deja-vu-fashion

Richmond Park

2013-04-03T18:59:00.001+01:00

Monday 1st April: Richmond Park on Easter Monday :) It was sunny but very windy and cold!

Canon 550D

2012-04-12T23:13:00.002+01:00

Modelling Portfolio

2011-08-12T18:18:00.000+01:00

Here are some of the photos from my modelling portfolio, the pictures were taken in August 2011.

Saatchi Gallery 2010

2010-10-13T00:10:00.001+01:00

'Shaping the City'

2010-05-25T00:03:00.001+01:00

This is my fine art A-level written coursework project of the City.

For my coursework I chose to base my work around the topic ‘shaping the city’. I wanted to look at the city from different angles and views to express to the audience thoughts and feelings I have in different surroundings. I will show my feelings towards the cities surroundings by travelling on a journey around London taking photographs and writing down different thoughts of the atmosphere of different places. I will then relate the image or the emotions coming from the image with the work of other artists which will help express to the audience feelings you have when actually being in these areas.

I will be looking at the colours surrounding me and asking myself do theses colours make me feel happy? Or do they make me feel depressed. Do I feel and see that there is a lot of lightness and hope around, if so does this have an impact of whether people living in the area feel optimistic and positive about their lives and their future. I could try and see if I can spot contrasts within the area. Asking questions like, do the people look like they fit into their surroundings? We can also observe to see if the people’s emotions are the same as what we expect them to be because of their surrounding? I’ll also be looking at the shapes and texture around the city, looking to spot repetition or patterns in the way things have been formed.

I thought London would be an interesting place to study because of its diversity. London has a population of 7.5 million making it the most populous municipality in the European union. London is home to sizable Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Jewish communities and has a population speaking over 300 different languages. Although these people may be living in the same city they are living their lives in very different ways. The obvious being rich or poor, these areas of the city look very different and visiting the surroundings you are not part of can make you feel like you are worlds apart from the opposite communities.

The London underground transport system is the oldest in the world, and it is the quickest way of travelling around London during rush hour, unless you want to ride a bicycle!

To access the tube you need to go deep under the ground by escalator and along low ceilinged, narrow corridors. It is a fairly claustrophobic experience. Its dark and gloomy, the only light is a very artificial light. The surrounding colours look dirty and depressing, you feel lonely surrounded in a place full of dark figures and blank faces. Nobody is smiling everyone is using their facial expressions to shield themselves against any dangers that might threaten them. The feeling you have when travelling in the tube is focused on the fact that everybody just wants to get out and get home. There is a rush to the tube escalator as soon as the tube doors open.

The décor throughout the underground tunnels is very repetitive, square off white/yellow tiles cover the walls with a gloomy orange colours appearing at times. All the signs are in the same style because they are easier to recognise and read.

The picture I’ve chosen to represent all this is very dark, you cannot see any detail in the people just like the way we don’t pay attention to the detail of the people when we are actually there. The image shows the linear tube of artificial light attempting to show people where they are going. We can identify a security CCTV camera in the corner because of the possibility of danger around the underground.

This photograph taken by Brassai of a train station from “Paris by night” in 1933 shows that train/underground stations do not change much at all over the time of 77 years. This station looks slightly more dark and gloomy than my 2010 photograph but only slightly. This photograph backs up with lonely feeling you get when down in the underground. There is no lonelier place to be in the city. The photograph is in black and white so our eyes focus on the way dark places in the pictures and very light parts of the pictures.

The train looks very empty and the station looks quiet but not in a peaceful way it seems to have a scary feel. If I placed myself at that station I can imagine that I would feel shivers around my body and I could be aware of every little sound that is made around me, as though my mind is looking for danger.

The angle that the photograph is taken at makes you wonder whether the photographer is looking down watching somebody on the platform. We can see part of a brick wall in the top of the photograph, which seems to look at a lot clearer than other aspects of the surrounding area.

I got the tube to Canary Wharf, when you get out the tube everything seems surreal, there are glass windows everywhere and everything is silver and shiny. You feel like you’ve travelled into the future, everything is so clean and fresh you don’t feel dulled down.

I stood outside the tube station in the main square for quite a long time taking photographs and watching the people around me. All the people looked the same they were looking smart in black suits, very clean and tidy. They were rushing past me talking business on their mobile phones even though they were out of the office. I could feel the pressure on theses people they were very serious. I felt out of place in this place firstly because I am a woman, there are very few women in Canary Wharf, I was also not in a rush to be anywhere unlike all the other businessmen/women around me.

