laura bailey blue

Next up in the Contagious Smile series: Laura Bailey, in blue herringbone, at the Topshop Unique show at Waterloo (I swear to you, Kittens, this is not the only show I shot at: I am just overwhelmed with indecision about what to post next - and I keep finding more shots from that day). In fact, this wasn't even what I meant to post today: I woke up wanting to post about polka dots, but when I went to look for what I was picturing in my head, these shots simply jumped out at me.

Does ANYONE out there know who the woman in the jeans is? I met her, another day at another show. Actually, I thought I'd also spoke to her in the ladies' loo: someone was wearing a really fabulous Fifties look. 'Can you describe it?' she asked, as we chatted before a show started. 'Kind of wide skirt, fell just below the knee..' Definitely not me, she smiled.



I love people who know their own style (note, btw: she might be wearing old blue jeans, but those boots.. hot damn. They're kind of Chelsea Boots in detail, but with little kitten heels!). Wide Fifties New Look silhouette, definitely not me, either. What Laura Bailey is wearing is so me - I love bare legs with blue dresses and black boots, as also worn so well by the woman next to her in polka dots, oblivious, texting or tweeting. (I love how before shows, there's that waiting-in-airport-lounge feel: it does so feel like a flight is about to take off).

Notice how the blue of Laura's dress has changed from shot to shot: I don't know why, and I haven't messed about with the balance. The simplicity of this look - blue with black and bare legs - it's so in keeping with my Virgo style, that I had to look up Laura Bailey's birthday. She's a Leo (6th August), and I can't believe she's nearly 40! But she's so much more than just a model: she contributes to British Vogue, and is a Cultural Ambassador to the BFC. And, I guess, no relation to the photographer David Bailey.



But I'm much more curious about her friend: I can't help but wonder what they're laughing about here. Does anyone know who she is? She told me her name, and all I got was maybe Jo something. She was delightful to me, and the day we were chatting, as the show was about to start, I rose to leave where I was seating, in the row in front of her: the front row. No, stay, she said: Someone's got to sit here. It wasn't til after the show that I realised I was sitting on a paper that said 'reserved for Anna Della Russo.'

And I just realised, polka dots did feature in this post, after all. Even if in a minor, supporting role.

happiness is contagious

What have you done so far today, to spread some around? Would you care to share it with the class?

Shot backstage at the fabulous, brilliant David Koma show, 20 September 2011, at the Topshop Waterloo Eurostar venue. More to come on this series, especially the delightful Karolina, who's been in contact - 'the active girl', who was infecting everyone she came in contact with.

Off to spread a bit of sunshine around on an overcast day. And to write, write, write! xoxo

toni tran: fashitect extraordinaire

Toni Tran, who I met for the first time on Day 6 (Men's Day) of this season's London Fashion Week, is a student of architecture. So when he told me he calls his blog FASHITECT.. I just laughed at the brilliance of it. (My friend Lisa, in NY, always wanted to go out with a chef - or an Italian guy - or an architect. When she started seeing an Italian architect who is a good cook, I had to start calling him the Archtichef). But I digress. Actually, I just think Toni Tran is, without doubt, one of the most talented, original, self stylists I've met, since I started this blog.



Take, for example, his trousers. THEY ARE A SHIRT. This is a tip that would work well for women as well as men. I know everyone's already wearing a shirt as skirt (no one even knows who first started it), it always looks a bit.. like you've tied a shirt around your waste to make it like a skirt. But this.. I'm sorry, but this is fashion genius.



I'd done my first designer interview the day before, backstage with David Koma after his show. I had asked him if he was influenced by architecture - because his clothes, to me, seemed architectural. (He wasn't, particularly). I'm not surprised that Toni is studying architecture, because the same principles of balance and proportion that apply to designing buildings, apply to styling one's person. That's why - I feel - people with good style are often good cooks, or excel in other art forms, like music or painting.

Because creativity is often, I feel, a question of choices: of, simply put, good taste. That, combined with a generous dose of self belief, and confidence.

And just how amazing is the reflection in his sunglasses in this shot? I didn't realise that til after: it feels like the most amazing, surrealistic Renaissance painting.





Toni Tran is wearing:
All saints iowa cardigan,
H&M t-shirt, my mum's pijama trousers as a scarf like thing.
New look necklace, Topshop glasses
Customized John White england shoes


But even more incredibly, CHECK OUT HIS BLOG. I mean, for example, look how he styled himself HERE. This wasn't, it turns out, even necessarily his best outfit. The guy just blew me away with his talent, his friendliness, his professionalism, and his modesty.