A sneak peak into my new world...

Afternoon tea at the Wallace Collection on my birthday. Delightful.

Shoes, glorious shoes.

 One of the best ideas I've had- using a vintage style three tiered cake stand as a jewellery holder!

My bedside table. Vintage teacup with candle inside from a little boutique in Brighton, silver candle holder, water glass and coaster all from Anthropologie in London.

A cardboard box of new books and antique first editions waiting to be read!

A vintage trunk used as a giftbox in the dressing room of the last shoot I worked on. So happy that I got to keep this!

Now it's being used as my make-up box.

General colour scheme of gold, brown, turquoise and teal.

My new buys from Gap- I got the super flattering relaxed crop trousers in grey marl, a white linen boyfriend fit shirt, a boyfriend fit tshirt in black and white, grey knit over the knee socks and a purple/maroon scarf/snood thing.

The crazy mix of patterns and prints that is my wardrobe! Plus the back of an AllSaints maxi dress which I bought in Brighton-S&M meets glam-hippy.

Check it out.

A group of my friends and I hit the town on Friday night to celebrate my move to the city and indulge in some general revelry. It was-as I like to say-an EPIC night. Details need not be given. Suffice it to say that if you are ever in the Old street area then you MUST go to the Hoxton bar and kitchen in Hoxton Square (there's a Colette there too and an amazing specialist silk store). It's free entry, there's three rooms and the music is AWESOME. A fabulous mix of old school tunes and new club hits. Genius. Plus the boy to girl ratio is heavily tipped in my favour with a multitude of hot, well-stubbled men.

These are photos from their website- check it out.

The end of LCF.

I can't believe my week at LCF is over. The whole experience has made me wish that I did a creative arts degree when I first went to Uni, like I wanted to. Saying that though, I would never take back my four years at Birmingham because I met some of the greatest people there. Friends who I know will stay in my life for many years to come, and hopefully forever.
I learnt many things from the LCF course-from how to transcribe and put together an interview, to how to write a letter of introduction to a magazine editor, to how to produce a catwalk report. I cannot recommend enough that anyone who is interested in fashion journalism, or any other aspect of the fashion industry, do one of the LCF courses if they can afford it. I'm not going to lie, they aren't cheap. But they are taught by professionals with a great deal of knowledge and experience-information sources which are invaluable.

Grace Kelly Exhibit Review

Is it possible to be wholesome and glamorous?

Heidi Montag. Lindsay Lohan. Britney Spears. In the last decade our celebrity culture has been dominated by surgically enhanced reality TV stars and young women in a state of undress. It would be incredibly difficult to try to associate either of the terms wholesome or glamorous with the women we see publicised in the media today. In an age so starved of natural beauty or class it is a welcome breath of fresh air to remember Grace Kelly.

If one were to compile a list of female style icons from the last century Grace Kelly would undoubtedly be present alongside Audrey Hepburn, Jane Birkin and Jackie O to name a few. Each of these other women had an undeniable grasp of fashion and one also had a bag named after her. But not one of these other women was a princess.

Grace Kelly lived the dream of every little girl. She was a beautiful, award winning, movie star who married a Prince. She had some of the most respected and talented designers of the time making her gowns. And a tiara was part of her uniform.

Childish fantasies aside, Grace Kelly was impeccably styled. The V&A exhibit documents the highlights of her wardrobe from early film roles to the celebration of her twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. In contrast to the female stars of today Grace Kelly looked glamorous without ever compromising her dignity or looking gaudy. The clothes on display are testament to her classic style of simple elegance. Sumptuous fabrics of silk satin, lace, crepe and chiffon are in abundance-tastefully embellished with pearls and intricate embroidery. The costume designer Helen Rose is responsible for several of the iconic looks, including gowns from Grace’s final film appearance in High Society. One particular look from the film is emblematic of Grace Kelly’s goddess-like perfection: layers of grey and pink chiffon are embroidered with diamanté stones and silk thread to create a beautifully sophisticated, wholesomely modest, yet glamorous gown.

So if you are despairing at a lack of true style and beauty go to the V&A to see Princess Grace.

