July stars

Bettina Rheims and the portrait of a cat

2011-11-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

It occurs to me sometimes that this blog is, essentially, one long and enjoyable confessional.

I talk about the photographers I love, my fashion sensibilities, art that has impressed me and of course July Stars has also become a platform to introduce my cat, Quincy (Jones). I don't need to remind my readers of my enthusiasm, bordering on obsession, for this little creature. It's somewhat absurd, I know.
Provided that you love fashion and certain (I don't claim to like all of them) cats as much as I do, I won't have to explain why this Bettina Rheims photo is still a favourite of mine. It has all the right ingredients and will linger into your consciousness!

This picture was used to promote a Bettina Rheims exhibition held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography in May 2011. I'm desperate to get my hands on the poster and was wondering if any of my Japanese readers could help! Please email me if you have any ideas on how to acquire one...

Photo courtesy of Bettina Rheims

Graham Little, fashion begins with drawings

2011-11-29T12:47:00.000-08:00

It was my husband's birthday and I had just started looking for the perfect present.
Even though Mat ended up with something entirely different (a photograph), I haven't stopped thinking about Graham Little since I first saw his work in July while researching ideas. Although he doesn't seem to be the most widely talked about subject on the Internet, his drawings must have won him a gaggle of disciples. It's impossible not to fall in love with his work. I mean honestly. He is the best contemporary artist I've come across in a long time! I'm still struggling to understand why I wasn't able to find any informative essays about him or interviews. So little information available and yet his images are vertiginously beautiful.
His seems to make frequent references to Balthus, pre-raphaelite aesthetics, fashion magazines and in particular the eighties. His work hasn't been much in evidence in England recently and I would welcome the chance to see the drawings with my own eyes. Slightly mysterious, emotional, poetic and hypnotic, they're skilfully detailed masterpieces showing a great sensitivity to colours, texture and composition.
Nothing could deter me from acquiring one of his pieces... apart from the price!

Image of the Daffodil Shoe Lady courtesy of Graham Little

Wes Lang

2011-11-28T13:51:00.000-08:00

America should idolise Wes Lang!
He mixes pictorial elements (drawing, painting, collage) and they conform to a strict formula: clarity of line, careful, harmonious and minutely detailed compositions culminating in meltingly beautiful images.
He pays tribute to the spirit of the United States through his unique talent. The spectre of American Indians, whiskey country, exquisite birds, haunting skulls, skeletons and spectacularly erotic girls are all intimately thrown in together in a rather remarkably balanced way.
A higher plane of aesthetic achievement!
Now, if only I could buy a couple of drawings...

All pictures courtesy of Wes Lang

Time Capsule

2011-11-25T07:23:00.000-08:00

If you’re feeling charitable and you have some spare cash at your disposal you might want to place a bid in the Dazed&Confused/Oxfam charity auction! And since past research indicates that being magnanimous makes you happy, I’d argue that nothing will beat winning one of the items up for grabs.
The idea is refreshing and particularly interesting. All the objects available are carefully edited highlights from the careers of designers, stylists and make-up artists. A sharp vision outlining the last 20 years in fashion.
I only had to briefly consider the remarkable range of historical trophies. I knew immediately where my money would go if I had a flood of it: Katie Shillingford’s blue/grey wig and Jefferson Hack’s Andy Warhol’s “Index”. The first because I’m fascinated by the beautiful stylist’s inspiring hair adventures and the book because it was the first one to be mass-produced and represents a poignant piece in the artist’s career. I actually genuinely wish I could own this cult book. It’s an indisputable masterpiece. It takes the appearance of a children’s book but addresses adults. There’s a pop-up castle, fold-out accordion, pop-up airplane, Chelsea Girls disc, a paper sculpture attached to the book with a string, Lou Reed record, a fold-out sheet with nose and overlays, a pop-up Hunt's Tomato Paste can, a tear-out warm water sheet and a balloon that is stuck between two pages. An extraordinary revelation for a fan of pop art like myself. A gem to be treasured forever.

All pictures courtesy of Dazed&Confused

Stolen Girlfriends Club

2011-11-24T08:38:00.000-08:00

I can’t exactly remember how I came across New-Zealand ‘s Stolen Girlfriends Club but it felt like I had uncovered a buried treasure that had been hidden for many years, which of course it was not! I’m probably the principal offender, much to my own shame. I had heard of the brand and seen a few glorious pieces on Gnarlitude but never bothered to seek it out actively. A couple of days ago my attention was directed to their website and all the collections finally emerged into the light. Needless to say, I was sold: the proportions of the clothes, versatility, prints, colours, attention to details and shoes form an overall effect which completely fits in with my sense of aesthetics. Pieces that are easy to wear but all infused with a scent of rock n’roll cool. It’s subtle but definitely there, floating amidst everything created by the three boys behind the brand.
In conclusion, the wisdom of experience shows that I should immediately research anything I find interesting or attractive. In this instance, I might have discovered the label somewhat sooner… Hahaha.
I leave you with some of my favourite looks.

All images courtesy of Stolen Girlfriends Club

Spirit of a place

2011-11-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

Pictures taken recently in London and Henley on Thames.
The sheer delight of a misty morning, a memorable sunset, empty countryside roads, roaming the neighbourhood late afternoon and a celebration of trees.
Fragments of my life!
Hope you enjoy them ♡

Brics love

2011-11-04T05:53:00.000-07:00

The best moments when you’re doing research is when you encounter a brand that completely absorbs you. Well, all I can say is that when I first set eyes on the Brics lookbook I felt like I was looking at a hypnotically enthralling game of images. The clothes are, in my view, part of this year’s fashion highlights! They’re a real aesthetic achievement. Wearable, simple, subtle, playful in that you can do so much with them and assembled with great skill. One thing is clear: the true purpose of the brand is to go back to fundamentals and maybe to outlast current trends. It’s not trying to revolutionise the world of fashion. It’s more about feeling comfortable and not overstyled while still looking incredibly modern. The coats evoke eighties Kenzo and images of the past. Needless to say, I love all of it!
Oh, and an exchange of emails with the brand’s PR revealed that the Anywho girls are behind this exhilarating adventure. I admit that I greeted this piece of information with surprise but the result of their hard work is incredible.

All images courtesy of Brics

Cédric Rivrain

2011-11-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

At some point this week I will pre-order Cédric Rivrain’s first book. Since a chance “encounter” with one of his illustrations a few years ago I haven’t stopped admiring his work. Such flawlessly detailed visual fashion narratives are not frequently encountered. It would be ridiculous for me to try and judge them subjectively because I am so in love with Rivrain’s style but I genuinely believe that he will dazzle and surprise us for many years to come. You don’t need to educate your eyes or learn to look at art to find immediate beauty and poetry in his pieces. He is simply a wonderful and interesting artist. His originality comes from the use of unusual materials such as nail varnish or eye shadow, his almost fanatical precision, the delicate and subtle colour palette, his clarity of line and the occasional hint of subversive humour. As a result his drawings are remarkably fresh and intriguing!

You can pre-order the book here

All images courtesy of Cédric Rivrain, collage by July Stars

July Stars in H&M lifestyle magazine

2011-11-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

Merci Sabrina! ♡

Ramdane Touhami

2011-10-31T14:04:00.001-07:00

I’ve known Ramdane Touhami for many years. 18 to be exact. He reminds me of a wicked and sometimes unmerciful creature with inexplicable energy. Always interesting, fiercely intelligent, scandalous (his stories are more eventful than a Stieg Larsson book minus the murders and violence), controversial and highly entertaining, with a finely tuned sense of style, he was quick to impose his ideas from the South of France to Paris and now to an international public. His career has involved a skatewear brand, a concept store, the creative direction of Liberty’s menswear department, the relaunch of Cire Trudon, a restaurant in Tangiers called L’Africain, a shoe line, and two clothing lines: R.T and Resistance. A brilliant mash-up of ventures which he compellingly uses to capture our curiosity, communicate the extraordinarily vibrant visual and philosophical theories that inhabit his brain and influence us.

He recently turned his attention to filmmaking and this morning revealed a short film to mark the opening of his first New York store. It moves to the rhythm of a thriller/horror film but is of a completely different nature. And at this point I’ll admit that it’s hard to accurately pinpoint its genre. With $500 he orchestrated this fictional little journey into the world of several New York kids (including Lola Schnabel, Melo-X and Ramdane himself which may come across as a somewhat narcissistic acting debut but is more about his sense of humour). It starts with a rather goofy plot which leaves you wondering where it is heading, several characters talking about Africa in a bizarre image/dialogue juxtaposition, drugs, Africa orientated hallucinations and mysterious malign energies. In the closing minutes the tension magically escalates and pushes the drama even further. But what this film does best of all is bring on stage the beautiful clothes he designed and will sell exclusively in his New York store. All the ritual of theatre, movement, voices and sounds serve one fundamental purpose: to showcase his collection.The pieces are incredible and of exceptional quality. The pyjama shirt with its wild animal print is just delicious and immediately caught my eye. I will post a picture of it on the blog soon!

But see for yourself.

Watch the film here or head to 64 Kenmare Street.

Film courtesy of Ramdane Touhami

THE FORREST .. from ramdane@ramdane.com on Vimeo.

Best Company by Olmes Carretti

2011-10-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to find this Best Company ad in one of Mat's old Interview magazines. The brand had a legion of fans in my school and as a kid I cherished the one sweatshirt I acquired from La Maison Moderne in Luxembourg, where I lived. I used to love Paninaro boys, Fiorucci, Invicta, Timberland and Burlington socks.
The iconic paisley print of this Best Company sweatshirt is so attractive. I would wear it immediately!
Paisley is definitely experiencing a revival. Isn't it funny how fashion is resisting evolution?
Not that it bothers me to see versions of past styles revised or expressed in a slightly different language. A new interpretation can be eye-catching and frequently better than the original.

Photo: Interview magazine April 1988

Through the looking glass

2011-09-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

I’ve been wearing contact lenses since the age of 14 and for as long as I can remember I’ve managed to ignore glasses. Yes, even when they were being sold in their hundreds by American Apparel to kids wanting to achieve that phony hipster look. Oversized glasses with no lens? Could it get any worse? Unfortunately, the mother of all battles is about to take place. I’ve been getting the most painful and uncomfortable eye aches for the past year. I got away with it for a while but it’s now happening more frequently. To the extent that I have to abandon whatever I’m doing at the time, take my lenses out, put some drops in and sit in complete darkness until it passes. I’ve seen a specialist and circumstances dictate that I wear glasses at least once a week (preferably twice) to give my eyes a chance to rest and re-oxygenate themselves. Laser eye surgery frightens me so there’s only one option left. And that’s a disaster. Only a few weeks ago I was talking to a friend about how I hate wearing glasses. I tried to explain that I think all frames look bizarre on me, that I don’t feel like myself, I would need a new style, I wouldn’t be able to wear all my jewellery like I do now (5 rings, 2 necklaces, a big watch and several bracelets), I would have to try and look more feminine. The detailed list goes on. My outburst was followed by an awkward pause and laughter. She clearly thought I was hilarious. Eyesight is my enemy. Without lenses or glasses I can hardly see anything! Naturally, now that I need to seriously envisage wearing glasses on a weekly basis, I’ve scoured the web for hours in search of frames and inspiration. I remain unconvinced. I look crap wearing glasses (what a brilliant turn of phrase)! But the pressure’s on. Between looking less than delightful aesthetically speaking and suffering, I can definitely tell you which one is worse. Yes, I’ll have to endorse looking shit! So, I’m now enlisting your help. Sabrina recommends Prism (and she looks damn cute wearing them) and Fred advocates the Iris Apfel style (he wears it very well but he's a boy. Boys can get away with anything). What do you think? I’ve looked at a variety of brands and so far only three appeal: Prism, Oliver Peoples and Moscot.
Let’s hope that a nice pair of glasses will make the experience less dreadful and a little bit more pleasurable. Oh, how I resent having such bad eyesight…

Photos courtesy of Prism and The Fashion Spot, collage by July Stars

Sally

2011-08-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

A slightly mystical picture I took of Sally standing in the doorway of a beautiful old church in Normandy. I'm ashamed to say that I've only got a vague sense of French history so I couldn't tell you about its past. All I know is that the 90 something year old lady it belongs to was an unexpected apparition that day and her richly coloured stories about the war were compelling. An extraordinary woman with scattered nuggets of historical gold!
Sally shares my passion for vintage hand-embroidered Mexican dresses. Between the two of us we have an extensive collection consisting of original pieces (as opposed to the sometimes unforgivably hideous copies I saw in the high street this summer)...

David Szeto

2011-08-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

I've recently been invited to write an article about fashion and sentimentality.
As months and even years go by I've realised that I feel quite comfortable tenderly evoking clothes I've owned in the past or still wear today. It might seem like a repugnant idea to certain people but there it is ... Even fashion can inspire love and has stories to tell.
This David Szeto scarf is an essential and precious ingredient in my wardrobe. I could write movingly about it and maybe I will in a different post (right now I need to get my arse out of the house and to a pilates class).

Here's a post I wrote a while back about the amazing David Szeto.

Picture: July Stars (Quincy, my scarf and a few old copies of Self Service)

Cat perfection

2011-08-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes ignorance is bliss. I saw this silk Undercover jacket for the first time on the Honeyee website which, as it turns out, I only discovered because my lovely friend Tommy blogs there. The sheer magic of the embroidered cat mysteriously surrounded by grapes and a skull head makes me think of an old fairy tale. The minute I set eyes on this piece I knew I was in trouble. It has a cat, it’s Japanese and it’s a little bit odd. I will never own it (the price gives me a terrible headache) but I will continue to celebrate its beauty!

