LFW - Neon, Mermaids and the day I met ADR

*Hey Readers, once again apologies for the gap between blogs but one has been very very busy! However buckle up and get ready for some reading...enjoy!

As Day 3 swung around I felt the need to inject some colour and a bit of fun into my LFW wardrobe. Last season I got the biggest kick out of wearing my vintage neon pink neoprene trousers (which a week later ended up appearing in Jil Sander form on their runway during
MFW -fashion psychic perhaps?) this season however it was a printed oversized shirt in an array of neon colours that caught my eye while parousing the racks of Beyond Retro. Paired down with some white J Brands (THE best jeans in the world) and my neon converse I added a lolly green suede envelope bag from American Apparel and stacked a pink watch against my blue watch! To add to the effect I decided to channel my inner-becks an add Blue Polish! Voila!

I met my little ray of sunshine Miss. Laura Whitmore at the Vauxhaull Fashion Scout Venue (Freemasons Hall - Covent Garden) for the first show of the day, the luxe 'Izmaylova'. Clacking her heels down the pavement she squealed 'Aah your outfit makes me smile'. Meeting our friend the lovely Jewellery Princess Amber Atherton (check out her fabulous jewellery online store www.myflashtrash.com) at the door she too smiled at the ensemble 'I have to take a picture of this so when I'm feeling sad it makes me smile' - happy to make my girls smile this is just what fashion should feel like - FUN! On we went in taking our seats to board the 'Izmaylova Express' the runway was to look like a train station, its guests ready to hop onto a fashion-train ride of silk, sequins, feathers and the sort of luxury usually seen on the catwalks of Milan & Paris. Beautiful cuts & embellishment there were definitely some HOT red carpet frocks on show!

After our flurry of feathers we made our way over to catch the presentation of one of our favorite shoe brands Charlotte Olympia (designed by Charlotte Dellal). Inspired by the beach, mermaids and sea shells we were welcomed by gorgeous models lounging on sunbeds on the faux-beach in gorgeous C'Olympia heels! It was especially fun as I got Laura in two pairs of Charlotte's shoes over the course of LFW so we were ready to see what next season had in store!

I especially loved the palm tree print with wrought iron heels - a true work of fine fashion art!

About 20minutes into the presentation I noticed a certain someone walk through the door. This certain someone was none other than one of my GREATEST fashion Hero's the incredible Editor of Vogue Japan Anna Dello Russo. I had seen ADR a few times last season when she graced the front rows of Julien Macdonald and Kinder Aggugini however this was my first ADR spotting of the season! Dressed in demure-yet-chic white tuxedo with a citrus Bottega Venetta clutch in hand she breezed her way through the room without fuss and though she commanded every ones attention - a legend was in the room after all - you could feel just how down to earth she was by her presence. It was at this moment that I knew I had to introduce myself to this Fashion Great! Tapping her on the shoulder 'Anna, hi my name is Denis and I just have to say that you are one of my hero's, you're so inspiring' , 'Ah, thankyou' she said , 'What do you do?' , 'I'm a Stylist and Blogger' , 'Ah Si very good' she replied. Being in her presence just made me feel even more inspired to follow my fashion dream and one day achieve the greatness that ADR has.

Happy as a boy on Christmas morning we left the presentation and I parted ways with Whit to make my last show - one of my favorites of the season - Mark Fast! Best known for his body con dresses that when seen on the hanger look like kidswear but once on body form hugs every curve in all the right places , it was time to see what this genius had up his sleeve this season!

He didn't dissapoint with another collection inspired by the sea he sent out Mark Fast Mermaids in bright corals, citrus yellows, neon pink paired down with gold, ivory and a finale of black in his signature knit body hugging creations! This was a collection that bought sexy back! After a day of neon, under-the-sea inspirations and the highlight of my LFW (meeting Anna Dello Rosso) it was nice to see that my Neon ensemble was not only appreciated by my friends but my peers in the industry also - as I found myself appearing in the next days LFW Daily Street Style pages!

