I love working with “New Designers” - what’s funny is most new designers aren’t all that new - it’s more that they’re just not well known (yet!). Often you meet a designer who’s only 25 and they’ve been designing for the past 10 years. I worked on a look book shoot which went really well. There is so much planning involved but it pays off in the end when you have a great team!
I know I talk a lot about the team but the synergy of the team is essentail to doing a great shoot; it’s easy to do a good shoot and sometimes by fluke you can do a great shoot, naturally the more experience you have the better your work becomes.
It’s also important for the whole team to know what the look and feel of the shoot is about. You’ll have mood boards about hair and make-up, lighting and the looks so everyone can have a visual to work from and of course on the day things can change: something doesn’t work, you have a better idea, someone is sick - things change! Just be prepared - the motto I learned in Brownies always seems to be right!
I love going to vintage fashion fairs. Many of the vendor have been collection and selling items for over 20 years so if you’re looking for something special just ask them. They might not have brought it with them but most of the vendors have hundreds of items stashed away!
I got two fabulous dresses for £10 each!
The key to looking through vintage is to really take your time. I look for fabrics that I like - I don’t really worry about the shape or cut as I know if I like the fabric I can remake the dress. Occasionally I’ll find a dress that fits perfectly!
The 20th Century Theatre
291 Westbourne Grove
Notting Hill
London W1
Update:
Designers of New Couture do not copy other designers work - they have the ethics of a fine tailor; they are not like the typical dress maker who will copy a garment.
I know there are loads of fashion shows on tv at the moment and I’ve watched them all - and maybe there’s a bit over fashion over kill at the moment but I’m quite excited about Twiggy’s Fashion Trade. It’s is a new 3 part series for BBC2 which taps into the latest trend for clothes swapping parties! I’ve never been to a clothes swapping party - not officially but I have swapped clothes with friends. Anyway so many of us have wardrobes full great piece that we never wear for one reason or another - so why not swap them for something better & get expert advice at the same time! I think the show airs in September.
I’ve spent the last week in and out of fabric shops and I can’t imagine not having access to ribbon, lace and trimmings. I feel so happy when I’m in a haberdashery or lovely fabric shop! It’s a great place for a designer, stylist or fashion student to look for inspiration. You never know how much a particular piece of lace or ribbon is going to inspire or influence your work!
I’m not a sparkly bling kind of girl - but it’s something I do love in a shoot. If you’re looking to customize a garment Swarovski Crystals are the way to go. It’s worth a visit to the Swarovski Crystallized Cosmos & Lounge, 24 Great Marlborough Street, London, W1
Customizing shoes and garments is such a unique way of giving an item some personal style and making it unique!
Doorways, hidden paths, secrets & stories. Images like this always inspire me with ideas for shoots. Doors have always been magical: “Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw.” -Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
We make fun of men who wear lifts in their shoes - I think in general life is difficult for the shorter man. King Louis XIV was only 5 foot 4 inches but some of his shoes were 6 inches high.
During the seventeenth century, high heels signified the wealth and privilege of men and women. King Louis XIV of France passed a law stipulating that only those who were granted access to his court were allowed to wear red coloured heels. Red heels still signify wealth & privilege - how many of us can really afford Christian Louboutin’s?
And why red heels? Red was a rare luxury as it was a precious commodity in 17th-century France; the dye was made from a small beetle, the cochineal found only on the Mexican cactus. (Synthetic dyes weren’t invented until the 1800’s).
Since the late 1700s, men’s shoes have had primarily low heels. There have been many boots for men that have a heel: there is the the cowboy boot and the Beatle boot. Also the Cuban heel has become somewhat acceptable for men and are not considered effeminate (but they’re not truly part of the main stream). At the end of last season we saw more fashion forward shoes for men: the Manolo Blahnik’s open toe - slingback.
So far I haven’t seen anyone wearing them but I hope some fabulous man does. I envision the wearer sitting at a posh cafe, everything white with canvas umbrellas and a perfect view of the ocean…Anyway this season Fendi has created a beautiful men’s shoes with very low wedge.
I don’t think the man who wears this shoe is interested in being taller or concerned about stature. It’s for a man who has attitude, a strong sense of personal style and perhaps a bit of humour.
