it is remarkably sunny in the UK today. i woke up singing black eyed peas 'i got a feeling' but substituting the words 'tonight' for march and 'night' for month... it is scary the sort of euphoria sun in the country causes. it has been such a rarity lately that it actually feels like a bit of a drug. so today, to my excitement, it was warm outside and perfect weather for busting out the much neglected sunglasses. i spotted this lovely girl, izi, sitting outside starbucks with a group of boys. i asked if i could take her photo and one of them said, 'ah, she gets that a lot', 'really?' i asked, 'uh... no.' was the reply i got. well, i would have believed it. she is naturally gorgeous and pretty much oozes a sly confidence. i asked her if she was a student, which it turns out she is. i seem to remember seeing her around starbucks a lot, does she ever go to class? 'yah, but it was sunny today...' quite right izi. i definitely agree. march has started off with an incredibly beautiful beginning... definitely not the sort of day to go to class.
izi wears: vintage jacket, grandmother's floral top, topshop shorts, dorothy perkins shoes.
thought you might like a little break from LFW style... i have still got loads more to show you from it though, i hope you don't mind?
the people you meet when hiding from the rain...
At Somerset House on Tuesday it was pouring down with rain and freezing. I sought refuge by the Lavazza coffee van and luckily wound up with some pretty great company. This is Kit Lee of Style Slicker. I took the photos of her below before I met her - as you can see she's got a great sense of style. I love the little pops of red. She refers to herself as being an 'amateur photographer' but her work doesn't look very amateur to me. She had lots of backstage access to the shows at LFW and her blog is filled with incredible photos of all things beautiful.
Meet the man who runs the blog composed of gorgeous and candid photos of some of the worlds most beautiful people - Altamira: Models off Duty. I can't lie to you, he is a bit of a legend. He moved to New York with 'no friends, no family, and not even a room to rent' and now gets flown around the world to document the beautiful things that take place at and around extraordinary events. I only met him briefly. Like us, he was seeking shelter from the nasty rain. He was so down to earth (see the camera tucked under his jacket?) and was off to try to score some free soup that apparently was lurking around in one of the buildings.
Shini of Park & Cube. I have said it before, but that wont stop me from saying it again - I adore her blog for the beauty of the photographs as well as her honest and funny take on things. She has incredible style and isn't afraid of trying off-beat things... but somehow manages to look totally natural in it, not try hard at all. She is totally devoted to what she does... carrying around a massive bag with two enormous cameras all day - pain is no issue. Also made me laugh when she attempted to eat her chocolate crepe and nutella started oozing out of every pore of the poor thing... messy, but looked seriously good.
This is David Nyazi. There was a bit of a frenzy happening around him... everyone wanted to snap his photo. Turns out he's been attending fashion week since 2006, I suppose you start to develop a bit of a following at these things? He's got a blog called the Nyazi Report. It's full of witty entries (for example the latest on the way bloggers are influencing the fashion world) and inspiring photos... lots of beautiful shoes, accessories, and style.
My blogging world mentor - Jill of Street Style London. She is the most genuine and giving person - willing to make the effort to help anyone out and doesn't do it looking for anything in return. Outgoing, determined, motivated, ambitious, she is always searching for the next shot but doesn't take herself too seriously. She booked me in for my first haircut I had gotten after an 8 month neglect and is always willing to meet up for cupcakes and a chat. She is great, and her blog is great too. She has such a beautiful insight - her words are often as breathtaking as the photos that accompany them. I absolutely adore her and appreciate the way she has taken me under her wing and helped introduce me to this wild world of blogging. She was photographing these girls below (who are models) and while they were just standing there doing the typical stand-there-and-stare-straight-pose she said, 'no, no, do something... you know, model-y' - and this is what they did. I thought it was pretty cute.
retro accessories...
oh, the incredible difference a few well chosen accessories can make.
angel wings...
described by vogue as 'tribal chic that goes to church,' nathan jenden's fall 2010 models sported the newly termed 'angel wings' (i.e. white eyeliner flicked up at the edge of the eye). this girl is either a model from the show or is the quickest person to spot a trend on the runway and incorporate it into her own look (this was taken the same afternoon the collection was shown in london). after all, the combination of angel wings and black lips traditionally have been a bit of a rarity.... i'm guessing she's a model.
