Christmas card inspiration

I'd like to tell you a little bit about the unseen making of this image, which I shot for Beyond Burlesque couture in London a few years ago (the Beyond Burlesque designer also creates corsets for Vivienne Westwood, a perennial favourite of mine):

Photographer: David Angel

It was a snowy day in London, which was perfect for the glamour fairytale we created... but in real life, snow is cold! Bare skin in the snow is very cold. I had blankets thrown over me between shots, flasks of hot drinks and even hot water bottles to keep my skin the right colour and my muscles able to move freely throughout the shoot. I am fairly sure that in this particular shot I had the hot water bottle pushed up the front of my dress, and that exaggerated hands-on-waist pose is helping to keep it pushed in!

I love it as a festive image not only because it is so chic and timeless, but because its back story reminds me of Christmas itself- all the less-than-glamorous rushing around, preparing, shopping and wrapping that goes on behind the scenes before the moment of calm when the payoff comes: a special person opens the gift that's perfect and personal for them.

I think sometimes with social media we feel we're lagging behind if we're not up doing yoga every morning, followed by sashaying into town and easily finding a slew of "perfect" (expensive and 100% ethically sound) gifts, AND not forgetting to keep our noses perfectly powdered the whole time while we're at it. Really, who remembers that stuff? The part that I remember is that "wow" moment when someone opens that little thing that's perfect just for them- regardless of where it was acquired or if the price tag was in single digits.

With this in mind, and with the photographer's kind permission, I have turned this snowy couture image into a Christmas card that anyone can afford. If you know someone who would enjoy an elegant Christmas card, why not order a couple? At just £1 each plus postage, they make sweetly sophisticated little tokens- and they are printed on premium matte recycled stock.

Order your cards in time for Christmas by clicking here.

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Animal Magnestism

I love these quirky shots Luci Alice took of me wearing Kaori's Latex Dreams and Vivienne Westwood :)

Skincare was all from Bareskin Beauty. I did my own hair and makeup :)

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Who still needs this year's Christmas cards?

Just a little blog to remind you that packs of chic fashion 'Winter Wonderland' Christmas cards shot by David Angel are available to order HERE.

Enjoy!

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Dancing in the Moonlight

More photos from the Orchid Corsetry AW15 campaign, shot by Salleh Sparrow. I love the colours and feel of of this line so much :) I imagine the silver ensemble would be absolutely scintillating by moonlight...

Organic natural skincare for the shoot was provided by Bareskin Beauty, and the makeup cosmetics by Mya Minerals.

Celebrations of finally having somewhere permanent to live in a couple of months continues. I visited my nan for a huge homemade vegan feast, and boyfy and I went to a local firework display with friends.

I also have glamorous couture Christmas cards for sale, for anyone wanting to add a little Anita-sparkle to their winter season! The original photo was shot in the snow in London for Vivienne Westwood's corsetiere, and they're only £1 each with envelopes :) They're selling fast, so don't forget to order now xo



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Beyond Burlesque fashion editorial in British MODE magazine by Dave Kai-Piper! #WardrobeWednesday

... in... November... last year... I am comically behind in my blogging! It seems I either have time to live life or time to write about it, but not both, atm! Must get back into the habit of blogging little and often! It's nice to have a daily/ weekly record of my life as a model to look back on.

Anyway! Four lovely lovely pages in British MODE of bridal fashion by Vivienne Westwood's corsetierre Belinda Chorley, shot by Dave Kai-Piper, hair and makeup by Candy. Yay!

My hair colour is much more orange now than it is here. I kind of miss this red/ rust colour. Might introduce it back in at some point :)

Dare to be Different! British MODE magazine for Beyond Burlesque!

I have a double page spread in British MODE wearing Beyond Burlesque couture wedding dresses with Chloe-Jasmine Whichello :D The designer, Belinda Chorley, also designs forVivienne Westwood, who made Dita Von Teese's famous purple wedding gown for her marriage to Marilyn Manson. Interestingly, the dress I'm wearing here is an ivory homage to that very gown.

