Out and about....3 days with Peony Lim

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From Fashionistable

I first photographed Peony back LFW in February and was lucky enough to get to know her a lot more this time round. She has beautiful personal style and carries herself perfectly. So not surprisingly she is another favourite of the photographers. And even though she was jet lagged from her return from NYFC she was in great form. If you dont know her already you can see her blog here.
What she is wearing - Shot 1, Isolda London skirt, Louboutin shoes, Chanel bag, H7M top, Pure Collection cardy and she bought her scarf in Hong Kong.
Shot 2, Hermes scarf, Zara shirt, JBrand jeans, Manolo shoes and YSL bag.
Shot 3, Jacket Zara, top K by Karl Lagerfeld, trousers Missoni, Celine bag and shoes by Joseph Azoury.

You can view my MFW Vogue shots here. All 39 up there now.

Out and about....3 days with Rosalind Jana

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Hot on the heels of her talent competition win in Vogue, Rosalind was in town for London Fashion Week. I was privilaged to spend more time with this wonderful young woman this year and we managed a couple of shots away from Somerset House. The 1st 2 shots were taken on Waterloo Bridge (which is my favourite in London because of the views in both directions of the city). The next 3 were taken after the Masha Ma show in Covent Garden. The 1st of these 3 was the one we had set up. The 2nd 2 were a gift as by pure chance we stumbled across this wonderful leafy location in the middle of the city. You can take the girl out of the country.... Our final shot was in Somerset House on Rosalind's last day in town. She had just had lunch with her Dad and honorary Uncle and popped by to say hello before heading home. Thank You Rosalind it was a pleasure.
I have just noticed she has just posted about her trip to London too. So you can pop over there with this link to read her perspective on her time at LFW.

You can view my MFW Vogue shots here. All 39 up there now.

Out and about....Somerset House - Northern Light

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From Fashionistable

Guys I have so much to share with you. I look at my images and don't know where to start. I feel my head is in a spin. Until I head off to Paris I will show you some of the people I have photographed more than once. Today we have the beautiful Hedvig from Northern Light. She is an ex fashion editor (for now) concentrating on her blog which is a mix of outfit posts and fashion in general.
For the 1st images she is wearing shoes by Camilla Skovgaard, everything else is Acne. For the last image her dress and glasses are 3.1 Philip Lim, boots are Topshop, bag is Acne and ring is YSL.

You can view my Vogue shots here. There are 33 up there now. More to follow.

Out and about....Milan Fashion Week - Giovanna Battaglia

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The girl was not for stopping so I can't tell you what she was wearing. As you can see from her ticket she was on her way to the Marni show which was held in a lovely sun trapped courtyard full of beautiful morning light.

I had never been to Milan before and was thrown in at the deep end. The 1st day there I spent mostly walking from show to show. Not easy I can tell you as they are not always close together. 2nd day I managed to get a couple of press buses. Not ideal either as at times they leave a bit to early to catch people as they leave the shows or not early enough to reach the next show in time....hey. Public transport or taxis I hear you cry, well the trams are lovely but not extensive and the Metro also has little coverage. Taxis, you cant flag down a taxi you have to call (language barrier) them or find a hotel to call one for you. And when you do get a taxi oh boy they are expensive, makes London cabs look positively cheap. It was a great experience all the same though. And to be shooting for Vogue was just so amazing.

You can view my Vogue shots here. There are 24 up there now. More to follow.

Out and about....Vogue for Milan Fashion Week

Hello everyone. Sorry I have bee quiet for a while. I will catch up with you all soon.
I have been shooting for Vogue for Milan Fashion Week. You a can see what I have been up to for them
here and here. These are the 1st images. There will be more to follow. I will let you know when they are up.

Out and about....for Phoenix Magazine issue Spring Summer 12

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Zuli Alao is a Psychotherapy student at Regents College. She says it is difficult but good training. Her style influence is anything cultural. Zuli’s favourite place in London is Notting Hill and although she is originally Nigerian her favourite place in the world is London. Surprisingly she says she loves food and will try anything. She is wearing a scarf from Portobello Market, jacket rick Lane, T Zara, leggings Urban Outfitters and her boots are vintage, also from Notting Hill.