Maison Martin Margiela-20-The Exhibition

Yesterday afternoon I was taken to Somerset House to view the Martin Margiela exhibit commemorating twenty years of the iconic conceptual design house. The various parts of the exhibit are all presented so ingeniously- as befits such a staggeringly unique collection. Set along two levels of straight corridor the exhibit incorporates actual garments from the collections, catwalk invitations, warehouse plans, shoes, trompe l'oeil wall hangings and several amazing video displays. At the far end of the entrance level corridor is an enormous screen playing the SS09 catwalk show-in itself a celebration of the House's 20th anniversary. I had never seen this footage before but was instantly captivated. The production for it is astounding. The union of music, lighting and set design is flawless. I was instantly hooked by the use of an old favourite song as one of the tunes on the soundtrack- Peaches 'Fuck the Pain Away' (If you've ever seen Jackass the movie you will surely know what I mean). We were given the choice of three briefs to write in response to the exhibit:

• Tobi or not to be-why two toes are better than five.
• Deconstructive criticism- how Margiela altered fashion's silhouette.
• White is the new black- Margiela and the new purity.

This is my take on the third brief:

White.

Where black is a dark, condensed covering of pigment, white is the opposite. Absence. Starkness. Sterility. Purity.

White is a particularly resonant color choice for Margiela due to the aesthetic and manifesto of the design house. Since its inception Margiela has endeavored to focus any attention solely upon the construction of the garments. The creative process of Margiela is so unique in its methods of design, cut and customization that no effort is spared to prevent the garments from contamination by externally imposed labels. They must be kept pure. Models’ faces are disguised with make-up, masks and fabric to hide their identities. Figures in the look books have their eyes blinded by a thick, almost vandalistic strip of black. Even the identity of Martin Margiela is kept shrouded in darkness due to his withdrawal from the public eye. The label is therefore allowed to stand alone. The garments are distilled pieces of pure creative genius. 

As the garments are purified in their freedom from association with a designer or model, the white of Margiela interiors frees them from time and style. Prints, patterns and color would constrain the garments to a specific period of fashionability which would soon pass. A recognisable locus would also attach Margiela to a specified place-an environment which would detract from the unique beauty of the product. Displayed in white the garments are untainted. Free. Pure. Timeless.

The clear purity of white also allows the audience to determine their own responses. In the current world of fashion the creations are so often overpowered by the ego of the designer, the stigma attached to a label’s name, the theatrics behind catwalk shows featuring the latest ‘it’ model or having the most grand set design; the latest high gloss advertising campaign. Too often the audience is spoon-fed an idea of who they should be to buy, wear or enjoy certain designers. 

Margiela stands alone.

Bathed in a white blanket of anonymity Margiela is a blank canvas on which to project your own ideas. Make up your own mind.

Guy Bourdin- The Girl Under the Bed

In a richly textured bedroom the divide between youthful innocence and sexual maturity is starkly presented. The plump cheeks of a nude figure’s bottom are exposed as they peak from under the bed in the centre of the frame. A cute plush elephant lies discarded on the covers above. The question lingers-is this a girl or a woman? Are we the curious voyeurs of an illicit act?

The setting is sparse, yet the colors are densely saturated-filling the scene with vibrancy and light. The luxurious sheen of the quilt, the soft thickness of the carpet-both tactile and inviting. You want to reach in and touch, but this is the problem. Temptation and prohibition.

The cropped frame draws you in along the slight spread of the female’s legs and up to the tip of the elephant’s trunk. What is it we cannot see? What lies beyond the frame? 

As with the majority of Bourdin’s work this scene is both provocative and disquieting. The careful placing of bare skin and the meticulous choice of a singular, heavily connoted, object creates a powerful atmosphere of drama and tension. We are both intrigued and repelled. Fascinated by the captured scene and yet fearful of what it represents.

The female figure is truncated and anonymous. She could be anyone. She is everyone. A symbol of girlish naivety overcome by the desire for adult sexuality. The abundance of pink tones dominates the frame like a parody of stereotypical young femininity. The sheer black stockings-the girl’s solitary item of clothing-stand in sharp contrast as a reminder of the adult world of dressing-up. An intimate item of hosiery put on for practical wear or seductive observation?

The enclosed space of the frame makes the girl appear captured, submissive and starkly exposed for the voyeurs observance. In a typically Bourdinian manner the nudity is neither gratuitous nor erotic. It elicits the question of who or what is this photograph for? Is the production of fashion images featuring women exploitative? Materialistic? What is this image trying to say? Like most of Bourdin’s work this photo invites more questions than it answers.

