Photography: Structures in Paris, Barcelona And Berlin

Back in Paris in the spring of 2015, I started a 36 exposure black and white film with the intention of photographing structures, both natural and man-made. Since then, I have lived in Barcelona, revisited Paris and travelled to one of my favourite European cities - Berlin - and my SLR came with me.

PARIS

---

Paris is known for its beautifully classic, sand-coloured, Haussmann buildings but there certainly is more to the city's architecture than that. These photos were taken along the gritty, more industrial Canal Saint Martin where the different lines and grids were beautiful to photograph. As I started this film not long before I moved, unfortunately I was unable to fully explore this unusual way of photographing the white city.

BARCELONA

---

From Paris-esque Metro signs to interesting trees and the mix of industrial and picturesque architecture, I could not help but photograph such a variety of subjects in Barcelona. While shooting this film, I spent the most time in Barcelona, which was both an advantage and a disadvantage. Perhaps after a while, some things that would have photographed so well, I took for granted although the more I explored, the more photographs I could take. Watch this space for my colour film photos of Barcelona coming soon.

BERLIN

---

Berlin is a very urban city with street art on every corner and vast open spaces of both development and nothingness. What particularly struck me was how many organic communities there were around the city who had created camps or makeshift shelters. I feel that I cannot comment further on this because I do not know about these communities but it certainly was intriguing to photograph.

I hope you had enjoyed seeing a few snapshots from my latest film. This follows on from my film PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE IN PARIS, which I shared on the blog a year ago yesterday. Yep, I must take more photos, more quickly - duly noted!

Izzie x
INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | LOOKBOOK | PINTEREST

10 Things I Miss About Living In Paris

I am currently going through a crisis of where I want to live. You will be aware of this if you read my recent post entitled THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDSHIP, FAMILY AND FINDING YOUR HOME (a mouthful, I know). So I have decided to start writing some lists to help me organise my thoughts and here is the first one - 10 Things I Miss About Living in Paris.

1. Walking through streets so picturesque. 

2. Speaking the most beautiful language in the world, French.

3. Drinking wine and smoking a cigarette on a heated terrace while people watching.

4. Having friends that you were destined to be friends with, who just get you.
5. Eating the best baguettes, croissants, pains au chocolat, macarons etc that money can buy.

6. Having apéro* on the banks of the Seine or Canal Saint Martin on a warm spring evening.

7. Being able to update my wardrobe without breaking the bank thanks to the amazing VINTAGE SHOPPING.
8. Being forever inspired by Parisian street style.

9. Playing board games and eating cheese on a Friday night in a geeky bar.

10. The fact that it is Paris and it has my heart.

*AKA drinks and snacks ;)

Izzie x

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | LOOKBOOK | PINTEREST

Paris Restaurant Review: Lucky Luciano

Lucky Luciano - 1 Cour des Petites Ecuries, 75010, Paris

Whilst I was in Paris last weekend for Paris Fashion Week, I could not resist going to one of my favourite pizzerias in the city – Lucky Luciano. I spent a lovely evening amongst friends eating and drinking to our heart’s desire.

Tucked away in Cour des Petites Ecuries, a little haven off the busy and gritty rue du Faubourg Saint Dennis, Lucky Luciano offers delicious pizzas in a warm and hip ambiance. It is certainly considered as one of the best places to have pizza in Paris – whenever you tell locals that you have been or are going to Lucky Luciano, they will make a ‘mmmm’ sound and say something like “c’est super bon là-bas”.

As always, I chose the ever popular Bufala pizza which is topped with melted mozzarella, raw buffalo mozzarella, rocket and cherry tomatoes. It is one of my favourite pizzas because it feels fresh and healthy (as healthy as a pizza can be) thanks to the raw ingredients. Of course, for those of you that don’t fancy a healthy feeling pizza, all the usual suspects are available from four cheese to vegetarian and meat, plus they also do special ‘sweet’ pizzas with toppings like goats cheese and honey.

