unique: topshop @ the tate modern

We were so excited, Jessi and I, to be seeing the Topshop Unique show yesterday at the Tate, that I made a decision not to even try to shoot the show. I wanted to be present, to watch it like a regular person, and I'm glad I did. It was gorgeous: perhaps the best of all the Unique shows yet.

Watch it here.

Got it? Good. Don't you love that pale blue cropped chunky jumper 3:42 in? (this is much better: I can type and see it again, in real time). Some amazing wide legged trousers that you had to see from where we sat - a kind of shaggy cashmere, at 4:29. Amazing.

LOVED the patent poodle skirt in a kind of mustard, at 4:55, paired with a cropped chunky jumper - this one a kind of variation of giant leopard. The pale dusty pinks - for fall!! - at around 5:56, especially another fifties poodle skirt in pink, with a white bomber jacket - very Sarah Jessica Parka, S&tC season 2.. the show felt like the love child of the fifties and the eighties. A hybrid I'd never considered possible, and yet I can't stop thinking about it.

And Jourdan Dunn in that gravity-defying Merlot coloured sparkling gown, at 7:55.. I can't see, frankly, anyone else wearing it that well.

So we loved the before party, and when I saw Olivia we greeted like old friends, and I didn't even feel like doing the obligatory smile shoot (that's her, walking to her seat in the pink pants). I did, later, at the Matthew Williams show - when she'd changed outfits.

Trends I'm noting so far on the crowd: black and white bold prints, (as on Victoria Pendleton, second down), and putting the colour and pattern on the trousers rather than the tops. Fun shoes: the crazy bovine platforms that caught my attention at my first fashion week - 2009 - are gone. Instead, what's cool is flats - like what Pixie wore with that big purple pattern dress - or ladylike  kitten heels, like what Kate Bosworth was wearing across from us on the front row, with clear stockings, a pretty skirt, and fluffy jumper. Another plus to not shooting during the show, but rather letting the big boys do the work: you get to see the dynamic of the girlfriends, clutching their men's arms while watching them watch the girls on the catwalk.

And of course, it gave me a little frisson of pride, to see my little friend Cara, all grown up and leading the show. BOTH shows. Click here to see her do the Harlem Shake backstage with her friend Jourdan Dunn.

Off to Burberry soon, sun's out, life is good.

two hands clapping

As before: two shots, taken moments apart: someone's shoes in the front row of the Topshop Unique show at Waterloo Station, then Olivia Palermo's hands, clapping. Note the slight cut on her pinkie: proof that she is, after all, Human.

Once we get into the winter season, I always wish I could do red. I see girls with pale skin and perfect red lips, or even nails, and wish I could do it. But red is not for me. So I settle for cool fuschias and pink. But it's not the same thing. I can't even do orange. But that doesn't stop me from trying!

Oh, new addiction: LookBible. Like Pinterest, for fashion. It's great for people like me: lazy people. Once I've posted this, I can just click on the button on my bookmark strip, click on anything I want, and it posts to my wall - and even if people re-post, the original source link comes with it. Great for budding bloggers who want to raise their profile. It's just launched, spreading through word of mouth, invite only, but really easy to set up. Simply click here - or on the button on my sidebar. Tell them Jill sent you.

juxtaposition: waterloo station

Just because my camera died - of exhaustion, according to the lovely Greek camera guy who assured me that it had had a good innings - I don't want it to have died in vain. And I'm discovering so many, many photos that I've never shown you. So while I rest up at home, fighting off a silly winter bug, I'm going back through my images, like memories. I'm more interested in the relationship between two still images - movements in time.

These are from one of the Topshop Unique catwalk shows. Waterloo Station, London. More to come. With thanks to my lovely Canon E0S: you live on, through the images you've provided me with. Like a trusty stead of days of yore, we worked as a team, you and I, and we lived each day to the fullest.

the girl with the butterfly tattoo*

The girl from the previous post, with the butterfly tattoo, is named Natasha. And her friend (who you haven't yet seen) is named Rose. And Natasha has a rose tattoo. Just one of life's many coincidences.

