Space alien- on loosing your sense of purpose+direction

30/07/2018- This post was written two years ago when I was working before uni and I thought that this would be interesting to post now, at age 20 when I have just completed my first year of university studying illustration and I am about to start the second year in September. It’s a bittersweet post overall because I was so low then, when  I wrote this and now I am studying something I love and I’m much happier in comparison. I haven’t edited this at all so its more of a diary entry than a blog post so excuse some of the phrasing and words.

Year 7. I had a very clear path that I was going to follow. College, University, Designer.

That path is still evident now at age 18, however I have discovered that one job is not enough for me. I have way too many interests, all of which I want to persevere with. Maybe not all as a major profession but there is no way I’m letting them fall through the cracks all the same. With all these interests, one can’t help but wonder if the path that I’m following is the right one.

Said path has taken a pit stop at the moment, as university is expensive af and I don’t have a lot of money (she says as a £29 pound jumper is being shipped tomorrow.) so a year long apprenticeship seemed like a good idea. Which it still is I think. By working in admin for a year I have a fall back plan if things go to shit creatively (a girl gotta eat) and by working for one company for 1 year shows to employers that I am committed and experienced.

However, part of me does wish that I hadn’t. Working in admin is hard. Watching your friends have fun without you is somewhat harder. Part of me feels like I’m missing out on the fun even though it’s still going to be there next year. Not to mention repetitive spreadsheet typing is s o u l  d e s t r o y i n g.

Admin has it’s pros- experience and tech savvy skills. However, 3 months in and I’m counting down until my contract ends. Not because the job is shit, on the contrary it is pretty good. Nice colleagues, no dress code, not having to stand up all day and smile constantly…it’s just not where I want to be.

It is the exact feeling I had towards the end of college, where everything seems too much and I just want to curl up and cry all day (admittedly, I have done this a la mental breakdown in the car on the way to work because I really can’t phone clients). Work is boring but what makes it worse is being so close to the next ‘chapter’ but unable to read it.

Last month undoubtedly was the worst ever. I woke up sad, I went to work sad, I left sad. Everything dragged and a two tonne weight was sat on my chest at all times. It took all my energy to get into work let alone function like a normal human being and talk. 9-5:30 felt like 6am-11pm and I counted down seconds like hours. Nothing was keeping me motivated.

Seizing the few days I felt happy helped a lot because I slowly worked on my hobbies and using them as an incentive.  I flooded my social media with artists and creators whose motivation rubbed off on me and I started inktober. Giving myself a sense of purpose and status motivated me to use my evenings and breaks in a creative way which mentally was a distraction to my job. It made me feel like I was working towards something great and slowly my ideas started to come back.

In terms of what I want to do, I’m still confused. There’s so much on my list of goals which I can’t even bring myself to write down, but by slowly rekindling my creativity which washed away with the tide, I feel like I’m a step towards achieving them all at a later date.

 

a review on inktober

This year, I finally remembered to join in on the manic art challenge that is inktober. And by remembered, I mean someone posted on tumblr the day before and I frantically drove to get a new sketchbook to ink in.

Inktober is an art challenge where for 31 days, you have to create 31 sketches in ink.You can use other mediums and of course a range of colours, so long as the main medium is ink.

As well as uploading all my final sketches to instagram, I also decided to film all 31 paintings and upload them to youtube which, as I’m still editing all the videos, wasn’t the best idea looking back. I’m seriously behind on editing as it takes so long to compile them together, however I do think that this has allowed me to review my creative process and all the work I had put into the project.

As I’m currently working full time on my gap year before university, I haven’t got a lot of spare time, especially as I’m doing an apprenticeship so I haven’t avoided paperwork! By taking part in inktober I managed to give myself a routine- sketches during my lunch break and finishing off the sketch in the evening. This also meant I had something to focus on in my lunch break and felt more motivated afterwards as I was doing something worthwhile.

I also found that as the days passed I cared less about being ‘perfect.’ I tried out more poses and facial expressions which I might not have if I didn’t draw every day. By making art daily, I felt more confident in my skills and in turn, began to experiment more with what I was creating.

