ASOS SS14 PREVIEW

The mighty ASOS has truly outdone itself for next season.

This is a brand who, many moons ago when I started my days of work experience in the industry, was a small, lesser known label called As Seen On Screen, and did rather cheap-looking copies of Paris Hilton's party frocks.

Cut to about 12 years later and this brand is leading the way in young British Fashion. Up there with Topshop, ASOS is creating it's own trends from it's observations of music, travel, culture and everything cool in Britain, and around the world.

I really love this brand.

I may have started to drop out of their demographic (the amazing ASOS magazine for which I used to work really is aimed at a younger audience than a thirty something like me) but from a Fashion Editor's point of view this is one of the best brands to be shooting right now. Exciting, standout and fun.

Their fantastic SS14 collections that we previewed at the Press Day today saw a few of the favourite ASOS themes remain; a heavy sporty influence, plenty of neoprene, colourful ethnic print (Indian and Hawaiian this time), digi patterns, but the grown-up ASOS White collection was a little modernist haven for the more demure dresser. And the new ASOS Salon collections were beautiful Summer wedding outfits sorted.

Accessories were also show stealers. Cool-as-they-come sunnies, crazy chunky sandals, fun logo bags, and then also more delicate, fine-looking jewellery for those of us that don't necessarily want to scream trends. (Although why not?!)

I cannot wait to see this stuff hit the site and start shooting it. Well done ASOS.

Here are a few phone snaps from the day...

Love this!

ASOS White

ASOS Salon

Launching This Week: Isabel Marant for H&M | Sneak Preview

As you'll have seen all over the fashion mags of late, the latest in a long line of designers to work with High Street fave H&M is Isabel Marant, who has for years brought us cool denim, fringed boots, wedge trainers, and general laid back luxe - styles that have seriously infiltrated the High Street of late.

And now the French fashion designer's oh-so-cool signature styles will be available for us peeps that can't always afford a high end label. The countdown is on. Isabel Marant for H&M goes on sale in two days, on Thursday 14th November, at 9am. (Not that we're counting or anything)

The British fashion press, including little ole me, were given a sneak preview the other week at the London head office of the brand. The pieces ooze that French Marant cool, yet still have the comforting H&M feel to them. I like. Easy-to-wear but not as 'out there' as some of H&M's other collaborations like Anna Dello Russo's, where, after a Season, you'll look like a bit of a twonk in those crazy sunnies, let's be honest.

Take the grey sweater below for example - a wardrobe staple. That's what I'd go for. But is it worth the queue on the 14th? Well, we all want a little designer in our wardrobes when we can, non?

Check out the full range here.

H&M's Holly rocks top to toe Isabel

You see I really WAS there!

NYC Editorial | Portrait Of A Lady

So the last of my NYC shoots was out this week in Look magazine. NYC feels like a lifetime ago as it's been so busy since getting back... so many stories to shoot before Christmas. I have to do a main fashion story nearly every week. Yikes. 

I will try and keep the blog updated with all my shoots.

So here are some of the shots from my "Portrait Of A Lady" story, an hourglass story reminiscent of a Forties screen siren, shot in an amazing apartment off Broadway. A great team of Seiji from The Wall Group (who was off to do Victoria Beckham's hair the next day), Tracy at Next on make-up and the gorgeous Andressa at Supreme modelling.

And a token horse... (YES!)

NYC editorial | The Pink Story

Every fashion editor on the planet has done a pink story for AW13. Boring, I know, but it is THE colour of the season (though not a huge fan personally, prefer black myself...) and it would be criminal to ignore. It's tricky to make yours look different from thr next so I had always planned to make this one a bit rough around the edges, a bit gritty, and shoot it on the more run-down streets of Brooklyn whilst in NYC the other week.

The story is out this week and I have to say it is one of my favourites from the trip. Such a great team and a model who was so insanely cool she just had to be herself.

So here it is, Pretty in Punk. Hair by Riad Azar, make-up by Ingeborg and model Maritza Veer at Next.

NYC | Coney Island Shoot

The first of the NYC shoots to be published came out about 5 days after it was shot - a super fast turnaround even on a weekly magazine. It was one of my first shoots whilst there and it was a location shoot on Coney Island. What a cool place.

The story was about mixing up texture and turning sparkle and shine cool, rather than glitzy.  Here are some phone snaps from the day, about 2 weeks ago now.

Our gorgeous model Kelsey

Photographer Ezra and colleague Kate

These are a few screen grabs of selects from the day (unretouched please note!) . Check out Look magazine for the full story!

WIBTW (What I Bought This Week): NYC

I've just come back from two weeks working in NYC (which you will hear a LOT about in upcoming blog posts to follow), so this week's pocket money was spent in the Big Apple. We didn't have a lot of free time but my speed-shopping skills are pretty well-honed and I managed to pick up a few gems whilst there.

I discovered J Crew big time whilst out there, as although I've heard the buzz for years I've never actually been in a store till now. So I went a little bananas. But if you are selective the prices are really good (some stuff like dresses goes up to a few hundred quid) and I got a wool jumper, cargo pants, a scarf, horse print socks (of course) and a really lovely silk print skirt for less than £200, which I think is very good.  The customer service here was amazing (Simone you rocked), as it was most places in NYC. Us Brits have a lot to learn, I hate to say.

Kate Spade was a bit exciting. I wanted a lot in here, but as my bank called me whilst I was in there to check my card hadn't been stolen, I limited myself. I needed a new wallet and I got a gorgeous patent coral red one.

The cool shops of Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg were VERY tempting, with amazing designer jewellery but a little out of my price range. However I found an amazing jewellery designers shop opposite one of our many hotels on 8th Avenue called Phoenix Roze where I bought the cutest gold necklace with 'C' charm. I wear it every day now - it replaces a similar one that I bought last time I was in NYC and recently broke. So that's allowed, right?!

Here are some snaps:

Latest Editorial | The New Colour Rules

I love nothing more than shooting in a studio on a plain white cove and letting the clothes and the girl do the talking.

This week's main fashion story for Look Magazine was just that. I got to shoot with a fantastic team who worked hard to achieve a great shoot.

Now back to prepping for a mahoosive trip to NYC in 11 days and counting! (5 days of which are Bank Hol/weekend? Eek!)