ASOS Marketplace shoot, AW11

We spent Saturday morning photographing the AW11 collection on Columbia Road in East London for ASOS Marketplace. It's deserted on a Saturday, which makes it perfect for a shoot.

My friend, broadcaster & journalist Kim Taylor Bennett, very kindly agreed to model the collection despite having had very little sleep (she had been busy watching The Killers alongside Prince Harry the previous night)! The weather was a bit overcast but managed not to rain (thankfully) and the light was surprisingly lovely to shoot with.

Keep an eye out for the collection on ASOS Marketplace, it will go on sale in late August/early September.

How to dress as a summer cyclist, according to Vogue...

Vogue.com did a piece back in May called How to Dress as a Summer Cyclist and I started to read it thinking it was going to be ridiculously impractical and unrealistic (this wasn't helped by the first image they used, see left - I mean, can you really see either of those models cycling off into the sunset after that shot was taken?!).

Whenever bloggers or magazines shoot girls on bikes they always look very 'fashion' - short shorts with diaphanous blouse and mega wedges. Great if you're getting papped, not so good if you're cycling around London trying to get safely from A to B.

Anyway, as I read on I saw that most of the girls Vogue had spoken to did actually have a fairly practical approach to cycling, with most confessing to having a preference for jeans & flats, with Agyness Deyn saying that her one MUST is to always wear a helmet. They may make you look like a total dweeb, but they're a necessity.

Whenever I'm off somewhere on my bike (and owing to my hatred of London Transport, I pretty much cycle everywhere unless it's tipping down with rain) I'm always in a quandary about what to wear. I'm far too lazy to wear one thing and change when I arrive at my destination which means that, while I love a pair of 5 inch heels and tailored shorts, you'll pretty much always catch me in jeans and flip flops when I'm on my beloved bike. And ALWAYS in a helmet!
[Stephen Meisel image taken from Vogue.com]

Nervous Stitch

For year-round knitwear you don't have to wear, Nervous Stitch is your go-to for pieces to jazz up your sofa or armchair.

Jenny McHardy is the brains behind the brand, which produces lovingly knitted bespoke interior accessories. She is passionate about knitted textiles and vintage styles and marries the two brilliantly with her cushions, tea cosies and sewing accessories which are available to buy from her Etsy shop. My personal favourites are the olive deer head cushion and the fox terrier dog cushion. Her collection has a strong nostalgic feel. For example, her newest design 'Mix Tape' is a repeated cassette tape patterned cushion dedicated to all of us who obsessively taped the chart show every Sunday.

Jenny graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2007 with an MA in knitted textiles. She started her business after the birth of her daughter because she wanted a flexible job through which to channel her creativity. She makes everything using Scottish lambswool which I love - we both recognise the importance of using local yarns where possible and supporting the UK textile industry.

Unravel: Knitwear in fashion

If only I could make it to Antwerp by 14th August - sadly I think it's unlikely, but I wish I could get over there to see Unravel: Knitwear in fashion, at MoMu. From what I've seen, it looks like an incredible exhibition showcasing some of the most avant garde talent in the industry. Knitwear pieces by Vivienne Westwood, Maison Martin Margiela, Sandra Backlund, Chanel and Mark Fast are all on show, from more classic styles to the most outrageous.

With the amount of work I have to do between now and the middle of August, I shall just have to settle for the exhibition catalogue, but if anyone has seen it, I'd love to hear what you think.

You can read an interview with some of the designers on the Dazed website.

[Images taken from Dazed Digital]

Pinterest - my new favourite thing

A friend told me about Pinterest the other day and I have been hooked ever since - it's a great social media tool, like Twitter, but with images.

It's a brilliant way of putting all the stuff that inspires you in one place - you create online mood boards and other people can see and share your images too. Twitter can be so useful and interesting in it's way, but it can also be full of drivel. With Pinterest all you have is beautiful images!

Yarn bomb!

According to the New York Times, a new phenomenon is taking over the world - yarn bombing, people!

Also known as grandma graffiti, yarn bombing takes the traditional craft (still associated with old grannies) of knitting and the most maternal of gestures (wrapping something cold in a warm blanket) and transfers it to the concrete and steel structures of the urban landscape. Look out in a city near you - yarn bombers are taking their brightly coloured and fuzzy work to Europe, Asia and beyond.

[Image taken from New York Times website]