Editor @ Large . . . Newton Faulkner shoots for Random Magazine

Having been tossed onto the curb by my cab driver round the corner from the location I was standing by Piccadilly Circus, trying to guard 15 bags of clothes, practically sobbing at how to get my loot over the road, I was rescued by the Random Magazine team who all came trooping round the corner and I breathed a sigh of relief!

The shoot was based on Hindu G-ds and Godesses and so we were going slightly bright and funky, plenty of quirk!

We had a gorgeous extra in the form o

f Roopa the part time model who is really a head and neck surgeon! Who brought with her beautiful saris and exiquisite jewellery, the make up artist - Lauren Baker - and myself definitely wouldn't of minded a dressing up session!

Newton arrived like a bubbly bundle of dreads and it was all stations go!

His personal make  up and hair team set to work, while Lauren began to paint Roopa blue!

Newton was really friendly and told us of his latest exploits! We talked touring, new albums (it's out 28th September), day trips to foreign countries and disguises! (So you know he has a penchant for deer hats and geek glasses!

By the end of the shoot Newton ended up blue too and due to his hairy arms resembled the lead character in Monsters Inc! It was a race against time as he had to flee for a video advert filming in Spain and had to run to Gatwick (well he was taking a car - but you know what I mean!) He left still rather blue but happy! 

And we loved having him! - PS I've heard the new album and it really does rock!

Roving Reporter . . . Identity Solved

I've been told that apparently I don't do 'branding' very well.
Which I suppose is because, shockingly, though I could most definitely talk for England, possible a small - medium sized continent, I actually am rather shy.
I dislike being in front of camera's, hence why it's normally Bleu, or some other poor unsuspecting person that I snap as evidence of work, rather than pop into the pic myself. However now in the name of all things blog like and fashion, I am coming clean and revealing my identity, all be it still without the picture, after all I can't divulge everything at once!
So who is Roving Reporter and why does she get the inside scoop?

Real Name: Rivkie Baum

Job: Fashion Stylist / Fashion Journalist and most importantly, the
Editor at RANDOM MAGAZINE, the best and quirkiest fashion/art magazine around.

Favourite Past Time: Finding Fashion Scoop and gossip, tracking trends, sourcing new designers and watching runway shows!

Well there you have it, I am Roving Reporter and I shall continue to Rove and Report, but now I'm no longer CID, I'm laid out bare in my fashion threads!

Roving Reporter . . . EM Magazine

The Winner of Every Model Magazine . . . Model Winner!

Photography: Dave Wise

Styling: Me

Styling Assistant Catherine Smith

Photography Assistant: Ben Lycett

Hair: Noel Gibbins

Make Up: Harvey

Model: Alex Prinz

Photographer: Joseph Sinclair

Make Up: Sandra Bermingham

Styling: Me

Roving Reporter . . . Fash-Pack Fav Rocks at Wireless!

'LET'S GET EXCITED!'

Back in April, AFW appeared and like magic I found myself with a whole new load of young designers to work with. If you cast your mind back, you will remember that Bleu Flats and I raved about new talent NAJLAA JABRI and her pearly button leggings. Well it seems like the music world caught on as a very excited Alesha Dixon wore them for her performance at Wireless Festival at the weekend! How FAB!

Fash-Pack going to the ends of the earth to find you the best talent around!

Picture: OK magazine

Roving Reporter . . . Irregular Choice Shoe Party!

Tonight was party night! We headed to the flagship 'Irregular Choice' shoe store on Carnaby Street to chat, munch sweeties and drink the classic choice of 'Lambrini!'

The fashion pack were treated to yummy cartons of Um-Bongo, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, sherbet sweeties, jelly beans and mini-mini cupcakes by Ooh La La! (just so you know it was scrummy, and a perfect choice, there was plenty a mad dash to the cakes and never have I seen fashionista's enjoying their food so much! Don't tell them that the doughnuts are 500 calories a pop or they will never eat again!)

(Bleu Flats and her new BFF - The designer of the greatest shoes on earth - Irregular Choice obv!) We love him and his beautiful shoes! I wore my favourite, purple ankle boot with gold bow in honour of the party and was chuffed that he picked up on them! I love, love, love them and I also love how much people point at my feet when I wear them!