MISSED THE FLIGHT TO MILAN...
alright, these two may not have actually missed their flight to milan... but they do look so refreshingly out of place in london. they exude a quirky yet classy vibe and look entirely well groomed. they are rocking simple colour palettes, traditional shapes, hats, structured handbags and are standing with the confident poise of a true gentleman and his lady. not things you see too often. they look sophisticated but young and happy. not too stuffy but so chic. i absolutely and totally love it. the only thing that could have made it better? possibly a polka dot green bow tie on the gentleman... but otherwise they are pretty near perfection.
* update: have just been informed that this is Alize. Check out her blog here. Turns out she is actually French... I may have got the Milan part wrong, but the chic part definitely still holds up. Also, the gentleman's name is Matthew Zorpas.
it wouldn't be london without a little...
yep, that's right - rain. what else my dears? this is england after all. snow challenged people's style in new york and the rain posed a challenge in london. luckily i could take cover under the big black umbrellas at somerset house and cozy up next to a heat lamp with a latte. it came pouring down by the bucket loads on tuesday afternoon. it wasn't pleasant but everyone still managed to look immaculately turned out... a little water couldn't slow this group down.
geometric shapes paired with waffle knit chunky cardigan and scarf.
a juxtaposition of worlds.
kid-like umbrellas and big furs.
so many great looks going on here... i especially love the girls outfit in the middle - there is something incredibly fresh and modern about long straight skirts.
hooded and on the move.
trying to keep up.
eun jeong - one more time...
i posted this video the other night, but accidentally had it saved as a private video so no one could see it. whoops. so here it is again and this time you should be able to see it.... basically this was my first runway show ever... more on that on the original post below.
also, i've had this song that's playing in the video stuck in my head since tuesday night. it's by a girl called eliza doolittle. she looked pretty gorgeous and did a great performance... definitely one to watch.
fashion students...
I ran into these gentleman on Tuesday... they are totally wild, as you can see. I believe they are all students (definitely the three pictured below are) and they are clearly pushing the boundaries of fashion. I wish I knew a bit more about the guy above... his motivation for dressing this way and what his story is. Does anyone know? It is quite theatrical. Does he dress this way every day? Is it for a show... I am totally intrigued. I wish I had spent the time to ask more questions. One thing I know for sure though, is that his eyes were stunning... a really piercing blue.
update: his name is Daniel Lismore - check out his blog here.
These three chaps were really quite sweet. I only realized that the one in the middle was wearing a lace unitard after I asked to photograph them... they looked pretty intriguing even without that added quirk. The combination of the three of them is so visually stimulating. The bright red in the middle with the softer colours on either side... there are so many intricate details going on that the longer I look at it the more I notice. There are so many colours, patterns and textures going on.
A combination of florals, stripes, plaid, fur, bracelets, aztec print, glasses, hats, lace, denim, neon, studs...
If these are the fashion students, the future men of the industry, I can't wait to see what we will all be wearing in a few years time.
p.s. check out the combination of shoes going on. oh, and as always if you know anything about these guys feel free to let me know any information about them... i'm more than happy to post it here.
* update: the first photo is Daniel Lismore and the other boys are his best friends.
trend spotting: spikes, clogs, and shaggy fur...
This girl has nailed so many trends bang on the head and looks fab. The coveted Givenchy gold spiked headband, long shaggy black jacket, scrunched up socks, and heeled clogs. Similar looks were worn by a lot of people at Somerset House, but I think she pulled it off particularly well. She looks like she could be the princess in Where the Wild Things Are. Seriously I want to snatch up everything she has on and wear it right now... and possibly never take any of it off. Although, I'm not entirely sure how that jacket would be to wear? (I already get complaints that I shed too much hair as it is...) Honestly, have you guys seen the Topshop Unique Fall 2010 show? We are all going to be looking like wild animals come next fall if it is anything to go by! The photographers went pretty wild for her and I can totally see why.
* Update - have been informed that this is Tiffany Hsu: buyer for Feathers.
favourite moments: day 5 london fashion week...
Because you know I can't resist and sleeping can always wait until later. So here are my top moments of day 5 in no particular order. Starting with the stunning Emerald getting her photo taken at Somerset House... my partner in crime had photographers snapping her constantly, and she played the part of the model perfectly. This is my favourite shot that I took of her.
(Jill from street style london, michelle, shini from park & cube, and me)
The girls I spent my afternoon with... seeking refuge from the pouring rain under the umbrellas, drinking lattes, eating crepes, trying to get people to stop and come to us so we could take their photo.
