INTRODUCING: DECK YOURSELF WITH CHICTOPIA

For weeks we’ve been bursting to tell you all about an exciting, new venture for our online shop. And now we’re finally able to reveal that we’ve hooked up with the glorious, virtual style bible that isChictopia, where we’ll be selling on their marketplace, blogging with them and sponsoring free, wearable “Chic Rewards”!

As we’re always eager to craft new ways to get stylish, now you’ll be able to shop our exclusively discounted items, as well as showcase your Arteecollage purchases for their millions of users to ogle at via their painfully cool blogger community.

Not only this, we’ll also be sponsoring their “Chic Rewards Scheme” so the more active you are on the blog, means you’ll have more points to swap in exchange for FREE Arteecollage items. AND, if you then blog about your Arteecollage reward, you’ll get all your points back! Free, stylish clothes for lovely, stylish bloggers, what more could you need?

Now that we’re official sellers on Chictopia’s super cool marketplace, we’ve been invited to participate in their festive “DECK YOURSELF” campaign. During this, we’ll be listing our most stylish statement holiday pieces for the season. The site will certainly be bustling, and there will also be a “Naughty or Nice?” contest for the Chictopia bloggers to show off their most alluring – or sweetest – festive attire.

So go forth and put some sparkle in your christmas outfits by shopping, blogging and rewarding yourself with Arteecollage on Chictopia.

Take a look at our current sale items that feature an extra 20% off with Chictopia.

- BLACK MODAL TANK VEST. SHOP. 

- BLUE MODAL LONG VEST. SHOP. 

- BATWING LONG MODAL TUNIC. SHOP. 

FEATURED ARTIST: MARIANNA MICHAEL

Last week we revealed the winner and finalists of our Talent House competition. If you’re not already in the loop about this *slightly* exciting comp, then for the past two months we ran a “design-a-tee” competition. Entries from across the globe were submitted and thousands of you lovely readers voted. The results were revealed last week, and as part of the prize for the five finalists, we promised to dedicate a post to each of their original minds and the fruits of their creative labour.

First up we have Marianna Michael, who wowed us with her structural, and intriguingly obscure graphic print (pictured below).

When creating prints and design-led work, Marianna looks to architecture for inspiration. Working on progressing with this theme, Marianna applied her admiration for complex structures in order to design a print for Arteecollage. What’s also a standout notion for us is how her winning design took particular references from previous print projects that she has worked on (pictured throughout).

Of her prints, Marianna says that London architecture especially gets her artistic juices flowing, and when working on the competition she developed her print by hand and decided to place the image in the centre of the t-shirt for a striking look.

Part time blogger, part time artist and part time designer, Marianna also divides her time admiring fashion and performance, as well as rustling up baked goods. How she then finds time to make breathtaking collages based on her current obsessions is beyond us. Take a look at her most recent cool creations:

As well as imaginative collages that fuse whimsical vibes with nostalgia, Marianna is indeed an uber talented print designer, which is why we made her our first runner-up and why we would love to collaborate with her in the future.

If you’re as besotted with her talents as we are, contact Marianna here:

Twitter: @mariannamic1
Blog:  mariannamic.tumblr.com

SPANKING NEW MUSIC MONDAY: ANGEL HAZE

ANGEL HAZE 

It’s been pretty hard to ignore the news of BBC’s Sound of 2013 List. As of today, fifteen of the most promising new music acts have been named as ‘ones to watch’ for the next 12 months. Aimed at showcasing the hottest talent, the list was compiled using tips from 213 tastemakers, who each named their favourite three new acts.

Among the longlist of inspiring, new artists are boy-girl pop duo AlunaGeorge, who we’re already mahoosive fans of, then there’s Birmingham indie group Peace and Californian sisters Haim.

But seems as it’s Spanking New Music Monday, we thought we’d introduce you to an upcoming solo singer who’s been making a bit of a ruckus lately. Aged 21, Angel Haze is fast gaining a reputation as the Queen of Rap and here’s why. In the past six months alone she’s released two mixtapes – July’s Reservation and October’sClassick –  both of which received rave reviews from the likes of The Guardian, NME, and Pitchfork.

Angel Haze not only possesses one of the most talented set of vocals in rap music, but she’s also an incredibly versatile songwriter and, FYI, has killer contemporary style. See for yourself by having a gander and a listen to her video:

AT LONG LAST THE NEW SITE IS HERE! YIPPEE!

SHOP MEN’S GRAPHIC T-SHIRTS AND WOMEN’S URBAN WEAR AT ARTEECOLLAGE

ENTER CODE “XMAS50″ FOR 50% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER.

WWW.ARTEECOLLAGE.COM

GUIDE TO A MANLY CHRISTMAS

‘A man’s christmas’, by Emma Salter

 Xmas shopping for men is one of the hardest and most stressful task’s a girlfriend, friend or parent can be lumbered with. But with this comes a humungous contest, which is why this is my favourite time of year. 

I love a good bargain, but when Christmas comes along it is time to pull out all the stops and dare to challenge mens fashion, putting my feminine skills to the test to dress the men in my life exactly how I want. Luckily it’s a time for giving and receiving, so with this good spirit means I can escape criticism of my choices!

