Sketchbook Magazine – AmeliasMagazine

Amelia’s Magazine | Sketchbook Pop-Up Shop: Susie (Style) Bubble Talk

Illustration courtesy of Zoë Barker

From outside, remedy the Koko in Camden looks a bit like one of those Swiss clocks – the ones where a girl in lederhosen comes out on a rail every hour to strike the chime. The bare white front façade is broken only by the large ‘KOKO’ illumination and the two doors at either edge of the building which allow the audience access to the smoking balcony, click and there’s a fair few of them pacing backwards and forwards. Imagining them as clockwork Bavarians is the kind of thing I find amusing. It passes the time, waiting in the coffee place across the road for the rain to ease and the doors to open.

Los Campesinos! are a band that I’ve had to convince myself that I actually loved, because for a while I was in denial. As far as my last.fm statistics go they’ve been my favourite band of the last 18 months, and I even found myself buying a ticket for their latest tour as soon as physically able and not really being sure why. It always felt like some kind of weirdly innocuous indulgence that support groups put out literature for – y’know, you swear it’s not a big deal, you could walk away at any second, it doesn’t control your life, etc. etc., only to wake up one morning and realise that you’re deeply addicted and in trouble. It’s frightening to realise you’ve had a new favourite band for so long and not even realised.

Illustration courtesy of Zoë Barker

Once inside the venue, I buy a drink and text my erstwhile companion, struck down with food poisoning. “I’m probably the oldest person here – where are the adults?“ I ask (and I’m only 22) – there’s a distinct whiff of Lynx in the air (at a guess: Africa). LC! are a bit of a joke to some people thanks to lead singer Gareth’s scribbled-journal lyrics, and frankly they’re right – they can be acutely embarrassing. I try to justify my love (my addiction, you could say) to my friends by being clever – they’re tongue-in-cheek, I say! The literal meaning is totally ironic, but the intent is still sincere! It never works. My first instinct, looking around the venue, is that these skinny, shy kids find Gareth endearing and sincere without any ironic pretension, which would be sweet and naïve if so. Or it could be seen as pathetic – sample lyric: “As if I walked into the room/to see my ex-girlfriend/who by the way I’m still in love with/sucking the face of some pretty boy/with my favourite band’s mostpopular song in the background/is it wrong that I can’t decide which bothers me most?” – but then ‘pathetic’ sounds so much like ‘pathos’ and I’m sure that their must be some kind of link or derivation at play there, because then there’s my excuse. The band excels at drawing out an emotional response in its audience.

As I’m trying to figure this out (I’m on my own, remember, so those kinds of thoughts are all I have to amuse myself – another excuse) the first bunch of musicians stroll on stage – it’s barely past eight, which leaves me thinking that I’ll probably be home and in slippers before eleven. But as for the band: the lead singer reminds me of Sinbad, and he starts wooping.

“Woop! … Woop! … Woop!” etc. – he’s jumped over the crowd barriers at this point, and is walking through the still-thin crowd, clearly sizing people up. Every now and again somebody will recoil, which I assume is because they assume that he’ll either a) want them to join in (poor, timid children), or b) eat their ears, because he’s mental. I think it’s hilarious. The rhythmic wooping is augmented by the rest of the band joining in with their instruments, using Sinbad as a metronome. They’re a four-piece – Sinbad, fringe girl, moustache guy, and Sweater (his sensible sky-blue knitwear is his most defining feature, I suppose) – and they blew me away. Rotating between instruments, chanting and howling, they managed to bridge the divide between danceable electro-wash that I so admire in Holy Fuck or Gang Gang Dance and the careful racket of no-wave. One tune sounded like Arcade Fire’s ‘Wake Up’ shoved backwards through a plane turbine, i.e. sort of inverted by chopping it up into small pieces and reassembled with the bass brought forward and the optimistic chants turned into these awful, angry shouts… I was a total convert. Only by cornering Sinbad in the lobby afterwards did I manage to get their name – Islet. The internet tells me they’re from Cardiff, and they don’t like the internet, they have no recordings available for streaming or purchase (except this BBC live session), they have no website, they are entirely offline. The only way to experience Islet is as a live band, so go. See them live. They kick ass.

The break between the supports is short, and next on are somewhat-hyped London duo Swanton Bombs. To be fair to them, everything I’ve heard about their album has been positive (including a review on this very site), so I’m going to chalk their disappointing live presence up as unexpected. Every song reminded me of that nasty period in the early 00s when blues-rock groups were two-a-penny, where every song could be plotted on a chart with one axis labelled “Killing Floor“, and “Hey Joe” on the other. In short – it was dull, every song sounded the same, and Blood Red Shoes do this kind of thing with much more aplomb. I drifted out towards the back of the room and then upstairs, where I could fully appreciate how atrocious the Koko’s sound quality is for anyone not on the ground near the front – it’s an embarrassment for London, really, considering how much slack the place has had to take up now that the scuffed and glorious Astoria’s gone.

The audience of kids, mostly bored by what’s happened so far (Islet’s tribal antics went down like a civil servant in Downing Street), persists in ignoring whatever’s happening on stage. They’re very clearly only here for LC!, and it’s something of a relief that they come to life when the main act eventually makes an appearance – making me reassess my earlier assumption, that they were here out of a pathetic sincerity, as completely wrong. Namely: I was being pretentious and snobbish, and these kids just like how enjoyable a band LC! are – the lyrics are just plain funny, the music just plain fun, and whilst people like me with too much time on their hands (I blame my friend standing me up and leaving me to my own interior monologue) might debate the extent to which the band take this influence, or that level of twee irony, or said indebtedness to blah blah, this is bullshit. So I forgot about all that, and started jumping about with the rest of the mosh pit.

Illustration courtesy of Zoë Barker

Gareth’s certainly a livelier presence than I expected (seeing as he can come across as a bit wet sometimes). Tonight he bounds around like an over-stimulated puppy, and keeps thanking everybody – his friends, their manager, the audience (I count seven separate breaks between songs where he thanks the fans), the venue, the tour promoter. It’s sweet. The set opens with the steamrolling “I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed, Just So You Know,” which is a bastard of a song, frankly. Their latest album is filled with these, how to say, crunchy numbers, loud and a bit ridiculous, and each one sounds like an anthem tonight – the crowd on ground alongside me is just a heaving sweaty coagulation of fists and smiles, right through the more recent tracks (“There Are Listed Building”, “A Heat Rash in the Shape of The Show Me State; Or, Letters from Me to Charlotte” (it is assumed that if you cannot abide this kind of ludicrous titling of songs then LC! are not a band for you)) to the classics of a couple of years ago (“My Year in Lists,” “This Is How You Spell ‘HAHAHA, We Destroyed the Hopes and Dreams of a Generation of Faux-Romantics’”).

