East London street style - Ice cream

So you might have noticed, summer is here. Or, if you're living north of zone 5, you'll have heard it on the news at least. What this means, other than that I can consider a Magnum lolly and strawberry beer an adequate lunch, is that there is some COLOUR on the streets at last. Alexandra illustrates the spring pastel trend perfectly, channelling Mulberry's ice-cream colours by clashing her fuchsia hair to her minty dress. Oh, and, why the heck not, just adding a little vintage Chanel. Happy Summer, everyone...

East London street style - Be happy

Style crush alert!  This is Frances, of Happy Because.  She always looks amazing.  Not in a "I'm going to Brick Lane and there might be streetstyle photographers" type way, but in a "I just rolled out of bed (ill) and chucked this on but just happen to have a damn frickin' good sense of style" type way.  She always looks cool but never try-hard - the jersey flares, Cons and sleeveless jacket here being a case in point - and she's also a fan of a great hat and/or neck detail.  Maybe that's why she's so happy.

Now also seems an opportune moment to thank Company Magazine for a highly enjoyable and successful Style Blogger Awards ceremony this week.  I was so happy to be nominated but not at all shocked to be beaten in the streetstyle category by the man himself - Facehunter.  Congratulations to all the winners, oh and you can see who wore what (cos clearly that's what you're wondering) here.  Also this week, the very eagle-eyed among you may have spotted this photo I took of Fumie flash up on Friday's edition of The Culture Show on BBC2, featuring Styleeast's good friend David of the Nyanzi Report talking about the streetstyle phenomenon.   And that concludes this week's edition of Styleeast News, thanks for tuning in! 

London Fashion Week street style - D'you wanna be in my gang?

Do you wanna be in my gang, my gang, my gang, d'you wanna be in my gang..my g-a-a-ang.  

#inappropriateGaryGlitterreference

But yes, we do, for it is the most colourful gang in all of Fashion Week.  And also because you have the most nonchalant denim jacket, sheer shirt and pastel hair.


Featuring: Second from left Anna from Anna Lee Fashion and, far right, photographer Erick LeStrange

London Fashion Week street style - Aesthetics

This luminous lovely is Ivania, of Love Aesthetics, in town for fashion week from the Netherlands. Her outfit, and her whole blog, is a lesson in what I believe we are calling sport-luxe these days - an effortless mix of pale jersey and bright colours, with Ivania's own added twist of some serious lipsticks.  That lemon/lilac combo is making even the most colourful fashion week looks pale in comparison.  Ivania's shoes are Acne, the hoody is nicked from her boyfriend, and the jeans are trusty Toppers - go get (though maybe not the hoody as her boyfriend would have something to say about that) .

London Fashion Week street style - Simplicity, Kitty

Meow.  The Kitty clutch and pink pony creepers take this ensemble from simplistic denim to fashion (wait for it...) purrfection ( I apologise...). Just the job for a day in the courtyard of Somerset House, especially with the addition of that furry scarf to keep out the cold.  Plenty more LFW streetstyle to come so stay tuned.

London Fashion Week street style - Chameleon

Styleeast loves a fashion chameleon which is why I was pleased to bump into Elizabeth, who works at Elle, two days in a row at Somerset House.  Not that I recognised her the second time, but perhaps I can blame the fact that by the third day on the cobbles my eyeballs (along with my fingers and toes) had completely frozen.  Choosing my favourite of Elizabeth's looks isn't easy, so I'm going to sit on the fence and say I like her different takes on masculine tailoring in both outfits, though I do have a particular penchant for that lime green beanie.  Which is your favourite?

*post-edit.  By the way, I saw Kanye West today.  KANYE WEST!  You can see my rubbish photo here on the Styleeast facebook page.  I'm also chattering nonsense on Twitter, here

London Fashion Week street style - Gaga ooh la la

Just add pom poms.

London Fashion Week street style - Stella does neon

Fair to say that Stella will be all over the internet before you can say "paparazzi", so I thought I'd get in there first to show you her amazing Jonathan Saunders neon.  A rare flash of colour on a dull and rainy day.  Fingers crossed for sunshine tomorrow.  See you there...

