Thursday, April 30, 2009

Riding Clean - Fresh White Coat



Spotted this dazzling white coat that just stood out on this sunny afternoon. Upon closer inspection her whole look was just so fresh looking... I just had to get this shot of this stylish rider who was 'Riding Clean'. Thanks Sally!


Share/Save/Bookmark

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Vintage Bicycle, Extreme Gladiator Sandals... Desert (Burning Man?) with Jena Malone


(actress: jena malone - photo source unknown)

Sure do love the bicycle, AND the gladiator sandals the newly emerging actress Jena Malone is wearing here. What a coincidence after posting only just yesterday the photo of Mary Kate on a cool vintage bicycle wearing gladiators sandals too!

I'm also liking the shorty 'riding gloves', and the deep brim on her hat for blessed relief from the intense sun. This shot inspires me.


Share/Save/Bookmark

Monday, April 27, 2009

Mary Kate Olsen in NYC - Riding a Pretty Vintage Bicycle with Wicker Basket


(image via olsen twins news)

Mary Kate Olsen looks like she is riding a vintage bicycle (or at least vintage looking to me). Plus the bicycle is outfitted with a nice wicker basket as well. Love her rounded glasses and they are very much like the ones I wear. I as a fashion observer, well I just love what the Olsen Twins are up to and have to admit I follow their style and fashions via various different fashion bloggers.

Anyway, great going Mary Kate. Love your bicycle!!

Share/Save/Bookmark

Sampling



I have started to produce some small samples based on my chosen theme, and using the techniques I have decided on. The two images above are just drawn straight onto fabric using fabric pens.

Dye Lab 27th April



The London based fashion company LMB which we are working with supplied us with garments which we could use to recycle into something new. I want to work with cotton as I find it a good material to work with, so have chosen to use mainly shirts and jersey t-shirts, I have also sourced some small deninm samples. I went to the dye lab today and began to dye all the garments and samples, all of which before hand were white, apart from the deninm. I really like the outcome and it is a perfect match to my colour palette.

Tutorl 24th April

Tutorl 24th April
I had my tutorial and it went really well. I'd started to cut up garments, such as plain white shirts and draw directly onto them with fabric markers. As for a theme I have decided to look at the circus for inspiration, looking at everything from imagery, to colour to pattern.
From looking at the samples I have already done, I feel that my work fits in well with menswear, for a spring/summer collection. As for my colour palette i'm thinkin bright colours which are associated with the circus. I would like to include text in my samples as I really like the typical circus font, and it can look quite interesting on clothes, especially menswear. I want to use really vivid imagry.
As for techniques, I'm thinking of trying pleating, bleaching, and various printing and dyeing techniques. As well as this I find drawing drectly onto fabric really good, and I will also experiment with cutting fabric and stitching it together. Collaged fabric, applique, and reverse applique could also be really interesting. There are many different ways I could use colour and intrepet this in my work, ranging from dyeing the fabric, to just using a different colour thread to stitch.


To Do ..

  • Carry in with sketchbook
    Start to dye fabrics
    Continue to sample

Recycled Cloth - Upcycled Fashion

Supporting Study 2
Recycled Cloth - Upclycled Fashion
(Fashion embroidery)
Live brief: working with London-based company. As we move out of recession and into a new stage of economic development how will we shop? What will we wear? How will the world be different? The environment and the impact of global warming, the possible slow down of globalisation and more local, slower less resource intensive products are likely to be what is required. There are companies being established who have a definite position on the impact of designed products and are coming up with ingenious ideas of re-using and minimising the impact of product development on the environment whilst still producing cool and desirable stuff. Often ‘recycled’ has a feeling of hairy, old, sweaty, noble, dull worthiness about it. We would like you to consider that recycled can be funky, sophisticated, bright, optimistic and modern. Working with a palette of used clothing and textiles you are asked to utilise your knowledge, ideas and skills to make new textiles from old cloth. You are asked to produce a collection of fabric samples, which function as a collection of fashion fabric ideas. The collection you produce will be either womenswear or menswear, and may be connected by colour, theme and technique using techniques and methods at your disposal (stitch, print, dye, handknit, weave). We are not running inductions as part of this project so it is intended that you use workshops that you have already been inducted into or collaborate with someone who has.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Bike Love

bike love

Bicycling with your love, sharing the same bike on the prettiest spring day and headed off to the beach (or to town, or wherever!) has to be the an all time high. I think so. I catch the smiles on these two faces and I get a contact delight.

