Latest journal entry

Everyday Crochet Staples: Wearable Patterns for All Levels (Free & Paid)
As I’ve progressed in my crochet journey, one thing has become very clear: understanding which patterns and designs you'll actually wear a lot is absolutely essential. Crochet takes time, effort, and often money- whether it’s for quality yarn or paid designed patterns. So choosing versatile, timeless staples that suit most people and skill levels just makes sense to me. This is why I believe in investing in well-designed, highly customisable patterns. Not only do they give you flexibility in sizing, fit, and styling, but you can return to them again... Read more...
A Vintage Lover’s Guide to Repro Fashion
If you’ve read some of my articles or just looked through my Instagram, my love of fashion’s classics and vintage aesthetics has probably come across. I suppose it’s partly because of how perfectly these styles pair with both my body type and my unwavering love for red lipstick (read more about that here). Both my parents were into fashion and had a deep appreciation for design and old objects. Their jobs meant I spent a lot of time in museums or visiting cool places that shaped my sense of aesthetics... Read more...
Normandy: A Quiet Land That Speaks To The Soul
Normandy is, quite literally, the motherland - for me at least. It's where my mother is from. This leads to two things: One, she treats Le Mont-Saint-Michel like her own personal Mecca. And two, I was raised on good fat, forever caught in a delicious tug-of-war between olive oil and butter. Normandy often feels like the English countryside - with stronger cheese and more sunlight. From the windswept seaside of Cherbourg, a vibrant port city with a strong military past, to the quiet mystique of Le Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy stretches through... Read more...
Crochet The Runway : Chanel's Tweed Suit
If there is one fashion house that will forever be synonymous with timeless elegance and the epitome of French style, it is Chanel. I mean, Coco famously stated, “I don’t do fashion. I am fashion.” Arrogant? Maybe - if it wasn’t true. While we consider many of the iconic Chanel pieces or design elements extremely classic - verging on dated now - that’s precisely because they were so novel at the time of their first release. Chanel is black and white, pearls, capped-toe shoes, and the inevitable tweed suit, especially... Read more...
Last Toast on the Coast: A Malta Bachelorette Party Story
Earlier this month, I joined a group of girlfriends in Malta for a bachelorette party. The theme? Last Toast on the Coast - so we needed sun, sea, and serious downtime. I had never been to Malta and frankly had no expectations. Given its location, I assumed most of the perks of the Mediterranean coasts: good food, good people, sunshine.The day before landing we were informed our boat tour needed to be canceled as the weather was taking a turn for the worst and a storm was heading our way.... Read more...
Crochet The Runway : Balenciaga's 50s ruffle evening gown
In my previous article in this series, I mentioned that Paco Rabanne's mother worked as the chief seamstress for Balenciaga. Naturally, my mind wandered after that, and I thought about one of my favourite Balenciaga designs: a ruffle evening gown from 1951. Of course, when we think about Balenciaga nowadays, it is far from subtle, refined, and… elegant. The fashion house has played the shock factor repeatedly, favouring designs that are oversized or exaggerated. It also didn’t help that these designs were often worn by the likes of Kanye West.... Read more...
Crochet the Runway: How to Recreate Paco Rabanne's Metal Dress
A Pioneer of Materials in Haute Couture"I defy anyone to design a hat, coat or dress that hasn't been done before... The only new frontier left in fashion is the finding of new materials." — Paco RabanneBorn in Spain in the 1930s, son of Balenciaga's chief seamstress, Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo — known to us as Paco Rabanne — was a creative genius who pushed the boundaries of haute couture, mainly through the use of unexpected materials like metal or plastic.Paco Rabanne and Yves Saint Laurent were also the first to... Read more...
Crochet the Runway: How to Recreate the Iconic Hermès Kelly (and Birkin) Bag with Crochet
I debated starting this series with a classic piece of clothing, like the Chanel little black dress, or perhaps going in chronological order from the post-war era (the Golden Age of Fashion). Then, over brunch with a friend, I was inspired to focus on bags - and of course, my mind immediately went to the quintessential luxury bag: the Birkin. But as I thought more about it, I realised that I have always preferred its older sister: the Kelly bag. The Kelly bag is structured, classic, and, dare I say,... Read more...
Watercolour for Beginners: Everything You Need to Start Painting Today
I’ve mentioned watercolour in some of my articles before, and it is by far my preferred colouring method and paint type. I love how versatile it is - perfect for quick washes over an ink sketch or building up layers for a rich, textured painting. The transparency of watercolour and the granulation (look it up!) really appeal to me, as I’m a big fan of texture. I first picked up watercolour as a travel medium. It seemed the most portable way to add colour to my travel sketches. Before that,... Read more...
Why I Sketch When I Travel (And Why You Should Try It Too)
FlowI used to sketch on most of my trips. I started as a child. I remember sitting cross-legged on the floor of the Matisse museum in the south of France, mesmerised by the colours. His style - fauvism in general - always worked with me. The gesture, the brightness… it’s a child’s dream. It feels like freedom.I would try to copy what I saw with my crayons, and you could just leave me there for hours. I believe my parents did. That’s probably the first time I realised something interesting... Read more...
Creating, Learning, and Letting Go: Thoughts from My First Month Keeping a Blog
One month since starting this creative journal, and this might be my first article that actually feels like a journal entry.I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what impact this little experiment has had on my creativity, process, and general thought patterns.It has made me more rigorous with my hobbies and justified spending more time on the things I love without feeling frivolous. Ironically, I’m not active on social media at all, so this has been an interesting exercise - I hope to get better at it. It’s... Read more...
How I Built a Wardrobe I Actually Love : A Practical Guide to Curating Your Personal Style
A few months ago I decided my wardrobe needed clearing out. It did not make me feel good to have too many choices and - it seemed - not a single good one. Bodies change and evolve continuously throughout our lives and it gets to a point where you just have to let go of that one item that fit you great when you were 17 and will most likely never be ideal for you again. It served you right but it belongs to the past. With this in mind,... Read more...