What The Elle...

..So I entered a competition with Elle magazine in May called Shopgirl to Stylist, where basically if you work in a shop, but want to be a stylist you could have a go. You would win an internship at Elle Magazine and the chance to style a shoot for the magazine.

It all started by sending in an image that you had styled, over 400 people entered and it was announced in the October Issue who the 25 semi- finalists were. I was one of them.

Here is the image I submitted, from a shoot I had styled a few months before.

We then had to present an idea of a story we would want to shoot in Elle if we had the chance and with our moodboards and big talk intact we went in and presented to three of the Elle editors. It was quite nerve racking and all the bad photos of us came out in the November issue to say we were in the final 10. I was one of them.

Here I am in the magazine.

For the final task we were asked to create a new moodboard for the 70s trend, which we would have to talk through with our mentors, who were all editors of Elle magazine. We were split into two groups of 5 and had a model each to work with and a rail each, all with different clothes on. My idea was to go for a head to toe look of clashing 70s prints, including florals, geometric prints, and stripes. I thought it would be quite an easy and obvious choice to go for a minimal/ simple look such as an A/W 10 Chloe advert. I also knew it would be a risk going for something that may not be "very Elle" but as they had insisted this was a competition to see each of our individual styles and to do whatever we were comfortable with, I did this..

And I didn't win...

But I did get a car to pick up me and my sister and go to the Mayfair Hotel for the Announcement Evening last night, which included lots of free champagne. So it was all a very enjoyable experience and I am very happy for Elizabeth Black who did win and I wish her all the best for the future.

There is a funny video of us all looking a bit mental and running round for models and accessories, oh and my big red face talking about my moodboards and look.

Click here to have a look!!

Consider Her Ways..

.. is another shoot from Dazed and Confused, November Issue. I assisted Fashion Director, Karen Langley, for this New York shoot with photographer Chadwick Tyler.

"Tyler said about the inspirations for the shoot: "Karen and I spoke about trying a story that very loosely was inspired by the resurgence of lo-fi art interpretations. There really weren't many references in the shoot itself. The inspiration came in the processing after the shoot. I worked with Aaron Amaro and Jon Banthorpe on the post production. We wanted to apply hand techniques to each image. There are a lot of reproductions on top of reproductions. Each piece had it's own technique applied from hand painted textures to open light scans three and four generations from the original. "

DAZEDDIGITAL.COM

Each image is beautifully shot and made into its own after post production. Well done folks.

Stylist: Karen Langley

Photographer: Chadwick Tyler

Styling Assistants: Helen McGuckin and Daniel Edley

Rebel Yell..

This is a great shoot that I'm very happy I got to work on. I assisted Robbie Spencer on this shoot for Rebel Magazine Issue 2, using all of JW Anderson's beautiful A/W '10 menswear and womenswear collections.

Styling: Robbie Spencer

Photographer: Carlotta Manaigo

Styling Assistants: Helen McGuckin and Elizabeth Fraser-Bell

All images from Rebel Magazine

Be Kind Rewind..

.. Here is one of a few shoots I assisted on whilst at Dazed and Confused. This is definitely my favourite because I love Ben Toms.

Photographer: Ben Toms

Stylist: Katie Shillingford

Stylist Assistant: Helen McGuckin and Nelma Kalonji

More Cobs Than You've Had Hot Dinners...

... On a very uneventful evening I was wondering whether to make a chicken sandwich or not whilst watching something uneventful on television.

This got me to thinking about how many sandwiches I have eaten in my whole life. I couldn't even imagine trying to figure out an actual amount as one of my first child hood memories was at my Christening (when I was 7) and being in my kitchen with my sister. We were wearing matching checked, frilly dresses but mine was green and hers was pink, my Uncle Nigel had Tweety-Pie socks on and there was an extreme spread on the table consisting mostly of bread based snacks and sausage rolls. A tuna and cucumber quarter was the one I went for.

I appreciate all things healthy, fresh and tasty foods, but I have never been one for ordering a salad, sushi or fruit and vegetables for lunch. I'm much more at home and satisfied with something like a Greggs meal deal.