Photographer: Dave Kai-Piper | HMUA: Candy Alderson

I still need to track down a copy for my memories box! It's the October 2013 issue if anyone I know happens to spot one- please pick it up for me and I'll give you the £££!

 It's pretty cool for me to be published in two high fashion magazines in the same month- Vogue and MODE. I wish I could go back in time to 14 year-old me, crushed that I'd not grown to 5'8 and therefore couldn't model, and tell her that everything is going to be okay!

Yours happily,

Anita x



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Beyond Burlesque bridalwear by Dave Kai-Piper

Fun day today! I've been feeling a bit tired/ unmotivated for a little while now but an amazingly inspiring email from Ivory Flame has cheered me right up :) I'm pottering around my flat in London doing my own thing for a couple of days while Liam is visiting family in Somerset and feeling my energy levels slowly going back up.

I've been up at 7am or so the last couple of mornings getting back into Pilates, which always seems to get me back in shape within a week, as long as I stick at it! It's satisfying when you can feel yourself getting stronger :) Then I had my darling green smoothie and went to meet Simon Pinto to get my hair cut professionally for the first time in at least a year! After a couple of bad experiences with hairdressers doing unpredictable things to my hair I went back to just chopping the ends of myself in the bathroom when they felt like they needed it, haha. But then I got the itch to have a real, proper style again, rather than just an uninspiring longish mop.

The venue for the haircut was really cool- a barber's in Carnaby Street called Pankhurst, which seriously looks like somewhere James Bond would go to get his hair cut! if I was a bachelor, my whole flat would be decorated like their barbershop! I'm thinking of booking an appointment for a cut and shave for Liam for Christmas or something, with the proper cutthroat razor and hot towels and stuff. Totally what I would do if I was a dude!!

Simon and I came up with a haircut between us that I can make simple adjustments to to look either a) natural/ girl next door-like, b) vintage or c) punky, which is going to make my life so much easier and hairstyling so much quicker at shoots :D

After my appointment I inhaled a superfood salad from Pret as thanks to all my fussing and Simon's professional perfectionism, despite meeting at 11am we didn't finish cutting until 2pm, lol. I'm always starving for lunch by 1pm. Then I got the tube to Camden to buy hair dye from the market and other little treats for myself: three bunches of flowers and six bars of dark chocolate, totalling £7.77 from Lidl :p The house feels happier now that there are flowers and chocolates everywhere!

I'm also brightening up my colour a little, at least temporarily, to a kind of strawberry blonde/ apricot colour. My hair's actually blonde as I type this as I had to pre-lighten it! At least now I know that I can be blonde within 24 hours if anyone needs me to be for work! I just need to keep a box of the bleach in stock.

I'm doing a cool little conceptual shoot at home with Dan Hubbert tomorrow to capture the blonde-ness, then having a hair dye break, blow drying it and shooting some more with the new apricot colour! You'll have to wait til then to see me blonde as I don't seem to be able to get a good picture of it on my phone!

Here's a photo with my old hair, taken last month at a shoot for Beyond Burlesque bridalwear. The photographer was Dave Kai-Piper, who I'd met before but not actually shot with, so it was good to finally work together :)

I think this is my favourite shot of the day. It feels more editorial and like a modernised version of a pre-Raphaelite lady reclining in some sort of enchanted woodland (actually, a garden in Crouch End :p). If I remember correctly, Belinda said that this dress was inspired by/ a homage to Dita's wedding dress, which was made by Vivienne Westwood, the company Belinda designs for when she's not doing her own thing with Beyond Burlesque :)

But I also like this catalogue shot... I felt like such a Disney princess in this dress, it was amazing!

I must go and make my detox tea and go to bed now as it's 10.30 pm!! Gotta be fresh for 7am Pilates ;)

Anita xx

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Asian Couture Week

The Vivienne Westwood/ Dans La Vie fashion film Oyster starring yours truly was screened at London Fashion Week last year to general acclaim, but I'm not at LFW this year- probably just as well, as I'm already up to my eyeballs with organising photo shoot trips all over the UK, USA and Asia!