In turn, I also found that I felt more inspired as I was constantly thinking of new ideas and how I could create them on paper, and as the days went on my concepts also got bolder. I wasn’t just drawing faces and the occasional full body sketch, I drew dynamic poses. And as an artist, being able to develop your anatomical skills so that your paintings can get that one step closer to being exactly how you envisioned it in your brain is the best feeling ever.

Granted, most of my drawings used a reference and for my bts wings series which I did for a few days, in celebration of their new album, used their promotional pictures with a twist, I was still improving my skills by being able to replicate real life subjects so that when I came to draw entirely from scratch later, I could map out facial features just that little bit more accurately.

I have also discovered things about my existing skills that I didn’t know beforehand. For example, I didn’t know that I could paint portraits in monochrome as well as I did when I painted my friend, Rania. And now I’m using that as a focal point for huevember (another art challenge) to further improve this skill. I’ve also discovered a new character in drawing. My sketch for day 10 was of a superhero who I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a story about (another hobby I’ve brushed under the rug for ages ;; ) and by sketching her, ideas about plots and other characters were spun into the web of her concept. And it also serves as a physical reminder, because for me, if I have drawn whilst thinking of a plot, or anything in general, I tend to remember it more.

One final thing that I also realised is that I can draw more difficult poses if I put my mind and hands to it. Take day 18 for example. I know that a person stretching and yawning isn’t really that challenging, but for me it is one that was difficult at first to map out i a way that looked ‘right’ in my mind. By working on it and changing certain elements, not just giving up and going with whatever I had turned out with first time, I managed to create a piece that was more active than my usual passive tendencies. Although the face isn’t as expressive as I’d hoped, I still worked hard and I have the opportunity to work on that section at a later point as a redraw, because I know that I have the ability to do so.
In short, inktober has awoken my creative spark and pushed me to further improve my skills in a way that was fun and motivating and left me wanting to continue drawing every day, not wishing for Halloween to come so I could stop drawing.

 

 

Inspired by…Ikon- My Type

For the second part of the “Inspired by” series, I have chosen to create outfits inspired by the song “My Type” by the band ikon, under the YG Entertainment label. They are a band who I have been following before their debut, through WIN and Mix&Match. These guys have been through a lot to say the least and speaking as a fan, it is amazing to finally see them reaching their goals. Also a quick note to Bobby who’s family have finally been able to move to Korea with him after 3 years! Congrats!

Onto the designs now and this time rather than focusing on key elements, I took a step back and looked at the video style as a whole. There is a strong street-style vibe to the plot, with a soft colour scheme to match the song lyrics. I tried to mimic this through the use of simple patterns and light colours.

The first design has a more preppy feel to it. I took inspiration from the cardigan pictured above and put my own spin on it, sticking to the bold colour block style in the scene. This isn’t one of my favourites as I think more could have been done to make it more interesting and unique. Despite this, I do like the green and white layered shirt.

The next design is one of my favourites. As you can see, layering is a key feature in the music video and is a theme I carried on into my designs. I kept the design simple, with a striped arm for embellishment to keep the minimal street wear style. Distressed shorts gave the design a more casual look to contrast with the long shirt.

The final design is one which is more sporty. I combined two different prints; checks and stripes. This gave the outfit a more thrown on feel and the ripped jeans styled up the tops. For the tshirt, I looked to baseball for my inspiration.

For the next set, I took the features of pinstripes from the video however I changed up how the pattern was used. I used them on a scalloped crop top and pairing with a grey striped shirt and acid wash jeans to create a more dressy outfit in contrast to the others. I like this design as it conveys the lighthearted message of the song.

For the next design I took inspiration from the illustrations on the back wall as well as the colour block junper. I decided to make it into a dress to change up my designs and went for a Jeremy Scott style of clothing with. Bold prints inspired by thebacoground. I did like it at first, however I’m not sure on the design now as I think it doesnt work with the large images.

Lastly, I went with a more simple design with a cropped plain jumper and navy trousers, which are tied together with a patterned shirt I designed taking inspiration from the headscarves. I think that I need to work on my fine detail drawing for this design to look better as it looks a bit boring at the moment. I think maybe a contrast neck or cuffs would have worked to draw more attention to it.

What do you guys think? As always, I’m open to song suggestions for the next post and would love to hear your opinions on this one!