I would definitely recommend checking out Lucky Luciano when you are next in Paris and are just looking for a crowd pleasing pizza. The prices are decent, the atmosphere is down to earth and who knows, you may even get a glimpse of the restaurant’s resident cat! Unfortunately for me, this time we did not.

Pendant que j’étais à Paris le weekend dernier pour Fashion Week, je ne pouvais pas résister aller à un de mes pizzerias préférés dans la ville – Lucky Luciano. J’ai passé une super soirée avec des amis geniaux autour de la bonne bouffe et du bon vin.

Lucky Luciano se situe au Cour des Petites Ecuries, un passage calme à côté de la rue du Faubourg Saint Dennis, et il nous offre des pizzas délicieux dans une ambiance chaude et hip. C’est sûr qu’on regarde Lucky Luciano comme un des meilleurs endroits pour manger du pizza. Dès que vous dites aux parisiens que vous venez d’y manger ou vous allez manger à Lucky Luciano, ils feront un son comme ‘miammmm’ et diront quelque chose genre ‘c’est trop bon là-bas’.

Comme d’habitude, j’ai choisi le pizza Bufala qui est recouvrit de la mozzarella fondue et crue, de la roquette et des tomates cerises. Il est un de mes pizzas favoris parce qu’il se sent frais et sain (si un pizza peut être sain) grâce aux ingrédients crus. Je vous assure que pour ceux qui ne veulent pas un pizza ‘sain’, il y a tous les pizzas typiques comme quatre fromages, vegetarien et de la viande. En plus, ils font les pizzas sucrés avec des garnitures comme du fromage de chèvre et du miel.  

Je vous conseille fortement d’aller chez Lucky Luciano la prochaine fois que vous etes sur Paris et vous cherchez un restaurant qui plaira à tout le monde. Les prix sont bien, l’ambiance est tranquille et peut-être vous aurez de la chance et vous verrez le petit chat qui habite au restaurant ! Malheureusement, nous ne l’avons pas vu.

Izzie x

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | LOOKBOOK | PINTEREST

Spring Pastels In Paris

Blue faux fur coat - KILO SHOP, Culottes - &OTHER STORIES, Beret - KILO SHOP, Boots - ASOS

Location: Quai de la Gare metro station, Paris

Photos by GISELE

So I know what you are thinking - 'pastels in Spring Izzie? That's really groundbreaking…' Well all I can say in my defence is that I like pastels ok? Furthermore, due to the fact that the pastel pieces in question are a mighty thick faux fur coat and a cute pink beret, I would say that this is actually more of a pre-Spring look; a transitional look from the darks hues of winter to the upcoming brights of summer. 

This blue fur is becoming quite the regular on this blog. I have already styled it up smartly with BLOCK HEEL PUMPS and with a DENIM SHIRT DRESS but here I am wearing it done up to let its A-line shape and pastel colour do the talking. I think its turquoise blue and the baby pink of my new favourite beret go perfectly together, especially when paired with some simple black culottes and leather boots.

What colours and patterns are you channelling in this pre-Spring transitional period?

Alors, je sais ce que vous pensez - 'des couleurs pastels pour printemps ne sont pas révolutionnaires Izzie!' Ben, j'aime bien les couleurs pastels ok? En plus, vu que ces pièces pastels sont un gros manteau en fausse fourrure et un béret rose, je trouve que ce look est plutôt PRE-printemps; un look de transition entre hiver et printemps.

Ce manteau bleu a l'habitude d'apparaître sur ce blog maintenant. Je vous ai déjà montré un look élégant avec BLOCK HEEL PUMPS et un autre avec DENIM SHIRT DRESS mais aujourd'hui je porte le manteau fermé pour que vous puissiez voir sa forme trapèze et sa couleur magnifique. Je pense que sa couleur bleu-turquoise va très bien avec la couleur rose de mon nouveau béret preferé, surtout vu que je les ai mis avec un pantalon simple et des bottes en cuir noir.

Quelles couleurs portez-vous pendant cette période de transition pré-printemps?