With the caption 'Brightest by Far' featuring in The Daily is always the biggest compliment to your LFW wardrobe! xoxo Deni

The Fashion Circus continues...

As Fashion Week continued, day one was a whirlwind and day two proved to be a little less hectic. Only one evening show to attend and a fabulous event afterwards meant today was definitely the day to chill out and have a little fun. As I made my way to the Issa show I was super excited about my outfit. Earlier in the week the lovely team at Bryan Morel PR loaned me a fabulous shirt from John Rocha. Unfortunately I couldn't make it to the John Rocha show so

decided to rep the shirt that night. In this season's hottest print *snakeskin obviously* the silk shirt in a black/grey degrade colour came straight off the menswear runway which I loved even more! I layered it with my suede blazer to combine textures and left feeling very fabulous...

Picking up Miss.Whitmore en-route , Laura was rocking a seriously deadly look! We were invited to the All Saints LFW party and when earlier in the week I selected something for Laura to wear this leather corset-inspired dress immediately jumped out at me! Seeing it on her, matched with a John Rocha fur shrug was perfection she was sporting sex factor on a whole new level!

As we took our seats in the first & second rows (Laura - first, me - second - obviously) at the Issa show , the electric energy was pulsing through the room. It was the last show of the evening and everyone at the tent of Somerset House was excited for the night ahead. Joining us was Made in Chelsea star & jewellery business owner Amber Atherton. Her and Laura had met earlier in the week and it was an absolute pleasure meeting her. Soon enough the show was under way and what a show it was! Carnival in Rio was the inspiration behind the collection which featured fruit prints, sequins and fringing in an array of pop colours and citrus brights! As Caroline Issa came out to take her bow a head-dress adorned carnival girl followed with her and it had every single person in the tent cheering and dancing in their seat ready to party! For a moment it made me stop and smile and reminded me why I love fashion, when clothing has the power to transport you to a different country, a feeling, a mood, it's a truly special moment!

In such good spirits Laura, Amber and I hopped into a black cab and swiftly made our way over to Marylebone One to attend All Saint's London Fashion Week 'Not For Sale' event. As we entered this gorgeous venue the fashion crowd was a buzz and a mix of fashionista's including celebrity stylist/Britain's Next Top Model judge Grace Woodward (who just quietly is a bit of a

diva and loves to make an entrance) Fashion Blogger/model/muse Bip Ling, Reality Star Lydia Rose Bright from The Only Way Is Essex fame and a bit of fashion-rock royalty Jamie Hince aka Mr.Kate Moss. The Cocktails were flowing, the music was pumping and being there with Laura was the perfect way to end Day 2 of London Fashion Week , because fashion aside what would life be without friends? Stay tuned for the final installation of my LFW diary xoxo Deni

LFW comes to bid me farewell...(for now)...DAY ONE!

*This may be quite a long post. Just giving y'all a heads up! Perhaps go make a cup of tea before reading...

I remember the first time I saw a fashion show on the telly as a kid. Laugh as you will but it was while watching a tragic little american soap known as 'The Bold & The Beautiful'. My grandma was and 23 year later still is, obsessed with the program, so I would very often watch it together with her. The show revolves around the fashion houses of Spectra & Forrester Creations. I remember an episode featuring a Forrester Creations Fashion Show - there they were, models one after the other coming out looking more glamorous than the one that walked before, lights flashing, music pounding and I a 6 year old boy - felt an electric pulse surge through my body whatever this world was , I wanted to be apart of it. I wanted to be a part of one of these 'Fashion Shows' - and so through american daytime television my dreams of attending a fashion show were well and truly born! Fast forward 17 years and sitting front row at

the Maria Grachvogel show, during London Fashion Week, as a respected up-and-coming Fashion/Celebrity Stylist with my client/best friend MTV Presenter Laura Whitmore and I couldn't help but think 'How did this happen?'. I arrived to London just over 2 years ago with one big suitcase and an even bigger dream and once again it was coming true. This September marked my 4th season of LFW so as I got into my cab on Day 1 in my metallic panelled Aqua trousers & Dior shirt , studded Kaviar Guache cuff firmly on my wrist - I was ready for the week ahead!

