On Monday, I’d almost finished drafting my intended blog post for today, when the evening’s homework help requests started pouring in. Eventually, I somewhat huffily agreed to help with my brother’s art homework. I say ‘huffily’, but my friends remember the intensity with which I watched over Niall, each year, as he painted a boiled egg for the ‘Decorate an Easter Egg’ competition, at primary school. He won two years in a row.
Just sayin’.
After an hour, with my brother, trawling through Google, my original post was shelved and today’s post morphed into this: a spotlight on Australian creative, Craig Redman.
Darcel toasts the New Bond St Louis Vuitton Maison at http://www.darceldisappoints.com/
Using a variety of different mediums, he’s one of those people that makes you feel distinctly talentless. I was astounded by his impressive portfolio. Envy-inducing Redman has worked on projects for Apple, The xx, Nike and luxury group LVMH. Painter, Graphic Designer, Sculptor, Animator; Craig Redman is arguably most well-known for his blog: ‘Darcel Disappoints’.
His illustrations of character, Darcel, have found international acclaim. It seems, to me, that Redman engages his readers because his illustrations aren’t dream-like or un-relatable. They portray the daily grind of modern life; living in a cramped studio apartment, taking a selfie in the bathroom, being alone and hating everyone on Valentine’s Day… I’m hooked.
This is my fashion blog, however, and so I have to show you the tenuous link to the my subject matter. It was these fashion illustrations, completed during the recent New York Fashion Week, that peaked my interest.
Darcel’s NYFW Street Style in Band of Outsiders at http://www.darceldisappoints.com/
Working Proenza Schouler at http://www.darceldisappoints.com/
Whilst I am very fond of the likes of fashion illustrators Sabine Pieper, Richard Haines of ‘What I Saw Today’ and Garance Doré; there was something refreshing about Darcel that made me sit up and take notice. It could be the strong, graphic shapes, saturated with colour. Or, it could be the fact that Darcel is an eye, with stick-limbs and half a spectacle frame perched on his non-face, stood outside Louis Vuitton on New Bond St. They’re cool. I like ’em.
With research, I was surprised just how entrenched Craig Redman is within the fashion industry. He lives in New York and is half of design-duo ‘Craig and Karl’; collaborating daily with his London-based partner, Karl Maier, to produce work for clients including British Vogue and New York Magazine.
Craig and Karl have worked on a number of fashion collaborations. Namely, in 2013, they worked with Luxury accessories brand MCM to release two collections of classic, monogram designs marked with childlike, pop-art illustrations: MCM x Craig & Karl ‘Eyes on the Horizon’ and MCM x Craig & Karl ‘Beyond Snowdome’.
Susie Lau of Style Bubble fame is, of course, clued-up on their latest collaboration and I now recall reading her post about an upcoming Craig and Karl x Le Specs sunglass collection.
Le Specs are an Australian brand, with their designs championed by the likes of Miranda Kerr and Rihanna.
A pastel colour palette for Craig and Karl x Le Specs. Images courtesy of Style Bubble.
The new fifteen piece collection, with Craig and Karl, is currently sold internationally in stores in Paris, Hong Kong and New York. But, if you fancy a piece of art for your face, Net-a-Porter sells selected pieces with a price point of around the £60.00 mark.
I must say, they’re a little cray-zee for me but they won’t look out of place on holiday or at the festivals this summer.
- Le Speccy at http://www.prettylittlething.com/ with these Sienna Frosted Pink Retro Sunglasses, £6.00
£60.00 to jump on the Le Specs bandwagon? Hmm. I have a tendency to sit on or lose my sunglasses and so i’ll be looking to prettylittlething.com as my way forward, this year. The retailer has a great selection of bold directional pieces and classic styles.
A £6.00 spend on sunglasses, knowing full well they’ll eventually rattle around the footwell of my Mini?
Yeah, I can deal with that.
‘What you learn from living in New York is that the only thing people give a fuck about is themselves’. http://www.darceldisappoints.com/
J.
Jessica and Kate 