#“at that moment Emma’s desired future and the biggest consciousness in Emma’s mind at that time was to create a world where ‘GF Family’-

[evanity]

;biography

name — Vanity, Emma faceclaim — Lily James  age — 25 gender — Cis-female. Women who would fan themselves endlessly while sipping her mother’s 5 o’clock tea would say female as if it were a barrier. They would point out that she was a lady, and that therefore, she should keep her back straightened, she should brush her hair, she should never say that word again out loud. Yet, her parents never asked Emma to put on a skirt because the Rowles are visiting. They never treated her like a little bird, like a future bride in training that they would marry off as soon as graduation. Her father had many faults, but never did he force Emma into the thin, cage-shaped stereotype that was female in their society. She was his heir. She learned to ride winged horses at ten years old. She was taken to saloons where men drank firewhiskey and talked business at fourteen. She wasn’t scolded after stealing her father’s cigars one summer at fifteen — she couldn’t escape getting enrolled among the Death Eaters as she turned seventeen. Therefore, Emma is a cis female, but the definition her parents taught her differs from the one used by her childhood friends.

sexuality — Pansexual. Her sexuality seeks personality more than anything else. She’s attracted to all those with a fire within, who inspire her to be worse, who make her laugh, who have something to say. Obsessive yet easy-going, she falls in love quickly and gives up hard. Whatever makes her heart beat change has claim over the said heart forever.

patronus — The memories she has lived are sprinkled with sheer happiness. Getting drunk and swimming in the Black Lake at midnight, winning the Inter-House Quidditch Cup while being Captain, getting a hundred galleons at the lottery all made her smile spread all the way to her ears, but nothing filled her whole heart with joy. She hasn’t even properly lived, in her opinion. Casting a patronus is a sensitive subject for a witch who always wanted to be first at everything, but finds it difficult to convert happiness into magic. However, if she were able to conjure a patronus, it would undoubtedly be a winged horse, namely an Abraxan Winged Horse. Abraxan Winged Horse - A breed of winged horse, gigantic in size and extremely powerful. They are selective eaters and usually require forceful handling. As a Patronus, they represent power, determination, and a free spirit.

boggart — This would be easier. In the past years, she ran on fear rather than happiness as fuel. These days, it would definitely be her father returned from Azkaban. She fears what life path he desires for her. She fears that disappointed look on his face when he notices her disgust for everything the war and the Dark Lord stand for. She fears the mental image of him destroyed by a soul-shattering prison, and, in few words, she fears him no matter if he dies in Azkaban, if he returns to make a Death Eater out of her again or if he returns to kill her for treason.

IC In Depth

personality traits —

(ambitious:) While other people have hobbies and interests, Emma’s only passion is overachieving. She became Quidditch team Captain seeking a title to differentiate herself from her mates. She learned to throw a Quaffle because someone implied she couldn’t, in the first place. Her collection of diplomas, piled up like fallen leaves in autumn, doesn’t matter for anything but her own ego, entirely fed by a lifetime of chasing after small prizes and insignificant victories. Nothing attracts her like winning, like coming on top, whether it’s about schoolwork, about silly bets or her own life choices. She has done questionable things to land on top before, only out of pride. Despite being passive in matters of blood purity and being too comfortable to actually want to fight a war (especially on the losing side), her ambition served as sole motivation to keep going, following her father’s wish to fight for the Dark Lord and make something out of a family name that hasn’t sat next to something worthy of pride in too long.

(fickle:) Easily convinced to doubt even the steps she takes on the ground, she questions everything, all the more herself, and is ready to turn on her heels and walk in the other direction at the first glare from someone else. Persuasion has her mind on strings, toying with it at free will, and Emma wouldn’t even notice, under the spell of every person who influences her in any way. Encouraged by peer pressure and naturally inclined to struggle until everyone liked her, she is often remembered by her worst, most impulsive decisions, executed because someone thought it would be funny. More importantly, her father’s aspirations for her left a permanent mark on her forearm, and she had no power fighting that decision.

(free-spirited:) While taking every piece of advice religiously, worrying that everyone’s mind but her own saw bigger truths that she was missing, she loves being in charge of her afternoons. She doesn’t want to be told what to do — not out loud and not consciously — because the peace and the quiet are her most comfortable state of being. She craves adventures and untied, tangled hair, spontaneous dips in stranger lakes and kisses from people she doesn’t know the name of. She despises cages and has a predisposition towards flying — be it on a broom or her favorite winged horse. Emma seldom knows what to do, what path to take and whether to trust her own mind or not — but she would rather cope with her uncertainties without having so many questions to answer and so many responsibilities no one ever wished for.

