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2012 Grad Ski Trip hoodie, designed by Jess.

Give it a rest.

Images from Vogue Turkey, Vogue Paris, Turned Out, Another, and Bergman’s The Magician.

Terroir.

Images from NY Times Magazine, Vogue UK, and Turned Out.

The French word terroir can be loosely translated as ‘a sense of place’. It describes aspects of a particular region that shape the unique qualities of an agricultural product like wine, coffee, or tea. I love the idea that the soil, geography and climate of a place profoundly affect the development of what grows there and become an indelible part of its identity. Terroir functions with people, too. The sea and mountains of my home are etched into me—they are as constitutive as bone, or skin, or teeth, and this is perhaps why I find that place is the element that inspires me most. In our shoots, for me at least, the place informs the styling, not the other way around. 

At Land.

With fingers frozen to our handlebars, the three of us cycled far away from town on a drizzly afternoon, stopping at sodden fields that looked like the edge of the world. For a few hours we tramped around taking photos, collecting cakes of mud at our heels and wondering what plants grew where we walked. When the rain came we huddle under one umbrella and kept each other warm for awhile.

Days of Heaven

Photographed and styled by Louise Benson and Jess Kwong

With special thanks to The North Circular.

Braid cable necklace THE NORTH CIRCULAR. Boots FRYE.

Fur hat VINTAGE.

Dark knight’s hood THE NORTH CIRCULAR. Cape COS. Boots FRYE.

Cable hood scarf THE NORTH CIRCULAR.

Fur hood NICHOLAS K. Jumper VINTAGE. Boots FRYE.

Fur hat VINTAGE. Cardigan VINTAGE.

Variety Lights

Behind the scenes on the ‘After Hours’ shoot! 

For our most adventurous shoot yet, we spent about three hours sprawled across the freezing, slippery tiles on Louise’s roof, trying to correctly angle a desk lamp so that our photographer could actually capture the models in the dark. Meg and Jack were wonderfully good sports and scrambled around shoeless because we couldn’t afford to scratch the Prada brogues and Miu Miu loafers. We’re just glad everyone emerged unscathed!

After Hours

Photographed by Miguel Santa Clara, styled by Jess Kwong and Louise Benson.

With special thanks to Giulio, Cambridge.

Coat CHRISTIAN DIOR. Scarf LANVIN. Top MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA. Trousers, worn throughout, DAMIR DOMA. Brogues, worn throughout, PRADA. Coat PHILOSOPHY DI ALBERTA FERRETTI. Dress HELMUT LANG. Tights, worn throughout, GIVENCHY. Loafers MIU MIU.

Jumper PRADA. Dress DIANE VON FURSTENBURG. Boots AZZEDINE ALAÏA. Hat VINTAGE.

 

Cardigan SPLENDID. Whistle FALLING WHISTLES. Top IF 6 WERE 9. Skirt JOSEPH.

 Feather dress DIANE VON FURSTENBURG.

A Long Way from Home

Behind the scenes on the Band of Outsiders shoot!

Photos by Mike Hannon.

Band of Outsiders

Photographed and styled by Jess Kwong, assisted by Louise Benson and Mike Hannon.

With special thanks to Rackk and Ruin.

We shot these pictures on a crisp autumn afternoon in Epping Forest, east of London. The theme recalled fond memories from my childhood spent playing amongst the old growth forests and imagining what it would be like to run away to them. I wondered, as Katy, Marc and Isaac wandered around the clearing with me, what it was about forests that still stirs the imagination. Perhaps that perfect balance between canopied shelter and complete freedom will always tempt us to let go. We relished that rare sense of liberty together as we climbed trees, kicked up clouds of crunchy leaves, and enjoyed the dappled autumn light.

Wonderful Molly from Rackk and Ruin sent us the stunning jewelry for this shoot all the way from Vermont! She repurposes bits of bone, old knives and bullets and crafts them into amazing pieces using leather and chainmail; to me they all seem like mementos of mysterious times. Thank you, Molly!

Shearling jacket VINTAGE. Dress ALEXANDER WANG. Boots FRYE. Shearling coat VINTAGE. Cardigan DOLCE & GABBANA. Shirt ALL SAINTS. Trousers ACNE. Boots TIMBERLAND. Jacket RICK OWENS. T-shirt T BY ALEXANDER WANG. Trousers DRKSHDW x RICK OWENS. Scarf PAUL SMITH. Boots TIMBERLAND.

Cardigan RUEHL. Shirt ACNE. Boots TIMBERLAND. Shirt COMME DES GARÇONS. Shearling shawl TOPSHOP. Pouchette ALEXANDER WANG.

All, as before. Belt TOPSHOP.

Shirt ACNE. Jacket RICK OWENS. Jumper MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA. Scarf TOPMAN. Trousers ACNE.

Shirt ALL SAINTS. Scarf TOPMAN. Pouch ONE OF A FEW. Cardigan RUEHL. Scarf PAUL SMITH. Shearling shawl TOPSHOP. Bone and pyramid necklaces, studded feather cuffRACKK AND RUIN.

Shirt COMME DES GARÇONS. Dress ALEXANDER WANG. Boots FRYE. Bag ALEXANDER WANG. Shirt, as before. Trousers, DRKSHDW x RICK OWENS. Boots TIMBERLAND. Shirt, scarf, trousers, as before. Boots TIMBERLAND.

 

Outer Hebrides

We received a box of lovely things from Anthropologie for the shoot this week, all of which came with delightfully odd names (my favourite piece was called the ‘Cavorting Flora Blouse’). Louise and I took turns shooting Shenyue and Becky, grateful for a rare afternoon of sunlight.