A beautiful collection of illustrations by Leanne Shapton for the New York Times called A Month of Sunday Walks.
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The Garcia Girls
A few weeks ago I was flipping through the channels on a quiet afternoon and happily stumbled upon How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer (directed by Georgina Riedel). The beautifully shot film captures three generations of Latina women (played by Elizabeth Peña, America Ferrera and Lucy Gallardo) as they explore and challenge what they know about love, sex and femininity. Check out the trailer below.
What I Like Right Now
Books and magazines I'm really diggin' right now.
1. Arise Magazine always has a striking cover, beautiful images and informative content; but their latest issue (number 11) is packed full with really great articles and features. Definitely pick it up to check out Erykah Badu, Janelle Monae, and Wangechi Mutu.
2. An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin - I am currently reading this novel about a young woman's climb in the New York art scene. It's a good read for those who love art and art history with a splash of sexiness and drama.
3. Communication Arts Typography Annual - I am a huge fan of typography and was thrilled to see that Communication Arts released their very first annual celebrating everything type related.
4. I Love Your Style by Amanda Brooks - A fun book filled with images and style ideas.
5. American Trademarks - Logos are my favorite elements to design, and I love seeing this collection of them in this book. After seeing American Trademarks at the bookstore I immediately ordered it online for my design library.
Link of the Day
Here's another awesome link via Kiss My Black Ads; a kickstarter project devoted to word usage in hip-hop. It's so great, you have to click the link to learn more.
Music Friday: Jammin' to...
...Corinne Bailey Rae's The Love E.P. where she covers songs from musical legends like Prince and Bob Marley.
Rakia's BUST Shoot
Twice a month, Rakia will be giving us a look into her fab wardrobe talking about things she has worn and things she would like to have in her closet. Rakia is über talented (read her bio here) and has an amazing sense of style; so it's going to be fun to see what she shares. Read on and enjoy!
A couple of months ago, I was asked by the Senior editor of BUST Magazine to be profiled on my personal style. She and I met at a media dinner some years back; she noticed a dress I was wearing and I noticed a wonderfully draped and belted jumper she was sporting. It was totally fashion-love at first sight.
For those of you who don’t know BUST Magazine, it’s awesome! It’s a print publication (started in 1993) that now comes out 6 times a year and gives a fun female perspective on pop culture. I have been a subscriber of the mag since 2005 and the articles always amaze me.
So here’s a behind-the-lens look at what the shoot was like:
The fashion photographer, Anna Thiessen and superb makeup artist Sparkle Hill both arrived at my office around 10 am ready to work; and I have to say that I was a bit intimidated knowing the work roster, previous publications, and folks they’ve both worked with.
Expert stylist (and friend), Maren Reese helped me prep the night before and was there by my side at the shoot, so the nervous jitters went away after 10 minutes.
We had four outfit options and went to four locations, one of which I hurt my back from trying to pose. The photo BUST chose was of me in the above outfit in my final location, Denise Fike’s artist studio.
Classic Looks...
...from Sir and Madame.
Link of the Day
Great use of color in this artist's work.
Studio Visit: Elva Fields
If you visit Fly frequently you've probably seen Elva Fields jewelry featured on quite a few posts. The line, created by designer Emily Wheat Maynard, is a colorful collection of beautiful statement pieces in the forms of necklaces and earrings. Emily incorporates vintage finds and antique treasures to make her one-of a kind accessories.
As you know, I LOVE color and I love that Emily is not afraid to use bold hues in her designs. So I was curious to know more about Emily and her inspirations. Today, she invites us to take a peek inside her workspace and shares what inspires her.
You use a lot of color in your pieces. What references do you use for your rich palettes?
I've always been drawn to color, and I think it has largely to do with my grandmother and mother. My grandmother (for whom the June line is named) has never worn black in her entire life. She and my grandfather were the most colorful couple at every occasion — he in madras plaid sport coats and pink trousers, she in sun-drenched suits. She is still known for her vibrant wardrobe (truly the brightest closet I've ever seen). My mother is an artist, and her creations are always saturated in brilliant hues and swathes of gorgeous, vivid colors. I feel certain family is my reference for the fun colors seen in Elva Fields designs.
What's your favorite item/thing in your workspace? and why?
Hands-down, the sofa! It was originally my great-grandmother's (Elva Fields!) and sat on the sun porch of their farm. My mother painted it chocolate brown and had the cushions and pillows recovered in great green and fun brown and white Sunbrella fabrics, our signature colors AND perfectly functional. It is at once comforting, encouraging, and meaningful to have that bit of history in the studio with us. Like the vintage materials in our jewelry, it's important to give old designs new life.
How do you collect and keep your inspiration?
Anytime I feel the need for inspiration, I know there are two things I can do: flip through one of my jewelry reference books (I've been slowly compiling a library of jewelry publications since graduate school) or head to a flea market or antique shop. Beautiful photographs of jewelry, and the thrill of the hunt for some great vintage pieces never fail to get my creative juices flowing.
Check out the new Elva Fields website, loaded with new goodies.
photos by Emily Wheat Maynard
Black and White Patterns
Two weeks ago we looked at stripes in black and white, now I'm admiring textural patterns in the same high contrast palette.
1. Osborn Ashes to Ashes Bootie 2. House of Harlow 1960 Enameled Tribal Wrap Ring 3. Thomas Wylde Panic Equality silk-twill scarf 4. Ana Romero Pillows 5. Wooden Upholstered Sofa with Bridal Rug 6. Preen Printed Lightening dress 7. Desert ikat-print jacket 8. Eley Kishimoto FlashxIncase iPad cover.
Link of the Day
The New York Public Library celebrates thirty years of photography with this amazing site.
FGOTW
Who? Mia "MiMi" Johnson aka MiMi J "The Makeup Artist Socialite"
Where? Born and raised in Kansas City, MO but have become a Georgia Peach for the past decade.
What do you do? I am a celebrity makeup artist and beauty blogger. I own a makeup studio called P3 Lab as well as writing for my own sites MiMi J Online (www.mimijonline.com) and F.A.M. Fiend.
What inspires you? Simple things inspire me. I can see a pattern on drapes or a pop of color from nature and be inspired. I live and breathe art so anything great within beauty, fashion, visual arts, or music, I'm all over! I also am inspired by other entrepreneurs who have created their own empires and bridges to success such as Michelle Phan and Jessica Simpson to name a few.
Why are you fly? Because I get it from my mama! Lol, just joking. I am fly because I took a leap of faith on my dreams and aspirations to pursue being a entrepreneur when I had a comfortable job in corporate America. I knew that it wasn't what I really wanted and I wasn't going to settle. I just left my corporate job in December and already I'm making headway with celebs like D. Woods formally of Danity Kane, Dondria, and Chilli of TLC! Now that's fly!
Advice: Don't always try to play things safe. Big moves and huge success take courage and big risks. If you have a dream or a love for something in which you have a talent, don't lose sight of it and make it a priority. Have faith! You'll never know how far you can go until you try.
- Fly is a resource for everyone to enjoy, but please notify me before using images and other information from this blog. Just shoot me an email and be sure to add a credit line if you plan to use anything you see on Fly. Thank you. ©FLYGIRLS.TYPEPAD.COM
