DragWorld 2019

August has been an exciting month for UK drag, and smack bang in the middle was DragWorld. Starring kings, queens and artists in between, the weekend-long convention at Olympia London is an annual celebration of modern drag, featuring runway performances from acclaimed UK talent, panel talks discussing all aspects of drag culture and the entertainment industry, meet-and-greet opportunities with renowned drag personalities, and traders supplying everything one might need to transform themselves from Joseph Kent to Aqua Lunge. (Yes, that's my new drag name, and you can follow her on Instagram.)

Poking my camera around last year's event, my eyes and mind were opened to the rich diversity of drag artistry beyond the limelight of reality television. That said, there's no denying that RuPaul's Drag Race - which recently announced the competitors for its long-anticipated UK edition - has elevated this entertaining artform from downtown clubs to the international stage, and certainly Europe's largest drag convention would be foolish not to embrace it. Queues to meet the stars of the show snaked across the floor in every which way, turning the exhibition hall into a colourful Tetris board of drag enthusiasts.

Among the US queens at this year's convention were country singer Trixie Mattel, All Stars 4 winner Trinity the Tuck, and the chunky yet funky Latrice Royale. Although my favourite moment from the weekend was spotting Willam of Season 4 and Race Chaser fame cruising nonchalantly on a hoverboard in Balenciaga platform Crocs and rainbow rocker hair (see above).

But while the queues for the American queens were long and winding, the UK queens commanded the crowds at the catwalk stage, where the likes of Meth, Poppycock, Tayce and Ellie Diamond brought the house down with sensational lipsync and dance performances. Manchester queens The Family Gorgeous, a few of whom I had the pleasure of shooting last summer, also met with fans of their new Channel 4 makeover show, Drag SOS. And the All Drag Is Valid movement, founded by Nottingham drag queen Luna Moon, returned to campaign for greater diversity and inclusivity within the drag industry.

DragWorld is a weekend brimming with as much joy as it is with padding, and much like London Fashion Week, I hope it's an event I shall continue to photograph for many more years to come. Perhaps in time, I too shall perfect my own drag persona and - should I find the confidence - take to the stage myself. Until then, however, I very much look forward to attending more drag shows and getting to know the real tucking deal.

Sunday at Coast

On Sunday, my Dad and I drove down to Dorset to the visit my sister and her boyfriend. The journey along the A31 and A338 was a familiar one, having spent three formative years in Bournemouth training for a career that - little did I know - would stop short at an unpaid internship. Although where I departed these sandy shores for promise of a new life in the big city, my sister remained, and has since become the envy of my family with her summer snaps from the golden coastline and crisp afternoon walks in the New Forest. It was a pleasure to savour even a few hours of a life I hadn't realised I had missed.

Leanne and Jonny treated us to brunch at Coast, uniquely combining an independent café with surf, skate and moto shop in a celebration of beach culture. The contemporary frontage is inviting; woven lanterns linger above outdoor seating screened by bamboo, leading then into a naturally lit café space with timber décor and an olive green feature wall draped with the tendrils of invading plants. A classic motorbike pitched beside a row of sleek surfboards casts little doubt to the true passion behind the business.

As we await our choices from the locally sourced menu (mine a smoked salmon scotch egg with roasted beetroot, salad and wasabi mayonnaise), I escape my family for several minutes to explore the room beyond the café. Another motorcycle is stood proudly before me, and to the right, shelves of surf and biking books, a rail of light and summery garments, and a vintage pool table decked with beauty and home accessories to complement one's coastal lifestyle. At the very rear of the store is a workshop for all of your board and bike requirements.

After finishing up our brunch and fruit smoothies, we returned to Leanne's flat ahead of our stroll to the beach. Yet, as we passed a scene of paddleboarders and windsurfers metres from the shore, I had to wonder, having lived beside the sea for three years, why I hadn't embraced beach culture like my sister and so many others here. Perhaps if I had been a tad more adventurous, I might be eyeing up those surfboards in Coast with a yearning for the sea, as opposed to wondering how best I frame them for my camera.

Coast may be found at 91 Salterns Road, Poole, BH14 8BL.

Graduate Fashion Week | Liverpool John Moores University

I didn't attend Graduate Fashion Week in 2018, because I was galivanting around Budapest, but gosh had I missed it. Unlike the commercially minded collections we often see at London Fashion Week, those presented on the GFW runway are unbound by the latest trends and market pressures, and steered purely by imagination and promising talent. As a consequence, the graduates' designs are spectacularly diverse, comprising all manner of colours, fabrics, styles and silhouettes. Frankly it's refreshing!

Liverpool John Moores University is the only show I photographed this summer, nonetheless I adored the creativity displayed by its graduates, especially in those collections that were a tad more eccentric. If I had to choose a favourite from the eighteen-strong student showcase, it would have to be Enola Wade's "Lost in Grace" - a vibrant, 80s-inspired collection that pays tribute to Grace Jones with neon catsuits, gold palazzo pants, animal print, and a cape made entirely from the supermodel's face. Special mention also to Lizzie Barnes for challenging the heteronormity of men's fashion in a flurry of fuchsia pink ensembles.