One of the best things about seeing these guys live, though, was that their first album suddenly made a lot more sense. Their sound in the flesh isn’t hugely similar to their last two releases (‘We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed’ and this year’s ‘Romance Is Boring’), which were relatively crisp and clean to the ear – live, they sound like the horrible mistake that was the David Newfeld-produced debut ‘Hold On Now, Youngster’, where the levels were all over the place and the whole thing was a sorry soppy mess of a release that would stick to a wall if it was thrown at one and would congeal into just a bloody mass of nothing at the bottom. It was poorly produced, is what I’m saying. But hearing them tonight I suddenly realise that Newfeld had captured them as they actually sound, essentially that exact kind of mop bucket softness, without edges, without any definition to grab onto. They aren’t half as exciting on there as they are here because, well, that’s the nature of live music, but I have greater respect for the Broken Social Scene producer now I can understand his Sisyphean intentions.

The highlight for most people comes towards the end, when the band crack out the song that they will presumably still be ending their sets with in middle-age – “You! Me! Dancing!” – which I detest. It’s a horrible song. I don’t know why it grates when I enjoy everything else that they do so much, but there it is. However, in the interest of balance I’ll say that this once it was awesome because, well, it was. I’d never danced to it alongside a few hundred other people before and the sensation was not, shall we say, unpleasant. When the band left the stage it was the end of their largest headline show to date – despite their quirks, their oddities, their introspection and their glee, I fully expect them to be playing even larger venues within a very short time indeed. They are the biggest and best niche group around. To hell with thought – it’s my gut that wants to see them again as soon as possible.

Illustration by Naomi Law

For the last day of the Sketchbook Pop-Up Shop, viagra dosage Susie Bubble of Style Bubble fame gave a lecture, viagra approved bookending an event that celebrated the creative arts in a social and relaxed atmosphere complete with illustrations all over the walls. As one of the more prolific bloggers out there, healing Susie Bubble is someone I have ‘followed’ for a long time owing to her quality of photos and copy as well as her evidently well-researched posts. The Style Bubble blog started in 2006 as an outlet for Susie’s opinions, naturally developing a huge following with mentions in i-D magazine, The Financial Times and numerous awards within the blogging world in a relatively short space of time (that’s the online world for you!).

Susie has already written an excellent post on the ‘pop up social space’, and as the last speaker at the event ties things up quite nicely – she even featured on the cover of their very first issue. Teaching herself web coding at the age of 13, Susie was always destined to make a foray into the online world. Her blog has grown quickly over the last four years and rather than a ‘what to wear now’ site endorsing celebrity-led trends, Style Bubble is full of Susie’s musings and ideas of what she really thinks. ‘I would only stop blogging if ideas run out’, she said. Not much chance of that in London…

Following a few questions from the audience on branding, sponsorship and advertising it was very refreshing to hear Susie’s responses reflecting the idea that a blog should be a personal passion rather than a way to increase traffic and generate sales, as an all encompassing business or brand. ‘I don’t see what a Style Bubble app would bring to the iPad’ she reveals, and equally she doesn’t see a future or market for paid blogs. If they are controlled by the brand themselves she can see the merits, though – ‘if a brand have a blog, especially some of the more secretive design houses, it is a good idea as long as the content is interesting’.

Illustration by Naomi Law

Content is key, and she advises that in order to make a mark in the blogosphere, a blog must bring something new to the table. If you are in need of some more inspiration, Susie uses The Guardian fashion pages, The Coveted, and Jak&Jil for fashion news.

She understands that fashion, especially luxury fashion, is not always ethically sound, and where ‘it is impossible to investigate every choice’ we make on clothing we must be aware of the sources of our purchases. Broad generalisations can confuse consumers; for example, not everything made in China needs to be avoided. When choosing items, Susie goes for what feels right. ‘Buying luxury clothes is selfish. I ask myself if it feels nice or looks good on me’. On her own style, she made it very clear that it’s a personal choice, but in terms of A/W10 predicitons, its ‘texture, texture, texture’! Mix it up and make it your own – for S/S go for pastels and embroidery.

One of the nicest elements to Susie’s character is the honesty and modesty in with which she answered the questions. The London-based blogger loves the constantly developing creativity in our city, and how there are opportunities to turn your hand to whatever you want, describing herself as a ‘fraud’ with no formal training! At the moment Susie is unsure how to progress with the blog. Now in a ‘pondering phase’, she doesn’t see herself working with a ‘team’ as it is such a personal project – just her and her handy boyfriend for the photos!

3 facts you might like to know:

1. She voted Lib Dem
2. She wears her hair up when its windy
3. She was incredibly flattered when Daphne Guinness wrote about her in the FT (who wouldn’t be?!)

As well as some consulting work, she has some mysterious up and coming projects, so keep an eye out…

Written by Florence Massey on Monday May 17th, 2010 4:39 pm

Categories ,Bloggers, ,Blogging, ,China, ,Daphne Guinness, ,Financial Times, ,Florence Massey, ,I.D Magazine, ,Jak&Jil, ,Liberal Democrats, ,Naomi Law, ,Newburgh Street, ,Pop-up Shop, ,Sketchbook Magazine, ,Style Bubble, ,Susie Bubble, ,Texture, ,The Coveted

Amelia’s Magazine | Sketchbook STUDIO at Kingly Court

A couple of weeks ago, medications I was sifting through work emails and idly wondering how my forthcoming weekend was going to shape up; it seemed to be taking on the familiar pleasures of the default setting – drinks, pilule lazing around Shoreditch Park, case catching a gig or two, having a coffee at Columbia Road flower market; the same old same old essentially, and then an email dropped into my inbox that quickly made me revise my plans. It was from Ben, an old friend of Amelia’s Magazine from French-Music Org, and Liz from Brittany Tourism who were both involved in the French music festival des Vieilles Charrues in Brittany, and wanted to know if Amelia’s Magazine was interested in coming along to check it out. Being a champion of all kinds of festivals, both in England and abroad, but at the same time staying true to the ethics of not flying wherever possible, I was pleased to see that the festival encourages all non-flight forms of travel, and had a good deal with Brittany Ferries worked into one of the ticket packages that also includes transfers to and from the festival. I had a quick look at the line-up, which included performances from Phoenix, Midlake, The Raveonettes, Fanfarlo, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip and Julian Casablancas. Then I checked my ipod and saw that apart from a little Francoise Hardy and Charlotte Gainsbourg, it was woefully lacking in French music and decided that this Gallic version of Glastonbury could be my guide to France’s vibrant music scene, especially seeing that Chapelier Fou, Revolver, Indochine, Fefe and the brilliantly named Sexy Sushi were all headlining. So that was that. All I needed to do was grab my trusty pillow and I was off to France! A few hours later, after a bumpy ferry ride that unfortunately took place on the windiest day of the year, I found myself in the picturesque town of Carhaix, home of the festival, and about 45 minutes inland from the coast.

