Archive for April, 2010

Cover Try

April 29, 2010

This is the spring issue of Volt magazine, photographed by Nagi Saki and styled by the great Jason Leung, who I am lucky enough to be assisting him at the moment. I think the red streaks in her hair are surprising and work really well and I particularly love the S shaped yellow blouse picture against the wall. The whole editorial is fresh and different and I like it!

Source: FashionGoneRogue

The Rise and Fall of Topshop

April 27, 2010

Minor rant time but it’s for a cause I love so it’s worth it. I am so depressed about Topshop at the moment. I’m lucky enough to live in London and therefore have the biggest Topshop range available and I’m struggling to find anything vaguely appealing. As of two years ago my mum, older sister and I could all find different things in Topshop that suited our varying styles and needs but now we just come home empty-handed…..it looks like the size 6 UK tweens have taken over! It’s all lace, sequins and minis. Now I’m not averse to any of these things, but in proportion and done well, please. As I work in fashion I like to think I am capable of looking at most things and figuring out a way to make them work, a blazer perhaps, a belt, accessories….but I haven’t bought anything at Topshop for 9 months?! Most of the clothes just aren’t made for the body of any woman older than 14. I don’t want little high-waisted dresses in florals, I’m 23!! It’s not flattering if you’ve got hips, breasts or a waist. Why waste all these great assets by cloaking them in Little House on the Prairie? I want a decent length dress or a shirt with detail on the BACK as well as the front ( I hate it when they give up on the back and don’t continue the beading, ruching, images etc) I want a well cut skirt to wear with statement tops and dresses that are suitable for work, ie not too low cut or tight, but nothing that makes me looks like I’m in a paper bag. Why is there no middle ground between body-con and potato sack? I just can’t understand why they have stopped catering to the style- conscious in favour of the merely trend-aware.  I see grown women wandering around with little frilly skirts and jeggings and honestly, are they really thinking for themselves or have they picked stuff up simply because it’s there and therefore must be ‘fashion’. I don’t know if standards have fallen mainly as a result of the departure of Jane Shepherdson, perhaps she was holding them back from diving into the full blown teen market. I would almost go as far as saying it’s fashion caricature…it’s as if the designers at Topshop sat down and looked at the catwalks and thought what are the most extreme outrageous unwearable things we can sell. I’m not talking Martin Margiela, Hussein Chalayan, Alexander McQueen, boundary-pushing fashion, I’m talking unwearable clothes for the high street shopper. I apologise if anyone has bought any of the items below (if you can rock them then congratulations) but I really think these examples highlight how bad things have got.  My apologies Topshop, for the tough love.

Source: Topshop.com

Best Shoot Ever?

April 22, 2010

I worked on this shoot a while ago but at a recent interview I was asked what had been my favourite job and I have to say this is one of the highlights. Shot in a disused quarry in Oxford by photographer Chris Dunlop and styled by Marcella Martinelli, it was a really great day. Obviously to get down to Oxford to make the most of the light we had to get up super early to get to Acton to meet the mini bus which took all the team to the quarry. The photographer went in his own car which we then used to get to different points around the location, on one occasion with me sitting in the boot with my legs hanging over the edge. I had no idea there was a stunning aquamarine lake in the middle of it and it came as such a suprise as we rounded a corner, really unexpectedly beautiful against the harsh rock. It was one of those days when working is a real pleasure, though I am not sure that the same can be said for the model who had to clamber and perch precariously all day on vertiginous heels with her hair scraped back into a tight knot.  She was a trooper and the editorial is stunning, I think.

Behind the scenes…..


Down Payment

April 20, 2010

Amazing shoes from Georgina Goodman available at Matches for a basic £961! With a definite hint of Marchesa in the ribbon detail on the front, they are statement shoes without being too loud. I like it when a black shoe has a little something extra. The bird’s eye view makes them irresistable to me!


Cover Try

April 19, 2010

Penelope Cruz guest edits for Paris Vogue for their May addition. Shot by the amazing duo Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, this cover features Meryl Streep, Gywneth Paltrow, Naomi Watts, Penelope herself, Kate Winslet and Julianne Moore. I like most of the cover but I find it odd that Gywnie looks like she’s having a good time lying up against the wall whereas Julianne looks positively haunted. But as an ensemble I think it works pretty well and better than some of the infamous Annie Liebovitz ones. There are three alternative covers but for me this is the best.

A short Dear Diary update: I was supposed to be working on shoots either side of the weekend but due to the volcano erupting and disrupting all the incoming and outgoing flights in Europe one of the ‘cast’ is stuck outside the UK so the shoots have been temporarily postponed. So in order to fill my time I’m baking!

Pulling Back the Curtains

April 15, 2010

I really hope I can style a shoot of this magnitude one day. Below is an amazing look at a behind the scenes editorial ‘Shrink to Fit’, shot by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia April. So inspiring.

Source: Fashionista.com

Editorial

April 13, 2010

This editorial caught my eye the moment the May Vogue dropped through my door. Entitled ‘From Sheer to Eternity’ it was photographed for British Vogue by Regan Cameron, styled by Miranda Almond, and the model is Constance Jablonski. It’s not always true that the photography, the story, the styling, the modelling and the showcasing of the clothes combine on an equal basis – one or more elements can often be lost – but for me the balance here is perfect.   I love the nude colours  against the strong physical presence of the rocks, the sand and the sea, the contrasting textures of the clothes and the backgrounds play off each other and the use of ‘natural’ light makes the whole thing very atmospheric and sensual.  It’s easy on the eye but the wow factor also sells the clothes and the story.  Great work.

Source: FashionGoneRogue

Water Pattern

April 12, 2010

As it’s actually getting warmer and there’s sunshine outside and basically it’s beginning to feel like the summer is coming – also through having to back up all my photos etc because of my computer’s death throes last week – I thought I’d share these pictures with you to remind you on a Monday morning of better things ahead. Taken last summer on holiday I was absolutely fascinated by the patterns on the water. It looked like Escher, Alexander McQueen and oil spills  all rolled into one.  I also thought it would make the most amazing fabric material and lo and behold digital prints made a big impact on the runway this year.

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Computer Problems

April 8, 2010

Sorry for the recent lack of posts, my laptop has gone into mental breakdown mood, not allowing me to type, black screens etc. Hopefully getting it fixed tomorrow, fingers crossed. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them!

Cover Try

April 7, 2010

This is The Block spring 2010 by Benny Horne of model Tasha Tilberg. I think it’s beautiful.  It’s a really creative cover, with lots of detail which I much prefer to the basic celebrity shot.  I particularly like the Marie Antoinette hair juxtaposed with the tattoo and the ethnic jewellery. The eye make up is arresting with those lovely shades of purple and I’m loving that you can see her freckles.

Source: FashionGoneRogue