Interview with Kristin and Claire of BLOW UP

As many of you may have heard, Audrey Grace will be popping up in NYC March 23rd-31st at the Highline Loft. For the NYC pop up shop we have organized some really exciting work and events. First up, I am working with the girls of Blow Up! on event styling. Kristin and Claire truly have the same taste in fashion and decorating as me. They love Lula mag, Mulberry, puppies, and are frequent contributors to NYLON. I don't want to give too much away, but they are planning a beautiful, whimsical setting for Audrey Grace's NY space. Check out their work, inspiration and an interview with them below, plus a sneak peek of what they are planning for Audrey Grace's NYC takeover. So yeah, Kristin and Claire are the cutest. Check out there amazing blog here.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your company BLOW UP!  What you do, and your art work, designs, prop styling, etc.
We met a few years ago and instantly bonded over our love for design and DIY. We officially started our studio BLOW UP! almost two years ago. We have diverse design background from one another which helps bring different perspectives to our projects. Claire comes from a background in interior design and Kristin worked as a designer at Nylon Magazine. Collectively we tackle everything from art direction, set design, visual identity and prop styling.

What are your favorite places to visit in New York? (shop, cafes, etc.)
We like the free stuff new york has to offer. We try to take advantage of the “free” nights at museums, pop into openings at galleries, and ride our bikes everywhere looking for inspiration! Our favorite place to ride to in the summer is Fort Tilden Beach. If we ever get a day off, you can find us there :)

What are your favorite magazines, blogs, books and films for inspiration?
Mags:

I love you magazine
Apartmento 

Movies: Beetlejuice
Twin Peaks

Blogs:Cat party blog
The cat scan tumblr

Who are your favorite designers and photographers?
Tim Walker, Guy Boudin, Ryan McGinley, Leslie David

What was your favorite SS12 show?
Louis Vuitton’s SS12 show by far! Just check out the LV inspired video I collaborated on with the talented stylist Michelle Reneau. http://blog.blowing-up.com/?p=1972

What has been your favorite project you've worked on?
That’s a hard one! Each project is so diverse and special in it’s own way. All of our projects signify a milestone, learning process, and challenge that are not comparable to each other.

What does the future look like for you? 

We have no idea but we have BIG plans ;)

Tell me what y'all are working on for the Audrey Grace NYC pop up shop.

We are working on making it BLOW UP! :)  Our paws will be on everything from the store layout, design and concept, props, color pallet and styling of merchandise.

What were your inspirations for this project and what is the theme?

The theme is inspired by chic, soft femininity. Picture dramatic floral’s, over-sized balloons, pretty pastels, cupcakes, blown up paper swans, bunnies, and fawns. It’s going to be girly and fun!

What type of girl do you see shopping at the Audrey Grace pop up?

A dreamer (with a sweet tooth ). The pop up shop will be like walking into a whimsical day dream.

What are some of your favorite things that are for sale at Audrey Grace?

We love the curated collection of illustrators and colorful artwork.

Vanity Fair

Natasha Thompson of The Secret Tea Party for Audrey Grace. Check out more of her amazing work here!

Style Icon: Berenice Bejo as Peppy Miller in "The Artist"

I saw The Artist last night at the romantic Paris cinema across from The Plaza Hotel. I loved this film so much, definitely my favorite film of this past year. I was transported to another era entirely and longed to live during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Everything about this film was brilliant- the music, the performances, the story, etc. And also the fashion, especially the beautiful 1920s boudoir belonging to up and coming film star Peppy Miller, played by Berenice Bejo. Peppy pranced about in sequins, drop waist dresses, feathers, furs, pretty hats, sailor dresses, red lipstick and a curly little bob. How it made me long to walk around the streets of Beverly Hills in my best outfit and gaze at the enormous houses while spotting film stars!  I especially loved the last tap dance sequence with Charles and Peppy, her dress and hair pace was exquisite! This morning, The Artist received ten Oscar nominations. Berenice received one and with her lanky limbs and kookiness, she plays Peppy to adorable perfection.

