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Back in June I modelled for knitwear designer Viktorija Rudenia and photographer Maya Art.
Viktorija contacted me after seeing my own photographs and style, and wanted to combine her styling with my hair and makeup for a new take on a cabaret/1920s look! I really love the results, mainly because it's nice to be styled by someone else and see how different I can look.
And at least now I can say that I have worn fuzzy pants. And pink!
I have to admit, I'm not usually that interested in shoes. It's mainly because I'm just SO picky.
I'm completely useless at walking in high heels, so I tend not to, although I do see the appeal!
My taste in shoes seems to be the same sort of taste as in other things (e.g. lingerie); I find myself preferring vintage styles. My daily boots are a Victorian style, for example.
I've been lusting after American Duchess shoes for some time, and at the moment they are running a giveaway for the gorgeous 1930s reproduction shoes above/below!
Other boots and shoes from American Duchess that are on my wishlist are...
Which American Duchess shoes are your favourite?
I've been on the hunt for a dressing gown.
Now that it's getting colder again (thank god) I can actually think about wearing layers again (at least before it gets cold enough to wear fuzzy jumpers). Especially around the house I want something that I can lounge in, and also throw on when the postman rings the doorbell at 7am!
Time to throw out my fuzzy old leopard print dressing gown, and go for something a little more luxurious, yet still "covered up".
Here's a few ideas that I found!
Arabesque Wrap Robe Lagoon Silk - Between The Sheets $395
Completely out of my price range, but this looks beautiful.
Diana Monarch Robe - Kriss Soonik (at Violet's Knickers) £162
I love Kriss Soonik's loungerie, although this, sadly, is still out of my price range. It looks like this would be warm enough for the winter months too!
Black Silk Gown - Parah (at Dolci Follie) £325
Another one that's out of my price range (I have very expensive tastes) but would feel so glamorous.
Sophia Heart Robe - La Lilouche $198
I love the sleeves and cut out detail on this robe. It also comes in white and red - I'd love to see the colour of the red!
Rosie For Autograph Pure Silk Gown - Marks And Spencers £59
In the end, I might just go for this due to the affordable price. It's nice to wear silk and not hurt my bank account!
Next, I'll focus on robes and dressing gowns that are a little more risque!
Some images that caught my eye this week...
St Mary’s Church, Krakow, Poland
Christian Dior Haute Couture
As you may have guessed, Marlene Dietrich is one of my biggest style inspirations.
Her stunning face, sultry voice and androgynous style has stood the test of time, as she remains one of the icons of the 1930s.
One of her most iconic outfits is the tuxedo that she wore in Morocco, which was considered rather scandalous at the time. It didn't help matters that she kissed another woman in one of the scenes.
I wanted to do a little tribute to her tux look, so I shot some quick self portraits!
Forgive the crumpled shirt - I borrowed one from Mark, as well as the bow tie. The tailcoat is an old find from River Island, tuexdo trousers from ASOS, vintage top hat and the cummerbund was a birthday present from the wonderful Janet Fischietto :)
I wanted the makeup to be a bit more exaggerated, more like her makeup here:
And if you happen to want some musical accompaniment...
What I've been up to during the past month, via my instagram @swiczeniuk!
Top Left - I spotted this AMAZING headdress on Liv Free's facebook page and realised I absolutely must have it! It's just so unique and beautiful, I love how it looks like Catholic Iconography.
Top Right - Shooting said headdress with the awesome Willie Nash! Can't wait to show the photos!
Bottom Left - As you may know, Markabre and I, as DJ Duo The Roustabouts, run cabaret club The Burning Beat. We were previously on at a venue in Islington each Saturday, but have sinced moved out and are searching for a venue that would allow us to expand the show! We threw a free Bank Holiday Special party at Concrete in Shoreditch, and boy was it a party. This is a shot of us both just before we begun playing!
Bottom Right - And this was at the end of the night, with Florian Brooks, who is not only an amazing juggler but a very bad influence (I've never had a 3 day hangover before)! This was after an awful lot of gin, tequila, sambuca, rum and vodka.... oh dear.
Top Left - One friday night we met up with Aurora Galore and headed off to the Playboy Club for fellow performer, Coco Dubois' birthday! We decided to dress in red, gold and black - and yes this is an awful photo thanks to the flash.
Top Right - Along with Coco singing with a live band, they also had performances from Pippa The Ripper, a contortionist (I'm afraid I don't know her name!) and the amazing Heather Holliday. Heather is pictured here SPINNING A PLATE ON A SWORD WHILE HULA HOOPING. She also does sword swallowing and is basically badass.