Day 1 proved very hectic. One day, 6 shows to attend and 3 events in the evening! As the season before I was styling Laura for the shows/events she attended. So for Day 1 we had 3 looks. Including a Pyrus dress & ankle boot combo. A lace & leather top and skirt combo set off with some serious Charlotte Olympia heels & for evening a sexy All Saints dress cinched in with a Felder Felder belt & a pair of sexy shoes once again by the incredible Charlotte Olympia!

After a very busy day *thankgod I had my LFW survival kit of Jaffa Cakes & Diet Coke on hand to keep me soldiering through the day* and after some very great shows it was off to pick up my darling Laura for the nights events! A quick costume change for me into a Topshop shirt and a sick Ralph Lauren Rugby skull & cross bone bow tie and it was ready to party! First stop was a party held for the launch of Britney Spears new single. Miss Spears however stayed for a mere 15 minutes allowing me no time to have a brush with the pop diva I've grown up with!

Following that was the Esprit Store event on bustling Regent Street with the amazing Emeli Sande as the entertainment , we were truly spoiled with her amazing voice, her performance of her hit single 'Heaven' gave me goosebumps to an extreme! After that we hopped into a cab and

headed over to The Mayfair Hotel for the party that always kicks off the LFW season - the PPQ after party where after several cocktails and a spot of dancing I bid farewell to my little ray of sunshine (Miss Whitmore) and made my way home into the hours of the early morning...

...after all Day 2, 3 & 4 were approaching us the next morning xoxo Deni

MUSIC VIDEO STYLING...A DREAM COME TRUE!

From a very young age I have been obsessed with music videos. As a child I would wake up at 9am every Saturday morning to watch 'Video Hits' and eagerly await the Top 40 videos that week , video taping my favorite videos. I always dreamed that one day I could be part of a music video. (I've also always had the fantasy of producing/directing a music video, its on my list of things to do) As I got older and started to understand the role of a stylist I remember thinking 'God I'd love to style a music video' , so when by recommendation of a friend , I was called by a production company to do just that - style my first music video - I jumped at the chance and after receiving the confirmation email I danced around my bedroom in my underwear! *its the little things*

The video was for debut artist Noah Stewart, a classically trained singer signed to Universal records. Flying in from New York, the black and white music video was being shot in London and the inspiration was Old Hollywood Glamour, a style I've always loved. Think men in dapper suits and women in sexy , gorgeous gowns. Luxurious fabrics , amazing jewellery and beautiful hair. After meeting with the production team , the Director made it very clear that I had total creative control , all he requested was an amazing floor length black dress for the leading lady! Easy right? Well after 3 days of trailing vintage stores and most fashion PR agencies in London , this task was becoming near impossible. At the 11th hour (literally 10pm the night before the shoot) my best friend Laura presented me with a gorgeous one of a kind dress that fit the brief - and then some! As I went to bed that night , cases packed for tomorrow's shoot , I had butterflies in my stomach and woke up the following morning (at 5am) like a kid at Christmas. As my car came to collect me we drove through the dark London morning and I felt overwhelmed for the day ahead. The location for the shoot was the stunning Bentley Hotel in Knightsbridge, Chelsea.

Arriving on set were my two gorgeous friends who were there to assist me for the day. Holly, who I used to intern with at Vogue and her friend Libby who interns at Tank magazine. As the

three of us looked at each other we started to chuckle. All three of us were wearing black and white ensembles with seriously statement making shoes - great minds think alike no?

