Lulus.com Fashion Blog » Laurie Hartt

Fashion Legends: The Emma Block Style Icon Series

Laurie Hartt — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I am pretty sure it’s impossible to be more darling than these adorable drawings. Created by London-based freelance artist Emma Block, who “is inspired by the people she meets in her everyday life, old photos, vintage clothes, travel, 1950s illustration and 1930s jazz,” these renditions of famous fashion legends highlight signature looks and styles that remain iconic even today. Starring even the Queen herself, this series, entitled the Style Icon Series, is just begging to be hanging in my dream boudoir (but my bathroom will do for now!)

Learn more about this talented Brit on her website, or head on over to her Etsy site to buy a print for yourself!

(Pics courtesy of Emma Block Illustration and Trend Hunter. Quote courtesy of Emma Block.)

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Mad for Fashion: Daphne Guinness for Tatler Hong Kong

Laurie Hartt — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 12:00:00 +0000

As if she didn’t have enough awesomeness going for her already, heiress Daphne Guinness blows style straight out of the water with this stunning shoot for March 2012′s edition of Tatler Hong Kong. Shot by the talented twosome Markus + Indrani, this spread features gorgeous pieces from Chanel Haute Couture, Genghis Khan, and Azzedine Alaia. Add her signature phantom heels and a sweet two-tone ‘do, and you’ve got some seriously dark drama.

Want even more? Check out this rad behind-the-scenes video of the shoot:

(Pics courtesy of Fashion Gone Rogue.)

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Behind the Scenes: Interview with a Trader Joe’s Chalkboard Artist

Laurie Hartt — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Good afternoon, LuLu*s loves! Today I am super stoked to bring you one of the coolest things I’ve found in forever! After reconnecting a few months ago, I discovered that my lovely friend Rachel is currently working as a chalkboard artist at Trader Joe’s – yeah, she makes those awesome signs all over the store! She is awesome and she graciously agreed to submit to my interviewing her to give all you ladies a sneak peek into her colorful world!

So, we know you do the chalkboards at Trader Joe’s. What is your official title?

Crew member! My position is the same as everyone else in the store; I just get to do special tasks.

What do you do exactly?

All the signs in Trader Joe’s are handmade. With the exception of receipts, if it has words on it we design it in-store. On paper, I’m responsible for making sure that every product has a shelf tag with a price and for highlighting products. In reality, that has translated to everything from sewing a giant turkey, crafting a 4 foot 3D hot air balloon out of paper, small illustrations, and much more.

It’s pretty rare to be an artist in your twenties . . . and get paid for it. How do you feel about that?

I feel really lucky. Making a sign for cereal may not be the kind of art that allows for a lot of emotional expression, but I get the opportunity to experiment, learn new skills, and color almost everyday . . . and as you mentioned, get paid for it! You can’t beat that!

Do you have any artistic inspirations or role models?

Dana Tanamachi is definitely a role model. She is bringing a lot of positive attention to hand lettering. I love the vintage styling and how accessible her work feels. I want to apprentice under her!

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

The most challenging part of the job is finding snap-inspiration when you just aren’t excited about the product. It might be the third time you’ve designed a sign for the same cereal, and you have to make it seem exhilarating . . . you gotta get creative.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

The best piece of advice I’ve ever gotten was to “get out of your own way.” Sometimes we create roadblocks for ourselves that don’t exist; you have to believe it’s possible in order to really pursue your dreams.

Favorite drawing medium?

Chalk is great for its handmade appeal, but I think Woodcraft markers may edge out chalk for my favorite medium. I use them at work almost exclusively and have recently bought a set for myself. They are so pigmented and you can use them on almost every surface imaginable.

And an extra-special treat, crafted just for us!

Like whatcha see? If you’d like to see more of Rachel’s work, visit her blog: Font or Fiction!

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Hot Man-icure: Ryan Gosling Nails from Rad Nails

Laurie Hartt — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 14:00:00 +0000

If any of you are as obsessed with Ryan Gosling as we are, then you’re absotively posolutely going to swoon over these nail decals from Rad Nails. Not only do they have your favorite Hey Girl face, but they also feature the not-so-ugly mugs of Joe Jonas, Robert Pattinson, Zac Efron, and Pharrell. Um, sign me up!

For only $18, you can get twenty in a pack, so there are enough to decorate your tootsies, too! You can choose from a clear wrap or a white wrap, so you can even create your own base if you feel so inclined.

Now, I know that you’ll be drooling over these pretty faces, but please remember they’re not edible. Sad, I know.

For more nail art or to buy your own set of delicious dudes, head on over to their website and shop! There are a ton of other great sets as well for all you manicure-minded missies!

(Images courtesy of Rad Nails.)

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Art Power: Kid Acne for Elle Belgium

Laurie Hartt — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Cartoonists rejoice: art is not dead, especially if you have a hot girl to draw on. Case in point: this incredible editorial by Brussels-based photographer Hicham Riad, featuring the lovely model Robin Holzken and the artwork of UK-based graffiti artist Kid Acne. Pairing bright pops of color with a flawless summer wardrobe and an assembly of quirky characters, this shoot is the perfect fit for Elle Belgium‘s June 2012 edition. Hair and makeup by the talented Vasko Todorof.

Enjoy!

When you’re done, check out the behind-the-scenes creation of Kid Acne’s designs for this shoot on his blog. They’re pretty fantastic for one, and I really enjoyed seeing how the photos were made.

View the rest of the pics from the shoot here.

