Rebel-'Rouser

Dress by Collectif, belt by ASOS Curve, Black Opaque Lycra Xceptionelle 20d 3D Ladder Resistant Tights by Yours Clothing, Vintage Red Shoes by Red Bows Boutique, Cropped Cardigan by Simply Be.

 My day to day looks tends to veer towards a 40s or 50s aesthetic and I'll often be found with faux-Bettie bangs or a scarf thrown over pin-curls if I'm in the studio. This weekend I decided to see if I could produce a softer wave with larger pin-curls which resulted in looking a little like a Victorian maid as bedtime approached.

Larger almost bun-sized pin curls.

The normal way I pin-curl my hair - lots of smaller ones for smaller waves.

I was a little nervous before I brushed it out as it seemed a lot frizzier than usual. A little serum helped to tame the ends, and what I was left with was a much longer, loose wave. I liked it, but I wasn't convinced it went with the overall look I was trying to achieve. It looked like low-maintenance hair for a festival or beach holiday, or maybe even curls which had dropped from the night before. It certainly wasn't worth sleeping with pins and a headscarf for, but at least I know to stick to my usual pin-curl pattern for next time.

The result of the larger pin-curls, teamed with flowers from Pearls and Swine and my cat necklace from Tatty Devine.

This amazing mirrored teardrop ring is also by Tatty Devine - a must for meeting for dinner / cocktails when wearing red lipstick as you can surreptitiously check your make-up!

The reason I was dressing up yesterday was to attend a lovely 50s birthday lunch. The birthday girl is a huge fan of Formula 1 racing, so here is the birthday cake which I made for her.

At this point, I should point out that I am not a baker of any sorts - I can make good cake, but that's about it! This particular cake was a traditional Victoria sponge, with Pimms and strawberry jam and a vanilla and strawberry cream. Having made this has ensured that I've been able to enjoy a huge bowl of strawberries for lunch today. Win-win all around!

On that note, it's time for me to get my head back into Photoshop so I can share some sneak peeks of my recent work with you soon.

Until then,
Diana x

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Powder Your Face With Sunshine

London is currently experiencing a period of very intense humidity. As such, make-up turns into an oil slick, pin-curls turn to frizz and ice-lollies turn into an acceptable excuse for a sweltering studio lunch break.

Yesterday saw one of my favourite people step into the studio for some new promo photos to go with some very exciting projects. Al / Lana Pillay (80s disco diva,  star of The Comic Strip Presents / Eat The Rich and MUA extraordinaire over at The Empress of Slap) arrived with a flight case filled  with make-up and a stunning array of extravagant sequined costumes. If the head hadn't already made me swoon, the table covered with sparkles, Mac and Smashbox certainly would have!

A back of camera shot of Al getting ready.

Make-up and caffeine - shoot essentials!

Kryolan, Mac and Smashbox.

Sequins, textures and sparkle.

As for my outfit choice yesterday, what do you do when battling frizzy hair and balmy skin? Embrace it! My hair went into a messy bun and was made much better with the help of some Pearls and Swine flowers. Rather than my usual matte make-up, I decided that a light BB cream and highlighter would be better wearing under sweltering studio lights. Bright pink lips courtesy of Barry M finished the look off perfectly. I recently had my "Kitten" necklace fixed by the lovely people at Tatty Devine, and have barely taken it off since.

Dress by Simply Be, Belt by Vivien of Holloway, Cardigan by New Look and leggings from Evans Clothing,

Black Glitter Jelly Shoes - a £4 bargain from eBay.

Flowers from Pearls and Swine. Kitten Name Necklace from Tatty Devine.

Flowers from Pearls and Swine. Kitten Name Necklace from Tatty Devine.

Detail of the necklace with it's heart charm.

Tarina Tarantino Hello Kitty Pink Head Ring by Tarina Tarantino. Kitten Name Necklace from Tatty Devine.

With thanks to the magical properties of tea, hummus and grapes, Al and I made it through the shoot despite the heat. And it was just as well as I received an exciting invite in the post to something I've been looking forward to for quite a while!

I absolutely love the V&A and recently spent three hours wandering around the David Bowie Is... exhibition utterly transfixed. I have no idea who the speeches are being given by yet, but absolutely cannot wait to find out.

Until next time!
Diana x

Absolute Beginners

It's incredible how life really does get in the way sometimes - it's been eleven months since I've wrote anything on this blog, but as my website goes under a massive revamp, that is all about to change.

If you are reading this, you will know that I work as a photographer and occasionally write about fashion, culture and the arts - three of my favourite subjects! I also regularly DJ with a mixture of vintage tunes and rock and roll, co-running Whiskey Kittens, a night of burlesque and fun with my partner in crime, Tom.

It's been a busy year - I've had a chance to shoot with some incredible people in locations ranging from a metal manufacturing works to cute and kitsch cocktail bars. An underground bank vault with a stripper pole was probably the most bizarre, as discovered when shooting with the amazing team from Rush Hair. I'm going to make sure that this blog shows all of the behind the scenes fun and also the out-takes once the editorials have been published.

Behind the scenes with Alex Hardy from Rush Hair.

Going a bit crazy on set - myself with one of my favourite MUAs, the Empress of Slap, Al / Lana Pillay.

With one of the publications who I frequently wrote about fashion for sadly no longer existing since this Spring, I've missed writing and interacting with fashion and beauty bloggers on a regular basis so have decided to incorporate that into my blog here. I adore fashion, and one of the things I'm asked most about is my hair and my clothes. I have a love of  50s styling, and enjoy mixing real vintage with high-street pieces to get a unique look.

Sequin Skater Dress - ASOS Curve. Cardigan - Simply Be. Flower (just seen in hair) - Pearls and Swine.

Street Style in Look Magazine. Dress - Collectif. Cardigan and tights - Simply Be. Handbag - vintage. Camera Necklace - vintage. Ring - vintage. Boots, Primark.  Flower (just seen in hair) - Pearls and Swine.

Taken by the lovely Hanna of The Wardrobe Challenge. Dress and belt - ASOS CURVE Midi Dress with Pleat Skirt (on sale from £17.50). Cardigan and tights - Simply Be. Flower (just seen in hair) - Pearls and Swine. Necklace - Tatty Devine. Cat Boots - a gift.

A better shot of the Tatty Devine necklace and Pearls and Swine flowers, as well as the beautiful Hanna of The Wardrobe Challenge

The ongoing search for the perfect red lipstick. Again I'm wearing my favourite Tatty Devine necklace and Pearls and Swine flowers,

So, what are my plans for this blog moving forward? It'll be a combination of writing about behind the scenes shoot action, out-takes and snippets from things as they're published with lots more personal blogs about fashion, beauty and the arts. I've been lucky enough to have been invited to a private view at the V&A to see their "Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 1980s" exhibition, so am hoping that will be one of my first things to write about. It's probably what has given me the impetus to dust this page off and start to write again.

Instagram: instagram.com/grungekittyphotogeek

I am very much looking forward to having a new site and a new beginning, and hope that you'll enjoy reading about the mishaps of a tea obsessed cat loving photographer.

Until next time,
Diana x

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