Sunday, meant to be a day to chill out and try not to think about the dulldrum that is Monday. Up at 04:00 tweeting, catching up on correspondence, working on the 7 styling/events projects I have on the books as well as planning for the ‘grande MNBF plan’ due to launch later in the year… all before 8am. By 9 I was exhausted but got ‘my shit’ together and embarked on yet another slow as slow can be journey to the East End of London .

I had 4 days to turn the dream of my loveliest designer friend Abi to recreate her entire lookbook for label ‘Be Urban Chic’ from studio cheap to Urban Chic.  She had the vision, the passion and the talent, I just needed to pull together 1 photographer, 3 models, 3 Make Up Artists, 3 assistant stylists, 1 hair stylist, 1 Creative Director and a fabulous location from the briefing I had been given. For her, I would do anything. The girl is my soulmate.

I arrived to the Make up artists in action in a private section of The Golden Heart Pub just a stone’s throw away from Spitalfields market. A real Eastender pub with a real Peggy Mitchell ladylady. Perfect! The fire was stoked as the models were preened to perfection and within an hour we escorted our beauties to our first location, just off Commercial Street with the hussle and bustle of an uber cool vintage market Indie crowd passing through as we positioned ourselves for our first shoot. It was arctic. My models were utterly professional throughout. We caused quite a stir and had a nice little fan club following us from location to location taking pics alongside our photographer asking ‘who’s the girlband’!!

We almost made my initial schedule times but the icy cold wind and winter sun held us back a little.

I discovered that this is an aspect of the industry I really enjoy being a part of. Being a stylist and a creative director and seeing my little project come into fruition and everyone having a lot of fun in the process is something that I just love. I have always dipped my fingers into so many different aspects of the business I never had time to stop and think about or seriously consider which paths I would want to take to make my one-day dream a reality, I just said yes to everything. Im now at the point, 2 years down the line where I don’t need to take the work I don’t really have much interest in. It feels good.

Scene 5 of the day with a 60’s fashion focus and we were back on those East End streets. It didn’t take a lot of looking when searching for those perfect hot-spots. Spitalfields, Brick Lane and the surroundings are just perfect, full of nooks and crannies and dying to be featured in fashion editorials across the globe.  The cold had worked its way into our bones. As I shouted ‘ lets make this snappy people’ jumping up and down like a lunatic, the crew and I were delirious with laughter, singing – anything to distract our scantily clad models from their convulsing limbs and goosepimples!

My photographer, Ramesh worked his magic and before we knew it, all 15 of us ice-cubes were high fiving, and hugging at our success of the day and quick marching to a warm place to thaw out.

Ten Bells and 10 pints later it hit us. Be Urban Chic lookbook number 1, soon to be launched in the UK was complete. Abi, the fabulous designer was so ecstatic with the results and it was yet another huge success to add to my Portfolio. Im so pleased I helped make Abi’s dream come true and I cannot wait to start her next assignment. And lets not forget, I am just that one step closer to my dream now too!

Thank you to: Abi (Designer) Helen Webb (Dresser) Ramesh Suren (fabulous photographer) Nadine Eilas, Samantha Clarke, Maria Matzue (MUA's) Demi Jade, Ama, Bintu (Models) Katrina Barton (Head Stylist) Mark Homewood (Assistant) Julie Homewood (assistant) Nana (lovely Nana)