Loveguts at Rankin

 I originally donned one of Rachel Loveguts' creations at her university, Central St. Martins, for a project compiled by John Galliano (!). The aim of the project was to find a new intern from the young designers, therefore they had to create and present their projects to some of Galliano's "people". Unfortunately Rachel's design didn't win, however she moved on to a different internship based in Paris, and I can see her work going far. 

A few weeks ago we headed over to Rankin's studio where studio manager Neil Dawson managed to squeeze us in between the neon-clad Russian model shooting for Elle. The studio was everything I imagined it to be, and although it was great to model there (and watching them use the Phase One and Capture One software), I could never see myself working in that kind of environment. The photos we got look fantastic though; although simple, they create the moody atmosphere that I think the outfit needs. 

  

A trip to the Opera

Not many people know this, but I have quite an interest in Opera. I don't claim to have much knowledge of such a broad subject, but I absolutely adore the stunning music, dramatic costume and vast scenery. Even better when surrounded by a decadent interior!

I am extremely lucky to have a romantic boyfriend, who, back in October, took me to see Niobe, Regina Di Tebe at the Royal Opera House! Not only did he manage to purchase some of the best seats in the house (a few rows back from the orchestra) but also booked us a tour of the Opera House, INCLUDING seeing the Royal Box AND the Royal toilet. If that wasn't enough, he bought me some adorable gold and black opera glasses (that I still need to use in a shoot). 

Prior to this, we had been to see Carmen (my favourite opera) at the O2, however the venue was definitely NOT right for opera - you can only really watch one in an interior specifically made for it. We had also watched various operas on blu-ray, including  Die Zauberflöte which made me fall in love with Simon Keenlyside as Papageno. Why? See 0.33 in the following video

 On Monday, as a joint birthday present, we visited the Royal Opera House again, this time to watch Die Zauberflöte and this time from some cheaper seats at the top of the house. I expected to have to strain to hear, but thanks to the shape of the building and the powerful lungs of the cast, I didn't have this problem. The cast were almost all different from those that we had seen before, including a different Papageno, whose bed vault just wasn't as impressive, haha! I enjoyed it so much, and the Queen of the Night's aria was even more mind-blowing live than I could have imagined. 

 

Sideshow: Alligator Girl

 An ongoing project I have been working on for the past year references common "characters" that one could see in the early American sideshows/circus (you can see the previous shots here  and here). I'm hoping to eventually include the whole set in a book, or at least as a set of prints.

This week, I present the alligator girl in all her glory!

There was only one model I could imagine using for this shoot; the striking Helene Atsuko. Many thanks also to Sammm Agnew for making her suitably scaly!

 You can read a little more about the REAL alligator-skinned marvels over here.

We also played around with a darker style!

Model Citizen: Creepy Queen Magazine cover shoo

 The new issue of Creepy Queen has finally arrived, and with it, the cover shoot I modelled in! It is so awesome to see something in print that we planned for so long, and worked so hard on - the shoot itself was almost a complete disaster thanks to dark evenings, but we managed to save it (and in my opinion, create something even better) with a change of location. 

 Shot by Nitemare Photography with clothing AND styling by Sample Remix and hat by Amore de Mori. It was actually shot in my flat, using many of the objects that Markabre and I have collected (our flat tends to look like this anyway!). The hair and makeup was by myself, which I'm quite pleased with!

I think the magazine is well-worth buying, if not only for our editorial (I feel that the magazine needs to focus on hiring some people to write articles etc, rather than just interviews) - Nitemare photography did a fantastic job with the layout. 

 

 

Behind the scenes shot taken by Sample Remix:

Movie of the day: Down By Law

One film that I can watch over and over (if only for Tom Waits and the hilarious Roberto Benigni) is Down By Law.

Released in 1986 by Jim Jarmusch (who also directed Dead Man, featuring Johnny Depp, Broken Flowers and various other amazing films. He also has impressive hair.), Down By Law sees three questionable gentlemen thrown into a cell together. I will say no more of the storyline, however, as with most of Jarmusch's films, the humour is witty yet dry, and will have you quoting lines for days after. 

The film itself holds special memories for me, as it was one of the first films my boyfriend introduced me to, and also to the music of Tom Waits and the joyful insanity of Roberto Benigni. 

 I highly suggest seeking out this film, and any other Jarmusch work!