Azealia Banks "212"

With a weave Pippy Lockstockings would envy and rapping skills that put her in Nicki's league, Azealia Banks has so much swag I almost can't handle it. It's like her swag is boiling away in a pot, nearly overflowing, and it's so hot I can't even touch the handle! This girl is oven-mit hot.

Although "212" is not a new song, I haven't heard it on the radio before so it is new to me. My boyfriend introduced me to it and I am obsessed. Her other tracks are worth a listen too. She features on a song with Scissor Sisters and another with Major Lazer.

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Victoria Beckham in Harper's Bazaar

I can't believe she's held four kids in that concave belly of hers! My suspicions she did a Beyonce could be true. She believes her tiny frame represents the general public.

“We always joke that we have this fabulously gorgeous 17-year-old model who is six-foot-whatever and then I say ‘OK, I’m going to put it on. I stand for the general public here.’ It’s how I work.”

Gurl be lookin' good in her Prada but the average Jo does not have a size 6 body. Notice there how I spelt Jo the female way.

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Objective drawing class

I've never been much of a painter as I find it's easier to lose control of your work with a brush than it is with a pencil... or Photoshop. If things aren't completely perfect I tend to scream like a newborn and begin stabbing my picture to death with the paint brush! 

More recently though I've learnt to be more loose with my mark making and that things you see as mistakes early on can easily be fixed later. I approach my paintings now in the same way I would with my pencil drawings, roughing out the areas of tone and basic shapes and refining the details later.

Below is a 10 minute painting I did to test out my ideas and on the right is the final one I completed in an hour. I really love the simple addition of the chalk highlights. I think the intensity wouldn't be there had I just used white paint.

Terrible quality, sorry, but it is in fact quite a blurry, uncommitted pencil sketch anyway. This was done a couple of weeks ago when we were focusing on weight and how that affects a drawing. I never used to be able to finish drawings this fast (well, almost finish!). Thanks Yolunda Hickman!

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Jessie J for Vitamin Water

Someone needs to pour that Vitamin Water all over her because she is on fire in that body suit! The print reminds me of being really sunburnt and collecting all your peeling skin as it comes off... nope? Only me and Goldmember? 

I love when a celeb knows how to smile! So she gets extra points for that. And extra bonus super points for rocking heels - I thought I read somewhere that she would never be able to again! Blimmin' tabloids!

On one last note, I wish it were Vitamin Juice she was promoting because then I would have had the most brilliant title for this post. Simply, Juicy J.

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Like finding a needle in a phonebook stack

This is what you're greeted by as you enter my apartment complex - you walk passed and they all scream out "Yellow!"

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Photo Studies Development

Finally! The concept has been settled on. Mashing up daily routines or mundane tasks people perform on a regular basis to create an unusual picture. I want head tilts and frowns!

I surveyed a number of people and strangely enough (well, not really) masturbating and watching porn was high up on the list. Slammed together with brushing your teeth and bam you have the product below.

 

Other combos I've tried are getting ready and taking a dump, dressing and cooking, and dishwashing and driving. Some need to be reshot but so far my lecturer is pretty happy with the track I'm on so that is good! If you have any interesting ideas please let me know! The weirder the better.

 

 

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Anna October

The boarding school clique has arrived with their hair perfectly parted hair, matte white leggings and lengthy skirts. They're not all snores though, there's an element of fun amongst the ocres and clinical whites with an injection of disco metallics. Makes me think of "pure" girls who say they're happy waiting until marriage, but really they're dying for a steamy session! See the rest of the collection here.

Anna October  /  Ready To Wear  /  Fall Winter 2012  /  Kiev

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Josh Duhamel's New 'do

Mr. Fergilicious is sporting a mohawk (but a proper one, none of this faux-hawk shit) for his role in the upcoming film Scenic Route. He plays one of two friends who gets stranded in the desert. 

Hmmm. What three things would I take with me if I was deserted on an island? Well, the answer should be obvious.

