I ♥ HAUNT MAGAZINE

Haunt is a quarterly online fashion magazine. Where each issue see a different theme explored by young and upcoming creatives to create inspiring and fresh imagery.

I loves that Haunt aims to inspire and capture the moment whilst not taking itself too seriously and embracing the fun side of fashion.

These are a few of my fav shoots which can be seen on haunt-mag.com and feature some great vintage pieces styled to unique perfection.Be sure to take a look at Haunt Issue 2!

Let me know what you think...

London 2012 Olympics - Synchronised Swimming

Do have post Olympic blues already? I do ... cannot believe the 16 days of London Olympic Games has been and gone in a flash and wasn't it spectacular!
A fantastic celebration and Team GB really has made the country proud. I was lucky enough to experience part of the games in all its glory and went along to watch the Synchronised Swimming Tech team routines and cheer on my friend Katie Skelton in the Team GB of course!

It is a fascinating story of how "water ballet" (it's original name) all came about:

Berlin, 1932 Images & extract via Motley Glue

The Inventor of Synchronised Swimming:

Actor, swimmer, diver, ballerina and trailblazer Annette Kellerman (1886/7-1975)

Already famous in Australia, Kellerman achieved international fame when she swam almost thirty miles down London’s River Thames.

In an age where women were expected to swim in dresses, she championed the one-piece bathing suit; in 1907 she was arrested for indecency on Revere Beach, Boston. Later that year she performed at the New York Hippodrome in a glass tank; a landmark event in the popularisation of "water ballet"...

Hope that was informative brief history lesson, However more importantly, 

here is a mini photo diary of my day at the Olympic Park:

Arrive into the park at 11:40am - Excitement is building

Quick take a picture - I'm here! 

12:08 - at the Olympic Orbit - funny looking thing isn't it! 

13:05 - View of the Olympic Stadium while eating lunch

The Olympic park is getting busy - the atmosphere of the crowd is indescribable everyone is so happy!

13:50 My patriotic nails - which I did while waiting for the Synchro slot. 

13:54 - The time is nigh - we start to head over the Aquatics centre having fun along the way with the wonderful game volunteers - cheering and waving our flags. 

Forcing my friend Emma to pose in-front of the Olympic Rings

13:57 - Literally cannot contain my excitement as entering into the Aquatics Centre

14:13 - we take our seats (which we have a great view of the pool) and watch the teams warm-up

Aquabatix are interview prior to the start as the countdown begins... arrrg excitement! 

15:20 A few teams perform before Team GB take to the stage

- Really impressed by the incredible routines on show and the Spanish team's performance was incredible and cheered long with spanish fan who I sat next too. 

unfortunately you may be able to tell from my pics above that my camera wasn't going to provide me with any great images - so decided to give-up and purely focus on the performances - luckily there were lots of fab photos appearing after from others - so here is a selection of Team GB's amazing performance below: 

The routine I believe was based on sea creatures 

The amazing team swimming out to roars of applause at the end - it was so loud with the cheering in the aquatic centre I even started to get a headache - the atmosphere is nothing I have ever experienced before and was completely overwhelming! - so proud of my friend Katie Skelton and the GB squad! 

Lining up to be awarded their marks - it was really nice that my friend Katie (at the end of the line) spotted us in the crowd and waved to us all with our flags cheering. She did an incredible job - Team GB did a fantastic performance to which they should all be very proud!

15:46 - The final scores for the Technical Routine were in - Team GB came an impressive 6th overall and reached their ultimate target. Considering the team had not qualified for an Olympic games for close to 20 year - competing on the worlds stage beating some of the best teams in the world is a huge achievement! 

[The next day on 10th Aug (sadly I was unable to get tickets to be there): The tech scores were added to their free routine - which includes some tricky lifts scoring them 88.140 and meant they ranked 6th Overall - one of the best performances they have ever done - 5 years of hard work really paid off! Gold whent to Russia, Silver - China and Bronze to Spain (who I really think deserved to be higher as the artistic creativity was amazing to watch) - interestingly the positions stayed the exact same as they were the day before.]

17:52 - We explored the rest of the Olympic park and watched the amazing Nicola Adams bring home a Gold medal in the first ever women's boxing at the 2012 Olympics on the large Park Live screen - everyone jumped up in applause. 

