London Calling

"How about his one?" Deena held up a dress with a bold, whimsical blend from one of Zandra’s recent collections. I reached out, letting a stretch of the rich fabric slide between my fingers. "Definitely," I said coolly.  

For decades now, Zandra Rhodes has been an icon in the fashion world. Best known for her shoulder–length fuchsia hair, she hasn’t lost her edge in dominating the world of style. And there I was, a San Diego girl, where our version of fashion is Fashion Valley, standing in her London penthouse watching Deena pick the fashion shoot wardrobe from racks and racks of Zandra Rhodes couture. Was this really happening?

We called the trip to London, which we planned to attend the Salon International at the Excel, our fashion quest, thereafter referred to as our #FashionQuest. As the plane lifted off, leaving a sunny San Diego behind, we raised our glasses and toasted, Deena reviewing our order of business and me imagining what a week in the fashion mecca of London would entail.

For Deena Von Yokes, European fashion is old hat. She studied in London under the tutelage of Vidal Sassoon and, throughout her life, career and business, has been inspired by her pilgrimages to London where she has hobnobbed with industry giants. In fact, Deena’s mother and Zandra Rhodes are longtime friends from the fashion world. 

As an educator, Deena is constantly collecting industry–leading techniques to implement in her programs.  But the idea behind our #FashionQuest to London was more of a reconnaissance to absorb London’s edgy style and bring it back to San Diego, where Deena coordinates multiple fashion shows. London’s Fashion Week in 2016 is next on her agenda.

I’ve been a San Diego business owner for over a decade, photographing the full gamut of fashion and style for local and national publications. I’ve worked with some of the best stylists in Southern California, my studio having been graced by Next Top Models and amazing local designers. This entitles me to a little hubris, right?  I’ve got this.

But walking into the surreal London penthouse was another world entirely. It felt like we’d stepped into the Alice in Wonderland fairytale, replete with miniature chairs and ornate tea sets. Zandra Rhodes’ penthouse is like her work, a seemingly disorganized collage made up of a cosmic combustion of color and style, where antique mannequins reside comfortably beside art deco posters and crystal chandeliers. Was that an Emmy Award, casually perched beside a stack of CD’s? Yes. Yes it was.

Deena had arranged for us to stay at Zandra’s penthouse during our time in London, but we never planned to do a fashion shoot. It’s just what happens when the perfect storm of Deena’s style, Zandra’s fashion and my shutterbug instinct combine. Something magical.

It was Wednesday morning at Harrod’s Urban Retreat salon. The store was coming to life and our #FashionQuest was underway with a beauty session. We were those girls. You know the ones—the boisterous, fun–loving California girls, turning the salon into a buzz of chat and laughter. The ones who decided to have a champagne brunch delivered to our styling chairs. Can you order a champagne brunch while getting your hair and makeup done at Harrods in London? Apparently, you can. That is what happens when you travel with Deena.

"Ok, so suppose we wanted to do a styled shoot…" I said, looking at Deena through the mirror.  "How would we find the models?" Ever since Deena off–handedly mentioned the idea of a fashion shoot, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The photographer in me wouldn’t leave it alone. And we were just talking, a champagne–induced brainstorming session.

"Well, Marcus…" Deena picked up her glass like a duchess. "What do you think?  Can you help us get models for tomorrow?" We’d had Marcus Allen, the Urban Retreat business manager and Deena’s longtime friend, in stitches with our antics all morning. He raised his left eyebrow, popped a hip and shook his head at our foolishness. Then, putting a hand to his waist, he said, "I do have one idea." 

It turns out, the way to get last minute models in London is to walk up to them and ask. No joke. Deena pointed to a beautiful girl with fierce demureness about her. "She’d be perfect," she said confidently. We batted the job back and forth, but I drew the short straw. I can now add model scouting to my resume. Ok, I’ve got this.

Fast–forward 24 hours. Deena is styling our two gorgeous models, having already picked a sampling of pieces from Zandra’s rack. The weather is streaming into the penthouse windows, casting a transcendental light. Not bad for an October morning in London. Everything snapped into place. What could go wrong? 

Well, your makeup artist could flake—just vanish into thin air. At one point, Deena and I looked at each other and shrugged. What was there to do? We didn’t have a choice. "Looks like today," Deena said nonchalantly, "We will also be makeup artists." Yeah, I’ve got this.

And it all worked. It seemed we were already working with one of the world’s best stylists, her cache of work at our disposal, a backdrop of her creative style to set the stage. "I have this vision," Deena said as she absently turned hangers the same direction on the haphazard racks. "I really see Zandra’s bold styles set against a soft light, with feminine hair and soft–edged makeup. A rock meets romance kind of vibe."

And it was fitting. Zandra Rhodes’ work, as well as her environment, is a juxtaposition of bold, loud color merged with the flirty, flowing and feminine. There is a careless beauty in Zandra—a sprezzatura—that we wanted to embody in the shoot. Our kind of magic.