www.arteecollage.com

Inspired by London's cosmopolitan and diverse culture, Arteecollage brings you luxury quality clothing with a contemporary feel. We purvey a functional and unique style to your everyday wardrobe by presenting a range of apparel ideal for men and women.

Tuesday 5 February 2013

SIX BASIC WARDROBE ESSENTIALS FOR WOMEN


Women's arteecollage crew tops


Ah the classic t-shirt – the most-worn and most underrated basic for any wardrobe. The key to an affordable – but always stylish clothing collection – is to invest in quality basics tops in order to get a lot of mileage out of them. If you opt for well-crafted, versatile tee shirts, then over the years you’ll find yourself selecting this garment regularly to get you through off-duty days and for those mornings when your sartorial imagination is feeling somewhat rusty. Loyalty becomes the charm with a wonderfully basic tee shirt or top.

I have some basic pieces in my wardrobe that I wear on a daily basis and I’m always mixing and matching them with other pieces – whether with new season garments or my loyal staples such as the jean short and tailored cropped trousers. These six “Basic Wardrobe essentials” help me create different looks. I particularly love adding pops of color, vintage skirts, leather trousers and accessories to each of them. Because of their nature as a loyal, basic tee, these pieces get a lot of wear and so they need to last.

As well as buying from the usual places such as Gap, J. Crew and TK Maxx (for the odd treasure or two), my personal favorite for accessible but beautifully made tops is Arteecollage. With a collection of contemporary, plain tees that have a unique spin on femininity,  the 100% natural modal fabric which they use on all their garments means the innovatively-designed tops don’t loose their shape or quality for up to 400 washes.

Here are the six basic wardrobe essentials from Arteecollage:

These are great for layering, especially in cooler climates. They also help take an outfit from season to season. Layer under a chunky vintage knit cardigan.
Long Sleeve Black T-shirt
The basic and casual design adds to the overall versatility of the top, while the laid-back style means it can be worn on off-duty days or on holiday.
White Racer Back Tank Top
Characterised by an elegant boat neckline, this 3/4 length women’s modal top is a sleek and sophisticated staple for your capsule wardrobe. This luxuriously soft plain boat neck top comes in a silky, stretch fabric and features a slim fit.
Grey Modal Boat Neck
Easily dressed up or dressed down, wear this Arteecollage long black tunic on casual friday with a pair of wet look jeggings or with a skater skirt and a structured blazer for a dressier look.
Long, Black Tunic
You can never go wrong with a quality crew tee – it’ classic, rather than Über and extravagantly  trendy so that it stands the test of time and won’t be outdated in 4-years’ time.
Arteecollage modal Crew Tee
The details on this original – but still classic – top include an asymmetric neck, short sleeves, slim fit and stretch material. You’ll want to wear this chic style every day, so reinvent this women’s fashion top by wearing with everything from black skinny jeans to leather skirts.
Red Asymmetric Neck Tee shirt Arteecollage
- Caroline Jackson

BRAND SPANKING NEW: THE XX (ONEMAN EDIT) FREE DOWNLOAD


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The xx “Chained (Oneman 119 House Edit)”

Ok, ok, so it may not be “brand spanking” new, but the free download of it is pretty new. Last month, under the moniker Oneman, London DJ Steve Bishop crafted this catchy rework of The xx‘s “Chained” and it’s a bit of a blinder, making it top of our “most listened to” downloads of January.

Satisfying all expectations and more, in true Oneman form, Bishop throws an enticing 119 bpm house rhythm over The xx’s harrowing vocals, while a meticulous bassline subtly keeps the tune progressive. If you haven’t already done so, definitely cop this free download below.

And in other Oneman news, Bishop self-released his DJ mix, Solitaire Vol. 1, last Monday through his website which y’all can get on his official website here. “The tape was a gamble, really, mostly off-the-cuff mixes,” the artist said, adding that the mix signifies “a game of subsonic solitaire where risks sometimes pay off.”

