lfw street style: all black.

back onto a bit of street style now with two of my faves from fashion week - the girl on the right being the highlight of the entire week. i'm not going back on all the colour talk, because colour is everything, but when black is done right, it looks incredible.  what i love about both these girls is that they ease cool - they have great natural style, the sort of people that could be wearing bin liners (and dad no, the trousers on the right are not made from bin liners) and i'd still be rabbiting on about them.  in actual fact the jacket on the right is prada, not tesco value, and it is one of, if not the most exquisite piece i have ever come across in my entire life.  i don't want to embarrass myself with the non-technical terminology here but something amazing has happened in the weave of this jacket, creating the most beautifully subtle ombre effect, where the base - almost a raw silk quality, transforms into an almost waxy cottony wool at the top.  the reverse is attention seeking, eye-grabbing, and truly modern with hundreds of feathers intertwined with what can only be described as shredded vcr tape. absolutely amazing.

© anna singleton 2011.

kew.

i went on a research trip to kew gardens a couple of weeks ago to help with some of my print designs for work.. i made sure to go on a drizzly day so that everything was really fresh and dewy, making it hard for drawing but so beautifully peaceful that it was worth the wet bum and soggy feet. i'm sure i'm not the only londoner guilty of this but i'd never actually been to kew gardens (or indeed most of london's other 'attractions', deeming them too touristy to bother with) but there are reasons so many flock to kew's vast botanical space.. it is absolutely breathtaking (so good that i only got one third of the way round it so this may have to be done in parts..) my 'must-sees' are the glasshouses, including the 'temperate house' which is the largest surviving victorian glasshouse in the world and reminded me of the wild overgrown building miss havisham lives in, in great expectations... check the website here.

images © anna singleton 2011.

thrifted.

got some more deer to add to my collection on my charity spree in the isle of wight, as well as these sweet shot glasses that make me want to sip miniature cocktails out of them. big deer 50p, small deer 3 for £1, shotglasses 15p each. bargain.
© anna singleton 2011.

sandown pier.

have had the best week in the isle of wight with my boyfriend's fam visiting all the sights.. this is the end of sandown pier, which was suprisingly tranquil, home to an arcade and some pretty rad carry-on style 'stick your head in the hole' photo scenes (someone please let me know what their official name is?!) it was the most amazingly gloriously sunny day and i just wanted to jump in the sea. worth a visit if you're ever on the island and enjoy the typical seaside town arcade. which i do - a lot.

sandown pier, isle of wight. © anna singleton 2011.

molly's bag.

snapped this pic at fashion week back in february of my friend molly. she has the most amazing hair colour, which looked great against the deep red of her jacket with the flashes of lime green coming through. then there's the bag. fur is gonna be big (like it or not) and this is the perfect way to execute one of next season's biggest trends.
© anna singleton 2011.

beach front.

having a bit of a road trip round england at the moment starting with a visit last week to see me mam and dad in exmouth - was really nice to see everyone knocking about on the beach.
images © anna singleton.

wear orange.

orange is one of the key colours this season and is here to stay for the foreseeable future. if i had my way i'd invest in the celine coat, unfortunately at the moment all i can stretch to is a nailvarnish (well i lie as i actually bought it over a year ago) - i recommend essie as it goes on really well and seems to stay put..
1. celine aw11 - image via style.com.
2. artist anka mierzejewska's door via where they create.
3. friendship bracelet via m.e.r bracelets.
4. viviana volpicella via garance doré.
5. botanical drawing by pierre-antoine poiteau - image via google.
6. jil sander ss11 - image via style.com.

friendship bracelets.

i'm having a bit of a colour moment (as you all know) and when i saw the proenza schouler bracelet, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. i still don't know what actually appealed to me the most; the colourful twine with chunky hiker-esque fixtures, the prospect of another craft project (i've already spent two and a half hours on ebay trying to find the perfect rope) or the fact that it sits so awkwardly on the taste fence. in recent weeks i have been challenging the latter a lot - trips to charity shops where i have (in my mind) purchased a karen walker-esque industrial two piece  (i was told i looked like a convict) - more to come on that (the two-piece, not prison life) and a sparkly silver bag.. still, i don't think a bit of coloured rope is going to hurt anyone.. now just need to find the perfect fixtures...
1. diy bracelet via 'some hot dishes'.
2. image by guy aroch, via 'it's nice that'.
3. images via 'oracle fox', flickr, google, opening ceremony.

before and after.