Sune and Sharin of The Raveonettes give us a shock and awe performance.

Watching The Raveonettes with my friends – wet and bedraggled but happy.

It was straight to the festival and to the front of the crowd to watch The Raveonettes do a typically kinetic set of howling, fuzzy guitar riffs, liberally sprinkled with lots and lots of noise. Just how the audience like it. The Danish duo, made up of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo are a dark force to reckon with and played an incredibly tight set, featuring songs from their fourth album, In And Out Of Control. I hadn’t see them play before and I came away thinking that the bands waiting in the wings such as Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Crystal Castles and Vivienne Girls still have a long way to go before they steal the crowns off of these two. Later I managed to get in some talk time with Sune who refused the offer of dinner with his bandmates in favour of shooting the breeze over mugs of vodka cranberries for a whole hour. (Interview to come in the next few weeks)

The next day, when I was a little less exhausted from twelve straight hours of travelling, and no sleep, I was able to properly explore the festival and see it through renewed eyes. Truth be told, it was refreshing to find myself at an overseas festival. The crowd were relaxed, extremely friendly (stand next to any random group of strangers and within a few minutes you will be conversing away happily in a garbled mix of Franglais) and the FOOD (and drink)! It doesn’t matter how many boutique festivals are springing up over England, festival des Vieilles Charrues trumps us with champagne bars all over the site (to be sipped insouciantly while you watch French rock gods Indochine) and food tents which can provide you cheese plates and fruits de la mer to go with your choice of wine. It being slightly earlier in the day, I was trying out the regional cider which was so tasty it practically made me weep, and made my way over to watch the Fanfarlo set. Unexpectedly, this was probably my favourite performance of the festival. Having toured constantly for the past year (watch the mini documentary on their website which painfully documents their incessant and exhaustion-inducing schedule), the performances of the songs from their 2009 release Reservoir have taken on a whole new level. Each band member seamlessly flitted between a myriad of different musical instruments; no-one ever held onto a guitar, trumpet, violin, mandolin or musical saw for more than a few minutes before doing some musical-chairs. I’m not sure how well France was aware of Fanfarlo, but the full audience loved every song they played, and noisily demanded an encore – which unfortunately they didn’t get, but then, the band do only have about twelve songs in their back catalogue.

Fanfarlo talk about life on the road and divulge the little known fact of lead singer Simon’s childhood love of ham radios.

Traditional Breton music. Everyone knew the dance moves but me.

Night time gave me a chance to flit between the bands playing. I watched Midlake, the indie Texans who are fast gaining popularity over on this side of the pond, serenade the audience as the sun set, their hazy Americana sound drifting over the breeze and through the fields. Then it was a hop, skip and a jump to watch Sexy Sushi, the raw Parisian rap of Fefe and – I didn’t see this coming – some traditional Breton music involving some old men, a couple of accordions and a lively crowd who were all versed in the dance moves that accompany the traditional folk style. Then the midnight hour was upon us and the audience was heading in droves to watch Phoenix, who are clearly the prodigal sons of France. I’ve heard before that some of the French don’t appreciate the fact that Phoenix record all of their tracks in English, as opposed to their mother tongue, but there was no such bad feeling in the crowd that stood around me that night, sending waves of love and adulation towards the stage which prompted lead singer Thomas Mars to briefly lie on the stage in slightly dazed wonder at this epic night.

It was frustrating to have to leave on Sunday, as I missed performances by Pony Pony Run Run, Julian Casablancas and Etienne De Crecy, but work commitments dictated an early departure. Nonetheless, I had such a great time that I am already planning next years Festival des Vieilles Charrues (which will be the 20th anniversary of the festival). Brittany was the perfect setting for such a chilled festival, and a welcome addition to the festival calendar.

Way back in 2007, click Amelia’s Magazine was one of the first to recognise the raw talent of a young Johnny Flynn, for sale who won us over with the delicately nuanced themes in his poetic and lyrical songwriting. (The fact that he could wield a Gibson guitar like nobodies business also helped make him alright in our books). Fast forward to today and it’s safe to say that the kid done good. Supporting Mumford & Sons in their upcoming October tour, performing at summer festivals all over the country (including this weekends Cambridge Folk Festival) and collaborating with Laura Marling and Anna Calvi, Johnny has more than established himself in the British folk canon. But Johnny is no one trick pony; his new album Been Listening shows a strong appreciation of musical diversity, and gives respectful nods to early 20th Century blues, African music, and even takes inspiration from Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha. His creative streak runs deep, and the animated video for his new single, Barnacled Warship (released August 16th) is a dark dystopia directed by Christian DeVita, lead storyboard artist on Wes Anderson’s ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ as well as Tim Burton’s forthcoming ‘Frankenweenie’.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.vimeo.com/13201330" rel="noopener">http://www.vimeo.com/13201330</a>

So, as you can imagine, we felt that a catch-up with Johnny was long overdue, and so when we were approached by his team to do a video interview, it was only a matter of fighting over which contributor was the biggest fan (the honour went to the lovely Chloe) and then we were ready to go!

Watch the feature for Barnacled Warship here:

Go to Johnny’s MySpace and website for lots more, including his newly released tour dates.

dougald_hine_by-asli-ozpehlivan
Dougald Hine by Asli Ozpehlivan.

In May, search Dougald Hine, visit this co-founder of new literary movement The Dark Mountain Project organised Uncivilisation in Llangollen, Denbighshire. The three day festival of music, writing, thinking and doing was an astounding success, challenging the preconceived notions that our current way of living can be made ‘sustainable’. I caught up with him for a post-festival chat…

How are you feeling now the festival is over?
I’m exhausted and still piecing together what exactly happened, but it feels like it was something big and worthwhile.

Were you pleased with the turnout?
We had 400 people over the weekend, which was as many as the site could handle – and a real mixture of those who already felt deeply connected to Dark Mountain, those who were sceptical but wanting to engage, and those who were just curious to find out more.

Dark Mountain by Emma Raby.

What were you wanting the audience to gain from the experience?
We wanted people to come away with a sense of the conversations going on around Dark Mountain and the spirit of the project.