Interview with Alix of The Cherry Blossom Girl

I have been the biggest fan of Alix's for a while now. Her styling is perfect, and her photography beautiful. She truly has a dream closet- all the Miu Miu and Chanel a girl could ask for! She lives a dreamy life in Paris, and is incredibly sweet. Last month, Alix and I collaborated on a post in which Alix wore one of the custom Katie-Louise Ford pieces for Audrey Grace. You can check out the post here. Thank you Alix for everything and I hope this is the first of many collaborations between us!

Hello Alix, tell me a little bit about yourself and your blog The Cherry Blossom Girl.
I was born and raised in Paris, where I still live. It seems like I've always been attracted by beautiful things in this world. Most of all, I love to create things, and admiring other people's creativity.

When I was a kid, I first wanted to be an illustrator for children book, then drawing cartoon, then being a car and furniture designer, and finally ended up studing fashion. I got a Haute Couture degree, and specialized in embrodery and tailoring. I worked for some of my favourite brands, such as Alexander McQueen and Chloé, and really loved it. Then I started my blog in 2007, because I wanted to share my passion for fashion, others than my family and friends.The name of the blog comes from a song by french band AIR. The first time I heard this song, it felt like I was hearing my inner voice. It was perfecty expressing what I love: Romanticism, feminity, everything dreamy and beautiful.

Who are your favorite designers and artists?

I have many! But my favourite brand at the moment is Valentino. I'm really fond of Miu Miu also, Sonia Rykiel and Chloé ( I have something like 20 pairs of shoes from them). I also love Stella McCartney, Charles Anastase, Erin Fetherston, Marchesa... My favourite artist is Odillon Redon. Being more and more interested by photography, I admirate a lot Irina Ionesco, Ellen von Unwerth, David Hamilton, Tim Walker, Wendy Bevan, Sarah Moon... to name only a few!

 What do you love about living in Paris? And what are your favorite places in Paris?

Paris feels like home. When I'm away from the city for a long time, I really miss it. I love it because it's a large city but not too much, and there's so many new things to discover everyday! It offers a lot of possibilities, such as museums, parks, nice cafés and restaurants, stores and bakeries... I've been living here for 20 years now, and I probably only know 10% of the town. I don't know if I have a favourite place, but I love hanging around in Saint Germain, walking along the seine, have a picnic on the Pont des Arts at spring time. Also I love to go outside Paris, and spend some lovely week end in Versailles, Fontainebleau forest, Bagatelle gardens and Chateaux de la Loire. There's a Paris guide on my blog where I listed all my favourite Paris addresses.

What are your favorite films for fashion?

My favoutite movie of all time (all time!) is The Virgin Suicides. The first reason why I watch a movie isn't because it's fashionable, but if characters are well dressed it's even better. Other movies I love: Harold & Maud, Picnic At Hanging Rock, The Piano, Marie Antoinette, Rosemary's Baby, Taxi Driver, Funny Face, Ghost World, Cry Baby, In The Eyes of Laura Mars, Valley of the Dolls, Une Femme Est Une Femme, Disney's Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

What magazines and books do you read for inspiration?

My favourite book is "L'écume des jours" by Boris Vian. I never loved a book as much as this one after reading it.

Also I find " Le petit Prince" utterly charming (and sad!). I love everything Maupassant wrote (which makes him my favourite author I guess), and poems by Jacques Prévert. I'm inspired by fairy tales and novels. I read many books by Roald Dahl when I was a kid, and stories by la Comptesse de Ségur and Pierre Gripari. 

For magazines, Lula is probably my favourite. I also read Jalouse, Vogue and ELLE UK.

Your photos on your blog are stunning. Do you take them all yourself?

I take most of the photos myself, using a tripod and a remote. I'm used to working like this since the beggining.