Entertaining the crowd was Laura Dockrill a.k.a 'Dockers MC' with her tales and poetic lyrics, while 'It' chick of the moment 'Polly Scattergood' - (hot name right?!) Charmed the socks (or should that be shoes?!) off the room with her delicate voice and a sneak preview of her much anticipated album.

On arrival we were stamped with a smiley bear and it wasn't long before our grin matched his and we left the party full of glittery goodness, sweeties and Lambrini, we tottered off to find 'real food'.

I wont name the 'Italian' that gave us shoddy service, but poor heels had to wait a good half hour for her meal, only for the waitress to arrive with a small plate with one slice of bread! (see image below).

 No this was not a new 'fashionable' diet, but a mistake on our waitresses part!  - After much explaining and a few more moments all was resolved, but our faces when she placed down one piece of bread 'to share' was priceless!

We headed home, as we are out partying for the next two nights, don't worry, your fash-pack chicks will keep bringing the gossip!

Roving Reporter . . . Pick of the Day

www.boohoo.com

This online retailer is so underestimated but is actually doing some fabulous pieces right now!

I love this little skirt with the bow on the front! So cute for the summer and it comes in blue too! Wear with a fab tee or vest tucked in to show off the high waist!

Roving Reporter . . . Shooting again!

(Amber-Rose adjusting Ellen's incredibly crimped up hair) - see videos below too!

Yesterday was one busy day!

A few weeks ago at AFW, (alternative fashion week), Flats and I came across the designer for the maybe soon to be Topshop stocked brand - New York Couture. This lady dresses all the stars, with Katy Perry recently sporting a pair of her sequined pants!

Anyway . . . She told us that wearing purple and black together was bad luck, which perhaps explains my entire life! Alternatively she is talking rubbish and for some reason I decided that today would be the day I tested the theory!

(the epic Jack - Make up marvel - pouting AGAIN).

So I left the house in several shades of purple and black in order to finally break the spell . . . well so I thought. The morning started with me pulling the handle of my suitcase, already packed with my stuff for the shoot, having swapped over suitcases, I promptly dropped it on my foot, before ending up at the wrong train station (as I forgot which one I was meeting my assistant - Brogues at!) 

(Brogues and Ellen in between camera card changes)

This so far is sounding pretty bad only to be compounded by finding out our original model was sick so we had to wait for a replacement . . . an eleven o'clock start found its way to 1.30 and with our first shot being taken at around 3.30pm, I was beginning to think that purple and black is not such a hot combination.

However the shoot looked amazing! We used some stunning Afshin Feiz dresses in a multitude of sherbet tones and bound the models legs in ice cream coloured chiffon, creating an ethereal beauty. 

We wanted the dresses to fly, spin and float, this required a mixture of wind machines and Jack (the fabulous make up artist) wafting the models dress! I spent most of the day on the floor creating just the right angle!

Jack at one point found himself under the dress, holding it up, this was my angle, as I was sat on the floor with the giant and extremely strong fan! But from the front Jack was unseen!

Ellen in between shots. We wanted to have the feeling of movement in the shots and so bound the legs to give a ballet feel.

Show us some leg!

Wind machine in full force! I love the fact that she looks so glam but the behind the scenes is so revealing. 

Touch up time!
Photographer Mark and MUA Jack doing boy things (carrying and technical)

One final shot of our ethereal beauty! Check out the videos below!

Roving Reporter . . . Little Boots does a Fash-Pack fav!

Manjit Deu has been a huge crush of ours at Fash-Pack for a long time! 

In fact Roving Reporter was invited to his MA show by the sequin king himself and has been wowing me ever since. I was one of the first to champion the sparkly one and have not stopped on my crusade to tell the world!

He has since had editorials with the NY based, original, online, glossy, ZooZoom and the, coolest editorial magazine, 'Random', and tonight made the singer 'Little Boots' looked good enough to eat! 

(This is the only pic I have found so far of Little Boots from last night, check out those sequins!)

Fashion and Music come together and we love it!

(Manjit Deu - Sequin Vest)

(Manjit Deu - Archive Camouflage Beaded Jacket)

Luke Pasqualino (Freddie in Skins - wearing Manjit Deu)

Flats Tells Us . . . The Maccabees & Mumford and Sons @ Electric Ballroom last night

This just a more detailed review of last night with some pics too!