Josh Duhamel, my boyfriend and a whole lot of alcohol. Fun.

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Fergie on Jimmy Fallon Show

Did she ferget to look in the mirror before leaving the NBC studios? Maybe she just mixed up a few two many Fergitinis and boom, grabbed something out of that green duffle bag. Or the garbage. Even the drivers forcing a fake smile. Where's the Kim Kardashian flour bomber when you need her?

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FOUREYES: Phoebe

I religiously check out FOUREYES because they capture looks you don't think exist in Auckland. What I like is that they don't discriminate against chain stores and often they'll feature someone with an entire head-to-toe outfit from Cotton On. I've always told my friends everything has potential, it's just the way you work it.

Phoebe is one of their more recently photographed and I just love the entire look. Her unusual twisty 'do has drawn me in and  for a while there I thought I was the only one supporting the flare + platform combo! You must check out the rest of the look here.

FOUREYES  /  Phoebe

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Only in Newmarket!

Trust the Fashion Capital of New Zealand to be sporting these ever-so-trendy pink wet floor signs. And how alty of them to put them on the side there, where people don't even walk. Always one step ahead they are.

Who knows - maybe it's to help promote their Catwalk on the Street event that's happening tomorrow on Osbourne Street. Should be a treat!

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Madonna "Girl Gone Wild" Video

She's a girl gone wild who has stolen her gays back and with great overexposed lighting, managed to lose some years. You lucked out this time Madz, but we all know what you really look like.

The boy candy is delicious on the eyes too but in regards to the success of referencing her earlier videos and reclaiming her throne, she's failed. It isn't a clever clip, and it certainly isn't better than Gaga's "Alejandro". In saying that though, the song will get played, the clip will get shown and it will do alright.

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Jean Paul Gaultier in Out Magazine

In celebration of Jean Paul Gaultier's 60th birthday, he's been photographed by Damien Blottiere for Out Magazine's The Design Issue. Blotierre has a very distinct graphic style which I really admire. He makes abstraction and collage look so easy! I like how many ways he's managed to play around with such a limited colour palette and selection of images. Very cool - his work is definately worth checking out!

And I ain't done yet. Continue... »

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Lana Del Rey "Blue Jeans" Video

Like french fries and soft serve, this video goes so perfectly with the song! I love the way their bodies distort in the water and the effect of the glistening water across Lana's face. Amazing cinematography.

I'm just wondering where the blue jeans are. And if the said jeans are there, then how are we as the viewer to know if they are indeed blue? Ponder that one. Ponder that one.

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Photo Studies Assignment

After having an entire roll of film come out blank last week and having a panic attack in front of the sales assistant, I've opted for a digital SLR to complete the rest of my assignment.

Feels like the camera hates me just as much behind it as it does in front of it but I had some fun. I threw my gorgeous Ben in the shower in his undies (much to my disappointment - I wanted some shock value!) and gave him some spag bol from Papa's Pizza and a choc shake. It was supposed to be more provocative than devilishly disgusting but I kind of like it.

But what else should I do - any suggestions? I have this idea of him laying out over a urinal and squirting chocolate milk all over himself but is that gross? If yes, then I'm doing it.

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Zowie "My Calculator"

Zowie's fourth official single "My Calculator" has just been released and it's yet another fun little track with her signature quirky sound. 

If my calculations are correct, shouldn't she have come out with an album by now? Generally every single after the first (or second) is to get listeners buying your music but we don't have many options right now. I sure hope she's zowie about that - woops, I mean sorry. Yeah, that was pretty dumb I know.

PS. Do you think the guy who created the Zowie logo also did Katy Perry's "Part Of Me" single design? Take a look at the post below and you can instantly see the similarities.

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Willow or Dyl-oh?

What's she got to whip now? With a fresh grassy 'do and black layered ensemble, I had to double take when I saw this picture of Willow Smith (she's the one on the left by the way). Could you blame me for thinking it might've been my younger brother? 