As you look around and up into the sky you can see lots of tall skyscraper buildings. Apart from their height they were not much different to one another, they looked very similar covered in little glass square windows. Every shape you can see looks very linear and ordered where no originality in anything you can see. There is a very serious sense to everything. The surroundings theses businessmen/women work in enable them to do their job the way they need to do it, they need to work productively and efficiently. If they worked in an unordered environment with lots of colour they would be distracted and they wouldn’t be able to think straight.

The orange writing of stocks and shares go whizzing around the building on a black screen as if the world is about to end. I personally felt very inspired and motivated being in the Canary Wharf environment because of my interest in business. And speaking to people who work here they say they work hard because of the pressure surrounding this place. From the outside we wonder whether these perfect careers reflect them having a perfect life.

This is an oil painting on canvas by Rene Magritte called Golconda (1953). This piece depicts a scene of nearly identical businessmen dressed in dark overcoats and bowler hats who seem to be floating or falling in the sky against a background of city buildings ad blue sky similar to what I saw in Canary Wharf.

The movement of Rene Magritte’s work is surrealism and I think this picture fits in very well with the feelings you get when you go to Canary Wharf as an outsider. All the men in Magritte’s image look the same they look smart and tidy dressed in dark colours just like the businessmen and women in canary wharf. Magritte has used repetition showing us larger more detailed men at the front, which we focus onto first, and then many smaller less detailed men behind. Magritte is trying to tell us that they all are the same. All the smaller men are exactly the same as the ones at the front, there are man of the same men in canary wharf, You see lots and lots of business men and women and they all seem the same.

Magritte also shows the men looking very dull and boring he used very little variety of colours to create this image. Dull blue, reds beige and black colours are used which make us think that these men too are boring. In Canary Wharf the seriousness on everyone’s faces makes us believe that all businessmen and women are boring and have no personality because their environment isn’t colourful and different but this doesn’t mean that the actual people are boring. They may be in a boring environment but their personalities are probably in contrast just the opposite.

This is a photograph I took in a council estate in east London. These council estates are just full of blocks of flats. These blocks look very dull and very similar, if you don’t know the area it would be very hard to find your way around because every building looks the same. The colours you see are dull greys, browns, beiges and greens. The colours all look very dirty and the area looks polluted and misty.

The people who live in these areas need government financial aid do are probably gaining benefits and are unemployed. These people don’t have mush and seem like they don’t have many positive things going on in their lives. Living in this kind of environment I can imagine causes them to fall in a trap of depression and the thought of never being able to succeed in anything. Children are not expected to work hard and aim high to be successful, they are just expected to live the way their parents lived their lives in the council estate. Their futures do not seem to go beyond that estate. They feel like they have little hope moving away from this life, I’m sure they want to but they do not have the knowledge and confidence of knowing what to do, which makes its even more difficult.

I was lucky enough to be brought up in an advantaged background where I have been given so much more than any of these people living in council estates. So I can only make assumptions of what life is like in this environment, most probably worse than what I can imagine but travelling around these areas I can feel the lack of hope. The windows looked damaged and there was graphite on the walls there was a sense of fear, vulnerability and anger coming from the homes of these people.

The building in the photograph I took looks defensive, the metal fence stopping intruders from coming in but lacking to do its job, and the white panels along the walkways. This defence shows that there is the likely hood of danger and so fear from the people who live in these flats, even thought he inhabitants are innocent. We also see washing lines hanging from pillar to pillar, this is the only bit of colour we see, to leave their clothes out in a public place shows that their clothes are probably worthless and they unable to afford to dry their clothes.

This is a painting by David Hepher of a big council estate block of flats. He has used the same dull greens, greys, beiges, browns and blues I saw when travelling around the east London council estates. The way Hepher has painted the picture is very detailed and accurate but in a simple way. His formalism tone mocks the grim blocks of flats and the all too real lives of the occupants of these blocks.

There is no visual contrast in the colours or shapes in this picture, the colours are continuous and the square and rectangle shapes are regular and continuous dull and similar or the same as many other shapes in the painting.

The emphasis in this painting is on the main black of flats right in front of us but to the left we can see the start of another block of flats, which look exactly the same. We get a sense that this block is one of many in the area.

When looking at the painting in real life it looks like a photograph when at a distance (not easy to see in my printed version). It looks very real and exact, its not until you go up very close that you realise its been painted. Although it looks very real there is no texture to it, its just so simple and basic reflecting the lives of the people who live in the block of flats.

