Edwardian elegance

Hey Audrey!

I just couldn't resist showing you the three actresses who play the Crawley sisters in Downton Abbey posing for American Vogue in modern day couture inspired by Edwardian fashion. The photoshoot was by Uli Weber.

In love with Downton Abbey

 I love the tweed hunting outfit, look at the stunning detail on the hat.

 What a beautiful hair comb!

Hey Audrey!

Like many other people in the world, I have fallen completely in love with the TV series Downton Abbey, set Yorkshire from 1912 onwards. Mary and Matthew have become my favourite start crossed lovers. Susannah Buxton, the costume designer for the series, did a fantastic job. I read in an interview that she mostly reworked real vintage dresses for the series, instead of creating them from scratch.  Even Vogue thinks that the series is something special, and have been showing their readers how to get the Edwardian look, as well as shooting luscious spreads with the lead actresses. The images I'm showing you here are form the Special Christmas Edition, which has the most romantic ending I have seen in a long time.

I bought a dog tummy!

Hey Audrey!

I recently attended an auction at the beautiful Book Lounge in Cape Town. Generous illustrators and designers donated a piece to be auctioned off in order to fund a much needed school library. I was lucky enough to win the bid on this charming piece by Roulé Le Roux, using a Groucho Marx quote. I smile every time I see it, I think you would as well!

My Fair Lady

Hey Audrey!

I watched your film My Fair Lady with a friend the other day. We both loved it! I'm so happy that Cecil Beaton, who designed your iconic costumes, won an Academy Award for them back in 1965. When I first saw the film as a little girl,  I wanted my wedding dress to look exactly like the white ball dress with matching long white gloves. Now I love the shell pink organza tea dress most. Normally I hate musicals, but I know the lyrics of the My Fair Lady songs off by heart. "I have often walked down this street before. But the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before da di da..."And the dialogue is really funny. Like the part where your character, Eliza Doolittle, explains to the snooty guests at the Ascot races: "Not her, gin was mother's milk to her. Besides he poured so much down his own throat, he knew the good of it."

All eyes on baby

Hey Audrey!

My friend Karen is having a baby soon, so we had a wonderful baby shower for her, in the form of high tea at the elegant Mount Nelson hotel in Cape Town. Regine, who organized the event, kindly let me help out on the creative side. I made some bunting out of bibs and mini-socks that we all bought in the colour scheme Karen specified: French blue, warm greys and red. I also had fun making the name tags and baby advice book, I love the little eyes I found at the fabric shop that gave every card its own personality.

Birthday beauty

Hey Audrey!

One of my favourite things about birthdays is creating the birthday invites.
Here are two images I created for birthday invites. One was a collage for a picnic in a beautiful park with a fish sculpture in a pond, the next one was for a traditional German coffee afternoon that my German mom made all the cakes and the cutest cheese hut for.

Hey Audrey business cards

Audrey in the 1963 film 'Charade', dressed by Hubert De Givenchy.

With co-star Cary Grant.

Hey Audrey

I just wanted to show you the business cards I designed for my design business called (surprise!) 'Hey Audrey'. I made some sketches based on some of your most famous movie moments, and on the reverse side used some of your famous lines, like the witty one from Charade (written by Peter Stone). I used 1 colour printing (my favourite red) on a recycled paper stock. I never grow tired of them, and I hope neither do you!