Previous post-> new music

Previous post in the series-> Red Velvet; Dumb Dumb

Check out my art Instagram here for more of my work and here for ikon’s music video!

New Music Discoveries

This is something different to my usual set up, but I thought it would be fun to share my new musical discoveries of the last few months or so. I think there is a running theme with a few of the artists, they give off a similar vibe to them, but I want to know your opinion!

• Troye Sivan

If I’m completely honest, I thought that his music would be mediocre. With so many young YouTube fans nowadays, I felt like I couldn’t rely on them for music opinions and assumed that Troye would have the typical “boy band for 12 year olds” style that I really don’t like. However, his music is much more raw and meaningful and has a dark but catchy vibe to it. I love his new album “Wild” not just because of the artwork (which is partly why I was exited for the release) but the teasers for the songs were so well edited and sounded melancholic and beautiful. I also admire the way he utilizes his status on YouTube to advertise his music in a subtle way. Not “You should all buy my new album” more like “Here’s a snippet of a new song…what do you guys think?” The promotions for the album included the audience and showed the hard work and effort that Troye has put into the music.

• The 1975

I heard about the 1975 first from someone in my Textiles who is a big fan of them but I didn’t look into their music much. I think I did once but it didn’t click. Then a few days ago I overheard a conversation on the bus about a concert and “what songs would play first” and the people started listing names like “Chocolate, Menswear and Sex” the song names were so strange that I searched them online and discovered they were from the 1975. Needless to say that their grunge, counter-society image was a big hit and apparently they colour co-ordinate their twitters with their new album covers? That is dedication.

• FKA Twigs

FKA Twigs is another artist who’s music videos are edited so well and with such unique concepts. Take “Water Me” for an example. Block colour background, minimal animation, and yet it is amazing! It’s a very artsy and aesthetic style video, like something which you would find on tumblr so it has a mixed opinion for what I’ve seen in the comments. Her voice is also unique, the high pitches she hits in her songs are ones I have never heard in songs before. It may be that I don’t remember hearing them or her tone of voice that changes the sound of the pitch but its a small element which changes the song to make it sound personal to her and the listener.

• Ivy Levan

I discovered Ivy Levan through listening to Halsey and Aurora and she is amazing! I listen to The Overtones sometimes as they remind me of a day out me and my friends has ages ago and her music is similar in terms of inspiration. Ivy has a more modern and edgy take on the old school style of music, think 50s style with an edge. “Money” is a song that I listen to a lot as I like the music video theme as well as the song. It’s really up beat and I think that the ending screen on her videos is really cute. There is a strong old-school vibe to a lot of her songs

• Halsey

Halsey was hyped up so much on tumblr and I think for a good reason. She’s another person who, from what I’ve seen, uses her platform to advertise her work in a creative way. I don’t know much about her, but I do know that there was a controversy regarding “Ghosts” and how it was allegedly sexual, more so than one of her other videos. Mainly because another girl took the place of what people wanted to be a male role. Personally I didn’t find it sexual, I think some parts could be considered as hinting at a sexual act but there was nothing compared to other more ‘provocative’ music videos. As it wasn’t disclosed as being sexual or having sexual connotations in terms of the plot line I wouldn’t count it. But again, I don’t have much background to the topic so I wouldn’t like to say. I do remember her saying that the reason she made the video the way it is because she knew that people would say that it was more sexual than her other video when it clearly wasn’t. From what I’ve seen, she seems very honest in voicing what she stands for and her music is haunting, in a good way of course!

• Aurora

Aurora makes songs which remind me of Sia. Her songs are very dynamic and her videos almost look like they’re cut from a movie. Her voice is very versatile and has a style that is melancholic, like your on the bridge of a major revolution or something similar. “Running with the wolves” is an amazing song which starts off calm and builds as you reach the chorus and “Under Stars” is a light and beautiful track which I love.

These are the new artists I’ve discovered this year, who have you found? Let me know in the comments below, especially if you have any recommendations. Also, I’m not sure this will be a regular blog post, as I found it a bit difficult to express why I like their music, but if you guys liked it I might try to post this every so often!

On Sunday I’ll be posting the next collection in my “Inspired By…” Series where I create a small collection of clothes inspired by a music video.  If you have any recommendations of songs to do a collection of fashion illustrations from, leave them on the previous blog post!