Explain the dark mountain project in layman’s terms:
Dark Mountain invites people to think about what we do, if it turns out that our way of living can’t be made “sustainable”. It’s also about questioning the stories we tell ourselves about our place in the world, about progress and our ability to control nature. What if the mess that we’re in – ecologically, economically, socially – is rooted in those stories?

How did you get the guest speakers involved?
For me, a great event should be a mixture of people you’ve wanted to see speak or perform for years and people you’ve never heard of, but who turn out to be amazing. It’s hard to choose highlights, but Jay Griffiths and Alastair McIntosh were particularly important voices for me – as were Vinay Gupta and Luke Concannon. There were things which, in hindsight, we might have done better. The main stage was too male-dominated – and we needed more convivial spaces for conversation and participation. But I was pleased with the contrasts between the speakers and the interweaving of ideas and performance. I just wish we could have spread it out over three weeks, rather than having to cram it all into three days.

Were you aiming for a specific ‘sound’ for the festival?
One of the surprises after the manifesto came out was how strong a response we got from musicians and songwriters. Chris T-T and Marmaduke Dando both have songs inspired by Dark Mountain on their new albums, while Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. has been involved from very early on. So the festival sound was shaped by the places where the project has struck a chord. There’s a lot of common ground with some of the powerful folk stuff going on with people like Jon Boden and Chris Wood, who was our ideal choice to close the whole weekend. But there was a real diversity of other sounds, whether it was delicate jazz ballads from Billy Bottle or hilarious death blues from Bleak.

Dark-Ruins-by-Lisa-Stannard
Dark Ruins by Lisa Stannard.

There seemed to be a lot of misunderstanding in the media about the purpose of the festival. Why do you think it was so hard for some people to understand?
Well, firstly, because Dark Mountain is work in progress – it’s a conversation, an exploration, not a single line of argument or a political platform. Most campaigns and movements deliberately try to distill what they’re doing to simple soundbites. That’s not a priority for us, because we’re trying to hold open a space for difficult conversations, for figuring things out together, rather than claiming to have a set of answers. Secondly, the stuff we’re talking about freaks people out. If you try to talk about the possibility that we might not go on getting richer, living longer, having hot and cold running electricity 24-hours-a-day, people think you’re predicting – or even hoping for – some kind of Mad Max scenario.

Are there plans for another festival?
Paul and I are still recovering! But we’ve already been contacted by someone who’s planning a four-day Dark Mountain gathering in Scotland this autumn, which is great.

There-is-no-PLan-B-by-Lisa-Stannard
There is no Plan B by Lisa Stannard.

You can read our original listing for the Dark Mountain Festival here.
In May, information pills Dougald Hine, drugs co-founder of new literary movement The Dark Mountain Project organised Uncivilisation in Llangollen, there Denbighshire. The three day festival of music, writing, thinking and doing was an astounding success, challenging the preconceived notions that our current way of living can be made ‘sustainable’. I caught up with him for a post-festival chat…

How are you feeling now the festival is over?
I’m exhausted and still piecing together what exactly happened, but it feels like it was something big and worthwhile.

Were you pleased with the turnout?
We had 400 people over the weekend, which was as many as the site could handle – and a real mixture of those who already felt deeply connected to Dark Mountain, those who were sceptical but wanting to engage, and those who were just curious to find out more.

What were you wanting the audience to gain from the experience?
We wanted people to come away with a sense of the conversations going on around Dark Mountain and the spirit of the project.

Explain the dark mountain project in layman’s terms:
Dark Mountain invites people to think about what we do, if it turns out that our way of living can’t be made “sustainable”. It’s also about questioning the stories we tell ourselves about our place in the world, about progress and our ability to control nature. What if the mess that we’re in – ecologically, economically, socially – is rooted in those stories?

How easy was it to handle being a speaker and the organiser?
It wasn’t easy – I was living on four hours sleep a night, at the limit physically and emotionally, after the most intense few months of my life. Looking back, we really needed a larger team around the festival, but that’s hard when you’re doing something for the first time. We’ve had a lot of people getting in touch since who want to help organise future events.

How did you get the guest speakers involved?
For me, a great event should be a mixture of people you’ve wanted to see speak or perform for years and people you’ve never heard of, but who turn out to be amazing. It’s hard to choose highlights, but Jay Griffiths and Alastair McIntosh were particularly important voices for me – as were Vinay Gupta and Luke Concannon.

There were things which, in hindsight, we might have done better. The main stage was too male-dominated – and we needed more convivial spaces for conversation and participation. But I was pleased with the contrasts between the speakers and the interweaving of ideas and performance. I just wish we could have spread it out over three weeks, rather than having to cram it all into three days.

Were you aiming for a specific ‘sound’ for the festival?
One of the surprises after the manifesto came out was how strong a response we got from musicians and songwriters. Chris T-T and Marmaduke Dando both have songs inspired by Dark Mountain on their new albums, while Get Cape has been involved from very early on. So the festival sound was shaped by the places where the project has struck a chord. There’s a lot of common ground with some of the powerful folk stuff going on with people like Jon Boden and Chris Wood, who was our ideal choice to close the whole weekend. But there was a real diversity of other sounds, whether it was delicate jazz ballads from Billy Bottle or hilarious death blues from Bleak.

Secondly, the stuff we’re talking about freaks people out. If you try to talk about the possibility that we might not go on getting richer, living longer, having hot and cold running electricity 24-hours-a-day, people think you’re predicting – or even hoping for – some kind of Mad Max scenario.

Are there plans for another festival?
Paul and I are still recovering! But we’ve already been contacted by someone who’s planning a four-day Dark Mountain gathering in Scotland this autumn, which is great.
In May, generic Dougald Hine, co-founder of new literary movement The Dark Mountain Project organised Uncivilisation in Llangollen, Denbighshire. The three day festival of music, writing, thinking and doing was an astounding success, challenging the preconceived notions that our current way of living can be made ‘sustainable’. I caught up with him for a post-festival chat…

Were you aiming for a specific ‘sound’ for the festival?
One of the surprises after the manifesto came out was how strong a response we got from musicians and songwriters. Chris T-T and Marmaduke Dando both have songs inspired by Dark Mountain on their new albums, while Get Cape has been involved from very early on. So the festival sound was shaped by the places where the project has struck a chord. There’s a lot of common ground with some of the powerful folk stuff going on with people like Jon Boden and Chris Wood, who was our ideal choice to close the whole weekend. But there was a real diversity of other sounds, whether it was delicate jazz ballads from Billy Bottle or hilarious death blues from Bleak.

