Sarah Doyle is one of the loveliest people in the industry in Ireland. I can spend hours talking to her about everything and anything. She's has been asking to use my collection in a few test shoots and sent me these images a couple of weeks ago which I had to share with you.
Let me introduce to the incredibly talented Annakin. She's launching her new album 'Icarus Heart' next month and I couldn't resist sharing a couple of videos with you. I'm sure many Silent Storyteller friends will love her unique musical style and wonderful aesthetics!!
Her video Alive won many awards including best music video at the London independent film festival!!!!
Annakin Alive from christian ammann on Vimeo.
Annakin The Trooper from christian ammann on Vimeo.
Video directed by Christian Ammann
Styling by Sonya Lennon
Hair & Make up by Steinunn Þórðardóttir
Annakin's new single "The Trooper" is now available on itunes
Annakin's new album "Icarus Heart" will be released on January 21!
The Video was shot on Location in Iceland. It conveys Annakin's gloriously unique image and style.
How incredible is this image???
Sean and Yvette asked for a few dresses to do a photograph for the Laundry Exhibition, held last week at South Studios in Dublin...and this is what they came up with!!!
To pigeon hole Agata Stoinska solely as a photographer would not do her justice. Not only is she one of our top photographers, she has also become a force and facilitator of a whole artisitc and creative community.
Ireland is very lucky to have adopted her and the results of her efforts are intangible and will leave a legacy of great work from current and future artists who have been able to express themsleves thanks to her vision and support .
This is one of my favourite shoots she's done..
Photo by Agata Stoinska
Assisted by Johnny McMillian Adam Wolynszczak Kitty Gale
Styling by Tanya Grimson
Assisted by Caoimhe O'Connor Eileen Smith Karl Smith
Hair by Michael Doyle
Make Up by Billy Orr
Assisted by Dee Mc Kernan
Props: Jacqui Lewis
To see more of her incredible shoots:
Wendy Bevan, whom I've featured here and here before. Is one of my favourite photographers on earth. I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I saw the fashion editiorial of How to Spend It (FT) which was brilliantly styled by Damian Foxe.
Tasteful and timeless I wish we would see more of this in our press....
Am I asking for too much..??.... maybe... but it's worth a try..
I have spent the past few weeks producing pieces for a project I have been working on with Aisling Farinella. We spent the whole day, yesterday, with a team of 8 talented creatives making one of my dreams come true.....now the project is in hands of other talented professionals.
Fingers crossed, in September, I will have something to share with you.
I met Aisling 5 years ago when she was asked to style my collection for the Independant. We have worked together in many projects ...hopefully many more to come...
Submerge was a shoot she did recently with Sean Breithaupt + Yvette Monahan and used some of my dresses..
'The creative habit is like a drug.
The particular obsession changes, but the excitement,
the thrill of your creation lasts'
Henry Moore
After weeks, and months, of distraction and slight apathy, I have been involved in a project which is so exciting I'm unable to focus on anything else. I will reveal at a later date, but for now it’s Paris again this week. Meeting my Japanese friends and also buying fabric
I have been eager to feature Alison Conneely's work on this blog for sometime. Not wanting to pigeon hole her as a designer or a stylist, I see her more as a creative visionary with a taste for the dark side.
Yet another great Irish talent, she produces intriguing and inspiring material, both in styling and designing.
Drawn to her work instantly, the creator remained unknown to me until I found multiple appearances in my 'favourites' archive and discovered they were from the same author.
Let the images speak for themselves...it has been an almost impossible task to choose a small selection for this blog so here is a wonderful photo shoot she did in Bantry House with another great talent photographer Christian Ammann...
To see her current collection and an endless archive of wonderful work check her website
To choose a career in the creative world is a curse and a calling, I may have mentioned this in some occasion before. There is no separation from work and life. Emotions fluctuate. This is just part of the deal. Sometimes it's hard to control the status of the spirit. But call it serendipity or coincidence, I'm lucky to have a handfull of what I could only define as knights in shining armour or angels.
Without knowing, they appear in my life when needed with small and not so small gestures that help renew the soul and keep me on the right path.
One of these angels/knights left a book in the shop last week and I have spent the past few days in heaven immersed in its wonderful images....
Merci!!!!!!
Frank Sorbier, Paris
Igor Sapurin, Moscow
Gustavo Lins, Paris
Gustavo Lins, Paris
Today I learnt that the incredible visual storyteller/photographer
Tim Walker is working on his first film 'The Lost Explorer' based on a story by Patrick McGrath.
It promises to be a visual delight
To read the news click on Vogue
Have a wonderful weekend!
For more images from this fascinating young designer Lamija Suljevic
Photographs by Emma Jonsson Dysell
Yesterday, with heroic efforts (due to the adverse arctic weather conditions) Mr Postman delivered another breathtaking book.