(chaotic:) An agitated daughter turned into a radioactive teenager turned into a messy young adult. Emma doesn’t know how to stand still, like she doesn’t know the first thing about order and stability. She learned how to run long before she could walk, and that shows in her behavior everyday. Wrong decisions made in the spur of the moment tie with some sort of natural, charming clumsiness — and these describe her to the last comma. She talks too much and most of her sentences don’t have an ending, because she never stops spinning infinitive ideas back and forth in her mind.

character biography —

Perhaps out of lack of blue blood in her veins, Emma never quite fit in according to the pureblooded standards. Her mother was thought to give birth to a boy up until the first time Emma opened her eyes for the first time towards the world. Due to health complications, it was said that she would never give birth again, let alone to a son.  It took his father a bit to adjust and accept the imminence of not having a heir to pass on quite everything to, but he never loved Emma any less. He couldn’t have his own blood even if it spat in his face — but Emma wouldn’t gamble on that. The toddler with curious eyes never cried a day, with a childhood surrounded by majestic winged horses and an aunt that sang in the Leaky Cauldron, surrounded by pinkness and a loving family that, despite being preoccupied by tradition, never resented Emma for simply being born.

And so the child who tripped in ballet classes and couldn’t remember the word for anything, having to ask her mother, grew taller and taller everyday, as if warmth alone lifted her up. Despite not being a skilled pianist or a talented dancer, she excelled in the third most pureblooded occupation there was. When on a horse, nothing stopped her. Emma would often be scolded by a worried mother or by a half-amused father for speed, but she agreed she’d never slow down. Every chance to hop on a winged horse and ride was a chance to exceed her last speed record, and so she became competitive — by being in constant competition with herself.

Terrified to go to Hogwarts, as she feared she has never slept before without her mother’s daily kiss on her forehead, she learned that she loves large amounts of company quite soon. She would talk and talk for hours if she had someone to talk to, and strangers were her favorite interlocutors. For that, she made both friends and enemies, those who liked her guts and humor not necessarily exceeding those who wouldn’t find anyone more annoying than Emma Vanity. Still, her priority has always been to have fun, and her friends were grateful to have around someone as lovely, gullible and foolish as her. Quidditch was her biggest achievement, despite being a sport she didn’t have a passion for particularly. It just mirrored horse-riding enough to make her not miss home so much, so often. And the fact that it implied the biggest competition Hogwarts had to offer interested her even more. She became a Captain in her third year and was known not for being the most talented player rather the one who would never give up.

When the child with curious eyes turned into the teenager with desperate eyes, it was as if nothing could stop her anymore. Driven by endless ambition and no drop of shame, she was the only girl in her year who treated boys she liked as if they were the girl. Norms have never applied to her and she decided it was best if the boys feared her instead of the other way around. Never did Emma hesitate before asking somebody out on a Hogsmeade trip, but, for that, she encountered with a fair amount of rejection. Emma was unlike the rest of the pureblooded girls  —  not delicate, not sheepish, not elegant, not mannered  — and she was unlike the other girls, but somewhere in the middle, she was sweet; like corn instead of candy. She didn’t fear labels from jealous wixen, she would argue with anyone spreading rumors… or even telling the truth about her, and conflict was never something she shuddered at the thought of. Until her father’s opinions concerning her became a problem.

Upon finishing school, she had no direction. Hogwarts, her friends, her team and even the dramas have been the entirety of her life for years, and now she didn’t want to become an adult. Yet, Mr. Vanity had big hopes regarding his daughter. As a supporter of Voldemort who didn’t stand out in any way: not being rich enough, not respected enough and certainly not having the strongest wand, he wanted to do anything to get in the Dark Lord’s good graces and it did flatter Emma that he immediately considered enrolling her. Except for the fact that Emma never wanted to fight to begin with. The cause itself preoccupied her less, even though something in her chest made her feel as if it wasn’t exactly right. Still, she complied with half a heart, only out of fear not to let down her father, who never wronged her in any way despite having many reasons to treat her as harshly as other fathers treated kids her age.

It was a relief when the Dark Lord vanished, and she was ready to take it without questioning whether it is a good or permanent thing. The only thing that mattered was that she was no longer a toy in somebody’s big hands and that the strings got cut off entirely. Her tattoo bothered her, but not enough to stop her from living a life filled with things that used to bring her joy before. It was going to take a while to rediscover them, but she was hopeful, for the first time. But that was before the aurors knocked on their door to arrest his father, letting her think she would be next. That didn’t happen, but the thought of her own father sitting blankly in an Azkaban cell made her skin itch and her head ache. She wanted him saved, but at the same time, she wanted her freedom too. Out of lack of skills regarding solving inner conflicts, she decided not to think much about that one. Still, even now that her wings are untied, she doesn’t know what to do with that freedom in the slightest.