The other coincidence is I saw this dress somewhere, Alexa Chung was wearing it at a festival recently, and it was Topshop. Hooray! Here it is: the 'cream flower crochet insert sundress', for £34. If I wasn't married, could make my own shopping decisions, and didn't already have too many dresses, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I could have sworn I did a post about this dress - maybe not. Anyway, isn't it amazing. That's all, really, not much else to say: Natasha's tattoos, top to toe.

Shot in May, at the V&A.

*(My post title was a toss up between this and 'the girl in the cream flower topshop crochet insert sundress', but it's late, and that seemed a bit... long)

snippet of shiny thought #16: holly's twin shoes

The same day as the previous post, I had been walking from Piccadilly Station thinking that the shop windows were all about colour blocking, but the light on the street - dull, grey - matched the clothes palette which was totally neutral, black, dull, grey. Then at a distance I saw two happy girls bounding towards me emitting colourfulness and I thought 'yes: a street shot!'

Just as I was about to approach them to ask if they'd like to be photographed for my blah blah blah, who should say hello but my blog friend Lucy, of Snippets of Shiny Thoughts! I just read a great post she did on a uni project: she designed a perfume bottle and concept/logo/etc for Richard Nicholl, called SMOKE. I REALLY think it should be made, exactly as she conceived it. I'd buy it.





I'm starting to feel that my life in the city of London is one of those television soaps where there are about six characters in total and they just 'happen' to run into each other. I mean, the coincidences sometimes.. anyway my snippet of thought for this post was, meeting Holly, who has the colouring and haircut that I'd love to have in my next life, and who is really sweet, and I happened to admire her velvet ballet pumps and she said she got them at Urban Outfitters. But here's the clever snippet: she knew at the time she'd want them to last forever, so she bought two pair. It's such a good idea. I read somewhere that's what Jackie Kennedy did: if she liked a certain tee, or jumper, for example, she'd buy it in several colours. I wish I did it with a pair of black suede ballet flats with pompoms I got at Topshop years ago. And come to think of it: my neon pink plastic jelly sandals that I got at Urban Outfitters: if only I got two of those pair. When they eventually broke, I found a similar pair at New Look, but they're not exactly the same pink. They're a bit too peachy pink for me.





Actually.. this is weird. When I found the posts about it ('my reincarnated hot pink plastic celebrity sandals', 3 June 2009) and prior, 'my hot pink plastic celebrity feet'), the first comment was from a blog friend in Texas, Amy, who no longer blogs, who said 'go get another pair!' A sign: should have listened to that shiny snippet in my head. Because they no longer sell them: the closest I could get to hot pink New Look sandals were these.

What does this have to do with beets by the way? Not much. Except that was the next shot after the shoe shot - a luscious beet root and goat's cheese salad at the Arcadia Press Day (previous post) and I just like the way they look in relation to one another.

Okay, I'll shut up now.

a thousand words for snow

Shini should be back in London (shot at Topshop's press day in November) and I can't wait to see her: I've missed that girl. She's wearing: Jacket - Uniqlo, Shoes - Clarks, Sweater - Gmarket, Skirt - Storets.com, white shirt - AA, bag - Lithuania!


My husband, Mr. Dot, walked in the door tonight shortly after I did. (I had the most perfect of days with Jenny Jen, starting with scrambled eggs @ Pain Quotadien and culminating with trying on the most GORGEOUS suede stacked heeled shoes at Acne (my first time in the shop: she's been in Sweden several times) and ogling everything at Dover STreet Market). I was wearing a large sheer creamy white blouse under an old grey cardigan (I actually found it on the street on my first London Fashion Week, right outside Somerset House: I like to think a supermodel discarded it while stepping into a limousine, like Cinderella, and was whisked away. It feels like good luck). I was also wearing nude coloured riding pants style leggings from H&M. He looked me up and down and said 'Good look'.

Lately I do like what I'm wearing, after about three months of always feeling I was getting it wrong. I go through stages. Mainly, these days, I'm just wrapping myself in the softest most comfortable knits: big white jumpers, creamy warm cable tights by Tabio, leggings, white thermal underwear.. it's like wearing warm snow.








