Asymmetric Dress / OUTFIT : MADE

May 18, 2012

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FAIIINT Asymmetric Dress / COS Belt / ASOS Spiked Choker / Rick Owens Wedges / Balenciaga City Bag

After the previous post about the Nelly launch party and my poor last minute attempt at an outfit shot, I’ve had a lot of you asking for better photos of the dress I made for the event, so I recreated the outfit I wore on the night & headed off down to the park to get some shots. The wind decided to play too, so it was the perfect day for it… I honestly think there is nothing better than swooshing around in a floaty dress in the wind! Though, needless to say we got some rather funny looks from everyone else decked out in tracksuits & sneakers!

I made this dress a few days before the party, I had nothing else to wear & no spare cash to buy anything new. I had been having an awful skin day (yes, still!) so I knew I needed to wear something that I’d feel great in to make me forget about it for the night. I only had a few days to make it, so it needed to be something simple, I used an old pattern I knew fit perfectly & adapted into this, basically an amalgamation of my favourite things in dress form. It’s made from cotton lawn, which is generally a shirting fabric, but it is also one of my favourites to work with & I have used it for just about every type of garment over the years. The collar bone is one of my favourite parts of the body & I always like to give necklines a little notch mimicking the shape, it’s a subtle but a nice detail I think & you’ll probably notice this quite a bit on things I’ve made. I also love anything asymmetric, so cutting the hem this way was an obvious choice & helps it look a little more interesting.

In : FAIIINT, Made, Outfit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Hello Nelly Launch Party / EVENTS

May 12, 2012

Wednesday night was the UK launch party for Nelly.com, already well established in Scandinavia & Europe, they are now launching in the UK with a brand list & own label collections to rival ASOS’s. Personally I have been longing for another store in the same vein as ASOS, but with a different selection of brands and I love that Nelly stocks lots of my favourite Scandinavian labels like Acne, Stylein & Dagmar, which can sometimes be hard to get a hold of here.

The night was hosted at the beautiful Aqua in London, with terraces overlooking Oxford Street & the some of the tastiest cocktails & canapes I’ve ever tried, it was the perfect venue for the event. We were treated to free cocktails, goodie bags, nail makeovers and not forgetting a free pair of Nelly shoes! I had my eye on the studded loafers and spiked wedges! I’ll leave the rest to the photos…

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FAIIINT Asymetric Dress / COS Belt / ASOS Spike Choker / Rick Owens Wedges

I wish I’d thought to take a photo of this dress earlier in the day, it’s quite hard to see the cut in these dark windswept photos, but with the rush to get the train it totally slipped my mind. I made it a few days before, as I had nothing to wear & was too broke to buy something new! I paired it with my trusty Rick Owens wedges for comfort and my COS belt, which I just seem to be chucking over everything recently!

In : Events, FAIIINT, Made, Outfit | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Tattoo / INSPIRATION

May 7, 2012

Tattoo, Arm, Wrist, Leg, Sleeve, Skull, Rose, Crow, Bird, Key, Raven, Fox, Sugar Skull, Anatomical, Heart, Octopus, Constellation, White Ink, Black & Grey, Flowers

Xam / Rafel Delalande / Ariana Page Russell / Unknown / Unknown / Claudia De Sabe / Steve Vinall / Unknown (owner: Purdey Demille)

A few days ago I finally called to be put on the waiting list for my next tattoo, so these are just a few of my favourite’s & some of the inspirations for my own from my Pinterest. I guess, a little sneak peek into what to expect!

I’ve been wanting to get a new tattoo for years now, I settled on what I wanted about two years ago & have been thinking it over since, just to be sure. It’s going to be in quite a visible place (my forearm) & fairly large, so I knew I needed to give myself a while to make sure I’d still love it in decades to come, and that the meaning would still be relevant to me, unlike my first.

The first was small, but absolutely meaningless, a pretty picture, chosen off of a board in a cheap tattooists one summer holiday at 15, I guess purely to show off to my friends when I went back to school. It’s faded now & it’s bled out a lot, it was not quality work at all, though I guess what do you expect from someone willing to tattoo a 15 year old? I don’t regret it, but I do wish I’d had something custom done, something much better quality by a proper artist, or at the very least spent a little bit more time deciding.

