Bambi talks to...



Bambi talks to......CASEY PAUL STYLING & THE LITTLE WARDROBE

This week I took time out to chat to my friend Casey Paul, who is the founder of fashion label The Little Wardrobe as well as being a celebrity stylist. Find out a little bit more about her and her fashion label here:


Follow Casey on Twitter:
@Casey_paul
@little_wardrobe 
or visit
Website: www.thelittlewardrobe.co.uk
Website: www.caseypaulstyling.co.uk 






What makes The Little Wardrobe different from other online retailers and what sort of clothes do you sell?
The Little Wardrobe is a collection of on trend boutique style items with a unique girly edge. The brand focuses on the fun stuff, so dresses and tops rather than trousers and basics. I wanted to give a boutique style feel but all at very competitive high street prices.

What was your inspiration behind The Little Wardrobe?
I went to visit a friend who was living in Hong Kong at the time and it was there that I got the inspiration. I loved all the unique cute dresses out there so decided to go back a few months later with a suitcase to buy dresses and organised clothing parties with friends to sell them at. The parties were a success so I then started to rent space at my local gym and set up a few rails there in the lead up to the Christmas period. It all spiralled from there.

Where can people get hold of items from The Little Wardrobe?
The Little Wardrobe products can be found online at
www.thelittlewardrobe.co.uk our Autumn Winter range should be online within the next month. The brand can also be found as concessions in department stores.- Daniel department store in Windsor, Elphicks in Farnham, Chanterelle in Oxted, Tudor Williams in New Malden, Labels outlet in Herefordshire and Labels Outlet in Northern Ireland.

How did you get into personal styling?
I was spending most of my time in the Windsor concession and people would often come in and ask for styling advice and bring in clothes from other brands for me to give advice on. I really enjoy doing it and it seemed a natural progression to offer it as a service. I didn’t want to offer my services just from my experience so I booked onto a one to one course with a stylist who I have a lot of respect for and got myself properly trained in colour analysis etc.

What is your own personal style?
My own personal style is very simple. I have a classic feminine style. I feel most comfortable in a simple pair of skinny jeans and a plain vest or t-shirt and heels. Heels are a must!

What are your style tips?
Book a wardrobe analysis! I think this is the best bit of style advice I can give. It will help so much without having to buy any new clothes. You will learn what styles suit you and how to wear your current clothes in different ways so you get the most out of them, and for future shopping you will always know what colours and styles suit you the best and not waste money on items you wont wear . Aside from that, I always say confidence is the key to the universe so I would say dress with confidence and don’t just follow trends. There is no point wearing something just because it is fashionable and not feeling comfortable. Find your style and work with pieces that will last from season to season. Lots of people say they always tend to wear black because they feel comfortable in it so I would say spice up a plain outfit with colour through accessories such as a bag, belt or scarf if you don’t feel confident with wearing too much colour.

Who has been your most famous client?
I dressed Tulisa for a night out, I guess she has got to be the most well known celebrity. I put her in a dress from my own brand The Little Wardrobe, but we twisted the dress back to front so she wore it differently to how others would have worn it. I teamed it up with some black suede ankle boots of my own.





What is your favourite AW12 trend?
This is a difficult one as I really like them all. I recently did a blog on the trends -
http://www.caseypaulstyling.co.uk/autumn-winter-2012-catwalk-trends/ I love the whole black theme, I love black leather jackets and black tight trousers with killer heels. I love the bright furs that were seen on the catwalks, I really want a short bright fur coat this winter. I like the country classics trend for Winter too, I’m not sure about jodhpurs but I would love a little jumper similar to that in the Ralph Lauren show.

What items are on your AW12 wish list?
My wish list is bright short fur coat, a heritage woollen jumper, new black leather jacket, a smart power floral dress for the day time.

What is your all time favourite item in your wardrobe that you cant live without?
My favourite all time item has to be my American Apparel shiny black leggings.



Follow Casey on Twitter:
@Casey_paul
@thelittlewardrobe or visit
Website: www.thelittlewardrobe.co.uk
Website: www.caseypaulstyling.co.uk 




EMILY WOODROW

I recently spoke to Emily Woodrow, fashion/features journalist at Media Wales and editor of WM Bride magazine. She is also a part-time fashion photographer and I took the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her new found hobby. 





What made you get into photography?

