LONDON I LOVE YOU!

*This post was typed into my Blackberry on the way to London Heathrow International Airport on October 1st 2011 as I made my way back to Melbourne for the summer...

I can't really believe that after 2 years of living in the most amazing city in the world, I am now in a cab on the way to Heathrow to return down under until my sponsorship is processed and I can return to London. It doesn't feel real & still hasn't quite hit me. Words can't really begin to describe how much I love London. When I think back to the boy that moved here 2 years ago and the journey i've had it seems surreal. I never could have prepared myself for the emotional rollercoaster that waited for me in the United Kingdom. I landed, a very much in love highly devoted boyfriend who was ready to start a new life with someone I thought was my soulmate. I didn't think I had it in me to leave him, where I found that inner strength from I'll never know, but I did. Hard as it was looking back I see now it was the best decision I've ever made. My life started fresh. I could finally be the ME I wanted to be. However, from a heartbreaking end to a 2 year relationship - my first ever relationship - to my first internship in Fashion which single handedly changed my life and took me for a ride I will never forget. To the amazing people I've met who I now refer to as my London family - the real ME began to blossom. I've had the pleasure of meeting people I've looked up to and admired since childhood, have found myself in many a surreal situation and have been lucky enough to work with some of the most incredibly talented people in the world and I still can't quite fathom how this has all happened. I never knew I could love a city this much but when you land on your feet in a place where you feel more yourself than ever, you soon realise that 'home' really is where the heart is and my heart will well and truly always be in London. I could write a novel on the countless things I love about the city, its treasures, its people and through this blog I very well have! Words really can't do justice for how amazing my time has been so i'll let some pictures do the talking - there have been too many incredible moments along the way but here's a snapshot!

When I start to think about all the things i've learnt about myself in the last 2 years it overwhelms me slightly. I learnt so many things in London, simple every day things like doing your own washing, cooking and cleaning - to more complicated things like dealing with your first break up. However the most important lesson I learnt was the importance of the relationship you have with yourself. At the end of the day you have to wake up in your skin day in-day out and if you can't look in the mirror and love the person you see staring back no one ever will. For the first time in my life I started taking time to get to know ME. Having 'dates with myself' as I would call them much to my friends' amusement. However I have come back more comfortable with myself as a person than ever and look forward to continuously learning more about myself as the years go by. The journey back to Geelong will be a long one for this BOY WITH THE PRADA BACKPACK but it won't be long till i'm back home & that for me is London.

Thankyou London x I love you x

A TRIBUTE TO THE BIG BROTHER I NEVER HAD & WILL NEVER FORGET!

*This is quite an emotional post but I felt it necessary to pay tribute to someone who had such an impact on my life.

You often hear the saying 'you meet everyone for a reason' - and in the fast pace world we live in, often forget it. However it could not be more true. Almost every person that comes into your life will teach you something. Good or Bad. I'll never forget the first conversation I had with Paul. I was working at Diesel almost 3 years ago now , myself in the female denim department and he in the male denim department. Paul was statuesque in form, like a true 'Adonis' perfect in every way physically. 6 foot something and super masculine - the kind of boy that would normally have tormented me in highschool and the type of boy that I at times still find myself intimidated of. My female colleague and I were having a discussion about my then boyfriend and as Paul approached us I went quiet. "Why'd you go quiet for , are you talking about me?" , "No, but i'm talking about something you might not feel comfortable hearing?" , "What, something gay? Denis half of my mates are gay you can talk about whatever you want and I wouldn't care man, you should come hang out with us in Menswear more , get to know me". I really didn't expect him to say that - there's more to this boy then meets the eye - I thought. So , everytime I'd walk past menswear I'd wave, say hello and on quieter days would stop for a chat. As time went on the chats became longer, more personal, more in-depth. After one occasion of drinks at the pub after work, we exchanged numbers and so a friendship was born. Fast forward 2 years later and this 'macho-russian-adonis' soon became the big brother I never had. From work-out tips "Denis, when you're doing push ups imagine a hot guy underneath you, that'll keep you motivated" , to relationship advice "Any guy who can't see how amazing you are is not worth your time Den" to talking about our dreams for the future - Paul and I could talk to each other about almost everything *I say almost because though he was the most gay friendly straight boy you could meet, so much so he came to Gay Pride with me and all our work friends - the mention of 'too many sexual details' would make him shudder & he'd often say "Den i'm glad you got laid, I just don't need to hear how" - bless him*. I'll never forget one evening while out to dinner I noticed a really attractive boy walk into the restaurant. "He's so hot" I exclaimed. "So go ask him out" dared Paul. "Are you joking? I could never do that?" , "Why not, what have you got to lose, you don't know him, at worst he'll say no or will have a boyfriend. At best you'll get this guys number" after much discussion he exclaimed "We're not leaving here till you do it Den" - and so I did it. With Paul's encouragement took a brave leap and did something I'd normally never do. Because that is the kind of effect Paul had on people. He was infectious. His smile would light up a room and put everyone at ease. From the outside some would say he could be passed of as a gym-junkie russian boy with an ego *and though this may not be entirely false hehe* for those of us who were lucky enough to know him on a deeper level, we knew inside that

