Because sometimes we just need a little reminder, especially on a Wednesday.
[all images via pinterest]
I ordered my new Moo cards last night since I’m down to my last few business cards, and now I’m counting the days down until they arrive. I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews of them, and I was excited to be able to use 16 (!) different images on the front, instead of being limited to 1. They’ll be like trading cards!
On top of photo, styling and interior inspiration, I always have my eye out for graphic inspiration as well, whether it’s the simplest use of typography or a detailed layout. I really love using images and text together, allowing them to interact and tell a story, and I’m always drawn to hand-drawn elements or type. Case in point, the use of the sketched bicycle in the Bicyclette branding. When perusing Frassy, a style blog that is on my list of daily reads, I came across one post that really spoke to me, starting with the simple photos done in black-and-white with the 60s styling. What I really love though, is the way Audrey has incorporated personal quips and used simple fonts with a hand-drawn sensibility, allowing each layout to tell a story with a unique personality. Quirky at it’s finest.
[images via Frassy]
Ffffound is always a favourite source of visual inspiration, sorting through random photos, illustration, graphics, etc., and never quite knowing what you may stumble upon. Countless hours of procrastination/inspiration. This morning I came across this lovely graphic design piece, which first drew me in because of the typography, but then upon further inspection, I realized it was the F/W ’10 lookbook for local Toronto designer Breeyn McCarney. Even better!
So then of course I had to wander over to her site and take a peek at the collection itself. Entitled ‘Hard Boiled Wonderland’, the collection is a gorgeous mix of whimsy with a rougher edge. I think I may be in love.
So I don’t know if I’ve “officially” announced it here yet, but Bicyclette is going to be at The Clothing Show in Toronto this weekend. Exciting times, I tell you!
The show is at the Better Living Center (Exhibition Place) and runs Friday 3-9 pm, Saturday 11 am – 8 pm and Sunday 11 am – 6 pm. We’re booth #525. Come visit!
I spent the weekend building rolling racks out of piping and found wood, refurnishing a vintage dresser, spray painting just about everything I could get my hands on, designing hang tags, buttons, cards … and the list goes on. It’s getting a little crazy around here.
Keep checking the blog this week for more updates and sneak peeks, but here’s a little glimpse at some of the print pieces that are currently in production.
I need your help. I’m designing new button cards, and I need your opinions on my new (very rough) design. The idea is to go simple, hence the black and white, so that the buttons (which will be pinned on the card) stands out and takes precedence. The majority of the buttons are in colour, so I wanted to avoid any clashing. They’re to be printed on “mini” cards, which are the same width as a business card but half the height. Keep in mind this is rough, more just for idea and general layout. No photo editing has been done, etc.
Thoughts? Opinions? Love it? Hate it?
Yesterday I promised that I would be posting some exciting news. Then the day got away from me and I had to deal with some issues beyond my control, resulting in a necessary delay of this announcement. Here’s the thing: The new Bicyclette website and online store are incredibly close to being ready to launch. I’ve been busy uploading to and testing the site, and I think you’re going to like it. Unfortunately, there are certain factors that I can’t control, like payment processing. Ugh. So though I thought I was ready to announce a specific date, I’m now a little hesitant, since I don’t know for sure when this will go through.
But I promised some news, and so I wanted to deliver. Plus, I already had the graphics done, and I wanted to share those at least!
There it is: launching August 2010. I know that’s extremely vague, and I was initially thinking that I would try and work with the element of surprise for the grand announcement, but seeing as the whole point of this blog is to track my journey and provide a behind-the-scenes view of starting Bicyclette, from now on I’m going to share all the details with you, as I learn more and make decisions. So I can tell you that I’m hoping to launch within the week, which provides a little more clarity. And I’ll be blogging throughout the week and sharing each and every detail as I near that point.
Maybe I’ll even throw in some product shot sneak peeks. Sound good? Are we excited??
I picked up my new business cards today, which is always a somewhat daunting experience. I’ve dealt with printers enough times to know that you never really know what to expect and there are always surprises, often unwelcome. It doesn’t help that I still haven’t found a printer with whom I’m ready to enter into a monogamous relationship with. I wanted to try something new with this batch, and decided to print on vellum, which is a semi-transparent material that would allow me to play around with dimension a little by printing on both sides.
I’m still not sure how I feel about the final product. I’m really happy with the overall design, but I was expecting the vellum to be more transparent, and so the text that is printed on the back side is hard to read unless the card is held up to the light. Part of me thinks that it adds something and makes it more interesting and “interactive”, but I also know that it’s not the most legible design and will probably not go over well with everyone.
Thoughts?
So …. I’m completely exhausted (seems to be a trend recently, I wonder why …), but there have been so many exciting things happening with Bicyclette that it makes it all worth it. I’ve had a huge wave of creativity the past few days, resulting in a few new graphics for the website. I always find branding to be the hardest part, especially when it’s forced, so when it happens naturally, I’m one happy girl. I have a mockup of the homepage for the site that I’ve been inserted design elements into as they come into existence, and I must say, I’m loving what I have now, which is a very good sign indeed.
I think part of this new creative inspiration came courtesy of my dear friend Alex Perlin, who has her own company doing freelance graphic design and illustration work, and has always been such a source of inspiration for me and is oh-so-talented. I feel so honoured that she let me “borrow” a few illustrations from her for the site and other branding materials: a new sketched bike icon, and little birdie that will be part of my Twitter button. Thanks Alex!
I don’t want to give too much away, but I thought I would share the a version of the little bike illustration, which I’ve used as part of a new Polaroid logo design and appears as part of the website header. More to come later, but for now I have to take advantage of the NXNE wristbands we were lucky enough to snag, and let myself unwind a little!
As you all know (especially if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook), I’ve been busy putting together the various props and pieces for the school exhibition that opens tomorrow. Having gone through about 8 cans of spray paint and countless hours fiddling around with various ideas and whatnot, it’s finally starting to come together and look like a cohesive collection.
And breathe. Seeing as I’ve already been marked on my capstone and the whole exhibition portion is more for myself and exposure, I’ve had a few “why am I doing this?” moments, wondering why I’m putting so much time and effort into this. But I think it will be worth it, to get that greater sense of bicyclette through the exhibition set-up and have a space that truly represents the brand. Ask me tomorrow and we’ll see what I say then … !
So, without further ado, allow me to show you a few sneak peaks of the progress I’ve made …
Thrifted, repainted frames showcasing various brand elements
Laser cut book cover. Look closely for the etched bike in the corner ...
Repainted vanity drawer, Eiffel tower sculpture and the brand book itself
Dolce Vita dress from the new shipment (that perfectly matches the branding...)
I decided to include the last photo because I’m thinking I might buy/wear the Dolce Vita dress for the exhibition one of the nights, as it perfectly matches the colour scheme and, well, I kind of love it. Plus, I’ve been promising some snaps of the new shipment, but haven’t had the time to organize it, so this was a good excuse!
Hoping to see some of you at the exhibition tomorrow or Thursday!
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