I absolutely love the illustrations of Nicoletta Ceccoli. Her childlike characters and surreal dreamlike landscapes create a colourful but Gothic mood. It is her own sweet twist on the innocence meets grotesque style popularized by artists such as Mark Ryden. Lately, she has been making award winning illustrated children's books. Her strength lies in her ability to capture the imagination with her beautiful other-worldly imagery.

Gelskins for your laptop!

There seems to be no end to the talent of McQueen, This season he delved into a futuristic world of aliens and reptile-like creatures. The silhouettes were signature McQueen, cinched at the waist with couture tailoring. His acid-coloured, digital prints were impressive as they teetered uneasily down the runway on dizzyingly high shoes.  The shoes themselves were a show in their own right and came in several platform styles;  reptile-skinned, ballerina points, heels of aged mechanical parts and showy Giger inspired sculptures. Meanwhile robotic cameras moved down either side of the runway capturing every glitzy detail. The end result was something uniquely McQueen; a testament to a man who knows how to put on a show. See his collection here.

More detailed shots

I have been mesmerized by the works of Marina Bychkova for some time now and wanted to share with you a little of my obsession with these remarkable dolls. Marina is truly one of the most talented doll makers out there. Unique and beautiful her intricate dolls display a painstaking attention to detail. Each doll is hand painted with layers of glaze, the garments are hand-stiched, dyed and embellished with pearls, sapphires and rubies and she also creates the most amazing metallic accessories which are gilded with silver and gold. Just check out these beautiful gold stilettos, corset and bra set! The dolls themselves are entirely poseable, internally fitted with wires and springs.

Marina is producing a much anticipated book on her dolls and will be traveling to Europe at the beginning of October where she will be showing a few of her dolls at Art Fair 21. If you are interested in purchasing one of her dolls or want to see more visit her website click here. Her blog is located here.

1. Irene Maria Jacobs - Amazing illustrator from the Netherlands.
2. Richard Gray - One of the greats, stylistic and detailed. Some of his illustrations are reminiscent of another favourite illustrator of mine, Aubrey Beardsley. 
3. Sophie Leblanc - French artist with a very cute and colourful style.
4.Adam Lowe - beautiful and delicate illustrations, adam lowe is a master at line and knowing when to leave an illustration unfinished for more impact.
5. Danny Roberts - amazing and young artist who has been gaining a lot of popularity in recent months working for big names such as Gwen Stephani. I am in love with his style and wonky lines.

Laura Laine - Gothic and beautiful, Laura Laine draws inspiring creations in black and white. Edward Gorey anyone?

Cecilia Carlstedt -  Her work speaks for itself. Clever and beautiful.

I was blown away when I first saw Marit Jujiwara's textiles on Style Bubbles blog, incidentally a fashion blog worth checking out.  Her innovative approach to dyeing, folding and intricate stitches is a technique that is a mystery to me even at close inspection. I could find very little information about her other then her having graduated from Chelsea College of Art and Design with a BA but with work like this I imagine we will be seeing a lot more of her in the future. More Portfolio pieces here.

I came across Maide, a german lady who makes the most pretty spats. Spats, a turn of the century footwear accessory has been making a comeback. They are easy to tie around any shoe or boot to instantly make a unique fashion statement. Visit her Myspace page to see some of amazing creations. Click Here.

Make your own spats! Threadbanger explains how..

I chanced upon Elena Kalis' photography today. I have always been inspired by underwater photography. The way the hair and fabric sways in surreal slow motion gives this type of art a beautiful flow and a special spontaneity. I love these pictures in particular, the muted tones and the haunting, dreamy quality of an underwater world captures my imagination and make me want to pick up my paintbrush and paint. Visit her site here to see more.

Gibbous has taken recycling to a whole new level of artform. From their trunk of stained silks, lace and lost trinkets they create tattered, one of a kind pieces reminisient of something right out of a Victorian novel or fairytale. They make their designs without the use of patterns and have described it as a process likened to putting a puzzle together ~ 'a myraid of different matierals histories forged together in a sea of stitches'. Each garment is sculpted to the body and adorned with flowers, buttons or other treasured finds. For more information on where to find Gibbous garments please visit their site here.

