Yesterday’s shoot was all about Wonderful Hair. I’ve never had hair extensions and have never had the desire to have them - until today that is.

I love how Yulia looks while waiting for her hair to be done. Most models bring a book or something, occasionally I’ve known models who knit to pass the time.

This was a busy shoot as we had lots to accomplish but we really had a great team and worked really well together.
I think too many people are thinking that working in fashion is just like life in The Hills! Although The Hills is my assistant’s favourite show she knows what really happens on a shoot & how much work is really involved.

And yes, sometimes there are perks! The perk was some red hair extentions!!

The Subways: Josh Morgan - Drums, Billy Lunn - Guitar & Vocals, Charlotte Cooper - Bass & Vocals are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. They’re all really good friends, they love what they do and they’re just fun to hang out with! Their debut album, Young For Eternity, was released on 4 July 2005 in the UK and February 14, 2006 in the US. Their second album, All Or Nothing, will be released on June 30, 2008!!

Strawberry Blonde is a song from their new album! Check out their schedule, they’re playing at KOKO in Camden this week!!

Charlotte is super cute & tiny - she’ll look fab in anything! She loves labels like Sass & Bide, PPQ, Jasmine de Milo, Christian Louboutin, Irregular Choice and Vans! How cool is she!

A cool t-shirt designed by Josh’s girlfriend!

When I see girls with great hair styles it inspires me to spend more time on my hair otherwise I experience pure hair envy. I love getting my hair done, I always feel more glamours - I’m just not great at doing it myself. It’s more of an effort thing but I do think hair is one of your most important accessories - it changes how you look dramatically. I love hair that looks done and has an edge or personal style to it. This girl only spends about 20 minutes each morning on her hair and it really completes her personal look!

I decided on a whim to get my hair styled at the Hershesons Blow Dry Bar in Topshop. It was quite fun as it’s the sort of thing that I don’t normally do but now I find myself with an addiction to big hair.

There are 8 different looks to choose from and each look is trend led but incredibly wearable. All you need is long hair. I decided to go for the Bardot - it’s an updo that involves some back combing and it’s very similar to the “B-52″ the only difference is the “B-52″ is half up, half down. The Bardot is their most popular request. I went in with clean hair although, I’m not sure how important it is, but since you only have a 1/2 slot they don’t really have time to wash your hair.

Last Halloween I really wanted to dress up as a pekingese and with my hair like this I realized I probably could resemble a fluffy little dog. I’m not a big haired girl and never thought I could be as my hair is fine and poker straight.

The staff at the Blow Dry Bar are second and third-year apprentices from the Hershesons’ Conduit Street and Harvey Nichols salons. Alex styled my hair, she’s been there for just under a year and loves it!

Daniel and Luke Hersheson opened the Hershesons Blow Dry Bar in December 2007. The father and son team have a salon in Conduit Street, opened by Daniel in 1991, and a luxury hair spa in Harvey Nichols. Their client list reads like the Who’s Who, but they don’t rest on their laurels as they really seem to be more interested in what they do, then who they do. The concept of the Blow Dry Bar was inspired, in part, by coffee bars, so after each purchase you have reward card and after your 7th styling session your 8th is free!

I’m loving this handbag, I can fit loads in it and it’s very soft. I’ve wanted a silver bag for quite a while but I’ve been afraid of something too shiny but this bag is more pewter then silver so it’s not too bling. The style is quite classic and it feels quite serious - and somehow it makes me feel quite grown up! Most of the time I don’t feel very grown up, maybe because I feel like I’m playing dress up and having too much fun! Its kind of strange the power of an accessory - and how it can make you feel - is it conditioning or is it innate?

I don’t remember how old I was when I got my first grown up hand bag. I might have carried a small bag in high school, I don’t think I really had much too carry…Do we only need a handbag when we need to start carrying our life around with us? I once lost my handbag - l forgot it on a bus in London - someone gave it to the bus driver and it was returned to me with everything in it - my passport, cash and credit card - how cool is that! Purses have existed since 480 B.C, in the 1920’s your bag no longer had to match your outfit and then the should strap became popular with the 2.55 Chanel bag! There is still mystery about what one carries in ones handbag and some people still consider it quite private. I’m not really private about what’s in my hand bag I just carry around ordinary stuff and I try not to carry too much stuff but I’d feel naked with if I didn’t carry a handbag. I feel different if it’s a should strap or short handles - short handles seem more grown up to me - it make me think of my grandmother and I could never carry a clutch- no matter how popular, I like to be hands free.

