Please Hold

I STARTED THIS BLOG OVER 12 YEARS AGO, and have since lovingly filled it with the many works of film, art, fashion, and culture that lend inspiration to my work and life. The practice of collecting visuals and writing essays has not only shaped my taste, but also my outlook, as I integrate what I like with how I live. 

 Over 12 years since my first blog post, I pause to face a challenge that has been looming for quite a while now: How to evolve this blog while preserving its soul? I’ve fortunately undergone enough metamorphoses over the lifespan of LadyLikes to have proudly fashioned my world, refined my craft, and exert my influence among and beyond peers. It’s time for this platform to do the same. 

And so for the first time since the conception of LadyLikes, I take a thoughtful break to explore how this body of work could evolve, to better reflect how I share my vision today. Thank you for taking part in this carefully curated adventure. Stay tuned, and know that sharing my world with you will always stay close to my heart. See you on the other side!

Stay in touch xo

@ladysanpedro

That Sweet Snooze

DIANA SPENCER DOZING OFF AT A PARTY IN 1981 is all of us at the end of 2021: ready for a snooze. This year has thrown many things our way; some of them comforting, some surprising, though mostly confusing and exhausting as we attempt to carry on with a pandemic still in our midst. Remember when we thought it would last three to four weeks?

While we've had some scientific wins, the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report lists new and imminent societal threats including youth disillusionment and the erosion of societal cohesion. In spite of this, we end the year with a collectively historic achievement of having streamed Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas is You" over one billion times on Spotify. For emphasis, this Christmas is when we've played the song over a billion times!

What a joy to find that we are still a cheerful bunch in spite of things. Thanks Mariah! If this is what it takes to boost societal cohesion, should we be working towards the next big Christmas hit?

Whether all you want for Christmas is trivial or consequential, I hope you are indulging in your favourite playlist and getting some good quality sleep. Seasons greetings and sweet dreams!

Diana, Princess of Wales at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1981. Image from vogue.fr

That Painterly Nature

I FIRST MET ROSANNA AT A ROWDY EAST LONDON PUB, on the evening of the Euro 2020 Final. It wasn't quite the scene in which you'd expect to meet the creator of such delicately designed homeware, but there we were, cheering the night away among avid football fans.

Since then, I quickly became a fan of Rosanna's craft, with its painterly details and uplifting aesthetic. The Rosanna Corfe range comprises sustainably-produced textiles and tableware: cushions, throws, trays, and coasters featuring Rosanna's own hand-painted artwork. My favorite item is the Croc Monsieur woven throw, which is a truly iconic piece depicting a playful crocodile placement print on a beige front, contrasting teal reverse, and made with recycled cotton.

Launched in a year of lockdowns, Rosanna's line is as inspirational as its conception, offering a joyful outlook inspired by nature. Here, Rosanna shares her creative process, and how she stays motivated as an artist and entrepreneur.

LSP: What inspired you to start your own line?

RC: Having time last year during the first lockdown to focus on my own designs and just experiment and paint for fun for the first time in a very long time. It was then my brother who suggested trying out some of these designs on homeware products. Starting my own sustainable textiles / homeware line featuring my own prints was something I had always wanted to do, but didn't think I would have time to do anytime soon. When I then had this extra time during lockdown, I trialled the throws to begin with and once these received a positive response it was motivation to keep going and expand into more products.

LSP: You’ve designed different types of products since launching. Do you have any favourites?

RC: Difficult one but I do love my throws, not only were they the first product to launch on my website but it’s really satisfying to see my designs on a larger scale and also in something that is both a piece of art and functional. I love how the throws translate my painted designs and brushstroke so effectively into a woven tactile item. I really wanted them to preserve the painterly quality from the original artworks and was amazed by how well they achieved this.

LSP: Describe your process. How do your sustainability standards impact or influence your craft?

RC: I very much start with the artwork first. Often my process starts with an idea, composition or sometimes just a colour palette in my head, then comes a lot of experimental painting trying to get this idea onto paper. It usually takes many attempts for me to get an idea just as I envisioned it, but it’s also when making these attempts that I often discover new and exciting processes. A few of my favourite artworks have been somewhat ‘accident’ experimental pieces that have led me on to new ways of creating.

