Friday 29th August: Emma Roach

When I went to a Kylie concert last month, I was so excited to see that Emma Roach was credited for costumes and props. I thought that everyone else would be as facsinated as me to know what the process was, so I asked her how the project came about. I normally edit snippets to go with images but I like her explanation so much, I have left it intact:

"I had been working with William Baker since he spotted my work in Italian Vogue. The joan of arc inspired, satin armour piece, originally commissioned by Jacob K, was then remade in miniature for Kylie. After that, the tour was a whirlwind somehow, I started producing armour and robocop induced helmets for the dancers . With a common interest in 70's sci fi and all things camp, I understood William's references and within weeks of the opening dates, we began work on the props for the tour. The stage had been designed with a video floor, on which stage props were to breeze through for a song or two. It was a pleasure to work alongside costume designer Stevie Stewart, she is hilarious. There were times when it felt trapped in a perpetual Doctor Who mirage but it was great. If I had known when I was younger, that I might not grow up to be a car mechanic, but still wear dunagrees and work with Kylie, I think I would of been a very happy girl.

Since the tour I have been working on window displays for MCM along side Fiona Golfar, editor of Vogue. I am also working on concepts for next seasons editorial shoots, traveling and fine tuning my table tennis skills.".


To find out about the rest of Emma's job archive refer to: www.emmaroach.com which will be updated in the next couple of weeks.....................

Thankyou so much Emma for taking time to compile this for me, its really fantastic, can't wait to see what else is in store......

Thurs 28th August: Can't Get You Out of My Head

I don't yet have any visuals for this.
But its all in the ears anyway.
I am obsessed with these tunes, check it out:

http://www.myspace.com/esserhq

Thurs 28th August: A Shaded View

Although I have many a favourite blog, the ultimate defining and original perfection of the art (pioneer) is ashadedviewonfashion.com by Diane Pernet. I met Diane in my first week of interning for AsFOUR in Paris in 2001. She was making a documentary about them and came to film them installing their show at Colette. This film is on her website entitled "Chapels As FOUR" which she made with Disciple films where I took this snap of her whilst editing some footage. Funny that at the time, I took this snap it coincidentally had my favourite colours on the screen.
She has always been an outstanding support to me since I began out on my own and has certainly contributed immensely in helping to raise awareness of my business. She is always first to find out about something new and the archive on her blog is the best tool to research anything and everything within the creative and fashion industries. But I guess that we all know this so I will stop stating the obvious about this legendary site and just say a big THANKYOU!

Weds 27th August: K, D & L in K Town

I have been listening to "Kitty, Daisy & Lewis" playing live on Radio 6 this evening. I often noticed this exceptionally well groomed and attired young man (seemingly from another era) around my neighbourhood and was very intruiged. I got my answer when I was introduced to him at Kashpoint a couple of months ago where I got this snap. Then I found out that he was in a band with his sisters and joined by their parents for performances. Between them they play guitar, piano, banjo, lapsteel guitar, harmonica, double bass, ukulele, drums, trombone, xylophone and accordion! They are signed to Sunday Best and have just launched thier self-titled album. Here is the video for the current single "Going Up The Country" which is shot around (in my own non-biased opinion) the best neighbourhood in London: Kentish Town.

Thurs 28th August: Movie Star

My friend K A B I R who is the fashion editor of Drama Magazine has recently been consulting with Roisin Murphy so I have been pestering him for some behind the scenes pictures. This weekend he boarded her tour bus for festival perfomances in Brighton and Manchester. Here she is on stage wearing a Swarovski coat by Katie Eary and later on the bus in her civies.

K A B I R helped style and cast her latest video "MovieStar" inspired by John Waters films. He features alongside some familiar faces.......... Richard Mortimer, Bethan Wood and the fabulous Leo Belicha done up as Divine which is just genius casting! Roisin was on the front cover of 2 Sunday magazines at the weekend noted as the muse to Roksanda Ilincic whose outfit she wears in the video.

Weds 27th August: Tommy

Here is a new face from Storm Models - Tommy Ricketts. We had an evening of fun in Clissold Park, shooting in the trees nextdoor to the fallow deer enclosure and parakeet avery. So nice to have an evening outside before the onset of Autumn despite the torrent of spandex clad runners making us feel totally inadequate in our lifestyle choice. This is one of Alex Cunningham's snaps who styled the shoot. For the official shots, check out Amy Gwatkin's photography blog: spadgerdisco.blogspot.com/

Tues 26th August: The Cut

The 2nd issue of "The Cut" has just landed. Organised by Nendie and Nina of "HIMTM", it is an initiative to give young people a platform to produce their own magazine. The writers and photographers from West London are aged between 13-19 so the insight in articles is totally fresh without PR driven news as is usually the norm of the magazine world.
There are great music profiles on Micachu, Natty, Twizzle and a gig has been organised in Sept at The Royal Albert Hall with Nels and thecocknbullkid. The are numerous art and fashion features with an 8 page shoot "Road To Carnival". What a great opportunity to have editorial published before your 20!
The next issue will be focused on "creativity" and is a special edition commissioned by the ICA as part of the "Nought to Sixty" season which promotes the top 60 upcoming artists in the UK.
The Cut is free to pick up and distributed across London or download the issue at the website............

Mon 25th Aug: I got Candy

One of my favourite extracurricular activities is riffling the vinyl boxes of a certain undisclosed stretch of North London charity shops. BINGO on Saturday!
I found this album by Bow Wow Wow from 1981 which aside from the hit "Go Wild In The Country" it is famed for the controversial cover. The band were the original line up of Adam and The Ants with Adam replaced by 14yr old Anabella when their management was taken over by Malcolm Maclaren. Ever the Agent Proveocater (sorry for the pun, couldn't help myself) he wanted the cover to recreate Manet's painting “Dejeuner Sur L’Herbe". Annabella's mother had an investigation launched against Maclaren for indecency and tried to have the the artwork banned. The original cover was only printed in a few European countries wheres the UK and US used one with her in a white dress. So I am really chuffed to have found this copy! Geek Central!

Mon 25th Aug: Fashion In The Mirror

I finally made it down to The Photographer's Gallery for the fashion exhibition. I wish there was actually an official Fashion Photography Gallery permanently. I would be in heaven!
As is the magnetism of London life, I bumped into Penny Martin (Editor In Chief @ SHOWstudio). She is going to be hosting an evening discussion about the show with the Curators and Photographer Joanthan de Villiers on Tues 2nd Sept.
Jonathan shot the artwork for Roisin Murphy's album "Overpowered" which has the Sandra Buckland and Nazir Mashar combo on the cover. Nazir Mashar is the featured artist on today's schedule of FutureTense on showstudio. Full circle link up there?!

Here is my fashion photography book collection and my flatmates (plushpatterns). Our third house mate (English Literary graduate) also has her novels in rainbow order. The colour crisis is certifiably contagious!

Friday 22nd August: From Gig To Runway

From Gig To Runway is a feature in this week's Grazia about the latest breed of young Brit rock chick . Missing from thier list is Thecocknbullkid who is the "one word no apostrophes, please" name for the singer/songwriter Anita Blay who will be playing at the JCDC after show party at Paris Fashion Week on Oct 3rd.
Her latest single release "On My Own" was produced by Metronomy (as previously featured here in gig review and video prop info). This video was directed by Ollie Evans who made his name with the Klaxons "Atlantis to Interzone" and is now signed to Partizan.
To get more tunes to stick in your head and block out The Coldplay Coldwar go to her myspace : http://www.myspace.com/thecocknbullkid

Thurs 21st Aug: Presents From Maddy

Madeliene brought back a heap of treats for me from India and Nepal. A beautiful hand stitched parasol with even the handle covered in fabric. Some packets of Bindi's that are a wondrous spectrum palette. A recycled bag to illustrate how all bags are newly made from old ones - in this case popcorn. And the cheeky piece de resistance - a carton of my favorite smokes......... legendary prezzies

Thurs 21st Aug: Horticultural Hilarity

In tradition of cultural excursions with Maki, we dressed in theme when we went to Kew Gardens last Friday for research. Since our last outing to the Science Museum dressed as .........um scientists,,,,,,,,,,,for this garden trip we donned our hats in a fusion of Ascot/Chelsea Flower Show. Thank God the Sun also put his hat on. The only blue sky to have graced London for what seems like the whole of August.............







Photos courtesy of Maki Lou Lou
My camera is still dead : (

Weds 20th August: VOGUE HOMMES JAPAN

Nicola Formichetti's new project will be out on Sept 10th and then published bi-annually from Conde Nast Japan. The cover image is a black and white portrait of Ash Stymest (Models 1) by Hedi Slimane but I have put this Oliverio Toscani pic here because I like a bit of colour! And I love this fish hat hiding in the flowers! I look forward to seeing this new magazine and seeing who is behind all the fun inside........

Tues 19th August: Current Hillman Studio Editorial

The 1st of two Beauty shoots with Miles Aldridge and Cathy Kasterine. This saturated day-glo story from Italian Vogue and contrasting "Kiss of Death" dark-side story in Vogue Nippon. We have inherited the strawberry glasses and pink straws from this shoot which I enjoy on a daily basis. However we sadly didn't get to keep the puppet orangutan which for while entertained me - sitting it at Alex's computer when she left the room.............