plot ideas —

i. BLACKMAIL. People know of the mark underneath her robes. The long sleeves aren’t fooling anyone and the summertime catches her too distracted and entertained not to strip to skin with every occasion. Therefore, her prior alliance isn’t a whisper on a dark street, rather than the bitter truth she still didn’t gather up courage to swallow. The blackmail would have more to do with her official betrayal. Maybe she slipped in front of another Death Eater and confessed what is in her heart regarding the Dark Lord and her father’s say in her involvement, maybe someone observant enough read straight through her. What’s certain is that someone is using her weakness to threaten her into imminent death for her unofficial betrayal. Whether she knows this person’s identity or not, it’s open to interpretations.

ii. SPEAK NOW. It’s implied that Emma and Reginald, Mary’s husband, were romantically involved. Even if this were completely one-sided and if Emma was the only one to grow feelings for the other young man, it’s irrelevant in light of how she sees it. She sees it as a love story, beginning, middle and ending. No amount of cold water would help her wake up from the delusion that her friend — her good friend — led her on. The news about Reg’s marriage to Mary came in like a hurricane. Despite all that, it felt like a masterful idea at the time to interrupt their ceremony and voice her concern. She made a fool out of herself for this impulsive moment of unasked for truth. People still whisper about crazy Emma to this day and no hole is deep enough for her to hide whenever that particular memory resurfaces, but she’s learned to live with all of her collection of mistakes, no matter how sharp they still dig into their mind.

iii. PARTY GIRLS DON’T GET HURT. No one can brag about as many blunders as Emma, and her Hogwarts times are the golden ages of that. With a tendency to be the target of everyone’s laughter, it would only make sense that people in her generation wouldn’t think too highly of her, still remembering the girl who always tripped over her own feet after a couple of butterbeers. This plot bunny includes both people she used to be good friends with (but since adolescence is not a light summer’s breeze, they would have either fought passionately or fallen apart) and people who can’t help but scoff at the mention of her name. She wouldn’t necessarily be popular, but, as a dramatic and social person, it would only be natural that she made both pals and enemies at the age of sixteen.

iv. THE CLOAKED MEN. With a history of being on the wrong side of the previous war, aurors panic the hell out of Emma. She avoids them as if she has something to hide, but truth is, she just doesn’t want to end up where her father is. I would like a suspicious auror to seek her company purposefully and make her nervous in hopes of maybe learning something new about the Death Eaters. Getting under Emma Vanity’s skin is easier than ever when she is sweating and trying to nervously smile through that.

v. REDEMPTION. Maybe someone wants to fool Emma (see: possibly linked with the fourth plot bunny as well), maybe they want her to be well. What’s for sure is that someone is suddenly dragging her towards the light side — and she swings in between certainties without appearing to make up her mind any time soon. The promise of a clean future and better, less scary company is difficult to weigh in when, on the other side, her father’s disapproving eyes blink, in a frown, at her.

[alternislatronemhq]

Congrats, RALUCA, you have been accepted to AL for the role of EMMA VANITY (FC: Lily James). Wow, your app was TRULY fantastic! I was hanging on to every word, loving each bit. You’ve flushed Emma out in such a beautiful way, and I for one cannot wait to see how she progresses in this plot! Really well done, I’m so excited you’re here! Please send in your blog (no sideblogs for first characters, please) in the next 24 hours and be sure to take a look at our new player checklist. Welcome home (once again), we’re so excited to have you join the family!

OOC

name — raluca age — 20, but i’m turning 21 on the 15th of july pronouns — she/her/hers timezone — gmt+2

IC Overview

name — Vanity, Emma faceclaim — Lily James  age — 25 gender — Cis-female. Women who would fan themselves endlessly while sipping her mother’s 5 o’clock tea would say female as if it were a barrier. They would point out that she was a lady, and that therefore, she should keep her back straightened, she should brush her hair, she should never say that word again out loud. Yet, her parents never asked Emma to put on a skirt because the Rowles are visiting. They never treated her like a little bird, like a future bride in training that they would marry off as soon as graduation. Her father had many faults, but never did he force Emma into the thin, cage-shaped stereotype that was female in their society. She was his heir. She learned to ride winged horses at ten years old. She was taken to saloons where men drank firewhiskey and talked business at fourteen. She wasn’t scolded after stealing her father’s cigars one summer at fifteen — she couldn’t escape getting enrolled among the Death Eaters as she turned seventeen. Therefore, Emma is a cis female, but the definition her parents taught her differs from the one used by her childhood friends.

sexuality — Pansexual. Her sexuality seeks personality more than anything else. She’s attracted to all those with a fire within, who inspire her to be worse, who make her laugh, who have something to say. Obsessive yet easy-going, she falls in love quickly and gives up hard. Whatever makes her heart beat change has claim over the said heart forever.

