exhuberence

Main Entry: ex·u·ber·ance
Pronunciation: \ig-ˈzü-b(ə-)rən(t)s\
Function: noun
Date: 1631
1 : the quality or state of being exuberant
2 : an exuberant act or expression

This is a wonderful time to be alive. And more specifically, a wonderful time to be creative, a blogger, interested in fashion and trends, and live in London. Take the current SKETCHBOOK POP UP SHOP, for example, in Soho near Carnaby Street. I am still so buzzed from the two talks last Thursday. The people, the ideas exchanged, the place itself.. so creative. So energising.

Exuberance, I'm discovering, is highly contagious.



Jen and I met Juan at the Pop Up Shop. We didn't compare notes, but, being multitaskers, I've since discovered she also clocked the McQueen-esque red skulls on his jumper and lavender socks peeking thru the most amazing lace ups, while clinging to every wonderful word - and image - of Sandrine, of Style Sight's, amazing talk on trend forecasting. So it makes sense that, when we both met and shot him outside the shop, we'd be inspired to do similar posts. Actually, read her post on him ('don't hold back'): it's better, frankly, and more succinct.



The Sketchbook Pop Up Shop is going on STILL, for a few weeks (check their blog). Definitely going back before it closes. Been running around - friends are in town - and didn't get a chance to post about it til now, but will be posting more about it: I'm just so inspired. It's just great to be meeting so many creative people who feel like I do. It's a bit mad to say this, but I"m going to say it anyway: I almost feel like we're all reincarnated from the Renaissance, and we could be in Florence in the 16th Century. (Can't you just see Juan, hanging out on the Ponte Vecchio?) Webster says 'exuberence' dates back to 1631. I wonder: what happened that year? Who invented it?

The sky blue of the Sketchbook Pop Up Shop, and the more periwinkle blue of Juan's jacket, are my favourite colours (along with pale turquoise). They make me so happy. In fact..I'm changing my blog colour scheme this minute!

what kind of fool am i

I am such an idiot.

I recently posted on the three gorgeous girls from Tank magazine, and especially went into a whole riff on Richard Nichol, who I ERRONEOUSLY claimed designed Georgie's gorgeous wacky studded jacket for Topshop. What was I thinking. It's by one of my favourite, perhaps all time favourite, designers, ASHISH. Well, it's a good excuse to print an old fashioned editorial RETRACTION. AND, to post more shots of his work.



This is from a series I shot as his recent show. Altho it's for A/W, the colours and ideas are still so perfect for now. I think it might have actually been Ashish who got me to think again about orange and tangerine tones, which I wasn't previously wild about.

Note her sequin skirt here: I had that exact pattern and colours (my all time favourite, pale turquoise/celadon) on one of three turkish kilims I bought from the creative director at Simon & Schuster in NY, when I was an art director. He was selling them from his flat file drawers, and all the girls bought some: it was a peer pressure thing. I since loaned them to my brother, and God knows where they are now. Jon, if you're reading this, I'd like them back please!



An authentic, untouched blur shot from the show. I love love love the magic of blurs.



Here's Georgie again in the jacket, and if you want to go back to the original post, you can have a real laugh at what a fool I am. Or... perhaps, inadvertently, that was my April Fish Day prank on YOU. ; D

lilac

Another colour I'm really loving at the moment is lilac. I've got such strong emotions attached to this beautiful flower: it reminds me of childhood, spring, my mom, on such a deeply primitive level. I love flowers that are clusters of smaller flowers, like lilacs, lily of the valley, grape hyacinths, and of course, hydrangeas. I love blue flowers.

I think of lilac as a pinker shade than, say, lavender (another scent I adore), which feels more blue to me. Anyway, this model's scarf feels lilac. It's a sorbet colour in a sense, but you can't eat lilac sorbet, can you? Actually.. what about those wonderful old fashioned, square, chalk like candies? Do they still sell those? Does anyone know what I"m even talking about?



Some shows at London Fashion Week meant the models had to really scramble to get their make-up off. I met this lovely girl in the ladies' loo after a show, and while I got some proper shots of her, I found the top one - when one of the staff accidentally passed by - made a more interesting composition. Maybe that means I'm coming out of my portrait phase.. altho I'm sure it will be back. It feels like a lot of our friends are away right now and whatever holiday you celebrate, hope it's Happy, wherever you are. And of course, let's not forget: Happy April Fish Day!