Fringe benefits

The first photo was featured on the BBC's Culture Show on  Friday 9 March 2012

Spot the theme!  Brick Lane is being taken over by coloured hair.  Not that I'm complaining, especially with Fumi's interpretation of the trend - just a dash of jade in the fringe, beautifully complementing the accents in her scarf.  I'd become a bit jaded (get it!) myself recently and sick of the sight of just black black black, as if dressing to match the sky helped beat the cold weather; so this colourful ensemble was like a breath of fresh air.  Welcome to all of my new readers, joining me from the Observer article last week and thanks for following.  Don't forget you can also find me on here on Twitter.  See you at Fashion Week! 

Debatable

I was very excited to feature in this week's Observer New Review, along with a collection of other UK bloggers, in this article that began, controversially, by stating that 'what we wear is increasingly shaped by fashion bloggers'. I, an avid reader of many blogs, wholeheartedly agree that since discovering a wealth of quick, innovative inspiration at my fingertips, for free, the way I follow fashion has changed. And I bet many of you reading this would say the same.

One scan of the 100 comments left on the online article will leave you in no doubt many people do not agree. And that, of course, is absolutely fine, it is the Guardian after all, the comments always form a fascinating, if sometimes visceral, debate - whatever the topic. I didn't enjoy this particular debate any less just because I'm a part of it. Perhaps that's why I don't feel compelled to defend or justify the topic of the feature at all, that would be for the paper to do, though I'm sure they're content with having sparked such a great furore!

What I will say in response is this: Contrary to what some people tend to assume about anyone who does fashion, my day job ensures I have good perspective about what 'really' matters - family, opportunity, education, democracy (all of which the Guardian covers amply) but let's not forget that fashion is a multi-billion pound industry that creates jobs and supports our economy. I know fashion isn't important, or even interesting, to everyone and appearing in the paper doesn't mean I think my little blog, a minuscule cog in a huge wheel, will ever have the power to influence anyone (which unfortunately thwarts my plan to use it for taking over the world, Bond villain-style).

But the growth of blogging is interesting to me, and (contrary to what one comment suggests) brings me, and hopefully my readers, joy. Which, along with the fact my mum could go out for the Sunday paper and tell the man in the shop her daughter was in it, is why I was thrilled to be included in the feature. Let's not forget, fashion is allowed to be just for fun and, sometimes, frivolous. Or perhaps, as one commentator put it perfectly, fashion is simply the fetishisation of something we all have to do in order not to die of exposure.

Thanks to the Guardian staff for being helpful and courteous throughout. I hope you enjoyed reading the article, and the comments, as much as I did.

VOTE FOR STYLEEAST IN THE COMPANY MAGAZINE BLOG AWARDS HERE

FOLLOW STYLEEAST ON TWITTER HERE

In good Company

Before we get down to business and discuss the Company Style Awards, let's just pause for a second on this wild ensemble.  From pastel curls to red creepers with clashing green socks - with fur and spikes aplenty inbetween - it just screams 'I don't give a you-know-what'.  Possibly one of my favourite street style spots ever, and totally sums up why I shoot where I do as, on Brick Lane, as this chap demonstrates, anything goes.  And somewhere within me is a proper photographer just dying to get out who loves the light that creeps across the graffitied walls in the late afternoon.

So, yes Company magazine.  Guess what!  Yours truly has been nominated in the first ever Style Blogger Awards, in both the street style and overall best blog categories.  To say I'm chuffed and surprised would be a serious understatement.  It's an absolute honour to be sharing the longlist with some of the best bloggers around, not to mention for a magazine that I not only read (honest) but have a lot of respect for because of the way they recognise and promote the importance of blogging in fashion in this day and age.  Good luck to all the nominees, and if you want to give a little blog from the backstreets of east London a chance, you can vote for me here

DON'T FORGET YOU CAN FOLLOW STYLEEAST ON TWITTER AND SEE ME TALKING A LOT OF CRAP ABOUT DR DRE AND TEXTS FROM BENNETT AND OTHER SUBJECTS IN MOST WAYS UNRELATED TO THIS BLOG - HERE  

Glasgow smile

No, I don't mean this (warning - it's gross) type of Glasgow smile, but an actual one, on a lovely smiley lady from actual Glasgow.  It certainly brightened my day, so much so that I didn't even notice that amazing pastel topknot at first. I've yet to take my first east London streetstyle shot of 2012 (failed to shoot today, I blame the gin), but stay tuned...

