Interview with Natasha of The Secret Tea Party!

Natasha Thompson is a very talented illustrator who is doing a massive bit of amazing work for Audrey Grace! Check out her beautiful blog & work here: http://thesecret-teaparty.blogspot.com/

Florence & The Machine Hair Pins

Natasha's sketch of Ellie Goulding

1. Where are you from and where do you live now? 

I'm from a sleepy village in England there's not much here apart from a red telephone box, a pub and an old postbox, oh and fields! Plenty of green fields!

2. Can you tell me a little about your drawing/design process and where do you draw your inspiration from? 

I have mountains of felt tips in all different pastel and candy colours, I usually start drawing out ideas on pink paper with my favourite mechanical pencil. I then scan in textures, bits of collage I want to use and edit it all in Photoshop! I draw inspiration from all things pretty! I'll play a Sofia Coppola movie or a super cool film soundtrack at the moment I'm loving Whip It! 


3. How long have you been drawing?

I have been drawing since I was very little! I've always loved it, I was always excited about art and used drawings to document my life, things I'd found, stories I wanted to tell. 

4. Have you always been interested in fashion?

I've always loved pretty clothes. Peter pan collars, tea dresses and vintage bags! I admire designers like Orla Kiely and Cath Kidston for their mix of fashion and nostalgia. I love 50's fashion, whenever I think of it it reminds me of the fashion show in How To Marry A Millionaire; high waisted delicate floral printed skirts and sheer pastel blouses with high heels, ahh lovely! 

5. What kind of girl do you see collecting your art? What is her aesthetic? 

It would be awesome to see it adorning the walls of girls like the Lisbon sisters. Girls who collect pretty things, who appreciate nostalgia, enjoy tea, wear the odd peter pan collared dress. 

The Lisbon Sisters

6. I see you admire the styles of Alexa Chung and Florence Welch. Me too! What do you think makes their styles so iconic and relavent in our fashion climate today?

Alexa Chung at this year's Cannes Film Festival

Elle Fanning in Sofia Coppola's Somewhere (2010)

They're both icons in their own lovely ways. Alexa's style is effortlessly cool- she throws on a t shirt, skinnies and a blazer and she looks feminine and iconic. Florence's hair is beautiful, I love the way she plays up to her pillar box red hair by wearing crimson lipstick and florals. They're both iconic because they wear what they like, what mixes with their personality and their beauty. 

7. Some of my favorite films are made by Sofia Coppola as well. Do you find her films visually simulating as an artist?

Oh yes! They're like all the prettiest polaroids you could ever take put together in the most beautiful flipbook! Each one is as lovely as the next, I love the detail she puts into her films, the colours, the fabrics, the sets. It's all very aesthetically motivating after I've watched her films, I go away with so many ideas.

8. Who would be the ulitimate celebrity (or even a style icon from the past) that you would love to dress? 

Ohh lovely question! Hard choice! Probably Kirsten Dunst because she's an actress it could be for any role and she really suits pretty clothes!

Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte

7. Since the boutique is called "Audrey Grace" what are your favorite Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly films or even specific outfits they have worn? 

Audrey goofing around on the set of Breakfast at Tiffany's

I love Breakfast At Tiffany's it makes me want my own apartment in New York and all of her lovely clothes! 

8. If you could have designed the royal wedding dress for Grace Kelly, what would it have looked like? 

It would have been a pale pink made from the smoothest satin, with layers upon layers of beautiful lace petticoat, I would have made her look like a piece of cake. 

9. Who are your favorite artists? 
I love Mark Ryden his paintings are outstandingly beautiful, I love their dark undertones in a pastel coloured playground realm. I also admire Camille Rose Garcia her work is amazing; I love the clash of darkness and beauty. Illustrators I think are awesome are Caitlin Shearer, Camilla Engman, Julia Pott and Emily Martin of The Black Apple.

Art work by Camilla Rose Garcia

10. Who are your favorite designers? 

Orla Kiely Spring 2011, styled by Leith Clark

I love Orla Kiely and Cath Kidston their eye for design is just up my street. I am desperate for a Cath Kidston blackberry case and perhaps a new floral bag to go with my spray flowers book bag. I would love an elite collection of Orla Kiely dresses! Oh my goodness and she has designed a car collection over here in England- her designs and fabrics adorn it, I want one! 

11. What (music) are you listening to now? 

A very girly playlist of Ellie Goulding, Ladyhawke, Katy Perry and Florence + The Machine 

12. The use of color in your work is very beautiful. Why do you think color is in important in fashion and art? 

Thank you, I'm so glad you like it! It's very important yeah because colour can help an audience understand the tone of your piece, I love being playful with colour and I very much like the fact that it can emphasise a mood in both art and fashion. Colour can make a statement on its own to the most bare piece of art or stripped down item of fashion. 

13. Do you have any favorite places or shops in your hometown or in London?

There's a lovely shop called Tokenhouse in Nottingham, full of little treasures it sells everything from Charlie and Lola to Cath Kidston. There's also an amazing tea shop and cafe called The Walk which is divine. I've never had the chance to fully explore London but I'd love to visit all the little vintage shops, patisseries and tea rooms. 

14. Lastly, what can we expect from you in the future?
Hopefully to become an established illustrator who will do her bit to make the world pretty. One day I'd love to open up a tea room where I can hang my art and maybe have the odd peter pan collared dress for sale.


And read my interview with Natasha here: http://thesecret-teaparty.blogspot.com/2011/05/audrey-grace-boutique.html


Preview of Natasha's work for the shop below: