Princess Julia Archives | Wonderland

Does North London have a fashion scene?

Wonderland Staff — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 13:01:02 +0000

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A Shot In The Dark

Wonderland Staff — Mon, 04 Jan 2016 12:23:59 +0000

Princess Julia chats to an ex club cohort – London’s legendary nightlife photographer, Derek Ridgers.

The Vortex, Soho 1977

Let’s get something straight: cult photographer Derek Ridgers is obsessed. Obsessed capturing what goes on in clubs, pubs and happenings across London in the midnight hours, that is. He has amassed a photography archive spanning five decades and made it his business to go where others may fear to tread. His most recent books The Dark Carnival… Portraits from the Endless Night (extracts from which can be seen here) and The Others (which was published by IDEA Books in November) document lost moments from our subculture’s most stylish, decadent and dressed-up youth, that have become, over the years, fashion’s most picked-apart reference points. Whether you have been part of his story or a voyeur filled with curiosity, Ridgers’ engaging portraits tell a story of real people expressing their own fierce individuality: the glance of a Batcave punk, the look of disdain from a New Romantic, a skinhead sizing you up, or a fetish ball-goer staring seductively out of the page.

The Vortex, Soho 1977

Julia: Let’s talk about your book, The Dark Carnival. From to Dec ‘76 to the present day: that’s a lot of archive.
Derek: Yes it is. It’s 40 years stretched over five decades.

J: How did you do the editing process? It seems like a big mountain to climb…
D: Not really, because I’ve got thousands and thousands of photographs: over the years, a few photographs would kind of jump out. Some photographs would be used for other things, one of the earliest photographs was in Time Out and there was a few used in The Face. Gradually over the years, I started to build up a few photographs that had some kind of meaning, or that I thought were special, or that I thought were pictorially nice.

J: The greatest hits!
D: I suppose, yes, in some respects – certainly my master-work up to now.

J: It’s a beautiful book. Some of the people in it I know, some I don’t know.
D: I think I veered off track really towards the end of the 80s, but there were many reasons for that. I think one was the rise of rave culture, where people were more interested in dancing and getting sweaty than dressing up and being photographed. So I sort of lost interest for a few years, photographing people in clubs. I suppose 89/90/91; there’re not so many photographs from that period. Then, another reason was – and I haven’t really told anyone this – that I started to go to football more, so I wasn’t really hanging out in clubs so much on weekends. But by the time the 90s came round, I started getting back into it more and there was also the rise of the fetish clubs from that period.

J: And glam clubbing…
D: Yeah, I suppose. I started to have more of a reason for going out. By ‘93-’94 Loaded started and I had a page in Loaded called “Getting Away With It”, that gave me impetus to go for a bit more. That went on way too long, it got an embarrassment towards the end.

J: Was there ever a moment where you thought: ‘I’ve got something here, I’ve captured something or someone which could be considered a seminal moment.’?
D: I definitely think Billy’s was a seminal moment – it was for everybody that went there, wasn’t it? And Blitz as well, that was a seminal moment. This was when I was starting to take photos, so I look back at some of those pictures and think I could have done better. If I had a better camera and a little more practice, they could have been a 100% better. From about ‘82 onwards, I started to consider my photographs a little more seriously.

J: Was it a hobby to start off with, or something you just felt compelled to do? What was that compulsion to get out there and take pictures of people in clubs expressing themselves?
D: Yes. I think I was searching to relive a more interesting youth than the one I had.

J: I remember you telling me about your youth: how your parents were so strict with you.
D: They weren’t so much strict, as very, very narrow-minded. When I came back with a flamboyant jumper, my dad would not let me wear it outside of the house. In fact, he wouldn’t let me wear it in the house! He told me I was being a nancy boy. I suppose many lads of my generation would’ve had their dads accusing them of the same thing. With me, because I was an only child, I didn’t really stand up to my father. If I had’ve been a nancy boy, perhaps I would have said, ‘Well, fair enough.’

