Oh, how I love Gustav Klimt's paintings! Such decadence and over the top decoration- no wonder I love it! I guess I truly became a massive fan once I visited Vienna, and viewed the real thing! The detail and beauty of these paintings do not show up in the photos.

Ever since I was in high school, I have been intrigued by the mythical and cultural aspects of Ancient History; Egypt in particular. I love their Hieroglyphics (and I still wish I could read them), I love the ancient stories, and the mystery of this foreign and ancient culture.

So... without further ado, I wanted to share with you the first little sneak peak into what I am thinking for the Penelope Red Autumn 2011 Collection. I will fuse the idea of Egyptian costume, with the beautiful paintings of Gustav Klimt!

Above, Portrait of Emilie Floge by Gustav Klimt

To me, I feel like the Klimt paintings actually already have an Egyptian influence... for instance, the painting below: Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer 1

... take a look at the detail in her skirt... note the hieroglyphic-like eyes!

And of course, as I was researching Egyptian costume, I couldn't go past the costumes and styling used in Elizabeth Taylor's, "Cleopatra". Ok, so I know they are not historically accurate, but I think they are a perfect of example of how a modern interpretation of costume can be achieved.

 Now it is my job to create designs inspired by all of this, while still making them functional for my customers to wear! It won't be easy... but it will certainly be FUN!

I have been creating a new range of designs and I used two inspirations, to create something a little different...

Whenever I read Jane Austen novels, I think of the flowing dresses and beautiful fabrics. One of my favourite DVD's is "Pride and Prejudice", with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. The Regency period used Empire lines- what most people would call a "baby doll" style; Grecian decoration, Egyptian ornament, Spencer coats, and military influences. I have borrowed a little from this period for the silhouette of my designs.

 The painting, Sandro Botticelli's "The Birth Of Venus", would have to be one of my all-time favourites; I love the colours, the beauty of Venus, the West wind, Zephyrus and Flora, the spring that are blowing her gently to the shore. I used the colours from this painting, as well as the beautiful femininity to help inspire my designs.

 I wanted to use a lot of pastel colours (coral, pink, aqua, mint, blues, creams, etc), and lots of florals, as well as floaty fabrics. I recently bought quite a lot of vintage and antique lace, so it was a great opportuinity to use it!

 I hope you like what I have come up with. the items you see on my Ustrendy page are just a few of the designs, and you can find more at the following sites and pages:

 Website: http://www.penelopered.com

Blog: http://penelopered.blogspot.com/

Etsy: http://www.PenelopeRed.etsy.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/penelopered

I am so excited to be featured in the UStrendy Behind the Seams Feature! I feel very special! Take a look at it here:

 http://www.ustrendy.com/behind-the-seams/blog/8257/penelope-bolkovsky/

My website: http://www.penelopered.com.au

I also have a facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Penelope-Red/59068098640

Twitter page: http://twitter.com/PenelopeRed

I am constantly creating new designs and you can see my most recent work on the official blog:

http://penelopered.blogspot.com/

 I plan to update my UStrendy page more frequently, so keep coming back!

 Penelope

Hi! I am quite excited about my new Penelope Red Fall/Winter 09 collection! I have oposted a few photos from a photoshoot that i was recently involved in. You can see more of the photos on my website: http://www.penelopered.com

They will be for sale online in September 09. I only make small quantities of each, and a lot of my designs are one-offs.

I was inspired by Hollywood glamour, the fabrics, the mood I wanted to create.The photo shoot styling was inpsired by a book, "The Golden Age of Couture".The old, classic photos of that era are simply beautiful, and the team that helped to create this look were fantastic!

I love creating! I love showing people what I can do, and I love the idea of a wonderful lady proudly wearing my designs half way across the world! I want each customer to be wearing my designs time and time again, because they love it so much, and because it was made beautifully.

I deliberately never follow the trends- I want to make my own! It is exciting to be able to create one day, and showcase it the next! We live in such a fast-paced world, that I think it is essential to hear feedback about my designs; what people want; what people don't want; straight away. So please, if you have any comments or queries, do not hesistate to comment or email me, at: designer@penelopered.com.au

Penelope Red is about glamour, sophistication, and elegance, with a pinch of panache! I hope you enjoy viewing my ideas, my inspirations, and my passion for art and design! Please look at the official Penelope Red website at: http://www.penelopered.com/

Penelope