While I was shooting in Singapore last November I was contacted by the director of Oyster, the Head of Fashion Film at Nick Knight's SHOWstudio and my good friend Marie Schuller. I couldn't believe we just so happened to both be in Singapore at the same time! She was shooting a fashion film about Asian Couture Week for SHOWstudio and invited me along to hang out and enjoy the show with her and her friend Sue.

 Marie shooting her film Eastern Promises with the runway models at Asian Couture Week

How could I say no?! We got great seats to see some of Asia's premiere couturiers and their work was nothing short of jaw-dropping!

This is me wandering around the venue before even the VIPs were let in to see what I could see...

 Wardrobe Polaroids backstage

Trying to figure out if I could possibly make off with that red dress without getting caught. All exits guarded by bouncers :(

I changed out of my little summer dress (Singapore is HOT in November!) and into latex for the party, of course... I got snapped and papped about five million times, which made me assume that I'd be able to find at least one photo online to share with you, but apparently not.

I can share some photos of the actual runway show though; it was really spectacular. This was my favourite of the designers, Guo Pei, China's most extravagant couturier:

So, enjoy LFW if you are there this year, but don't get too Western-centric with fashion. Asian designers are equally amazing and they know how to put on a show!

Anita xxxx

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Haute Couture Week, Singapore

I've just been invited by my friend Marie Schuller, the Head of Fashion Film at Nick Knight's SHOW Studio in London, to attend Haute Couture Week in Singapore!

The last project Marie and I worked on was the Vivienne Westwood/ Dans La Vie fashion film Oyster, if you remember that- it's on the front cover of my website, anitadebauch.com ;)

Couture Week is 27th November - 2nd December and it looks like we'll be there from the first day, although I won't be able to stay for the full week as I have a busy shooting schedule in Hong Kong to attend to from 1st December. Not to mention that I want to spend some quality time with my friend Hannah Ashlea while I'm in Hong Kong... although we will also get to catch up during our girls' holiday in Bangkok. My, I am travelling a lot right now!!

The crucial question, of course, is what to wear! My Asia suitcase does not contain much in the way of French or Asian couture! I have latex, lingerie, a couple of casual day dresses and my oldest, cheapest pair of black gloss 6" heels that I bought on the high street to tide me over until my beautiful new Fabulously Fetish 6" heels are made! They have a couple of scuffs already from my recent continent-hopping! This is life teaching me not to buy cheap shoes, even as a stop-gap! No cheap shoes, EVER!

Unless anyone is willing to hire a private jet, I don't think I will be able to borrow anything from my designer friends in the UK or have anything from my home wardrobe shipped out at this last-minute, so I will have to improvise. Blagging is a crucial skill for an Ugly Girl!

Wish me luck!!

Anita xxxx




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Marie Schuller's fashion film 'Oyster', feat. Vivienne Westwood and Dans La Vie!

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I am SO thrilled to finally be allowed to share the new fashion film, Oyster, that I recently made with international award-winning filmmaker Marie Schuller! It was sponsored by Vivienne Westwood and Dans La Vie and premiered in London on 13th April at the Fringe! Gay Film Festival! I just can't stop watching and re-watching it:

Marie has shot with lots of celebrities like supermodel Raquel Zimmerman and legendary fashion photographer Nick Knight, and I've personally been a huge fan of her work since I was introduced to it in Singapore last year, so I was almost overwhelmed with excitement when she contacted me out of the blue, getting straight down to business by asking me point-blank to star in her latest film, without even having met me, let alone auditioned me! The first time we met in person was at the shoot itself! She put me at my ease immediately as she is a lovely person and great company as well as being awe-inspiringly creative. It was a pretty crazy experience shooting the film, as you might imagine, but once I got going it felt like the most natural thing in the world. I smile to myself every time I ride the tube, now ;)

For those who particularly like mackintoshes + nudity (you know who you are!), I will be also be posting some gorgeous new photos (really, some of my favourites ever!) featuring my own classic tan Burberry trench coat  in my next blog, so please subscribe now to be alerted when they are online!

