SHOELOVE: Nicholas Kirkwood + Rodarte.

Well there's a match made in heaven if ever there was one. These are absolutely incredible. Nicholas Kirkwood and Rodarte are both designers which i think hold incredible artistic vision and creativity already, so to combine their genius in a collaborative effort for the runways of Rodarte for the last few years, well, its blowing my miiind.

Just look.

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Straight into the shoe museum.

I'd even give this last pair a go as well, I think they're awesome. Who needs a comfortable back and non-sprained ankles anyway.

Alice.

Happy New Year (nearly).

I think i've come to the conclusion that i am a walking contradiction. I fight a constant battle with myself about what i want from life, what makes me truly happy, who i want to be, and where i want to be going.

The closest i've come to answering these brain bogglingly philosophical questions is what i've just been trying to explain to my poor (already stressed) brother. He doesn't need this shit. Sorry George. So I think i want to lead a chilled out lifestyle, but with lots of stuff nearby. Oh, and in the sunshine. And if possible warmth also. And thats really the best I've got so far.

Basically, this is where i'd like to be right now.

And here.

Here.

And actually here.

And also here.

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I think this is a strange time of year because everyone becomes very pensive. The good and bad of the year just passed, new years resolutions, hopes and plans and whatnot.

Also, the weather is shite. So who wouldn't want some sun?

Alice.

PHOTOLOVE: William Klein.

Today, I have discovered the joys of William Klein. As it turns out, I already knew his work, I just didn't know it yet (you follow, I'm sure). Today my brother gave me apparently the first of my late christmas presents, a b-e-a-uuutiful book called "In Vogue: The Illustrated History of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine". Now I've only been flicking through it for about 15 minutes but there has been much ooh-ing and ahh-ing and i can tell already that thats my "productive" day out of the window.

In the first few pages there are an array of gorgeous large page spreads of uncredited photos. One of them, is this beaut:

I recognised this picture instantly. I'm so damn cool that sometimes when I see an uncredited fashion photo I like to see if I can recognise/work out who it is by either purely from memory or by evaluating their photographic style and often the models involved. I am proud to announce that in this little round I correctly identified two Irving Penns, a Steven Miesel, a Peter Lindbergh and a Helmut Newton (woo! 10 points to gryffindor). But this mysterious smoking vamp had me stumped. I KNEW I had seen this photo before, and I was umming and ahhing on whether it was another Irving Penn, or perhaps even a Guy Bourdin or Richard Avedon. I looked through all my photography files on my trusty mac and found it saved under Cecil Beaton..!

Thankfully I managed to find the credits for these introductory pages buried in the back of the book, and consequently discovered Klein. He's quite the magician. Take a look.

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She's a bit scary isn't she? Whoa. But nonetheless, Klein rules.

Alice.

PHOTOLOVE: Diana F+.

Firstly, merry crimble folks. I hope santa was generous and that the time spent with your loved ones was beautiful.

I was a very lucky girl this christmas and received the shiny new Diana F+ lomography camera that I have been pining over for months from my lovely mum. I have a real love for photography, but often get frustrated at my own lack of real knowledge about it. In our fancy modern age of digital cameras with easy auto-modes, its hard to really learn the true art that is photography. So i thought by getting my hands on a cheap and non-fancy basic analogue camera with a real life film in it (yes children, in the olden days photos were taken on tangible rolls of film, not digital memory cards), i might finally be able to get my head around what photography is really about. I'm working my way up from the bottom. And for the first time in my lazy life i can (truthfully) say, I HAVE A HOBBY!

My new Diana F+ is the limited edition version from the fashionable parisians at colette. With their signature blue dotty pattern, and big fat flash, i think its pretty cute. And harbouring the soul of colette is BOUND to create beautifully fashionable and edgy images, no?

She has already become my new best friend. And I have decided that she will come with me everywhere.

