For the moment let's forget Stella, Phoebe and even Alexander. 

The only fashion designer I'd like you to recognise is that of half Scottish, half Afghani, New Zealand born but Aussie resident - Dominique Khan.

Imaginative background? I'll say.

The brains behind the visionary men's and womenswear brand that is Queen Khan; we first digitally met back in 2012 and since then this girl has been delighting me and other QK Fans with fictitiously printed avant garde.

This is one 'pen-pal' I'm very lucky to have....

P.S. Those lizard print shorts haven't left my (excuse the French) backside so far this Summer.

Friends indeed. If you like you can call me Dom, Domi or Queenie... I'll keep Dominique for the professionals and my mom.

I guess I started at a very young age.

When I was a kid my next door neighbour just so happened to be one of New Zealand's most famous fashion designers in the early 1940's; I used to go to his house everyday and he'd talk me through all the different textures in fabric and show me how to use one of those old fashioned sewing machines. Then, after I'd moved over to Australia from New Zealand, I went on to study a BA in Fashion at the Whitehouse Institute of Design in Melbourne and graduated in 2011. Three years later here I am with the title of Designer and Founder of Queen Khan.

You know what I never really had a concept for my first collection out of Uni. I moved to Sydney straight after graduation and began an internship with 'Romance Was Born'. During the days that I wasn't working, I'd go shopping and collect imaginative pieces of fabric and then start sewing. I'd upload what I'd created onto Instagram and it's there that I found my niche. 

What I was sewing slowly lead into Summery fruits and bright colours, then it turned into banana prints and gorillas, until finally my own ideal comical version of 'The Jungle Book' started to emerge. 

From there I decided that every collection was going to be based on a children's book. 

The sense of having a past and creating a garment people would love kept me going on the right path.

Yvan is lovely! I had the pleasure to meet him through my best friend, so now every time he's in Melbourne we always catch up for a drink and end up taking snaps the next day with a sore head! He is a great guy and he most definitely has a good eye for street wear clothing.

I'm currently working on a future collaboration with a dear friend of mine.

Without giving away too much; the gorgeous collection will feature pieces based around the book 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. 

At the moment we're in the States to fabric source items for this collection - it's all happening! 

I'm still tossing up the idea whether to have my collections fully stocked in stores nationally or internationally. They're online for the time being.

 

 

Amazing!

I was a little sceptical at how my first collection would turn out and it was a sort of trial to then see if I should keep doing what I love. I'm extremely fortunate that a lot has happened to me since I started the business almost 2 years ago. 

Meeting bloggers and photographers from the industry, having Yvan snap my items and even having my creations featured in British Vogue and appearing at New York Fashion Week - It's been a real blessing.

 

Once I get the ball rolling I will be heading to your shores! London is the first on my list and then afterwards I hope to slowly extend my list to the likes of Japan! 

So keep your eyes well and truly peeled because I'll be there very, very soon!

|Shop Queen Khan|

|Images c/o Queen Khan|

'Best of British' - Sang Woo Kim by George Harvey for Models.com

I'm going to put this down to a matter of situational circumstance or simply just one of those 'right place, right time' affairs... 

Three days dedicated to the world's leading names in the menswear biz, an unrestrained 'almost' tourist exploring every avenue the city has to offer and let's just say the resulting sartorial assemblage of some very proud parent's offspring. 

London Town has quite literally become my Oyster.

Monica Cima by Bruno Ripoche & Audrey Mieyeville for Marie Claire France

A (white-collared) collaboration of professionalism meets Parisian séduisant. 

Let's see what happens when XX takes over XY.

Jessica Campbell | Sami Armstrong | Lauren Davies | Amelia Ashley | Sarah Fisher | Rosie Fowler | Manchester School of Art Graduate Show 2014

Despite my very best efforts to so far pronounce all my 'As' like an 'Arse'; after just a handful of days residing at my newly appointed southern postcode, I've come to find myself in dire need of some good 'ol northern hospitality. Clearly you can take the girl out of Manchester but you can't take Manc out of the girl - ever.

And just when another episode of Corrie will do anything but suffice; what else is a girl to do but place herself front row at the Manchester School of Art's final year show at GFW?  

Well, when in London....

Arriving as fashionably late as this post (how else?), last Sunday saw the optimum of fresh Mancunian talent take ownership of the prestigious London catwalk to show industry insiders, journos and the rest of the country just how it's done 'Oop North'

Presenting Texan inspired contemporary tailoring, Pugh-esk uniforms and modern effeminated cuts; it's no surprise the fash-heads of the capital have gone 'stir-crazy' for the imaginative handiwork put up by the school's future young designers.

