New Blog Home...

It's official! My new blog has launched and I will now be sketching and posting at http://www.joanna-baker.com/blog. I'm really excited to start this new chapter!

If you follow me on Bloglovin, no need to do a thing as they were kind enough to transfer my followers to my new blog home. If you use another blog reader, please change your feed and start following me there. Thanks so much for your continued support... I can't wait to keep sketching!

~Joanna
Website: http://www.joanna-baker.com
New Blog: http://www.joanna-baker.com/blog

Moving Up...

Can you believe it? This month marks two years of sketching and posting on my little blog! It has been a great journey so far, I've made some great friends, met some fellow illustrators, and have appreciated all the wonderful comments and support from you, my lovely readers.

After lots and lots of thought I have decided to take it to the next level. I am busy working on a new home for my blog that will be connected to my website. I plan on posting more regularly and have exciting things in the works to share.

If all goes well, the shiny new blog will go live September 1st. I hope you will continue with me on my adventures and follow my blog at its new location to be announced soon! Stay tuned and thank you for your continued support!

Interview with Elements Magazine...

Happy August, everyone! About a month ago, the lovely Aggie from Elements Magazine contacted me and asked if I'd like to be featured. Of course I jumped at the chance to answer a few questions about my illustrations, favorite drawing tools, and meeting Mr. Louboutin! Hop on over and check out the interview here. Thanks again, Aggie for this wonderful opportunity and your continued support!

Leather & Lace...

When the Fall 2012 collections first debuted, I couldn't stop gushing about the Dolce & Gabbana show... and now the fall line is finally hitting the stores! The bags are gorgeous and cost nearly twice my rent but hey... I can drool and dream =)

SoHo Street Find...

While browsing the streets of SoHo on a summer Friday, I made an impulse purchase (a very rare thing for me) but I'm happy I did. There were tables upon tables of these little bracelets for sale along Prince Street, my friend and I couldn't help but be drawn to the neon ones! Here's mine in action:

I hope you're enjoying a sunny weekend. It's rainy here in New York... but at least that gives me an excuse to wear my wellies =) Have a relaxing Sunday!

Blogger Inspired...

I first started seeing her outfit posts pop up on Pinterest and now I'm obsessing over her closet! Rachel Parcell of Pink Peonies always pairs preppy with a dose of glitz and glam. And she's not afraid of color... which makes for a great sketch =) This sequin sweater is amazing paired with skinny jeans and glittery loafers. And a peep of polka dots is perfection! The right outfit really can change your mood =) Happy Friday, everyone!

Wednesday Wishlist...

I get so excited when the new J.Crew catalog comes in the mail... especially when it contains the first glimpses of a new fall collection! Even though it will be at least 90 degrees tomorrow, I'm already thinking about my fall wish list..

1. Polka dotted cashmere... yum!
2. Classy patent flats with a little golden heel
3. Fancy tweed A-line mini skirt

I might even stop in the store this weekend and see them in person. Did you get your J.Crew catalog yet? What are your favorites? I hope you have a great rest of your week... it's been a long one but we're almost there! =)

Milady...

These darling little kitten heels by Christian Louboutin are my third and final pair from the contest. 'Milady' is from the Fall 2012 collection and I love the patent bow.... I'm noticing a theme =)

I've decided that I have been drawing too many shoes recently, it's become an obsession! I must move on to something new... perhaps my new fall wish list... is it too early to be dreaming of sweaters and boots?

The Lovely Mira...

Another drawing in what is becoming a pencil portrait mini series! I think I'll make it a habit to change up my style a bit with these black and white drawings more often... Miroslava Duma is positively 24/7 100% chic. She always looks adorable and wears the most interesting things. I first saw her in a collection of photos captured by Tommy Ton and have been following her style ever since. This image is so lovely, I just had to illustrate! I hope you all had a great week, I'm thankful the weekend is here... time to relax and get some much needed drawing time in. More illustrations to come, including that last pair of Louboutins!

Pair Number Two...

These chic little gold 'turban' flats are perfect for the girl who can't fathom wearing heels all day in the city. I wanted to get a pair of Louboutins that I would actually wear, and given the sizing dilemma mentioned previously, I was lucky enough Bergdorf's had mine in stock. Yay for pair number two!

"Love Me" My Louboutins...