We started to get the models and extra's into hair and make-up when our first drama presented itself. Upon viewing the gorgeous floor length black dress the production team decided it needed to have a longer trail and after being told to "Make it happen..." I started to think 'What can I do to give this dress a longer trail' - before the thought it even came into my head my two assistants were on the phone calling fabric stores in Chelsea to buy some fabric , it was at that moment I realised how crucial it is to work in a great team! In the end we ended up pinning 2 other black dresses to the hem of the existing dress to give the illusion of a trail 'we can smooth it out in post production' said the crew , and with that it was Lights , Camera & Action! First scene ready to go!

The next 17 hours *yes thats right , the shoot was almost 20 hours in total* went passed in a flurry of costume, scene & location changes and it wasn't till about half way through when I found myself standing with the crew while the director called 'Action' that I started to get emotional (on the inside - one musn't cry on set hehe) at the reality of what my life was turning into to! My dreams were coming true and I just don't know how it came to be this way - too lucky for words! As we wrapped up the shoot , packed up the cases and said goodbye to cast and crew , I got into a cab at just after midnight and drove home into the London night with a tear in my eye. As I looked across the city, all lit up, I just felt an overwhelming feeling of happiness. I couldn't wait to get on set of another music video and was itching to see the final result of this one!

A mere 3 weeks later , I received a call from the production company booking me to style another video '...we know its really last minute but we were so impressed with your work on the Noah video we'd love you to style our next project' and before I knew it 4 days later I found myself at the BBC Television studios in West London at 6.30am with another suitcase of clothes for the day's shoot. It was for a rock trio called the 'Band of Skulls' , now most people will know that I love pretty much all music and have a very varied taste however safe to say my passion

sticks around the Hip/Hop & Pop genres, so I was not cool enough to know who the band were or quite how much of a following they have! The story for this video was unique , and unlike anything I've ever worked on as it involved professional martial arts sequences choreographed & 'performed' as such by some very talented kung-fu fighters. The styling inspiration came from the 70s and with that in mind the shoot begun! Going from doing a classical song to a rock song with a very catchy hook, the vibe on set was completely different & you could just feel the electric energy pulsing through the room! It was the type of feeling where as filming continued all members of crew would just keep looking at each other as we knew this was going to be something so amazing , and something that'd we'd all be so very proud to put our names on!

When I found myself watching both videos back a few weeks later , I squealed , smiled and cried simultaneously! Seeing the hard work and long hours put into every aspect of the video and then seeing the final product , is one of the proudest moments you can have as a stylist. Both videos will truly be an experience I wont ever forget and will always be very proud of! Hopefully one day I'll be styling videos for some of the hip hop & pop icons I admire so much! For now check these two vids out by following the links below! xoxo Deni

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvLlgegB1Gc&ob=av2e

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XUwKewzdNs

Assisting my HERO...

It's not every day you get the chance to work with someone you look up to, someone you call 'your hero' - so when you get that chance on more than one occasion its necessary to pinch yourself and go 'fuck I'm lucky' - pardon the french. When I moved to London two years ago I discovered the amazing Natalie Hartley, then Fashion Editor at The Sunday Times Style now Senior Fashion Editor at InStyle Magazine. I've gone into detail about my 'fashion-crush' & admiration for Natalie on my blog before, I loved her column in STYLE & obsess over her own personal style and will state again that she is pretty much the coolest girl in the world - fact!After interning at InStyle , I would email every 6 weeks or so updating her on what I'd be doing with work , my internship at Vogue etc... trying to send a message out into the universe that I'd love to assist her again. So when she emailed me asking if I could do just that , I jumped at the chance. Over the past couple months I have been lucky enough to assist Natalie on a shoot for Japanese Vogue (one of my favorite publications) , 3 New Look campaign shoots and a jewelery look-book. Each and every time I work with her I am constantly in awe at how incredibly talented , hard working and grounded a person she is. All to often people lose themselves in this industry. They forget where they come from and the hard work it took them to get to where they are - Natalie is not one of those people. Meeting someone you look up to immensely and finding out that they are that down to earth & grounded is incredible. When I was asked to assist on the Japanese Vogue story I couldn't believe my luck. To me, there's nothing better than a fashion story by Natalie Hartley, seeing her fashion stories in InStyle each month is something I look forward to at the start of every month, when I see it on the stands I can't wait to purchase & soak in her pages (i'm a sad fashion geek I know but i'm cool with that)There's something about the way she tells a story through fashion that is so inspiring. The Vogue shoot itself was incredible , watching her at her best was all I could ask for and more - taking in someones creative energy like that - well you can't quite match it! I'm still not sure how over the past 2 years I've been so lucky with the opportunities I've been given and I didn't quite comprehend how lucky I was to be on that Japanese Vogue shoot until I was on the tube home , which is when I wrote the below into my blackberry notepad, and with this i'll end this post
xoxo Deni