Previous Post: “Inspired by…Red Velvet’s Dumb Dumb.”

Inspired by…Red Velvet- Dumb Dumb

I finally have an idea for some more interesting content! I already have my collection reviews and now, I am starting a new project to help me with my portfolio- Collections inspired by Music videos!

I think this will most likely be a Sunday thing, featuring at least 6 different designs inspired by elements of a music video.

The first music video I chose was the new song by Red Velvet; Dumb Dumb! I adore the style and cute style of the song, as well as the outfits and set. There is a theme of dolls and cuteness which I emulated with full skirts, bows and light colours.

The first outfit was inspired by the outfit pictured above. I spotted a boater theme with the hat and stripes, which I also encorporated into my design, going with a 1900s day out pattern . I also took inspiration from the Lolita fashion trend, with a full, high waisted skirt and thigh-high socks carrying on the striped pattern. The outfit has a relaxed feel with the rolled sleeves and loose braces: it’s definitely my favourite!

The next outfit combines the block print jumpers and oversized bows. I like the over the top cuffs and hems, which I enlarged to give a more manufactured doll feel. I also decorated it with a large bow in a contrast yellow to add to the doll clothes theme. This I accessorised with mismatched socks, also seen in the video.

The final outfit on this page was inspired by a similar outfit as the first, however it featured two different patterns which I also tried out. I liked a complementary colour scheme and tried a different skirt style, choosing a tighter pencil mini skirt instead. I decided to use polka dots for the short as it already had a fifties vibe to it with the frills.

In this set, the first outfit is my least favourite. I think it looks too much like the inspired outfit. Although I tried to alter elements such as changing the sleeves and making it into a crop and bell skirt. I don’t like the style of the skirt however. As it looks a bit like a tomatoe which wasn’t the look I was going for! Overall, it reminds me of the clothing from the Cat in the Hat.

The second outfit I like much better. This also encorporated some inspiration from the colour block jumpers seen in the videos and from the ripped jeans seen in one of the dance segments. I didn’t like the style of them much, but they sparked an idea to muse a boy-fit style with a cute appliqué knee patch like the 80/90s fashion. I really like the curved white hem on the cropped jumper; it was a complete accident but a good one!

 

Lastly, I really love shirt dresses so I decided to mix it with the open sleeve seen in the video. I also added a belt and some bow accessories to complete the look. I also love the pinstripes from the first outfit so I decided to use them again, this time in light pink and white, inspired by the day dress also featured.

what do you guys think? Leave a comment about your favourite outfits from the video, or if you have any tips for my designs! If you have any music videos you’d like me to do next, let me know-They don’t have to be kpop songs either!
Link to the official video; http://youtu.be/774lqxA9v5g

Link to my art instagram;

http://www.instagram.com/mashmato

 

Red Valentino- S/S 2016 PRE

You can never go wrong with monochrome. Especially when it’s Valentino.

For the Spring/Summer 2016 collection, block colours and prints are featured again, with subtle pastels and rainbow patterns thrown into the mix, balancing out the harsh theme.

Valentino has gone with a 60s vibe for this collection, featuring shift dresses with bold prints, and abstract patterns. Masculine features have been woven into the garments, with a feminine twist, combining bow ties with sheer fabrics, and ties with short dresses, creating a modern age vision for next year.

I love the scalloped edge on the dress, it adds detail without going over the top. Simplicity is key in this collection, shown through the use of clean cut shapes and colours. The matching collar and tie, combined with the scalloped hem in black too really bring the shift dress together, rather than focusing on one center feature, showcasing the garment as a whole.

The pattern looks great reversed too and I particularly like how the hem has been raised and the waist cinched to create some definition and individuality between this and the first dress.  This design is much more softer, but still carries the boyish undertones through from the first design, shown through the tie and the Charleston shoes. This is contrasted with the rounded sleeves and tulip shirt.

The same pattern is carried through the collection, but with some minor and some major changes. For this design, a more ‘feminine’ approach has been taken, with the skirt adorn with ruffles and a  preppy appearance. The garment is much lighter and airy, with the use of pastels and brighter trims, and the sheer shoulder and neckline transform the pattern into a new creation, one with a softer edge.