This is a photograph I took of the county hall, London and the London eye using a disposable black and white camera. The location of this building is in Westminster on the bank of the river Thames. This building is faced in Portland stone in an Edwardian baroque style; the building was complete in 1922. The large, grand, important looking building was used as the headquarters of the local government of London.

Edwardian buildings are found all over London and are used by the important people in the city, or used to be used by the very important people. Buildings such as St Paul’s cathedral, the bank of England, Harrods, the Ritz, the list goes on. Generally the upper class people live in these sophisticated Edwardian buildings.

This type of architecture is found in the wealthy areas of London, which appear to be classier than others. These buildings usually have classical features used sparingly such as colonettes, voussoirs and keystones. The style is simple, balanced designs, straight rooflines, uncomplicated and relatively maintenance free detailing. These buildings also generally have a smooth brick surface and many windows.

Lei Wei created a piece called ‘love it! Bite it!’ a model plan of a city made entirely from dog chews. It has been constructed with pain staking detail, ornate columns, conrnices and magnificent domes towering with carped approximation. The piece is full of cultural heritage and power as it only shows the most magnificent buildings around the world.

Its amazing what can be created using dog chews, this piece is full of such detail that you can actually identify what buildings he chose to create. The buildings he chose were old anyway but his piece has made them look even older. It’s great because we get to see the old historic buildings with out all the new modern parts that have been added to cities all around the world. The colour of the dog chews is off white but where there is less detail the buildings are nearly white and where there is more detail the buildings is a darker brown colour. There is so much texture and volume in this sculpture, which is what makes the scene look so magnificent.

The buildings Lei Wei has recreated are important buildings because they are the places where such important decisions have to be made. Buildings such as the bank of England and the houses of parliament are used as a place for important people in this country to make big decisions which will have effects on the whole of the country.

Looking at different architectures and image of areas around London has made me think about what the people who live or work in these environments are like. In all the areas that I have looked at I think that the visual image we get from certain areas reflects the outside image of the people we see working or living in those areas. The people look like the environment they live in. In Canary Wharf the environment is very tidy, ordered and serious and so is the appearance of the businessmen and women working in this area. In the council estates I visited the surroundings were very dull, unattractive and depressing which is exactly the what you think from looking at the people who live in the area. In areas of London such as Knights Bridge where there is a lot of grand Edwardian style architecture, which looks, sophisticated, important and well presented reflects how the people in the area look too.

This judgement is probably made by Londoners every single day but is everything in the city just as it appears to be. The appearance of these people is made up of the rubbing off of the environment around them. Very few people can change this and resist against what their environment is trying to turn them into. People are like animals that grow long hair because they live in a cold environment or like lizards that camouflage themselves to stay out of danger.

People living in the city need to look unfriendly and strong in case they come into contact with danger. And the people in council estates have been put in the estate they live because they have nothing else, they are living in an environment that punishes them for being a certain race or religion, life is unfair for them and so they look depressed and angry. In Canary Wharf the businessmen and women have a job they need to look smart and clean if they want to be taken seriously in the environment they work in, the tall buildings reflect success and importance they feel they need to live up to those standards and match their appearance with the fresh appearance of Canary Wharf. Then in Westminster and knights bridge the people feel that because they are working or living in a grand important building they feel they need to look important too so that when they aren’t in their important building they can still give of a vibe that they are important and possibly better than others around them.

“Beauty is the greatest seducer of man”

2010-04-24T21:30:00.002+01:00

“Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.”

2010-04-24T20:47:00.001+01:00

Bright lights big City

2010-01-16T11:22:00.006+00:00

My school did a business, economics and art (all of which I study :) ) trip to New York in the last year of school before christmas. Here are a few pictures of snowy New York.

London Calling…

2009-08-15T14:43:00.002+01:00

Alexa and Pixie in a supermarket in London.

Morocco from a distance

2009-08-12T23:28:00.002+01:00

When I look out on the sea, I feel like I can do anything. It makes you realise how large the world is and how many things can be possible.

Who isn't a model around here..?

2009-07-22T00:56:00.002+01:00

I love the 'just walked off the catwalk' model look. These are photos of supermodels after shows at fashion weeks. Their outfits are so simple and casual but they still look amazing and unique.

Supermodels have the same pattern in the way they dress, firstly they either wear dark/black jeans or leggins, with a simple loose top, always black ankle boots, a leather jacket and a black leather bag to carry around anything that will keep them occupied while having their hair and makeup done, and a scarf.

where am I...?

