My take on Chloe Love Story #SaksPOV

I hope you have enjoyed my floral illustrations for Dior and Burberry so far! It's the third week of Saks Glam Gardens and I will be sharing two fashion and beauty looks inspired by Chloé. 

At the Cafe – My Favorite Painting Spot

Chloé's Love Story is undeniably the epitome of a pure, yet sensual floral scent. The first looks was inspired by Chloe's campaign video for Love Story.

The fragrance opens with a radiant orange blossom scent, inspiring me to use some vibrantly coloured flower petals for this look. During my visit to the florist, the brightly coloured yellow and pure white Freesias were first to catch my eye. It is always a joy to work with cheery, bold colours and these flowers happened to be perfect for the look I had in mind.

Playing around with the poses and lines of the fashion figure helps to bring out the desired mood for the look. For this look, the silhouette was drawn to capture the essence of sensuality, gracefulness and the 'expression of a free woman' that embodies Love Story. I especially like the use of a padlock design for the fragrance bottle. It reminds me of Pont Des Arts Bridge in Paris, a true symbol of love and affection.

The second look I created for Chloé was inspired by the Guipure Lace-Trim Silk Chiffon Blouse from Chloe's spring 2015 collection. Mokara Orchids and Purple Eye Asiatic Lilies were used to resemble the bohemian-like patterns of the blouse. Unlike the vibrant and vivid colours I usually work with for my illustrations, these petals have a more muted and somber tone.

To create the illusion of soft ruffles as seen on the blouse, the petals were folded and layered on top of one another. The process of repeatedly folding and layering the petals was quite challenging for me, since the petals were of different sizes. I hope you like the finished look!

Create your own Love Story with Chloé!

#SaksPOV | BURBERRY GOES FLORAL

The My Burberry fragrance is another springtime floral scent I've grown to love this season. The British, post-rain, garden-like scent certainly brings back some of my travel memories from my time in London. The bottle is also unquestionably sophisticated, with a clean and crisp bow on its neck, like those of a signature Burberry Prorsum trench coat. This scent is undeniably fresh, timeless, and one that embodies the Burberry brand perfectly.

My Burberry Fragrance in Watercolors

Following my previous post showcasing my Dior-inspired illustrations, I am thrilled to share with you the second look I've created for the Saks Glam Gardens campaign. A gorgeous abstract print trench from Burberry Prorsum's spring 2015 ready-to-wear collection was illustrated to go with the My Burberry fragrance for this look. I love the use of bold prints as well as the interesting insect and floral motifs on the trenches this season.

Putting My Skills to the Test. Photo by happyphotopeople

This time, I headed out to a quiet cafe in the morning to grab a cup of coffee. As usual, I had my painting materials and a bunch of flowers with me. For this piece, I've decided to use smaller flower petals to re-create the looks of the trench. By using smaller petals, I was able to incorporate the beauty of both the red and yellow carnations, as well as stunning deep deep red Gerbera daisies into the piece.

An English Garden Come to Life

Initially, I was feeling faintly apprehensive about starting on this challenging piece, but the good coffee and a change in environment definitely helped! Unlike my usual floral illustrations, both flower petals and watercolours were used to complete this piece. Watercolours were used to accentuate the bold prints and lines of the trench.

After some trial and error, I must say I’m extremely happy with how it turned out! Being tasked to recreate this specific trench look helped me to gain new experiences despite it being slightly challenging. I really enjoyed the whole process while trying out new techniques. I hope you like this piece as much as I do! So I’ll end here by saying, always be bold, courageous, and dare to try something new!

Be transported to your favorite London garden with every spritz of My Burberry.

Saks Glam Gardens - Dior

The season for flowers is finally here! This spring calls for us to bust on more floral scents and fragrances. Since Christian Dior launched its newest interpretations of ‘Miss Dior’ early last year, I must admit, it has been one of my favorite everyday springtime floral scents. The delicate and light scent of ‘Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet’ exemplifies both youthfulness and modernity, while embodying Dior’s couture spirit. I’ve also fallen in love with the packaging of the bottle. The dainty yet sleek bow around the bottle’s neck truly brings out the girly, yet sophisticated side of Miss Dior. 

This spring I am excited to be partnering with Saks in their Glam Gardens initiative. I’ve always loved working with flowers and this experience has been so surreal. Inspired by the charming ‘Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet’ and Christian Dior’s 2015 Spring/Summer collection, I have created two unique floral looks for #SaksGlamGardens. During my visit to the florist, with my phone and notebook in my hands, I carefully searched and examined the flowers I’ve dedicatedly listed for both the looks.

The first look was created using a full bouquet of Pink Peonies. My inspiration for this piece came from the essence of the ‘Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet’, and the heart of the fragrance, Pink Peonies. I thought they perfectly personify the elegance, charm of an irresistibly beautiful woman donned in the gorgeous fragrance.

Floral Couture in Progress. Photo Credits: HappyPhotoPeople

Each petal was placed overlapping one another to add volume to the gown and represent elegance, sophistication and grace. At the same time, the lightweight petals characterize the delicate, breezy scent of the fragrance.

How do you find the finished look?

The second look I created was inspired by Look #7 of Christian Dior’s Spring 2015 Ready-to-Wear Collection. The Christian Dior collection this season has redefined modernity in fashion by borrowing historical references and making it look ‘new’. Since I was illustrating an all-white gown, I’ve decided to work with a variety of flower breeds. White Peonies, Hydrangeas, Damascus and Matthiola petals were used. Using different shades and shapes of white petals helped to bring out the structure of the outfit.

Photo Credits: Olivia Palermo

I thought the white, luscious peony blooms helped signify the soft and sensual scent of ‘Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet’, while providing additional texture to the skirt. 

Layering on the bouquet of Peonies, Hydrangeas, Damascus, and Matthiolas. 

The green buds of the Matthiola flowers helped to accentuate the beautiful detailing of the skirt, while its sophisticated, pure-white blooms brought the rest of the piece to life.

Giving whites some necessary dimension. 

J'adore Dior

Dior’s 2015 Spring/Summer runway looks and ‘Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet’ have given me so much inspiration over the week. I am exceedingly thrilled to share my floral creations with all of you!

Don't forget to stop by Saks New York's Glam Gardens Windows, Photo Credit: Saks Fifth Avenue

Saks New York's Dior window, a gorgeous contrast of metal and flora play perfectly against the vast array of miniature iconic Miss Blooming Bouquet bottles.

I hope you like my floral illustrations! Now, its time to enjoy spring with all these light, heavenly floral scents!