patronus — The memories she has lived are sprinkled with sheer happiness. Getting drunk and swimming in the Black Lake at midnight, winning the Inter-House Quidditch Cup while being Captain, getting a hundred galleons at the lottery all made her smile spread all the way to her ears, but nothing filled her whole heart with joy. She hasn’t even properly lived, in her opinion. Casting a patronus is a sensitive subject for a witch who always wanted to be first at everything, but finds it difficult to convert happiness into magic. However, if she were able to conjure a patronus, it would undoubtedly be a winged horse, namely an Abraxan Winged Horse. Abraxan Winged Horse - A breed of winged horse, gigantic in size and extremely powerful. They are selective eaters and usually require forceful handling. As a Patronus, they represent power, determination, and a free spirit.

boggart — This would be easier. In the past years, she ran on fear rather than happiness as fuel. These days, it would definitely be her father returned from Azkaban. She fears what life path he desires for her. She fears that disappointed look on his face when he notices her disgust for everything the war and the Dark Lord stand for. She fears the mental image of him destroyed by a soul-shattering prison, and, in few words, she fears him no matter if he dies in Azkaban, if he returns to make a Death Eater out of her again or if he returns to kill her for treason.

IC In Depth

personality traits —

(ambitious:) While other people have hobbies and interests, Emma’s only passion is overachieving. She became Quidditch team Captain seeking a title to differentiate herself from her mates. She learned to throw a Quaffle because someone implied she couldn’t, in the first place. Her collection of diplomas, piled up like fallen leaves in autumn, doesn’t matter for anything but her own ego, entirely fed by a lifetime of chasing after small prizes and insignificant victories. Nothing attracts her like winning, like coming on top, whether it’s about schoolwork, about silly bets or her own life choices. She has done questionable things to land on top before, only out of pride. Despite being passive in matters of blood purity and being too comfortable to actually want to fight a war (especially on the losing side), her ambition served as sole motivation to keep going, following her father’s wish to fight for the Dark Lord and make something out of a family name that hasn’t sat next to something worthy of pride in too long.

(fickle:) Easily convinced to doubt even the steps she takes on the ground, she questions everything, all the more herself, and is ready to turn on her heels and walk in the other direction at the first glare from someone else. Persuasion has her mind on strings, toying with it at free will, and Emma wouldn’t even notice, under the spell of every person who influences her in any way. Encouraged by peer pressure and naturally inclined to struggle until everyone liked her, she is often remembered by her worst, most impulsive decisions, executed because someone thought it would be funny. More importantly, her father’s aspirations for her left a permanent mark on her forearm, and she had no power fighting that decision.

(free-spirited:) While taking every piece of advice religiously, worrying that everyone’s mind but her own saw bigger truths that she was missing, she loves being in charge of her afternoons. She doesn’t want to be told what to do — not out loud and not consciously — because the peace and the quiet are her most comfortable state of being. She craves adventures and untied, tangled hair, spontaneous dips in stranger lakes and kisses from people she doesn’t know the name of. She despises cages and has a predisposition towards flying — be it on a broom or her favorite winged horse. Emma seldom knows what to do, what path to take and whether to trust her own mind or not — but she would rather cope with her uncertainties without having so many questions to answer and so many responsibilities no one ever wished for.

(chaotic:) An agitated daughter turned into a radioactive teenager turned into a messy young adult. Emma doesn’t know how to stand still, like she doesn’t know the first thing about order and stability. She learned how to run long before she could walk, and that shows in her behavior everyday. Wrong decisions made in the spur of the moment tie with some sort of natural, charming clumsiness — and these describe her to the last comma. She talks too much and most of her sentences don’t have an ending, because she never stops spinning infinitive ideas back and forth in her mind.

character biography —

Perhaps out of lack of blue blood in her veins, Emma never quite fit in according to the pureblooded standards. Her mother was thought to give birth to a boy up until the first time Emma opened her eyes for the first time towards the world. Due to health complications, it was said that she would never give birth again, let alone to a son.  It took his father a bit to adjust and accept the imminence of not having a heir to pass on quite everything to, but he never loved Emma any less. He couldn’t have his own blood even if it spat in his face — but Emma wouldn’t gamble on that. The toddler with curious eyes never cried a day, with a childhood surrounded by majestic winged horses and an aunt that sang in the Leaky Cauldron, surrounded by pinkness and a loving family that, despite being preoccupied by tradition, never resented Emma for simply being born.

