Dreamy Nelson

Dreamy & romantic - Jamie Nelson's stunning photography is like slipping away into one's subconscious - lost in thought and wonder. The natural light seeping through and into the shot creates a sense of warmth, reminiscent of a balmy summer's evening. Optimism and a sense of romanticism are captured, along with some seriously lavish fabrics and lustrous embellishment.

Pretty Tough

Epitomising my theme 'The Dressing Up Box Is Your Muse', this ingenious styling by Lucinda Chambers & Emma Elwick is based around the notion: "Leave understatement in the jewellery box - be big on character, not carats."

Juxtaposing sweet shop pastels with 'arch-browed attitude' - the duo have paired fancy ankle socks with bold, retro footwear as a mode of toughening up vintage nightdresses and underwear/outerwear. Creating refined layers of chiffon, lace and silks, finished off with fifties costume jewellery - this look is all about maximising one's wardrobe by creating inventive concoctions - combining garments in different ways to create a wonderful array of character possibilities.

Note to self - make sure my own photo shoot is as vivacious.

Playful patchwork

A new kind of patchwork has arrived as patterns are mixed with block colour to create a playful composition, whilst retaining a sense of elegance with the clasp fastening.

Doing a spot of market research for my own project - seeing this quirky three-dimensional bag sparked ideas of how I could utilise my own found materials in such an inventive way. Wrapping, tying and stitching down loosely - this creates surface relief that resembles the individual petals of a rose. Whilst this might be quite an obvious visual translation - I would like to experiment with creating cut pieces and layering them up to create three-dimensional surface qualities that are more concerned with texture than representing an image.

Although I very much doubt that these are the scraps from Accessorize's factory waste, - it's a lovely thought....

Oh Mario Testino!

Rifling through my towering collection of magazine tears - I found one of my favourite images of the year so far. From March's Vogue - here is Mario Testino's sugary delight of pretty pastels and voluminous fabrics: leather gathered into candy-like wrappers and flouncing layers of net make this image ultra girly and I just love how the colours work harmoniously.

Florence's fairy-tale

Sunday is browsing time which is why I found myself today, swooning over the dreamy video for Florence & the Machine's Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) video...again. It doesn't matter how old this video gets - I'll always love it for its ethereal lighting and the fluidity of the shots as they overlap with one another. The hazy, soft focus provides a wistful tone whilst dancing, flowing fabrics create a charming, carefree ambiance.

I simply must create a similarly beautiful aura within my own final collection shoot.

The Dressing Up Box Is Your Muse

'The Dressing Up Box Is Your Muse' forms the concept for my final collection. Based on the notion that wearing a garment can transform your identity - here is one of my initial mood boards. Feminine and ornate - my inspirations have been drawn from precious objects, as well as vintage jewellery. With the elaborate detail and pastel palette - this compilation of images outline my overall concept, as well as indicating my own colour palette. Mixing the old with the new...my own paintings and drawings of found objects epitomise how I foresee my own collection: nostalgic, feminine & intricate.

Grandma glamour

Inspired by the timeless glamour of bygone eras, I am completely obsessed with all things vintage. Objects; garments and jewels - nothing inspires me more than to root through my grandma's jewellery box; her flamboyant wardrobe and even her crockery cupboard. To me, what she sees as old junk is like unearthing hidden treasure and on that premise, my blog begins.