Pinewalk, Bournemouth

Jessica is a recent graduate from the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance. Spotted at the Boscombe Vintage Market's guest appearance in Bournemouth town, she wears shoes from eBay, Primark socks, H&M leggings, bag from a car boot sale, necklace and hat from charity shops, second-hand dress with a ribbon belt, and her father's 1970s blazer.

Somerset House, London

My, what big eyes you have... Roisin Ferguson is a freelance stylist from Scotland. Her eye-catching hat (literally so) is by Rene Walrus, her dress is Topshop, and her pop-art bag is from Internacionale. Immediately after I had photographed Roisin, she was accosted by Hilary Alexander, who was in awe of her "cartoon-goth" fashion.

LFW press round-up

Apparently, my outfits ticked a few boxes at London Fashion Week. In particular, I am most pleased that my Unlimited by JK bag was of keen interest, which I am hoping will establish brand identity as much as generate more traffic to this blog.

It is very flattering having my photo taken, but I still prefer being behind the camera lens than in front of it. What annoys me most, however, are people who photograph me, then walk away without telling me where the image will be published. Below are photos I found while browsing website addresses provided by photographers courteous enough to give me a business card, and some who I had to chase after for URLs.

Monday 17th September 2012 ~ Robert Schofield

Sophia Webster S/S 13

These shoes from Sophia Webster really caught my eye at the London Fashion Week exhibition. The patterns and colourful designs will bring so much life to spring/summer looks. My only query concerns the stripy stilletos in the fourth photo - just how strong are those lollipop stick heels?!

Somerset House, London

Among the fashionable guests at London Fashion Week, few showed as much spirit as freelance artist and stylist Alexandra Moon-Age. It was exciting to see someone have so much fun at Somerset House, as she pulled animated expressions and beaming smiles for photographers and visitors awe-struck by her multicoloured, seventies-esque ensemble. She wears a New Look hat, MARCS shirt, vintage tops, Motel Rocks skirt, Versace for H&M belt, and her bag is from, what she described, a "bling shop".

Olivia, Somerset House

It is always a slightly surreal experience meeting another fashion blogger for the first time face-to-face, but Olivia Purvis, namesake of 'What Olivia Did', made a wonderful first impression on the final day of London Fashion Week. Although I only spent an hour in her company, Olivia is absolutely one of the friendliest and loveliest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She wears Office shoes, bag from the Cambridge Satchel Company, Topshop shirt and trousers, vintage belt, and River Island blazer.

Bora Aksu S/S 13

Bora Aksu showcased a beautiful collection for spring/summer in hues of blue, grey and golden yellow.  The crown headpieces added a touch of regalia to each garment, with the catwalk culminating in a parade of queens for the finale.

The show was, in truth, oversubscribed, however it only goes to show how admired this fashion label is. Having witnessed Bora Aksu's elegant interpretation of summer beauty with my own eyes, I will certainly be looking forward to his next showcase in February.

Russell Street, London

BAMMJ coursemate Tazz accompanied me to London Fashion Week on Monday and
Tuesday, as fashion editor for a new publication we are working on, 'Pebble Magazine'.
She wears Converse trainers, Topshop skirt and sleeveless blouse, vintage Moschino
bag from 'Clobber' in Pokesdown, Urban Outfitters earrings, and her brooch - which
complements the lacy details on the blouse - belonged to her great-grandmother.

Math Collective S/S 13

Clean cuts and a contrasting palette of colours make for contemporary pieces in next year's spring/summer collection from Math Collective. Slices and slithers of orange in the fabric play the most distinctive role in each garment, defining the structure of the female physique. The simplicity of the outfits make them very wearable.

Carlotta Actis Barone S/S 13

Ballerinas, fluoro colours and techno music - the Carlotta Actis Barone showcase was superbly entertaining, mixing performance and sound with fashion. The loud and surreal styles, at first, fell in contrast with classical musical, to which the young ballerinas danced gracefully along the runway. But the music was soon replaced for an electric soundtrack that energised the audience and catwalk. Kudos, Carlotta.

Kelly Brook, London Fashion Week

Model and actress Kelly Brook on the front row at Bora Aksu. Having seen her twice that day (the first on Mercer Street, at Zoe Jordan), I could begin to appreciate how beautiful Kelly is in real-life. Although I am amazed she isn't blind from the paparazzi's supernova of camera flashes before and after the show. Beauty and fame are a bittersweet romance.

Great Queen Street, London

I was thoroughly impressed by the volume in Mimi and Kate's hair dos, to which
they explained they had been modelling in the Fam Irvoll catwalk previously.

Carrie, Somerset House

Carrie is the beautiful blogger of 'WishWishWish', which I wholeheartedly adore. She has been shooting the stylish ladies at London Fashion Week for Cosmopolitan. She wears a Mulberry bag, Primark skirt, and else is from ASOS, as part of an ASOS Fashion Finder take-over. If you can spare a few minutes, follow the link above to visit her blog.

