an angel at my table is probably my favourite ever online collection of furniture, gifts and accessories.  Their ranges include the stunning Boho, traditional French Bistro, Maison, Lighting and Boudoir.  They also offer a paint-to-order service on a wide variety of furniture.   I definitely want an angel at my table…

1. spot flower dinner plate
2. dog walker rice bowl
3. spotty leaves giant cup and saucer
4. pink podline oval side plate

As well as homewares Nadia also turns her hand to a gorgeous range of cushions and some of the most stunning murals (but not like you know them!) that I have ever seen and they are described as ”mixed media murals that suggest the next phase in contemporary wallcovering.”

1. stripy flower
2. brown birdie

1. cochinchine shop mural
2. start shop birdie mural

I could happily fill my entire house full of Nadia’s designs.

These scrummy cupcakes from Katis Kupcakes truly look too gorgeous to eat!  But I bet they taste as yummy as they look!

Welcome to our second interview!  This month Allison O’Grady, who is founder of the recently launched Aspiring Couture online boutique, talks to us about her aspirations for the design world and tells us about some of her favourite designers.

It’s an exciting time for you Allison as you have just launched your new website aspiringcouture.com.  Can you tell us a bit more about it? 

Aspiring Couture is an online boutique featuring work from different aspiring designers. Everything on the website is handmade which I have approved myself. There is also a page for custom orders which will give buyers an opportunity to contact their favourite designer quickly and easily to set up a project. There is also a lot on the website about contributing as we are always interested in working with other designers, artists, bloggers, etc. to come up with new ideas!

We will continue to add more designers as well as add new products from our current designers so there will also be something new and exciting going on with Aspiring Couture!

When did your interest in fashion start, and what was the inspiration behind Aspiring Couture? 

I took sewing classes as a child, and that was always of interest to me. But, when I was around 15 I just made the decision to be a designer. I was in school at the time and plans change so quick, that before I knew it I was nowhere close to where I wanted to be. About 6 months ago I took a look at my life, where I was, and where I wanted to be. I looked at doing design again, but honestly I wasn’t the best!  I had the concepts, but I can’t draw for the life of me! I thought about it and realised – what was I supposed to do when the designs were done? I thought it would be awesome to have a place where people could sell their work. So, i decided to create that place and when I was ready, I could just put my work in the store.

Right when I had the idea I looked online for people just to see if there was anyone like me! I found Laine Jewellery and Sarah Seven. That was pretty much enough for me to see that there are incredibly talented people out there who would probably love the chance to sell their work in a boutique!

Are there any particular designers we should be looking out for from your network?

I have been getting tons of feedback about Feathered – By Blair Nadeau. People love the work! I think it is because she took an idea of something completely different and just went with it! Her designs give people something to talk about! I think it is great and she definitely deserves that!

Other than that I really do love Jesica Milton and Laine Jewellery. Actually so far I have heard people say “so and so is my favourite” and it always seems to be a different designer. They are all incredibly talented people and they are all working off of different ideas. So, I think all of them in their respective markets will succeed!

What service and support do you offer aspiring designers?

I sort of want to say everything! And it really is pretty close to the truth. I say so many times on my blog, website, tweets, etc. to contact me with any ideas! I love working with people and I love talking to people. Obviously I offer support to all designers, put them on the website for free, feature them on the blog, and do whatever promotion I can for them. I would love to get a lot more brand, brand new designers who have maybe a couple of pieces and a real passion. I would love to showcase those types of people, no website, no idea what they are doing, but they just continue to design and sew because that is what they love! Obviously they are hard to find since they are not quite into internet media, blogging, etc. but I know that they are out there – so it is my next project to figure out how to find those gems!

What criteria do you have for designers to be featured on your site?

Honestly it is not very hard! I pretty much search the internet for my blog posts. I post all pieces I absolutely love and would want to wear! I sort of reserve my blog for that because I want a place to show my style through other people’s designs, and so far I have gotten some great feedback on the people I have featured.

I know that there are people who like things I don’t like, and it goes both ways-so I try to be a bit more opened minded about the website. So far I have pretty much contacted all the designers, so they are all things that I love and would wear. But in the future it will depend on how many people I have doing the same category. I do like supporting people who are very nice and humbled about what they do. I like to see that passion from the designers because it really does translate into the clothing they design! But I do welcome anyone to contact me, because the least I can do is help in some way!

What is your own fashion style?   Do you have a favourite designer or store?

I like the classic and timeless looks. I like simple and clean items too. I love wearing things like black or white or grey, with jeans, and then having bright yellow shoes or something like that! I also like adding a bold accessory to an outfit which makes it pop but doesn’t overwhelm the whole thing! I think it is important to not be over the top, and I like those more simple looks!

What are your aspirations for the website and the Aspiring Couture brand?

Everything! I want to be able to be able to show tons of work from different designers, give the greatest shopping experience to anyone coming by the site, and be able to expand the name heavily. I want to have a magazine featuring designers and support local sewing programs or school programs for those passionate individuals. I want to be able to help people through the features on my blog and inspire people to follow their dreams.

Do you think online boutiques and shopping are ever going to replace the buzz and thrill of the ‘real thing’?

Oh, I don’t know. Honestly, I have always hated shopping online. I love going in and trying something on and really getting to have it there! Haven’t you ever gone to a store and tried on REALLY expensive shoes “just because” and found yourself thinking about those shoes on your feet for the next week. Then you are back at the store after rearranging your whole life for these shoes!  It’s like there is something about seeing the fit and how it makes you look. So, when I made the website I tried really hard to make each piece memorable. I put up many pictures keeping in mind angles, the back, the sides, etc. I wanted to give the person as much of the real thing as possible. I think that if more online stores started doing that, then online shopping has a far better chance, but I don’t think it will ever actually replace it.

Vintage or High Street?

High Street

Jeans on a dinner date?

Oh definitely (can I wear my yoga pants?)

Biggest obsession – handbags or shoes?

HAHAHA - I am going to have to say handbags.  I think I have spent more money on bags than I have on all my shoes (and I have a lot of shoes!) so handbags it is!

Glamour Puss or Hippy Chicky?

…ummm Glamour Puss

Current dream outfit?

It used to be a black dress with coloured heels – I was obsessed! Now, I am going to have to say anything  that I actually sew myself and can wear.  The accomplishment itself would serve my dreams just fine!

Thank you so much for your time Allison – we love Aspiring Couture and can’t wait to see all the exciting new designers you have lined up!

This is Annie a 10 week old German Wirehaired Pointer who was recently rescued from a puppy mill in the States by GWP Rescue Inc.  We are helping to raise money to pay for medical bills, fostering care and rehoming costs to help little Annie and the 22 other pups that survived the rescue.  Please take a look at our Rescue Range of bandanas in our Etsy shop handmade by us to help our little furry friends.

We both have a love of Paris (and very fond memories of separate visits with our Mums) and a recent discussion about a possible return visit together later this year to visit the flea markets has got me thinking about it again.  A search on Etsy unearthed the most divine Paris inspired prints at a delightful little shop called Cafe Baudelaire.

Cafe Baudelaire sells romantic, enchanting printed paper collections designed and printed by Wendy Paula Patterson. And her shop description describes them perfectly “Peacocks perched regally beneath golden vines, butterflies fluttering delicately between lines of poetry, Parisian mannequins enchantingly adorned and Marie Antoinette coyly inviting you in for afternoon tea.”

J’adore indeed!!