Carina Axelsson's Blog, page 7
June 5, 2015
How to dress like Axelle…
Do I have Axelle’s glasses? Or does she have mine?
Here is a question I’m often asked:
My friends and I want to dress up as Axelle. What should we wear? And what should we do if we don’t have a large camera like on the book cover of the UK edition?
I think the idea of dressing up as Axelle is great! But don’t feel you need a camera. Of course, if you have one, use it, but I would say that the three most important elements of Axelle’s fashion detective look are the following:
Karlie Kloss as fashion detective!
Axelle in her trench coat…it looks great with the collar turned up.
1) A trench coat. This is definitely a vital component to Axelle’s look – she wears one all the time. They are light and easy to pack in a suitcase, plus, on days when Axelle has modelling work to do and clues to hunt down, a trench coat is super practical because she can dress like a model for her castings and then cover up her model-y look with her trench coat. Like this she easily blends into a crowd! Burberry, the English fashion house, was the first to make them – and they still do. But the high street stores also make great looking versions – in prices that won’t break the bank!
Glasses are totally vital to Axelle’s look!
A fashion detective look from the Gucci Autumn/Winter 2015 fashion show.
2) Glasses! This is a necessity for replicating Axelle’s look. She wears them because they really make a difference when it comes time to go undercover. You can have your makeup done, but if you put on large thick glasses you can instantly move around with more anonymity. But what if you don’t need glasses? Easy! Just buy an inexpensive pair and leave the plain glass in them!
The perfect getaway shoe!
3) Getaway shoes. A pair of cool getaway shoes, like Converse, or any sneaker you like, is an essential part of Axelle’s fashion detective’s kit. She may go to some glitzy fashion parties, but Axelle always remembers that she might have to chase after a suspect at any moment – or be chased herself! So even if wearing a pair of heels can look fabulous…Axelle is more concerned with being able to getaway quickly. Here’s a fun fashion tip that you may remember reading about in the books: Axelle often gives her Converse a fun dose of DIY with studs or drawings. You might try to do the same!
So once you have your trenchcoat, glasses and getaway shoes on, ruffle up your hair a bit, put some lip gloss on and you’re ready to go crack a case!
French singer, actress and fashion muse, Françoise Hardy, looking like a retro fashion detective on the streets of paris in the 1960s.
Get inspired to create your own fashion detective look by checking out my Fashion Detective Pinterest board. I’ve got all kinds of cool vintage and new detective looks pinned to the board to help me get inspired about creating Axelle’s look. Have fun!
Carina x
The Burberry campaign.
June 1, 2015
Read the first chapter of Deadly by Design!
I’ve had a blast this week, celebrating the release of Deadly by Design!
And what has made it an extra special and extra sparkly week for me has been all of the super sweet messages you’ve sent me! I love the comments you’ve left me here on my blog or sent me through my Contact page. I also love reading all of the Instagram messages you’ve written and the really cute pictures you’ve sent me of the the new book! I love hearing from you and I appreciate the time you take to write to me. Nothing makes my day more special than hearing from my readers!
So, if you haven’t read it yet, here’s the first chapter of Deadly by Design…and make sure you click on Free Chapter! Happy reading!!!
Carina x
May 26, 2015
Deadly by Design: What’s it about?
Woohoo! Less than a week to go before Deadly by Design is published in the UK!!!
With less than a week to go before Axelle’s exciting new London case is finally on UK bookstore shelves, I thought I’d share a short blurb about her latest fashion mystery!
When a deliciously dangerous case lands right on her London doorstep, top model and secret sleuth Axelle can’t resist strapping on her heels and snapping on her shades to track down the person who attacked fashion photographer Gavin…
But what’s the deal with the mysterious memory stick full of photos? And can Axelle stop getting distracted by a certain mega-cute boy band member long enough to stop a killer in their tracks? Axelle Anderson is on the case in Deadly by Design!