And if that’s not enough Oneman news to update you, then beginning on February 25, he’ll hit the road on a 10-stop tour of the UK and Europe. You can check out the currently announced dates below:

15th Feb Rainbow Warehouse, Birmingham, UK
16th Feb The Croft, Bristol, UK
19th Feb Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK
20th Feb Depot, Leuven, Belgium
22nd Feb La Machine, Paris, France
23rd Feb dollop x Standard Place, London
26th Feb Tuesday Club, Sheffield, UK
28th Feb Shipping Forecast, Liverpool, UK
1st Mar St. Judes, Glasgow, UK
2nd Mar Canal Mills, Leeds, UK

Thursday 31 January 2013

HOW TO: ACHIEVE KICK-ASS VALENTINE’S DATE STYLE


Men's graphic tee shirt arteecollage grey v-neck tattoo
“An Arteecollage Valentine’s Day”, by Kirsten Ferguson 

If you’ve somehow managed to forget that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner then where have you been? Already most shops have a huge banner in the window or fake roses at the till by now! I think this is the worst time of year, not for the singletons, but for the guys who have the pressure of taking a girl out. Not only have they got to choose what to do and where to go but also what to wear. Thankfully Arteecollage, and their cool graphic tee shirts, is on hand to help!

The Arteecollage Tattoo V-neck T-Shirt is a good place to start. Not only is it comfortable but theretro style t-shirt also features a unique, hand-drawn print from artist Paul Engeris – adding an interesting dynamic to the look. Although you want to be comfortable, you don’t want to look too casual. To prevent any risk of this, add a black blazer from H&M to the style. At a rather reasonable price of £29.99 as it’s really more of an investment piece and staple for your wardrobe essentials. Having one button done-up or leaving the blazer open keeps the look smart casual, without it being too formal.
Men's graphic arteecolllage grey tattoo print tee
The next step is these ace Monkee Classic Skinny Jeans from Topman that are more casual than suit trousers but the dark blue keeps them smarter than your every day wear. Although £60 is quite steep, similar to the blazer, the classic design of the jeans mean they will be an investment that can be worn again and again! 

Finally, these brogues from ASOS with leather soles complete the dapper look. The suede leather makes them a little more special than your average brogue and together with the rest of the outfit, will get your date off to a great start!

Happy wooing, chaps!

- Kirsten Ferguson

BRAND SPANKING NEW: THE STROKES FREE DOWNLOAD



One%20Way%20Trigger
Something stirred Twitter’ville on Friday evening. Within the space of a mere few seconds, streams of RTs and hashtags filled the air with some musical delight courtesy of The Strokes. It’s been almost two years since we heard any of their new material but the guys are finally back with a new track and they’re sharing it with us all. 

Available to download now as a freebie, The Strokes have taken a new, more electronic direction in the form of ‘One Way Trigger‘. What a lovely Monday treat indeed! A synth driven song, ‘One Way Trigger’ is obvious with its influences and also has a sneaky hint of A-ha in the verse, don’t you agree? Well, have a lil listen and decide…

These fine chaps join the likes of Destiny’s Child, Justin Timberlake and David Bowie who are all making comebacks this year. Hallelujah!

You can download it here now or via the official Strokes website.

CASUAL EVENING CHIC


TRANSITIONAL TRENDS: FROM OFFICE WEAR TO 

blazer two

“Transitional Trends: From Office Wear To Casual Evening Chic”, by Jude Duncan 

Ever been in that tricky situation, you know, when work finishes at 6pm and dinner is at 7:30pm and you have no time to go home? Well hath no fear, this post shows a quick and easy way to transform that office look from working woman to casual chic and party ready.

The wonderful people at my favourite natural online store Arteecollage have a range of fabulous urban Racer Back Tank tops in white and blue, as well as a black Modal Tank to help form this look. These cool modal tops are not only wardrobe essentials for any age but also brilliant foundations to any outfit. Layer them up for winter days or wear them on their own in the summer sun (s’all about investing in items for the future, guys).

To start compiling a versatile but stylish outfit, I’ve chosen the super soft urban white Racer Back Tank vest, which is a bargain at £7.50 (reduced from £30). For work, team this Arteecollage white Racer Back Tank with classic black slim fit trousers, a structured blazer and your favourite pointed heels for that causal but adaptable office look that will leave you ready for anything the office has to throw at you.

outfit two
When your day is over scrap the safe office look, let down your hair, slap on some bright red lipstick and get ready for dinner or evening cocktails! By teaming the urban white Racer Back Tank with your pointed heels and swapping your tailored trousers for black Disco Pants, your standout outfit is ready to go. But for the extra “wow” factor, add this brilliantly bold sequin blazer from ZARA to really show off your style.