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Natasha Williams-Rapata works at Maje to subsidise her student loan. She is studying Philosophy at Greenwich. She describes her style as Boho modern and likes Parisian style. Surprisingly she is a mixture of 4 nationalities, English, Finish, Maori and Chinese. Her glasses are Ray Ban, Bag Chloe, top Maje, skirt Bershka and vintage shoes.

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Mayuko Yamamura has lived in London for 6 years. After studying jewellery at St Martins you can see her work here. She sites her design influence as western vintage and antique jewellery. Surprisingly she like action films like Star Wars and Die Hard. Her favourite place in London is Notting hill. She is wearing a skirt from H&M, Top Acne, Shoes Chloe, her bag is a Christian Laquoix and she is wearing vintage jewellery.

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Robert M Goodwin is a marketing ambassador for Bacardi. It was a role he had at Uni that has just developed further. His style influences are British heritage and Ralph Lauren. Favourite places in London are Chelsea for lunch and Embankment for dinner. There are 2 surprising things about Robert. Firstly his height, he is 6ft 6 and a half. I had been looking at some people across the road and turned and suddenly there he was. I was so amazed he at first thought I was going to ask for directions. Secondly, he is training to be an officer in the TA. Robert wears, glasses from the Tie Rack, jacket by Feraud, kerchief by TM Lewin, tie Smith and Rutherford, shirt M&S, trousers Topman, vintage shoes and is carrying an ASOS bag.

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Nikoleta Petrof is job hunting and would like to do something creative. When she lived in Greece she worked in Marketing and has her own blog create in marteting. One of her surprises was that she was getting married in a few weeks, back home in Greece. Her fiancé also told me she likes to dance but only in the house with no-one watching. Her favourite place in London is Oxford Street and in Greece is Santorini. She is wearing a Heel dress, T from Primark and her tights and shoes are from Greece.

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Louise Carmichael and Duncan McCormick told me the story of how they met. Louise was out for the night with her sister had just had a an argument with her. Louise decided to leave and literally on the way out the door of the Electric Ballroom in Camden she bumped into Duncan who spoke to her. Normally she said she would have just carried on but he convinced her to stay, they clicked straight away and the rest is history. So not so surprisingly their favourite place in London is Camden. Louise is a Brand Merchandiser for Topshop and Duncan is a musician. His grandfather was the 1st and he says maybe the only Opera singer to come from Trinidad, probably where Duncan gets his love of music. Louise is wearing a T, belt and shoes from Topshop, her skirt is American Apparel and bag is vintage. Duncan says Louise styles him and everything he is wearing is from Topshop, except his hat, which is H&M.

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Helen Nakato is the manager of Jigsaw in Westbourne Grove and everything except her jeans is from there. Her head wrap is from Shepherds Bush market and her beautiful jewellery is from Made a fantastic fair-trade company. Originally from Uganda and after working in the fashion trade for 15 years Helen told me she would like to be Pharmacist. When I asked her if she had done anything about following her dream I was surprised by her answer that infact she is at the stage where she is applying for a post as a Pharmacist having completed all her qualifications.

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Caron Kinnaird is in London for 6 weeks modelling for Oxygen. After a stint of testing she is now getting jobs which is making her feel good. Her style influences are Alexa Chung and model Karlie Kloss. Originally from Glasgow, Caron’s favourite places in London are Camden and a club called Maddox in Mayfair. Her surprise for us was that she used to be a cheerleader. Her glasses are from Chanel, 1st top and bag is H&M, 2nd is Topshop as is her skirt and her shoes are from Primark.

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Oliver Pearch from Shepherds Bush is a Fashion photographer. His signature style was formed when he played the ghost Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol at school. It is where his passion for wearing white came from. His favourite place in London is Mayfair and says that surprisingly he is very normal. His coat is from Cordings, trousers from the south of France, shirt Harrods vintage and his shoes are Skipton Heneage.

Out and about....LFW Sept 2011 Joanna Hillman

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Joanna is the Senior Fashion Market Editor of Harpers Bazaar. At first glance I thought she was Gwen Stefani with her wonderful long blond hair and red lips. Originally from Toronto Joanna moved to NYC and worked as stylist assistant to Lori Goldstein. She then moved to Teen Vogue as Senior Fashion Market Editor covering the American and Italian markets then on to her global role at Bazaar today.