Pictures courtesy of Honeyee, collage by July Stars

1984

2011-08-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

People sometimes ask me why I buy so many old books. My reply is always the same: I love the chaotic mishmash of second-hand bookshops, the element of surprise and excitement when you find a novel you like with a beautifully illustrated jacket cover. It's simple. There's nothing actually wrong with books purchased from giant chains (where else would you acquire the latest releases) but publications from the 30s up to the late 70s are like an alternative universe in terms of front covers. Frequently intriguing and interesting masterpieces. A strength lacking and neglected today. My husband has the same infectious habit but he collects records for their sleeves. Double vision!
I found this 1st edition copy of George Orwell's 1984 last week in East Finchley and couldn't help but grin when I saw the cover. The "Anti-Sex League" badge is amazing and the girl wearing it reminds me of a sexier version of Lix Storm in the TV series "The Hour".

Full Frontal Fashion

2011-08-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

The exceptional and beautiful writer Indigo Clarke asked me a few questions for her Full Frontal Fashion column. Here's the result!

France

2011-08-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

Remember when summers in London were sunny and warm? No? I don't either. I'm fast becoming fanatically anti-UK. A momentary feeling which will disappear at some stage but at the moment the constant rain is enough ground to complain. And I refuse to budge on this. I will continue to lament the lack of sun until everyone is back at work. You won't deny me this pleasure! I've also developed an Instagram phobia: I do not want to see photos of friends looking like beautiful creatures, unsurprisingly healthy and tanned, enjoying glorious countryside sceneries for two months. In an attempt to attenuate my obsession with getting away, I thought I'd show you significant traces of my week in Normandie with Mat, Sally and Fred. Yeah, that doesn't work. I'm finding myself wishing I was back there. Now.

Miu Miu love

2011-08-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

Miu Miu wins my vote yet again. I just watched the second instalment of the brand’s Women’s Tales film series and feel slightly disorientated. In a Felliniesque way. The Argentinian director, Lucrecia Martel, has created a powerful fictional meeting between fashion, beauty and slightly dark surrealism with great gusto. Images of wonderful alien like creatures wearing exquisite Miu Miu dresses and shoes move around a boat in a dramatic and bizarre way, occasionally standing motionless like classical pillars. Snatched glimpses of a male hand trying to get on board or a silent woman sitting in a wooden safety boat floating on the ship’s swimming pool constitute unsettling elements waiting to be decoded.
In these days of growing concern at the methods of attracting the masses, it is amazing to find that some fashion designers will still encourage complete creativity.
I found this film absorbing and ambitious. I absolutely love it. What do you think?

Olympia Le-Tan, toujours et encore

2011-08-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my birthday on the 14th of July and here’s one the most delightful presents I received. An Olympia Le-Tan bag. My sister had to devote several days to track one down making this surprise even more special. A double thrill!
You’ll forgive me, I hope, for coming back so soon to the subject of Olympia Le-Tan (see my post dated 5th July) but as you may have figured out, I’m obsessed with her timeless and uniquely modern book clutches. As far as I’m concerned, the girl is amazing: literature and fashion. A highly seductive combination.

I took this picture of my bag in Cassis, South of France.

Ellen Nolan

2011-08-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, I’ve probably managed to alienate some of my readers with my passion for David Hamilton but look, I don’t find his photography shocking. Not even the piquant teen nudes. I think he genuinely has managed to achieve a sort of exquisite and poetic timelessness, a style that has become instantly recognisable. His images and techniques continue to have potency today. I confess to not liking many of his copycat groupies but there is one person who successfully and credibly embraced his approach. I’ve kept this Ellen Nolan fashion shoot in a drawer for a couple of years and it’s a miracle I even came across it since I never buy the Telegraph! I was surprised. Her pictures had an immediate effect on me. They seem to be driven by piercing observation and a sure understanding of Hamilton’s pieces. Beautiful.

I wonder if David Hamilton will one day be acknowledged for the remarkable artist that he is… He’s a familiar figure in my life but deserves to be lingered over by everyone.

Photos courtesy of Ellen Nolan

Normandy

2011-08-13T05:01:00.000-07:00

Silly times on the beach in Cabourg with Sally.
I've been back in London for two weeks and my holiday in France seems like a distant illusion.
The next few posts will be a celebration of cloudless summer skies and a love poem to the sun!

Contax love

2011-07-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

A picture I recently took of Mat on the Heath. A haze of beauty and summer days.

Olympia Le-Tan, a charming muse

2011-07-05T02:00:00.000-07:00

Olympia Le-Tan, a modern day Betty Page lookalike, has been making waves in the fashion industry with her immense appetite for the art of literature (dust jackets), fervour for more traditional handmade techniques and her allusions to the fifties housewife. It is no wonder that in her work I have found my land of promise (if you read this blog on a regular basis or follow me on Twitter/Instagram, you will already know that I own a huge repertoire of books amassed for the appeal and charm of their cover designs). She has invented her own very personal fashion language and imagery. Her collections are small, intensely beautiful, brilliantly focused and evocative of different times. She has not only examined the relationship between literature and fashion but also closed the bridge with her piercing observations and understanding of pictorial designs. The symbiosis of the two is delightful. Every single one of her bags and minaudières is a wonderfully constructed surreal treasure, equally elegant at home on display or in your hands going out! Her creative curiosity undiminished, she is now turning her attention to hair accessories and has made all the characters in the Spike Jonze film ‘Mourir auprès de toi’. The delightful strand of playfulness which is reflected in her creations also markedly comes across in her tumblr, the Olympia Press: it’s a cascade of inspiring elements ranging from cats (including Fritz), work in progress, her obsession with the House of Ghibli, amazing Pierre Le-Tan drawings, good music and fun personal pictures. She has me completely under her spell and needless to say I have a burning desire to acquire one of her bags (it's my birthday on the 14th of July, I might have to splash out).

I asked her a few questions for the blog and I’m thrilled that she agreed to answer them!

All pictures courtesy of Olympia Le-Tan, collage July Stars

Where did you grow up and which art school in Paris did you attend?
I grew up in Paris in the 2nd arrondissement. I went to an art school called L’Atelier Clouet. The teachers were mean and awful and I think it closed down. I got a job after a year there so I stopped studying quite soon.

Do you feel that your father helped you develop your creative spirit?
Definitely, yes. Growing up surrounded by beautiful things was very inspiring.

Is your mum also an artist?
No, a housewife, an ex-housewife now.

I’ve read somewhere that you are half French and half English, is that true?
My mother is English and my father is French and Vietnamese.

Who are your favourite artists?
My father, my grand-father was a great Vietnamese painter too. I love Man Ray, De Chirico, the Surrealists in general. I also love Ed Ruscha’s drawings, Edward Gorey and Robert Crumb.

Do you have a favourite author?
Roald Dahl

Favourite music?
Anything produced by Phil Spector, The Smiths, Kate Bush and The Kinks.

Your vision and medium is a combination of art and fashion. In your opinion, which deserves a wider appreciation?
I like the fact that fashion people, art people and literary people can appreciate my work. It was just meant to be fashion at first but I am really happy about the way it has evolved into these other worlds too.

Your bags are beautiful and fascinating celebrations of books and more particularly the art of book covers. Did you ever think that such an unexpected and beguiling fusion of fashion and literature would be so hugely successful?
Not at all. It was supposed to be a “one off” thing!

Do you see yourself as a fashion girl or an artist?
I think I am a fashion girl but would be extremely flattered if people see me as an artist.

You seem to maintain a close relationship with techniques that cannot be mass-produced. Are you taking refuge from the modern world?
I’ve always taken refuge from the modern world. I am very old fashioned and quite a nostalgic person. I think I was meant to live in the 50s.

How many people work in your studio and what is your approach to fabrication and finishing? Do you oversee every single creation yourself?
I have 2 people working here full time and sometimes up to 5 people. I am a bit of a control freak, so yes, I oversee EVERY SINGLE creation myself.

What do you see yourself doing in ten years time and what do you hope for the future?
I hope to have a family with lots of children! I’ll make little clothes for them and embroider their initials on all their possessions.

Contax love

2011-07-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Recent pictures taken around my North London neighbourhood.
I'm quite happy with the unsubtle vibrant colours. More rolls to be developed soon.

If you live in London and are in need of aesthetic nourishment go to the Murakami show at the Gagosian and Marcel Van Eeden at Sprüth Magers. Thoroughly enjoyable. Two completely different artists but both extraordinary and unsparing in their observations of modern life.

Richard Phillips

2011-06-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hundreds of blogs have already talked about the two Richard Phillips mini films released recently at the Venice Biennale and presented by the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture. Some viewers claim to find these shorts nauseating while others, like me, savoured the images of beautiful, lonely, insecure and uneasy creatures (Lindsay Lohan and Sasha Grey) awake in their own dreams. Meticulously created, they tell the story of the sordid intensity of Hollywood, its dangerously tempting edge and emotionally decaying girls. The failed actress/singer/fashion designer and the porn star longing to find a pattern to life, to make sense of the nature of their existence in the LA bubble. Both shorts bear a close relationship with classical paintings and frequently refer to iconic film moments. They’re not glazed with sentimentality or romanticized and the unusual nature of the pieces is exactly what makes them compelling, fascinating and haunting. The silent narrative is issue-driven and talks about how contemporary culture pollutes successful characters heartlessly. Bleak but also incredibly beautiful, I thought these two short films were powerful responses to today’s faintly chilling fame machine. With this first foray into the world of cinematography and heightened realism, Richard Phillips hovers between pure painterly form and traditional moving image. Inspired.

Video courtesy of the Gagosian Gallery

Jun Ropé

2011-06-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

It’s a risky thing to say, but I sometimes find today’s fashion industry tedious. On the whole, history is a reliable source and learned guide to contemporary trends. Don’t get me wrong, I have much enthusiasm and solid admiration for various current designers but so many others appear to be very good at relying on the past for inspiration. Maybe my grasp of fashion is stereotyped but the impact of previous movements repeatedly springs to life in collections, hardly encouraging a true contemplation of the future. There is so much aesthetic nourishment to be found in the past and we don’t need to have detailed specialist knowledge of the period in which the clothes were made to appreciate their beauty. All you need is an open and receptive eye! Looking at old magazines, videos, films or books is a fun and engaging activity, which will give you swift access to the reality of today’s fashion. In this spirit, I feel impelled to show you these Jun Ropé videos. The Japanese brand was launched in 1968 and collaborated with Richard Avedon and Serge Lutens to create wonderful commercials. I hope you’ll find them as thrilling as I do. They are timelessly inventive! And if you like deconstructing modern fashion and building a repertoire of ideas borrowed from the past, make sure to look at this incredible blog (which I’m sure I’ve mentioned here before).

Contax love

2011-06-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

I've clearly become infatuated with my Contax. Five rolls developed last week.
Walking around London with a camera involves looking at surrounding fragments of every day life differently.
I like the oddly beguiling atmosphere of this skate park. Hope you enjoy these little scenes.

On another note: I wish I could remember what film I used!

Natalie Born

2011-05-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Some years ago now I met a Swiss-Armenian girl who quickly became one of my closest friends in London.
Her irresistible enthusiasm, thirst for fashion knowledge and individualistic approach to clothes are the first things that attracted me to her (although I should point out that she can also bring the house down with her childish sense of humour, late night dance sessions in my hallway and incredible culinary skills).
Her real capabilities and expertise lie in tailoring, design and illustration. For a long time she focused on her own brand but later became a teacher at the celebrated St Martins School of Art.
Yesterday, she quickly sketched a drawing which brought me immeasurable happiness! I instantly fell in love and thought I'd share it with you. Visual excitement...
You should also read her blog. It reminds me of a small inventory punctuated with many lovely things, including some of her exquisite illustrations. A generous selection of extracts from her own journal.

Ginza Magazine

2011-05-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to have been featured in the June issue of the incredibly popular and wonderful Ginza magazine.
As a huge fan of all things Japanese (notably fashion and food), it's pretty safe to say that this was a somewhat overwhelming opportunity and this issue was most eagerly anticipated!
There's no ignoring the fact that I don't understand a word of what is said in the article but it doesn't matter. I just feel privileged to have one entire page dedicated to the blog...
Thank you Natsumi

Katie Grand

2011-05-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

Wi-Fi is wrecking my mini breaks in the countryside. I recently stayed two nights at Cliveden House, location of the legendary Profumo affair, and spent a disproportionate amount of time on the Internet while thunder and rain battled each other outside. The weather had dampened my enthusiasm for a long walk in the extensive and magnificent grounds and instead I found myself lying on the sofa of our living room (we had generously been upgraded to a suite) engrossed in the new Katie Grand website. She is best known for her work at Dazed, The Face, Pop and Love but her reputation as a creative genius has been considerably enhanced by her collaborations with Bottega, Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs. The site is simple, fun, with lots of singular and entertaining details (animated hearts, coloured bubbles etc) but its main attraction is that it claims to present almost everything Katie Grand has ever worked on! A vast enterprise.
If you’re hungry for some magical imagery, uninitiated to her world and haven’t yet discovered the website, go here.
Gratuitous visual indulgence…

Image courtesy of Katie Grand for Self-Service.

Crystal Lee

2011-05-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

It used to madden me when I couldn’t update the blog as regularly as I would like and I frequently wished that I could swing the July Stars machine into action every day. My little book of ideas and things I want to talk about here is constantly growing but I’ve realised that whingeing will come to nothing. I have to point out that I have a day job. Despite my devotion to writing about fashion and photography it does not pay the bills! There are not enough hours in the day to both work and focus on the blog. I’ve simply been defeated. The heady early years are over and I’ve come to the conclusion that I have to radically reformat July Stars if I’m planning on continuing this little project without feeling the frustration and distance mount. I’ve reassessed my whole approach and the first option under consideration is to create a sort of diary: more visuals, short updates and the usual writing whenever possible. I think it’s the right choice and hope it won’t be an unpopular proposition.
In the last year I’ve been completely caught up in the atmosphere and stylistic choices made by Crystal Lee, a fascinating 31 year old girl from South California. I’ve genuinely thought about keeping her blog a secret because I enjoy it so much and regard it as my own personal source of inspiration but that would be terribly selfish of me! She’s an oddity among a sea of dull “style” endeavours. It’s extraordinarily difficult to find someone who can really play with clothes the way she does. The difference between her and the infinite number of other blogs showcasing clothes is that she’s equipped with a deep understanding of fashion history and is rescuing from the penumbra amazing vintage pieces with love and affection. Her posts are like collections of treasures with ample helpings of nostalgia. She definitely exercises a pulling power over me with her committed interest in vintage clothing, her efforts into showing us the underlying essence of California through her pictures, her sense of humour, her exquisite beauty and her regular dispatches. She’s been a resident of LA for 10 years now but distinguishes herself from the local clichés with her strong personality and individuality. And if she admits to sometimes following the language of shoots or runway shows she will only do it if it facilitates her own natural aesthetics. She’s clearly a no-nonsense kind of gal and I love her even more for it. I’m sure that one day she will achieve her dream of opening a vintage shop and will pack it with a captivating selection of fine pieces mixed with 80s skate and surf brands (Vision Street Wear is a brand which merits our attention in her opinion and I would have to completely agree with that)! In the meantime, I would urge you to visit her blog and enjoy it in all its glory!

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Contax love

2011-03-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

The joys of using my Contax with a black and white film.
Exploring the streets of London and my regular haunts.

LNCC love

2011-03-29T06:01:00.000-07:00

It has taken me one whole year to finally take a tour of the LNCC in Dalston. I live in North London and despite having a car I tend to inadvertently neglect certain areas because they simply are so far away from my own hood. Not much of an argument, I know. But since I had a meeting on Saturday afternoon in the East End I decided that a visit was imperative. This is how I found myself in the shabby urban hinterland, magical kingdom of unbearable hipsters, where broken glass frequently crunches underfoot and fly-tipped junk is part of the picture (I’m slightly exaggerating of course for poetic purposes - haha). I do find great beauty in the jagged ugliness of places on the edge (except for Harlesden where I lived for 10 months and I still won’t celebrate the burnt out cars, boarded up houses and crack dealers). The Late Night Chameleon Café occupies a peculiar position, inexplicably concealed in the enormous basement of a grey industrial looking building, opposite a police station and a dusty carpet shop that didn’t seem to be attracting many customers. Having visited their brilliant website on a regular basis I knew this was going to be a very satisfactory moment. I confess I had been wondering how the fascinating concept devised by the creating team would be interpreted in “real” life as opposed to the virtual platform and expected to maybe find a shift in emphasis. The minute I rang the doorbell and entered the space I was overcome by the intensely vivid and thrilling Gary Card displays. It felt like I was suddenly immersed into a mysteriously enticing world lost somewhere between Blade Runner and Dungeons & Dragons. If the resolve of John Skelton and Dan Mitchell is to make retail and storytelling be appreciated side by side then all I can say is that they have succeeded. LNCC is simply genius! From the imaginative boldness of the interiors (three rooms dedicated to clothes and accessories, one to music and books, one used as a party room/changing rooms in the spirit of pleasure and a long futuristic looking tunnel) to the astonishingly informed knowledge reflected in the selection of pieces. I can’t begin to tell you the excitement I felt when I saw so many damned beautiful clothes in one place: Wacko Maria, G.V.G.V, Damir Doma, Ann Demeulemeester, Sasquatchfabrix, Marsell, Haider Ackermann, Preen, Rick Owens among many other wonderful brands. It was difficult to be on good behaviour and not spend all my money. And while certain “exclusive” shops may acquire a reputation for employing irritating, critical, pushy and snobby staff members I can safely say that LNCC does the complete opposite. Dan and Charlotte were a constant source of enchantment, elegance and friendliness. Like all great retails spaces, the LNCC defies easy categorization and has emerged as one of the most exciting fashion adventures London (and possibly Europe) has to offer, leading the way for an entire new genre of shopping, whether it be online or not. I left feeling a mixture of awe and admiration thinking that the LNCC will never quite be equalled, let alone surpassed.

All pictures courtesy of LNCC, collage by July Stars

The Observer's O:Man supplement

2011-03-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

Peter Lyle, the editor of O: (The Observer's fashion supplement), recently asked me to present a small illustrated selection of my "menswear" influences for issue No. 23. I feel immeasurably lucky to have been given the opportunity to contribute. O: is a highly informative and exquisitely curated publication bringing together a great blend of shoots and contrastingly intriguing portraits. In this issue alone there are glimpses into the rich and stimulating worlds of Margaret Howell, Werner Herzog and Dan Lepard as well as a shoot set in the house of the immensely entertaining and mysterious James Goldstein! Here's my page. Hope you'll enjoy it...
Huge thank you to Peter Lyle and Caroline Issa

Photo and scan: July Stars

Hermès

2011-03-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

I haven’t written anything here for a little while because the words have refused to appear. Not for lack of inspiration or enthusiasm but because it feels misguided thinking about fashion or photography while the death toll in Japan is already well into the thousands. It’s heartbreaking. Many of my favourite brands are Japanese (45rpm, Wacko Maria, Journal Standard Luxe) and my Twitter feed has been exploding with continuous information from the Tokyo based creatives I follow. While the rest of the world has succumbed to hysteria and morbid anticipation, their calm, sense of perspective and self-preservation fills me with admiration.

Tonight, despite the emotional awareness of recent world events, I thought I should go back to writing about what I love even if the task may seem daunting right now. Maybe the light-hearted theatre of clothes can continue to be a source of enjoyment and provide entertainment.
I don’t, as a rule, talk much about fashion weeks. Those shows are immediately dissected by thousands of blogs or journalists and are steaming-hot for about ten minutes. I prefer to engage fully in the experience once it’s over and everyone’s already thinking about the next season. It is a somewhat difficult exercise when you are assailed everywhere by live information. However, I find that you can offer a more honest assessment if you can look at the shows with a fresh mind at a later date.
Christophe Lemaire’s first collection at Hermès was unveiled during Paris fashion week and it’s impossible for me not to mention it. It is probably one of the greatest transformations of the season. What has actually happened is that Lemaire has taken the familiar heritage trademark of Hermès and confidently injected cultish eighties/sportswear elements to create exciting and phenomenally beautiful clothes. I fell in love. I couldn’t conceal my delight when I saw the colours, sophisticated soft leathers, loose cashmere, relaxed tunics, coats and jackets reminiscent of tribal costumes, the ecclesiastical hoods, the skinny black leather trousers, the boots and accessories. And all of it combined with the fastidious luxury and elegance of the house. I have to admit that I was thrilled by the result and hope that Christophe Lemaire will continue to triumph at Hermès for many years to come!

All pictures courtesy of Hermès, collage by July Stars

London Fashion Week

2011-03-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

I took these pictures for Style.com during London Fashion Week.
Marios Schwab, Holly Fulton, Christopher Raeburn and Richard Nicoll

Thierry Mugler Autumn/Winter 2011

2011-03-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

The start of Paris fashion week and a few words about the Mugler show. Formichetti clearly raced through the brand’s history and gained a huge head start by adhering to a profound Mugler conservatism. He has embraced the universally acknowledged Mugler trademarks: architectural, structural, powerful and exaggerated shapes to suggest the existence of a provoking superwoman. Presumably dictated by hours spent looking at the archives, Formichetti and Sébastien Peigné’s collection doesn’t innovate. It simply offered an enthusiastic concoction of PVC, stretch, rubber, fur jackets, transparent fabrics, leather. All fairly representative of the brand. The colour range was restricted to mostly black, white, pale pink and blue. The cultural heritage of Thierry Mugler has been preserved. But something strange happened while I was watching the show. I realised that despite the incredible theatricality, the poetic confusion that reigned on the catwalk, the staged debauchery, the religious undertone and the appearance of Lady Gaga (a play-acting royal vision surrounded by her court) I didn’t like the clothes. No matter how much I tried. The show was absorbing and I’ll admit that I found it incredibly entertaining. A pleasing association of “Paris is Burning” and George Michael’s “Too funky”. But what about the clothes? Should they not be more rewarding than the actual show? Is anyone actually paying attention to the clothes or has fashion just become mass entertainment? I would like to treasure memories of the styles and pieces worn on the catwalk instead of wondering about the prodigality of a theatrical experience.

Photo courtesy of Nicola Formichetti

Paris love

2011-02-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

Two more pictures I took a few months ago in Paris!

Rubypaper

2011-02-14T05:06:00.000-08:00

I’m obsessive about fashion magazines. Old and new, mainstream or excruciatingly difficult to acquire. It’s always been part of my own personal culture. Just think of the pictures of a great photographer, the style of a legendary designer, the beauty, poetry and escapism. Buy it and marvel. I go for the crowd-pleaser like Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Rushh, Jalouse with its unashamed popularism but I also adore the more carefully curated and very different fashion publications like Self Service, Grey, The Gentlewoman, Encens, I love you, Double, Man about town, Lula, 10, Another, Muse, Pop. Then there are the rare and threatened species found on ebay or abroad. I have a huge collection of very old Interview magazines, Zoom and the occasional LUI. I know the look of horror on people’s faces when I announce that fashion is an exceptional breadth of culture but I never doubt that the knowledge is there and has great value. Shoots that are like meditations on nature, the human condition or the future, almost like a quest or inner journey. Fashion, models, makeup artists, hair stylists and photographers joining forces to create remembrances of things past and gone, images that expand into examinations of what will come tomorrow, the sacred, cultures from around the world. People forget that fashion is an unlikely but extraordinary reflection of history.
In the run-up to London fashion week I thought I would introduce you to my latest discovery: RubyPaper. A Japanese magazine which juxtaposes fashion and art in a carefully curated way. The first issue is like a wonderfully spontaneous trip into the creative and curious landscape of Japanese fashion. It is immensely refreshing and a fashion triumph. Since I have no knowledge of the Japanese language I had to rely on the imagery to seduce me. It simply fascinated me. Magical. I cannot wait for the next issue to come out. Click here for a list of stockists.
Thank you Mayu for sending me issue 1!

Last week the Fashion Telegraph published a Top 50 list of fashion insiders on Twitter and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself at No. 26! The list became the subject of a debate both in conversation and on Twitter but all I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who follows me. It made by day!

All images and video courtesy of RubyPaper

♡

2011-01-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

Paris in January and the joys of walking around an almost empty city at night (I find it energetic and revitalising)!
Pictures of the Palais de Tokyo, one of my favourite buildings, bathed in a strange light.

I took these before before becoming obsessed with my first film camera, a Contax G2.

Self Service

2011-01-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

I've been a real fan of Self Service for years and there's little doubt in my mind that it is one of the best publications available today. There are still no equivalents and no magazines can rival in terms of content. It is brilliantly produced, offers vivid and often unique fashion photography, interesting texts and fascinating interviews with some of the greatest players in the industry.
Obviously, being asked to submit a picture depicting my new year for its blog was a surreal experience!

Here it is and thank you Claire

David Szeto

2011-01-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

After three weeks immersed in Paris life I am back in London.
I’ve been thinking about how a certain kind of modern minimalism must be the key trend at the moment in fashion because almost everything I’ve seen in shops seems to abide by the rules of that much debated craze. There is no standard aesthetic when it comes to this genre. Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, Francisco Costa at Calvin Klein, Phoebe Philo at Céline, Alexander Wang, Prada in the nineties, ACNE etc all adopted a minimalist vision at one point in their career. Inevitably, the high street has come under this influence with COS leading the way.
But for me the current master of the genre is the Brussels based David Szeto, a fascinating Canadian fashion designer who is extremely talented, admired but also enigmatic. He could be described as a kind of Martin Margiela character. I’m not sure whether he’s voluntarily reluctant to be in the fashion public eye but search the Internet all you like and you'll find that interviews or pictures of the man himself are rare. This in some ways is illuminating when you look at his collections. He views fashion through the lens of an “outsider” and his reality is far removed from the sometimes far too exotic or farcical trends churned out by designers every season. Stepping into his world is like entering a wonderland of clothes with a strong identity. His pieces are made for the tribes of modern and cool girls with messy hair. They’re highly desirable and reflect a youthful sensibility which plays with notions of quiet sophistication, sportswear chic combined with classic, loose and clean lines. The spotlight tends to be on colour, prints and skilful draping but everything is easy to wear and versatile. The more I look at his collections, the more I am entranced. There is no question that he is one of the most brilliant current designers.
Oh, and his website is quite possibly one of the best “fashion” platforms I’ve visited. The interaction between the space, movement, clothes, imagery and music is amazing. It’s a thrilling experience. David Szeto has welcomed the more commercial elements of modern technology and it’s clear that he has perfectly understood the rapidly changing nature of the fashion business. The launch of his site in late 2010 was well-timed. Like SHOWstudio.com he is presenting the future of fashion and digital media.
Here’s a man who has taken a risk by staying away from the fashion scene but embraced the challenge in a very elegant way. The result? Success.
In the meantime, I continue to lament the loss of my perfect abstract blue and red David Szeto silk scarf. I lost it before Christmas at the Mayfair cinema never to find it again...

All images courtesy of David Szeto

Paris

2010-12-28T10:41:00.000-08:00

Mat made this little film one evening.
The hauntingly beautiful view from our bedroom window.
I'm tempted to stay here forever.

Music by Vangelis

Andrew Bunney

2010-12-15T14:45:00.000-08:00

Part of the pleasure of having a blog is that it exposes you to new people, excites interest and conversation and occasionally liberates you completely! I very rarely accept invitations to spend time with other bloggers (strange fear of being disappointed by the differences between fact and the distortions of fiction) but meeting Tommy and her husband Andrew was a social adventure I will absolutely never regret. An experience which proved that you could meet ridiculously inspiring, talented, charming and generous individuals who will become friends for many years to come. Andrew is the face behind Bunney, an extraordinary men’s jewellery line worn by both girls and boys. I fell in love with this collection for many reasons. The almost “monastic” simplicity combined with a very modern identity seduced me instantly but I also admire Andrew’s desire to furiously defend traditions and skills from another age. Like an obsessive scholar, his pieces are the result of years of research and the ambitious plan to preserve the “Made in England” heritage. He honours his country’s special place in the world of fashion and provokes by making us think about the sense of passing time when it comes to quality and workmanship. I hope that his line marks the beginning of a change in our fashion culture, with increased emphasis on superior craftsmanship, far removed from the money-driven nature of big fashion chains and the bad press some established designers are getting about the quality of their clothes. In a world of undisputed conspicuous consumption, it is refreshing to come across someone like Andrew who creates exquisite luxury pieces imbued with a spirit of understated elegance.

I asked him to pause and reflect on certain questions. Here are the answers.

His pieces are available from Dover Street Market and Colette
Read his blog here

What did you study at university and how did your professional life start?
I think I went about it in reverse! I liked acting as a teenager and did quite a lot of plays, and wanted to study film at university. By college, I had grown disenfranchised with acting and theatre, so film had lost the appeal. Taking a year out, I started working for a couple of skate shops, buying the clothing and shoes. Despite always being interested in clothing, it had never occurred to me that it could be a career. I was very much inspired by brands like Helmut Lang at the time, although I always liked the independent skate spirit. I ended up moving to NYC and worked for a Japanese company buying vintage clothing. Items were then sorted through and some went to Tokyo, while others remained in the US. I was sent over to Tokyo to work out there for the company for a while, and by then I knew that I wanted to make rather than buy. I came back to the UK, and went back to college to get a degree and learn how to make things properly, then I started working with some of the people that I had met years earlier through the skate shops, beginning designing with some of the Gimme 5 companies, then the streetwear brand Stussy, then various projects and freelance work. For the past 3 years, I had been working for Dr. Martens with my wife, initially making new designs, and then in the capacity of creative director which we finished earlier a few months ago.

What are the elements of the jewellery creation process that attract you?
At this point, the learning, the appreciation of skills, the problem solving. It's a completely different process to making clothing or footwear as the concentration and focus can be on one single item. I use workshops around the country that are making some incredible things, and it is always inspiring to see what they are making or what they have made.

What inspires and motivates your collections?
People and use.
I realise that what motivates a lot of what I make or have made is the idea that someone can make something their own by wearing or using it in a certain way. This is especially true with jewellery. In mens fashion at the moment, there is a drive towards permanence which I think you can see with the embrace of 'heritage', but with jewellery each item has a very tangible worth which is permanent - by the nature of the materials used. Because of this, I almost feel there is a certain responsibility - wouldn't it be fantastic to make something that could be passed down or passes on to a loved one?

What is it about the fashion industry that fascinates you?
Ideas perhaps. Ideas and excitement. Someone presenting something familiar in a new way. I like seeing something new, seeing how it will be accepted and if it changes something. More and more I want to see something that is simply beautiful too.

Can you describe your relationship with the fashion world?
I'm lucky that I've been able to work on different kinds of projects that cross all different kinds of arenas. With BUNNEY, I hope to be able to make something that can reach different kinds of people, male or female, fanatic or just with a passing interest in fashion. I contribute to some fashion magazines, and am working on the GQ Style relaunch at the moment, but coming from the UK I'm always more excited to take something and wear or use in a way that creates something new or unexpected.

How would you categorize your work?
Hopefully I'm making something that can be worn or used by all different kinds of people - beyond male or female. I suppose the starting point was thinking about items that are almost ordinary, but providing a platform for anyone to wear or use as they see fit. I want to make things that allow the personality of the wearer rather than overshadowing them.

All pictures courtesy of Andrew Bunney

Le Labo

2010-11-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

I’ve never had a confident understanding of the currents and obsessions in the fragrance business. In fact, my knowledge verges on the comic. I spent a couple of years as a teenager imbued with the misguided idea that perfumes had to be strong to be good and proceeded to buy with an irresistible enthusiasm anything which featured in fashion magazines at the time: Anaïs Anaïs, Loulou, Poison, Opium (this is the moment when my quest for olfactory satisfaction should have gone back to basics) and a personal favourite even today the 1981 creation Giorgio Beverly Hills. At the age of 15, after having amassed a small collection of grossly expensive bottles, I suddenly came across an exotic new concept while talking to a “cool” older friend: these powerful eighties scents would not transform me into a supermodel or Vic in La Boum, it would not bring wild teenage love. Finding my way uncertainly through a world of heady and provocative smells was brought to an abrupt end. I decided to not let my young mind be corrupted by clever marketing ploys any longer and went back to basics. The smell of soap and a clean teeshirt.
The fragrance clichés of the eighties put me off building an intimate relationship with a scent for a long time. I have nothing against stereotypes but the formula used in those days was almost too predictable and theatrical. And School is now a memorable landscape of l’Eau d’Issey. Did anyone not wear it?
My renewed love for perfumes has been very gradual. Funnily enough, Giorgio Beverly Hills has been the only constant remaining from the learning years. Despite being very heavy, used in extremely small quantities it is delicious. All you need is a vague soupçon of the stuff. About 12 years ago I discovered l’Eau d’Hadrien by Annick Goutal and Route du Thé by Barneys New York. Two extraordinarily beautiful smells which I have not ceased to wear. Fierce opposites to those intoxicatingly bad 80’s references listed above. Four years ago, I also fell in love with Annick Goutal’s Noël. It’s only available as a room spray but that has not stopped me from wearing it as a perfume (I don’t apply it directly to the skin but on clothes).
The perfume business, like anything driven by fashion, is cyclical and it seems to be the turn of more niche names to be successful. I don’t quite comprehend the fragrance industry and I’m fiercely loyal to the few smells I’ve now been wearing for years but I recently discovered Le Labo and everything in my olfactory life has been changing again. The simple unadorned displays and subtle bottles immediately seduced me. The sense of authenticity created by the brand’s environment surprised me and made an impact. Convinced that I would remain indifferent to the fragrances (now that I have my own distinctive smell since the disastrous eighties) I proceeded to open bottles. The third I tested was called Bergamote 22. Well, guess what happened… I had overlooked the potency of a smell. It was an emotional and enthralling feeling. I don’t know how to describe it. It was like the smoky-voiced seduction of a jazz singer. It was love. I bought my first bottle from Liberty and it’s been my latest greatest hit for more than a year.
I recently attended a Le Labo workshop held by the wonderfully charismatic Edouard Roschi, one of the founders, who accurately captured and described the extraordinarily difficult world of fragrances. Despite the lucidity of his words and scientific explanations I realised that a deep understanding is not what I was looking for. I don’t want to philosophise about smells. I like the mystery and irrational unconscious reactions to perfumes. I think I’m genuinely happy in my ignorance and inability to recognise certain notes. I like a purely instinctive response!

A huge thank you to Gaëlle, Edouard Roschi and Mélanie

Picture taken by me

Minkie

2010-11-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

When it comes to photography, I’m obsessed. My ideas used to fit firmly within theoretical fashion contexts and trends but for the past five years or so I secretly put my full appreciation of this art into practice. With mixed results at times, I’ll admit!
So, this blog might be changing before your eyes: more of my own pictures and perhaps a little bit less writing.

Photos: me
Model: Beautiful Sally, one of my best friends, thank you for playing the game with such aplomb!
All dresses by Minkie

Sally is also the face behind Minkie, a brand focused on producing collections of extremely pretty and romantic limited edition dresses with a hint of the seventies. The philosophy behind the label is to offer unique pieces to girls who love vintage inspired prints. Her signature look is ultra feminine combined with a love of details such as lace panels, fringing, delicate embroidery, embellishments, pleats or bodycon proportions.
For purchase enquiries: minkielimited@mac.com

2010-11-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

Photos: me
Model: Emily at Nevs
Styling: Natalie-Anne Hasseck

Emilie en couleurs

2010-11-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

Photos: me
Model: Emily at Nevs
Styling: Natalie-Anne Hasseck
A huge thank you to Feathers for all the clothes!

Azzedine Alaïa

2010-11-02T05:26:00.000-07:00

I love Azzedine Alaïa. With a passion. While it may be a little dangerous to speak so fervently about a designer, this is only fashion after all, there is no doubt that for as long as I can remember Alaïa’s own rigorous design language and unconditional commitment to his art has captured my interest. I won’t make the mistake of presenting his career in some sort of chronological order. This would be entirely unsatisfying. And I’m also acutely aware that a blog post is too short to really give you the full measure of the man. No surprise, then, that this is just a few words based on personal experience.
Alaïa’s magic just gripped me from the start: the first time I saw my mother wear one of his audaciously modern dresses in the early 80s, looking radiant and womanly, growing up and invariably looking at his clothes with curiosity and enthusiasm, admiring his incredible integrity in a fashion industry under pressure to constantly “globalize” and experiment with high street collaborations, his ability to remain faithful to his principles. I see him as a talent that plays a central role in the history of fashion. I find it disconcerting and almost perverse that critics frequently overlook him. He is the unsung hero of couture. Undaunted by the stresses and burdens of the industry, he has taken a risk to produce something unique. Far removed from trends and “universal fashion”, which prescribes the import/export of an internationally adaptable kind of prêt à porter, Alaïa has continued to firmly believe in his ethics throughout his career. True, not everything has been a success and not everything stood the test of time; but, had it not been for his daring risk-taking and absolute control over his company the situation might have been different and fashion might have lost one of its greatest names.
You could think that working at his own pace with uninhibited abandon and staying independent might be detrimental to his ambition and success but this is no miscalculation on his part and he somehow manages to broaden his repertoire with beautiful, timeless and fresh pieces. This is testament to his talent and just proves that what other designers might consider limiting or restricting can actually bear fruit in some situations.
If, like me, you’re a fan of Azzedine Alaïa, I would strongly recommend reading this article by the great Cathy Horyn.

Photo: TFS

Marie Claire December 2010

2010-11-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

Huge thank you to the wonderful and magical Ellen Burney!

Emily

2010-10-31T15:54:00.000-07:00

Photos: me
Model: Emily at Nevs
Styling: Natalie-Anne Hasseck
Skirt and jewellery: Toujours Toi/Family Affairs

Yvan Rodic

2010-10-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

Most people reading this blog post will at some point have looked at the websites of either The Sartorialist, Garance Dore, Jak & Jil, Vanessa Jackman, Hanneli, Nast, All the Pretty Birds, Stockholm Street Style or, one of my personal favourite, the magical and continuously flourishing Turned Out. Since the emergence of street style photography the fashion industry has been forced to rethink the way it operates, opening its exclusive doors to more people and bringing fashion to a new audience. It’s an interesting time but I keep wondering how long fashion and “outsiders” can work successfully in tandem. Mixing sensitivities is not so simple and I’m not sure it appeals to a lot of the big brands (although the lure of some of these blogs' impressive readership numbers and loyal followers is of course incredibly attractive). Right now it’s a win-win situation. Street style photographers are able to step into an invigorating, absorbing creative world and in return brands will profit from the increased exposure. But what about quality control? Everyone seems to either be a street style photographer or a fashion blogger these days. Will standards plunge? Or is it not that straightforward… Street style photographers are a bit like space invaders, springing up constantly (some of them with their impossibly robust egos) outside already overcrowded show venues. But one person who deserves a standing ovation for not having succumbed to marketing ploys and who is still delivering a thrilling insight into the fashion business after all these years is Yvan Rodic. The missing link in my introduction list above. He is the only street style photographer to bring us exciting images that sparkle both in terms of execution and interest. His blog (not to be confused with his other Internet adventure called The Face Hunter) presents a cavalcade of beautiful and vivid creatures who actually exist in real life and don’t always work in the fashion world. They’re not all stylists, models or fashion insiders. What makes Yvan Rodic stand out in a sea of copycats is the contrasts and contradictions between the inspiring girls and the world they actually live in. He doesn’t just show us pretty little things. He highlights the buildings, streets, food, interiors, vegetation, objects, everything that can potentially provide a glimpse into the cities and countries he visits, opening up altogether further territories. Look at his photos and feelings of fun, immediacy, enjoyment and passion are palpable and unmistakable. He is a singular talent who moves in a parallel universe, avoiding the limelight others court. His blog is like a heady teenage intoxication, a mixture between alluring authentic fashion moments and wonderfully atmospheric and unusual viewpoints of the places he visits across the world.

All pictures courtesy of Yvan Rodic

Family Affairs

2010-10-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

I can’t explain what it feels like to wander around the enormous old house on Crooms Hill and see the thousands of objects, stuffed animals, antiques, flowers, paintings and drawings on display. 1940s colours, 1970s wallpapers, bright quilts, embroideries, China and antique textiles scattered on every available surface. A sombre and mysterious setting and a fascinating insight into eccentric England.
A treasure trove in which we were quite adept at making our own entertainment, taking pictures and dancing around in Toujours Toi clothes.

Photography: me
Clothes: Family Affairs
Models: Claire, Laetitia, Nina

Jacques Magazine

2010-10-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Leder, in addition to being a fantastic photographer, is the mastermind behind a beautifully produced magazine focusing on eroticism. “Jacques” marks the emergence of a new generation of publications borrowing from more old-school and authentic imagery and concepts. With a little bit of scholarly care you can trace influences that will take you beyond such obvious candidates as Playboy and Hustler and into such esoteric company as seventies or eighties issues of Zoom, LUI, sixties glamour models, David Hamilton, Carlo Mollino polaroids, pinups and vintage cars. The main achievement of Jacques magazine is that it has no connections to enduring current titles in our culture but still manages to be intriguing, impressive and successful. It also helps that everything seems to be shot on film and that all the imagery reflects a quaint fondness for the poetic and soft focus. The quarterly publication is clearly in revolt against the lack of refined adult magazines and their homogeneity. Forget the glossy idealized fantasy, the awful dreary uniformity, hyper-real plastic physicality, a world of artifice and welcome the vision of beautiful un-retouched natural women, sufficiently humane and familiar, a flashback to a golden past. Jacques is like a jolly production, a curiosity you collect and cherish. It’s a wonderfully concocted and small exploration of the sixties and seventies culture of eroticism without the clichés.

