Editorial: SYN Magazine online

Believe it or not, I styled this editorial nearly a year ago! It has now been published on SYN Magazine's website. Despite how long it's taken, it's been worth the wait and I'm really excited to share it with you now.

Dress: Elizabeth Lau

Coat: Kirsty Ward

Top: Kirsty Ward

Coat: Kirsty Ward

Headscarf: Charlotte Taylor

Dress: Charlotte Taylor

Trousers: Kirsty Ward

Dress: Elizabeth Lau

Although I love these pictures, I also want to share a couple of ones that didn't make the cut...

Headscarf: Charlotte Taylor

Dress: Charlotte Taylor

Coat: Kirsty Ward

Top: Kirsty Ward

So what do you think?

Photographer: SJ Walton
Model: Lykke (M and P Models)
Make up and hair: Jenni Delfaco

Come back soon for more editorial fun!

Behind the scenes: photoshoot with Claire Huish

Last weekend, I woke uncharacteristically early for a Saturday and headed over to my favourite shoot location, The Pavilion Hotel, for an editorial shoot with the wonderfully talented Claire Huish. Claire had caught my attention a little while ago after working with my good friend Katie Antoniou, so when she asked if I was interested in styling a colourful shoot inspired by Carmen Miranda, I didn't hesitate.

The shoot began with a rather bumpy start, as the original make up artist we'd booked had to go to A&E with two broken bones in her hand (hope you're feeling better, Madeline!). Fortunately, the lovely Michelle MacGregor stepped in at the last minute and the shoot went swimmingly!

I absolutely loved the eclectic colourful brief, as it allowed me to use pieces by two of my favourite designers - Charlotte Taylor and David Longshaw. Their mind blowingly-beautiful prints were perfectly complimented by incredible shoes by John Brunswick, whimsical headpieces by Her Curious Nature and bold jewellery by Ruby Browning and Disaya. Our lovely model, Jenna from Select, looked incredible and worked these powerful looks like an absolute pro.

I want to say a huge thank you to the amazing team for working so hard and making the shoot so much fun! I also want to thank Iroquois PR, Greene and Sheppard, Kitch and Honey, Sabrina of Her Curious Nature, Jennifer of Ruby Browning and John Brunswick for lending their incredible pieces. They were a true honour to work with.

• Model: Jenna Roberts (Select)
• Photographer: Claire Huish
• Make up and hair: Michelle MacGregor
• Nails: The Illustrated Nail

Come back and see the final pictures soon!

Video: Charlotte Taylor SS12

I've spoken of my love for Charlotte Taylor and her adorable prints before, and her new collection for Spring/Summer 2012 has only strengthened my label lust further. This season, Charlotte's prints have taken a more mature turn while still featuring her signature fun and wearable colour palette. Check out her latest lookbook video.

Charlotte Taylor SS12 from Stina Smith on Vimeo.

Playful pan collars, tree print bow ties and 70s inspired jumpsuits make for Charlotte's boldest and most diverse collection yet. We need more designers like Charlotte Taylor; designers who have the unique ability to create a world of whimsy and magic that reminds us that fashion is about self expression and, to put it simply, having fun.

I am so excited to see more from her in the future. I already have two of her bound-to-be-iconic penguin scarves (one small, one large), and I can't wait to add more to my personal collection.

Best of British

I've been meaning to blog about Young British Designers for ages and ages, and now I'm finally doing it. Better late than never, eh?

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then listen up because you're in for a treat! Young British Designers is a brilliant website that celebrates the very best of the UK's fashion talent. In their own very apt words, "Young British Designers is proud to create the first dedicated retail environment purely focusing upon young talent working in this country (and by young we mean still in the formative years of their brand, we don't really mind if they start designing at 60 or beyond)."

And just because a brand is new, it certainly doesn't mean that it's short on talent. Everytime I go on the site, I find myself increasingly excited by the incredible designs for sale, and the best part is each piece is an investment. You just know that these designers are going blow up and become ridiculously popular any day now, and there's nothing like getting in at the ground floor.

Here are my personal favourite pieces available to buy right now over at YoungBritishDesigners.com:

Penguin print headscarf by Charlotte Taylor, £40

Xray Velvet Dress by Draw in Light, £420

Graugans Coat in Grey Marl by borne by Elise Berger, £415

Jake Wedges by Atalanta Weller, £425

Tie Necklace with Wire Loops, Bead & Crystal Cluster by Kirsty Ward, £99

The Mayfair Scarf by David Longshaw & Dominique Mosley, £120

(Photos courtesy of Young British Designers)

And that's just a small selection! I could go on and on...

To find out more about Young British Designers, head over to YoungBritishDesigners.com right now and browse their amazing wares. You can also follow them on Twitter, which I highly recommend because they're ever so lovely.

Behind the scenes: photoshoot with SJ Walton

Recently I styled a photoshoot for SJ Walton. We had been planning it for such a long time, but of course when it came to the big day we were met with torrential rain - always fun when shooting on location!


We were shooting at Hampstead Heath, and fortunately there was some shelter for us! There were even periods of sunshine, so it all turned out well in the end. The theme for the shoot was pretty and light, with lots of natural and soft colours. We were extremely lucky to feature some incredible pieces by some of my favourite independent designers, including Elizabeth Lau, Kirsty Ward and Charlotte Taylor.











It was a tough day, but it was still a lot of fun - thanks ladies! You were amazing.

Photographer: SJ Walton
Model: Lykke (M and P Models)
Make up and hair: Jenni Delfaco

I will hopefully be able to share the final photos with you all, so please come back soon to have a look!