I recently read somewhere - The Telegraph? - typical January article predicting what we'll all be wearing this spring. No offence to whoever I wrote it, but really: Stop it. Stop telling us that we have to throw away everything nude, or camel. I didn't rush out and buy everything in nude or camel (or TAN: the colour is tan - or if it's lighter, it's called BEIGE). I bought some new things but mostly, I just opened my close because I've always been wearing: white. Beige. Some grey. Pale pale pinks. Navy. Black. And dammit I'm not going to give my wardrobe to charity and wear only bold patterns - altho I do love the pattern on pattern thing.

These days, and all through December and especially, the snowy time in Herefordshire for Christmas, all I've wanted to wear is a million shades of white, ranging from pinky whites to grey to warm toasty tans. Don't they say the Eskimos have like a thousand words for snow? Well there must be a million words for white.










All photos here shot by me, apart from the trio from Topshop's SS 2011 collection, and it's either from Topshop's press day, or our car in Herefordshire during Christmas. And I haven't put my watermark on all the shots, because by now, anyone who's crazy enough to use my photos without my knowledge or permission: good luck to you!

Thank you to Liz for the Topshop Press Day invite, for the link to the look book, and for just being so nice. Anyone can see it, you don't need a written invitation: simply click here.

Have a lovely weekend everyone: hope you're all where you want to be.

tali's in style!

When I met Tali in September, I didn't know 'who she is' (Annie Lennox's younger daughter, after Lola) and a real rising star as a model. I just thought she was really sweet, and I took a few shots and she used mine as her facebook portrait and friended me.

So lo and behold, what a treat to be lying in bed with the cat and Mr. Dot on Day Two of 2011, reading my favourite Style section in the Times, drinking coffee, and who should I see in a feature as the next rising star, but Tali Lennox! She's the new face of Topshop and Burberry and my new New Year's Resolution is do to a fashion shoot with her.

pandemonium ensued

First off: I didn't take these photos. I was not there.

Hang on, I should back up to where the story started, in 1988.

At the age of 14, a girl from Croydon named Kate Moss was discovered at JFK airport by Sarah Doukas, head of Storm, the model agency. Two years later, the brilliant photographer, late Corinne Day, who tragically died last year, took the most beautiful photos of her, and a star was born.

How random is this: when I started doing street style photography, started my blog, the spring before last, I spotted and dotted a cute, petite blonde in Primrose Hill, and I never do this, but I asked what she did for work. She said she did PR for Topshop. I laughed. While I have in general - as most of us bloggers do - a kind of love/hate relationship with the idea of PR, Liz is just so gosh darn nice, and usually I'll go to an event and have a great time & take pictures and hey, why not. I only 'promote' what I like. I don't get paid, I don't even get free stuff. But the beauty, for me, is it is my blog and I can say whatever I like.



Tonight, she had invited me to Oxford Street to see Kate Moss launch her last collection for Topshop, but I stayed home with the cat and Mr. Dot, to watch the 2nd to last night of Professional Masterchef. And I never do this - I really tear into PR people who send me shots by other photographers of parties I didn't attend - but there was something kind of 'hot off the press' about these shots Liz just sent me, by a photographer I don't know, of a woman I don't know either.

To quote the press release: "Pandemonium ensued as the queue for those waiting to catch a glimpse of Kate and shop the collection snaked all the way around the store. At 7.00pm Kate arrived with Sir Philip and Chloe Green, posing for the cameras and the customers, and the barriers were lifted to allow a shopping frenzy to commence. Customers were buying armfuls of pieces.. Kate wore a one-off jumpsuit in black lurex with art deco tulip detailing on the neckline, custom made by Topshop. One lucky Kate fan will have the chance to win the outfit (go to the Topshop blog to enter)..."

Of the ten shots I received, I chose these two: when shooting in this kind of madness, it's impossible to control the background, but I like these compositions. Although Kate chose only two photographers to shoot her, clearly that restriction was out of control as well: EVERYONE was playing photographer tonight.

