KIDS FASHION – EN POINTE
Freya wears leotard, £20, 0-13Y, Angel’s Face. Diamante tulle skirt, from £30, 4-13Y, Baker by Ted Baker at Debenhams. Feather headdress, £175, Astrobohemia at Etsy
Our beautiful ballet story was dreamt up in a coffee shop in Soho. Whilst idly chatting over a cappuccino about all sorts of things, from our children’s dance shows, to enthusing about Sia’s video for song ‘Chandelier’ and the fabulous sheer organza fashion in the latest issue of Vogue, photographer Helen Marsden and myself realised we’d come up with a rather lovely theme for a kid’s shoot. A sort of mad Swan Lake at home.
Like many girls, I’ve always loved ballet and took lessons from aged 2 until I was a teenager. But felt this shoot shouldn’t be exclusively girly. Things have dramatically changed since I was little when it was seen as quite extraordinary for boys to do ballet. My Father was bemused when my brother Jonathan pleaded to do classes. His reaction was very similar to the Dad in Billy Elliot – “No son of mine is going to be a bloody ballet dancer!”
Luckily opinions are so different now. Premier league footballers, front-row rugby players even heavy weight boxers are all at it. It’s an amazing discipline for core strength, agility and flexibility. The boys in our shoot were as proud of their fabulous barre work as we were of them!
There was a flurry of excitement at the shoot. The children loved dressing up in tutus, feather headdresses and wings. They had such fun, leaping and pirouetting over the furniture in Helen’s beautiful house. I’m thrilled with the pics as were Little London Magazine who used the story in this month’s issue. What lovely team work – Bravo us! We should all take a bow.
Bram wears candy striped shirt, £84, and Arthur wears white shirt, £74, both 4-10Y, Little Wardrobe London. Both boys wear vests, £5.90, 3-11Y, UNIQLO. Dance leggings and ballet shoes throughout by Dancia International.
Poppy wears lilac frilled tutu dress, from £56, 0-13Y, Angel’s Face at Childrensalon. Freya wears silver zipped hoodie, £57.50, 4-14Y, Eleven Paris. Grey and ivory chiffon tutu skirt, from £36, 0-13Y, Angel’s Face at Childrensalon.
Meg (in foreground) wears pale pink tulle dress, £71, Billieblush and beaded headband, £18, Carrement Beau both at House of Fraser. Isabella (in middle) wears pink sequin tulle dress with fuchsia waistband, from £44, 12M-14Y, Baker by Ted Baker at Debenhams. Freya (at back) wears pale pink silk dress with fuchsia trim at neckline, £195, 3-12Y, Marie-Chantal.
Bram wears metallic top, £48.75 and silver leggings, £14.95 both 4-16Y, Smallable.
Meg wears pale blue organza dress from £125, 3-12Y, Caramel Baby & Child. Isabella wears pale blue lace dress with sash, £145, Little Wardrobe London. Diamante headband, £18, Wild & Gorgeous.
Meg wears pale blue organza dress, from £125, 3-12Y, Caramel Baby & Child.
Isabella wears pale blue lace dress with sash, £145, 4-10Y, Little Wardrobe London. Diamante headband, £18, Wild & Gorgeous.
Arthur wears white cotton shirt, £38, 3-12Y, Jacadi. White vest, £5.90, 3-11Y, UNIQLO. White combat trousers, £125, 2-14Y, Stone Island Junior. Feather wings, £10.47, Amazon. Meg wears metallic jumpsuit, £79, 2-15Y, Wild & Gorgeous. Beaded headband, £18, Carrement Beau at House of Fraser.
Isabella wears pale pink satin pussy bow blouse, £49 and maxi tulle skirt, £112, both 4-10Y, Little Wardrobe London. Isabella wears ivory sparkly dress, £75, 2-9Y, Le Mu. Headdress from a selection from Astrobohemia at Etsy.
Meg wears taupe, sequin say dress, £149, 4-10Y, Little Wardrobe London. Poppy wears gold lace and net dress, £117, 6-10Y, Le Mu.
PHOTOGRAPHY : HELEN MARSDEN, FASHION STYLIST : BECKY JOHN, HAIR & MAKE-UP : ROSE ANGUS
MODELS : FREYA, POPPY, MEG, & ISABELLA from GRACE & GALOR and ARTHUR & BRAM
Behind the Scenes of our beautiful shoot. Top Left, Freya adjusts amazing Astrobohemia headdress. Top Right, The girls relax in between shots in the dressing area. Bottom left, Rails and rails of fabulous clothes. Bottom right, Make-Up artist Rose perfects the ballet look on Poppy.
