ALPHA-H

I recently had the pleasure of working on a beauty illustration for Australian skincare giant Alpha-H and their '15 Years of Liquid Gold' celebration.

I was first introduced to this product way back in my high school years and it quickly became the only (after many futile attempts with other products) saviour to my blotchy, teenaged skin.
I still use this product - every two to three days - to cleanse and rejuvenate my skin, but it's funny to think back on that awkward time while I sit here typing this post - all grown up and blemish free! Thanks Liquid Gold!

As a super special birthday treat, Alpha-H are offering my readers 10% off their entire range online until the end of the month! (31/3/15)
Simply enter the code KELLYLOVESAH during checkout. Huzzah!

For more information on Liquid Gold, and the celebratory events surrounding its anniversary, visit the website here: www.alpha-h.com

SCENTED

Sitting on my dressing table is one of my all-time favourite illustrations.

This print is limited to an edition of 50 only, with about 10 remaining, before it's sold out forever.

To give this languid lace-clad beauty a home (among your own favourite fragrances) visit my shop here:
www.birdyandme.bigcartel.com

Frame pictured is by Country Road.

BETWEEN THE SHEETS

Last year I teamed up with the wonderful Frankie & Swiss to create a limited edition product for their 'Leaf Series'.
One of Melbourne's premiere bespoke textile printers and design studios, Frankie & Swiss created 'The Leaf Series' as a way of collaborating with local artists on a variety of products that could be exclusively designed, printed, and sewn right here in Australia.
My offering is a set of pillowcases featuring my illustration 'On The Prowl' - only this time she has a friend!
Perfect as a his 'n' hers set, these cases feature a saucy pair crawling alongside their feline counterparts.

Available on a made to order basis only, you can purchase for yourself right here:
www.shop.frankieandswiss.com.au

Time to get WILD. Grrrrr.....

A BLACKBIRD + COMME DES GARÇONS

Blending my love for Paris and Tokyo by delving into the archives of Comm Des Garçons for this new illustration.
I love the monochromatic magic of the sculptural S/S 11 collection - and when paired with a little YSL bow tie and a half-bun - how can you go wrong.
This is also the first time i've 'put a bird on it' in a while!

ET VOILÀ!

My very first large poster print 'PARIS' is now available to purchase! C'est excitant!

At A2, this beauty is double the size of my usual fine art prints, and features a trés jolie femme in a Parisian interior heaven. Printed on quality 200gsm paper, you have the double benefit of either framing your new gal, or taping her to the wall like your Dolly* posters of old! Just maybe not next to JTT. Or Johnny Depp. Or Patrick Swayze**.
(How far back to we dare to tread when it comes to our favourite dreamboats?) 

Get a slice of Paris for your wall now via birdyandme.bigcartel.com

*For those of you residing outside of Australia, and 1992, Dolly is a teen mag for girls.
A rite of passage for we Aussie ladies, you might say.

**You should definitely put it next to a poster of Patrick Swayze.

DIOR

Next in the Couture series is the always polished, and a little bit bold, Dior.
One of the major stand-outs of the show was the hair. The hair!
I feel like those glorious ponytails require a moment of quiet reflection, to ensure that they are fully appreciated.

One of the things that I LOVE about Dior, and especially since Raf Simons took the helm, is that each collection becomes a modern reflection on time.
Fashion is always re-inventing itself, and I feel like Raf's designs for Dior epitomise this notion.
While the last collection was influenced by a Marie-Antoinette-esque 18th Century silhouette, with large bustles and exaggerated waistlines, this season Dior have ventured a little further into the future/past and revealed a collection that is heavily inspired by the silhouettes of the 60s. Mod shift dresses and poodle skirts are given a contemporary reinterpretation through psychedelic appliqué, cut out waist panels, and shimmering pleats.

It was hard to choose just one look as they were all so incredibly different. So I went for two.

Image Credit: vogue.co.uk

VIKTOR + ROLF

The second illustration in my series of Couture looks is a whimsical beauty from Viktor + Rolf.
Never a pair to shy away from a dramatic silhouette, the SS/15 collection had it all.
I was so in love with this show from the moment it hit my feed.

Encased in huge structured 3D florals, with over-sized straw hats covering their milk maid braids, the models looked like ethereally zany garden gnomes floating down the runway.

While initially I put it down to yet another wonderfully insane "Alice" like offering from the duo, upon further investigation I discovered that the inspiration for the collection was, in fact, the landscape renderings of Vincent Van Gough, and named after thusly.
*Insert face palm here*
Being an art school graduate I should have been onto that far sooner than I was.

It was hard to choose my favourite look from 'Van Gough Girls' to draw, but this horizontal, gravity-defying dress was the winner as I thought it would have the most impact and make for an interesting shape on paper.
I hope I was right!

Image Credit: 1 + 3 - Peter Stigter / 2 + 4 - Philip Riches for Viktor + Rolf

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

Inspired by last week's series of Couture shows in Paris, I started illustrating some of my favourite looks from each one!
First up is the always incredible Giambattista Valli.

With a colour palette that resembled a twisted garden in full pastel bloom, the models glided down the runway in a sea of coral feathers, fairy floss pink, and bold yellow petals, their eyes covered in black veils creating an impacting sense of drama.

I don't think there's ever been a GV collection that I haven't loved. Valli is, after all, all about whimsy, drama and the most AMAZING textures I have ever seen. SS/15 was no exception.

Photo Credit: vogue.co.uk

PARIS

So, a few things happened last year;
I went on a honeymoon, I discovered Airb'n'b, and - I started to 'pin'.
I've had a pinterest account for a few years, but never really got into it - until now.
After spending time overseas in the most beautiful spaces, I found myself bitten severely by the interior bug. I fell in love with our surroundings, from quaint Parisian apartments to minimal Berlin lofts, and the vast and varied ways that interiors differ from city to city.

Paired with a recent burst of home renovations and DIY projects, I decided to focus all of this enthusiasm into a new series of works, depicting the home interiors of some of my favourite cities in the world.

First up is Paris. Because, well, Paris.

I think if I could live in any city in the world, interior-wise Paris would be it.
I go gaga for large windows and flower boxes. For filtered sunlight, white washed walls and parquet floors. For ceiling roses and cow hide rugs. For thick coffee table books and gorgeous vintage handbags. This, to me, is the ultimate space.

Stay tuned for the next city - again it's one of my most-loved in the world.
Do you have a favourite city when it comes to influential design?

Image Credits: Kelly Smith

FOREVER 21

Well, HELLO 2015! Where did you come from?
The holidays seem to have whizzed by so quickly and I'm finally back at my desk, excited to kick off the New Year by sharing my t-shirt collaboration with Forever 21!
It feels like *forever* ago (ba-doom-ching) that we began the design process on these babies, and it's so fun to finally see the finished products and be able to post about them.
Inspired by travel, fun, and frivolity, there's a t-shirt slice of Paris, NYC - even a little Wonderland!
So if, like Alice, you're suffering from a little post-holiday wanderlust, donning your favourite destination is as good a place to start as any.
Available now at www.forever21.com