Ignacio Lozano

A Spanish artist split between New York, Barcelona and Madrid, Ignacio Lozano, is an enigmatic photographer, pursuing images with deep emotion and detail. His photographs place a profound importance on natural light and material, often juxtaposing these ideas with digital adjustments and man-made environments.

 

 

 

 

photographs by Ignacio Lozano

http://ignacio-lozano.blogspot.com/ 

"Why every girl wants to be a fashion stylist"

So apparently EVERY, little girl growing up wants to be a stylist [according to Gemma Soames of the TIMES ONLINE] A rather unfounded and slightly general view I think, as there are some of us girls who would rather write about the world than dress it.  However the article rings very true and should be a guide to young girls everywhere seeking the stylish life, a WARNING almost, that fashion has its pitfalls and its not all glamour and glitz.

The rise of the stylist is undeniable. The IT career for young girls embracing the world in the noughties, taking over from last decades dream job, the PR superwoman, styling has been kicked up the style stakes in terms of most wanted job, mainly thanks to rise in celebrity stylists (who unfortunately, are misleading young girls into not such a glamorous career path as they think).   
Take Rachel Zoe [right] as an example, celebrity stylist to some of Hollywood's hottest young girls, Lindsey Lohan and Nicole Richie to name just two, has developed a following of girls who admire her style credentials and worryingly praise her (despite the whole zoebot anorexic Hollywood actresses she is breeding). She has become a celebrity in her own right.

However she is the exception not the rule. Not all stylists endure such fame and fortune. Most are penny pinching and hungry, suffering for their love of style and fashion, trying to carve a career in something that makes them, but certainly not their purses, HAPPY.

FASHION has become such a big business, thanks, very much to the writers, photographers and stylists, not to mention the plethora of fashion publications, that have emerged with abundance over the last decade - and with that comes big bucks. 

Grace Coddington 
style supremo at American Vogue 

Carine Roitfeld

leading the style stakes at French Vogue

The variety of career opportunities within the fashion industry, previously not available, have become more accessible (well, that's a loose term) to young girls [and boys] everywhere, and stylists leading the fashion pack forward. The London College of Fashion styling courses have received an influx of interest from the youthful generations which have been brought up on fashion, social media and the over-abundance of images. 

Even the not so prestigious university I attended had to adapt its courses due to huge interest. By the time I graduated in 2009, they had introduced new and specific tailored creative fashion styling degrees, and fashion writing courses had doubled in capacity. Young girls now a days are picking up on the importance of fashion, not only in terms of magazines but from a visual and theoretical viewpoint. For many people The Devil Wears Prada was a humorous film depicting the fashion industry and in particular fashion magazines. There are so many people, who assume fashion to be frivolous and without meaning. More over, I think fashion misunderstood. Those famous words Meryl Streep says when the young misguided journalist ends up at a fashion magazine, which she thinks is a ridiculous environment, always ring in my ears. Theoretically speaking fashion is probably one of the most dynamic, delicate and multi-faceted modern day PHENOMENON'S - so intuitive, so responsive, yet so forthright in it's presence and its influence. 

So you see, the stylist is an everyday tour guide for the fashion industry [that's my metaphor anyway] For some it is glamorous and well-paid, but for most it is a struggling art form. 

Now, does EVERY girl want to be a stylist. I think I'm quite happy trundling along in the penniless world of fashion writing. [the connection here - between styling and writing - is that the world of fashion is a hierarchy [further fashion arguments will be following], you make the money at the top. As for the bottom, well its a more humble lifestyle] 

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article6957360.ece 

Jacob Sutton

His images are intensely intriguing and his technical abilities are second to none. A photographer, Jacob Sutton has produced astounding images across a spectrum of society, dabbling in portraits, landscapes, moving images and fashion. I dont know much about the inner workings of his mind, or his childhood which might have catapaulted him into a creative environment. But I know his images have had me mesmerised for hours, since I stumbled across that first incredible underwater shot this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

photography by Jacob Sutton

http://www.jacobsutton.com/ 

girl crush

In all fairness i'm a little late in jumping on the  Emma Watson for BURBERRY bandwagon, because to be completely honest, she was always Hermione Granger to me. Now the fresh faced Harry Potter actress, has become a British fashion figurehead.

