On The Fringe

Coco Rocha VOGUE Mexico

I have a small confession to make friends. I'm on the fringe.



In fact, my whole life I've been on the fringe.



I was never popular in school. For better or worse, I've always marched to the beat of my own drum.


It dawned on me recently, as I inch ever more closely to my five year mark in New York, that I still very much exist on the fringe.



Before I moved here I imagined my life looking very differently. I believed so naively that New York would embrace me like a coveted gem. I would be invited to all the "in" parties. I would make an impression, do things differently, really be a "somebody". Truth be told, that couldn't be further from reality.



Somehow after three and a half years here, I still exist on the fringe. I still peer from the sidelines, hoping, praying for my big break. I wonder if my affinity for integrity, for sincerity, has somehow relegated me to no man's land in the business world. If only I could schmooze better, have a little more edge, maybe, just maybe, I could get ahead.



But by the same token I wonder if being on the inside is really anymore fun?! Perhaps being on the fringe is really where the exciting stuff happens. When you aren't looking over your shoulder all the time, wondering who is watching you, whether you look the right way, or are associating with the right people, maybe you actually just get to be...



Not long ago I listened to the remarkable David Downton speak at FIT. He said that he never wanted to be "in" fashion because that meant you eventually had to be "out". So perhaps, after all is said and done, being on the fringe is really where I ought to be...



Meag xx

Hard Rock

Jason Wu - KARLIE BOX CLUTCH

Hello My Lovelies!!



I've missed you oh so much. I finally had the opportunity to paint just for me this weekend and it felt incredible. A big weight was lifted from my shoulders a few days ago and I feel like, for the first time in possibly three years, I can really think clearly about what and where my life is going. Since obtaining my work visa in the United States I had really lost sight of why I even came to New York in the first place - to be a fashion illustrator. Sometimes the universe smacks you right in the face in order to steer you right back on track.



So how does this GORGEOUS Jason Wu clutch fit into all of this?! Firstly, and quite simply, because I loved the giant gem/crystal trend that happened this fall (ahem Prada). Secondly, because I had just done an interview with FASHIONISMYWAY and talked about how New York requires a little a lot of armor in your wardrobe. It's such a hard knock city, not for the faint of heart, and something about this clutch felt very metaphoric of how I feel most of the time here; shiny, vibrant, and polished on the outside - vulnerable and delicate on the inside.



Anyway, I'm feeling some big changes coming in my life and I couldn't be happier. Sometimes when everything is falling apart it is actually falling into place.



Much love,

Meag xx

Postcard from Paris

I arrived in Paris on a beautiful Saturday morning in the 18th arrondissement.

I found my way haphazardly to my girlfriend Julia's flat using broken French and my smile!

I opened the gate to paradise...

and documented myself in the mirror to make sure this was all real.

I rode the metro from Chateau Rouge to Palais Royal to find my Paris daydream.

I found it!

I took my goodies to the Pompidou...

and sat soaking up the sunshine.

I ate the most delicious ham and swiss quiche!

Then devoured it...

I watched the Alexander Calder spinning above me...

and eventually wandered to my single most favorite art piece in Paris.

I strolled to the Tuileries Garden...

and remembered all the things I ever loved about Paris.

I watched the French being French...

and pictured myself riding a golden horse through the streets of Paris.

I found my stride when landing on Rue Saint-Honore...

and saw inspiration in every shop window!

including this one...

I stumbled upon this view...

and finally found the source of my macaron obsession. 

Here I saw life through pastel colored glasses.

Tea for one please!

I said goodbye to my friends at Laduree...

and discovered spoons falling from the sky.

I found the missing obelisk from my trip to Luxor, Egypt this past April.

Then stopped for drinks with a real Frenchie at Hotel Costes

The next morning the train awaited but I left my heart in Paris!

BLACKOUT

Manhattan Skyline Oct 30th, 2012

I'm not really sure where to begin writing here my loves?! Exactly one week ago I sat at my computer describing the eeriness of the impending Hurricane Sandy. I thought foolishly that a day or two off from work would provide me with some much needed rest and time to paint. I had no idea that my forthcoming week would be spent in darkness. I was both literally and figuratively powerless.



