Out and about....Brighton Belle

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

I had just finished taking a briefing for a job and was wandering down the street talking to Mr Fashionistable when I spotted Tillie coming towards me. She looked so amazing with her red hair and stripy dress (that I wish I could get away with) so I was straight off the phone so I could speak to her. Now I am quite tall at 5"9' but she was taller and when I photographed her she moved really well - and with that look and beautiful skin, it didn't really come as a surprise when she told me she was a model. What was surprising though is that she is the second model from Nevs I have met in a week. Tillie is from Brighton and even though she has lived there all her life she still loves living by the sea. When I asked her to tell me something else about herself she told me she loves to bake cakes. Always has. She finds it very therapeutic. On the style front she said she doesn't really think about it and guessed she finds her inspiration on the street. Today everything Tillie is wearing is from H&M. Except for her belt but she couldn't remember where she got it and her shoes which are from Faith. Her fingers and toes were painted in an amazing vivid orangey, pinky colour. She had, had them done for her and couldn't remember what the colour was. I wish you all a wonderful bright and vivid long bank holiday weekend. Enjoy yourselves. Xxxx

Out and about....golden boy

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Ozy is from Istanbul. He is in his 3rd and final year at Middlesex Uni doing a fashion styling course.  As part of his course he did an internship with Turkish fashion designer Bora Aksu. His style inspirations are, Victoria Beckham, Sienna Miller, Kim Kardashian and Nichole Richie. I asked Ozy to tell me things he likes to do, he loves shopping, going out with his boyfriend and playing Tennis. He is also a make-up artist. Styling and Make-Up artist, he is going to be busy. From top to toe, Ozy is wearing Marc Jacobs sunglasses. No Name (couldn't find a link for you) jacket. Mango sweater and T. Jeans by Diesel, shoes by Gucci and bag by John Richmond.

Out and about....summer dressing

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I love the summer I really do. The wonderful light and the sunshine just lift the spirits. Dressing for the sunshine however I find challenging. Paula on the other hand has it sussed. I love this cool sharp look. And those shoes and her right on trend bag - perfect. So, the look is comprised of shorts from Zara (which is were I spotted her, I was buying those blue trousers I was talking about last week). Her top is from Gap. All teamed up with a Mulberry bag and Fly shoes. Paula's hair is her natural colour. She said she decided to give in to the gray. Great decision I say it is an amazing colour. She likes to keep her style classic and simple, not fussy or patterned.
 When I asked Paula if she worked she said no then proceeded to tell me she had 3 children, so I beg to differ there. I would say they keep her pretty busy (I interviewed her as we walked down the street as she had to head home to do the school run). Although originally from London, Paula and her family have lived all over the place, France, Kuwait and Beirut, but have been back in London for the past 2 years. When I met her she was with her Mum who I am sure is happy to have them all back in the UK.
What was amazing was although I had never met Paula before we both thought we knew each other from somewhere. Still wondering.

Out and about...middle of the road

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Some things just fall into place nicely for you. I was walking along the Strand and was thinking I would love to photograph someone on the long island that runs down the middle of it and then I spotted Kerry. Her coat is brilliant. Well actually it is 2 coats. The outer one has no sleeves, the inner is a blazer. Both are from Topshop. When I asked her what her style influence was she told me usually just what she see's and likes. However her sister is a stylist in LA and when she comes home they go shopping. She said that if she didn't go shopping with her sis, then everything she wore would end up being black. Kerry is the editor for BA's Highlife mag and has worked on the mag for the last 4 years. Prior to that she worked for the Independent, the Standard and Glamour. Pretty cool eh. The rest of her look is comprised of Jaeger top, I forgot to ask about her jeans. Brilliant bag from Ferragamo and Russell and Bromley boots.

Out and about....my987wardrobe

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I met Laura just outside the new Topshop in Knightsbridge. It is back in exactly the same site it used to be in a few years ago. She just looked so lovely in her yellow Juicy Couture dress in the sunshine. Also those shoes. I should have brought you a close up, are by Dior (they have little Ds in the center of the bow). Laura was a buyer for Topshop for 3 years she then went off to work for Elizabeth Emanuel. She described Elizabeth as being very influential to her and as one of the most creative people she knows. Laura has just set up her own online store called my987wardrobe where every item is £9.87. Cool eh. She said the company ethos is to reach out to the 15 to 25 year old market to bring them affordable garments of good quality. It is a project she feels passionate about and one her Dad has been urging her to put into practice. So they have combined their strengths and opened on Friday. Check out the site and watch it grow here.

