Jacquetta Wheeler's Blog

French Fancies

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:55:49 +0100

On holiday at this idyllic French farm house, surrounded by beautiful green meadows, Limousin cows, eating delicious food from the local markets, and reading a lot. Heaven. More pictures to come, but in case you're tempted (to come and rent the place), from this very short email, visit HERE: http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p431218

Ranch Shoot California

Thu, 12 May 2011 14:20:43 +0100

I flew to LA last week to shoot another Tory Burch campaign. The last one was in the Nevada dessert. This time we were shooting on a ranch 1.5 hrs outside LA, where apparently Little House on the Prairie was shot. The scenery was stunning, and for once the weather actually suited the clothes I was wearing. There was a very welcome cloudy sky and a cool breeze which made the cashmere sweaters and tweed jackets comfortable, not painfully hot. Photographer Jennifer Livingston took the pictures again, Christian McCullough did the make-up, Teddy Charles did the hair, and lovely Tina Chai was styling - all in all, a great team.

The only difficult thing about this shoot was the terrain. It was hard, bumpy and steep, with rabbit holes everywhere, and the concept of the shoot required active images, which meant a lot of jumping and running around - which in five inch heels required a serious amount of negotiation!

It was lovely to be out in the open countryside, and fun to work with the Tory Burch team again. The clothes are fabulous by the way, very pretty and feminine but with an expensive feel - and they've just opened on Bond Street. Go check them out! Their website is: http://www.toryburch.com.

Qatar Travels

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:16:51 +0100

I went to Qatar last week for a shoot. Doha is quite a mad place, and certainly the richest-appearing city I've ever been to. I mean, it is rich, very rich (the average income is about £60,000 a year), and you can almost smell the money everywhere you go. I was in and out but did have one evening and half a day off to explore a little. After checking into a five star hotel called the Oryx Rotana, near to the airport (check out the views from the glass walled lifts), I ventured into the souk. It was certainly the cleanest souk I've ever visited - almost looked fake it was so sparkling clean! Men in white robes and red cloths on their heads sat around outside restaurants and cafes in the street chatting and smoking shisha pipes. I found a restaurant, sat down and ordered some halloumi cheese and made friends with a cat sitting below my table. Then I wondered round, bought some touristy salt and pepper mills in the shape of Arabic men’s faces, and then sat outside another cafe smoking a shisha pipe myself, which was delicious - apple and strawberry flavoured - and made me feel very relaxed.

The shoot was a long day. We worked from 5am to 6pm, but I got to cuddle up to a surprisingly sweet camel so all good.

The following day (my flight was at 5pm), I first went to the recently opened Museum of Islamic Arts. Everything about it was overwhelmingly beautiful and captivating; the architecture of the building itself, the design of it inside, the views of the city from the massive glass window on the ground floor, and of course all the treasures it boxed. I took some pictures of my favourite pieces, all crafted by various empires in the middle east stretching back to the tenth century.

I then went to a spa called the Six Senses, which is meant to be one of the best in the world, but had a rather traumatic hammam where the woman scrubbed me so hard that I STILL have grazes all over my body! The spa itself was very nice, but beware of the hammam women - I'm not sure they really know what they're doing.

Colourful India To The Shows In London

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:06:41 +0100

I got off the plane from India and went straight to the shows in London, which did not fail to make me very grateful I'd come back in time. Just on India though, if I were a designer I'd go there for inspiration. Indian women have STYLE! I was captivated by their beauty and elegance the whole way through my trip - no matter how rich or poor, they wear their vibrant saris with pride, heads held high in the same way you or I might if we were wearing our favourite Chanel. They certainly live by fashion's number one rule - look good, feel good. Above is a picture I took of lots of Indians on a beach to show you what I'm talking about.

More pictures from my trip to come. For now, these were my favourite looks from the shows I went to see in London. I've just realised that a lot of them are brightly coloured. India must have influenced me more than I'd thought!

Matthew Williamson autumn/winter 2011-12

Temperley London autumn/winter 2011-12

Erdem autumn/winter 2011-12

Burberry Prorsum autumn/winter 2011-12

Notes From India

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:44:51 +0100

Hello everyone,

I arrived in India this morning, got into Bangalore at 4.30am, checked into a hotel for a few hours to freshen up and now on a train to Mysore - a four hour trip. I am travelling here for two and a half weeks, and am already feeling the elation that comes with being in a completely foreign place far away on the way to an exotic town I've never been to before. I am sat opposite two beautiful women in colourful saris and red dots on their foreheads, and slums are now passing me by as the train pulls us out of the city. Wow - wouldn't like to live there much. Have taken these few snaps below:

Warm air is blowing through the open window. It’s hot here! Loving it - different smells, different climate, different culture... Oh a man has just come with a saucepan full of something scrummy looking and passing it out to passengers. It looks like corn and vegetables, maybe carrots, but I'm not sure - might try it.

Another update to come in a couple of weeks with more pictures. For now though I am blogging off for a couple of weeks. Data roaming is v expensive on this blackberry!

Back in time for Fashion Week.

Shoot In Nevada Desert

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:15:27 +0100

Hi all,

Recently I was flown to Las Vegas in order to do a two day shoot in the Nevada desert. It was a fabulous client but I'm not sure I'm allowed to say who... the photographer was Jennifer Livingston who is great. Here are some pics...

Shooting in the beautiful dunes. It’s shoots like these I'm reminded quite how lucky I am!

Lovely team: Teddy Charles (hair), Christian McCullough (make-up), and model Heidi Mount, who has one of the sharpest and funniest tongues in the industry.

Me with Christian.

The Sand Buggy. They wheeled us back and forth from the location van in these things, at about 100mph and at 90 degrees angles from the 90 degrees sloping dunes - bloody terrifying but quite fun!

The Perfect Christmas Gift

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:54:31 +0100

I have the perfect Christmas gift for you to buy any female close to you this Christmas- please see above. This very funky necklace has been designed by Vivienne Westwood for Reprieve, the charity I work for and feel very strongly about. This is a perfect way to donate some money to an extremely important cause at the same time as giving someone you like a lovely gift. It costs £105, with all profits going direct to Reprieve. And you can buy it here: www.viviennewestwood.co.uk/shop/jewellery/necklaces/reprieve-necklace-9291/.

Reprieve is a human rights charity that uses the law to save people all around the world from dire situations. The people I work with daily (a mix of lawyers, investigators and other volunteers like me), get innocent men and women out of jail and off death row. There is nothing much sadder to me than imagining an innocent person being locked up and being abused, away from their families and loved ones. I mean can you imagine! Imagine your dad suddenly disappearing and not knowing where he’s gone, and then finding out he’s in a military camp somewhere being tortured with no access to a lawyer or anyone to help? This ACTUALLY HAPPENS! Reprieve gets calls from relatives of people in situations like these quite often and helps them. Vivienne feels as strongly about this as I do, and we’re both hoping that this necklace will help to raise essential funds for Reprieve.

For more information and to understand what I’m talking about a bit better, please visit: www.reprieve.org.uk.

The funds raised from this necklace will go towards providing legal council to those who otherwise couldn’t afford it, or wouldn’t know how to access it. Some of those that Reprieve represent are guys inside Guantanamo Bay. I have met a few former Guantanamo prisoners now, and it makes my heart heavy when I think about the torture that they endured, the humiliation, the inhumane abuse they received at the hands of the US military. These are men who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and got sold for bounties to the Americans. Did you know the Americans literally dropped leaflets down from planes offering bounties of $5000 to anyone who handed over a ‘terror suspect?’ To a Pakistani villager that was enough to feed their kids for five years. And that was how the majority in Guantanamo got there. I know it sounds mad - it is mad! And there are still innocent men inside there who need your help! Please click here to buy one of these limited edition necklaces, and help save the lives of men and women who need your help this Christmas:

www.viviennewestwood.co.uk/shop/jewellery/necklaces/reprieve-necklace-9291/

THANK YOU!

Reprieve's Event

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:43:32 +0100

Vivienne Westwood (centre).

Last week was Reprieve's annual fundraising dinner and auction. We raised vital money for this very worthy cause, with the help of Jon Snow, Vivienne Westwood, Bianca Jagger and a few other noble souls.

Clive Stafford-Smith, notorious human rights lawyer and Reprieve founder, made a fascinating if harrowing speech about Secrecy: how the UK and US governments keep so much information from the general public, by classifying and redacting information from documents - be they letters from men inside Guantanamo or notes that lawyers make during interviews with their clients - that justice, or the ability to deliver it, is made impossible.

Jon Snow compèred the event and did a wonderful job. Vivienne Westwood donated tickets to her shows in London and Paris. Bianca Jagger read out the seven redacted paragraphs (finally released this year) that proved Binyam Mohammed was tortured and that the UK and US governments were complicit in the process. One of the paragraphs for example reads:

"Although it is not necessary for us to categorise the treatment reported, it could readily be contended to be at the very least cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment by the United States authorities."

Paul McGann read a letter written by Bisher Al Rawi about his experience in Guantanamo and how sad he feels for all the men still in there. Bisher is an exceptional human being - I have met him - who was wrongly imprisoned and tortured inside Guantanamo for several years.

