Tuesday, October 9, 2012

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 Traveling has been very inspiring.

I now see that I have three options: go to Bleach London and try to fit in with all of the Rainbow Brite East London Cool Girls; make like the French, and grow my hair long, and dark; or do what I have been wanting to do for at least six years but have been too chicken to follow through with, and dye my hair red.

My neighbours are having really loud sex right now. Apparently concrete walls aren't very soundproof.  :/
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Photo by Vanessa Jackman

So I was in the Levi's store recently and had this really great (italics because sarcasm) moment when I was looking at trying on a pair of men's 501 jeans, hoping to get just the right fit. I told the male shop assistant that I "never wear pants", forgetting that here in England, pants don't mean trousers.

So I had basically just told the guy I don't wear underwear, and I tried to fix the mistake by then telling him that jeans "would be a whole new experience for me", which I think only served to make the situation worse. Ugh. Luckily he was gracious enough to not comment on it.

~How embarrassment!~

Also, Levi's have the friendliest retail assistants I've encountered during my time in London. Sometimes I think it must be so easy working in retail in London because you don't have to talk to anyone and you don't even have to help them find another size, or whatever. But, Levi's! Go you. Thanks for making me feel welcome, even when I may have unwittingly shared some slightly too personal information about myself

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

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Joe Gilgun photographed by Shaniqwa Jarvis, from her Instagram

Thanks to Twitter I found myself working as a stylists' assistant on a photoshoot for the upcoming issue of Wonderland magazine.

I saw the stylist Natasha Wray put the call out looking for an assistant on Twitter and offered my help, since that is exactly the reason why I came to London - to see what opportunities I could find and try to learn as much as possible. Her tweet didn't specify which publication the shoot was for, so it was super exciting to turn up and find it was for one of the most highly respected fashion magazines in London.

The shoot was part of a feature on the new season of Misfits, which has an almost completely new cast, apart from Joe Gilgun, pictured above. It was my first time working on a shoot with actors and it was rather an interesting experience. Actors always have that special energy, and Joe had bundles of it. He was a very charming person and had this incredible magnetism, though there was a flickering of darkness in him too.

London keeps presenting these surreal situations that I know couldn't happen anywhere else in the world and I still get a little giddy when I remember where I am. Coming to London to work in fashion has been a dream for a long time, so it's definitely crazy to think that that dream started to come true within my first two weeks here. I feel very lucky.
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Princess Diana wallpaper at Kensington Palace

 I know I haven't been posting much since I got to London, but I guess I just have so much to say about my experiences and what I have seen here, that I don't even know where to start. Especially when it comes to writing a post about London Fashion Week. I can't seem to string together a coherent sentence about that right now. I'll keep working on it.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

One of the very first things I heard a local say after arriving in London was on the tube from Heathrow, where a boy was wedged between his parents, gorging himself on lollies. His father looked at him and said, "Give mummy some of those, as long as she promises not to get too fat."

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

First thoughts on London

I'm super disappointed that my ability to imitate accents (any accent) has not improved since I've been in London. One of the things I am geekily looking forward to about travelling is that my accent will be the foreign one, for once. I thought this point of difference would be of interest in locals who would fall in love with my quirky kiwi accent and take me to their parties and introduce me to their cool London friends. What I had forgotten is that London is multicultural on a level I haven't experienced before. Everyone here is a foreign visitor or an immigrant. I didn't even realise the barman who served me tonight was a New Zealander until he was already pouring a drink for the cool foreign girl next to me. So I couldn't even ask him if he knew Steve from that band who lives in Grey Lynn and then we would have laughed about it because he totally would have known Steve from that band who lives in Grey Lynn and then he would have taken me to a party and introduced me to his cool London friends.

London is so dirty that it keeps clogging up my nostrils and when I blow my nose the snot is black from all of the soot. Snoot.

Cheese.

When I was living at home (like, a month ago) I threw out a block of cheese. I have no self-restraint when it comes to cheese so I just had to throw it into the rubbish bin and hope it made its way to those starving kids in Africa. Mum was mad that I had thrown out a seven dollar block of cheese. I was just relieved to be released from the power it had over me. Then she bought another block. Maybe if I eat heaps of cheese I will develop an allergy so severe that it will poison me if I try to eat it? That seems to be my best option for getting over this cheese addiction.

And then I came to London and cheese here is less than two pounds pounds, even the fancy stuff, like feta.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

The Talented Mr. Ripley

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I recently rented a bunch of movies in preparation for my upcoming European exploration. I chose Roman Holiday, Midnight in Paris, Stealing Beauty, Before Sunrise, Paris Je'Taime and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Each film was selected for its realistic portrayal of what life in Europe is actually like. A girl's gotta be prepared, amirite??

The cinematic style in The Talented Mr. Ripley is an aesthetic I often find myself coming back to. There's nothing fussy or brash about it, its impact is all in the details instead. It's those crisp shirts, tied at the waist (hers), or with the top button undone (his). It's the tortoiseshell accents, sweeping hair back and framing the eyes. It's Cate Blanchett and her scarlet pout.

It's Italy.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Why the September Issue is so important.

