Photography notes

Ten minutes to go before I’m supposed to take pictures of guests at the book launch of a good friend and the studio’s atmosphere is already full of a sort of supercharged excitement and tension. My photographic depth of knowledge is haphazard and it could so easily all go wrong. I call my husband at work when I realize that the workings of my D80 leave me perplex and irritated. I seem to have forgotten what is a shutter speed, aperture, F number or ISO but I won’t switch to automatic. His less than reassuring explanations confirm my fears and the only way I will make this experience pleasant is by getting extremely drunk or accept the inevitable: automatic setting. Martina’s official and professional photographer failed to materialise and with only a couple of days to go I was asked if I could act as the alternative for want of a better option. I have displayed a commitment to fashion photography on this blog and I have been vocal about my passion but that does not make me a good photographer! I did my best for a few hours (imagine a self-conscientious impromptu firing squad) and endeavoured to take beautiful and charming shots. It is the morning after and I’m still reluctant to download the masterful portraits of my subjects! Hahaha.
I’ve been looking at a Wendy Bevan shoot instead. I love all aspects of it: the romantic and poetic elements, the slightly weird sensibility, the colours, the dream-like qualities, the drama and whisper of melancholy. You can catch glimpses of the haunting style of Sarah Moon, they share the same quirky fantasy. It’s really no surprise that I absolutely adore Bevan’s work and I’m sure that a lot of you share my enthusiasm. She creates beautiful and striking imagery in a magical way, blatantly different from mainstream fashion photography, which seems to be dominated by a certain sensationalism, drama of subject and treatment. Her photos are more quiet and I believe that the aim of her exquisite compositions resides in the subtle variations of tone, colours, softness and emotion. Perfect viewing for those who like fashion photography that tells a story with a hint of surrealism and decadence.
Lots of shows to look forward to in the next few days. Paris is always my favourite fashion week and usually delivers great results. I’m expecting good things from Anne Valérie Hash, Balenciaga, Isabel Marant, Lanvin, Ann Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten. The usual suspects.

Photos courtesy of Wendy Bevan

Rick Owens

I have often toyed with the idea of writing about furniture and there’s something about a designer doing fashion and objects that thrills me to the core. Rick Owens is part of that small tribe of people who is successful at both (funnily enough I’m not referring to Versace, Armani or Ralph Lauren) and is crazy enough to draw on his fascination with raw and primitive arts to create surprising, unlikely and beautiful chairs, sofas, tables and lamps made from antlers, plywood, marble, shearling, bone, concrete and fisher fur. His furniture is a testament to what can be achieved away from the tyranny of marketing and commercialism. Samples have recently been on display at Sebastian + Barquet in London and did not disappoint me. They seem to reflect an impressive quiet energy while remaining quite brutal and naturalistic. While until now I had only been vaguely aware of Rick Owens’ interest in furniture I have been completely seduced by his bold, skilful, dark and out of the ordinary pieces. The show at Sebastian + Barquet runs until Wednesday 30th September.
Pictures courtesy of Wallpaper and Taschen

Erdem and Maya

Fashion weeks have turned out to be a grueling challenge. The task facing anyone trying to follow the shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris was always going to be formidable. This little and exclusive sphere of activity suddenly goes into a never-ending obsessive frenzy bringing together buyers, editors, photographers, street style photographers, stylists, journalists, paid celebrities and bloggers all blending together into a morass of fashion. I navigated my way through the London shows secretly wondering how some designers managed to advance further up the career ladder (I didn’t think much of the Flintstones and over the top 80s Madonna lace wedding dresses). Just as I was beginning to tire of fashion several names with the magic tag managed to recapture the old frisson of excitement: Mark Fast, Charles Anastase, Burberry and Erdem. Erdem Moralioglu's Spring/Summer collection is eye-catching partly because of the exquisite combination of varied intense colours, and partly because of the delightful and simple shapes. He seems to have favoured a Japanese or Asian influence guaranteed to attract success with its visual references to extraordinarily vivid flowers, gardens and carefree romantic attitudes. The printed flowery fabrics are further sweetened with lace details and sometimes contrast with silk tee-shirts. The result is striking and memorable, utterly convincing masterpieces. I loved the dreamy sensuality of these dresses. They have a beguiling freshness that made me wish for a hot summer’s night. I still can’t quite decide what it is that makes Erdem so different, so modern and so appealing but if I could afford one of the spring 2010 pieces I would buy it immediately!
Another great pleasure of London fashion week was finally meeting Maya from Turned Out. I have mentioned her before and talked about the fact that she is a constant source of photographic inspiration and style education. A genuine talent. We had been exchanging emails for a while and I had been admiring her work for the past six months. Meeting her in person was so much fun. She is simply captivating. I found her to be not only extremely pretty and elegant but also endearing, unpretentious, watchful and intelligent. Anyone who reads this should look at her website straight away. Street style photography at its best!
Maya: move to London… Now!