Two weeks ago, I finally worked up the courage to spend my Louboutin stipend at Bergdorf Goodman. I have to admit, it was a little intimidating... I never dreamed to someday walk into Bergdorf's and walk out a proud owner of three shiny new pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes! There was one small catch to the whole thing-- I had to spend it all at once. And that proved more difficult than I thought...

It took me two weekends to find three pairs of shoes in my size. Most of his shoes run small and very narrow so I had to go up a size to fit my big feet! I am still breaking them in and have yet to wear them outside. (Don't want to scuff those red soles!)  It has become a nightly ritual to try my shoes on and walk around the apartment in them just a little bit before going to bed. Pretty silly, huh? The BF just shakes his head... oh well =)

Here's the first pair, "Love Me" from the Pre-Fall 2012 Collection:

I hope you're having a great week =) Stay tuned for more sketches & pics of pairs two and three!

Lucky Little Boxes...

A couple of weekends ago I finally made a very special purchase... and I can't wait to share with you! I'm working on illustrations of my lovely new shoes so until then, the boxes will have to do =) Stay tuned!

Picnic in Central Park...

There's nothing like spending a summer afternoon lounging in the sun on a blanket in central park. We pack up fresh cherries, berries and sandwiches... I bring my favorite magazines and just lie out and people-watch. It's been so hot here in NYC these past few days, hope it's cool where you are! Have a great week =)

Blogger Inspired...

How stunning is Kelly in this photo?! I've been following her blog, The Glamourai, for quite some time now... and became obsessed with her super chic looks and amazing apartment. I thought I'd go back to my roots on this one and just do a pencil sketch, like my school day drawings. Enjoy!

Wednesday Wishlist...

This past weekend we enjoyed every second of the most beautiful weather in NYC. Everyone was out in central park: sunbathing, boating, and picnic-ing. I wanted to bring some of that sunshine into my closet and neon yellow accessories definitely brighten things up!

I pinned this zebra scarf a while back... it's so cute and whimsical! I'm thinking about investing in a statement bag this summer. This one is gorgeous and I'd love it in black or tan. And of course, neon makes everything happier. Have a great rest of your week =)

Gingham Girl...

The resort collections are upon us and Oscar de la Renta did not disappoint. No one has perfected ladylike glamour quite like Oscar. I gasped when I saw this gingham embellished dress on the cover of WWD today. And somehow before I even read the caption, I knew who it was...

Oh, Oscar... you force me to sketch your beautiful clothes until I can one day afford you without sacrificing rent money! Don't even get me started on the shoes...

Happy Tuesday, everyone =) Hope you're loving the resort shows!

Vogue Pug...

Part of spring cleaning involves flipping through my piles of fashion magazines, pulling my favorite images, and organizing them into my inspiration book. One of my favorite tears from a while back happens to feature an adorable pug. (Gotta love pugs!) I sketched this adorable puppy from a Vogue editorial by Raymond Meier a couple years ago and featured him on my website but never blogged about him. Now he gets his very own post, enjoy!

Suit Up...

It's already the second week of May, which means Memorial Day is just around the corner and swimsuit season is approaching! I can't wait to hit the beach this summer and sport a cute suit. There are so many choices out there... I'm thinking something retro =) Have a good start to your week!

1. Anthropologie
2. Anthropologie
3. Nanette Lepore
4. Victoria's Secret
5. Madewell
6. J. Crew

Pencil Portrait...

I saw this image of Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette on Pinterest today and remembered a portrait I drew based on that very photograph back in college. It's from 2006 but I still love it and I will forever hold that movie on a pedestal as one of the most beautiful costume dramas ever envisioned. Oh to be back in school... and have time to devote to large, fully realized pencil portraits!

Spring Cleaning...

It's good to be back at my drawing table. The past few weekends have been completely devoted to spring cleaning and organizing our apartment. It's amazing how much stuff we have accumulated in just a few short years!

Ever since I saw that pink sofa, I've been thinking about redecorating. All of a sudden I find myself researching rugs and pouring over my West Elm catalog. I want to re-do everything, change our color scheme, even sew some curtains (because I can't seem to find the perfect ones!)

Maybe it's just spring fever... so to keep myself from buying everything, I drew an imaginary living room instead =) Have a great week!

Summer Wardrobe...