Rachel Zoe Dies.

These photos have just started to appear everywhere on the net but I just had to post them due to my glaringly obvious love of super stylist Rachel Zoe. Most often seen either behind the camera styling, or on film in her reality tv show, in this shoot Zoe indulges her fantasy in a parody of her most well known catchphrase: 'I DIE'. Featured in the September issue of US Harpers Bazaar the shoot takes Zoe, dresses her in some fabulous dresses, and imitates a comic scenario of multiple murder at the hands of some of her favourite designers: Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang, Michael Kors and Brian Atwood. Aside from the atrocious make-up and typically excessive photoshop which heightens the contrast of shadow and highlights to ridiculous proportions I LOVE IT. I DIE.

Naughty, naughty, very naughty...

As part of my research for the piece below I did a little google images search for both Alice Dellal and Pixie Geldof to find some pictures to add to my style file. Within the iphoto library of my computer I have several files which get added to on a frequent basis. One file is for inspiring editorial shoots by photographers like Annie Leibovitz and Steven Meisel; one is for photos of enviable cool street style which I hope to imitate and the last is for hair pictures (I change my hair colour and cut so frequently that it is necessary to keep a constantly updated folder of reference images). I somehow stumbled across an old photo shoot by Matt Irwin for Dazed and Confused's March 2009 issue which featured both Dellal and Geldof alongside fellow Brit, Daisy Lowe. The shoot is outrageously styled with dark, seductively gothic make-up and provocative poses. There's a great sense of liberated happiness to the photos which makes them enchanting to look at. The girls make being young and stylish look so vibrantly easy.

Dover Street Market Recommendation Piece

Holland and Strachan for Philippa Holland raven skull ring.

Statement jewelry will always be a worthwhile investment. Just one piece can update your wardrobe and give an edge to the simplest of outfits. Whilst collar necklaces can be too heavy and imposing, a ring is the perfect adornment. Holland and Strachan have designed an eye-catching collection of pieces for Philippa Holland-the most dramatic of which is a ravens skull ring. Made of silver and enamel it appears weathered and old-a newfound relic from a pirate’s treasure trove.  A focus on anatomy, and skeletal structures in particular, is the connective thread of this collection. A theme which is reflective of the current interest high fashion has with environmental concerns. Peter Pilotto and Erdem pay tribute with digitally manipulated images of flowers and thunderstorms. The late Alexander McQueen confronted global warming head on with his Spring 2009 Ready to Wear show- a catwalk lined with stuffed animals and accompanied by a projection of the Earth revolving. The raven’s skull ring is a similarly haunting yet beautiful piece of art. Thought provoking and powerful.

Other pieces in the collection like the bracelet of silver snake vertebrae, or the beetle pendant, are delicate and subtly gothic, but the ravens skull is the true gem of the group. Worn alone it creates an aura of otherworldly mystic glamour-a single nod to our ever-growing fascination with all things dark and mysterious. Aficionados of the Shoreditch grunge look, like Alice Dellal and Pixie Geldof, would no doubt slip the ring on with an armful of other silver trinkets, ripped fishnets and an insouciant attitude. Regardless of how you wear it this piece will always be a provocative taste of the macabre. The finishing touch to any look for the confident, modern woman.

How do I look?

