Muse of the Week: Natasha Khan

Boho, grunge, 70's glam? I don't even know how to describe her many looks, all I know is that her style is always original and she never disappoints me. I can never get enough of Natasha Khan and her band Bat For Lashes. 

I love this picture. It reminds me of one of Anton Corbijn's famous black and white photographs. 

Nathasa Khan's band Bat for Lashes will release their new album The Haunted Man on October 15 and you know what that means? They will touring soon!! I can't wait to see them live again. Another reason why I love this band so much is because they create some of the most amazing artsy music videos, that can easily be mistaken for indie short film. Check out their music video archive here.   

Get the look is back again. Natasha Khan inspired me to create a new board. I hope to feature more of these in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy these hand picked pieces.

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Marie Antoinette

Happy Friday. Can't wait to start the weekend. Here are some images from the 2006 film Marie Antoinette directed by Sofia Coppola. I love these costumes, but who doesn't? Italian costume designer Milena Canonero is amazing. Her work always puts a smile on my face!

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Fashion Superstars

So in love with these whimsy illustrations by New York cartoonist Joana Avillez. She really captured the  true essence of today's most influential fashion personalities. Her illustrations and side notes are so charming. I especially love Tavi's quote, "I'd rather dress like a book character." If you haven't done so already, check out her blog The Style Rookie.

Another one of my favorite fashion icons has to be Iris Apfel, she is by far the most stylish ninety year old. I'll take fashion advice from her any day.

And then there is Marc Jacobs, I love that she illustrated him in that famous pink dress and pilgrim shoes he wore to his opening of "Louis Vuitton - Marc Jacobs: The Exhibit". Classic.

Joana Avillez's collection of taste makers would not be complete without Bill Cunningham and his famous blue jacket. Where would New York trendsetters and fashion enthusiasts be with out his famous street photographs? A couple of months ago I watched the documentary Bill Cunningham New York. It was such a great glimpse into his fascinating career!

In the Mood for Love

I've been surrounded by so much inspiration lately. I've been making frequent visits to fabric stores and specialty stores, which have encouraged me to start designing again. I recently came across this fashion photo shoot from Vogue China, and have been obsessed ever since. Sharif Hamza is such a brilliant photographer. This image reminds me of still shot from Wong Kar-wai's film In the Mood for Love. 

Renegade Craft Fair

The 4th Annual Renegade Craft Fair Los Angeles was held this past weekend at the Los Angeles State Historic Park. Artists, crafters, gourmet food trucks, and music brought local Angelinos together for this two day event. I was so excited to photograph the work of so many talented artists. Natalia Camarena was one of my favorite jewelry designers at the fair. She had a beautiful display that highlighted her one of a kind jewelry.

Originally from Mexico, Natalia Camarena incorporates a mixture of metal and picturesque natural stones into her line. She draws inspiration from her native country by combining light and bold colors together. 

Shelter also had an amazing display. I love each and every single one of these bags. The shapes and the fabrics gave this line a very raw and feminine quality. Check out their selection of hand crafted purses, clutches, backpacks, bags and belts here.

Another one of my favorite booths was Yes and Yes designs. Their work was so original, I had never seen anything like this before. Their designs are carefully structured and sculpted with recycled books. These fashion figure pins, earrings and necklaces are all laser cut and etched by the designer. 

I also love the work of Paz Sintes. Her textile jewelry has such a whimsical and delicate quality. These pieces are the perfect summer accessories, I especially loved the colorful flower necklace. All of her designs are carefully hand crafted and dyed. Her work can be found at fashion boutiques and most museum stores across the state, including the Whitney Museum in New York City and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. To read more about this designer click here.

One of my biggest weaknesses is nice packaging, I am such a sucker for beautiful gift bags, ribbons and tags. You can find all of these things and more at We Love Citrus. They have a great selection of fabric ribbon and glitter twine, yes glitter twine. 

One of my last stops at the fair was at the Topiary booth. Another great accessory line. Their motto is  "Delicate, Simple and Exquisite." Their designs use a combination of brass and lace. These accessories are a great way to dress up a simple top.

I think I covered most of my favorite artists and designers. Now lets talk popsicles. My day could not be complete without these gourmet pops from Front Porch Pops. The mango chili and coconut were best! 

To get more information on the Renegade Craft Fair and all of their locations visit their website here.

Have an Inspiring Weekend

This weekend do more of what makes you happy. Happiness to me is hanging out with my husband, watching films, designing, traveling, cooking, shopping, and taking pictures! I am looking forward to a weekend of fun. I also can't wait to watch Moonrise Kingdom for the second time later today. So excited! Have great weekend!!

Image found here.

This week on Instragram

As you can tell, I had lots of fun this weekend. On Saturday I attended the FIDM Television Costume Design exhibition and on Sunday I spent most of my day at the Renegade Craft Fair. I was so excited to see so many people come out to support local crafters and artists. Stay tuned, my next post will cover Renegade Craft Fair. I will be showcasing the work of some local crafters.

1. Trying to stay cool in 95 degree weather.

2. Costumes from Great Expectations on PBS.

3. Costumes from Once Upon a Time.

4. A beautiful display by Natalia Camarena.

5. Purchases from We Love Citrus, Terrarium Shop, and Ryan Berkley Illustrations.

6. We Love Citrus spools.

FIDM: Television Costume Design Exhibition

For the past two months, I had the privilege to assist on The 6th Annual Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design exhibition curated by the President of The Costume Designers Guild, the lovely Mary Rose. The opening gala was held this past weekend. It was a wonderful event filled with cocktails, industry professionals and lots of appreciation for what costume designers do best, tell stories through their designs.

The displays were breathtaking. Whether you are a fan of a period show like Boardwalk Empire, Pan Am or a contemporary show like Pretty Little Liars, one couldn't help but feel an emotional connection to their favorite character's costumes.

Calisi from Game of Thrones and Lady Sybil Crawley from Downton Abbey are some of my favorite leading ladies on a television series. They are both fearless and unbreakable. These are the type of characters I get excited about when I am breaking down a script.

Magic City was another great layout that I loved. I helped build the paper wigs for most of the displays including this one. I learned a great technique from a wonderful costume designer, who gave me a crash course on building wigs with watercolor paper, scissors, and glue dots. It was so much fun, maybe this will be a great DIY blog post soon.

Last but not least, I leave you with these beautiful and whimsical costumes from Once Upon a Time. Working on this exhibition was such an amazing experience. I had the opportunity to work with some of the best costume designers and guild members. If you haven't already done so, make sure to visit this exhibition sometime between now and October 20, 2012.

From Top to Bottom: Boardwalk Empire designed by John A. Dunn, Pan Am designed by Ann Crabtree (pilot designed by Chrisi Karvonides-Dushenko), Game of Thrones designed by Michele Clapton, Downton Abbey designed by Susannah Buxton and Rosalind Ebbutt, Magic City designed by Carol Ramsey and Once Upon a Time designed by Eduardo Castro.