Tuesday 31 May 2011

Central Saint Martins BA Show 2011

Ok sorry about the imaginative titling, my brain has just been fashion fried but in a good way. The show as Ed and I would say was 'totes amaze'. My favourite collections were mostly from print (but thats probably just me being aesthetically biased),  menswear however, was also really exciting.

My favourite favourite collection, and I pretty much decided this from when I saw it at the internal show, and you can see nothing there, was from a print student, Momo Wang. It had amazing energy, pretty much everyone in the audience smiled as the models skipped down the runway. It seemed to encapsulate a fun feeling that, I think, fashion can sometimes overlook.  ANYWAY photos are what you want to see most, right?!



 Another of my favourites, again a print student , was from Manami (I don't know their second name !) The collection was dreamy and very childlike. It reminded me of 1960s children's illustrations...
 So enough of print, on to menswear! HORRAY! So for my course we have to follow a student and I got menswear student, Kopi Akasaka. I'm so happy as I  love love his work! Its beautifully made, he is so precise, its amazing. I especially love the cuts of the coats, in particular the maroon one in the second image.



  The last collection to be shown, I believe a womenswear student, Crimson Rose O'Shea. Amazing textures and fabrics.



So there you go ! A few of the best, there were of course lots more (including a strangely dystopian collection of knitwear..) but I shall have to do another post when my brain is less frazzled !

Sunday 29 May 2011

Darling! I dressed up especially.







Ed called 'darlinggg I have so much to tell you, can we meet tonight?'

We met ate, drank and considered our options. Ed's friend was having a soiree a few minutes away from my home. Devine. A slick of lipstick and thousand photos later , we were standing in a house pouting. SHOULD WE GO HOME? yes yes I think we should.

Anyway I'm off to lunch in Islington so I have to dash!
p.s look forward to Tuesday.. I'll be posting pics of the Saint Martins show, yummeee !



Thursday 19 May 2011

I know a Few alleys around here...



So from the successful Kenton Magazine shoot, the very talented photographer Charlotte Bibby (check out her website www.charlottebibbyphotogragphy.com) asked me to come and style a shoot for her! AMAZE! see people making an effort everyday is worth it! The shoot took place in Old street and was for Model Tim's Portfolio for M&P Models. Oh! Okay initial panic being where will i get all these clothes from, I have no money left after weeks of dinner for two in London! Oh wait his measurements are the same as mine.... hmmm??? Time to whip out some of my key designer pieces i feel. So with a stash of classic Nicole Fahi numbers along with up and coming design companies such as SPARKS i met up with the darling Roisin Kinch (Hair and Make-up genius) to discuss looks and ideas for the shoot. I need lots of rings, a look that says oh i just threw this on and contains an earthy colour palette.... done! The shoot was really fun, we did have a studio with the initial idea of doing roof top shots over east-london however the rare opportunity of the sun and it being rather quiet led us to take the shoot to the streets. Dip-diving into bars and pubs, down alleys and shop changing rooms to create the outfits was an experience if nothing else. The shoot was such fun if not surreal seeing someone walking around in your clothes and wearing them well frankly better then you do is a bit off putting... :(. Roisin seeing my upset to the realisation that i will never get signed to M&P took me for lunch at a fab little Italian and we gossiped about boys, clubbing and shoes.... all in all the life of a stylist is exactly what you think it would be. A huge thank you for to Tim, Roisin and Charlotte for giving me this opportunity! 









oh and a huge thankyou you to Jessica Cooper and Sarah Hall for the scarves!! xx

UpTown DayDream


Okay the past few blogs have been pretty vague.com, but i have actually been really busy busy busy the past few months... so many fun blog worthy stuff has happened that i have failed to share with you lovelies! I have had the pleasure of assisting the fabulous Harry Riley (check out his website www.harryriley.com,  that's right international bitches) with his set design antics. This has included helping out with editorials, stage performances and even music videos! The other day i found myself running across london with three sheep skull masks hunting for the right fringing... when asked on Berwick street if the hats were for Gaga i merely replied with no comment and a cheeky wink ;). This will be an endless mission to attempt to blog about everything in one go so my next few blogs will be focused on some of the different things we have been up too... along with some more fun dinner for two moments. The first shoot we did was for Kenton online magazine... go check it we are credited. The shoot took place in the fabulous house designed specifically for photoshoots... would love to have a party there truly stunning interior. However not stunning enough for Riley, more draping, more throw cushions, more tassels, more, more! Okay! JEEZ! So after a few carefully placed frames and sets we were ready for the gorgeous model (who you may recognize form Britans next top model) Amelia Thomas. The photoshoot turned out really well and was such a fun relaxed day of playing with expensive accessories and discussing the fact that downstairs the latest Diesel campaign was being shot... oh some jeans went missing how odd! 














Monday 16 May 2011

Dinner for two








 So darling Ed phones me and we chat, he moans that he's bored, I moan that I have too much work. The result? lets meet at 8 , at Liverpool Street. A flurry of clothes later and I'm standing in Spitalfields with him choosing between Japanese or Latino food (I chose Latino, I didn't think wearing a kimono would work in a Japanese restaurant.. too much?) Anyway we ended up in a lovely place, beautiful seats and candles! The food was delishhh, Ed and I both opted for an amazing Brazilian curry which came with jasmine rice and plantoon ! YUMMMEE.

Then we took to the streets with my new cam and posed the night away....