Yaxin, or Man Arenas, Is Spanish comic book artist/graphic designer who freelances from Europe. His beautiful watercolour and digital images are beautifully inspiring to me. He is a talented artist I check on frequently and has published a graphic novel with French publisher Soleil. I am a huge fan of French graphic novels.. They really do make the best! Check out his blog here.

I love this unfinished watercolour he did too.

Oregan artist, Christine, is the talent behind Du Buh Du Dolls. She creates the most beautiful hand-made and painted dolls in a variety of personalities each with classic joints for moveable arms and legs. The dolls have delicate fashionable clothing and  their own personal accesories such as animal masks or miniature painted self portraits. Notable creations include her Louise Brooks doll, her Mexican day of the dead dolls and the beautifully photographed Mad Hatter's Tea Party in a floating hot air baloon. Check out her site here!

Recent graduate of Central St. Martins, Alithia has created the most amazing paper masks and accessories. Take a look at his designs.

I came across my new favourite artist. I don't know much about her other then her name is Adolie, she does brilliantly cute artwork and she is presently lives in France.  Check out her blog and website. She has tonnes of adorable products that would make great gifts for Christmas.

I just love the moodiness of the black and white charcoal look. Her published style looks like this though. Very nice!

Graduate of Beckman's School of Design in Stockholm, Swedish designer Helena Hörstedt, is a master of architectural lines and intricately structured tailoring. Using only black, Her handcrafted garments are fabric works of art while remaining amazingly wearable.

Studio/Showroom
Hallandsgatan 36-38
118 57 Stockholm
Sweden

+46(0)8-640 07 96

Open by appointment only.
 

See her website here.

As a child I loved fairy tales and would scrounge the Library in search of those rare tomes filled with stories of dark forests, strange creatures and tragic princesses. Inspired by these stories as well as the beautiful artwork that were often scattered throughout the pages, I drew and dreamt up fantastical worlds.

Among the favorites of my youth was the beautiful faerie artwork of Brian Froud and Alan Lee. These images still evoke the same emotions in me today - but it is the delicate illustration of Victorian artists such as Warwick, Rackham and Nielson that i have been revisiting lately and which were the inspiration for my recent fairytale pillow post.

Warwick Goble (1862 – 1943) was educated and trained at the City of London School and Westminster School of Art. He began exhibiting his work in galleries as early as 1893 but it was not till he was 34 he began a career illustrating books. Goble's achievements were slow to come but he gained some success with his illustrations in the The Water Babies. He also became well known for his speciality of lavish and beautifully coloured eastern scenes in such books as Green Willow and Other Japanese Fairy Tales, Folk Tales of Bengal, and Indian Myth and Legend. See more of his work here.
 

Edmund Dulac (1882- 1953) born in Toulouse, France began his career studying law before focusing on Art. He later moved to London, and when he was 22, was picked up by British book publisher J.M. Dent who commissioned Dulac to illustrate the collected works of the Bronte sisters. He later gained an association with Leicester Gallery and publishers Hodder & Stoughton who commisioned illustrations for classics such as the Arabian Nights, Shakespeare's The Tempest, Sleeping Beauty, and a collection of Hans-Christian Andersen tales. See more of his works here.

Arthur Rackham (1867 – 1939), one of 12 children, was born in London. He gained an interest in art early on in life and was working as a fultime artist by the age of 25 at the Westminster Budget. The style he became famous for began to emerge in publications of the Zankiwank and the Bleterwitch in 1896 and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grim in 1900 but it wasn`t until his illustrations in Rip Van Winkle (1905) that Rackham became widley known respected. Over the years Rackham illustrated books such as Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, Alice in Wonderland, The Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, A Midsummer Night`s Dream and many more. He became one of the most well known and celebrated artistis of the “Golden Age” of illustration. To see more of his work click here.