2009-07-08T19:01:00.001+01:00

First day of summer

2009-07-08T18:15:00.007+01:00

Photoshoot in Nottinghill, London with my sister for portfolio.

The weather was amazing in London last weekend with temperatures up to 24 degrees, which is hot for England. My sister took some photographs of me around Nottinghill where she lives for a portfolio for me. The dress is from h&m but is a little big for me, shoes from ninewest and borrowed the jacket from my sisters wardrobe. I bought the dress because I really like the cut around the chest although I havn't shown in very well in these pictures, the dress looks best when the top part is more open. Stella McCartney has done some pieces with this lovely cut for her spring/summer 2009 collection, here are some runway photos below.

NEW YEARS

2009-01-05T19:17:00.004+00:00

For new years eve I went out in East London to a place called pony step with my sister and some of her friends from CSM, a lot of people who are in the fashion business often party with pony step so I thought it would be a good thing to experience. It wasn't exactly my scene but the place was most certainly filled with interesting people. As well as A LOT of trannys, the theme was 'a white wedding' so I can imagine they enjoyed dressing themselves up as brides! I took a few pictures which I'll post below. I'm sorry but my outfit is actually quite boring because I only found out there was a theme the night before so i just decided to wear black lacy things!

above: the outfit I wore, white tank top from asos, black corset bra urban outfitters, shiny leggings then black lace leggings ontop of them from topshop, black sequin headband from urban outfitters and nine west heels.

Oh and I almost forgot to tell you while I was in London I saw Kate Moss while I was shopping in Portabello road, she obvioulsy didn't want to be seen as it was about 5.30 as which point is was pretty dark and she was wearing sunglasses! As well as Kate I was partying with Gareth Pugh at pony step... he was with his boyfriend most of the night. I should have snapped a few pictures of him but i only got one of his boyfriend, who was wearing a t-shirt saying F**k off! Anyway here are some pictures of his spring 2009 collection.

2008-12-26T22:58:00.009+00:00

Its been a while since I last wrote on my blog... but here are a few of my favourite outfits from the spring summer 09 collections.

Balmain

Alexander Wang

Christian Dior

AF Vandevorst

South Kensington

2008-09-29T19:10:00.004+01:00

So i'm now up in London most weekend because we recently got a flat in south Kensington, where my sister lives and has only today started central St Martins art college... which is where i would like to go when i leave school! She asked me to dress up in outfits so she could take polaroids for her art here are 4 of them. This is her style of dressing and as you can see she is very into vintage clothing.

Puerto Banus

2008-08-14T19:56:00.018+01:00

I haven't written on my blog for a very long time as i've been in Puerto Banus in Spain without proper internet for four weeks! I didn't actually manage to take many pictures because I left my camera at home and was only able to take photos with my phone which was a pain!

Puerto banus is a place where the rich go to show off how much money they have by buying a yacht, or driving around in their flashy cars! One of the biggest yachts there is owned by an Arab prince although I have no idea who he is we saw him on his yacht hosting a party. There was also a yacht there called Tiffany! Here are some photos below sorry for the bad quality I have photoshoped them in an atemp to make them look better...

In these few pictures of my outfits I am wearing a black lame bandage skirt from american apparel and a top from mango which i bought in Marbella while I was away and sandals from topshop! These pictures were taken just outside the town, where there was an amazing setting for taking pictures of vintage outfits, shame I didn't have my camera with me!urrhh!

Here's a picture of my little sister Daisy wearing a white dress, not sure where its from but its probably only done in kids sizes and a gold belt...
We saw these monkeys in Gibraltar up the mountain called the Rock! The picture below was pretty hilarious: 2 fat ape/monkeys stuffing their faces...

Gothic STUDS

2008-07-19T23:29:00.014+01:00

Studs have been all over the catwalks for autumn/winter 08 so I thought i would create a stud page in my sketchbook, as you can see i have stuck pins in the page which seemed to be more difficult to do than I thought it would be!

I'm loving Gucci this season, especially their studded belts and the way they are styling the outfits using multiple belts. They are using different textures such as cord and quite thin seethrough materials on top, and main colours being black, navy blue and gold.

Many celebs such as Ashley Olsen and Nicole Sherzinger have been spotted wearing these studded Louboutin ankle boots. On their own they look extremely Gothic but these celebs have managed to pull them off well.

