I saw Charlotte Taylor’s designs for the first time almost two years ago and fell in love. I love her use of loud prints, and how they somehow keep a very whimsical and lighthearted feel even though she uses bright colors and large, bold prints. Being a huge fan of mixing prints, her collections are always a dream come true for me.
Now Charlotte Taylor has teamed up with Anthropologie! Dresses with donkeys, bold tribal prints, and cloud wallpaper…. who could ask for more?
Summer is almost here… and I hope my entire summer feels like one giant Sofia Coppola film. Currently, in this later part of Spring, all I want to do is run around in a girly dress, eat macarons, play in the park, smell flowers, and twirl around. Mmmmm! Perfect.
A few weeks ago an alice & daisy reader contacted me about her new brand and collection, “Book of Deer”. I read about the designer and headed to her website to check out her new Spring/Summer 2012 collection: immediately fell in love. The designs are so whimsical, feminine and… well…. twirly. As in, I would live in these clothes if I had them and purposefully seek out fields or woods so I could twirl around in them. The designer and I chatted back and forth a bit, and I was able to ask her a few questions to find out more about this budding young designer.
Name: Eilidh Ho Age: 25 Hometown: Hong Kong Current city: Hong Kong Website: www.bookofdeer.com
Eilidh is such an interesting and pretty name, where does it derive from?
It’s a Scottish Gaelic name pronounced Ay-lee. It’s the Gaelic form of ‘Helen’.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Edinburgh and moved to Hong Kong as a baby. I moved to London when I was 18 to study at Central Saint Martins.
I read that your parents are Scottish and Chinese. Do you think this has influenced your creativity and/or design aesthetic? How so?
I think coming from a mixed culture background gives me a sort of detached perspective of cultural aesthetics. As my personal style developed I became interested in how we perceive design that is foreign to our own. Such as the western fascination of the orient in the creation of Chinoiserie and the current practices of adopting a ‘kawaii’ aesthetic in western fashion and styling. I’m equally interested in the Asian reinterpretations of European design which can be found in fashion and interior trends that evoke rural idealism and romanticism. The Mori girls that were the inspiration behind my first collection for Book of Deer borrow heavily from European fairy tales, nostalgic country living and Scandinavian style and translate it in a modern, urban context. I like being able to pick and mix from different cultures to portray a current design sentiment in a new way.
Do you do all of the sketches for your prints and designs?
Yes, I start my prints on paper, mainly using ball point pen, ink and colour pencil. I then compile and arrange it all to create a seamless print. Developing print ideas is my favourite thing to do because it’s like putting a story to fabric.The garment silhouettes come after that, I design on characters that sport the whole styled look, not just abstract shapes on faceless templates.
What really gets you in the mood to sit down to sketch and design? Do you have any music you like to listen to or “rituals”?
I’m always doodling so sometimes an idea will just pop into my head but sometimes i have to make myself sit down and draw. When working on the SS12 collection I listened to popular Mori Girl Shoegaze music to truly capture the dreaminess behind the subculture. Most of the time though, I YouTube song surf to some upbeat tune and that gets me going.
How would you describe the “Book of Deer” girl?
The Book of Deer girl dresses with a sense of humour, doesn’t follow catwalk trends and has a soft spot for vintage detailing. There is a definitive element of cute to the look but in an unexpected way.
Where do you see yourself and your brand in five years?
I believe that the Book of Deer look is not exclusive to any specific country or lifestyle so I hope in 5 years time my brand will be taking me all over the world. I aspire to keep developing the online presence as it provides interaction with the consumer and keeps the brand current. Ultimately, I want to develop a full range brand that will include accessories, shoes, maybe even figurines!
If money, time, and all those other grown up things were of no concern…..
Where would you want to live?
Edinburgh in the Summer, London in The Fall, Hong Kong in the Winter and New York in Spring.
What would you do with your brand/designs?
I’d open up a shop which would completely encompass the Book of Deer world.
What color would you paint your walls?
Sweet potato Purple.
I am so delighted that I was able to meet Eilidh and that she let me into her “Book of Deer” world! You should head over to her website (www.bookofdeer.com) to check out all of her designs… which are now for sale online!
Sometimes opening e-mails in the morning can lead to wardrobe inspiration. This past week Urban Outfitters sent out an e-blast mentioning their off the shoulder tops. I love the idea of adding a few of these into my wardrobe this summer. The looks have such a beachy feel, and when you pair them with bright colors and European-esque sandals…. divine.
Head over to urbanoutfitters.com to check out some of their off the shoulder tops HERE.
These sandals from Madewell could be a major “go-to” shoe this Summer and since Madewell is in my top five favorite shops (ever), I may as well pick up some colorful accessories from there as well to help pile on the fun.
“What: To celebrate the launch of KARL at NET-A-PORTER.COM, five pop-up Window Shops were unveiled around the globe in Paris, New York, London, Berlin and Sydney. Alongside the launch activity at the pop-up window shops, the celebrations continued in Place Saint-Germain-des-Pres, Paris where a mysterious cube that appeared on Friday January 20 was officially opened by Karl Lagerfeld at 4.30pm Paris time January 25.
At the Window Shops, visitors used the NET-A-PORTER KARL app, powered by Aurasma, to scan, shop and win pieces from the collection. In addition, visitors to the window shops and cube received exclusive KARL goodie bags and t-shirts, with the first fifty receiving a pair of iconic KARL leather gloves or a collar from the collection.
Who: In addition to Karl Lagerfeld and Natalie Massenet, The KARL celebrations attracted the fashion elite from around the world including Godfrey Deeny, Imran Ahmed, Alex Shulman, Annika von Taube, among others.
When: Wednesday, January 25
Where: 176 Boulevard St Germain, Paris
Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris
375 Bleecker Street, New York
Unit 3, Covent Garden Market, London
Taubenstrasse 14, Berlin
178 Campbell Pde Bondi Beach, Sydney (Thursday, January 26)” –via Net-a-Porter
“About KARL: KARL is the new modern and accessible line from the house of Karl Lagerfeld. In a strategic partnership that sees NET-A-PORTER as the exclusive global retailer for 4 weeks from launch, this is an exciting new direction for the label and one that distills the iconic essence of its figurehead. NET-A-PORTER will be offering over 70 different pieces from the collection including draped jersey dresses, classic pants, sweatshirts, skirts, shirts, dresses, T-shirts, shoes and bags. Channeling Lagerfeld’s distinct aesthetic, the color palette is predominantly black and white with a rock ‘n’ roll edge. Prices for the collection start at £20/€19/$35 for a canvas bag.” -via Net-a-Porter
