Home comforts...

Back home for a week....


how nice it is to have a little break from everything! Saw all of my favourite girlys last night for a cheeky bottle (more like 3) of vino and some tequila shots.

Although being home doesn't quite come without its stresses, i have 2 long interviews to transcribe and then about 9 interviews to write up and 4 articles to write... all in two weeks. Possible?

It would be... if I didn't have to keep a sketchbook, relfective journal and do an evaluation report all at the same time.

Oh dear, oh dear.. I hope I manage to graduate this year!

The original mad hatter

... except probably not so mad. Just real and knows what he likes and what he does not.


Yes tomorrow is the day I interview the one and only Mr. Philip Treacy!

My oh my, today has been a long 'un, watching SHOWstudio all day long counted as 'research' into this upcoming interview, as it was the day Mr. Treacy created a unique hat live on camera to be sold after April 3rd on the SHOWstudio Shop.





Images of Philip Treacy hats, thanks to google and the websites involved.

I have drafted the questions I am dying to ask him... only problem is, they're 3 bloody pages long. Which will take me forever, and I only have an hour to spare before having to rush back to the train station to (hopefully) make it to Waterloo in time to catch the train back home.

Great news though, we are visiting his studio in Battersea... there's just something about studio spaces that I love, I find that they are much more personal than a home setting for some reason - it is where the energy is, where the magic happens. Maybe it's got something to do with me being a hopeless creative... and yes, that is me re-inventing the term 'hopeless romantic'.

Well Mr. T, we can't wait to see you, and please for the love of all things fashion, please please like us!

I always get nervous before an interview, because you don't know the person. First impressions count for everything, and hopefully we will make a good one tomorrow, hopefully Mr. Pig will like us too :-)

I LOVE Jackie Dixon!!

Well...

had my interview with the lovely Miss (Soon to be Mrs) Jackie Dixon on Monday....and my... what a lovely LOVELY person!

We chatted away for around an hour and a half integrating interview questions into conversation, and i'd like to think we both had a great time, I know I did... it was one of the easiest interviews I have ever done, and the most fun! It felt like old friends chatting away about their lives, and even ended on me showing her the dress I had bought earlier as I arrived into Kensington High Street Tube station around an hour early!

Being a stylist, you would have thought that she would have looked down upon my 'cheap as chips' H&M number... but she actually really liked it!



Image of Jackie Dixon, from professionalphotographer.co.uk

I can't wait to write up the interview, as we talked about some really interesting stuff.

All in all... a very good day.... plus the coffee was lush too.

Barbara Hulanicki, Chau Har Lee & Ben Westwood

Yesterday I ventured into the depths and bredths of London for a jam-packed day full of interviews...first on the agenda was the one and only Barbara Hulanicki.

It was an amazing experience meeting such an icon, and was so refreshing to meet someone that is so easy-going, fun to chat with and just an all round top lady! Her laughter was infectious as we chatted for over an hour at her friend's London home, and felt sad that it had to end! She has to be one of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever met and am throughly looking forward to seeing what she will come up with next... having designed fashion, founded Biba with her late husband Fitz, turned a hand to interior decorating, collaberated with Italian handbag brand Coccinelle... I wonder what will be on the cards next!?





Pics: Barbara Hulanicki being photographed for 3rd Floor, Me and Barbara, The mirror that hung in Biba (Barbara has given many of the old pieces from the store to her friend, who was her first assistant)

After leaving Barbara, we made our way to visit the breakthrough footwear designer Chau Har Lee at her studio near Shoreditch. She was once again, so lovely and helpful and you could tell she has such passion for what she does... which is great to see in someone who is obviously very intellectual as well, given that she trained herself to use complex computer programs to create 3D models of her collection of mixed material footwear.

Finally, we made it to Ben Westwood's place... unfortunately we got so lost around Battersea that we were quite a bit late, and not being from London doesnt help either! After profuse apologies when we arrived, we chatted away for over an hour about how he likes to escape to the countryside - the unpredictable landscape, it offers something completely different from the 'shithole' he calls London (and i'm sure many would agree!), though despite the bad points of the big smoke he does have an incredible view from his 12th floor flat... spanning almost all of the London skyline. We identified Big Ben, Crystal Palace, the London Eye, and many other key points. We also touched on subjects like the misconception everyone has had about him launching a clothing line, and how everyone expects him to just design fashion because his mother, Vivienne does. Soon it was time to go, and he offered both myself and Pippa to take one of his homemade 'porn badges' as a souvenir... deciding to choose the least raunchy I could see, I opted for a cheeky Bettie Page number, whereas Pippa got given two with a models legs spread in knee high pvc boots and leopard panties.

All in all, quite an interesting and eventful day! Also learning that I would be adding the legendary Phillip Treacy and Jackie Dixon to my list of interviews for next week, came as rather a fantastic surprise when I got home... now to draft up more questions for next week and transcribe these 3 interviews!

Be sure to watch out for them in Issue 3 of 3rd Floor - launch date June 2010.

xxxx

I saw this and thought of you...

Thanks Stephen Lui for the pretty picture....sketchy talent. I like.

Interviews with Jason DeCaires Taylor, Barbara Hulanicki, Rob Ryan and Chau Har Lee...

Wow! What a busy week it has been.. i've been hustling and bustling everywhere.

This afternoon I had an interview with Jason DeCaires Taylor, such a lovely guy!

You can find out more about the interview on the 3rd Floot blog - http://3rdfloorpublication.blogspot.com/

be sure to watch out for my upcoming interviews with the infamous Barbara Hulanicki, Rob Ryan and Chau Har Lee

Now i'm excited...

Acting Sketchy...

I've been drawing... :-)

Master Journalist in training... first step... new thesaurus.

Well I never...

Over the weekend got some really great news and it's to do with my work for 3rd Floor, the up-and-coming fashion publication for creative professionals, kind of an inspiration bible... but more cutting edge than vogue.

Back to the topic... sorry... I do tend to babble alot but that's only when I get really excited/nervous/downright hyper about something...oh dear i'm at it again.

There's going to be a very VERY special interview taking place mid-march with one of the fashion Icons of the 20th/21st century... care to hazard a guess who it is?



... bet you won't get it, but I'll be very happy to take your money in the meantime.

3:1 for any guess

I really don't think I understand this betting malarky, back to the roulette and poker tables for me then.

Au revoir

xxx