Out and about....Anna Dello Russo

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Anna Dello Russo after the Christopher Kane show yesterday.

Out and about....LFW Sept 2011 Jasper Garvida

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When I did the interview with Jasper s few weeks back and he gave me a sneak peak at the collection he said I would love the print he was creating and he was so right. The print and the fabric he has chosen for for his designs make for a perfect marriage. In his other dresses his use of sequins make the garments sing. When we meet he and his team were hand stitching these and the circle on the 1st image are folded sequins. It is was wonderful to see it all come to life.

Out and about....LFW Sept 2011 Somerset House

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Alex and Roberta from Avenue 32
Alex is wearing a coat from Joseph, Alia shoes and is carrying a Celine clutch.
Roberta is wearing JW Anderson jumper, Philip Lim trousers and Miu Miu shoes.

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Sofie with Kirstie Allsop. Sofie and Kirstie are sisters. Kirstie is a presenter of the UK shows Location, Location, Location and Kirstie's Homemade Home. She is a feisty which I think is great. Here she is wearing a dress by S Sung.

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Matt and Abigail are both students. Matt is studying Fashion and Abigail drama.
Matt is wearing shirt and sweater from Zara, tie and jeans from Topman and Underground shoes. Abigail is wearing a top her mum wore on her wedding day, a vintage skirt, New Look shoes and is carrying a bag bought in Camden.

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And to end today's post 3 beautiful bloggers Jennifer from Style East, Rosalind from Clothes, Cameras and Coffee and Stella from Stella's Wardrobe.

Out and about....LFW Sept 2011 Somerset House

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This is Pandora. She is the fashion editor of Tank Magazine. Here she is wearing jumper and trousers by Asish, shoes by Miu Miu, Versace glasses, and Maria Francesca Pepe jewellery.

Out and about...LFW September 2011 Masha Ma and a peek at Henry Holland

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Masha Ma

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Henry Holland

Firstly sorry for not getting back to you all the past two days please forgive me. So, so busy it is near midnight again and i must sleep now so I am fresh(ish) for tomorrow. I got to see 1 show properly and glimpse of another. Masha Ma was the one I had a good view of. Henry Holland I was so far back even on tippy toes (and I am tall) I could only get you guys the one (slightly blurry) image.
Masha Ma was a mix of constructed and de-constructed lines.
Henry was full of colour and pattern and was a bit rock and roll as always.

P.S - Sorry I should explain Paloma Faith is a well known singer here in the UK. Xxxx

Out and about....Paloma Faith

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This it the fantastic Paloma Faith outside the Sass and Bide Show.

Out and about....LFW Sept 2011 Maria Grachvogel

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I was lucky enough to see the Maria Grachvogel show in the elegant surroundings of the Savoy this afternoon.This was a beautiful fluid collection. As you can see from the shots it moved wonderfully.

Out and about....worshiping at the house of blues

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Meet Old Cow (as she is affectionately known as) from over at the Worship at the House of Blues. I have been speaking to Yasumi for almost 2 years now. We met online after I photographed her sister, who introduced me to her. OC has a wonderful blog. It is a mix of outfit posts, beauty reviews and generally things that interest her. She has also recently stopped working full-time to spend more time working on her Emporium, which has a constantly changing stock of all things bright and shiny. A few weeks back I just missed out on a collection of sweetheart impressions she had made in black and red which I really liked so approached her with the idea for an extra impression. You can see the result above, beautiful isn't it. One of the meanings of Dvora is Bee so you can see why this had originally struck me (red and black had featured bee's too).  The blue was to match the colour of a ring my husband had bought me. (Hopefully in the not to distant future there will be another whose meaning create my two 1st names together.) The creation of this sweetheart impression gave us the perfect opportunity to meet for the 1st time. We had a wonderful lunch together at the Nordic Cafe on Golden Sq, where time passed all to quickly. Of course as she looked so good I was not going to let the opportunity pass without photographing her and interviewing her too. So here is a quick Q&A.

F: What is your style influence?

OC: My style influence is a hodgepodge of confusion. I draw influence from Fairy Tale princes, suspicious Victorian gents, elegant safari going women, Hercule Poirot and Dot Cotton from Eastenders.