And so the child who tripped in ballet classes and couldn’t remember the word for anything, having to ask her mother, grew taller and taller everyday, as if warmth alone lifted her up. Despite not being a skilled pianist or a talented dancer, she excelled in the third most pureblooded occupation there was. When on a horse, nothing stopped her. Emma would often be scolded by a worried mother or by a half-amused father for speed, but she agreed she’d never slow down. Every chance to hop on a winged horse and ride was a chance to exceed her last speed record, and so she became competitive — by being in constant competition with herself.

Terrified to go to Hogwarts, as she feared she has never slept before without her mother’s daily kiss on her forehead, she learned that she loves large amounts of company quite soon. She would talk and talk for hours if she had someone to talk to, and strangers were her favorite interlocutors. For that, she made both friends and enemies, those who liked her guts and humor not necessarily exceeding those who wouldn’t find anyone more annoying than Emma Vanity. Still, her priority has always been to have fun, and her friends were grateful to have around someone as lovely, gullible and foolish as her. Quidditch was her biggest achievement, despite being a sport she didn’t have a passion for particularly. It just mirrored horse-riding enough to make her not miss home so much, so often. And the fact that it implied the biggest competition Hogwarts had to offer interested her even more. She became a Captain in her third year and was known not for being the most talented player rather the one who would never give up.

When the child with curious eyes turned into the teenager with desperate eyes, it was as if nothing could stop her anymore. Driven by endless ambition and no drop of shame, she was the only girl in her year who treated boys she liked as if they were the girl. Norms have never applied to her and she decided it was best if the boys feared her instead of the other way around. Never did Emma hesitate before asking somebody out on a Hogsmeade trip, but, for that, she encountered with a fair amount of rejection. Emma was unlike the rest of the pureblooded girls  —  not delicate, not sheepish, not elegant, not mannered  — and she was unlike the other girls, but somewhere in the middle, she was sweet; like corn instead of candy. She didn’t fear labels from jealous wixen, she would argue with anyone spreading rumors… or even telling the truth about her, and conflict was never something she shuddered at the thought of. Until her father’s opinions concerning her became a problem.

Upon finishing school, she had no direction. Hogwarts, her friends, her team and even the dramas have been the entirety of her life for years, and now she didn’t want to become an adult. Yet, Mr. Vanity had big hopes regarding his daughter. As a supporter of Voldemort who didn’t stand out in any way: not being rich enough, not respected enough and certainly not having the strongest wand, he wanted to do anything to get in the Dark Lord’s good graces and it did flatter Emma that he immediately considered enrolling her. Except for the fact that Emma never wanted to fight to begin with. The cause itself preoccupied her less, even though something in her chest made her feel as if it wasn’t exactly right. Still, she complied with half a heart, only out of fear not to let down her father, who never wronged her in any way despite having many reasons to treat her as harshly as other fathers treated kids her age.

It was a relief when the Dark Lord vanished, and she was ready to take it without questioning whether it is a good or permanent thing. The only thing that mattered was that she was no longer a toy in somebody’s big hands and that the strings got cut off entirely. Her tattoo bothered her, but not enough to stop her from living a life filled with things that used to bring her joy before. It was going to take a while to rediscover them, but she was hopeful, for the first time. But that was before the aurors knocked on their door to arrest his father, letting her think she would be next. That didn’t happen, but the thought of her own father sitting blankly in an Azkaban cell made her skin itch and her head ache. She wanted him saved, but at the same time, she wanted her freedom too. Out of lack of skills regarding solving inner conflicts, she decided not to think much about that one. Still, even now that her wings are untied, she doesn’t know what to do with that freedom in the slightest.

plot ideas —

i. BLACKMAIL. People know of the mark underneath her robes. The long sleeves aren’t fooling anyone and the summertime catches her too distracted and entertained not to strip to skin with every occasion. Therefore, her prior alliance isn’t a whisper on a dark street, rather than the bitter truth she still didn’t gather up courage to swallow. The blackmail would have more to do with her official betrayal. Maybe she slipped in front of another Death Eater and confessed what is in her heart regarding the Dark Lord and her father’s say in her involvement, maybe someone observant enough read straight through her. What’s certain is that someone is using her weakness to threaten her into imminent death for her unofficial betrayal. Whether she knows this person’s identity or not, it’s open to interpretations.

ii. SPEAK NOW. It’s implied that Emma and Reginald, Mary’s husband, were romantically involved. Even if this were completely one-sided and if Emma was the only one to grow feelings for the other young man, it’s irrelevant in light of how she sees it. She sees it as a love story, beginning, middle and ending. No amount of cold water would help her wake up from the delusion that her friend — her good friend — led her on. The news about Reg’s marriage to Mary came in like a hurricane. Despite all that, it felt like a masterful idea at the time to interrupt their ceremony and voice her concern. She made a fool out of herself for this impulsive moment of unasked for truth. People still whisper about crazy Emma to this day and no hole is deep enough for her to hide whenever that particular memory resurfaces, but she’s learned to live with all of her collection of mistakes, no matter how sharp they still dig into their mind.