With a last minute rush over to Camden, I met Kie Kie (Roving Reporter) at Camden Town tube. All we had to do was follow the mass of indie kids heading over in their checked shirts and plimsolls to know we were in the right place.After picking up our very “Important”, press, guest list tickets we headed inside, to have a little snoop and wander around to see what was going down. The Venue itself wasn’t really, shabby chic enough for me, but was a good, big, gig space regardless. After grabbing a beer and heading to the main area, we got a good spot up front, to see support band 'Mumford and Sons'.They are actually incredibly good, with old school, mixed with bizarre instrument choices, their sound was amazing! I loved it! I would go and see them again most defiantly. 

(Ben from the Mumford and Sons! - bad shirt, fantastic face! - RR)

The lead singer had a sort of folksy style, indie voice, and deep, meaningful lyrics, it was so perfect. (I felt like I was in a cool barn dance - but cool, really cool! At perhaps a slightly wacky boarding school - RR).

Look who we met in the loo! - she was sooooo nice!

With Ben Lovett on the keys, he was really going for it! But the geek chic instrument of 2009, has to be the double bass! I have never seen anyone rock one before!
We headed outside for a sneaky fag before the Macs played and grabbed a quick chat with Matt Horne about his latest escapades, he promises us an interview soon. 

We spot Felix sneaking behind us for a quick sing along to the support. I grab Land for a second, forgetting to mock his bad choice of headwear! I just got a quick peck and wished good luck for the set, after (finally -RR) introducing all to Kie Kie “your kooky curly haired friend” (is that really my description?! - Not sure if honoured?! - RR)  We settle back into our spot ready for The Maccabees to start. 

Within about 5 seconds of them walking on stage, the sold out crowd were going crazy! 

Most indie bands, really don’t have such great voices, but this band are different in so many ways (you are such a groupie - RR). 

Not only are the songs catchy and well written, but Orlando’s voice is incredible, Felix pours his passion for music onto the floor every time he walks onto the stage, and his solo escapades, fronting the band are becoming more regular. As Felix (shyly) sang his heart out, me and Kie Kie whooped crazily in support (I felt silly, I should drink more, it was however VERY good and worth a good whoop - RR). 

They are, genuinely, an amazing band to see live, even listening to the record, you can feel the buzz . . .

 “We want the record to sounds like the best live gig you could go to” said Felix.
I loved it, Kie Kie loved it, the huge crowd loved it! 

Yet again an unforgettably great performance from them!

Kiss Kiss Bleu flats x

Roving Reporter . . . Shoot Shoot Shoot

Goodness me, it's Bank Holiday Sunday and I have been up since seven! It is now 10pm and I'm just tucking into some dinner having spent the day shooting in Dunganess.

Where, I hear you cry?! Well it's in Kent, on the coast, it's kinda full of stones and a few randomly placed little houses, so totally not London! 

While I reveled in being out in the sticks, gushing at the cute little cottages, the quaint steam train and the general beauty of the peace and quiet, Bleu-Flats was falling into full scale panic mode! Having never been too far out of Shoreditch, my little Flats was actually having an allergic reaction to our surroundings and spent most of the day in the prep B&B room, eyes watering and tissues at the ready!
We were off to shoot a knit campaign, so while the crew froze to death, on the sunny but cold day, the gorgeous models were kitted out in the most lovely cashmere coats, jumpers and skirts! Damn!
The look was New York - London, Prom Grunge. Perfect really, as London has a punk reputation, while the Big Apple is famous for its pretty, prom style.
Featured are some clips from the day! Enjoy! xx

When we saw sheep, that's when we knew we were very far away from a Starbucks!

(Our gorgeous model Ulla, pulling a face! - how cute is she!)

The models rocking the doubles shots in stunning purple! We all loved these wool coats!

(Tom doing some work, everyone now . . . 1 2 3 READY, 1 2 3 READY, 1 2 3 READY!)

(Tom working again, here with Sarah, does he ever stop?! 1 2 3 READY)

(Ulla and the mitten puppet, definitely the most hilarious model I've ever worked with, she had us all in stitches!)

TOM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? . . . Oh, the sun is too strong to see the pics on the camera, RIGHT, UHU, YEAH WE BELIEVE YOU!

Bleu-Flats, rocking her Kenny from South Park impression.

Tim sweetie, it's so not your colour!

Me in the Kenny South-Park hat, with Ulla, girls in pink!