When it's photos taken in the streets of Paris or on holidays (when there's other people around), friends or sisters give me a hand and snap a few shots..

It seems like you have had some amazing travels as I can see on your blog. Which place has been your most favorite and why?

It's hard to name a favourite! But usually the most exotic (and far away) it is, the more I love it. It's probably the reason why I loved Japan, Kenya, Tahiti, Bali, China and Australia so much.

I love the shoes you designed for Farfetch and your lingerie line for Etam. Will you do some more designing in the future? Perhaps launch your own line?

I would love to launch my own line, but at the moment the blog takes so much time that I hardly can. Doing some lingerie for Etam has been an incredible exprerience. Nice bra and panties are as important as a pretty dress in my sense now!

Tell me about the collaboration with Audrey Grace. What could you see yourself buying from the shop?

I loved to collaborate with Audrey Grace! I would buy photographs by Nicky Peacock, and romantic dresses in pastel colours.

What does the future hold for you? Hopefully lots of exciting things!

We will see! Travels, discovery, exciting things and new friends I hope!

All photos courtesy of Alix. For more on Alix check out her beautiful blog here: www.thecherryblossomgirl.com

Interview with Jessica Silversaga

Continuing on my love of all things Scandinavian, I recently contacted the talented Jessica Silversaga. I have loved her photography for a while, it's so beautiful and whimsical. Jessica also runs a great blog here, where she blogs about her collection of fairy tale dresses and many other precious things. She also runs an Etsy shop where she is selling some beautiful vintage dresses and her first photography book. Check out the shop here. Jessica seems just as busy as me! She agreed to answer some questions for me, where I chatted to her about her work and style- which you can check out below. I really want to visit Stockholm- and when I do, I will have to collaborate with Jessica. Enjoy!

Tell me a little bit about yourself, what you do, and your photography.

Hello, my name is Silversaga and I love making pictures, I cant imagine my life without that. As a little girl I dreamed of being a writer and tell stories about love. Soon I started to feel as I could tell more with photographs than words. I still enjoy writing and work as both a journalist and photographer. I have been photographing for a couple of years now and use both new and old cameras, I prefer working with film. I like having my camera instead of writing a diary, so my work is many times an emotional reflection of my surroundings and the people I meet. I also love photographing fashion.

What do you love about living in Stockholm?

Everything I need is here at this moment. Everything that I love. I have only lived in Stockholm since October last year and this year I feel as it is time for me to go out and make everything happening. My dream is to work as a photographer, or work with photos in some other ways. I hope this will happend during 2012.

What are your favorite places to visit in Stockholm? (shop, cafes, etc.)

I really enjoy vintage shopping, so that is a great thing to do in the city. My favorite store is Old Touch at Upplandsgatan 43. One other great thing is to put on the dancing shoes and go to Chicago at Hornsgatan 75 and listen to jazz and swing music. Even if you don't dance, you can pick up some great moves from the other dancers!

What is your most favorite shoot you have done so far?

Oh, hard question but I think it is the one I did with Malin for Heart Magazine. I love everything about that photo shoot, the summer and light blue sky. Here red hair in the wind. The green green grass. Just the feeling of being light and happy, which I think summer is for me in so many ways. (http://www.silversaga.se/heartmag.html)

Do you have any dream shoots or ideas that you'd love to work on?

I have many dream shoots in my head. Especially I would like to take portraits of female artists and actors this year.

What are your favorite magazines, blogs, books and films for fashion?

I love Lula Magazine and would love to make a photo shoot for them some day. I don't read so many blogs, but my favorite books are almost everything by the amazing Haruki Murakami. "Norwegian Wood" was so beautiful. I would love to put that book into photographs. My favorite film directors are Tim Burton, Sofia Coppola and Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

I see your a fan of Alexandra Grecco. She is stocked in my shop. What do you love about her designs?