iii. PARTY GIRLS DON’T GET HURT. No one can brag about as many blunders as Emma, and her Hogwarts times are the golden ages of that. With a tendency to be the target of everyone’s laughter, it would only make sense that people in her generation wouldn’t think too highly of her, still remembering the girl who always tripped over her own feet after a couple of butterbeers. This plot bunny includes both people she used to be good friends with (but since adolescence is not a light summer’s breeze, they would have either fought passionately or fallen apart) and people who can’t help but scoff at the mention of her name. She wouldn’t necessarily be popular, but, as a dramatic and social person, it would only be natural that she made both pals and enemies at the age of sixteen.

iv. THE CLOAKED MEN. With a history of being on the wrong side of the previous war, aurors panic the hell out of Emma. She avoids them as if she has something to hide, but truth is, she just doesn’t want to end up where her father is. I would like a suspicious auror to seek her company purposefully and make her nervous in hopes of maybe learning something new about the Death Eaters. Getting under Emma Vanity’s skin is easier than ever when she is sweating and trying to nervously smile through that.

v. REDEMPTION. Maybe someone wants to fool Emma (see: possibly linked with the fourth plot bunny as well), maybe they want her to be well. What’s for sure is that someone is suddenly dragging her towards the light side — and she swings in between certainties without appearing to make up her mind any time soon. The promise of a clean future and better, less scary company is difficult to weigh in when, on the other side, her father’s disapproving eyes blink, in a frown, at her.

extra — I just feel like these grow from muse. I like doing edits (albeit not currently owning photoshop since I just bought a new laptop and don’t have anything on it), I think in songs and nothing’s as inspirational as a good quote, but forcing it would mean ruining it. But worry not, I will post, without spamming, plenty of those if I do get accepted.

[sliceannarbor]

Lauren Friedman

Artist/Stylist/Author Ann Arbor, Michigan laurenfriedman.com

Photo by Emma McAlary

Lauren Friedman is an artist, stylist, and the author/illustrator of 50 Ways to Wear a Scarf (2014), 50 Ways to Wear Denim (2016), and her newest title, 50 Ways to Wear Accessories, slated for release in July 2018, all published by Chronicle Books. She is also the creator of the My Closet in Sketches project, an illustrated-style blog launched in 2010. Lauren’s work as a professional illustrator has appeared in numerous publications, including Travel and Leisure, The Washington Post, and Lucky. Her books have been featured at the Museum of Modern Art, The Paper Source, Target, and other fine retailers globally. Lauren graduated from Wellesley College, where she studied political science and played on the varsity field hockey team. Upon graduation, Lauren moved to Washington, D.C., where she lived for over nine years. Lauren has worked in a variety of fields, including posts as a production assistant, operations manager, financial educator, optometry salesperson, yoga teacher, barista, chalk artist for restaurants/cafes/businesses, mural artist, stylist, closet consultant, and, finally, as a freelance fashion illustrator.  When she’s not working, you can find her reading, dancing, and taking long walks in the woods. A native of Ann Arbor, Lauren returned to her home town in May 2017 and lives on the West Side.  

(Click here to pre-order Lauren’s latest book) 

FAVORITES

Book: I could never pick just one, but I’m currently in the midst of rereading (and loving) The Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean M. Auel.

Destination: A body of water within walking distance to a great place to grab good food and a cold beer.

Motto: Your reality is what you make of it.

Prized possession: Any of the number of accessories or clothing items passed down from my family members.

THE QUERY 

Where were you born?

Ann Arbor, Michigan.

What were some of the passions and pastimes of your earlier years?

I loved drawing clothes and people, trying on countless outfits, writing stories, reading stacks of books, and poring over magazines. I consider my life to be a success because my current passions and pastimes align closely with what I spent time doing as a kid. 

What is your first memory of art/illustration as an experience?

When I was five or six, I wrote and illustrated a book called The Miracle of the Rainforest through one of those services that turn your words and pictures into a real, hardcover-bound book. It is the tale of an unlikely friendship between a sloth and the daughter of a logger baron who ends up saving the future of the rainforest. I’m not sure I could write a better story today!

How did you begin to realize your intrigue with fashion and design?

Fashion and design has always been my reality, from birth. From the moment I could dress myself and hold a crayon or book, I had a burning desire to express myself through what clothes I wore and what art I created.

When/how did this segue into your entering the profession of illustration?