You might remember Sketchbook magazine from the last time it ‘popped up’ on Carnaby Street. From a bright blue shop in the Newburgh Quarter, help the magazine fusing fashion, troche illustration and culture hosted a series of talks, cheapest live music and lectures, with blogging legend Susie Bubble and our very own Amelia bringing their views to the table.

But this time, the magazine team are back with a different agenda. Occupying a shop space in Kingly Court from the 19th to 30th July, Sketchbook STUDIO is like a fashionable laboratory, where young artists, photographers, designers and stylists all get to practice and showcase their work.

At the heart of the studio are 25 young artists, who have each been invited to work on different projects – with the final work to be auctioned off to charity at the end of the week. In the background, photographers and stylists have been encouraged to shoot fashion editorial and looks books. It’s a springboard for emerging creative talent – much like the magazine itself, with the third issue being created ‘live’ as the pop up takes place.

“I wanted to create something a bit like Studio 54 – a creative community,” says Wafa Alobaidat, Sketchbook’s editor and creator. “But this is a lot more open and collaborative than a fashionable clique. Everyone’s welcome!”

On the day we visit DJ Sarah Young has hit the decks, sound-tracking a fashion shoot in full swing on the ground floor. One floor up, the magazine team are blogging and tweeting to their heart’s content, and trying to get things ready for the new issue. A stylist sifts through rails of clothes provided by vintage emporium Rokit’s ‘Designer’s Guild’, an exclusive collection of vintage designs reworked by up-and-coming designers.

Downstairs in the basement is the artist’s hub, where illustrators are hard at work sketching. Fashion designer Omer Asim drapes a mannequin with fabric, whilst visitors play with a video art installation and help themselves to cupcakes. It’s manic, but seems to be just another day in the life of the Sketchbook team!

Members of the public are also welcomed inside to take a peek, (and quite a few shoppers stray from buying as the DJ kicks in) and meet the team. They can even become part of the Sketchbook experience themselves, with the ‘Sketch a Smedley’ event on the 30th. Rails of luxury knitwear label John Smedley will be on hand to try on, and budding models will be sketched live by illustrators.

Clearly the studio has brought a buzz to Carnaby. But what’s next for the Sketchbook team?

“That’s a secret!” laughs Wafa as we finish our tour of the Studio. “But we’ve got more live projects in the pipeline, so you haven’t heard the last from us yet!”

Sketchbook Studio ends today. To see the magazine when it launches, visit here.

You can also read our review of the previous Sketchbook pop-up and Amelia’s talk here.

Written by Lauren Smith on Friday July 30th, 2010 3:31 pm

Categories ,Amelia, ,Anna Young, ,Carnaby Street, ,Culture, ,Designer’s Guild, ,fashion, ,illustration, ,John Smedley, ,london, ,Newburgh Quarter, ,Osman Ahmed, ,Rokit, ,Sketchbook Magazine, ,Sketchbook STUDIO, ,Studio 54, ,Susie Bubble, ,Wafa Alobaldat

Amelia’s Magazine | Exhibition: Nobrow Press presents Dungeons and Desktops by Jack Teagle.

climate9 defence
Nobrow Jack Teagle 2010

Last night I went along to the official launch of the Nobrow flagship gallery and shop in the heart of Shoreditch – right on Great Eastern Street. They’ve got an extraordinary prime location, malady and I happen to know how much it cost thanks to another gallery owner who also looked at the space but couldn’t afford it. Oh how I wish I had the funding to open fancy shmancy shop spaces….

Anyway, prostate I clearly don’t, but I can write about such things on my blog, direct to you from the messy environs of my HQ/spare room. As I’ve written before (in my review of the Pick Me Up London show), Nobrow Press have gone crazy producing publications in the past few months, and no one appears more often than illustrator Jack Teagle. It’s therefore no surprise that the Nobrow boys have chosen to launch their new venture with Dungeons and Desktops, an exhibition of this extremely talented illustrator’s work.

Nobrow Jack Teagle 2010

Here, look and learn illustrators, is how you make a name for yourself.

Step one: be extremely talented in the first place. I have it on good authority that Jack Teagle was labelled illustrator most likely to succeed in his first year at college. He only graduated last year, and this isn’t even his first exhibition.

Step two: produce lots of great work. Make sure it gets seen all over the place. I was quite surprised to find that Jack had produced artwork together with his girlfriend Donya Todd for the walls of the Sketchbook Magazine Pop-Up Shop as it wasn’t labelled, but it shows that he gets around and gets his work seen. He’s worked for Anorak Magazine. Why, he’s even *threatening* to start doing fashion illustrations for me! And of course, he’s done lots of work with Nobrow already.

Jack Teagle grim reaper
Jack Teagle ghost

Step three: have a brilliant imagination. Jack Teagle is obviously one of those crossover illustrators who is as happy to produce his own work as he is working to the briefs of others. Witness the boy scout attacked by the grim reaper in one painting and then seen chasing a ghost through a dark forest in another. All inspired by childhood dreams: no brief required.

Nobrow Jack Teagle 2010

Jack Teagle, like all the best artists, clearly has a very strange mind. His work is full of superheroes and villains. He adapts toys to suit his own fantasies. He’s obsessed with fighting and dark forests. So far so normal for a slightly geeky boy, but his work draws inspiration from the styles of the 1950s and has a dark folklorish quality all his own. It’s also very now aesthetically, so I was expecting someone a bit more, well, how can I say this, trendy, than he in fact is. A somewhat bemused but accepting recipient of the well deserved attention being heaped upon him, he’s certainly not your usual Shoreditch type; after tonight he’ll be returning to Newquay in Cornwall, where he grew up.

Nobrow Jack Teagle 2010

Amongst the beardy fashionistas lingering around the beer barrel there was clearly a bit of money floating around this opening, either that or Jack Teagle already has a lot of devoted fans because those little round red stickers were racing across the walls. If you only have a tenner you can pick up a copy of one of his Nobrow publications, or if you fancy spending a bit more than spare change all the artwork is for sale (well, what’s left that isn’t already sold), and nothing costs more than £300 fully framed. For £75 you can pick yourself up one of a series based on superheroes. I quite fancy the one of Boba Fett, but I think they’d look good all on the wall together. You can also buy pillows, t-shirts and limited edition prints. I’d say this was all an almighty bargain and you should get along and snap something up fast. At prices like these Jack will continue to stay in youth hostels when he comes up to work in London (there’s a nice one near Russell Square apparently) and Nobrow are going to struggle to pay their rent. His work will not stay this cheap for long.

Nobrow Jack Teagle 2010

Jack Teagle holds up a book for a super fan.

