Backstage at VETEMENTS AW15

They had me at the vastly oversized leather jackets. In fact, the vastly oversized any-sort-of jacket. Then the misaligned tee. Oh, and SS15's collar reading 'COLLAR'. This is VETEMENTS and if iD is anything to go by - and I don't doubt that it is - then this emerging Parisian fashion label is one to watch.

Carmen @ Boss

Model: Carmen @ Boss Model Management
Photographer / Stylist: Portia Hunt

After what seems like forever, I've finally had the time to start testing again. This is Carmen; with her dynamic presence in front of the lens and absolute killer unique facial features, who better to kickstart the testing process with. Shooting in my favourite Manchester haunt which is the backstreets of the Northern Quarter, and styled by yours truly, I love how Carmen pulls off the amalgamation of menswear and womenswear with effortless ease.

In A Snap

A quick polaroid of the digital kind (read: Instagram) before I head off to get my kip for the night. With three exams plus a hearty dose of fashion week documentation on the rather proximal horizon, the next few weeks are going to be more than a tad bit busy. Alors, bear with me and head over to Instagram/Twitter for more!

Hardy Amies AW15

Detouring from the flurry of backstage images that have amassed on my Instagram (and here to a lesser degree), I bring you some front of house shots of the dapper gents at Hardy Amies. Although I love the intimacy that backstage shooting brings, it's always nice to mix things up a bit! The show took place at The Vinyl Factory - the same location that I shot Meadham Kirchhoff SS15 front of house at. 

P.S. See my backstage shots over on Menswear Style.  

Backstage at Burberry Prorsum AW15

Oh February, how did you creep up on us so quickly? 

I present to you more unseen photographs from my backstage coverage of London Collections:Men AW15, this time for the gorgeous collection that was Burberry Prorsum. Although a minimalist approach to clothing is generally my preferred attire, I was nonetheless rather in awe of the intricate combination of colours, fabrics and embellishments that Christopher Bailey wound into this collection.

Backstage at Craig Green AW15

It's the monochrome colour palette, the combination of oversized and slim-fitting silhouettes, and the interplay of shirt collars, pockets, heavy-duty straps, and cut-out knits. There's a reason why Craig Green shows are hyped. This was quite possibly my favourite show of London Collections: Men to photograph; not least because I would quite happily have taken a fair few of the garments home with me, but also for the atmosphere of serenity and calm that presented in the room. At some shows, backstage photography becomes a frantic hustle of darting down the line trying to capture the whole collection in a matter of minutes without stepping on each others toes or getting in each others shots. Exhilarating in its own right, yes, but a little breathing space is more than pleasant too. I covered Craig Green AW15 for VMAN but these are a few extra shots that I wanted to share too.

Return to the North

Photographs: Tom Martin

This time last week I was sprinting - okay, more like jogging, given the hefty gear that I was lugging with me! - from the 'A Clockwork Orange'-inspired edginess of KTZ to the gentlemanly calm of dunhill via the backstreets of London's Soho. For those of you who hadn't worked out from my various social media postings (read: ridiculous bombardment of backstage snaps of the Instagram variety) I covered backstage London Collections: Men for VMAN magazine. (I try to convey nonchalance typing that but inside I'm still more than a little buzzing). As predicted the four days of shows were indeed exhilarating madness - and exhausting too! But I loved every minute of it and am so excited to share more of the photographs that I captured that didn't make it online at VMAN (or to my feature on Menswear Style). 

Flashback to SS15

With only a few days to go until my first experience of London Collections: Men, it's safe to say that I'm pretty buzzing - not least because I'll be heading backstage once more to capture the action through my camera lens. So in anticipation of the upcoming exhilarating madness that is backstage photography, I thought I'd share a few treasured snaps that didn't make it to the blog the first time around.

P.S. Post fashion week, I'll be heading straight back to uni and likely swamped with work so please bear with me on the blogging front. Head over to my Instagram and (newly acquired) Twitter if you really miss me that much!

Blogger Lovin'

The best thing about fashion photography is undoubtedly the people. My experience of the fashion industry hitherto is a far cry from the steely-faced, cut throat atmosphere that hearsay would have us 'ordinary' folk believe. While it would be disillusioned to suggest that this side of the monde de la mode doesn't exist, it's just that there's the presence of more than a fair few nice people to make up for it. 

Fashion bloggers are a case in point. 2014 gave me the chance to photograph some of the friendliest, motivating and oh-so-very lovely ladies that I have ever had the privilege of meeting. And so this post is a collation of my favourite blogger photographs thus far. Featuring : Hannah, Zoe, Georgia, Natasha, Olivia and Megan.

Four Things I Learnt In 2014

As another year draws to a close, the prospect of a new year with new experiences, new encounters, new beginnings awaits around the corner. While it's important to focus on resolutions and goals for the year ahead, it's almost impossible to do this realistically without first reflecting on what we can learn from the days that have passed. I'd like to think that I've learnt a fair bit more than four things in 2014 but hey there's only so much time I have to write before my concentration flounders!

