When one thinks of fashion, several names come to mind. Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford, John Galliano, Nina Garcia, Rachel Zoe, June Ambrose and Andre Leon Talley are a few. How about the name Gwenolyn Stephens? Well, for those who are not familiar with the name, don’t fret. Ms. Stephens has set out on a mission to change that.

Gwenolyn Stephens hails from rural Mississippi and has had a lifelong obsession with fashion. Inspired by her mother, who was “always dressed to impress and always had on a pair of heels,” Stephens has created Rock.Paper.Heels., a boutique located in Ridgeland, Mississippi, Rock.Paper.Heels is “the basis of every woman.” The rock represents diamonds, a girl’s best friend, while paper represents money and heels are an accessory that all women love.

Though she is not formally educated in the field of fashion, Stephens has worked extensively in retail and has studied fashion in her own right—presumably with the aid of her favorite fashion publications, Elle and Vogue. One might expect her to feel inferior to those who hold degrees from world famous fashion institutions; however, she does not. She says that although “[my] creditability may be questioned [at times], that gives me the opportunity to show what I am capable of.”

Another issue that many may consider a hindrance to Stephen’s brand is her location. Needless to say, no one considers Mississippi one of the fashion capitals of the world. Still, she will not be deterred from pursuing her dreams on her own terms. “When you’re good at what you do and stay true to yourself, no good deed goes unnoticed,” she says. “No matter where you are from, you will have the ability to shine and make a positive impact in the lives of others.”

In addition to the physical location in Mississippi, Rock.Paper.Heels also has an online boutique. There are a number of things that separate this boutique from others. For starters, Stephens and her staff offer customers a variety of styles. The online store is geared more towards lovers of the urban genre, whereas the physical location offers more sophisticated pieces.

The company also offers customization. They have partnered with a Japan-based designer to customize pieces and hope to expand into national and global markets. The final component that separates this brand from the various others is personal styling. “I have yet to see a boutique that offers styling tips to their customers which includes hair, makeup and accessories,” Stephens states. “We offer the complete package, not just the garment.” Stephens is dedicated to giving her customers all of the necessary tools in order to feel comfortable and confident with their image.

Furthering her efforts to improve the image of her customers, Stephens seeks to open a consultation firm which will be an extension of Rock.Paper.Heels. She acknowledges that image is everything and that it is important to look your best at all times whether one is going on a job interview, first date or to a social gathering. Of course, Stephens has far bigger dreams than styling the everyday Mississippi woman and those dreams could be summed up in two words: Solange Knowles.

“She does everything so effortlessly,” she states of her dream client who she lists as a fashion icon alongside Rihanna, Audrey Hepburn and David Bowie. “She does not follow ‘fashion rules’ and she steps outside the box which is what I love about her. She is a style chameleon.”

Stephens is passionate about her brand and hopes that others will be able to identify and connect with what she is offering to the fashion community. Rock.Paper.Heels opened on September 1, 2012 and is located at 103 West Washington Street, Suite B4 in Ridgeland, Mississippi. Gwenolyn Stephens may be contacted via telephone at (601) 427-5472 or rockpaperheels@gmail.com. If interested in reading up more on Stephens’ fashion philosophy, feel free to view her Fashion Bomb Daily ‘Fashion Bombshell of the Day’ submission.

Image Courtesy of  Zvonimir Atletic / Shutterstock.com

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Georg-Friedrich Gebhardt is an aspiring fashion designer from Germany. At only 18 years old, he has created a huge array of collections that many would love to be seen wearing on the streets or, better yet, on the runway. Most of Mr. Gebhardt’s designs are done in watercolor or drawn digitally on a tablet.

ToonariPost (TP): How and when did you first start practicing your art? Are you traditionally trained or self-taught?

Georg-Friedrich Gebhardt (GFG): I started to draw clothes when I was 16 or 17, and I am 100 percent self-taught. To the question HOW I started, I really don’t know. I think it was a progression. At first, I drew characters, and then somehow I got into designing.

TP: What mediums do you use for your art work?  Which is your favorite and why?

GFG: Right now, I use my tablet a lot to draw digitally, but I also like to use watercolors. I don’t have a favorite because both have pros and cons. The main reason I use digital art is that you have so many options with colors, effects, and textures, and the main reason I use watercolors is that I really like the texture and the flow of the colors. So, I like both, although I think coloring with watercolors is a bit more difficult than digital-coloring!

TP: You draw mainly fashion designs. Do you think you would ever make some of your own designs into real clothing pieces?

GFG: I hope so! I had an internship where I learned some things about sewing, but I hope when I start studying fashion design, I will learn some more about that topic!

TP: Who is your favorite designer and why?

GFG: My favorite designer is definitely Alexander McQueen! I really like his style, the different shapes of his designs, the colors… just everything!

TP: What piece of your work is your favorite and why?  Which one are you most proud of?

GFG: I am really proud of my “Capitol Couture” collection and my “Hit The Road” collection because here you can see that I like to design both haute couture and ready-to-wear. I am also proud of both pieces because I like every single design there, and I can see improvement.

TP: When you first started, did you ever hit any bumps in your art process? How did you overcome them?

GFG: I don’t know, but I always have some problems with realistic body proportions, and the only way to overcome them is PRACTICE!

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

GFG: I get my inspirations from so many things, so I would probably say my whole environment is my inspiration. For example, my family, my friends, nature, the internet, other artists, music, movies–there are just so many things! And why is my environment my inspiration? Because it gives me so many ideas for new designs!

