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A quick post to let you all know that I am still alive. Barely perhaps, sore throat, not enough sleep, too much traveling and walking around all day, not enough coffee, not enough vegetables and fruits and definitely missing my boy and Sydney. But alive nonetheless.
I will be traveling around Europe for the next month or so then head off to the US of A! Woot! I will try to bring you some more street fashion from Europe in the mean time, but don’t hold your breath and count on my sore throat. Nothing promised, but I’ll try.
For now, let’s do bold patterns and florals! I went and bought the Christopher Kane for Topshop killer croc dress, how could I resist wearing these giant teeth, awesomeness.
PS. Yesterday I went to the opening of Paris Uniqlo, all for the +J, Jill Sander for Uniqlo collection and I didn’t leave empty handed. I’ve always always liked Jill Sanders designs but like most people, her clothes were of course out of reach but now alas I had a chance and I clutched at it with my 2 little paws.
I took almost a whole afternoon to find and buy the 1 perfect black peacoat thanks to the crazy queues (queues to get in, queues at the changing rooms and then queues at the paying counters). The collection is very Jill Sander, though the trench coats and skirts didn’t excite me much, but coats and jackets though are perfect for this season.
I am officially happy and ready to hit the NY winter now 
Name: Lex
Occupation: Looking for a job
Describe your style: Mix cute with rock, cheap with expensive.
Favourite fashion label: Luella, Diana Orvving and Marc Jacobs.
Favroutie clothing store: Beyond retro, Diana Orvving and Acne.
It seems like almost everyone I photographed has said Acne is either their favourite fashion label or clothing store or both, so my conclusion is: wear Acne!
Lex’s jacket is by Diana Orvving, she is an up and coming Swedish designer. I hadn’t heard of her before, so I looked her up and I like what I see. A kind of relaxed luxury but very wearable at the same time, so very Stockholm. Check her out.
I recently visited Stockholm and what a little surprising gem it is! The day I arrived, I first noticed the colder weather, I second noticed just how well people dressed. After 3 months in London, seeing how people are courageous with what they wear and sometimes even outrageous, then 1 months in France where people dress very well but also very conservative. So finally I arrive in Stockholm, it’s magical, it’s like they have the perfect formula worked out, they’ve mastered that perfect thin slice between the Londoners and the Parisiennes. Trendy, tick, sartorial, tick, unique, tick, timeless, tick tick tick!
Name: Moa
Occupation: Behaviour science student
Describe your style: Black, dark colours, old fashioned, timeless.
Favourite fashion label: Acne, Wired
Favourite clothing store: Acne
As soon as I spotted her across the square, even with my short sightedness, I knew I had to snap her. Of course her outfit caught my eye, but above that, there was something about her, her look perhaps, the air around her was different, it’s somewhat ethereal, don’t you think? I know everyone says this, but most of the time it’s not what you wear, it’s how you wear it, it’s your attitude, your frame of mind, your projection, your presence that catches my eye. Moa’s same outfit on another girl probably would’ve looked quite average, but it gelled with her personality, most importantly, it was she who wore those clothes, not the other way around. That is something a lot of people don’t do well. So let me borrow a popular phrase at the risk of sounding totally ridiculous… “You gotta own it, sista!” (Complete with head bobbing and finger wagging, oh yeah!)
Did you know that my business cards are in pink? Not pale baby, not baby pink, but hot pink, oh yes! As a designer I hold no discrimination against any colour, but when one says pink, it brings up so many automatic associations, like girly, pretty, childhood, I guess I wanted to challenge that in a way. Did you also know that I own no item of clothing in pink? Sure some patterned dresses might have bits of pink on them, but nothing in a solid shade of pink. Funny isn’t it?
Pink is a bold colour to wear and I think this lovely lady below is also trying to challenge the image of pink in her own way.
Name: Murielle
Occupation: Sales admin
Describe your style: Freestyle
Favourite fashion label: None
Favourite clothing store: None
Do you all have pink clothes? And what’s your idea about pink?
The French don’t wear much patterns, certainly not much loud colourful patterns, but when they do wear it, they wear it well.
Name: Prue
Occupation: Freelance writer
Describe your style: Vintage pieces matched with new pieces.
Favourite fashion label: Akira, Alex Perry and Chloe.
Favourite clothing shop: Adornments (in Brisbane Australia)
You might have noticed Prue is Australian and only visiting Paris, but her outfit to me is very very Parisienne.
Name: Heline
Occupation: Pharmacist
Describe your style: Girly
Favourite fashion label: Nafnaf
Favourite clothing store: Nafnaf
The only pattern I got in my backpack right now is a blue checkered flannel shirt from Uniqlo… hmm… not quite on par with these lovely ladies, but if you have some great pattern tucked in your wardrobe, time to get it out and wear it!
I am back! Well, somewhat, I am still traveling, constantly on the road, so internet is hard to come by, but at least I’ve started to style hunt again.
