Black and white photos make me swoon. Especially when they have a Brigitte Bardot quality and simple, undone styling. I’m currently gathering inspiration for a New Years themed Bicyclette shoot, and I will definitely be adding this to the folder.
Mila Kunis for Nylon. Love.
It’s Sunday, which to me is always a day for pretty pictures and inspirational images. A good way to start a new week. With the majority of Fall product shots done last week, it’s time to move on to the look book. There’s something about the below images that could easily be season-appropriate right now, and I always love a mix of colour shots with simple black and white.
photo cred: unknown
This photo is just so perfect. I fell in love with it immediately and had to share.
That is all!
via The Sartorialist
Collaborations really excite me. One thing about having your own business and essentially being a one-woman team is missing out on the opportunity to share ideas and skill sets with other team members. Which is why, when I have the chance to work with someone on a new project, I always jump at the chance. Especially someone whose work I’ve secretly been admiring from afar.
With the majority of Bicyclette merchandise now in the studio and the website currently in development, it’s about time to think about product shots and look books. And so, I am pleased to introduce you to Shelby Fenlon, aka Lola Haze, who will be working with Bicyclette as photographer.
Shelby’s aesthetic is very closely aligned to that of Bicyclette, which I think is why I have been so drawn to her work. With a vintage aesthetic, an awe-inspiring ability to capture natural light and ethereal beauty and a tendency towards abstract composition there’s an undeniable and somewhat mysterious allure to each shot.
Here’s a brief sampling, enjoy.
Shelby’s work can be found on Flickr and Tumblr. And hopefully on the blog again!
Interview Magazine got it spot on when they chose to feature Carey Mulligan on their May cover. Shot by Mikael Jansson and styled by Karl Templar, the starlet plays homage to Edie Sedgwick with the cropped hair, black and white photos and simple silhouettes. Shot beautifully, the spread could have been compromised by the neon paint splatters, but for whatever reason, they work beautifully over top the faded, grainy images.
I’m always drawn to designs, images and photos that use layering techniques and transparencies, and this specific example reminds me of what I started playing around with when I featured the Ruby collection awhile back, using sheer paintbrush strokes to add colour and interest to the look book. I love the splatter-like effect of the colour here, how it adds an almost punk-like element to a set of otherwise very feminine photos.
The Bicyclette website is in development right now (exciting!), so I’m starting to work on some imagery for that, and I think it’s elements such as these that I’m going to try to integrate. And faded black and white, of course. Always a favourite.
source
I thought it was about time that I dedicated a post to bicycle fashion, and what better day than on an “inspired” Wednesday? Since I’ve began this journey, I’ve often been asked the question, “why bicyclette?”. Coming up with a name is something that I find extremely difficult. It’s a very personal process, and it is really the beginning of the brand definition and identity process. You need something that is lasting and something that speaks to you. I’m not sure exactly where the name bicyclette came from or why I was so drawn to it, but it speaks to me. I remember traveling to the Netherlands when I was younger to visit family and explore my heritage, and finding so much inspiration in the gorgeous, effortlessly chic women on bicycles in every city.
I still get questions inquiring as to whether I’m selling bikes, which I find somewhat amusing. I know not everyone will agree with my choice, but to me, there’s a story behind it and a meaning that I believe evokes the spirit of the brand I am trying to create.
Awhile ago I came across Copenhagen Cycle Chic, which is a blog that is dedicated to street style incorporating bicycles. Voila! – perfect inspiration. Another, more recent discovery is Riding Pretty, whose blog name I love, and is “dedicated to all the girls in the world who want to ride pretty on a bicycle”. Sounds just about right to me!
