An Illustrated Fashion Blog by Angie Réhe

Psssst – Turns out The Outsider may not have been lucky in love with his feline dream, but he sure was lucky when he was sat up on the auctioneer’s podium, fetching the highest price of the night at $2150!  Feeling very proud to have raised this money for such a wonderful charity, and wildly amused to observe the bidding war for my little doggy.  Oh, and really sad to see him go!  Check out the rest and the prices they sold for here.

It must be hard being a dog – a French bulldog to be exact – in love with a cat who has no interest in you.  Tries a cat mask, alas doesn’t work, his doggy masculinity undeniable.  He’s left to wander the streets of Paris without regret, finding solace in existentialist literature.  Meet The Outsider.

This little doggy is my contribution to the Dress for Success Melbourne fundraiser auction happening at Smart Artz Gallery in South Melbourne this Wednesday night 23rd October.  A bunch of illustrious artists were sent French Bulldogs to do with as they see fit in a French way, and they will be auctioned to raise money for this very worthy cause.  Bids are already happening online, and will be finalised at the cocktail party auction on Wednesday.  Check them out!  Or mine in particular here.  There are some very impressive artists such as Archibald Prize winner Lewis Miller, illustrator Jacqueline Gwynne, fashion designer Jenny Bannister, and even Hamish Blake throws his hat into the ring…

My little tattooed existentialist features text from a book that had a massive impact on me at the tender age of 16 – Albert Camus The Outsider (L’Etranger), which is arranged in the format of the Paris street map as it fans out from the wonderful Arc De Triomphe, with my own silhouette once cut in paper by a Parisian street artist, replacing the monument.  I confess I was a little sad to hand him over…

What are you doing this Friday night 18th October?  If you’re in Melbourne why not come on down to the beautiful Abbotsford Convent, have a drink or ten with me, and maybe even pick up a barganza piece of original artwork from some of our best illustrators?!

The Illustrators Australia annual 9 x 5 exhibition (works produced on a piece of 9 x 5 wood, inspired by the 1890 Heidelberg artists’ exhibition on cigar box lids), this year themed Flourish, has its new home at the Convent, and launches this Friday night with the usual silent auction.  Actually, bidding has already commenced online. With the exception of mine of course which is still waiting for the paint to dry…  The exhibition will continue for 3 weeks, but Friday night is your chance to bag an original piece from talented artists whose work would normally cost you a lot more… Check it.

Forget that Spring has amnesia and stay cosy with live drawing tomorrow night at The Salon!  Places are available in the beautiful setting of the Frankie and Swiss studios.  Freestyle, untutored drawing session, drawing the beautiful Courtney of Bil Donovan Masterclass fame. Contact me to save a place!  Just $25.

Fact: Buying new make-up makes you feel instantly prettier.  Imagine then how pretty AND clever you’d feel if you bought this beautiful M.A.C. make-up featuring the brilliant artwork of Antonio Lopez!

For those of you not familiar with him, Antonio Lopez was one of the hall-of-fame superstars of fashion illustration, producing work from the 60s through to the 80s.  Hanging out with the Studio 54 crew, he was great mates with Jerry Hall, Marisa Berenson, and Grace Jones, who’d hang out in his New York studio drinking champagne while he sketched and took photos.  Much like my studio here in Northcote (clears throat, looks at cat sitting on chair, causing owner to stand).

When some of my many obsessions start to merge with my work life, which come to think of it is also one of my obsessions, I get very very excited.  So knowing that some of the hundreds of magazines that pile up around my walls and down my hallway will have my illustrations in them?  Cue excitement-induced insanity.

So hello Elle magazine!  Newly launched last week, and featuring not one but two of my illustrations.  I may be biased (under-exaggeration), but this is a pretty awesome magazine.  It has a creative, arty feel, and lots of little hand-drawn bits, which makes me happy.

Oh and did I mention it had me?

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 If it wasn’t for harassing Kaat Debo, director of the Mode Museum in Antwerp, as to whether or not she collects fashion illustration, I may have missed this monumental issue of A Magazine, curated by Stephen Jones.  Thank god.  Filled with page after page of illustrations by an array of brilliant artists past and present including David Downton, Gladys Perint Palmer, Tony Viramontes, Mats Gustafson, Christian Dior, it goes on…You gotta have it.  And you can, to your door, from Magnation.

Despite the fact that Melbourne has forgotten IT’S SPRING, and I am again in winter woolies, I am still stuck on my colour train.  I’m never going to stop loving black ink, but a little doodle I did the other night as a palette cleanser in-between two jobs, was a lot of fun to transform with colour.  In fact, I’m not even sure which one I prefer…Who is this alien who just invaded my body??

One of the many things I learned from the fabulous wonderful talented charming did-I-say-fabulous Bil Donovan was the importance of drawing from a live model.  That’s great but really who can afford to hire a model every time they want or need to do some drawing?  Not me.  Of course there’s plenty of life drawing set-ups around town but they’re not fashion models, they’re not striking a pose, and there’s one key thing missing…um, clothes!

Don’t sweat it because I’ve solved this problem – enter the brand new Live Fashion Drawing nights beginning in Melbourne on September 26th!  These are untutored sessions where you are free to draw how and what you like.  They will be held roughly fortnightly on Thursday nights from 6.30pm – 9.00pm, and will suit everyone from students to professional illustrators.  You don’t even have to do it from a strictly fashion perspective.  And if there’s particular poses or themes or clothing you want to draw, just tell me and we can incorporate it.  Genius really, I know.

So how do you do it?  1. You book your spot with me prior to the night (so there’s no nasty over-crowding) 2. You turn up and draw.  That’s it.

You can check info and dates on The Drawing Salon website, or up-to-the-minute info and pics on our Facebook page.  See you there.