roz, on primrose hill, sunday morning in spring

Sunday morning: while the rest of London slept, Mr. Dot and I made our way in our lovely old car to Primrose HIll, to meet Roz, of Clothes, Cameras and Coffee, and her very cool, yet very warm, mum. (She doesn't name her in her blog so I won't either).

While Mr. Dot waited in the car, reading the paper, I scooted up the hill, breathless, a few minutes late. They were already there. And they are absolutely delightful: even more wonderfully wonderful than I had imagined. We'd actually tried a previous weekend, and couldn't get a plan, but this one fell together easily.



Roz is just extraordinary to photograph: she brings something to the moment that feels so quintessentially English: she is Alice in Wonderland, she's grown up, sophisticated and brilliant, yet with that sense of childish wonder that I hope to feel forever. It was just a brief visit - half an hour, maybe a bit more - then we all went on our way. We met a friend in Primrose Hill (the town) and I just felt so buzzed by the meeting - as I sense they did, too. I'm sure- I certainly hope - that we'll hang out again, either here or the countryside. We're just all so on the same page.



The wonderful thing about Roz's style is it is so uniquely, creatively, her own. And her 'sourcing' never actually involves anything you can find online. In fact, her descriptions of her outfits on her blog are probably the most wonderfully whimsical prose I've come across, so that's what I'm giving you, my gift from Roz, today. Her image, and her words:

'The dusky pink 'dress' is actually a pleated skirt from a charity shop that I just pulled up and pinned. Tied around it is a sash my grandma gave me. The trench coat was also from a charity shop - I'd like to say it's Burberry, but unfortunately it's not. Oh well, I live in hope! The top underneath is from Next and the necklace was also given to me by my grandma. I'm wearing my old favourite loafers (charity shopped!) and I 'appropriated' the leather bag from my mum.'



There was something about Primrose HIll on a Sunday morning, the air still cool, fresh, spring like, people arriving, dogs, children, the city below.. from that lofty place.. it feels like in Athens, at the Acropolis: you could almost believe you're dancing among the Gods. That anything is possible.

homage to harper's, in dog tooth: the interview

A Polka Dot exclusive, hot off the press: Roz, of Clothes, Cameras, and Coffee, has agreed to a guest post. Each time I see her photo shoots, I think it's her best yet, but recently.. well, I'm in such a black and white mood lately (again). And her homage to a Harper's Bazaar cover, in 'dog tooth', inspired me to do an online interview.

The thing that's incredible about Roz, besides being a true style icon, is that she is just so polite. Altho we haven't actually met, I can tell by our countless email exchanges that she's just a really thoughtful, kind, happy, generous old soul, for one so young. I'm hoping to do photo shoots with her in the future, and I can tell she's the type that will be on time, focused.. professional.



Here she is, answering the tough questions:

1. Define your style: My style is vintage meets current trends with a creative charity shop twist.

2. Who are your style influences? I'm very inspired by the great screen stars such as Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Vivien Leigh. However, another great style influence in my life is family members - my grandma was an actress, and I some fabulous pictures of her when she was younger. And I'd say that some of my 'granny chic' outfits are influenced by various great aunts and grandmothers!

3. Your fairy godmother grants you a two week all expenses paid holiday anywhere on the planet. Where would you go (geographically) and where would you stay? Oooh, hard question! Probably to somewhere remote in the French countryside - in an old house full of interesting art and unique knick-knacks. Kind of shabby chic?

4. What would you do there? Practise my french (I want to be fluent by the time I'm eighteen!), take photos (both landscape and fashion if possible), draw/ sketch out my design ideas, eat delicious food and read a classic (If this was currently happening then that would be 'Mill on the Floss')

5. You can bring one person with you: who would that be? Why? Hmm.. another hard question. Either one of my close friends who would enjoy doing creative projects with me and looking around beautiful french villages or my mum.



6. Oops. Turns out your fairy godmother messed up. No check in luggage, only carry on. What three items would you not get on that plane without? My camera, sketch book and a vintage tea dress.

7. There's an upside: your fairy godmother has pulled some strings and your airplane has become a time machine. Would you like to change your destination? And what time would you like to travel back into? Or, for that matter, forward? There are lots of decades I would love to visit for different reasons, but I think I would love to visit the sixties to experience both the fashion and al the new exciting things, that feel of change in the air. But I would be happy with any decade between the twenties and sixties... I would rather travel backwards than forwards, as I want to experience the future as it happens, it would feel a bit like cheating if I already knew what lay ahead!

8. It gets even better: you can now bring two people, and they can be living OR dead. Who would they be, and why? Another very hard question! I know I've already mentioned her, but it would be so fantastic to have met Audrey Hepburn. So her plus a friend or family member.



9. Great news: you have been chosen to be the face of your favourite fashion designer, provided you only wear his/her clothes. Who is it? Probably Burberry, as Christopher Bailey's designs are so beautiful. However, other contenders might have included Betty Jackson, Jaeger, Paul Smith, Stella McCartney.. The list goes on!

10. Same as above, but it's a high street chain. Which one? I don't tend to shop in many high street places, but it would have to be Topshop.(Especially following their latest 'unique' collection. It reminded me so much of 'Where the Wild Things Are'!)

11. You are now an octegenarian, and are about to receive a lifetime achievement award. What field or fields are your achievements in? I'd like to hope it would be a creative field - Fashion design or photography preferably!

12. At the award ceremony, who do you thank, and why? My family for being the best I could ever want, various individuals who have been inspiring, and a few close friends.



As Roz is only 14, she lives with her parents. Her mom is clearly a strong style influence, and her father is the photographer for these shoots. That is especially close to my heart, because my own father was a wonderful photographer, and I wish wish wish we had done this kind of project in his lifetime. In a way, thru her blog, I feel like we are, somehow.

You can read her original post right here. The sourcing... you'll just have to read it in her own, wonderful words.

the wonderful world of nao

It was hard to choose just three shots of Nao, the stylist from Japan who I had met and shot on another day. I love everything about her style, which really is about her choices: her personal expression. Both times I met her, she was in the most subtle variations of white. I asked if that's all she wears and she answered thoughtfully: 'No, sometimes I wear light shades of grey and pink and beige.'




If you want to see something amazing, take a look at her work. And if you click on 'baby baby baby', you'll see the brilliant and beautiful Roz, of clothes, cameras and coffee. Is this the smallest world on the planet, or what?