London Fashion Week: what I'm packing
Just about to run out the door to grab my train but before I do, here's a little look at some of my favourite things that are coming along with me to London Fashion Week:
Zara heels, Doc Martins modified by Charlie May, Mulberry bag (My-Wardrobe), vintage Salvatore Ferragamo heels, vintage pink heels, American Apparel clutch bag, J.Crew leopard print belt, Smythson notebook, Anton Heunis necklace (My-Wardrobe), YSL ring, selection of jewelry from Past Times, and Equipment Shirt (My-Wardrobe).
Equipment
My wee little camera is about to get forced into overdrive at the end of this week, so let's have a little lookie at what I'll be dragging around with me to cover the shows, street style, and general madness of London Fashion Week. Oh, and if you're the poor soul who googled about 30 variations of 'style crusader camera lens' yesterday to find out what I use, I apologize that it's taken me this long to finally release this information to you. I'm not saying this is the best equipment money can buy... but it works for me*.
Camera: Canon 550dslr - the standard camera most bloggers seem to tot around with them. It's small enough to still fit into a clutch bag (well, if the bag is the size of your head) but big enough to be taken somewhat seriously. Plus, it's pretty light. Those mega-bad-boy 7ds are about as heavy as a brick and just about as appealing to lug around.
Lenses: 1. My first: Canon 50mm 1.8 - if you switch to this from the regular bundle lens that comes with the Canon you will notice an immediate transformation in your photos. Crisper, clearer, better colours and, the thing that makes the street style photographers go 'oooohhh', a decently low F stop - aka the thing that lets you get a blurry background. Prices start as low as 80 quid - so this is excellent for newbies and people that are prone to dropping things.
2. My everyday: Canon 35mm F2.0 - it's a slight wide angle so you don't have to stand a mile back to capture someone's entire outfit. Easier for shooting street style and it has a better build quality than the 1.8. This little sucker will set you back about 200 quid though, so you have to fork out a bit more moolah, but it's still pretty darn cheap as far as lenses are concerned.
3. My big mother: Canon 75-300mm F4-5.6 - I was given this little telephoto lens and only ever use it at fashion week. It's gotten a bad rap for being shoddy in poor light conditions but I use it for catwalk shows where the light is always a bit dodge and the photos seem to come out. Also, pretty sweet for spying on people from the opposite side of Somerset House.
Alright little monkeys that's all for now. Did I mention I'm newly unemployed? Must get back to the job search (aka: Flog It, Antiques Roadshow... and all the other little gems British television has to offer). Oh, and if you've got any camera tips feel free to divulge them in the comments sections. A good tip is always much appreciated.
* Okay, whether it works for me or not is really up to your own individual opinion.. but it's what I use.
A valuable lesson.
So here's the deal, last night I might just have experienced my most embarrassing moment to date. Yes, it's worse than when I fell flat on my face in front of a room full of people and the time I ran out of the loo in Wendys with my dress totally tucked into my underwear because the toilet was overflowing. It's a lot worse and, while it doesn't involve falling over, it does (thankfully) involve underwear. Right, so last night it was my leaving extravaganza at work because, you know, I'm moving to Zurich and all. I chose to rock my fake leather trousers that I got from Next a while back and all was going well. They actually stretched out a bit over the course of the night which, considering all the french toast I've been eating lately, was making me feel pretty good about the size of my belly. Anyway, back to the point... all was going well until I realized that two giant rips had formed across the knees of the trousers. Pretty funny, I thought, which is why I took the above photo of the situation (see, my knees are totally exposed, kind of funny). What wasn't funny though was a while later when I realized there was an unnatural amount of breeze drifting past my backside. When I reached my hand around to touch my hinny and check that everything was intact instead of feeling platic-y leather I was greeted with the feeling of my cotton knickers. Yes, that's right boys and girls, my trousers ripped straight up the back seam revealing my entire butt to the whole of Oxford's classy crowd. Needless to say I made a beeline for the exit, all the while pulling my jumper down as far as possible. My face was likely shining as pink as the underwear I was trying to hide.