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I no like bad spellign!

Anyone who knows me or has read my post about Remix's bad proofreading knows that yes, I am that annoying person who repeats what you've said if you've used the wrong word or I highlight the errors in your texts. There is no such thing as the MOST PRETTIEST or the MOST LONGEST! Now that that's been cleared up, here are a couple of wee errors I've picked up on over the last week.

This mounting tape is absolute shit. If the bad spelling wasn't warning enough, I should've been able to tell by the price. $2.99 can't get you a good quality anything!

Yes, yes, among sexy words like 'prostitutes' and 'brothels', no-fun-Jason picks up on 'grounds' which is missing the 'n'. I don't know what bothers me more.. The Aucklander's misspelling or the 15 year old girls being asked to work in mount Roskill brothels. 

Only kidding.

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Katy Perry "Part Of Me" Teaser

Not too much to get excited for is there? They needed to have at least a 5 second snippet of the song - atmospheric sounds just don't do it for me.

I am interested to see the narrative behind this video but I'll be angry if it's a regular length because there is no point in releasing a teaser (hello David Guetta and Nicki Minaj re: "Turn Me On") if it's going to be more riveting than the actual clip.

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What am I?

I am tired, have a 5 o'clock shadow, smell of all kinds of bad and just watched a dildo being made.

I am a Jason Richards.

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The Royal Family "Polyswagg Lesson 2"

It's times like these I wish I were a cat. Eight more lives would be pretty good right now because the Royal Family just killed me. There's something about this clip that's much more intoxicating and engaging than any we've seen before.

Choreographed by Parris (of course!) and with the help of Laurence and Lance, this video allows everyone to have their shining moment and is particularly strong during the first and second plays of the chorus. I enjoy watching the Miss Thang attitudes come out of Kiel and Paul. And as always, the end sequence leaves me craving more. There was only a two week gap between this release and their last so here's hoping we won't be waiting too long!

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Boy & book on bus

Excuse my bus voyeurism but I just had to capture this moment! 

I was boarding the bus to work and behind me was just ya ordinary laidback, westie bloke in the standard hoody, dickies and (probably) Etnies skate shoes get up. He sits down and whips something out of his pocket. At first glance I thought it was a woodstock, but it was actually a novel that he read for the entire 40 minute ride!

Is it just me or is this a very rare occurrence? Curse my prejudice eye (even though my analyzations are normally correct) but it was just really nice to see. So let's revisit the old cliche saying "don't judge a book by it's cover".

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Miu Miu

I love myself a full body print! It's such a painfully pleasing eye sore to see a pattern applied to an entire look. To avoid further blinding us and turning this 70's chicness into a complete clashing crime scene, the makeup is kept minimal and the hair effortlessly sits behind the shoulder. I'm still not sold on the pimpin' shoes. View the rest here.

 

Miu Miu  /  Ready To Wear  /  Fall Winter 2012  /  Paris

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Tsumori Chisato

Ahhh can Fashion Week not happen so quickly? With school work, job work and boyfriend work, how's a girl supposed to keep up to date?!

What an amazSKIing collection - there's a top with fucking gondola's on it! That's all I used to do when I went to the snow. Up and down and up and down. I like that not every look has to have such an obvious connection to the skiing theme though as you can see through her use of retro colours and subtle transparencies (like on the stockings, it's a snowy mountain!). View the rest here.

Tsumori Chisato  /  Ready To Wear  /  Fall Winter 2012  /  Paris

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Nude Drawings

Lifeless objects like pots and vases are just so boring so I've never really liked objectively drawing until now. I'm really enjoying having nude models! I haven't laughed or cracked a woody once! No, but seriously I think you begin to see them purely as shapes and tones and it's not until you pull your pencil off the paper that you're like "Oh, I've just drawn a naked person" and you head off to the bathroom for a quick break. ;)

Apologies for the crappy quality and crinkled paper but here are some of my works from the past two classes where we've been focusing on tone and light. The three drawings of the guy below were done in pencil, the first in an hour time frame, the second in five mins and the last in ten mins.

