C La Rouge crosses road for the BFS, BIRMINGHAM

Fashion designer C La Rouge from Birmingham, dressed up in fun pink and grey leggings and big boots for a facsimile of my sketch from a couple of days ago. I asked her if she could do big hair and contacts, and the lady did. Big earrings too. She was great, fun, smart and patient. She makes strong designs, which show off a lot of leg, with slick textures and...well see for yourself, she brought a new dress and her fantastic assistant Christina to model....

...so beaut.

I like the mix in this design, like something out of the 60s with a roman influence and sci-fi twist.

If you're out on Friday in Birmingham C La Rouge is showing a collection at Bliss Bar on Broad Street.

Yellow Ruffle Vest, Cyclist, Russel Sq (Ruffle Sq) LONDON

I had been talking to my friend about how I never see asian women cycling and then of course later that day with camera stowed in tank bag, a movie star looking beauty stops at the lights with her equally handsome boyfriend. She looks a bit nervous of being crushed by a bus but pushes off back into it once more.

Green Eyes, Big Hair, BIRMINGHAM

Awesome girl going into town 6.30pm. Didn't ask to photograph her, lost my jazz by then :).

Happy Easter Birmingham Glamour Women.

Back next week.

Dormant Leg Activity and Midnight Cowboy Type, Corporation Street, BIRMINGHAM

A fantastic woman appeared in Holland and Barrett while i was buying refreshing childhood flavoured banana and chocolate soya cartons. She may have been 5o something, maybe older. White blouse, grey skirt, grey platform heels, wide belt, straight blonde hair. Outside Selfridges, waiting for a friend she did lots of great things with her legs, i drew as quick as i could to learn some new poses for photos.

Another woman twists her legs while waiting for a bus while on the phone.
Another with a trolley, swings her legs talking on the phone. Another curls hers up while reading a celeb-mag. A woman in a see-thru blouse takes the top step in front of the Temple.

I thought what with all the documenting Birmingham's female glamour, it would be fun to photograph this man walking towards me up Corporation Street. He had a yellow 70s shirt and light brown flared cords over cowboy boots. He reminded me of my 70s Birmingham childhood. I asked him "Can i take a photo of you?" he said, "I'm sorry mate, I've got a beautiful girlfriend, sorry mate" and kept on walking.
I think he misheard me, and thought i wanted to take his phone number. He must get this a lot, what with his sideburns and all. I'll stick with photographing women.

Ultimate Short Coat, BIRMINGHAM

She popped her collars just so and POW, she beat up my SHORT COAT dream sketches from a couple of weeks ago. This little trench coat, an above the knee pencil, blouse with bow....better than, best ever, beyond expectation, etc.

She has absolutely confirmed it with the style here.

Thanks to her for doing it!

(All Birmingham models from today/whenever please let me know and i'll leave you a print in a photo shop. Thanks to all of you again and again)

Generosity in a Grey Pencil, Colmore Row

This very kind woman saw i was desperate to try and photograph in this light and changed her mind and did it anway.
Crossing the road and walking through bus dust and nosey vans to do it. Incredible really.

I know she (and all models) take a risk in doing pictures for me. Thanks for their trust.

I love her smart outfit and i wonder how it looks with the jacket on but think it looks great off. Those ruffles, I can't remember seeing them before this spring, are a great detail.

Fantastic! Thanks to her so much :)

Hair de Luxe, Centenary Sq, BIRMINGHAM

This young lady had incredible hair, so thick and rich, it moved like it had muscles of its own. She told me she had just had it done. I hope the pictures show this.

I very much like the looking off into the distance here...i think it will be interesting to shoot something like this with everyone.


Thanks to her for doing it!






























Great outfit, lots of ruffles and folds going on.

Impossible Glamour, Broad St, BIRMINGHAM

Unbelievable high style on Broad St on a Wednesday afternoon.
















Thanks to her in the little red dress!

Vivacious and mushrooms in motion, BIRMINGHAM

She asked me was i serious after I thought she didn't want to do it, so she brought this back from the brink of not happening. Thanks to her.