Lots of love,

Anita xo

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Beautiful Buttocks Coconut

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I shot with an actual coco de mer (Maldive coconut) at my last shoot with Aneil Sharma at KVmedia Studios. These rare seeds have been highly prized for centuries and European nobles in the sixteenth century would often have the shells of these nuts polished and decorated with valuable jewels as collectibles for their private galleries.

I did the hair and makeup, but the concept was all Aneil's!

The coco de mer really does look like a woman's genitalia at the front and a shapely derrière at the back- I mean it really, really does! I could hardly get over the similarity. It seemed amazing that a plant could just so happen to grow into such a shape! It was very smooth and tactile. One of the plant's archaic Latin names was Lodoicea callipyge, which is Greek for "coconut: beautiful buttocks"!

On that note, it's time for me to meet my model friend Helene for pre-runway class afternoon tea! We'll be spending hours this evening pacing the floorboards in high heels while one of the world's top runway choreographers coaches us- I believe her last clients were Karl Lagerfeld and Vivienne Westwood. If we can be half as good as their runway models by the end of the course then we'll be kicking callipyge at London Alternative Fashion Week!

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Beyond Burlesque & Roadkill Couture Photo Shoot Teaser!

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I did a beautiful couture fashion shoot for designer to the stars Beyond Burlesque in an enchanted snowy wood last month <3 The designer, Belinda, used to design for Vivienne Westwood until she created her own label :) The clothing and location were just magical, as were the ethical fur, feather and bone accessories by Roadkill Couture! It was a wonderful shoot with wonderful people who really knew their craft.

I will be posting the photos properly soon, but for now I'm here to tease, tease, tease with a snap I took of one of the prints!

Photographer: David Angel | Hair and makeup: me!

Btw, does each blog I post come up with a location of where I am? I've been adding a location every time I post for months but if no-one can see it, it's a bit pointless!

Anyway, my location tonight will be the Torture Garden March Ball, where I will be walking in a big latex fashion show for One Eyed Designs at 1 am! Come along and enjoy the shininess and De Bauchery with us! xoxo

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What Katie Did Spring/ Summer 2012 Launch, and a brush with Vivienne Westwood!

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Am I the only one who was secretly a little pleased when the unseasonably mild weather broke and the temperature dropped again? I was feeling a little sad to have to pack away my leather gloves, high heel boots and fur collection already! Now I get to wear them for a little longer, until it's time to figure out what I'm going to wear this summer!

Atm I'm thinking a 1940s/ 50s Hawaiian theme, with fitted print tie halter tops, pedal pushers, and Art Nouveau print A-line skirts with ballet pumps for everyday and some cute, retro playsuits with pretty headscarves! :) I may also get a high waisted two piece swimsuit for the Singapore beaches this winter, like the one I wore at the What Katie Did Spring/ Summer 2012 Launch show on Sunday, paired with a parasol!

Thanks to everyone who came to see the show, it was so lovely to see you there!

The show went really well. I also got to model some beautiful sheer black lingerie with a proper bullet bra and 6" heels that I will definitely share photos of, if I spot any anywhere!

The What Katie Did boutique is so pretty. It is in a powder blue and baby pink colour scheme (I adore pastels paired together like that!), in velvet and ostrich feathers and papered with the brand's many appearances in magazines like Vogue as well as snippets from vintage fetish cartoon magazines!

I could have spent all day in there, but after the show I was treated to a new bullet bra, satin six strap suspender belt and matching knickers, which I tucked into my bag and made a dash to Bond Street to meet the director and stylists of a short international art/ fashion film with Vivienne Westwood I was to star in that very evening! I will tell you more about it when I'm allowed!

I will leave you with a little snap of the shoes for the movie that I took on my phone!

The black patent ones by Fabulously Fetish will be turning up in my photo shoots, so look out for them ;)




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