So get ready for a fast-paced read to kick off your summer! I loved writing this mystery because it takes place in one of my favourite cities in the world: London. I had a blast doing the research for the books and those of you who’ve been to London will no doubt recognise many of the landmarks I include in this mystery.
So is Ellie back? And what about Sebastian? Is he in London, too?
Yes and yes! But I won’t say more for now…
And what about the fashion shows? Are they on?
You bet! Although, for this book I thought it would be fun to see the “cruise” shows as opposed to the ready-to-wear shows, which is what you’ve read about in A Crime of Fashion and Stolen with Style. So are you wondering what a cruise show is? All is explained in Deadly by Design…
So what’s up with the romance?
Ah! Now I really can’t say anything – I don’t want to put out any spoilers! But I will tell you that I think Axelle has to deal with a lot of the same things many of us have to, including, for instance, really liking someone who you don’t see that often, maybe because you don’t go to the same school, or maybe because they live in a different town from you. And then, what is it like to be with someone famous? I mean, I think a lot of us think it must be easy or amazing to be the girlfriend of someone like Harry Styles…but is it really that easy? And would you really think it’s fun hanging out with someone famous all the time?
As for the mystery in Deadly by Design…it’s a tough one for Axelle! The past throws up all sorts of obstacles for her in this one and she really has to persevere to figure out what the deal is with the mysterious memory stick and how it leads to young fashion photographer Gavin being attacked…
By the way, as you can see, Axelle’s West Highland White Terrier, Halley, is on the cover…so does this mean she plays a part in solving the case? You better believe it! And not only that – but like any faithful best friend, Halley follows Axelle as she goes about her day – even going with her to her modelling castings!
I can’t wait for you to read the book. And if you feel like letting me know what you think, either leave me a comment below, or go to my Contact page and send me a message. In the meantime, to read the first chapter of Deadly by Design, check back here this coming weekend when I post it…
Happy reading!
Carina x
I love this gorgeous cover!
May 8, 2015
Research at the Elle Style Awards…
A night of Model Under Cover research at the Elle Style Awards 2015!!!
I’ve just returned from an exciting night at the Elle Style Awards 2015 in Copenhagen, Denmark! This is exactly the kind of glitzy fashion event I write about in my Model Under Cover fashion mysteries, so attending really was the perfect way to do some fab research! Did I have a notebook and pen with me? You bet! So of course I took notes and photos of everything that was going on…!
The venue for the prize-giving was the main auditorium of the ultra-modern Danish Radio Koncerthuset. First, though, an elegant dinner was served in one of the high-ceilinged spaces of the concert hall reserved for just such an occasion. The round tables were beautifully decorated. They were covered with white tablecloths and in the middle of every table a varied assortment of crystal vases were filled with heavenly smelling spring blooms: sweet peas, peonies and roses, all my faves, all in pink! White candles lit the tables and the food was delicious. It really was dreamy…
The dinner tables were stunning!
And what about my dress? Well, the invitation said black tie, so for the ladies that meant a long dress. I wore one made by a Danish designer I like called Julie Fagerholt. It is a one-shouldered long dress of white silk with a pretty, light-grey pattern of feather-like sprigs. It has a band of hand-sewn sparkly stones and crystals at its waist which gives it a nice vintage feel. I wore some new dangling, sparkly earrings I’d found online at Net-a-Porter. I think that when you wear long hair loose it can sometimes be nice to wear a dangling earring so that they stand out against your hair.
The one thing I think is most important, however, when you’re going out, is that you feel really comfortable in what you’re wearing because that gives you confidence. If you’re unsure about what you’re wearing – like, if, for instance, you don’t really feel it’s your style, or maybe you’re not totally into the colour of your dress or something – then I think it’s better to leave it at home and wear a dress you KNOW you look good in – even if it may be an older dress, or one your friends have see you in before. When you walk into a room you’ve got to feel good about yourself in order to have a good time – and only a dress you really like can give you that feeling!
Carina x
I was not going undercover!