There were several other very interesting parts to the evening. Pictures below to show. Reprieve is an extremely worthy charity that helps people in dire situations. If you are interested please visit:

www.reprieve.org.uk to find out more and make a donation if you wish.

Jon Snow.

Jacquetta Wheeler, Vivienne Westwood and Jon Snow.

Lisa E Moss Jewellery Rocks

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 16:07:43 +0100

This blog is all about Lisa E Moss's jewellery because I LOVE it.

Lisa is a British jewellery designer originally from Liverpool. She's been designing for several years and I'm not sure how I've only just cottoned on to her stuff but anyway, it's stunning. She produces one off statement pieces using precious metals and stones and other materials such as vintage bone, glass and leather. The pieces are quirky, unique and different. She offers a bespoke commission service and I've actually commissioned her to make me my very own necklace - I cannot WAIT to see it. I've given her a bit of guidance but am mostly leaving it to her to surprise me. I've no doubt I'll love whatever she comes up with. Below are some pics from her latest Strange Fits of Passion collection. Get on her website quick: www.lisaemoss.com.

Paris

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 14:15:23 +0100

Took a tuk tuk to Galliano, through Place Vendome.

I went to Paris for the Galliano and the Chanel shows. What a treat. I stayed at a wonderful boutique hotel called Hotel Keppler which I highly recommend: www.keppler.fr/en/.

I got properly tingly all over doing both shows. I felt lucky and honoured to be walking for both John and Karl again - both shows were spectacles beyond.
For Galliano I got made up by the ingenious Pat McGrath for Galliano - look at how she made me look!

Galliano make up by Pat.

Me and Hannalore backstage of Galliano.

Backstage mayhem at Galliano.

I drank Champagne with my old friend Carmen Kass, and loved every second of being on the catwalk in the beautiful old opera house where the show was. As always it was theatre with John - we all performed as if we were the Parisian model Maria Lani, whom the collection was inspired by.

Galliano being interviewed.

Chanel was undoubtedly the hugest show I have ever done. The sheer scale of the thing was beyond anything Karl, and indeed anyone I think, has ever done! Karl took the entire Grand Palais - it took about four minutes to walk round the entire thing (rather than the usual 30 seconds). See photos below. He had a live orchestra playing beautiful music throughout the beautifully choreographed defile.

Every model loved every second and every step they each took. The world of Chanel was more enticing than ever. We all, editors, celebs, models, crew, included, were sucked into the world of Chanel for the length of the show, and for those twenty minutes or so, I truly believe that if anyone had been told we'd live there, in that world, for ever and ever, and never go home again, we wouldn't have flinched!

Duren Duran at Fendi party.

Karl at Fendi party.

Me and my friend Nick at Fendi party.

Arriving at the Grand Palais at dawn.

Chanel catwalk (if you can call it that), inside the Grand Palais.

Rehearsing Chanel.

Me and Sam McKnight backstage of Chanel.

Vivienne Westwood Supports Reprieve

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:25:53 +0100

I walked in the Vivienne Westwood show on Sunday evening. Vivienne is an avid supporter of Human Rights, and promoted Reprieve - the charity I work for - in a big way at her show. She designed beautiful heart-shaped necklaces with Reprieve written across them, which all the models wore (on sale from the end of November), and had installed a giant Reprieve heart at the end of the catwalk as well. She is an incredible woman, one who believes it's important to use the fashion industry as a platform from which to do some good in the world! Reprieve is thrilled to have her support (www.reprieve.org.uk). I also loved her outfits. They have an edge but are very wearable. She let me choose which clothes to wear... so cool. Oh - and it was so much fun being on the catwalk again!

Here are some pics a friend took: That's me with Vivienne coming on at the end.

London Fashion Week

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:00:00 +0100

My other highlight of London Fashion Week so far was Erdem's show yesterday. It was set in Bedford Square Gardens and the collection was dreamy and romantic. His beautiful flower prints are truly, in my opinion, works of art. There were many dresses I would love to wear. My favourite was this red one.

Also loved all of these though:

Save Linda Carty

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:39:44 +0100

I went and sat in a cell for a few minutes last week - the same size cell as the one that British grandmother Linda Carty is currently stuck in on death row, Texas. Reprieve, the human rights charity I volunteer for, is campaigning to save her life, and set up this cell next to St Martin's church to give people an idea of what it's like to be her. I felt claustrophobic after just 10 minutes. The loo is less than a meter from the bed. I can't imagine what it would be like living in something like that for over eight years, especially if you're innocent.

Linda's trial in 2002 was catastrophically flawed, and she is, in my view, totally innocent of the murder she is alleged to have committed. Her state appointed lawyer was a scoundrel who didn't give a damn about her case nor indeed most of his other cases it seems - he has sent more prisoners to death row than any other lawyer in the USA. He failed to investigate Linda's case in any depth and failed to find the evidence to support her plea, and he only bothered to sit down and talk to Linda for 15 minutes before her trial.

Please, please help save an innocent woman's life by signing the petition and clicking here: www.reprieve.org.uk/savelindacarty.

Net-A-Porter, Je t’aime

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:30:03 +0100

I think I am one of the few girls in the world who does not enjoy shopping. Don't get me wrong - I love clothes, I love fashion. I just don't, generally, enjoy the process of traipsing from shop-to-shop in search of the perfect shoe/skirt/dress, because more often than not, I seem to be unlucky. Occasionally, very occasionally, something in the air will be on my side and I'll find myself on a rare shopping high. About once a year I will have half a day where every shop I enter actually has something in it that I like, that I can afford, and that fits me. If only this happened more often, because, my gosh, it's fun when it does.

I went to Westfield on Tuesday. I psyched myself up for it. I had just received a cheque from a job in NYC and gave myself a sensible (but not too sensible), budget to play with. I visited Miu Miu first. I found THREE pairs of shoes I LOVED - now this is extremely rare for me in the shoe department.

I am 6 feet tall, and rarely wear high heeled shoes. I will wear them when I need to appear to be a 'model' - when I'm at a fashion event where my height is considered elegant, exciting, and something to be envious of. When I am at my friends' birthday party however, or at the pub having some drinks, no, I will not wear five inch heels (which make me 6'5''). I do not get off on towering above everybody in the room, or being taller than all the men. When I tell other women this they seem to be surprised, like I should love it, like it's something they've always wished for, but really? I mean you've got to be an incredibly showy person if you want everyone to notice you quite that much haven't you?!

Anyhow, so I found three pairs of shoes in Miu Miu. Two pairs were kitten heels and one pair was a funky pair of flats. One of the flats had something wrong with the stitching which meant they rubbed when I walked around (they didn't have any others in my size), they only had the other pair in beige, not the desired black (even though I know I know beige is supposed to BE the new black this season (not for me), and the other pair of kittens were ALL out in my size. I got properly grumpy. The poor lovely women in the store could not console me, especially since her system was down and she couldn't even check to see if there was any joy in the other stores in London. I felt like the whole world was against me. Yep - I had a proper spoilt brat fashion strop in Westfield. Oh dear.

It was downhill from there on. Prada had one pair of shoes I liked but they had run out of my size too (I am a size 40 - not THAT unusual surely?), and a Burberry coat that I've had my eye on (my personal favourite from the collection), was not in the store yet. I decided to visit Fenwick and buy myself some new make-up to make myself feel better, and found a fabulous coloured lip gloss, and guess what, they'd run out of that colour God dammit!

Ok ok. I ended up spending my desired, well thought out budget on jewellery, which cheered me up a lot. Inside Twenty8Twelve, I found a little stall selling beautifully put together antique crafts by a designer called Lisa E Moss - really wonderful pieces (no website yet but you should go and check her out at Westfield). But as far as getting my winter wardrobe sorted, I failed miserably.

I got home, and immediately signed onto Net-A-Porter. Bingo!

The website had my favourite of the three Miu Miu shoes ready and available to be delivered to my door the following morning, as well as three rather snazzy day dresses, one by McQ, one by Ksubi , and one by Vanessa Bruno I ended the day on a high - satisfied at having achieved my mission of developing my winter wardrobe (even if I did go over budget slightly), and was even happier when the bag arrived the following day and everything WORKED. No returns necessary, and stress free. Net-A-Porter - you rock.

Oh, and I did some research into my favourite Burberry coat (guaranteed to keep me well and truly snug in the winter) - it'll be in the stores from September - I've bagsied one for me:

Moroccan Magic

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:32:52 +0100

I'm back in Morocco. As you can see, I have been horizontal and deliciously lazy for the last 10 days. Four more to go... Will write more when I'm back!

New York Heatwave In Fur

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:59:31 +0100

My trip to NYC was one of the more uncomfortable trips I've done in my career. I was there for less than 48 hours, and had two 13 hour days. Both days were with separate clients but were very similar shoots and almost, utterly unbearable! Try standing in a mohair sweater, with a massive fur coat on over the top, on top of a bus in the middle of a New York heatwave. It must have been nearly 40 degrees Celsius and so muggy and humid that it was quite suffocating. Every picture was shot on location outside in the boiling heat, and both shoots were for the autumn/winter collections. The sweet crew blasted fans at me as often as they could - but on many occasions that wasn't possible - so I just sweated, and sweated, a lot. I felt very sorry for the person sitting next to me on the plane back to London, as I had no time for a shower before heading to the airport. I am NOT complaining though! I promise! I know - yes I got paid! Just thought you might like to hear about the less glamorous side of my job for once!