A little recap, I’ve just spent the last month in France, the first 2 weeks on an organic farm with no electricity and hot water, eating vegetarian only. It was very idyllic, a bit of hard work and a strange existence in the middle of the mountains surrounded by nature, my hosts have 4 lovely/crying/screaming children. To top it all off I had the worst hayfever, it felt like I was allergic to everything, the trees, the flowers, the cats, even dosed on Zrytec I’d spend the first 2 hours of everyday blowing my nose constantly. Perhaps I got used to the polluted London and my system decided to reject such pure nature.
I feel like I really need to explain that, drinking water straight from the mountain everyday, eating only organic vegetarian and fruits of my labour, vanity and style was the last thing I cared about. So it has been a slow process starting to hunt street style again, but alas, I was in Paris!
So Parisiennes, now they are a different brew. Classic, simple and always always always stylish. It made me cringe with my peasantness and the clothes in my backpack for 2 months.
Name: Victoria
Occupation: Biology student
Describe your style: Classical, bourgeois bohemian.
Favourite fashion label: Vanessa Bruno
Name: Mya
Occupation: Work in a college
Describe your style: Eclectic
Favourite fashion label: None
Favourite clothing shop: Zara
So going from pulling out weeds with my bare hands, I went on to meet and snap these lovely and stylish Parisiennes and that has been France for me. I feel like the week I had in Paris was not enough at all, I would like to return and explore more, well I am sure I will be back.
A bientôt Paris!
People don’t wear enough hats these days. It makes you stand out, but it certainly also makes an outfit. Even though it’s summer here, but felt hats are aplenty and they are always more elegant and chic.
Get your hat on!
Brick Lane again you say? No no, of course I just happen to pass by on Sunday and of course there a few just happen to catch my eye… Yeah sure. The girl said her outfit is from the party she went to the night before, but she looked right at home in Brick Lane.
So on Sunday I set out to meet a photographer friend of mine for a wonder in Shoreditch, I hoped to do some style hunting but unfortunately most stylesters were definitely still hungover at 2pm and no where to be seen. My friend, Jayna and I walked about 5 steps and bumped into another photographer friend of mine, Steve. Hah! What a small world. We walked around a bit, checked out Hoxton Square, but it was quite dead everywhere.
And somehow we ended up in Brick Lane, now I was there the Sunday before too. They say all roads lead to Rome, well in London it seems, all roads lead to Brick Lane. It’s a funny place, now that I’ve been there a few times, I’ve started to notice the sudden surge of photographers, doing both candid and asked portraits. Surely thanks to the influence of people like the Facehunter. But I did learn a little more about Brick Lane from Steve. Tracey Emin, George & Gilbert are amongst others, famous contemporary artists living in Brick Lane. Once upon a time, Damien Hirst lived there too. Now this started a long time ago, somewhat kicking off the process of Brick Lane becoming what it is today and now well on its way to gentrification. The Brick Lane back then was filled with printing presses, warehouses and factories, grimy, dingy and dirty, far from the trendy spot it is today. We had a pint at The Golden Heart, where people often spot the likes of Tracey Emin, George & Gilbert having a drink. The owner of the pub, now she is apparently one of the top 10 most influential people on contemporary British art.
Of course, today, especially on Sundays, Brick Lane is where the youngsters congregate. Their styles may vary, they may even be on polar opposites, but somewhere below all the clothes and makeup, it’s this eccentric Britishness that shines through. From George & Gilbert’s art to the clothes these girls adorn, even ones who aren’t raised in the UK, this eccentricity is always there.
Name: Dan
Occupation: Fashion student at Central St Martins
Describe your style: Edgy, sometimes quirky
Favourite fashion label: Rei Kawakubo
Favourite clothing store: Hurwundeki
Dan told me that Brick Lane is where Central St Martins students come to meet and chat on Sundays. Hah! I wonder if they have a tally on the notice board of how many times each has been photographed by a street style hunters…
Name: Sophia
Occupation: Burlesque dancer and retro model
Describe your style: 30s, 50s, evocative, just having fun
Favourite fashion label: vintage Dior
Favourite clothing store: Tete – tete (it’s at Christchurch, NZ)
I love these burlesque girls, they have such good style and taste. Do check out her myspace here.
Tada, there’s my little Sunday adventure, now it’s time for bed!
London has had some stunning weather lately! Sunny, lovely, even hot in the afternoon, I do wonder why people complain about the weather here, its’s perfect, as long as you don’t go into the tube at peak hour.
This heat means girls are dressed more skimpy, comfortable and relaxed. And what’s more relaxed than a loose white top on a hot summer day, gorgeous!
Name: Alice
Occupation: Freelance fashion stylist
Describe your style: Crazy, mix of clothes.
Favourite fashion labels: Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen and Comme des Garcon.
Favourite clothing store: Shops around Brick Lane, Beyond Retro.
Name: Zhenya
Occupation: Fashion marketing
Describe your style: Simple, vintage.
Favourite fashion label: Peter Jensen and Vanessa Bruno.
Favourite clothing store: Selfridges
So dig out that white tshirt of yours, pull it over yourself and head out to enjoy the sun while it lasts. Oh wait, do put on a skirt or a pair of trousers. I am quite against the no pants look :p