painted these eggs at last - want to do more, hundreds more, and then gonna hang them off a nice big branch (that i'm still yet to find). the ones that accidentally got a larger hole i filled with red food colouring so they had a pink inside. paints from daler rowney, eggs from tescos.
© anna singleton 2011.

thursday shoot.

decided to be proactive on thursday and do a shoot with laura, shooting (mainly) my graduate collection along with a couple of other pieces. we were blessed to work with tatiana from d1 models, who had us all in stitches by the end of the day. to see the rest of the photos, go to laura's website: www.lauramccluskey.4ormat.com. to see my graduate collection and other design work visit my website at www.anna-singleton.co.uk.

photography: laura mccluskey
styling: anna singleton
make-up: ellie gill

white rail.

when i am older and rich and have built the house of my dreams (i like to hold on to the idea that this will happen one day), i plan on building a long dressing room with an industrial pole that runs down the entire length of the room, with my clothes running in colour order. it will also act as a platform for building new colour stories.. i know something this basic (and weird) shouldn't excite me but it does. a lot. i took these pictures for my friend lu's magazine called rosie which you will hopefully hear about in the not too distant future.
© anna singleton 2011.

wear pink.

from neon sander-inspired shades (with a crisp white shirt and denim or other brights such as a tangerine orange) to softer, more floral tones (in layers and differing textures).

1. image from london fashion week feb11 © anna singleton 2011.

2. tear of jil sander dress from elle magazine.

3. image from london fashion week feb11 © anna singleton 2011.

4. tear from pigeons and peacocks magazine - photographer unknown.

5. photo of peonies via haw-lin.

6. rose print - pierre joseph redoute.

rhombus.

been wanting to post up this guy for aaaaages but wanted to put him up with something or someone else. this girl strolled into view on menswear day with an absolutely incredible coat which left me and laura dribbling. it may seem a bit far-fetched placing these together but it kind of makes sense to me.

1. image via haw-lin.
2. © anna singleton 2011

phenomenon.

haha, this sums up fashion week for me.. bloggers delight.
© anna singleton 2011

more from unique.

ok these are the last model snaps from unique, i promise! they just looked so sweet after the show, i couldn't resist. plus love the colours in the photo of the trio.. again you can view the collection here.
1. chantal stafford-abbott / ajak deng / marike le roux
2. sofia fisher

© anna singleton 2011.

faces (continued).

some of these photos are a little blurry (as with a couple of the others from my previous post) but i had to put them up as once again, there's just something about these girls.. there's so much colour around this fashion week which has been so nice to photograph in such dismal weather.  each morning i'm trying to find more cunning ways of hiding even more layers under my coat - tomorrow i'm opting for two pairs of tights under my trousers, and three pairs of socks.

© anna singleton 2011.

faces of london fashion week.

there's something about these girls..
photos taken on days three and four of lfw.  © anna singleton 2011, first image by my assistant, robyn skeels.

bedspread.

feeling inspired by stella, thought i'd give you a piccie of this bedspread i got last summer from the antique market in kingston. it's trimmed with blue rope tassel around the edge and has such a lovely summery print.. the market (although in kingston) is worth a visit - it's on the fair to slightly pricey side but if you're in there for long enough you'll find a bargain.

copyright © anna singleton 2011.

into the gloss.

here's a panoramic of some of my better looking beauty products i can't live without.  head over to 'into the gloss' for more beautiful people, products and pictures. it's like 'the coveted' but for make up and the best beauty blog out there at the moment.

from left to right: antique perfume bottles, 'amber' by prada, 'peony eau de parfum' from zara, 'dws' nail varnish by illa masqua, essie nail varnishes in 'playa del platinum', 'st. lucia lilac' and 'tart deco', red nailvarnish from no7, 'nightfall' nailvarnish by mac, ysl 'rougue pur' lipsticks in nos. 49 and 52, nars eyeshadow palette no.9947, 'night breed' eyeshadow from nars, 'jungle red' lipstick from nars, mac lipsticks 'cyber' and 'diva', 'simply pink' lipstick from chanel, stardust in gold from the body shop, rose face cream from basia slesinska, blue and green hair extensions from krish.

copyright © anna singleton 2011.

all-star girl.

timeless style.  i'm going to get back into wearing my white converse high-tops - they have such a classic, cool look.  this was my favourite girl from last fashion week - she really stood out to me -effortless, laid-back style.

1. magazine tear from image archive - 'chuck taylor all-stars' by converse, 10 magazine.
2. image taken at london fashion week september 2010 © anna singleton 2010.