London Street Style...Blue Suede Shoes

London Street Style...Denim Story

The gorgeous Toni and her fab denim jacket. I probably need to write a whole lot more on the versatility of the denim jacket but I am still in Lyon and using a laptop where English spell-check doesn't seem to work. So to spare you the agony of reading a horribly misspelt post (it's been a long time between Spelling Bee's!) I will save it for when I get back to London.


I will say this though- a denim jacket is like a good blazer/jacket: something that will last you for years and is incredibly versatile so it is worth spending a little bit more on to get a great fit, denim fabric and cut. I have a white motorcycle style from Max&Co (circa 2002) and a Betty Jackson pale denim number (circa 2005) which I still adore.

London Street Style...Little Boots

Barbara, from Argentina and her little boots :))

Okay, so not so little but I suspect once Autumn/Winter is in full swing, Barbara's thigh-highs will seem positively ankle-length given the proliferation of ultra long boots appearing in stores and magazines. I don't think they are for everyone (my legs, for example, would look like two overstuffed Saucisson squeezed into acres of leather!) but for those with legs like Barbara's, get out the talcum powder, coathanger and vaseline and pull on 'em boots!


p.s. I am typing this from a hotel room in Lyon, France so posts are going to be a little sketchy over the next few days.

London Street Style...Hippie Luxe

London Street Style...Too Cool For School

Swedish school students, Notting Hill, London

London Street Style....French Rules

Nina

Who lives in Paris but who I photographed in London.

Love her vintage jacket and high waisted jeans...and her perfectly tousled cropped hair.

Impossibly, effortlessly elegant and chic: the French Rules.

p.s. Only one more hour to enter the Paris Eurostar comp! Winner will be announced later this week :)

London Street Style...Diiiiirty Glam

Carlos Rivera, Spanish fashion writer and author of men's style blog, El Sexo debil de la moda, which you can check out here. Carlos oozes style but in a wonderfully fresh, individual and, it has to be said, unnervingly sexy way. Is it the hair, the jewellery, the flash of chest peeking out of his floral shirt??? I don't know but I love it! It's dirty glam :)

I also really like the way Carlos writes on his blog- it's witty and not-too-serious but still fashion informative. For all of us non-Spanish speakers, Carlos has just started writing his posts in English (with the help of his tutor). Here are a few snippets from his latest post entitled "NOW":

"NOW the most fashionable trend is wearing old fashioned clothes, so.......

•Search your wardrobe looking for greatest basics from other times.

• Go to your grandparents house in your holiday break and steal the grandma's must haves, if she was wearing a Louis Vuitton bag it's an extra point for you and your futures looks, remember now is fashionable normal size bags, forgot your maxi, your shoulders are gonna be happier, so Now we're wearing female bags and what's the matter???

• Fall/winter is coming, i don't care! mix and match always Spring and Autumn, it's funnier and more affordable, maybe you can save some money for your oyster.

• How many friends do you have? you should share a bit more, (styling speaking,) ask your best friend for his favourites shoes, if you don't have the same size, it's your problem...

• Now is now, ok, nice...and what about before?, you can repeat a great look, the only one thing to remember; don't take pictures that day, Facebook can be a devil!!!...

• I'm 6'1, so 1.83 more or less, if you're shorter or taller than me you must wear men heels. The height gives you a different point of view.

• Winning colour combinations: firstly dark blue is the new black, since seasons ago, ok, mixed perfectly with black, together and forever. Secondly; acid colours, what's that? forget it for now.

• Prints: Leopard please, also you can wear other animals, polka dots-GYPSY-neo-hippie.

• Now is 70’s 80's and 90's. Three decades that are alive and kicking once again. Future Looks, as well, vampir-e-looks, and also, Barroco...

•You must have in your wardrobe: Black Blazer one button, con K of Kaiser for H&M, be careful if you've got a girlfriend or several, Now the boyfriend's style (by Karl, five years ago...), for her is one of her best trends. White t-shirt cotton and viscose, vintage jewellery, (Gianni is alive, so...VERSACE) finally regular cut and LASER jeans.

• The last thing is: customization yes, but just a touch!, put a ribbon in your favourite necklace, as NOW ribbon trend and black-liner is for the men!!!... "

Carlos is wearing a vintage jacket from the 70's and vintage 70's Bjorn Borg sunglasses (anyone tried his undies?).

p.s. I am starting to think that the Spanish are some of the sexiest people on earth...Lucia the other day, and now Carlos! Is it something in the olive oil?the cava? Hollllllllllllllaaaaaaaa!