Izzie x

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | LOOKBOOK | PINTEREST

Paris Fashion Week AW16 Vlog

Bonjour! My Paris Fashion Week AW16 Vlog is finally live on my YOUTUBE channel! I had such a great time filming this content (with a little help from my darling ANNA) at Paris Fashion Week, shooting outfits with GISELE and generally hanging out with some awesome friends.

I was lucky enough to see two amazing but completely different shows at Paris Fashion Week. Firstly I saw Manish Arora presenting at the earthy and vintage venue, Le Comptoir General. His AW16 collection features lots of customised denim, pops of coloured patchwork and serious prairie trend vibes. Then I saw the super sleek Pascal Millet show, which is a collection mainly made of black and navy colours but adding the oomph with white polka dots, sequins and sparkles. Anyway, I am spoiling it for you - go and have a look for yourself!


Bonjour! Enfin je vous présente mon vlog de Fashion Week de Paris! C'etait un plaisir de créer ce contenu pour vous (avec un peu de l'aide de ma chérie ANNA qui m'a filmé) - je vous montre la Fashion Week de Paris, les shootings en coulisses que j'ai fait avec GISELE et le temps que j'ai passé en trainant avec des beaux amis. 
J'ai eu de la chance de voir deux défilés magnifiques mais très différents à l'autre - Manish Arora et Pascal Millet. Allez jeter un coup d'oeil à ma video!
Izzie x


INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | LOOKBOOK | PINTEREST

Parisian Rooftops

Jeans - KILO SHOP, Top - secondhand, Beret - KILO SHOP, Boots - ASOS

Location: 7th Arrondissement, Paris

So Paris Fashion Week – and fashion month – has just finished and what a season it has been! For one of my days in Paris, I pulled out the clichés and wore my new pink beret and a marinière. I say cliché, but in fact the striped sailor top is an important part of French history. Originally the official undergarment of the French Navy, the striped sailor jersey gradually infiltrated the fashion world thanks to Gabrielle Chanel adopting this workwear garment paired with loose trousers as her resort-wear look. So thanks Chanel babes because I do love myself some stripes. 

I am feeling pretttttty smug about this backdrop. There are not many people who have friends whose bedroom window opens onto the beautiful Parisian rooftops with an uninterrupted view of the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides. So I had to take full advantage whilst staying with the gorgeous Bella at the weekend and quickly capture my outfit full of clichés. 

Et voilà, c’est fini Fashion Week de Paris – et le mois des Fashion Weeks aussi ! – et c’était une saison super ! Pour une de mes journées à Paris, j’ai mis plein de clichés avec une marinière et mon nouveau béret rose. Je dis un cliché mais en fait le pull marin est un symbole important dans l’histoire française. A l’origine, il était le sous-vêtement officiel de la Marine Française. Cependant, progressivement la marinière s’est infiltré dans la mode grâce à Gabrielle Chanel qui l’aimait porter pour son look détendu avec un pantalon ample. Alors je vous remercie Chanel parce que je kiffe des rayures!

Je me sens suffisante avec le fond de ces photos. Ce n’est pas tout le monde qui connait quelqu’un dont leur fenêtre de chambre s’ouvre sur les toits de Paris avec une vue ininterrompu de la Tour Eiffel et Les Invalides. Du coup, il fallait profiter en prenant des photos pendant que je suis restée chez Bella le weekend dernier. 

Izzie x

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | LOOKBOOK | PINTEREST

Sailor Stripes in Paris

Burberry Trench - KILO SHOP, Denim Skirt - URBAN OUTFITTERS, Striped top - second hand, Shoes - DR MARTENS, Hat - KILO SHOP

Location: Quai de Bourbon, 75004, Paris <3

So exactly a week ago, I was swanning around the streets of Paris wearing sailor stripes and a massive smile on my face. We took these photos in one of my favourite areas - on Ile Saint Louis - and the next to the river setting rather suits this sailor/military vibe that I'm rocking here, dontcha think?