Its days like today that truly remind me why i've always dreamed of working in fashion. Its days like today I realise how incredibly lucky I am to keep getting these opportunities. Natalie Hartley is someone I admire so much & to not only get to work with her but feed off of her energy , her creativity and her experience is beyond amazing. Hearing her story and how hard she worked to get to where she is today, further inspires me to keep persevering my dream to one day become a fashion director. Not many people can say that they've worked with their hero - I feel nothing but blessed! Thankyou universe...

A SPANISH PIECE OF HEAVEN!

*Another apology to all my readers I've had computer issues for the past month and haven't been able to do any blogging! How technology can be our best friend and worst enemy i'll never understand. However, here comes a whole lot of updates...Enjoy! xxx

Before my parents made their way back to the shores down under it was time for us to investigate the shores of Spain, as we set off on a holiday for 4 on the Spanish Riviera - Alicante to be precise. Never having been to Espana before I was ready for sun , sea and sangria...and the very good chance that there would be lots of annoying tourists invading my idea of a holiday. What I got (within the first 3 hours) were in fact the three S's (mentioned above) minus the annoying tourists......the beauty of Alicante is that , though it has its main strip of tourist attractions - think a Marina , the main beach and a strip of Palm Trees and market vendors - it also has its little unknown treasures waiting to be discovered. Our hotel , was conveniently located in a quieter part of town and only a 10 euro taxi journey into the main beach. Within hours of arrival we made our way to a private beach recommended by a local (they always know the best spots) and suddenly it felt as though we were on a planet of our own. A beautiful rock beach nestled in a corner of the hill with water as clear as crystal and apparently only the four of us......conveniently for us , above the mainland and up two flights of white conrete stairs sat a quaint little restaurant (the size of most peoples living rooms) with the best Sangria & Seafood Paella in Alicante. The owner spoke barely a word of english , however some how we managed to communicate and suddenly we had discovered a local gem! Sat outdoors, which allowed me to sunbathe and eat simultaneously (hey i'm basically british now and see very little sun) we feasted on amazing cuisine and drank probably just a little too much sangria combined with sun...What followed was 4 wondrous days spent with my beautiful family. We swam, we drank, we ate and we bonded! Highlights included finding a hidden little village with my brother after walking up the hills of the main part of town , what I found interesting was that as its a small town the villagers had to build houses up and into the mountains as there wasn't enough room on the main land. The result is beautiful and some what magical , the view from the top - breathtaking!
On the last morning of our stay my mum and I climbed up the Santa Barbara Castle which sits at the top of Alicante. From most parts of the town you can see it somewhere in the distance and whilst my brother and father decided to sleep in , mum and I were up at the crack of dawn (quite literally) to climb the beast! The result was well worth the effort and it was so beautiful to experience that together with mum , encouraging each other as we made the trek to the top...
Sad as we were to say goodbye it soon came time to leave Sunny Spain and head back to dreary London Town. The 5 days we spent together on the coast was such a lovely break , it bought back memories of family holidays we'd taken as children but now we're all mature adults and our relationship keeps evolving, they're not just my parents and brother any more they're my best friends and going away with your best friends is pretty special! xoxo Deni

BEVERLY HILLS via LONDON!