image from www.fabsugar.com

image from www.metro.co.uk

 

image from www.harpersbazaar.com

  At the tender age of 19, she has developed a beautiful public persona and a stunning portfolio which have turned her from frumpy teenage

wizard, into fashion follower. Spotted on many a front row at some of fashion's most fabulous shows, Watson has become a regular face in the glossy magazines and fashion feature pages. Who would have thought such a unsuspecting little actress would blossom into a beautiful young women right in front of our eyes. And with such a humble attitude, she is a breath of fresh air for her generation. 

image from www.harpersbazaar.com

And then BURBERRY went and snapped her up as the face of the heritage brand's A/W 09/10 collection. Looking sophisticated and sexy with her pale skin, smokey eyes and classic BURBERRY trench and checks, Watson earned her fashion stripes among many, and gave the classic British look a young, modern fresh feeling. 

 

From Hermione Granger, to BURBERRY brand ambassador, Emma Watson has wowed us with her outfits, her outlook and her delicate and humble beauty. At just 19, she has the world, and BURBERRY, at her fingertips.

festivities and ferrero rocher

Over the course of christmas day I received many beautiful gifts thanks to lovely friends and family, and managed to consume a vast amount of turkey, parsnips and ferrero rocher (my favourite by the way).  

With glittery baubles adorning our tree and the incredibles on the tv, twas a perfect christmas day. New pjs. check. Paul Smith rose perfume. check. Fashion Now 2. check. the september issue. check. and a years subscription to ELLE and GRAZIA. check. 
i've been spoilt rotten this year and I thoroughly appreciate everything I have received.  

Merry Christmas & Happy Boxing Day

Leftover turkey sandwiches for breakfast anyone? 

I wish you a....

MERRY CHRISTMAS

glittery baubles
 

my brothers "showroom style" wrapped presents

the contents were just as good.

photographs. mimi finerty

Blink and you miss it

We continually celebrate the best of British fashion, and we're not shy when it comes to blowing our own trumpets. Luckily London Fashion Week is an excuse, actually more of an opportunity for platform for us to show the rest of the fashion world what we Brits have to offer. 

Now some lost their faith momentarily, but most have seen the error in their ways and many, this season will be returning to show in London. 

Participating in LFW last season, with a small and extremely promising British designer it was over before I knew it. A lot of much needed preparation goes into LFW with military style organisation and then suddenly, its over. Literally blink, and you'll miss it. No sooner have we packed up from the last one and its back. London, and in particular Somerset House will be a buzz with a right fashion furore as the Brits show how its done. 

And as a sort of early christmas present, The British Fashion Council confirmed last week provisional dates for LFW as the 19th-23rd February 2010. 

The usual culprits will be back with a vengeance, ready and waiting to cause fashion chaos in Somerset House. And with some long awaited reunions, Matthew Williamson is returning to London and Burberry back on the schedule, LFW 2010 is set to be a show-stopper. 

Don't blink. Or you'll miss it. 

American Apparel's nailed it

American Apparel, not content with cladding us all in technicolour cotton clothing has broken out into cosmetics. With a range of nail lacquers inspired by the brand itself, there are 18 shades on offer, bottled in New York and inspired by the beautifully basic brand itself.

"Cotton" a creamy natural shade named after the brands classic undyed material, "Factory Grey" a pale grey reminiscent of the walls in the American Apparel factory and "Office" a a zingy mint green inspired by a notepad.

At £4 for a basic bottle of Nail Lacquer is a bit of a bargain, a perfect stocking filler, or a pre pay day indulgence for anyone strapped for cash this festive period.

"Twiggy: a Life in Photographs"

From the beginning Twiggy had a memorable name and a mesmerising face. The original supermodel, she emerged with that oh so iconic and avant garde hairstyle as the sixties got into full swing. 

One of the first faces of British fashion, twiggy became synonymous with the sixties and the cultural shifts which were creating an enigmatic youth orientated society. Now, the National Portrait Gallery is showing a new photographic exhibition, "Twiggy: A Life In Photographs" to celebrate Twiggy's 60th birthday and the release of a new photographic biography of her life. 

The godmother of Marks and Sparks, Twiggy emerged with that infamous crop and those mascara caked eyes staring through the lens of Barry Lategan's camera, earning her fashion stripes and becoming the worlds first supermodel. 