London Street Style...Prada Boots

Obsessed with these Prada lug-sole boots since I spotted them on fashion student, Marcella. A wee bit more wearable than the thigh-high numbers featured in the Autumn/Winter 2009/2010 ad campaign, they are practical (you ain't going to slip over on icy pavements in these little numbers) but with a oh-so-sexy edge: that belt hitting just below the knee. They almost look a little bondage influenced :))

And her hat/cap/beanie? from Prada as well.

Petite Street Style...Georgina and Charlotte

THE most adorable little girls I've photographed so far, sisters Georgina (above) and Charlotte (below). They also have a baby brother at home- I can only imagine how gorgeous he would be!

Seriously, shooting these two littlies was a dream- I felt like I was on a Junior magazine shoot (incidentally last year I assisted a photographer shooting a fashion story for Junior- 8 babies in one day :)))) It was so much fun but, crikey, HARD work trying to keep all the babies (and mum's) smiling and happy! I don't think I have ever played so much peek-a-boo in my life!)

Georgina and Charlotte choose all their own clothes and accessories themselves, with only a little help from mum (who, as you can imagine was impeccably dressed as well).

Hmmmm Charlotte, about that denim jacket....I know you love it and everything but maybe I could borrow it...just sometimes....pretty please?

London Street Style...Spanish Eyes

The gorgeous Spanish Lucia (she was born in Malaga) who now lives in London. You can check out her blog Sietezapatos here.

p.s. loving everyone's entries for the Eurostar tickets competition! I had tears in my eyes when I was reading some of them (I am a sook, I know :)) and I am discovering more and more "secret squirell" things I would like to do in Paris on my next visit. Keep 'em rolling in!

London Street Style...The Boy About Town

The Boy About Town: it's all about the hair....and the glasses!

London Street Style...The Teen Factor

Sam (above- why did I not notice that he was being attacked by a stray strand of vine when I was taking the photo?!) and Louis (below).


Both have just finished their A levels and Louis is hoping to study photography at uni :)

p.s. it was Louis's hat- I just thought it looked kinda cute on Sam too!

Eurostar "Little Break to Paris" Competition!

Okily, it's time to give something back to my lovely blog readers/stalkers who follow me through my ups and downs!

You may recall that I was lucky enough to be taken by Eurostar and We Are Social communications agency to Paris for the day in late July, along with a number of other fashion bloggers from London. Well, now it is your turn to experience your own little break to Paris!

Eurostar and We Are Social have given me a PAIR of Eurostar tickets to give away to one of my blog readers....and they are LEISURE SELECT tickets so that means you get the comfy seats, a yummy meal, free glossy magazines and, the best bit, CHAMPAGNE* on your journey! And because they are a PAIR of tickets, it means you can take your mum, your man, your nana, your girl, your bestie, your doggie or your pet rabbit (actually, probably you can't take your dog or your rabbit but you get the general idea :)) to share in your adventure!

So how do you enter the competition?

All you have to do is write in the comments section of this post what you would do on your little break to Paris. It might be lunch at a three-Michelin-star restaurant, shopping for vintage at Didier Ludot, Bastien de Almeida (BDA) or Puces de Vanves, a wander around the windy, hilly streets of Monmartre and Pigalle (you might even bump into fellow style photographer Fred from Easy Fashion in Paris!), brunch at the Rose bakery in the Marais or Coco&Co in Saint Germain, a night out to the Lido cabaret show, a visit to the La Maison Européenne de la Photographie, a dash up the Eiffel Tower, a day spent strolling in the Tuilleries or the Jardin du Luxembourg, or a journey down into the bowels of the city to visit the Catacombes de Paris.

We Are Social will shortlist the best 5 answers and I get to pick the winner**- yay!

Any Conditions?

Apart from being 18 or over, you must be able to get to St Pancras station (as the journey is from St Pancras to Paris and back again) and travel before the end of October this year.

The competition is open until 6pm on Monday 31 August 2009.

So, get busy with your keyboard and tell us what you would do on your little break if you won the tickets. I would love to hear about the crazy, fun, interesting, fabulous things you would do (although do keep anything x-rated for your own imagination only please :). If nobody enters, I may be forced to enter and win those tickets myself (So PLEASSSSE ENTER!!).

Love this couple (above)- they were from Russia and I photographed them back during the men's collections...