I like the pale English look: those who have porcelain skin like Kate Winslet and Sophie Ellis Bextor and then the British bands who are more pale then porcelain - but it’s a very British rock and roll look that I love, like Liela Moss’ look from The Duke Spirits. Then, of course there is the other extreme: the dyed blond hair, the fake orangey tan and implants - the glamorous and tarty footballers’ wife look - this I find somewhat distressing and amusing.

And of course there is something in between, I find it odd but true that tanning and fashion week just seem to go together. It’s more about that healthy glow, so that by the end of the week (or weeks) you don’t look as tired or jet lagged as you really feel and you’re non fashion friends will think that your life really is that glamorous… I like the idea of a spray on tan even thought I never even wear foundation or tinted moisturizers - it just seems better then lying under heat lamps and roasting your self. Of course nothing is better then lying out in a park or on the beach and absorbing a bit of vitamin D - I’m all for that!
Anyway if you feel a spray tan will perk up your week St. Tropez has opened a Tanning Boutique for Fashion & Beauty VIPs at the Berkeley Hotel, exclusively throughout London Fashion Week. The complimentary services will begin on Thursday, 7th February (three days before the official start of LFW) and run through Friday, 15th February.

VIP services include, the Classic Ultimate Tanning treatment, which is hand-applied for a long-lasting, moisturised tan. Services will run from 8.00am to 8.00pm To book your “Fashionable Tan” appointment at the St Tropez VIP Suite, contact Josie Fontana-Reval on +44(0)20-7331-1479 or josief@modusdowalwalker.com

This shoot was for Luxure Magazine. I was really happy to do a shoot for Luxure because I adore the Fashion Director, Alexia Somerville. She’s an amazing stylist and has a really good eye for spotting new talent. The shoot was about “The Ones To Watch” so we focused on several up-and-coming designers. The team is also so worth watching. Hamilton is a great hair stylist, he actually reminds me of a rock god (I think he is a rock god…) I ran into him back stage at Prince, and his client list is endless (Nicole Kidman, Linda Evangelista, Cate Blanchett…). Alex Babsky has made up every famous face from Naomi Campbell to Victoria Beckham. He’s a genius, and so generous with his make-up advice. I really loved the make-up he did on Poline, her eyes looked so amazing that I couldn’t stop looking at her! I loved her look, it was a cross between Cindy Lou Hoo and Sandra Dee! I’d been wanting to work with Carlos again for ages and we were just waiting for the right project. It’s important to work with someone that you really trust because you know whatever they do it’s going to be great!

One of the things I like most about my job is that I have the opportunity be in the company of such talented people!

Photographer: Carlos Lumiere
Hair: Hamilton @SLR
Hair Assistant: Graham Tilley
Make Up: Alex Babsky @Frank
Fashion Assistant: Io Takemura
Model: Poline Geereeva @Premiere

I was surprised to open up The London Paper yesterday and see some images that I styled a few months ago. Nina Taylor, the hand supermodel was just lovely and she’s well known for being Kate Moss’ hand & foot double in the Rimmel ads. Teresa of course, is brilliant and has painted everyone’s nails including Victoria Beckham’s. I’ve always been quite self-conscious about my hands (especially in the presence of a hand supermodel!) as they get so dry from touching fabrics and lugging bags all over the place. I really felt like keeping them hidden during this shoot but Teresa let me know that they weren’t so bad - she has a way of making you feel good about yourself and your hands and of course I got to benefit from her expert advice!

This is an image of Teresa working on Nina’s hands at the shoot!

Nina Taylor has an intriguing site coming soon, called Famous Hands.

I love location shoots. This house was a huge box and very cool - it was open concept with lots of light, height and space. Actually it felt very Canadian even though it was in London! We were shooting Chanelle, she’s great fun & super cute.

There was a very friendly yet unassuming, slightly chubby cat living in the house!

This is Chanelle with her make up artist Lisa. Lisa loves blush more than anything and she’s given me some great make up. She’s promised me false eyelashes next time!!

