(goodbye 2016) (hello 2017)

Ok ok so I said I'd keep this page regularly updated and I will, just university has to take a slightly higher priority with my time at the moment. It's a weird cycle...I've spent so long freelancing and working independently in the hope of it helping me study fashion, and now that I am finally studying fashion I have no time to carry on with my usual work in the industry. It feels like to take a step forwards I've sort of also had to take a step backwards, but I'm sure everything will work out well in the long run.
Finishing my first term of foundation was surreal; my life has changed significantly since the summer, and although I'm probably the happiest I've been, there's always a twinge of sadness at how finite this period of time is...in six months, the academic year will be over and it'll be off to a new course, a new setting, new people...it's strange, knowing that in such a short time I'm going to be looking back at now and thinking, damn, that was a good time.

 It's been quite a big year generally, not just in the sense that 2016 has majorly sucked at points...losing so many icons, my personal hero Bowie being one of the first, hasn't made it easy, especially alongside all the political stress and upheaval taking place across the globe. I don't think I can say, then, that 2016 has been a great year; it's had it's high points though, and I've enjoyed things like attending London Collections Men for the first (two) times, working backstage at London Fashion Week, finishing college and running away to Paris for a weekend, visiting Berlin and Vienna with two amazing friends in the summer, being an assistant stylist for Jessica Gwyneth, and publishing my first independent zine, Bloom. Issue two was supposed to be out already however university has seriously eaten into my time to work on it, however I'm hoping to get it out there as soon as I humanly can.

Uni has been crazy busy; we had our first little interim show which definitely heightened by pre-christmas panic at whether I could actually make anything good or not...I'm learning slowly not to be scared of making, and to just produce work whether it's worth it or not, as everything is a process and is useful in some way, even if it doesn't turn out how you might have planned.

^ Textiles project, 35mm from the show and general fashion room life

^ From a shoot earlier in the year with Ahida Agirre, and a traditional fragile skirt mirror selfie to see 2016 out in a very "me" style

I hope you all have an amazing new year and start to 2017...thanks so much for all the support on this page and my various endeavours over the last year, it's been amazing and I wish you all great success in whatever you are doing! See you next year, dudes...

"vulgarity amuses us because it makes us feel uneasy"

It feels really strange writing here nowadays as I am so ridiculously different to the little fifteen year old who started this page back in 2012. That and I think some people from uni might see / read this and that makes me feel weirdly uneasy...I've shared so many things here and on the internet over the years but suddenly it has begun to make me feel increasingly uncomfortable and spied upon. I will still continue of course as it is pretty much all I have (and all I know).

University has been fun!! Starting a one year art course an hour and a half away from my home has been a huge change, however I settled into my commute and the cosy hum of morning train rides, and managed to meet people to travel home with so it's all worked out strangely perfectly. We spent six weeks trying out all different forms of art, and I've just recently specialised in fashion, as I want to study Menswear for degree. I've been so busy - my university encourages you to go out and see as much art and attend as many events as possible, plus the socialising needed to make friends and treat yourself after a busy week means my sleep schedule is very lacking in order and I can't remember the last time I had a "relaxing" day in, but I love being so busy and am finding it really inspiring.

The above photos were taken by the super talented Georgia Fay Williams in the summer, just before the holidays ended. We spent a day shooting in the bright sunlight at the Barbican centre. I bought the red fishnets at Camden market on the way to meet her; since then, they've become my staple (and somewhat obsession). I painted the red jacket myself, the denim shift dress is from Freckle London and the rest is a mix of random vintage finds.

I also attended fashion week for the seventh time (how time flies) in September, and was so lucky to have the opportunity to model in Phiney Pet's SS17 show. It was an amazing and super empowering experience celebrating being a young, confident woman in the city in 2016, and it was so lovely meeting such a lovely and inspiring designer and being able to walk alongside my friends and other inspiring ladies!

Various college work and photos from the Molly Goddard "What I Like" private view at the Now Gallery with some of my friends from University. We were able to drink fruity wine and embroider some of Goddard's beautiful pieces, and of course I had to start some dancing later on. You can't have a fashion event without dancing.

We had a drawing trip and displayed all of our work on Halloween, before my friends and I went out for the evening to celebrate (plus start off my birthday, which was the day after). I've really enjoyed freeing my fear about drawing and not being scared to draw messily or badly. The above photo is from another thing I am yet to update you on, which was being shot for School Of Doodle's "Between the Lines" zine, which they used my face for the cover! You can see the full issue online here, plus read an article on Dazed Digital about it here.

My birthday was so much fun, it felt like it lasted about a week as we had the drawing trip, a mini halloween celebration on the Friday (and the Mushpit magazine launch) and then Halloween and the day itself the following week. Above and below are a mix of random photos from those two weeks, including some diamonté g-strings over business suits worn whilst dancing, fragile tape (another of my recent obsessions) and some outdoor art-ing.

Below are some photos from my first and then my most recent fashion briefs. The first was to create a "functional" garment, however I played with this a bit and made a crazy outfit inspired by the urban environment, drawing reference from paving slabs and concrete, abandoned metals and scraps, wallpaper patterns lying in a heaped skip and those bright blue netting bags that hold oranges at the off-license. The lace was printed by rolling a tire fabric painted in ink over it.

My latest brief was a 4-day styling project based on "Positive Action." I chose to play with the idea of embracing who you are and by that I mean every aspect of yourself; there's no need to put yourself in a box, you can be whoever and whatever you want whether that is solid, or whether it fluctuates from day to day. The very talented and wonderfully enthusiastic (and so much fun) Eddie Langham modelled for me and helped with the styling, and we used the example of partying all night but turning up on time to uni the next day to work as a metaphor for being all rounded and not taking anything too seriously.

Today I was out on a trip with my class, and have some cool photos and notes from the exhibitions we went to however I'll save that for a later date...I hope you are all well!!!! I'll be updating this page more regularly with my work I promise...have a lovely week!