Once I have a design or artwork I like, I focus on what products would best display it. My sustainability standards hugely impact what the products are that I create. Often, I’ll have an idea for a particular design on a particular product but when researching it further, realise that currently it’s not feasible to create this in a sustainable way. Fingers crossed in the future as more businesses focus on being sustainable so this will become less challenging.

LSP: How do you stay motivated as an artist and entrepreneur?

RC: It’s often a bit of a balancing act to stay motivated and inspired as an artist whilst not neglecting all the other aspects that come with running a business. I’m still continuously learning the best ways to stay motivated but having a rough routine and making sure to take breaks when I need them is particularly key for me. I also live for a to-do list and write so many every day, I don’t think I could get much done without them.

Staying inspired is also a fundamental motivator for me and there are so many brilliant, inspiring online resources now as artist / designer, from the V&A online archives to even Instagram and Pinterest. I’ve found Instagram in particular since lockdown, has been an amazing tool in terms of connecting with other creatives and gaining inspiration. I also love looking back at my own previous designs and seeing how my work has evolved and is continually developing. This is a big motivator to keep going as I’m excited to see what I’ll be creating in the future.

LSP: What advice would you give to aspiring creative entrepreneurs?

RC: To not overthink or get too stuck in developing your style too early on. Experiment, have fun and enjoy the process. Focus on creating something you love and the rest will follow.

Rosie at work, the amongst woven throw, and amongst coasters:

Autumn 2021 saw the release of Rosanna's first tableware collection, in five color versions of her popular Amongst botanical print. Perfect for holiday entertaining!

Croc Monsieur Recycled Cotton Woven Throw, Set of 4 Amongst Round Coasters, Wishful Pink Recycled Cotton Woven Throw, Black Amongst Round Tray, and Amongst Recycled Cotton Woven Throw by Rosanna Corfe. Shop the line at rosannacorfe.com

These Poetic Lakes

POPULARIZED BY THE ENGLISH POET William Wordsworth and the rest of the group that has come to be known as the Lake Poets, the Lake District is a region in North West England famed for its beautiful lakes, forests, and fells. The district is Wordsworth’s hometown, which he returned to later in life, and in which he wrote some of his most notable poems.

In the Lakes, Wordsworth saw the aesthetics of nature as being but one of its many admirable features. While he wrote about nature's beauty with enthusiasm, he also contemplated its relation to the human experience, pondering such topics as mortality and the loss of childhood innocence through “meadow, grove, and stream…” along with other natural representations.

The poetry that drew visitors to the Lakes, ironically became, in Wordsworth’s opinion, the very same thing that destroyed what made it special. In spite of this, he penned a travellers’ guidebook to the region, heralded for its relationship to Romantic literature, as well as its influence on 19th-century geography.

“The Guide is multi-faceted. It is a guide, but it is also a prose-poem about light, shapes, and textures, about movement and stillness ... It is a paean to a way of life, but also a lament for the inevitability of its passing” described Wordsworth’s biographer Stephen Gill.

Learning about the guide after my own visit to the Lakes makes me wish I had read it beforehand. But alas, what better excuse is there for simply paying another visit!

I loved: morning runs and evening walks by the banks of Bowness-on-Windermere, driving a boat at Ullswater, and swimming at Buttermere.

Lake District, Cumbria. lakedistrict.gov.uk

That Wild Lounging

IT WAS ON THIS PARTICULAR SUMMER that I went wild swimming for the first time, which naturally drew me to Rachael Gan's Wild Lounging illustration of a young woman floating in a lake. The illustration forms part of the artist's Summer Series: nine digital illustrations created in summer 2021.

I consider the series Rachael's first body of work reflecting artistic perspective and personal style. Having had the privilege to witness her begin to dabble in illustration, and eventually develop into an illustrator, the collection feels very much like a debut, made with all the buoyant feelings of summer no less.

Here, I chat with Rachael about her craft.

LSP: What inspired you to start illustrating?

