Alexia Sinclair.

Australian fine-art photographer and digital artist.
http://alexiasinclair.com/

These are selected favourites from her series, The Regal Twelve, featuring twelve female European monarchs who have ruled. Each powerful figure is portrayed through symbolic elements in a contemporary style with influences from the Renaissance period. She is amazing, my biggest inspiration yet. ♥

Marie Antoinette - The Extravagant Queen.


Christina of Sweden - The Androgynous Queen.


Boudica - The Caltic Queen.


Elizabeth I - The Virgin Queen.

Miss Dior Cherie.

This is an advertisement for the Dior perfume, Miss Dior Cherie Leau. It is probably my second most favourite image (after the Lavazza coffee ad). Though the design itself isn't the greatest, I still love it because the pastel colours and the location setting is really clean and pretty. And because I adore Paris. I cannot wait until I finally get to visit! ♥


I like the composition of this particular design, the way it is laid on top of a cropped section of the same image. It creates high emphasis on the colours and balloons.


This is the first Miss Dior Cherie perfume. I was completely in love with this perfume bottle as I have a little obsession with bows. I really wanted to buy it but it won't be put to use because I am not particularly loving the scent within. It is a little too strong for me, I am more attracted to light sweet scents.


The face of Miss Dior Cherie, Danielle Riley Keogh. And for those who don't know her, she is Elvis Presley's granddaughter. You can really see the resemblance, she is gorgeous!

Illustrative Fashion.

I have a thing for fashion illustrations. ♥ I love the watercolour feel, the softness of the texture and the amazing effects of the marks made.

Sassy Crow.

Theres just something about this image I love. Maybe it's the bold crow, or the combination of photography and illustration, or the mystery of the wooden mannequin-like arm, or her calm facial expression, or the emphasis on the red lipstick, or the mixture of simplicity and exaggerated details, or just simply the use of lines.

Stress, Stress & More Stress.

The most stressful times are two weeks before all my assignments due! Boohoo! Though I've had over a month or even almost two months to do it, I left it to the last minute not because I'm lazy :) but because I'm training for the 'REAL WORLD'. And the real world is TOUGH! .. I'm only guessing from what the teachers make it sound to be.

Design Is A Load of C.R.A.P.

The basic principles to a good design:

C ontrast
R epetition
A lignment
P roximity.

The Art of Make-Up.

I saw this at the 2010 AGIdeas design conference by Robyn Beeche, a fashion photographer. One face, four different ethnicities portrayed. And that my love, is the art and beauty of make-up. Amazing is it not?!

Titled '1986 Four Faces II'

Design A Business Card.

One of my teachers showed this a year or two ago and it came across again today. It's a must watch for designers. You'll love it!

'Your business card is CRAP!'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YBxeDN4tbk

A Woman's Worth.

You gotta show me you're worth it by showing me I'm worthy. Cause baby, I deserve it.

"You can buy me diamonds. You can buy me pearls. You can take me on a cruise, around the world. Because a real man, knows a real woman. And ain't afraid to please her."

Perfect Purple.

I am very fond of the colour purple. ♥ Loving this image of the different shades of purple, directional lines and various surface textures.

Frida Kahlo.

I've always had a bit of knowledge about her artworks but not so much of her life and how she became such a strong artist. Today, at the academy we watched the film "Frida" based on her life (played by Salma Hayek). It was quite a confronting movie and a shocking one at that. It is definitely a movie worth watching. After seeing it, it made me appreciate her works even more. Her entire life can be seen as a tragic and painful journey but the paintings she has created out of her experiences has made it almost worthwhile, but to some extent sympathetic.

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954). One of the most influential Mexican painters.


One particular line I will probably always remember;
“I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.” - Frida Kahlo

Venezia City.

City of Love.


