Sketching for Vogue & Clinique and You're Invited

I'm so excited to share that this summer throughout the month of August I'll be live-sketching for Vogue Magazine and Clinique in six different cities throughout the US and you're invited! Vogue has teamed up with Clinique to help launch their new Smart Custom-Repair Serum. Those who attend will receive a skin consultation, enjoy a fall trend preview with a Vogue Market Stylist and a custom designed illustrated cell phone cover by yours truly, as a free gift with purchase. The first event kicks off this thursday in San Francisco:

San Francisco  

Thursday July 31st, 2014, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Macy's Union Square
170 O'Farrell St. San Francisco, CA 94102

Please call to RSVP: 415.296.4295

Santa Clara

Friday August 1st, 2014, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Macy's Valley Fair

2801 Stevens Creek Boulevard

Santa Clara, CA 95050

Please call to RSVP: 408.248.3333 ext. 4407

Miami

Saturday August 2nd, 2014, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM 

Macy's Dadeland
7303 SW 88th St. Miami, FL 33156

Please call to RSVP: 305.662.3222

Check back, as I expect to have more dates and locations for events in Seattle, Chicago and New York. If you can't make it follow me @Brooklit on twitter and instagram, to see what I sketch up especially for #cliniquesmart. Hope to see you soon!

Karl Lagerfeld Barbie

Yes its true, Mattel has announced a limited-edition Karl Lagerfeld Barbie is being added to the Barbie Collector series this fall. After collaborating with Lagerfeld, head designer and creative director of Chanel, they've designed this incredibly chic Barbie complete with Karl's iconic dark sunglasses, high collar, white hair and classic tailored black jacket. I've been a Barbie-girl forever and have long admired Robert Best's Barbie sketches but until now I've yet to feature any here on Fabulous Doodles, this Lagerfeld Barbie illustration however is too good to pass up!

(Barbie Lagerfeld sketch by Robert Best)

New Etsy Item: Fashion Illustration Pocket Notebooks

A new item has been added to my Etsy shops, fashion illustration pocket notebooks. I chose some of my favorite and most popular sketches and adhered them to the craft paper board covers. For years these notebooks have been floating around my desk, in my bag, and basically one of my daily essentials. I've been meaning to offer them in the shops, but it wasn't until this weekend that I finally put it into action.

These little fashion illustration notebooks are ideal for daily shopping lists, jotting down notes and to-dos. The bridal options also make a great little engagement or shower gift for any bride-to-be to keep track of gifts, guests, or vendors. Shown here are just a few, but if you click on over to the shops (Brooklit and Brooklit Bride) you can see the full selection available.

Blue & White Fashion Inspiration

Lately I've been really drawn to classic blue and white patterns and wanted to share a few fashion illustrations I've come up with alongside inspirational images. As a former product designer and stylist who has assembled her fair share of color and trend reports, I can tell you that typically fashion influences trends and theres a trickle down effect starting from the fashion runways to home and product design. This however is one of the rare occasions where the opposite is the case. Classic blue and white china patterns, tiles and traditional toile prints are popping up throughout womenswear and I'm not only loving it but inspired!

1. New bridal fashion illustration I drew with gouache and pencil on brown craft paper. I actually shared this photo on Instagram this past weekend and it quickly became my most "liked" photo to date! She may soon be added to the shop, but I've yet to scan her. As of now I'm enjoying the illustration displayed above my desk.

2. Stunning runway look from Igor Gulyaev's spring 2014 collection.

3. Porcelain plate wallpaper featuring a collection of blue and white Dutch tableware.

4. Classic blue floral toile wallpaper.

5. Two weeks ago while traveling around Spain I instagrammed this photo of a bun sketch on one of my business cards in front of beautiful hand painted blue and white wall tiles of Botin in Madrid, the worlds oldest restaurant (according to the Guiness Book of World Records, dates back to 1725!)

6. The newest fashion illustration print added to my Etsy shop Brooklit. The silhouette of the dress is reminiscent of a Halston Heritage mini dress but for the fabric and print, clearly I ran with my favorite inspiration of the moment and painted a blue and white floral.

Here are some similar post you may have missed:

-Met Gala Inspired Illustrations 
-Custom Fashion Illustration Gifts for Love Gold
-Braid Bar Illustrations for Dream Dry and Teen Vogue

Inspired Weekend, Forth of July

My summer's off to a great start, after an incredible week in Spain celebrating my friend Will Taylor's wedding I came home just in time for July 4th celebrations including barbecues, bookends, bikinis and brushes. Yes, todays Inspired Weekend post is coming at you two days late, but better late than never right?!

1 & 2. This year I enjoyed the Macy's fireworks from a downtown rooftop with friends and family and thought what better hostess gift to bring with me to a July 4th BBQ than a bottle of Sociologie's Blushing Rosé Sangria adorned with my fashion illustration? It was certainly a hit and reminds me that I need to order more of these pretty bottles immediately.

3. Stocked up on my favorite Brooklit appropriate "B" bookends from Ikea on a spontaneous little drive out to Brooklyn to see a friends new apartment.

4. Sketched my friend, fashion and interiors blogger Arianna Trapani in my favorite look of her from our time in the Balearic Islands last week. I love her bikini and oversized beach hat look so much I couldn't resist drawing and have added the print to the shop!

5. When I travel I always try and stop into markets and house ware shops. I picked up these horse hair watercolor brushes in Madrid and was excited to break them in this weekend.

6. For a bright pop of color for the holiday weekend I gave myself a fresh mani using Essie's Capri, then to add a little sparkle for the 4th painted one accent finger with a topcoat of OPI's Only Gold For Me.

Carolina Herrera Wedding Gown Design for Jessica Simpson

Needless to say I love a designer bridal sketch, and Carolina Herrera is one of my favorite designers. So I was thrilled this morning to find that over the holiday weekend People Magazine released this custom sketch, only days after pop star and fashion licensing power house Jessica Simpson tied the knot again in a custom gown and veil by Carolina Herrera. The sketch is a little odd, with the bride holding the bouquet awkwardly and being bald, but the dress design is pretty and I'm eager to see how it compares to the actual gown. As of now only this close up bridal portrait has been released, but from the little we can see it looks gorgeous.

(Photo: Elizabeth Messina, Illustration: Carolina Herrera)

Forth of July Fashion Illustrations

(Fashion Illustrations by Oscar de la Renta, Bob Mackie, and Brooke Hagel) 

Happy Forth of July everyone! I've been away on vacation but I'm back just in time to celebrate the forth with BBQ, fireworks and festive summer fashion. For the occasion I pulled together some red, white and blue fashion illustrations by Oscar de la Renta, Bob Mackie for Diana Ross and my own bridal sketch from my Brooklit Bride print shop. Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend and celebrates in style!