A rare moment of pleasure as I get blasted by a big fan... phew!

Shooting by the Brooklyn Bridge

Burning up...

With Love From Tangier

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 10:07:19 +0100

I am right now sitting on a balcony watching this view of the sun setting over beautiful Tangier. Have been here for a five day holiday and my sister's 30th. Feeling very relaxed. Off to NYC tomorrow for two jobs there before flying back to UK at the weekend. Don't want to leave this magical place! Thank God I get to come back in August.

Glastonbury Madness

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:10:57 +0100

Highlights:

Vampire Weekend and dancing to M79 in the sun.
Delicious cider at Julian Temperley's bright blue cider bus.
Groove Armada, sitting on my friend Bug's shoulders above a mass of heaving ravers.
Dancing the night away with my in the Rabbit Warren.
Wearing Alice by Alice Temperley all weekend long.
George Clinton in the Jazz field.

My Mulberry Glastonbury shoulder bag - very useful.
Dancing with my godson Fox on top of a tractor.
Julie and Milly wearing moustaches on Saturday.
Dancing in a sunny field to start the day on Sunday to Paloma Faith's "Upside Down."
Lars's rainbow striped suit that he wore on Sunday.

Jason and Gyan singing Duran Duran inside the Karaoke tent.
Stevie Wonder on Sunday night as the sun went down - magic.
Dancing with my friend Lara and a bunch of random’s in a muddy patch to Stevie. Wonder and Michael Eavis singing Happy Birthday to Glastonbury.
Watching the sunrise through the mist from Stone Circle on Monday morning.

The whole weekend was magic, as Glastonbury never fails to deliver.

The Leibovitz Effect

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:52:48 +0100

I flew to NYC last week to do a night shoot with Annie Leibovitz in Grand Central Station - one for the books! It was pretty amazing. A massive production as always with Annie. You can see all the scaffolding that was put up especially for the HMI lights she had shining through the windows - they made the whole station look as if it was daylight!

Another girl named Vanessa and I went outside onto the street for a cigarette which felt a little surreal in our white dressing gowns. We looked as if we'd just escaped from a loony bin! Later on in the night, while I happily walked back to the hair and make-up area from the ladies, again in my white gown, through Grand Central Station, a young girl approached me looking genuinely worried and asked "Are you lost?"She had the sweetest and most concerned expression in her face! It made me giggle so much. I really must have looked mad!

It was an honour to shoot with Annie again. She has a very powerful aura and is lovely with it.

I've discovered this jewellery line called 'Daisy.' They do beautiful little rings and bangles for affordable prices. Their trade mark is stacking the rings. They have quirky ones with bumble bees and dragon heads on, as well as more subtle gold plated and silver pieces. Check out their website: www.daisyjewellery.com

Chanel Cool

Wed, 19 May 2010 16:02:01 +0100

So, this one is about my trip to Saint-Tropez last week, where I went to do the Chanel resort show. It was a rather fabulous affair. The movers and shakers of the fashion industry descended upon the beautiful town of Saint-Tropez and spent two days and two nights living it up Brigitte Bardot-style with Karl Lagerfeld and his glamorous crew. I saw some girls I hadn’t seen in a while, as well as hair and make-up people. While we weren’t working (ie. fittings, two rehearsals and show), we were able to wonder around the markets and the wonderful alleyways lined by wonderful little delicatessens and other shops.

Saucisson shopping!

There was a dinner the first night in the main square

Followed by a late night, slightly intoxicated rehearsal at the port, where I decided to get creative with my high ISO on my camera!

The show the next day took place on the actual harbour. It was by far the most fantastical show I have ever done. All of us models were transported from one side of the port to the other in riva boats, where the press sat along the road in the actual cafes (!) waiting for our arrival. Dressed in beautiful pearly chiffon outfits, we departed the boats to the sound of music bursting out into the streets, and wandered down the road each as if we were about to go and meet our date, lets say Alain Delon, in a nearby bar.

Then there was a party afterwards to celebrate, where editors, models and chic Chanel people danced the night away

Crazy Elections

Mon, 10 May 2010 12:00:00 +0100

Crazy Elections. What a mess we are in! Hope they make their minds up soon is all I have to say.

I canvassed twice last week in Sussex with my dad, who started his own party called the Trust Party. He didn't quite win, which was a shame because he'd be a great MP if I do say so myself!

It was interesting though meeting so many strangers in a day and hearing what they had to say about the state of this country - actually it was quite depressing. Most people were utterly disillusioned by politics and feel they can not trust anyone anymore...

Let's hope that whoever our next government is starts talking straight. That would be nice.

I Did It!

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 09:00:00 +0100

I did it!!

Four hours and nine minutes! Very chuffed. I've never felt such pain and pleasure at the same time before! Just might do it again next year. Thank-you to all who sponsored me. HemiHelp got over £9,000!!

Marathon Countdown

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:15:57 +0100

Marathon - I am now on “taper time”, meaning I have to taper down the running to get my body prepared for the big day, which is in 12 days! I am super paranoid that I am getting ill. I am overdosing on vitamins and eating very, very healthily. No booze, no fags.... And my feet are still really sore from a 12 mile run I did on Sunday. Please, please, please don't let anything go wrong!!

If by any chance you'd like to sponsor me, and by doing so donate money to a charity for disabled children, click here!http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JacquettaWheeler

These photos don't do the photos there justice, but these are some snaps I took last night (with my iPhone, no flash), of some of the artwork of my friend Matilda Temperley. She had an exhibition at the Roundhouse, all about the circus. She is very talented I think. To see more of her fantastic work go to: www.matildatemperleyphotography.com

Pubs, Temperley and Cabaret

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:55:07 +0100

It’s really late. I am knackered. I’m afraid this week’s is going to be bullet points…

The Bag & Bottle pub where the Anya Hindmarch's quiz took place

• Vogue/Anya Hindmarch Quiz Night last night in the Bag and Bottle pub, Chelsea. What a fun night. Even if I was embarrassingly bad at answering the questions! Mariella Frostrup and Charlie Forbes were the best on my table. Bay Garnett’s table won, but that might have something to do with Charlotte Tilbury - who was meant to be on our table - swapping teams (can you believe?!) and denying us her fashion brains for all those fashion questions (I know – I should be good on those, but I’m not!).

• Alice Temperley has an exhibition coming up which I’ve had a sneak preview of. It is a creative master piece - just you wait. She is so talented.

• Sexy Lara Cazalet and her brother Hal, and Eliza Lumley, are singing at Bellamy’s every night this week. You go for a delicious three course dinner and then enjoy being entertained by these wonderful performers who swagger around the room singing hilarious tongue in cheek songs in true old school cabaret style. For all generations.

From Six Inch Heels To Skis

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:20:47 +0100

Firstly, there is a British grandmother called Linda Carty on death row in Texas who urgently needs your help. She is due to be executed in the summer unless the Supreme Court revokes her sentence. She has been convicted of murder, but she was grossly misrepresented by a notoriously incompetent state appointed attorney and therefore has not had a fair trial. He only spent 15 minutes with her before her trial, and failed to investigate her case properly, if at all. Had he done so, he would have found sufficient evidence to get her off death row and very possibly prove her innocence. Reprieve is fighting to bring justice to this woman. To find out more and to help to save a life, please sign the petition by following this link:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savelindacarty/

Skiing was a wonderful break, even if I was by far the worst skier of the group. Yep - I can walk a catwalk in six inch heels and pull off some elegance, I can pose, I can dance without looking too dorky, I can do Pilates and jump fences on a horse without falling off. Skiing however… well… let’s just say I am not a natural.

My poise on skis resembles that of an old man bent over; a bit drunk, not quite sure where he is going, and the worst part is that because I am last in the group I know everyone else (while waiting), is observing my catastrophically styleLESS movements down the slope.

Ah well. Luckily I have kind and patient friends, who believed in me so much that they dragged me down the “Vallee Blanche” on the second day. That is, an off-piste route that takes you down a glacier weaving through the Alps. Stunning – hairy, but stunning.

Had never been surrounded by such untouched Alpine beauty before. I almost lost my sense of humour only once while sliding down a very steep, narrow slope of pure ice. The rest of the time I just resigned myself to falling over every few minutes in fluffy snow. The views made it all worthwhile. Here are some pics… I am the one in the red hat and VERY cool orange tinted shades. VOGUE.COM’s “Best Dressed” page perhaps? (joke).