A girl walks past. Tall and fair skinned with a light dusting of freckles. Blonde hair, cut short in a bob, blows in the wind as she strides down the street with purpose. This is no longer the girl of sixteen; an unhealthy size six with an obsession for colorful beaded jewelry; nor is this the girl of eighteen, a large size twelve with a penchant for band t-shirts and excessive amounts of black eyeliner. This is me, just turned twenty-two, comfortable in my size ten to twelve clothes and on the brink of a new life in a new city. Gone are the extremes of size and style; replaced by a look more representative and refined. The rose tinted glasses of youthful naivety have been replaced by thick rimmed Chanel frames-testament to a love of the classic, iconic designers and signal of aspirations beyond a modest bank account, riddled by four years of student loans. As a graduate living in London for the first time everything seems vibrant, fresh and exciting. The city is a vast playground to live out dreams and aspirations-fantasizing about a Sex and the City style existence of labels and love whilst living in a dusty rental, eating noodles and sharing wardrobe space. It’s times like these when you learn to get creative and forage for a new style. Old Topshop dresses and Zara skirts are given an edge when paired with vintage denim, antique jewelry passed down from grandparents, mum’s old designer handbags and a well made pair of leather shoes. Disposable fashion from cheap stores is being phased out and replaced by vintage items with history and pieces chosen with thought for their longevity and classic shape. The feminine influence of family and friends has finally won through and secured a love of animal and floral print dresses, floaty skater skirts and 50s style playsuits. This more refined aesthetic is reflected, not just through clothes, but also with hair and make-up. After several years of experimenting with drastic dye jobs, cheap extensions and damaging straightening irons I have dismissed the unreality of a Brigitte Bardot style mane in favor of the chop. A short, sharp ‘do which is hassle free, simple and unpretentious. I’d like to think it is reflective of the fact that I no longer strive to differentiate myself from the crowd the way I did as an introverted and insecure teen. Remnants of my younger selves do, however remain. The Goth in me still perseveres in creating a uniform of all black and would love a collection of studded cuffs to rival Kate Lanphear. The girly girl still lusts after sparkling, precious gems. Androgynous tailoring one day; a-line skirts the next. Such is life in the fast paced city.

The first day at LCF and a new art find.

Today I started a short course at LCF- Introduction to Fashion Journalism. Put briefly- IT'S AMAZING. It has made me realise how much passion I have for the fashion industry and how determined I am to make something of myself and become successful. There are about fourteen people in the class whose age and range of experience is extraordinarily diverse. One girl is straight out of high school but has been interning since thirteen and is currently completing work experience at You- the supplement for the Daily Mail. Another woman is in her mid-thirties, was a buyer for Selfridges for eight years and is just returning to the industry after taking a career break to have two children. It's incredibly inspiring and motivational to be around a group of like minded people- all from different walks of life and with different aspirations. It's also incredibly comforting to be able to discuss fashion matters with others who have an equally keen interest! Not many of my friends are willing or able to have a conversation with me about the latest couture or interesting articles in the most recent monthly publications. This isn't to their detriment at all- it's just nice to speak to people with the same interests.
The week will be structured of several talks concerning key issues to fashion journalism- pitching, interview techniques, catwalk reporting, blogging and generating ideas. Each afternoon we take a trip to a different location in London to gain inspiration and prompt specific briefs. Today we made a visit to Dover Street Market- an extraordinary four floor miniature department store, headlined by Comme des Garcons, and featuring concessions from all the major top designers: YSL, Rodarte, Lanvin, Alaia....the list goes on and on and on. In a daze of amazement I moved to the third floor to ogle at some stunning black laser cut lace style Alaia sandals when who should stumble across the floor behind me? None other than Tara Palmer Tomkinson. Carrying a teddy bear. Each to their own....
Our first two assignments were firstly to write a 300 word recommendation piece for one item of our choice from Dover Street Market, and secondly to write a 450 word piece under the title 'How do I look?'. Both of which are to follow for you to peruse and give feedback if you fancy it.
On my way back to Green Park tube station I got distracted by a small gallery which was featuring an exhibit of abstract expressionistic floral paintings: 'The Silent Way' by Danielle O'Connor Akiyama at the Clarendon Fine Art gallery- link here. All mixed media on canvas, some with high gloss resin finish. I went in for a closer look, got talking to the gallery assistant and fell in love with a few of the pieces. I'm not usually into more modern art but the pieces were so powerfully resonant with emotion and passion that I couldn't help but stare in wonder. Despite the fairly steep price tag (£2k for the cheapest) I would highly recommend you go for a quick look; like me you may be surprised at how much you like it.
These are not even the nicest pieces by far- I was given the brochure and it features some stunning pieces such as 'Awaken my Love', 'Nascent' and the large three piece 'To the Imaginary Sight'.

Diary of a first night in London...