Thankfully lovely-mum also gave me 3 rolls of 120 ISO400 colour and also black and white film to get me started. I've nearly finished my first roll of colour, and am now tasked with finding somewhere to develop it.. hmmm. I'm sure the results will be very interesting (/crap), but I have been noting down all of my settings and light conditions for each shot so far in true photography geek stylee. The theory is, that this will help me to figure out what works, and what doesn't, so i can start learning quicker. But like i said, its only a theory.

The colette package also comes with an interesting book called "Dianalogues Part 1: Through a Woman's Lens", which has also not left my side. With stories and images from colette and lomography.com contributors, its really got my creative juices flowing and inspired me to go out there and get going. Huzzah!

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There are endless Diana galleries and images online (check some out here), and it seems there are also endless possibilities and outcomes in this type of photography. It is this unpredictable and experimental nature that has attracted and held the interest of so many loyal followers.

Stay tuned for the undoubtedly interesting results of my first roll.

Alice.

SHOELOVE: Charlotte Olympia.

I've always had a fascination with amazing shoes that fit far more easily into the category of art than apparel. I'm not the best at shoes, for as much as i love them and wish i was better at walking in them, it can be dangerous. I prefer to look at them and admire from afar. I've always wanted to open a shoe museum of incredible works of shoe art.

These babies from Charlotte Olympia could go straight in.

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Granted, these last ones aren't exactly shoe art, but they're SO cute! I might even manage to wear these little gems, as i walk around curating my shoe museum.

Alice.

BRANDLOVE: Gareth Pugh for M.A.C.

Now this is definitely good news. Gothic god Gareth Pugh has collaborated with MAC to create a brand new limited edition collection of make up and accessories. Using a palette of neutral nudes contrasted with dramatic and dark purples, blues and greys, this collection embodies Pugh's dark yet futuristic aesthetic.

Here is the collection in its entirety:

If I can get my hands on just one product from this line it will have to be the violet lipglass in 'Vacant' (although I also wouldn't say no to the nail lacquer in 'Hyper' blue - amazing!).

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There's also an awesome video to accompany the stunning visuals for the collection created by Pugh and fashion film maker Ruth Hogben of SHOWstudio. Check it out.

Alice.

BRANDLOVE: Lazy Oaf.

Sometimes, I wish I was a boy. I get told on a fairly regular basis (a relatively worrying one in fact), that I may as well be one - something I am assured is due to my traits in personality, and not looks (fingers crossed).

I often think that if I were a boy (hello Beyonce), I would be the best dressed one around. Obviously this is easy for me to say being a girl, as I will never actually have the chance to prove this bold statement, but still.

I go through phases of feeling and dressing uber girly and feminine - florals, pastels and the like, and then dressing like a grungey emo boy - black leather, giant faded tees, and doc martens. A couple of months ago in our first DVC (design and visual culture, oh yeah) seminar, we were asked to describe our style. Needless to say we ALL found this very challenging.. and resorted to asking our friends to describe us (much awkward offence of course caused). Still incredibly challenging, due to my split-style-personality for me we decided on "Confused", and then leapt delightedly to - "Postmodern"! Well, we were amused.

I'm definitely feeling some boy-style at the moment though, all I seem to want to dress in is jeans and oversized t-shirts with fun graphics. Maybe its just the christmassy season, makes me feel the need for comfort above all else.

Anyway, I digress. So here is a brand I recently discovered (as I was searching for the make of the "Brain Hat" I spotted on tv), which just makes me happy, Lazy Oaf.

[said brain hat]

Here are some of my fave items:

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The great thing about Lazy Oaf is that its pretty much all unisex. I often think that guys can get away with humour and novelty in clothing much easier than girls, but with this stuff, it makes me feel so tickled myself that I wouldn't even care about looking "silly". If there's one thing I've learnt from hanging out with guys, its that us girls often take ourselves too seriously anyway.

I have been dropping shameless hints (/emailing links) to my brother since discovering Lazy Oaf, seeing as its nearly Christmas and all.. 

So here's to hoping eh!

Alice.