The National Portrait gallery exhibit runs until the 21st March 2010, and encompasses Twiggys life as a fashion frontrunner from beginning to present day. 

"Made In England"

Foale and Tuffin aren't names that roll off the tongue of most, but in the sixties, they were leading the fashion pack during the cultural revolution. The cool girl's choice when it came to fashion in the sixties, Foale and Tuffin were creating vibrant pop-inspired mini dresses and innovative colourful trouser suits, providing practical yet desirable fashion. 

Fashion and Textile Museum "Made in England" Foale and Tuffin Retrospective

Now the Fashion and Textile Museum are celebrating Foale and Tuffin's fashion achievements with an exhibiiton entitled "Made in England". An inspiring and exciting retrospective, the FTM has produced a vibrant representation of two key British designers who appeared at the forefront of British fashion and influenced the dynamic landscape of sixties fashion. 

The exhibition runs until the 24th February 2010, and sees the FTM recreating the design duos boutique, showroom and design studio, taking you through the personal journey of two women fighting through the fashion frenzy of London in the sixties. 

paying for the pleasure.

So under the guise of a charitable fund-raising exercise, the Evening Standard are actually (and with a lot of cheek I may add) auctioning off a weeks work experience and a chance to "experience life at London's greatest newspaper", their words, not mine. Their annual Christmas Charity Auction raises beneficial funds for children's charity, Kids Company. And yes, I agree that this is undoubtedly a worthy cause, and some of the experiences on offer are remarkable; an art lesson with Tracey Emin, dinner cooked by Gordon Ramsey, and access all areas for the Topshop show at London Fashion Week. 

However, the whole paying for work experience is an interesting auction, that, im not sure quite adds up. So, the fundmentals of work experience are; you learn, obviously gain hands on experience, all under the condition of working for free. Fair enough. If the experience and knowledge gained is abundant, i have no quarms. Now, I understand this is for charity, but I still have a small problem with the fact that the rather arrogant Evening Standard think its acceptable to allow some poor being, and it will probably be an over enthusiastic and eager graduate, (who's daddy has more money than sense) and is desperate to get a foot in the door of the impenetrable fields of media or journalism, to pay for the pleasure of 8 gruelling hours a day. 

Maybe it's me, but im really not getting it. All of the other auctions the Evening Standard have conjured up all offer the bidder some sort of celebrity, un-buy-able (yes I think I just made that word up) experience in which the outcome is pleasure not pain. Giving to charity for some unbelievable once in a lifetime experience is one thing. Giving to charity to have the opportunity to be a slave at one of London's newspapers is another, when, if you try hard enough, emailing many a journalist on a daily basis until they get so annoyed that they offer you work experience just to shut you up, you can get it for free (yes you don't get paid, but on the bright side you won't have to pay for it).

Ok, so this is not the only work experience opportunity they are auctioning off in the name of charity. However lot no. 25 is offering a little more than a week and a bit more pleasure. Six weeks of work experience (if you have £2500 to donate to charity, although that is the starting bid) with some of the fashion industries finest; Net-a-porter.com in London, Versace press office in Milan, Roland Mouret studio in London, fashion photographer Tim Walker, Antonio Berardi in Milan and last but not least, the Evening Standard fashion team. Well worth the money, (even if it is still work experience and you have to pay for your own flights and accommodation), im still not convinced.

It does make me question, not only the ethics of such powerful industries, but the desperation some people are suffering in hard times. For the gradutes of media, journalism and fashion degrees of 2009, i feel for you.

Patience is a virtue. 

Good things come to those who wait......

Print Club London

Pop up shops are just that. They pop up. You shop. The concept is pretty simple. And the idea has some novelty quality. You get a sense of exclusivity when you buy something from a shop that wont be there next week. So, just in time for the festive period of giving, otherwise known as christmas, Print Club London have decided to pop up on Brick Lane. 

The Print Club London is a pretty cool club. Based in Dalston, the club was born in 2007 in hope that screenprinting will see a revival has already seen some superb artists step through its doors. The concept behind the club is this; its a members club, you pay a small monthly fee for use of their facilities, which are extensive, and in return you get to print to your hearts content. As well as workshops, shows, projects and exhibitions, the Print Club London has an online shop from which a variety of multi-talented artists sell their wares, and a Print Monger, who is at the Back Yard Market, off Brick Lane, every Sunday. 

