inspiration

On this, the day of the UK launch for the brilliant documentary on Bill Cunningham: Bill Cunningham New York - I thought I'd go back to my blog's infancy. On three years ago today, just around the Ides of March (another great film, btw), I posted this shot ('it's a bird'). I remember she didn't speak English - possibly French, she was very shy - so I didn't eve catch her name. And then this pigeon flew into the shot! That's when I was shooting in film, and only took one or two shots: I loved the serendipity of the moment. The accidents that happen.

I'm interested in seeing what holds up, over time. That's the distinction, for me, between following a trend and simply having a good sense of style. And I know that, like Bill, I am not an arbitrator of style (??), nor am I an industry insider, thank God! I'm just reporting the facts, ma'am, so please don't shoot the messenger.

There is so much in the film that I love, but especially, the idea that Bill knows he can't go out to chase a trend: the street talks to him, the trends reveal themselves. That's exactly my experience. It's a question of keeping one's eyes open, stilling one's mind, and carrying a camera. It's that simple. No, I take that back: it's simple, but it's also all consuming, and even doing it for a few years.. to spend a lifetime doing this, with the energy he does, is awe inspiring.

Those of you who know me know that Bill is the reason I started my blog. So I will be doing an homage to him over the next few weeks. I realise this is only a big deal in the UK: apparently America saw the film - was it a year ago? More? - and I don't know about other countries. But if you want to see cinema listings, go to: BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK. Very moving film: I'm tearing up just thinking about it.

somewhere in connecticut

I forget that my friend Daniel was once, in another life, my boss. I was a freelance graphic designer in NY, and he was an art director. This was back before cell phones. One Monday morning, the phone rang in the ad agency in which we worked. 'Hi Darling,' Daniel said in his melodious voice, looking at the clock because it was like, 10:45 a.m., and we had deadlines looming. 'Where are you?'

'Uh, somewhere in Connecticut,' I replied, from a pay phone on the side of the road. I forget the reason that we couldn't get down to the city in time for work, but you see, we had been at Mike's house for the weekend.. this might have been that weekend. We did a series on his pond: me and my beautiful friend Joseph Keller: it was his vision, this series. And over time, that became an expression, for Daniel and I: to be 'somewhere in Connecticut' means one could be.. ANYWHERE.

We've found each other again, and besides still being such a gorgeous specimen of a human being, he's also an incredibly talented photographer. When he called while we were in Florida, HIS voice - also delightfully melodious, with essences of corn fed Mid West blonde and high notes of smiles - brought me right back to that time in my life. We have a lot to catch up on. Keep an eye out for his site: Joseph Keller Photography.

axis of light

Home from Florida, where it was so lovely for a few weeks of swimming, sunshine, and, on the one overcast slightly rainy day, with husband and mother, a walk through Green Cay (where I took these photos).

Sleepy still, and probably jet lagged, and trying to nip a bug in the bud, but I keep thinking about my good dear friend Pia Getty, and her film, AXIS OF LIGHT. And how surreal her life is, and her world, and how she doesn't have to do this: make films about artists around the world (her first takes place in China, and Axis of Light focuses on eight middle eastern artists).

It is such a beautiful film. I want to help her to get it seen by as many people as possible. It is an important film. Especially now, as I think of the good people of Syria, and pray that the forces of good in this world can save them. As I think of Maria Colvin, and late last night, watching her colleague and friend, Paul Conroy, speak of her courage and her humanity. And how irrelevant it feels, fashion weeks (I chose this season to skip out on the whole thing, and I don't regret my choice) and how my friend Pia could spend all her time flying around to fashion weeks, or buying shoes, (altho she does, let's face it, have some great shoes), and instead - besides being a wonderful mother of four, and having such a rich, full social life - she chooses to focus on WHAT MATTERS.

And I can't really speak what I feel, what's in my heart - my brain doesn't seem to work - but I feel so grateful, so so grateful: for my life, for the love and friendship of my friends and family. I had the privilege of riding with Pia to her London premiere of the film, at Christies, and it will have its world premiere at the end of the month.

It seems that most of my time these past few weeks, swimming, quieting my mind, has been caught up in images of water, of nature, reflections of light. This isn't even what I meant to say, or show - I seem to have lost the ability to articulate, and the more I type, the more inarticulate I feel - but I guess I have the rest of my life to strive for better ways to express what I see and what I feel. What I mostly feel now is love, and light. And an overwhelming sense that we are all connected. And what we do, or don't do, MATTERS.

More about Axis of Light: www.piagettyfilms.com

jump from paper

I'm not, stylistically, a Red Person.

I like hot pink, and orange, especially in tandem - and when I feel a hankering to wear some red, I usually split it into the two tones, and wear them both (like one hand of orange nail varnish, the other hot, pure pink). And I forgot today was Valentine's Day - our dinner was all the leftovers I could find in the fridge, cause we're flying to Miami (and Palm Beach County, Florida) for a few weeks. TV on, husband watching the Simpsons. And I smiled and said 'how romantic' and he thought I was being sarcastic, but really, I wasn't. I was thinking how, for years, he'd buy me a dozen red roses cause he thought he should but really, I don't much like red. I've even been known to HIDE red things - not just at home, but at my mom's place... I prefer white, and natural wood, and some blue, and lovely pale turquoise, but not too wild about red.