This post is for you, Tommy!

All pictures courtesy of Jacques Magazine

Tourist Magazine

2010-09-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

When Sanna Berger asked me to write a piece for the latest issue of Tourist Magazine it was impossible to resist. And encouraging me to write about Apartamento was an effective way to get me involved! I've been a fan of Tourist since it first emerged on the Internet. I love its visual and journalistic rhythm. It is beautifully created and curated but more importantly incredibly exciting, thought-provoking. It captures the essence of the less mainstream contemporary culture and looks at photography, fashion, art, music and words to stimulate the reader. Go here to see the latest issue.
PS: A must read is the interview with Elein Fleiss, original co-founder of Purple magazine.

Laetitia

2010-09-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

An exotic bird with delicate and doll-like features, she liked travelling to obscure parts of London and found rapture in secret overgrown gardens where she could hide and dream of mysterious places, creatures and spells. She embarked on these little journeys to escape from the sickly sweet scent of the other girls she lived with in a huge mansion in Mayfair. She roared with laughter with the ghosts and cried in soft focus when the majestic tiger cat walked away whispering. She danced with the birds and thought of the day her magical skills would be powerful enough to transport her to a sunny playground of delights, where cypress trees swayed peacefully in the warm evening and pink skies gently soothed the souls of all living beings.

Pictures: me
Model: Laetitia

Charles Anastase spring 2011

2010-09-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Do you think it might be possible to invent a quick cure for gastric flu? Sickness overshadowed my Saturday and stopped me from attending the one show I was really looking forward to. Age from My Beautiful City had been extremely kind and provided a ticket. I needed no persuasive encouragement and immediately accepted despite the fact that I usually prefer to avoid the fuss and fanfare of fashion weeks. I find that they normally dissolve into absurdity which is why I genuinely enjoy looking at the reports online, cherry-picking and finding styles that suit me from the calm of my own home! Regular readers will know that I love Charles Anastase. The one occasion I have to jump into his universe and I miss it. Devil germs. I had to renounce getting out of the house and settled for my usual pragmatic approach: Internet viewing.
Charles Anastase’s French roots seem to offer a constant source of inspiration and this collection is a remarkable example of this. His mastery of the “petite enfant sage” or romantic old-school bourgeoise girl from the 16th arrondissement in Paris is the successful and very precise identity he has established in the past few years (except for the autumn/winter 2009/10 which was a small diversion from his habitual and judicious use of nostalgic sophistication). Step into his world and be prepared for a blaze of pure visual enchanting and mysterious excitement. I sometimes find myself thinking that he is reinterpreting the elemental forms of some of the costumes Chantal Goya wore when I was growing up (French speakers will know who I’m talking about but otherwise go to YouTube or here. I just adore his consistent vision and his predisposition to explore puritanical and slightly perverse references at the same time. Peter Pan collars, full skirts, classic pencil skirts and blouses, deliciously innocent smock dresses and a variety of lovely details such as muted colours, transparent fabrics, metallic foil, cascades of summery flowers and the fundamentally Charles Anastase super high chunky platform shoes. A desirable collection and opportunity for serious contemplation! Oh, and pay attention to the perfect hair…

Pictures courtesy of Style.com / Collage July Stars

Elle Japan

2010-09-07T01:45:00.000-07:00

I can't resist drawing attention to this ELLE Japan article about bloggers.
I was incredibly excited to see that I was featured alongside wonderful people like Supermarket Sarah and Jackie Dixon!
I'm so flattered and honoured to have been selected to appear in this piece. It feels like a mini triumph in the history of my blog to be recognised by such a big publication.
A huge thank you to Marie Miyazaki!
PS: Do any of you understand Japanese? I'd love a rough translation of the text...

2010-09-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

More pictures from the New Forest

Escapism and horses

2010-09-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

Over the Bank Holiday weekend I explored the New Forest, a natural playground of delights, leaving the certainties and hectic pace of London life behind. We stayed in a glamorous hotel surrounded by ancient trees and under the influence of the sunny Indian summer took hundreds of pictures!

All photos taken with my G11
Wearing the usual biker jacket and a Balenciaga dress

Wow Magazine

2010-08-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my girls at Wow for this and to Mat for taking the pictures!

Tina Kalivas

2010-08-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to take these pictures under blue skies or the pale pastel perfection of a London sunset, a bluesy piano and lazy “Summertime” vocals floating in the air. Instead I had to deal with the unpleasantness of a typically unsettled English weather: sun, wind and rain battling with each other incessantly. Well, it was wild and it was messy but I had fun. The motivation was definitely there. The idea was simply to show a Tina Kalivas piece I own and adore. If you read this blog, you’ll already know that I’m a huge fan of her work. I love the way her clothes always evoke a certain complexity and fragility while looking exquisite. A close friend of mine always refers to her garments as glorious works of art. I have to agree. The fashion world can be a restrictive place but occasionally you’ll come across a fearless character who is focused on staying completely free to create. Tina Kalivas is that person. Her sensibility is broadly ethnic, perhaps influenced by her origins, I’m not entirely certain. Her clothes definitely have an emotional and intellectual breadth but it sits comfortably in a fashion context. Seeing her collections is like a blaze of pure visual excitement and pleasure. The fabrics, textures, precise and satisfying shapes, mastery of radiant colours and neon accents are all strong and create an invigorating experience. History and reality collide in new ways.
The trouble with certain brands is that one is lucky to see a tiny percentage of their collections. This used to be the case with a lot of great Australian names. Here, in London, we’re lucky to have Yasmin Sewell. Liberty has benefited from her exceptional vision and it has marked the beginning of a new era for the department store. She also gradually launched a kind of capsule division of Australian designers showcasing their aesthetics, infusing a little bit of her country cool into the British institution. And then there is the Robinson Pfeffer agency, which presents a great blend of people including Tina Kalivas and Arnsdorf (another firm favourite).

A huge thank you to Tina Kalivas and the Robinson Pfeffer team for making a dream come true!

Pictures by Mat & Jaja

I'm wearing a Tina Kalivas bustier, stripy Charles Anastase cardigan, black vintage embroidered cardigan, Levi's shorts, Burberry platform booties, jewellery by Pamela Love and vintage Dior

A journey of enduring love

2010-08-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

Write what you know. Isn’t that what aspiring novelists are told? Well, I’ll take the advice this summer. I won’t write a book but I do love words and hope that mine can capture a time and a place with precision. My enthusiasm for France is insatiable. Discovering its landscapes and meandering through the streets of small villages and towns, experiencing delicious food elaborated in great simplicity, the architecture, the artistic explorations the country has on offer, the café culture and absurdly grumpy waiters, the old ladies always evoking a sort of Chanel like stylistic consistency, the literary high life, Nouvelle Vague films, the beautiful boys and girls and the sometimes dynamic conservatism of its population. I’m making an album of snapshots and mini narratives on this blog to keep things as clear and fresh as yesterday.
A journey of enduring love.

I took the pictures in Normandie and the South of France

Ellen Rogers for Wow Magazine

2010-08-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

I wrote this small article for the excellent French magazine Wow!

Summer

2010-08-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

I walked the streets of a fetid, dirty, raw and poor town in the sweltering summer heat, a place filled mostly with toothless Moroccans and Algerians with tired eyes, all drinking coffees by the sea. La Ciotat reminds me of Barcelona’s Barrio Gotico in the 40s. Its gloomy alleys have a scent of debauchery and history. I love it.
I watched the turquoise water of Port-Miou slapping against the rocky edges of the Calanques, I fell asleep to the calming sound of cicadas and got hooked on the beauty of the spectacular views. I felt dizzy with excitement when Mat and I discovered a dusty and abandoned Western theme park, mysteriously planted in the middle of a rural area, surrounded by tall grass and trees threatening to cover the place entirely. I wore the same clothes almost every day for three weeks, Prada gladiator sandals, Levi’s denim shorts and a vintage embroidered peasant shirt. I kissed the lonely horse in the evening sun and sat in the shade of umbrella pines dreaming, dreaming, dreaming. Oh, and we got ludicrously excited about shaving my beautiful Emilie’s hair!

I took all my pictures using a G11

Wendy Bevan

2010-08-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

I’ve often wondered what it is that makes Wendy Bevan such a wonderful fashion photographer. I came across her short film “Starless Night” this morning on Test and once again fell madly in love with her searching and melancholic style. Her work is a form of poetic theatre filled with passages of breathtaking eloquence. The choreographic layout is inspirational. A concoction of dancing, silent movie mime scenes and circus-like movements. I watched it several times and the hypnotic and seemingly seamless flow of arabesques felt magical viewing after viewing. It’s a spectacle of pure pleasure, evoking a bygone era in which the notion of dramatic unity and stylistic consistency was paramount. An exotic-scented fairy tale. It’s difficult to express the true essence of this film into words. Watch it. It deserves an ovation!
Oh, and the haunting tune accompanying “Starless Night” is interpreted by Wendy Bevan herself!

Click here to watch the film: Starless Night

Film and images by Wendy Bevan courtesy of Test

Peter Beard

2010-07-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

The 14th of July is my birthday and, like every summer, I was in the South of France. The house I stay in while I’m in Cassis is surrounded by magic. At the back, a turquoise swimming-pool built into the rock of a sprawling calanque. At the front, the sea and a view over the majestic Cap Canaille. It’s a captivating place, far removed from the nearby Côte d’Azur’s heady mist of glamour, sex, money, whiffs of scandals and expensive siestas followed by grilled lobster at sunset. Like St Tropez it offers pure theatre but the exuberance of Cassis is more of the natural kind.
I arrived one hot afternoon and a couple of evenings later it was my birthday.
To entertain and attract the crowds on the 14th of July in France, businesses know that one of the most efficient thing is to stage little plays, hire singing and dancing acts or organise concerts to accompany the traditional fireworks held to commemorate Bastille Day. This year, we decided to celebrate in a small outdoor restaurant on the edge of the port’s centre. The last time we were there, the flamboyant owner had launched into a rapid-fire overview of the evening’s production and his eclectic list of happenings made us curious. We booked. Young tango dancers, a middle-aged ballet dancer in a swan costume and a tiara followed by a transvestite in a tutu had us all cheering loudly. It was performed with such disarming gusto by the cast that you couldn’t help finding it fresh and enlivening. The characters were full of élan and their theatrical ambitions clearly celebrated by the customers who were clapping enthusiastically. Instead of being cliché it was incredibly comical and unexpected. It was, however, a moment made even more thrilling by the sight of Peter Beard. In every generation, there are at least a couple of artists who inspire respect and worship from their contemporaries. He is one of them. I’ve been familiar with his work for a good ten years now and in this time have managed to acquire a selection of his books, a limited edition signed poster and of course the essential “Scrapbooks from Africa”. He’s a great original, inventing imagery/collages that look to the natural animal world first and foremost. The brutality of several of his elephant photographs often disorientate and can seem at odds with the intriguing surface texture (pasted found imagery, handwriting, blood etc) while at the same time creating a dynamic pictorial space. The combination is powerful and exciting. But I’m getting sidetracked. I won’t make the mistake of analysing his work in this post in detail. I’m sure that most of my readers are familiar with his images and don’t need me to try and penetrate his mind. What I wanted to say is that I met him, exchanged a few words, he took a picture of me and my sister, told us our names would make a good movie title (Isa & Jaja) and disappeared into the night to join his wife on the dance floor!
I’ve had an amazing birthday, I thought to myself.

You can also read a post I wrote about the Peter Beard Pirelli Calendar here.

Fashion Blogs, the book

2010-06-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I was contacted by the lovely Kirstin Hanssen who asked if she could interview me for a book about fashion blogs. She was so enthusiastic, passionate and encouraging that refusing was out of the question. I’ve often wondered about books and publications devoting entire pages to the world of bloggers. It’s a constantly changing landscape: a combination of personalities with gigantic ambition and influence, others more solitary and individual but with the capacity to summon an intoxicating world through imagery. Journalists, fashion designers and magazine editors have poured millions of words on the subject, setting some bloggers on a course that changed their lives.
This unique book is a tribute of sorts. It is impressive and timely, given the apparent continuous rise in popularity of bloggers, and indicates that this new form of communication is today strongly incorporated in popular culture.
I happily answered all the questions I was asked and then waited for the two writers behind the concept and the publisher to work their magic.

Needless to say my expectations were vast.

I finally received a copy a few days ago and I’m happy to say that it is a hit. They skilfully compiled a list of fascinating, highly respected and engaging names and showed a remarkable ability to navigate a complicated blogosphere without being “casual tourists”. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and the choices presented in this book show that the authors were clearly devoted to the task. Among some of my favourite interviews are Style Bubble, Diane Pernet, Liebemarlene Vintage, Abdul Lagerfield, Style Savage, Kate Loves Me and Garance Doré.

