Live Sketching at The RealReal x Miu Miu Book Launch in Soho

Not long ago, I had the pleasure of live sketching at The RealReal x Miu Miu book launch party in Soho—and it was truly one for the books.

As a fashion illustrator who specializes in live sketching at events, it’s always especially meaningful to collaborate with brands I genuinely love and use myself. I’ve been a longtime customer of The RealReal, so getting to work with their team in this creative capacity felt like a full-circle moment.

The event, held at The RealReal’s Soho flagship, celebrated the latest Miu Miu book release and brought out a stylish crowd dressed in everything from archival Miu Miu pieces to bold, avant-garde looks. As an event artist, I live for moments like this—when the guests become the muses!

Throughout the evening, I created custom fashion illustrations for attendees, capturing their one-of-a-kind style in real time. The energy was vibrant, the fashion inspiring, and the entire experience a perfect blend of luxury, creativity, and community.

Whether it’s a private party, a brand activation, or a book launch like this one, live sketching adds a unique and memorable touch to any event. If you’re planning something special and want to elevate your guest experience, I’d love to hear from you!

Interested in live event sketching for your brand or celebration? Email me at TheBrookeHagel@gmail.com or visit brookehagel.com to learn more.

Custom Sketch for Heather & Terry Dubrow's Book

Being a fan of nearly all things Bravo I was excited to be asked to illustrate Heather and Terry Dubrow for their book Dr. & Mrs. Guinea Pig Present The Only Guide You'll Ever Need to the Best Anit-Aging Treatments. I previously worked closely with the publisher on a fashion illustration style guide for another book so when the idea of doing an illustration in the Dubrows came up they thought of me. When I initially sent the sketch Heather and Terry loved it and almost immediately Instagrammed it, (they asked permission first) which was wonderful! But it was still not 100% the illustration would make it into the book. Months later I was backstage at Watch What Happens Live with my cousin who was a guest on the show, when Andy Cohen mentioned the following nights guest would be Terry Dubrow. I went home and emailed the publisher to see if my sketch made it in after all. It had been months and I had forgotten about it, but to my delight she told me it was! They used it as the image on the books title page.

They kindly sent me an advance copy and we even attempted to meet up when they were in New York on their book tour but couldn't get it to work out with their crazy schedule and being crazed with New York fashion week events. The Dubrow's book is insightful and fun and I'm thrilled to have my artwork in it. (Fun fact for you: its actually my 18th book! Which happens to be a very lucky number in my religion. Too bad for me, this one was without royalties. Ha.)

Similar posts to check out featuring books including my illustrations: 

• New Illustrated Books | Chloe by Design Vol. 3
• Style Guide by Author Lawrence Zarian and Illustrator Brooke Hagel
• Fashion Illustration Books by Brooke Hagel

New Illustrated Books | Chloe by Design Vol.3

This past Labor Day weekend marked another "published day" for me with the release of the third volume in the young adult series Chloe by Design, Measuring Up! In this volume Chloe is visiting and applying to colleges and with that comes portfolio prep and college application art tests. My illustrations throughout this young adult series represent the main character Chloe's sketches. Being I myself was a fashion design student, having applied and attended New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, I also consulted on the story outline in the development phase of these books, speaking with the writer Margaret Gurevich, as well as the editor and publishers about my application experiences, art tests and the overall college search for a young student interested in fashion design. I even tutored high school students and helped them prepare their portfolios and fashion art tests for college applications and interviews before I became a full time fashion illustrator!

Chloe by Design Measuring Up is the "bind up" book, as the publisher calls it,  containing four books of volume three of the series. But as with the previous volumes the publisher has also printed four smaller books for the school library market. Books 9-12 of the Chloe by Design series are: Back to Basics, Made to Measure, All or Nothing and The Final Cut. I have to admit its exciting to have the books come out and see my sketches on multiple covers. The cute curly haired girl in the yellow jumpsuit on the cover of Made to Measure (shown above) and the redheaded sassy girl in a floral body con dress on the cover of The Final Cut are my two favorite cover girls.  