Tues 19th August: Neels World

The latest costumes and adventure to come from "Neels World" was Gay Pride in Iceland on August 9th. Neel lives his life from one dress-up occasion to the next and co-ercing friends and making new friends along the way. Earlier this year he went to Egypt and got everyone to wrap themselves up as mummies for portraits infront of the pyramids. Who knows where the next destination will take him and what outfits it will inspire...............a true magician of costume and carnage.

The next organised event on Reykjavik's gay calender is "Bears On Ice"11-14 September.

Monday 18th August: Work It The Next Installment

From the club night behind one of my favourite blogs "http://www.youworkit.blogspot.com/" comes the latest edition falling on carnival weekend. If you can't make it down, just check out the blog for the best in observational untainted street style from East London to L.A. Quite often with a dash of humour . Such posts have picked up on the "bow tie" trend and comments such as "you cant swing a cat in hackney without seeing someone in a high waist!!!".
. ( The writer is also a contributor to
http://betterneverthanlate.blogspot.com and racked up 44 comments in unamused outcry to this post:

Ive been known to throw on a checked shirt from time to time, lets be honest it just works.

But the question is HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH OF PLAID*?

*including flannels, gingham, checks and tartan).


Surely someone had to say it?!





Photographs from a Work It attendee: http://www.spadgerdisco.blogspot.com/

Sunday 17th August: Pomme Frites

ASi also sent me a link to this technicolour fun music video "Ce Jeu" by French Artist Yelle. Not only is the video very up my spectrum street but I recognised the costumes from this year's winner of the Hyeres festival Jean Paul Lespagnard. The accessories in his outrageously resplendent collection were inspired by his native Belgium "Pomme Frites"! I love the way his clothes have become something new, taken off the catwalk and used to full effect in the whole look of this music artist's clip.

Saturday 16th August: Gold In My Hands

This is quite the best thing I have discovered in a long time so I want to share it. My friend ASi left a clip from youtube on my MySpace page and I had to investigate further..............

It is a documentary about Irene Williams who was a secretary in Miami but made all her own clothes and hats and customized her accessories to match. This outfit was made from a beach rug and you can see that she even covered shoes in the same fabric! She had over 100 hats which she started making because when she felt down it would transform her into feeling like a movie star by wearing a one. She was self taught and hastens to add that although she doesn't work from patterns, it is in the same way that Elsa Shiaperelli worked from instinct. Her sense of humour is so smart and the editing does great justice to her remarks and ideas on fashion and life. Infact my hand was over my mouth during most of the 23mins.


I have totally fallen for this character as her dressing was motivated by brightening up other people's days just like me. Her home also has a scary similarity to my own wardrobe organisation. Sadly her life ended with dementia in a nurse's home and she insisted on not being clothed at all. I hope that our similarity will not extend to this detail! But for anyone that knows me, its probably not wholey unlikely!

Saturday 16th August: Cut The Brand

The last Friday late event at the V&A was "Cut The Brand" installation by artist/fashion designer NOKI. It took place in an empty shop on exhibition road which is the official off-site venue for the Fashion Vs. Sport exhibition. You were invited to chose a T-Shirt from a rail of rainbow 2nd hand stock and turn it into yarn. After choosing an orange addidas number, I learnt how to cut it into shredds and loop them into a continuous thread. All the balls of NOKI-NHS-DNA-YARN is going to be turned into garments for his S/S garments. During the evening a mini dress was made by Dr. Hook crocheting onto a panel of a leather jacket. After being modelled by Carly it was then styled as a snood on a mannequin in the window for the next day's session.

It was a really fun evening to witness the concentration on people's faces as they got to grips with the whole process. The atmosphere was a lush relaxed vibe with JJ Hudson's dog "Bail" toddling around helping with the proceedings. I found out how he got his name .........JJ got him from a rescue home and literally bailed him out!

I have borrowed these photographs by Olivia Hemmingway from the FvsSport live blog.........

Friday 15th August: Cooperative arrive at Browns

Congratulations to new generation Knitwear label "Cooperative Designs" (Annalisa Dunn & Dorothee Hagemann ) who have just landed Browns as a London stockist. Their next show will be on 17th September, 12.00 at the Baden Powell Scout Hut, next to the NaturalHistory Museum in South Ken. They have sent me this print design for a taster of what to expect of the Spring Summer Collection. Here is a quote to explain their style and method from a recent post on vogue.com "Like to use traditional knitting techniques with modern machining and explore them in unusual and modern ways, combining and contrasting colour and scale".