Gucci gives clients the VIP treatment at the Grand Opening in Nordstrom

June 24, 2021

Gucci treated its luxury clients to something special to celebrate the grand opening of their beautiful new beauty counter inside Nordstrom at the Garden State Plaza Mall. During the 3 day event, which took place May 6th, 7th, and 8th, clients met with the team of talented Gucci beauty consultants and enjoyed the VIP treatment. After their consultations they were turned into fashion illustrations on the spot by Fashion Illustrator Deanna Kei.

As each client sat for their illustration they gushed about their Gucci beauty purchases and shared their love for the brand. There was a strong sense of connection to the label and many specially requested to be drawn with Gucci accessories.

The event took place on Mother’s Day weekend and many of the clients were shopping for gifts. There were a lot of special requests for family portraits to top off their Gucci gifts. Deanna worked with reference photos that the clients showed on their phones to create their custom sketches.

The in store event was an exciting and thoughtful way to show appreciation to the customers, and everyone who came out left with a smile and a bag full of their newly purchased Gucci goodies! *To schedule a consultation with the Gucci Beauty Team at Nordstrom in the Garden State Plaza mall please reach out to Annie. (201-788-5808).

Below are some scenes from the May 2021 Gucci Beauty Event.

*Illustrator Deanna Kei will be joining Gucci again for their upcoming grand opening in the beauty department inside the Nordstrom on 57th Street, New York City. August 4th, 5th, and 6th. Schedule a consultation at the NY store to join in on the fun!

Fashion Illustrator Deanna Kei, sketching Gucci clients during the event inside Nordstrom.

A Gucci client holding a sketch of her with her mother.

The Gucci Beauty Counter at Nordstrom, Garden State Mall - Photo by @AnnieChick_

18 Women artists are making a powerful statement about normalizing female positivity.

June 10, 2021

Introducing: Female Artist Collective

~ A collection of female positive works by women artists ~

Female Artist Collective is an art book centered on encouraging and normalizing self love and acceptance. It was created by a community of 18 women artists from all over the world who united in one goal: to spread a powerful message of love to other women and girls from the female perspective.

For Immediate Release: June 2021 (New York, US) The idea for this book was born on International Women’s day, in March 2021 in response to the need for more female-positive representation in the media, press, and the imagery we’re exposed to daily. NY based Illustrator Deanna Kei hand picked a group of talented women artists to unite their various styles with a common theme. The result was a beautiful collection of unique works, each highlighting female-positivity, daily life, and what it means to experience the world as a girl.

This book is all about encouragement and normalizing femininity, how ever that looks to each person individually. The art was created for females by females, but the message behind each carefully curated page is not: ‘this is an illustration of a woman or girl’, instead its: ‘this is a person, living their life as they want, who happens to be a woman or a girl.’ This book silently speaks out against the typical female characters you might find tossed into a movie, starring in a fairy tale, depicted in an art exhibit, or featured in a magazine ad. The solidifying goal behind this project was to illustrate women and girls being true to their selves, in both ordinary and abstract situations. This book doesn’t touch on the politics or social issues often associated with spotlighting women, but instead does a masterful job of presenting a low stress viewing of beautiful imagery, that promotes normalcy and the uniqueness of female life that any viewer can enjoy.

This art book features 57 full color pages of art highlighting women and girls, and a bio section spotlighting all 18 of the contributing women artists. Its 10”x7” size is perfect for exhibiting the artworks and makes it the perfect coffee table book.

Female Artist Collective is being exclusively distributed through Amazon and is available through all of Amazon’s international channels. The book prices at just $9.12US, making it easily accessible and very affordable. Neither the organizer nor the artists are drawing a profit from the sales of the book. “We felt that our message was important and we wanted to reach as many people as possible by offering our book at cost.”