Yes, she is amazing. Hopefully we will work together in the future. What I love about her clothes are many things, her way to work with colors and choice of materials. Her eye for shapes and cuts. I love the femenine and light design. I would love to have more pieces of her work in my closet, right now I have the Scalloped esh blouse and The northern alps halo.

If you could photograph any celebrity or model, who would it be?

Oh, I would pick Kirsten Dunst. Many people says that I look a little like her. I really like the softness of her apparence, so it would be a beautiful shoot, for sure!

What publication would you love to see your photos in?

Lula Magazine. I must be published in that magazine in this life. It is one of my biggest dreams.

How did it feel to be featured in a beautiful magazine, like Little Thing?

I felt very honored and happy. The next issue will have a longer interview with me and more photographs. Thank you Little Thing, I love you.

Tell me about your book of photography. 

Yes, "01 - Where no endings end" is part one in a series of self published art books. The pictures in the book is selected from my seven years as a photographer. I have plans to make a new book every year. The debut book is very limited, only 250 copies and every book is signed and numbered. It is almost sold out, so everyone interested should get one copy. There will be no more editions and this year I will make the 02 - book!

Who are your favorite designers, artists, and other photographers?

My favorite designers are so many. I love the work of Marc Jacobs and Miu Miu. Last year I totally fell in love with TBA - To be adored. I bought three dresses from their collection. I hope that they can read this and ask me to work with them. I have fallen totally in love with their style. I often get the question which one are my favorite photographer and I dont really have one. I don't get so much inspiration from other photographers. I think my biggest inspiration comes from everyday life. Dreams. People that I love. Sometimes I also get inspired by watching movies and of course, fairytales!

What is on your Spring fashion wish list? 

More vintage dresses, a leather satchel and maybe a cute coat.

What is the future look like for you and your work? 

Hopefully bright and happy. I will have a large exhibition in Stockholm during 2012 and I will also release my second photo book. And I will never stop dreaming. 

If you enjoy Jessica's stunningly beautiful photography, check out her website!

Thank you so much for your sweet time, Jessica!

Interview with Linda Portman

Lately, I have become obsessed with all things Scandinavian- and specifically Swedish. After seeing the new version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo on Christmas Day, I began reading all of the books. Seriously, how amazing was Rooney Mara? Anyway, it gave me the urge to travel to Sweden, and specifically Stockholm one day. There's also some great, sleek Swedish brands- Acne, anyone? I imagine myself in a black leather jacket and jeans from Acne pounding the streets of Stockholm in some awesome pink Swedish hasbeens. I've also heard Sweden has excellent vintage shopping. I've always admired the work of Swedish born, London based stylist Linda Portman, and then discovered the amazing work of the Stockholm based photographer Jessica Silversaga. You can check out Linda's website here. She styles amazing fairy tale like shoots for publications such as Material Girl, and styles the lookbooks for TBA, which Audrey Grace stocks. She's also in the process of launching an online magazine herself, which will be called Coquette Journal. The website will be here. Below, enjoy beautiful photographs of Linda's styling and a lovely interview with the lady herself.