I'm just putting this out there as a word of advice to anyone planning to wear any sort of dodgy imitation leather trousers. Don't drop it like it's hot and, if you must, make sure to wear panties that cover your bum unless you wish to show your naked tush to the world.
p.s. distraught as I might be about the horrendous massacre of my trousers, I like them too much to let them slip away so I'm going to get another pair. But this time I will try to move with a bit more caution when I wear them.
sick with excitement.
As much as I'd like to act all carelessly nonchalant about the impending approach of London Fashion Week the fact is I can't help but feel a bit sick with excitement. I really never thought I'd be in a position to get to go to fashion week let alone get invited to shows. And while I know we all complain about what a hassle it is, what with all the e-mails, sleepless nights, stress of what to wear, inability to eat the whole week and blablablablabla... the fact of the matter is it's actually pretty stinking cool to be a part of fashion week. So I don't care, my secret is out. I'm excited about London Fashion Week kicking off next Friday and I actually can't wait to share the experience with you guys. Despite the fact that my little feetsies will be in constant agony for five days straight and probably swell up to the size of a watermellon (if last year is anything to go by).
As I'm sure you already know, New York Fashion Week started yesterday and, as far as I'm concerned, Style.com is the best place to follow the news on what is taking place. When I saw these images taken by Tommy Ton yesterday on the site I couldn't help but feel a wee little flutter in my heart because, after all, reigniting that simple anticipation and joy is what fashion should really be about.
View images in their original format here.
'What's french toast?'
It's only when people ask such preposterous questions as, 'what's french toast' and 'whose Steve Urkel' that I remember there are subtle cultural divides present between me and all these English folk. I'll let it slide though because, let's face it, not everyone is as obsessed with sugar infused breakfasts or spent their Friday nights watching Family Matters back in the 90s. Anyway, I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Breakfast Club is my favourite place to grab brunch in East London. With one week to go until London Fashion Week though, I'm thinking I should probably be spending my time doing something other than scoffing down ginormo portions of fried bread covered in liquified sugar? I'm afraid the Sass & Bide dress I've ordered is actually not going to fit (#shovesfaceshamefullyintohands). If you happen to spot me wearing it, refusing to give my jacket to the matradee, it's because the zip will only be half way up my back.
p.s. everything in the blog shop is officially now 20% off
Wearing: Cabbages and Roses stripe slouch top and Models Own nail polish in nude beige - which I'm a little obsessed with.
Never say never?
I'm not too into rocking colour. I'm a grey and black sort of chick, you see. But suddenly, things are starting to change and I'm feeling drawn to, not only colour but, obnoxious colour. The kind that makes your eyes hurt and induces nausea if you look directly at it. Alas, these vintage bright pink babies fit the bill perfectly. Purchased from Absolute Vintage.
[in response to Daniella's post on never wearing pointy-toed heels again]
Just call me lashes.
A bit up-close-and-personal, eh? Today I underwent a transformation of extraordinary sorts: fake lashes. No, not the type you see by the check out in the supermarket that cost 2 quid or the horrendous oversized ones that Katie Price often sports... these, my friends, are lady lashes (and I swear a car nearly swerved off the road when they spotted me strutting down the street after having them applied). As you all know I'm not a beauty whizz so the appeal of going sans mascara for six weeks was extremely alluring and drove me over to Brick Lane where I underwent my treatment at the Lash Lab. An hour after arriving, all was finished, and as I slowly opened my eyes was greeted with lots of 'oohhhhs' and 'ahhhhs'... followed by 'I want some!'. A perfect success. My eyelids aren't heavy or agitated and they feel totally natural. They look pretty natural too and, if I hadn't blown the secret here, I could have probably kept some people guessing what the secret of my luscious lashes is for quite some time.
Thank you Kym for having me down for this complimentary treatment. Apparently I was her most difficult client to date, my eyes have a horrendous tendency to flicker when I close them... no matter how many calming thoughts I think! Thanks for sticking out the hour of eye flutters! I have nothing but positive things to say about the experience. Also, thanks to Kit and Shini for keeping me entertained while I lied like a corpse and for the lovely photos.