RG: I’ve always loved visual art - going to galleries to admire art and discover new artists. And,in my every day realm, appreciating the aesthetic and cleverness of artworks and illustrations in books and magazines.

The turning point in my illustration journey was lockdown 2020. Prior to then, I’d dabbled in art through weekend and evening classes but I identified as more of an art appreciator than a creator. During the lockdown, I found (like many of us) that I had much more free time at home. And with that time, I was motivated to draw more, and create original artworks. I also took a course in Enhanced Illustration through Central St Martins. The frequent practice helped me grow my skillset and confidence to the point where I now think of myself as an illustrator and creator.

LSP: Do you have a favorite medium to work with? Any styles and subjects you gravitate to?

RG: In terms of mediums, I love painting with watercolor for its looseness and unpredictability. I also really enjoy drawing with ink pens. You can’t pause for too long when you’re drawing with ink since it will pool, so the lines are always very fluid and elegant. My other favorite medium is digital - illustrating on an iPad with an apple pencil using Procreate (software), there are just so many possibilities!

In terms of subjects, I gravitate to scenes that evoke joy. The Summer Series of prints I just completed were based on my own excitement this summer for warm days, particularly following our challenging winter lockdown in the UK. With the summer series, I wanted to create scenes that evoked a nostalgia for summers gone and joy for summers to come - with brightness, serenity as well as intrigue.

LSP: Describe your process. How has this differed before, and since the pandemic?

RG: My process is still changing. However, right now, it involves: Deciding on the subject of the illustration. Finding reference images and collaging them into a mood/inspiration board. Then, I’ll roughly draw a few different compositions for the subject, and select the one I like most for the underdrawing of the actual illustration.

Once I’ve decided on the rough composition, I’ll set a target date for completing the work. And then it’s quite an organic process. I’ll draw, paint, and create to complete the work by that date, making decisions and changes as I go. Deadlines help me focus, so I like to set myself timelines even if they’re somewhat arbitrary, both for my own work as well as client commissions.

Lastly, I’ll refine. With a physical work, there’s a limit on the number of tweaks I’ll make once the first pass is done. With digital works, I may continue to tweak for weeks (or months) after.

LSP: How do you stay motivated?

RG: As a new illustrator, I’m still experimenting and working out my style. Setting goals helps me stay motivated. I’ll say to myself "This month, I want to make an NFT." or "Next month, I want to create a large mixed media work." And then I’ll work to do it, often watching lots of youtube/skillshare tutorials to learn techniques, and looking at other illustrators’ work for inspiration and alternative perspectives. I love seeing what other artists and illustrators are creating, both in galleries and on instagram. My social media usage has gone up a lot since I became an illustrator.

LSP: What advice would you give to new artists?

RG: Try all the mediums. Create often. You learn the most through doing. You’re not going to love everything you make. This is advice I also often give myself.

Wild Lounging, Some Sweet Things, and Beach Days 2 by Rachael Gan. Shop the prints at rachaelgan.com

That Seaside Thrill

I CAN NEVER QUITE DECIDE WHO FASCINATES ME MORE. The talented Tom Ripley, with his dexterity to deceive, or the reckless but captivating Dickie Greenleaf, with his luscious looks and lavish lifestyle. How I feel about each character remains unchanged since first seeing the film in the 90s. I rewatch it over two decades later to find myself still enthralled by both Tom and Dickie's flair for amorality.

Of course, Anthony Minghella's touch makes it all attractive. Filmed in various villages on the Italian islands of Ischia and Procida, the fictional Mongibello provides a sumptuous setting for the sun-soaked thriller based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel. Casting helps too, with some notable performances by Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, and Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Marge Sherwood as the perfect sweetheart and foil to Tom and Dickie's darker personas.

Although I consider René Clément's 1960 film version as one of my all-time favorite films, in part for starring Alain Delon, Minghella's adaptation entrances me just as well. The main characters are both truly vile, and yet both characters, in both films, demonstrate the deceptive powers of beauty and affluence.

There is no question as to how The Talented Mr. Ripley earned its way into summer film lists everywhere. See it for a bit of suspense, and plenty of splendor.