May 2, 2015
MUC Research at the Vogue Festival…
Woohoo! Yours truly went to the Vogue Festival, April 25-26, 2015!
I’ve just come back from a fab weekend of Model Under Cover research…so where was I? At the Vogue Festival 2015 in London!
The Vogue Festival is organised by Vogue magazine (makes sense, right?) and is basically a jam-packed weekend of talks and masterclasses given by top fashion editors, photographers, designers, models and stylists. It’s a great place to get up close to, and hear in their own words, what some of the brightest stars working in the fashion world today have to say about how they work, what drives them, and how they got into fashion.
On stage: fashion designer Olivier Rousteing from Balmain, Paris, and Alexa Chung talking about social media and fashion.
Needless to say, I couldn’t find a better place to do some serious Model Under Cover research! Of course, I worked in fashion for many years before turning to writing…but it’s still nice to have my memory refreshed on, for example, the different things that go into making a fashion photo shoot happen, or even just hearing someone like Lucinda Chambers, fashion director at Vogue magazine, say that, “Finding your style is trial and error…”. (What a relief, right? So if your outfit isn’t coming together the way you’d like it to, you can just chalk it up to “trial and error”!)
All of the speakers at the festival also talked about their childhood and their earliest style memories. They also told us what they were doing or studying before they got into fashion. I took a ton of notes while they spoke because all of that kind of stuff is great raw material that I can work with and put into my writing when I’m creating a character and their background. It’s important that a character in a book come from a place of truth and that my readers find the character’s personal story believable (even if I don’t go into detail about their life). And what better place to get truth than from stories you hear or read or experience yourself…
Right. Time to get back to my writing – I’ve started MUC 4…and I have the sneaking suspicion that some nuggets of information from the notes I took at the Vogue Festival just might make their way into my manuscript…!
Carina x
Me and a Harrod’s #GreenMan standing in front of the “Vogue cover wall”. Department store Harrod’s was a sponsor of the event.
April 10, 2015
MUC goes to France, Japan and Denmark!
Yours truly at Turbine Publishing in Aarhus, Denmark!
Exciting news: Model Under Cover will soon be on bookshelves in France, Japan, and Denmark! Yay!
Rights to the series have recently been sold to those countries and needless to say I’m super excited about it! So when I recently had a chance to visit with friends in Denmark…straight away I arranged to meet with my new publishers, Turbine.
Pretty DenmarkI Pic taken at Nyhavn, Copenhagen.
As for my French publisher…they are next on my list to visit, because, hey, as the lovely Audrey Hepburn used to say, “Paris is always a good idea” – and it’s an even better one when you have a publisher there!
Ooh la la! Model Under Cover will soon be published in gorgeous France!
Have a fab weekend!
Carina x
Signing stock at my fave Danish book store, Books & Company in Copenhagen!
March 11, 2015
#WCW: Coco Chanel…ooh la la!
#WomenCrushWednesday: Coco Chanel!
It’s #WomanCrushWednesday and because it’s the last day of the Paris Fashion Week I couldn’t resist doing a quick post about the first lady of French fashion herselfl!
I find Coco Chanel’s life super inspiring! She was a woman who fought fiercely for her independence and had a very strong sense of who she was. She was a also non-conformist in the way she went against what the society she lived in expected of women (she never married, for instance, and started her own business) and fashion (she gave women the first really comfortable and stylish clothes they’d ever had).
Coco was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel in 1883 (she died in 1971) in the French countryside. She developed her sense of style early on and, since then, her unique take on fashion has ensured that her idea of “chic” is still relevant today.
These are what I think are probably the four fashion contributions Coco is best known for – and I’ll bet that either you or someone you know has been inspired by one or more of these go-to items… 
1.) The Little Black Dress (LBD). A timeless essential! Easy and chic!
2.) A Quilted Handbag – Those pretty quilted leather handbags with their thin chain straps – ooh la la!
