Style Book: Fashionable Inspirations




If you’re a fashion bibliophile, you may be feeling all your Christmases have come at once. Hot on the heels of Jasper Conran’s ravishing ‘Country’ (not strictly a fashion book but definitely one for fans of breathtaking imagery) come Orla Kiely’s Pattern, Matthew Williamson’s monograph and Luella Bartley’s Guide to English Style.

And then there is Style Book: Fashionable Inspirations. A collaboration between Getty Images and former Marie Claire fashion editor Elizabeth Walker, it’s a fat-but-compact resource of fashion shoots, portraits and reportage imagery – some never seen before – that spans decades. I asked Liz a few nosy questions…

Liz Walker with Bruce Oldfield

 

Disneyrollergirl: How did you end up working in fashion?
Liz Walker: I trained as a graphic designer in the days before computers. My first job in London was as Assistant Art Director at Harpers & Queen magazine , as it was called then. I went on to be the Men’s Fashion Editor and then the Women’s Editor as well; you could move around more easily in those days.
DRG: How is the business of making fashion images different today from when you started?
LW: The main difference in creating fashion images today is obviously the birth of the digital age when everything can be finalised on location including the layouts and you can even change the colour of the clothes. This has it’s advantages as well as the disadvantage of having less of a choice; I also mourn the death of the Polaroid.

DRG: You have had a long, successful career, what has been your highlight?
LW: When I started the men’s magazine for Harpers it was at the time of a new wave of handsome actors appearing on our screens. Nigel Havers in ‘Chariots of Fire’, Art Malik in ‘Jewel in the Crown’ and Rupert Everett in the West End theatre to name but a few. It was much easier then; you just telephoned them at home, had lunch and then took the snaps without an agent in sight, very good fun.

I did some very creative pictures with an Italian photographer, Fabrizio Ferri, where we dyed backcloths and hung then over the edge of cliffs and the like; we also did various stories on huge Polaroids sometimes using double images which all sounds so antique now. Later at Marie Claire, where I did a lot more broadcast work, Ruby Wax and I made a television film at the Paris fashion collections; that was quite a challenge. And Jenny Murray on ‘Woman’s Hour’, where I did a couple of round-ups of the looks for the season, is set to get any journalist quaking in her stilettos.

DRG: How did the idea for the book come about? Had you been sitting on it for ages or were you approached by the publisher?
LW: I have known Charles Merullo, the publisher of Endeavour, for many years since we shared a rather chaotic houseboat. We had planned to do some sort of fashion book for ages and even worked on a couple of dummies; at the time I had a seriously seven day a week job and couldn’t really dedicate enough time to another project. When I went freelance, the time seemed right and I got together with the Art Director, Tea Aganovic, to work out the initial concept. We had an idea to do a boxed set with two volumes, one of men and one of women, but it became apparent to me that the juxtaposition of different generations and genders was a more interesting idea.

DRG: What makes an iconic fashion image? What is your favourite image in the book?
LW: An iconic image really etches itself on your memory like the photograph of Dior’s New Look by Cecil Beaton and all of Slim Aarons’ work, which is so evocative of the sixties and seventies. I find it very difficult to choose only one image from ’Style Book’ as they have all become best friends; I love the spread with the Indian army officer dressed top-to-toe in tartan including his turban facing a funny little Japanese artist in checks. Also the cover of Jackie O’, maybe because somebody thought that it was an old picture of me!



DRG: Who are your favourite contemporary image makers today (photographers/stylists/art directors)?

LW: I recollect various shoots done by Grace Coddington for both British and American Vogues and admire quite a lot of the portraits by Annie Leibovitz in Vanity Fair. Mario Testino will always turn out a slick image and Patrick Demarchelier can still take a decent snap after all these years. I am not so au fait with the contemporary art directors.
Having studied all 475 pages, I can safely say it’s impossible to choose a favourite image, this is a beautiful edit and there are too many ‘favourites’ that will most likely chop and change every time you revisit the book. Yep, it’s one of those. For now, I’m drawn to these three…


Style Book: Fashionable Inspirations is published on 30th September by Endeavour.

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl/Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: All Getty Images except Liz Walker and Bruce Oldfield courtesy of Liz Walker
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Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out



Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out is looking like quite the event this year judging by my near-to-exploding in-box. I’m sorely tempted by Rupert Sanderson’s dance-off (choreographed by Bugsy Malone’s ‘Snake Eyes’, no less), Sophy Robson’s demo of Chanel’s new Khaki Nail Lacquer Collection at Selfridges and Liberty’s unveiling of its ‘World of Manolo’ pop-up shop. But the highlight will be Harvey Nichols’ designer ‘Haber-DASH-ery’.

We are promised a vintage haberdashery bureau overflowing with all manner of customising materials plus Jonathan Saunders, Markus Lupfer, Marios Schwab, Martin Grant and Erdem on Valerie Singleton duties. All rather impressive, but even more thrilling is the prospect of discussing the finer points of a well-placed button with Vogue’s Emma ‘More Dash Than Cash’ Elwick-Bates herself. If anyone knows how to create something out of nothing, it is she (although the ‘nothing’ in this case is a not-to-be-sniffed-at Fashion’s Night Out tee, which Erdem et al will be refashioning with a flourish of the Fiskars and a fistful of magic from their collective sewing basket).

