BARBARA HULANICKI for TOPSHOP collection

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it..... The Barbara Hulanicki for TOPSHOP collection is due to launch next Tuesday, I've already picked out what I like, have you?
I just love the illustrations too.... and the fact that they've been used on the fabris. I bought all the Biba catalogues I could find on ebay for the gorgeous photo's and illustrations quite some time ago, was just a little bit gutted I missed Barbara's Illustration exhibition last year.

Girls of Summer

My latest illustration for a new magazine called 'Know', the theme is 'London Smiles when the Sun comes out'

ECO Labs - 6 degrees

I haven't been posting much this year mainly due to the fact that I have had so much work on. This project in particular took me over a month to complete. 

I was quite a hard task set by Eco labs.  The project is based on Mark Lynas' book 'Six degrees' which talks about what will happen to the world as it heats up degree by degree until it reaches the point of 6 degrees. Six artists were involved in the project including Jody Barton and Airside and I had to illustrated a world where the climate temperature had risen by 6 degrees. 

I decided to base my illustration on the painting 'The raft of Medusa' not only because it had historical context but also because of the despair and drama. 

Momiji t-shirts

A while ago, actually way back last year Momiji asked a bunch of illustrators to come up with idea's for Momiji t-shirts. I don't think the project went ahead, as they kept sending emails saying they were still deciding and since then have heard no more nor seen any t-shirts being produced but I thought I'd post my designs never the less as I was actually quite fond of them.

Winter Wonderland

It snowed on Monday and it was great! The most fun I had in ages and the most snow we've had in ages, in 18 years in fact. Joe and I ran down the streets to the park snow fighting along the way like big kids, when we got there we built a weird but cute snow bear, ours didn't compare to other peoples efforts though of perfectly smooth snow men with twigs for hair, leafy eyes and carrot noses, there was even a large group of people building a 10 ft snow man!

My Street

Snow dudes and dudettes

About to hurl a giant snowball

10ft Snowbeast

JULIE VERHOEVEN: FANNYING AROUND

I dropped by the Hayward cafe to see Julie Verhoveven's latest exhibition Fannying Around. It was a colourful mass of portraits painted onto paper plates and silver spray painted pasta shapes, so childish yet sophisticated. Whilst there I tucked into a yummy Aubergine Curry and took in my surroundings. I tried to pick out my favourite plate but was unable to in the end as there was so many wonderful ones to choose from. Apparently the work was availiable for purchase but the girl in the shop knew nothing about it, I did consider slipping a plate off the wall for a few seconds, no one would notice would they?... anyway gave that idea a miss but I did take some great photo's to share.

Alan Aldridge Design Museum

I recently visited the Alan Aldridge exhibition at the Design Museum and I loved it. If I'm completely honest I wasn't so familiar with his name before but when I saw his work I was blown away. The exhibition was called the man with the kaleidoscope eyes, during the 1960's-70s Aldridge was dubbed the graphic entertainer Illustrating everything from Beatles song books to childrens books and album covers for the Who and Elton John. He was an Art Director at Penguin books  and illustrated the muched loved The Butterfly Ball, part of the exhibiton was a room of full sized illustrations from the book. Sadly it's finished now but I've posted some of the sneaky photo's I took.

BARBARA HULANICKI for Topshop

One of Barbara's designs for Topshop

I have often daydreamed of browsing the big Biba store picking up deco inspired dresses, turbans and marabou feather Boas as I please, so upon hearing the news BARBARA HULANICKI is to design a collection for Topshop my day dream could become just a little bit real.

Here is the article featured in the telegraph magazine this weekend.

" Designed by Barbara Hulanicki of Biba fame, Topshop’s new designer collection includes body-con dresses and palazzo pants plastered with supersize animal prints; wide-leg catsuits with cutaway shoulders (a Hulanicki trademark), cute, printed silk chiffon blouses and three-quarter-sleeve suede jackets. Given that this is the woman behind the cult label largely considered to have defined the Swinging Sixties and louche Seventies, the collection looks set to rock the late Noughties. Barbara Hulanicki’s 20-piece collection will be available nationwide from April 20. Prices from £20-£120"

My mum owns a seventies Biba dress which is gorgeous but alas I am going to have to loose some weight if it's ever to fit me, I'll put some of my biba images up at a later date.

One plea I have is that I hope Topshop don't schrimp on the fabric quality as they often do with these collaberations.

Barbie's 50th Birthday

I don't think that I've ever purchased a copy of the telegraph before but at the weekend I noticed the it's magazine peeking out from the paper in my local newsagagents. It had the most amazing cover featuring a huge crop of the first Barbie in her black and white swimsuit. I had to buy it!! Inside was an article all about Barbie's 50 year rein, some good some bad but all together very interesting.

I loved Barbie as a child, I wanted to carry on playing with them till I was at least 11, I think my mum had to tell me to stop.... Perhaps it explains my fascination with drawing doll faced girls.

As well as sharing the cover with you I thought I'd also share some interestings facts:

Barbie was based on a German doll called Bild Lili, Lilli was based on a prostitute from a German adult cartoon!!!

Barbie has 12 hairdressers and 50 designers, lucky girl!

Barbie has so far tackled more than 100 careers ranging from air stewardess to palaeontologist, aerobics instructor to Marine Corps sergeant.

Barbie’s designers have included Armani, Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Dior, Versace and Vivienne Westwood.

If Barbie were a real person her measurements would be 38-18-34, her legs are 50 per cent longer than her arms (it’s 20 per cent for the average human), which means she would be unable to walk. Her feet are so small that the weight of her chest would tip her on to her toes. To look like Barbie, a real woman would need to be 2ft taller, take 6in off her waist, add 5in to her bust and 3in to her neck.

....and to her half-centenary, global events will include 50 designers presenting Barbie-inspired clothes at next month’s New York Fashion Week.

I actually have the 80's remake of the cover featured doll, picked her up for 20p at a car boot sale... I want an original though, her hair is much cooler!

My Christmas

Christmas card I made for my boyfriend

Fabulous Lea Stein brooch he gave me

Russian Dolls from Dad

My pressies from everyone 

Russian Dolls, Art of looking sideways, Mark Ryden book, Vintage Bobby Pins, Singing farm animals, Jon Burgerman Posca pens, Poodle brooch, Moleskin diary, Sixties Design

Christmas Vegetable Nativity

Yummy mince pies baked by Joe, mmmm

Christmas birds