Autumnal Jewel Trend

Jewel tones are huge this season; with ruby, sapphire, citrine and garnet being a few of the many colours to choose from this rich palette, winter promises to be bright and dazzling.

As I love to deck myself out in rings and jewelry, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to purchase some gems when I went to do a spot of shopping the other day. I was blinded by the jewelry section in Dorothy Perkins! There were many different styles and accessory types, all neatly organized according to their gem shade. It all looked very beautiful, oozing with splendor and purchasing promise!

White dappled stone cage ring: Dorothy Perkins, sale £2
Emerald block ring: New Look £2.99
Amethyst octagon gemstone: Asos.com sale £5
Gold rope necklace: Dorothy Perkins, sale £2

Ruby friendship bracelet: Dorothy Perkins, sale £2
Emerald block ring: New Look £2.99 

This lush jewel colour palette has become the new black; various saturated shades have graced the Autumn/Winter runways in fine silks and satin folds, proving to be the trend in every designer's mind.
Designers such as Erdem, Roland Mouret, Paul and Joe, and Gucci, have created sophisticated evening wear to showcase these glistening gem beauties to their full impact. The idea is to evoke happiness and power by styling structure with luxe floating fabrics, combining conflicting and contrasting colours to make you feel like a diamond among pearls! 

On the left we have gorgeous green jades and emeralds from Gucci's A/W 2011 collection, who is my favorite designer for showcasing the jewel trend this season - check out their rich and luxurious collection details here. Layering and build up accessories that conflict in colour and fabric is a *Doll Tip* to achieving the bejeweled look this autumn.

On the right, is a picture of me wearing an emerald jersey 3/4 sleeve top I bought from Dorothy Perkins for £22 - green is a great colour for all red heads, and even though I gravitate to a monochrome palette, even I can't ignore colour this season. Always try on a jewel colours before buying the garment - the colour maybe beautiful but if it is not right for your skin tone, you could look washed out.

Sparkle and shine like the jewels you all are!

Doll love xXx

Mulberry Magnificence

Hey guys and dolls!

Whilst I was in London, I just had to buy the Mulberry 40th Anniversary book I've been lusting for, ever since I learnt of its existence about a month ago. So after visiting the spectacular Kensington Palace (see my previous post), Mum and I caught a taxi to Harvey Nichols. We would have walked there but after wondering the length of Kensington Gardens, we realised we were only 1/4 of the way there!

I was a little apprehensive and doubtful about finding the book in Harvey Nichols, as although the shop is like Harrods, Selfridges and Fenwicks in that it had little booths and designer departments inside, I thought that maybe a Mulberry shop might be the only place to buy it. However, all was not in vain!!!

After making googly eyes at Givenchy silk scarves, we composed ourselves, put on a more posh and richer exterior and headed to the sea of autumnal Mulberry bags. I was not disappointed with the service at all; they had the book in stock, already gift wrapped, and then they asked me if I would like the full gift works - I received a green bird, lush card copies of their A/W collection campaigns, a look book of their best pieces, and of course a wonderful Mulberry card and rope carry bag. ALL of which only cost me £50! A bargain XD

A nicely wrapped book in old school brown parcel paper, complete with ribbons and a complimentary bird! With each layer I unwrapped, I was greeted with stickers, tissue paper, and pink notes preparing me for the 'wizard' book I was about to uncover. I felt like I was a child again playing pass-the-parcel!

So much care and attention to detail was considered in not only crafting the book but also in its presentation and marketing scheme. I began to fall more head over heels in love with Mulberry, because it felt like I was sharing in their 40th birthday celebration, like I was a part of the brand. 

After three magical layers of paper, I was finally face to face with one of my most covetable books since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Books mean a great deal to me, they almost define who I am as a person, they inspire me. I'm a huge book worm and proud of it!!! When I was child, I once counted how many books I owned in my bookshelves .... lets just say 500+ were occupying my Library bedroom. 

The gorgeous Mulberry adverts that they treated me with! No more cut outs from Vogue for me!

I had such a great time in London and buying this book really put the icing on the wheat and dairy free cake! The book is one of the heaviest I've ever bought, and also one of the most beautiful; page upon page of glossy coloured photos depicting Mulberry's history, campaigns, photo shoots, models, and brand development. I just hope that one day I will be honored by working there!

For more info on Mulberry and my undying love for them, see my review post on their Autumn/Winter collection 2011 here:

Foxy Moments with Mulberry

I'll leave you all with a quote: "People who hate to read scare me; good books have kept me alive..."

Doll love xXx

London, darling

Helloo my guys and dolls!