Hi Linda! Tell me about what you do and how you first discovered fashion. 
I work as a stylist but I too have a  blog called Alice in Wonderland (http://alicewonderland2.blogspot.com) and take photographs. Not really sure how I discovered fashion, it just grew from being music and dance obsessed.
What is a typical day like for you?  
Each day/week is different. 
Your shoots have been featured in some of my favorite magazines, like Material Girl. What do you do in order to get ready for a shoot and come up with a concept? 
Each season I look at the shows and find what inspires me, I start with this and then I collaborate with the photographer on themes/ ideas for the shoot. When this is ready I start to request clothes that fits the theme and hope that I get my favorite looks. For each shoot I try to find special things that adds an extra touch to the styling.  Ideas comes from magazines, films, children's books, art, a certain color, books etc etc.
What would be your dream magazine to style for? 
Vogue Italia with Tim Walker or Paolo Roversi being the photographers.
Which celebrity would you love to style for an event? 
Dakota Fanning!
Who are your favorite designers? 
Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs  (including his work for Louis Vuitton) have always been loves of mine. I usually like Miu Miu, Rochas, Comme des Garcons, Nina Ricci, Prada, Chanel, and Valentino too. And I did love Tao.
Who are your favorite artists and photographers?  
I have so many.....!
Photographers: Paolo Roversi, Deborah Turbeville, Sally Mann, Francesca Woodman, Irina Ionesco, Sara Moon, Steven Meisel, Tim Walker.
Artists: Renoir, Waterhouse, John Currin, Lisa Yuskavage, Annie French among others.
Where are you originally from? 
Uddevalla, Sweden.
What are your favorite places in London? (shops, neighborhoods, etc.) 
Maison Bertaux, Sketch, The Swedish Church, Ritz Hotel, The Victorian Cemeteries, The Churchill Arms, The English Restaurant, The Albion are a few places I love.
I see you travel alot.. What has been your favorite trip this year? 
My New York trip that I took in late September. The weather was amazing and I really loved seeing my friends again.
What was your favorite SS12 show? 
I really loved Comme des Garcons!! Then also Chanel, Rodarte, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Prada.
Do you have a dream shoot idea? Anyone you'd love to work with or a concept you'd love to shoot? 
This would be a secret!
I love your collaboration with the illustrators featured on your blog! Tell me a little bit about that.  
The artists I have worked with so far are Jenny Tallberg and Polina Barskaya. We have collaborated in the same way I do with photographer's, only they paint instead of taking photos.
I see you style the TBA lookbooks. What do you love about those designs?  
The clothes are adorable. When Bin Bin started her label "To Be Adored" there was a gap in the market for sweet clothing, perfectly made for an affordable price and it did set her apart from everything/ one else.
What are your favorite blogs? 
I have one I read every day, Nio till Fem.
What are your favorite films for fashion? 
I don't really have one. I did like Polly Maggo. I do have millions of movies I love though, but they are not technically fashion films.
What's your favorite decade for vintage? 
I have a few! Turn of the century and then the 60's and 70's.
Tell me about the website your developing, Coquette Journal? 
It is a platform for fashion of the times in a lovely Coquettish Manner.
I love this quote by Anais Nin: "I disregard the proportions, the measures, the tempo of the ordinary world. I refuse to live in the ordinary world as ordinary women. To enter ordinary relationships. I want ecstasy. I am a neurotic — in the sense that I live in my world. I will not adjust myself to the world. I am adjusted to myself."
What does the future look like for you?  
I do have a couple of shoots in January and the rest of mine time I will give to my Coquette & Alice in Wonderland. I do have bigger plans for 2012 but don't want to talk too much about them. I do want to learn more about photography and then travel more. Do some more painting.

All photos, courtesy of Linda Portman. Thank you so much, Linda! 

Interview with Josie of Frances Baker

A few months ago I discovered the designs of the talented designer, Josie, behind the label Frances Baker. She worked on three lovely custom dresses for the shop, inspired by Luella and Lula magazine. She just launched her first made to order collection for SS12, which is inspired by adolescence and filled with beautiful fabrics and Peter Pan collars. If  I lived close to Josie, I think we would be great friends. We both love Nadinoo, Rookie Mag, and The Virgin Suicides. My conversation with the lovely Josie follows below. And be sure to check out her blog and online store here.

Hello Josie! Tell me a little bit about your day today. 

Today I am working on an order for a customer in Sydney. I work in my tiny studio apartment in Melbourne where I live with my boyfriend, and I am constantly getting distracted by the sunny day outside and watching the people down in the street!

What inspired you to create a fashion line?