Image Sources: Riding Pretty & Copenhagen Cycle Chic
My style icon today is not a real person. It’s an editorial character from a magazine spread, but I’ve fallen in love with the character, and as such have deemed it fair game for this post. Since I’ve been blogging I’ve made sure to note where I find images, but unfortunately, for my collection of photos from my pre-blog days, I sometimes forget the source. That being said, if you recognize this shoot, I would love to know where it originally came from and be able to give credit where it’s due. It feels very Lula magazine to me, but I’m not sure …
I absolutely love the styling in this shoot. Every outfit looks like it might have been sourced from a forgotten wardrobe of vintage treasures, with a hint of fairytale, nerd, and ladylike quirkiness. It just works. The bold colours and richly textured fabrics, and the almost over-the-top details. It has an element of “grandma chic” to it, but modernized and made applicable to today’s styles. Granted, you may not leave the house decked out to quite this degree, but there are definitely elements to take inspiration from. I also find that the use of full colour photos contrasted with black and white is used extremely effectively in this case. It balances everything out and keeps the shoot from appearing too overdone. This is one of my favourite ways to present a series of photos, keeping an unexpected quality to it and mixing it up. To me, this shoot and the styling is very much aligned with how I imagine bicyclette, not just in terms of merchandise offered, but in the overall style of the store.
I’m curious what you think of this styling and if you can see it translating into a store environment? What are the elements you like and what would draw you in? Is it too kitschy for your taste?
I sometimes wonder if I have a tendency to get caught up in my over-stylized fairytale imaginations …
I’ve always been interested in photography, but had never heard about the Holga camera until the boy moved in and unpacked his about a year ago. It essentially looks like a toy camera. And, well… it is, really.
The beauty of this camera is in the imperfections: the photos possess an other-worldly quality, with soft-focus tones, misty colors, and streaming light leaks. The inability to control exactly how each photograph will turn out makes the experience that much more enjoyable: there’s always an element of surprise to the end product.
We took the Holga up to the cottage this past summer with a roll of black and white film, and here are some of the shots we got. I really want to pick up some colour film and play around with it as well, my only hesitation is the cost of developing the film, as it’s not cheap! Perhaps I’ll save up until spring, when the colours will be more vibrant anyways.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Holga, I found this website extremely interesting, with lots of information and examples.
Happy snapping!
I’m running out the door soon to head to a family affair for the day, but wanted a little bit of a distraction, as I’ve been working non-stop on my business plan since yesterday evening, and before that writing a literature review. So Many Words. So Much Work.
Anyways, came across this image a little while ago, and was immediately drawn to it for the retro book design and the gorgeous Marianne Faithfull photo, not to mention the fact that a motorcycle is technically in the same family as a bicycle. After a little google detective work, I found out that La Mototcyclette is a novella written in 1963, and then adapted as The Girl on a Motorcycle in 1968. Other than that, I really don’t know much about it, but perhaps it will be something to pursue over the Holidays…
So I’ve been a little absent over these past few days, which I blame schoolwork for. I’ve been glued to my computer, yes, but focused on writing a literature review for my thesis/capstone and writing my second business plan version, for Saturday submission. It’s at the point now where I just have to plug away at everything and get one project done at a time. I’m so close.
Though it has been amazingly time consuming and a lot of hard work, I’ve somewhat enjoyed the process of writing this paper. The topics I’m covering in it are social media and networking, online consumer behaviour and retail conception and development, and it’s a nice change to feel as though all of the hard work I’m putting in to it actually has some real world applicability. That being said, I still can’t wait for a break from everything.
I know I’ve missed a few posts, but I’ll catch up on them over the next couple of days. Though they may not occur on their designated days, at least you’ll still get to enjoy them!
But today, on schedule, I’m focusing on another style icon!
This week’s focus is on someone a little more current than last’s: Erin Wasson, model/ fashionista/ designer, etc. She exudes a confidence and inimitable ease of style that makes you unsure whether to love her or hate her. Keeping to a simple palette of neutrals (I was hard pressed to find an outfit that includes colour, and you’ll notice that all of the photos below are black and white), she expertly mixes textures and incorporates basics into her wardrobe so that it appears simple, but never boring. With Erin, it’s all in the details: lace, feathers, sequins, and accessories all lend themselves to her impeccable style. We all know how much I love my feminine pieces mixed with harder edged details, and she managed to pull this off with perfection.
Yes, style crush confirmed.
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