New York Fashion Week SS 2013....Jourdan

British model Jourdan Dunn, after A Show, NYC, September 2013.

You know that summer is on its way when cool, comfortable maxi dresses (and a large floppy sunhat) start to look wonderfully appealing!

Recreate Jourdan's look (kind of):

Elizabeth and James Finn dress, Chinti and Parker bamboo-jersey maxi dress,  Ella Moss Lila sleeveless maxi dress, DKNY maxi dress, Flynn Skye scoop back maxi dress, Lanston racer back dress, Shoshanna keyhole maxi dress, French Connection maxi dress, Candela Joie dress, Splendid two-tone maxi dress or Carven crepe maxi dress

Melissa Odabash Jemima sunhat, Warehouse floppy sunhat, or Eugenia Kim Bunny sunhat

New York Fashion Week AW 2012/2013....Jourdan

British model Jourdan Dunn (Storm), after Preen, NYC, February 2012.

One word for Jourdan's look (those coated jeans and ankle booties?): Fierce with a capital F.

Recreate Jourdan's look (kind of):

Coated jeans: 7 For All Mankind slim coated cigarette jeans, J Brand 901 super skinny jeans, Hudson Krista metallic super skinny jeans, or J Brand 901 super skinny jeans

Mulberry studded suede ankle boots, Diane von Furstenberg Ciara booties, Dune Bad Boi studded booties, Givenchy low-cut booties, Rachel Roy Gillian platform booties, or Nasty Gal studded platform bootie

New York Fashion Week SS 2013...Backstage at Tory Burch

Backstage at Tory Burch Spring/Summer 2013, NYC, Tuesday 11th September 2012.

On a sunny Autumn morning in NYC, Tory Burch presented her SS2013 collection....and it was breathtakingly beautiful. Anyone who has read my blog for awhile will know I love photographing girls with a slight hippie/boho vibe....give me undone hair, a stack of ethnic jewellery collected on far-flung travels, colours which would make a courting bowerbird happy, pretty make-up and I am in photographic heaven. So when I saw the new collection and wonderful hair (thick, messy fishtail braids by the genius Eugene Souleiman) and barely-there make-up ("brows filled in and brushed; Runway Rose {pinkish cream from MAC palette} across eyelid and inner corners of eye; curl lashes; must have brown {greyish cream from MAC palette) through crease and brushed under lower lashes.blend; tiny bit of talking tan on lips if needed, lip balm otherwise" ) I was so happy that the lovely Tory Burch team had invited me to photograph backstage again. Wheat-prints, high, block-heeled tasselled loafers, a turquoise, coral and gold embellished blouse, a tasselled-hooded kaftan (lazy beach days anyone?), tie-dye shorts, skirt and dress, stacks of rings on each of the model's hands (handmade by women in Ghana), an ombre jacket, stripes paired with prints, evening dresses worn with easy-to-wear Moroccan slippers.... I loved it all.

New York Fashion Week SS 2012...Jourdan

Jourdan Dunn, after Michael Kors, NYC, September 2011.

Love this outfit on Jourdan. Suede shorts, oxfords, an oversized sheer blouse.... Teamed with her messy braid (do you see the tiny threads of leather intertwined in her plait?) it has a faintly urban safari-ish feel.

Recreate Jourdan's Look (kind of):

Slip on a pair of suede shorty shorts: Surface to Air suede shorts, Pepe jeans suede shorts, Donna Karan casual pleated shorts (these aren't suede but have the same feel as Jourdan's shorts), Maison Martin Margiela suede shorts or findersKeepers faux suede shorts

Add a floaty, sheer blouse (great for days when the heat feels unbearably stifling*): Haute Hippie peasant blouse, Winter Kate Pushpa blouse (add a pretty bra or cami underneath), Thomas Wylde Devil's Daughter blouse, Jeunesse Francoise blouse

ASOS Marksy leather brogues, Rag & Bone Hanalei oxfords or Esquivel The Wing Tip brogue

* we haven't had one of these days yet in the UK...although tomorrow promises to reach 23°C. Woot!

New York Fashion Week SS 2012...Backstage at Tory Burch

Tory Burch, Backstage, Tuesday September 13, 2011.

Head on over to Grazia.it today to check out the full article.

Photographing models after the shows is always fun but being backstage and seeing them transformed with beautiful make-up, hair, amazing clothes and styling is just plain magical. It is almost as if once they step (or are pulled and prodded!) into their first looks the girls transform into character.... all thoughts of exhaustion and stress are banished and replaced by nervous excitement* and adrenaline as they wait their turn to walk down the runway.

Despite beginning her label in 2004, this was Tory's first runway show and I am so happy that the team invited me** to capture a little part of the backstage action. Rather selfishly I guess, I like doing this type of photography (documentary?)*** for brands that I would wear myself or who have an aesthetic that I find inspiring. And in the case of Tory Burch, I loved every. single. delicious. piece that they sent down the runway. It was truly captivating. I wanted to run off (with Arizona, Lindsey, Codie, Ruby and Jourdan et al. in tow) to the south of France to shoot each piece by the seaside :)

*with probably a small amount of terror depending on how high/slippery/ridiculous the shoes are. Thankfully all the shoes at Tory Burch were beautiful and utterly wearable: fringed golf loafers/espadrilles and sweet little pointed flats tied with bows.

**Actually I think I invited myself along!

***Clearly the backstage photographers have nothing to fear (I don't think blurry artistically soft?! photos are quite the thing people are looking for!) but it was lovely to do something a bit different. Next week on Grazia.it look out for backstage at Margaret Howell in London.