The view of the crowds and the lake in the Olympic Park

 

Taking home a memory of the day in the Pin Trading centre - I brought a Synchro Olympic pin as a  treasured souvenir.  

18:57 - Sadly heading home - through Westfield Strafford with large banners of the man of the moment Usain Bolt. 

Our Olympic day was over but is one that will never be forgotten!  

What is your fondest memories of the London 2012 games? Did you watch any events?

Did you enjoy the closing ceremony? And will you be booking your ticket Rio 2016.

What a fantastic London 2012 Olympic Games!

My friend in the 2012 London Olympian

As some of you may be a little aware... my good friend of many, many years is competing in the 2012 London Olympics and I am beyond excited (can you tell?). I have been telling just about everyone... strangers on buses, trains and planes, people at work, hairdressers, postmen, people I meet at events, anyone who puts 2012 into a sentence I am proudly piping up that my friend is in "THE OLYMPICS".

Putting it just in a sentence is making me brew up with complete happiness. Katie Skelton has not only been an amazing friend but she is also an amazing role-model, she has dedicated near to a decade (if not more) to her passion of Synchronised Swimming. Her dedication and aspiration of her sport is truly awe inspiring. It puts my ‘drop out’ attitude to my early years of gymnastics and trampolinng club to shame.

Family and Friends show their support at Katie's pre-Olympic games send off! 

She has come an unbelievably long way with her sport and she has only had the determination to succeed and reach her goal. From school days Katie would Swim before school and after school and her schedule was so hectic – we always laughed that teachers would remark that she was nearly falling asleep in the dullest lessons, but boy could you blame her!

Trained at Reading Royals, which is, where I first saw her perform at their annual Christmas gala – she was absolutely incredible then so I know she will just blow my mind when I see her perform in the Olympic Aquatic centre.  ­

Katie at an awards ceremony with GB Synchro team mate Jenna Randall.

She has competed at European and World Championships and now is set to compete at her ultimate goal the London 2012 Olympics tomorrow on the greatest stage on earth. I literally cannot wait to cheer her and the GB girls on in the team technical event wave my Great Britain flag and experience a moment to cherish forever!

Words really don’t do it justice to express how pleased I am of all that she has achieved, she had to make big decisions to train for 4 years straight for the Olympics which meant 10 hour days Mon-Sat dedicating her life to her art form. She has been completely self motivated and watch her grow on her continuous journey has been truly magical.  

Team GB!

Looking back to primary school when we thought we “mapped” out our life – tragically we would marry Michael Owen & David Beckham live in a large houses we cut out from the property bit of the paper and would have a big families – yet who knew that it would end up 15 years later with myself going to watch her at the Olympic Games – beyond our wildest dreams!

Some of the Team GB girls in the Olympic Village with Bradley Wiggins 

Kitted out: Adidas Take The Stage

Team GB Synchro with Sir Chris Hoy prior to the Opening Ceremony 

How to get on TV at the Olympic Ceremony? - stand next to Tom Daley of course!

Featuring on the front cover of Stylist Magazine and a Olympic stars editorial in Fabulous magazine (to name but a few) team GB have been paramount in raising the profile of Synchro in this country and it is only set to continue.

Google Doodle Synchronised Swimmers

The Duet – Jenna randall and Olivia federici just showcased to the world their massive improvement by being the first to qualify for the finals in over 20 years and came an impressive and noteworthy 9^th a great achievement from their 14^th position at Beijing so watch out Rio team GB have arrived!

@SynchroKS @JennaRtweets @synchroD @KatieC_23 @Anya_Tarasiuk @AshaRandall @Olivia_Federici @VickiLucass @jknobbs @yvettebaker91 #teamGB

#GoTeamGB

#GoTeamGB

Cheer them on! August 9th and 10th at 3pm - Aquatic Centre. Available online and on the red button - watch your be mesmerised!  

www.london2012.com/synchronized-swimming

To find out more about Synchronised Swimming and where you can take part in this wonderful sport please see: British Swimming

Please Note: These are personal snapshots and come from various sources. Please do not re-print or use without prior permission thank you. 