In this third volume of the series I incorporated many ethnicities as well as tried to illustrate many different fabrications, patterns, and design styles. Another fun fact and personal twist is since the author follows me on Instagram and has has seen the "visual packing lists" I often draw for myself when I travel she incorporated them into the books and made Chloe do the same thing! The image below is one of Chloe's casual-chic "airport looks." 

Volume 3 was released about 10 days ago and I've already heard glowing feedback from avid Chloe by Design readers in person and through my social media platforms! It's truly so touching to have my work resonate with young girls and feel their enthusiasm for this series I've spent so much time sketching. As of now I'm told this is the final volume, but you never know. As I've been told that before! 

Since the bind up and library market books can be very confusing I'm listing the books here clearly for you with links to Amazon to purchase. First up are the bigger hardcover "bind up" books of the three Chloe by Design volumes: 

Volume 1 - Making the Cut

Volume 2 - Balancing Act

Volume 3 - Measuring Up

Here are the smaller hardcover "library edition" books: 

Book 1 - Design Diva

Book 2 - The First Cut

Book 3 - Unraveling

Book 4 - Design Destiny 

Book 5 - Intern Ambition 

Book 6 - Design Disaster 

Book 7 - Runway Rundown

Book 8 - Fashion Week Finale

Book 9 - Back to Basics

Book 10 - Made to Measure

Book 11 - All or Nothing

Book 12 - The Final Cut

Similar posts about the books you may have missed: 

• Book Trailer: Chloe by Design
• Illustrated Book Covers: Chloe by Design Volume 2
• Book Signing Chloe by Design Balancing Act
• New Illustrated Books

Illustrated Book Covers: Chloe by Design Volume 2

I'm so excited my latest illustrated books, Chloe by Design Volume 2 are almost here! I've illustrated not only one, but four, new books in the Chloe by Design series and they're all currently available for pre-order! These books are available as single bound copy Chloe by Design: Balancing Act or broken down into four individual library bound hardcover editions: Intern Ambition, Design Disaster, Runway Rundown and Fashion Week Finale. As a sneak peek today I'm sharing a few of the cover designs, their base pencil sketches and a glimpse at them as they were illustrated works-in-progress done in pencil, marker, gouache and ink.

In this latest volume Chloe won the Design Diva tv competition and is now immersed in the world of a fictitious famous fashion designer as a design intern. She's assisting building his collection to show at New York Fashion Week. The theme of the collection is 1920s art-deco, so many of my illustrations throughout the books are bold geometric patterns and metallic motifs. I've always loved art-deco designs, so rendering many of these patterns and painting the intricate beaded embellishments they required was a joy.

My favorite illustration of the all covers turned out to be the menswear look (much to my surprise!) atop this post, adorning Runway Rundown. In close second was Balancing Act with its golden ballgown with beaded bodice and Intern Ambition's sequined deco cigarette pants. I tried to make each girl a different ethnicity and have a different personality to appeal to a wide audience but maintain a cohesive overall look. Chloe by Design volume two's release date is September 1st but you can pre-order your copies now. Be sure and follow me along on Instagram (@brooklit) too, as I plan to share peeks are the interior sketches throughout the next few weeks.

Book Signing | Chloe by Design Balancing Act

For the second consecutive year I'm heading to Book Expo America for a book signing of my latest illustrated book in the Chloe by Design series, Balancing Act. Free advance copies of the book will be given out and I along with author Margaret Gurevich, will be meeting, greeting and signing. Last years signing was a huge success and even landed me a little feature in Publishers Weekly! Hopefully this years will be just as fabulous if not better. Here are all the details, if you're in New York I hope to see you there:  

 Jacob Javits Center 

655 W 34th Street NY, NY 10001

Book Expo America, Capstone booth #2929

Saturday, May 30th, 2015 

2:00pm-3:00pm

Chloe by Design Balancing Act is available for pre-order now on Amazon. Leading up to its release later this summer I'll be sharing sneak peeks of pages my "Chloe" fashion illustrations, so stay tuned! 

Similar posts that may interest you: 

• My New Illustrated Books | Chloe by Design
• Fashion Illustrator Book Signing 
• Book Giveaway! Style Guide Signed by Lawrence Zarian & Brooke Hagel

Chloe by Design Giveaway

The contract is signed, sealed and delivered, I'm officially signed on to illustrate four more Chloe by Design books for Capstone Publishing! To celebrate today I have a giveaway for the first four books of the series which came out about a month ago. To learn more about this series you can check out the book's video trailer and my last post about them from a few weeks ago when they were first released.