The Lash Lab is located at 216 Brick Lane and is by appointment only.
Take your pick.
That's right, the blog shop is fully stocked with its last installment of items. Please get your orders in by midnight next Sunday the 13th of February as the shop will be coming down at that time. This is your final chance to raid my closet and help lighten my load before I head off to Switzerland.
Just want to send out a big thank you to everyone that has purchased items so far!
Wearing: Vintage army jacket, Quiksilver top, and vintage Levis shorts.
Enter Shop.
A Berry Tinted Fatigue.
Anna Angseryd proves with Patouf's AW11 collection that tailored needn't necessitate formality. The reworked army print unexpectedly brings the more structured jackets and skirts down to earth, while deep bordeux and creamy greys act as the perfect accent colour. It's the simplicity and wearability of Anna's collections that always draws me to the brand but it's the small details that make it continually linger in my mind: a slit across the knee of an otherwise quite basic pair of trousers, a collar line that dips just a bit lower that usual, or a scarf that doubles as a hood (AW11's update on the snood, perhaps?).
My must-haves from Patouf's AW11 collection include: the slim leg army trousers, long line cardigan, plus both the navy and grey skirt suit - because they are the encapsulation of the level of grown up dressing I need at this stage in my life.
Be reminded of Patouf's SS11 collection here.
The final cut: part I.
Stripping down in sub-zero temperatures in the middle of central London this past Saturday for a photo shoot proved to be a somewhat dubious task. The first thing I was told as we stepped out was, 'It's all good but try not to look so cold.' Try not to look so cold?! It was bloody -4 degrees... how can you look anything but cold? Weather aside, it was actually such fun and I was surprised by how much I wanted to steal all the items I wore (don't worry, I didn't). I feel I've said it a hundred times, but the brand this project is for isn't a company I ever shop at. Their website isn't one I flock to in the wee hours of the night and their items don't have me skipping lattes in an effort to save pennies to put towards their clothes. But I've got to say, there are some serious little gems tucked in their collection. Hopefully this will give you a little peek into the ones that I'm now dreaming of.
All items worn by Next. Rings and leather boots my own. Thanks to Jill and Shini for the photos and to Emma for trekking out to make this happen on her Satudray.
Right Now.
Perception of the 'now' is always something I've found a bit surreal. In a crowded place where hoards of people are passing, each experiences a wholly unique moment and conception of what is taking place. At the risk of straying into unfamiliar and potentially undesirable territory, I can't help but link this to what is taking place in Cairo right now. It's a place that is pretty close to my heart. I spent a bulky chunk of my childhood in the city and currently my parents live there. The people of Egypt call for a rally that will bring one million people into the city's Tahrir Square today and surely this moment exemplifies the stark contrast of how a single day can be perceived. President Hosni Mubarak's thirty year rule overshadows a whole generation's perception of Egypt, as many have never seen their country governed by any other man. It is without doubt that he loathes what is taking place on the streets today, as the people he has managed to squish under his shoe for so many years have pushed their way out. Many, unafraid for the first time to openly question their leader. This, I think, is a new conception of 'now' for the country and its people: one that will hopefully stay alive regardless of what government comes or stays in power.
In an effort to show what is taking place right now around the world Samsung have launched The Now Project on Facebook. You can upload photos, edit them with the software available on the page, and then link them to your current location. The images that receive the most votes will be displayed at the London Design Museum in March. Head over to The Now Project to enter. Images taken from The Now Project as sponsored by Samsung. Left images by Frances and Daniella. Right images my own.
a happy striped dance.
It was love at first sight. Prada's Spring/Summer '11 collection is an explosion of stripes, clashing colours, and absolute mania. From multi-coloured furs to geometric wiggle glasses, it's a wonka party on acid - especially as all the pieces are worn together in a shameless parade of all things bright. The banana printed shirts transport us to somewhere altogether different where the sun shines warm on our backs and big sunglasses shade our eyes from the rays. Top of my list are the platformed lace ups... but then, aren't they on everybody's? p.s. Dear Prada: more videos in the future please. You've brightened up my Wednesday.