Here Come The Girls.. & The Boys

Mother and daughter Jayne and Emma Robinson were recruited as our models for a festive fashion shoot and this gave us the challenge of finding a shop with outfits which could span a generation.

Jayne is Head of the successful and expanding Business department at City of Stoke-on Trent Sixth Form College. Her hobbies are her family (husband Ian, son Thomas and Emma), reading, and walking. Emma is a Law student at Staffordshire University. When not studying, her time is taken up looking after her horse Peggy and dog Dylan.

On several recommendations I called Della Rowley at Pretty Woman in Merrial Street, Newcastle, to see if she could provide the party wear for our seasonable shoot. Della was actually opening boxes, unpacking stock and right in the middle of taking over the shop. In view of the timescales I put to her, I was amazed at her agreement to take part. Listing down the details - three looks, Christmas Lunch, Cocktail Party and New Year's Eve Ball, the sizes of our models and the shoot location she handled every detail perfectly.

Della also owns The Little White Cottage at Slater's Craft Village, Baldwins Gate. Pretty Woman and The Little White Cottage stock a wide variety of clothes ranging from casual wear to special occasion wear, including at Pretty Woman, mother of the bride, bridesmaid's ranges and ball gowns as well as accessories including handbags, gloves, hats and fascinators. There is something available to suit most budgets, and sizes range from 6 to 26.

For our location we were blessed with the support of Karen Slater from Slater's Country Inn at Baldwins Gate and Karen and Della even provided some handsome fellas willing to dress for the party. Thank you Matt Rowley (Della's son), Kieron Lomax from Slater's reception, Billy Davis (Karen Slater's son) and Jerry Rowley (Della's husband) for your patience, style, wit and elegance. Daniel Craig, watch out!

For photography I called on talented Staffordshire University photography graduate Liz Deeming who specialises in fashion photography. The girls from Francesco, Newcastle styled Jayne and Emma prior to the shoot. I gave them the party remit and let them do their 'thing'.

Hair

Jessica Woodall says:

"Emma didn't want her hair to look too set so we decided on a half up, half down look. I used ghds to curl and pulled the top of her hair to the crown loosely, pinning it using bits of hair to disguise the clips, leaving some loose curls around the face to keep the look soft but glamorous.

Jayne came to salon requesting volume and life for her style. I used Sebastian Full Shampoo and Conditioner to create a blow-dry with plenty of volume, together with the wonderful Wella SP Volume Magic mousse at the roots. A medium sized round brush helped create a glamorous bouncy effect. I ran the straighteners through the ends to smooth the look but kept the volume through the roots. To finish I used Wella SP Polish Cream and plenty of High Hair hairspray to hold the look."

Make-up

Elayne Moore says: "I chose a monochrome look for Emma using Estee Lauder products. For Emma a neutral matt base with Double Wear Light and darkened eyes using smoky greys leaving lips neutral. For Jayne I stayed with the same foundation but worked a cream blush to cheeks for a youthful glow, playing down eyes with a slick of gold shimmer leaving the emphasis on a good Christmas red lipstick creating a brighter party look."

Outfits

Christmas lunch date

For the Christmas lunch date outfits we chose a Satsuma dress at £79.99 in autumnal plum colours, teamed with a plum coloured Ikat cardigan priced at £28.99 for Jayne. Emma is wearing a black and white Stephen Y dress priced at £24.99 with a black Ikat shrug at £19.99.

Cocktail Party

For the cocktail party Jayne is wearing a Satsuma black chiffon dress detailed with a gold satin bow, priced at £79.99, and Emma a black and white Glitz dress priced at £69.99.

New Year's Eve Ball

Jayne is wearing an elegant Marvie ball gown with matching wrap priced at £79.99, with gloves and handbag from a selection priced at £9.99. Emma chose a stunning Goya of London ball gown, in a rose pink colour with matching wrap priced at £180.

Costume jewellery available at either Pretty Woman or The little White Cottage, priced at under £10.

The Models:

Jayne says: "I really enjoyed the shoot, it was great fun, I'm not really the modelling type, I'm a little too self-conscious but the rest of the crowd really made it an enjoyable experience - what good sports the lads were. Of my three outfits the short cocktail dress felt chic and the evening gown is something I would wear to a New Year's Eve ball. It was a change to see Emma in a dress - she usually wears jeans. I thought she looked lovely and I particularly liked the evening gown - she looked so elegant and sophisticated. My grown-up daughter."
Of her three outfits Emma liked the cocktail dress best - it made her feel quite stylish and elegant. She preferred Mum in the cocktail dress too. "It made her look younger," she says.

This month's Model Makers

Clothes - Della Rowley- Pretty Woman, Merrial Street Newcastle, tel: 01782 799599

Photography - Liz Deeming Photography - lizdeeming@aol.com www.lizdeemingphotography.do.uk

Hair - Jessica Woodall, Francesco's Newcastle, tel: 01782 661855

Make-up - Elayne Moore, tel: 07837 488243

Location - Slater's Country Inn, Stone Road, Baldwins Gate, Newcastle, tel: 01782 680052, www.slaterscountryinn.co.uk

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