What A Fortnight

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:17:13 +0100

Wow… what a fortnight. It’s Friday night and I am currently sitting on my sofa with ice on my right knee, unable to move. I reached 16 miles today in my marathon training. By the end I was so exhausted (and in so much pain), that rather than find a dry patch of grass to sit down on in Hyde Park (there was a lot of it), I collapsed in a particularly muddy bit right on the corner of two foot paths. I got some funny looks. Didn’t care – was too busy trying not to faint. Yep, it was TOUGH – and to think I have another 10 to go in the actual marathon – bloody hell. If you have a minute, and feel like donating some money to a very good cause; a charity for disabled children who suffer from Hemiplegia, please sponsor me by clicking here:

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JacquettaWheeler

Last week I juggled Reprieve work with a trip to Milan for a photo shoot. My outbound flight was delayed four hours (airmare), which meant that instead of coming home that night I got stranded in Milan with no luggage. Stayed in a hotel for the night and popped on the 7am flight the next morning (Thursday), straight back to the office. Then on Friday I managed to lock myself out of my flat after a run – nightmare – too boring to go into but let’s just say it made me two hours late for a shoot that afternoon.

Then there was Fashion Week. I did my friend Elliot J Frieze’s show Sunday morning. I went to the Pringle dinner Monday evening. Oh – before that though, I went to my dad’s book launch. He’s written some of his most passionate political views down in a small book called A Crisis of Trust. It’s mainly about the expenses scandal and his views on Europe. If you’re interested in that stuff click below to learn more:

http://www.stuartwheeler.co.uk/

Tuesday afternoon, went to a studio to do my first ever web interview for T5M. Check it out here:

http://www.t5m.com/live-from-fashion-week/live-from-fashion-week-jacquetta-wheeler-on-london-fashion-week.html

Went to watch Burberry Tuesday afternoon – the Jackets and the coats – OH MY… I want all of them. Incredible. Especially look number 28 – take a look:

How divine?

Erdem was my other favourite show. He is a genius. Such beeeeeauuutiful prints. Check out look 28 especially for a stunning dress:

And then to Natalia Vodianova’s Love Ball which raises money to build play parks for poor children in Russia. She is an inspiration. Her event raised over £1.2 million and what a fun night it was on top.

That’s all from me…

Off skiing for a week tomorrow – yippeeeeeeeeeee…

Life's A Beach

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:48:51 +0100

I flew to LA last week for a shoot. They put me up at The Shutters, a wonderful hotel on the beach in Santa Monica. When I arrived I went for a walk and found this beautiful old pier just as the sun was setting.

The following day, after a 5:30am call time and an hour and half's drive, we arrived at this stunning beach - was good to get some fresh sea air - and Peggy Sirota, whom I'd never worked with before, was fantastic. We got on well and I enjoyed shooting with her a lot. She's a photographer who knows exactly what she wants, and knows exactly how to tell you what she's looking for. She gets great pictures.

The next morning I took myself for a 14 mile run. The promenade along Venice Beach and up past Santa Monica was a welcome change from Hyde Park (much as I love it), for my marathon training (Sponsor me!: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JacquettaWheeler - for a charity called Hemihelp which supports children born with Hemiplegia - a condition my sis was born with). My legs really hurt by the end.

This is me red faced after my run.

That evening I had a lovely dinner with my great friend, Phoebe James, at a restaurant called Gjelina: www.gjelina.com. I highly recommend it if you ever go to LA. It's in Venice, it's beautiful inside, the food is delicious (the best pizza I have ever had), and it has a log fire that you can sit next to outside to keep you warm. Phoebe and I catch up once a year when our paths cross, and it’s always quite nice to realise how much actually HAS happened in a year! She is acting at the moment in a play called Confusions, in the Lost Studio.

Behind The Lens

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:49:57 +0100

Introducing Scarlett Black - and welcome to my first ever test shoot (from the other side of the lens).

I rented a studio space just before Christmas and asked beautiful Scarlett Black, singer/songwriter/friend/hot chick, if she would mind modelling for me. She kindly obliged.

Here are some of the results...

Scarlett is in her early Twenties and from Jersey in the Channel Islands. She has been dancing, acting and singing since she was six. Her idol is Tina Turner. Her favourite song is Proud Mary. She is also inspired by Bjork and Minnie Riperton. Her songs are soul pop with heavy reggae and disco influences. They are upbeat and make you want to dance - and she's a fantastic performer.

Her favourite gig to date was playing at the Secret Garden Party festival last summer on the Madam Geisha stage:

"It was on the Saturday night and I was the last act at about 1.30am. I went on after the DJ and just got my band to play at the same tempo as the last tracks the DJ played. We kept this tempo for the whole gig. It went off!! I was stone cold sober and gave it my all, I was dressed as Poison Ivy and had dyed my hair; little did I realise that I'd been dancing so much and was so hot that the hair dye dripped all down my face and back! Sexy! I was literally scarlet. It was amazing... the best gig I’ve ever done! Everyone was going mad and having an awesome time! I also sang a cover of Candi Staton’s Young Hearts Run Free as an homage to her and a present to all the festivals goers! It’s my life’s motto...well for this moment in my life anyway..."

Her next gigs are Feb 5 at Brickhouse on Brick Lane at midnight, and Feb 19 at the Cafe de Paris. For more info on Scarlett go to her MySpace page: www.myspace.com/scarlettblackmusic.

So Far, So Good

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:00:00 +0100

Hi there - and happy 2010. I am loving it so far.

I have started a new job. This is not to say I am no longer a fashion model (at all, darling), but while I’m not shooting or strutting, I am volunteering for an NGO called Reprieve. It is a Human Rights charity focusing on death row cases all over the world, as well as victims of torture and abuse in Guantanamo Bay and other secret prisons around the globe.

The more I learn about it the more I realize quite what an atrocity Guantanamo is. 779 men have been illegally imprisoned there over the last nine years, and only three have been convicted of charges. The vast majority have been held there for years, and subjected to torture without even being tried. The project that I’m working on is the “Life After Guantanamo” project, which is about trying to find homes for the fifty or so prisoners that have been cleared for release but have nowhere to go (because if they go back to the country where they come from they face persecution and more torture). To find out more please go to: www.reprieve.org.uk/2010_01_11_obama_needs_EU.

Last week I flew to New York to shoot with Inez and Vinoodh for V magazine. Both my flight there and the one back were cancelled due to the weather, so I had to buy a new ticket there and transfer some air miles for the return in order to make it for the job and back ok…oh the joys of travelling at hectic snowed-in airports! I was there for less than 24hours which was a little discombobulating, but the pictures were great and it was fun to work with Inez and Vinoodh again.

This week I went to see Avatar at the Imax. INCREDIBLE. I hate sci-fi normally, really I do, and went in with a slightly negative attitude – how wrong I was. Please, please, please do yourself a favour and go and escape for three hours into the world of Pandora, the most beautiful and magical place I (for one) have ever been. I don’t know if you get quite the same feeling if you watch it anywhere other than the Imax, but all I can say is that my friends and I walked out giddy, dizzy and exhilarated, a bit as if we’d been munching away on round grey vegetables that grow in fields.

Oh – and the running (marathon training), is going well. This morning I did some sprinting through the snow in Hyde Park just as the sun was rising. The furthest I’ve run so far is nine miles now…only another seventeen to go…GULP.

Christmas Wishes

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:40:47 +0100

I am ill and have missed out on all the fun and am therefore pretty miserable. Typical isn’t it? With all the parties and friends from abroad being in town who I was meant to see, I am stuck in bed with tissues and Lemsip – great. I was very glad that Joe won X Factor last weekend, but other than that I have been rather grumpy all week. I am escaping to the country this evening and just hoping I will be better for Christmas with the family.

Anyhow, sorry to sound so dull at such a merry time of year! This is just a quickie to say if you haven’t bought your sister, girlfriend, boyfriend, anyone in fact, their Christmas present yet, and they are in need of a good pair of boots, I have sourced the place to go for you. Let’s face it…who isn’t in need of a good pair of flat black boots to last them the winter? These ones I’m told will actually last about ten years, and I have to say the leather is so soft I believe them. They have a nice round toe (hate all those pointy ones everyone does) and go with everything, whether it be jeans, a skirt or a dress. The shop is called Fiorentini + Baker, 302 Westbourne Grove, London, W11 2PS. www.fiorentini-baker.com.

Believe me…I have searched the whole of Selfridges and every shoe shop on Oxford Street and nowhere does boots quite like these. Good present.

Happy Christmas!! Snuffle snuffle.

British Fashion Awards

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:31:27 +0100

British Fashion Awards last night.. my camera wouldn't fit in my bag so no personal pictures I'm afraid, but it was a great evening.

My Highlights:
- The amazing hologram that spun round and round in the center of the stage.
- Lauren Laverne hosting and keeping us all entertained late into the night.
- Chatting to Vivienne Westwood about our mutual appreciation for a Human Rights charity called Liberty (CLICK HERE).
- Wearing Erdem's dress.
- Seeing Karen Elson disappear from the stage like a magic trick and then reappear to present Grace's prize as if she hadn't been hurt at all. Quite amazing. Basically poor Karen fell off the front of the stage as she walked on because the spot light had blinded her, but handled the situation like a true pro and came right back out less than a minute later, hair unfluffed. It was an extraordinary sight.
- Grace gracefully accepting her prize for best Fashion Creator.
- Seeing beautiful and lovely Charlotte Stockdale after far too long.
- Seeing lots of people I hadn't seen in a while.

