Interview with Jo of Lost in The Haze

Jo is a very stylish lady with a wonderful blog, Lost in The Haze! She has a love for all things vintage, like me! Often found traipsing around the woods with a milkmaid braid, Jo blogs from a very beautiful place- Christchurch, New Zealand and her photos often show the beautiful natural surroundings. She also is a fan of several lines we are stocking in the store- Vivetta, Family Affairs, Wayward Daughter, and TBA. It was a treat to interview such a sweet and stylish girl for the blog. Jo really embodies what the Audrey Grace girl is all about!

Tell me a little bit about your blog, Lost in The Haze.
Lost in the Haze is set in my pretty little city, Christchurch, in New Zealand. I share beautiful vintage finds – often with pan collars; my favourite! I go on many scenic adventures and love to show off picturesque New Zealand!

What has been your favorite show of the various spring fashion weeks so far?
 My favourite has definitely been Orla Kiely! My absolute favourite piece was the matching jacket and shorts. I can picture wearing it with a boater hat and a pair of dusty blue Swedish hasbeens. I’ll definitely have to keep an eye on ebay!

Who are your favorite designers?
I have so many favourites! Some of my current favourites are TBA, Nadinoo, and Dear Creatures.

Where would be your dream place to travel?
It is a complete tie between Egypt and Prague! I was ridiculously obsessed with hieroglyphics as a kid, and even now love to read Tutankhamen conspiracy books! I’d love to be able to see all of the Egyptian gold in person too; it would be so amazing! I’d also love to go to Prague as I’m obsessed with the architecture. I’ve always wanted to buy a Pashley bicycle and cycle through Europe; starting in Prague of course!

What are your favorite Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly movies?
For Audrey it’s definitely the classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I have always been completely captivated by her hair in that movie! For Grace it would be To Catch A Thief. I love the chemistry between Grace and Cary Grant!

What could you see yourself buying from Audrey Grace Boutique?
I’d be happy with anything from the Wayward Daughter collection! Anything Cait touches is magic!

Do you have any favorite New Zealand designers?
I love Ruby! They have the most amazing designs, and the boutique always has the most amazing sales! Sadly, the Christchurch earthquake took my closest Ruby Boutique; I’m just happy there is an online store!

What is the future for Lost in The Haze?
I’m really excited that Lost in the Haze is moving more into video! I’m hoping to have at least one video a week. It is sure a wonderful way to show off outfits in detail and also share the pretty locations!

Describe an ideal day for you. 
A perfect day begins with a perfect outfit! I get dressed and go out for a yummy hot chocolate breakfast with my fella. We’d head on a scenic excursion; possibly to my favourite park. I’m slightly obsessive about ducks, so I’d bring along a loaf of bread to feed them at the river. I’d make my way to my favourite vintage store and score some amazing goodies. I’d finish my day off with a twilight bicycle ride followed by a burger and chip dinner, yum!

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My inspiration comes from all over! I feel inspired going on excursions and seeing pretty places, looking at my favourite blogs, taking photographs, sewing, sourcing vintage clothing, and going for long runs.

Who is your style icon?
I am influenced by so many stylish people! Edie Sedgwick and Jane Birkin are two major influences (I love the 1960s!) Like many fashion bloggers, I love Alexa Chung’s effortless style. It’s a bit random; but I am also influenced by Vince Noir’s style. He reminds me its fun to be a little ridiculous!

Thank you Jo! (All photos courtesy, www.lostinthehaze.blogspot.com)

Interview with Ale of Rosaspina Vintage!

The lovely Ale of the blog, Rosaspina Vintage agreed for me to post a little interview I conducted with her. Ale takes beautiful photographs for her blog, and has the best sense of style! I always enjoy her posts. To my delight, I found out Ale was also an illustrator and I asked her to create some special pieces for Audrey Grace. Previews of which you can see below. Hope you enjoy the interview, and check out Ale's beautiful blog here: Rosaspina Vintage!

How would you describe your style in a sentence?

It all depends on how I’m feeling when I wake up. Sometimes I feel like wearing romantic frocks with pretty details, sometimes I go for a more preppy schoolgirl look, sometimes you can even see me in a 40s buttoned dresscoat and long leather gloves. I do enjoy a lot mixing vintage with modern. But whatever I'm wearing, the key thing for me is to feel comfortable. Oops, that was more than one sentence ;)

What are your favorite fashion brands and designers?

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Orla Kiely, her retro aesthetic keeps very consistent season after season yet it always feels fresh, never ceasing to leave me smitten. 

My weakness for fun prints extends of course to Liberty fabrics, and I always find in Nadinoo's collections something to fall in love with.

Max&co is another favorite of mine, high sartorial quality and italian taste, chic yet wearable, I adore it.

What is the inspiration behind your blog, Rosaspina Vintage?

I started my blog one year ago when I set up my vintage shop on Etsy, it was just a little room for my store updates and inspiration, I definitely wasn't expecting that it would take on a life of its own! I'm amazed at the number of lovely people, new designers and charming style blogs I came across along the way and it's such a relaxing and creative past time for me, I'm truly enjoying it. 

