Tickets and Excitement

There are no words to describe the levels of excitement I am in about attending London Fashion Week. I am mostly looking forward to John Rocha, Qasimi, Basso and Brooke, and Ashish. I still have to print some invitations that were sent online but starting Friday to Sunday I am going to be in chaotic mode running from venue to venue. I will be feeding my blog with info hopefully every night if I can. I am still upset I am travelling to Qatar on Monday morning and will be missing some shows but I needn't be so greedy. There is always Septembaaa!

Middle East @ The Saatchi

On the eve of fashion week and putting together my first shoot I still made time to go to the Saatchi gallery in Kings Road to catch the new show on Unveiled Art in The Middle East . I was in awe of Kader Attia's Ghost made out of aluminum foil. His explanation of the piece:

In Ghost, a large installation of a group of Muslim women in prayer, Attia renders their bodies as vacant shells, empty hoods devoid of personhood or spirit. Made from tin foil - a domestic, throw away material - Attia’s figures become alien and futuristic, synthesising the abject and divine. Bowing in shimmering meditation, their ritual is equally seductive and hollow, questioning modern ideologies - from religion to nationalism and consumerism - in relation to individual identity, social perception, devotion and exclusion. Attia’s Ghost evokes contemplation of the human condition as vulnerable and mortal; his impoverished materials suggest alternative histories or understandings of the world, manifest in individual and temporal experience.

A Future Collaboration with Anna Fayemi

I am super excited about styling my first ever shoot this Thursday with the talented Anna Fayemi .We met up for warm coffee and Tiramasu cake in Covent Garden's Ponti's (My hair smelt like pasta and pizza for the whole day after that) we put together a photo shoot for this Thursday in Anna's new studio in Kentish Town. I am working with talented people like Charlotte Fisher for make-up and Yann Beyrie from Trevor Sorbie and Thomas Sergeant as a photographer am dare I say a lil nervous for styling my first shoot. But being the organized freak that I am, I have been calling in young designers for the past two days and am getting quite a large collection of clothes/accessories for the shoot. Anywhoo here's a mini interview with Anna the photographer.

Fashion Ambition: How long have you been a photographer?
Anna: 2 years .

FA: When were you first behind the lens and has that experienced impacted you in any way?
Anna: I was around 19, in art school. One of my best friends was really into photography. She put a hasselblad in my hands; she was working on a project and needed someone to photograph her. I got a taste for it and started hanging around dark rooms and camera shops.

FA:What is your style of working as a photographer? What image would be an Anna Fayemi?
Anna: Do I have a style ? I wish I didn’t, I wish I was just doing everything and anything. It's so important to be versatile.



FA: Why did you choose to pursue photography? Did you know it was your calling from the start or is this a recent career change?
Anna: In my second year of art school, one of my teachers told me I was like a monkey going up the tree, eating apples of each branch as I was going up. She told me I should stay still on one branch. She was my photography teacher. She liked my work, I liked it too. I kept still and I still am!

FA: You are from Paris and live in London, what are some qualities you love about London city and what do you miss most about Paris?
Anna: London is an exciting place for me. It's full of craziness, it can be so eccentric! I feel really creative here. But you know what people say...
"The grass is always greener...” I do miss Paris, I love it, I love walking in the streets at night.

FA: Tell me about some exciting projects you are currently working on.
Anna: I'm moving into a new photographic studio in Kentish Town! Really exciting!

FA: In your opinion what is the secret to being a great photographer?
Anna: You need to work . Hard.

FA: I would love to collaborate with ...
Anna: Jean-Paul Gaultier !!

FA: Where do you see Anna Fayemi in 5 years time?
Anna:The big Apple!