Ah, the crazy cult of celebrity. Because, after all, when all is said and done, Kate Moss really is just a normal, nice girl from Croydon with an innate, natural, uncanny sense of her own style. That said, I do think this is the best I've seen her in a long time: pale blonde hair, long fringe, red lips. Glamour with a capital G.

And so, Miss Moss and Sir Green are thus parted, on the friendliest of terms. And everyone lives happily ever after.

le bomber, and the harem

This partly me trying to be more like Kate Lamphear - i.e. less chatty, more mysterious. But also I really want to go see Wall Street and it's starting in 10 minutes and is at least a 15 minute walk to the cinema. But I've been meaning to post these for a while:

The bomber jacket is made of old cable knit jumpers and is part of the Goodone collection for Topshop. Besides the black crochet'd dress, this was one of the most popular of the bag of clothes I brought to the shoot.

My friends, Natayla, top, who is Egyptian (she edits 'It's Fashion Week', the first online Egyptian fashion magazine) and whose family lives in Geneva, and Hedvig, who is Norwegian, both recognised the style as a 'bomber jacket', which I thought was just an American word for the style. Wikipedia has a whole interesting story about the name, apparently it's also a skinhead thing.

But also, really, what I'm more interested in talking about today is the miners' rescue in Chile, and there's just no way I can fit any of my photos into a post on that!




So I will say that it was pretty weird about that day: not just Nat, or Hedvig, but also Tobi showed up in black harem trousers. I had done a whole rant the first spring I started my blog, back in 2009, about how no one would ever wear those droopy drawers. But I consider each of these girls really stylish, so there you have it. Once again, I was wrong.

Oh btw I know Hedvig's black chunky heels are Acne, she told me who made the harem trousers - Hedvig can you remind me again? - and I'll let you know who made Nat's later - and her wonderful burgundy suede high tops, she's told me about three times now and I keep forgetting (Jen just reminded me, they're Lanvin, and Nat just said the trousers are Topshop). The thing I love about both girls is they mix their style with really good quality designer stuff, and brands like H&M: glamorous street chic.

another good one

You might have noticed by now: I'm not objective. I don't make the news, ma'am, and I don't report it either: not objectively. There are plenty of trends around at any given point but I tend to the plainest, safest, what I call 'Virgo style'. I read that once, as a teen, and it stuck: we Virgos favour neutral colours like black and tan, or black and navy. I said that recently to a model, for something we did with Next (which I haven't posted on! Just remembered!) and I guessed from how she dressed that she was a Virgo. Very simple, Kate Hepburn, androgynous.. she couldn't believe it. Sure enough. Another Virgo, our birthdays were days apart.

Anyway, yes, this dress: I love it. Black and midnight blue, all these interesting panels (you should see the back). It's probably my favourite in the Goodone/Topshop collection. Here Hedvig (Northern Light) wears it simple as possible: bare legs and Acne heels.

I don't believe it! It IS online! Click here. Bodycon panel dress in black and blue by Goodone (it's hard to make out the different colours, but they're there). Thank goodness, I thought it was just in the Oxford Street branch. It's £160.00 which isn't Primark, but it's not bad either for something so original.

p.s. Just found a great example of 'Virgo style' on my lovely friend pret a porter p's post: Azzaro FW 2010.

one good one

Before London Fashion Week started, I - like most of us - started getting bombarded with PR stuff. I mean, I do all the time, but it really heats up before fashion week. This is such a contentious topic for anyone who blogs about fashion. We know that what we do with our blogs is spread the word, and the PR people know that, and it's flattering yet insulting, because while they're getting paid, we're not.. but we also want tickets to the shows and there's the whole free stuff issue.. anyway, when Topshop sent me a really polite brief letter, respecting my time and not sending big file attachments (a real sore subject with me) just telling me about a brand called GOODONE, well, that got my attention.

Good manners, especially in the world of fashion PR, REALLY get my attention.