Thanks to Freya & Poppy’s lovely Mum Jodie for the behind the scene pics.
KAFTANS – THE COVER-UP STORY
Embroidered cotton kaftan from a selection from Miss Selfridge.
Hallelujah! Finally, I’m off on holiday. I’ve been tearing around the sales in search of the perfect cover-up. Gee whizz the kaftan has come a long way since I first saw one way back when, worn by Demis Roussos on Top Of The Pops. I remember thinking NEVER EVER as I looked at this item of clothing whilst Mr Roussos strained the lyrics to his song ‘Forever and Ever’.
Now here I am, quite a fan (of the kaftan) and cover-ups are a staple holiday piece. They’re a perfect ‘throw on’ especially at the beginning of the holidays when you feel a little self- conscious exposing so much pale skin and very sensible when the midday sun becomes a bit too strong. But as you get more of a tan I think they look amazingly glamorous wafting around the pool. Choose pale colours – white, cream and light tones of grey. The words ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ suddenly popped into my head and this made me giggle as this hit by Procol Harum emerged in the Summer of Love when the kaftan was definitely all the rage! I will leave you with these beautiful images to peruse and fabulous video of the band in 60’s London. I’m sure it’ll make you smile. Bon Voyage Moi!
Long line kaftan, £128 by Eberjey at www.lyst.com
Print, lace up kaftan, £59, by Monsoon.
Embroidered kaftan, £125.40 (in sale) Eberjey at www.beachcafe.com
Lacey Kaftan, £231, by Eberjey at www.beachflamingo.com
Cotton embroidered kaftan, £15, Primark.
Cotton lace up kaftan, £49, Monsoon
MYLEENE KLASS’S UNDERWATER SWIMWEAR SHOOT
RED DRAPE BANDEAU BIKINI TOP, £25 AND RING BIKINI BRIEF, £18. ALL SWIMWEAR SIZES 8-18
Yippee! The weather is meant to be good this weekend – about time too! I’m getting all geared up for a little trip to our local lido. First step, buy a cossie. Whilst trawling through the internet I came across these amazing pictures of Myleene Klass in her fab new swimwear range for Littlewoods. I decided to delve deeper into this underwater shoot….
PALM PRINT DRAPE FRONT SWIMSUIT, £40
It was shot in the very swanky Haymarket Hotel in London. The basement of this hotel has the most glorious pool. I have been to quite a few press launches there and it’s very glam!
BLACK AND METALLIC GOLD STRAP BIKINI, £35
Obviously Myleene is no stranger to swimwear. It’s actually been 10 years since we saw her in that infamous white bikini on I’m A Celebrity’, but these shots are a different class – if you excuse the pun. I’m so impressed how Myleene looks so serene in these images. It can’t be easy doing an underwater shoot in the first place, but coping with swimming with heels and chunky jewellery must have been quite something.
WHITE HALTER MOULDED BIKINI, £40
I decided to find out from the lady herself. Myleene told, “It was the most physically challenging shoot I’ve ever done. We had three safety divers on hand and the challenge of shooting my swimwear whilst maintaining the right level in the water, as well as keeping the look as ethereal as possible in one breath was no mean feat.”
“I absolutely loved the experience of shooting underwater. My Dad was a navy diver, so I’ve grown up splashing in the ocean but this shoot was one I’ll never forget.”
Myleene went on to explain, “I had to micro manage my breath to float at the right distance from the bottom of the pool, remove bubbles from my face for the photographer whilst looking composed.”
GOLD TASSEL TRIANGLE BIKINI, £35
I’ve ordered the beautiful, palm print swimsuit and obviously expecting to look just like Myleene in mine! So what advice would the goddess of swimwear give to us mortals?
“Wear a bikini or swimsuit that gives you the support where you need it, pop on a glam cover up to take you from the beach to the bar and as my auntie would say ‘stand tall’.”
KIDS FASHION – LONDON CALLING
Chase wears waistcoat, £120, T-shirt, £36 and shorts, £76, all Stella McCartney Kids. Trainers, £40, Plae. Sunglasses, Lotho.
I love London and obviously love fashion, so styling this kids photo shoot was perfect for me. These striking images for glossy magazine, Little London were shot in two phases. Firstly, talented kids’ photographer, Daniel Pangbourne ‘set the scene’ shooting the background photos. He really put in some leg work here, zooming around London shooting the most iconic buildings from The Albert Hall in Kensington to The Shard in London Bridge. Luckily, a fabulously sunny day was chosen where the sky was vibrant blue – a rarity in London Town!
