Iulian is a talented illustrator that I got to know recently. He made two drawings of myself, for my birthday. I wanted to share them with you because I am actually quite excited how they turned out. I have no idea where he gets the patience to draw like this, I personally don’t have it, even if I did study drawing all through high-school and the at the Art University.

Anyway, whenever you want to make such a special gift to someone, do contact him, as he is a freelancer. You can see more of his work here.

For this drawing he used and old picture that I had posted a couple of years ago on my ever growing tumblr account. Do follow me if you have a tumblr account, so I can follow you back!

A couple of months ago Theo asked me to send her two wedding gowns for a photography workshop. I was excited to make two dresses for her, as I had all the creative freedom I could ask for. So I sketched my ideas to her, she approved and then I had them shipped in less than a week. Below you can see my favorite photographs of each photographer from the Sakis Batzalis Photo Workshop. Florina made the Josephine jewelry and she wrote about it here. Models: Andreea Ungureanu and Olga Vintaniuc. Make-up: Ioana Cristea.

Sakis Batzalis

Theo Manusaride

Vlad Cosmin

Mihai Zaharia

Cristian Martinez

Mihai Buta

Andreea Draghici

Andrei Dragon

Monica photographed beautifully by Theo Manusaride in a silk one shoulder pleated wedding gown that I made for a wedding photography workshop. I always enjoy and appreciate creative freedom, that’s why when I get opportunities like this one, I take them in the blink of an eye. Hope you like the pictures as much as I do!

Adriana was a client of ours and recently we have been working together a lot. Because I am mostly very sleep deprived, as I work a lot, it’s always great to have a make-up artist around who will always be able to make you look pretty, no matter the circles around your eyes. Regardless to say that you will see her wearing lots of DB clothing from now on! You can see more of her work here and also in the post below, as I indulged in showing you different pictures of myself, being made up by her.

We started working on this fall collection right before Christmas last year. After a very long and very busy 2011, I felt the need to really concentrate on a new collection and really make something on a creative whim. I wanted it to be an exercise in the unusual color combination of pink and green, the sweetest hue of pink and the freshest hue of green. Our obsession with green and pink, and by our I am referring to me and my sister Flo, probably started with her prom dress and it just took of from there.

And what better model, for a green mood, other than a redhead? Fortunately we found Ildiko who came all the way from Targu Mures for the photos! She was amazing, I absolutely love her face and her hair and the visual results of this photo-shoot!

Andi Popescu took the photographs, Anca Mihalache made her look flawless, Catalin Vela was in charge of the hairstyling, Florina made the Josephine jewelry and Adriana Unguras helped us, being present on location. I dare say she was my assistant for the day! And then the next day she made me up because we filmed about the new fall collection for Raluca’s ‘In Voga’ TV show on Analog TV. I cannot wait to post the show online, as soon as I get it.

The mood board for this collection:

Below you can see the collection organized color-wise, so that you better understand my way of thinking and building this collection: starting from a neutral color and then slowly integrating pops of bold hues into the looks.

The dresses on the hangers before the photo-shoot:

A few of the initial sketches are below. We always start from a few ideas regarding the silhouette and then I always take it from there and add on looks, after we have an initial fitting.

Cristina Radonici was sweet enough to come for a fitting, because she is the perfect model for size S – 38.

Above are some of the fabrics that we used. I never can stick to only a few, I always go to the fabric store and see all sorts of amazing fabrics that I’d like to use. My biggest challenge will be to use only about 5 to 7 fabrics, and I find that impossible right now.

With more and more of the biggest names in fashion and other consumer goods selling their wares online, it’s about time an often puzzling question was answered – just what are the benefits of online shopping?

The first and most obvious benefit of pursuing the online shopping experience is its convenience. What could be better than sitting in the comfort of your own home and being able to browse and buy 24 hours a day – no more trips out in the rain or risking slipping on an icy high street. You can take advantage of the sales without fighting your way through crowds and receive goods almost immediately – opting for e-books over hard copies is just one example of this.

Another benefit is the variety of products available online. Rather than limiting yourself to the shops that exist on your local high street or shopping centre, you have the opportunity to browse online-only shops or companies that don’t have a huge high street presence. The Apple store, for example, has only 33 outlets in the UK, but you can order online 24/7 and have your items delivered within 3-4 days. It’s also the best option if you’re looking for an item that wasn’t available in your colour or size in store.

You may not know that shopping online can also be a big money saver – rather than going through stores, which have to increase prices to cover overheads, you can buy directly from the manufacturer. You can also take advantage of online-only deals – buying men’s jackets online, for example, can help you to secure some sizeable discounts. There are also companies that offer money-back codes if you shop through their websites – this can be a great way to save money to be used for other household essentials.

These are just some of the many benefits of swapping the high street for your armchair and shopping online. It’s quick, easy and safe and you can save a great deal of money if you look in the right places. Take a look online today and embrace a fantastic new shopping experience.

*this is a sponsored post