Goodone is a sustainable fashion collection of knitwear made of recycled or overstocked knitwear. Topshop is carrying ten items - not available online, only at their flagship, Oxford Circus branch - and I liked the way it looked. So I asked if I could borrow some clothes to do a shoot - no fee for any of us - and they said, sure why not?




It was all done so easily: I was delivered all the items last Friday and waited for it to stop raining. Finally, last Wednesday I contacted a bunch of friends and to my delight, every single one I asked said yes, and took the time to meet me the next day. That alone moved me beyond words. AND the sun came out. It was such a lovely little get together. And I got so many good impromptu shoots that by dinner, when I met Shini and Jen, we didn't even need to do any more shooting.

This is the first in a series - I'll be doing it during the next week or so. You might remember Emily, or Emelia, from Together We Have a Voice. She showed up in jeans and the white shirt and leather jacket. The black body is by Goodone, and it's thick and strong enough that you can wear bare skin and no bra and it looks just amazing. Don't you think? I've been playing around with this post for hours: can't seem to say it succinctly, and can't choose between the photos because I like them all. Maybe it's because I'm home with this sore throat bug, but I'm just being really indecisive today. I had this whole voting system, with runners up, just to choose the top shot (ha! Top Shot! Top Shop! Get it? Never mind). And, after all that, I have no idea if I chose the best.

If you want to use any of these photos (or, the runners up) to spread the Topshop/Goodone word, go ahead: please just let me know via a comment or email. Maybe even show us the link. I just want to show how easy fashion shoots can be, so they can let us all do this kind of thing again in the future. My thinking is: if we show them our collective power, if we show them that together, we do have a voice.. well, anything's possible.

hearts & minds

You might recognise this girl: it's Hedvig, my beautiful friend. I didn't take this shot: wasn't there. It was at Norwegian Constitution Day, 17th May, and her equally gorgeous sister, had flown into London. They invited me to a celebration south of the Thames. I wish I could have gone.

Today is a Bank Holiday Monday in Britain, and I don't have a clue what today is for. Does anyone? Can't figure it out. No one seems to want to say: perhaps it's a secret. If you'd like a hilariously confusing explanation, try this.

Back home, in the States, today is Memorial Day, which feels always quite sacred. Warm childhood memories: BBQs, the pools opening.. summer officially begins today. Some of my family at my parents' beach home now, and they've visited my father's grave, at a beautiful, vast Veteran's Memorial Cemetery nearby.

Today is the day we honour the brave men and women who protected our home land, so we could be free.



Hedvig is wearing my Ray Bans, and - I know this because she showed me the dress when she bought it - dress by H&M. They have won my recent sidebar poll by a landslide (43% to Topshop's 29% and Zara's 27%). I was surprised, as when I started street shooting last spring, it seemed everything everyone wore was Topshop. Lately, it's H&M. (Speaking of Zara, what do we think about the whole Le Blog de Betty Zaragate Scandal?)

I have my theories for the shift, but I'm curious: have you noticed that, too? Is H&M the high street brand that's captured your imagination lately? If so, why? Anyone know what H&M stands for? Perhaps it's hearts and minds. What's that saying? 'If you get their hearts, their minds will follow?' Or is it the other way round?

. . . . . .

p.s. Thank you these comments are so helpful! Please check if you have a moment, someone kindly explained the story behind H&M.. it is such a treat to come home and see this.

Oh, Jackie, it's funny, Hedvig mentioned it, too:

"y cardigan is last year from H&M, I think I used it almost every day last summer, it's silk and fantastic quality, bag from Chanel, my best investment ever I think?
The shoes are from Chloe, only used twice, I digged them out of my wardrobe, bought them like 3-4 years ago but they felt so quickly out of date with that chunky heel. You know the day we all went to Yautcha, Jackie was wearing similar heels from Chloe and I was inspired to dig out my own, had forgotten I had them and now I'm thrilled, it's just like as if I just got a new pair of Chloe heels, haha."

love is always in your heart

Love is always in your heart, even if the one you love has gone away.