I created the blog My Closet In Sketches in 2010 in the middle of a creative drought. I’d just graduated from college and was working a 9-5 job as an operations manager. I found that the best part of my day was getting dressed for work, combining my own clothes with wonderful pieces passed down from my grandmother and mom. I began a nightly practice of dreaming up fun outfits and drawing them when I got home from work. Within a year of creating the site, (the now defunct) Lucky magazine approached me about illustrating a monthly beauty advice column. I’ll never forget how stressed I was during that first month’s batch of drawings, but I taught myself how to draw professionally through that two-and-one-half year experience.

Why does this form of artistic expression suit you?

It combines both of my passions of fashion and art. However, I still need to honor my creative desires through other fluid, non-professional expressions including collage, painting, clay, and whatever other mediums I can get my hands on.

What did you enjoy most about the illustration component of My Closet in Sketches?

The pursuit of excellence. As a self-taught illustrator, I always have more to learn. I enjoy acting as my own coach, boss, intern, and student. 

How did you approach the writing element of the series?

The art of writing is as important to me as the illustration component. The early concepts are always written by hand, and then, when it’s time to bring it to the computer, I do not allow my brain to filter any words as they are typed. Nothing is deleted. The editing will come later.

How would you describe your creative process?

Almost every idea starts as a scribble or doodle in my journal. These quick, unfiltered ideas may take days or years to germinate. I enjoy the process of witnessing my mind turn concepts around, both consciously and unconsciously. By the time of final creation, I generally have a good idea of what it will look like — but there is always room for surprise. The biggest discipline required is to learn when to step back and let something rest rather than belaboring it into overworked territory.

When/how did the concept for 50 Ways to Wear a Scarf take seed?

This is a true story about being careful what you wish for. When I struck out on my own as a professional illustrator in 2010, a friend suggested that I make a list of my one, five, and ten year goals. Boldly, I wrote, “publish a book with Chronicle Books” under my one year goals - I always loved their offerings, which are consistently colorful, informative, cheeky, and a pleasure to read. Fast forward a year and a half later - I received an email from an editor at Chronicle Books who had seen this post about how to wear a scarf, asking me if I would write and illustrate a book about scarves. I was shocked. I knew I couldn’t say no, even though I didn’t know the first thing about writing a book, but I had no choice but to give it a try. It combines my two biggest passions: art and words.

What did you find most challenging in creating your three books?

Each book takes me over a year of full-time dedicated work. My biggest challenge isn’t the motivation to undertake this work, but rather the daily transition back to the of the rest of my “real-life.” In many ways, while doing this work, I become like a god of my small universe - the only limits being the boundaries of the page. I imagine myself an astronaut, taking a daily journey through space, performing these acts of creation in an exultant, weightless, timeless manner. Figuring out how to land back down on the ground when the work day is done requires a constant vigilance of meditation, yoga, quiet walks, and lots of boundary setting.

Where do you do most of your work?

When I’m illustrating, I work from my home studio. When I’m writing, I do some of my best work at coffee shops or cafes.

What three tools of the trade can’t you live without?

Paper, pencil, and markers.

Is there a period/project along the way that has presented an important learning curve?

I had no experience illustrating professionally when Lucky magazine hired me. Through the tireless help of their art director, I learned how to ask the right questions, advocate for my work, and remain flexible when things (inevitably) change.

How has your aesthetic/style evolved over the years?

The only constant to my aesthetic and style is change.

Is there an artist /illustrator living today that you admire most?

If I could draw a line with half the grace of David Downton, I would die a very happy fashion illustrator.

Do you have a favorite artistic resource that you turn to? 

I tear out pages for my inspiration files from Vogue, Glamour, Teen Vogue, Seventeen, The New York Times Style Magazine, Elle, and The Gentlewoman. 

From where do you draw inspiration?

Inspiration comes from everywhere. I try to follow one of the main tenants from the book The Artist’s Way (by Julia Cameron) by taking myself on an artist date once a week. That could mean going to a museum, watching a film, or sitting on a street corner watching the fashion walk by. The important thing is to just keep feeding the creative fire with fresh kindling.

What three things can’t you live without?

A Moleskine unlined notebook, a Pentel .7mm mechanical pencil, and my eyeglasses.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

It’s never about what it’s about.

Is there a book or film that has changed you?

Women Who Run With Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés. Also Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion and Clueless.

Who in your life would you like to thank, and for what?

No amount of talent can prosper without a support system. My family, friends, and teachers all indelibly, persistently, unconditionally give me the space and encouragement to take my goals and creative instincts seriously.

What drives you these days?

Using my gifts to inspire change and inspiration in others.

[just-like-playing-tag]

Personal highlights from the third chapter of the fanbook!!! You can read the entire chapter translation here :)

While executing GP, Shirai didn't realize how cool he was making Emma; he says that only after reading those chapters he realized how cool Emma had turned out to be :')

When Shirai can't come up with names for new characters, he goes through the credits of his DVDs. Jake and Monica are respectively after Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan.