Natasha on Westbourne Grove

On a last minute jaunt down to London last week, I finally got to meet with and shoot the oh-so-lovely and oh-so-stunning model and blogger Natasha Ndlovu, otherwise known as Bisous Natasha. It was also my first time visiting Notting Hill - scandalous, I know! - and despite it being a moody grey day I was rather in awe of how pretty it is. Aye indeed, I realise this is old news but honestly, even 232 000 posts worth of #nottinghill on Instagram couldn't prepare me for how elegant the rows upon rows of Victorian townhouses look en réalité. Anyway, I digress, here's a couple of photographs from my shoot with Natasha. Head on over to her blog to check out the full shoot!

Waiting On You

ASOS ovoid dress (similar here) / John Smedley polo neck (similar here) / Caterpillar boots (here)

Photographs: Josephine Cheng
Editing: Myself

Looking particularly Lorde-ish (apparently) in these shots that Josephine took of me back at the end of November in Leeds' Hyde Park. Longstanding followers of my blog might remember this dress from way back in September '13 - if you do, I salute you! Here the dress takes on a rather more winter-friendly form with the addition of the ubiquitous polo neck that appears to be the ordre du jour. 

Lone Belle

Model: Myself
Photographer: Tom Martin
Styling: Georgia Thursting
Hair: Heather Morris of Northern Roots Hair Design

A couple of snaps from my first proper bit of modelling back in November. It was a strange experience for me: to be in front of the camera without the full creative control that I am accustomed to having. But at the same time, it was an experience that was a whole lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed watching another photographer at work; not to mention having my hair all gussied up for me and being styled by the wonderfully talented Georgia! My favourite photographs were those in Tom's amazing 70s kitchen, with the morning light streaming in through the blinds. If you want a nosey at the rest of the shoot, you can find it here.

Backroom

Backroom sweater* (here) / M&S shirt (similar here) / Nike shorts (similar here) / Caterpillar boots (here)

Photographs: Josephine Cheng for Backroom
Editing: Myself

It was way back in September that I last did an outfit post - oh university, what a busy busy being you have made me! - so I am super excited to be back on the outfit blogging bandwagon with this post *in collaboration with Backroom. 

The boyish shorts + oversized sweater combination is my standard outside-of-university-hours attire, smartened up here with the addition of my old school shirt. The boots I bought for practicality reasons after the daily walk to uni had me fork out a small fortune to get the soles of these boots repaired. And also they looked so damn fine on Megan when I photographed her at LFW that I couldn't help but follow suit.

And with that, I return back to the grind of revising for my last exam of the term whilst my dear flatmates are all cosied up watching Christmas movies. More photographs after the jump! 

George @ J'Adore

Model: George @ J'Adore

So my first term at university is drawing to a close, and there's a palpable buzz of excitement in the air about the return home to family, friends, food and lots and lots of Christmas cheer. Oh, and sleep. How I long to cosy up in my own bed and catch up on more than my fair share of forty winks! Anyway, this Friday I was out testing with fellow Leeds student George and had a reet good time wandering around Hyde Park getting some snaps. Even the rain held out for us!

Backstage at Meadham Kirchhoff SS15

Meadham Kirchhoff SS15

The last of my London Fashion Week posts - or at least for the coming season anyway. Backstage at Meadham Kirchhoff was a riot of colour infused with the sweet scent of Tralala. I spent much of my time assisting photographer Philip Banks with flash lighting but I also had the good fortune of a little time to spare to get my own snaps. Click on through for more!

Meadham Kirchhoff SS15

Meadham Kirchhoff SS15

Back again with another instalment of London Fashion Week blogging, this time in the form of my first ever experience of front of house photography - and where better to commence than with the fabulously wacky world of Meadham Kirchhoff? 

Backstage at Thomas Tait SS15

Thomas Tait SS15

Call me outmoded, but I wasn't really aware of the buzz around CSM's youngest MA graduate until I set foot in The Vinyl Factory back in September of this year. But one glimpse of this scarlet leather dress and I knew we were onto a winner. Though I wasn't allowed to photograph first looks, I got more than my fair share of fun capturing the work of MAC and Vidal Sassoon artists as the beauty looks took shape.

Gee @ J'Adore

Model: Gee @ J'Adore

I'm ashamed to say that this post has sat unpublished since before I went to London Fashion Week - quelle honte! Somehow, in the frenzied blur that is fashion week editing and scurrying off to university, I forgot to click 'Publish'. To Gee and y'all at J'Adore, I hope you'll forgive me! Anyway, this shoot was a last minute affair with Gee coming straight from work with no time to freshen up. Add this to the fact that this was only her second time shooting, I think she did pretty darn well!

Backstage at Michael van der Ham SS15

Michael van der Ham SS15

Oh-so-very-belated but better late than never, eh? This was my first experience of photographing backstage at a show and what a gorgeous show to start with! The embroidery work on the pieces was stunning - especially all the lace flowers. And can we just take a minute - or ten! - to appreciate the incredible sunglasses collaboration with Berlin-based Lunettes Kollektion. If anyone fancies splashing out on a pair for me then I'd be much obliged!

See the complete collection of photographs on Fashionising.com