Freelancing at Fashion Week

The most hectic week in my calendar is upon me, and I feel barely prepared. Of course, the reality is far from it. My itinerary is organised, my camera is charged, and my outfit for tomorrow is ironed and hanging on my clothes rail. That said, I cannot help feeling slightly anxious. This is my fifth season in attendance, but my first independent freelance job for a major publication.

While at London Collections: Men, I was very fortunate to assist Jonathan Daniel Pryce in shooting street style for Mr Porter and Men's Health among others. But on this occasion, I am working alone. I am excited to share with you that I will be shooting street style for the Daily Express at London Fashion Week S/S 14.

The Daily Express fashion desk will be featuring a selection of my photos each day during LFW, links to which I will post on my Twitter and Facebook platforms. In the mean time, I will still be publishing photos on my blog, so there is no excuse for you to stop visiting. As always, expect crazy street style and fabulous designer shows.

Summer blogging

If you hadn't guessed, I am now in the final weeks of my degree. I have a dissertation to submit shortly, followed by a fortnight of converged news days, and because of this, I am unable to dedicate much time to producing fresh blog content. (Sorry!) But summer and sweet freedom are just around the corner, so you should expect plenty of exciting things from Unlimited by JK very soon.

 

Having recently acquired a small selection of new products, I am looking to shoot several new outfit posts, which shall hopefully include a Doctor Who inspired outfit, and styling my very first designer garment, courtesy of À La Disposition.

Still to come also are the Boscombe Vintage Market, Bournemouth blogger meet, Bristol blogger meet, Graduate Fashion Week, Bournemouth University Summer Ball, Brighton Fashion Week and London Collections: Men. Will you be attending any of these upcoming events? Please let me know!

In the meantime, I guess it is a game of patience. But when I am so close to completion, can you blame me for wanting to sprint to the finish line? I suppose I had better crack on with that dreaded dissertation.

The Summer Ball is coming...

Tickets go on sale today for Bournemouth University's Summer Ball - a one-day music festival, in which 7,000 students get drunk in the sunshine and frolic about in some of the best homemade costumes you will ever see. Because this is my final year of university, you'd think I would put down the camera on this occasion and join in with the festivities. As if. I'm a workaholic, remember?

What I find the funniest about the whole Summer Ball experience are the stares from the residents of Bournemouth town, who can't quite fathom why there are young men and women dressed up for Halloween in June. There ought to be signs in the weeks preceding, warning the general populace of the impending oddities.

(If you are a student at Bournemouth University or the neighbouring Arts University Bournemouth, you can grab your early-bird ticket - plus up to three guest tickets - from the Poole House atrium, or online at www.subu.org.uk/events.)

London Collections A/W 13 schedule

I was fortunate enough to be granted press accreditation for London Collections: Men, which means the British Fashion Council now recognise me as a journalist rather than a blogger. (I will still be a blogger at heart!) As such, I was excited to receive a book that details all the designers, venues and nearby places of interest, and includes an orange pin badge to recognise my accreditation.

My show schedule for London Collections is not as heavy as London Fashion Week, but I am happy to have been offered invitations to ten shows over three days, with plenty of time in between to take street style photos and interview guests.

PERSONAL SCHEDULE:

Monday 7th January

Hentsch Man, 3pm-5pm, 53 Monmouth Street
A La Disposition, 3:30pm, 35 Neal Street

Tuesday 8th January
Nicole Farhi, 9:30am, 36-37 St George Street
YMC, 12:15pm, 21-23 New Oxford Street
Martine Rose, 2:15pm, 24 Endell Street
Savile Row, 3:30pm, Spencer House

Wednesday 9th January

Baartmans and Siegel, 9:30am-11:30am, 135 Shaftesbury Avenue
Jaewan Park, 12:45pm, 35 Neal Street
Jenny Schwarz & Orschel Read, 2pm-8pm, 336 The Strand
Quasimi Homme, 3pm-4:30pm

Miami

As a final-year journalism student, 2013 is looking to be an insanely busy year for me. However, among all my academic and journalistic responsibilities, I have been offered a massive opportunity, one which I could never have passed up.