J: Was it you rebelling?
D: I didn’t really see it as rebelling – I’m talking about the latter years of the 60s, when I had long hair. My dad was always telling me to get it cut so I had it cropped, and then of course he didn’t like that either. It was either too long or too short.What my dad wanted was me to have a short back and sides, like a military-type haircut – which, in the late 60s, just wasn’t on for young people. Nobody other than Alan Bennet had that style, at that time…

J: How did you discover London’s various countercultures?
D: You know, I turned up to Billy’s after the cool kids had gone. No- one bothered to tell me at that point, because I didn’t really know anyone. I was relatively friendly with Marilyn and George at that point, more friendly with Marilyn than George; I think they were quite amused.

J: Did they have your phone number?
D: Well, Marilyn had my phone number. I wasn’t particularly friendly with Steve [Strange]: he tolerated me to begin with. I used to stand out on the pavement until he let me in. He had me standing out there long enough to know that I really wanted to come in… 40-45 minutes, then he let me in.

J: You’re very polite. Do you think that works to your advantage, as a youth culture documenter? You always ask to take people’s photo, rather than just taking it.
D: Yeah, it might do. The only time I didn’t ask was when I saw people snogging, and then I’d ask them afterwards.They never, ever minded, because they were [more] focused on what they were doing. Really, it’s so much easier for them to say yes and forget about it, than possibly have an argument.

J: You’ve never had an argument with any of your subjects?
D: Well, I did have an argument with some skinheads prior to getting beaten up. I had a guardian angel sitting on my shoulder so many times: I mean, Nicky Crane saved me from getting beaten up.

J: Nicky Crane was a very interesting character: he was head of the skinheads, but he was also gay.
D: He’s been exposed though, over the years.

J: I remember he was very good friends with [famous Lucian Freud nude model] Sue Tilley and he used to come round her flat and used to show us his scrapbooks full of clippings from newspapers. He was very, very proud of them.
D: He did like fighting as well.

J: He liked a bit of rough and tumble with the boys! He had a sort of double life. So you met him when he was quite butch, yes?
D: Yes, in ‘79. He did the security on the door of Taboo for a while.

Wonderland: How important was it to have had your photo taken by Derek Ridgers?
J: That’s interesting, actually. I think part of the enjoyment was in dressing up: people didn’t have cameras in those days.There was artist called Nicola Tyson who took snaps as a young art student, and sold them to us for beer money. I didn’t consciously want people to take our pictures, because nobody really had a camera – it was unusual to take pictures in a club. At the Blitz, Steve Strange positively encouraged notoriety: he invited press down there, and you, Derek, were one of the people he trusted to take pictures.
D: There was Ted Polhemus, although he wasn’t really a photographer in those days, and there was Gabort [Scot]… He died recently.

J: Did he? I didn’t know.
D: I think I first met him towards the end of Blitz. He was the house photographer for Camden Palace, for a while.Taboo of course would hire a lot of photographers. Nick Knight used to go to Taboo.

J: Nick, he was more of a studio photographer to me.
D: I honestly can’t remember if I ever saw him down there with a camera. It always seemed like there were plenty of photographers there but I think… I just was maybe a bit more persistent. Like Woody Allen says,“80% of persistence is simply turning up.”That’s right, really.

J: I wasn’t really thinking that I was going to have my photograph taken, or that these photographs would be a testament to my existence. Nobody used to have a camera in the punk era, so I don’t have any pictures of myself. I know that me and a friend did some together.
D: I remember seeing Steve at the Vortex… He was blonde in those days wasn’t he?

J: Yes, I used to go there as well, the Vortex! And the Roxy a few times. That’s where I met Steve.
D:There was always a fight at theVortex wasn’t there? Every time I went there, there was a fight.

J: Toya [Wilcox, punk singer and TV personality] was there, wasn’t she?
D:Yeah, she [Toya], told me she was going to be a big star and eventually she was quite a big star.

J:Yeah! She did, she got there. Do you have any dreams and aspirations?
D: I’ve always had them. I think as soon as you let those go, you may as well finish and give up.

