Look Them in the Eye and Don't Forget to Say Hello

Steve McCurry summarizes just how we too relate to the subject of our pictures when we look for interesting people to photograph. It's not always easy to make contact with the person in front of you, once you overcome your own shyness you need to find something to say, sometimes to someone that is very surprised by your request, that doesn't trust a stranger or that may be a little self-concious, but if you manage to get them involved then this is when we take the most intriguing pictures!

Print and pattern

David David, the fashion print guru best known for his bold geometric prints has opened a pop-up shop in Covent Garden showcasing his graphic printed wares - from flat prints to silk scarves, dresses, tees, umbrellas and badges.

photo by EYELOVE

David David for Linda Farrow

photo by EYELOVE

Last week David David opened his doors after hours to a whole host of inspiring people for a week of exciting instore events.

These included the wonderful Mark Eley cooking Welsh cakes for a select audience, a conversation between Susie style bubble and Julie Verhoeven (WOW!) and an inspiring talk by Gary Card. I popped along to the latter for a pretty cultured friday night I thought!

He talked about his approach to the prop-making and set design industry he has 'fallen' into and how new materials he becomes intrigued by force him to experiment and enable his work to evolve. Card is often assisted by his builder father to help his design dreams become a reality.

Gary Card in his studio:

photo from Another Men magazine

Card is well known for many of his fashion and editorial projects including his latest project - head dresses for Rei Kawakubo's SS12 Comme Des Garcons show, which he told us about...

Gary Card for Comme des Garcons SS12

In complete contrast to our surroundings in David David's geometric coloured emporium, Rei Kawakubo's latest offering, 'White Drama' was an entirely white collection complemented by Cards oversized latex headpieces - based on contortion, inflated amorphic shapes were tied together with elastic bands: "I liked the connotations of rubber, playing with that was fun: making this 'sexy', 'sleazy' material cuddly and approachable, almost innocent. Subverting the subversive I guess", Card writes on his blog. Gary Card commented on the Comme des Garcons collection: "white is rarely completely white, the light and colours around a white object will change its tone completely, right now all the white things around me have a yellow tone to them because of the low lighting in my studio, I like how it mimics other colours, in this respect white can be anything and everything"...could white be the new black for 2012? As long as geometric beautifully coloured shapes are printed on top, David David might answer.

Fashion Street

The spring summer shows are now well over for another year. We have been busy collecting and collating eyewear research from both the catwalk and cities they take place in. Somerset House provided us with the perfect backdrop and setting for street shots of the very willing fashion crowd and their fashion forward eyewear....

photo by EYELOVE

There was an overwhelming concentration of round sunglasses both on and off of the catwalk. I particularly like the above mixed metal and plastic round I snapped on the opening day of LFW.

photo by EYELOVE

photo by EYELOVE

The above Alexander Wang preppy round also combines metal and plastic, but with more of an industrial feel. I love the studded temple detail and bulky screws holding the gunmetal nose bridge in place. All in all, trends off of the catwalk for eyewear were just as fashion forward at London Fashion Week as those coming from the collections.

Frames Of Your Life And Your Life In The Ads

Joanne forwarded me Giorgio Armani's new ad for eye-wear last week...how refreshing to see high profile brands choosing real people to wear their glasses in the street over a styled model in a styled setting. Quite interesting is also one high profile brand's take on the styled and polished ad...every other girl's favorite workout at the leisure center!! 

Screen shot of the Armani website 

Looking at the world through a pair of wavy glasses

Here is another gem from my trip to Paris last week

Photograph is by EYELOVE

 which reminds me of Christopher Kane's plastic pochette bags filled with encapsulated liquid.

Photograph is by Filippo Fior

A certain Parisian grace!

I was in Paris last week, outside the catwalk shows, looking for inspiration among the trendy crowd posing, chatting and being in a terrible hurry for the show!! I must admit though, I spotted the most intriguing people just roaming the street, where people are in their everyday sunglasses, not trying to be noticed. They are generally quite surprised when I ask them if I can take a picture of them and that their sunglasses are gorgeous.

Photograph is by EYELOVE

A Sky Full Of Kindness

Somehow, somewhere, in a country, in a city, high above the town a church tower reaches up towards the sky.


It was the launch party of Rob Ryan's beautiful new book last night. Taking place in the rather grand yet infamous 33 Portland Place, seeped with a rich history and chequered by contemporary lust and scandal. Ryan showed his paper cuts of the book leafs framed simply and hung in the shabby yet grand back room with one large scale cutting hung in the entrance hall wafting over the through-fare in an eerie fashion:

photo by EYELOVE

Ryan's incredibly romantic nature and intricate works are sensitivity combined in A Sky Full Of Kindness, a tale of love, new life and nurture.

photo by EYELOVE

A Sky Full Of Kindness will be available to buy shortly from www.misterrob.co.uk