Would you believe me if I told you it's supposed to reach 87 degrees tomorrow in NYC?! Today was an absolutely beautiful day... everyone was out in Central Park enjoying the sunshine. Which got me thinking about what my summer wardrobe staples will be:

1. Cute printed skirt
2. V-neck tee
3. Statement necklace
4. Colorful satchel

Time to paint my toes and go sandal shopping... have a great week!

Pink Sofa...

I found this how-to post on Glitter Guide and am now obsessed with pink sofas! This one is just so darn cute and I know it would never make its way into the apartment. When the BF and I merged our lives into an UES one-bedroom, he had two decorating rules: no pink and no flowers. (Soo boring!) Oh well... all I can do is pin, illustrate, and move on. =)

Feeling Lighter...

I've been carrying around what my co-workers have deemed "the mom wallet." A nearly exploding sandwich of a wallet that is weighing me down (literally) and holding me back. We're talking every insurance card and school ID I've ever owned, not to mention many many (most likely expired) gift cards that are surely more than six years old. I really don't know how this happened...

Well I have a habit of holding onto things... in case I might need them! And it has come to a point where my five pound wallet is causing me pain. So to force myself into a cute, chic, slim wallet I thought I'd illustrate some potential purchases. I hope you like =)

1. Urban Outfitters
2. Anya Hindmarch
3. See By Chloe
4. Kate Spade

Glitter Obsessed...

It all started with some nail polish I got in a swag bag from last month's Bloggerini event. I actually used some to glitterize my sketch =) Glittery nails just feel fancier than plain old polish... I don't know if I'll ever go back! I hope you're having a lovely week... the weather in NYC is unseasonably warm. Here's to a happy Spring!

Blogger Inspired...

Spring for some reason is synonymous with stripes in my mind. I definitely need more stripes in my life. Mara Ferreira's always adorable style, featured on her blog M Loves M, is perfect for the winter-spring transition... a great pop of color with black & white stripes. Here's hoping that consistently warm weather is just around the corner! Have a good rest of your week =)

Wednesday Wishlist...

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I've been seeing floral pants pop up everywhere while out window shopping and browsing my favorite blogs. It's almost enough to make me want a pair of my own! Now that a new Anthropologie moved in a few blocks from my apartment (a very gorgeous space at that, it's at 71st and 3rd if you happen to be in the area!), I might just hop in on my way home from work and try these on with a cute chambray shirt.

And now for backstory on those lovely red-soled sandals...

When I entered the contest, I knew that part of the prize would be a gift from Christian Louboutin and Bergdorf Goodman. I also knew that I would get to keep the dress I made. Of course all of the designers were dying to find out what these mystery gifts were going to be!

When I went to pick up my design from Bergdorf Goodman PR offices, I was given my dress in a garment bag and a Bergdorf shopping bag completely stapled shut. I really wanted to rip the bag open in the downstairs lobby, but I contained myself long enough to carry it all home...

I got to my apartment, opened the bag and there were my beautiful Alta Dentelle shoes from the contest, wrapped in tissue paper! Also inside were two little boxes, one had a gift card to Bergdorf's and the other revealed a gift certificate to Christian Louboutin... enough to buy at least two pairs of his amazingly gorgeous shoes! The perfect end to an amazing journey that I still can't believe happened =) Time to go shoe shopping!!

Spring Kicks...

Happy March! I'm a few days late but I wanted to celebrate one of my favorite months with a fabulously colorful shoe by Nicholas Kirkwood. I'm loving his floral pumps... these were featured on the cover of Lucky's March issue.

I love March because it's the start of spring, the BF has a birthday in the beginning of the month and I turn a year older at the end of the month. Lots to celebrate! Have a great week and I can't wait to share some more spring inspired sketches =)

Dolce, Dolce, Dolce...

If you haven't already seen it, you positively must watch the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2012 runway show from Milan. I'm such a huge fan of costume dramas, and period clothing... anything ornate and delicate. This show was a gorgeous, opulent display of intricately detailed baroque inspired clothing and jewel encrusted accessories. Yum =) I was so inspired, I had to draw an up-close look from the collection... I hope you like!

So I realized the other day that I had no way for you to get in contact with me should you want to say hi, ask me a question, or send me a link to your blog... silly me. I finally added an 'About Me' page with all my contact info so now we're just an e-mail away! Click on my pic in the sidebar for all the ways to connect.

And I finally figured out how to create a Facebook page just for my blog. Yay! Feel free to head on over and check it out. I plan on using this space to post more behind the scenes stuff, extra sketches, and photos. We'll see how it goes...