Polly, Madame Jo Jo’s, Soho 2005

Photography: Derek Ridgers Archive

Words: Princess Julia

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Princess Julia at The Glory

Wonderland Staff — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 12:48:12 +0000

Rebecca Zephyr Thomas takes the Number 243 bus with HRH Princess Julia and Barney the Party Dog ahead of Princess Julia’s show at The Glory tonight.

Rebecca Zephyr Thomas and Princess Julia go way back. Creating a book inspired by Princess herself entitled What Would Julia Do? last year, you could say that Rebecca is our resident Princess Julia expert. So, ahead of Princess Julia’s upcoming shows at The Glory, the only logical thing for Wonderland to do was ask Rebecca to chat to our favourite princess ahead of her theatrical memoir about London’s counter-culture. The performance ‘An Audience With Princess Julia’ is a spoken word piece taken from her memoirs and supported by short films by the similarly long-standing member of the club scene – from Blitz- kids to now – Jeffrey Hinton. Princess Julia has enlisted the inimitable drag personality Jacqui Potato to create a performance inspired by her life with special guests, fashion by the likes of Stephen Jones and Ryan Lo and it’s set to be one night you will never forget.

With Princess Julia known for her presence on the London nightlife scene (she’s DJ-ed and danced her way through all the best nights the city has to offer since the eighties) and her penchant for always doing things a bit differently, Rebecca took the 243 bus with Julia around East London with Barney the party dog to pick up a hat from her favourite milliner, Stephen Jones. As the duo passed all of Princess Julia’s fave haunts, they chatted fashion, nightlife and of course, Princess’ upcoming show. With it’s first instalment this evening, head to The Glory tonight, with Princess Julia’s motto in mind, ‘If in doubt, go out!’

Rebecca: Would you mind telling me what inspired you to do the show at the Glory? What gave you that idea?

Princess Julia: My show is going to be about counter culture but put forward in a theatrical and entertaining way, rather than just me getting on a panel or just sitting on a stage reading monologues. I decided to do it because one the favorite questions that people ask me is how does it compare: now and then.

Fashion, art, music…

Exactly. How do things compare on the creative scene… I wanted to put forward an idea of how everything is inter-connected and there is a thread of creativity running through everything. There can be a core energy of expressing yourself, whether it’s through how you look or what you do, it’s about energy. Especially in London I find, the city is just as strong and exciting now. I wanted to put on a show that made that very apparent.

I’m collaborating with a few different people on this, my director is Jonny Woo, set design by Gary Card, Jeffery Hinton doing music and visuals, Jackie Potato aka Julian J Smith doing an interpretative performance and my wardrobe is by Ed Marler and Ryan Lo. So, there’s lots going on and it’s basically the Julia show. I’ll have a little Q and A, a little chitchat with a celebrity guest. Hahah all my friends are celebrities really in my mind, so I have Stephen Jones, Ian R Webb and Judy Blame. Three shows and a different person every week.

So Princess Julia with her stately homos?

Well I hope it appeals to quite a wide demographic of different people, but yes, it will be camp. I’m hoping that the audience will be people from the era, that want to re cant our journey together via me… and then people that are fascinated by it, and really young people who are just starting out and don’t have a clue what I’m talking about. I’m going to be quite explanatory. I don’t want to just reel things off. If you don’t get anything out of it, it will still be entertaining. I’m going to dot it up with my personal words of wisdom. It’s not going to just be a ramble, I want to involve the audience and have a positive air about things. I think that’s how we learn in life, I know it’s a bit of cliché, but sometimes making mistakes isn’t bad, it’s good.

I wanted to ask you a little bit about your wardrobe for the show. You have a very Julia mix of established, very fabulous Stephen Jones and you have really young, new designers.

I’ve got Stephen Jones as a guest, I will wear one (of the hats). I will won’t I? It would be rude not to. Sometimes I’m out somewhere and I’ve got somebody else’s hat on and I bump into Stephen Jones.