Other discoveries/ highlights of my week:
- Going to Berlin for the weekend with some friends... if you ever go you must eat dinner at Spindler und Klatt, and then head to Panoram bar for dancing.
- Doing an Italian cooking course at Leiths: www.leiths.com
Discovering this new online shop: www.the-stylestore.com...Worth a visit if you're looking for something fancy and don't want to get overwhelmed by too much choice. Great selection of bits and pieces.

A Weekend In Marrakech

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:58:05 +0100

I’ve just come back from a wonderful weekend in Marrakech. I was kindly invited by La Mamounia Hotel (www.mamounia.com) to attend their re-opening and post-renovation party, and spent three days staying at the luxury hotel. My friend Di came with me, and we were treated like royalty from the moment we were picked up from our flats in London to the moment we were dropped back.

The hotel itself, if you can ever afford it, is much like what I imagine a trip to paradise would be. I’ve never been anywhere quite like it actually. Every single man or women that worked there greeted us with smiles and perfectly spoken English. Nothing is a problem… your wish is their command. The décor was beautifully done. They’ve managed to mix in traditional Moroccan carvings and marble with a subtle modern touch. Our room was big and airy with a great view, and the food at this place was exquisite… all of it… They have a French, an Italian and a Moroccan restaurant, and not one of them lets their distance from home compromise their quality in any way. And the spa – oh the spa! … featuring two traditional Hammams, massage rooms, the best steam I’ve ever had, and various other pampering treats… all walled in marble and lit by huge Moroccan lanterns. We were spoilt rotten.

The party on Thursday night was truly amazing. They had Jose Carreras sing on a stage in the middle of the massive pool, followed by a Cirque du Soleil performance with acrobats doing magical things around the water and out of the hotel rooms up above. That, as well as a seriously A-List guest list made for a very glamorous event.

In the day Di and I opted out of the guided tour and decided to explore the medina solo. We navigated our way through the Djemaa el Fna - the main square, where story tellers, snake charmers, and acrobats are all part of the daily routine - and into the maze-like souk where we bought some beautiful jewellery plus a leather pouf for my flat. On the way out we walked past a man with a monkey. Before I knew it he had plonked the damn thing in my arms. I tried to adjust my arms to a more comfortable position and the little monster bit me!! And yes – it drew blood – and no, I am not frothing at the mouth – thank god. It gave me quite a shock, but actually it was a tiny scratch and the concierge assured me the monkeys there do not carry rabies, before disinfecting it with some antiseptic cream – kind man.

Anyway, Marrakech was a little adventure, and a very luxurious one (apart from the monkey).

One other place, apart from La Mamounia and Marrakech, that I must quickly mention is another hotel much closer to home. Millers Residence, on Westbourne Grove, is an amazing little gem in the heart of Notting Hill that I’ve only just discovered. Well – I’d heard about it for ages, and walked past it a few times, until I finally decided to check it out the other day with a friend for coffee. Anyway, from now on I will recommend it to anyone visiting London. Owned and decorated by Martin Miller, it is adorned with his very special antique furniture and all sorts of wonderful bits and pieces, and each room is unique and special. It feels like you’re staying at someone’s unusually beautiful house rather than a hotel, check it out: www.millershotel.com.

New York Antics

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:03:47 +0100

It has been an eventful week. I flew to NYC last Friday and spent the weekend browsing flea markets, eating brunch with friends and doing a bit of shopping. Went to my old favourite Opening Ceremony and bought a fabulous man’s parka jacket. I had to get it in men's as my arms are so long - women’s winter coats never have arms long enough – it's very annoying. But this works I think. By a label I hadn’t heard of before called Lad Musician… great for if, like me, you fancy a men’s parka to keep you warm in the winter – or perhaps a boyfriend’s Christmas present? - www.ladmusician.com

I went for a 6.5 mile run on Monday morning. It was a good one. In my training for the marathon I am having good runs and bad runs. On a bad run, my left ear does a very strange thing where it opens up too much and I can hear my internal sounds, ie breathing/swallowing very loudly inside my head. The actual term for the condition I have is a Patulous Eustacian tube – got diagnosed a few weeks ago. Anyway, so my ear bothers me which makes my head feel slightly explosive, and somehow that means I notice how exhausting the whole thing is even more. Sometimes I get a tummy ache. Sometimes my legs or ankles hurt a lot. On a good run, my ear is fine, my legs feel lighter than usual, and I get into a rhythm and feel like I could keep on going for ever – until the end that is! Anyway, on Monday I ran from my friend's house in Brooklyn Heights to the Brooklyn Bridge, across the Brooklyn Bridge, into Wall Street, at which point I found myself on crowded streets full of bankers on their way to work, and a bit lost. Quite hard when you’re running to navigate crowded areas unless you’re sure of which turns take you where! I also felt a tad self conscious in my bright blue Nike top and being quite so tall, and bounding along the sidewalks like a lanky giraffe, so I turned around quite soon. I was going to head back to the Williamsburg Bridge and get back that way, but wasn’t sure if that had a walkway, so instead went back to the Brooklyn Bridge and crossed it three more times before returning home. The views of Manhattan were stunning, the sky was clear, and my very cool running music (house music to running rhythm) made me feel like I was flying.

Monday night was the Vogue CFDA Fashion Fund awards dinner. Alber Elbaz gave a beautiful, honest, and inspiring speech. I wore Marchesa, and went with Keren and Georgina, the designers. I saw Jack and Lazaro from Proenza Schouler… hadn’t seen them in ages. We used to party together quite a bit – they’re all healthy and well-behaved now (even have a house in the country) and I’m much healthier… was good to see them. Carolina Herrera was charming as always and Anna Wintour was perfectly friendly – I don’t think that documentary, The September Issue, did her justice by the way. Sophie Theallet won the award... She does fantastic designs.

Flew back Tuesday night. Arrived in London Wednesday morning. Walked in the Women for Women’s fashion show Wednesday evening. It’s a charity that helps women survivors of war rebuild their lives. See womenforwomen.org. The Temperley dress I wore made £4,400 for the cause in the auction – nice.

Thursday night I went to a dinner and an auction for Reprieve, a human rights charity. Lord Bingham, Clive Stafford-Smith, John Le Carre and an ex Guantanamo prisoner Omar Deghayes all made powerful speeches. Did you know that the US government tortured a man named Ibn Shaik Al-Libi (a member of Al Quaeda) into saying that Iraq and Afghanistan had weapons of mass destruction? It was this "evidence" that the Bush Administration used over and over again to validate the war in Iraq. To learn more about this important charity and its very worthy cause/causes, visit their website: www.reprieve.org.uk.

X-Factor

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:36:00 +0100

I am obsessed with The X Factor. I think it is the best show ever in the whole world. I look forward to it greatly every weekend and if for some reason I have to miss it on Saturday night then I record it and make it my Sunday morning activity instead. Thankfully, I am not alone. I went to a posh fashion dinner the other day and it was the main topic of conversation round the table. When I go home to Mum and Dad's, Shami Chakrabarti is staying for the weekend and we spend the whole dinner discussing human rights and politics. Afterwards we all crowd into the TV room afterwards to watch The X Factor, pausing it after each act in order to have a mini Question Time-esque dialogue on what we thought. This is BEFORE the judges get to say their piece of course...very important that our opinions are unadulterated.

So, I thought I should give you all a quick synopsis of this weekend's X Factor from my point of view. For those of you who don't watch it, I'm sorry this won't interest you at all, and for those who do, feel free to comment please.

Stacey - She is my favourite by far. She has character, she has an amazing voice, and she proved Saturday night she is also sexy. I hope Cheryl felt ashamed and embarrassed for having said she wasn't sure Stacey could "do sexy". How narrow minded of her. She owes Stacey an apology. I couldn't believe Simon was so mean about her performance - clearly he is just trying to get rid of the stronger performers in order to save his own. Makes me sick.

Olly - WHAT is the big deal about Olly?? I just don't get it! To me he is Mr Average. His voice is alright but not great. I don't think he is good looking or particularly sexy. Will someone enlighten me please?

Lloyd - For god's sake. I can imagine having fancied him when I was eight. Let's just hope the adult population outnumbers the adolescents enough to vote him off. He's very sweet but his voice is weak. And his hair annoys my mother a lot.

Lucie - I'm not devastated that she's gone. I know she was really sweet and everything, and her voice was great, but she lacked any spark and was wooden on stage. Having said that, Simon letting her go to deadlock over voting off Jedward - I mean really...more on that later..

Jamie - I can't make up my mind about him. I like his voice but get the feeling that if he became famous he'd let it go to his head very quickly and would become arrogant. He is a bit karaoke, let's be honest.

Danyl - He was good this week, but I'm still annoyed with him for sulking so much the week before. His hair cut is good, but the sulky thing is so unattractive, and I'm not going to let him off just because he had one good week.

Joe - LOVE. He is ADORABLE! His voice is beautiful, he performs brilliantly and he is good looking and will blossom into a deliciously handsome young man. I hope he or Stacey wins.