Have a good rest of your week, make it a good one, and happy leap day =)

Blogger Inspired...

It's been awhile since my last 'Blogger Inspired' post so I decided to draw one of my favorites: Liz Cherkasova of Late Afternoon. I saw her feature on Glitter Guide awhile back and loved this look! Not only is she beyond gorgeous and always chic, I admire how she combines prints and colors.

I'm trying to get used to the idea of bold patterns and bright pops of color for spring since I kinda missed out this past fall. To test the waters I just bought a pair of bright orange skinny jeans! Even though it feels like winter never came, I think I could get used to the idea of warm weather right about now =) Have a happy and productive week!

Be Sweet...

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone at least celebrates with a sweet treat... or two or three =) I love eating these little heart candies. They aren't gourmet chocolates or anything but there's something about them that brings back those childhood memories of trading Valentines in elementary school. Have a fabulous rest of your week... more sketches to come!

Color Craving...

When the weather is cold and bleak, I crave color. These sparkly stunners from Dannijo would certainly cure me of my winter doldrums. I have absolutely no place to wear them, but I wouldn't care...

It's that time of year again... Fashion Week in NYC. Do you have any favorites so far? I have to admit, I haven't been as on top of the collections as I should be. Maybe I'll head on over to Style.com and sketch a few of my favorites. I could use the practice =) Have a good night and stay warm!

Christian Louboutin / Bergdorf Goodman : The Contest, Part 3...

The night of the event finally arrived! The dress code for the party was red and I ran all over the city the weekend before trying to find the perfect dress... and shoes... and bag. I'm not a very fancy person and realized throughout all of this that I own absolutely zero fancy clothes!

At this point I was exhausted, had been working non-stop on this thing for a month, and just wanted to survive it all. I finally found a cute little shift dress, some sparkly tights, black satin bow pumps, and fun chandelier earrings. I had no idea what to expect... I imagined everyone wearing Louboutins and ball gowns!

As it turned out, not everyone was dressed to the nines and I felt completely comfortable in my little red dress. Before we all went up to the shoe salon, the models wearing all five winning designs posed for a group shot. I jumped in the pic along with another designer, Hyeyoung Kim. 

The highlight of the night was meeting Mr. Louboutin himself and having him sign my dress! He was so sweet and reserved. I also met Linda Fargo, Fashion Director of Bergdorf's. She was fabulously dressed in a sparkly 30's style flapper dress and had tattooed herself all over with sequin hearts and stars. Half way through the night, a Marilyn Monroe impersonator brought out a cake and sang 'Happy Anniversary Mr. Louboutin.' Everyone celebrated with delicious cake pops!

After eating, drinking, and dancing it was time to go home. I finished my fairy tale night with some delicious macarons that my lovely coworkers gifted me...

Well that sure was an adventure! I'm so grateful for the opportunity and am so appreciative of all the support from family and friends. And I have to thank the BF profusely for putting up with my crying/cursing/maniac self the past month. Okay, now that's done... back to reality =)

*Missed Part 1 & 2?

Christian Louboutin / Bergdorf Goodman : The Contest, Part 2...

All the 20th anniversary capsule collection shoes were published in the February issue of InStyle magazine. I ran to the store and flipped through the pages to find them: my shoe was the biggest one on the page! The pressure was on... I had three weekends / 6 full days to make it all happen. And every night after work, I'd come home and sew. Since I didn't have a dress form, I ordered an inexpensive adjustable one online and had it shipped overnight. There was a mix up with FedEx and after a mini melt down (The BF had to calm me down!) we both travelled to the middle of no where in Queens to pick up the dress form at the FedEx depot. Once I had my form, I started draping the bodice in muslin...

Next I transfered the drape to pattern paper, cut out the pieces again in muslin and sewed it up to double check that everything looked right. I had never worked on an adjustable dress form before and the knobs were a little difficult to work with... definitely not made for creating fitted garments. But I did my best and tried to work around them.

The bodice was the hardest part to get right, the lace inset was difficult and I ended up re-doing it twice. Tears... curses... hair pulling out... but finally after a trip to get more fabric, I was in a better place. I bought some fabulous faux fur at Elegant and found the perfect leather for the hot pink snakeskin embossed belt at Leather Impact.