I cannot believe I haven't posted in so long... I'm such a bad blogger :(
Alot of you know that I've been ill recently, well it got worse after my last post, hence my absence from the blogging community. I'm still really ill, (my medical condition, Fibromyalgia, is going through a rough patch), but I'm taking each day as it comes, and hopefully I will be updating my blog more regularly than I have been these past few weeks.

I hope you all can forgive me!

Last Wednesday, when I was feeling a lot better, my Mum took me up to London to an art exhibition. Although London was in riot lock down, Kensington was so beautiful that I completely forgot about the horrors that had been plaguing all our t.v screens. 

We went to Kensington Palace to see their exhibition "The Enchanted Palace".

The palace was transformed into an installation art exhibition filled with fashion, method actors, paintings, atmospheric music and sounds, magnificent light shows, and poetic stories documenting the lives of the seven princesses that lived within the palace walls.
My mother and I were I absolute awe!

We could take photos, thank god, but without flash which is understandable - however it was so dark due to the whole look and mysterious feel of the exhibition, that I was delighted that my camera captured such great images. All hail my DSLR!

Each room had individual names and themes corresponding to each princesses personality and history; I have labelled each picture with their 'room' titles.

The Room of Royal Sorrows.

Kensington Palace was like falling through a wardrobe into Narnia, taking the Matrix red pill, tumbling with Alice down the rabbit hole, joining David Bowie in Labyrinth, and turning a key in the door of the Secret Garden, all combined into one spellbinding exhibition. I literally caught my breath. It felt like I was in heaven, like I had stepped into my own mind... and I'd only entered the first room!

The Room of Palace Time.

The above mannequin sculpture was made by designer Boudicca; there were four art pieces in total, all of which were hanging from glorious chandeliers. Absolute hell to take a picture of due to their continuous spinning mixed with my cameras slow shutter speed. The mannequins were all dressed in scrap metal, clockwork gears, and general metallic rubbish fashioned into jewelry and futuristic garments.

The Room of Dancing Princesses.
"They danced into the dark, into the wild,
into the dark wild wood.
Each in their own way escaping."

The above blue image was my favorite picture I took and the most mesmerizing room that focused on Princesses Diana and Margaret. 

The Room of Royal Secrets.

The Room of Lost Childhood.

I saw this strange Pan's Labyrinth style child hiding in lit greenhouse. Very bizarre and terrifying... no wonder the children lost their childhood! This room symbolized the royal children that were often separated from their parents, they were seen but not heard. They were precious but not always loved, brought out on display in fabulous lace dresses and darling bonnets.  

Did you find the seven Princesses?

I actually found eight princesses... one was staring at me in the mirror!!! Trust me, I'm not being vain, the name Sarah means 'princess'!

Such a tiring day, which I later paid for as I spent the next two days in bed :( , but well worth it.

Hope you all enjoyed this post, and I'm sorry for being away for so long :( 

I have missed you all!

Doll love xXx

Illustrations of a Goddess

Hello my beauties,

As promised, I am posting some of the lovely content that you will find in the amazing fashion lifestyle book "The Goddess Guide". Each page is like an exquisite scrap book, full of notes, doodles, advice, shopping finds, lavish illustrations, and bits and bobs from the travel of author Gisele Scanlon.

 There six Goddesses in total that cater to every fashionista, with individualistic fashion finds and style tips, truly making the book speak to the reader directly. The goddesses; Home, Office, Sex, Luxurious, Earth, and Urban. Personally, I think I am an Earth or Urban Goddess. These illustrative characters also continue in The Goddess Guide volume two 'The Goddess Experience'. 

Pink pages present tips and stories of how to achieve a perfect quick makeup technique. "Make-up in Minutes" also promotes a makeup range called Pout, whose flagship store is in Covent Garden, London. Gisele also gives her personal choices of Pout products, including which ones would be in her quick makeup kit, as well a story of a Pout makeup expert applying the products to Gisele whilst in a taxi.  

Above is a page about Gisele's first impressions of Paris, as well as her recommendations on how to pack, prepare, and where to go whilst in the City of Love.

Now for my sneaky part of when I was in York. 

I was in Paperchase shopping for a bright shopper that would carry my A3 sketch books, which we work in at University, when I came across beautiful illustrations on some notebooks. Obviously no one is allowed to take pictures of products in a shop, BUT, since my camera was round my neck, I took a few cheeky shots! I would only do it in the name of fashion!

Illustration and collage inspires my own work and I would hate to forget how to do an interesting technique. Fashion is such a competitive industry, so anything to make you stand out when your going for job interviews and internships is a bonus! I love to draw and I am a perfectionist, so I want to get my illustrative skills to the best of their ability. And to do this, I collect images and tear-outs of illustrations that catch my eye, to inspire and remind me of techniques to try. 