The sheer fabric is also a reoccurring theme, this time used to soften a masculine style trouser and shirt combo. The subtle waved bow tie which is wider than usual adds a feminine touch, and the ruffled pattern on the shirt contribute to this. There is a nod to Victorian style shirts with the decorated fronts and high cuffs, with a modern twist, using a more revealing fabric.

I also love the suits featured. I’m a big fan of high waisted shorts and jacket combination, made in the same fabric to create a new style of formal suits. The print is abstract, much like the decor style in the 50/60s and the shine gives a professional image to the modern look, conveyed through the shorts and 3/4 length sleeves on the blazer.

Overall, this is a great collection, although an odd style for spring/summer which usually features brighter colours. Never the less, I always love Valentino and the directors are doing a fine job in carrying on the image that Garavani created.

What do you think? Leave a comment about your favourite piece from the collection which you can view here.

Check out my other posts from the series;

Barbra Bui 

Giambatissta Valli

Christian Siriano

Creatures of the wind 

Or check out my previous post -> Wind; Haruki Murakami- Book review

Thank you for reading, and sorry for being MIA for so long, I’m back to college now and back on timetable, so posts should be regular now. 

Wind; Haruki Murakami- Book Review

I went shopping a few times during the holidays and one of the things that I picked up (well, actually my Mum did)  was a book by the author Haruki Murakami. It is actually two of his books in one; Pinball being the second book, and also features a third and final book in the series.

I was attracted to the book first by it’s minimal cover, created by Suzanne Dean. The book has two covers which I found out when I flipped it over to read the blurb (there isn’t one.) and found another cover in place, this one credited to the V&A and Steve Banks.

The cover for Wind is very abstract, with a cut squares and leaves which hint to the book’s setting and writer’s heritage from Japan, and makes a lovely change from the complicated covers which are usually found on book shelves.  I am a fan of more simple covers,  vintage hardback books being my favourite, so I opened the book to find out more.

Inside is more decoration, with the front pages designed to match their respective covers in a repeating pattern. Wind featured an abstract pattern, much like something you would find in a museum. Points to me for the worst description ever, but have some photos to see what I mean;

The order of the books is Wind, followed by Pinball and lastly A Wild Sheep Chase. I didn’t know there was a third until I finished wind and read the inner sleeve of the book and proceeded to internally scream. What happens to the rat? Who knows when I’ll find out because I haven’t finished Pinball yet and have no idea when I’ll get my hands onto the third.

The blurb follows the minimal tone of the novel, explaining what happens and nothing more. It tells the bare minimum and entices you becauase of this- no cliffhangers or ‘What will happen?’ It almost sounds…ordinary, like an everyday documentation which draws you into read more.

The style of Wind is personal and calm. The narrator is very matter-of-fact and blunt. No fancy words. He tells you how he feels, what he thinks and gives a real incite into his brain.

The chapters are short overall, with varying lengths throughout which I found odd at first, but I actually began to enjoy this style, especially the cute star divisions when a new chapter isn’t needed, but the events don’t flow into one another. Wind also has illustrations tying into the story.

As for plot, I have yet to figure one out. I mean, the events happen chronologically, and they make sense and have meaning…but the meaning isn’t to the reader- it’s to the narrator. This is what makes the book so special to me. It’s almost as if the narrator has invited us into his life, and we are observing his daily happenings. Nothing elaborate or fancy. Just his life. There is a real sense of ‘average is fine’ which I got from the book, a comforting thing if your like me and in the middle of essentially deciding your future.(yay uni applications)

The characters in the book are also interesting to say the least. The narrator is never named, his friend is only known as “the rat” and there’s a girl with only 9 fingers. Odd, right? This adds to the vague nature of the novel and also spurs me to re-read it again to see if I can piece together more coherently what is happening and what it means. If it means anything. Maybe it is just an interesting story about a person with no deeper meaning. After all, not everything needs to teach you something about life.

The Rat is a prominent character in the book, perhaps more so in Wind as he seems to be struggling, although he rarely shares why. Despite being from a rich family- he hates the rich and is a mysterious character who disappears and reappears through the chapters.