(Rebecca wags her finger jokingly)

He doesn’t actually wag a finger at me, he gives me that look like owww, it’s really, really funny. I don’t like to trouble people, because I know he’s a busy man. I had this moment in the early eighties when I was kind of a model of sorts. I did get modelling jobs, and I went to Tokyo for a while to be a model, but I’m really too short to be a model… so I never really did catwalk. I did photographic modelling, and when Stephen left college and set up his own millinery salon, straight away he was very focused and industrious, and we had little soirees and I was one of the house models. The salon models and I used to love it, you know. I should only really wear Stephen Jones. I hate to say that I share the love and wear a few different people. I really feel that Stephen Jones made millinery a real thing, he studied to be a fashion designer and he went into the millinery thing and before him nobody was really doing it in the way that he was and he really did inspire people to revisit millinery but also go forward with it. He’s such a nice man, I adore him.

How did you pick the two other designers, Ryan Lo and Ed Marler?

I like to keep a key eye on new designers and both of those designers actually came out of Lulu Kennedy’s Fashion East and that’s when I became more aware of them. I’m quite interested in the way she creates a platform for new designers, to sort of have a real fashion experience, because it’s a really tough industry to break into when you leave fashion college. To get a foot in the door you have to be quite special…. and I always love her choices, they’ve been choices in the past and now they’ve flown the nest. I like both those designers, they’re both really young. I like them for different reasons.

You’re a real pillar of the community Julia, how is having the Glory right on your door step?

I know, lucky me, lucky me. I know I have the tag of being out every night for thirty years, but actually I haven’t. You can thank Tim Blanks for that. It’s a slight exaggeration. But I am active, socially, on the different scenes,

And you wear heels. Always in heels.

That comes from when I started experiementing with my image, creating my own personal style, I always thought I was a bit short. One of my most pivotal looks was the old behive, so I thought high hair and heels. I always wanted heels anyway, I remember begging my mother for a pair when I was eight. Can I have some stillettos then mother? It’s sort of ingrained in me. I was told once that I should wear resting shoes! Resting shoes!

What are resting shoes?

Flats! I had about two months of experimenting with flats and I hated it, I used to go out in flats but take a pair of high heels with me. I think it’s important to present yourself even if you’re having an off day, it can just really perk you up even if you’re not really going anywhere. Put the make up on, that’s what I say. Because you just don’t know what’s going to happen. You have to be prepared for anything to happen. You just need to be looking your best. Someone might come round who you haven’t seen for years. You might meet the love of your life walking down the street. You know, feel comfortable, I’m not saying everyone should wear make up… In fact I’m really jealous of people who don’t have to wear it, I’ve always been a fan of the feral looking woman, what’s her name? Patti, Patti Smith. LOVE. I’d like to be like that. And inside of me there is a feral woman.

Itching to get out…

She’s in there! It’s what you feel comfortable at the end of the day, if you feel comfortable in a casual look, earth shoes or what ever, I’m not saying that’s wrong, I’m saying that’s a look. It’s all drag to me. It’s a strong look and you can work it and be empowered, but for me personally I’d just feel like an old rat bag. I veer off towards a little bit more of a done up look. But all looks count. And everything you wear is drag. To my mind. The act of putting on clothes is dragging up. Even if it’s casual drag. I had this conversation with Jonny (Woo) even if you’re not really doing anything, your day look is sort of the same as your evening look. Where as for me, for him, getting dressed up if part of his performance. So maybe in a way my outlook is that I’m always performing. The street is my catwalk. It’s sort of a bit of a Joan Collins philosophy. I don’t know where I get it from, probably my grandmother. I just think if you take a few minutes to consider how you’re presenting yourself it makes such a difference. You’ve learnt that from me, haven’t you Rebecca?

Well, I don’t always put it into practice! One of your famous lines is… “If In Doubt Go Out!”

Ohh! I forgot about that! I could do a meme of that. Well, Jeffrey (Hinton) said that to me once. I was feeling rather down and miserable.

So this is borrowed from Jeffrey Hinton?