As for the judges' behaviour this week... Simon - stop it. You have your kudos, you have your money...stop being so bloody greedy and competitive. You know that by extinguishing the stronger contestants your performers will have more of a chance. That's why you let Rachel go last week by taking her to deadlock, and that's why you let Lucy go this week. That is unfair, and judges are not meant to be unfair. It's ridiculous. And I get that you want to make as much money as possible, and by keeping Jedward in your show gets more press, more people watch it, you make more money blah blah blah, but come on... at some point you should consider that you have a massive influence on the people of this country and if everyone conducted their business in the same way you do then we would be a nation of tw*ts. Please - stop it.

Oh and as for Dermot and Louis having a fight. I'm on Louis' side. Dermot has been rude to Louis too many weeks in a row (telling him to "shut up" for example) and it's not his place to be so. I'm glad Louis gave him a telling off on Saturday. He needs to be brought down a peg or two in my opinion. I mean I know Louis is not the coolest guy out there, but Mr Presenter you've now proved you're not either. You should be a gentleman up there, and not be taking sides even if Simon does sign your pay cheque.

I said last week (after my boiler rant) that I'd never write such an unglamorous blog again...ooops.

SEE CHERYL'S X FACTOR STYLE HERE

Plumbing Nightmares

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:56:18 +0100

What is it about plumbers ripping you off? I’m sorry, but this week I’d like to have a rant. It’ll probably bore you senseless but writing is such good therapy for these things I think I’ll risk it. My boiler stopped working last week, typically just as it started to get really cold. I was persuaded, when I called the manufacturers, to buy a package for 311 pounds which included an immediate visit from one of their "expert" plumbers and a 12 month insurance plan – anything goes wrong with the boiler in the next 12 months, they’ll send someone over to fix it. Well the guy came three days later (I’ve been using friends' showers for a week until today). I couldn’t be there unfortunately - due to unforeseen circumstances I had some decorators in - so they let him in to have a look. He was there for no longer than twenty minutes before dismissing the problem as being something to do with my water being contaminated.

He left a pre-printed card which stated that my boiler cannot be fixed until I have whatever is ticked on the back sorted out, which, of course, as stated in the small print of whatever contract I bought into, they are not responsible for. He’d ticked the box saying that I need to have my water system flushed before any of the plumbers can come back to help. Well – the quotes I got for having my water system flushed out were both over 1000 pounds. On receiving the note, and after getting the quotes I called the plumbers to try to persuade them to come back and have another look. But oh no – that box that the plumber ticked excludes them from all responsibility. The woman on the other end of the phone had an extraordinary talent for not responding to any of my arguments and instead repeating the same thing over and over again. “Once you’ve had your system flushed, we’ll send someone back to have another look. There’s nothing we can do until you have your system flushed.” It was infuriating.

In the end I got a Pimlico Plumber to come and have a look. He found three very faulty parts that the previous plumbers had failed to notice or replace, and told me my water was absolutely fine. He was here for four hours and his time and the spare parts cost 640 pounds, but I do now have hot water and warm flat, and haven’t wasted 1000 pounds doing the flush. He proved my suspicions of the other guy to be correct – he was feeling lazy, and decided to tick a box on a card rather than do his job and fix my boiler. Grrrrrrr. Anne Robinson where were you?! After three phone calls to them and a threat of sending them an official complaint they finally agreed to send me my money back. I will be checking it appears in my bank account for sure! Lesson: Don't book a rubbish plumber. Pimlico came out shining even if they are more than a little pricey. Hope your boiler doesn’t break!

I will try never to write such a boring, unglamourous blog ever again, I promise!!

PS. Thank god for my running. It helped me let off some steam. I managed 10.5 km the other day in my marathon training – in a park in Paris no less! And starting to really enjoy it!

Jacquetta Went To Temperley

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:39:30 +0100

I have just been to Temperley and spent a lot of money. They have some very funky stuff in there at the moment. If you're in need of a few bits to get you through the next few months' festivities I strongly recommend a visit. Remember - its an investment! At least that's what I tell myself.

No but really - they've got some great dresses, the leather jackets ROCK, and you can't go wrong with a good leather jacket... they go with everything, every dress and every top... and, I never thought I'd say this, but they even beat a Rick Owens in my opinion... they're just a little more interesting.

Here are a few of the things I got:

Birthday Horrors!

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:05:54 +0100

Twenty of my friends came to a horror-themed dinner on Saturday for my birthday party. I love my friends - and I love the impressive effort they all made to dress up as hilariously horrifying creatures, dead and alive...

Girl On The Run

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:33:27 +0100

I have signed up to run the London marathon. I have to run for 20 minutes four times a week until Christmas, and then the training gets tough until the event takes place on April 25. 42 kms - eeeek... what am I letting myself in for?! I bought all the geeky equipment the other day, including a pedometer, and at the moment 2.8km, roughly the circumference of Kensington Gardens, is a real struggle. I will be running for a charity called Hemihelp which lends support to children and the families of children who suffer from Hemiplegia, a minor form of cerebral palsy which affects one side of the brain therefore weakening one side of the person's body. www.hemihelp.org.uk. I will be keeping you firmly up to date on my training!

I went to Art London today. Wasn't overly excited about much of it - A lot of (dare I say it) pretentious stuff that doesn't appear (in my humble opinion) to require much skill at all but which we're supposed to understand and appreciate as works of genius... hummmm... BUT I did fall in love with the work of two of the artists. One was Luciano Ventrone who does beautiful nudes of women: http://www.albemarlegallery.com/biography.php?artistid=88&exid=100106

And the other was Yves Krief, who does surreal cityscapes using digital photography. His work takes you into fantasy new worlds that you can stare at for hours...I was really drawn in anyway. Check out his blog: http://newarts.typepad.fr

Fabulous Firenze

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:31:16 +0100

I went to meet my man in Florence last weekend. We had 24 hours there together - 'twas divine. Yes yes...we devoured gelatos and walked the Ponte Vecchio and marvelled at frescos and ate delicious food, even got serenaded to on the street at one in the morning...very romantico... And we found ourselves the best bargain for a hotel EVER.

Veering away from 5* modern rooms that we feared might lack some charm, we went on the internet in search of a more boutique style hotel... Found one: Il Guelfo Bianco...

Hesitant to book without the comfort of a friend's recommendation, we decided it was worth the risk. I HIGHLY recommend this place if you ever need a lovely hotel to stay in in Florence. Our room was €200 per night, and was huge; with high ceilings, beautiful antique furniture, light streaming through the windows - and had an abundance of charm. Pic to show below and website is: www.ilguelfobianco.it. It's a two minute walk away from the Duomo too.

I then hopped on a train to Milan for a two-day shoot with Stefano Moro and Paulo Turina for Amica magazine. Stefano took some fantastic pictures and Paulo styled the clothes like a true artist. Looking forward to putting the pics in my book.

London Fashion Week

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:53:59 +0100

Got back from New York on Saturday morning and went straight to a party in Reading that some friends of mine were putting on. It involved 500 people dressed up as animals, lots of hay bales round bonfires and dancing all night - Summer Sunset it was called - a very fitting name and the weather proved it. It was lovely for one evening to be in a totally different world in the midst of Fashion Week frenzy!

A lovely car picked me up on Sunday afternoon and took me directly to the Julian Macdonald show where Charlotte Tilbury worked wonders with her makeup brush backstage before I went out onto the catwalk wearing a rather chic patent leather trench coat.

Philip Green's dinner was on Sunday evening at the Ivy, a rather fabulous affair. Christopher Kane's show on Monday was interesting. I loved some of the chequered dresses although not all. Some were a little too little girly - others were brilliantly borderline and I'd definitely wear them in the summer.

Then we went to the Temperley presentation - my favourite collection of the week, featuring some fantastic cropped studded leather jackets and cute stripy blouses. Then to House of Holland - didn't get it at all I'm afraid.

On the way to Nick Knight's SHOWStudio exhibition at Somerset House I almost ran out of petrol and spent about half an hour trying to find a parking space near the venue which was a nightmare. Teaches me to drive around Fashion Week EVER again!

Tuesday was the Burberry show and party. The clothes were far sexier than I was expecting and the front row was somin' else! - A glamorous affair and one that highlighted British talent as being both impressive and relevant. Many editors I spoke to after the show who had come from New York for London's 25th Fashion Week anniversary were giddy with having had such a great time and having seen so much raw talent... hopefully they'll come again next season.

Behind The Scenes

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:43:56 +0100

I find myself in NYC. Hadn't expected to be here this season for Fashion Week but Michael Kors rang up and asked if I'd come and do his show and I couldn't resist.

It was fun. The clothes were beautiful - quite architectural this season - and I got a buzz from the whole thing having been away from the shows for a while. The music was a mix of Madonna and Lady Gaga and it felt a bit like dancing feels as I walked up and down.

As I entered the backstage area I saw many faces I hadn't seen in a while. Orlando Pita was doing hair and Dick Page the make up - both geniuses. I have to say it was a little intimidating at first; I recognised very few of the other girls - gone are the days when I knew every single one!

I sat down and buried my head in my book until I was snapped out of it by a husky voice yelling from across the room, "Hey Jax, stop pretending you can read!" Carmen Kass - who else?! Was wonderful to see her.