I had to read the e-mail twice before I fully absorbed what was written. No word of a lie, Unlimited by JK is heading to Miami, where - as a reporter for Adidas NEO - I shall be meeting global superstar Justin Bieber.

Because the final details are still being arranged, I cannot tell you much about the trip at this current time. However, I can confirm I will be in Miami for the final weekend of January 2013, which is not long to wait.

I hope I can treat you all to a plethora of Miami street style upon my return, plus even more photos from the trip itself - hopefully included in those a couple of shots of and with Justin Bieber. I can imagine it will be a surreal experience indeed.

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

Summer blogging

Funny story - I had stated on Facebook that I would be taking a break from blogging today. That didn't last long, did it? In all seriousness though, my housemate might be correct when he says I am treading a fine line between dedication and a blogging addiction. I cannot disagree with him.

But moving on swiftly, I offer you a round-up of what will be happening this month and beyond, including a new and exciting project...

Firstly, having finished my second year at university, I can now look forward to a long summer filled with fun past times (hooray!) and dissertation research (boo!). Thankfully however, my dissertation topic concerns fashion blogs, therefore I will be calling upon the many wonderful contacts I have made over the past year for their views and input. Yes, you know who you are, fine ladies and gentlemen!

Which brings me nicely onto the central event of July - the bloggers' picnic in Hyde Park. At present, I will be a lone man among a sea of stylish ladies brought together by a mutual interest in blogging and looking pretty. There will definitely be cupcakes, and I am sure I will not arrive empty-handed either. Plans for the bloggers' picnic on Saturday 21st July are currently "in the works", but hopefully a casual game plan (and possible plan b in the circumstance of rainy weather) will be revealed soon.

Also happening this July, more street style! At least I hope this is the case. I had also mentioned on the Unlimited by JK Facebook page that I will no longer be blogging on an absolute daily basis, but after today's desperate need to publish something, this may not work out well. Hence street style photos will be an even more regular occurrence.

The only issue I have with this, however, is that I need a month's worth to cover my time away at the end of summer, when I am on holiday and then on a work placement. Blogging and photo-taking will obviously be limited. I can seek comfort in the fact that afterwards is London Fashion Week, but until then, my salvation lies in the outfits of Bournemouth's fashionistas, wherever they might be. Although a couple of trips into London and hanging about in the right places could certainly provide me with my street style quota if needed.

And finally, the exciting project: "Pebble Magazine" - a new webzine covering fashion, music, culture, lifestyle and beauty, plus a wide array of topical features. Its conception was not my doing, but I have been assigned the position of Assistant Editor, so I shall be undertaking many responsibilities. At the moment, it is nothing more than an idea, slowly taking shape into what I hope will be something gripping and eye-catching. To follow our progress, you can follow @pebblezine on Twitter.

And that is about it for now. You can always find out more throughout the summer via my Twitter (@unlimitedbyjk). Thank you for your support and interest - it means a lot!

Jubilee weekend

The flags are flying - it's The Queen's Diamond Jubilee. I am afraid the only patriotic fashion I possess is a pair of Union Flag socks, but at least I have the right idea! I will be whipping out my camera at the Boscombe Vintage Market today, photographing the best Jubilee street style, so any Bournemouth fashionistas ought to pay a visit.

Tomorrow, I will be filming a mini-documentary in neighbouring Pokesdown at their Artisan Fayre, followed by a good few hours editing the footage overnight! Monday should offer small respite, with a garden party and barbecue at a friend's house, then Tuesday is the much anticipated BAMMJ Ball. Photos (and video) to feature soon.

In the meantime, I will be continuing with street style from Bournemouth, Brighton and London, plus catwalk photos from Brighton Fashion Week. And if you like what you see, could you please nominate me for "best new fashion blogger" in the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards? I would be very grateful. (Click the pink box in the right-hand sidebar!)

What have you planned for the four-day Jubilee weekend?

Bournemouth's Affordable Vintage Fair

It's back! Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair is returning to Bournemouth this Sunday at the Hotel Picadilly, packed with fashion for both the stylish lady and the dashing gentleman. This is one vintage extravaganza you do not want to miss.

Once again, I have been asked to be the resident style scout for the day. If you dress to impress, you could have your photograph taken and see it published both here and on the official Vintage Fair Facebook page. What's more, you could also receive a special goodie bag and gold medal from either myself or the Vintage Fair team.

