just be cos

Ever since I saw Hedvig when we did the Goodone shoot (and I've seen her since, mind you - AND I haven't done all the looks from that shoot, not nearly: I just don't want to be obnoxious about it so I'm spreading it about) - I can't stop thinking about what she showed up in. She'd been to COS, which seems to be like a Reiss type chain: not super cheap but not terribly expensive either.

These were the trousers I remember her talking about in her post when she went to Barcelona (read it here: 'the hunt'). This 70s silhouette is something that I never thought I'd like - I was alive in the 70s and trust me, no matter what the spin is now, that really wasn't a great fashion decade, as fashion decades go.

But now... definitely influenced by what I saw on the runways a few weeks ago. And just the way she's styled it, with that cable jumper.. and those are the right shaped shoes for it.. and I love the colour of their bags.. I just want to wear this look now, big time.

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."

peaches and cream

There's so much I want to say about my lovely friend Hedvig, who's Norwegian. I can't believe we only met last February, in the twilight of the last night of London Fashion Week. I will say this, tho: her skin is porcelain, she always looks impeccable, and while I'm sure she's well groomed, she is so low maintenance as a friend. Just mellow, easy going.

Case in point: Covent Garden, last Thursday. We were meeting @ a new fab branch of Le Pain Quotidien (great space upstairs, especially when it's too cold for Ella's outside). Sod's law, the Picadilly line was closed, and I had to switch a few trains. Texted her when it surfaced and her quick reply was 'don't stress'. So I didn't. Friends like that are, in my book, a treasure.

I love Hedvig's style and, like another great friend, Natayla of Treasures of a Ladybug, each time we meet I photograph her as part of our goodbye ritual. Talk about style icons! Both women throw together original outfits with such ease, using the same item in different ways.



Hedvig's boots are new ones from Acne (she'd just come back from Oslo), who also made the gorgeous putty coloured, fine cashmere/silk jumper. Her peachy jacket, which added some warmth to a very cold, grey day, looks expensive but it's H&M.

As for the rest? In her own words: "The jeans I'm wearing are a swedish brand called Cheap Monday, very cheap jeans, their principle is to sell jeans at the lowest price possible, my bag is my new "baby" from Longchamp, it took a while before I received it in my post but it was worth the waiting."

feels like everywhere is paris in the twenties

Going back in time, but not that far: only to show you our first cupcake convention, at Ella's Bakehouse Cupcakes, in Covent Garden. As she said: 'I love mix of different material and contrasts, the wool harem pants are Helmut Lang, the silk blouse from Zara, jacket from Topshop, scarfs from Zara and H&M and my Alexander Wang bag.'



We shot this almost a month ago when we were still trying to find ways to stay warm but leaning towards spring. (My cupcake, btw, was espresso: divine). Suddenly, we've bypassed that transitional time. So many things I was looking forward to wearing suddenly feel too warm: today in Hyde Park, it was magnificent, but almost a bit too hot for jumpers & things. Everyone - I kid you not, EVERYONE - was in shorts. Shorts and tights and, of course, boots.

Still it wasn't nearly as hot as NY: something like 92 degrees fahrenheit. That's just.. weird. Cathy Horyn @ the NY Times tweeted 'It's going to be a bonkers day for fashion 'cause of the heat. Just saw a woman, professional looking, in peep-toe patent shoes with shorts.' If only she did street shots: she's a fashion literary genius. With a heart.



This is such a great time to be alive! I know I keep saying that, but it's true: it's like an explosion of creative self expression. I feel there have been creative 'hot spots' throughout history: Florence in the Renaissance, of course, and Paris in the 20s, and it feels like that, now, only better, cause we're connected thru this amazing technology. It's like everywhere is Paris in the 20s, and we're all in the same cafe.



Hedvig was trying her first cupcake - not just at Ella's, but EVER (it was banoffee, btw: banana & toffee) and Jennifer and I were both shooting her at the same time. I was laughing so much I shook the camera. When I asked if she minded me posting this, her reply was 'don't eat in front of a camera is my lesson learned, but I have no problem with it to be posted, it's just funny.'