The book can be purchased through the amazon link found at:

www.deannakei.com/femaleartistcollective

"We united in community and combined our talents to create this beautiful representation of female art. We believe in women supporting women. We hope that the art in this book encourages you to keep being yourself." - Organizer Deanna Kei speaks about the project

The secondary goal of this book was to really shine a spotlight on female talent. Each of the artists’ biographies and contact information are printed inside and readers are encouraged to join them online. The different works and styles compliment each other perfectly, and really strengthen the underlying message: collaboration over competition. “Female Artist Collective was created through community and we hope it will encourage and inspire others to reach out to each other and come together. Together we shine brighter”.

Featured artists include:

Deanna Kei, Beverley Hopwood Illustration, Ruby Michelle, Sanaa Fidahussain, Kelsey Linnartz, Eliana Rodgers, Rhodan Arts, Ashley Banbury, Ocean Take Flight by Helen Xue, Presents from Pascale, Anne Heffernan, Keerthana Rajasekar, Christina K, Stephanie Brodene, Victoria, Marie Sally, Monisha Ravindar, Natasha Joseph.

About Deanna Kei:

Deanna Kei is a Fashion & Beauty Illustrator, and Live & Virtual Event artist from New York. She works with brands to create custom story telling pieces and also performs live guest sketches during events. Deanna’s illustration style is heavily influenced by her background in fashion. She has been working as a designer for over a decade since her graduation from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Through her work she aims to promote style, confidence, and positivity.

www.deannakei.com – www.instagram.com/deannakei_illustrations

For Press Inquiries:

Contact: Deanna Kei

deannakei@gmail.com

www.deannakei.com/femaleartistcollective

Get your copy of Female Artist Collective on Amazon through the link below.

*This blog is part of amazon’s affiliate program and may earn a commission on applicable purchases through the links in this post.

6 of Cruella's Fiercest looks - Illustrated

June 5, 2021

The latest Disney release, Cruella, brings fashion to the forefront in a captivating story of betrayal, revenge, and killer style. Cruella’s story is masterfully set on the streets of 1970’s London, and draws inspiration from the UK Punk scene and the styling of designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen. Emma Stone as Cruella is outfitted by costume designer Jenny Beaven.

I turned 6 of my favorite looks from the feature into Fashion Illustrations. To see all 6, read below! ~ and if you haven’t gotten a chance to see the film yet, don’t worry, this post doesn’t include ending spoilers.

1. This textured black power suit is one of the first outfits Cruella steps out in.

It’s the start of her stylistic transition.

2. This fiery red gown is a show stopper.

Cruella undergoes a theatrical transformation which commands all eyes on her. She’s masked, mysterious, and captivates the crowd. Even the Baroness wants to know more.

3. The film develops into a fashion war between two skilled designers.

This military inspired look is Cruella’s outfit of choice when she takes a bold stand, quite literally, and steals the spotlight, winning the battle.

4. Cruella crashes an event on her motorcycle, dressed in a sculpted biker jacket with glittering gold pants.

The white lettering on her face reads ‘the future’, a bold declaration and an act of defiance.

5.The iconic spotted coat is totally remade a new, with a shawl collar and an asymmetrical color blocked silhouette.

This significant look leaves the Baroness furious. Sometimes fashion speaks louder than words.

6. Cruella wears her signature colors again in one of her final outfits.

The contrasting color and mixed fabrics come together into one complete look, just as Cruella herself is made up of two contrasting personalities.

Cruella’s unique wardrobe acts to solidify her character. Jenny Beaven, the costume designer stuck to a tight color pallet of black and white, with the occasional burst of reds, golds, and grays while dressing the her. Each outfit corresponds to an important scene in the film. A film where the fashion is built in to the story-line: it’s no wonder everyone is talking about it!

Which outfit is your favorite? Leave a comment and let me know!

BONUS: Which of Cruella’s Looks are you? Take the Quiz to find out!

Deanna Kei is a NY based Fashion and Beauty Illustrator. She works with brands to create unique and engaging content featuring their products and collections. To commission illustrations for your brand please write to deannakei@gmail.com