Out and about....casting east

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

Jody had just arrived in town from Birmingham for a casting in her agency Nevs.  There was an other agency in town from China, so she was hoping if successful to spend the summer out there. Fingers crossed for her. She has an illustration course starting September she has to back for. Her style inspiration is 60s Rock n Roll. Today she is wearing a jacket from Zara, t from Topshop, trousers from River Island (I dont normally like hareem pants but I am loving these. Her shoes are Keds and her bag is H&M. I did spot a pair of heels in there which I am sure she popped on for the casting.

Out and about....well heeled

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I am going to talk a bit about socks and heels before I tell you about Keyze. So now it is warmer and I am wearing slightly cropped trousers I have been venturing out in my heels without socks and Ohhhhh my poor feet - not only are they covered in blisters they are now covered in Compeed plasters. Why do my comfy heels turn into instruments of torture when I wear them without socks or tights? So today I am in longer trousers, socks and flats until my poor toes heal. This leads nicely to Keyze who has conquered this problem with her cool Tabio socks teamed with her heels which she bought in Brazil. I am not sure I could wear this so well though. I must try and see.
Keyze is a graphic designer and amazingly like Emi yesterday is from Brazil. It is facinating when things flow like this. So Kayze is my second creative Brazilian this week. She works freelance and says 'so far so good'.
For style she looks to Oiliva Palermo, Alexa Chung, vintage and high fashion for inspiration. For artistic inspiration she looks to mid century 1930's design and architecture. Today her look is comprised of Ralph Lauren sunglasses. Beyond Retro jacket, dress from Uniqlo,  but bought in Japan. (I swear I met Keyze and Emi at totally different times and places - serindipity.) Her belt is from Marc Jacobs, the brooch/pin on her coat was made by her boyfriend have a look as his work here. Her 2 bags are Longchamp and Burberry.
 

Out and about....

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Emi is from Brazil and was on the last day of her holiday when I was lucky enough to meet her. I love her look, relaxed yet making a statement. She described style that inspires her as comfortable, loose and black. She is a jewellery designer and loves to work with silver and leather using precious and non precious stones. She alsontold me that the inspiration for her jewellery designs is nature.
Her dress is by Osklen. She bought her trousers in Brazil but didnt say where from. Her boots she said are by John and David but I may have gotten that wrong as I cant find them. The bag on her shoulder is from  Calvin Klein. And obviously from her other bag, she had been shopping earlier at the Conran Shop.

Out and about....celtic connection

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Sally is from Aberdeenshire and Simon is from Cork (and amazingly my second Simon Allen in a week - check out last Tuesday - Allen spelt ever so slightly differently). They have been friends for quite some time. Sally is a visual merchandising assistant for Pringle of Scotland. She mentioned the recent campaign they had done with Tilda Swinton (Tilda  let me photograph her once many moons ago - before my street style days). Sally gets her style inspiration from following daily Style by Kling and The Sartorialist. For this shot she is wearing a T and trousers by Zara. Her shoes are Kurt Geiger. Simon is a photographer, his photography influence is Steven Klein. He doesnt have a link for his work yet but told me he helps out at Stamp films. His style is influenced by Swedish street style. He is wearing a shirt from I think he said Indigo (cant read my own  writing again).  T by Concrete, jeans by Cheap Monday and high tops from Converse.

Out and about...untold

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Ola is originally from Nigeria. He is the designer liaison and logistics coordinator at Un-Told. Untold is a collaboration of newly emerging designers and artists. Have a look at what they do.
For himself he likes to keep his style functional. He said that for men there is nothing new under the sun, just the order and colour changes. His favourite designers are Helmut Lang and Comme des Garcons. When I met him he was wearing his vintage Helmut Lang jacket. The broach on his jacket is by Ituen Basi a designer from Lagos. His bretton stripe top was either from Muji or Uniqlo, he couldn't remember. Obviously his bag is by Margaret Howell.  His trousers are from Joseph and finally the shoes are Office.

Out and about....an elegant gentleman

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Edward is stylish, elegant and gracious. When I first walked passed him he gave me a great big smile. I dont know why I didnt ask him there and then if I could take his picture but I didnt. Maybe it was because I had other people to photograph first and I knew on some other level he wasnt rushing off somewhere else. Anyway my journey brought me back in his direction and I found myself hoping he was still sitting in the same place. And you know what? He was and he smiled again, so that was it I had to ask. When I had taken his picture and asked if I could ask him a few questions he invited me to sit down and offered me a glass of champagne. See what I mean, stylish, elegant and gracious. Edward owns Davidoff of London, which sells fine cigars from all over the world, and is situated on the corner of Jermyn Street and St James Street (No. 35). He described Jermyn street as a village for gentlemen. I would agree. It is a great shopping area in London aimed mainly for men. His own style is comprised of suit and tie by Faconnable (designer Albert Goldberg). Shoes by Crockett and Jones. He told me he opened his shop 30 years ago this month. So it is a big birthday month for Davidoff London. He said that his job is his hobby, that it is a joy and a pleasure. I think you can see this in his face. He is definatley a man who is happy in his own skin. When I was talking to him and even now I find myself thinking about Paulo Coelho. I dont know why. Maybe he reminds me of one of his hero's who have realised their true path. I asked Edward where the name Davidoff came from as his family name is Sahakian, what inspired the name. The original owner was called Zino Davidoff who was Jewish and had to flee from Russia when he was 6 with his parents in 1905 to Geneva where they set up as tobacconists. He told me that in those days cigarettes were rolled by hand. As a young man Zino went off travelling to S.America and Cuba where he discovered cigars. When he returned home he brought some with him and told his parents they were going to sell these instead. And the rest as they say is history.

Out and about....quiet man

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Well I can only tell you the names of the quiet man's dogs. He was happy to have his photo taken but didnt want to give me his name. When I look at him now I think he looks familiar. Do any of you recognise him? The dogs from front to back are Daisy, Sligo (who's birthday it was) and Marley. He was happy to tell me what he was wearing which was cool. His coat is Paul Smith which he said he has had for a while. Shirt and trousers were Gap and his boots which you can just about see are by RM Williams.

Out and about....purifyne

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

You have all heard stories of me trying to catch up with people when wearing heels. However when they are wearing heels also at least I am in with a chance. Even so it took persistence to catch up with Irina. I had seen her across quite a busy street and I had to wait for 2 sets of lights..... Anyway persistence paid off this time.
Irina is originally from Belarus. She now runs a company here called Purifyne have a look. It is a juice detox "to make you healthier, younger and lighter for longer". She certainly looks good on it.
Irina's style influences are the classic's. Cuts that wont go out of fashion that are timeless and can still be worn in 15 or 20 years time. Her great feminine brogues  are from Bally, I would love a pair of these too. Irina's jacket is from Jack Wills (isn't the pink lining of the collar a nice touch), her glasses are Tom Ford. The trousers are from Ralph Lauren and her bag is Anya Hindmarch. Irina had 2 cool touches to her style which you cant see from the angle of the shot I have chosen. The first was her lovely crisp white vintage shirt, Irina had trimmed the collar herself. The second was her belt. She had used the detachable shoulder strap from her bag as her belt. Wish I has taken a close up to show you. 2 nice personal touches.

Out and about....2 way traffic

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

I saw Simon on the tube and liked his look, so when he got off at the same stop I thought great, when we hit the street I will ask if I can take his picture. He has a good eye for detail as you can see from the 2nd picture and his his shoe, sock, turn-up combo. The shoes are from Trickers his red spot socks are from Tabio and the turn-up forms part of Simon's vintage Levi's 501's. Simon's jacket, shirt and sweater are all from Margaret Howell where he has worked as a manager for the past 5 years. When I asked if he enjoyed working for her he told me it is a great place to work he is very happy there. He told me for his style inspiration he liked to keep things simple with a twist. I think his look tells this story beautifully.

Out and about....tweet treat

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

Here is the lovely Clare from Tweet. As some of you will know from her blog we met when she was down in London for the day. Although we had both met bloggers before we had never intentionally met up with one before. So of course I had to photograph her for you all. I love following Clare she has a great eye for new designers and photography check her out here. I feel I learn something new from her every day. She just did an interview with Qype (read here) which gives you a lovely insight into her background. For her own style she told me her inspiration comes from blogs and street style. Her favourite colour is black, it is a great staple. Clare is wearing a Topshop leather jacket and stripey top. Henry Holland shorts for Debenhams. We both agreed we loved a good pair of 120 denier tights. The pair Clare is wearing is from Topshop. Her shoes are from Office and her lovely contrasting bag was £1 from Portobello market. When I asked Clare her favourite place in the world was I was very impressed with her reply. So may of us are looking for greener grass, how cool is it when it is right under your feet. Clare's favourite place in the world is home - it is where her heart is. Very cool.

Out and about....swing out sister

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I love statement tights and these Emilio Cavallini's had me running up the road after Imogen, aren't they brilliant. And how lucky was it that when I caught up with her she had such a great smile too. Then to top it all off she told me she is a model with Storm. She was a bit reluctant to go for it, so I hope I have allayed her fears now she can see her shot. Imogen told me her style inspirations are Alice Dellal and Rihannah. She likes watching their style rather than it being something she would necessarily wear herself. The rest of her look today is comprised of her boyfriends hat, an 1980's vintage M&S sweater, high heel DM's and a bag from Portobello Market. When I asked her to tell me something else about herself she told me she loved horse riding. Nice way to change your focus for a while.

Out and about....when the kids are united

Riki and Jessy

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Alex and Milo

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

Don't Riki, Jessy, Alex and Milo look great. They were very cool too. They all go to different schools but met each other through friends. Mostly their style is inspired by music. For Riki it is Yannis Philippakis from Foals. Oh and the Bombay Bicycle Club. Milo likes old Brit pop and especially the The Libertines for Alex it is Florence and the machine or Bloc Party. For Jessy though it was her mum who was a fashion designer before she came along.
Riki is wearing a T from Uniqlo, jeans from Red Herring and Nike shoes. Jessy has on short dungarees from River Island, top from Adidas, amazing tights from a trip to France. Her boots are Urban Outfitters and her bag is Paul Smith. Alex wears 2 jackets - the outer one is from Rokit, the inner hoodie is from American Apparel. Her stripy T and leggings are from H&M and her boots like Jessy are also Urban Outfitters. Milo has on a hoodie also from American Apparel, the all important black and gold Fred Perry polo, jeans from H&M and shoes from Vans. He then went on to tell me that his boxers were Calvin Klein which made everyone smile.

Out and about....homeward bound

From Fashionistable

Beautiful evening light. Even though I am wearing sunglasses I still have to shade my eyes so I can see people coming towards me when the sun is so low. And do I mind? Not one bit. It is brilliant to have the light, I am as happy as can be. Elena is originally from Moscow, via Australia. She is working in investment banking and has been visiting the UK for 9 months now. She told me she gets her style inspiration from stores, not magazines. A lot of time and thought goes into each of her fashion purchases, she likes to be feminine. Her DKNY cardy has seen her through a few seasons now. The nice big belt is from Armani Exchange and her bag is from Furla. To unwind after a stressful day Elena likes to play the piano. She has been learning for 10 years and finds it soothing.

Out and about....flowers

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

After I finished shooting Kaori and Sitot I decided to shoot the magnolia. And as Adorngirl has just said she liked the backdrop for Kaori and Sitot I thought I would share them with you. When I photographed Elle a few weeks back we found ourselves looking up at blossom and saying how wonderful it looked. This was a much better day to shoot it. They look wonderful in the center of a blue screen as a screen saver. You can imagine lying under the tree and dreaming of summer. Enjoy.

Out and about....red wheel

From Fashionistable

I turned around and could see Kaori and Sitot coming up the street behind me and as they looked very colourful I decided to wait for them to catch up with me. Kaori was very shy and if she had not been with Sitot she would have said no. Kaori is from Japan and Sitot is from Senegal and they met in London. They were on their way to Portobello market to have the red wheel fixed. Sitot bought bicycle there the previous week and the wheel had problems already. He had bought the bicycle for excersise and pointed to his tummy. "Too much beer" I said, "Oh no" he said "too much good Japanese food." and smiled. Kaori likes to shop in vintage and charity shops and her skirt and jacket are from her local favourite. Her white shirt was bought in Japan and her shoes in Paris.  Sitot bought his jacket and trousers in Portobello market. Kaori brought him his shirt from Japan, it is made from Kimono silk material.