Moustaches, bicycles and nautical fun

I love Alice Shields!
She is one of the most recent artists I have been researching at work and her stuff is just plain and simply wonderful. She specialises in cermaics and broadens this into jewellery, homewear and even plant accessories. I am definitely going to purchase some of the earings and brooches soon! They are just so simple and the illustrations adorable. Take a look for yourself!

Local gems

So last month I bagged myself a little job at local National Trust shop and gallery, 'trust'. It specialises in high-end local crafts, home accessories, jewellery and stationary and is just the perfect addition to my usual work at Lacock Abbey. I work a couple of days a week keeping the shop looking fabulous, focusing on various marketing projects and soucing new suppliers. I can listen to my own music (if appropriate!) and the stock is just to die for! Unfortunately quite a lot of it is out of my price range but i'm sure the discount will come in handy. 

Some of my ultimate favourite ranges include illustrative cards by local artist Susie Brooks (who is actually based just upstairs in The Glove Factory Studios) and the Rosehip range of beautiful stationary. I was lucky enough to be given a free Rosehip book for all my notes at the shop!   

  

 

Miss Watson gets all the best shoots

Throughout my years of sourcing inspirational imagery, compiling mood boards and filling sketchbooks, one face keeps cropping up... 

Some of the most magical and theatrical shots have Emma Watson at their heart. For me personally, I think it is her quintessentially British charm that so many stylists and photographers are drawn to. I am a huge lover of all things English paired with theatrics and beautiful settings. 

Pre 'chop' Emma Watson had a very classical look about her, which leant itself perfectly to shots such as these:

 

Amazing shots and set-ups from Norman Jean Roy. Editorial for Teen Vogue.

 

  

This one makes me smile as the red dress is very reminiscent of Hermione in 'Deathly Hallows 1'

Ellen Von Unwerth is another emerging favourite of mine...

Presently, with her much more edgy look, the editorial style has somewhat changed. I don't favour it AS much, but you can't deny - she is still damn photogenic!

Cat sitting Crookshanks

I just love this shot of Bonnie Wright, AKA Ginny Weasley and no, it's not just because Crookshanks is present in all his grumpy glory (although this is a large contributing factor!) It is just such a gorgeous combination of colour, compostion and mood.

I am a huge fan of anyone who pairs up deep reds with navy blues and strong browns and this just has that extra sparkle, complete with dramatic reflections of a Hogwarts classroom. (My inner HP fan smiles gleefully!)

I actually stumbled across it, as part of a feature for Interview magazine and have to give credit to photographer Alex Sainsbury, stylist John Colver and set designer Georgina Pragnall, for their beautiful work. And not forgetting the flaming beauty of Bonnie...and Crookshanks!

Hollywood Vanity

I quite simply love everything about the Vanity Fair Hollywood covers. These three in particular are my favourites. I adore the colours, , the set-ups, the dresses, the actresses! To me they don't embody anything particularly meaningful, except a snapshot of Hollywood glamour over the years.

As a huge film fan I thoroughly enjoy perusing these whose-who photoshoots and what I find special is that each of the actresses are considered impressive in their field. They aren't just pretty faces, but rising stars in some extremely powerful and rather unglamorous roles.

Elizabeth Olson in 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' and Jennifer Lawrence in 'Winter's Bone' are prime examples of career making performances.

It is also satisfying to see a couple of Brits grace the cover every year (Felicity Jones, Carey Mulligan and Emily Blunt have been present over the past few editions.)

I can't predict who will come next year but I do know the spreads will continue to display that gorgeous finish and display an array of dresses to die for!

D & G Inspire Me

D & G's campaigns have always caught my eye and as my work starts to develop into fashion focussed collections, I just have to turn to these stunning spreads for inspiration. I would say that at times the composition and models are a little too static...but who cares! The over all effect is wonderful and everything I want my own work to embody.

The Jeans' Vision

I am very much inspired by the fragrance adverts for Jean Paul Gaultier, directed by Jean Baptiste Mondino. The pieces for Le Male and Classique have become a campaign in themselves. What is noticeable about his works are the male and female versions of each commercial, discussing each gender with a similar set of working rules.

2010 advert - I enjoy how this gives an almost different perspective- that of the man and then the woman. We can see the structure is the same, just a different spin.

This older commercial, combines the two fragrances. It has a short narrative in which the supposedly male character enters the back room of the bar only to be revealed as a woman. There could be connotations of homosexuality within the commercial, with the figure entering initially looking like a man (perhaps even being a man- as we can see from his shape) and then converting into a woman when coming face to face with the second character.There are the stereotypical images of homosexuality in the sailor wear, tight stripy shirts with rippling biceps.

Perhaps the narrative is discussing a man longing for his female companion... and visualising her in a male friend/colleague?

Overall the piece is drawing together the male and female elements of the brand. Something for me to definitely consider in the exploring of Ted Baker's collection.