Bottom Left - And this is how I look at the office! I love this green dress from ASOS... I'm trying to put more colour into my everyday wardrobe.
Bottom Right - I had the pleasure of shooting with the wonderful Ravenblakh Photography again (I think this is the third time now!), this time in a beautiful location. Bizarrely, this place is slap-bang in the middle of skyscrapers and office buildings. Here's one of the beautiful shots from the shoot, but I thought I'd instagram a behind the scenes of the other outfit.
I thought I'd take a few detailed shots of the flat and objects that my boyfriend (Mark) and I own!
We can't really decorate much, so we just collect a LOT of stuff. These images are just tiny parts of the living room.... the less messy parts!
I love books. Some of my favourites here include The Master & Margarita, Everything is Illuminated and 1984.
I make no attempt at hiding the fact that Everything is Illuminated is one of my favourite books (and one of my favourite films), and I've read it 3 times in the 4 years I've known of it (the film was one of the first that my boyfriend showed me, and I read the book not long after). I find it the most beautiful piece of writing contrasted against a heart-breaking plot (seriously, cascades of tears every time). So I'm somewhat surprised it took me so long to read another book by Foer. Perhaps I felt it couldn't possibly live up to Everything is Illuminated, and it didn't, but I've already come to the conclusion that little will do for me.
Some people consider Foer overrated, but I just cannot believe that the themes in his books are written with anything but passion and care. I'm no writer, and I'm no snob, and if his work moves me then I'm going to allow myself to move with it.
Much like Everything is Illuminated, Extremely Loud... is also about a rigid search, a delve into history of the protagonist's family. Specifically, the story is told through the eyes of 9 year old Oskar Schell, whose father dies in a terrorist attack. Oskar finds, inside a vase belonging to his father, an envelope with a key inside. On the outside of the envelope is written the name Black, and Oskar decides to contact every person in New York by that name, to try to discover more of his father. In typical Foer style, there is also a narrative that runs alongside in the form of letters from Oskar's Grandfather to Oskar's Father and from Oskar's Grandmother to Oskar.
I've read reviews that describe an issue with the book being the unsympathetic main character, however I feel that doesn't take into account that Oskar is incredibly special. Although I don't think it's directly referenced, it's evident that he possibly has some sort of autism, being incredibly intelligent for his age, but unable to understand social boundaries. Or perhaps that's just the case of being a 9 year old child that has suffered the trauma of losing someone important in his life.
It was actually the side story, which is essentially about Oskar's Grandmother and Grandfather that made me most teary (although obviously Oskar's desperate attempt to understand his father's death is also heart-breaking). I won't go into details.
Jonathan Safran Foer's work is possibly best for those who are sentimental about history and the way humans interact. His sub storylines are usually pieced together from letters or diary entries, something that has been left in the wake of trauma, or used as a way of dealing with grief.
On a side note, I also loved the use of images and experimental layouts that were in my copy of the book. Beautiful and haunting.
Image via
I've previously put together some femme-dandy finds regarding tailored trousers - this time, blazers!
A good, fitted blazer is perfect for smartening up an outfit. If you are concerned about clashing prints, keep the bottom half to a single colour.
I'm very partial to red, and I just love this pattern! I probably wouldn't wear this with the matching trousers, as I sometimes feel that pattern can be overkill. Wear with black trousers with braces or oxblood peg trousers.
There are plenty of floral blazers around, and perhaps you'd prefer to go for something with a lighter colour palette. But dark florals are very un trend, and I particularly like this strong digital print! I'd wear this with some tweed or grey trousers.
Romwe - $64
I LOVE this, although it's very verging on the edge of Del Boy territory. I thought the lining was a cravat at first, which would go amazingly well with this (either red or blue).
New Look - £29.99
The cropped style of this jacket is easy to throw on, and the folded over cuffs give a touch of colour. Go with a simple print for the trousers - these Plum Jacquard Slim Leg Trousers would be perfect.
SheInside - $62.40
Another simple blazer with some nice detail. If you feel that you can go a whole day without ruining a full white suit, go for it. If not, go for black trousers, or a wild pattern like this Bird Print or these very Lynchian trousers!
I've been meaning to get around to actually photographing my day to day outfits, that I wear to work etc.
My daily style is obviously a lot more toned down than when I'm DJing. Miss Miranda describes it as "Victorian Street Orphan" (thanks :P) - I love to wear dark reds and golds, although I'm trying to put more colours into my wardrobe.