tough boy exterior was the most sensitive, loving, caring and loyal person you will ever come across. Paul had a heart of gold. He was the kind of person that would literally give you the shirt off his back to help you. He helped me through many tough times and I was there for him when he needed me. I'll never forget him saying to me 'Deni I'm an only child, i've never had a brother so you can be my little brother' - in September of last year I lost my big brother Paul. Details aren't necessary. What's important is the effect he had on me and how amazing our bond was. Two total opposites a short-weak-homo and this statue of perfection yet together our brotherly bond stayed strong. I will never forget how much he meant to me and still think about him daily. I recently got his last words tattoo'd onto my back. LOVE.LAUGH.LIVE. three words that couldn't sum Paul up better. Paul came into my life for a reason - he taught me never to judge a book by its cover. To give people a chance. He taught me to be brave. To take risks. To Love hard. Laugh hard. Live hard. He also taught me that we should never take the ones we love foregranted because you just never know when your last goodbye may be. Though he's not here physically, I will forever have the amazing memories we had and his spirit will live on.

My Paulos I love you so much big brother and miss you everyday! xxx forever your little brother Deni!

EDITORIAL DEBUT!

*Another long post guys so go pour a glass of wine! Enjoy x

Seeing your name in a magazine is something every one who aspires to work in Fashion dreams about. Flicking through the pages of my favorite magazines , always paying close attention to who styled the shoot , who did the photography , the make-up , the hair - its always the Editorial Credits I once looked at hoping one day that I would see my name credited in a respected fashion magazine. I will never forget the first time I saw my name credited in a magazine. I eagerly waited for the July Issue of Cosmopolitan UK to hit the stands. When I saw it beaming from the magazine vendor on the corner Argyll St & Great Marlborough Street , opposite my favorite department store Liberty's, I almost skipped along to it , picked it up placing Kim Kardashian's face on the counter (the cover girl for the issue) and handed my 4 pound 70 pence over to the elderly european man whom I buy gum and chocolate from on an almost daily basis. 'You look very happy today' , 'I'm in this magazine' I exclaimed with a smile. 'Really? Good for you buddy' , 'Thankyou' - and there It was! I walked a few steps across the corner and flipped through the pages till I landed on the 'Facebook Fashion' page. A style page myself and my fellow intern at the time compiled. A guide on how to wear the same item twice in different ways just like celebs so that you wouldn't be 'tagged on facebook in the same outfit twice'. I scanned my eye across and down to the right hand corner. There it was - compiled by Denis Todorovic. My name, Denis Todorovic in the pages of Cosmopolitan, the UK's highest selling glossy and a magazine I used to snatch off my girlfriends in high school to read. I squealed, did what can be described as 'hug' the magazine, smile again, look at my name again and skipped off into the day!

The moment fell surreal and at the same time so satisfying. 'Your hard work is paying off' - I thought to myself. All the interning , the working two jobs, its all worth it - moments like this make it worth every second. Since then I have started to build quite a collection of editorial credits from various shoots I've done with various magazines and each time I still pinch myself!

Being credited as an assistant is one thing, but to get your first Editorial as the Fashion Stylist/Director of the shoot - this is something I've been dreaming off from the day I decided I wanted to become a stylist. Fast forward 9 months and there I was being offered my first fully fledged editorial for a very well respected edgy fashion publication - FIASCO magazine. After re-reading the email 3 times and pinching myself another couple times I very happily accepted and before I knew it I was doing appointments pulling pieces from the likes of Felder Felder, Markus Lupfer, Camilla and Marc, Graeme Armour, Willow and Rupert Sanderson. The next thing I knew it was the day of the shoot and me and my gorgeous friend Holly, who was playing my assistant again today - were on our way to the location. The story was about two teenagers in love who decide to defy the odds and runaway together with nothing but love and some pretty cool clothes on their back. The story needed to be stronger than the clothing we didnt want the fashion too overpowering. It wasn't a 'Fashion Story' per se more a story that included fashion. The clothes needed to reflect their characters. Inspired by Chloe Sevigny, Kate Moss and the early 90s grunge period I was more ready than ever to style my first editorial!