Before I continue, I would like to acknowledge that there are thousands of people along the East Coast who continue to suffer much greater losses than I ever could have conceived of. People lost their lives, their homes in Sandy. I know my ignorance in not having lived through massive weather or war related devastation. But I do think that as minor or major as my story may be, it is worth telling.



I have lived in Manhattan, New York now for over three years. I have weathered first hand the isolation, loneliness, defeat, exhaustion, success, competition, extreme entitlement, and extravagance that can only be experienced in a city like New York. To see the center of power without power was...mind-blowing. I woke up Tuesday Oct 30th to find lower Manhattan silenced by Sandy.



My roommate and I walked to the Hudson River and uptown to 27th and 7th to find food and power. This is when things really started to get interesting. The city was literally divided between dark and light; the new neighborhood was coined SoPo for South of Power. Suddenly "too busy to breathe" Manhattanites were forced to interact with one another in a way we are so unaccustomed to.



I had to rely on my friends for showers and power and heat. For the first time in months I communicated with my roommates apart from the cordial "hello" and "have a nice day". We caught up on life, exchanged immense frustration and laughter over candlelight, and one gorgeous bottle of riesling. Friends from across the world reached out to ensure my safety and my office became my safe haven.



On our last night of no light my roommates and I ventured to our local Italian restaurant Grano who had opened its doors and kitchen for a candlelit dinner. We set out onto the streets, flashlights in tow, and shared glass after glass of merlot. We were joined by our neighbor Alex and relished this truly rare occasion; eating in a silenced corner of the city against a pitch black skyline.



Early Saturday morning our power returned and with it my appreciation for everything I've ever had here in New York. Sometimes it takes a hurricane to make you realize just HOW lucky you really are. To be honest, Sandy gave me a new lease on life. I know now what and who matters most in my world. But sadly my heart aches for the thousands of others that continue to suffer in Sandy's wake.



If you would like to help, please visit here for a list of organizations you can contribute to. If you live in New York, do your part, and help those in need. Eat and shop downtown to help those businesses recover from the lost week. But most important of all, recognize in this moment what and who matters most to you. Appreciate everything you have because life, after all, is a blessing.



Sending so much love your way!!

Meag xx

Interview with To Be Continued

Hello Hello Lovers!!



Did you all have a fantastic Halloween weekend?! I know I certainly did. But now Hurricane Sandy looms in NYC and the feeling in the air is especially eerie. I wouldn't mind an extra day home from work to paint, clean, and paint however. Anyway, I wanted to share with you all this awesome interview I did alongside some of my Fashion Art NYC friends for London based To Be Continued Magazine.



I thought fellow illustrators James Skarbek, Elvis Torres, and Mara Louise Cespon did such a fantastic job answering the questions. They each gave such interesting insight into the field of fashion illustration and I felt like I learned so much more about my former peers. I can't wait to see how each of our careers continue to grow. Enough talk; time to read! Head to the interview to see for yourselves.



Much love,

Meag xx

A Tale of Three Handbags

Hello My Darlings!!



I'm finally back on TWD woohoo!! I've wanted to do this post since before I left for Europe back in September. I had this idea about embodying each city (New York, London, Paris) in a handbag. I do work for a handbag company here in New York after all ;). I spend so much time everyday staring at bags, making interesting graphics, thinking about trends, that naturally I relate everything to handbags now. Kate Spade, Alexander McQueen, and Hermes seemed like the perfect designers to capture the essence of New York, London, and Paris respectively.



I can't begin to tell you how good it feels to be posting this. I'm finally starting to feel like myself again. And with so many exciting prospects coming my way, I assure you I will be updating here A LOT more frequently. I also want to thank ALL of my new Travel Write Draw Facebook Page followers. You have no idea how touched I am that you have been so receptive to it. That is definitely the space to get behind the scenes with me and my illustrations on TWD. Anyway, I'm happy to announce that Postcard from Paris is on its way so stayyyy tuned my loves!!



Much love,

Meag xx