There was a fitting at the Bergdorf PR offices on Friday before the final event. All the designers met their models and we got the chance to try our garments on an actual person. I was worried sick that it wouldn't fit at all... those dress form knobs are in the worst places... but luckily it zipped and I knew I could make it work. I did have to re-make the shorts underneath longer in the torso so they would meet up with the bodice. But my model, Ashley, looked gorgeous!



After the fitting, I finished the hem on the skirt part of the dress, hand tacked the bodice lining in place, and sewed the snaps on the belt. I was so relieved to be finished... but I still had to find something to wear! Stay tuned for party pictures...

*Missed Part 1? Don't miss part 3!

Christian Louboutin / Bergdorf Goodman : The Contest, Part 1...

Wow. This past month has been unforgettable. I want to document everything and share it all with you because I'm so relieved and happy that it was all worth it in the end! Let's start from the very beginning...

Back in November I received an e-mail from my alma mater, Parsons, alerting 2010 and 2011 graduates of a design contest collaboration with Bergdorf Goodman and Christian Louboutin. This past year marked his 20th anniversary in the business and to celebrate, he challenged recent alumni to design a look based on one of his soon-to-be-released capsule collection shoes.

There would be 5 winners in the end, all would receive $1,000 to fund the creation of their look as well as press at the launch party event and gifts from both Bergdorf Goodman and Christian Louboutin.

I jumped at the chance to participate and received an image of the shoe I would use as inspiration for my look. It was a beautifully sheer, lace stiletto boot- the Alta Dentelle. I immediately thought of an image I had saved from the November issue of Vogue Mexico... fur, lace, a pink lip and attitude. I did a bunch of rough sketches before settling on my final design then sent in my mood board and hoped for the best.

The top 20 designs were selected by Parsons faculty and sent to Linda Fargo and Christian himself to choose the top 5. Just before Christmas, I found out I had made the first cut. At this point I was half thrilled and half scared to death.. it had been over two years since I had draped anything on a form, my sewing machine was covered in dust, and I knew if I won, I'd have to actually make the thing. And that was terrifying!

Either way, I figured it could at least go on my resume that I was a finalist, so I was pretty much content with the way things were. And then after New Year's I got the congratulatory e-mail from Parsons... and couldn't believe it! The next three weekends I knew what I'd be doing. Armed with all my supplies, I got started that very weekend and worked on it every free moment I had for the next three weeks... stay tuned for pics of the dress in progress and the final reveal at Bergdorf's!

* Continue to Part 2... and 3!

Exciting News...

I have been dying to share this exciting news with you... and now that it's public I have to tell! I am creating a look for the launch of Christian Louboutin's 20th anniversary capsule collection. All my free time in the past few weeks has been devoted entirely to the creation of my outfit inspired by one of his brand new shoes, you can see them all in the February issue of InStyle magazine.

Once my design makes it to the event, I will share all the details! Until then, here's a feature on WWD! I couldn't be more excited... or terrified! Wish me luck as I work fervently to complete my outfit. I can't wait to tell you all about it!

*Edit: See my sketch for the contest on British Vogue!!

O Wu is Me...

Just a quick little post before I go to bed... I'm usually not one to get in a tizzy over designer collaborations but the latest pics of Jason Wu's collection for Target look pretty darn cute.

It's going to be no more than 15 degrees tomorrow morning in NYC (yikes!) and yet these adorable dresses had me thinking Spring for a fleeting moment. Read all about it here... I hope you have a fabulous rest of your week and be sure to bundle up!

Happy 2012...

Happy New Year everyone! This year we did what no sane New Yorker would ever consider doing: Times Square on New Year's Eve. It was a once in a life time kind of thing... unless we have guests next year who want to experience the madness too! After a lot of waiting, unbelievable crowds, and a few stampedes, we rang in the new year under the bright lights and magic that is NYE in New York. It was pretty cool, after all.

Today was definitely a day to recoup from all the excitement. Luckily the BF and I both had off from work. We ran some errands... I took a nap... very low key. I wanted to draw something today because I've been neglecting my blog over the past couple months and feel quite guilty about it. I miss you all so much and want to make time again for more drawing.

So with that in mind, here's a cute winter hat with a big pom pom. It's finally going to feel like winter here tomorrow and somehow I've misplaced my gloves and muffs! I've searched the apartment twice over and can't remember where I stowed them away last year. Oh well, just an excuse to purchase some new ones =) I wish you all a happy and healthy new year!