This is Edie from Ireland (below) and I photographed her when I was on my Eurostar/We Are Social "little break". I adored her Ed Hardy t-shirt, little biker boots and frou- frou skirt...not to mention her brother giggling at the "crazy lady with the camera" in the background!



Chasing shadows in Paris:


*Unfortunately this means you have to be 18 or over to enter the competition- sorry guys :(

** Yes, I mean NOOOOOO, I can't be bribed with a Erdem Globe Trotter vanity case! ;-)

Brighton and Hove Street Style...Fun, Fun, Fun in the Sun!

Yesterday I headed down to Brighton for the day and have to say that I enjoyed it immensely. The sun was shining, the water was clear and blue, the locals were extremely friendly and the coffee was good (try Taylor Street Baristas on the way down from the train station for a great flat white). It almost reminded me of St Kilda in Melbourne, and as I strolled back along the promenade from Hove (where the colourful beach huts are situated), I felt quite homesick. Of course, nothing that banging off a few rounds with the Nikon couldn't cure ;-).

I was lucky to meet this adorable couple (he was from Portugal and she was from Poland) as I was photographing the decaying remains of the Brighton West Pier. I love the way they have accessorised their swimwear: His Speedo's with that little black cap and her fabulous orange headwrap with cute striped bikini. Summer lovin' in Britain indeed :)



p.s. tomorrow I am launching a competition ! Check back then for details :)

Brighton and Hove Street Style...New Kid on the Block

Sophie, who I spotted playing Crazy Golf (is this the same as putt-putt???) with her friends.

Love her bowler hat and slouchy denim vest and unzipped boots!

Brighton and Hove Street Style....Green Jeans

I love this girl's use of va-va-voom colour: the emerald green jeans, the poppy-red sunglasses and bag slung casually across her plain black tank. Perfect for a day in the sun at Brighton beach. Note also the classic Hi-Top Chucks: shoes, or at least thongs, are a must for negotiating the pebbles on the beach...and the hot pavement during the middle of the day.

I didn't catch her name but she was a university student from Florence, Italy, and is on holidays in the UK for 2 months during her university break.

London Street Style...Get On Your Boots*

A Canadian in London

Adore her simple white tank, the tiny pleats on her black skirt (note the kilt/safety pin on the side of her skirt) and those boots!

*Get on Your Boots, U2, No Line On the Horizon, 2009

Edit: Lucky magazine have featured some of my photos on their website in "Summer street style, Europe. You can check out the link here: www.luckymag.com/blogs/luckyrightnow/2009/08/summer-street-style-europe.html

London Street Style...Beautiful Day*

Black. Fringed ankle boots and dress.
Accessorised with a Diet Coke and a Butterfly pendant.



*Beautiful Day, U2, All That You Can't Leave Behind, 2000

London Street Fashion...She's a Mystery to Me

Patricia, model, from Brazil.
Her dress? From a Brazilian designer (whose name I can't remember).

We went to the U2 concert last night at Wembley- my friend Ewah got us free tickets (yay!)- and it was BRILLIANT. So, in celebration of U2's amazing performance, most of my photos this week are going to have U2 song titles....

London Street Style...Lemon

"Lemon, she through in the sunlight

She wore lemon but never in the daylight..."

"Lemon" (Zooropa, U2, 1993)*

Hyang Sim Lee, graduate from Central Saint Martins.

I adore her yellow dress which she said a friend had given her. Hyang is returning to Osaka in 2 weeks to start her career in fashion. Good luck Hyang!

*Okay, so I know it is more yellow than lemon but I need to work in those U2 song titles :)

London Street Style....Stories for Boys*

Johannes

Fashion student at London College of Fashion

United Colours of Benetton white shirt

Vintage Shorts

Fred Perry bag

U2, Three, 1979

London Street Style...Mad About The Girl

And mad about this impossibly elegant summer dress from Pringle of Scotland.

I adore the little ribbon-tie detailing on the arms, waist and around the hem and the graphic green and yellow print. You can't really see it in the photo but film producer/director Lindsay was also wearing a beautiful gold pendant around her neck- it almost reminded me of the "hand" pendant that Matthew Williamson did a few seasons ago. Or perhaps a Julie Sandlau piece...

Perfect, understated Grace Kelly-ish elegance.

London Street Style....The Girl and The Wolf

Love the high-waisted skinny jeans (from Urban Outfitters) and the cropped vintage t-shirt: one way to wear a cropped tee without exposing any tummy :)

I also like the way Isabel has slipped her fringed sandals over her skinnies....