Plastic, London Fashion Week

Brimming with enthusiasm, Tom, Sam and Lulu are the faces and voices of up-and-coming electro-pop band 'Plastic'. Their colourful, contemporary and co-ordinated styles caught everyone's eyes, but their vivaciousness was infectious. Tom (left) wears Christian Louboutin shoes, H&M bag and t-shirt, Topshop trousers and Jeepers Peepers sunglasses. Sam (centre) also wears Christian Louboutin shoes, plus Topshop leggings, Avion de Papier shirt, H&M bag and ASOS sunglasses. Lulu (right) wears customised jeans, vintage silk shirt, Converse sneakers, Mannakin necklace and ASOS sunglasses.

(Check the band out on Twitter: @PlasticUKMusic)

DAKS London S/S 13

DAKS' new collection was inspired by "expressive mark making" and other creative techniques used by abstract artists. Yet while its overall design differs from previous seasons, it still retains brand identity. Having now seen the showcase on three occasions, it was easy to spot the homogeneous designs, which include the traditional brown plaid.

For this year's catwalk, I found the perfect spot to fire away with my camera, as you can hopefully tell from the photographs below - I was virtually on the front row! And I am extremely pleased with the results.

Antoni & Alison S/S 13

In celebration of their 25th anniversary, designer duo Antoni & Alison have used every colour they possess to make artworks of outfits. Their spring/summer 2013 collection, "New Work", features brush strokes, ink drawings, charcoal smudges and other various artistic media in its designs. It seemed appropriate that during the catwalk, a woman beside me was painting illustrations of the collection in watercolour.

Today, I'm wearing...

The first day of London Fashion Week has been fantastic, although it isn't quite over yet. At the time of writing, I have another two catwalks at Vauxhall Fashion Scout. Caroline Charles and Antoni & Alison this morning showcased beautiful collections, which I will share in due course. In the meantime, however, here is my outfit for day one at London Fashion Week - a spot of colour blocking, if you will.

VINTAGE BOW TIE / H&M SHIRT / BEALES BELT / ASOS TROUSERS 
ASOS SUEDE DERBY SHOES (Thank you to Lauren for the photo!)

London Fashion Week S/S 13 invitations & schedule

It's that beautifully manic time of year again. London Fashion Week is finally here, and I could not be more excited! Tomorrow is the first day of my busy schedule in the capital, throughout which I will be seeing showcases from the likes of Caroline Charles, Spijkers en Spijkers, Ekaterina Kukhareva and more. I feel very fortunate to have been invited to so many shows, although I can see Friday and Saturday being very exhausting! Will I see you there? Send me a tweet if you'd like to meet, or simply come say hello if you see me.

PERSONAL SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY 14TH 

Antoni & Alison, 9:00, Somerset House
Caroline Charles, 11:00, Somerset House
Zoë Jordan, 12:00, 16 Mercer Street
Carlotta Actis Barone, 13:30, Freemasons' Hall
Bora Aksu, 15:15 Somerset House
Timur Kim, 17:30, Freemasons' Hall
Zeynep Tosun, 18:30, Freemasons' Hall

SATURDAY 15TH 

DAKS, 9:00, Somerset House
VFS Ones to Watch, 11:00, Freemasons' Hall
Tahir Sultan, 11:30, Freemasons' Hall
Spijkers en Spijkers, 15:30, Freemasons' Hall
Melissa Diamantidi, 17:30, Freemasons' Hall
Bernard Chandran, 18:30, Freemasons' Hall
MATH, 19:30, Freemasons' Hall

SUNDAY 16TH 

Ekaterina Kukhareva, 12:30, Freemasons' Hall

MONDAY 17TH 

DAS Collection, 17:30, Freemasons' Hall

TUESDAY 18TH 

Leutton Postle, 10:30, Freemasons' Hall
Nova Chiu, 12:30, Freemasons' Hall
Jena Theo, 15:30/16:30, Somerset House
Sabina Bryntesson, 16:00, Freemasons' Hall
FAD, 19:00, Freemasons' Hall
FAD after-party, 20:00, 38 King Street

Wilkes Street, London

Uyusuke was very flattered to be photographed for his simplistic yet stylish look,
which was, by chance, complemented by the rustic colours of Wilkes Street in
Shoreditch. He is a student in London, but originates from Japan, as do his clothes.

Cheshire Street, London

Lara is a freelance designer living in London. She wears boots from eBay, Topshop
jeans, ASOS necklace and camouflage jacket, Primark vest, and Ray Ban sunglasses.

Zara brogue sneakers

I acquired these beautiful brogue sneakers in July, but I have been saving their début for London Fashion Week. I am especially lucky to have bought them when I did, because they turned out to be the final pair from the Zara online store.

Their hybrid design of sneaker and formal brogue makes for eye-catching footwear in black, white and berry red. I suspect they were inspired by Prada's fringed brogues, as featured in the S/S 12 menswear collection. However, Zara's informal interpretation of the fringed brogue provides the comfort of trainers, plus versatility within a variety of outfit styles. I am very excited to be wearing them soon.

