FAIIINT

Archives for September 2013

Hélène Poujade

Inspiration

Hélène Poujade sancti medicina - pen & ink illustration, graphic, tattoo, artist, black & white.Hélène Poujade osteology spine skull - pen & ink illustration, graphic, tattoo, artist, black & white.Hélène Poujade death & dying - pen & ink illustration, graphic, tattoo, artist, black & white.

Hélène Poujade

As soon as I saw Hélène Poujade‘s work my immediate thoughts were ‘tattoo’, how awesome would the first image be as a full sleeve?! Her work explores the themes of death, dying, our mortality & eventual decay, but the images are far from dark & depressing thanks to the bold, graphic style & the light hearted details scattered throughout the pieces. I love the ‘cut here’ line across the neck & medicine mask in the first image & the eyeball clutched in her hand in the second.

The level of detail in her pieces works so well with this pen & ink style, it’s bold & eye catching but has a certain nostalgia to it too, coming from the traditional medium & use of techniques, like the painstaking stippling. I love the possibilities modern methods allow for creating, but I’ll always have a soft spot for actual pen, ink, paint on paper or canvas & these really appeal to that part of me. There is so much going on to absorb & take in, a real feast for the eyes, these pieces deserve to be gazed on for a few moments, to really appreciate all of those little details.

Fedora

Style

Fashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Catarzi fedora, Allsaints draped silk dress, Vivienne Westwood animal toe shoes, Balenciaga city bag. All black, dark style, gothic outfit, street styleFashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Catarzi fedora, Allsaints draped silk dressFashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Vivienne Westwood animal toe indent moulded shoesFashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Catarzi fedora, Allsaints draped silk dress, Vivienne Westwood animal toe shoes, Balenciaga city bag. All black, dark style, gothic outfit, street styleFashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Catarzi fedora, Allsaints draped silk dress, Vivienne Westwood animal toe shoes, Balenciaga city bag. All black, dark style, gothic outfit, street style

Catarzi Fedora / AllSaints Draped Dress / Lux Coronette Lion Claw Necklace / Vivienne Westwood Animal Toe Shoes / Balenciaga City

For months now I’ve been craving a huge black hat, seeing some of my favourite girls rocking them made me need one even more, but I feared it just wouldn’t suit me. Even when it arrived I was unsure. I liked the hat but it felt odd on me & I really couldn’t decide, so I asked you guys on Instagram if you thought I should keep it – it was an overwhelming yes, so I guess it’s staying! I’ve never been a hat person, it was only last year that I took the plunge & brought my first hat in years, a beanie. I fell in love with it & it barely left my head all winter, what had taken me so long?! Hopefully it’ll be the same story with this one.

I haven’t worn these Vivienne Westwood shoes for such a long time that I almost forgot how much I love them. A rescued eBay steal, they were beaten up & a metallic gold before I got my hands on them. They are starting to look a little battered again now after a lot of wear, but I think they’re one of those pairs that look better a little lived in & scuffed up. It kind of suits the sculpted toes, as if they’re so old & worn they’ve molded to your foot shape & yes, they are as comfortable as that image implies!

They’re one of a handful of things I own that always seem to get me a lot of repulsed looks whenever I wear them. I know to some people they are quite ugly, they’re definitely not pretty shoes, but I’ve always been drawn to that sort of strange beauty & I love how they make my feet look like little animal paws!

Kofta ‘Hug’

Covet

Konstantin Kofta 'Hug' collection book praying hands black leather clutch. Dark style, gothic, indepenent designer, lookbookKonstantin Kofta 'Hug' collection black leather scoliosis backpack bag twisted spine human anatomy. Dark style, gothic, indepenent designer, lookbookKonstantin Kofta 'Hug' collection ripped torn black leather boots, distressed. Dark style, gothic, indepenent designer, lookbookKonstantin Kofta 'Hug' collection hug hands human anatomy backpack bag. Dark style, gothic, indepenent designer, lookbook

Kofta ‘Hug’ Collection

I came across the first image on tumblr a little while ago, and it left me completely speechless. The eerie feel of the photography and styling, those muted colours, the stark contrast between the models porcelain skin & the layered blacks that surround & envelope her, the images took my breath away & are the perfect backdrop to showcase what a beautiful work of art the clutch is. I searched for hours to find out whom it’s maker was, and was blown away when I came across Kofta‘s website & the rest of his stunning pieces.

I’ve always been obsessed with anatomy, the body is such a beautifully designed machine and I love when little hints of this are used in design. Though here it is more of an obvious reference, I think the black leather makes it rather subtle and I love the surrealism of the pieces too. They are pieces that are, at once, both understated & yet attention grabbing. I couldn’t get the hands clutch out of my mind when I first saw it, it haunted me & I longed to have it. I’m not so sure now, as I think the ‘scoliosis’ backpack is possibly even more beautiful, though I would also kill for the torn leather boots & the wonderful ‘hand’ backpack too.

I had a tough time selecting just a few images to showcase here, as every single one of the 24 piece collection is incredible, but you can view the rest of the lookbook & the other pieces here, you won’t be disappointed. Select pieces of the collection are available through Vertice & ODD.

‘We know nothing other than that which we can see and feel… Spirit does not have form, but some forms can have spirit’