I have wanted to start my own label for a very long time. The idea to make Frances Baker as the label it is came partly during my travels overseas, where I gathered a lot of inspiration and honed my personal style and interests a bit, partly from my enthusiasm for ethical and handmade fashion, and I was finally pushed over the edge when I decided I simply couldn’t handle working in a job that wasn’t creative anymore! So I took the plunge, not really knowing what would happen, and even though it’s still early days I would definitely say the satisfaction I’ve gotten from it so far makes it is the best thing I’ve ever done.

Where does the name Frances Baker come from?

Frances Baker is the name I came up with for my blog when I first started it about 3 years ago. I sort of came up with it on a whim, combining my middle name Frances with the last name of Josephine Baker, who I’ve had a long running fascination with (partly because I share her first name too). I like it because the name Frances itself means free woman (according to a name book I have at home!) and Josephine Baker was also quite the free, independent and very impressive woman, with a really wonderful flamboyant style to match. She was a civil rights activist and also assisted the French Resistance during World War II, among other things. I’m really inspired by her amazing style as well as her strong convictions and self belief. I’m pretty happy to have a label that pays tribute to someone like that, and I like to think that Frances Baker clothing would appeal to ladies with similar values!

How long have you been designing?

I only started doing it professionally when I started Frances Baker just over two months ago! But I have been sewing since I was in Primary School, and creativity has played an important role in my life since I was very young.

Have you always loved fashion?

Definitely, though in my case I think it would be better to say that I have always loved clothes rather than fashion. I love clothes as a means of creative expression, and the way they make you feel. I like how certain memories can be attached to certain outfits, or the way certain garments can inspire a mood. Clothes are costumes, and they can make you feel confident, change your mood, or help you to express who you feel you are inside to the outside world. A lot of my favourite clothes are inspired by nostalgia. I like to design clothes that remind me of how I felt as a child, or the way I felt when I watched a certain movie or read a certain book. I guess my love of clothes was why I started sewing so young, to try and make the clothes I had in my head! I remember being incredibly inspired after reading The Secret Garden for the first time, and desperately wishing I had a little button up green wool coat, which I was sure would make me feel like Mary Lennox setting off into the mist for an adventure!

What do you love about living in Melbourne? (I visited there twice over the summer I loved it so much.)

I think I like the fact that it feels like there is a lot of creativity going on here! Maybe that's just because a lot of my friends are creative so I'm getting a biased point of view. The cafe and bar culture is also really lovely, there are so many amazing place to go out for breakfast, which happens to be my favourite meal to eat out! Since travelling though, I do sometimes dream about moving to some of the amazing cities I visited for a longer period of time. I love that feeling of starting fresh, being lost in a big city and knowing there is so much to discover.

What are your favorite places in Melbourne?

That is incredibly hard! I am living in the city at the moment which is amazing but I do kind of miss the creative community/student-y vibe of living in Brunswick and the northern suburbs. I have so many favourite cafes and bars but at the moment living where we live we are spending a lot of time eating bagels at Jungle Juice, getting bentos at Ramen Ya and rice paper rolls at Miss Chus. Most of all though I just love to be at home! Can't beat it.

What's on your fall wish list?

Well at the moment here it is Summer so I am pretty distracted by sundresses and the like but lately I have been finding myself drawn to corduroy for cooler weather.

What are you looking forward to doing over the holiday season?

Hopefully making some things! Doing Christmas craft is a very long standing tradition with my sister and I and it's ridiculous how much I enjoy it. I am also hoping to spend lots of time at the beach this Summer, because that really makes it feel like Christmas holidays for me, but I don't usually find the time to fit a swim in very often.

Australia is known for the arts and has a really strong fashion scene. What do you think of all the up and coming designers out of Australia and who is your favorite?

