Pinterest and pretty

In case you haven't heard about it yet, the fun and unique social media page, Pinterest has quickly become the latest online craze with an audience that triples Twitter and has grown tenfold in the last six months! (Wall Street Journal, 16/02/12) 
It's easy to see why...

I've had a Pinterest account for about eight months now, but it was only a few weeks ago that a friend of mine asked me to invite her through my account (you need to request an invitation to join) that I found myself becoming an avid 'pinner' and understand why it's grown so fast in popularity.

Pinterest is an online pin board creator that allows you to make multiple boards for anything you want - a way to catalogue your lust lists, plan a wedding, inspire yourself to travel or make vision boards for your goals. I would almost label it as 'virtual self expression tool' on a new level compared to Facebook, Twitter and Lookbook. It carries across lifestyle, fashion, design and art, using visual media eye-candy to show your style sense and interests to the world. The great thing about Pinterest is that any image you pin links back to the original photographer or person who uploaded it, so credit is given to the artist and allows for more people to discover new talent. 

(Found on my pinterest page http://www.pinterest.com/apinkpeony)

There's always the people that want to find a way to monetize it, but I think the idea behind Pinterest is to use it as way to pin interesting and beautiful finds you come across online so you can keep it as reference and check back later. It's inspiring, creative and a fun way to see new sides of your friends and what they are into.


It would be a handy tool for creatives to pin their original artwork, photography and even furniture or lighting designs with a price tag attached and a link back to their website as way to gain further exposure(Etsy users are quickly jumping into Pinterest) - and who knows - maybe your work could even become a new pop culture image that gets pinned around the world!

(Found on my pinterest page http://www.pinterest.com/apinkpeony)

If you need an invitation just send me an email: glossposse@mail.com


Arielle 

Crafty + Bright

Today I wanted to share some brightness... I recently came across a gorgeous little book by freelance writer and designer, Kelly Doust, called 'The Crafty Minx'. Kelly's knack for creating hand made crafts from flea markets and vintage finds is very inspiring and as I was reading her book with a cup of hot tea, it dawned on me that I was really needing to make time to unleash my creativity. Here is the sentence in Kelly's book that really resonated with me.


"Things made by hand are special and hold a little bit of you in them...Spending even a small amount of time doing this actually restores the spirit and is much more rewarding than sitting down in front of the television after a hard day's work." Kelly Doust

Kelly's blog, The Crafty Minx, is a sweet mix of craft ideas to warm the heart. I'm also looking forward to grabbing a copy of her new book, Minxy Vintage, due for release in October 2011, which is all about customising vintage clothing.

Beautiful bright accessories
(image found at theBerry)

All it takes to reawaken your inner-creative is to clear away the clutter and surround yourself with positive inspiration. One way to do this is write down your new aspirations and add them to a fun vision board of ideas, quotes and images! I'm planning on getting myself a little sewing machine soon and have already started a collection of treasures such as ribbons, fabric pieces and buttons I can use to make my own original items. I'm also very interested in furniture restoration and plan on dabbling in restoring an antique wardrobe soon.

Have a great weekend and happy creating!

Buttons! (image found here)

A cute sewing table
(image from the dainty squid)

Jessica Lambert of Je Ne Sais Quoi, Brisbane's fashion entrepreneur, photographer and creative.

"je ne sais quoi"- meaning an inexplicable quality; a certain something…. The ‘X- factor’.

JE NE SAIS QUOI is a unique, collaborative fashion exhibition, bringing some of Queensland’s most innovative and inspiring emerging artists together to explore the concept of 'fashion as art'. Through photographic works, film, installation and illustration the artists interpret the craft of hair styling, make-up, fashion design, and styling.

Founded by Brisbane fashion creative, Jessica Lambert, the Je Ne Sais Quoi exhibition was held on Friday night the 12th of February, 2010, at Studio Thirteen in West End. I made sure to be there on the exhibition night and went with a group of friends who are also interested in the creative industries and fashion design. The turn out was fantastic with the entrance resembling a dream-like catwalk. As you entered Studio Thirteen you felt as though you had finally discovered an underground melting pot of local designers, fashionistas, musicians and artists all in one big room. There was a buzz in the air and a sense of anticipation as the models prepared to parade through the crowds, stopping at various artworks to model their unique outfits and hair styles. If you weren't able to make the event be sure to keep an eye out for the future and check out the website.

 Team JNSQ: Ruwan De Silva, AJ Jones, Jessica Lambert, Jessica Hutt, Romesh De Silva

1. Jessica, as the founder of Brisbane's fashion exhibition, Je Ne Sais Quoi, can you share with Gloss Posse who you are and what it is you do?

I’m a fashion photographer, stylist and a dabbler in design. I’m always surprising myself and others with my continuous, ever evolving, whacky ideas.

2. How did you come up with the concept of Je Ne Sais Quoi?

I wanted to really push myself and those in the emerging fashion creative industry in Queensland, to show what we are capable of. The talent behind the scenes are often lost so I wanted to uncover these artists and bring them to the forefront. Brisbane is over-flowing with fresh talent, I wanted to do something to help showcase part of a growing industry.

3.What is your vision for Je Ne Sais Quoi?

You’ll have to wait and see....!

 

4. Who/what is inspiring you at the moment?

The world wide web and its bloggers are always inspiring to me. I take my hat off to those who have a passion and want to show it to the world. Even if it is completely self-indulgent....thanks for sharing...it was entertaining! I don’t really have a favourite designer. There are many creatives past and present who I am in awe of. I strongly believe that creatives make the world go around.
 

5. What advice would you give to women pursuing a career in the fashion industry?

If you’re not going to be 100% committed, have a backup plan. You’ll work, what seems, harder than most for less. You won’t get your break in the first 6 months, year, 18 months or even 2 years. Although the people and clothes are pretty, the work is not. It’s a lot of hard work and at times you will feel as though you can’t give it any more.

HOWEVER the hard work does pay off and the money will come in. People will pay top dollar for good creatives. CREATE everyday and don’t let your ‘day-job’ get in the way of your ‘dream-job’. The fashion industry is very competitive so prepare yourself. If you’re scared someone will steal your idea, they will! Just make yours better! Go where the work is- it’s giving yourself the best chance to grow.

 

Thank you Jessica for having the vision to create Je Ne Sais Quoi and support emerging artists. Keep us up to date with what happens next with Je Ne Sais Quoi and your photography! You can contact Jessica by email or visit the website.

Arielle