Gabrielle Cooper known to friends as Queenie Coop is a London-based photographer and a very good one too. Her images have a touching realism to them which pull you in and threaten to never let go, like the beginning of a very good story. She had a few words with us about Leaping Into The Void, unconventional photography and the 80’s.

Kate&Mariam: What led you to photography?
Queenie: Growing up I just naturally had a thing for art. Always drawing, painting and making things. My dad would always take me to art galleries and after a while I realised that it was the photography exhibitions that I was intersted in, they would stay in my thoughts for days after. I really like that with photography a message can be read or portrayed in a very direct way or a completely abtract and distorted way. Other forms of art can lack the ability to be so direct in communicating a point in the way photography does.

Kate&Mariam: Who or what inspires your work?
Queenie: I’m inspired by many things. Things I see, feel or even hear. Words especially, can inspire thoughts that form images in my head which then make me want to illustrate it with the camera. Often I find or create an image by chance and then use the discovery of the mistake to generate a body of work.
“Leap Into The Void” by Yves Klien is one of my most favourite images. I’ve been obssessed with it ever since I saw it. I think for me it says so much. It’s one of those images that everyone who looks upon it, will make up their own minds [about] how it makes them feel. For me I thought it was optimistic and empowering.

Kate&Mariam: Are you working on anything at present?
Queenie: At present I’ve had a little falling out with my camera [laughs] so no big ideas at the moment. I’m still enjoying taking lots of unconventional shots such as taking some of my old images and blurring them in the dark room. I enjoy the change of atmosphere [that] blurring a picture can bring. It starts to become slightly darker, eiree and haunting. Just appears a little empty and unsatisfying.
I recently did a body of work, printing objects on accetate then holding them in front of the lens so that they can be seen in or out of focus and scale next to other objects. Becoming a misfit.

Kate&Mariam: What are your plans for the future?
Queenie: Honestly, I’m not sure. At the minute I’m just going with the flow. I’m trying to see if I can start networking and getting my name out there.

Kate&Mariam: Just because we love tips, where’s your favourite place to shop?
Queenie: Ebay, its the best way to find nifty little things as many people don’t know what they are giving up. I also like to shop at little boutiques abroad when I get the chance. You find some unusal items, without them costing a great deal as little boutiques in london still have a big price tag to them, especially the jewellery.

Kate&Mariam: And what would be your dream outfit?
Queenie: I’m not too sure. I may even already have it at home. Found in my moms closet, an 80’s sailor type jacket and beautiful matching high waist belt. Reviving the past is always fun! I’ve also noticed I have a soft spot for anything that looks 80’s. I have a sequined 80’s style dress that I’m dying to wear but I don’t think anywhere is good enough to wear it to [laughs].  

All images provided courtesy of Gabrielle Cooper. See more of Gabrielle’s work at www.gabriellecooper.co.uk

I think I am going to be sick. My head is pounding and my little heart is doing backflips. These my dear friends are the symptoms of over excitement. Kate, bless her cottons, has had to put up with all sorts of squealing and frantic phonecalls all for one reason…

CHRISTOPHER KANE IS COMING!!

In exactly 7 days, Mr Kane will be launching his A/W 09 collection for Topshop.

7 DAYS!

Topshop have been very ‘hush hush’ about what the pieces actually look like, so I have had to make do with the fashion circle’s feverish whisperings of mesh and crocodiles. Now after much hand wringing and dry heaving, my days of waiting are over. Topshop have officially unveilled the collection to the baying public and it was so worth the wait!

For a start, what a healthy dose of black! These dresses scream modern femininity as they combine babydoll shapes with tough eyelets. Like us ladies, they are equal parts hard and soft. The black eyelet mirror baby doll dress (furthest left) is the one I’m going to fall in love in.

The accessories are equally fabulous and loaded with eyelets. There are killer platform heels that will make the stumpiest of legs (i.e. mine) look long and sexual. The every occasion pouch bag comes in little and large, with a nice bit of tassle detail.

It’s all very exciting!

The plan for next week friday is quite simple. Me and Kate are going to run hand in hand into Topshop Oxford Circus with songs in our hearts and our debit cards close at hand. What fun!!

Melissa is my new lover. Her plastic fantastic creations make me squeal with delight and I would gladly swap a boob for a pair. It is important to point out that I LOVE my boobs. Anyway the Brazillian superstar shoemaker has collaborated with Vivienne Westwood to produce a line of gorgeous shoes. My absolute fave are these beauties:

These are a necessary purchase no? Or maybe these are:

Or both? Either way, not a small amount of next months paycheck will be going to decorate my feet. Did I mention that they are bubble gum scented? My heart just skipped a beat.

James Harper, founder of Jazzcakes, is running late. This is the only hiccup throughout the interview. Once he arrives, he speaks in quiet but confident tones that betray his passion for fashion, art and most importantly tea. He is accompanied by girlfriend and co-founder Sarah Jane Broderick, whose startling cropped ginger hair marks her out as the extrovert of the duo. Together these students run a design house, which specialises in hand crafted t-shirts and decorated cakes.

The merging of fashion and baking might seem odd but is explained by James who laughing says, “it was more about the tea, there’s always been an afternoon tea theme and the t-shirts were just a representation.” This passion for tea drinking is also manifested in the duos Guerrilla Tea Parties, which James describes as “anti Saturday night binge drinking, so instead of going out [and] getting pissed you’d sit and drink tea.” Sarah Jane adds, “you get to be very classy in the middle of the street amongst all these drunken Welsh people.”

It is not, however, all late night rebellious tea drinking. These two have a serious manifesto when it comes to their business. They see their design house as an art collective. “It’s all about supporting everyone, up and coming artists helping each other out,” Sarah Jane says, “if someone’s got a design [we] give them a chance to show it to everyone else.” This is supported by James who says, “anyone is welcome to submit designs” before adding quietly “providing they are good enough.”

James, who Sarah Jane dubs the “design head”, takes his art seriously. He is currently a fine art student at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. This passion for art feeds into every aspect of Jazzcakes including the way the t-shirts are distributed. “On my course I did some stencils on baby grows and put them on a washing line across the street,” James remarks “I think we might start doing something similar again.” Sarah Jane also recalls a time when James left t-shirts on the wall at a house party with a sign saying ‘take me’.

Aside from the odd house party or washing line, the t-shirts and cakes are available at Milgi’s market in Cardiff where they hold a regular stall. They are also making moves to London where they hope to hold a monthly stall at Jumble in The Amersham Arms. Their ambitions however go beyond markets. “Hopefully I’m going to get my own gallery space with a tea room merged in with it and some t-shirts in there as well,” James says, smiling.

With big things coming up for Jazzcakes, it is interesting how simply it started. “We started making each other t-shirts as presents and people started noticing them,” Sarah Jane says, “just decided it was a good idea for a business.” It is however not all idyllic as Sarah Jane comments on working as a couple, “It can be a bit turbulent at times because we are both quite stubborn but James generally designs the t-shirts and the cakes, that’s more my territory.” And what goes better than cake and tea.

Jazzcakes designs are available at Kooki Two Bit, Clifton Street, Cardiff and Recycled With Love, King’s Road, Canton, Cardiff.

Mariam…