The above notebook is from Paperchase's Wonderland Collection, which includes notebooks, pencils, files, iphone case covers, stickers, laptop covers, and numerous other kitsch items. I do love Paperchase! The shop layout is so fresh and modern that it makes their products stand out instantly. I am amazed at some of the things I find in that shop - slightly expensive, maybe, but fashionable and of good quality, hell yes.

Another cute ring-bound notebook from Paperchase with three gorgeous inked illustrations. 

What is your favorite media to draw and illustrate with?

Do you have a favorite illustrator?

Doll love xXx

Trailing Cats in York

Hey Dolls!

Summer has come to town. This weekend I moved out of my house in Newcastle back down south to live with my parents for the rest of the summer; cue long car journeys, endless traffic, and one to many Costa soya hot chocolates! Yum! 

I know the temperature is colder up north, but to be wearing leggings and jeans with slouch cardigans one minute, and then change to shorts, tights, and commando arms, is just simply irritating. I'm a bit of a Scrooge when the weather changes drastically, or when the clocks go back and forth.... jet black nights turning into a light sky at 10pm really makes this doll pull her hair out! *not literally*

My boyfriend and I went on a day trip to York last week. Having never been, I was struck by the picturesque buildings and the delightful cobbled roads that make up the back alleys and walkways of the Shambles. The main purpose of this day was to explore York and go on 'The Cat Trail'. As a huge cat lover, I honestly couldn't pass up the opportunity to track down eighteen cat statues dotted around the centre of York.

I spotted this white ghost kitty before we even started to locate the first feline figurines - the above cat wasn't even on the cat trail! I discovered a nineteenth puss-cat!  

This is one of my favorite cats that is positioned on a roof stalking a stone pigeon. Many of the cats were placed around York by a local architect in the late seventies - they were his artist signature to show the buildings he had designed. 

Another awesome black cat on someone's balcony. If I lived in York, I would buy a house or apartment with a cat statue situated on the property! I would also be a cat lady and own three cats XD

Below is The Cat Gallery which acts as a half way point on the cat trail. It is a quaint little shop that does what it says on the tin - sells gifts for cat lovers. Although I really wanted to, I didn't buy any cat gifts, however my parents bought me a cat statue when they were in Cornwall, so yay I win. I might start a cat trail in my room!

A cute ice cream shop that caught my eye due to the bright calligraphy. 

YUMMY STUFF near the Shambles. 

you can just see my boyfriend on the left!

'... give the dog a bone' is a cute shop with many strange and wonderful things to buy. If you got to York you have to go to this shop! They have memorabilia from Batman comics (yay) to the Moomins. Cute kitsch crockery, fashion books, handmade jewelry, posters, embroidered owl toys, nostalgic sewing bits and pieces, plus awesome nick-nacks. I think if I stayed longer in that shop I may have bought many gorgeous things. 

I did however by this book;

I actually have the second book in the Goddess collection which is called 'The Goddess Experience", so I was keen to complete the set, as well as reading all the tips and fashion info Gisele writes about and illustrates so beautifully. If you do not have this book I highly recommend, in fact it is a *Doll must*!

Each page is like discovering hidden vintage jewelry in your Grandma's attic; a joy and a guilty pleasure. I am always awed, enthralled, and inspired by the mix media illustrations that Gisele colours the pages with. I will post some picks of the illustrations tomorrow, and a sneaky thing involving illustration that I did whilst I was York hehe!

I hope you are all well my readers, and thank you all so much for the lovely comments you did on my previous post! It made me so happy, as I love to hear what you are all thinking!

Doll love xXx

Foxy moments with Mulberry

Hello my lovelies! 

I can't believe it's been over a week since my last post :( I've mentioned in previous posts that I've been ill recently, and I guess I haven't fully recovered - it has been hard for me to concentrate or think about anything rather than sleeping. But I am getting better and I am determined to get back into my blogging, and what better way to do that than present you with another Mulberry post!!

Mulberry's Fall collection has landed; birds, British wildlife, and autumnal colours dominated the runway. Inspired by the quirky stop-motion film adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Fantastic Mr. Fox", the British label had fun by experimenting with the length and fit of quintessential outerwear coats and gave sophistication and flare to a seasonal staple. Styling each outfit with their iconic bags reminds us that Mulberry started off as a handbag company, and I love that they stick to their roots. They are also rocking the sock and heel combination trend, an aspect of styling that has been carried over to their Resort 2012 collection.