But when I was sent press info from the people in Taiwan making JUMP FROM PAPER, and amazing line of canvas bags, and they said I could have one, to review - I jumped at the chance. And chose a RED one: the 'bowling bag' style. It arrived, UPS, within 48 hours, and I was blown away with the quality. It far exceeded my expectations: I LOVE this bag, so much so, I was telling all my friends. And now, I'm telling you.








You might think this is an odd pairing - streetstyle from fashion week a season or two back - a lovely girl named SIWEN JIAN, from 'DUCHANGTUAN/PARTY' but she's got that equestrian theme going. Jump. Get it? Oh, never mind. Speaking of which.. I really should start revising my 'jump' series. Well, there's time.



Great big thank you to the people from JUMP FROM PAPER.COM. And for those of you at fashion week in NY now, hope you're having fun, and for those going to London, I hope you have fun. Now it's time to start packing.

it's all a blur

I love the randomness of chance - the serendipity.

Was thinking a lot lately about photography, and art, and the idea that still photography captures a moment in time. It's like, just as photography changed and influenced painting, but didn't replace it, so does film and video affect still photography. Or if it doesn't, it should. So I went into my magic box of photos to try to find the shots of Pearl (Fashion Pearls of Wisdom - link on my blog roll, I'm too much in a rush to link it here, Lazy Cow that I am!) jumping in the air.

And instead, I stumbled on these, from last September's fashion week. I'm not sure which show this is - I can find out for you later, but it doesn't matter. What I'm interested in is the idea of motion, in still photography. I remember my friend BK and I, back in NY, when we both worked at Push Pin Studios, used to do these deliberate blur shots, at night: I was his Muse. I really wish he could find those photos!

So Pearl, you dodged the bullet, this time. But I promise, I WILL post shots shots! Poetry, in motion, with a hot pink Chanel feather boa.

dogwoof: you snooze, you loose

How wild is this: as I type this, I swear to you, I just heard a dog bark outside the window. At night. We never hear a dog in our quiet little mews!

Okay, here's the thing: I can't get emails to my phone. It's a funny problem to have - I get too many, from all the PRs and brands and god knows what - I really should write a book about the things I get in my inbox - but because I don't get emails, I didn't read the invite from DOGWOOF, the distributors, to see an intimate BILL CUNNINGHAM'S FILM tonight until I got home. One hour and eleven minutes before it was meant to start.

Across town. At MOTHER, the coolest ad agency space on the planet.

It was billed (get it? Bill? sorry) as "quite a cosy screening with some drinks and comfy sofas. Their office is pretty awesome too." And it is. Awesome, that is. I mean, for example, how cool is their loo.



Or, for that matter, their huge wall of funny framed photos of - yes, you guessed it - all the staff's MOTHERS. (I can only show you the blurry shots, for legal reasons, but I've got a wonderful private collection of shots I took before someone cottoned onto what I was doing).




Photos by me (who else) about a year or so back, at Mother, for another fun breakfast event. But not as much fun, I bet, as this screening. Which I'm missing, because I was out having a wonderful day and meeting Jessie of Fashion Limbo, who is so wonderful (you know how someone can really exceed your expectation of them - even if that expectation is high? That's what it was like, meeting Jessie - she's wonderful) and then Tom (Emma's Brother), who is also so cool, and then I saw The Descendants, which was also wonderful. And that's my point: in a day full of wonderfulness, you can't do everything.



But gosh darnit: I am going to see that Bill Cunningham film, if it kills me. Because he's the reason I started this blog in the first place. I had never heard of streetstyle, or the Sartorialist, in fact didn't really know about blogs, apart from political ones. Bill is my inspiration. But I'll save that for another post.

string theory

As before: Mark Fast, Somerset House, London Fashion Week (September, for Spring/Summer 2012), and, as before, untouched.

Creatively, I'm inspired by the notion of not fussing with photography: by genuinely seeing 'streetstyle' and catwalk shooting as journalistic photography. Not posed. I was recently photographed by a proper, professional photographer, for a group piece in the Observer (coming out tomorrow, Sunday, if anyone's near a news stand: it's for the New Review and some of my friends will be in it, too) and I was struck at how difficult it was for her to shoot what I, and my colleagues, have come to think is easy. There was a lot of 'move your foot this way' 'no, that way' - I nearly fell over several times, not to mention, was freezing! My shooting is much quicker, breezy, off the cuff. I feel that's the whole point of this movement. And it is, a movement.

Alternatively, creatively, I'm also going back to my roots of photo collage, which is the total opposite: building layers, much as Degas did, in his later years, when he started working with coloured pastels, fixing the pieces and drawing over, layer upon layer. I'm working on images now, and, if you don't mind it not being strictly 'fashion', am hoping to share with you.

Thanks for stopping by. I might not always comment back on your blogs these days, but I do visit when I can - and I am always so grateful that you're out there, and for your kind, sweet comments.