*Firstly a big apology for lack of posts of late. My life has literally just been that hectic that i've not had time to sit down and properly update you all on it! So here I am with an afternoon spare to share the adventures of months past.

It seems like years ago that I received an email from the Fashion Director at Cosmopolitan asking me to assist on a celebrity photo shoot , "I know your parents are down , and the shoot is on a Sunday but we'd love it if you could assist on the shoot". I checked with my parents and after an assuring "Deni go for it!" there I was waking up on an oddly sunny April sunday , making my way to Notting Hill for a location shoot with 90210 starlet Jessica Lowndes. Of course I knew the show , and exactly who she was , however I had no idea what would follow. As she came beaming into our trailer my first reaction was 'WOW , those eyes' , I've yet to come across anyone with eyes as piercing as hers , and her big smile was one warm and welcoming , like family. "I'm Jessica" , she said as she extended a hug and kiss. With that , I was head over heels in love - this girl had such an amazing energy , that it was impossible to not smile around her. Bonding over a mutual love of hip hop, red velvet cupcakes from Hummingbird Bakery and boys , we spent the day on shoot mostly hanging out chatting between takes. The shoot in itself , set across London from Notting Hill to Kensington Gardens , was a beautiful way to spend a Sunday , combine this with fashion and for a second I felt so blessed to work in an industry that

allows me to have these amazing opportunities. By the end of the shoot we were tweeting each other and when told she'd be staying in the UK for the summer I thought , 'I must get in touch with her while she's here, I would love to work with her'. 2 weeks later I was standing in customs coming back into London after travelling with my family , reading an email requesting I style Jess for various events she had coming up. Before I knew it , within 3 hours of being in London I was doing appointments pulling Matthew Williamson cocktail dresses and Jimmy Choo heels as options for film premieres and fashion launches. The following day I was sat in Jess's hotel room talking about boys & music and deciding between a metallic Matthew Williamson or coral Zac Posen dress for the premiere of Pirates of the Carribean that very evening. Deciding on the metallic Matthew , I walked out of the hotel with a big smile on my face (always the after effect of being in this amazing girls presence) and when at 1am that evening I saw pictures of Jess from the premiere - I leaped out of bed and did a little dance in my jocks across my room!

Two nights following there was a Marie Claire event at the gorgeous W Hotel. After wearing a Felder Felder belt and cuffs to the film premiere Jess fell head over heels for the designers , so we opted for a full Felder Felder look for the evenings event. The perfect little black dress toughened up by leather and studs! After our fitting , I was invited to go along to the event with Jess and before I knew it we were sat in her car and en-route to The W. As we talked about our family & boys (again), it became more apparent that a really beautiful friendship was forming.

During the party , I got to introduce Jess to Danielle Felder (one part of the Felder Felder design duo) who was thrilled to see Jessica in their design. For a moment I kind of had to pinch myself , this was the kind of moment I've dreamed of my whole life, being taken as a serious stylist by a designer who firmly approved of my styling, too surreal. After the formalities of the party , we were en route to Soho for a group dinner with some of Jess's friends, ending the night with cocktails on the rooftop of the Soho Sanctum Hotel - a bond was formed and over the course of the next month a little family formed. Friends I will have forever , beautiful people like Jamie Shepherd & Matt Johnsons , news reporters to London , big brothers to me and Laura Beverley

Glamour model -turned big sister all of which saved my life after a night of too much Grey Goose. Then there is Jessica , no longer 'Jessica Lowndes of 90210 fame' but now just Jess , my gorgeous canadian friend who is immensely talented with a gift in singing & acting, whom I share a love of Hummingbird cupcakes and The Nanny with. That is the most fulfilling part of what i've been lucky enough to call 'my job' , not the "meeting famous people" which can so often become an element that distracts people of their true self, but making incredible friends and memories both of which will last a lifetime! It is for this that I feel truly blessed! xoxo Deni