This outfit is fairly simple for a slightly humid rainy day.
Bodysuit - Hella by Playful Promises
Bra with chain - Opulence by Playful Promises
Jacket - H&M
Skirt - New Look
I put together that "bookcase" out of apple crates... I needed somewhere to display some of my favourite books!
This weather is great for just wearing jackets/blazers rather than coats, and I've had this jacket for a while. I love the gold stitching.
Dior Couture Editorial image by Patrick Demarchelier
Photographers! So you've built up your portfolio, you are happy with it, you have good branding and you want to venture out into the possibility of getting PAID to take photographs. I'm not going to lie, it's a cut throat world out there, and more often than not, you aren't going to get paid for your work. You should be. Don't get me wrong. But many of your clients will be of the mindset that there is always someone else that can do it for cheaper or for free.
Designers/Brands! There is a problem with free photographs, and it is that, as a brand, you will usually have very little say in the format and content of the images and you do not have a guarantee that they will be usable. This is fair enough if you already have some set images to act as lookbooks, that show your products in the greatest detail to your customers. But just remember that skimping on paying your photographer and expecting some professional, highly detailed and well lit images is naive. This is something that should be invested in when you begin your company, alongside the investment of stock. The images you use to promote your brand are incredibly important.
Now that's cleared up, back to photographers. You think you are (and have received feedback from others confirming this) good enough, and have strong enough branding, to start being paid. You want to go down the route of contacting brands or companies that may consider paying you for your fine work. Here's a few tips to remember:
An example of lookbook/catalogue photography from River Island AW13
1. Preferably find an email address for the relevant person. Avoid messaging on social media platforms wherever possible. If you really cannot find an email address (actually take the time to look), then message asking for the relevant email. If you have the person's name (and you've double-checked it's correct), use it. Woe betide anyone that spells my name "Ann" or "Ana".
2. Never use the words "hun" or "hunny" in your message. I would have thought this was obvious in any professional environment, but some people seem unable to restrain themselves. Same goes for "x"'s or smiley faces.
3. Spell check. Please.
4. If you are contacting a lot of people, it's understandable that you will copy and paste the main section of your message. But DO take the time to understand the brand (e.g. don't tell an affordable brand they are "high end") and personalize your email.
5. If you aren't sure about the flow of your email, or you struggle with punctuation, read the email out loud. Wherever you naturally pause or stop should be commas and full stops. It will also allow you to notice any sentences that are awkwardly phrased.
6. Attach a pdf portfolio (under 2MB) or a website that isn't overloaded with flash. Your work should speak for itself without a pretentious flash design, so keep it as simple (yet branded!) as possible. Make sure you have some images related to the type of product the brand makes (e.g. jewelery, lingerie, clothing etc). If clothing then ensure your portfolio has simple lookbook/catalogue shots as well as editorials.
7. Do not claim to have worked with brands that you haven't actually worked with. Most brands, if you are good enough, won't care about whether you've worked for one of their competitors or peers. But if you DO wish to list the brands you have worked for, make sure you have worked FOR them and not just shot some pieces the model brought along. Unless you have had a conversation with the brand about creating some images FOR them, you have not worked for them.
8. Suggest a free quick test shoot, or offer to shoot a sample in an upcoming shoot you have booked. They might say they only want published images, but chances are if you are good enough, and they have enough samples to give out (remember that some brands have a PR company that will have all their samples reserved to go out to press), they'll probably go with that.
9. If there's anything else you can bring to the table then mention it (e.g. a model you have in mind that is interested in the project, a location you have access to etc).
Go get 'em!
Can you think of anything else that one should keep in mind when approaching potential clients?
Some images that caught my eye this week...
Maude Fealy
Beautiful shop in Paris via
This wonderful Edith Piaf tribute by Jamie Nelson
Leon Bakst - Poster design for the ballet The Firebird (L’Oiseau de feu) by I. Stravinsky (1915)
I decided I should probably invest in some good makeup brushes from Crown Brush, as the ones I had been using were pretty cheap and not of the best quality.
I got a bit carried away and ended up buying a palette too, as I really should experiment with colours a little more, and this will allow me to do so without investing in separate pigments.
I was immediately drawn to the greens in the palette, so decided to have a little play around!
I'm wearing a Karolina Laskowska Zuzanna Frame Bra under an old bra I customized.
Rudolph Valentino, heart-throb of the 20s, probably not THAT great of an actor. But boy, did he know how to werk that face.