 Unsurprisingly, in some respects, it was extrovert and fellow comrade Sarah Fisher's collection who really took centre stage with her ingenious play on theatrics and how should I say... 'so far out the box there isn't even a box' designs. Already dubbed as the new Jeremy Scott; the garish horns, western clown-boys and toy pistols added a nice touch to what is an anything but practical approach to menswear.

Comical and borderline bonkers? #watchthisspace

| Images c/o www.styleldn.com |

Dominique Khan by Elisenda Sofia Russell

If you weren't already well acquainted, then allow me to introduce you...

 Exclusive Q&A with the Queen of Aussie quirk - Dominique Khan

| Coming Soon |

Emily Green: PhotoReady

'Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it's not real'

Cue mass bubble bursts when you find out that, really, this isn't some serious case of Catfish blogging. In fact last time I checked, I still was a twenty-something, blonde female with nothing to hide - very much so. My obvious state of 'camera shyness' hasn't conceived itself due to an abrupt distaste for getting photo-ready, it's just I prefer to write cheese than say it.

Emily Green, however, is one person who does put as much love into the camera as she gets back. Getting fully acquainted with the aspiring photographer and entrepreneur; find out her thoughts on sex in photography and the intentions behind THAT photo shoot...

From a young age I've always been more creative than academic and I came to realise that I've always had the eye for art. When I reached the age of 14, I was given the opportunity to study Photography at GCSE level, so naturally I jumped at the chance; I mean anything was better than Geography or History!
I also had one of the nicest teachers. She showed so much genuine interest and belief in what I was producing, which then filled me with self confidence.
So, after picking up an A at GCSE, I went on to study at A level and pushed myself down the fashion route. With no access to a studio at school; I did a lot of fashion on location - say the odd living room shoot with a bed sheet. You know the one.

I managed to pull an A* out the bag which made me realise then that I had some natural talent for photography that I wanted to pursue - hence why I'm currently at uni.

At the University of Huddersfield. Going into my final year in September - scary!

I've decided not to specialise in anything just yet. For now I'm photographing whatever I can just to ensure that I have a broad portfolio; although my preferred style of photography is definitely fashion. My personal interest lies within fashion and I just love the concept of building a fashion image, from the styling to selecting the models and so on.

As for a career plan, weddings are amazing routes to go down. You meet such nice people and get to experience some beautiful weddings and dresses.

Oh God! Well, there hasn't really been that many but I suppose this one has to be the worst. 

I was photographing a friend of mine for a series of images I took in my first year and guess what... I turned up to set without my camera. The one tool I most needed and I'd gone and forgotten it. I have no idea how so don't ask, call it a blonde moment? 

I was heavily inspired by Andrej Pejic, Helmut Newton and Bettina Rheims throughout the androgyny project, however generally in terms of fashion I love the old classics - Bailey, Rankin and Patrick Demarchelier will never seize to amaze me.

Sure. I was given the brief of 'The Body' at uni, something I've never really explored before as a photographic subject. Many of my peers took the 'naked vs. nude' approach whereas I decided to explore the idea of gender identity and narrowed it down to androgyny - which is the appearance of a person whose gender identity is unclear. 

With an already keen interest in fashion photography; I decided to merge the two together and create an androgynous fashion editorial. Working with stylists, models and MUA's to create the look I intended.

Recently I've noticed that the photography side of the fashion industry is bringing back the Marilyn Monroe type figures. Curvy girls are being given their time to shine! Finally!

One thing I do not agree on is the overuse of retouching to morph peoples bodies. You are who you are and I don't like the fact that the industry seems to have so much power and a strong hold over influencing the way that people, or mostly women, should look.

I'd say so but then I guess it depends what you're selling! 

Lads mags, obviously yes but with some fashion campaigns it doesn't necessarily work. Although there are a few shampoo and perfume ads that are rather kinky...

I'd like to say rich but we'll have to see - it only takes one lucky lottery ticket. But seriously, I'd like to think I'd be self-employed with a steady business and my own studio in Leeds where I have grown up and now live with my family. My real aim at the moment is to get an editorial printed in a magazine before I graduate!

I'll tell anyone that's wanting to pursue their career in photography, or any creative industry, that without a bit of self-belief you ain't going nowhere! Something that I've learnt over the years is that if you don't believe in yourself then you can't expect others to believe in you either.

Networking is also a wonderful thing. Be in contact with as many people as you can, whether that's other photographers, stylists, MUAs, hairdressers, models, agencies, people! These people make you money, they're important and without them you wouldn't have half as good of an image.

| Images via Emily Green Photography |