A couple of weeks later we did the kids photo shoot in The Factory Studio, South London. The models, photographer Daniel and lovely hair & make-up artist, Rose met up at the studio bright and early. As per usual my car was groaning under the strain of so many amazing clothes by designers such as Stella McCartney, Stone Island and Bonpoint. We had a very busy day. The kids were fantastic – running, leaping and jumping around the studio against a white backdrop. What energy!
After these two shoots, the images were digitally combined to produce theses stunning images. So here you have it – CAPITAL FASHION!
Lottie wear jumpsuit, £55, I Love Gorgeous. Hat from a section, Bonpoint.
Madison wears dress from £35 and cardigan from £30, 4-13 yrs both Jigsaw. Wellies from £11, Mothercare.
Eden wears dress, £59 and cardigan, £29 both Billieblush.
Chase wears, jacket, from £245 and sweater, from £75 both Stone Island. Shorts, from £61, Bonpoint. Headphones, from a selection from Tiger.
Lottie wears top, £50 and skirt, £59, both No Added Sugar. Wellies, from £11, Mothercare.
Madison wears jacket, £120 by Stella McCartney Kids.
PHOTOGRPAHER – DANIEL PANGBOURNE. FASHION STYLIST – BECKY JOHN. HAIR & MAKE-UP – ROSE ANGUS.
KIDS FASHION – THE HAMPTONS PHOTO SHOOT
When I was asked to style a kidswear shoot the client called ‘The Hamptons’ I imagined jetting off to New York State. No such luck I’m afraid, this time the budget didn’t quite stretch to an overseas trip. So if we couldn’t go to The Hamptons, The Hamptons would have to come to us!
We ended up in an East London studio that became our base. I was sure it would all pull together and look amazing as I was working with such a fantastic team. First of all, set builders constructed a whitewash, weatherboard backdrop and then it was up to me to find some really eye catching props that would make the images come alive.
The day before the shoot I headed off to ‘Propland’ – the name in the trade we give to an area in West London where all the furniture and prop hire houses are situated. Soon I was elbow deep in all types of seaside and Americana paraphernalia – flags, bunting, binoculars, sailboats and starfish! I remembered that there were also some lovely kids’ stripy deckchairs in my daughter’s Wendy house that would come in handy too.
It was fun doing a day ‘propping’, usually I’m trampling up and down The West End sourcing clothes for editorial shoots, but as it was a shoot for well known brand Mothercare all the lovely nautical clothes were supplied by them!
The big shoot day arrived and we had such a gorgeous array of little models ranging from 14 months to 8 years old. Ross, our photographer is always brilliant at making the kids laugh so I knew the pictures would look really animated and lively!
The trickiest part of the shoot was the group shot. It was challenging getting all 6 infant school kids in a line, looking in the same direction and smiling all at once. The children’s clothes and hair had to look just right too so lovely make-up artist Freya and myself had to madly rush in and perfect the look in between each shot.
Working with kids is exhausting and I’m always ready for a G&T at the end of the day. But it’s totally worth it as you can see by these fabulous pictures – That’s a shore thing!
PHOTOGRAPHER – ROSS BOLGER, FASHION STYLIST – BECKY JOHN, HAIR & MAKE-UP – FREYA DANSON-HATCHER and ROSE ANGUS, CLOTHES – MOTHERCARE
SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR STARS IN NEW SHOPPABLE POP VIDEO
Wow! This is pretty futuristic – pop star and Strictly Come Dancing finalist, Sophie Ellis-Bextor has released a new ‘shoppable’ pop video to launch the new C. Wonder fashion collection.
This vibrant video sees Sophie strutting her stuff and snapping her fingers as she transforms into eight different looks from this fab collection, exclusive to QVC. Shoppers can simply click on each outfit and be taken to the QVC website to purchase any of this new stylish range.
The film features a specially composed song “Wonder” featuring vocals from new talent Biba and is a great backing track for our wonder woman Sophie’s magical wardrobe change dances!
The C. Wonder range was curated by E! Fashion Show Police panellist Brad Goreski, whose celebrity clients include Jessica Alba and Demi Moore.
Brad told us, “I’m so excited to bring something wonderful to QVC UK as the Creative Director of C. Wonder! This line is all about global travel and exploration and I hope that the C. Wonder woman will love our preppy, bohemian look.” He went on to say, “Wearing C. Wonder means being confident, comfortable and chic – that’s what I love about fashion and style.”
It seems Sophie is impressed too! This energetic mother-of four explained, “I really like the stylish and accessible nature of the C. Wonder collection at QVC. I have a passion for all things 60’s and 70’s inspired so it’s a perfect addition to my wardrobe.”
Take a look at this global inspired collection yourself. At prices ranging from £23 to £65 I could definitely afford to unleash my inner bohemian goddess too!