Another reason I love Mulberry is because of their eye catching campaigns and the story telling behind each collection. Along with their lookbook and catwalk show, Mulberry also produced a short film to promote their A/W 2011 collection. The film consists of Tim Walker's photography and interesting organic stop-motion backdrops, along with scale defying British wildlife, that leave the viewer feeling like they've fallen down a rabbit hole into an autumn Wonderland.

The video is so charming and really captures the Mulberry concept. The little snippet of Mike Snow's song "Animal" that plays during the film is such an interesting song choice that makes me think of Mulberry every time I hear it. The song is also used for their catwalk track - I like that Mulberry have shared an element of their catwalk production with us fashionistas who aren't part of the exclusive fashion world that gets to watch their runway show. An addition of birds chirping and animal rustlings to the original song maintains the illusion of a fantasy autumn land that Mulberry has created. 

I can't wait for autumn now! I love kicking the crispy fallen leaves that seem to suddenly mask the roads and pavements. 

The other night I heard a tawny old hooting in a nearby forest, so I decided to hoot back and I had a five minute hooting conversation with it! Wildlife can be so magical, an aspect that Mulberry captures entirely. Also, yesterday I was at my boyfriends Grandma's house and saw her cat digging and eating something in a nearby field - a cat digging? I had never seen the like. So I rushed through the field grass and discovered the cat eating baby harvest mice!!! I managed to save two out of seven!

These animal encounters made me realise that autumn is upon us! I have always loved animals, especially British wildlife; I think that's why I identify with Mulberry as a lifestyle brand. Below are three of their campaign posters that I simply adore!

The last poster is my favorite - the mixture of auburn reds is reminiscent of tree leaf colour evolution that occurs in early October. Autumn and Winter can be quite boring when it comes to clothes, especially up North where it's so cold that I end up just not caring and throwing on any old jumper. My shopping goal is to buy a Burberry style brown trench coat - but style it like Mulberry!

The colour palette for this collection is simply divine, and not the usual drab dull colours that can dominate the catwalk. Mulberry have been creative and really studied their inspiration for colour, something that some designers tend to neglect. I love the colour names as well: birds nest, deer brown, conker, pumpkin, mole grey, foxglove pink, oak, bright cabbage and waders green - they set my creative writing mind running.

Above are my four favorite looks from the Mulberry A/W Ready-to-Wear 2011 collection. Chosen because of colour, styling, print, and garment combinations, I feel these images best portray the Britishness that is at the heart of the Mulberry brand.

Hope you loved this post!

What's your favorite season and why?

Doll love xXx

The Nature of Fashion

Evening guys and dolls!

Just a quick image post of some more fashion findings from the Resort 2012 collections. 

Nature seems to be a big theme with the designers, in particular feathers. Feathers hold such beauty in their flawless design, holding pattern and colour unique to the bird or species. Dark libraries home to mystical books, and old parchment with ink splats comforting a lone quill, are what springs to my mind when I see a single feather. I want to caress it, collect it, try and get a sense of the bird who left it. 

Designer brand A.L.C was created by stylist Andrea Lieberman. Her collection features wearable, functional clothing that are subtle in design but still wonderful garments. The styling is minimalistic apart from a solitary thin gold cuff on the model's right forearm; understated to keep focus on the sophisticated workmanship of each garment. My favorite pieces included the leather bodycon dress below, and a blue blazer teamed with matching shorts that can be seen in A.L.C 's complete collection on style.com. 

 

A.L.C also includes these two silk pajama separates, above, that feature a wispy feather print falling down the model's body; the print isn't bold but still draws this Doll's eye, due to the beauty and subtleness of colour.

I seem to be falling in love with print at the moment! Again, the word subtle seems to be my favorite to describe the type of print I like - prints that mirror illustration techniques like pencil and ink splats. I found the below garment at the Northumbria University 'Reveal' show, which showcases recent graduate work from across their design subjects. The skirt, top and scarf were made by final year student Damika Walker, a very talented girl whose garment I adore!

Copyright Image: Me, concept and design: Daminka Walker

This dress reminds me of a Rorschach or ink blot test that psychologists use to examine the personality characteristics of their patients. If you look really closely at the left image, you can see what looks like an owl face at the top of the skirt - spooky and enchanting!

Here are some more feather accessorized collections: 

 

(Top Right & Left: Alexis Mabille Couture Fall 2011
Bottom Left: Azzedine Alaia Couture Fall 2011
Bottom Right: Chanel Couture Fall 2011)

Here is a preview of Monday's post, also bird themed:

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Doll love xXx

p.s. did I say this was a quick post at the beginning? Oops!