Yeah, I nick things and then I own them. There’s nothing wrong with that! So I was a bit down about something, all oh my life is so vacuous and hollow, urghhhh what a drudge. We all have those moments, you know. What would life be without them. And I shared a flat with Jeffery for years, in Camden… And I was kind of like umming and ahhing and he was like ‘if in doubt, go out’. I was like ‘You’re right. I’m going’. If I’m umming and arhhing, I pull myself together and those words come back to me.

Haunted by Jeffrey Hinton. If you don’t go out what do you like to do…?

I don’t go out that much really! I might be a sort of workaholic, I catch up with all the bits that I’ve meant to have done, a bit of writing or something, watching Coronation street. I like that sort of mundanity of life, you know, cleaning out the cat litter tray… That’s not one of my favourite jobs.

Hahah keeps you humble.

Oh I like doing water colours and painting, I really enjoy that, that’s a hobby, but it’s a hobby that’s lead on to other things, I did some illustrations for Peter Jensen and for Martel.

And you have your own show?

Yes! I’ve never had my own show before… I’ve been in group shows.

We have to get off the bus!

No next stop, round the corner. No we do, oh come on. Ohh look at all that fur!

WORDS: Rebecca Zephyr Thomas

MAKE UP: Andrew Gallimore for NARS

MILLINERY: Stephen Jones

CLOTHES: Ryan Lo

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Book Launch: What Would Julia Do?

Wonderland Staff — Fri, 23 May 2014 15:22:55 +0000

We follow fashion, art and culture provocateur Princess Julia’s every move at the launch of “What Would Julia do?”

Photography: Rebecca Thomas

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What Would Julia Do?

Wonderland Staff — Thu, 22 May 2014 15:31:40 +0000

Harriet Verney catches up with Princess Julia and Rebecca Thomas ahead of the launch party for their co-venture, What Would Julia Do?

Based on the eclectic life of an international DJ, stylist and writer Princess Julia, photographer Rebecca Thomas has created a book which gives us an insight into Julia’s world, from Blitz-kid to the icon she is today. The photographs, taken over the last five years, encompass each and every facet of Julia showcasing her unique sense of style, her endearing personality and her ethos on living: “Life is a stage”. In an exclusive video for Wonderland, Harriet Verney talks mixing records with a stilettos heel (something we can now confirm is a truth not a rumour), signature style and non-conformity in fashion with Princess Julia and Rebecca Thomas ahead of tonight’s launch party.

CREDITS

Film: Sharna Osborne

With special thanks to Tramshed, Cock ‘n Bull Gallery and Louise Gray.

The Library at Tramshed is available to hire for private parties.

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A LOVE AFFAIR WITH TWEED

Wonderland Staff — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 14:13:53 +0000

Tweed is synonymous with Chanel, for which other fabric recalls the world of high fashion, the scottish highlands and now Chanel’s new range of eye palettes?

It’s all about the eyes! No, no it’s about the lips… Well it’s about both at Chanel this season. Probably not both together, that’s a kind of rule you might want to apply here. And yes perhaps its rather over egging it if you do both, but if you’re like me you always want to go for a full on drama.

Back to our main topic of conversation and let’s do eyes first. Les 4 Ombres 2014 Eyes Collection, they’ve arrived and here darlings are a set of 8 fabulous 4 palette combos inspired by the original 1982 Chanel ‘tweed’ collection of shades. Just like the classic House of Chanel tweed suits (and you can’t go wrong with one of them) these eye shadows reflect a multitude of options when creating a dramatic look for the eyes.

“The real aim of makeup is not to adorn, but to make more beautiful, and when that aim is achieved, the face looks younger.” Coco Chanel

The names all sound delicious, decadent and full of sass. Tissé Gabrielle for a smoky effect, a delicate grey, white gold, velvet black grey and greyish mauve. Tissé Mademoiselle a combination of beiges and browns, Tissé Vénitien all the greens, Tissé Riviera metallic blue, a gorgeous pink, an essential matt black and a dove grey with a pink shimmer? Tissé Camélia, four graduating shades of radiant and rosy hues grey-ish lilac, rosy white, aubergine brown and lavender pink. Tissé Vendóme with it’s orange tones excites, Tissé Rivoli with it’s taupe and nude tints and finally Tissé Cambon yummy pinks and blackcurrent tones.