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Lady Gaga on the cover of the September 2012 issue of Vogue

This year's September issue of US Vogue is their biggest yet at 916 pages. Which is great for them, because it means they got lots of advertising revenue this month, and will keep their position of influence at the top of the fashion pyramid (at this stage, the majority of bloggers feature somewhere down the bottom) for a little bit longer.

In magazine publishing, the September issue is the most important, with the most lavish fashion shoots and the most ads. This idea was cemented in popular culture with the release of the documentary The September Issue, which looks at the process of putting together (what was at the time) Vogue's biggest ever issue. But what is it about September that makes it so special? Why not spread out some of that creativity and advertising dollars throughout the rest of the year?

I came across this quote while reading Fashioning Teenagers: A Cultural History of Seventeen Magazine by Kelly Massoni. It's a great read for those interested in magazine publishing in the 20th century, how a magazine works and the rise of the female voice in the media.
"We hope most of you had fun with our 'summer fun' issue. Perhaps we should explain how the fashion business works. The July issue of any magazine is low in fashion pages, simply because there are very few clothes made to sell in July. The manufacturers are busy working on their fall lines; stores push 'sale' merchandise in July. But, as you can see from our August and September issues, we've rounded up big back-to-school fashion wardrobes for you." - Helen Valentine's Editor's Letter in the August 1950 issue of Seventeen
So the September issue is important because it signals a fresh start with the school and university year starting in September in the US. The idea of having the major sales over summer and releasing the big collections in autumn seems totally outdated now, what with sales happening year-round post-recession and labels releasing up to eight different collections a year. But the publishing industry, like the music industry, is pretty set in its old ways and is often slow to adjust with the changing marketplace.

On a semi-related note, this article, published in the New York Times is an interesting look at the sharp decline in readership numbers and how magazines are trying to win them back. I hope you've got a NYT subscription, it's totally worth it!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

London!

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Lindsey Wixon shot by Terry Richardson and styled by Francesca Burns for the August 2012 issue of British Vogue.

I am heading to London in two weeks, to frolic through the autumnal leaves of Hyde Park while wearing a hat perched at a jaunty angle and a tweed suit. God I love jaunty angles.

Monday, August 6, 2012

I just heard the new Presets single 'Ghosts' and I had a terrible thought that I am nervous about blogging out loud lest it come true.

But there's something about the commercial, anthemic arrangement (yes the Presets are already commercially successful and make anthemic tunes, and this one is like that but in a different, more Coldplay-esque way) that makes me wonder if their soon-to-be-released new album will be their Because of the Times?

I know. I'm sorry Presets, I love you (now and forever) but I just couldn't keep my premature opinion to myself with this one.

Friday, August 3, 2012

On the history of the word 'Chic'

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This camel, as seen on New Zealand's Next Top Model is definitely chic.
Two years ago, says Heather Wagner, copy director at Elle, "we even had a meeting about it. It was on every other page. It was back when Carol Smith was our publisher; she actually noticed it and said there's a moratorium on the word 'chic.'" Some arbiters are recommending restraint. "I don't throw that word around lightly," Tommy Ton tells me. And what the repercussions of constant usage are remains unclear. "Is this going to be a dated word?" Emily Weiss wonders when I phone her to ask about for-lack-of-a-better-word chic. "Is this going to be like 'groovy'?"
Style.com writer Matthew Schneier has written an interesting piece about the use of the word chic, and how it came to be fashion. For all my fellow fashion and linguistics geeks out there.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

For the love of Jimmy D

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From Jimmy D's S/S '13 Rising Sun Melting Moon collection.
Oh my gosh I want some of those donut earrings!

James Dobson is one of my favourite New Zealand designers. With each new collection, created under the label Jimmy D, I am overcome with a desire to high-five the designer for just nailing it.

It has been thrilling to watch Dobson's designs grow in confidence over the past five years especially. Between seasons, the Jimmy D aesthetic is consistent, but his sources of inspiration are erratic, keeping the designs fresh and modern.

I love how, despite the obvious darkness of the label, there is always a sense of playfulness there that is more subtle and intelligent than just using a fun print (though I do love me some fun prints).

Working in fashion retail, it's a brilliant moment when you see a customer jolt with pleasant surprise upon discovering how much better and different a garment looks on the body than it does on the rack. Jimmy D pieces are always best tried on to see the full beauty of them. This way, it's almost as if Dobson is rewarding those who are willing to seek new styles out.

Julie Roulston over at Fashionz spoke to Dobson recently about his career progression and his Spring/Summer '13 collection. It's a great read, you can see it here.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

My Great-Aunt's first purchase on her brand new Kindle was 50 Shades of Grey.

I don't even... I can't even...

She had no idea what the book was about and only bought it because it was on the Bestseller list.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Prerder!

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 ERMAGHERD, PRERDER!

Mum went to the Met in NYC recently and bought me back this Prada flame shoe ornament.

(Has the Ermagherd meme reached saturation point? I hope not, because I am still luvvin' it. If you also enjoy flogging a dead horse, you might like this Ermagherd Translator.)

Sunday, July 29, 2012

I think I understand now why some of the most beloved writers were known for being drunks. Writing something that is true puts a writer in a vulnerable position. The alcohol helps to tranquilise that fear that comes with exposing oneself.

This is the first thing I've written in a very long time that I've been able to publish for an (invisible/non-existent) audience. The two glasses of pinot helped. I had better not make a habit of this.