Roving Reporter . . . 24London

Last night, The Fash-Pack and friends headed to the opening of new Kingly Street club, 24London. This was teamed with a birthday party for stylist extraordinaire, Nick Ede's birthday party, which only meant one thing . . . Disco, free drink and C-list celebrities. 

We arrived moments after Nick himself (having almost wondered into the crowd outside Tantra, by mistake) and had to hold up as an ex-tv, Footballer's Wives actress, pouted for the paps. Pretending to find it annoying, while oh so clearly loving it, even though no one was quite sure of who she was. 

When inside we headed to the bar to sip passion fruit cocktails in martini glasses and little glass teacups filled with another equally sweet and delicious cocktail. 

Canapes were floating round, though we all declined, after all, this is fashion, no one is supposed to be seen eating. We surveyed the room and checked out the other guests. 

The bar staff had the best uniform, all black, white braces and white framed, geek glasses, while the hostess on the floor had beautifully corseted black dresses on. 

The music flipped between current hits and outrageously disco numbers. But it was still far too early for the fashionista's to dance! 

We scanned for some familiar faces and saw a dashingly good looking, 'Ned, from Neighbours', 'Ste from Hollyoaks', who behaved like an unfriendly smarmy chap all night, he did happily chat away to the now (thanks to Nick), stylish Samanda, twins of Big Brother fame, even taking their number and whispering into their ears!

We then turned our attentions to the occasional real life WAG (some chick called Lizzie) and Dancing on Ice and Strictly stars all had their dancing shoes on too, with Donald McIntyre, Camilla Dellerup and a couple of the others, but their names escape me!

Most exciting though was the host of Big Brother rejects. Aisleyne, who had had a strong improvement in her looks was out in a backless, bottomless number, and poor Nikki Grahame looked positively starved, though she was over the moon when Flats asked for her picture with her. 

As the drinks flowed, the dance moves began and Heels (who was actually in flats tonight) and Bleu Flats and myself gave it our best shot to throw some shapes on the dance floor. Bleu Flats, got mistaken for Pixie Geldof by several people, including the irate bar woman, who told her 'I don't care if you are Pixie, you have to wait your turn', the toilet attendant who asked for her autograph, and the girl with the big bow in her hair, who photographed Flats dancing and then stared at her constantly! Oh and Nick Ede, also looked chuffed that 'Pixie' had come to his party (even though he and Flats do know each other!)

Ahhhh, well off to sleep! xx

Roving Reporter . . . Movida

Right now, I have to say I am pretty pissed, so any spelling or grammatical errors, well quite frankly, YOU try blogging while under the influence! (There should be laws against it quite frankly.)

Tonight one of my favourite hot new designers, Manjit Deu, threw a shindig at Movida, well actually they threw it for him, so after a few drinks in the trendy Phoenix pub, the fashion crowd headed over to Movida.

The 'WAG style' ladies, were quite intimidating and unfortunately we lost Brogues to illness, she looked hot but felt crap! We were also without Flats, and Heels (see I promised I'd get you in there!) was no where to be seen!In fact we were positively shoe-less! But we vowed to go on and party.

Once inside, I have to say I was astounded. The club was huge, the drinks pricey (but tasty) and the girls, well lets be honest, a little bit tacky. It was Cheryl Cole, mixed with Council Estate Chic, but if thats your bag then head on down! Naturally the fashion crowd were cooler and we boogied away to free cocktails (a bit crap tbh) and good 70' disco. 

I even spotted DAVID WALLIAMS dancing and getting his leg up on the bar (tres flexible!). There was also KATE MOSS  - (spotted by my Buttons! - well done, we all doubted!)

 who was dressed in a full sequined, structured, shoulder number, by Shaun Leane . . .

 (she was also trying to desperately get her leg up on the bar)

Oh and an extremely pissed off JODIE HARSH in a fab sequin hoodie, who was marching around looking ready to punch someone!

Music was a perfect mix of old school and chart topping songs, to keep everyone on their feet! Buttons, Ginger and I, indulged in cocktails & partied hard, but apparently only I got pissed! 

Worthy of mention were the two, hot, body popping boys, who put their suited and booted counter parts to shame, with their dance moves (money isn't everything!) and . . . The chav-tastic chick in a mini, denim-print skirt and knitted halter neck top, seriously luv, 1990 is so not hot right now!

But all in all, to fit into Movida, takes a certain type of girl . . . and lets just say . . .

'I'd rather eat cake, than wear to much Fake Bake!'