So the Print Club guys are pretty busy bees, but if that wasn't enough they will be popping up with a small shop on Brick Lane from the 18th December, aiming to bring a bit of colour to your christmas. 

The shop opens with a launch night, private viewing on 18th December from 6pm, for more details or to rsvp for the launch event email rsvp@printclublondon.com. The shop will be open from 11am to 6pm on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th December for all you screenprinting fanatics. 

paper doll

source

  

Charlotte Taylor Ltd

Her posts are refreshingly honest and her tone comfortable.She makes you feel right at home reading her blog. Which is a nice feeling. A fresh designer hot on the trail of the fashion furore, Charlotte Taylor is documenting her design journey towards fashions holy grail, February and London Fashion Week, where she will be showcasing her first collection Autumn/Winter 2010. 

Now I haven't seen any of her work, or her designs. But somehow she has me hooked on her journey and i'm intrigued about her collection. I don't know if its the description of herself, "Amid the depths of darkest recession a crazed yet determined girl decided it was an appropriate time to up sticks, leave her job and start up her own fashion label under her own name, and with that CHARLOTTE TAYLOR was born." , the unexpected honesty of her photographs,the fact that she works from the Isle of Wight ( a place which for me has strong memories of family holidays and a little island which I simply adore), or that her collection is inspired by grannies, bird ladies, penguins and much much more. But she has addictive quality in her writing that just makes me want to know more.

source

Have a look at her blog. You'll feel right at home. 

the world of an intern

As a fresh graduate, I have fallen foul to the economic climate. Horrible statistics of unemployment and dwindling job prospects hit me no sooner than my mortarboard had hit the floor. But being a media and communications graduate there was a little glimmering light at the end of the tunnel. A degree in fashion journalism I have (BA Hons Writing Fashion and Culture to be precise, which in english means I know stuff about fashion, I have an understanding of a variety of cultural theory, and should have been given the fundamental skills to be a good writer/journalist), a job I do not. Enter the infamous word that rings in many a young and eager graduates ears....Internship. Now primarily interns frequent the industries of fashion (you may dissaprove of sweat shops in india but a internship in London is not far off), journalism and a plethora of other media professions like pr and advertising. And these are the areas I know best. 

I started interning when I left university, working for a fabulous small designer in London, I had a wonderful time and actually got to do stuff. I had responsability. I felt valued and I got to experience the inner workings of producing a show at London Fashion Week. Experience is what I signed up for and experience is what I got. I feel sorry for interns who get stuck photocopying and making the tea. As of yet I have not been asked to make tea.

To be honest, there are a lot of immoral and unethical people out there taking advantage of fresh and enthusiastic interns with a whole set of original ideas, and getting all the benefits of a fully fledged member of staff without spending a penny. My view of an internship is this; you are there to gain experience. That's the deal.  No? I dont even mind the whole working for free bit,  however travel expenses paid should be a given. But when you are working for free, and generally harder than the paid members of staff, and your not learning anything, and your being asked to make tea. Well thats where I give up on this industry I'm afraid. An internship should be a two way street. You give 100% and in return you should be given the industry knowledge and a place to put all those university skills into practice.

Unfortunately our industry is over-populated, over saturated and over-subcribed. And i'm not sure i'm in the right place. Competition is just not my thing. 

For those of you still battling on, a little saving grace and some moral support.

Your not alone. 

snap and click

I may be a little bit biased, however, the photographic skills of a friend of mine are certainly worth a post. SnapClicker is a little known London based photographer, but his skill is astounding. With the snap and click of a camera button he captures some of the most obvious, and banal objects with extraordinary beauty and outstanding imagination. The product is simple and stunning images. And simple is most definitely not boring. Far from it. SnapClicker manages to grasp every detail of his surroundings in the heart of the lens, giving the onlooker a visual feast of photographic technique and inspiring imagery, while his images always remain humble and refreshingly honest. 

Now if you don't believe me, have a look at his blog. Muddled between the graffiti, inspirational imagery, and youtube videos are little photographic gems waiting to be noticed.....