It hadn't occurred to me that I hadn't walked in extremely high heels for an entire year (stood in yes, but no strutting half a mile of runway). I was horrified by how much my lower calf muscles quivered by the end of the show. I honestly thought if I'd had one more look I might not have made it! Was somewhat comforted by the fact that Carmen felt exactly the same. We both wondered like two true old veterans at how on earth we used to do six shows a day and feel nothing!

Here are some pics from backstage:

Must Haves

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:00:00 +0100

I'm on my way to Bestival, another apparently bonkers music festival in the Isle of White. For the Space Oddity theme I've bought a bright blue space girl outfit and pink wig from Carnival Store, the ever dependable costume shop conveniently located on the way out of West London in Olympia.

I have made two new discoveries this week, both of which I think would make fantastic birthday/Christmas/hen/"I've had a productive week so gonna buy myself a present" presents.

The first is interior designer Suzy Hoodless's cashmere Savana blanket. I found it at her store on Clarendon Cross in Notting Hill at the beginning of the week and now feel perfectly prepared for cosy movie nights in during the winter. It is deliciously snuggly, and a chic piece to have thrown over your sofa.

The other is Stella McCartney's knicker drawers; an adorable mini set of seven drawers, one for each day of the week, each containing a cute pair of knick nacks for that day. Cute.

Jacquetta Loves...

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:37:57 +0100

It's good to be back in London. And right back into the Notting Hill Carnival - nothing beats the energy you get from dancing amongst two million people in the streets of your own neighbourhood on a warm sunny day, while Ratty from the Topcats on the Gaz's Rockin Blues stage tells you to put your hands in the air, band in full flare, playing the saxophones and the trumpets and the drums - brilliant.
Talking of music, I paid a visit to DJ duo Ben Bridgewater and Dan Lywood's Westbourne Grove studio this week to make use of their innovative and brilliant idea for a service - Playlister. Check it out on www.playlister.fm. The pair, two of West London's most reputable DJs, can provide you and your iPod with music to suit your taste, for a surprisingly reasonable fee. Whether you are hosting a party, going on a road trip, or reading the newspapers on a Sunday afternoon, they have the music for you, and don't take long at all to transfer it onto your iPod. It has changed my musical life! I strongly recommend giving it a go. Contact them to book an appointment by emailing info@playlister.fm. Either you meet with them in person or they can send you iMixes via e-mail.
Also loving this Mulberry bag I recently bought:

A New York Adventure

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:40:01 +0100

So I got back to London on Thursday evening and had an 8am call time on Friday. RIGHT back to work! It's hard to imagine now that eight days ago I was sunning myself on a beach in Tangier... The past week has been hectic. Job on Friday was good. Then train to Kent to see the rentals for the evening. Flew to NYC Saturday afternoon. The good news was that I got upgraded. LOVE it when that happens. Especially when its from eco all the way to a flat bed. The bad news though was that I chose some posh salmon ceviche for my starter on the plane, and then on arrival at the hotel in NYC (thank god not before) it decided to spend six hours through the night violently exiting my body. I didn't sleep much before meeting the crew for my job outside in a motorhome from where we drove an hour to our location in Long Island. Luckily the worst of the food poisoning was over by the time I actually had to pose, but I felt pretty weak all day, not helped by the sweltering NY summer humid heat and wooly winter clothes. Yep, one of those. I was pretty uncomfortable for four days. Mustn't complain though. They were paying me after all!
Shoot from my perspective while sitting on a mantle piece:

View from the window of my hotel, The Cooper Square. As I was up all night I thought I might as well take some pictures:

I stayed the last two nights with my dear friend Anouchka, her hubby Sam and their two adorable kids. It was heaven waking up every morning to their gorgeous little faces in my bedroom saying good morning Auntie Jac. Sam, who works at Rockstar Games, introduced me to Beaterator, a game that's about to come out, produced by Rockstar Games together with Timbaland. It is genius. I don't have an i-phone yet but think I'm going to have to buy one now as this game is so much fun and you can play it on your i-phone wherever you are. You are basically a DJ and the game enables you to create your own mixes. Hook it up to some speakers and you've got a party going on. You don't have to know anything about mixing, no prior experience required, and yet you are left wondering whether you should pack up your current career and move to Ibiza to become the next Sven Vath. Its a LOT of fun. Have a look: www.rockstargames.com.
Dinner at Gemma with four of my best girlfriends Tuesday night - heaven:

Me and Anouchka:

Before I left NYC I just had time for a quick shopping spree. I went to Curve, a good one stop shop on Mercer Street, and spent a lot of money, mostly on French designer Isabel Marant. Her clothes have a fantastic, effortlessly cool style. Check them out: http://www.isabelmarant.tm.fr/ They sell at Aime on Ledbury Road and Matches in London.

Last Day In Tangier

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:53:54 +0100

Back to reality tomorrow. I drove down to the port early this morning to take some pictures of the fishermen at work. It was a lively scene, but my god it stank. I've never experienced quite such a bad smell...That, and the fact that they didn't like me taking pictures, much limited my ability to get any shots I was particularly proud of, but just to give you an idea.

This afternoon I drove into town to do some last minute shopping in the medina.

With little time to waste, I headed straight to the most reputable shop in town, Majid's, to buy an antique Spanish shawl I had spotted last week and had been umming and aaaring over for several days.

It wasn't cheap, but oh so very special. I made a deal with myself - I have to fly to New York this weekend for a job and decided that I would allow myself to buy the throw on condition that I fly economy (yes - hard times...no budget from client for flights) there and back. The difference in price for the ticket roughly equals the price of the throw. It's a Thirties Spanish silk shawl, and I am in love with it:

Majid's shop is like an Aladdin's cave full of the rarest antique Moroccan embroideries and jewels in town. Check out his website: www.boutiquemajid.com.

I finished off my (almost) three weeks in Tangier with dinner at my sister Sarah's house next door. It was a Tangerine scene; among the guests were Christopher Gibbs, Umberto Pasti and Stephan Janson.

Stephan was the first person I ever modelled for. I met him here in my mother's garden when I was 16 and a month later was walking in his fashion show in Milan. His beautiful collections are inspired by the freedom that comes with his life here in Morocco and his muse is my sister Sarah, who shares his love for Tangier. Here she is wearing one of his dresses.

He is fashion's best kept secret.
To see more take a look at his website: www.stephanjanson.com.

Charity In Tangier

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:47:04 +0100

Last Friday I went to see the Girls Housing Centre of Darna, a charity I am involved with over here in Tangier. In the various houses of Darna, children and women at risk find a safe and stable temporary home - and an opportunity to reintegrate into the mainstream of Morocccan society, through stable learning and living environments, skills training programs, and career-building initiatives.

I threw two fundraising events in New York, one in 2005 and one in 2007, which together raised over $300,000. This money helped to build this house, which I saw for the first time last week.

Can't quite explain the feeling I got when I saw it, but it was one of immense satisfaction! There has been a lot of red tape, and a lot of work, to get the thing up, so seeing it all in place was very gratifying.

This is Sean, a New Yorker now living in Tangier full time with his wife Yto, whose mother founded and runs Darna. He was my partner during the event planning... couldn't have done it without him.

Looking forward to seeing it in action when it opens, hopefully in the autumn. It will sleep 90 girls, aged between 13 and 21, giving them the means to study at nearby universities and colleges, which otherwise they'd be unlikely to be able to attend.

For more info on Darna, please visit www.darnamaroc.org.

Walking through the Casbah last Saturday evening we heard loud drums and singing coming from the centre square. We went to have a look and came across a wedding parade. The bride is inside the quilted box that you can see, being carried through town by a mule to the house where she and her husband will spend their first night together.

Feeling truly relaxed and enjoying my holiday a lot! Great to be in a different world for a few weeks, and one I can be still in! (No airmares!)

At The Casbah

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:50:20 +0100

Having the best time in Tangier at my family home; Dar Sinclair.

So far my friends and I have had a lot of poolside relaxation, a visit to the beautiful Atlantic beach, a wander through Tangier's medina and the Casbah, made a trip to get scrubbed at the hamam, and have whiled away a few hours drinking mint tea at Café Haffa - which sits on some cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean and was renowned in the Sixties as being a favourite hangout of the Rolling Stones....

The Legendary Temperley Party

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:50:28 +0100

Alice's summer party was, as always, wild. Dress code: "Leather, lace, debauchery and grace".

An exotic mix of London fashionistas and Somerset locals, all dressed in erotic leather and lace, graced the orchards of her father's cider farm and danced from dusk till dawn.

The Topcats and Babyhead both played in the big marquee in the middle of the field, followed by Lars's very own DJing - that kept everyone on the dance floor for hours and hours.

I felt very lucky to be part of the Temperley circle - they are a generous, kind and free spirited bunch, that's for sure. (The cider brandy that her dad produces, by the way, is scrumptious. Great to buy as a gift for someone: www.ciderbrandy.co.uk/shop.html.)

Alice looked HOT... she had a short blond wig on, was strewn in lacey tights and a leather corset and looked like a naughty sex goddess. Lars was Master and Commander.

I put a black wig on and used Nancy's mirror to apply some fake eyelashes....

Which unbeknownst to me started coming off half way through the night...oops.