Many of the characters in Wind have little revealed about them- perhaps it reflects how people you meet share things with you, but never everything. It leaves a lot of questions which lead you on until you finish and realize…you have even more questions.

In short, it’s difficult to review the book without revealing what happens within the book and spoiling it. But it is a strange style of writing which is really fun to read and also challenging at times.

Overall, I loved this story, it is much different from the standard motivation-problem-solution or a how-to-life story, and I actually thought it was an autobiography at first. Actually, that’s how I would describe it- A fictional Autobiography.

I’ll review the next story; Pinball in the next post one I have finished reading it. I’ll also review the third book although I have no idea when that will be. What did you guys think? I’m not sure I reviewed the book very well, so tips would be appreciated! I’m curious to see if anyone else has read this too, I’d love to hear your opinions! Thanks for reading!

Christian Siriano- Pre S/S 2016

Sorry for the late blog post, I usually post weekly but I’m trying to get all my revision and summer work finished before we go back! I should have my timetable soon, so then I can fit in a definite slot for my posts.

Onto the actual topic, the next collection I’m going to review is Christian Siriano’s Pre collection. This collection features a lot of peach tones, contrasted with black and navy among the pastel hues. Siriano’s collection is elegant and refined, with long, big skirts and modern necklines. Crew-neck and boater style necklines are a reccuring feature. Overall this collection screams young, modern and chic.

The first piece that caught my eye was this peach evening gown. I love the material used, it reminds me of tissue paper that is used to wrap jewellery in! I also like the unique neckline combined with the pleats, which gives a minimal and effortless elegance to the dress. The fact there is hardly any embellishment to the dress draws more attention to the small details which are executed perfectly. Even the hemline adds an edge to the gown.

Next is this floral print which is used throughout the collection. I love how in each ensemble, Siriano picks a key colour from the print and uses it in a block print to contrast. In this, he has selected a beautiful lavender shade for the top of this model and has used his skill in pleating and frills to create a pattern, rather than printing onto the fabric. Again, the simplistic style draws the eye towards the technique, showcasing his skills as a designer. As for the skirt, the same applies, this time with the wide gathers which gives a more mature undertone to the style.

Lastly, I love the 70s vibe that this over-sized shirt and skirt give in this design. The long sleeves and how the shirt is haphazardly fastened give a ‘day at the beach’ feel to the ensemble, and the geometric print adds to the retro vibe. A touch of modern style is injected into the design with the A line skirt which would look great with a crisp white shirt for the office. The heels and bow tie the garments together with the all matching print trend conveyed by Siriano.

What do you think? Check out the rest of the collection here and leave a comment on your favourite piece!

Or if you’re new, check out my other reviews so far;

Giambattista A/W 2015/16

Barbra Bui Pre S/S 2016

Creatures of the Wind S/S 2016

The Liebster Award

Hello! How are you all today? If your one of the many people who (like me) picked up your AS/A Level grades yesterday, I hope you got the grades you wanted and celebrated!

Back to the post, I was nominated by the amazing Rebekah from Moments of a Mermaid for the Liebster Award which promotes new bloggers and introduce them into the community. Its a great way to find your footing as a blogger and make lovely friends along the way! This is the first award I’ve been nominated for and I’m flattered to be chosen as one of Rebekah’s 10 blogs! Thank you!

The rules are simple;

1. Once nominated, make a post thanking and linking the person who nominated you.
2. Include the LEIBSTER AWARD sticker in the post too.
3. Nominate 10 other new bloggers that have 200 or less followers who you think are worthy of this award. Let them know they have been nominated by commenting on one of their posts. You can nominate the person who nominated you.
4. Answer the 10 questions asked to you by the person who nominated you and make ten questions of your own for your nominees.
5. Lastly, copy these rules in the post.

I have decided to nominate…..

• Moments of a Mermaid (obvs)
• Life of an ordinary A Level student
• Cecilia Mora
• Paper House
• Study Hack
• Katie Elizabeth
• Elle and her beauty blog
• Charlotte’s corner
• A study in stitching
• Fanta Bulea

And here are the questions!

1. Supernatural or Sherlock?

I’m more emotionally invested in Sherlock than Supernatural. Sorry Dean.