Share/Save/Bookmark

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Listening Party @ Adidas Originals...SoHo, NYC

4/23/09
I love going to parties at the Adidas Originals store. For one, I don't have to stand in line (thank you Mr. Daniel Roditi, a.k.a. the Adidas O.G. ambassador). Two, I can always count on there being an ultra-cool crowd (thank you Mari for letting me borrow your camera!). And three, there's great shopping incentives and discounts. Thursday night's Shaman Works Listening Party included all of the above. Plus a blue paper gift bag filled with a few goodies.

Takin' it back: the Retro Kidz (love these guys)




Blingin' bow-tie (he made it himself)


Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Bike Church- A Journal of Sorts—Finding and Rebuilding my Motobecane Bicycle

Day One
I strolled by Bike Church and on impulse decided to walk in and check it out. I met Ann & Josh; they were super nice and explained how Bike Church worked. There in the back I eyed this bicycle, the only step through frame they had (on that particular day). I saw the $10.00 price tag. Done. I bought my bike. Ann said it was a Motobecane and French.


(Bike Church - Ann )

Ann also said that because this was a slow time at Bike Church due to the Christmas Holidays that this would be an excellent time to rebuild my bike. She then explained what I would need to do in order to get this bike in riding shape. Oh, yes!! I signed up for the 'memberteer- get a bike' program. In the back of my head I also knew I would want to write about the experience and share it on this blog.


Wed
MY TEACHERS: Quentin & Erik
All I did was work for 2 solid hours, sorted wheels, seat posts and other bike parts. I earned 2 hours. I learned in what bins you could find which parts by doing this sorting job. In the end I realized this is really an excellent way to get you familiar with bike parts!


Thurs
MY TEACHERS: Jason & assistant
Today's assistant was really excited by my Motobecane and exclaimed I’d gotten a REALLY good frame. Now for the first time I got very excited about the potential of my 'junker'. I removed the back wheel and learned how to repack the bearings on the back wheel. I felt extremely proud! I had to get my work checked no less than 6 times to get it just right. Only snafu was that I lost a part (forgot the name of it) and ended up spending ½ hour sorting through and cleaning out a junk box of mountain bike forks with tons of crud at the bottom. Never found the part. Jason liked my cleaning & organizing. He said I did a great job on my rear wheel.

Fri
MY TEACHERS: Steve & assistant
Steve helped me identify my frame type. He explained drop outs that are cast vs. stamped drop outs. He told me my frame was not double butted or 531 steel. He said it was a single butted job and explained tube thickness. He also explained the derailleur to me, telling me I needed to replace it. He showed me a bin which I looked through. Hey, the cost for a used derailleur is a mere $4.00! My boyfriend came in and said the one I picked with Steve’s help was crap. Steve said to try to get a long cage derailleur; it would give more options down the road? I was confused. Time now for a derailleur research on the internet when I get home, I decided.

So later when I got home I researched some 'period correct' derailleurs and found 2. One on craigslist (simplex) and one on eBay (suntour). Anyway back to Bike Church... Steve was VERY helpful. The assistant however, was being pulled off in 100 directions by all these demanding people needing help. Sometimes Bike Church just gets flooded with people and their bikes and all wanting attention and help. I went off and cleaned the Bike Church bathroom and swept the yard. I racked up 3 more hours of 'memberteering' work. I came home filthy and feeling like slime because this really was grunt work, but I was so happy at the same time. I was getting my bike built!

(Took a Bike Church break for one week)

More pictures of bikes in the back that are for sale or are project bikes...