Jake and Monica's deaths somehow parallel Conny's, being used to give a feeling of urgent danger

Demizu was asked to take Food Wars as reference for demons' meat in chapter 68

Shirai says that if Norman had been in GP, Lewis would never be bored 👀

The GP kids designs were set very quickly, and Gillian and Paula's designs took inspo from Barbara and Ayshe's early drafts. Honestly, I think it's incredible they turned out so good even with a short notice!!

The human world can be reached going up with GP's elevator, or going down with GF's staircase. GP's elevator takes to a forest in Australia. It's such a cool fact, I'm so sad we never saw the children actually cross those passages!!!

Shirai confirmed that James and Peter Ratri were named after James Hook and Peter Pan. I find it so interesting that from the Peter Pan tale, Shirai reversed the hero / villain roles!! The name “Ratri” on the other hand is taken from the night goddess of Indian mythology, and can be associated with “guardians”.

The comouflage of each farm is different!! Grace Field is "a happy orphanage playing family inside the House", Glory Bell is "like a town", Grand Valley and Goodwell Ridge are "school-like facilities". The caretakers names change accordingly.

Grace Field is the smallest farm that specializes in the development of brains. Glory Bell focuses on physical development along with the brain. Grand Valley and Goodwell Ridge have average quality brain and meat. I think we can say that the farm's meat quality order is similar to this: GF > GB > GV = GR

Max. shipping ages for the farms we know of are: GF = 12; GB = 15; GV = 17

Only Grace Field children have a transmitter. The children from Goldy Pond and Grand Valley didn't need to disable anything to escape.

Grand Valley can't afford to spend a lot of money per product like Grace Field, so they close the sky to prevent escape or theft and made an artificial sky like a big dome.

Peter offered Bayon to use GP as hunting ground “also to dispose of the escaped children” which makes me think... Apparently in other farms is pretty common to have children escape lmao. (Unless they're only taking about Yuugo's group escapees)

Compared to Grace Field, the children from Grand Valley and Glory Bell have more opportunities to come in contact with electronic devices. Nigel was familiar with machines since his times in Grand Valley.

Demons' optical nerve is particularly weak; masks' function is not only to prevent it from being hit, but also to shield it from direct light.

Shirai said he doesn't want to impose the author's ideals onto the readers, but he drew TPN with the thought that he didn't want a war

In Goldy Pond, Shirai prioritized developing demons over humans

Shirai said that “analyzing the demons as living things and not as monsters created a chance to win [against Lewis]” which is honestly very deep and interesting

Shirai's draft of the chapter 96 spread 😭😭😭

All the injured GP kids beds have children's drawings on the wall behind them I'm 😭😭😭😭😭😭 I can't believe I never noticed this!!!!!

(The Paula portrait 🥺🥺🥺 )

Shirai thinks the reason why TPN's children are all kind and friendly is that Posuka draws them, and Sugita said that the children drawn by Posuka have nothing evil in them. I'm (╥﹏╥)

“Ugo” was a candidate for Yugo's name: Shirai had a concept where Yugo noticed a book with his name (Ugo's Adventures) which eventually triggered their escape. This is such a cool idea, I'm actually sorry it didn't go like this?

Another candidate for Yuugo's name was George - like the director - suggested by Sugita because Yuugo's friends with Lucas. However, Shirai insisted it would have been rude to George Lucas, so they ultimately went for Yuugo (imagine having not one but 2 TPN characters named after you... Had I been in George Lucas' place, I'd be honored)

Yuugo is repeatedly refered as tsundere which is honestly hilarious

The release of every cattle child in the demon world was unplanned, but came as a natural consequence of Emma's character development

Shirai said that Emma is “easy to be misunderstood”. Couldn't agree with you more king.

It's not common to eat a loved one's brain when they die; Nous eating Nouma was an exception.

The cause of Yuugo's gray hair is canonly the stress (lol)

All the new info about the windmill boy!!!!!!!!!:

He was a coward, and that's why he was cautious. He found the underground pit while searching for a place to hide. He didn’t want to take the risk of being found by demons. So he couldn’t let anyone know of this place and piled up his guilt and pain. He found Lucas injured and on brink of death. Normally he wouldn’t do anything, but feeling guilty about everyone who he'd abandoned so far, he wanted to help. Yugo and Lucas were the heroes and hopes for the hunting ground children at that time. So, the kid knew Lucas. He wanted to heal Lucas for an opportunity of rebellion. Although he died of illness, to Lucas, the boy was one of his dear friends.

Violet was the one who brought in Adam to Oliver and others: that's because, besides from his incredible strength, she “instinctively felt that he was a good guy” :')

Fanbook chapter 1 highlights