Mary-kate Olsen has been wearing a large Studded navy blue Jacket by Givenchy, the sleeves may seem a bit too much but for the less daring they have less heavily studded jackets.

I spotted these Bebaroque Brassy Studded Tights which are available to buy from asos and mytights, they cost a staggering £50! And this is for one single pair of tights... I would buy them but just my luck I would get a hole in them and ladder them as soon as i put them on, which would be a disaster! But I do really like them they even have white and gold ones!

Just found a new blog that I love, and I really like the way she has put this outfit together, would never have thought of layering a top like this ontop of a pretty layered skirt. A skirt like this is in my very long list of fashion buys! This picture was supposed to be showing the way you can wear a studded belt, and not look like a goth/emo... but the outfit is just so cute! love the belt I must buy one soon, belts make such a difference to an oufit! As soon as I buy one there will be pictures up. And check out Karla's closet!

Stealing the sole of a dress

2008-07-18T23:39:00.008+01:00

I recently found this photographer/model by the name Elle Muliarchyk and I absolutly love her work and the way she goes about it, she is so creative. She is able to do the work she does because she is a fearless person. Her work goes a bit like this, she goes into boutiques and high fashion shops all over the world, picks out an outfit usually an amazing and extremely expensive dress! which she pretends to want to buy... goes into the changing rooms sets up her her camera on her tripod and poses in different positions to create a masterpiece. She often takes in bizarre props such as gassmasks and mannequins. Behind each of her photographs there is a story and strong feelings, there is danger in each photograph as she is putting herself in a dangerous situation. She was asked if she had ever stolen anything from the shops she goes to, she replied "no the only thing I steal is the sole of the dress, I enjoy the moment of wearing it and then nolonger need to have it!"

short break away outfits

2008-07-16T21:03:00.005+01:00

The first day I wore a mens long plaid shirt with black leggings. leggings,asos. shirt,vintage.

Second day I wore a red bandage skirt, American apparel. A white v-neck long t-shirt, american apparel; and black lacy patterned cross tights.

Harvey's crazy birthday cake

2008-07-14T12:24:00.001+01:00

For my brother Harvey's 8th birthday I made him a crazy chocolate and sweets cake.

Tights

2008-07-11T00:35:00.007+01:00

Black pattern tights were accessorised with the black Chanel dresses seen on the catwalk next season. They give the outfits a lacy feminine gothic look, which other designers such as Prada and Givenchy also seem to be doing.
Shredded black and white tights were seen on the runway by Rodarte to go with the punky outfits to give a gothic killer effect; the tights complete the outfit with their rugged look.
Alexander Wang used the effect of slightly ripped tights to add more edge and casualness to the outfits. His clothes are quite plain and simple but he has still created a grungy look which can easily be pulled off on a high street budget.
More colourful tights were also used by Luella who also had a gothic look but used tights to add a touch of colour which makes them look more wearable.
Elegant deep red, mustard yellow and navy blue tights were matched with outfits by Proenza Schouler. Accessorizing the outfits with these tights make them look more wearable in the day and go well with the dark deep colours that are used in their collection.
Iceberg also used brightly coloured tights to add colour to their dark black and navy textured outfits.

Leather Leggings

2008-07-10T12:46:00.004+01:00

A pair of leather leggings is a must have for next season, they have been seen all over the autumn winter catwalks especially by Givenchy, Alexander Wang and Gucci. Its all about adding textures and layers to your outfit to make your look more interesting. Ashley Olsen is often seen in her leather pants/leggings put together with a simple long top which hangs just over the top of the leggings, along with a pair of vintage gladiator heels. Celebritys such as Lindsay Lohan and Nicky Hilton have also been snapped wearing these stylish leggings. My next buy is definatly going to be a pair shiny black lame leggings from American Apparel which look just like the real leather ones just for a fraction of the price.

Model style: Lily Donaldson

2008-07-09T17:08:00.002+01:00

The 5'10" British model has walked in all the top designers shows for Autumn winter 2008. she was first scouted shopping in Camden and she's one of my favorite models, she's absolutly stunning and has great personal style.

PLAID

2008-07-07T12:46:00.004+01:00

A mood board from my autumn winter fashion 08/09 sketchbook.
A plaid shirt is a must have next season, Mary-kate olsen is often spotted in a vintage plaid shirt, black leggings or skinny jeans and a pair of high black ankle boots.
Dolce and Gabbana have gone masculine with plaid shirts, paired together with a vintage neck scarf.
For highstreet prices check out topshops new plaid shirts and shorts.