With a new formula that glides over the lids like an angel’s kiss, these Chanel shades allow you to intensify your look in varying degrees. For a natural look a mere sweep of a paler shade creates just a hint of youthful prettiness, get your cat’s eyes on and work your diva within with lashings of a darker shade, and for alluring smoky eyed drama work the shadow with blocks of smudged colour. You are the artist here so customising your look to suit the occasion is where these Chanel colourways excel.

“Since we all agree that the eyes are the mirror of the soul, why not also admit that lips are the mouthpiece of the heart?” Coco Channel

I love these quotes from Coco Chanel, she had it going on, she would never go out without her lipstick fully applied and preferred a vibrant and classic vermillion red, stating that lipstick was a woman’s prime weapon of seduction. In 1954 the iconic Coco developed the idea of creating a ‘creamy stick of lip colour inserted in a rectangular tube’, and ta dah! the lipstick was born it seems. These days Chanel continues it’s legacy of statement making lipsticks with Rouge Coco and Rouge Allure. Both ranges enhance and pay homage to Coco Chanels original ethos of beauty.

“When we see an elegant woman in the street wearing a vibrant colour (that suits her), we make way for her and let her pass. We stop to admire her. Red is the colour of life, of blood. I love red.” Coco Chanel

Here in the 21st century the modern Chanel Miss takes her reference from the classic Chanel woman with timeless shades such Rouge Noir and Sari Doré from the Rouge Coco range. And then our busy lipstick makers at Chanel consider modern lifestyles with formulas that glide onto the lips in a ‘melt-away balm’ of beauty. Pucker up girls, Rouge Coco includes Camelia and Rivoli, named after a few of Coco’s favourite things. Now Rouge Allure, here we are talking full on glamour, lashings of sumptuous colour. Vibrant, sexy, statement making lips that express the vamp within. I am living for these shades La Diva, Incandescente, Conquise and Raynonante… ooh la la girls, are you ready to work it!

From Top to Bottom:

Worn throughout: Sublimage cleanser, sublimate cream and sublimate eyes.

CHANEL VITALUMIÈRE AQUA Ultra Light Skin Perfecting Makeup in 20 and 30, CHANEL ÉCLAT LUMIÈRE Highlighter Face Pen in 20 and 30, CHANEL CORRECTEUR PERFECTION Long Lasting Concealer in 20 and 30 and LE BLANC DE CHANEL Sheer Illuminating Base.

Look 1:
Skin: LE BLUSH CREME DE CHANEL Cream Blush in Presage and SOLEIL TAN DE CHANEL Bronzing Makeup Base.
Eyes: CHANEL LES 4 OMBRES Quadra Eye Shadow in Tissé Mademoiselle, RECOURBE CILS DE CHANEL Precision Eyelash Curler and CHANEL INIMITABLE WATERPROOF Multi-dimensional mascara in Black.
Lips: CHANEL ROUGE COCO Hydrating Creme Lip Colour in L’Adorée and CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE EXTRAIT DE GLOSS Pure Shine Intense Colour Long Wear Lip Gloss in Insouciance.
Black and white tweed tailleur jacket and gold plated with pearls insertion rings all by Chanel.

Look 2:
Skin: LE BLUSH CREME DE CHANEL Cream Blush in Presage.
Eyes: CHANEL ILLUSION D’OMBRES Long Wear Luminous Eyeshadow in Fantasme and Vision, CHANEL STYLO YEUX WATERPROOF Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Espresso, RECOURBE CILS DE CHANEL Precision Eyelash Curler and CHANEL INIMITABLE WATERPROOF Multi-dimensional mascara in Black.
Lips: CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE Luminous Satin Lip Colour in Triomphe and CHANEL LÈVRES SCINTILLANTES Glossimer For Lips in Murmure.
Silver metallic and blue tweed jacket by Chanel.