Bianca, in the Knightsbridge Topshop. Dress is £32.00, available here.

there's still something about mary: going digital

Last September, when I was wandering around the exhibition part of London Fashion Week, there was something about this display that really caught my inspiration. Seated in front of the row of FABULOUS digital patterned frocks hanging from a stark white metal rack, on a simple white chair that could have been in front of a whitewashed house in Greece, was a woman.



It wasn't Mary, it was her mum. I wanted to include her in the photo, she was so striking and stylish, but she sweetly said 'oh you don't want me in it' and moved out of the shot. ('there's something about mary..' September 2009)

There's something about a woman who has such a nice mum, for starts. I feel a kind of pride of ownership that Mary Katrantzou's star is rising and rising. Her voice is so clear and strong, her vision so exciting. And it's funny: I'm hearing a lot of buzz lately about digital patterns, especially by British designers (Mary is from Greece originally, but as she shows in London, she's an honorary Brit, I feel: like me ; )



More about digital prints on Style My Wardrobe, or the Business of Fashion (21st February). And click here & scroll down, to see Miroslava Duma (Russian Harper’s Bazaar) in one of the dresses from this rack. Or, same girl, same dress, on elle.com. Thank you, Streetstyle News! (That guy is omniscient, I swear).



For those of you who want to ease into this big bold trend with a minimum of financial commitment, Mary K has just launched a small limited line for Topshop. Shown here, a sleeveless print dress in colours I'm really excited about at the moment - turquoise and green - for £55.00. I've actually been wearing big bold patterns from time to time, for years - nothing digital yet, as it wasn't available - but I'm definitely into it. It's so opposite to the other thing I'm already wearing all the time: soft, pale, neutral nudes. It's such an exciting season: we're so spoilt for choice.

Where do you stand? Have you gone digital yet?

deer in the headlights: olivia palermo @ unique

For those of you in America, you might not believe this, most of us in the UK haven't heard of Olivia Palermo. (But then again, until a few years ago, it was hard to believe you hadn't heard of Victoria Beckham). And as for the rest of the world, you might even be thinking, who cares.

The only reason I knew who she was is because I love following the Red Carpet Fashion Awards, and I'd often vote for her for best red carpet look. I was so curious I even looked her up on wikipedia. You see, we don't get The City here (if they did show it, they'd have to call it 'Oh By the Way There is Another City on the Planet Besides London').



Before we went into the Topshop Unique show, I was shooting people being fast tracked into the vast, amazing Topshop flower market venue. And I saw this girl who just radiated such beautiful niceness, entering alone and sans entourage (and also, surprisingly in hindsight, unnoticed), but when I shot her, my flash went off. She glanced up, startled, & we smiled and waved. I still didn't know who she was. The photo wasn't very good, and I'd probably have deleted it later.



But after the show, there was suddenly this absolute media feeding frenzy for a few people right in front of me: Peaches, for starts (or was it Pixie?) and Olivia. People kept asking me who is this girl and I'd try and explain. I was right next to her, just shooting her while she did the interviews, and man, it was scary as hell. I only experienced it for a few minutes, and it was exhausting. And, in the midst of all that madness, strangely lonely.

Finally, she was done. A minder was dragging her off, so I simply said:

'I didn't shoot you earlier because of who you were: I thought you were just a pretty girl.' She looked at me for a moment, one human being to another, as if to say 'thank you for not wanting anything from me.' She thanked me, smiled a real smile, and was whisked away.



(Oh and btw: she's in top to toe Topshop, of course. And those wood chips formed the catwalk that snaked thru the space: more on that in a future post.)

It is such a strange world. There were countless pretty girls in the vast room who escaped unnoticed and undocumented. True, she has an absolutely beautiful face: from a photographer's point of view, she is perfection, because she radiates something so pure from within. I've seen people put on that professional smile, but she truly smiles with her eyes.



It's funny, when you're in the midst of the storm that is a fashion week, you only later discover other people had similar experiences. I've been meaning to post this, and just discovered that Garance, too, posted on Olivia, and said something similar, but more succinctly, but it all boils down to the same things: it takes a special person to handle this kind of media circus with dignity and grace.