Either way, this is great glamour on a rooftop behind BrindleyPlace.

Mushroom dress from a little shop in Harbourne.

Hope she likes these :)

Someone left a note on R.'s windscreen, You Are Hot with his number.

Stripes in Motion, BIRMINGHAM

Stripes are still looking good this year, and it's good when they're in a long dress moving along, all the lines flicker like crazy.

No photos though, the keyword of the day was 'sorry'.

Think i was looking a bit sorry myself :)

Pink Sunsets, BIRMINGHAM

K. had pink on today and it suited the strong, low sunlight very well.

There was lots of pink around in dresses, scarves but here is the only one i got. I shall try for more pink this week.

Thanks to her!

















Love the thick hair held back with the glasses, like a sixties supervixen.

Oxford and Birmingham, not quite mated up, SHORT COAT.

The drawing of the woman is of a Birmingham woman who declined my photography...she had those platform heels and some tight jeans, under a short coat.

The street is in Oxford and is a pedestrian area opposite the Ashmolean, with very nice features, old lamps, spikey security, old Cotswold stone, knobbly trees, nice light about 4.45pm.

I'll do some pictures there soon, hoping some high heelers will walk by and do something with me.

Green Tweed Jacket, BIRMINGHAM

Ultra-smart outfit, stood out a mile in the Brutalist (nice Brutalist) square. Nice to see country colours amongst the concrete too. Thanks to this very smart woman for modelling.

Pencil Skirt (Pinstripe) and Biker Jacket, ALLELUJAH, Birmingham

After being bounced earlier in the week in Leamington, this awesome, friendly lady let me photograph her PENCIL/BIKER outfit, which makes a great silhouette and is great anyhow you see it.

Super-stylish. Thank you!

(thanks to all birmingham, coventry and leamington models for letting me photograph you this week, remember if you want a print, get in touch

LADY IN A TWEED JACKET COMING SOON!)

Pinstripe Suit, WOW, BIRMINGHAM

Super smart outfit worn with great style and put together with prowess. Great textures, tones and details. This photo is like one of my idealistic sketches :)

Thanks to this fantastic lady and her chaperone :), nice to meet them both.

Corporate wear, COVENTRY

When worn with this kind of figure, they don't look smarter, you can see the designer's intent.

Thanks to this great lady for modelling and kicking back against my meddling direction, that was fun ;).

Stripes under the Blossom COVENTRY

Great to see stripes worn so neatly underneath the blossom in the shopping arcade.

Springy step from the big army boots marching through April.

Great outfit. Thanks to this fun lady for doing it :)!

Coventry: You're a hard nut (to crack).

I thought, time to go to Coventry. On the main road in, she stepped out of the Quadrant in a black blouse with a ruffled front, black jacket, black opaque tights, black suedey shoes, and a grey pinstripe skirt. Perfect, very smart. Looks Law. I stood my bike on a double yellow, unclipped my full face and gently pounced. She was very polite, and said yes when i said excuse me, with a nice manner. But declined my question. I gave her a card so she could check out my site to see that it wasn't anything nasty and she directed me to hotspots where smart women would likely be.

There were a few, and i'll upload a couple of shots tomorrow, so thanks to her and them but i need to go back and get some more on a sunnier day, when everything is a bit warmer.

Short Coat, Pink and Pearls, Workwear and Frills, Leamington.

Thanks to this lady.

Short Coat, Purple. Leamington

Lots of purple detail too, ribbons on the shiny shoes, earrings, nails i think.

Great...thanks for doing it!

(...even put down her Lucozade).

Biker Jacket Grey Pencil Dress Workwear, LEAMINGTON

Nearly crashed my bike going up to her. Said yes but then said no. Don't blame her :).So did a drawing. Tight, boxy biker jacket over grey pencil dress...very smart.

Short coat, drawn Birmingham

Hope to show the movement and lightness of the dress in this pic, and the lightness and movement of the woman, especially under all those bags she's carrying, still remaining very feminine :).

Sitting on a step: blouse, leggings, wedges; curb red coat and skirt

I didn't disturb as she was relaxing with her friend.