So, I have safely arrived in my new home!! I still have several cardboard boxes of stuff lying around but once everything is stored in the appropriate places and my pictures are hung then I shall take a few photos. On Saturday night I had my first proper experience of a night out in London. As my other housemates were yet to move in I went for drinks with two old uni friends who live round the corner from Clapham North tube. Despite the general atmosphere of Clapham being a bit too... shall I say private school, rah/jack wills type?? Men in striped shirts tucked into their jeans with brown leather belts. Perfectly attractive if you're into that sort of thing but as my friends will assure you in a mocking tone I prefer the grungier (tramp-like as they call it!) type of guy. The longer, darker haired and more stubbly and tattooed the better! In the first bar we went to the music was a great mix of mainstream alternative (Kings of Leon, The Killers, Biffy Clyro etc) and old school cheesy pop. The drinks were shockingly expensive (£11.50 for two double vodka and cranberries!!) but it was a lot of fun- a bit of a grown up version of a uni guild. Very much all groups of friends out for a laugh. The second bar we went to was actually more of a pub (wooden interiors and quirky wall hangings) so to suit the mood I got two pints of snakebite (REALLY heading back into uni territory here!!!!) and proceeded to chat up a group of guys who were out for a 26th birthday celebration. Now, these friendly, averagely attractive guys had the misfortune of befriending myself and my best friend Sian on a girly night out when we were determined to have a good time whilst paying as little as possible (being the poor new graduates that we are). So by some stroke of luck (or extreme gullibility) one guy paid £12 each (EACH!!) for us to get into a club round the corner called Whitehouse (I think). The same guy then proceeded to ply us with tequilla shots and vodka cocktails, most likely in the hope of some after hours entertainment once the club closed. Sadly, for said over friendly male, my friend ended up with a South African and I danced the night away like the dancefloor maniac I am. We stumbled back home (via MacDonalds) at 4:30 whereupon I collapsed on my friends sofa fully clothed. For some strange reason I woke at 6:07 and decided it was best if I just got up and braved the tube home- only to reach the station and discover that the first trains don't go until 7:15 on a Sunday. So I slowly wandered back to my friend's place (wearing clothes from the night before and with most of my mascara melted down to my jawline) and had to wake her up with repeated phone calls to let me back in. Second collapse on the sofa later and I returned to the tube at the more reasonable hour of 10:30 and sat swaying with nausea, repelling all other tube passengers, who were mostly tourists (don't I live up to the stereotype?).
All in all a successful first night in the city!

The most unlikely couple ever...

Despite my intense love of Eminem, Rihanna and their new song, the video is a travesty of commonplaces. An angry, beautiful and passionate couple getting into a heated argument then making out, complete with grossly unnecessary close ups of tongues? How original... And i'm sure that I cannot be the only one questioning both Rihanna's cheap dye job and the ridiculously trashy styling- Lindsay Lohan crossed with Lady Gaga is not a 'style' we should aspire to emulate. I won't even begin to criticise the poor 'acting'- Megan Fox needs to keep her pout in check.

The ups, the downs and the in-betweens...

I can't believe it's been over a week since I last blogged! I couldn't even begin to describe how stressful and intense the last week has been. I've finished one job- been organising the arrangements for the next-planned the furniture for one house- rescinded the offer on that house- spent two days flat hunting- signed the contract on a new place and finally begun to pack at last!!
SSOO.....UPDATE.
As of this Saturday I shall be flying the family nest and branching out on my own. I will be living in a lovely 3 bed, ground floor, period conversion in Finsbury park. It's even got a little garden! So await the photos of my new pad!!
On Monday I start a week's course at LCF: Introduction to Fashion Journalism. I'm hoping it shall give me some helpful hints on pitching a story, writing, editing, interviewing etc etc. And after a week of intense study and feedback on my writing perhaps this shall give me the impetus to either dive headfirst into the competitive world of magazine journalism or pursue an alternative course. It's both challenging and quite exciting to be at the start of the career ladder with so many options ahead of you. I feel lucky to be entering the world of business at an age which gives me the opportunity to switch and change my profession before settling. Although I know I want to be doing something creative and something related to fashion I still don't know which specific area I want to work in- production? journalism? illustration? photography? I'm not saying that I'm expertly skilled in these areas but they're aspects of the industry which I'm interested in and would like to investigate.
On Monday the 16th I start the trial period of my job as an assistant stylist! I shall be based in the Old Street area and I'm incredibly excited and nervous. We shall see how it goes...
Once I'm all settled in the new house I plan to renovate the blog- I'm hoping to add some daily style photos of myself and my two housemates along with some tips/reviews of new shops/galleries/restaurants I've found in my new life in London!
So keep checking back for the new Handful of Dust!!
Cj X