F: What is your favourite place in London?
OC: My favourite place in London is Hackney. I love the diversity, the stench, the creativity, the African mummas and their swinging hips, the decay, the buzz and the humbleness that it inspires within me.

F: Tell me something surprising about yourself.
OC: I laugh out loud in my sleep. Sometimes, I laugh out so loud and with such gusto that I wake myself and the husband up. The strange thing is that I never seem to remember what tickled me.

F: Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
OC: My jewellery designs are inspired by my daydreams, nightmares and imagination. I get my ideas from EVERYWHERE, dark tales, poems, moonlight, nature, adventure, food...you name it...I will find something inspiring in it.

Go check out her blog here, and her Emporium here.

London Fashion week starts tomorrow. I will see you with my 1st post Friday evening. Let the fun begin.

Out and about....Belvedere Rd

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Emma was sitting having coffee with friends when I asked if I could take her picture. I have been wanting to take a shot with our new transport system in London but have had to wait until now for the right opportunity. Emma works in Events Management, big party's with lots of champagne. Her favourite place in London is Brick Lane. She loves both Paris and London and is excited to be here. She bought her hat in Brighton, her dress belongs to her mum. Everything else, boots, bag and necklace are all Vivienne Westwood.

Out and about....model photographer

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Hayley was shopping when I spotted her. She is in London at the moment house sitting for her brother. Usually she is a student at Nottingham studying photography, specialising in fine art and conceptual work. She also models a little as well. I could tell this was the case when I asked her to pull her jacket together against the cold and I was treated to the lovely energy of 1st image. Style wise she told me she lives in her leather jacket "its kinda just easy". Brick Lane is her favourite place in London for having a coffee and people watching. In Nottingham it is Coco Tang which is a cocktail bar which she described as "low lit and opulent". Sounds wonderful. Her surprise was that she has hyper mobile joints. Here she is wearing a jacket from Zara, shoes from Topshop, her shirt dress was a pressie from her mum, the belt is vintage and her bag is from French Connection.

Out and about....plaited

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From Fashionistable

I would love to be able to do this with my hair. Isn't it lovely. Louise has been working for Pringle for the last 3 months. She graduated from the Manchester Met last year where she studied embroidery and is now finding her feet in London. Her favourite place in London is the Southbank in nice weather. In Manchester it was the Northern Quarter. Her surprise was that she likes to do what she calls boy activities, like running and climbing. Style wise she likes to mix styles together, from bohemian to relaxed or edgy. Her she is wearing a dress from Pringle (this was the 1st time she had worn it). Shoes are River Island, bag is Orla Kiely. She did her hair herself, said it is curly and this is a way to tame it.

Our next winner in the Filofax giveaway is Mat from Buckets and Spades. As discussed at the beginning there will now be a break in the competition until after the fashion weeks are over. Everyone who has entered already your names will roll over to the next draw.

You will have noticed my name on my pic's now. I will be doing this from now on. My images are copyrighted. As per the details on my info. They are not to be used with out my permission. Those who have asked in the past I have been very happy to help. But recently I went to comment on a blog and there was one of my shots. There without permission. I thought ah well at least the blog owner will at least have given me a credit for my work. But no. I have been very upset by this. I spend a lot of time on my pictures, processing, finessing and retouching. Down even to repairing chipped nail varnish. A credit at the very least would be polite.

Out and about....Jasper Garvida

From Fashionistable

I was given the wonderful opportunity to photograph and interview the very lovely Jasper Garvida, in the run up to LFW. This year Jasper will be showing his Spring/Summer 2012 collection at his own private show, in the Bloomsbury Hotel on the 19th of September at 5pm.

Q&A
Fashionistable: What inspires your work?
Jasper: The first thing I think about is the female form. At college I was more creative, for creative sake. Working in the fashion industry has taught me more about women, so I now bring all my creativity to the female form. My inspiration for my Spring/Summer 2012 collection is the painting by Frantisek Kupka, called Autour d'un Point.

F: As your job doesn't fit into a 9 to 5 schedule, how do you structure your day?
J: I try to keep balance in my life which can be very difficult. 5 hours sleep is a must. I get up at 6am and am in bed by 12.30am. I destress by cooking, as my partner and I don't get to spend much quality time together so this is am important part of the day. I love and am very passionate about my work, which I am very thankful for so whatever comes my way I will take it. I am working towards a goal and I am lucky to have a very understanding partner. Maybe one day I will have more time.

