e2 to w10

My Easter weekend was not spent hunting for chocolate delights or taking some quality time-out, unfortunately.  Amongst staying out till late, no sleep, eating crap and dancing to disco; this weekend Sarah Brimley and I finally got down to our Androgyny shoot at Sunbeam Studios, Ladbroke Grove.  It was a long day, but models Levi and Dasha D from Storm were troopers and we got some beautiful shots.  Here are some behind-the-scenes images.  Make-Up by Cheryl Corea.  Hair by Sheridan Ward.  Edited images will be online soon.

chung-king express.

As a huge Wong Kar Wai fan, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen his break-through cult movie till recently.  With stunning photography by Christopher Doyle (as expected from a film by Wong) and a cast of young, stylish Hong Kong film stars; it begs for a repeat viewing soon.  Very addictive.

the young and the restless.

Joseph Szabo’s photographs of American youth in the 1970s evoke memories of the time in our lives when, once upon a time, we were  innocent and carefree. Those treasured days of ambivalence; a concoction of passion, angst and confusion.  Oh to rewind, if only just for a day.

escape from this city.

An oldie, but a goodie.  This is from Vogue UK December 2005.  Stylist Charlotte Stockdale’s 26-page Trans-Siberian Express shoot, photographed by Norbert Schroeder, has always stayed in my mind.  The shoot is of epic proportions, spanning quite literally; the Trans-Siberian Express journey.  I can only dream of such adventures.  One day, perhaps…but for now, I have this.

paris je'taime.

On a whirlwind visit to Paris recently I caught the tail end of Fashion Week just in time, saw some friendly faces and wondered around aimlessly by myself. It was one of my favourite Parisian breaks so far:

Day One.
05:25 Eurostar. Chanel A/W 10. Champagne breakfast. Caffe creme and croissant. Walk along the Seine. Colette. Palais De Toyko. Cab ride. Tea at Rose Bakery. Haider Ackermann Showroom. Hotel. Dinner and wine at Le Petit Marche.
Day Two.
Merci. Brunch. Wonder around in the Marais. APC. Surface To Air. Galettes at Breizh Cafe. French grocery-browsing. Dinner at Chez Julien.
Day Three.
Solo breakfast at Rose Bakery. Les Archives De La Presse. A walk from the Marais through the Jardin De Tuileries to the Petit Palais via a broken French conversation with an old French gentleman. McDonald’s French-style. YSL Exhibition at Petit Palais. Dinner at Usagi with the Japanese and a giant white rabbit.
Day Four.
06:43 Eurostar…à bientôt!

i want i need.

paris nights, new york mornings.

It’s taken a month, but the video for Corinne Bailey Rae’s second track off her latest album has been released. Hazy days of nonchalant and innocent memories is exactly how to sum up that weekend back in early January, when 2010 had only just begun. Above is a still from the video. See the rest here.

in the mood for love.

Wong Kar Wai’s seductive and idiosyncratic tales of the young and restless, especially In The Mood For Love, always provides me with a sumptuous visual feast. Equally captivating as it is haunting, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leungs’ performance stirs up feelings of longing which stays with you for quite some time. The soundtrack has been a recent dinner party favourite.

an angel in dalston.

Last weekend, I worked with talented photographer Olivia Estebanez on a menswear story. We shot in a stupidly cold studio in Dalston which was originally a warehouse, but the location was spot-on. Model Mark was an absolute angel and braved the cold and pulled out all his best blue-steel looks, even though he had only been modelling for just under two months. Hailing from Manchester, he looked like a modern day cherub…until he opened his mouth. This boy will go far. Here’s a sneak peek of the first edit of raw images. Check back on the website later this month, once the story has gone through the final edit.

this is how i feel sometimes.

Iris Palmer, by Tim Walker.