There will two winners chosen, one will receive four hardcover copies of each book in the Chloe by Design series (as shown in the top image) including Design Diva, The First Cut, Unraveling, and Design Destiny. And the other winner will receive Chloe by Design: Making the Cut, which is a single book consisting of all four books combined in one thicker bound hardcover copy. 

Good luck everyone and remember there are multiple ways to enter so "tweet," "follow" and "like" for multiple chances to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Can only ship to US addresses. Winners will be chosen by random.org and contacted within one day of the contest ending.

**Giveaway has ended and winners have been contacted. Congratulations to Ashley P. and Beth B!

My New Illustrated Books are Now Available

I am so excited to share with you the new book series I illustrated, Chloe by Design, is now available! The books come either as one bound hardcover copy Chloe by Design: Making the Cut or as four individual parts (as shown above) Design Diva, The First Cut, Unraveling and Design Destiny. They tell the story of a 16-year-old fashion loving girl Chloe, who auditions for the teen version of her favorite fashion design reality competition show. My illustrations, thumbnail sketches, handwritten notes and photos throughout the books act as her sketchbook and designs throughout the rigorous competition.

To kick off the book release Capstone is offering Fabulous Doodles readers 30% off Chloe by Design: Making the Cut, with promo code HAGEL30. For a little more about what awaits inside Chloe by Design watch amazing book trailer! (I'm still loving this and it came out over 6 months ago!)

Working with the team from Capstone Publishing again was wonderful, especially the designer of the books, Alison Thiele and of course author Margaret Gurevich. I'm really proud of how these books turned out, and confident they would've been right up my alley back in Jr. High. I'm also thrilled to announce that I'm about to start sketching more Chloe designs because the series has been extended and we now have 4 more books in the works!

For more on these books as well as the other books I've illustrated and/or contributed to check out my Amazon shop.

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.

Fashion Illustrator Book Signing Success

Over the years I've illustrated many books but last week I had my very first book signing for Chloe by Design, Making the Cut and it was fantastic! I was surprised to find upon arriving that there was already a long line. Being BookExpo America, most of the attendees were teachers, librarians, publishers and students but there were also a bunch of Fabulous Doodles readers. It was so nice to chat with people from across the country about their students and family members who were aspiring designers and fashion illustrators whom they were looking forward to sharing the book with.

With all the signing excitement I neglected to make sure I had photos so when I got home I illustrated a little memento of the event, sketching out what I wore, as shown above. I'm always sketching other peoples big life moments (client and friends weddings, graduations, bat-mitzvahs, etc.) so its nice every once in a blue to draw my own.

A few days after the signing a fun surprise came when Chloe by Design publisher, Capstone sent me a link to Publishers Weekly where a photo of me and with adorable "fans" was featured in photographic highlights from the expo. Press is always exciting but friends in publishing have informed me that PW is the holy grail and this is big!

All in all my book signing was wonderful and hopefully the first of many more to come. Chloe by Design: Making the Cut is now available for pre-order on Amazon.

Chloe by Design Book Signing

Tomorrow I will be at BookExpo America signing advance copies of the latest book I illustrated Chloe by Design, Making the Cut, and you're invited. Come by to say hello and get a complimentary advance copy of the book signed by me:

When: Sat. May 31st
Time: 9:30 - 11:30 AM
Place: BookExpo America at Jacob Javits Center
             655 W 34th St. New York, NY 10001
Booth: 1469

Chloe by Design, Making the Cut is the first of a four book young adult series. If you're interested in knowing more about it, check out the incredible book trailer that Capstone Publishing put out anticipating its release. And if you can't make it to New York for the signing, the book is currently available on Amazon for pre-order, due to be released August 1st. Hope to see you there!

Mapping Out Mr. Bazaar's American Book Tour

I'm excited to share this colorful map I illustrated for my friend Will Taylor, aka Mr. Bright Bazaar, to help him announce his first American book tour. It was wonderful to collaborate with Will on this illustration. We went for a soft watercolored look, which I created primary using Pantone Letraset and Copic brush tip markers, Faber-Castell pencils for sketching the highlights and outlining, and a Micron pen for tiny details and final touches.