You can check out more info about the exhibition on the Nobrow Press website here and you can buy his comic book Jeff Job Hunter – a tale of “staplers and swords, desktops and dungeons, benefits and beasts” online here. You can visit Jack Teagle’s website here.

I plan to do a proper interview with him soon and with any luck we’ll start seeing some Jack Teagle fashion illustrations on these pages very soon.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday May 28th, 2010 3:13 pm

Categories ,Anorak Magazine, ,Cornwall, ,Donya Todd, ,exhibition, ,illustration, ,Jack Teagle, ,Nobrow Press, ,Pick Me Up, ,Pop-up Shop, ,shoreditch, ,Sketchbook Magazine

Amelia’s Magazine | Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration launch party illustrations: meet Antonia Parker

ACOFI Lily Vanilli cake by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, information pills who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, diagnosis live, erectile in front of a huge crowd.

Here’s her images: the lovely Alexandra Haddow who so kindly provided us with Pukka teas and helped out all afternoon. She is rather fittingly illustrated with tea cup in hand. You can read her write up of the event on LDNfashion online.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

And lastly here again is a reprise of The Pipettes: who unsurprisingly inspired more than a few illustrators to get their pens and paint brushes out.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Thankyou Andrea so much for coming to visit us in the UK and showcasing your incredible talent live! I look forward to working with you for many moons to come.

ACOFI Lily Vanilli cake by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, cialis 40mg who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, sale live, in front of a huge crowd.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

And lastly here again is a reprise of The Pipettes: who unsurprisingly inspired more than a few illustrators to get their pens and paint brushes out.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, side effects who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, medications live, in front of a huge crowd.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

And lastly here again is a reprise of The Pipettes: who unsurprisingly inspired more than a few illustrators to get their pens and paint brushes out.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, what is ed also known as Artist Andrea, online who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, discount live, in front of a huge crowd.

You’ve already seen this image of Jessica Bumpus from Vogue but why not show it again? I think it’s absolutely beautiful… and I love the way that Andrea has made her a Vogue cover star. Bring back illustrated covers indeed! So elegant and glamourous. You can read Jessica’s wonderful blog about the event on the Vogue Green Style Blog here. Thankyou so much Jessica!

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty, and you can read her fab write up of the launch party here.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

And lastly here again is a reprise of The Pipettes: who unsurprisingly inspired more than a few illustrators to get their pens and paint brushes out. Ani Saunders is herself a very talented illustrator, and you can see her blog about the book (with her own unique rendition of Andrea’s cover) here.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, viagra also known as Artist Andrea, who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, live, in front of a huge crowd.

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty, and you can read her fab write up of the launch party here.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, store also known as Artist Andrea, order who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, buy more about live, in front of a huge crowd. Here’s her images:

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

The lovely Alexandra Haddow who so kindly provided us with Pukka teas and helped out all afternoon. She is rather fittingly illustrated with tea cup in hand. You can read her write up of the event on LDNfashion online.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty, and you can read her fab write up of the launch party here.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, healing also known as Artist Andrea, who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, live, in front of a huge crowd. Here’s her images:

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful vintage Pucci outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty, and you can read her fab write up of the launch party here.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, buy information pills also known as Artist Andrea, generic who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, live, in front of a huge crowd. Here’s her images:

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful vintage Pucci outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty, and you can read her fab write up of the launch party here.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party (read my review here) have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, sales also known as Artist Andrea, who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, live, in front of a huge crowd. Here’s her images:

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful vintage Pucci outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty, and you can read her fab write up of the launch party here.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Thankyou Andrea so much for coming to visit us in the UK and showcasing your incredible talent live! I look forward to working with you for many moons to come. You can follow Andrea on twitter on @ArtistAndrea and don’t forget you can buy Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration here, with a special 10% if you use the discount code ACOFI LAUNCH up until the 28th February 2011. Here’s Andrea talking about her work on youtube, accompanied by chihuahua Frida.

ACOFI Lily Vanilli cake by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party (read my review here) have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, what is ed also known as Artist Andrea, sildenafil who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, live, in front of a huge crowd. Here’s her images:

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful vintage Pucci outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty, and you can read her fab write up of the launch party here.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

ACOFI Lily Vanilli cake by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party (read my review here) have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, approved also known as Artist Andrea, who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, live, in front of a huge crowd.

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

The lovely Alexandra Haddow very kindly provided us with Pukka teas and helped out all afternoon. She is rather fittingly illustrated with tea cup in hand, and she also managed to do a lovely write up of the event on LDNfashion online.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful vintage Pucci outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty, and you can read her fab write up of the launch party here.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

And lastly here again is a reprise of The Pipettes: who unsurprisingly inspired more than a few illustrators to get their pens and paint brushes out. Ani Saunders is herself a very talented illustrator, and she has her own blog called The Lovely Wars, where she has written about the book, complete with her own unique rendition of Andrea’s cover. Take a gander here.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Thankyou Andrea so much for coming to visit us in the UK and showcasing your incredible talent live! I look forward to working with you for many moons to come. You can follow Andrea on twitter on @ArtistAndrea and don’t forget you can buy Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration here, with a special 10% if you use the discount code ACOFI LAUNCH up until the 28th February 2011. Lastly, here’s my interview with Andrea on youtube, accompanied by rescue chihuahua Frida (I had to heavily edit out all the bits where I was cooing over the chihuahua).

ACOFI Lily Vanilli cake by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party (read my review here) have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, visit also known as Artist Andrea, who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, live, in front of a huge crowd.

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

The lovely Alexandra Haddow very kindly provided us with Pukka teas and helped out all afternoon: she is rather fittingly illustrated with tea cup in hand. She also managed to do a lovely write up of the event on LDNfashion online, and we hope she will be joining our little fashion team soon as well.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful vintage Pucci outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty, and you can read her fab write up of the launch party here.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

And lastly here again is a reprise of The Pipettes: who unsurprisingly inspired more than a few illustrators to get their pens and paint brushes out. Ani Saunders is herself a very talented illustrator, and she has her own blog called The Lovely Wars, where she has written about the book, complete with her own unique rendition of Andrea’s cover. Take a gander here.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Thankyou Andrea so much for coming to visit us in the UK and showcasing your incredible talent live! I look forward to working with you for many moons to come. You can follow Andrea on twitter on @ArtistAndrea and don’t forget you can buy Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration here, with a special 10% if you use the discount code ACOFI LAUNCH up until the 28th February 2011. Lastly, here’s my interview with Andrea on youtube, accompanied by rescue chihuahua Frida (I had to heavily edit out all the bits where I was cooing over the chihuahua). Enjoy!