I run monthly fashion photoshoots with the South Wales Echo, and I do everything, from sourcing the clothes and the location to styling the model. The only thing I couldn't do was take the photos, and that would annoy me as I would have an exact image of how I wanted the photo to look and then I would have to try and relay that to the photographer. I decided the simplest thing would be to buy myself a camera and learn how to use it properly. I wasn't content with just sticking it on automatic and letting the machinery do the work. I learned about the ISO, aperture, and shutter speed (this will mean nothing to you if you don't know a thing or two about photography) and now I feel I am able to take the best possible photo with the equipment I have.

Which famous photographer do you most admire?

Mario Testino - who else?! But to be honest I tend to focus less on actual photographers and more on the photos themselves. I don't really search for photographers - I just wait for a photo to catch my eye and then research the photographer that took it.

What or who do you use as inspiration for your photo shoots/photographs?

I specialise in on location fashion shoots, so I guess my main inspiration comes from the clothes. If they channel a certain trend, I like to try and source a location, and then individual spots within that location, that will best display the outfits and complement them. Obviously I'm influenced by the models too - their look, their style, their poses etc.

What sort of photography do you mainly focus on?

On location photography. My photos are perfect for budding models to use in their portfolios - there's no limit to how many different outfits we can shoot so you get a real variety of different shots - or for non models to have as keepsakes. They're lovely to upload to your Facebook profile page for all to see or to print out and give to relatives as Christmas presents? #cheapskate #cleverthinking
You don't have to be into fashion to book in for a shoot. You might just want some lovely pictures of you and your children out and about in the park, or maybe some lovey dovey ones of you and your other half holding hands and walking down the beach - these are great if you've just got engaged and want a little wedding warm-up to get accustomed to the camera.
I'm also hoping to get into bridal photography, so weddings and fashion shoots for wedding venues, bridal boutiques etc

What/where has been your favourite photoshoot to date?

Hmmm now that's a tricky one. I have a few. I did a shoot with my friend Lyndsey at her home in the Vale. It was one of my first shoots and she had agreed to help me out. Considering she had no experience and modelling and no desire to be one, I thought I might struggle to get a variety of different poses out of her, but with a little encouragement and direction from yours truly, we got some really stunning shots. I did a fabulous shoot the other day at a disused holiday camp. There was rubbish everywhere and barely a wall that wasn't covered in graffiti, but it made for some really funky shots. I styled the model in vintage-inspired clothing and changed her look for each shot - I have a lot of make-up (I'm a big fan of crazy bright lipsticks) so I'm happy to lend people lippies, eyeliners etc when they book in for a shoot. Finally, I'm a big fan of Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model and I really loved the dolls house-inspired shoot they did the other day - so much so I decided to hold my own. I plaited, pig-tailed and  backcombed my model's hair, gave her some crazy make-up, and dressed her up in anything from my wardrobe that looked remotely doll-esque. It was a bit unusual, and we got some pretty freaky photos, but it's nice to try something different now and then.

Who would you most like to photograph?

My girl crush is Cara Delevingne. I adore her look and her style and would love to do an on location fashion shoot with her and her amazing eyebrows. 

Where would be your ideal/dream location for a photo shoot?

A stunning beach in a far away country so I can get a tan while I'm working haha ;-) though to be honest too much sunshine can be a right pain when it comes to lighting so I'd probably spend most of my time trying to find spots of shade to shoot in. I think a fairground would make a pretty cool backdrop too - as long as the model doesn't zoom around so fast in the dodgems that I can't keep up!

Where can people find more about you and the photography services you offer?

I have a Facebook page, Emily Woodrow Photography, which contains albums of all my previous shoots and is updated regularly. People can contact me on there via my wall or by private message, either to find out my rates (which are very reasonable by the way as I'm just starting out) or to discuss their plans for a shoot. I'm also on Facebook, Emily Pixie Woodrow, so feel free to add me if you want to :-) And just to reiterate, you don't have to have previous modelling experience to book in for a shoot. Anyone can have one and I will work with you to make you feel comfortable in front of the camera and to get you in the right poses to best flatter your figure and show off your clothes. I like to think my background in fashion/styling gives me a good eye for the aforementioned.


Below is a selection of Emily's favourite shots from recent photo shoots.


You can Find out more about Emily and her photography as well as fashion must-haves or celebrity miss haps by following her on twitter at @CatwalkHawk or find her on Facebook under Emily Woodrow Photography.












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