The only doubts I’m having about the next is that it will probably encourage me to get even more, I mean, once half your arms covered why not go the whole way? I’m already dreaming of a white ink one for the next, next one…

In : Inspiration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Overly Optimistic / NEW

April 30, 2012

Topshop, White, Wedges, Nude, Mango, Shorts, Black, Cat Eye, Sunglasses, AJ Morgan, New, Buys, Shopping, Summer, Hotpants, Shoes,

Topshop Wedges / AJ Morgan Sunglasses / Mango Nude Shorts

I have a confession to make, I think the awful weather these past few weeks may have been my fault. Ever since I optimistically brought a haul of summer clothing & accessories about a week ago, it has done nothing but absolutely pour it down! Sorry about that. Hoping it will pick up this week so I can do some proper outfit posts.

The wedges are yet another EBay buy, last year when I tried them on in Topshop I wasn’t sure if I liked them, so left them. By the time I’d got home I realised I wanted, no, needed them. We’ve all done it, decided to go back & get them the next day only to find them gone & sold out online too. This only made me want them even more and I’ve been manically scouring eBay since after a pair. I finally got my hands on them just in time (or so I thought!) for summer. They are the perfect summer wedge, just minimal & chunky enough for my liking.

I’m obsessed with cateye sunglasses and these AJ Morgan ones from ASOS are perfect, especially for the price. I never buy expensive sunglasses as I always lose them or sit on them, I’m too much of a klutz to spend good money on something so easily broken. I love the exaggerated, pointed shape of these and don’t even get me started on how perfect the nude colour of these Mango denim shorts are…

In : Buys, Shoes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Sushi / ILLUSTRATION

April 25, 2012

FAIIINT, Illustration, Illustrator, Mermaid, Sushi, Cannibal, Gore, Ariel, Little Mermaid, Folklore, Fantasy, Fairytale, Dark

Click the image & enlarge for a better view, it’s become a little fuzzy with resizing!

This has been sitting on my desk for about 3 weeks in sketch form, I just couldn’t decide if I liked it enough to colour it & finish it off, really happy I did now though, as it turned out much better than expected!

It started off as a dream & I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head, so I sketched it out & messed around with the composition & positioning for ages, but just wasn’t happy with it no matter what I did, so I stuffed it down the side of my desk in frustration – this is where most things go I get frustrated with, drawings, garments, shoes, technology, you name it, it’s probably down there! I came across it again a week or so ago, whilst I was looking for something else, made a few adjustments & felt much happier with it, so got it coloured & finished up.

I guess most of you are noticing a theme with my illustrations by now, even when I try to draw pretty things like mermaids they end up dark, morbid & a little gory. I just can’t help myself, those themes always seem to seep through somehow. I blame my love of comics, horror films & gory video games! I’m also a vegetarian, so I only eat vege sushi, I wonder if that has something to do with this one?

In : FAIIINT, Illustration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Dion Lee ‘Line II’ SS12 / COVET

April 19, 2012

Dion Lee, Line II, Spring Summer, 2012, Lookbook, Fashion, Designer, Australian, Draped, Tailoring, Shirt, Dress, Slouchy, Diffusion LineDion Lee, Line II, Spring Summer, 2012, Lookbook, Fashion, Designer, Australian, Draped, Tailoring, Shirt, Dress, Slouchy, Diffusion LineDion Lee, Line II, Spring Summer, 2012, Lookbook, Fashion, Designer, Australian, Draped, Tailoring, Shirt, Dress, Slouchy, Diffusion Line

The weather here is still awful but I just can’t get Dion Lee’s ‘Line II’ Spring Summer lookbook out of my head. I’m a huge fan of his, but this is just my perfect Summer wardrobe & it has me dreaming, praying for warmer days…

The relaxed tailoring & slouchy silhouettes pared with the neutral + black colour palette are so me it hurts, I want almost every piece. Luckily, being the diffusion line prices are quite a bit more affordable than the main collection, whilst still retaining that strong Dion Lee signature look. My favourites are the first two dresses, plus the white shirt outfit, they nail that relaxed yet sexy look with their mix of structure, draping & peekaboo details. Aussie designers seem to do this type of dressing so well, I find myself being really drawn to their cool, laid-back aesthetic recently, I can’t get enough of it, it’s like the best of NY, London & Paris all rolled into one.

