Steven Meisel - a shoot like Marmite!

Can't like this one above.......

Can't like this one above .....

Abi Lee Kershaw looks fab here

Amber Valetta !


Lara Stone

When I first saw this editorial shoot in Vogue Italia called 'Shrink To Fit,Steven Meisel's overgrown school girls' to be honest I didn't like it - I looked at this collection of beautiful models and was shocked to see them look like they had been sleeping rough under the arches!

However, the more I look at the images the fascinating thing is (and you won't believe this) - or maybe you will, they have grown on me and I can see the images as rather arresting and beautiful, the contrast maximizes the beauty of these girls, the photography moves from fashion into reportage portraiture. It is a brave shoot and there are two shockers that still however many times I look at them I still can't like - I have high lighted them ......

This styling is only for the very gorgeous and young ........

Models: Amber Valletta, Freja Beha Erichsen, Lara Stone, Monika Jagaciak, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Angela Lindvall, Joan Smalls, Giedre Dukauskaite, Gwen Loos
Photographer: Steven Meisel

Vogue Italia
April 2010

clever stuff and inspiring.....

St Martins Art Direction Easter School

Photograph by www.gmazzarini.com
The lovely Lydia wins best self styling prize.....

Esthele looks great in this Top Shop skirt in tres chic Franco style

The three white stripe belles......

My Easter school course was great fun, made excellent by the group of talented and enthusiastic students that joined me. What a lovely group, the week went too quickly as usual.

I hope to show case some of the superb work produced this week

watch this space........

London Boutique - Joie

I really like this little Boutique JOIE, 37 Marshall street, London W1F 7EZ, 020 7434 3423 just off Carnaby Street. There are no more than 20 dresses made of any one design, costing from £60.00 - sometimes the girls in the shop sit working on the designs in between helping customers. What I love is the wonderful creative entrepreneurship it reflects and the influences of the 1960s and 70s hey day of boutiquedom when designers such as Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell did very much the same thing.

Joie has no web site - so if you want their clothes you have to visit the shop -

My Favorites from New Bond Street

I saw these Vivien Westwood plastic shoes (made by 'melissa plastic dreams)in Fenwicks on New Bond Street in London, they are totally kitch and different from anything else out there - even worn with a little black dress these shoes would make the outfit special. http://www.melissaplasticdreams.com/home/uk

This is in The Miu Miu window in New Bond Street at the moment. I love all the contrasts that work in harmony on this design - the print collar, the statement luxury sequins that follow the contours of the body shape and the flattering slim fitting silhouette of the dress. A gorgeous statement outfit.

Political fashion stakes......

Here is Samantha Cameron sandwiched between Alexandra Shulman Editor of British Vogue and Lucinda Chambers stylist for British Vogue. You can see from her ' I am in a candy store and loving it' expression that she is enjoying the Erdem AW2011 catwalk show at LFW.

Not a good idea to wear an ill fitting dress in public Sam.......

This is the M&S dress that was famously exposed as being not quite the same polka dot that everyone else could buy in the store having been extensively altered by seamstresses for Sam to fit her more flatteringly, if only she had done this with the black dress above!....

Too bold and brash for her.....

Do we want our PM and wife to look like this - ? no thank you !

Dave got a dressing down by the press for this - can Samantha afford the political fall out and cliche of privilege by wearing Erdem ?

Yes if she sets herself up as an ambassador for British fashion. She has the potential to be a successful clothes horse - perhaps better than Carla Bruni - at least she won't be wanting to be the next Carli Simon ! With Baby on the way a British Camelot perhaps ? well lets face it Dave and Sam will be a bit more glam than Tony and Cherrie with babe in arms ever were or Gordon and Sarah Brown.

Though I do think Sarah Brown looked great at LFW.

Sock Wars .. Fern versus Alexa,

Socks are the thing to wear at the moment - but how they are worn is the key styling decision. I like socks worn with high platform shoes - this is a sexy look, don't like them with flats, shortens the legs - sorry Alexa even though with pins like yours you can get away with it - not many of us can so Fern wins this time......

Fashion show - Middlesex

Thought this second year student Louise styled herself well and should get the 'best dressed award' liked her pink rabbit necklace and pink belt and large hooped earings accessorizing details, the dress Louise tells me she got from an Urban outfitters sale, love the scalloped banding on the front.

This first year collection is called Perplex - 'designed by a group of creatives who pump out one off youthful designs for the unconventional, artistic individual'

I thought it was a well put together collection and with work could be commercial - perhaps a capsule collection concept for a retailer like gap - liked the 80s influence.

This collection is called 'fashion is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength', is a collaboration of the team's favorite outfits individually made out of Calico to display according to them the disposability of fashion now.

By putting their outfits on someone else they aim to portray how everyone seems to be merging into one, with the accessibility of the high street.

I would have like a reference to ethical fashion and how the consumer can make a choice, customization of old outfits into new, or combining both would also have been another interesting way of approaching communicating this message.

Unfortunately I was not given a goody bag for this collection - I liked the interesting shapes created , this upturned umbrella dress is visually great.

A small A5 programme or sheet of paper given to everyone with a sound bite of the each collection would have been a useful.

One of the goody bag designers......

excellent goody bags.....

Thank you Lucy Nicholls (a 2nd year student I met at LFW) for inviting me to the Middlesex University FDSP show. I enjoyed watching the students work and was very impressed.

It was really well organized, there was a great atmosphere of anticipation in the front row before the show.