(3 speed bike currently (4/21/09) available to buy & fix at Bike Church)

Fri

MY TEACHERS: Steve & assistant
My boyfriend came with me to Bike Church to help put on tires and to help speed things up for me since I only had an hour to spend at Bike Church that day. I wanted to get seriously down to work and at least get tires on my bike. Steve came over and helped out as well. I made a slight mistake and picked brand new tires when I was only entitled to use my accrued credit towards used items. All my parts so far I had gotten used and in trade for the work I was putting in down there.…So I put on 2 NEW tires @10.00 each, 2 inner tubes @ 3.00 each. The first cash I'd spent on the bike since buying it for that mere $10.00. So I was now into my bike for only a total of $33.00 cash out of my pocket.

Sat. Intro to Bikes
MY TEACHER: Ryan
Intro to Bikes. I was the only student. My teacher was excellent. I had a complete 'one on one' learning the 101 for bikes! The class ran almost 2 hours long. I learned a lot.

Sun. Women/Transgendered Safe Space
MY TEACHER: Ann
I was the only one there except for a '20 minute-fill the bike tires-girl' who came in. Ann spent the entire 3 hours helping me and doing most of the really tricky finagling work as I learned and watched. I picked out a used rear and front derailleur from the used bins completely on my own (yes, it was 'period correct' and suntour.) Ann confirmed my rear derailleur was an excellent choice, so no need for the EBay or Craigslist derailleur I'd been considering at 8 times the price. Ann had these friction shifters she'd stashed away for another project bike and decided to let me have them. We ran out of time (darn French bikes and their bolt threading!) I still have to do the brakes, but I wanted to take my bicycle home for Christmas. I rolled my bike out of there and walked home in the rain. Happy.


(Ann - Teacher at Bike Church)

(I spent the next few weeks doing a green clean on my bicycle. Bike Church was closed so what better time to invest and really clean her up. Still, I was so anxious and excited to get brakes on and actually ride my Motobecane.)


Sun. Women/Transgendered Safe Space
MY TEACHER: Ellie
I was so glad Bike Church was open again! I decided to work on my bicycle only during the Women/Transgendered Safe Space on Sundays and which only occurs once every three weeks. I like it because generally it has a whole lot less people vying for help and attention from the teachers, plus it has such a really cool vibe! Ellie helped me put my brakes on. (new brakes pads $4.00) She found used color coordinated cable housing (blue of course) for me. She also is the one who said I just had to go with cork grips ($8.00) and to be sure I shellacked them. I totally love Shellac now; I ended up shellacking my thrifted bicycle basket.

I rode my bicycle for the very first time out of Bike Church! I was thrilled and ecstatic!

Sun. Women/Transgendered Safe Space
MY TEACHERS: Ann and Ellie.
I brought my Motobecane with the new cork grips and basket in because I wanted Ann and Ellie to first of all see my bicycle all finished and pretty and also because I was having difficulty shifting. Turns out the shifting 'problem' required a very minor, minor adjustment. What I really needed was more practice with 10 speed shifting, not that its rocket science or anything, it's just that I've always ridden cruisers or a 3 speed. What a noob I am sometimes.


(Ellie - Teacher at Bike Church)

The bike collective is a way to find out where to find a bicycle coop near you OR how to start one in your own community. Thanks Ann for pointing out to me where to find this information at!

Some before and after pics of my Motobecane....


(before pic taken at Bike Church the day I bought my Motobecane)



(after or rather midway pic, the brakes, front derailleur, cork grips & basket added later)

I received requests to explain how I came by my Motobecane... So I hope everyone enjoys this back story behind my Motobecane 'Belle'. Thanks Bike Church!!!!!

Share/Save/Bookmark

Sunday, April 19, 2009

On the Street...Prince St., SoHo

4/19/09


Seeing Double: Thinking about it now, I wish I asked them if there was any particular reason (other than being cute) why they were dressed identical. In any event, it certainly got my attention...P.S. There were no lenses in their glasses.

On the Street...Lower East Side, NYC

4/18/09

Ever-so-chic: My good friend Laura Paterson rocking a bold buffalo check scarf


Little bow peep: Bow top and blue socks...a very cute combination

Friday, April 17, 2009

Flower 'Bicycle Bonnet' -- Easter

Easter bonnet - helmet cover & outfit
(ridingpretty bicycle helmet cover prototype, thrifted flower skirt, stirrup leggings, gladiator sandals, vintage motobecane bicycle)

This was what I wore for my ride on Easter...