Look 3:
Eyes: CHANEL LES 4 OMBRES Quadra Eye Shadow in Tissé Vendôme, CHANEL LES 4 OMBRES Quadra Eye Shadow in Tissé Gabrielle, CHANEL STYLO YEUX WATERPROOF Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Espresso, RECOURBE CILS DE CHANEL Precision Eyelash Curler, CHANEL INIMITABLE WATERPROOF Multi-dimensional mascara in Black, CHANEL LE CRAYON KÔHL Intense Eye Pencil in Clair and CHANEL CRAYON SOURCILS Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil in Blond Clair.

Look 4: Lip and nail
Lips: CHANEL LE CRAYON LÈVRES Précision Lip Definer in Rouge Profond, CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE VELVET Luminous Matte Lip Colour in La Distinguée and CHANEL ROUGE ALLURE Luminous Satin Lip Colour in Pirate.
Nails: LE VERNIS Nail colour in Rouge Noir.
Clear plexiglass and pearl cuff by Chanel.

Words Princess Julia
Photographer Alex Franco
Beauty Editor Lauren Parsons
Fashion Editor Raquel Franco.
Hair Roxane Attard using Bumble and Bumble.
Makeup Lauren Parsons at Premier Hair and Make up using Chanel.
Nail Technician Jenni Draper using Chanel.
Photographic Assistance Mathias Thiesen and Guillaume Blondiau.
Hair Assistance Claire Higgs.
Makeup Assistance Cory DeKing.
Fashion Assistance Caio Reis.
Retouching Retouch and Digital.
Model Nadine Martin at Elite Model Management London.
Thanks The Russian Club.

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CHANEL: LE LIFT

Wonderland Staff — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 16:21:33 +0000

The house’s new crème will lift you up.

Here comes Le Lift. It comes encased in a shiny black pot emblazoned with that signature interlinked double C Chanel logo, which I swear is winking at me, tempting me to lift it’s lid and sample it’s delights. Somehow it always gives me a thrill when I’m faced with the iconic symbol that exudes luxury no matter where it’s emblazoned, we love it round our way! Dipping into the velvety rose pink creme of Le Lift, its delicate aroma is rejuvenating my senses before I’ve even before managed to sample its invigorating qualities. So before I do, let me divulge what exactly Le Lift promises, “the perfect alliance between science and nature [which] is achieved once again, thanks to the selection of the Edulis plant”, sounds too good to be true? Well Professor Melino who’s made it his life’s work studying the aging process has uncovered some fascinating stuff regarding youth proteins. I’m about to slather some of it on and indeed for an anti aging creme it’s incredibly light, smells divine and making me feel pampered even before it’s begun its fascinating journey to the surface of my epidermis. I’m a great believer in moisturising and being a woman of a certain age I absolutely believe that a routine that maintains and conditions your skin is vital to preserving a youthful appearance, honest it’s my mantra.

“What good are scientific feats if women don’t immediately feel more beautiful, if they don’t see an instant change in the mirror and if they don’t experience a sensation of well-being on application?”

This luxurious pot of creme is top of the heap as far as I’m concerned, it comes in three variations. Desire 1: Le Lift Créme ‘Fine’ ‘fresh, light and airy’, Desire 2: Le Lift Créme with it’s ‘melt away texture’ and Desire 3: Le Lift Créme Riche with it’s ‘velvety texture’, you use it both night and day. I won’t bother you too much with the scientific details but what I will say there’s been a lot of research into sourcing vital molecules namely 3.5-DA, working out how to extract the core substance of the Edulis plant essential to Le Lift and then concocting a recipe that considers a deeper penetration of goodness and turns around the aging process to “give the skin the means to restore it’s own natural balance and to, rejuventate on it’s own, at its own pace and in it’s own way”. Those clever old Chanel scientists, they’ve hit on something here. In the past we’ve thought of moisturisers as offering an element of protection, we’ve also come to the conclusion that lotions and potions are absorbed into the skin on surface levels but Le Lift does something I’ve never experienced before and actually encourages a natural boost of balance and radiance in the longer term, firming, refining and plumping.