Miss Patina interview

Miss Patina is one of those fashion labels which make me envy women. Beautiful and vintage-esque clothes adorned the rails at Miss Patina's sample sale on Dray Walk, Brick Lane, where the softness of the brand fell in contrast with the hustle and bustle outside the front door. I spoke with Miss Patina brand manager, Sarah Goodwin, to learn a little more about the up-and-coming London fashion label.

New business cards

Among a few Fashion Week invites this morning, I had a pleasant surprise when leaving the house today - my new business cards had arrived! Unlike my previous batch, these cards from moo.com are double-sided and far more professional in appearance.

Featuring my logo on one side and my website's QR code on the other, I'm really pleased with the result. Sadly, I could only afford to purchase fifty cards (professionalism costs extra!), but that is hopefully all I'll need for LFW next week.

My reasons for choosing moo.com for my business cards were predominantly due to recommendations from other bloggers. After ordering my first batch, I can see why. Hence I will offer my own recommendation to anyone in need of new business cards. Excellent service, excellent result.

Brick Lane, London

Tomas models for Abercrombie & Fitch. He wears River Island shoes, Marni for
H&M trousers, floral shirt from China, H&M bag, and Topman sunglasses. Tomas
was also photographed by Toni of 'Fashitects' that same day - see his photo here.

The Strawberry Sisters, London

Emily and Beth O'Regan are sister and blogger duo, 'The Strawberry Sisters', aptly
nicknamed after their strawberry blonde hair. Emily (above) wears Topshop shoes,
Reko dress, and Accessorize necklace. Beth (below) wears shoes and cardigan from a
charity shop, Miss Selfridge dress, Aeropostale necklace, and a homemade garland.

Zara swim shorts

An anonymous reader once suggested I publish a photo of myself in nothing but jeans. How about a swimsuit? My Zara swim shorts in navy blue were one of a few new items I took with me to Corfu, where I made good use of them in the villa's swimming pool.

By the pool - Spitfire babet sunglasses and Zara swim shorts.

Unlike floatier boardshorts, these swim shorts are stretchier and streamlined (my sister preferred "skimpy"), which makes them far superior in the water. After all, you wouldn't see an Olympic or Paralympic swimmer doing the 400m freestyle in floral board shorts, would you? ("But you're not a swimmer," my sister protested.) Their design, however, is fashionably simple - plain navy, with only a subtle lean towards high street couture in the metal aglets, engraved with 'ZARA MAN'.

Although on a more serious note, I would like to clarify it is less my vanity that led me to write this atypical personal style post, and more the chance to overcome a bout of body image insecurity. While it is often publicised that women lack body confidence, men can too, and in my case, it does often bother me that I have a less-than-muscular physique.

I admit my body image is a mixture of genetics and lifestyle. And two years ago, before I even stepped foot in a gym, my now ex-girlfriend said I was sexy. But though I may not be an extreme case in lacking body confidence, it is disheartening, sometimes emasculating, when I see far more muscular guys in my age bracket.

But despite my insecurities, I am proud of my body, even if I am as skinny as a plank, which is why I decided to share the photos above. Heck, you may even think me good-looking. (Don't worry, I won't take offence if you disagree!)

Anyway, it was tremendous fun swimming in Corfu, in the pool and the sea. And I happily had my top off for most of the holiday. Although I want to apologise to my sister if my "skimpy" swimwear was too revealing, which in all fairness, it probably was.

Miss Patina sample sale + discount code

Nothing beats the sweet nostalgia of vintage apparel, but I do adore even vintage-esque styles on women. I was recently introduced to 'Miss Patina', which specialises in such outfits, many of which I found to be very beautiful.

The good news - they have a sample sale in London this weekend. The even better news - you can redeem 10% off with the voucher below (click to zoom).

Now don't think I'm promoting for the sake of promoting! I am interviewing Miss Patina at the sale this Saturday, so I may get to know the brand better. But in the meantime, why not gift my readers? I am not offering diamonds, but if you browse the Miss Patina online shop, you may just be tempted to visit their sample sale on Brick Lane*, voucher in hand. And if you do, I may even snap you for my street style photos.

I hope this offer tickles your fancy, and maybe I will see you on Brick Lane this weekend.

(*Full address for sample sale: Shop 12, Dray Walk, Shoreditch, E1 6QL)

Stoke Newington Church Street, London

Elin is from Stockholm, but has lived in London for the past three years. She recently
finished a foundation drama course at Arts Educational. She wears a Primark dress,
H&M jacket, and her headscarf is from a Swedish second-hand shop.

Hanbury Street, London

Jak works at 'Blitz' vintage store, just off Brick Lane. Before that, he studied Fashion
Promotion and Styling for two years at the University for the Creative Arts. He wears
Kappa boots from Blitz, patterned shirt from a charity shop (only £3, he tells me),
his friend's sunglasses, and Cheap Monday jeans cropped into makeshift shorts.