The anzu office on a Friday

I'm working hard,

Ryma is working hard,

but I'm not too sure about this one.

Jackie Kennedy

I read so many blogs, that try as I might I can't recall which blog I saw this photo on. Anyway, I love it. It's so Jackie - the headscarf, the low pumps and the obligatory sunglasses.

The above illustration is inspired by Jackie O's accessories, her pillbox hats, Kenneth Jay Lane faux pearls, and classic shift top. It is a popular card in the anzu So... range.

Lotuses and lily pads

I love images of lotuses and lily pads, and it must be because of the cold, cold winter that these tropical images are really appealing to me at the moment. Above is a photograph I recently took of two illustrations of mine with real rose petals and fake lotuses that I bought a long time ago in Thailand.

A photo shoot from Korean Vogue.

At the temple of Angkor wat lotus gatherers collect flowers each day at dawn. In the far east, lotuses have a religious significance as divine figures were thought to be born from them, and people even go lotus viewing carrying lotus shaped lanterns.

These giant lily pads are the largest in the world and are found in the Amazon basin. They can carry the weight of rabbit sized animals.

Bespoke shoes

If you're a regular reader, you'll know I love shoes - even men's ones, as you can see from the illustration above currently used on our Tattoo shoes card. So it was really fun to get a behind the scenes tour of John Lobb - thank you Nick! John Lobb is an exclusive bootmaker, based near St. James's Palace that produces bespoke footwear for clients. Founded in 1849, it is now owned by Hermes, and has produced shoes for everyone from King Edward VII to Frank Sinatra.

Each person that comes in has a last (essentially a wooden replica of their foot) created, onto which the shoe is fitted. The basement has avenues of shelves filled with lasts of their current clients.

The shop itself is a lovely mix of workroom and showroom.

I absolutely love the wrapping paper on this pile of shoe boxes.

A photo of a workstation in the basement. I have so may photos from the trip that I will be doing another blog on this, showing a couple of famous lasts - I can't resist it!

Happy Valentines!

Happy Valentines! Above is the painting from our Anzu 'mauve heart' card.

To set the mood, I thought I'd post a couple of romantic film and tv clips. Notorious is essentially a Hitchcock spy film, where Ingrid Bergman's character has to marry someone she doesn't love to carry out her spy mission. Nonetheless, I think this clip is so romantic and sensuous. Hitchcock broke the Hollywood censor record at the time with the longest kiss scene in Hollywood history. Screen kisses could only last for 3 seconds, but Hitchcock got around the censors by having gaps in the kissing such as when Cary Grant answers the phone etc.

Such a classic clip from Frasier below. The tension between Niles and Daphne is charged and hilarious at the same time.

Pret-a-Portea goes stateside!

Finally I can reveal the design that I have been working on. Pret-a-Portea has gone over the Atlantic for NY Fashion week. I painted the above illustration for the event, which features Manhattan and London skylines, delicious cakes and Louboutin sparkly heels.

The event is being hosted by Bergdorf Goodman in the stunning BG restaurant, with a menu of bespoke cookies, cakes and other sweet indulgences all inspired by the Spring 2009 collections. Everyone has been involved in the tea from Michael Kors to Christian Louboutin to Chanel.

The tea starts today, and continues until February 20th, from three until five thirty daily. I think there is a chance it is fully booked, but call (001) 212 872 8977 if you would like to attend, or for more details (and a better image of my illustration) go to http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/Bergdorf_Goodman.aspx

Inspiration boards

I find Inspiration boards a vital part of designing and painting. This is the Inspiration board I used whilst planning and painting the new Urban range (see below). This is currently available in England, and selected items will soon be available in the US.

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone that came to see us at Spring Fair, and especially those that brought my Mum chocolates and biscuits. Don't tell her I said so, but she does a fantastic job and totally deserves it.

And thank you to the Polite Company, the stand opposite anzu, who were entertaining and so helpful. This is Mike Chavez-Dawson doing tai-chi!

Embrace winter part 1

Having hated winter for years, I think I'm now learning to embrace it and dare I say, actually enjoy elements of it. Ryma (responsible for the new look anzu brochure amongst other things) is fresh from Brazil, and hates winter with a passion untold, so this blog is dedicated to you Ryma.

- Keep warm and cosy with hot water bottles, roaring log fires and piles of blankets and satin eiderdowns (above image is the anzu hot water bottle, featured on our get well card)

- Smother yourself in cashmere from head to toe, in dressing gowns, socks and gloves

image courtesy of lolita.blogg,se

- Have a snowball fight

- Fill your house with flowers. Just because it's winter doesn't mean your house can't be filled with blossoms - bouquets of black roses, window boxes full of cyclamen, vases of white flowers and pheasant feathers, or snowdrops (which are still grown in convents before being despatched to your local florists).

Folio edition of Rebecca

- Escape with a romantic bleak novel like Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, or the Woman in white by Wilkie Collins

- Distract yourself from it going dark so early, with afternoon tea - a large pot of earl grey, scones with cherry jam and clotted cream, and toasted crumpets dripping in butter. Yum!

- Do as the Scandinavians do, and fill your home with 'living' lights rather than dull electric ones.

Magical

These are photos of my street, which now seems to look even more like Narnia than ever.

Snow never settles in London so I find these amazing.

Anzu is still at Birmingham Spring Fair - it's been great so far so I hope the snow won't stop us seeing you all for the rest of it!

Anzu illustration in Vanity Fair!

I am excited to say that an illustration I did for the Pret-a-Portea is in this month's notoriously hard to get into "Fanfair", in Vanity Fair magazine.

Pret-a-Portea, which has been such a success for the Berkeley hotel is travelling across the Atlantic for NY fashion week and is being co-hosted by the supremely luxurious department store, Bergdorf Goodman.

With everyone from Christian Louboutin to Oscar de la Renta being involved, it has been quite a project and promises to be a real event. I have actually done a brand new illustration, which is yet to be revealed, so keep checking back!