Of course I hinted at my Paris outfit choices in my HOW TO PACK FOR A WEEKEND CITY BREAK post last week but here it is in full glory, with a lovely Parisian backdrop. When in Paris, wear stripes. This is not just a French cliché but a seriously popular print here. I paired my lovely polo neck with a classic denim skirt and my military style Burberry trench and cap.

What do you think? Have you seen the rest of my photos from my WEEKEND BREAK IN PARIS?



Alors, il y a une semaine je me baladais dans les rues de Paris pendant que j'ai porté ce look de rayures et un grand sourire. Nous avons pris ces photos dans un de mes quartiers preferes - sur l'Ile Saint Louis - et je pense que le Seine va bien avec cet outfit marin/militaire, vous êtes d'accord ou pas?

Je vous ai déjà montré mes choix d'outfits dans mon poste COMMENT FAIRE VOTRE VALISE POUR UN SEJOUR DE WEEKEND la semaine dernière mais voila celui-ci avec un beau fond parisien. Quand vous êtes à Paris, portez une marinière. Cela n'est pas un cliché français mais un motif que les français portent tellement beaucoup! J'ai mis la mienne avec cette jupe en jean classique, mon trench Burberry et ma casquette militaire.

Que pensez-vous? Vous avez vu la reste de mes photos de MON WEEKEND À PARIS?

Bisous, Izzie

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | LOOKBOOK | PINTEREST

A Weekend Break In Paris

Bonjour! So as you'll know if you have read some of last week's posts, including my HOW TO PACK FOR A WEEKEND CITY BREAK, or follow my on INSTAGRAM, is that I was in my beloved city of PARIS at the weekend. 

Lewis and I booked a last minute 'fuck it let's just do it' trip to Paris just a few weeks ago so we could catch up with some friends and get into the festive mood ready for Christmas. And we had a blast. Can I please go back and live there already? It's soooo pretty and everyone I know there is just awesome. Anyway, whilst we all ponder over that question, here is a little photo diary from the short but very sweet weekend. 

So Saturday consisted of A LOT of eating. And drinking. After a 6am flight (urghh) we headed straight to our favourite boulangerie on boulevard Beaumarchais to start the trip the way Parisians do - with lots of pastries. This was followed the best - and one of the cheapest - lunches in Paris, falafel from CHEZ HANNA, which features on my tips to BEST EATS IN LE MARAIS, PARIS post. 

LE VOLTIGEUR - 35 rue des Francs Bourgeois, 75004, Paris 

 After eating falafel in a nearby park, we (read: Stuart) were pretty cold so we decided to find somewhere for a hot chocolate. We headed for this cute cafe in Le Marais called Le Voltigeur that I used to walk past everyday on my way to work. I had only ever had wine there so boy were we pleasantly surprised when they brought out this DIY hot chocolate spread. It was delicious. 

LA CERISE SUR LA PIZZA - 8 rue du Faubourg Poisonniere, 75010, Paris

We spent the afternoon wandering around Le Marais and then headed to a little event at LE POP-UP DE LABEL where the wine drinking commenced. We carried on the night at La Cerise Sur La Pizza - an awesome pizza place with a great friendly atmosphere.

Sunday started with a good old brunch chez Hannah (my mate's where I was staying) and then we headed out for a stroll along the river and around Ile Saint Louis. We also took some pretty awesome outfit photos here so look out for that post coming later on this week. 

CHEZ SUZETTE CREPERIE - 12 rue de la Harpe, 75005, Paris

After more strolling by the river and Christmas shopping in Le Marais (where I only actually managed to buy things for myself, fail) we went across to rive gauche to have a crepe at Chez Suzette Creperie in the Latin Quarter. I had a lovely three cheese one accompanied, as is tradition, by a bol de cidre. Just yum. 

As night fell, we followed the river up past the beautifully lit Louvre and through the Tuileries gardens where we eventually had to say goodbye to our wonderful friends who we had spent the weekend with. But I just wanted to stay. What a bladdy good weekend. 

Remember, Paris is always a good idea.

Izzie

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | LOOKBOOK | PINTEREST