The Talented Mr. Ripley, 1999. Directed by Anthony Minghella.

This Monochrome Summer

IN JAPANESE ART, BIJIN-GA ARE PICTURES OF BEAUTIFUL WOMEN, usually rendered in woodblock prints predating photography. Many contemporary artists from all over the world put their own spin on the genre, including Japanese illustrator and 1980s icon Ichiro Tsuruta.

Born in 1954 in the Kumamoto Prefecture, Tsuruta majored in graphic design at the Tama Art University in Tokyo. Hyperrealism was the trend at the time and he proceeded to create artwork in the style.

Tsuruta achieved fame in the late 80s when his work sparked a “Cosmetic Renaissance” through advertisements for Japanese cosmetics brand Noevir. Over the next decade, Tsuruta's bijin-ga found themselves on national TV and in Japanese publications, eventually too in international galleries.

With a focus on female beauty, Tsuruta's illustrations naturally feature the face, but also place an emphasis on hands and accessories. As such, I found them fitting inspiration for my own content with British jewellery brand Estella Bartlett.

My take on Tsuruta's fashion portraits:

It's my second summer styling for Estella Bartlett, and what a lovely year it's been, working with delicate pieces in shifting trends. Ichiro Tsuruta's Monochrome Summer, with its bare arms, white accessories, and over-the-shoulder gaze, provides the perfect mood for summertime styles in the city.

Illustrations by Ichiro Tsuruta, tsuruta-bijinga.com Photos by Lady San Pedro. Shop the pieces at estellabartlett.com

That Sculpted Space

I WAS ALREADY A FAN OF ABSTRACT SCULPTURE when I visited the Brancusi studio in Paris, but doing so inspired me on a new level. Just a cartwheel away from the Centre Georges Pompidou, the art gallery is an exact recreation of the artist’s atelier, where he lived and worked from 1904 until his death in 1957.

The studio houses a collection of over a thousand items, including 137 sculptures and 87 bases. Among them are the elegant Tête de Narcisse, the highly geometric Colonnes sans Fin, the abstracted golden Leda, a few Mlle Poganys, and a number of Le Coqs.

While the sculptures are notable works on their own, their meticulous arrangement within the studio heightens the experience of them. Brancusi actually stopped creating sculptures towards the end of his life, instead focusing on how the works are grouped in their spaces. He called them “mobile groups” and revised their positions daily, resulting in a studio that served not only as a place of work, but a work of art in its own right.

Brancusi's influence in my own home:

My own flat increasingly reflects Brancusi's influence, through primitive carvings, and vases inspired by abstract sculpture. I don't re-group them daily as Brancusi did with his works, but I reposition them often enough to derive new experiences from their arrangement.

Atelier Brancusi, Paris, centrepompidou.fr Photos by Lady San Pedro.

That Strong Staple

DEVELOPED FOR SOLDIERS IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR, the trench coat transcended its original purpose to become a timeless and fashionable wardrobe staple. Cinema reflects the fact, with countless iconic characters wearing the garment through film history.

In Robert Benson's 1979 screen adaptation of Avery Corman's Kramer vs. Kramer, Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman both appear in trench coats at different points in their story of separation. The wardrobe choice feels significant, as the film touches on gender roles and the rights of women, juxtaposed with the rights of fathers, as well as the inherent hostility of custody battles. 

Particularly for Streep's character, Joanna is first seen packing her trench coat rather than wearing it. She is only shown wearing her coat once she returns to town, having regained her lost self esteem. Kramer vs. Kramer almost treats the garment as a symbol of strength, that both characters draw upon through their difficult experience.

I first saw Kramer vs. Kramer in a Screen Art class back in university. I loved it then, and I love it now, for its low-key artistry, touching themes, and brilliant acting. Might I also mention the superb styling.

The trench coat as a staple in my own wardrobe:

This spring, I acquired a new trench coat to see me through the volatile British transition into summer. Though I wear it with much less symbolism than the characters in films do, the piece is ever iconic, and gives the appearance of strength. Strong ladies represent!

Kramer vs. Kramer, 1979. Directed by Robert Benson. Trench coat from whistles.com