Trust Your Creativity The key to creating the perfect creative space is finding a place to be free. Defining your space as an extension of yourself and your aesthetic helps to harness your creative energy and ideas. The elements of a creative space include size, design, and purpose. Whether you are a fine artist, designer or maker, all creators need a creative space. The Creator's Corner | How To Create A Creative Space Selecting A Size | How To Create A Creative Space The size and shape of your creative space is essential to it's functionality. Make sure to give yourself enough room to move a ..read more

Bloom Where You Are Planted Faux flowers and artificial plants provide an endless number of creative possibilities for creatives and content creators. Not only do they provide everlasting blooms in vibrant colours that never fade, but there are many varieties available for every project and purpose. Artificial flowers are some of my favourite resources to work with for photography, makeup and DIY style. In this article I cover a few of my favourite things to do with them including how to choose them, how to style them, and how to store them. Faux Fashion | A Guide to Artificial Flowers How to ..read more

What feels like the end, is often only the beginning… It’s another year to wrap up here on The Wardrobe, and my goodness was it a busy one! There were so many things we did in 2021, and so many things still to be done. It was a rollercoaster ride, and despite so much uncertainty in the world there is so much to look forward to! I started a group of new projects, with new platforms and new possibilities, so here I share with you all that was the year of 2021… The Wardrobe Blog | Highlights of 2021 @thewardrobe.co.nz on Instagram | ‘Zero to Hero - A Guide to Instagram’ Highlights of 2021 | Achi ..read more

It’s always time to start the journey… I share with you the first lookbook photoshoot, taken in 2011 after I handmade my first complete outfit and documented the process on the original version of The Wardrobe Blog. This outfit would lead to my first attempt creating a fashion label, through ‘The Dorothy Collection’ in 2012. Although it didn’t go to plan, I look back on the memories I made that ultimately shaped my pride and joy, the beginning of the wardrobe… Making Memories | Fashion Diaries Above: Photographs from the archives, my first lookbook taken in 2011 that inspired ‘The Dorothy Col ..read more

“Without atmosphere a painting is nothing.” ― Rembrandt Introduction to aesthetic photography. Purpose, uses, benefits, and features. With the launch of my namesake label ‘Katie Marvel’ and my official store The Wardrobe Shop, I’ve discovered my love now more than ever before for atmospheric, aesthetic photography. Creating a vibe, evoking a mood, and depicting the feeling of a scene as opposed to defining every detail is a creative and fun way to describe a look. I’ve delved into the exciting world of aesthetic photography and in this article I will be sharing my three top tips! Aesthetic Pho ..read more

“To find yourself, think for yourself.” - Socrates. “You can do anything!” or at least that’s what we are told to believe. Watching famous celebrities and fashion icons talk about their past, childhoods, and the failures and obstacles they overcame always felt surreal. Although I knew logically I could do whatever I wanted with my life, growing up the lived experience is not as simple, or easy. Doing what you love is scary. That’s a fact many people skip over having lived the success and focusing on the outcomes of their creative and professional journey. So this is why I believe it’s importan ..read more

Handcrafted Unique Tales… Slow made is the biggest trend sweeping the fashion scene at the moment since jeans became a must have wardrobe staple, so many years ago. Whether it’s buying from makers or markets, sustainable fashion starts with supporting those who make it happen, the creators! Slow Made Style | How To Support Sustainable Fashion Slow Made Style | Look For Transparency One of the biggest issues in the fast fashion world at present is around the lack of transparency on product processes and production. Sustainable fashion means that the entire journey of a product from the raw mate ..read more

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know the place for the first time.” - T.S. Elliot. It wasn’t so long ago that I wrote a few articles about my love of fashion and the mistakes and lessons I learned from attempting to start my own label the first time around. Just like the famous quote from T.S. Elliot, I have come full circle on a dream of mine to end up back where I started but with a fresh perspective. It’s finally here, and it’s been in the making for months! In a few days’ time you can join me and shop The Wardro ..read more

Making a difference, starts with a step. One foot, then the next… I believe it’s important to reflect on the past, not only to celebrate success, but to learn from failures and take away important lessons. Being a creative can be a journey into the unknown, and many mistakes need to be made to get you to your destination! Here in this article I share with you the good, the bad, and the opportunities gained through the year of 2020… The Wardrobe Blog | Highlights of 2020 @thewardrobe.co.nz on Instagram | Wearing Forever New, and ASOS. Highlights of 2020 | Achievements & Successes I think i ..read more

Shine bright like a diamond… Evening glamour can be intimidating if you are used to dressing casually, or keeping it low key. There are a few tips and tricks to creating the perfect glamorous style for you, and looking your absolute best. Stylists, celebrities, and fashion icons know the secrets and with this article you can too. Looking for style inspiration, or not sure where to start? I cover the basics of building your style here. Elegant evening glamour is made through understanding your assets, knowing your figure, keeping it simple, building strong foundations and refining the details ..read more