it in mustard but I'm going through a blue phase right now so I'll pick the blue. Adorable print and brilliant if you're petite like me and find it hard to find clothes that fit well.

3. Black faux fur, bow detail earmuffs. Okayyyy so I know full well that it's no where near wintery ear muff weather but look at them! they literally make me wish it was cold right now.

4. Alexander McQueen Skull Pony Box Clutch. I've posted it many times on various sites and saved the image many times on my laptop, but really it's so beautiful.

5. Skull Fringe Earrings (available at Barneys New York) I LOVE anything with tassels. I own a ridiculous amount of tassled things. The skull motif is hideously pretty and the graduate gold and black colours match all the dip dyed hair and nails I keep seeing everywhere.

6. Unattributed complete random photo found in one of my many, many files within files, probably saved from tumblr or pinterest at one time or another. I think all three of those girls have the perfect mix of girly with boyish. A pretty but don't mess with me kind of look.

7. See by Chloe handbag. Chloe is one of my favourite brands for clothes and perfume and this handbag in particular is gorgeous.

8. Anna Sui book. I want this book SO badly. I collect books as if they're vanishing quicker than I can buy them. It's got more than 400 photographs of her amazing designs in it. Perfect coffee table book.

Turps Mag

2011-09-01T11:58:00.000+01:00

Hello lovelieeeees.

This morning I got sent issues #4, #5 and #6 of Turps Mag.

One of my drawings of an owl is in the most recent issue. Eveeeen though they spelt my surname wrong. Most people would probably find that a little irritating but trust me I have built up quite a resilience to my name being constantly spelt or pronounced wrong so I think I'm just going to drop my surname on everything and put everything under Natasha Nicole from now on.

Much more simple ;)

Anyway, you can pick one up at any of these places,

Heaton Arts Festival ,The Tyne Bar, The Cumberland, The Cluny, The Ship, The Tanners, Star + Shadow, Kings Manor, Free Trade Inn, Head of Steam, Tillys, Beatdown Records, Steel Wheels, RPM, Northumberland Arms, Low Lights Tavern, Pure Gallery, Northside Tattooz, Travelling Man, Butterfly Cabinet, Jack Sprats, Cock a Snook, Heaton Perk, Chillingham Arms, Newcastle College: Mandela Building, Northumbria Uni: Squires, First Avenue Studios

OR, you can send them an envelope and a stamp and they'll send one to you.

Sweet.

O.P.I The Muppets Inspired Nail Polish

2011-08-29T15:58:00.001+01:00

When I think of style icons, cosmetics and beauty, I must confess, The Muppets aren't exactly what pops into my head.

Even Miss Piggy, (cute as she is) isn't really an inspiration to anything I like, (I'd go for the Cadbury Girly Rabbit in that instance) I'm a darker kind of girl, I think. My favourite colours are black and white, and whilst I do love girly pinks, I prefer delicate, romantic, light ones, rather than the brashness of Miss Piggy herself.

However! I do love O.P.I and I trust them not to lead me wildly astray and create awful nail polishes. Just like in 2010, when the brand created new polish colours to match the film Burlesque, this year, they're matching The Muppets. I pretty much love the sparkly colourful ones which are perfectly festive and love gold nail polish, tacky as it is, so quite love that one too, as well as loving the completely adorable polish colour names. That's a lot of love there.

I've decided to leave out pictures of four of the other polishes in the set because they're all quite boring deep plummy reds. Beautiful but completely expected, although I guess they make for good sales in that women buy those colours all the time.

Here they are. I want the multi coloured glittered one!

Rainbow Connection, Divine Swine, Warm and Fozzie, Designers De Bette

Getting Piggy With It, Excuse Moi, Fresh Frog of Bel Air, Gone Gonzo