Apparently Ryan Gosling has been to the same school of acting.
Obviously this is the perfect reason to have Ryan Gosling AND Rudolph Valentino in the same post. Because reasons.
Expression 1: GURL.
Expression 2: CHEEKY.
Expression 3: Aaaaaand you're pregnant
Expression 4: OH SHI-
Not quite.
Expression 5: GURL #2
Well that was insightful.
1. Silver Hair Chain - River Island // 2. Hair Brooch - ASOS // 3. Black and Gold Earrings - New Look // 4. Deco Shaped Earrings - River Island for ASOS // 5. Black Crystal Headband - River Island
A few of the high street/online chains have recreated some beautiful art deco inspired pieces (particularly River Island's last autumn collection, oh my) at a fraction of the cost. Some even sell pieces (like 1 and 5) that can be your starting block. Here's a few tips!
1. Make use of the shape of headbands and chains that cover the head like the skullcaps above, and add earrings (3 or 4) or brooches (2, and you can use normal brooches too) to add more decoration.
2. The vintage pieces use dangling ornaments just above the ears to give a little extra dazzle - and who said earrings MUST go in your ears?
3. If you are feeling even more thrifty, use some fabric (something sheer or patterned would work well) as an extra detail underneath the headband/chain so it sits flat against your head. Hand sew to the edges of the headband and cut away the excess.
4. Visit your local haberdashery and buy up some beaded trims, fabric flowers or motifs to add onto your new headpiece!
My boyfriend bought me this book, along with Beauman's first novel, Boxer Beetle, which I read first (and enjoyed enough to go straight onto this). I have to say, I highly enjoyed The Teleportation Accident and look forward to reading it again in a year or so! It was funny (in a very dry way, which I love), unique and remarkably well-written. It would have to be, to have such an arsehole of a protagonist.
Loeser is "a total prick", as described in the first paragraph of the book. His main drive throughout the novel is sex, and he ends up following a girl from Berlin to America upon the assumption that the effort he is making doing so will be bound to get her in bed. He spares little interest in his friends left behind to the mercy of the Nazis (at one point tearing up and discarding a letter from a Jewish colleague describing his recent fearful altercation with a Nazi guard), and yet you still feel drawn to follow his story.
This book is often described as a genre-bender, and indeed it is, but also a distortion of time. Although each chapter is set in a specific place and specific time there are small details (such as ketamine being used in Weimar Berlin) that are deliberately used to make the reader feel like time is moving somewhat differently in this novel. Much like The Great Gatsby it makes use of lavish settings of empty people, all trying to impress each other and climb the social ladder. It's anachronistic in this sense, that it could easily be set in the modern day (much like Gatsby, which I can only assumed Baz Luhrman attempted to convey with his hideous film soundtrack - no, I still haven't seen the film), with modern-day party-goers gurning away.
Without giving anything away, trust me when I say the plot twists and turns in bizarre and hilarious ways, reminding me a little of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Don't look into the specifics, just read it.
The thing that I particularly love about Tim Walker's work is his use of large props. Although he has claimed to be cutting back on the props and moving into studio work, I'll always love the whimsical use of over-sized objects.
So when Vicky Butterfly got in touch about shooting her new egg and screen stage props I was rather intrigued!
I've worked with quite a few performers, both behind the scenes at events and with my camera, and there are very few that actually seem to live and breathe their art the way Vicky does. Her costumes, props and dances are so historically accurate and completely beautiful. She's well known for her moon act (photo by Scott Chalmers) and various other large prop acts.
This is what she said about her Egg and Screen:
Well, I can finally share the results of my summer 'project'! As some of my friends may be aware, I have been the inheritor of Ruby Blues' Faberge Egg... In addition to general restoration I also refurbished it in a look inspired by one of the Imperial Easter Eggs held in the Vatican. I do like a craft project though and as I rarely do things by halves, I also created a 6ft tall 6 leaf backing screen inspired by the Catherine Palace Hall of Mirrors in St Petersburg. Yes, the carpentery, joinery etc. is mostly mine. So, having washed the dust from my hands, I give you my Imperial Swan's Egg! Yes, there may also have been a little inspiration from King Ludwig in there too...
So, on Saturday, I went over to shoot Vicky and her new set. Unfortunately I was a little (ok, a lot) hungover and we had to play jenga with the very heavy egg and very heavy 6 panel screen! I also had to balance on a rotating stage, and I'm not particularly good with balance at the best of times.