Lillian Bassman: Women by Deborah Solomon has now officially been taken off my never ending wish list on Amazon.
I was relatively familiar with her work. But to have so many of her masterpieces collected in one astonishing book, is simply a visual feast and a 'must have' for anyone who appreciates fashion photography at its best.
My heart rate has increased considerably since its arrival.
Let the images speak for themselves...
January is the wedding month in Ireland. I'm not sure why, but as Christmas and New Year's Eve go by, brides-to-be start knocking on my door again.
Looking out the window today, the setting would be prefect for a Winter Wonderland or Snow Queen theme, but the reality is that in Ireland the chances are, it will probably be more like Waterworld than Narnia.
Laura and Ryan's wedding via Once Wed
As many new ideas are on the drawing board, I have started on my first brides for 2010. I found these photographs by Braedon which are not only incredibly inspiring but also very relevant to our weather conditions.
Cold and rainy most of the year, I find nothing more beautiful than a woman wearing a gown wrapped in a heavenly cashmere wrap.
Isn't the black umbrella an incredible prop for a wedding ???
In December 2008 Mr. Silent and myself became the proud tenants of a little piece of land in County Meath, Ireland.
I'm not sure there was a specific reason for our desire to commit to some madness and a lot of pleasure, but a combination of being more in touch with nature and growing our own vegetables could have contributed to the decision.
Our lack of experience has resulted in a year where my skin started turning purple in June, after overdosing in beetroot, food poisoned by Jurassic Park sized courgettes (zucchinis) and eating spinach everyday for 4 or 5 months.. (Popeye would be proud)
I hope this year will result in a smarter harvest and I have to thank Helen James who has been my 911 call when I'm not sure if things are edible or not... I have a feeling our conversations will be even more frequent this year...
View of our allotment on the 1st of January 2010
Nature's creatures helping themselves to their share of the deal...
Our little helper is unaffected by freezing temperatures or snow..
Photograph by Arthur Elgort Courtesy of Dance Gallery
'When asked... who would I like to dress???
My response would be..... a ballet company"
e.b. cfghbdz
Erik Madigan Heck/Nomenus Quarterly
A few days ago I came across an online magazine which blew me away. It doesn't happen often as magazines are usually constrained by commercial obligations or trying to be edgy with shock factor.
I'm not interested in either so it leaves me usually in limbo when it comes to fashion and photography coverage.
When I started researching, what I thought was, my 'discovery' I couldn't believe I hadn't heard of it before...
Featured in The New York Times and many other publications, this magazine founded in 2007 by an incredibly young and gifted photographer Erik Madigan Heck is available quarterly online and a very limited edition goes to print (10 to 50 copies).
Many of my silent readers are fairly new to this blogging Universe..(including me)...and may not have experienced it..so if you have a few minutes to spare ... indulge yourself in this wonderful magazine...Nomenus Quarterly
There are treasures in the archive...including beautiful illustrations of Giambatista Valli's work by Catherine Stuart .. ( this is probably my favourite)
For a full interview with Erik Madigan Heck go to Coolhunting
"Never in the history of fashion has so little material been raised so high to reveal so much that needs to be covered so badly. "
Photograph of Lillian Gish by Cecil Beaton
Courtesy of Noh Way
Too often I find fabrics which are impossibly expensive to include in my collection. However they are so beautiful that my rational side shuts down and the impulse to purchase is incontrollable.
Thankfully having your own shop (Bow is three months this week) allows you to showcase some of these treasures.
In the past their existence would have been limited to a photograph and probably condemned to exile in the archive..
I came across this three layered fabric (silk organza, tulle and lace) a few seasons ago and had to have it.
These are some pieces I made...
Photographs featured by Deirdre McQuillan for the Irish Times
Photographer : Sarah Doyle, Stylist: Paula Hughes, Model
Catherine W from Morgan The Agency
In the past five years I have had the chance to work with fabulous photographers.
One of these was Zanna from the Ragged School in London. She would be one of my contemporary female photographers of choice.
If I could work with her today I would be on the first flight to London!
I found these wonderful images on her website
Gloria Swanson
Conde Nast 1928
Heavy Roses, Voulangis, France, 1914 Edward Steichen
Antonio de Marco and Renée de Marco 1935 by Edward Steichen
Greta Garbo 1928
Norma Shearer
Julia Margaret Cameron by George Frederic Watts
'My Aspirations are to ennoble Photography and to secure for it the character and uses of High Art by combining the real and Ideal and sacrificing nothing of the Truth by all possible devotion to Poetry and beauty.'
Julia Margaret Cameron to Sir John Herschel, 31 December, 1864
Thank you Jane from ill seen, ill said for posting my pictures
Thank you Fab Miss B for introducing me to Margaret Cameron