Tell me a little bit about what you have created for Audrey Grace Boutique?

I have created a series of four illustrations inspired by Jaclyn's favorite style icons: Audrey Hepburn, Alexa Chung, Tennessee Thomas and Kirsten Dunst. The four lovely ladies will eventually come to life appearing on tote bags, clothing items and limited edition prints. 

Tell me about the process behind your illustrations?

Well I always start with visual reference, possibly from reality, making quick scribbles on paper to capture the idea and lock the composition I have in mind. Then I start sketching with more detail until I'm happy with the overall feel and at that point I decide which technique I'm going to use for the final illustration. I adore the feel of color pencils, they will always be my favorite, but lately I'm also doing a lot of digital work, it's fun, and it lets me draw quickly without worrying about clumsy accidents (see dropping watercolors onto a finished work, eep!)

What type of girl do you see collecting your art?

Ladies with a sense of humor and a love for retro dresses and pretty collars!

Who is your vintage style icon?

The one and only, Mary Poppins! Boater hats, carpet bags, well tailored jackets and victorian lace ups? Yes please! And she is such a strong, smart and fun woman, I've always had a huge girl crush on her.

Your modern day style icon?

There are so many pretty ladies out there… I adored Carey Mulligan in An Education, her wardrobe is simply dreamy, from the first school outfits to her ladylike frocks. Kate Winslet in Revolutionary Road and Mildred Pierce, so feminine, elegant and with real woman curves. I always end up loving what Keira Knightley picks for her outfits, she's always so effortlessly chic. And of course vintage style bloggers are my favorite daily inspiration.

Describe your perfect day?

I'm a lazy gal, so a perfect day would certainly start with a nice long sleep! Then I would get my straw basket ready for a girly picnic in the woods, I can't wait to see all those gorgeous gold and red leaves again. In the afternoon I'd curl up on the couch with my cat, watching something like The Neverending Story with a cup of hot chocolate! And to finish, a simple dinner date with my loved one in our favorite pizza restaurant: good food is crucial in my perfect day :)

What would be your dream job?

I wanted to work in animation since I was a little girl and eventually that dream came true. I am very fortunate to be able to do what I love for a living, waking up in the morning and feeling happy to grab my pencil is something I wouldn't trade with any other job in the world!

What are your favorite Audrey (Hepburn) and Grace (Kelly) films and looks that they have worn?

The reason why I love Audrey is that she always looks amazing even with the most basic thing on and I adore her in Roman Holiday, sporting a simple white blouse with a high waisted full skirt, all brightened up by a fun striped scarf.

As for Grace Kelly, although her most memorable wardrobe might be the one in Rear Window, I love her more casual holiday outfits in To Catch A Thief. 

What is your most coveted fashion item for fall?

I'm very much into hats, my collection is actually getting a bit out of control but I can't resist a good quality wool felt hat, especially if it's vintage. This season I'm on the hunt for the perfect 20s hat, its uncomplicated elegance makes it wearable everyday and protects your ears in the windiest days!

Who are your favorite artists?

I've always been influenced by Art Nouveau and I'm deeply in love with Alphonse Mucha's work, from the advertising and book illustrations to the oil paintings, the quick pencil sketches and his photography series. I had the fortune to admire his original works last year with my own eyes and was completely blown away by the perfect elegance of his lines, incredible draftsmanship and taste for composition. 

I'm also a big fan of Quentin Blake children's books, so fresh and fun to look at. And Mary Blair of course, oh such a talented, innovative and stylish lady! If I could travel through time I would definitely love to meet her for a cup of tea!

What is the future for Rosaspina Vintage?

Well I'll definitely keep writing on it, it's such a relaxing past time and it gave me the chance to meet adorable ladies who share my same interests. Some of them became very special friends to me so I feel very grateful to my blog :) There's actually a couple of exciting projects I'm working on and I can't wait to share them, but for now it's a surprise!

Thank you so much, Ale!

Interview with Melissa Coker from Wren

Actress Nora Zehetner at the Wren SS12 screening of Gia Coppola's What's Up? (photo: Vogue)

Keira Knightley in Wren SS12 at The Toronto Film Festival 2011

Hello lovelies! I had the pleasure of interviewing the amazing designer Melissa Coker of Wren. Wren has some awesome fans including Keira Knightley, Nora Zehetner, Michelle Williams, Alexa Chung, Tennessee Thomas and Bryce Dallas Howard. During fashion week for SS12, Melissa showed a short film she collaborated on with stylist Leith Clark and director Gia Coppola. Wow, such a great combination! More on the video here: Gia Coppola for Wren SS12. I am also happy to announce that Audrey Grace will be stocking stock select pieces of Wren. Check out more at their website here. 

Alexa Chung and Tennessee model Wren Holiday 2009

Hello Melissa! Tell me a little bit about you, your line Wren and your inspirations.