ACOFI Lily Vanilli cake by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party (read my review here) have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, buy also known as Artist Andrea, sick who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, no rx live, in front of a huge crowd.

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful vintage Pucci outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty, and you can read her fab write up of the launch party here.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

And lastly here again is a reprise of The Pipettes: who unsurprisingly inspired more than a few illustrators to get their pens and paint brushes out. Ani Saunders is herself a very talented illustrator, and she has her own blog called The Lovely Wars, where she has written about the book, complete with her own unique rendition of Andrea’s cover. Take a gander here.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Thankyou Andrea so much for coming to visit us in the UK and showcasing your incredible talent live! I look forward to working with you for many moons to come. You can follow Andrea on twitter on @ArtistAndrea and don’t forget you can buy Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration here, with a special 10% if you use the discount code ACOFI LAUNCH up until the 28th February 2011. Lastly, here’s my interview with Andrea on youtube, accompanied by rescue chihuahua Frida (I had to heavily edit out all the bits where I was cooing over the chihuahua). Enjoy!

ACOFI Lily Vanilli cake by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party (read my review here) have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, buy also known as Artist Andrea, clinic who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, sickness live, in front of a huge crowd.

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful vintage Pucci outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty, and you can read her fab write up of the launch party here.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

And lastly here again is a reprise of The Pipettes: who unsurprisingly inspired more than a few illustrators to get their pens and paint brushes out. Ani Saunders is herself a very talented illustrator, and she has her own blog called The Lovely Wars, where she has written about the book, complete with her own unique rendition of Andrea’s cover. Take a gander here.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Thankyou Andrea so much for coming to visit us in the UK and showcasing your incredible talent live! I look forward to working with you for many moons to come. You can follow Andrea on twitter on @ArtistAndrea and don’t forget you can buy Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration here, with a special 10% if you use the discount code ACOFI LAUNCH up until the 28th February 2011. Lastly, here’s my interview with Andrea on youtube, accompanied by rescue chihuahua Frida (I had to heavily edit out all the bits where I was cooing over the chihuahua). Enjoy!

ACOFI Lily Vanilli cake by Andrea Peterson.

Over the past few days a steady trickle of fabulous illustrations from the ACOFI launch night party (read my review here) have been flooding into my inbox… and I’ve been wondering how best to put them all together. In the absence of a better plan I have decided to plow through them alphabetically… So without further ado I present to you the wonderful artwork of Andrea Peterson, pilule also known as Artist Andrea, who is responsible for the cover art of ACOFI. She travelled all the way from Arizona to be with us on the launch day and I think that everyone was absolutely awed by her ability to create beautiful images from just a few dabs of watercolour, live, in front of a huge crowd.

Jessica Bumpus of Vogue by Andrea Peterson.

Alexandra Haddow of Pukka Teas by Andrea Peterson.

Then there’s Lupe Castro: fashion stylist and freelance writer. I love her colourful vintage Pucci outfit.

Lupe Castro by Andrea Peterson.

Francesca from Forward PR looks so demurely wonderful holding her copy of ACOFI, which she did so well in selling on the night. I loved her energy, so positive. What a lovely girl.

Francesca of Forward PR by Andrea Peterson.

Here’s Nyla of Ethical Heaven – she writes a blog about sustainable style and beauty, and you can read her fab write up of the launch party here.

Nyla of Ethical Heaven by Andrea Peterson.

And lastly here again is a reprise of The Pipettes: who unsurprisingly inspired more than a few illustrators to get their pens and paint brushes out. Ani Saunders is herself a very talented illustrator, and she has her own blog called The Lovely Wars, where she has written about the book, complete with her own unique rendition of Andrea’s cover. Take a gander here.

The Pipettes by Andrea Peterson.

Thankyou Andrea so much for coming to visit us in the UK and showcasing your incredible talent live! I look forward to working with you for many moons to come. You can follow Andrea on twitter on @ArtistAndrea and don’t forget you can buy Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration here, with a special 10% if you use the discount code ACOFI LAUNCH up until the 28th February 2011. Lastly, here’s my interview with Andrea on youtube, accompanied by rescue chihuahua Frida (I had to heavily edit out all the bits where I was cooing over the chihuahua). Enjoy!

Laurel Harple of i-D by Antonia Parker.

Antonia Parker is just delightful. She’s also exceptionally talented and prolific, information pills using bold colours and pattern to achieve wonderfully glossy idiosyncratic images. Ay, generic this is a girl after my own heart.

Laurel Harple (above) was one of the first arrivals at my launch party – I first encountered her when I spoke at Sketchbook Magazine‘s pop up shop last year, approved and she’s now helping out at i-D. We went upstairs to do a video interview on her iphone (aren’t they such clever little beasties?) and you can view the result online at i-D now. I love her Antonia’s orange illustration, which also features at the front of the i-D video interview. Woop woop. She was a really good interviewer and I think I come across okay, even if I do look utterly knackered (I was). Next time I insist on more flattering lighting…

Rebekah Roy by Antonia Parker.

Rebekah Roy is a Canadian stylist who is also represented by Forward PR and she’s a really magical lady. This season she will once again be styling the Prophetik show at London Fashion Week (Prophetik features in ACOFI) and I can’t wait to see what she does. You can read last season’s review here.

Claire and Yasmin of Ballad Of by Antonia Parker.

Ballad Of is a beautiful print and online magazine that supports many of the same illustrators that Amelia’s Magazine features. It was a delight to meet Claire and Yasmin at the launch party. They’ve put together a lovely blog and a little video of the party which shows just how much fun was had during the evening in the Scout Hut at 123 Bethnal Green Road.

Heather Stanton of Dr.Hauschka by Antonia Parker.

Heather Stanton is the stunning PR lady for Dr.Hauschka, who were so incredibly helpful in making sure I had a fabulous collection of delectable facial treats in the goodie bags and did my make up on the day so that I looked glowing and healthy despite minimal sleep. I cannot thank Heather enough for being so wonderfully supportive.

Amisha Ghadiali by Antonia Parker.

I’ve been talking to Amisha Ghadiali for sometime now – she wears many different hats (and a particularly fetching specimen to my launch party) – she also designs jewellery and writes for Ecouterre as well as her own blog Elegance Rebellion, and you can read her write up here.

Becky of The Style Saint by Antonia Parker.

Becky Patrickson is responsible for The Style Saint: saving this planet, looking damn sexy while we do it. That’s what I like to hear! Here’s her blog about the book launch.

Laura of Forward PR by Antonia Parker.