In : Covet | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Moxham Anubis / NEW

April 16, 2012

Moxham, Anubis, Necklace, Black, Hardware, Jewellery, Mannequin, Leather, StatementMoxham, Anubis, Necklace, Black, Hardware, Jewellery, Mannequin, Leather, Statement, Detail, Close up

Moxham Anubis Necklace

I fell in love, hard, with Moxham’s jewellery when I first came across it a good few months ago & have been deciding ever since which piece to get first, I finally settled on the ‘Anubis’ necklace in black. It arrived beautifully packaged from BENGT, who I have to say, have amazing customer service, my email full of questions was answered within a few hours & despite stating delivery was around six days, it arrived in two. I am so impressed with the service & the quality of the necklace that I feel quite a few more purchases coming on, I already have my eye on the ‘Flax’ necklace & ‘Taba’ cuffs in both black & nude!

This is Dorris by the way, you’ll probably see quite a lot of her, she was my first ever mannequin & although she is not of much use now, due to her battered state, I think she’s doing quite well for a 60ish year old lady & makes a great display piece. I brought her from a retiring dressmaker around 8 years ago, she was also her first mannequin & she let me have her for a ridiculously cheap price on the condition that I promised to take good care of her & still call her Dorris! As I’ve said before, I have a habit of naming inanimate objects, so this made a lot of sense to me & she has been Dorris ever since!

In : Buys, Jewellery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Skull & Leopard / OUTFIT

April 10, 2012

FAIIINT, Skull, Leopard, Topshop, Tux Jacket, Faux Fur, Illustrated People, Tee, T-Shirt, Faux Leather, Leggings, River Island, Balenciaga, Bag, City, Outfit, Todd Lynn for Topshop, Siberian Husky, Puppy, Dog WalkFAIIINT, Skull, Leopard, Topshop, Tux Jacket, Faux Fur, Illustrated People, Tee, T-Shirt, Faux Leather, Leggings, River Island, Balenciaga, Bag, City, Outfit, Todd Lynn for Topshop, Siberian Husky, Puppy, Dog WalkSiberian Husky, Puppy, Black, White, Brown Eyes, Husky, MaskFAIIINT, Skull, Leopard, Topshop, Tux Jacket, Faux Fur, Illustrated People, Tee, T-Shirt, Faux Leather, Leggings, River Island, Balenciaga, Bag, City, Outfit, Todd Lynn for Topshop, Siberian Husky, Puppy, Dog WalkFAIIINT, Skull, Leopard, Topshop, Tux Jacket, Faux Fur, Illustrated People, Tee, T-Shirt, Faux Leather, Leggings, River Island, Balenciaga, Bag, City, Outfit, Todd Lynn for Topshop, Siberian Husky, Puppy, Dog Walk

Todd Lynn for Topshop Cropped Tux Jacket / Illustrated People Skull Tee / River Island Faux Leather Leggings / Topshop Leopard Print Boots / Balenciaga Bag / CC Skye Crosses Necklace

It dawned on me a couple of days ago that I’ve been blogging for just over 5 months now & yet my Siberian Husky puppy Nico has, up until now, never made an appearance. Well, except for in illustration form – here. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you’ve probably had your fill of photos of him, but I thought it was time he made his first ‘official’ appearance, so our daily walk seemed like the perfect opportunity to get some outfit photos of both of us.