As for what I'm going to wear, however... I'm a little bit stuck for choice at the moment. I have a very vintage outfit planned for my birthday the weekend after, but I don't want to spoil the surprise before then. I have, of course, a number of vintage ties to choose from, although not enough in my mind. I am sure I will pick up a few more at the fair.

(For more details about Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair, see vintagefair.co.uk)

Bournemouth blogger meet

I hope you don't mind the brief interval in my Fashion Week posts, but I want to draw your attention to a Bournemouth blogger meet taking place next month. The meet-up isn't formal; simply an opportunity to socialise and network with like-minded people.

The exact date for the blogger meet is Saturday 31st March, and anyone with a passion for blogging is welcome to attend. We will rendezvous in Pokesdown for lunch at the Tattoo Parlour Café at 1pm, followed by a spot of shopping in the many vintage shops Pokesdown has to offer. We may then head to Sixty Million Postcards in Bournemouth town for cocktails and music afterwards.

I will of course be taking lots of photos during the day; even perhaps a couple of street style photos if your outfit grabs my attention. I am also happy to photograph anyone who wants to publish an outfit post for their own blog. All you need is ask.

If you would like to find out more, including who else is attending and where to stay overnight in Bournemouth, follow the hashtag "#bmouthblogmeet" on Twitter. Alternatively, please leave a comment below expressing your interest.

I hope to see you there!

London Fashion Week invitations

With more than a dozen invites confirmed, London Fashion Week A/W 12 is looking to be far more exciting than S/S 12. At present, I have 15 showcases in my schedule, including DAKS, Kokon To Zai, Anna Popovich, and Pam Hogg.

A few of my invitations to London Fashion Week - most have come by e-mail
and I'm currently waiting for Kokon To Zai's to be delivered.

PERSONAL SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY 17TH

Ekaterina Kukhareva, 10:00-19:00, Freemasons' Hall

Francesca Marotta, 14:00, Goldsmiths Hall

SATURDAY 18TH

DAKS, 9:00, Somerset House

Spijkers en Spijkers, 15:30, Freemasons' Hall

Bernard Chandran, 17:45, Freemasons' Hall

Shao Yen (presentation), 18:00-19:00, Freemasons' Hall

Ashley Isham, 19:00, Goldsmiths Hall

SUNDAY 19TH

Ubuntu, 11:30, Freemasons' Hall

Fashion Finest, 13:00, The Westbury Hotel

Pam Hogg, 19:30, Freemasons' Hall

MONDAY 20TH

Inbar Spector, 11:00, Freemasons' Hall

Prose, 18:00, Freemasons' Hall

Anna Popovich, 20:00, The Old Vic Tunnels

TUESDAY 21ST

Welsh Collective, 13:45, The Arches

Kokon To Zai, 18:15, Somerset House

WEDNESDAY 22ND

Oliver Spencer, 16:00, Somerset House

All in all, I'm pretty psyched about the next few days. Stay subscribed for a dozens, maybe even hundreds of street style and catwalk photos from the capital city. And if you're attending LFW yourself, please don't hesitate to Tweet me or send me an e-mail.

Looking forward to February

First of all, let me apologise for not posting regularly during this past month. I feel bad if I don't publish photos daily, but I've been a little busier than I expected. Then again, I have had more than 8,000 hits this month, which I can't quite explain. In any case, I'm hoping February will make up for the lack of content.

For starters, I'll be attending a gig in London next Friday, which will offer me opportunity to do street style photography during the day (London has plenty of fashionable people), and then to capture photos of the bands during the night. Featuring performances from headlining act 'The Effect' and special guests, the gig will be held at the 100 Club on Oxford Street on the evening of Friday 3rd February. (Click here for tickets)

Then on Saturday 11th, I will be attending 'The Only Way Is Blogging' spring social, also in London. The event is a huge blogger meet organised by London Beauty Queen and will be visited by the team from Company magazine too. It's another great chance to network with other bloggers, whilst promoting my own blog at the same time. I am feeling a little anxious, as I did with the Bristol meet-up, since I may well be the only male blogger again.