“At Chanel, formulation is a true art. Each cream is a concentration of know-how, creativity and sensoriality.”

On a day to day level us girls want something that is quick to use, something that does what it says on the packet. We want to feel and look the best we can be. As life goes on we all experience changes in our appearance, it’s written into our own unique DNA but outside factors also play a part in personal presentation, the ups and downs of life in general can take their toll and we all know what that feels like. The tools of beautification can lift our spirits, taking a small amount of time to preserve and maintain an elegance and grace as we go on our individual life journeys is an attitude that I believe is integral to well being. Le Lift is not just another anti aging creme, it’s a creme that stands at the forefront of groundbreaking technologies with consideration to the realistic lifestyles of the modern woman and that’s not to be sniffed at.

Words Princess Julia

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MIDNIGHT SUPPER AT HOI POLLOI

Wonderland Staff — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 15:43:04 +0000

Hoi Polloi invite a host of guests to their Midnight Supper to celebrate the close of London Fashion Week.

An impressive guestlist including Katy Perry, Christopher Kane, our own Jack Sunnucks and Lulu Kennedy washed down burgers with fizzy cocktails served by Jonny Woo and his troupe who entertained and waited on the guests. Following dessert, while some chose to dance on tables, table hosts were presented with their very own Instant Lab by The Impossible Project whereby guests could download the Impossible Project app, and print off an exclusive black Polaroid momento of the evening.

Sylvia Farago, Ben Reardon and Princess Julia

Terry and Tricia Jones’ table

Sid Bryan, Fred Butler and Stavros Kareli

Jack Sunnucks and Sid Bryan

Detar Blow and Isaac Ferry

Gareth Pugh and Carson McColl

Derek Blasberg and Katy Perry

Carri Munden (Cassette Playa)

Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos

Pam Hogg and Maureen Paley

Charlie Porter’s table – the ‘naughty’ table

Craig Green and Charlie Porter

Jonathan Saunders and Henry Holland

Jonny Woo

Jonny Woo and Roksanda Ilincic

Katy Perry and Henry Holland

Photos: Rebecca Thomas

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EVER AFTER HIGH T-SHIRTS by PRINCESS JULIA

Wonderland Staff — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 14:32:06 +0000

London’s own Princess Julia turns painter to create a trio of Limited Edition T-shirts for children’s fairytale ‘Ever After High’.

Last week saw the launch of a brand new chapter of next-generation fairytales with children’s story ‘Ever After Hight’ getting it’s official airing.

As well as a collaboration featuring a selection of emerging London Fashion talent from the likes of Disney fan Bobby Abley and Ashley Williams, the event gathering also showcased London’s regional treasure, Princess Julia’s special edition unisex Ever After High T-shirts. The limited edition threads feature a trio of hand-painted water-colour depictions of Ever After High’s ‘Royals and Rebels’, the two cliques which form once the children of former famous fairytale legends learn to relive their parents destinies.

Princess Julia explains: “As a style enthusiast and keen watercolour painter, I was inspired by the unique personalities of each Ever After High doll. Coupled with the talents of our young designers who have dressed them up and added a further flourish to these miniature Miss’s, I feel my portraits capture the idea that they have come to London to party in style.”

Combining her energy between being a fixture on the DJ circuit and contributing to various blogs and publications, Julia has co-curated the ICA Off-Site show ‘A Journey Through London’s Subculture; 1980’s – present’.

A staple face on the London club scene for over 3 decades, she has been involved with renown club-night ventures, The Blitz, Taboo, BoomBox, and a plethora of other night-life subcultures. Heavily enveloped by the Art scene she has also played muse to artist Wolfgang Tillmans, and appeared in a selection of underground art films with cameo roles in The Edge of Love director John Maybury’s films. This season also saw her curate the audio content for talent incubator Fashion East’s Ryan Lo and Claire Barrow alongside Simon Milner.

Words: Shane Hawkins

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