EASTER EGGS, FASHION BUNNIES & CRAZY CHICKS
Box of chocolate biscuits, £35, Biscuiteers Baking Company. Milk chocolate egg, £27 and White chocolate egg, £15 both Hotel Chocolat.
MY EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA – HERE’S TO A HAPPY & PEACEFUL BANK HOLIDAY…………
Easter egg biscuit, £35, Biscuitjes Baking Company.
HOPPING MAD
Cotton knit bunny romper, £69.34 by Blamo Toys at Etsy.
Supersoft bunny, £8, Sainsbury’s Home. Fluffy bunny ears, Poundland. Bunny costume and hat, The Little Distinctions.
CRACKING EASTER
Green bunny Top, £3.50, M&Co. Easter egg glasses, £4, Paperchase. Bunny Easter egg basket, £3.99, Hoi Polloi Gifts. Chick head boppers, Poundland.
CRAZY CHICKS
Pack of 18 fluffy chicks, Poundland.
BEHIND THE SCENES OF A BABY FASHION SHOOT
Chelsea wears lace tunic, £49, Soeur at Smallable. Harlen wears cotton bodysuit £10.50 (pack of 2) Petit Bateau.
Hear the word ‘model’ and you’re most likely to think of a tall, willowy figure in striking clothes and Manolos. Well, they’re not always like this on every photo shoot I work on. This month I styled a gorgeous fashion spread for glossy magazine Baby London and our supermodels were newborn Harlen (photographed above with beautiful Mum Chelsea) and 4 month year old Lily and Hunter.
Lily wears cotton knit hat, £6.95 and dress, £29.95 both Gap.
So what exactly happens at a baby shoot you might ask. Well in my case so much happens beforehand. All the clothes and props have to be sourced and as magazines work 3 months in advance I always seem to be working in a different season from the one we’re in. For me it’s swimwear in Winter and faux fur coats in the middle of Summer. It can get very confusing! Anyhow I trundle off to Fashion PR’s who hold all the next season’s samples. Most days, come rain or shine, I’m staggering around the West End weighed down with clothes like a glorified bag lady.
Hunter wears cotton playsuit £91 and Lily wears embroidered cotton dress with matching bloomers, £112 both Bonpoint. Sheepskin rug, £75, The White Company.
After the clothes are sorted I start work on the ‘softs” as they are called in the trade. That’s all the throws, cushions, duvet covers and sheepskin rugs used to make a snug little room set for the baby. This is so important to bolster up babies that can’t sit up by themselves and also gives a soft landing if they’re a bit wobbly!
Hunter wears cotton romper £39.50, Petit Bateau. Sheepskin rug, £75, The White Company.
Then comes the shoot day. The crew – photographer, digi assistant, make-up artist and myself arrive at the studio at least an hour before the tiny talent arrive. Babies get bored and tired very quickly so we try and get them in and out of the studio as quickly as possible. Preparation is key. The photographer perfects his lighting, the make-up artist lays out brushes and I hang up all the clothes and get to work on my room set. The heating is also blasted up so the babies are kept nice and cosy.
Once parents and babies arrive it’s all action! We tend to run around making tea for the parents and making sure they’re happy and relaxed as little ones feed off the vibe of their Mums and Dads and we want everyone to have a really fun time. We get cracking pretty swiftly, the babies are dressed, go through hair and make-up and before they can even gurgle they’re on set ready to go!
Harlen wears cotton bodysuit, £10.50 (pack of 2) Petit Bateau and organic cotton and merino wool booties, £24.99, Aravore.
To get those fabulous baby smiles all the crew have to have a turn entertaining the talent. I have a kit bag bursting with tickling sticks, blowers, cuddly toys and bubbles that even Mary Poppins would be proud of. The photographer takes the lead and then we all have a go, parents included, singing songs, reciting nursery rhymes, pretending to sneeze, in fact we’ll do anything to get a chuckle. The make-up artist and I, tissues in hand, share ‘Dribble Patrol” – drool is quite a liability in baby photography. Yes, I really look a picture of sophistication on kids shoots, armed with Kleenex and long tickle feathers, running around like a mad woman in Sahara Desert temperatures. We do stop for loads of breaks though as babies get really tired and hungry quickly – milk breaks always figure high up on the agenda.
And before you know it, it’s all over. The babies generally snoozing happily in their car seats are ushered out of the studio and the crew, shell-shocked and exhausted, start the grand clear up. It’s a mad way to earn a living but as you can see by the pics really rewarding too!
