Spanner & Wingnut Look Book

 Finally got the pictures from a jewellery look book I styled a few months ago up on my tumblr

See it in full here

Anastasia

So great to see a recent shoot of mine published on The Ones To Watch last week

Shot by David Edwards with hair & make up by Rachel Jones

See the full story here

Close and Far, Calvert 22

I made the trip to Calvert 22 gallery last weekend to see an exhibition of Russian photography. The show aims to examine Russia's evolution over the past 100 years by comparing the way various Russian photographers have approached their subject.

Pastoral, 2008-12
Alexander Gronsky

Anna Alexeevna, 2010

Olya Ivanova

The stand out work for me was that of Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky, who sounds like he had a pretty great time taking pictures of the length and breadth of the Russian empire after being commissioned by the last Tsar, Nicholas II, to do so.

Dinner During Hay Making, 1909

Peasant Girls, 1909

 Prokudin-Gorsky was a pioneer of colour photography. After inventing his own means of developing film, he did so while on the move in a specially equipped rail road coach complete with darkroom. Travelling far and wide, the pictures that emerged from this mobile darkroom show a multi-faceted Russia and are fascinating to look at.

Group of Harvesters, 1905-15

The exhibition is free and on until 17th August, see it if you can.

Pinning

Every now and then I have a frenzied time pinning just about anything that I've collected over the past few weeks to the pin board in my room.  I've never been one for minimalism - despite all my best efforts.

This is my latest - a celebration of summer and thoughts of travel.

Embroidered plastic bag

Browsing AnOther online is one of my daily habits, particularly when in need of a bit of inspiration

This embroidered plastic bag made me think of the embellished bags that Ashish put down the SS14 catwalk

 I love these bags - such a great mix of playfulness and prettiness. Who wouldn't want a sequinned covered shopper?!

Beaded Mules

So bad they're good? In my mind they are anyway.... 

Can't really see when I would wear these bad boys but where there's a will there's a way.

Bought for £2 in Traid, Shepherd's Bush

Next stop these guys:

Frayed Jacket

I chanced upon a version of one of my top 5 summer essentials on the weekend - but lucky for me over £200 quid cheaper.
Marques Almeida, £275

Gap frayed collar jacket, £14.99

Love it when that happens.

I'm thinking about cutting the bottom off my Gap version as the more fray the better in my opinion... watch this space.

Chris Marker

 

Stills taken from Chris Marker's 1962 film 'La Jetée', currently part of an exhibition of his work at The Whitechapel Gallery. 

The film is made of up of black and white photographs which come together to play out as a photo montage at varying speeds. It's an eery, unnerving film but worth seeing if only for all the beautiful shots of Hélène Chatelain, the film's heroine.

I especially love the couples' trip to a museum filled with taxidermy.

 

I first saw the film as part of my course in Manchester. Suitably the art history block backed on to Manchester Museum which was filled to the rafters with taxidermy and where I often ended up wasting time in between lectures and buying endless tatt.

70s Summer

Venice beach in the 1970s looks like it was a great place to be

  

 

Top 5 for Summer

A job I saw advertised recently required applicants to write a list of 10 crucial style items for the summer ahead. These lists can often be a bit dull but (unsurprisingly) I found thinking about what my pieces would be pretty fun. It's not only my style but everything else that's done on a shoe string - it was nice to fantasise about a couple of dream items. I'm looking at you £200+ Marques Almeida jacket.

Here are a few of my essentials should anyone be interested:

1.       Adidas Gazelles, £65, Office

Hardly pushing the fashion boundaries, but I've barely taken mine off since buying them a few months ago. These are a classic 90s throw back to be worn with all manner of outfits. A friend of mine advised me to get these in black because you can always repaint dark suede once it starts to get ropey - top tip.

2.    Collarless denim jacket, Marques Almeida,  £275

It’s a luxury buy but one that you will wear and wear. This is an update on a classic piece - I love the frayed edges of this little jacket. Wear over a plain black dress with bronzed summer limbs.

3.       Notebook, Muji, 60p

Don’t lose track of a single thought - Muji offers the best array of stationary around and at only 60p you can keep one in every bag. 

4.       V-Neck Front and Back Dress, & OtherStories, £55

A good neckline can be both chic and sexy - it's what makes this black dress a winner. I love the slits up the midi length skirt too, avoiding any granny vibes.

 5.       Fiesta – The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, Waterstones, £5.99

No summer is complete without reading this tale of long hot days and nights, unrequited love and handsome bullfighters. A classic read to inspire thoughts of travel. 

DENIM

One of my favourite looks from my denim story shot by Jonny Mallen.
More to come soon...

Dress: MIH

Socks: Nike

Wallabees: Clarks

Hair and Make up by Linda Johannson

Boots

I bought these amazing vintage boots for a shoot a few months back but never actually used them - until very recently. Can't wait to show off about how great they look in the bigger picture...

Now all I need to do is work out a way to wear them myself

Fuerteventura

Last week Tessa and I went on our first ever all inclusive package holiday. There was lots of sunshine, swimming and German Nudists, much to our delight. It also offered the great opportunity of digging out my summer wardrobe and smugly putting it on before everyone else back home had donned theirs.... 

 

Cowgirl

Cowboy themed pillow case in progress...

Coming soon...

First image back from the look book I shot with Ben Simpson for jewellery brand Spanner & Wingnut. More to come... 

ELLE CHINA

Love this cover story for ELLE China's May issue, which I assisted fashion editor Cloe Dong on.

Shot by Nikolay Biryukov

 

 

 

 

  

 

Amazing shoot to work on, with no shortage of livestock to keep occupied with.... Incredible set designed by a french girl power dream team, led by Anna Sbiera.