3.) Perfume – Chanel No. 5 was a hit when first launched by Coco in 1921 – and it’s still one today! For its time it was extremely modern due to its chemical compound.
4.) The Jacket – The iconic Chanel jacket: tweed, fitted, chic. I wish I had one!
And, btw, if you happen to be on your way to Paris, don’t forget to stop by Chanel’s famous boutique at 21 rue Cambon. Fun fact: her ultra elegant apartment is still upstairs from the boutique and has been left exactly as Chanel kept it. (She slept across the street at her suite in the Ritz Hotel, however.) Fun fact no.2: I mention this in Model Under Cover: A Crime of Fashion, when Axelle has her first ever modelling casting – at Chanel!
OOH LA LA!!!
Carina x
Gorgeous pic of Paris from my A Crime of Fashion Pinterest board. Click here to see more…!
#WomanCrushWednesday
#WomenCrushWednesday: Coco Chanel!
It’s #WomanCrushWednesday and because it’s the last day of the Paris Fashion Week here’s the first lady of French fashion herselfl!
Coco Chanel was born Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel in 1883 (she died in 1971). Brilliant in every sense of the word, her larger-than-life personality and revolutionary take on fashion has ensured that her sense of style is still relevant today. Here are four of Coco’s fashion contributions we still can’t get enough of:
1.) The Little Black Dress (LBD). A timeless essential! Easy and chic!
2.) The Quilted Handbag – Those pretty quilted leather handbags with their thin chain straps – ooh la la!
3.) Perfume – Chanel No. 5 was a hit when first launched by Coco in 1921 – and it’s still one today!
4.) The Jacket – The iconic Chanel jacket: tweed, fitted, chic. I wish I had one!
And if you happen to be visiting Paris soon, don’t forget to stop by Chanel’s famous boutique at 21 rue Cambon. Fun fact: her ultra elegant apartment is still upstairs from the boutique and has been left exactly as Chanel kept it. (She slept across the street at her suite in the Ritz Hotel, however.)
OOH LA LA!!!
Carina x
Gorgeous pic of Paris from my A Crime of Fashion Pinterest board. Click here to see more…!
March 9, 2015
#ManCrushMonday
Ansel Elgort inspired a character in soon-to-be-released MUC 3!
It’s #ManCrushMonday and as my Model Under Cover readers know, I love to write about romance! So if you think you can handle the heat(!), head over to my Hey, Watson Pinterest board to see who inspires the male characters in my books…Have fun!
Carina x
Harry has great hair – and great style!
February 20, 2015
Woohoo! Cover Reveal for Model Under Cover: Deadly by Design!
Woohoo! Here it is! The fabulous Deadly by Design cover!
Hey everyone,
YAY! I am super, super excited to show you all the gorgeous cover for the UK edition of the third Model Under Cover mystery, Deadly by Design!!!
MUC 3 will be out in the UK on June 1st and I cannot wait. In the meantime, though, I have this stunning cover to look at and there is so much about it that I love…so where to start? How about:
1.) Axelle is holding her West Highland White Terrier, Halley! As you all know I love my dogs…so it thrills me to see Axelle with hers!
2.) I love Axelle’s dress and trench coat – they make a fab combo. Then again, you wouldn’t expect anything less form a fashion detective, now would you? Plus the cute check on the dress makes me instantly think of the lovely United Kingdom! Yay!
3.) Big Ben! One of my favourite views of amazing London is the one from South Bank, looking across the River Thames to the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben. So how lucky am I to have exactly this view on the cover? Extra mega-lucky!!!
4.) The colours! The red, blue and white sort of screams London, doesn’t it? Love.
5.) The title! I think Deadly by Design is the coolest title. I absolutely love it! So was it my idea? Actually…not. It was the idea of my wonderful editors at Usborne Publishing. Thanks guys, you’re brill!
And in case you’d like to know a little bit more about this exciting new fashion mystery…check back here over the weekend because I’m going to post a few clues about Axelle’s new London adventure…
Carina x