Monday 2 May 2011


GENERIC FASHION FINAL HAND IN

CLUB KIDS



CLUB NIGHT REVIEW
ED! the theme is avant gar-de surgery! The place a fabric shop! The time eleven! It is now 8. I have three hours to whip up a stunning surgical dream outfit, do my hair and face, call Lally, pick up wine, find the location and ACTUALLY GET BACK TO LONDON! Okay, Lally... a dream she is already on her way, bottle of wine in hand. We will meet at mine and work on outfits. Once arriving at the station i ran to the near boots and stocked up on all things medical.... judgement from the cashier included. Okay further genius the location is like 20mins from my flat amaze amaze amaze this night was truly turning out to be a meant to be! I met Lally on the tube we run to the flat and prepare. To my horror Latex gloves would not sew on the machine! drama! THANK THE LORD FOR STAPLES! after almost ending up like a member of the village people we sorted the outfit. Lally was more of challenge.... edging on circus more than surgery we had to make a drastic decision. CLING FILM ofcourse. A few twist and turns later and we fashioned quite a stylish number! All in all we turned out rather well! A bottle of wine later we met with the others and headed out.
Along a regular kebab shop clad highstreet we found Vogue Fabrics the doorway a white glowing sheet. Is this it? is this right. A doctor poked his head round the corner. Are you here for Nancy? No we are dressed like this for jokes! Led in through the shop we are greeted by Matron. Are we on the list, sure of course (we are always on the list). Led down the stairwell, i couldn't help but look back in worry that the last glimpse of normality was slipping away and i was about to enter a medical students wet dream.
A small basement affair, walls black lined with blood clot balloons, hemorrhaging with shiny red decor. No bar but a pharmaceutical counter, a gynecology department, an operating theatre. Each section was reinvented appropriately. Sexy nurses, Surgical disaster's, carry-on doctor's awaited our arrival. Photographer's and arty types aplenty this truly was more of a backdrop than a club. But hey that is exactly what we were doing there!



Besides the music was questionable. Yes it had its highlights of pure genius dance, however the time warp felt a little tacky obvious. An order from the 'bar' later and we were well into the evening. Sheer underground to cool for school glamour indulged and our outfits went down a storm! Being so close to the venue also saved much embarrassment on the way there and the way home. We may have spent at least an hour removing the makeup, hair gel and the cutting of the cling film, very much to Lally's relief! But hey Vanity not Sanity! we will most definitely attend the next event. I mean how many times in life can you go out half naked, have your picture taken, and be home in five minutes without breaking some sort of law...






Club Kid Fashion Story


Club Kid Lifestyle

Okay so as part of our course research we had to indulge ourselves into a sub culture. Obvious thoughts to look at Punk, Goth, Rockers and Mods flittered through the class room. Fortunately the night before I  had watched Party Monster, the film version of the James St. James's novel Disco Bloodbath,  more of a biographical account of downtown New York in the 1980's. A world filled with glitter and Fabulous creatures creating their own world where the party never ends. Well! this sounds far more up my alley then risking it in a underground grungy heavy metal bar. So what are the key features of a club kid. Well in itself there are none, the theory of no rules applies. 'if you wake up feeling like a troll you should dress like a troll' it is a sub culture of expressionism and exhibitionism. The outfits differ from bricolage extremes to high end catwalk couture! Anyone can be a club kid as by in large it is purely of an evening. The classic concept of what people do with their weekends is up to them. It's about shocking and creating a scene, the confidence to be the character you are playing and promote the positivity and joy for life that comes with it. Originally in New York the scene was set at the club the Limelight. Obviously for this course i could not venture not only over seas, but also back in time as the Limelight was soon shut down due to drug charges. So where would i find my club kids now in this decade in this city of london!
My first port of call was EGG club, not always known for it's club kid atmosphere, however when the night is Panto themed and hosted by Boy George, well one could assume. And one succeeded. The VIP'S and performers of the evening were all dressed to the nines. Whilst the general public would pay to see the freaks amerced in their culture. However the sheer dominance of the club kids creates a sense where you feel awkward and embarrassed to be dressed 'normally'. Fantastic a group the has actually flipped the perspective on a situation whereby the norm is subculture. Well my first attempt at being a club kid did not favour to well, sure i managed to blag free drinks, VIP access, Guest list etc, but my outfit left me in dark with the photographers, well until it came to the dance floor. Club Kid music is a mix of house electro meets old time cheese. 'As long we can dance hardcore its all good!'
So from being at this event the joy of facebook led me to be invited to another event NANCY. Nancy is a club night run across different locations each time, of course a Club Kid would never be seen the same place twice (let alone the same outfit). I have Blogged about this earlier so just scroll down for more info... i wont bore you now.
Again meeting more people another invite here, there and everywhere, it seems the masses of this party's exisit run by independent groups creating places for club kids to be. Shabba daba da, Haute, Nancy, Circus, and regular nights can be found at Punk and Madame JoJo's. However the genius of club kids is that they really can go anywhere, from brick lane to soho to the local pub. The more standard the place the more they stand out and for them the BETTER! Anyway for now i have surely gone on to long. So just to tide you over here are some pictures from some darling nights enjoy....


Club Kid Music Video


Where does one shop??

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Basically head to east london, brick lane, curtain and road and the Hoxton boutiques will have you all sorted for life! Absolutely no worries! A particular favorite of mine is the the shop sick! A treasure chest of one off vintage numbers where subcultures really come alive,  multitude of brands including b-boy t-shirts to fake chanel bags the shop really sells the brand and concept of underground london fashion! Also once you are done you can go and celebrate your new purchase round the corner at the effortlessly cool breakfast club, with some eggs royale and a raspberry mojito. Probably served to you by the same guy whose was dressed as a 'chicken meets robo-cop' the night before! FABULOUS! 

An Interview with Club Kids