I'm so proud and excited for Will, making the jump from design blogger to book author. Will's first book Bright Bazaar: Embracing Color for Make-You-Smile Style is now available for pre-order and will be released later this month with a stateside book tour kicking off May 1st. With the help of West Elm and Jonathan Adler Will will be hosting events in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Click on over to Bright Bazaar for all the dates, signings, and party info. 

I'm thrilled to see my illustration up on Bright Bazaar, and I can't wait to see Will at his NYC events! Hope you can make it too. 

Book Giveaway! Style Guide Signed by Author Lawrence Zarian and Illustrator Brooke Hagel

I'm happy to announce another book I've illustrated has been released; Lawrence Zarian's 10 Commandments for a Perfect Wardrobe, a step-by-step guide to looking and feeling your best. Lawrence is a renowned fashion/lifestyle expert, TV personality and regular contributor to "Live with Kelly and Michael," "Rachel Ray," and "Entertainment Tonight." I was first introduced to LZ about a year ago at a Vogue and NFL party and we immediately hit it off and started following each other on social media.

LZ reached out to me while working on his book, looking to incorporate fashion illustration visuals into it. In no time I was talking with his publisher and soon after sketching away. Originally I was set to draw the illustrated fashion glossary only but once I started sending in sketches the scope of project quickly grew as everyone really liked the sketches and were eager to add more. First we expanded the illustrated glossary, adding new items then a eyewear chart and eventually chapter header illustrations throughout the book including: "Thou Shall Create Your Own Star Style," and "Thou Shall Dress For Style, Not Size," both shown below.

This book was a nice change from my typical commissions, as all the sketches within it are monotone black and white, with white highlights and gray shadows for depth and dimension. I used only 3 or 4 Copic Sketch markers in shades of cool grays and black for all the shading and a Prismacolor cool gray 90% pencil and Micron pen for outlining and intricate details.

10 Commandments for a Perfect Wardrobe came out great and its something I'm proud to add to my fashion illustration portfolio and studio book shelves. Thank you to Lawrence Zarian and the amazing team at Bird Street Books. It was wonderful collaborating with you.

Giveaway! Enter now for a chance to win Lawrence Zarian's 10 Commandments for a Perfect Wardrobe signed by both the author, Lawrence Zarian and myself. You can enter multiple times over the next five days by following along on social media, liking and even tweeting. Simply follow the Rafflecopter instructions below to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight Monday, March 31st.  The winner will be chosen and contacted on Wednesday, April 2nd. Giveaway is open to US residents only.

Good luck to all entrants and remember to enter multiple times for more chances to win!  You can also check out some of the other books I've contributed to and/or illustrated here in my Amazon shop. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***The giveaway has ended and a winner has been chosen through random.org. Congratulations to Lara Bell!!! I'll be emailing you today and sending the book out soon.***

Book Trailer {Chloe by Design}

Yesterday I received such a fun surprise, the next book I illustrated has a video book trailer anticipating its release by Capstone Publishers!

It's actually a series of four books titled Chloe by Design, and this is the trailer is for the first book of the series Making the Cut. Being such a visual person, I absolutely love this! Of all the books I've illustrated or contributed to this is the first to have a trailer and I have to say, it's so much more exciting than a standard press release! 

Making the Cut by Margaret Gurevich and Illustrated by Brooke Hagel will be available in spring 2015 by Capstone Publishers. 

February Favorites via Brooklit Instagram

Time for another monthly review of my favorite mini moments captured on Instagram:

1. "Walking in winter wonderland" and actually enjoying the crazy polar vortex for a sec.
2. Hanging out in the chic E! lounge on day one of New York Fashion Week.
3. My "I Love Pencils" pencil, posted on Valentines Day. (Coming soon to the shop!)
4. Photographing new notecards for Brooklit Bride.
5. Hometown love, the icy Long Island Sound looking incredibly picturesque.
6. Its a wrap on the 4 book series I've been illustrating! Final sketch is colored, finished, and off to the publisher.
7. This week another book I illustrated came out: Lawrence Zarian's Ten Commandments for a Perfect Wardrobe.
8. Art supply shopping, stocking up on white charcoal pencils prepping for live-sketching at the Old Navy Summer Press Preview.
9. Another fashion illustration in the works for one of the books of the four book series I'm illustrating.