And on the immediate Sunday, I'll be returning to Pokesdown for their Valentines Fayre. Local shops and independent traders will have plenty of Valentines themed gifts on sale, and the famous Dorset Troopers will also be making a special appearance. After missing them at the official opening of Kaotichandbag, I am determined not to let them go so easily again. (Click here for further event details)

But the biggest event for February is without a doubt London Fashion Week. I have tickets and passes to several off-schedule shows already, and I am currently waiting on replies from the top designers participating in the official LFW schedule. Lots of street style photography, plenty of catwalk photos... Need I say more?

And finally, I am excited to announce I will be doing my first official photo shoot for Unlimited by JK. With kind assistance from my housemate, it'll be a Valentines shoot inspired by Paul Smith's A/W 11 womenswear collection. The final photos will be published on the morning of Tuesday 14th February.

Tomorrow night at the National Television Awards

Tomorrow, a few coursemates and I will be attending the National Television Awards at the O2 Arena in London. As requested by our tickets, we'll be kitting ourselves out in smart or glamorous attire, photos of which I will publish on Thursday.

If I can obtain red carpet tickets, I will also be photographing some of the nominees and VIP guests. But with my poor knowledge of celebrity culture, you'll probably know more about who I 'papped' than I do. If I'm honest, it's slightly hypocritical for me to attend this awards night when I rarely watch much television.

But whatever the case, I am sure that I - along with my fellow BAMMJs - will enjoy this much awaited evening. You can watch all the action live on ITV 1 from 7:30pm, or you can follow my Tweets throughout the night too (@unlimitedbyjk).

One month until London Fashion Week

One month today, London Fashion Week returns to the capital, where the best British designers will showcase their new A/W 12 collections. And hopefully, I'll be receiving invites to a number of shows.

At the moment, my ticket requests to each brand have just "been noted", meaning I must wait to hear if I have actually been successful. I very much doubt I will obtain any seated tickets this year, but I do hope I can get into more than two shows this time around. After all, more shows equal wider fashion knowledge and a better standing as a fashion blogger.

My only confirmed catwalk is Anna Popovich, as part of Fashion Mavericks - a style event coinciding with LFW and showcasing independent designers. I am also planning on going to Vauxhall Fashion Scout too, but I have yet to figure out how to obtain tickets or passes, especially since I don't know which up-and-coming designers will be presenting their collections. Can anyone offer any advice?

In the meantime, it's just a matter of e-mailing press officers again and waiting for replies. LFW is going to be so much bigger for Unlimited by JK next month, and I will be sure to upload lots of catwalk and street style photos for you to enjoy.

National Television Awards tickets

Since buying the tickets a couple of months ago, thoughts of the National Television Awards have remained a dormant memory in the back of my mind. But now the tickets have finally been delivered, there's no longer an excuse to not be excited.

Attending the NTAs was the brainwave of fellow BAMMJ Charlotte Foot, who believed it would be a fun experience for us aspiring journalists. Unfortunately, due to the woes of student debt, not many on our course agreed to purchase tickets, however there will still be six of us to enjoy this glamorous evening.

For me, I'm really looking forward to taking photos of the event more than anything else, including snapping the celebrities on the red carpet. It's also a chance to wear something swanky, since the dress code is "smart/glam". Definitely a bow tie, methinks.

Bloggers' Christmas Party this evening

Just a few more hours to go until I'm in Bristol, mingling with dozens of bloggers on a nightclub dancefloor. The evening is looking to be a success, but I'm beginning to feel somewhat nervous about meeting all these new people - and that's just the fraction of people I've seen on Twitter!

If you fancy following any updates on tonight's shindig at Java Bristol, remember that you can follow the Twitter trend "#xmasbloggermeet", my personal Tweets (@unlimitedbyjk), or via the MyStreetChic website, where they will be running a live blog from the party.

If you want to check out what's in store for myself and the many other guests tonight, have a play of the following video...

#XmasBloggerMeet

Here is a further update on the next anticipated event of the year... In less than a week's time will be the Christmas Bloggers' Party hosted by fashion website 'MyStreetChic'.

The evening in Bristol will include a catwalk show, exhibiting the latest partywear from Boohoo.com, but more importantly, its guest list features many established and aspiring bloggers from across the UK with which to befriend and network.