F: Which part of the creative process do you enjoy most and which you you dread?
J: I enjoy working on every step of the creative process from concept, to illustration, designing, sewing, creating the show and the photography. Also when I create a bespoke piece and the person tries the finished piece on for the first time, this is a good moment.
Making the right decision at the right time and doing it fast is what I dread the most. Also presenting the collection, after 4 to 6 months of concentrated work the tension of the unveiling can be a very difficult time.
F: It that because of any criticism that may come?
J: No, no criticism is part of it, I am open to it, open to improvement it can only make me a better person.

F: Do you have any tricks to get over designers block?
J: Yes, to quite simply to stop thinking and just do. Let my hands do the work. Then go back and see. This is the good thing about being creative, good things come out of mistakes, letting go and looking in a different direction.

F: Do you have any rituals when you are putting  your collection together?
J: I tend to lock myself away for a week when I where I immerse myself in the subject. I look at magazines, movies, I feel it. I can look at a blank piece of paper for days, then it starts.
On the day I show the collection I get up at 6 am and sit still and visualise the day. Everything. That way when the show is in full swing I am calm as I have seen it already. The team needs me to be calm. There are no superstitions the visualisation gets me calm and sorted.

F: Is music an important part of your working day? What are you listening to at the moment? (Jasper smiled when I asked this question....his partner works with music.)
J: I am listening to Lady GaGa The Edge of Glory. Music to me is quite significant. It is like being on the edge of a cliff about to skydive. It is the decision weather to take the leap or not. Every day I feel like I am on the edge of something amazing.

F: Where is your favourite place/city?
J: I have been in London 10 years now. My partner and dog (a King Charles) are here. London embraced me and my fashion. I found myself in London, I fell in love in London. In the words of Samuel Johnson "If you are tired of London you're tired of life".

F: Who inspires you?
J: Although I was brought in the Catholic religion, I am not a good Catholic. I do however believe in the power of prayer. I am aware I have been given something special and am thankful for it. I don't like to preach about the bible but do live by rules set out there, like the commandment  to treat others as you would like to be treated. Not to waste the gifts you have been given. To know you can make a difference. To do good. To face your responsibilities and the knowledge that I am here for a reason.
In a fashion sense I look up to Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow I wish I had that talent and wish one day to have it. It must be balanced at the same time though as I have to be realistic about paying my staff.

F: If you weren't doing this, what job could you see yourself having?
J: There is nothing else I would do. Growing up my parents wanted me to be a doctor. All my other siblings (of which there are 5) are all academics. 2 lawyers, 2 in the medical profession and 1 professor. I did try but am just not good in chemistry or math. I only told my parents about the direction I wanted to take when my course interview came through as I needed them to send me to London. I had to follow my my dreams. I have never seen my parents so happy as I have seen them in the past few years - my fear of not being myself has gone too.

F: If you had the chance to do it all again what advice would you give to a younger you?
J: Be Brave.
   Be Strong.
   Love yourself more and everything will be alright.
 
I would like to thank Jasper for giving us an insight into the emotional journey behind the beauty of his work. I am certainly looking forward to September the 19th. More to follow then.

Filofax Giveaway

Remember there are 3 days left to the 2nd Filofax (Brown Chameleon) giveaway draw. To enter you must follow me here on Blogger AND on Bloglovin and let me know when you have done both. Good Luck.

Out and about....Rosalind Jana - Vogue Talent Contest winner 2011

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I am re-posting this image to give you the wonderful news that comes to us today about my good friend Rosalind from Clothes Cameras and Coffee. Earlier this year Rosalind took part in the Vogue young writers competition. For those of us who know and love her work it comes as no surprise that she is this years winner even though she was their youngest shortlisted competitor. I applaud this wonderful talented young woman. If you don't know her or her work please check out her blog here. Her piece about winning here. And Vogue's announcement here.

Filofax Giveaway

Remember there are 4 days left to the 2nd Filofax (Brown Chameleon) giveaway draw. To enter you must follow me here on Blogger AND on Bloglovin and let me know when you have done both. Good Luck.