10. Its that time of year, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center.
11. After years of going to and working at shows, I sat front row for the first time and what a view! This was the final walk for Academy of Art College, the only school that shows at NYFW.
12. So fun, got to step into the E! Glam Cam! You can check out the full 360 degree shot here.

For a closer look at these photos and more sketches, inspiration and pretty pix follow me @Brooklit on Instagram.

A Fashion Illustration Hello to 2014!

I want to extend a fabulous and fancy hello to 2014 and wish everyone a beautiful and inspired new year! Thank you 2013 for the lessons because now I'm ready to take on 2014!

This gorgeous fashion illustration is not one of my own, its by illustrator David Downton and adorns the cover of 100 Years of Fashion Illustration which I just so happen to receive as a gift from a dear friend two days ago and I'm obsessed! The book is full of stunning inspiration from iconic fashion illustrators including Downton, René Gruau, Mats Gustafson, Ruben Toledo and even my former professors Steven Stipelman and Gladys Perint Palmer! I've only perused the book so far but this weekend I plan to dive in and soak it all up because this one's a treasure. (Thank you Jamie!!!) Its so important to stay inspired both in life and work and I hope this year I can inspire some of you here on Fabulous Doodles.

(©DavidDownton 100 Years print, and 100 Years of Fashion Illustration book by Cally Beakman)

Asperkid's Charitable Fashion Coloring Book

A few months ago I was asked to contribute fashion history illustrations for a wonderful new charitable coloring book that has just been released; The Asperkid's Not-Your-Average-Coloring-Book written by Jennifer Cook O'Toole. This unique coloring book covers topics that appeal to kids on the autism spectrum by encouraging them to try new things and showing spectrum kids the potential career value of their natural talents through artwork based on science, nature, history, math and myths.

It was great to work on these historical fashion sketches and solely focus on the designs through line drawing. I have to mention that while the 1960's mod look (at the top) is probably my favorite of the group due to the strong pose and bold accessories, the 1970's illustration was inspired by one of my favorite photo's from the 1970's of my grandma (which I also featured here on Fabulous Doodles a while back.) As for the other two line drawings,  they gave me a great excuse to whip out my art and fashion history books and seek out some primary resources for inspiration. 

I'm honored to be a part of this coloring book and encourage you to show your support for Asperkids and order a copy for the little artist in your life, whether or not they are on the spectrum. A portion of the proceeds will go towards supporting art programs for children on the autism spectrum. Although I'm only one of the contributing illustrators featured in the book, I've added The Asperkids's Not-Your-Average-Coloring-Book to my Amazon shop under titles I've illustrated, to make it easy to find and order. Happy coloring!  

My Third Illustrated Book, The DREAM BIG Academy

I'm so excited to share that the third book I've illustrated is now available! The DREAM BIG Academy Rosie Wants to be a Fireman is written by Marissa Klein and illustrated by yours truly, Brooke Hagel. This was such a fun project to work on and quite different from my previous two books, which are drawing tutorials as opposed to a story-based children's book about a single character.   

The DREAM BIG Academy Rosie Wants to be a Fireman is a wonderful little book in what will hopefully become a full children's book series about a little girl named Rosie who goes to bed at night and dreams big dreams of the places she could go and what she could become when she grows up. I think Rosie will truly touch both little girls as well as their moms. I'm not yet a mom but I can tell you she resonated with me, my inner girl, and the big dreams I had and still have for myself. (Rosie even has a stuffed elephant named Ellie, which was the name of my favorite childhood stuffed animal! Mine was light gray and about ten times the size of Rosie's but it's a fun coincidence nonetheless.)  

This book is in the process of being self published by the author Marissa Klein, through a fundraising site called Indiegogo. By clicking on over to The DREAM BIG Academy page on Indiegogo you can help Marissa reach her goal of self publishing this book while getting yourself a signed copy of the limited first-run! If you chip in a little more you can also get a signed print of Rosie to frame and hang in your home. I have my fingers crossed that Marissa raises all the seed money she needs to publish this wonderful little book and I can soon hold a printed copy in my hands. 