Anyway, this blog is not really going anywhere at the moment, and I was just thinking that I am very lucky that I am not a size 24, as I probably should be due to all the massive cobs I have consumed through the years. I must admit though that I did enjoy the doughy cloud I floated away into for a while thinking about the best Cob Shops I always re-visit, and unfortunately out of all of the cafes I have been in to in London (which is a lot), I have never found a cob (or bap/savory-cake/shandy-bun or whatever they call them down here).. that matches any of these!!

CAFE/ SHOP: Cheese Factor

WHERE: Chesterfield (end of the indoor market)

BREAD: Large white Cob

FLAVOUR: Ham/ Cheese/ Salad Cream

REASONS TO GO BACK: Pound a bag man/ lady with the moustache/ huge cobs with next to nothing price!!

CAFE/ SHOP: Pete's Cafe

WHERE: Nottingham Victoria Market (upstairs)

BREAD: Large torpedo Cob

FLAVOUR: Bacon/ ketchup/ butter

REASONS TO GO BACK: Seating area good for people watching/ granny vibes/ softest cobs in the world.

CAFE/ SHOP: The Lunch Box

WHERE: Sheffield

BREAD: Large white cob or Large brown

FLAVOUR: Chicken mayo & sweetcorn/ salt/ black pepper

REASONS TO GO BACK: End of your road if you live in Netheredge/ Beautiful, witty babes behind the counter/ Tasty!

CAFE/ SHOP: The Picnic Basket

WHERE: Alfreton

BREAD: Crispy Baguette

FLAVOUR: Egg Mayo/ black pepper

REASONS TO GO BACK: They let you off if you don't have enough/ other than that, unless you live in Alfreton there is no reason to ever go back there.

CAFE/ SHOP: Swimming Pool Cafe

WHERE: Mansouri Mansions Hotel, Bahrain

BREAD: Toasted brown bread

FLAVOUR: Bacon/ Lettuce/ Tomato

REASONS TO GO BACK: You get to eat at the side of a swimming pool in 40 degrees weather/It's almost a bit naughty as you shouldn't eat pork in Bahrain/ Happy memories.

CAFE/ SHOP: The Cob Shop

WHERE: Derby

BREAD: Largest White cob ever

FLAVOUR: Either Chicken Mayo or Bacon/ Sausage/ Egg (Hangover cob)

REASONS TO GO BACK: No Reason, they deliver straight to your door!

I genuinely could go on and do a few more and definitely go into further details on each place, but I think I have put way more time than was necessary into this post. It has also made me a little bit hungry.

You'll Do..

..For my next seasons wardrobe please!

Here are my actual favourites from NYFW Spring/ Summer 11

(Please excuse the bad screen grabs, but enjoy the beautiful looks)

3.1 Phillip Lim

Diane Von Furstenburg

Organic by John Patrick

Rodarte

Jenny Packman

Karen Walker

NYFW= New York Funny Winners

I am enjoying this lazy afternoon catching up on NY Fashion Week shows after reading brief reviews on Twitter and Facebook. It is lovely to think of next Summer already (even though I am still excitedly awaiting this Autumn/ Winter) and all of those hot sweaty days squeezed between someone's armpit and suitcase on a bus, or searching high and low for a shop that has air conditioning that works.

Maybe I am just cynical and once I get to the stage when I am excited to wear Diane Von Furstenburg colours whilst shopping in Paris or Phillip Lim on a yacht having an evening supper on the coast of Monico, I will appreciate it more.

I do however like the classic summer mistakes that no matter how much money you have or how much you try to pull of this glamour, this will most likely happen...

Wild Faces, as seen at Elise Overland

The Creepy Toe Hang Out, as seen at Betsey Johnson

The Bum/ Testicle Swimsuit Challenge, 'ass' seen at Jeremy Scott

The Classic End of Summer Old Tan, as seen at Carolina Herrera

I know I shouldn't mock as it is a very hard job being a model and fighting against nature to wear these super outfits and promote the summer perfection that we all crave for but I just couldn't resist these ones.

I actually enjoyed all the shows and have a more sensible post to come.