This is an advertisement for Lavazza coffee. Who would of thought right? This is my absolute favourite image! I love love LOVE everything about it. It's just perfect! ♥♥
Two people in the city of love, holding each other and two coffee cups. What could be more perfect? It makes me want to start drinking this particular coffee. It really makes us think that this coffee is something special and there is more to it than just a hit of caffeine. Not just that, but the setting also indicates the love between the two people as well as the love of coffee, which displays the rich quality of the Italian style. I am also drawn to their use of colour theme and the traditional chiaroscuro style of contrasting dark and light. Yet, there are also strong white patches giving the eye breathing space. There has been an obvious display of hierarchy, through the use of background and foreground as well as emphasis on the female character's bright blue dress. Though our eyes are not automatically drawn to the cup, as you further observe the image, the directional flow of the dress and arm draws the attention to it. In a world without coffee, Lavazza coffee that is, none of this feeling were to ever exist!

Black & White.

A random photograph I came across while researching for a project. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. I am a big fan of black and white photography. But not just any black and white photograph. Photography with meaning. I think this photograph is very powerful despite its simplicity but that's usually what it takes to create a strong image and not to mention, a good one. There is a strong attitude to the female character - her posture and the way she is holding onto the cigarette. The male character however, is determined or trying to win her over. Very 80's. Love love!

The Notebook.

A simple story, well told.


"It wasn't over.. Still isn't"


No matter how many times I have seen this movie, I still bawl my eyes out every single time! This is my favourite love story. ♥

Sexy Burlesquey.

Dita Von Teese. A Burlesque performer, model and actress. Loving her style!

Coco Chanel.

Born Gabrielle Bonheur (1833-1971). Continually inspires me. ♥


French fashion designer who founded the famous famous house Chanel and whose menswear-inspired style and expensive simplicity became one of the most important fashion icons of the 20th century.


Quoted by Coco Chanel;

A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.

A women who doesn't wear perfume has no future.

A woman is closest to being naked when she is well dressed.

As long as you know men are like children, you know everything!

Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door.

Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.

Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress.

Elegance is refusal.

Fashion fades, only style remains the same.

Fashion is made to become unfashionable.

Great loves too must be endured.

I don't know why women want any of the things men have when one the things that women have is men.

I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little - if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.

I never wanted to weigh more heavily on a man than a bird.

If a man talks bad about all women, it usually means he was burned by one woman.

In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.

Look for the woman in the dress. If there is no woman, there is no dress.

Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.

My friends, there are no friends.

Nature gives you the face you have at twenty; it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty.

Success is often achieved by those who don't know that failure is inevitable.

The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.

There are people who have money and people who are rich.

There is no time for cut-and-dried monotony. There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time!

The best color in the whole world, is the one that looks good, on you!

Breakfast At Tiffany's.

Classy Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993). My favourite kind of girl.


"I'm crazy about Tiffany's!" - Holly Golightly


- It's a Diamond. It's Platinum. It's Tiffany.

Inspiration.

I often find myself looking for famous quotes or works by other artists, which I can relate myself too. I think inspiration and research is crucial when it comes to discovering yourself and your own personal style, it is just like the importance of research within the design process. And I guess that is the reason why I've decided to create this blog. I am not so much of a keen writer on my personal life, and I don't believe that my daily events should be publicised or any of anyone's business for that matter. So this blog is merely of my creative thoughts and visual analyses. It will help me create a visual story board of some sort, that I can easily refer to (instead of having to create bible-thick visual diaries!).

Some Like It Hot.

Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962). Unforgettable sex symbol.

Karl Who?

Karl Lagerfeld.

My biggest inspiration for fashion. Karl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer and artist based in Paris, France. He is the head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel, owns his own label fashion house, as well as the Italian house Fendi.


"There's no Chanel collection without black. It will never exist. Who can live without some black clothes."


Just a random image I found. Karl really believes in size 0's.
I did not post this image because I believe size 0 is the ideal size or because I want to be. But what got to me was Karl's determination. He wanted to fit into designer clothes like the male models on the runway. And so he did, he lost 42 kilos! It just shows that if you really want something, you just got to fight for it. Never ever make excuses for what you can't do because in the end, the only person you are lying to, is yourself.