TP: What artists would you consider working with to do a piece? Why, and what type of work do you think would come from this partnership?

GFG: I would love to work with Silvia Pelissero, a.k.a. Agnes-cecile, on DeviantART because I love her work! Her paintings are fantastic! It would be amazing to work with her, and I would ask her if she can make patterns which I would use in my designs.

The other artist is Lixi, a.k.a. Viva-la-lixi, on DeviantART because she is such a nice and talented person.I really love her designs and her style! I think some pretty nice designs would be the outcome of that partnership!

TP: If there was any art medium that you wish you could master, what would it be and why?

GFG: I would have to choose between drawing digitally and drawing with watercolors, and I think I would pick the watercolors just because, in my opinion, it is a bit harder to use them.

TP: What are your goals in life?  Do you plan to continue art as a hobby, or make it a career?

GFG: I really want to work in the fashion industry, maybe as a designer or a fashion buyer or a creative director, and because of that, I will start studying fashion design in Berlin. So, I think my goals in life are pretty simple: a nice job and a long, healthy, and good life.

TP: Can you tell me more about your background?  What experiences brought you to be the person you are today?

GFG: Well, my name is Georg-Friedrich Gebhardt, but my family and friends call me Fritz. I was born in Schwerin, Germany. I traveled a lot with my parents through Europe and visited different countries and cities. My favorite cities so far are London, Paris, and of course, Berlin! When I started to design clothes, my family and my friends were really supportive, and they all have encouraged me to follow my dream to make it in the fashion industry.

So, last year I finished school and started an internship at a little local label, and this summer, I will move out from home, and I will move to Berlin. There I will start to study fashion design at the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee.

The article Artist Spotlight: Georg-Friedrich Gebhardt Interview appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Cynthia L. is an illustrator of the fantastical based out of Toronto, Canada. If you need another world to transport yourself to for while, just take a look through her gallery. The colors, the characters, and atmosphere created in each image is at once nostalgic of imaginary childhood make-believe friends and thought up places of retreat.

ToonariPost (TP): How and when did you first start practicing your art (are you traditionally trained or self-taught)?

Cynthia L (CL): I started drawing in high school after taking art, where the teacher was a stellar artist and a big motivational factor to keep practicing. Generally, I am self-taught because high school was mainly art history and I pursued science in university.

TP: What mediums do you use for your art work? Which is your favorite and why?

CL: I use mixed media, but a large percentage of that is watercolour paint. I adore watercolours because they are prone to imperfections and irregularities, and the results can often be unpredictable. It’s really the reason why I love traditional mediums.

TP: What piece of your work is your favorite and why? Which one are you most proud of?

CL: To be honest, I don’t remember the pictures too clearly after they are done. I think this one is a favorite at the moment because it is simple, but still has some mood to it. I’m proud of this one because it took so long that it threatened to jump into the abandoned paper pile but didn’t.

TP: When you first started did you ever hit any bumps in your art process. What were they and how did you overcome them?

CL: There were and still are countless bumps in the road. The first couple were probably drawing proportions and colours. I overcame or learned to live with them by trying to allocate some time to draw every day.

TP: Who or what are your inspirations and why?

CL: When I first started drawing, it was actually all fashion designs. Alexander McQueen was such a huge inspiration with his ornately beautiful and eccentrically morbid works. Later on, when I became more interested in the picture book illustration style, Tove Jansson was a HUGE influence. Her stylistic works are full of imaginative creatures and scenery, and that fantastical other-worldliness is something I strive to create day.

TP: Have you ever had to deal with a situation where someone else took credit for your work? If so, what did you do to resolve it?  How did this art theft make you feel?

CL: Art theft doesn’t really bother me anymore if the person is not using it for monetary gain. It used to upset me because of the time and effort put into a piece, and I’d still contact people if they are blatantly announcing that the picture is their own. But then I realized that the person will never get anywhere by works taken from others, and all the while I continue to make new things beyond the few stolen pictures.

TP: What is your favorite subject to draw and why?

CL: My favorite theme would be children in an imaginary world, partially because I’d like to illustrate children’s books one day, and also because I hope to capture the magic of the world seen through a child’s eye where anything can be, and is possible.

TP: If there was any art medium that you wish you could master, what would it be and why?

CL: I’d love for more than anything to master water color. It is my main medium of use, but I’m far from using it to its full potential.

TP: Outside of art what is your life like?

CL: I have a loving family, a handful of very close friends, and fantastic coworkers. On my off days I like to attend art events or explore downtown. When I work, it is in an art store. So I guess art is my life right now, haha.

TP: What are your goals in life?  Do you plan to continue art as a hobby or make it a career?

CL: Actually, I had a complete life direction change recently. I’d gotten into teacher’s college and was going to pursue teaching science. It wasn’t a direction that was driven with the right intentions, I think, because I was quite unhappy. It took me a while to finally let go of that, so now I am going to pursue graphic design and hopefully make creative output into a career.

TP: Do you feel that your culture has influenced you in some way that makes you different than other artists?

CL: I don’t think it makes me different, but there is quite a bit of Asian influence in my art because of the cultures I was exposed to as a child. Since I was raised in China and Japan, I think maybe some of the values and feelings in the pictures are slightly different.

Image Courtesy of   http://deathofrats.deviantart.com/gallery/

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