Giveaway! {Fashion Illustration Books}

I have two exciting Fabulous Doodles giveaways! Enter to win one of the fashion illustration books I recently worked on: Girly Girl Style and Harajuku Style, both illustrated by moi, Brooke Hagel. I posted about both books a few weeks ago when they were first released, sharing peeks inside as well as little descriptions and insights, which you can check out here.

Two winners will be chosen, one for each book. To enter simply click on the link below and follow the instructions. Easy peasy! You can enter multiple ways to earn more entries, so make sure to enter your email, tweet and give a Facebook like. The winners will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter. Good luck!

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Fashion Illustration Books {Brooke Hagel}

I'd like to share the first two fashion illustration books I've illustrated! They are part of a new instructional series by Capstone Publishing called "Fun Fashions You Can Sketch" and as of February 1st they're out and available on Amazon for purchase.

Harajuku Style: Fun Fashions You Can Sketch, showcases Tokyo's Harajuku culture and style. Sketching and learning about Harajuku girls and their style was something completely new for me. Harajuku girls are all about themeing out an outfit and piling on layers and accessories to complete a look from head to toe. They made for some really fun illustrations including Mixed Traditions (shown above) my favorite illustration of them all, Take it to the Street, and Tokyo Punk, amoung others.

The second book, Girly Girl Style: Fun Fashions You Can Sketch, showcases ultra girly and feminine designs. Similar to the Harajuku book, I was given precise outfit design direction for each look, such as On the Runway, Crocheted Cutie, Style at Sea and Radiant Romper (all shown above) and drew detailed illustrations building a sketch from a loose gesture drawing to polished final illustration.

As I was only hired to illustrate these books and not write or consult as to how to actually build a illustration, I do have a difference of opinion regarding how to render some fabrics and build an illustration. In actuality I don't really draw this way, with this many steps and layers, however these books are for beginners, focused primarily towards tweens, so the illustrations are broken down and made clear. They are fun little books and would make a great gift for any fashion loving tween. The books are being marketed to school libraries, however they're also available on Amazon.

It has been a interesting experience illustrating my first two books. Like many projects it was really a learning process, with ups and downs along the way. Deciding how I wanted my name to appear in the Library of Congress was pretty cool and debating some of the design direction was a challenge, but I'm excited they're out there now. I hope kids enjoy them and hopefully they're the first of many more books throughout my career. Check back next week for a giveaway and your chance to win one!

Fabulous Doodles 2012 Gift Guide

I am so excited to share the Fabulous Doodles 2012 gift guide. This year I focused on 5 unique categories; gifts for the entrepreneur/artist with a home office, fashion books with style, gifts for your "label lover" best friend, movies featuring fashion on film, and one of my favorites from last year, gifts for the little artist.

As an illustrator who works from home I can tell you the importance of having a studio/office space that is both functional and chic. An efficient work space has to be both functional and well designed, especially when working from home where its so easily to be distracted. My studio is a constant rotation of beautiful pieces that I've collected over the years.

(1. Brooklit Fashion Illustration Mini Print $6 2. Rock Our Work Agate Bookends $39 3. Brooklit Fashion Illustration Notepad $7 4. Nate Berkus for Target Round Tray $29.99 5. Kate Spade Business Card Case $58 6. West Elm Owl Mug $8 7. Freshly Picked Leather Mouse Pad $35)

Gifting art is a creative and often affordable option, especially with Etsy. My "mini print" fashion illustrations come individually or you could choose a set of three that echo the personality and style of the person you're giving it to and their space. The raw naturally beauty of agate bookends compliment any home office. I bought mine at Home Goods, but found these similar ones online. Other elements that could glam up a work space include trays like this Nate Berkus for Target beauty, which could hold cute little notepads like my "Zoey" fashion illustration pad, bowls of supplies, or a great mug of pens and pencils like the West Elm metallic owl. The geometric printed leather mouse pads are a splurge but well worth it for an everyday essential. And when networking and exchanging cards it's so important to present yourself polished and professional which is why a quality leather business card holder like this gold Kate Spade one is a wonderful gift for any entrepreneur, artist, or designer.