Photos courtesy of Style.com

Erin Fetherston

Just before fashion season gets under way every year, I make a little list of the shows I know will bring me a giddy surge of joy. Most prized names are always the same and magazines continue to devote features to these designers with religious energy. I’ve never really fantasised about going to a show although I’m sure it’s a powerful experience and an extraordinary event unparalleled in its intensity. I take the opportunity that the Internet provides to see everything, including the parties and going backstage, without having to wait. Well, I should also point out that until this year there never was a deluge of invitations but my ingenuity and endurance (non existent – haha) has made success possible and I am now manifestly a PR’s dream (for those who don’t know me, this is a touch of sarcasm). Yes, I have been asked to attend three of the best and most eagerly anticipated London shows but the prospects of attending are poor. I have a job and work long hours. Blogging does not pay the bills. My favoured investigative journalistic technique will therefore remain the Internet!
New York fashion week is coming to an end and boasted some big and interesting shows. Unsurprisingly, they were not commercially risky and on the whole repeatedly subdued. Rodarte was magnificent, Rag & Bone had uncomplicated and delicious pieces I would wear every day and Erin Fetherston was a triumph. She showed that she can do grown up looks with exquisite precision. I fell in love with her work the minute I was introduced to her clothes several years ago, in 2005 to be precise. At the time, she was the only designer who had the good idea to create a genuine dialogue between a world of fantasy and fashion. Every show was like a mini excursion into what might be called fashion fairyland. It was stimulating, original, youthful, graceful and delightful. She made an impact and demonstrated that she could create dresses that are like modern readings of classic whimsical children’s stories without being too overwhelming or overpowering. I have always found her distinctive dresses irresistible. Instead of prolonging her study of this magical world, she has recently embarked on a series of more “grown up” collections, offering a different richness of effect. It is more subtle. Erin Fetherston expertly and convincingly handles this new mood and has introduced a rhythm that is incredibly chic, sophisticated and cool. The occasional fairytale element can still be found, adding a striking contrast, and her attentiveness to details is perfect. She is the undisputed queen of dresses. This is true love.

All images courtesy of Style.com

Graceful love

On Saturday night I watched The September Issue at the Curzon Mayfair, my favourite London cinema. I was absolutely riveted by the wonderful Grace Coddington and her power of imagination. Her skills are definitely those of a great creator who has the ability to transform anything into a story of undoubted brilliance. This documentary film, while it doesn’t exactly do a good job in elucidating the somewhat tiresomely scary and inscrutable Anna Wintour, certainly served to introduce new fashion fans to the work of the loveable and funny Coddington. Perhaps momentarily forgotten, she is now enjoying something of a renaissance, her reputation and popularity shooting sky high. Her insatiable hunger for remarkable visual fashion pleasures is what drives her. She approaches fashion like an emotionally involved artist, deliberately indulging the senses. The film is a tribute to her strength of character in a tightly controlled magazine world filled with barriers and disparities. Essentially, Grace Coddington is irresistibly charming, vivid, funny, colloquial and tough. She’s inspiring and engages vigorously with her stylistic choices. She dominates the film and has the viewer enthusiastically on her side every step of the way. There is no doubt that Anna Wintour is a business genius with a clear vision of what she wants to achieve but I spent the entire film trying to detect emotion behind the cold glare, speculating and wondering whether there was another person behind the mask. She concedes that her ambition is the result of the influence exercised by her father on her and she admits that she behaves and thinks much as he did, in keeping with English Victorian values. I secretly would like to see her completely and hopelessly drunk and I want to know what she does to kick back! Do you think she might cooperate?
I went to Dover Street Market on Saturday afternoon and made the mistake of trying on several of the Charles Anastase winter coats. I wonder how long I will be able to resist. They’re beyond cute and earned me kisses from handsome boys!

