PSYCHEDELIC CLOUDS

As a child, I was fascinated by the pulsing colors and spectra of works by Peter Max.  Born in 1937, Max created colorful illustrations throughout his entire life across all media, and in partnership with many large companies, such as the USPS and 7-Up, which made him a cultural phenomenon.  He is most notable for his psychedelic landscapes with jubilant figures that seem to characterize the "Cosmic Sixties".  Max still lives and works in New York City, and his work remains a source of inspiration for me, both in the color palettes and compositions which recall one of my favorite decades in fashion and in art.

Dress: L'Amour by Nanette Lepore

Shoes: Kelsi Dagger

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff 

[Photos by Kathy Paciello; Max images from pri.org, blogs.sun-sentinel.com.]

MUCHA, REVISITED

Now that it is becoming a bit more like spring in New York, I'm revisiting one of my favorite posts from last spring.  Inspired by Pantone's Champagne Beige, I evoked the image of Alphonse Mucha's muses at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  View the full post here.

ARTFULLY AWEAR + PANTONE: Champagne Beige.

For my latest Artfully Awear + Pantone post, I'm featuring the shimmery color Champagne Beige.

My inspiration for this look has been on my mind for years, as I've always loved the sinewy Art Nouveau elegance of Alphonse Mucha's ladies.

Mucha (1860-1939) was a Czech painter and decorative artist who created the Art Nouveau style, originally known as Mucha Style.

He began his career as a theatrical designer in Moravia, and eventually relocated to Paris, where he met the acclaimed actress Sarah Bernhardt, one of my style icons.

In 1895, Mucha began a six-year contract with Bernhardt, creating lithographs for her performances.  This solidified his position as an important commercial artist.

Throughout his career, Mucha struggled to separate himself from the Art Nouveau style he essentially created, and found art's importance through its spiritual connotations alone.

The women depicted in Mucha's Art Nouveau paintings and prints hearken back to an even earlier age, referenced in their Neoclassical garments.

Mucha's view on Art History is summed up by the following quote, and beautifully represented by his work: "Nothing has changed in these past two thousand years.  Only the names are slightly different."

Dress: Nicole Miller Artelier

Headpiece: Vintage necklace

Shoes: B Brian Atwood (buy here in nude and black)

All photos by Kathy Paciello at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

[Mucha images from gelaskins.com, wikipaintings.org, graduate-extraordinaire.blogspot.com, bohemia-apartments.com, and commons.wikimedia.org.]

THE RECONSTRUCTIONISTS

I recently came across The Reconstructionists, a collaboration between illustrator Lisa Congdon and writer Maria Popova.  Each Monday welcomes a new illustration and mini essay about an inspirational woman, posted to their shared Tumblr page.  Not only are the illustrations beautiful, but the prose is stimulating; I've found myself actually looking forward to Mondays just to read the latest chapter.

The Reconstructionists is "a yearlong celebration of remarkable women...who have changed the way we define ourselves as a culture and live our lives as individuals of any gender."

All images from http://thereconstructionists.org/

LOVE 4 RELIEF

A few months have passed in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, but there are still very real needs in our immediate community. 

 I adore the Love 4 Relief initiative by Surf Collective NYC, who commissioned surfers in various creative fields to create Valentine's Day e-cards.  Simply choose the card you like from this page, customize it, make a donation, and send it to your friends and loved ones, with all proceeds going toward Sandy relief.  You can choose from a multitude of customizable donations, such as hot food, transportation, safety, and construction materials.  My favorite is the version above, by E&G.

What a difference love can make.

Another way to help, here.

CLARENCE COLES PHILLIPS

Last weekend was one of my favorite events of the year: the Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governors Island in NYC.  I wore a modern rendition of what a 1920s lady might wear to a daytime fête, and here is a look at my inspiration.

To get some ideas, I perused 1920s fashion plates, and came across the work of Clarence Coles Phillips (1880-1927).  

Phillips was an American illustrator, well-known for his watercolor images used in popular magazines such as Life and Good Housekeeping throughout the 1910s and early 1920s.

One of the most interesting aspects of his work is how the figure often disappears into the background, as though what she is wearing perfectly matches her surroundings.  

This device was known as the "fadeaway girl" and became a trademark of Phillips' work and also saved on printing costs.

Phillips' images of women served as both snapshots of life and fashion plates, and give a whimsical perspective of the style at the time.

I'm wearing a BCBG jumpsuit, hat from a street vendor, Betsey Johnson shoes, vintage purse and bracelet, and F21 necklace.

[Phillips photos from hemmings.com, oilpaintings-supplier.com, magazineart.org, and polarbearstale.blogspot.com.]

MORE GREETINGS

I just finished another batch of greeting cards, and they are listed on my Etsy page!

Like Artfully Awear on Facebook for a discount code.

GREETINGS

I've been busy working on a whole new collection of Artfully Awear holiday (and anytime) greeting cards. 

Featuring original watercolor and opaque ink sketches, the cards are available for sale on my Etsy page.

  "Like" Artfully Awear on Facebook for a special discount code!
UPDATE 11/24:  The greeting cards have sold out.  I will be listing more in the coming weeks.  Thank you for your support!

HAPPY WARHOLIDAYS

Every year since I was little, I've looked forward to picking out my Christmas dress and this year was no exception. When I initially found this dress at Goodwill, I didn't buy it. After a change of heart, I went back a few days later and discovered that it was 50% off. It was a Christmas miracle, and I couldn't be happier with this Mrs. Claus-esque satin party dress.

Since my dress is decidedly retro, I wanted to share these Christmas illustrations by Andy Warhol from the 1950s and '60s.

Before he became an art world superstar, Warhol was an illustrator, and created greeting cards and displays for department stores.

I love the simplicity of these drawings, especially in light of how his artistic oeuvre eventually centered on mass production, and images like Campbell's soup cans and Brillo pads.

My favorite is the red ankle boot filled with holly.

I paired the dress with toile tights reminiscent of Warhol's ink drawings. I'm wearing a thrifted vintage satin dress, Look from London tights, Jill Stuart shoes, and my Grandmother's strand of pearls.

Thanks to Whitney Marie for the lovely photos (and the Starbucks gift card).

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Warholidays!

[Warhol images from thetablet.co.uk, art.com, flickr.com, and 1.bp.blogspot.com, respectively.]