Well Lover and Secret Squirrel are pretty lovely, but I have to be honest and say that most of my favourite labels from this part of the world are from New Zealand. Labels such as Twenty Seven Names, Juliette Hogan and Karen Walker. I have a bit of an obsession with New Zealand, I just really want to go on a road trip there this Summer and visit the beautiful beaches and see all the amazing landscapes. I'm sure I'll make it one day, it's not exactly far! In terms of the fashion scene though, I think Indigo Clarke gave a pretty interesting description of Antipodean style in her interview on liebemarlene.com (a really great interview, definitely worth checking out!): “Perhaps because Australia and New Zealand are so removed from the rest of the world, and are seasonally opposite to the fashion centres of London, Paris, NY, our style is somewhat unique ... I also put it down to antipodeans having a real understanding, and need of, a quality lifestyle – we love nature, beaches, the outdoors and the way we dress reflects this – we tend to wear comfortable, practical but also interesting and optimistic clothing and colours. So our clothing is very much reflective of the way we live, not just aesthetic taste.” Though I'm not sure if Australian fashion is terribly unique or not, I found that comment really thoughtful, and I do think the way I dress is very much influenced by my lifestyle here.

Who are your favorite designers?

I am always really inspired by Orla Kiely and Dear Creatures, they're amazing! I also love Nadinoo's use of pattern in her designs. TBA make some pretty incredible clothes, and Family Affairs, and lately I have been coveting the Goldie London collection.

What was your favorite SS12 show?

Karen Walker.

If you could see any celebrity wearing your dress who would it be and why?

I have no idea! I guess it's hard because I don't really have any celebrity muses. The people who inspire me are other bloggers whose style I admire, people on the street, characters from film & TV, etc. Oh no wait, I have a definite girl crush at the moment on Hailee Steinfeld. I would probably lose my mind if I ever saw her in one of my dresses!

Who is your style icon?

I am utterly inspired by Hannah Metz, I think her style is incredible. I have also been quite enjoying Tavi Levinson's outfits of late. Other than the blog world I really love Anna Karina, Mia Farrow, Brigitte Bardot and of course Josephine Baker is an old favourite.

What are your favorite books and magazines for inspiration?

The Secret Garden is a really big influence for me in terms of books. I don't know why it's stuck with me so much, but it has! My favourite magazine to read is The Gentlewoman, which I find inspiring in so many ways. The photos in Lula are incredible, and I also read Russh and Frankie on a pretty regular basis, depending on the issues. Having a taste for children's style, I've lately found myself drawn to the editorials in a children's fashion magazine called Papier Mache.

What is your favorite fairy tale?

The Paper Bag Princess!

What are your favorite films for fashion?

I love a lot of French New Wave films, such as A Woman is a Woman and Breathless. French New Wave heroines were all about embodying a simple, natural style in comparison to older actresses of the time. I love how young and fresh it feels. Lately I have been inspired by The Virgin Suicides, as well as Reality Bites, Little Women, and How to Make an American Quilt (I've been on a Winona Ryder kick!)

What are your favorite Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly films or looks they have worn?

Of Audrey's film I really love Charade, and though I find Funny Face horribly sexist I do love the beautiful outfits (plus I have a soft spot for musicals). For Grace, I would definitely have to say Rear Window.

What is the future like for you and your line?

At the moment I'm working on a collaboration with a shoemaker friend of mine, which I am incredibly excited about! I've also just released my Summer collection for this year, which is made entirely from sustainable fabrics: hemp and beautiful soft bamboo textiles. I guess I'll see where it goes...!

 All photos courtesy of Josie- featuring her SS12 collection and one adorable photo of the lady herself!

Art by Madame Lolina

Happy New Year everyone! I just wanted to share a few custom illustrations that were done by the shop by the very talented Madame Lolina. She drew some of my favorite style crushes from the Hollywood Film Awards- Elle Fanning, Emma Stone, Felicity Jones, Carey Mulligan, Elle Fanning, Andrea Riseborough, Michelle Williams and Elle and Dakota Fanning in their stunning W Magazine spread. These lovely prints are available at Audrey Grace, so email me if you'd like to buy one! My email is jbethany@fordham.edu.. Also be sure to check out Madame Lolina's website here. Her drawings are so whimsical and beautiful. A perfect start to the new year!