Decadent Fashion Shoot, The Bristol Magazine

I have been styling a fair few shoots over the past few months, but images are always kept under wraps for a wee while whilst they get put into magazines or published with clients. We all have to wait to unveil our latest work un util we get the green light. Many green lights have recently flashed so I can give you a few behind the scenes tours!

You all saw the male model test shoot we did with James King at the MilkThistle, well I headed back there to style the Christmas Party wear edit for The Bristol Magazine with Editor Jenny Hayes

setting up downstairs at the milk thistle to get the below shot:

 Dress £450 LK Bennett, shoes £495 Christian Louboutin both at Harvey Nichols

Andre Regini

Sarah of the Grayling team carefully tending to the Christian Louboutins!

I won't give too much away, the magazine is out in the shops, and I'll also get some lovely hi res images to share with you fully, but I couldn't resist sharing my favourite look that I put together:

Jacket £220 Pinko, skirt £110 Finders Keepers, shoes £225 LK Bennett all at Harvey Nichols.

Andre Regini

getting the shot

I couldn't resist one masculine tailoring look for the front cover, again all from Harvey Nichols, this deep green velvet smoking jacket set off a wonderfully strong and sexy look which won't have you shivering over the festive period.

Jacket £495 Joseph, shirt £195 and trousers £195 Winser London, shoes £695 Christian Louboutin and ring £195 Alexander McQueen all at Harvey Nichols.

Andre Regini

Hair by Noel Halligan and team at SeanHanna, Makeup Brioney Cleverly at Shu Uemera in Harvey Nichols.

Perfect Presents, Christmas Fashion Fix: Key Trinket Necklace

Photo Amanda Thomas

Only a few weeks to go until Christmas! Many of us are on a limited budget, and so here at Fix Up Look Chic I'm on a mission for us not to break the bank this Christmas!

Jewellery doesn't need to be pricey, there are some extraordinarily beautiful everyday objects that don't cost a thing. I got the idea for this key necklace from wandering into highstreet shops and seeing them going for £15 and more! I then wandered into the Cobbler next door and got a free old key to add to my two others from the Joan Collins Box in the studio.

You will need:

• Plain necklace chain
• assorted keys
• pliers
• jewellery connectors

How to do it: 

1. Open necklace chain
2. thread keys onto chain.
3. If using key charms that require jewellery connectors, prize open the connector, loop it around both the key and the necklace chain and position it. I like hoe the little charm key on my necklace sits a little higher than the other two.

Photo Amanda Thomashttp://amandathomasphotographer.co.uk

Perfect Presents, Christmas Fashion Fix: Trinket Brooch, look 1

Photo Amanda Thomas

This is a super, simple Christmas Present idea. One of my most treasured brooches started life as a humble safety pin, and when i got my hands on some gold ones, the Christmas ideas started fizzing!

In the studio, Ros and I have a box of broken jewellery and sparkly bits and pieces we call The Joan Collins Box. I am sure we all have a pile of sparkly bits and pieces lying about the house that could be reborn into beautiful trinket jewellery. 

This brooch works because it is a stylised take on a charm bracelet. 

You will need:

• large gold safety pin
• jewellry connector loops (available at bead and craft stores)
• trinkets, charms, bits of broken jewellery
• jewellry pliers

How to do it:

1. make sure you are fixing the trinkets to the side of the pin that does not open.
2. arrange your trinkets and work out your design.
3. using pliers, fix connecter loops onto the trinkets, fix them together if need be
4. prize open the connector loops and fix onto the closed side of the pin.

Photo Amanda Thomas

Fashion Fix: Ombre Dip Dye Shirt

Photo Amanda Thomas

Hair, Clothes, Pets…everyone's had a bit of the ombre treatment this year. But I'm not bored of it and it is so so simple that I don't think we should be paying out for dip dyed results. Here's how to do it yourself! AND how about adding a bit of glitter to the mix to take it through to Autumn/Winter? Don't say I don't do anything for you!