Vogue’s More Dash Than Cash pages are my absolute favourite – beautifully shot and styled and proof that it’s not what you wear but how you layer it, tie it and reinvent it. For further reading, hunt down the More Dash Than Cash and Even More Dash Than Cash books – mine have been well thumbed over the years.
I will make it my mission to extract some choice nuggets of fashionable info from Elwick and co but for now, over to you…what are your FNO plans?

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Jumper scarves



It’s been a while since I’ve found a good hybrid trend but here we have one, and what a corker it is. I give you… the jumper-scarf! Check these two Sartorialistas in their artfully wrapped jumpers/cardigans – and be under no illusions that those ‘just thrown on’ knits took plenty of tying and retying.

Looks good though, no?

[Pics: The Sartorialist]

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Ones to watch: 5 influential blogs that brands should be paying attention to



Digital strategist, Agata Seidel from Fashion’s Collective invited me to write a guest post about 5 influential fashion blogs that brands should be paying attention to. It wasn’t easy to come up with 5 ‘top blogs’ that weren’t the obvious Bryan Boy, Tavi, Susie Bubble etc so I went for my ones to watch that I thought had cornered a niche. The crux of my post was that it’s important to own your category while giving it a personal spin. The five I came up with were Sophy Robson, Fred Butler Style, 00o00, Coco’s Tea Party and That’s Not My Age.

While some of these have quite high traffic, they’re not necessarily that well known to brands or outside the UK. What I like about these blogs is that they have made their blogs into a brand (cheesy I know but hey) which has a clearly defined subject, voice and opinion. When bloggers ask how to get more traffic or followers, the standard answer is to have original, engaging content. Here I have gone into a bit more detail of what that means.

That’s Not My Age
It worries me when people think blogging is the sole domain of young people. Brands who ignore the fact that plenty of older people blog are missing out on crucial knowledge and insight. Wake up! There are thousands of fashion-aware thirty-somethings writing and reading blogs and one who has cornered her market in the UK is That’s Not My Age. This ‘style for the over 40s’ blog is written from the perspective of a consumer (although her background in fashion gives her added authority). Her wry observations, tip-focussed street style reportage and general musings on fashion after 40 have amassed a loyal following which allows for much debate and interaction. For brands looking to engage with this newly fashionable demographic (let’s face it, many have recognised that 40 is the new 30), insight from a blog like That’s Not My Age is of immeasurable value.

Fred Butler Style
More and more fashion professionals are launching blogs as their own personal day-to-day PR news feed. These bloggers talk about the projects they’re working on and the things that inspire them. It’s a clever way to engage with the public and also secure more business. The unstoppable accessory and prop designer, Fred Butler is a prolific blogger who has reported on her own projects and those of her London fashion and art friends for the past three years. She has perfectly utilised the power of social media to propel her brand. From her blog you get a clear sense of what she’s about as a designer and a nose into her rainbow-hued life as a young creative.

Sophy Robson
Another fashion creative documenting her work in blog form is Sophy Robson. An in-demand nail artist (her clients include Tom Ford, Chanel and Louis Vuitton), this blog is a brilliant example of how a creative can promote their work in a way that shows their talent and personality. I think it’s absolutely crucial that a blogger opens up and lets their character come through as that honesty and spirit is essentially what the reader responds to. Sophy has also made the most of her authority in this niche by peppering her product reviews, industry insights and fashion shoot imagery with Youtube tutorials, which push her brand even further. Not only do Youtube videos bring a great deal of traffic to a blog, they allow the reader to get to know the person behind the blog.

Coco’s Tea Party
Coco’s Tea Party is an example of a celebrity fashion blog done really well. Blogger Ella has a discerning eye and chooses the most important and up-to-date celebrity pictures to analyse, giving her own personal take on the outfits. Her tone is engaging without being snarky and her love and understanding of fashion and celebrity style come across as genuine and relatable. The success of the blog lies in its editing – each post is well researched and written and high standards are maintained throughout. It’s a filler-free zone. I don’t follow celebrities but on the occasions that I need to know who wore what, Coco’s Tea Party is the obvious destination. Woven through the celebrity posts are commentary on catwalk shows, ad campaigns and magazine editorials, giving us more of Ella’s personality and individual opinion.

00o00
As the men’s fashion industry grows, so does the number of menswear blogs. 00o00, written by a London fashion enthusiast who works in the City, merges luxury and high street menswear commentary with the number-crunching business of fashion. Again, bringing a personal perspective to fashion means he has carved a niche for himself and people know what to expect from his blog. For me, the main selling point is his tone and understanding of business. He makes the business of menswear entertaining and informative and, although he keeps his identity secret, his approachable personality comes through to allow a two-way conversation with his audience.

What are your favourite niche blogs and why do you love them?

For more on fashion, luxury and social media, check out Fashion’s Collective’s excellent blog.

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