Stockists:

Sweatshirt hoodie
£75 – topman.com

Nike
£50 skatewarehouse.com

Casio watch
£30 – asos.com

River Island Green Corduroy Stretch Skinny Trousers
£20 – riverisland.com

Lighweight Beanie
£15 urbanoutfitters.com

Navy Wool Mix Plaid Rucksack
£32 – topman.com

I got inspired by the Off-duty Menswear post on Arteecollage wordpress and decided to use the versatile graphic tee as my starting point to this Christmas ensemble. As part of the Arteecollage collection of graphic T-shirts, this righteous design features a retro tattoo print by contemporary artist Paul Engeris. In a regular fit, the short-sleeved grey and black print Tee shirt is ideal for updating any man’s wardrobe. Not shying away from my bargain hunting ways I am pleased to say this high quality tee is a fantastic £5 on the amazon site and is said to be heavenly comfortable.

Being the girlfriend of an amateur bmx’er I’m constantly reminded of his lack of high street fashion style, I’ve decided the best way to tackle this is to dress him with the help of Arteecollage for a stylishly modern look. And, as most skate parks are outside it is great to know this Arteecollage soft grey tee will adapt to the seasons by being cool in the summer and easily worn with multiple layers in the winter!

My favourite autumn material is corduroy and these green stretch skinny trousers from River Island go perfect with the graphic tee from Arteecollage. A matching lightweight beanie from Urban Outfitters will also keep my man warm whilst he’s out riding, warmth and colour co-ordination is a necessity!

A passionate bmx’er has his signature urban casual look and is not to be confused with skater boys, which is why this Topman sweater is perfect! I know he’ll appreciate the effortlessly cool slogan! These Nike Blazers are also a sure-fire hit and an urban alternative fashion that’s been seen all over Tumblr.

To complete this outfit with the addition of accessories, every bmx’er needs a statement rucksack and this navy wool plaid rucksack is in tone with the colour co-ordination as well as the classic tartan autumn/winter trend. Finally, the Casio watch from Asos is unisex, which means I’ll definitely be stealing it from him as soon as he takes it off!

Arteecollage offer some of the coolest street-wear online. Whatever you opt to do, one thing that’s certain is that the super soft, 100% cotton qualities of the printed t-shirts will make for a supple edition to any guy’s weekend wardrobe. Plus, the Amazon site has got a 75% off sale!

- Emma Salter

RESIDENT BLOGGER: WRAPPING UP THIS WINTER

This week our superb resident blogger gives us the ultimate guide to chic dressing for sub-zero temperatures. From combining our basic apparel range with high street gems, you’ll be amazed at how stylish dressing with multiple layers can be. 

‘Winter Wonder’, by Sophie Mayanne

As the nights are drawing in earlier- the frost embellishing the world on early mornings, cold winds dancing through the damp air. Summer’s clear skies are a distant memory, replaced by swirling clouds, soft rain and an inkling of snow.

A chill runs through the air, winter is here.

Winter can only mean one thing from a fashion perspective- it is time to pack away the endless pairs of summer shorts, silk summer dresses hidden away for another six months.  It is time to swap the lightness of your summer wardrobe for strong, durable fashion. Your winter wardrobe.

Firstly comes the quest for the perfect winter coat, the winter coat with longevity to see you through many winters ahead,  be it the ‘casual-cool’ parka coat, or the glamorous fur ensemble, or the classical grey coat.  After this comes a second important task- defining the rest of your winter wardrobe.

Whether you are fighting the winter chill in the city, the comfort of your own home or somewhere more remote, Arteecollage has clothing that you can combine with your winter coat for the perfect cold defying, fashionable look.

For me, I would personally opt for Arteecollage’s leggings and their modal long sleeved t-shirt. Comfortable with silky qualities, these items offer a look that can be combined with any signature winter coat. Team with a pair of heeled ankle boots to look effortlessly chic- or with a pair of thigh-high boots to face the icy sheen on the pavements urban-chic style.

And when you return simply combine the pieces with a slouchy knit for a warm and comfortable look- one that you won’t be afraid to answer the door in!

So fight the winter chills this season, and wrap up warm with Arteecollage – which offers you wardrobe staples and the scope to create any luxurious winter outfit.

If you shop now, you can get this look for even less on the Arteecollage Amazon Outlet. There’s up to 75% off so check it out.

- Sophie Mayanne

REVEALED: THE WINNER OF OUR DESIGN A TEE COMP

After several months of being bombarded with exceptionally creative entries by exceptionally talented people, we are proud to FINALLY announce the winners of our Talent House competition.  You guys voted in your thousands and here are the results… *DRUMROLL PLEASE*

The winner, followed by the five finalists, of our competition are…

Winner

- Didi Hilda Bjorn

Finalists
- Amy Cartwright
- Marianna Michael
- Donald Juricev
- Letisha Stewart-Green
- Rengin G, who is also the People’s Choice.

The lucky winner has the chance to have their idea produced and to collaborate with us as a long-term designer for our forthcoming collection. They also receive a cash prize, along with a free tee and a voucher for £30!

The five runners-up all receive: 

• Their artwork featured on our social media channels

• Discount vouchers for 50% off all Arteecollage apparel on the online store

The People’s Choice receives:
• Their artwork featured on our social media channels
• Discount vouchers for 50% off all Arteecollage apparel on the online store•  A feature on the blog

We’ll be in touch shortly to send you your prizes!