(Pics courtesy of Fashion Gone Rogue.)

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Noritaka Tatehana: Studded Phantom Heels in the Making

Laurie Hartt — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:00:00 +0000

You might remember a couple of weeks ago when the lovely Annie brought us a post about phantom heels, those bizarre yet mezmerizing heel-less platform shoes hitting the runways and red carpets like nobody’s business. To piggyback on that, I’m taking you behind the scenes with Susanna Lau of Style Bubble, who met up with famed phantom heel designer Noritaka Tatehana, who creates for the likes of Daphne Guinness and Lady Gaga.

What you will see below is one of the most incredibly bad ass pair of studded shoes I have ever seen. You’d have to have some serious guts to pull this off. And now, I’ll let Susanna take it away; watch, and be amazed:

“First he skived the edges of the leather sole so that the edges were thinner than the centre and trimmed it, in preparation for the shoe.”

“After the imprint of his logo and the bending of the sole with expertly cut-out freehand slits means it’s ready to be joined with the grey suede and Swarovski encrusted upper (as instructed by Daphne Guinness). Both sole and bottom of the shoe has to be brushed with glue and left for five minutes so that the surfaces will stick together properly. I loved that Noritaka uses a Japanese calligraphy brush to apply the glue. He won’t have it any other way.”

“Once both shoe and sole are properly sticky, then he puts the two together, hammering away at the sole so that it sticks there. I thought there might have been a clamping process but it turns out Noritaka uses all parts of the hammer to really press the sole onto the shoe. You can visibly see the bumps being ironed out with the curve of the claw, the handle of the hammer and a super smooth edge forming that comes from the leather having been brushed with water, making it flexible under pressure.”

And now you know how it’s done! For even more pictures and the rest of the article, hop over to Style Bubble and get your fill!

(All pics and quotes courtesy of Style Bubble.)

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Give Them Space: Gap Tooth Gals

Laurie Hartt — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

Mind the gap, ladies, because a little extra space is starting to go a looonnnng way in the fashion world. Where once headgear and the brace face were the automatic go-to for dental divas, a slight gap in the pearly whites is now all the rage. Join the ranks of Vanessa Paradis, Georgia Jagger, Anna Paquin, Jane Birkin, Madonna, and hundreds of other celebrities and civilians in the trend towards au natural.

(Pics courtesy of Google Images, Bella Sugar, and Cosmopolitan.)

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Love It or Leave It: Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor

Laurie Hartt — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Well, they let her on Glee, so she must be doing something right. LiLo seems to be getting her act together, enough to have been cast as Liz Taylor for the upcoming Lifetime biopic Liz & Dick. It seems that executive director Larry Thompson has had to defend his decision, but it seems he may have made a pretty good one.

Not only did she play a fairly convincing portrayal of Elizabeth in a 2006 issue of Interview Magazine, but it turns out she and the Dame have a lot in common. The New York Times pointed this out: “Taylor, like Ms. Lohan, was in and out of the Betty Ford Center as she contended with drug and alcohol addiction. Both were child stars: Taylor had her film debut at 9, in There’s One Born Every Minute; Ms. Lohan at 12, in The Parent Trap. As a young woman, each had her brushes with the paparazzi.”

In the images above, Lohan models some of the costumes she’ll be wearing to channel her inner diva. The modern interpretations of some of Ms. Taylor’s most famous outfits are just as stunning as their original counterparts.

Apparently, LiLo beat out other hopefuls like Megan Fox and Olivia Wilde, so they must have really wanted her!

Filming is scheduled to begin June 4, and apparently they are still hunting for the perfect Richard Burton to play opposite her. I, for one, hope it gets made, not only because I love Elizabeth Taylor, but because I’m rooting for the underdog here.

Anybody else with me? Or do you think this will be a total flop?

(Pics, quotes, and info courtesy of Daily Mail, Allie Is Wired, and the NY Times.)

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Royal Mail Delivers: The Great British Fashion Stamp Set

Laurie Hartt — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:00:00 +0000

As a long-time stamp collector (yeah, I know, nerdy), you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that the Royal Mail service recently launched a new series of stamps entitled “The Great British Fashion Stamp Set.” Created by the oh-so-talented London-based graphic designer Johnson Banks with the camera of the famous fashion photographer Sølve Sundsbø, the line honors ten top English fashion houses.

To create the images, Banks and Sundsbo holed up in Solve’s London studio for two days with some awesome clothes and live models to create unique posturing and flow. After the pictures were taken, they took out the models to let the gorgeous textures, colors, and designs speak for themselves.

Not only do I want the stamps . . . but I could sure use some of those clothes in my closet!

Love this flowing wrap dress!

Wanna buy some stamps for yourself? Shop here!

(Pics courtesy of Trendland.)

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A Rose Down Under: Annabella Barber for Plaza Kvinna

Laurie Hartt — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

When I first saw this photoshoot, I immediately felt like I was back in the pages of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. Lush flowers and floral prints, winding paths and old gates, delicate lace, old stonework – it’s like a grown-up version of my favorite children’s fantasy escape.

Photographed by Jaclyn Adams for the Swedish magazine Plaza Kvinna, model Annabella Barber captures all the beauty of warm sunny days and youthful innocence. Styled by Vass Arvanitis with hair by Joe Scandizzo for Eleven Australia and makeup by Julie Provis at Hart&Co.

(Pics courtesy of xaxor.com, faystyle.com, and jaclynadams.com.)

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