You will need:

• 100% cotton garmet
• hand wash dye (we used Dylon flamingo pink)
• Table salt (check dye packet for amount)
• sink/bucket
• coat hanger
• spray on glitter

How to do it:

1. wash your shirt and leave it wet.
2. mix up your dye solution according to the packet’s instructions.
3. put the shirt onto a coat hanger and dip it into the dye as far up as you want colour
4. Leave it for 3 minutes then pull the shirt up by 5cm out of the dye, hold in place for 10 minutes. Continue to pull the shirt up by a further 5cm out of the dye and hold in place for another ten minutes. Repeat this process until you reach the bottom most section that you want the darkest hue. (avoid any harsh dye lines by dunking the shirt to the upper most dyed point from time to time and holding there for a few seconds, this will help blend the sections into a gradual fade.) Leave the section you want dyed the darkest in the dye for 45 minutes.
5. Once you are happy with the effect, thoroughly rinse the garment and hang out to dry.
6. For added sparkle, spray the dyed section of the garment with glitter spray.

Perfect Presents, Christmas Fashion Fix: Pom Pom Hat

Photo Amanda Thomas

This is a cute take on the classic bobble hat, I've seen them all over the place on the hughstreet but thought it was a prime opportunity to teach you all how to make pom poms or…just to jog your memory from Junior School.

Do you remember making pompom robin Christmas decorations at primary school? You’d bring it home and your parents would have to feign joy at their little cherubs effort and then hang it on their Christmas tree for the next 15 years. 

This is a classic black and white combo, but why not mix it up and add more pompoms!

You will need:  

• Ball of black wool
• white plain beanie
• Cardboard (a cereal packet will suffice) 
• Knitting hook  
• Scissors
• Needle and thread to attach finished pompoms 

How to:

1. Draw and cut out 2 cardboard rings.  Follow our pattern as a guide. 
2. Cut a length of wool about 2 metres long and fold in half.
3. Tie the2 cardboard rings together with the length of wool and continue wrapping this length of wool around the 2 rings. Feed the wool through the hole in the middle of both rings each time. 
4. Continue this process, cutting new lengths of wool as the last runs out.  Use the knitting hook to pull the wool though as the hole becomes full.
5. Once you cannot pull any more wool through the centre of the ring, cut all the way around the outer edge of the ring.
6. Wrap a length of wool between the 2 cardboard rings and tie a few tight knots. These will secure all the wool in place.
7. Tear the 2 cardboard rings to remove them from the centre of the pompom.
8. Trim the pompom to size.

Photo Amanda Thomas

Fashion Fix: How to embellish tights

I wrote this post on the sofa next to my boyfriend whose jaw has had to be picked up off the floor at the sight of this image (he's now watching the Victoria's Secret Live Feed fashion show - for research).

ANYWAY…check out her tights. I loved these a few years ago when this image first came out, and I came up with a Paisley pattern embellished tights project for an alternative bridal outfit. I had a rethink this year and ended up creating an embellished pair of tights using a William Morris pattern.

Adding gems turns a rather quirky project into a seriously good alternative to sparkly party frocks!

Photo Carly Wong

Photo Amanda Thomas

This photo was taken for an alternative Bridal Shoot. I liked the idea of adding the 'something blue' element to this Bride's tights.

Any ornate repetitive pattern will work. I have included some of my designs for you to print out and use.

And here's how to do it!

You will need:

• A pair of 80 denier white (or pale coloured) tights
• Long cardboard tube (i.e. poster tube)
• Fabric marker pen
• Fabric paints
• Brushes
• Turpentine
• White spirit
• Assorted gems
• All purpose glue
• Tweezers

How to:

1. pull one leg of the tights onto the cardboard tube.
2. draw your design with the fabric marker pen
3. repeat steps 1 & 2 for the other leg.
4. Fabric paints are solvent based so use turpentine to thin the fabric paint into a more wash-like consistency and white spirit to clean your brushes. Paint straight onto the tights stretched on the tube
5. squirt some glue onto a palette.
6. take a gem in the tweezers and dip its backside into the glue
7. place upon the tights in your desired pattern
8. Allow each leg to dry fully before you remove the cardboard tube. 

painting the tights in the studio