NYFR

That's New Year Fashion Resolutions dontcha know.  If you don't want to worry about your post-Christmas waistline/credit card bill/alcoholism, put your efforts into your wardrobe instead.  Here's just a few mottos I'll be adopting for 2012:

1.Try something different.  I might finally get round to dyeing my hair red.  Though probably not this short.  I'd also quite like this coat.

2. Get brave with colour.  Wear a bright green feathered mermaid skirt in the daytime (especially if you're the lovely Rosalind).  Oh, and don't forget to smile.

3. Consider yourself a bit clever with pattern clashing.  And if that involves also wearing flared trousers, so much the better.

4. Accessorise like there's no tomorrow.  Wear feathers if you like, as Stella does (of course it helps if you also have a little Christopher Kane going on)

5.  Layer like a pro.  The pro being Nadia, not me, I'm utterly crap at it. On me, this cardi looks like something I pulled out of the cat's basket. On her, layering perfection.

Happy new year, everyone, I'll look forward to seeing you all heeding Styleeast's fashion wisdom on east London's streets soon...

Christmas Cracker

All I want for Christmas is a green bob.  Hope you enjoy this festive fashion cracker, my last post of 2011,  effortlessly mixing granny chic with that modern (and very seasonally appropriate) coloured hair.  Now go enjoy some mulled wine, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, and turkey in every recipe you can imagine (until it runs out).  Hope for something nice from Santa but don't forget those who have less than we do.  See you all in 2012 for more adventures and thank you everyone for reading and supporting Styleeast in 2011.  Happy Christmas.

Dog day afternoon

Trust me, it's no small challenge getting a dog to pose for a streetstyle photo, and this cheeky chappy had clearly had enough of me by the time I got this shot - sticking his tongue out at me, the naughty thing.  Luckily for him (and me) though, this picture is not about the canine but his winter-fabulous owner.  I do tend to be drawn to a bit of tartan, being a Scot and all that (witness here and here), but this lady gets extra marks for avoiding the obvious black tights option and instead matching her pins to her pet. And for rocking the Rooney Mara hair look, making me seriously consider the chop again.  Gorgeousness.

Bumming around

Bum bags! Remember them?  Less alluringly entitled 'fanny packs' by our American friends, can you think of a better way to keep your hands free whilst carrying around all of your essentials?  I've been pondering on a purchase for a while but was put off by the rule of not wearing something if you were old enough to the first time it came around.  Clearly not an issue for this young lady, sporting my current favourite revival look - 'Mom' jeans, chunky boots and some laid-back layers, not to mention that lustworthy leather carrying apparatus.

Leo

Don't you just hate it when someone jumps in on your shot?  Well that's what I shamelessly did while David was shooting Leo the other day, quickly followed by some rather rude tourists who were passing by. But I couldn't resist, Leo has got to be one of the most dapper gents I've ever happened across, a man in possession of all the best Bs - beard, brooches, bloomers and brogues.

Speaking of old trousers (see what I did there...), I was contacted today by the Give Jeans a Chance charity, who want to donate your old denim to the homeless of east London.  All you have to do is drop off your still-wearable jeans and jackets, and the charity will do the rest.  Further details here, please take a moment to read it and help this very worthy cause.

Nonchalance

Double-denim, scuffed-up shoes and hoody, so should not work as a look, but I defy you not to be envious of this insouciant young lady's natural beauty, fiery hair and total disregard for fashion 'rules'.  And I defy you also to not be impressed that I got to use two of my favourite words (nonchalant/insouciant) in one post.

Warm your cockles

If you find yourself in need of tips about how to finish a look, these two ought to provide a wealth of inspiration. Who doesn't love a furry collar or a jazzy shoe to brighten the winter months? And also, I challenge your cockles not to be warmed by how sweet they are together. All together now, awww..

Made up

Guess who's back.  Back again.  And no, I haven't just been holed up in my room listening to the best white rapper since Vanilla Ice (though I do do that a lot), that thing called life has been getting in the way.  But I hit the pavements of Brick Lane today with David who, as well as always inspiring me, was my lucky charm, resulting in a great selection of winter (thought I'd just come straight out and say the 'w' word..) streetstyle shots to share with you over coming weeks.  Let's start here with this lovely lady who almost didn't let me take the close up as she wasn't wearing make-up.  I repeat, she's not wearing make-up, and she looks like that.  I'll leave you to ponder that while I book in for some hardcore facial action, and re-stock the bathroom cabinet.  Guess who's back.  Tell a friend...