This willow charcoal and white chalk drawing was achieved by concentrating only on the highlights and dark shadow areas. It's really quite hard to put together an image when you can't sketch the outlines of the figure. You'll notice some of my proportions are way out (hello arms!) but it's definately an interesting way to build up a drawing.

I'm really happy with the outcome of these two. It's amazing how little you can sketch and yet still be able to make out the picture. These were both completed in ten min time frames, again with willow charcoal and white chalk.

I feel bad for making the model look a little heavier than she really is and for giving her a munted right hand but I tried my best in the hour and a half we were given. I work better in the quick sketch exercises because I'm more free.

Yeah, so, if anyone wants to be my Rose, I'll happily play Jack and draw you nudie.

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Katy Perry looking hot for a change!

She loves herself some colour coordination but for once Smurfette's pulling it off without looking like a tacky little tween. Even the uneven hair she's got going on is so edgy and I love it slicked back!

When I saw Jennifer Lawrence rock a Viktor and Rolf dress from the same collection a while back, I vomitted and pecked out my own eyes! I thought there was no hope for this Air New Zealand uniform inspired range but to my surprise Katy Perry proved me wrong.

I'm excited about the new music she's working on which is apparently taking a dark turn. Sexy new music with a sexy new look! So long Cotton Candy Queen!

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Jil Sander

To respect the clean lines, powdery palette and overall delicate nature of this collection, I request you read this in your head in a soft, gentle voice. Pieces with oversized proportions and others with bold tangerine still manage to fit nicely into the delicate collection. I love the bolt of electric neon yellow that features only on a small part of the shoes. It's unexpected and adds the bit of edge these looks need. View the rest here.

Jil Sander  /  Ready To Wear  /  Fall Winter 2012  /  Milan

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Frankie Morello

An element of sportswear has been injected into this primarily dark, rocker range. It doesn't end with bright numbered throwbacks. A couple of knee-pads have even been thrown in there! Sources say Snooki's boots and Cousin Itt are currently battling it out for who was the inspiration behind these colour-of-the-season hairy pair of gloves. FLAME ON!

Frankie Morello  /  Ready To Wear  /  Fall Winter 2012  /  Milan

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Blumarine

Warning! Fluorescents and metallics ahead! 

Okay, I admit it, my eyes are drawn back as much as I try to detour them from Barbie's wardrobe. If you're like me you can close in on an item and see it's potential. Sequin hot pants? Yes prease! Bright yeti bag? Dying! A Pagani gown?... Maybe not. The look below is the only complete miss. See the rest here.

Blumarine  /  Ready To Wear  /  Fall Winter 2012  /  Milan

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LOCI Exhibition @ Whitecliffe

This part of the wall was probably photographed because He-Who-Won-Top-Student has his work pinned up here. And I was smart enough to pop mine up next to his. 

You've seen one of my works, but can you spot the five others that feature in this section? I played this game with Alex, Caroline and Lauren. It's interesting to see what people assume is your style. More information about the exhibition can be found here.

By the way, I finally got to sketch a live model. Minus making the occasional eye contact, it was pretty fun. Beats drawing pots and skulls. 

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Federation Campaign

If a pair of black opaque socks is the first thing to stand out to me, the label has done something wrong. You could re-title this as Federation's Winter 2011 collection and I wouldn't second guess it because I've seen it all before. It's not just the clothes, it's the styling of the shoot. 

Some may argue that it's within their brands aesthetics to model their range with paint splatters and graffiti, but there are ways of staying true to your urban street style whilst being fresh at the same time. I would've liked to have seen less of the typical grungy loft backdrop and more of this seasons colours transcending onto the set.

You can view the rest of the campaign here.

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