But it was worth it ;)
What I've been up to during the past month, via my instagram @swiczeniuk!
Top Left: This Sunday we went off to a BBQ for our friend Anthony's birthday, so I tried something a little different with my hair. It was such a lovely day, with great company, talking about everything from feminist issues to the next Doctor Who. Unfortunately the mosquitos seemed to enjoy my flesh, as my legs have been bitten to shreds :(
Other images: On Saturday we had our first night off for 10 months, now that The Burning Beat is NO LONGER at House of Wolf (we will be doing a Bank Holiday special in Shoreditch on the 25th August)! It was also quite a coincidence that my Grandmother was celebrating her 90th birthday and Mark and I were celebrating our 4 year anniversary. For lunch we went to see my family, which was quite a large gathering with plenty of booze.
For the evening I'd booked a trip to the beautiful Pheonix Cinema to see Blancanieves. I'm going to have to give this a separate post because it was just absolutely beautiful and exactly what we love!
Top Left: Selfie at work! You can see how my desk is surrounded by images..
Top Right: One of the ladies at work was leaving, so we went for a goodbye BBQ at Kensington Roof Gardens. They had Pimms in TINY BUCKETS IT WAS GREAT.
Bottom Left: It also looked amazing. You wouldn't think that such an exotic looking place was in the middle of London. And it was an authentic kind of exotic rather than looking theme park-esque.
Bottom Right: Wearing my new Playful Promises Hella Bodysuit with a Karolina Laskowska frame bra. I've been pretty much wearing this bra under and over things for the past week.
Top Left: A backstage selfie at the last Burning Beat at House of Wolf. I'm wearing my new Nearer the Moon fringe dress.
Top Right: We also had a private birthday party booking just before The Burning Beat. It was a gatsby inspired event with cocktails in teacups and lots of people looking very dashing!
Bottom Left: For the first time ever, our dj booth was a white grand piano. Badass.
Bottom Right: Before heading out to a Gatsby themed party at Soho House, where we were performing. I tried to do a Pola Negri type makeup look... Although the eyebrows need work. Anyone want to see a tutorial of this?
I mainly picked up The Night Circus because everyone seemed to be talking about it, and the theme of a Victorian circus, which obviously fits my interests! Maybe this caused me to expect so much more, as, although I did enjoy the book, I wouldn't really class it as an absolute MUST read, or something I would re-read later on. I can't really put my finger on why this is the case... Perhaps because I didn't feel so invested in the characters or I wasn't blown away by the fantasy element of the circus. The plot was somewhat unfulfilling; it did exactly what I expected it to, to the point where I remember hoping I'd be proved wrong with a twist. Great plot if you like a fluffy love story (albeit with a darker edge, but nothing more disconcerting than an old Disney film villain would have been).
A lot of the reviews listed across the inside covers hark on about the magical descriptions of the circus, although my experience was more like an endless "look at this, look at this, isn't it all so WONDERFUL!?", making it somewhat hollow.
Perhaps I'm not the target audience after all, I spend much of my own time dreaming up cabaret concepts and it's the spit and sawdust circus, the filthier, faded granduer that inspires me. It just made me want to watch Carnivale again, and muse on how perfect that disturbing, Lynchian circus setting is. I get the impression that this is written for a younger audience.
I wouldn't be surprised if The Night Circus is picked up by Hollywood soon, it seemed almost like it was written for CGI (although if it were done by Terry Gilliam I would be incredibly excited) and Tim Burton. And unfortunately Tim Burton hasn't done anything I enjoyed for some time now.
I really need to take more outfit shots for this blog!! I dress up at least once a week and never get around to actually taking a photo.
Here's a few shots I took on Saturday, featuring the red Elle Robe from Kiss Me Deadly.
I've also had a bit of a splurge.... but in my defense, the Nearer the Moon piece was bought a few weeks ago and the book was bought in sale!
I'll DEFINITELY take a better photo of this, but my Nearer The Moon fringe dress arrived! I got it in the gold and red colour way, and although it took me a while to figure out how it goes on (I'm really slow...), I'm in love. I'll be wearing it out this weekend, layered over other shiny things!
I also grabbed the Opulence gold chain set from Playful Promises which arrived in the warehouse today. SO MUCH EXCITEMENT. I might actually end up embellishing this set, because I can never have enough gold.
A few months ago I bought a beautiful hard back, illustrated version of The Master and Margarita from The Folio Society and instantly fell in love. They are currently holding a summer sale, so I couldn't really help myself and ended up buying The Golem.