(1. Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington $19 2. Masters of Fashion Illustration by David Downton $19 3. Vogue Covers $91 4. Harper's Bazaar: Greatest Hits by Glenda Bailey $40 5. Survival Kit: Fashion $109 6. 100 Dresses: The Costume Institute/The Met $16.95 7. Brooklit Bookmarks $3.50)

Beautiful books make for a spectacular gift that can be appreciated for years and years. There are so many stunning fashion books available that its hard to choose which to feature. Vogue recently released this great book of vintage covers with an equally great black on black silhouetted cover. Last year I fell in love with a similar book of cover from Harper's Bazaar. For any admirer of fashion illustration David Downton's Masters of Fashion Illustration is must have. Assouline books are gorgeous and this collection of four making up their Fashion Survival Kit would be quite the killer gift. Lastly is Grace, the anticipated memoir of Vogue's Creative Director Grace Coddington. I cannot wait to read this! I'm traveling to Paris for the holidays and thinking is the ideal read for my trip. Need an accessory to the book you're giving? A fashion illustration bookmark would be a great little addition to any of these books.

(1. Chanel Lip Balm $32.50 2. Tom Ford by Tom Ford $85 3. Brooklit Notecard $5 4. Rachel Zoe Ornament $40 5. Alexander Wang Purse $79 (on sale!) 6. Marc by Marc Jacobs iPad Case $98 7. Spun Sugar Paperie Chanel Watercolor Print $19 8. Brian Atwood for Target Leather Gloves $49.99)

Tom Ford, the designer who epitomizes luxury and style also happens to have beautiful bold book that I spot constantly on the shelves of fashion elite in editorial shoots and television. For the designer label lover we all know and love I've also found some affordable giftables. Who knew Chanel made lip balm!? I sure didn't. What a jaw dropping alternative to boring old chapstick. Sending a fashion illustration card featuring a designer label, like the Lazarro gown drawn on my "lucky lady" card is another great little gift, as is Rachel Zoe's chic ornament from the Child Mind Institute's Celebrity Ornament Collection. Designer accessories are always a hit and who wouldn't be thrilled to see a little Alexander Wang, Marc by Marc Jacobs or Brian Atwood under their tree. And last but not least, a wonderful gift that would look great in every girls boudoir, is this lovely print I found on Etsy of a watercolor painting of a classic Chanel perfume.

(1. Coco Before Chanel 2. Valentino: The Last Emperor 3. The September Issue 4. The Thomas Crown Affair 5. Audrey Hepburn Triple Feature 6. The Devil Wears Prada)

Movies make great little gifts for your closest friends to your office secret Santa. Here is a handful of my favorite fashion films great for gifting: Coco Before Chanel is the wonderful story of how Coco Chanel began her career. Valentino The Last Emperor is a the must watch documentary that I've gushed about here before. The September Issue documents the making of Vogue's biggest issue of the year and features Creative Director Grace Coddington who steels the show. You can't help but be in awe of her heartfelt passion, creativity and integrity. The 1999 Thomas Crown Affair remake showcases a flawless wardrobe worn by Renee Russo, which was primarily designed by Michael Kors for Celine and Halston. The triple feature dvd of Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy and Edith Head, well really, enough said. And lastly the Devil Wears Prada which I actually once gave to a fashion industry boss as a holiday gift! (He loved it.)

(1. The Fashion Coloring Book by Carol Chu $9 2. Jonathan Adler Whale Eraser $9.95 3. Fashion Origami $9 4. Met Kids Sketchpad $7.99 5. Play-Doh $8 6. Fingerprint Art Set $10)

For the little artist in your life how about giving this chic fashion coloring book? And if they're concerned with staying in the lines then the giant Jonathan Adler whale eraser will do the trick. Fashion origami!? So much better than the fortune tellers and stars we used to make. The MetKids Chunky Sketchpad is a great gift for any little artist to get their sketch on and a classic set of Play-Doh is heaven for those who like to work with their hands and create. And last but not least a wonderful little craft set that helps you turn your fingerprints into fancy little fairies.

Hope you enjoyed this years gift picks. Will you be picking up any as gifts? Happy shopping and hope you all have a fabulous holiday!