All pictures courtesy of Steven Meisel, Vogue US August 2008

Felder Felder

It’s almost impossible to read any fashion articles at the moment on the web, magazines, newspapers or even Twitter without coming across a reference to the upcoming fashion weeks. This present and dominant enthusiasm is putting several of my friends under terminal stress and I have been informed that they intend to quit the fashion industry as soon as possible (I hear this invariably several times a year while they’re sprinting urgently from London to Milan, Paris and New York). This frenzy has always eluded my sister. She is beautiful, clever and independent and has been blessed with a complete absence of fashion obsession. She always trusts her instincts when it comes to dressing her body and her clothing aspirations have always been beyond trends. She periodically questions my own personal style with a mischievous smile explaining that she thinks I have once again foolishly succumbed to yet another fleeting fashion moment. Can you imagine my surprise when my most biting critique suddenly announced that she would be attending shows at both London and Paris Fashion Weeks? I would have been less shocked if she had told me that she was reconnecting with her kitchen and growing comestibles (she never cooks). In the past couple of months, I’ve suddenly found myself discussing with intensity The September Issue, fashion features in RUSSH and Encens as well as Olivier Zahm (whom she refers to as “the pervert”). This is a new experience for me, an absolute revelation! She came round a few days ago and enthusiastically told me that she had met one of the designers of Felder Felder through a good friend and was going for dinner with her at the weekend. I felt like I was playing a lead role in a perfect comedy. My sister works in finances not fashion. Felder Felder is a brand I’ve always loved: it projects a pure rock n’roll attitude combined with exquisite construction and detailing. The twins behind the Felder Felder name seem to create clothes alive in the purity of their beliefs. Their genuine rock aesthetics is used to good effect in their pieces, accessories and textiles/materials used. They’ve deliberately introduced softer tones in their Spring/Summer 2009 collection but I expect that echoes of the original rock chick theme will soon be recreated instead of sucked down into the fashion oubliette. I can’t resist the lure of their sophisticated rock clothes!
I still have to get used to having my sister meddling with everything I say on this blog, her comments seem to flow freely these days… Hahaha

All pictures courtesy of Felder Felder

DISCERNING POP

There was, for a while, some debate in fashion magazine circles about whether there was a future for POP under Zhukova. Emails circulated and a lot was written about this classic case of is this move mighty stupid in the real world. Overexcited Katie Grand fans contemptuously predicted a crash and ran the argument that Zhukova doesn’t have the fashion credentials and strength to take on the responsibilities of editor-in-chief, a general impression which was repeated on numerous occasions across the web. She was being damned even before she inherited the job and bets were placed. I hadn’t planned to buy a copy when it came out in London but suddenly remembered that one of my favourite bloggers, the charismatic Elizabeth from White Lightning (who excels at the art of beautifully modulated mockery), was involved. My local newsagent has become very discerning in knowing what I like to read over the years and had kept a copy for me as soon as it came out (she’s commercially inspired too and often tries to sell me other titles that have been presented to her as fashion led like the slightly erotic men’s magazine Jacques)! After Nila’s lovely and enthusiastic sales pitch and having caught a glimpse of the delicately caressed red infused photographs of Mark Borthwick I bought POP. Instead of the usual clichéd strategy Zhukova and her team have embraced a multicultural approach combining with exquisite precision some of the most interesting names in the world of fashion, art, design and talented bloggers. The various elements interact brilliantly and the final result is of extremely high quality. You certainly can’t accuse Zhukova of not having done an excellent job. The evidence is a succession of wonderful fashion editorials by Viviane Sassen, Sean & Seng, Paolo Roversi, Mark Borthwick and Jason Evans, a Manuela Pavesi booklet created by M/M, a genuinely interesting Ed Ruscha interview and a great homage to J. G. Ballard among other imaginative pieces.
The POP/Zhukova association has produced an unequivocally beautiful, fresh and different issue.

All pictures courtesy of Sean & Seng for POP

A STORY OF TRUE LOVE

Meet Quincy Jones. The cat in my life.
From the moment he came home with us, with his unimaginable capacity for theatrical performances (he has fallen in the loo once, plays with his Waitrose plastic bag constantly, loves his laser mouse and thinks that a foam bath is overwhelmingly funny), his “lyrical” voice and enormous variety of sounds, his exceptional beauty, essential energy and big paws, we were both hooked. He has the ability to engage with everyone he meets and will amuse his audience with his extravagant poses, rabbit ears, easy grace and huge eyes.
His winning personality has even inspired my husband to create a visually stunning character using his distinctive collage style. In his own hybrid language of pop, poetry, popular culture and self-confident fantasy Mat is making a direct reference to the Quincy Jones song “The Dude”. I like the romanticism of this piece and I love the fact that Quincy comes across as some sort of stylish musician dandy, giving us a glimpse of the mythical elegance of a vanished time. In his little collage laboratory, Mat has successfully created a celebration of our cat’s soul!

Image courtesy of Mat Maitland