I think it’s a little scary how much we look alike, I used to find it strange how some dogs look so much like their owners & now I realize I’m one of them. We both wear ‘eyeliner’, dress all in black, have ghostly white faces & even seem to have a similar profile! I often wonder if people choose their dogs subconsciously because they see themselves in them, or if as dogs grow they take on the appearance of their owners…

I’m a bit of a tee addict & lately I’ve been buying a lot of them from Illustrated People, they have such a nice range of prints & the fabric choices & cuts are really quite exceptional for the affordable price. I find that’s rare amongst tee & jersey brands these days, unless they’re in the high – expensive price range you tend to get either a great print or quality fabric & cut, never both, this really irritates me, as to be honest, I hate spending a large amount of money on a tank or tee that will last maybe half a year before it gets grubby or starts falling apart. My only exception is band tees, I have loads on their last legs that I still wear, but as soon as one of my plain tanks or tees starts getting holey, faded or scruffy they get chucked. I’m currently in the process of making my ‘perfect’ tank, as I’m fed up with buying cheap ones or wasting money on them, however, my coverstitch machine doesn’t want to play, so it may be a while before you see the results…

In : Outfit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Return of Winter / OUTFIT : MADE

April 4, 2012

FAIIINT, Faux Fur, Snood, Black, Maxi Dress, Outfit, Park, Nature, Outdoors, Topshop Boots, COS Belt, Fur, Studs, Autumn, WinterFAIIINT, Faux Fur, Snood, Black, Maxi Dress, Outfit, Park, Nature, Outdoors, Topshop Boots, COS Belt, Fur, Studs, Autumn, Winter

FAIIINT Faux Fur Snood / FAIIINT Paneled Maxi Dress / COS Belt / Topshop Boots

Those of you that live in the UK will be well aware that, despite having lovely warm, sunny Spring weather last week, this week feels like winter all over again & today it has even decided to snow! Rather than feel miserable at the horrible day outside, I decided to take the opportunity to wear (hopefully for the last time till Autumn!) a couple of my favourite things that I made last year…

I brought this amazing faux-fur from an upholstery shop, as it was the softest, most realistic faux-fur I’d ever come across, nicer in fact than even the very expensive types you get in good fabric shops. I love the look of fur, but couldn’t wear real fur myself, so I love that this looks & feels just like the real deal. I brought it mainly to use for the removable collar on the black cropped tux jacket I made, but with quite a lot left over I decided to make this snood out of it too. Even though it’s such a simple little accessory & took no time or skill to make, I think it’s one of my favourites, I have worn it practically every single day over the last few months. Small details such as lining it with thin china silk, so that it wouldn’t make my neck hot & sticky like my other snoods do, mean it has become my go to neckwear for Winter & my other scarfs haven’t had a look in since I made it!

I had been looking for a maxi dress like this one almost all of last Autumn, I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for anywhere so decided to make this out of the bits of leftover jersey I had lying around. It has panels of a heavier ribbed jersey down both sides, this wasn’t a conscious decision, but more due to the fact I didn’t have enough of the plain cotton jersey I used as the main fabric left & this was spare! I love the way it turned out though, I think sometimes my best efforts seem to be the pieces I just knock together & take no care over!

In : FAIIINT, Made, Outfit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Eleanor Amoroso / COVET

March 26, 2012

Eleanor Amoroso, Fashion, Designer, Dress, Crochet, Knit, Fringing, Hand Made, Black, Ombre, Dip DyeEleanor Amoroso, Fashion, Designer, Dress, Crochet, Knit, Fringing, Hand Made, Black, Ombre, Dip DyeEleanor Amoroso, Fashion, Designer, Dress, Crochet, Knit, Fringing, Hand Made, Black, Ombre, Dip DyeEleanor Amoroso, Fashion, Designer, Dress, Crochet, Knit, Fringing, Hand Made, Black, Ombre, Dip Dye

I came across the work of Eleanor Amoroso a few seasons ago whilst browsing NJAL, Her pieces are beautifully sculpted & are made entirely by hand, not machine. I have a bit of a soft spot for collections with this kind of handcrafted feel, possibly because I am a terrible knitter / crocheter, despite many attempts to teach me & know I could never make anything as beautiful myself!

Her Autumn / Winter 2012 collection is by far my favourite so far, I love the vaguely tribal feel to it & that she’s kept a very strong signature & refined it each season, you can really see the development when looking back through her previous work & I think she just keeps getting stronger as a designer. Definitely someone I will be keeping an eye out for in the future!

In : Covet, Inspiration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments