Out and about....Jasper Garvida

From Fashionistable

I was given the wonderful opportunity to photograph and interview the very lovely Jasper Garvida, in the run up to LFW. This year Jasper will be showing his Spring/Summer 2012 collection at his own private show, in the Bloomsbury Hotel on the 19th of September at 5pm.

Q&A
Fashionistable: What inspires your work?
Jasper: The first thing I think about is the female form. At college I was more creative, for creative sake. Working in the fashion industry has taught me more about women, so I now bring all my creativity to the female form. My inspiration for my Spring/Summer 2012 collection is the painting by Frantisek Kupka, called Autour d'un Point.

F: As your job doesn't fit into a 9 to 5 schedule, how do you structure your day?
J: I try to keep balance in my life which can be very difficult. 5 hours sleep is a must. I get up at 6am and am in bed by 12.30am. I destress by cooking, as my partner and I don't get to spend much quality time together so this is am important part of the day. I love and am very passionate about my work, which I am very thankful for so whatever comes my way I will take it. I am working towards a goal and I am lucky to have a very understanding partner. Maybe one day I will have more time.

F: Which part of the creative process do you enjoy most and which you you dread?
J: I enjoy working on every step of the creative process from concept, to illustration, designing, sewing, creating the show and the photography. Also when I create a bespoke piece and the person tries the finished piece on for the first time, this is a good moment.
Making the right decision at the right time and doing it fast is what I dread the most. Also presenting the collection, after 4 to 6 months of concentrated work the tension of the unveiling can be a very difficult time.
F: It that because of any criticism that may come?
J: No, no criticism is part of it, I am open to it, open to improvement it can only make me a better person.

F: Do you have any tricks to get over designers block?
J: Yes, to quite simply to stop thinking and just do. Let my hands do the work. Then go back and see. This is the good thing about being creative, good things come out of mistakes, letting go and looking in a different direction.

F: Do you have any rituals when you are putting  your collection together?
J: I tend to lock myself away for a week when I where I immerse myself in the subject. I look at magazines, movies, I feel it. I can look at a blank piece of paper for days, then it starts.
On the day I show the collection I get up at 6 am and sit still and visualise the day. Everything. That way when the show is in full swing I am calm as I have seen it already. The team needs me to be calm. There are no superstitions the visualisation gets me calm and sorted.

F: Is music an important part of your working day? What are you listening to at the moment? (Jasper smiled when I asked this question....his partner works with music.)
J: I am listening to Lady GaGa The Edge of Glory. Music to me is quite significant. It is like being on the edge of a cliff about to skydive. It is the decision weather to take the leap or not. Every day I feel like I am on the edge of something amazing.

F: Where is your favourite place/city?
J: I have been in London 10 years now. My partner and dog (a King Charles) are here. London embraced me and my fashion. I found myself in London, I fell in love in London. In the words of Samuel Johnson "If you are tired of London you're tired of life".

F: Who inspires you?
J: Although I was brought in the Catholic religion, I am not a good Catholic. I do however believe in the power of prayer. I am aware I have been given something special and am thankful for it. I don't like to preach about the bible but do live by rules set out there, like the commandment  to treat others as you would like to be treated. Not to waste the gifts you have been given. To know you can make a difference. To do good. To face your responsibilities and the knowledge that I am here for a reason.
In a fashion sense I look up to Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow I wish I had that talent and wish one day to have it. It must be balanced at the same time though as I have to be realistic about paying my staff.

F: If you weren't doing this, what job could you see yourself having?
J: There is nothing else I would do. Growing up my parents wanted me to be a doctor. All my other siblings (of which there are 5) are all academics. 2 lawyers, 2 in the medical profession and 1 professor. I did try but am just not good in chemistry or math. I only told my parents about the direction I wanted to take when my course interview came through as I needed them to send me to London. I had to follow my my dreams. I have never seen my parents so happy as I have seen them in the past few years - my fear of not being myself has gone too.

F: If you had the chance to do it all again what advice would you give to a younger you?
J: Be Brave.
   Be Strong.
   Love yourself more and everything will be alright.
 
I would like to thank Jasper for giving us an insight into the emotional journey behind the beauty of his work. I am certainly looking forward to September the 19th. More to follow then.

Filofax Giveaway

Remember there are 3 days left to the 2nd Filofax (Brown Chameleon) giveaway draw. To enter you must follow me here on Blogger AND on Bloglovin and let me know when you have done both. Good Luck.

Out and about....Sheldon Square

From Fashionistable

Martha is a stylist. who has styled celebrities including Bianca Jagger and Emilia Fox, worked with photographers from David Bailey to Rankin, and contributed a wide variety of publications. You can see her work here. I am loving her bold print trousers teamed with the flash of the orangey red of her top. I would love her camera too, I spy the red dot of a Leica.

Filofax Giveaway

Remember there are 5 days left to the 2nd Filofax (Brown Chameleon) giveaway draw. To enter you must follow me here on Blogger and on Bloglovin and let me know when you have done both. Good Luck.