Easter bonnet - my helmet cover for Easter

I just finished this in time to wear it for Easter. It's my newest bicycle helmet cover with changeable flower attachment. It's all handmade. The bicycle helmet cover has an especially nice brim that keeps my face well shaded.

p.s. I'll be putting up more pics of the helmet cover (which will show it in better detail) very soon!

Share/Save/Bookmark

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Airbrush training

A message from David Horne @ the Jemma Kidd Make Up School.

We have been working with Airbase for over a year or so and they are the product we recommend at the Jemma Kidd Make Up School. I have tried Temptu and Kett along with MAC and for Silicon based Airbrush formula this is a great coverage level for skin which is good but also benefits from some coverage. We offer a 1 day introductory Airbrush training and as always we offer Pixiwoo subscribers 20% Discount if you quote Pixiwoo if attending training at our school. Perfect for High definition [HD] work.
David Horne
Director of Education
Jemma Kidd Make Up School

Teens on Cruiser Bicycles - Beautiful Santa Cruz



Two Teen Girls...


best teen red

Both girls so adorable! I love what both are wearing for their sea side bicycle ride.

To start I especially like the mix. The first one has capri length leggings with lace trim, little denim skirt with shiny pastel iridescent sequins on the pockets, plus a very very practical cable fisherman's style sweater. The second one mixes lime green and vibrant red, plus notice her 'mardi gras' style beads, also so very iridescent. A cute, black knit mini and 'skinnies' finish off her look.

Both are riding great looking cruisers...

Yes indeed, quite stylish teens!

Share/Save/Bookmark

Saturday, April 11, 2009

5 day course with 16 places... coming soon.


As you may know I have been teaching one on one make-up courses for about 4 years. 
Due to request Nic and I are putting together plans for a 5 day intensive course with 16 places for those interested in training to be a make-up artist. 
We don't have any dates planned as yet, but as I am booked up until July I can be sure it wont be until August.  

Friday, April 10, 2009

Flight of Fancy...9th Street, NYC

4/10/09

From the sunglasses and patches, to the jumpsuit and the sneakers, I love this guys' street-aviatior theme!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Here they are....

Daily Mail click here
Daily Express click here
Avon click here
EDP click here

Bicycle Style... April - Riding Boots and Lacey Stockings!

april boots

Sunny, warm days but with a tiny bit of chill at times, so wearing lacey stockings is perfect. So are these lace up riding boots.

Notice the slashed, shredded skirt with the purple peaking through...gives a nice burst of color to the otherwise all black skirt. I also like that she is so fresh faced, not a speck of makeup or hardly any to speak of... offsets her otherwise cute, 'night-clubby' kind of look. She looked so spectacular pedaling up the street on her bicycle at 11am, and that's 11am and not 1am!

p.s TopShop opened in Manhattan

Share/Save/Bookmark

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Hectic.

It has been a great month for Pixiwoo publicity.
Firstly, I found myself in 'The London Paper' a free paper that is distributed around London.
Today I am on the front page of the EDP. In the picture on the cover my head looks enormous though.

Tomorrow, apparently I will appear in the Daily Express and will also be giving an interview to Heart fm radio.
All this interest is kind of bewildering but incredibly flattering.

Thank you for all the support. We couldn't do it without you. x

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Acai Cafe and Bikes...Monterey Cruiser



New discovery in Santa Cruz...


I promise to return soon to this fabulous new cafe and bring you more photos!!

I really love the built in bike racks that seamlessly meld into the wood wall. By the way the Acai menu is out of this world, .... the acai berry will fuel you up incredibly for any bike riding you're up for.

So addicted to the smoothies here. My favorite is the 'Hero', it's a mix of berries with acai berry, black berry, blueberry. YUM!




+++++++++++++++








Free, Gratis, Libre'.... That's the sign... it's how I acquired my Monterey Cruiser. Simple, simple bicycle but an honest to goodness cruiser.

A 'beater bike' by most everyone's opinion. But how I love this bicycle!!!! 'Monterey' has a bit of a sentimental ring to it for me ...awwhhh...it's because I live next to the beautiful Monterey Bay.
So an apt name for my new 'beater' bicycle is 'Libre Monterey'.
Share/Save/Bookmark