This winter really feels like it’s taken a toll on me. Trying to stay motivated and positive has often felt like a daunting task when sunshine is limited and the days look grey and dreary, and are cold as all hell (maybe hell is warm?) But I found this 1970s terrycloth romper at one of my favourite vintage stores and it immediately put a smile on my face. It reminds me of summer and Life Savers candy, and just happiness in general. So I thought to myself instead of waiting months to be able to wear it in the warmth, I’d bring the sunshine indoors by pairing it with some other bright accessories that put a smile on my face. And maybe one day I’ll move to a place that doesn’t freeze my toes as soon as I step outside.
Romper & sunglasses: Public Butter
Shoes: thrifted
Styling / Mode Laboratory
A few months back I was given some pieces from Mode Laboratory’s SS ’15 collection to shoot, and since their pieces have a whimsical, surreal feel to them, I thought Gerald would be the perfect photographer to capture them in the best possible light. I wanted to share a few of the final images with you, so here we are!
Photography: Gerald Larocque
Model: Emma Pilon (Anita Norris Models)
Styling: Alex Spence (me!)
Art Direction: Annya Karina
Artist’s Blouse
I’m having a bit of writer’s block this morning. I’ve been non-stop thinking about content I want to shoot for this blog and I presume it is hindering my brain’s ability to think of anything else at the moment. Any creative will tell you that sometimes you are struck with an abundance of inspiration and it can often feel quite overwhelming – too much to hold in your mind, too much to be left for another day, and so you have a desire to do it all once, right now, for fear of losing that feeling to create. That’s how I’m feeling today – that taking this morning at a slow pace is just not going to happen because I’ve got ideas buzzing around my head and I want to make them tangible. I guess it’s fitting that I’m wearing this peachy, ruffly blouse for this post. For some reason I liken it to an artist’s blouse…I’m not really sure why. Maybe I find the connection between an artist and this blouse because of the sleeves. I just imagine these sleeves moving back and forth over a canvas, or bouncing up and down while strumming or becoming an extension of your movement, telling a story of their own. Hands and arms have always been a part of the body that intrigue me…I really try to connect with them when I dance (and maybe it’s why they often find their way to my face in photos), so anything that adds character and a bit of detail to them is something I am quite fond of…even if it is something as simple as ruffles.
Blouse: vintage via Public Butter
Pinafore: ASOS (old)
Socks: H&M
Shoes: thrifted
Orla Kiely Fall 2015
Orla Kiely has a remained a favourite of mine for what seems like years now, and this is about the umpteenth time I have shared a collection by this UK based label. Orla, time and again, creates impossibly cute yet sophisticated pieces that beckon the style of decades past, while making them relevant again (okay, they were probably already relevant). This particular collection seems absolutely fitting in a library setting with models browsing books, wearing what feels like the attire of a supremely fashionable scholar. This collection is making me wonder why I don’t button my cardigans more often, and why I have not found myself an amazing pair of patterned cropped trousers.
View the whole collection here.
Belle Vie / 34
1. Last weekend I styled and modeled Act Three’s AW ’15 lookbook, and this was one of the looks. Sarah’s dresses are seriously to die for and I can’t wait to be able to share the whole lookbook with you guys. She is so incredibly talented and I think you guys are really going to love her designs.
2. We shot the lookbook at this amazing loft here in Toronto. How people find spaces like this is beyond me! The tenant has done a ton of work to make the space liveable and it’s really inspiring.
3. A beautiful illustration of me by an instagram follower @jennydiekaiserin – it’s so lovely and flattering when artists are inspired by my photographs. I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude when people share their work with me.
4. A super gorgeous watercolour of me by another instagram follower @ina_ritar – again, I feel so lucky that such talented people are inspired by my portraits. (i added the border cause I have a problem with photos not lining up, fyi.)
okay andie 