mohr cole please!

so it's no secret to anybody who knows me that i'm keen on boys with tattoos, i just find them so endeering and i hate to say i have been known to take a fancy to boys based on their tattoos alone. shameful.
anyway back to the point at hand, i love the fact that a new breed of male models have emerged with a more alternative look in the past few years, i just find them visually more interesting than the all american abercrombie and fitch poster boys that have been strewn across billboards in the past.
my (slightly out of control) obsession with tat-clad male model josh beech has been surpassed in recent times by a new super crush of the modelling world cole mohr, i love his almost awkward look and the fact that he doesnt seem to take himself too seriously.

grey days with prorsum

stella's knick knocks

feminine yet intelligent, with sex-appeal yet with a conscience, beautiful yet edgy. stella manages to pull this off in everything she does. her new range of lingerie is beyond beautiful and i have already got some pieces on my christmas list. here are a few faves-

splashing out

so i've ran into a bit of bad luck recently and somehow managed to get my bag stolen with what feels like my entire life inside it, ipod, purse, camera, keys, work keys, diary...bummer.
to turn my frown upside down, i've decided to invest in a lovely new vintage satchel, a leather super-wallet, got new keys cut, i have commondeered all my friends music for a new music player and found some lovely new treats for the ears on the way like this amazing cover with an equally amazing video.



to fulfil my camera needs i decided that instead of investing in another standard dixons digital camera i decided to go for my long lusted after lomography camera, deciding to go for a vintage smena and a diana+ F deluxe kit, just take a gander at these beauts-



and...

juju's delivery.

i've always liked illustration that incorporates beauty and humour with a little slice of cuteness too!
and how could i resist someone who shares a nickname with me and calls her website 'juju's delivery service' and lays it out like a take away menu? i love her simple line drawings that show a sense of vulnerability and charm. the child-like figures manage to depict a sense of childhood heartbreak whilst being adorable. Founded in 2004 in Berlin, the creator of JuJu's delivery, Julia Schonlau has worked for several companies including Rojo, Concrete Hermit and Threadless.
my favourite pieces of hers are -



this one being sweetly titled swampthing & warewolf.

i would become a boxer and take on both swapthing and warewolf myself if it meant i could get a mural like this on my bedroom wall-

well done, wakefield

this happens to be a shameless shout out to my friend sean wakefield who happens to be an amazing photographer. i loved this recent shoot he did in particular, as he doesn't tend to do much fashion photography but i just loved how dreamy and sophisticated these boudoir shots are. all are done on a Mamiya RB.







all images are credited to sean wakefield photography.

this is neurotica

"excessively obsessed with everyday things" the term Neurotic is derived from the Greek word Neuron- meaning "Over stimulation of the nerves and senses"; combined with an implication of sensuality this definition perfectly sums up the labels philosophy.

i love the femininity and innocence of this up and coming label's clothing and the fact that all the pieces in a collection are so pic 'n' mix able. i was introduced to the brand because a friend of a friend works in the neurotica consession at the oxford street topshop, as it is sold on the highstreet, its very easy to get your mits on these lovely affordable outfits.

this video shows the lookbook for the AW 09/10 collection, cant wait to snap up those bat print knee highs and collared dress!



their Spring/Summer collection was equally desirable, my favourite outfits being.




i'm just a sucker for peter pan collars, high waists and ankle socks.

Jeepers Creepers

Ever since i started listening to ska and punk back in the day, i have wanted to get my hands on a pair of creepers, constantly idolising brothel sporters such as Brody Dalle of The Distillers and Tim Armstrong of Rancid for their rebellious footwear. sadly i never had the guts/ fashion knowledge to actually pull them off without looking like a teenage goth. to me they represented punk and rebellion in the same way as a safety pin through the nose would, but by the time i fell in love with them they had definitely been commandeered by black cloak clad depressants.

From their practical creation for the world war 2 soldiers based in North Africa their reputation was tarnished when the ex-soldiers found their way to the brothels of london, where the shoes gained the name 'brothel creepers' since then the shoes have been associated with subcultures of several generations which i think is where my rebellious association came from. from the teddy boys of the 50's to the Maclaren punk adoption in the 70's and were lengthened to boots for the Goths in the 90's.



Today creepers are getting their day in the mainstream and whether i like it or not, these platformed pumps have sprang up everywhere from catwalks to fashion shoots to the feet of celebs.
These photos are from Nathan Jenden show in London, i like the fact that the creepers are paired with feminine dresses.



Although i'd love to remain faithful to the classic style, but these beauts from Office are just too amazing, they keep the platform, the suede and the check pattern but with a killer heel attached...what would Rancid say?

postcards to beirut

this video from American band beirut isn't exactly brand spanking new, in fact it's from 2007 when their "The Gulag Orkestar" album was released but it is one of my all time favourite songs and videos...and bands for that matter. excitement for my forthcoming backpacking trip around europe has got me pining for beirut's european influenced sounds.



This video is directed by the absolutely amazing Alma Har'el who also directed the bands video for elephant gun which is equally beautiful. the reason i love this 'postcards from italy' video is the washed out nostalgia that it is centred around, it is a montage video yet remains personal and touching. for me it induces memories of childhood holidays and naivety.

Guinea pigs & Balaclavas

as if i havent rambled on enough about graduate fashion week already. i think my favourite designer of the week deserves a seperate post. Hannah Taylor is a graduate from Ravensbourne and i absolutely loved her mens knitwear collection from start to finish. think wool in every colour under the sun, hugely oversized winged jumpers, wool hair helmets, knitted balaclavas and pets faces...hard to picture? yeah it pretty much needs to be seen to be believed. her collection contained so much humour, from the George Formby soundtrack to the underwhelmed poses from the models, i just fell in love with it. the clothes themselves were so well executed and so creative that i thought she'd be a straight out winner. on leaving the show, there was only one name on everyones lips.

GFW

So the past week i have been in london doing work experience at graduate fashion week, which has been absolutely amazing. not only did i get to see all the catwalk shows and awards shows, i was also allowed backstage to get a closer look at the designs and designers. i even managed to blag a couple of goody bags to boot!

the weeks events were held at earls court and the hall was buzzing from the first day. my job was to seat people, VIP's and press in one section, the public in another (definitely not to be mixed up) prepare the stages for the shows and to find out exactly how the universities wanted the shows to run. basically doing a hell of a lot of running about. oh, and packing up 3,500 goody bags and getting paper cuts all up and down my arms.



here are some of my favourite catwalk moments taken sneakily to avoid a telling off-














i met so many amazing people and really enjoyed the entire week even though i was working 7am-11pm towards the end! it all culminated in a star studded gala show where the winner Myrto Samou was announced but more importantly i met erin o'connor, matthew williamson, giles deacon and claudia schiffer...who happens to be even more perfect in person!

love you, luella.

Luella has well and truly secured her position as my favorite designer ever with her spring/summer 09 collection!
the pastel shades and expert colour clashing just scream summer wardrobe and luella's signature ruffles and bows are out in force turning simple dress shaped into something special.

Luella states about the collection
"i wanted it to be a proper, ladylike character - but a bit psychedelic."

my favorite pieces are
and

maybe teamed with these topshop beauts