You can pre-order the book here or here

All images courtesy of Fashion Blogs, the book

Cat lover

2010-05-21T02:40:00.000-07:00

It’s almost impossible at present to surf the web or read blogs without coming across articles or websites about cute animals. I’m not going to be shy about it and I’ll confess that the theme gets me overexcited. It’s a thrilling source of entertainment. If you could get hold of my “animal” list you’d probably raise an eyebrow and laugh at my enthusiasm… Tommy and Andrew introduced me to Cute Overload but you’re most likely to find me looking at pictures on the more poetic site Dream Cats or the very individual and humorous Gatopoder. Under the inspiring guidance of I love cat party, which tackles cats and fashion brilliantly, I’ve discovered a myriad of other odd and funny reflections on the cat world. I sometimes also wish that the amazingly talented illustrator Fanny Bostrom would create a blog dedicated to chronicling the life of cats. Her little animal characters are dressed in the best clothes or costumes and always have a very endearing comic quality.
I’ll end this post with a visual meditation on the beauty of my cat, Quincy. He’s a masterpiece!
Don’t be too baffled by the absence of fashion or photography here today, normal blogging will resume shortly …

Assad Mounser

2010-05-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

Right now I’m going a little bit jewellery crazy. I’m simultaneously nurturing a passion for Pamela Love, Eddie Borgo, antique Navajo and Moroccan bracelets and a few weeks ago I discovered Assad Mounser. I’m obviously cursed. I’ve just added one more name to my list of infatuations and will need to exercise financial restraint when I walk around the jewellery department of Liberty. Maybe I should simply avoid its immediate vicinity. The last time I immersed myself in the world of this department store I responded emotionally and returned home with a Pamela Love crystal pendant embraced by a snake and a gold peacock ring. For me, this is one shop where the magic definitely takes place. I can never resist. Pleasure and indulgence really grip me and bring me back for more. If you love fashion like I do Liberty is the number one reference in London. I often feel there is an oversaturation of extremely commercial names out there but here I can experiment to my heart’s desire with less known as well as critically acclaimed fashion designers. The entire building is a vast accumulation of distinctive and beautiful style. It gives me something different without feeling confined by trends. The buyers clearly avoid the formulaic and this is one of the most comforting constancies of Liberty. It therefore wasn’t a surprise to find out they would stock the astoundingly talented Assad Mounser. The 32 year old American designer creates rock/punk infused pieces evoking a kind of futuristic Blade Runner era. Pure genius and craftsmanship. I absolutely adore the seamless flow of spikes, cones and hippie stones which give a notion of dramatic unit and style. I’m just longing for a piece and do not know how long I will be able to endure not wearing one of Assad's bracelets or necklaces!

2010-05-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

The street where Magritte lived for 25 years and the Atomium. Hopefully my pictures can convey some of the beauty and poetry of these truly wonderful (and strange) places!

Pictures

2010-05-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

There are few greater pleasures than looking at pictures several weeks after you’ve taken them and rediscovering buildings, objects, faces or settings. I have a soft spot for collecting photographs. I have no method of cataloguing or categorisation. Just thousands and thousands of pictures I’ve taken throughout the years, all on my computer. Here are a few random samples taken on my last trip to Belgium over the Easter break. A cherry tree at night, a church in Bruges, skeleton heads, a Coca-Cola sign and a haunted alleyway.

Vagabondiana

2010-05-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

In my world of favourite fashion and writing blogs Vagabondiana has emerged as a clear winner. Ellen Burney is very good, bordering on excellent! She has the best lines (her narratives are always such a pleasure to read), wit, infectious zest, is divinely inspiring and poetic and scores extra points for her wonderful sense of style and being so pretty. Her blog is different because she doesn’t need to tease and cajole us to invite us into her little bubble. Her words alone work their magic immediately and you’re lured in a heady mist of interesting ideas, fashion and beautiful aesthetics to her site.
I was reading one of her latest posts this evening and was fascinated by her reaction against today’s technological advances, notably the Internet and the stratagems employed by bloggers to attract readers (Twitter, Facebook being used as soundbites promising far, far more than they can deliver in many cases). She’s taken these elements out of her life and is going back to the ghosts from our past while we remain the victims of modern times. While she investigates her relationship with books, magazines, sending postcards and letters, ink on paper or picking up the telephone instead of instant messaging I instinctively think of the flaws and virtues of the world wide web. I often wonder what it would be like to return to a more traditional place, Internet exile. Knowing that this is a subject that might interest a lot of you I asked her if I could post her text in its entirety here and she very kindly agreed. A word of warning: her blog is a real gem and addictive. Go here ✏ Vagabondiana

A little bit about Ellen. Her journalistic journey started as a London correspondent for W magazine and WWD. She has also written for The Guardian, British Vogue, Sunday Times Style, RUSSH, Harper's Bazaar Australia, Nylon, Cheap Date and STELLA. She’s a contributing editor to Lula and Elle.

Back to my future by Ellen Burney

The internet is the future. They tell us. We, the robots, listen . Well I am not really a fan of the future anymore. Or being involved in it, per se. I like to lick my grubby ink-stained finger to turn the pages of a newspaper and I like the clumsy awkwardness as I hit my neighbours knee with the corners of the pages on public transport, grimacing my silent sorry. Broadsheet-batterers be gone. I've had to make my own internal stand, in what Fleurtini has correctly called my 'digital spring cleanse.' I have left Facebook and Twitter and I feel free. No longer slipping down fake snakes or climbing social ladders I have departed the online boardgame / bored game of 'life.'

I am becoming increasingly drawn to the idea of being old-fashioned. In the long-term, not vintage, sense. I have started phoning friends again (if I haven't called you it's because you're at work.) It's the freelance ones I feel for most, with my 'just calling for a chat,' as my landline number catches them out again ... in restaurants, doing highlights ... 'on the way out.' They should be warned, I fully intend to write letters to them too. Perhaps pushing an itallic pen. Why else did I learn calligraphy at school? I should probably write that book too. On a typewriter. And all those other things that were on my to-do list a decade ago before MySpace intervened.

So here, calls the Pied Piper, follow me if you fancy but who am I to think I should be collecting you? Collecting Followers and Fans. My blog is not my business and so why do I feel I need hits? I don't need hits. None of us need hits. Maybe our egos need hits, but we shouldn't need hits. We are not numbers. We are 'free men'.

I don't read many blogs anymore (although my inimitable favourites remain) though not for lack of trying. Just failed attempts to understand them. How often are blogs today as they were first intended; an outlet for an alternative view on things, without any commerical quid pro quo? What happened to unfettered free expression rather than the commercialisation of imagination; writing what the magazines would not publish. Now the ideas can seem interchageable and as George Orwell once said:

'The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.'

iStylista

2010-05-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I decided to attempt a mild interview exercise. The lovely Sarah-Jane from iStylista contacted me to ask a few questions and I thought I'd say yes in the hope that it would provide explanations and a sense of why I started this blog. It was a genuinely entertaining and pleasurable experience! I hope you'll enjoy reading it ...

Daily ritual

2010-05-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

I never bore of trying new skincare products and treatments. I get easily amused by the manipulated facts glamorously advertised by certain brands but I still love to apply their hideously expensive creams, lotions and potions. What is more exciting than the promise of beautiful skin? And inevitably, out of 10 absolutely useless products, I will find one that delivers. Here are my two current favourites.

Ann Demeulemeester

2010-05-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

This is the second piece I wrote for I.T Post

London is cheering new and established designers as fashion week reaches its zenith in the pouring rain, flashing lights and dense traffic. A constantly evolving whirlwind of enthusiasm can be felt as editors, journalists, bloggers and streetstyle photographers get to work with undiminished vigour. The latest emerging talents are scrutinised and their credibility challenged. Some names will stay and triumph, some will simply be forgotten as quickly as they appeared and others might come out with an impressive amount of support and publicity to the considerable surprise of a lot of people. There are echoes of this in the Henry Holland sensation (authenticity, genuine talent and quality is not what wins him admirers) and it is easy to dismiss him as a kind of marketing tease! I’m still finding it difficult to understand why we would want to put him on a pedestal. I’ll admit that he does have considerable verve and panache, his Twitter updates are highly entertaining but his clothes will leave no impact on the fashion world. It will be interesting to see if he can find ways to stay afloat and produce strong and well-constructed collections instead of his usual stale attempts. Is he actually anxious to join the ranks of real designers? But never underestimate the mind-shifting power of a quite rubbish designer. It’s what led me to think about Ann Demeulemeester. She’s a symbol of leading contemporary Belgian fashion and her signature style will undoubtedly influence subsequent generations of fashion designers, even in a memoryless era like ours. Her clothes are essentially subtle and unusual in its use of details with monochrome colours as its best-known ingredients. I’m a huge fan of her clothes and own a few pieces that will continue to renew a look in years to come thanks to their unique and individual essence. Demeulemeester made her debut on the international scene in 1986 with a London show and has produced fascinating collections ever since. She is still one of our most interesting designers, constantly open to new ways of making clothes, renewing her vision through the exploration of contrasts. She’s a dab hand at texture and surface variety and designs garments with a sure feeling for shapes. You wear her clothes and a feeling of discreet exaltation will overcome you thanks to their matchless combination of timelessness and subtle differentiations of fabrics and lines. She eschews the sensationalism adopted by so many names today. Super fashion stardom is not what interests her and she would rather focus on beautiful romantic tailoring with hints of edginess. Who else has been consistently offering you wonderful pieces? She’s extraordinary and her influence never goes away.
I’ve recently come back from a trip to Belgium and all I can say is that her Antwerp boutique is well worth a visit!

I.T Post magazine

2010-04-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

Back in January I wrote two articles for the ambitious and incredibly well designed Chinese fashion publication I.T Post. Here's the first. I hope you'll enjoy reading it! Thank you Kwannam for your constant enthusiasm...

The cover and article

My wall of David Hamilton photos at home

I grew up in a house filled with books. Thousands of them. From English and French masterpieces, cult literature, scabrous and absurdly funny crime novels by San-Antonio to a substantial collection of art publications. Introduced to the pleasures of reading at a young age, my parents’ undeniable obsessiveness with books added an essential extra dimension to my life. They brought home their boundless interests in the shape of hardcovers, always pushing the envelope and fuelling my imagination. The experience was magical and I spent hours concentrating with uncontrolled enthusiasm on narratives and photography until I discovered the fresh intensities of boys, love, music and late adolescence mysteriously took over. Since then, and in the course of a long reading vocation, books have tended to come and go. I look back at the little notes I used to keep and I’m surprised at the exhilaration I once felt for books I don’t remember owning or enjoying. And then there are the ones that stay forever. The ones that occupy a central position, the ones that have influenced you, taken you on a sentimental journey and continue to provide enchanting and emotional moments. They have the capacity to express something that speaks to your soul and are immensely powerful.
Time always passes quickly when I’m at my parents’ home: their vast collection of books is such a wonderful mixture of new, obscure and unexpected ideas. A fusion of literature, poetry, photography, painting, travel writing encapsulating who they are today. Sometimes, when I feel that words are not enough, I like to turn to photography, a form of expression for which I have a tremendous appetite. I remember being 13 and discovering a David Hamilton book in our living room. It was tightly squeezed between a limited edition Joan Miró and a pile of old seventies Paris Match magazines. I had found a photographer who I thought was startlingly free from convention and turned his back on modernity to play with romantic beliefs, eroticism, sensuality and nudity. I was fascinated. His intriguing optical and photographic compositions whispered tenderly in my ear. The girls, his muses, captivated me. He offered a firework of exciting, lyrical and whimsical portraits and gave me access to a world of slightly out of focus and soft-toned imaginary characters far from reality. I used to be a very shy girl growing up and his photographs just took me to this fantasy place where unconventionally and classically beautiful teenage girls could live innocently in bohemian settings. The intimacy and various stages of undress only added a necessary frisson. I just fell in love with David Hamilton’s work and was immediately converted. It was a revelation and I saw nothing crude, pornographic or vulgar in his images, only compelling and intensely moving portraits in caressing pools of light. Years have passed and I now have my own collection of his exquisite works and films put together with passion. His genius and purpose has been a source of inspiration for many fashion photographers today but none of them have managed to reach such thrilling qualities. I often find their ambition is slightly wrong, embracing cheap muted pastel hues and natural lighting but unable to disguise their creaking lack of creativity. It’s the original stuff that gives me consistent pleasure. Delicate and elegant beyond belief. I keep telling friends that he has created a language that should be recognized as contemporary and classic. A genuine and compelling influence on the world of fashion. His deliberately blurred scenes and pale colours used to heighten the emotional effect are hugely seductive and have been copied again and again by fashion photographers. It’s certainly not a complete coincidence that echoes of his style can be found in some of my favourite fashion stories. Hamilton’s rigorous control of his material and the eerily perfect models and settings represent an aesthetic formula that will continue to play a significant role in the history of fashion. It is timeless and still manages to steer away from predictability.
I know that in 20 years time I will look at David Hamilton’s books and know that he encapsulated a big part of my overwhelming infatuation with fashion photography. The very vagueness of his imagery will always tell me something uniquely accurate about those times, a concrete thought about escapism with its incomparable naturalness and unsettling imagery. The perfect fusion of innocence, soft provocation, intriguing situations and a beautiful kaleidoscope of slow gentle movements, costumes and misty effects. A hypnotic ritual.

Grace Jones at the Royal Albert Hall

2010-04-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

Several months after having felt jealous of my friend Joanna when I read her thoughts on the high-octane and thrilling Grace Jones performance at the Hollywood Bowl, it was my turn to enjoy a musical experience to remember! I’ve been taken in by the magic of Grace Jones since the age of 9 when I first heard my mum play “Slave to the Rhythm” in the car on a long journey from Luxembourg to Spain. That was my first exposure to her music and I was irrevocably under the spell. Last night’s show at the Royal Albert Hall in London was a hypnotic process. I’m normally quite resistant to gigs and don’t usually like them (despite having a husband and some of my best friends in the music business) but yesterday evening I lost all sense of space. Time simply dissolved. I was transported into a world of imagination so intoxicating that two hours passed in what seemed one minute. At 62, Grace Jones continues to be a major star. A myth. One of the very few remaining in my opinion. Her voice is intense, playful, powerful and subjugated the entire audience who kept erupting ecstatically into applause and screams at her naughtiness, humour, sexiness, seductive dance moves and incredible body. The elaborate costumes created by Eiko Ishioka involved follies and excesses that proved as absorbing as the gig itself. Money definitely well spent!