Chelsea wears silk chiffon top, £60, A Day In A Life. Harlen wears cotton smocked playsuit, £63, Annafie at Childrensalon
PHOTOGRAPHY – JONATHAN MALPASS. HAIR & MAKE-UP – ROSE ANGUS. FASHION STYLIST – BECKY JOHN. MODELS – GRACE & GALOR AGENCY
2016’s FITNESS WEAR GUIDE
Moulded Sports Bra Crop Top, from £40, sizes 28″ to 40″, cup sizes B-H and Matching Running Shorts from £18, sizes XS-XL all by Freya Active.
Oh dear! Having eaten my body weight in turkey and mince pies I now look like a Christmas Pudding. I’m 7lbs over my fighting weight, so the gloves are off and at last I’ve taken action. I hauled myself this morning to North London’s YMCA Fitness Centre. My first class of the year was the much needed ‘Body Conditioning’ with dynamic instructor Natasha. I knew I was in the deep end – Natasha is like a sexy girl version of Rambo, often wearing camouflage fitness gear complete with khaki bandana and today she wasn’t taking any prisoners!
As I was being put through my paces I really thought I’d better up my game not only fitness wise this year, but ever the stylist I needed to do some research into cool workout wear too.
Zone Sculpt Training Tight, £90, sizes XS-XL, by Nike.
First stop is Nike. I really love their fitness apparel. The new Zone Sculpt Training Tights look amazing. Modelled by talented tennis player Genie Bouchard these leggings seem like they would be a great fit as well as stand up to a vigorous training routine.
Mesh Back Vest, £7.99, Geometric Print Leggings, £17.99 both sizes XS-L and Trainers, £22,99, sizes 3-9 all by New Look.
Grey Zip-Up Jacket, £24.99, Crop Top, £12.99 and Matching Leggings, £17.99 all sizes XS-L by New Look.
I’m so impressed how many high street chains now do active wear. I suppose it’s not surprising as fitness activities are getting more and more popular. Last year in the UK over 6 billion pounds was spent on sportswear. One of the stores that really gets it right is New Look. Their range boasts an urban stylish look, mixing block colours with geometric prints in leggings, cropped tops and tracksuit tops.
Pink Cropped Top, £3.50, Neon and black Vest, £5 and Leggings, £6, all sizes 6-18 by Primark.
Tie Dye Crop Top, £5 and Leggings, £6 both sizes 6-18 by Primark.
Other amazing value workout wear is found in Primark. I don’t know how they do it. I like how they mix vibrant, neon coloured crop tops and vests with sleek black leggings. Their tie dye collection has a certain Ibiza cool about it with prices starting at £3.50!
Orange Bra Top, £12, sizes 32B-38D and Matching Leggings, £16, sizes 6-18 and trainers, £22, 3-8, all by F&F
Neon Zip Top, £16, leggings, £12 both sizes 6-18 and trainers, £22, sizes 3-8 all by F&F
F&F have a brand new Active range which I think is brilliant. They’ve got everything covered from cycling, yoga to high impact sports with stylish comfortable designs using quick drying fabrics in strong prints and zingy colours.
Long Sleeve Running Top, £49 and Full Length Seamed Leggings, £45, both sizes 8-16 by The White Company.
Seamed Racer Back Vest, £39 and Shorts, £30 both sizes 8-16 by The White Company.
The White Company are also doing their first sportswear collection this season. As you can imagine it is so tasteful, mixing monochrome, black and white with charcoal. The quality is beautiful and quite honestly I can’t wait until it hits the stores.
Moulded Sports Bra, from £38, sizes 28″ – 40″, cup sizes B-H and Capri Pants, from £43, sizes XS-XL all by Freya Active
Lastly, but most importantly I turned my attention to the ever essential sports bra. Lingerie brand Freya too have a new active range. These bras and crop tops are fabulous, designed not to be hidden under sportswear but to be very much on show co-ordinated with matching shorts or with stylish black Capri pants. Technically they are brilliant – perfect for high impact sports with strong supportive fabric, wide curvature wire and wide padded straps. They also go from a B to an H cup so all us ladies can get active, such good news. No excuses now. On your marks…Let’s go!
CHRISTMAS ANGELS
Merry Christmas to you all. I’ve delved deep into my stylist’s archive and found these beautiful ‘Angel’ pictures that I styled with Photographer Richard Burns and Hair and Make-up artist Sally Kvalheim.
I love this fabulous feathered- wing, angel image. It was shot at the end of the day when the light was amazing.
This shot is really special to me as it’s of my daughter Lily-Belle. She really enjoyed dressing up and having her hair so beautifully styled by Sally.
This is one of my favourite images. It’s so simple but really powerful and alluring. Here’s to an amazing and creative 2016!