John Bauer (1882 – 1918) was born in Jonkoping, Sweden, the third of four children. The early death of his older sister Anna, at the age of 13, had a profound effect on John and his family. At 16, John went to Stockholm to begin his art Studies. After two years, he was accepted at The Royal Academy of Art where he met his wife, Esther, the model for The Fairy Princess and many of his later illustrations. Together they also studied Art in Germany and Italy. Bauer became celebrated for his illustrative works. He was best known for Lappland, Bland Tomtar och Troll, Great Swedish Fairy Tales and many others. Later in his life Bauer suffered from depression and self-doubts his marriage was falling apart and divorce was discussed. Tragically, on a trip back to Stockholm, the ferry they were travelling on capsized in stormy weather and he and his family drowned. See more of Bauer`s work here.

Charles Robinson (1870 – 1937) was born into a family of illustrators and engravers. Early on Charles apprenticed at a printers where he worked with lothographic stones while taking art lessons in the evenings . For a time, Charles also attended the Royal Academy in London but finances were an issue. Charles began making professional sales when he was 25 his first book being a Child`s Garden of Verses. Other books include Andersen`s Fairy Tales, The Big Book of Nursery Rhymes, The Sensitive Plant and the Happy Prince. See more of his works here.

Kay Nielsen (1886-1957) was born in Denmark and studied art in Paris. Influenced by Swedish fairy tale artist John Bauer and the Art Nouveau movement his illustrations were beautifully stylised and masterfully designed. He produced illustration in books; In Powder and Crinoline, The Twelve Dancing Princesses and East of the Sun and West of the Moon as well as many others. Later on he worked for Disney including projects such as Fantasia. Kay Nielsen did not achieve financial success in his lifetime and died in poverty. For more of Kay`s artwork click here.

This monday I had a 4 am wakeup call to make my way to On/Off located at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Louise Amstrup was showcasing her second collection for London Fashion Week. This season Louise's inspiration was taken from the 1984 cult classic film 'Paris, Texas' directed by Wim Wenders. Inspired by the aloof and mysterious lead female character, Jane Henderson and by the striking cinematography of bleak deserts, dry, alien landscapes strewn with peeling advertisement billboards, neon signs and rusting iron carcasses, Louise produces a signature collection of contradictions. Fusing feminine elements of draped delicate silks with powerful structured tailoring the end result was an impressive contemporary showing.


to see the whole collection visit the Vogue,uk website here.

Also here is the video from her show.

 I haven't yet seen Paris, Texas but it looks great and I love the screen stills I have seen and the poster!


 

"Neither fish, flesh, fowl nor good red herring" is the amusing title of Lisa Farmer’s amazing new bag collection. The Milan based designer has expertly handcrafted the collection which showcases an array of gorgeously shaped one-of-a-kind bags. She takes inspiration from nature, assembling her designs to resemble images of fish and beetles. Displayed recently at the Stark trade show in Berlin this month, Farmer has been garnering much deserved attention for her fresh and quirky take on design. Click here to visit her site. 

Liza lives in a fairytale world of strange, twisted creatures. Her simple line drawings comprise of distorted people, animals and curios. Equally disturbing and pretty it’s the duality of her work that makes it so intriguing.

Check out her website here

You can also purchase some of her beautiful prints on Etsy.

She also has an incredibly interesting blog about her everyday life and art inspirations here.

Jae Liu is from the Republic of China and I am in awe of his beautiful grasp of light and colour as well as his superb line quality. He deserves a lot of attention. Visit his Deviant art site!

I came across Swedish born Johanna Ost for the first time while researching 18^th century costume and then again more recently when one of her vintage creations caught my eye. Her wardrobe is to be envied as is her inspired eye for putting together a look that captures an era perfectly. Delving deeper into her website I discover that she is also a talented artist, her delicate line drawings inspired by fairytales, the circus and fashion are ever so charming and imaginative. If you are interested to see more please check out her blog located here.