I worked with hair and make up artist, Fraggle Jury. She has the cutest name ever! I asked her “So what does your mum call you?” she answered “Darling!”. She’s the cheekiest, hippest chic that I’ve met in a long time! Her quote for the day was “Sparkle, just a little more sparkle!”
A fashion assistant works very hard so it’s good to get the occasional perk! My assistant, Elana is big on skin care so she’s able to ask professionals like Fraggle any questions she has. It’s always great to get your make-up tips from a professional make-up artist!

Elana and Fraggle

Some fashion shoots are fast and furious. We started organizing and doing some prep at 9am as our shoot wasn’t going to start until 4pm. The team for Ebyan was coming from Paris and arrived quite late so we didn’t start shooting until about 10pm, and I didn’t go to bed until 5am! I was packing up all the clothes as we were shooting in a different location the next day. I think it’s good every now and then to be sleep deprived: the world looks so different, and somehow that’s a good thing. It felt like a shoot right out of Fashion Babylon.

We has lots and lots of clothes, so many beautiful dresses and such sexy slutty shoes!! It was great and Sarah Marshall was amazing, you just end up adoring her!

I love the buying and selling of clothes and I really want people to enjoy what they are wearing. Advertising is quite interesting as you might have a very specific brief to work to, or just a small selection of clothes, but either way it’s my job to make the clothes fit well. Of course if you have a great model 80% of your work is done. It’s all about casting!!!

I like working in a new studio, meaning one that is new to me. Jasmine Studios is an old Victorian school that’s been converted and it even has a Starbucks- I know you either love Starbucks or hate it, but I hate smoking more and it’s smoke free. (London goes smoke free July 1st!!!!) You might not think it really matters where you work but sometimes it does make a difference when you work in a nice environment. You’d think oh, all you need is 4 white walls but when you shoot all the time, the space (and the staff) make a difference. Of course everyone on the team has different requirements, ie hair & make -up might need different height chairs, good lighting etc. Me, I don’t really need much, just a rail, iron, ironing board and steamer and I have all of these anyway, but of course it’s nicer when the studio has them, most of studios do and of course the photographer has all sorts of requirements…

Shooting in a studio near Old Street I got to work with the fabulous make up artist Carla B!

After days and days of catalogue shoots make up artist Carla B and I needed some inspiration, so we headed off to Palette, which is not too far from Highbury Islington station. It felt like like heaven, so many amazing well-chosen vintage dresses and accessories. They also have some lovely London Labels such as Avsh Alom Gur and a red and white, oh so me, polka dot blouse by Sara Berman. I loved the vintage Comme des Garcons hat too! So much shopping to do!!!

I love make up artists kits. Each one is very individual!

An other MUA April 12th

Taro worked back stage on hair & make up at Julia Clancey’s show. It was great to run into him!!!

Off on another train journey with Carla B. for a shoot. We went to Eastleigh and we weren’t expecting much but we were wrong and had a wonderful day. Every now and then Carla and I are off on a road trip to shoot a case study for a newspaper - which simply means real people with real stories.

We went to the most beautiful farmhouse and had a delicious lunch: the egg salad sandwiches were made with fresh bread, tomatoes pick from the garden and the eggs that were gathered earlier that morning.

We went to shoot two sister who have started an organic skin care line “Rhodes to Heaven“

This is a picture of Claire at Bloww, who has just finished giving my fringe a
trim. It took me ages to find someone in London to cut my hair. I went to the same stylist Daniel’s in Toronto for years, and I
hate having to say to the hair stylist cut my hair like this, I want to look
like so & so…I figure they are the professional, they know face shapes
and hair textures etc, they’ve styled hundreds of people, so I’d rather just
leave any hair decisions up to them. Of course they have to be good, but just
look at Claire! She’s so cute, loves vintage, has several pairs of Bettina Liano
jeans, finds cool things on ebay for fashion shoots and has red hair!!

Met up with Carla B on South Molton Street. Just a quick break. Carla was in between photoshoots and I was going on appointments. Carla’s a freelance make-up artist www.makeupbycarla.co.uk and one of the first make up artists I met when I moved to London. We often get booked on jobs together which makes for a fun day!