I met with the super petite designer Ada Zanditon in her super sized jacket! Ada graduated from London Collage of Fashion in 2007. She spent four season interning with Alexander McQueen and in 2007/8 she worked with Gareth Pugh as a pattern maker.
These images are from Ada’s graduate collection. I love the oversized shapes and how everything feels bit like a super hero. Lisa Snowden and Joan Collins have both been photographed wearing her clothes! For her next collection Ada is using ethical/organic fabrics and she presently has a new eco collection available in Oxfam 245 Westbourne Grove, London W11.
You might have see some of her illustrations featured in the London Underground. This autumn Ada will be exhibiting in The Ethical Fashion Show in Paris.
Rakish Heels is a unique quirky new shoe brand. Lona Jones is the owner of Rakish Heels and she knows lots about shoes but most importantly she’s super sweet!
Rakish Heels only launch in February 2008. I’m a lover of spats and Rakish has something just as cool - heel covers! Each shoe comes with a detachable heel cover - it can transform the shoe from day to evening!
Lona in Vegas!
This video really says everything about Rakish - its quirkiness with it’s Victorian inspirations & charm. I really like when designers are just doing their own thing - they’re not following trends or copying others they’re just making & designing items that are an extension of themselves - things that they like.
So if you’re feeling like summer’s here and you’re already wearing your favourite Luella floral dress then it just might be time to customize your scooter! I love these flowers! I used to decorate my bicycle when I lived in Montreal. I don’t tent to cycle in London as I find that I’m always carrying way too much stuff. But oh, oh how I’d love to be the girl on a Blooming Scooter!!!
For more info check out Tucanourbano.it
I love how these two girls are dressed. They look like the kind of people you want as friends. Trustworthy, cool and fun! It’s interesting that a bright colourful dress, a groovy head band and a red hand bag can covey a message - so if clothing is a language- a method of communication - what are we saying and do we look very different when we are smiling?
Who can resist a pig in boots? Apparently this little piggy has never liked mud. She’d stand alone shaking in her pen while her mother & other siblings went out to explore the farm. Soon the owners, Debbie and Andrew Keeble noticed that she just didn’t like mud - they thought she might have mysophobia - a fear of dirt. Anyway, they kitted her out in some miniature wellies and now she’s quite happy! Cinders has become the mascot for the campaign to raise money for the Farm Crisis Network, which supports struggling farmers.
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!!
This is what I love about London: men with style. It’s a hot summer’s day and I spotted Dai Rees and MA course director Darren Cabon at The London College of Fashion! I think they both look amazing, quite handsome and I love the bags!!!
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!
Of course it’s easier to get rid of a stain when you’re home and you can wash the garment, but what do you do on a shoot, if there is lipstick or deodorant on a garment? Sometimes you’ll receive a garment that is already stained or something happens on the shoot. As you already know I’m a fan of the Tide pen and usually have one in my kit. Tide to Go is great for removing fresh food and drink stains. The other product that I like is Shout Wipes, I use this for dust, dirt and sometimes make-up - but it really depends on the fabric. If the stain is really prominent you can ask the photographer or art director if it can be retouched - it usually can but always remember the clothes are the stylist’s responsibility!
I’ve always loved platform shoes. Being only 5′2″ high shoes make me feel powerful (and taller) but it’s the platform or wedge that really works for me. I think if I had a high arch I would have loved the stiletto heel.
Marni patent leather wedges
Platforms have been around forever and I mean centuries. The Greeks first wore them in theatre plays - the more important the character the higher the platform. In the 15th & 16th century high-born prostitutes or courtesans in Venice wore platform shoes.
You could even be divorced for wearing high shoes. Charles ll passed the 1670 Act of Parliament - The Marriage Act, which said that women who “betray into matrimony” an Englishman by use of “scents, paints, artificial teeth, false hair … high-heeled shoes” risked having their marriages declared null, and they were subject to the same punishment as witches.
Platform shoes became immensely popular in the 1970s and in the early 1990s Vivienne Westwood re-introduced the high heeled 5″ & 9″ platform shoe.
I think platforms look great in the summer - they look great with jeans and the open toe platform can look great with a dress. Since I’m usually spending most of my day running around London - the platform will be the perfect alternative to my flats!
Check out this book Shoes by Colin McDowell (1989)