I thought she was an air hostess but more likely a bank or building society worker.

Complicated negotiations, remarkable pictures, BIRMINGHAM

I asked her friends while she was away in a shop, if they thought she'd let me take her picture. They asked me if it was pervy, i said that was in the eye of the beholder. They liked my sketches though and said to her when she came out "This gentleman would like to take your picture...". She said yes, that today was a fun day and she didn't care. She did two walks for the camera, one for the benefit of her friends who were videoing the photography.

I took about 18 pictures and about 18 are totally brilliant. Great natural poses and expressions. Think i'll do a drawing from one.

Great simple smart outfit.

Thanks.Thanks.Thanks.

Pink Blouse, Leggings, Birmingham

Superstar looks and a pink blouse catching the wind-great glamour.

Thanks for letting me snap!

Long Black Dress

Thanks to this young lady in her slinky dress, she said 'yeah alright' when i asked to take her photo. Fun.

Risky potential with ice cream drips.

Another Great Work Outfit.

Thanks to this glamour lady, for her very smart workwear.

Hope she had a good day.

Classic Office, Birmingham

Fitted shirt, satin skirt, sorted shoes. Great outfit.

Thanks for letting me get this!

Under the Short Coat

What is this great design on the dress? Looks like an ornamental feature from something. Great with the scarf, noticed it a tiny bit at the time, but only in the photo can i now appreciate it. Reminds me of William Blake, i don't know why though.

Thanks to the lady.

Blurred this Short Coat, BIRMINGHAM

A bit like the short coats over short dresses i saw in Oxford at the beginning of the week but much more suited to the great weather, looks floaty and positive for new season...looks great in the sun too.

Thanks to her, but sorry about the lack of focus :)

I think i might do a drawing.

Click

I think i did.

Vintage Offilicious Styled in Shades of Biege and Brown, Warwick

Putting together an office wear outfit from a vintage shop's collection, combined with model emily's own shoes and skirt.

http://www.smithstreetvintage.co.uk/

(sarah of ssv styled)

Biker Jacket, Topshop WARWICK

Two week old Biker jacket. I never understand how they zip up, next time i'll ask for a demo.

Thanks!

Smart Woman WARWICK

Spikey shoes are going to be big, i read it somewhere though i forget where. This lady was eating fudge but put it away for the pic. Super smart outfit, classic face. Clipped the shoe however.

Blouse and Leggings OXFORD

Sorry about embarrassing the woman here. Leggings and blouses are big at the mo'.

Thanks to her.

American Legs OXFORD

This American woman, part cherokee perhaps, stood still long enough for me to draw her from herself. She was talking to her friend and frankly made incredible expressions and moved around so much, i was a bit intimidated to trouble her. I think i got 15 minutes of sketching.

(Cat in the Hat bag)

Tesco Girl Short Coat OXFORD

Many short coats on the High Street brought out of early retirement by the cold snap that April brings/brung. A compromise of getting legs out and keeping warm.

WILL UPLOAD PHOTO OF BLOUSE/LEGGINGS LADY NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS :)

Short Coat (PVC), Pink Case OXFORD

From across the street i couldn't make out the pattern on her coat, maybe watermelons, but maybe just patterns.

Olive lady Short Coat OXFORD

On the phone and in a rush too, straight out of Patisserie Valerie with a bag of donuts or something nicer. Short Coat over leggings and heels... shades too.

PHOTOGRAPHY COMING SOON!

American/Canadian Biker Chic (OXFORD)

Having fun with the rebel outfit and her wooden soled boots, strolling back from lunch and back into old Balliol college.


UPDATE: Spoke to her today to ask her if she would let me photograph her walking. She politely declined but i picked up a US or Canadian accent, so I've changed the title :). Hope didn't cause offence.

Might do another drawing, without the jacket, as she didn't wear it today.

Girl in Black (and Brown Boots) Oxford too))

Great, smart young woman in black, delightfully declined my photography as it would show her face. I said i'd do a drawing.

Obviously doesn't do her justice, but so it goes.