Masters of black in fashion and costume

2010-04-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

It felt like the best time of year to be in Antwerp. The weather was wonderful, the temperature not too high and the sun was out constantly. The city has many museums but the one I headed to as soon as we arrived (or to be accurate after a romantic horse and cart ride) was the MOMU to see the exhibition “Black. Masters of black in fashion and costume”. The museum is easily one of Antwerp’s main attractions and quite a progressive place in terms of its commitment to fashion. The latest exhibition investigates the colour black through a wonderful combination and collection of paintings, historic costumes and contemporary fashion (Ann Demeulemeester, Olivier Theyskens, Dirk Van Saene, Givenchy (Riccardo Tisci), Chanel, Yamamoto, Raf Simons, Undercover, Viktor & Rolf and Gareth Pugh among others). The show’s curator, Kaat Debo, has put together works of extremely high quality in a number of small rooms making it a manageable selection on which to concentrate. This is genuinely a fashion exhibition at its most inventive. I was fascinated and loved it. It took me on a tour of social changes linked to the colour black from the 16th century to the 21st century and clearly displayed its associations with mourning, sophistication, Goths, fashionistas etc. Looking back at my pictures I realized that I had unconsciously disregarded most of the clothes and favoured the old books, objects, strands of hair, examples of dyeing techniques, hats, collars and lace. My only major criticism of this informative and beautiful exhibition is that it won’t travel to other places in the world. I wish everyone could see it!

All pictures and collage by me

Brussels stole my heart

2010-04-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

All pictures are mine

I ♡ Anne-Constance

2010-04-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

I bought a copy of Mirage in Paris during my Christmas holiday, left it unopened in a corner of my parent’s flat, returned to London and after a hectic month remembered to look at it when I found a male friend in my kitchen grinning at the pictures in the same way he would when looking at the … sports pages (although he may think that this is an unfair caricature)! This “incident” was precisely what encouraged me to finally sit down and turn the pages of the magazine. I was immediately seduced by the intense vintage quality of the stories and the direct and indirect softly erotic references. In the days after having looked at Mirage in its entirety, I realized that it had been a quality investment: the shoots reflected an aesthetic I love and a sensuous visual exploration you don’t always see. In parallel, it is coherently creating a new understanding of nudity combined with fashion. Another vital element is photography. A lot of mainstream fashion publications don’t have the freedom to commission new or more imaginative photographers and express their sense of identity through the use of the same “banal” image-makers year after year. Finding Anne-Constance Frénoy’s work in Mirage was delightful on every level. It felt like I had discovered a jewel among the erotically charged dimension of the magazine’s pages. I was fascinated. She is a remarkable and original photographer who seems to have a fundamental obsession with the female body, nature’s marvels and romantic atmospheres. In her images the dreaming world appears to mingle freely with reality, combining the unlikely with the closely observed (almost naked girls in sun-drenched gardens or fields) and for the technically minded she also demonstrates how to lead the eye to wonderful light games. This is the kind of work that leads me to make an exciting connection to David Hamilton or Tana Kaleya. They all share the same desire to please the senses and develop a poetic and nostalgic vitality. Looking at Anne-Constance Frénoy’s pictures it is inevitable to see that her narratives are sometimes based on her personal experience as a dancer and model giving her a better awareness of a woman’s body.
She’s a new firm favourite of mine!

All images courtesy of Anne-Constance Frénoy

G-Star Raw magazine

2010-03-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

The unfashionable truth is that I'm no expert at making little videos and after three attempts this is the result. Please don't raise your eyebrows, I know it's rubbish and not exactly sophisticated. I failed to create a spellbinding cinematic experience but I just wanted to show you Raw Magazine. Can you spot me?

G-Star and Quincy Jones

2010-03-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

Collaborations between blogs and brands is no longer a pioneering concept but it remains one that I frequently avoid because I do not want to fall into a cycle of opportunistic and insincere opportunities. There’s simply no excuse for weakly surrendering. I’m increasingly uncomfortable with the determined and sometimes forceful techniques of PR companies. I’m not going to write about brands and people I’m not interested in. Honestly, what would be the point? Blogging for me is about freedom and individualism. Occasionally I’ll be asked to participate in an adventure with a difference and I won’t be able to resist (but it's only happened once so far). So when G-Star contacted me to ask if I would like to “demonstrate” my vision of their clothes through pictures it was like fatal attraction and I had to say yes. There were no requirements, no marketing bullying and nothing was out of bounds. And when I received a copy of G-Star’s Raw magazine a couple of weeks ago I was reminded that sometimes it’s really good fun being a blogger.

Here are some of the pictures. Tomorrow I will show you a small video of the magazine.

A huge thank you to the truly wonderful Caroline Issa from Tank and to the extremely efficient Eva Kinsberger from G-Star.

First picture: Burberry mac, Burberry wedge ankle booties, vintage Prince tee-shirt and G-Star jeans. Second picture: Acne shirt, G-Star jeans and Burberry booties. Third picture: G-Star jacket and G-Star scarf worn as a headband.

Last picture: Quincy Jones the cat

My guilty pleasure

2010-03-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Captivating imagery that deserves to be seen, emotions, allegories of beauty, compositions, colours, indisputable masterpieces: it is hard to think of more potent ingredients for a fashion photography Tumblr. I started over a year ago with the traditional blog format and recently decided to create a separate entity, a prolonged study of my indubitable attraction to fashion photography. A small catalogue of all the images I find on the Internet and pore over for hours as if they will relinquish secrets. A collection of inspiration to document and illustrate some of the discussions on this blog. A display of some of my favourite fashion photographers from the ones I grew up with to the ones on the margins and those with power.

Find my Tumblr here: http://julystars.tumblr.com/

British Fashion Council

2010-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

After the drama of London fashion week and the catchy enthusiasm in response to certain shows, the constant deluge of rain, the sometimes hilarious nonsense and absurdity of it all, the cold, the delays caused by London streets clogged with workmen laying pipes, the wind, the pressure to see as much as possible, the competition between cold-eyed ambitious bloggers and the live Twitter reviews and reports, the interminable flashing lights of streetstyle photographers looking for their next masterpiece, the promising new technological improvements offering live streams, the parties, PR madness and lack of sleep, I almost feel smug knowing that my full-time job stopped me from going to the shows I was invited to attend. It’s a welcome chance to keep things fresh. I find it difficult to shake off the feeling of how disappointed I might be if I’d had to confront a world that isn’t as captivating and enviable as we may think. The insights provided by a handful of obsessively dedicated and discerning writers quickly exposed substantial PR inconsistencies, ridiculous contention between established journalists, bloggers etc and the presence of too many drooling worshippers with no genuine calling (and I guess it will still take some time before industry experts make the difference between grovelling adorers and experienced virtuous fashion bloggers). I’ve been observing from the comfort of my office and listened to the complaints of several close friends who work in the business and lived through far from idyllic experiences in the past few weeks. It’s reminded me that fashion for me is fundamentally about sumptuous dreams, breathtaking photography and the delicious frisson of seeing a mesmerising collection for the first time. It’s another form of emotional escapism, similar to music or cinema. Today the Internet promises the thrills and fantasy of a catwalk show without the inconvenient issues mentioned above. The importance of addressing a wider audience is proving irresistible and necessary, justifying the emergence of live streams and Internet interaction. And I’m wholeheartedly in favour of this development!

A couple of days ago a friend mentioned that she’d found me listed on the British Fashion Council’s new blog portal. I’m incredibly excited to have been chosen to appear in the “Photography” section alongside some of the best fashion blogs around (SHOWstudio, Hedi Slimane, Love Magazine, Kingdom of Style and Bryanboy among many others). A huge thank you to the person who selected July Stars. I'm overwhelmed!

Hopi Botanicals

2010-02-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it is because of my own much more modest experience of being a neo Beat Generation long-haired girl, but I always find myself irresistibly attracted to today’s free spirited Daria Halperin type characters. I’m dangerously addicted to image format blogs like Strange Eyes, The Nomadic Sun, Them Thangs, The Love Awareness Program and Hopi Botanicals. These documentary style websites dispense a constant stream of hits from the sixties and seventies, taking me on a trawl through the poetry, music, clothes, jewellery, art, photography and architecture inspired by those years. I admire the archiving skills of the persons behind some of the blogs listed above. They’ve nurtured and developed their little Internet ventures making it clear that when modern institutions are collapsing around us, people should get back in touch with ancient crafts. I’m not tempted to go all “peace and love” on you as I’m more inclined to believe in modern life but the aesthetics of those days can be of a rare and unexpected beauty notably when it comes to photography, clothes and jewellery. I’ve been following Emmelie Brunetti’s blog since it launched and was curious about her approach to fragrances, strikingly different to that of mass-market best-selling luxury names. For her, perfumes should be pure elemental evocations of flowers, herbs, trees and vegetables. The whole project is simply infused with sheer joy and love of the products, evocations of a place (California) and time, acknowledging her heritage. And her emotional engagement is not restricted to essential oils or solid scents, she has also designed the packaging that encapsulates these treasures. Unique vintage silver and turquoise Navajo pillboxes and small leather pouches. The soothing natural world.
For more information on where to buy the products, please contact Emmelie Brunetti: info@hopibotanicals.com

All pictures courtesy of Hopi Botanicals

A love story between a girl and a camera

2010-02-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

My new camera made my Christmas. I feel like everything could happen at any time when I have it in my bag and everything around me becomes material for a photo. Insignificant moments are transformed into stories, series of impressions and emotions, observations and imagination merging. I’ve developed such a strong relationship with my Canon that I feel frustrated and sentimental if I don’t have it with me. I treat my camera like a friend that can make experiences fun and more intense. Learning to surmount the endless technical difficulties is also part of the thrill. My skills are strictly of the beginner’s variety but it doesn’t matter to me. I continue to live a stormy affair with photography regardless of my mediocre talent … and I have fun!

I took these pictures one early winter morning in Le Perche (lower Normandie).

Portrait of the week: Backyard Bill

2010-01-22T15:17:00.000-08:00

A large number of new self-labelled street style photographers have emerged overnight and decided that it is their responsibility to start blogs. Enough cash to pay for a decent camera and the illusion of action will not teach you how to take a good picture. Blogs are extraordinarily self-centred organisms and so many of us are too ready to believe that they can produce beautiful and inspiring images of stylish people on the streets of Paris, London, New York and Tokyo. There should be a manual to help would be Sartorialists understand that it’s not as simple as it seems and that a successful outcome will not always miraculously materialize. In fact, most of the time it doesn’t and leaves no impact on the overall tone of blog culture. Our appetite for pictures of real girls and boys with a natural fashion presence keeps growing and encourages a flow of frustrating third-rate photography. How to deal with stuff on the internet is up to each individual and the weight we give it but the self-confidence and boastfulness of various “style” photographers is becoming almost insufferable. I’ve noticed a pattern repeating itself continuously in the past few months: the blogosphere is slowly turning into a land of photographers with a complacent sense of superiority and not living up to their own promise. Where will it all end? Obviously I should simply ignore the dull offenders and stop being so hostile but it’s not as easy as it seems when you’re constantly searching for fresh inspiration. For one irresistible and thrilling blog there are ten crap ones! It’s tiresome.
But I’m happy to report that occasionally I will find an individual devoted to producing interesting and beautiful work. I first came across Bill Gentle’s photography early last year while exploring his girlfriend’s wonderful blog. Immediate merciful relief! With Backyard Bill, Gentle has updated the idea of street style photography and has created a compelling inventory of intensely poetic images of stylish boys and girls in intriguing locations. His vision is truly original and his blog is simply one of the best of its kind. Every time he updates it I know that I’m going to be taken on a little captivating adventure and I won’t be able to let go. I admire the meticulously observed stylistic details, the soft and flattering light, impeccable technical abilities, the sense of authenticity and intimacy, the depths of introspection attributed to personal mementoes like a car, a bicycle, a garden or a chair. His images are modern love tokens, responses of the photographer to his subjects. He doesn’t just focus on the clothes but heightens the magic with a sense of contemporary immediacy.

All pictures courtesy of Backyard Bill

A fashion affair

2010-01-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

Today WWD announced that Sharon Wauchob had been named creative director of Edun. My first reaction was to laugh and think that there had been a mistake, a fundamental misunderstanding. Wauchob is a designer with ambition. She has travelled the fashion ladder slowly but in the past couple of years it has become clear that she could fight her corner with strength and excellence. Her spring 2010 collection was beautiful and embraced a dark romanticism with its skilful embroidered lace, silk and slouchy drapes. I question the logic of these two names joining forces, they’re lengths apart. It is predictable from the Edun angle and definitely suits its agenda but it’s a somewhat unpredictable move for Wauchob. Edun is more about slightly boring ecological and sustainable clothing than inspiring contemporary style, a sort of social experiment with no edge that has not been much in evidence on the hard terrain of the fashion world. Is Wauchob the saviour?

Postcards from Paris

2010-01-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

The second part of our holiday was spent in Paris. Ten days in one of the world’s most photogenic cities! We normally spend a lot of time seeing friends, which is inevitable since so many of them either travel to France at the same time as we do or simply live there. This time we decided to manage our time more carefully and punctuated our days with small adventures across Paris, experiencing the city like tourists. Despite the freezing cold and motivated by the fact that we had a car at our disposal we explored the empty Jardins de Bagatelle on New Year’s Day and admired the peacocks, took pictures of the skyline from the highest point of the Buttes Chaumont, spent hours at the Porte de Vanves market and bought six small porcelain birds from the seventies for €15, visited the ingeniously structured Le Corbusier house in Poissy (something of an anomaly in that area since it is now surrounded by council blocks), we also watched old films at our local cinema club, resented the huge crowds at the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise and spent evenings eating and walking the dramatically lit streets. And of course all hell broke loose when the sales started on the 6th of January! We started to shop tentatively and soon got caught in a whirlwind of enthusiasm and I’m not sure that the evidence of my over-spending should be shown here. I do have a penchant for shoes but this is a fashion blog after all…

All pictures and collages by July Stars

Normandy

2010-01-13T12:37:00.000-08:00

I have just returned from a Christmas holiday divided into two. The first part was spent in a manor near Pont-l'Évêque, Normandy. We left London in the snow and arrived at the Eurotunnel believing that we would be able to catch our train without any problems. The Eurostar had been making headlines with its vain endeavours to reestablish transport as normal following the 18th December debacle, but when I checked Eurotunnel’s website on the morning of our departure no delays were announced. In our clearly optimistic and festive mood we sleepwalked toward disaster: 5 hours in the cold before we could embark with the car. A farce. But I had my sister and her zeal for entertainment to keep me company. We gossiped and talked about various subjects such as international affairs, the environment and … I’m joking! The global picture is more “sex, music, food”, Avatar and fighting over my husband’s iPhone to play a Parra game. By the time we’d all finished dissecting the latest Hollywood blockbuster (my sister wants to live on Pandora and hold hands with fluorescent crusty Camden Town dreadlocked creatures in a trance, my husband took a keen interest in the blue cat girl and I laughed at all the hippie crap) we’d arrived! We had a magical time. Good food, which is what France does best, walks in the countryside, mini explorations of Deauville and Trouville, Scrabble, roaring fires and great books.