Shooting can be a long day. I think sometimes people underestimate the work that goes into it. All the clothing that you have to call in, to the prep, the steaming, then there's trial and error and things that you thought would work may not , so then you rework looks until you get it just right. At times one shot can take up to an hour to shoot - however, when you're working in a team of amazing people the 'hardwork' element disappears and the creative energy in the room is like a drug that just keeps you buzzing from start to finish. Every look couldn't have worked out better, the photography was on point and each shot told the story perfectly! So after an amazing day of shooting I then highly anticipated the arrival of the magazine in print! 3 months later I was going through some old scrap books that I used to keep from the age of 13 , where I would cut out pictures from fashion magazines and document my fashion trends, shows and designers. Whilst doing this my mum walked through the door handing me a package 'Deni I think your magazines have arrive' - ordering it online the magazine landed on my door step and I was literally bursting with excitement to open it. As I flipped through the pages landing on my story I started smiling ear to ear. 'The Runaways' read the title, Fashion Stylist - Denis Todorovic. I couldn't believe my eyes - it was such a full circle moment, here I was flicking through my old scrapbooks and mountains of fashion magazines to know holding a fashion magazine with a fashion story I styled in my hands! Its a moment I'll never forget! I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to make my dreams come true! No matter how big your dreams - never stop chasing them as they will come true! Check out some of the highlights from the final product xoxo Deni

LFW - the last day of another season!

LFW comes and goes like a flash of lightning. A week of shows , the daily routine of rushing from show to show getting little time to stop for food in between, followed by the after parties and events that proceed the day of shows - it can all be quite hectic. Amongst all the mayhem however you can't help but be excited that for a week you get to enjoy your greatest passion in a flurry of creative expression and most shows you attend in some way will inspire you , if its not coming from the catwalk it can come from the people attending the show , their style , or it may be the music , the lighting , the set etc... its a constant source of inspiration. To be a part of this , I feel truly lucky! My last day was relatively quiet in comparison to mosts, and today I chose to keep on the Neon theme wearing a great acid lime knit sweater from American Apparel layered under a vintage black cardigan with neon coloured print - breaking it up with my favorite vintage metallic silver Chanel bag, a super special item - it was its first LFW season out & about!

First show was that of Jasper Garvida's , a young asian designer based in London , known for embellishment and a bit of glam factor. Attending with my LFW buddy and best friend Laura , she absolutely took my breath away in her gorgeous embellished black Jasper Garvida Dress!

The show began and was a combination of futuristic inspired fabrics and silhouettes, included lots of embellishment , think disco ball like mirror applique, gold studs, silver aluminum foil like leathers and a black and white mod print. One part 2020 robots and One part 1970 Pool Goddess some of the pieces had a very throwback to vintage glamour type feel to them and wouldn't look out of place with a pair of hoop earrings and cocktail in hand by the water while others looked like they could be seen on the set of a Jessie J music video...here's a snapshot!

My final show/presentation of the week was by an up and coming designer by the name of Fedro Gaudenzi. I didn't really know much about him, had never even seen any of his clothes however one of my best friends who works in PR was invited to his show and asked me to go along and be her +1 as she had heard promising things about him. The presentation was taking place in a Penthouse in Mayfair - not bad for an up and comer - and when sat in the small intimate setting neither one of us really knew what we were getting ourselves into - however then the clothing started coming out , modeled on girls who seemed to sway and act rather than strut and pose. It was avant garde at its best , edgy, unique, just the right amount of risque and some might say 'weird' , but the beauty and the craftsman ship in every single dress that came out was incredible. It was one of those moments where you felt 'ok this could be the start of something

incredible. This young boy could be a rising star' and by the end of the presentation I remembered why I love fashion , because it gives us the opportunity to hope and dream , to pour all of our passions into a project and see the end result - living on a body. Its like that quote from The Devil Wears Prada , 'Fashion is the greatest form of art because we live in it' - and it really is that simple! Ending the week on this note reminded me why LFW has always been somewhat magical to me , I look forward to many more xoxo Deni

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