Naturally, the majority - if not all - the other bloggers will be female (oh, it's such a hard life, isn't it?), but thankfully, the kind and happy people at MyStreetChic have informed me there will at least be one other guy there, should the mass of lovely ladies in party dresses become, shall we say...? Too overwhelming.

It will be really exciting to meet the bloggers who I have recently been following, and to make potentially vital connections for my future within the blogosphere. I may for most of the time stand as a lone trooper with my fashion blog, but just like in the world of journalism, good contacts are important.

So if you fancy following up on next week's blogger party, you can follow the Twitter trend, "#xmasbloggermeet", or you can visit the MyStreetChic website for all the necessary details, including choices of nearby accommodation.

(To purchase a ticket for the MyStreetChic Christmas bloggers' party, click here)

Clothes Show Live tomorrow!

Whoop whoop! It may involve a super early train journey with an awkward number of changes, but tomorrow, I'll be at Birmingham NEC for my first visit to Clothes Show Live, accompanied by the lovely Charlotte Gay. A very big thank you to my sister and stepsister for the tickets, their gift to me for my birthday.

Sadly, however, a confusion when buying the tickets means Charlotte and I may miss the fashion theatre show, since we won't be arriving in time for the performance listed on our tickets. It's a little disappointing, but we'll try to exchange our platinum seats for standard seats scheduled at a later time. Charlotte, who has been twice before, has also assured me that there is plenty more to do and see than just the show.

For my attire, I will once again be adorning my terracotta blazer, as you can see from the close-up above. You'll get to see the full outfit from Monday, when I'll post the first of the many photos I plan on taking. I even have my Grandad's 100-300mm telephoto lens to grab the best of the action.

(Want to follow my Clothes Show updates? Follow me on Twitter: @unlimitedbyjk)

Spit Happens - BAMMJ charity gig, 12th December

Okay, not necessarily a fashion-related event, but it'll certainly be an occasion for which to dress up! I just want to draw your attention to this little shin-dig of a gig my journalism course is organising, with performances from a number of acts, including yours truly.

During yesterday's recording of the BAMMJaid charity gig

The gig is in aid of blood cancer charity 'Anthony Nolan', which aims to save the lives of those with blood cancer through blood stem cell and bone marrow transplants. The event will be taking place at The Winchester pub on Poole Hill, Bournemouth, and will include nine musical acts as well as a performance of the 'BAMMJaid' Christmas single - our rendition of Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'

As for me, I'll be singing Elton John's 'Your Song' (not by myself, mind you - I'm not that brave!), while wearing something smart and colourful most likely. It's been a long while since I donned a brightly coloured tie, although I may find I'll need some room to breathe around my collar if I am to be singing on stage.

As the venue is not huge, tickets are limited, but if you are in Bournemouth on the evening of Monday 12th December, advanced tickets - which are on sale from the TARDIS in the Bournemouth University Media School foyer, 1pm-2pm every weekday - are £3.50, whilst on-the-door tickets will be £5.

If you're attending, fantastic, and I will see you there. You can expect me to be taking lots of photos during the evening - that is until I've drowned my post-performance shakes with cocktails and vodka mixers.

(For further details, see the Facebook event page)

Bloggers' Christmas Party

At the end of term, I'll be heading to the city of Bristol for a blogger meet courtesy of MyStreetChic.com and the South West Bloggers Network. The event is an opportunity to network with other fashion and beauty bloggers, and will include a catwalk show featuring the latest partywear from Boohoo.com.

The blogger meet/Christmas party will take place at Java Bristol on the evening of Friday 16th December, and tickets are only £5. Although the night will cost a little extra for yours truly, as Bristol isn't exactly walking distance from Bournemouth!

But despite the cost, the night should be worthwhile - the party will be fun, I'll make lots of new contacts, and I get to visit Bristol for the first time. Bristol street style, anyone?

My only worry, however, is that thoughts of the event will distract me from my shorthand exam, which is taking place only a few hours before. Hopefully, it won't be case.

As always, I'll keep you posted with updates and have a blog post choc-a-bloc with photos for you to enjoy and peruse through upon my return. In the meantime, I had better practice for my shorthand exam and carry on with my news theory essay.

(To get your hands on a ticket for the bloggers' party, click here)