...here is a reprise of the image I also show above and which more specifically illustrates the hypnotic and maddening nature of this film...a fashion classic (costumes by Coco Chanel, for goodness sake!)

Fur Collar

I struggle with ways to add texture & color to my line drawings without being heavy-handed (as can happen with paint...you keep painting and painting and oops! you go to far, and it's all over)...this is a decent example of learning restraint - with the help of Illustrator (and no, I don't work for Adobe - but it is the best thing since sliced bread!)

Papier Mache

As I have mentioned before, I am challenging myself to learn Illustrator's myriad fun tools, such as the one that allows you to create transparency...it's a far less messy way to do the same effect as papier mache!

La Sartorialista

For all 4 of you are reading this blog...my apologies for not adding more content more often! I didn't realize how much time it takes to actually maintain a blog...sigh. Anyhoo, I was really busy last weekend hanging out with one of my most sartorially gifted friends - she is a very snappy dresser, which luckily from a blogging standpoint, provided me with some fresh inspiration for sketching!

She is absolutely rocking the romantic blouse with wide-leg jeans at the moment...

Mini Me

I love the idea of a mini dress again...spring is coming!

J.Crew

Wouldn't the J.Crew catalog be just so much more fabulous if it had illustrations??

What I want to wear...

...and perfect for my body type - short skirt for showing off skinny-ish legs while big sweater/blouse combination hides the old muffaletta* problem, heh heh.

*For anyone who has been to New Orleans and knows what I'm referring to (or if you haven't, the muffaletta is their signature sandwich!), that's going to be my new word for "muffin top", which I now have as a result of my rather indulgent trip to the Big Easy this past weekend. What a great city, so much great food!

Brian Reyes

This designer is fairly new to the scene - I think his work is progressing nicely, and he is on the shortlist of New York designers who could become "the next so-and-so" - perhaps one to watch. There's a great sunburst pleat detail at the center front belted waistline of this dress that is obscured in my drawing a little bit ("art" wins over truth in this case!)

Fashion, dahling.

This is a nice "editorial" dress - it is a long slinky column gathered into a sort of flounce at the top to form this kind of plumed neckline. It will look great photographed...not sure how it would be worn comfortably in real life. But who cares?? This is fashion, dahling. (3.1 Phillip Lim)

3.1 Phillip Lim

Phillip Lim does cute clothes at a somewhat reasonable price point (for "Designer") - I believe this look was a cropped, distressed leather jacket with a long, gathered chiffon skirt, worn with severe black bangs and a bunch of deco-ish long necklaces for a little attitude...

Marc Jacobs

This is a beautiful coat from Marc Jacobs - it looked like a giant, plush blanket perfect for the weather we've been having in NYC lately. He did these great feathered headpieces (that's not the model's hair!) that looked like plumed hats that soldiers might wear during the Napoleanic wars or some such thing. Pair with elfin booties and fantastic metallic leaf brooches for the full effect!

Marc does Donna

This languid crushed velvet number (in ice blue, from the vaguely 80's palette he is using for Fall '08) looks more like Donna Karan than Marc Jacobs to me...being tall & skinny helps!

Very Donna

This is a very Zen dress from the guru, Donna Karan - it's basically a very luxurious, fabulous bathrobe!

Calvin Costa

The current designer for Calvin Klein, Francisco Costa, sometimes does some great stuff - this dress looks like it would be fun to wear. It is a knife pleated ball gown in some kind of shimmery black fabric...

Oscars

So here are a few thoughts about last night's fashion Super Bowl, the Oscars...

• Under that awful haircut he had to sport in No Country for Old Men, it turns out Javier Bardem is HOT! (There was something strange about his suit, though.) And he brought his mom, awww - she looks like she's a hoot with those armloads of silver jewelry!
• So bringing your mom to the Oscars means you're not yet jaded, cynical, and "meh" about the whole affair...unlike George Clooney, who brought his 24-year-old girlfriend and couldn't keep his eyes from rolling around in his head every time the camera came to him. Dude, quit trying to be all (fake) modest and date someone your own age!!!
• I love these kooky creative types - apparently Diablo Cody, the screenwriter of Juno in the leopard number and black bob, was wearing Christian Dior - like the costume designer who won the evening's first award, both managed to look like they were wearing Forever 21 yet they looked cool in their own way, if a little cheap.
• And what's with Daniel Day-Lewis of the double gold hoop earrings, with Rebecca Miller in Christian Lacroix? I kinda secretly loved their look, actually (they're the new Johnny Depp & Vanessa Paradis! Bohemians who live off the grid!!) and someone has to help bring back Lacroix, sweetie.
• Getting now to what I liked...Cate Blanchett looked fabulous, as always - Dries Van Noten is an excellent choice for late pregnancy! She looked much more comfortable and chic than Jessica Alba, wearing Marchesa, who though beautiful (and the color was stunning) managed to look older than she is in her stately dress.
• I thought Marion Cotillard looked great in Gaultier, if a bit like an extremely chic mermaid - she looked young, French, and happy...what more does one want in life? It's the jewels (a simple gold string) and the hair (pretty, long curls), people. If she had worn a ton of diamonds and an updo, it would have been tragic.
• For once, I thought Nicole Kidman looked fabulous. She usually looks like death warmed over, in my opinion, but she put that deathly pallor to work for her at the Oscars in chic, sharp black satin (Balenciaga, love) and the best jewelry of the night...spiky, drippy diamonds...cool.
• Why, oh why, does Cameron Diaz present an Oscar every year? Was she even in a movie in 2007? She's been in one good movie that I can recall, and the rest are like cartoons. Who is she sleeping with to get a prime spot on that show year after year?? That said, she looked great - beautiful, simple pale pink column dress with interesting draping details.
• Jon Stewart was not funny, but I still love him.
• Yay, Once! I am so glad that song won, and how sweet they let the girl back on to finish her speech! I heard that they're now a couple in real life. Love that!
  
• I think Paul Thomas Anderson was robbed - There Will be Blood is a great movie and should have won more awards - but I guess I'll have to reserve judgment until after I've finally actually seen this year's winner, No Country for Old Men.
  

Managed to invest a little "attitude" in this sketch of a fairly ladylike look from Benjamin Cho. This is my struggle as an illustrator in this day and age of everything having to be soooo hipster and cool...most of my drawings are just a little too pretty, I fear!