Out and about....Oxford Circus

From Fashionistable

ChengLu likes to call herself Clytie. She is from Shanghai and is starting a Media Studies degree in Westminster this month. Her surprise was that she likes Pink Cake hair. I dont know what this is and can't find reference to it online. Anyone out there know? She says her style influence is vintage, no era in particular. Just whatever suits. Her favourite place in London is the Finchley Road. For our picture today she is wearing a scarf by Absolute Vintage, she has 2 shirts on, the top one it from Urban Outfitters and the lace sleeves belong to the one below and is American Apparel, so is her skirt. Her shoes are vintage from Brick Lane the socks were bought online and her bag is from a sample sale from Might-T.

Filofax Giveaway

Remember there are 6 days left to the 2nd Filofax (Brown Chameleon) giveaway draw. To enter you must follow me here on Blogger AND on Bloglovin and let me know when you have done both. Good Luck.

Out and about....Earlham Street and Filofax giveway part 2

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

I saw Miggy in front of me on Earlham Street. I had just caught a glimpse of her amazing hair and white dress so I took up off the street in quick pursuit. Turns out Miggy is also a blogger. We were surprised we hadn't met before. You can see Miggys blog here. She started her blog 3 years ago as another way to talk about things that interest her. Her surprise for us was that she makes an amazing pepper sauce. Miggys favourite place in London is the Thames Path, especially the Greenwich end. Her style is influenced be day to day life. For our shots today she is wearing a dress by Mink Pink, she bought her bag in Morocco, boots are Zara and her necklace was a present from a friend who traveled to Mexico.

Filofax Giveaway part 2.
We have a winner of the Red Filofax - Lisa from Stylus Muse. Thank you to everyone who took part. Those that did your names will be rolled over into this weeks draw. Our Filofax colour for this weeks giveaway is the Brown Chameleon.
To be in with a chance of winning you must follow me here on Blogger AND on Bloglovin, letting me know when you have done both. The next draw will happen on Sunday the 11th of September. Good Luck. Xxxx

Out and about....pretty biker

From Fashionistable

Nell is student from NYC. Everything she is wearing here is Dior except for her shoes which are YSL. This is such a cool look tough yet pretty all at the same time.

Remember there are 4 days left to the 1st Filofax (Red Chameleon) giveaway draw. To enter you must follow me here on Blogger and on Bloglovin and let me know when you have done both. Good Luck.

Out and about....liquorice allsorts

From Fashionistable

Nicola made me smile when I asked her about her style inspirations. She told me that there are a lot of things going on in her head. That London inspires her a lot and said you can be whatever character you want to be on what ever day you choose. When I asked her what character she is today she said "today I am a liquorice allsort. The coconut one with the black bit in the middle". Her favourite place in London is crossing Waterloo bridge on a Sunday. I so understand this, it is an amazing place to be at the best of times as you can see a lot of the big London landmarks from here. Her surprise for us is that she says, she is not cool really as she is really into musicals. The favourites at the moment being Westside story and Oliver. Nicola's cardy  is from Miss Selfridge, she bought her skirt in a car boot sale in Battersea, boots are Topshop and belt All Saints.

Remember there are 5 days left to the 1st Filofax (Red Chameleon) giveaway draw. To enter you must follow me here on Blogger and on Bloglovin and let me know when you have done both. Good Luck.

Out and about....seasonal change

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

Already it is too cold for me. I guess the sooner I can start wearing warmer clothes the better. I would love to be able to look as good as Ulyana with this simple transitional outfit. Ulyana is a fashion designer. You can see her blog here.
The guys over at Filofax gave me a option on Friday of either keeping one Filofax and sending the rest back. Or keeping one and offering the rest to you to all my wonderful readers in a giveaway. You will all be pleased to know I have chosen the latter so you all now have a chance to win one of 4 of The Chameleon Filofax's featured in my challenge shots. I didn't know which colour to keep for myself so put all the names in a hat and drew out Aqua so that is the one I will keep. I then did the same with the other colours so I would have an order in which they will be on offer. The 1st colour up will be Red. These Filofax's are leather and retail in the UK for £65 so this is a generous prize from the Filofax guys.
To be in with a chance of winning you must follow me here on Blogger and on Bloglovin, letting me know when you have done both. I will be picking 1 winner per week. The Competition will run this week, next week and then again for 2 weeks after all the Fashion Weeks are over, so in October. This competition is open internationally. The 1st winner will be announced  on Monday the 5th of September. Good luck.

Out and about....project Filofax (final day) - Colour Brown

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

Now I have to say when I received all the colours for this Filofax challenge of all of them I thought that the Brown Chameleon would be the most difficult to find someone for. But was amazed when Yonan crossed my path she was perfect for this. The colours she was wearing perfectly compliment this Filofax. Yonan is from a region in China called Tsingtao which she told me is also the name of her nations favourite beer. Her style influence is taken from paintings. With Van Gough being her favourite painter. Her surprise was that she lives almost like a monk, she is a vegetarian and doesnt drink or smoke. However unlike a monk she does have sex. Yonan is wearing vintage Dior glasses, her shirt and bowtie are also vintage, shorts and belt are American Apparel, tights are from Topshop and her shoes are Adidas.