Photographing this individual. I asked if he was a designer and he said, 'No. I'm a personality.'
Realizing that you didn't have to register in advance to get a press pass, which means I didn't have to sit outside in the cold and I could get access to all the exhibitions and tents at somerset house. Chi-chiiing!
Checking out all the insanely gorgeous items in the exhibitions and meeting the designers (I annoyingly can't remember whose this was, anyone know?).
Taking in the madness that was my first runway show.
I've got plenty more on all these things to show you but I just wanted to give you the run through of my favourite moments from the day (now it's time for bed).
no longer a fashion show virgin...
yes it's true. my fashion week experience was topped off with unexpectedly getting into my first runway show. you may have heard from here... jill sent me a message late last night saying it was her london fashion week goal to get me into a show, and when she sets her mind to something, well it happens. the opportunity actually materialized when shini mentioned she had a ticket to an evening show that she was too tired to go to and casually asked if i might want it. yah, you could say i wanted it. so it happened... my first show with a brand new friend michelle who just happens to be from my same home town in the states. we drank champagne, sat in the second row, snapped photos of peaches geldof and keisha buchanan. it was incredible and all a girl could ever hope for in her first time.
will post more on this show and the rest of day 5 soon...
come on barbie, let's go party...
Meet Rhiannon. She is a designer and is pictured modeling her own creation. She seemed so sweet when I briefly met her, and actually looked like she might pass out from the freezing temperatures. Just a little taste of the craziness that is London Fashion Week...
p.s. I have finally succumb to twitter. I have currently got one follower (whoever you are, thank you!). I am sure the more you follow and the more followers you have the more fun it is... so if your on twitter please follow me and I'll happily follow you in return. (twitter name: stylecrusader)
(apologies for the name mistake before, her name is not leila - i've got it right now - whoops!)
london calling...
Jill from street style london getting her photo taken.... when asked to pose for a photo she looked totally caught off guard. But she was a total pro - notice the little leg up pose?
Shini from park&cube. She had on the coolest outfit (check out her trousers!), beautiful chunky necklace (that totally looked designer but was from h&m), and looked completely surprised when I said I knew of her blog... modest bloggers - its the only way to be.
Could this fur be any more gorgeous!? I love that she's got leather sleeves poking out from underneath. And, the plaid coat on the guy in the background is pretty awesome too.
Fierceness comes in pairs.
Kate Walsh from the Apprentice on the left - looking happy and warm in a beautiful purple coat.
Orange - it's going to be big... there was lots of it on the runways in NY.
what they wore: london fashion week...
Jess Cartner-Morley - Fashion editor at the Guardian
Mulberry alexa bag, velvety leopard print short sleeved jacket, layered bracelets with bird details.
Tiered cropped leather jacket, cream lace, big readers, shaggy fur jackets, floral print topshop dress, biker boots.
This girl looked so peaceful and chilled out sitting with her mom at a table waiting for the time to pass by.... wearing bright lips, old-school 80s style leather jacket, floaty cream shirt, and doc martins.
These two were pretty awesome. The guy said that he had to have his boots altered because his legs are just way too skinny... its the attention to detail that makes all the difference. He gave me his blog address but for some reason it wont open... wearing bowler hat, wang braid, chunky scarf, floral bag, dotted tights, striped socks, lace up boots, and leather jackets.
Mixing bold prints and totally pulling it off. I love her black and white striped legs and hat. She's got stripes, plaid and floral all in one look. Quite a funky style, but it looked totally natural and authentic.
This photographer was a bit caught off guard about having her photo taken... but you can't wear plaid wool harem trousers and pull them off that well and avoid having your photo taken. The print on the trousers didn't turn up but they were a really deep green and navy and were completely awesome.
aminaka wilmont fall 2010: 'strife'...
Inspired by the 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy the collection focuses on strife and war as well as inner conflicts and social unrest. Pretty heavy stuff, but the designs (especially the digital prints) were utterly enticing and dreamlike. There was subtle detailing with a muted colour palette. Described as depicting, 'how to make do with what is left around - debris, flotsam and scraps.' Organic silk jersey is used as well as heavy crepe de chine, merino wool knit and stark leather.... all to create a sumptuous collection that absolutely transcends anything scrap-like and looks well-defined and entirely coherent. A great show.
