Erika Trotzig recently collaborated with Studio Private and photographer Yuval Hen. This is one of the images from their exhibition in London. I just love the feel of this shot, the light & the yellow background. I want to know more about the girl - it feels like a painting.

Yellow backgrounds often remind me of the short story The Yellow Wallpaper (first published in 1891). It’s a story is about a women and her descent into psychosis. Her husband, also her physician confines her to room in a summer house where she is forbidden to work or even write, otherwise known as - the rest cure. With nothing to engage her she slowly becomes obsessed by the room’s yellow wallpaper. “It is the strangest yellow, that wall-paper! It makes me think of all the yellow things I ever saw — not beautiful ones like buttercups, but old foul, bad yellow things. But there is something else about that paper — the smell! … The only thing I can think of that it is like is the color of the paper! A yellow smell.”

Erika’s work is very beautiful, her pieces are very wearable and have the feel of haute couture and fine art. She studied pattern cutting in Stockholm before enrolling at Saint Martins. In 1988 after graduation she went on to work for Belgian designer, Josephus Thimister in Paris and then returned to London to launch her own label. Erika was awarded New Generation sponsorships, and sold in boutiques and department stores across the world, had catwalk shows during London Fashion Week, and exhibited in Paris and Tokyo.

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!

Another day out with Stonefoxx! And of course it was such a fun shoot, it was freezing but the girls looked great! The shoot  was for Nintendo Wii - Battle of the Bands! How cute and sexy are they!

I’m always happy to shoot at a studio that has a nice lunch, so I was quite pleased about shooting at Holborn Studios. I also like studios that are helpful. I usually bring hangers just in case the studio doesn’t have enough and sometimes I bring my own steamer & iron.

I like bringing an assistant to a shoot, not just because there lots to do but because it’s a great experience. Once we’ve organized the rails, steamed & ironed everything we’re good to go. This shoot was for a designer that I’ve known for a few years so it was really a pleasure and a very smooth day. We planned the shoot really well and the dresses were beautiful! Sometimes you can plan a shoot to the last detail but it’s the synergy of the team that makes it a great shoot!

We had a great shoot day. We did lots of prep for this shoot; we went to PRs and designers and found lots of fabulous dresses!!! It was an easy, happy shoot day - lots of shoots are - everyone wants to get as much out of the shoot as possible and to do a really good job. It’s great to work with people who really love and care about what they are doing - it makes a difference. The hair and make-up were great, this was really important because it brings everything to life. Alex Foden, (also Amy Winehouse’s hair stylist) did the hair, he not only styled it but did the cut & colour - how fab is he, and Samantha Hosker did the make-up!

Celebrity in itself is a bit weird. I’ve met some people who just want to be a celebrity as a profession, like a dentist. A celebrity look-alike is weird but kind of fun and makes sense! We did a shoot with a Victoria & David Beckham, Ricky Gervais and Kylie look-alike. They were great: they really knew which angles worked for the camera, and they really worked it! It was a job for them, not a lifestyle - they didn’t seem like they were becoming their celebrities. The David Beckham look-alike has played him for over 10 years!!

I’ve always loved visiting costume houses! Most of the costumes come from different musicals and theatre shows. It’s a great place to go if you’re looking for period clothes for a shoot or anything a bit unusual!

I love location shoots especially in London at night. It’s hard to plan an outdoor shoot in London because you never know what the weather will be like, but there are so many great locations! Here we are around Waterloo station.

Today (Dec 21) is the final day for the Chris Moore exhibition at the London College of Fashion. I went yesterday, and it’s worth seeing, if only because there is no other catwalk photographer as famous, or as worthy of his own exhibition!

We don’t start a fashion show if the photographers haven’t arrived. There’d be no point. Yes, a picture really is worth a thousand words, and sometimes the photographers are all but forgotten - we never really think that the show is for them, it’s all about the front row, the editors, the celebrities (and the buyers!) but there they are, all squished together at the end of the catwalk, jockeying for the best position while holding heavy equipment. It doesn’t matter if the lighting isn’t optimal or the model forgets to pose at the end of the runway - it’s the photographers’ goal to capture every look. If you don’t have a good photographer shooting your show it’s almost not worth doing.

Amazingly, Chris Moore has been shooting catwalk shows for over 35 years. He shoots everything from Paris couture shows to new designers at Vauxhall Fashion Scout. If you haven’t seen this exhibition, the next time you look at a catwalk image check the credits - it’s probably one of Chris Moore’s!

I never go to a show without taking a picture of the photographers, it’s actually one of my favourite parts of the show!

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