Out and about....project Filofax - Colour Aqua

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

I met Katya as she was walking towards Oxford Circus and thought she would be perfect for the Filofax challenge. We decided that her outfit would work well with the Aqua Chameleon. Katya is originally from Belarus and is in London studying management. Her boyfriend is a hairdresser. I love this cut she had just had it done. She told me that her style influence is love. Surprisingly she said that she is unpredictable, spontaneous and a bit cuckoo. Her outfit today is comprised of shirt and necklace from Celine, Twenty8Twelve jeans a Michael Kors bag.

Out and about....project Filofax - Colour Black

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

In the shots today Gemma is carrying the Black Chameleon Filofax. When I asked her if she would help me with the challenge she told me she usually carries her own Filofax with her all the time. Gemma is a stylist with Carol Hayes Management. Amazingly she is also a blogger but this was pure coincidence as I didnt know until we had finished taking the pictures. She is new to the blogging world her site is called Wear is it from. When I asked her to tell me something surprising about herself her friend said "she doesnt eat any vegetables." Gemma confirmed this saying that she does not eat any fruit, veg or salad. Gemma is originally from Glasgow so when I said "so deep fried pizza for you then?" She said "oh yes." She also told me she subscribes to National Geographic and that when she tells other people in the fashion world they usually find this surprising. I find that surprising as I subscribe to it too. Gemma's favourite place in London is the Secret Garden in Regents Park. Her style influence is her Grandma she said "I wear a lot of her stuff". She much have a pretty stylish Grandma then. Gemma is wearing a top and jeans from Topshop, shoes from River Island and her necklace says Taken and was a gift from her husband on their wedding day.
Couldn't resist showing you a close up of Gemma's shoes and toes. Very colourful.

From Fashionistable

Out and about....project Filofax - Colour Rasberry

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

Here is my second colour in the Filofax challenge, and my choice of The Chameleon range. I have wanted to photograph Stella for a while now as love her look. However as I have never bumped into her on the street this was the perfect opportunity to ask if I could take her picture. Of course I was very happy she was around and free to take the challenge with me, in the time frame I had to turn the images around. Stella also has a blog - Stella's Wardrobe and a great wardrobe it is. Pop along to see her other wonderful outfits. Stella's favourite places in London are "Topshop Oxford Circus, is my favorite shop, Spuntino my favorite place to eat, Soho my favorite area of London and Liberty my favorite department store." She say's "I don't really have a style influence, I just wear what I think will make a good outfit. I admire Daphne Guinness and the way she wears Haute Couture and look at magazines like Elle and Love to get an idea of the newest trends" Her surprise for us is that she studies History at UCL. Now that got me, I was sure she was going to tell me she was studying art of some form. She also told me that she lived in Germany until she was 12. Everything she is wearing here is from Topshop except for her bag which is vintage Chanel. She got her trousers in the sale for £7 what a bargain.

Out and about....project Filofax - Colour Red

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

From Fashionistable

A few weeks back I was asked by Slam PR who have Filofax as one of their clients to take part in a challenge they were setting bloggers. The challenge was to photograph one range from a choice of 4. My choice is called The Cameleon. I have to say I hummed and hahhed for a while weather to do it or not. My main reason being that in this age of technology were they really relevant today. I thought I didn't know anyone who used them but was surprised when I asked about that I actually did. Looking at the Filofax site I really feel they are missing an important market with their products though. I personally would like to see them doing nice electronic tablet and reader covers. Electronic gadget one side note pad the other. Anyone else think this would be a neat idea? Anyway, aside from my misgivings The Cameleon range is really very nice. Good leather and has a great texture. So how was I going to approach this? As most of my photography these days is street style it seemed the obvious way forward. To start things off I asked the lovely David from The Nyanzi Report if he would get dressed up and help me out. I have always wanted to shoot in the middle of Oxford Circus crossing. When pedestrians have right of way they are allowed to cross diagonally now as well as across the 4 corners which is wonderful to watch and be allowed to do. There is a sense of freedom as well feeling a bit naughty crossing the road this way. So I set us both a further challenge of shooting in the middle of Oxford Circus on a red light. We shot from when everyone started crossing and stayed on there until the traffic was almost about to move. Bravery won out and I was so happy with the shots I have shot the whole series here. I have been friends with David for a few years now but still interviewed him for you all. David's favourite place in London is Covent Garden. His style influence is himself "it depends on the mood I wake up in". Surprisingly he says "the man behind the mask you thought was Batman - is me". Well that certainly surprised me, I never knew my friend was a super hero. Or maybe I did. Here David is wearing a jacket from Stateless London, waistcoat from Kilgour of Saville Row, a Thomas Pink shirt, Dunhill jeans. His bowtie and pocket handkerchief (which is a cleverly folded scarf) are both from charity shops and his shoes are from Portobello Market.