2. What is your favourite lipstick?

At the moment my MUA lipstick in shade 9 which I wrote about here. It’s a cool brown/gold colour which I’ve never used before and it isn’t dry at all. It also lasts a long time too!

3. If you can have any job in the world, what would it be?

Any job? A detective was the first thing I thought of and wasn’t at all influenced by the first question at all. Not at all.

4. Where is your favourite vacation spot?

I don’t really go on holiday but I where I live there’s a castle and its nice to just sit in the field and do nothing all day with my friends. Which sounds boring, but it’s not. Honest.

5. Have you ever met someone famous before?

Only in my dreams.

6. What do you love most about blogging?

I like finding other bloggers who share similar interests, there’s nothing better than waking up to read their new post and chatting to them about it and having the same experience on your post. Knowing that they like and support your content is the best feeling ever and everyone I’ve made friends with so far is a lovely person with an equally amazing blog!

7.Who is your favourite musician/band?

I’m a diehard BAP fan, it’s where the ‘mato’ from mashmato comes from 🙂

8. If you could eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Pasta! I don’t know why, it’s the first thing I thought of.

9. What is your favourite candle scent?

Vanilla or rose!

10. What do you do to relax?

Tumblr, drawing and sleeping.

And here are my questions!!

1. If you could dye your hair any colour for one day, what would you choose?

2. Are you a sweet or savory person?

3. What was your dream when you were younger?

4. Has your dream changed/been achieved?

5. What is the best book you’ve ever read?

6. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you use social media?

7. Where do you see your blog in 10 years?

8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

9. Are you an optimistic or a pessimistic person? Or a mix of both?

10. Do you take ages to do your makeup? How long?

Thank you again to Rebekah for nominating me, the questions were so fun to answer and it made my day! To my nominees, I hope you like the questions and have fun answering them! I love your blogs so much!

Creatures of the Wind- S/S 2016

COTW have gone with a slightly nautical colour pallet for next year’s summer trend, with navy blues, whites and a hint of yellow, creating a fresh and clean collection.

They opted for a no-fuss silhouette, straight cut and simple, with a few pleats here and there, leaving the chosen patterns to do the talking. The patterns in question are a mixture of stripes, floral motifs and a pattern which I can only describe as an striped weave. As in the fabric technique, not the hair kind.

I like the versatility of the skirt for this outfit, it can easily be toned down for a casual look, or used for a more professional presentation if paired with a white shirt. The shirt used in this photo (courtesy of Vogue might I add, as are all the photos used on this series) reminds me of an underwater scene, as it has a wet-look finish to it. This again, could be worn as a party statement or casual shirt, depending on how you style it.

THIS! This was the striped weave pattern I was (trying) to describe. It has the light and dark coffee tones going horizontal and withing that tiny square patterns making it look like a basket weave. The effortless gathers and tiny details- such as the uneven waistband- express the designer’s skill in making a garment which doesn’t need thousands of techniques and patterns to succeed. Simplicity is key, you might say. They also manage to get away with layering patterns (cheeky!) which is normally a taboo in the fashion world. However, the patterns contrast, with a light stripe on top, light both in colour and size, and a darker, heavier pattern on the bottom. And to unify both, a metallic scarf to add an eye catching feature to the ensemble, in a complementary shade to the skirt.

If you live anywhere with temperamental weather, you’ll relate to me when I say that it will probably rain a fair few times during the summer, even though it’s not supposed to. If your a fan of trench coats to combat this, then look no further. I personally love how the detailing is on the inside rather than the outside, as you can be fashionable without having the problem of matching your coat to your outfit. Flowers don’t match everything, unfortunately. The silver buttons employ a military edge to the coat, matching with the wet-look of fabric. From what is revealed, I’m guessing that the dress follows with the theme of ‘less is more’ with an abstract gather at the front as the main focus of the A-line dress. This time, wider stripes have been used to add more detail, and alternating colours also match with the nautical style.

I haven’t heard of this design er until now, but I look forward to seeing more collections as they have shown that they can do a lot with little extravagance, which can sometimes be overpowering. I also love the name of the brand, it reminds me of a Ghibli movie!

What do you think of the collection? Take a look at all the garments here and let me know in the comments.  If you have any recommendations for new collections that I should review, leave them down in the comments too!