Wren is feminine and classic with a twist.  It's about a world filled with humor and charm. My inspirations are always a little 60s, a little nouvelle vague.

Where did you grow up and where are you based now?

I grew up in Lake Forest, Illinois (where I'm writing you from now!) I live in Los Angeles now after 10 years in New York.

Tell me about your upcoming SS12 collection, and your collaboration with Leith Clark and Gia Coppola? 

SS12 was inspired by a trip to Japan -- a huge trend in all of the stores was classic Americana: bandanna prints, vintage western influences, red, white & blue.  It's an idealized, romanticized version of Americana reflected back to us. As for the film, Leith & I had been discussing doing a film for a while.  This year it all came together with Gia as our perfect third.

Do you feel like the girls who have previously modeled the collections, such as Tennessee Thomas and Alexa Chung, are the essential Wren girls? Who do you design for and who do you see wearing your clothing?

Definitely -- fun girls who have their own sense of style, who wear things in their own way and have a bit of a tomboy's touch. 

Have you always worked in fashion?

In high school, I worked at Neiman Marcus.  In college, I worked at W and Helmut Lang.  My first job out of school was at Vogue, working for Andre Leon Talley.  So, I'd say, definitely, yes.

Tell me a little bit about your fall and holiday collections- select pieces of which my boutique, Audrey Grace will be stocking. 

I was watching Mad Men for the first time when I was designing fall.  Late 50s / early 60s meets today. Holiday was an extension of that, combined with luxe fabrications like silk velvet and hand embroidered sequins.

Who is your style icon?

Duchess of Windsor, Andy Warhol, Anna Karina, Julie Christie.

Which celebrity would you love to dress?

Carey Mulligan is pretty cute!

What are your favorite Audrey (Hepburn) and Grace (Kelly) films and/or specific looks they have worn. 

Breakfast at Tiffany's for sure.  I've been pretty obsessed with the film for quite awhile (I even had the collector's box set with script as  child!)  Audrey Hepburn in that film, in particular, was a huge influence style wise for me growing up. Grace Kelly, I've always especially loved the photos of her in her own life, after the films. Grace Kelly on her wedding day: flawless.  

Describe an ideal day for you.

Spending time with friends & my cat, Pepper.

What can we expect in the future from Wren?
More films, more collaborations, more product lines.

Wren paint stroke dress from AW10, will be available at Audrey Grace!

The beautiful Bryce Dallas Howard in Wren

More Alexa and Tennessee from Holiday 2009 Lookbook

Sofia Coppola, Gia Coppola and Bella Zarember at the What's Up screening for Wren SS12. The dress Gia is wearing will be stocked at Audrey Grace!

Michelle Williams in a Wren skirt

Julie Christie, one of Melissa's style icons

All images courtesy Wren. That's all for today! 

Marie Zucker for Audrey Grace Boutique

I have been a fan of Berlin photographer Marie Zucker's photography for a while. Her photos are beautiful and haunting. She was kind enough to do an exclusive shoot for Audrey Grace Boutique in Berlin. The photos you see here will be available as prints and for sale at Audrey Grace in December. They are so stunning, and I can't think Marie and her team enough!

Photos: copyright, Marie Zucker, courtesy www.thedyingsswan.blogspot.com 

Photographer: Marie Zucker

Dresses by Judith Suer

Makeup by Phillip Koch Verheyen

Models: Louis and Pauline

Audrey Grace Photoshoot

Here are the first promotional images for Audrey Grace Boutique! All of these pieces will be available at AGB in December!

Dress by Katie-Louise Ford, floral crown by Kelsey Genna, bracelet by Electric Eccentricity, necklace by Alyssa Nicole

Dress by Alexandra Grecco, shoes by Christian Louboutin, bracelet by Whimsical Costume Jewelry by Nikki Montenegro

Vintage dress, Christian Louboutin heels, earrings by Telesca

Alexandra Grecco dress, Tatty Devine ring

Dress by Alexandra Grecco

Lady Petrova Dress, Electric Eccentricity and Alyssa Nicole necklaces

shoes by Alice + Olivia

Kelsey Genna dresses, On Mary Margaret (left): Alice Takes A Trip necklace, Manolo Blahnik shoes, vintage hat,  on Jaclyn (right): Electric Eccentricity necklace, Christian Louboutin shoes, Alexandra Grecco flower garland

Vintage hat, Up The Wooden Hills dress

TBA dress, Whimsical Costume Jewelry by Nikki Montenegro ring

Elizabeth Lau dress, Miu Miu shoes

Alexandra Grecco dress, Telesca necklace

Alexandra Grecco dress, Whimsical Costume Jewelry by Nikki Montenegro Jewelry, Christian Louboutin shoes

Photography by Beth Morgan

Styling by Jaclyn Bethany

Models: Jaclyn Bethany and Mary Margaret May

Makeup by Jessica Fleming

Shot in Eastover- Jackson, Mississippi

Special thanks to all the wonderful AGB designers and friends.