Laura is Courtney’s right hand woman at Forward PR and was responsible for the amazing action behind the bar throughout most of the night. Love loved her stripy top and braces, not to mention her dance moves…

Ronke Adeyemi by Antonia Parker.

Ronke Adeyemi runs The Musings of Ondo Lady which is a fabulous blog – she also interviewed me on the night. Unfortunately I think it’s a wee bit noisy but you just might be able to make out what I’m saying against the din in the packed Bunker Cafe!

ACOFI launch Jan Antonia Parker
Antonia at the launch party.

You can follow Antonia Parker on twitter on @AntoniaMakes and don’t forget you can buy Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration here, with a special 10% if you use the discount code ACOFI LAUNCH up until the 28th February 2011. Here’s Antonia in conversation in my youtube interview – she’s since become an even more flaming redhead – see above. I really loved her up do – an illustrator’s dream herself.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday February 3rd, 2011 1:45 pm

Categories ,123 Bethnal Green Road, ,Amisha Ghadiali, ,Antonia Harrowing, ,Antonia Makes, ,Antonia Parker, ,Becky Patrickson, ,Dr.Hauschka, ,Ecouterre, ,Forward PR, ,Heather Stanton, ,i-D, ,i-D Online, ,Laura, ,Laurel Harple, ,Prophetik, ,Rebekah Roy, ,Ronke Adeyemi, ,Scout Hut, ,Sketchbook Magazine, ,stylist, ,The Musings of Ondo Lady, ,The Style Saint

Amelia’s Magazine | Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration launch party illustrations: meet more illustrators!

Zarina Liew at work
ZLiew_#2_Rose&Harriet TattyDevine
My wonderful girls, rx Rosie and Harriet of Tatty Devine, sick who created the lovely Cutlass Necklace for my party.

Zarina Liew looked oh so casual during the afternoon launch party – every time I turned around there she was, chatting away, charming the guests in expert fashion. But if I thought she was shirking I could not have been more wrong – she churned out the most amazing bunch of illustrations in record time, all in stunning watercolour fashion plates – every single one of them. Wowser. This lady has so much talent it’s painful… behold her beautiful illustrations. So delightful, every single one.

ZLiew_#5_Katie antoniou LondonPlinth
Presenting the lovely Katie Antoniou of London Plinth – sometime Amelia’s Mag contributor and general all round fabulous fashion gal. Here’s her review of the night.

ZLiew_#6_Holly HollySpringett
Holly Springett wrote an absolutely fabulous blog about the launch, with some of the very prettiest photos to accompany it – go check it out here.

ZLiew_#3_Josephine&Sarah SomersetHouse
Here’s Josephine and Sarah from Somerset House, who I hope very much will be in contact soon to talk about a possible collaboration…

§ZLiew_#1_Alice TattyDevine
Alice of Tatty Devine sports some very fabulous jewellery indeed – by Tatty Devine of course.

ZLiew_#7_Gabby&Stephen GabbyYoung
Gabby Young with her boyfriend Stephen. What a lovely couple!

ZLiew_#4_Sarah ShopStyle FabSugarUK
Sarah of Fab Sugar – anyone catch her last name? I don’t think we met.

ZLiew_#8_Laura&Courtney ForwardPR
Laura and Courtney of Forward PR. Lovely lovely women, who helped me in the run up and on the night most immensely. Say hello if you see them around at LFW.

ZLiew_#10_Tara&Louisa CentMagazine
Tara and Louise of Cent Magazine – I did an interview with the lovely Louise, so fingers crossed that will be available soon.

ZLiew_#9_Matilda Ecologist
Matilda of the Ecologist – likewise they should be running a review of the book – keep an eye out and let me know if you spot it before me.

ZLiew_#11_Katie BLOWOnline
Katie Rose wrote for BLOW online.

ZLiew_#12_Alex Pukka_LondonFashionWk
Lastly but very much not leastly we have Alexandra Haddow of Pukka teas.

You can follow Zarina Liew on twitter on @cobaltcafe and don’t forget you can buy Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration here, with a special 10% if you use the discount code ACOFI LAUNCH up until the 28th February 2011. Find out just how Zarina made the leap from the corporate marketing world into the creative arms of illustration: amazing inspiring stuff in this Skype interview on youtube.

ZLiew_#2_Rose&Harriet TattyDevine
My wonderful girls, cialis 40mg Rosie and Harriet of Tatty Devine, symptoms who created the lovely Cutlass Necklace for my party.

Zarina Liew looked oh so casual during the afternoon launch party – every time I turned around there she was, check chatting away, charming the guests in expert fashion. But if I thought she was shirking I could not have been more wrong – she churned out the most amazing bunch of illustrations in record time, all in stunning watercolour fashion plates – every single one of them. Wowser. This lady has so much talent it’s painful… behold her beautiful illustrations. So delightful, every single one.

ZLiew_#6_Holly HollySpringett
Holly Springett wrote an absolutely fabulous blog about the launch, with some of the very prettiest photos to accompany it – go check it out here.

ZLiew_#3_Josephine&Sarah SomersetHouse
Here’s Josephine and Sarah from Somerset House, who I hope very much will be in contact soon to talk about a possible collaboration…

§ZLiew_#1_Alice TattyDevine
Alice of Tatty Devine sports some very fabulous jewellery indeed – by Tatty Devine of course.

ZLiew_#7_Gabby&Stephen GabbyYoung
Gabby Young with her boyfriend Stephen. What a lovely couple!

ZLiew_#4_Sarah ShopStyle FabSugarUK
Sarah of Fab Sugar – anyone catch her last name? I don’t think we met.

ZLiew_#8_Laura&Courtney ForwardPR
Laura and Courtney of Forward PR. Lovely lovely women, who helped me in the run up and on the night most immensely. Say hello if you see them around at LFW.

ZLiew_#10_Tara&Louisa CentMagazine
Tara and Louisa Lau of Cent Magazine – I did an interview with the lovely Louisa, so fingers crossed that will be available soon.

ZLiew_#9_Matilda Ecologist
Matilda of the Ecologist – likewise they should be running a review of the book – keep an eye out and let me know if you spot it before me.

ZLiew_#11_Katie BLOWOnline
Katie Rose wrote for BLOW online.

ZLiew_#12_Alex Pukka_LondonFashionWk
Lastly but very much not leastly we have Alexandra Haddow of Pukka teas.

Zarina Liew at work. Photography by Liz Johnson-Artur.

ZLiew_#2_Rose&Harriet TattyDevine
My wonderful girls, pharmacy Rosie and Harriet of Tatty Devine, tadalafil who created the lovely Cutlass Necklace for my party.