If any of you follow my tumblr you may have noticed a recent surge in posts of some of my favorite vintage erotic photography, as well as some new discoveries from the decadent arts movement. This is all thanks to research for a new project I’ve been feverishly working on.. that’s right! I’m picking up my paints again and whipping up a series inspired by saucy photos like those of Alfred Cheney Johnston with illustrative touches inspired by decadent artists like Franz von Bayros, Harry Clarke, Aubrey Beardsley, as well as some of my favorite Art Nouveau painters & illustrators Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Théophile Steinlen.

In the true fashion of decadent arts and pure self-indulgence, I’ve also incorporated my love of anatomical drawings into the mix. The series will include several minxy poses and suggestive themes while exposing the form in a distressing but appealing manner. Half questioning the meaning of being exposed and half twisting the ideals of flawless allure. Keep an eye out here for updates on the series, I’ll be posting new pieces as they are finished. There is already talk of some possible gallery shows once the series is completed, perhaps even including a multimedia event with a performance of songs inspired by each piece.

In other news, rococonouveau is still going strong on etsy! I’ve had some requests recently to sell prints of the photographs I took for the shop, so they will most likely be available to purchase on etsy very soon. Also, for SF locals or anyone visiting the Bay Area you can now purchase a selection of my pieces and lots of other seriously awesome handmade items at Swankety Swank located at 289 Divisadero St. Here’s a little snippet of a recent photo shoot I modeled for in their shop <3

That’s right! rococonouveau has been spotted in the wilds of the world wide interwebs. Specifically in this blog post by the devastatingly gorgeous and fashionable miss agent lover! Check out her post to see the totally adorable outfit she put together with one of my latest designs, the madeline collarette. This new form of collarette features a pointed collar shape and fastens via ribbon fashioned with a convenient hidden snap and a lovely vintage style decorative button. I’ll be releasing the piece photographed above along with a few others in my etsy shop over the next week!

In other news: keep an eye out for my soon-to-be-released interview with agent lover and a rococonouveau giveaway for her blog readers.

Also! for San Francisco residents, get ready to start seeing rococonouveau in your local boutiques. Big news coming soon!

Stephanie Lynn of The Girl with the Star Spangled Heart! Every entry for the giveaway was asked to select which collarette they would like and how they would wear it. Stephanie’s comment was “I’d love the Gilda collarette! These are such a great idea to spice up an outfit! I love vintage so this would be a great way to add a bit of retro flair to a plain top or even a sweater!”

I’d highly recommend checking out Stephanie’s blog, she’s one classy lady with fantastic vintage style. I really look forward to seeing what she does with her rococonouveau swag!

If you didn’t win, do not despair! Readers of The Wardrobe Reimagined still get an extra special treat – available until July 15th! Check out Ali’s entry on our lucky winner for the deets.

I am very happy to announce that rococonouveau has teamed up with the lovely Ali of The Wardrobe Reimagined for an international giveaway! One lucky reader of The Wardrobe Reimagined will be the winner of their choice of either the Candy Striper or Gilda collarette.

Giveaway ends July 4th! Read Ali’s interview of me for details on how to win, plus another extra special limited-time treat!

At long last, welcome! To the unveiling of the new and improved rococonouveaudesign.com. As many of you may know, I’ve been slaving away over a hot laptop for a while now working on this site launch to accompany my current dream project: the rococonouveau shop!

For as long as I can remember I’ve felt a particular connection to things of the past: vintage and period fashions, early 20th century classic film, vintage erotica & pinup photography, art deco architecture, art nouveau textiles & jewelry, and the gilded splendour of the rococo era. The goal in all my work on this project is to merge the essence of these core inspirations with the modernity of the 21st century. Thereby preserving the beauty of these bygone styles in a way that is relevant to today’s aesthetics. Hence, the name rococonouveau! I also favor using vintage and repurposed materials whenever possible, making a portion of my pieces as unique as they are eco-friendly – an important consideration in these times. Plus, I’ve always loved the challenge of reusing materials and transforming them into something beautiful and new.

I started this project after being let go from a 6 year career in design at the same company. The downturn in the economy and the fact that I didn’t want to move to LA finally resulted in having to say toodleoo. Which was at once terrifying and exciting, as I had already come to the decision that the time to move on was long past due. So! I swallowed my fear of being jobless and made the best of it. I thought “I’ll just take advantage of the opportunity to make my real dreams come true!” …? Easier said than done, right? When faced with the question “What *is* your dream job” panic ensued thinking of the overwhelming number of avenues I could take. Somewhere along the way of settling into a safe job I didn’t really enjoy, I had completely forgotten what my dreams were. At one point in my search I even resolved to just running away with the circus and never looking back. Which really would have been pretty awesome, I’m not totally ruling that one out just yet. Besides, you’re never too old to be a clown, right?

But! Instead of eloping with Bobo, I decided reel it in and started doing all the things I loved to do with the abundance of free time I had been gifted. Eventually after a lot of time, experimentation, adventure, and tons of loving encouragement from my friends, I started crafting fancy fashion accessories (that I would usually just keep to myself, greedy!) and launched rococonouveau on etsy.

To all my friends who have followed my progress, given me your kind words of encouragement, or even just “liked” all the damn photos of my work I was constantly uploading to facebook, donated their time to modeling & helping with the photoshoot, passing on the word and just being generally awesome, I really can’t thank you enough. I couldn’t have done this without you!

I will be regularly designing new pieces to add to my collection, so check back here to see what I’ve been working on! I also plan on adding some how-to entries – the first of which will be a tutorial on how to tie the perfect bow! Very necessary for my buster brown collarette model. I’ll also be regularly posting on things that I find inspiring, adventures in baking, music, and general awesomeness. So stay tuned! You can also “Like” rococonouveau on facebook to be kept in the know about what is going on in my shop.

Thanks again, and I <3 you all!