VOLT MAGAZINE X ADIDAS #adidasunderground

What a visionary feast Friday night was at the Volt Magazine x Adidas #adidasunderground party. On day 3 of Adidas underground series (in succession of their Official sponsorship of 2012 Olympics) they teamed up with the oversized bi-annual (and friends) Volt Magazine. The colourfully stylish crowd arrived to take part in the interactive experience, whereby everyone had to collect a specific wristband at the car-park opposite to enter into the evenings events. Greeted by a gigantic wall covering of Bradley Wiggins at the entrance, which when you looked close you could cleverly distinguish that his face was designed as a bike... and rightly so he took centre stage as he is now one of GB's most decorated Olympian with 7 Gold Medals to his name.

 
Feeling immensely proud of Team GB we were ready to enter the "secret" Shoreditch venue, wristbands scanned and a brief walk down the adidas 'step and repeat' we were intrigued to discover the nights proceedings. Guests were typically dressed in adidas garms but all with a unique East London twist. Feeling slightly disjointed in a summery floral number I fondly reminisced of the Volt shoot where I got to wear the amazing Jeremy Scott Adidas Originals blue collection tassled tracksuit bottoms which swished with every movement and wished I had those to wear to dance the night away in.

This fab video by HYPEBEAST really shows the eclectic styles and the wonders of the event.

The large industrial space had been transformed with various areas and guests were flowing in to occupy them. Gathering our bearing we wandered round to take it all in...  'checking in' at the first wristband scanner we announced our arrival via Facebook automatically too,  the bar was buzzing with Absolut Vodka producing a range of cocktails which guests could scan their wristbands to receive their complimentary drinks.



All the while incredible projected imagery danced across the large moulded screens around the venue in time with the thumping music bringing the place alive with vibrancy.

The line-up for the night was:

- Mark James – This Dull Ache screening

- Rocket Number 9 LIVE SET - Kutmah DJ set - Live audiovisual set from Night Customer (Joel Martin & Gareth ‘Cherrystones’ Goddard)- Mr Wonderful (Femi Adeyemi) from NTS Live DJ set- Joost Vandebrug – special film screening 

One area which was great fun and a novel idea was 'snack busking'. In the corner of the venue was a popcorn/ ice cream/ confectionary stall - no ordinary stall it was a stone, paper, scissors battle for the  various snacks and popcorn flavours (from wasabi to chilli) - to which if you won you didn't pay,  the popcorn was free, however if lost at the simple hand game you had to pay-up to John Quilter who was in charge of the game/popcorn proceedings. Just as engaging to watch the battles take place as to take part it was great to see the stakes taken a notch higher with one lady fighting for the prize of an Oreo cookie vs John receiving a kiss. With the first round tied it was a tense few moments until he drew for scissors she drew for paper and that was it battle lost and John made sure he got his bet - the kiss!    

Having previously engaged in some research on NFC (Near Field Communication) and the future of this I had seen this immersive experience technology with the use of RFID wristbands used before at an Ibiza hotel so it was great to see this being embraced in London with guests being able to swipe their wristbands on the photobooth screen which then took a picture which once accepted will directly uploaded to their Facebook page with the #adidasunderground tag. This use of social media to create an all engaging environment is only set to grow and allows others to get an instant slice of the action.

When the beautiful archive Olympic footage was cast onto the screens in time with the beats of the music it was really spectacular and everyone was completely mesmerised watching... see for yourself on my short video below:

It was such a great moment to see all the Volt Magazine team with Adidas in such a memorable way with an incredible event. The publication was born out of a passion of those who created it for the pure love of fashion imagery which is represented in parallel to the athletes that work so hard also for the love of their sport. Well done Volt and to all those involved.

Volt / Adidas Party Advert on the back of Friday's Metro Newspaper. 

Although some of the images are mine (with a dead battery on the night) I unfortunately had to borrow a few from other sources: 

Image credits: 

HYPEBEAST check out their Facebook page too for all the images. 
FLYDIGS 
Via #adidasunderground image on twitter
As always all images used are for illustrative purposes only however should you not be happy with any image which is used please let me know and I will be happy to remove from the blog.


Thanks to VOLT MAGAZINE issue 11 out now available to buy online or at various stockists including
Magma Stores / Selfridges / Serpentine Galleries / Harvey Nichols find a full list of stockist here.

& #ADIDASUNDERGROUND - follow on facebook and apply for other #adidasunderground events