Somerset House: Miles Aldridge

A couple of weeks ago I did my bi-monthly visit to Somerset House, which is fast becoming one of my favourite locations in London. Not only is the architecture of the building resplendent with its sixteenth century characteristics but the food, beverages (hello the outside bar) and Rizzoli book shop make it the perfect place to indulge in some culture.

So I have to be completely honest and say that I had not heard of the fashion photographer Miles Aldridge until I saw the promos for the exhibition, so I was not sure what to expect. The presentation was short and sweet, but featured initial story boards, sketches, narratives and contact sheets. 

There were some great images, all of which depicted Hitchcock-esque femme fatales with that glazed Stepford wife look, which are Aldridge's signature style, having been influenced by his single mother upbringing - here are some images that I took:

I can't wait for the upcoming Isabella Blow exhibition launching later this month!

Gogo Philip Go

I have known about the jewellery brand Gogo Philip for a while, it has had a concession at Topshop for many years. However the edited range does not do justice to the full array of pieces that can be found at their Cheshire Street residence, which can be found on a side road off Brick Lane, E1. The products that you find at Gogo, are a mixture of yester-year heirlooms and vintage inspired pieces with a contemporary look.

I took a look around a couple of weeks ago, and found some amazing pieces - their shop is officially my new favourite place! Here are some of my favourite pieces - you might recognise the palm tree necklaces as Rihanna was spotted styling this piece.

The Bling Ring

So I have recently had to check myself, as I have been spending all kinds of crazy cash, my final treat to myself was this epic Alexander McQueen skull ring. I was lucky to snag the beautiful ring at Bicester Village, which is well worth a visit if you haven't already been. They hold brands including Anya Hindmarch, Mulberry and Dolce and Gabbana.

I have no words...my bargain ring, is soo BLING

The Studio of Alex Noble

Don't you love it when you happen upon an exhibition, when out and about, and even better when you actually have the time to go in and have a look! That's what happened to me last week when I was checking out the shops in Carnaby Street, I was looking for the Lazy Oaf on Foubert's Place and spotted Alex Noble's pop up exhibition space. You may have heard of him before, having been famed for his work with Lady Gaga on costume designs.

I am not sure what was there before, but the extensive space housed some of Alex Noble's signature pieces - a fusion of fashion and art. From geometric abstract art through to a corset made out of syringes; I would personally describe his work as Pop Art. I spent an enjoyable half an hour there, and took pics of some of my favourite pieces below:

Mark Fast - SS14 Show

So I have to say I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to London Fashion Week, it is exciting and fun to see what everyone is wearing, but unless you are a celebrity or it is part of your work, it can be quite difficult to get into shows. If you are lucky enough to get a ticket to a show, there is still the queuing and jostling for seats to contend with.

I managed to get my hands on a ticket to the Mark Fast S/S14 show which was pretty epic. The show took place at the BFC Show Space at Somerset House with an appropriate punk/rock soundtrack. I know some people have slated it, but I loved the styling, models had backcombed hair, with matching black nails, chokers, fishnet tights and socks completed with chunky creepers.

The clothing was as you would have expected, knitted dresses and separates which are Fast's signature style, however it was given a retro toughening up with acid yellow through to midnight blue threads - an ode to nineties grunge. Here is a video that I took at the show, for a glimpse of the presentation.



I am already getting excited for SS14.

On my radar JNBY

I visited Selfridges the other week - and although I am quite a regular visitor, (I love to window shop) it was the first time I noticed a new segment in the shop for new/under the radar designers. Brands include Buddhist Punk, Long Clothing, Boy London and Made in Hell-A previously, and now there are a host of asian brands including  izzue, A Bathing Ape and JNBY.

I clearly missed the memos on this cool Tokyo brand, whose name is an acronym for Just Naturally Be Yourself. It has been established for quite a few years, and much like other asian labels - is made up of simple pieces with long lines and draping. Below are some of my favourite pieces from the Selfridges selection. check out the full range here

Wedding Chic

Okay so if you are in your twenties like me, you must be experiencing the onslaught of friends galloping up the aisle. Apart from the self-reflection...where's my life going etc. the next big question is what to wear.

My first of three weddings is taking place in November, which in itself is a quandary. It's autumn, do you need to wear a coat, a cardigan or go long sleeved. The second difficulty is that the actual ceremony is only being attended by family, so all of the attendees are just going to a big party afterwards.

I think it is so hard to get that mix of formal and contemporary, while keeping the hemline in check - is above the knee to short, and any longer to frumpy? I have been looking for the last 4 months and these are my top three choices - I am not sure which one to go for:

£78 from Topshop

£60 Cheap Monday

£149.99 from Monsoon

They all serve a purpose, but which one to choose...decisions, decisions, decisions and let's not even get started on the accessories.