Right then, was that not a lot easier than expected? Day-to-night transitions are not as scary as most people think!

Want to know more about Arteecollage? Visit their website: http://www.arteecollage.com/ or hit them up on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/Arteecollage, or Twitter,https://twitter.com/arteecollage.

Let me know what your favourite day-to-night transitions are by commenting below.

Jude

ARTEECOLLAGE PODCAST 01: MICHAEL L PENMAN


michael

We’ve been bursting to reveal this news all week and now it’s FINALLY Friday, we can happily divulge deets of a crispy new feature for the blog. Introducing to you the first episode of the Arteecollage Podcast. Each month pioneering musical geniuses will exclusively curate guest mixes brimming with sonic treasures – all for your listening leisure. Stepping up to the studio this month is a rather special guest to the Arteecollage team.

Music engineer, sound designer and notable producer for some of the finest purveyors of House and minimal techno, Michael L Penman is a musical force to be reckoned with. Over a short period the Scottish artisan began solidifying his skills through experimenting across a wide range of genres and platforms. This raw and rare ability then resulted in collaborations with prestigious artists such asPhotek, Gwen Stenfani, Switch and Asian Dub Foundation – to name but a few.

After working with such a high calibre of influential artists, Michael decided to turn his hand to producing. As a result he released a number of energetic tracks on Slovakian minimal label Leporelo. Whether it’s his funky minimal extracts, or the rolling late hour tech house, Michael embodies a sound that helps to intertwine with your body and mind, creating a pure listening experience. It wasn’t long before his distinctive, bouncy bass lines, slamming drums and glitched out percussion soon caught the attention of the Minus crew.

Now a fully-fledged producer at Minus 12, and with a repertoire of three album releases over just two years, including “Guide”, “Plastic/Greasy Love” and “Animals are Minimal”, Michael’s flair for music is undeniable.
And it wasn’t too long until Michael attracted other top DJ’s. The likes of Richie Hawtin and Dubfirestarted to play a selection of Michael’s tracks across 2011 and 2012. This lead onto Richie using Michael’s track “Wa” in his essential mix on Pete Tong’s Radio 1 show. Indeed, there are plenty of exciting things to come from this chap. And, naturally, with this level of innovation, we simply had to get Michael to craft our first ever mix (he’s also a fan of our tees which definitely did NOT sway us whatsoever).

So, sit back, grab a beverage or five and lose yourself in this glorious mix by the man himself.
Michael’s also given us this freebie for y’all to download. Enjoy!

RESIDENT BLOGGER: FASHION FIT


womens sports top arteecollage
‘Resident Blogger: Fashion Fit With Arteecollage’, by Kirsten Ferguson 

I’ve been contemplating going to the gym since the start of January but as yet, have done nothing about it. This is due to a busy time with work and university but also because I have nothing to wear. I’m pretty sure if I could find some great sports tops and trousers which made me look and feel good, I would be much more likely to go on a regular basis! Aside from the necessities – a good sports bra and proper trainers – you can pretty much wear whatever makes you feel most comfortable.

In order to boost my chances of going, I’ve opted for buying a new gym wardrobe which includes this Arteecollage Racer Back Tank top in white. Because it’s made from Modal fabric, I know it’s going to be gentle on my skin while I’m not so gentle on the treadmill! As it is slim fit I opted to buy it in a bigger size for optimum movement and at £7.50 it’s not going to break the bank, which is rare since the quality is great.
arteecollage white tank modal top
H&M are doing some great sportswear at the moment so I purchased three-quarter length running tights for £19.99. They are made from breathable fabric and the tights also feature ventilation behind the knees which helps to keep my skin cool and dry. Now for the fun part – trainers. There is so much selection to suit not only different fitness needs, but also different styles! I’ve opted for Nike In season TR ladies trainers from Sports direct for £37.99 which I thought was a reasonable price for good quality, beneficial trainers.

Finally, underneath my Arteecollage racer tank top is a Supernova sports bra from Adidas. Again, like the trainers, it is vital for us ladies to invest in order to have the right support! The fabric removes any trace of sweat and the cross straps in the back, as well as the square neck, add extra support.

I can’t wait to try out my new gym outfit and am now raring to go because the sheer comfort of all these elements mean you don’t need to sacrifice your style when working up a sweat!

- Kirsten