GFW 2013

On Monday I attended Graduate Fashion Week at Earl's Court for We Are Collision, and it was a morning I am very glad I managed to fit into my crazy schedule. I will attend shows when I can, they invigorate me and get me excited about new fashion talent; but with having such a mental life last season, I was unable to go to many and this disappointed me. GFW's International Show made me love what I do again, and this time, made me want to look further than just London for new designers to swoon over.

Here is a selection of photos I took at the show, and I have listed the designer's name where I can remember - having a camera in your hand often hinders other activities.

-----

All photos by Sophia Chemaitelli

Marina Hormanseder and Parsons New York

Carmina Blank

Sasha Nassar

Michael Maiello

Chisung Ihn (left)

Browns - Week 5

My penultimate week at Browns was a VERY slow one. Out of 5 days, we only had a model for one day, which means we had a lot of stock to get through and needed to fit in another trial for the stylist job that is on offer at the studio.

The stylist who came to do her trial day has previously worked at Topshop and currently works at Harvey Nichols, and this was very evident in her work. As much as her styling was interesting and youthful, it did not portray the Browns’ woman correctly, which is a more upper class client. 

After Tuesday’s shoot day we spent the other days doing odd jobs, and spent some of Friday preparing stock for a ‘Basics’ shoot that was being done for the website on the Saturday. A trend shoot is meant to be done atleast once a season, but due to funding and short-staffing, this hasn’t been the case. I wasn’t able to attend the shoot on Saturday due to having to go to work at the weekend. 

I don’t think there is much of a shooting schedule this week, and new season stock is going down to a trickle, so we will see how my last week goes.

Browns - Week 3

Another week at Browns has seen me settle into my role as ‘chief’ intern (being the one that has been the longest) and complete much of the same roles as have been given to me from the beginning.

Last week was a slow week in the studio, with model cancellations, internet/server problems and the long weekend meaning that output hasn’t been the greatest. All new stock was shot on a whirlwind day on Wednesday, and left us with Thursday to clear up everything before our days off.

Most of my week was spent correcting copy errors and uploading new pieces to the website, while Adam wasn’t shooting. After much discussion over model arrangements within the company and with agencies, Adam was able to arrange a good model package on Friday, which saw four wonderful girls come for a casting. They were all great for the job and after deciding who he liked, we now must play the waiting game to see if their availability between them allows us to set up a consistent flowing shoot rota.

Hopefully this week will pick up once we gain a full-time model and see us produce the highest studio output we can.

In The Middle

So, while I am in the middle of a mad period of trying to sort various aspects of my life out, I thought i'd take the time to show you some of my recent projects.

-----

ISOLATED

A photoshoot I shot for a university project based on brutalist structure and it's parallels in fashion. I was given a beautiful model from FIRST called Samara who, despite the language barriers (she was Brazilian, and I was the only one in the team who spoke Spanish, which luckily spoke as well as Portugese and Italian), has been the best model I have worked with to date. Her ability to comman the frame and use her body to hold clothes and create a mood was wonderful.

On a particularly cold and miserable day in November, my team and I found ourselves scouring East London for shoot locations and working the quickest we ever have. The photos came out stunning and after many hours of talking, we finally came up with a final selection, there were just too many images to choose from! Here they are!

-----

Photography: Sophia Chemaitelli

Styling: Sophia Chemaitelli & Sian Collinge

Hair & Make up: Becca Ross

Model: Samara @ FIRST

-----

Tommy Hilfiger Collection Runthrough

As the title suggests, I was lucky enough to be invited to the Tommy Hilfiger A/W 12 collection runthrough at their news store on Old Brompton Road, Kensington.

We were taken through the colletion's themes, key inspiration and look by the head of design and then given the opportunity to shop the night away of a glass of champagne and elderflower cocktails, courtesy of Harper's Bazaar.

The store is a stunning represenation of the Hilfiger luxury brand, and you feel truly at home shopping amongst the old wood pillars, tapestry rugs and beautiful clothing. Each piece has been beautifully crafted from the warmest, opulent fabrics, embodying Hilfiger chic to the highest degree. Perfect cableknit winter dresses, silk numbers for eveningwear, and the warmest wool coats complete a collection that is the remedy for New York and London Winter gathering.

Take a look and shop the collection over at: http://uk.tommy.com/

Hanson of London

After a hectic week, a little package landed in my mailbox this morning and it made me smile from ear to ear. Not long ago I discovered a little handbag maker called Hanson of London, and I have been in love ever since!

Situated in Shoreditch, Hanson of London create the most beautiful, handcrafted leather bags from their studio. One day I hope to get my hands on one of their stunning bags, but until then I will just spend my days lusting over each and every one of them!

Check their beautiful products out at www.hansonoflondon.com

Comptoir Libanais

Today was a very hectic day that saw me travelling all over London for various things. I am not going to reveal all the details incase it all doesn't go according to plan, but my last stop was South Kensington for a catch up and 'photoshoot' with a dear friend. The photos she wanted were for a music project that she's launching. We ended up walking around South Kensington and found a stunning little restaurant that had the perfect atmosphere. Coffee and soup was the accompaniment to our afternoon session and I really enjoyed a great chat. The photos are warm and colourful and perfect for the project and I can't wait to see them in use!