Macabre Mondays/Tableau Tuesdays - Draw This Dress and More

Please note that all artwork shown in this article is the intellectual property of Misses Carroll and Bee, and is used here fully crediting them as the creators thereof.

I recently stumbled onto a very, very interesting Tumblr: Draw This Dress, where the incredibly talented duo of Emily Carroll and Vera Bee get together and draw beautiful garments from bygone eras. Here are some examples:

Stunning. It's one of those things that just turns me green with envy at the sheer talent of these women, but I'm sure you're wondering why I called this "Macabre Monday" if I was just going to show you a bunch of pretty dresses - well, I'll get to that soon enough. If you have the time, also check out the sites they used for reference, such as Ye Olde Fashion or OMG! That Dress!. They have tons of amazing vintage and antique clothing for you to ogle, drool over, put into your swipe files, or what have you.

Like This one.

Or this one.

Or this one!

OR THIS ONE!!!

Vera Bee's website contains lots of beautiful artwork and a rather bizarre animation, but it was Emily Carroll's site that really dragged me down the rabbit hole of the macabre. Most of you are probably familiar with fairy tales, and because of movies like The Brothers Grimm or television shows like Once Upon a Time many of you will probably be familiar with the much darker origin of the fairy tale; stories told to young children to basically scare them into behaving. These were the original Goosebumps.

Wait for it. Here comes the macabre. If you know about these uber-macabre stories (for instance, how the Little Mermaid actually tries to stab her prince, or how Sleeping Beauty's mother-in-law was actually an Ogress who repeatedly tries to eat her grandchildren), and still enjoy them, I strongly encourage you to check out the Comics page on Carroll's website. However, these are not for the faint of heart or stomach. You have been warned. Check out Carroll's amazing comics here. Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Folio Friday - "Bals"

This past year saw the (probably inevitable) demise of Borders. Don't this is some tirade about the slow rattling death of printed media, I just wanted to reaffirm my belief in actual books and, through this new segments, share with you some books I either own and adore or am looking forward to getting sometime soon (finances permitting). Why do I always feel the need to create titles that feature Annoying Alliteration? I just think it's fun, so deal.

I spotted this on Fashion School Daily, the daily blog for students and faculty in AAU Fashion Department. I must say I'm drooling at the possibilities...



"From the twilight of the Romanov dynasty through the les annees folles of Art Deco Paris to the jet-set seventies, Bals explores the nine most exceptional private costume parties of the twentieth century."
-from the Assouline website





Though this title wouldn't have been my first choice (that's 'balls' in French, not a typo), I definitely want this book. I absolutely covet large picture-reference books. They are my favorite source of inspiration. There's something about turning the pages and feeling the weight of the book in your lap that makes the pictures seem even more special - not to mention the fact that resolution is almost never a problem! Here's a sneak peek of what to expect inside:

"Since the guests were asked to arrive in gondolas rather than in motor launches, the scenes outside as well as inside the palace... gave the impression of a Canaletto come to life." -Cecil Beaton, describing the scene at Don Carlos de Beistegui's 1951 ball in Venice's Palazzo Labia.

Basically, it looks like it will be a huge drool-fest for anyone who loves historical costumes as much as I do and would be a brilliant addition to any real-life library. Normally I would put a link to this product on the Amazon website since I've decided to whore myself out to them just a little (thus my lack of a tirade on the death of Borders), but this is actually a product that Amazon doesn't carry! So, instead click here to visit the Assouline website and purchase this beautiful book.

Farewell on this First Folio Friday,

A Whole New Look

I'm sure you've noticed the complete over-haul to my blog. I'm still trying to make a few tweaks, but I think I'll be able to stick to this look for quite some time. I just hate stumbling upon blogs that look exactly like mine... So, I've customized my blog even more.

I must give credit where credit is due, though - the illustration I've used as my new header is by famed Illustrator Rene Gruau. He's one of my favorite Illustrators of the 20th century, and I didn't even know it until I realized how many of the fashion drawings of the 50s and 60s I've admired for years and years. He's even influenced my own illustration work. Here is a sample of his work, followed by some of my drawings following his lead:

Probably his most famous illustration

He even dappled in menswear... sort of.

Finally, here are some of my illustrations inspired by Gruau's work:

Velvet and Sequins

Leather and Suede

Lace

Now onto a bit of administrative stuff. I'm not going to post again until next week. I have final projects due Tuesday so I'll probably prepare some stuff for Monday so I don't have to skip it again. School ends on the 18th, but the family comes in four days later for Christmas, which means my house is going to be bedlam until the 31st. I'm really going to try my hardest to post lots of interesting stuff over the holidays, but I'm not making any promises. Besides, I'm sure most of you will be too busy with your own lives to read my little 'ol blog. In any case, we shall see each other multiple times before the end of the year.

Nostalgically Yours