Styling course graduates!

Styling course at Junk Shop- Experimenting with projections for window display concepts

My students on the customising course I run at Junk Shop in the Northern Quarter, Manchester. The ethos of Junk is to breathe life into vintage fabrics and reclaimed odds and ends creating beautiful fashion in an ethical, green way. I am enjoying working with the Junk team as their visual co-ordinator and head of creative courses which include styling, trend-spotting and blogging and customisation.

Making moodboards…

Junk shop new collection. Designer Charlotte Keyworth

I have been working on the set of Hollyoaks at Lime Pictures Studios over in Liverpool. Oh the drama!

How beautiful are these whimsical prints by design duo Sarah Swash and Toshio Yamanaka! A creative collaboration who met in Central Saint Martins and have won awards across the world for their magical illustrations and line of complimentary silk scarves. This season they were inspired by the 19th century depiction of nature and the Victorian cabinet of curiosities.

http://www.youtube.com/user/thelibertylondon

What a whimsical in store display at Anthropologie, taking picnicing to another level!

LOVE Lindsey Lohan’s floral vintage two piece

Stunning African inspired prints from Suno – New York. Ethical fashion at its best while these innovative prints are inspired by traditional African textiles they are designed by the talented team at Suno HQ in New York. The designs are then sent to Kenya to local artisans to construct into beautiful items in creating employment and security for many makers and their families. One of Rihanna’s favourite labels!

Suno

The ultimate in sustainable fashion from Lady Gaga. Extraordinary accessories.

Love, love, love Harvey Nicks ‘Everyday objects’ windows. Always so creative in their wacky concepts.

Liberty window scheme – prosthetic ears and soap…obviously!

Whitstable Kent – colours, typography, junk shop finds and sunny skies.

Barnaby Barford directed this unique film ‘damaged goods’ in collaboration with Animate Projects in 2008 using the kitsch, porcelain figurines that he uses within his sinister artwork click on this link to watch the full film….stunning.  http://www.barnabybarford.co.uk/image_gallery/damaged_goods

Laura Planksar set director and photographer.

Ron Mueck’s ARTIST ROOMS – his mind blowingly, beautifully executed sculptures currently at Manchester City Art Gallery

I visited the Soap Museum at Port Sunlight and fell in love with these retro ads for Sunlight Soap . The Lady Lever Art Gallery holds Lord Levers vast private collections including a re-creation of Napoleons chambers, his collections verge on obsession and are astounding.

Alice In Wonderland mania…Printemps is lighting up the dreary, grey winter with their delightfully whimsical and chic windows.

I can’t wait for this…

Widnes market

‘Cut-out’ outfits – Hermes windows s/s 10 

Antique ‘dollie’ from Widnes market – discount for her severed arm…

I love these ’shadow boxes’ by Moomah, reminscent to Joseph Cornells boxed assemblages….

Check out my some of my photography at The Urbis this month, the exhibition runs until mid Feb. These prints capture the life like vintage mannequin ‘family’ co-existing at Platt Hall Costume Gallery in Manchester. 

Libertys London

Libertys London 1962

Andrea Crews –  s/s 10 collection

Wings constructed by Benja Harney…paper engineer extraordinaire

Where The Wild Things Are…

BEAUTIFUL film, dark, ethereal, heartfelt and charming…and the soundtrack by Karen O and The Kids has been making me smile.

Wartime photography –  National Media Album, Bradford

Liberty London – ‘Prints Charming’ window

Puerto Di Sanitiago

Willow Pool Garden Centre in Lym…these retired Blackpool illuminations live within this fascinating reclamation yard/My little Pony Kingdom. WOW

Emily Forgots whimsical illustrations brought to Life in 3D at Selfridges Oxford Street Store.

I love these cardboard ‘cubist’ ladies by Christian Tagliavini – ‘Dame di Cartone’

King Street window – Hermes. I love the kitsch customization of this bike.

This exhibition was fascinating Dallas Seitz’s often absurd works recall museum collections and relationships or narratives created by display.His work references collecting, museumology, colonization and false representation of objects - The Social Lives Of Objects, Castlefield Gallery

The back of The Winter Gardens Theatre, Morecambe

You can find kitsch souvenir type objects on every street corner in the seaside town of Morecambe. These Beatles Russian dolls made me laugh…I wonder how Lennon would have felt about these!

This book shop is amazing it is a labrynth of second hand books….I bought ‘A Room With a View’ by E.M. Forster. The world needs more of these hidden treasures.

The old stage at The derelict Winter Gardens Theatre. The architecture is stunning.

An old programme from The Winter Gardens. I love the 1950’s illustration.

It was an end of an era when Woolworths closed its doors for the last time ever.

This week I am mostly exploring the streets for interesting sites, in the form of vacated shops. The  amount of empty shop space that is springing up at the moment is becoming distressing and negative to see…I feel I must cheer everyone up! Watch this space for an update on my campaign to create positivity and  to these sad, gloomy spaces…

I am working on the set of Punchdrunk Theatre Group’s latest creation ‘It Felt Like a Kiss’. A performance piece to be premiered as part the Manchester International Festival from 2-19 July. A great experience with a unique company.

Mannequins cast using live models

Window display by Tom Dixon for Veuve Clicquot

Milano kitschChanel-Via Della Spiga