The following day some teletubbies appeared and had a stare off with Alice's alpacas, each party was as bemused as the other.

NY State Of Mind

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:12:34 +0100

I flew to New York again on Monday. Was greeted by my favourite (living) dog in the world, Niko Tollemache, c/o Lyonel Tollemache, when I arrived at his place in Soho.

Shot with a lovely crew on Tuesday and Wednesday, a regular client of mine who like to work hard and get the job done so we can all finish at a civilized hour, which we did...

So I jumped in a cab to photography heaven - B & H Photo store and bought myself a present - the Canon G10 camera (much cheaper there than here). Wondered into Chelsea after that and popped into a couple of galleries before stopping by Ashley's...

Ashley Javier, hair stylist extraordinaire, has a beautiful penthouse apartment with a roof garden in midtown Manhattan. When I was living in New York, many a Sunday afternoon or evening would be whiled away up there by Ashley and I putting the world to rights, so that we did, with the help of his dog Tenny, for four hours on Tuesday evening.

Ashley has a gift for delivering brilliant lines that roll off his tongue in a brilliant southern drawl as if he were in a movie.

When our Chinese delivery arrived fifteen minutes after we'd ordered it, I told him that one of the things I do miss about New York is the service... Now - Ashley LOVES his city...

"Oh giiiirl," he exclaimed (southern accent). "To live anywhere but New York, to live in any other city, would be like living in, oh, what's that film called?.. Misery!"

I arrived this morning back in London, feeling rather groggy. Went straight to Ten Pilates to stretch out my achey muscles, and here I am back in Notting Hill, glad to be home.

Off to Morocco for three weeks on Saturday - cannot wait for holiday time.

Injured Nancy

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:38:58 +0100

I had to take my car to hospital this week. I was too embarrassed to take a picture, so there isn't one, but I managed severely scrape one side of poor Nancy by reversing her diagonally into a pillar in the underground car park of my dad's flat in Mayfair. I blame Delta for my lack of sleep the night before, and not the fact that this is my first car that everyone warned me was probably a little too nice to be so!

She got literally wedged into the damn thing, so much so that I couldn't move forwards or backwards without scraping more and more paint off. I was meant to be taking my sister to the airport, but as I couldn't move she had to run off and get a taxi instead, leaving me alone in the underground car park feeling like a complete prat.

I told the man at the BMW garage that my sister had done it! Just couldn't bear the humiliation of him realising his preconceptions of tall blonde models might have some truth to them.

Anyway, Nancy's back on Saturday - I just hope my insurance company doesn't read this - they already charge me an extortionate amount of money, partly because I am considered "high profile" and apparently that means I hang out with footballers, whom if I was driving around and crashed, the insurers would have to cover the 'loss of income' for. Ridiculous.

Yesterday I explored Camden market to find an outfit for Alice Temperley's summer party this weekend in Somerset, for which the dress code is "Leather, Lace, Debauchery and Grace." I found lots of fun bits and pieces. Can't wait for the party...

Have just been browsing NET-A-PORTER.COM... Loving the Vivienne Westwood black pirate boots and Matthew Williamson's wool patchwork coat... Oh yes, I am for once being organised and trying to get my winter wardrobe sorted before they all run out of stock.

Also, I've discovered a new band; The Decemberists. Download The Hazards of Love album - the song with the same name is brilliant.

Airmare!!

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:31:45 +0100

I've thought up a new word - AIRMARE. I've had many in my years of whizzing around the globe, and can't believe someone hasn't coined the word already - perhaps they have - but anyway this one was unique: I got downgraded!

Delta Airlines overbooked the business class cabin and I got shunted to the back of the plane - outrageous! Believe me - I am a happy camper; I have traveled through South East Asia extensively and stayed in huts with no bathrooms and have graced many a 12 hour bus ride with no AC.

But when I have PAID for business, and get economy - well that riles me! I demanded I be put on another airline in business, and after half an hour of furious negotiation they found me a seat in Virgin Upper. I got to the gate only to be told they couldn't let me on the flight because they didn't have a meal for me!

"I've eaten! I don't need a meal" I cried, "I know I don't look like it but I promise I've just had a hamburger and chips and a glass of red wine and all I want is to be able to lie down and get a good nights sleep! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeese! This is riDICulous!!"

The blank faced man in charge just glared back at me and repeated the same line over and over again.. "I'm sorry maam, this is Virgin's policy - no meal - no seat..."

God it made me angry. Back I went to the Delta flight, fuming, crunched up at the back of the plane, which just to add to the airmare then sat on the tarmac for two hours before leaving. Hurumph.

New New York

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:12:56 +0100

I was back in NYC last week for a two-day shoot. Lyonel, my ex-"roomy", good friend, and beloved party companion, organized a fun night out. Ten of us ate at an old favourite restaurant of mine, an Italian called Macceleria, and then we checked out NYC's newest hottest club, the Jane Hotel Bar.

The rooms in the Jane hotel are all like luxury train cabins, and cost only $80 a night. I think it's a genius idea. It means that once again young artists and travellers can stay somewhere that's trendy without it costing a fortune.

The bar was amazing... hordes of über-keen new Yorkers overflowed onto the road outside as everyone tried their hardest to get past the doorman and enter into the beautiful high ceilinged, colonial style, titanic-esque warm and fruitful interior.

Inside, I looked around at the beautiful people; all the handsome men and the models and the rich bankers and the celebrities and the film producers - all there to see and be seen, to schmooze and network and make things happen - and I realized that, although great to visit, I have left that life behind me, and am quite ok about it! Bring me a pint and some oysters and my Notting Hill pals at the Cow any day of the week!

I am loving London, and very glad I made the decision to move back here.

Fashion Festival

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:09:26 +0100

I am LOVING the English summer! OK - it is pouring with rain outside as I write this and has been dodgy for the past week or so, but even if we've seen the best of it, we've had a pretty good deal this year I reckon. Do you know it rained every day in NY in June apart from four?! And we've been blessed with many, many sunny weekends, for which I for one am very grateful.

Glastonbury was a lot of fun. It is always my favourite weekend of the year. It was a long journey to get there from the Catskills where I was shooting the previous week. A five hour car ride to JFK, a six hour overnight flight with a three hour delay, the Paddington express into London, the quickest change, unpack, re-pack I've ever done, and then a four-hour car journey in Nancy, my beloved BMW convertible, roof down the whole way.

I arrived triumphantly for 4pm on the Saturday afternoon, just in time to see Jamie Cullum perform in the Jazz field - a blissful start to my Glasto 2009, many more magical performances followed, as did a lot of cider, too many cigarettes, and dancing till dawn both nights I was there.

An Eventful Year

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:33:13 +0100

In January I passed my driving test (sixth time lucky!) and celebrated by setting off the very next day to go on a road trip through Ecuador with my elder sister, Sarah.

We had a blast. We didn't plan a thing, and had no idea where we'd be staying each night. We wound our way through the enchanting Andes and up the coastline and both fell in love with the country for three weeks.

Back in London in February, I decided I should perhaps knuckle down to some real work again, and focused fully on the modelling. Bingo - I landed the Gucci campaign, shot in April, and lots of other work has followed since (thank you shining star).

So the last few months have been quite a whirlwind of fashion shoots. In May I think I was one of the first people to get swine flu. I was in Singapore for a two-day job when I came down with severe exhaustion, a terrible cough and bad headaches.

Job done, I flew back to London, arrived in the morning and went straight to see my doctor. She didn't test me for the disease - she's one of those proper old school "buck up" kind of doctors...

"Even if you do have it the test results won't be back for two weeks and by that time you'll be better anyway - do call me from Iceland though if you feel any worse - you might have pneumonia."

I would have cancelled the Iceland job if it hadn't been quite so lucrative, but it was, and so on another flight I hopped that night - snivelling the whole way and receiving rather anxious looks from my neighbours - and arrived in Reykjavik at midnight. The flight was followed by a three-hour car journey, two hours sleep in a motel, and a 5am call time.

The team were sweet and rushed to cover me up in huge blankets in between shots, but my god was it cold. We were on a beach, it was three degrees centigrade, with sharp winds, and I was wearing skimpy tops. Those shoots are tough at the best of times; with flu, quite honestly, it was hell... one of the few occasions I really thought "I deserve every bloody penny I make from this job." I was in bed at home in Kent for a week after that, but since then have felt ripe as a tomato.

Welcome Home!

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:06:04 +0100

Dear VOGUE.COM readers,

Just to bring you up to date:

I moved back to London a year ago. It wasn't an easy decision. I'd lived in New York for seven years and had built quite a wonderful life there, but, the truth is, London has and always will be home - and I was missing it, my family and my friends, quite a bit.

It took me a few months to find my feet. I redecorated my flat and started to rebuild my relationships with clients in the fashion industry, a few of whom had gone astray due to the previous year I'd taken off to travel.

In October I went to work on the Obama campaign in Pensylvannia for three weeks in the run up to the election. I'd long before fallen in love with Obama and his ideals, so off I went, stayed in a little town called Bloomsburg, and worked 17 hour days, most days.

It was extremely hard work, but also the most interesting and rewarding thing I've ever done in my life.