Journal Standard Luxe

2010-01-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

My appetite for fashion was satisfied last week. Where? In Paris. A paradox in my mind since I see this city as one of the most romantic places in the world, populated by effortlessly beautiful girls with whom you could fall in love at first sight, hauntingly perfect architecture, food that thrills me, good old-fashioned cafes with obscure corners and the best jazz clubs but a somewhat homogenous street style. I always admire the aesthetics of the French. They always manage to look mysterious and elegant with logical fluidity but there is often an ingredient missing: a touch of individuality, cool unevenness and bold ideas. I spend a lot of time in Paris and felt incredibly lucky when I discovered the Journal Standard Luxe boutique at 10-12 Rue de Montpensier. The Japanese brand, which opened its first shop in the capital three months ago, captures a very different mood and contrasts with the other boutiques in the area (Acne, Colette, Marc Jacobs, Rick Owens, Kitsuné and the luxury names dotting Rue Saint-Honoré). The autumn winter collection maintains a hearteningly high standard and is infused with a discreet “workwear” charm I couldn’t help admiring. The room was filled with amazing pieces and a wonderful array of textures from denim to cashmere. The colour palette is exquisite and subtle varying from beige, browns, bluey-grey, fawn, white, creams and the most incredible vintage denim blue wash. I didn’t have time to ask the rep office what exactly is the concept at the root of this quirky brand but its delicate sensibility immediately seduced me. The people behind Journal Standard Luxe have made something unusual and extremely cool. The selection captivated me and I wondered whether I could justify buying a pair of dungarees, oversized boyfriend jeans, a hat, hooded sweatshirt and poncho. The answer was no since I had already purchased a pair of Pierre Hardy wedges, APC gladiator shoes and a fur coat but I still came out with the most amazing light-washed denim shirt. The quality is quite frankly superior to a lot of other brands out there at the moment but then again you wouldn’t expect less from a Japanese brand used to catering for its own demanding market. I’m still intrigued as to why the brand chose Paris for its first European venture instead of London, a place where Journal Standard Luxe would immediately be well received and successful, but the location in Palais Royal is ravishing. I have to thank the wonderful Mina and Noriko for answering my incessant questions and the lovely Keiko for letting me take a picture of her!

PS: the catalogues are stunning but available in limited editions only.
Journal Standard Luxe, 11-12 Galerie de Montpensier, 75001 Paris

All pictures in the collage are mine.
All other pictures courtesy of Journal Standard Luxe.

Mat Maitland

2009-12-15T15:19:00.000-08:00

Oh no, not again. Yes, I’m afraid so. I know I said in my previous post that I would not return to subjects already introduced on the blog but Mat Maitland’s 10 page story for l’Officiel Paris December/January issue persuaded me to ignore my own restrictions. If someone had asked me last month what I thought of l’Officiel, I’d have said that it’s aesthetic did not manage to steer away from the predictable and merely repeated well-established fashion ideas. But this issue, with the support of a new Art Director, did not make me yawn, sigh or even drift into thinking about how much more enjoyable other fashion publications are. It is clear that it marks a turning point in the history of the magazine and it is being shaped, shifted and moulded into a startlingly good addition to the fashion world with the capacity to express the spirit of an age. L’Officiel now seems to embrace novelty and quality control. The outcome of this self-revision is stunning and will certainly surprise its loyal readers with its subtle game of unexpected twists and challenges to its previous more traditional ideas. This is highlighted by the breathtaking collaboration between the magazine and Mat Maitland, an outstanding collage artist. His contemporary surrealist derived images combined with carefully selected shoes and bags from the 2010 collections are instantly recognisable and memorable. His interpretative individuality is full of enthralling pop complexities referring to fashion, old 80s and 90s magazines, music, paintings and films. The rich textures of the multi-layered compositions consisting of disembodied body parts or animals, pianos, clouds, brightly coloured elements, Chanel, Dior, and Miu Miu among other luxury brands form a series of enchanting and magnetic images. In recognition of his keen interest and exploitation of popular culture, I’d call him a Pop artist (although there is something that distances him from the classical meaning of the term). Regardless of the label, his images are simply beautiful and dreamlike collages dominated by his passion for commercial, popular and fine arts.

Scans from l’Officiel Paris December/January issue

Wendy Bevan

2009-12-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

I always imagine Wendy Bevan to be a beautiful woman with a spirited personality. As a photographer and participator in the thick of London avant-garde life, her diaries would be full of interesting details and surrealist stories. Her printed work always gives a vivid sense of what Bevan’s sensuous, dark, chimerical and exotic life might be. The effect is compelling. Her themes are often dreamlike women depicted like quietly magnificent paintings imbued with a sense of gently haunting magic. The atmospheric colours and photographic techniques of her fashion stories are growing to be more pronounced, scenes transfigured by a richly poetical imagination and a quirky humour. Her visions can sometimes be tough but they’re always filled with a certain tenderness and intriguing melancholy for times past. I know I’ve talked about Wendy Bevan recently. I normally try to bring the fresh intensities of first lust to this blog but I think I’m becoming a devoted fan. I’ve looked at her past shoots for Pop, Grey, Muse, Italian Marie-Claire, Lula, the Financial Times and Vogue Russia: it feels like she constantly raises the senses with her stimulating fashion images, revealing a touching vulnerability and the occasional hint of ordinariness that comes as a surprise. At first glance, there is always the inevitable celebration of nostalgia and eccentricity but look closer and you’ll discover a seamless kaleidoscope of ideas based on the fusion of classical photographic compositions, colours and a contemporary subtle sensuality reminiscent of Paolo Roversi.
Apart from looking at fashion photography, I’ve also been confronting my passion for Japanese food head on. Last Saturday, I was treated to dinner at Umu, a Kyoto style Michelin star restaurant in Mayfair. The food was ridiculously delicious (apart from my prawn tempura, the batter was a little too thick) and the flavours wonderful. Had it not been for the prices, I would have indulged in more dishes until the table was no longer visible! Crazy excesses… I hope to renew the experience soon but in the meantime my local, Jin Kichi, will have to do.

All pictures courtesy of Wendy Bevan

Winter warmers

2009-12-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

London is not short of sample sales this week and under normal circumstances there is precious little chance of me going to any of them. My office is located in North London and unfortunately a lunch break does not give me enough time to secure good bargains. Another problem, I suppose, is that I always know precisely what I’m looking for and these selected items never seem to be up for grabs! I used to have an unquestioning readiness to spend money on useless dresses or shoes simply because I could get them all for a significantly reduced price but I’m entirely happy with my more mature approach: no sample sales unless they’re truly too good to ignore (usually in Paris) and I’m guaranteed entry before the general public. The result of my restricting demands is that I hardly ever get to these sales (although this is by no means a problem since I never find anything anyway). But sometimes an unforeseen day off combined with a sister intent on conquering the world of fashion results in several pairs of fingerless Christopher Kane's gray and black leopard-print cashmere gloves. One for me and the other a Christmas present for a very special friend.
I’ve also recently discovered a Dutch based jewelry online shop selling delightful pieces at affordable prices. Fashionology offers a small selection of on trend products, essentially Pamela Love inspired with gothic and punk accents. I followed my instincts and ordered the necklace, ring and bracelets pictured here (along with the Christopher Kane gloves). The package took less than a week to arrive and the quality of the jewelry has exceeded my expectations! The claw ring in particular is everything I wanted. Feminine and mystical.

Jewelry pictures courtesy of fashionology and collage is mine

Edouard Plongeon

2009-12-01T15:12:00.000-08:00

Of all the many incidental pleasures I find in fashion, one of the most enjoyable has been the Edouard Plongeon shoot in this month’s Jalouse. I’ve been trying to think of adjectives that encapsulate the essence of this photographer’s work and the word “magical” keeps emerging to describe his mesmerising images. I’ve been following his career closely for a long time and I admit that his spell is working on me. His photos are always a unique mastery of contrasts in modernity and a certain seventies melancholy. The colour coding is always wonderful and intriguing, suggestive of feminine mystique and romantic movements. There’s something very powerful about his work and new ideas. I truly believe that he is part of a new generation of fashion photographers who will soon experience glory days (among them Cécile Bortoletti). I have a deep interest in the trio mentioned here and will probably write small introductions to their work in the next few weeks. They’re close to my heart. I find them utterly beguiling and have long admired their photographic skills and imaginations.
Edouard Plongeon shot three stories in Tangiers for the November issue of Jalouse and they’re all incredibly inspiring and remarkable. A formidable body of wonderful images. I loved it so much that I quickly asked my newsagent to order me a second copy to give a very special friend who lives in Morocco.

All photos courtesy of Edouard Plongeon

A very English adventure

2009-11-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

In contrast with some of London’s contemporary architecture and aesthetics Whitstable felt like the picturesque little seaside town I’d been looking for. The hugely seductive house we rented was the main ingredient behind the success of our weekend. With its impressive view and location we experienced the thrill and passion of living near water, we wandered about the town absorbing the very English atmosphere, visited Sandwich and Canterbury, and we forgot about London life for a few days. A real treat.

The pictures I took show the house, beach, harbour and Canterbury Cathedral

Twitter

2009-11-18T14:38:00.000-08:00

As a rule of thumb, I like to update this blog two to three times a week. As some of my good “blogger” friends have stated in the past, it is not wise to ignore the routine unless you want to alienate your readers. I guess I’m to blame for the current crisis I’m facing, my decision to always take my time writing and focus on real fashion-related ideas and nuances has left me unprepared for the embarrassing fall in daily hits. Time has also been a significant contributing factor: a full time job and a social life means that my blog has recently only been functioning once a week. I absolutely love writing and finding interesting subjects to discuss on July Stars. It’s led me to fantasise about exciting scenarios, dreaming up a world with a “stop time” option or a three day weekend to accomplish more things and write. I should be brave and defiant, learn to write less but more frequently (unlikely)! And this is where the appeal of Twitter comes in: it encourages short and spontaneous sentences of 140 words. I’ve been religiously using it as a small extension of the blog, a new home for nuggets of inspiration dedicated to fashion, visual arts and anything else that could make its way on July Stars. As it transpired recently, it has become like a small notebook. Instead of a sometimes hibernating blog, my Twitter account is consistently updated with introductions to varied items I’m passionate about. Everyone can play the game and it’s so easy. You can follow me here http://twitter.com/julystars.
Next time you read July Stars, I promise you’ll be greeted by a fashion post in its proper context!
Until then, here are a few pictures I took last weekend in Whitstable. The house we rented was beautiful, a masterful piece of history located directly on the beach, facing the sea and surrounded by colourful traditional huts. I definitely want to go back in spring…

A new approach

2009-11-11T13:09:00.000-08:00

A very good friend of mine has a list of books she wants to buy. It’s very long and she’s extremely disciplined about it. She constantly goes to bookshops with her list that always seems to get longer and searches for hours, the endless mystic quest for the long out of print or recently released book. It makes her heart race and the tears well up. She loves the quiver of anticipation and the feeling that she might find something very special. I, on the other hand, positively connect with the Internet on a daily basis and miraculously almost always find what I’m looking for on the web. So obviously I mock her relentlessly, as is only appropriate with one of your oldest friends. While I agree that exploring old and new bookshops for hours can be extremely enjoyable I find that buying online can be equally satisfying (although I do miss the intoxicating smell of dusty old books). In fact, I am always astonished that I get the same amount of pleasure buying online as I do in “real” life. Last week, I cheerfully bought several 80s issues of Zoom on ebay, a copy of the recently launched Twin magazine, More is More: Tony Duquette, Olivier Zahm’s Purple Anthology and The Marchesa Casati: Portraits of a muse. My taste for extravagant online book and magazine purchases probably comes from the fact that I’m deskbound during the week and it’s easy to practice Internet shopping during my lunch breaks! And I’m going to be completely honest: I may also be a little in love with buying clothes, shoes and accessories on the web too. Let me explore La Garçonne, Net-A-Porter, Browns and Colette for long enough and I can guarantee that I’ll feel the first stirrings of desire. I lost my Internet shopping virginity a very long time ago!
Books and magazines hold an irreplaceable romantic appeal, a simple way of life and there’s nothing better than a good fashion or art publishing hit offering escapism. But over the last few years traditional print media has had to compete with the sudden popularity of web magazines and high quality new media platforms embracing the world of fashion. This phenomenon has probably startled the publishing industry and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. I’ve been flirting with fashion related Internet tools for almost two years and it has blossomed into a true romance. When it comes to magazines, print continues to prevail in my heart. Fashion photography always seems a little too diluted online and certainly doesn’t have the same effect. But I’ve been conducting a very public affair with various fashion web platforms and I simply can’t imagine a better example than fly16x9. It is completely absorbing. The web channel was launched in October 2008 by Stephen Blaise and Catherine Camille Cushman and provides an engaging and outstanding video portal where fashion, art, photography and music collide to create and authentic and innovative voice. A genuine creative achievement that is defined by the influential personalities who collaborate on each film, bringing technology into sharp focus and complementing the world of fashion magazines. It’s a defiant riposte to the fashion greats who haven’t yet had the confidence and audacity to embrace moving images. It’s an impressive collection of experimental, sometimes provocative, exciting, vibrant and beautiful videos. Small ground-breaking fashion masterpieces!
Thank you Bon for the email and info.

Video courtesy of Fly16x9