Switch it off and tune in

Modern life is saturated with digital technology. The digital world is one that I admit to only having a basic understanding of (email, my iPhone, social media and blogger are about as far as it goes!); but I can of course see the positives of such developments; it allows us to connect with parts of the world that wouldn't have previously been possible, it is supporting doctors in their surgery, and it even enables us to explore other planets to our own. However, I also often consider the negatives to a world where reality and digital are so often blurred; children under-10 posing for selfies, the constant bombardment of advertising, and the unknown long term effects of digital overload are all things that I often ponder. So although this could be considered as deeply ironic as I am indeed writing this from my MacBook Pro (a wonderful piece of modern day technology by the way), I urge you to think about switching off your technology from time-to-time and to tune in to your natural surroundings.

Polzeath, Cornwall - 2013

I'm not about to go all hippy on you, but I really do believe that disconnecting yourself from your smart phone and getting out into your natural surroundings every now and again really is medicine for the soul. Even when we go for a run or walk nowadays most of us can't leave the house without being plugged into our iPhones with Beyoncé telling us that if he liked it he should have put a ring on it. Now as much fun and as motivating as that is, it doesn't allow us to properly zone out from the digital part of our lives and to make the most of our me-time by appreciating the smaller things in life. 

Windsor Great Park, 2014

I've recently taken to leaving all technology at home when going on my runs and I can honestly say that I'm much more aware of everything from the trees, to the sunsets, and even the birds that might fly over head. When I get home I feel more refreshed and positive than I used to, and I genuinely think this is because I've switched off the technology and tuned in to nature.

Bournemouth Beach, 2014

The other week my friend and I swam the Bournemouth Pier to Pier (1.4 miles) for the British Heart Foundation, and I can honestly say that begin in the water for that hour totally disconnected from all technology really did give us both so much energy. Despite the long swim we both came out of the water giggling and energised, of course there will have been some element of adrenaline involved but I really believe it's also because we'd spent the last hour enjoying nature. 

Virginia Water Lake, 2013

There is further irony to this post in that all of these pictures were taken with my iPhone when I could have been "disconnected" and "at one" with nature. However I've made the decision to not edit any of them so that you can see these beautiful, natural places in their full glory. And actually, part of the thought process behind this post is that I need to remind myself to leave the smart phone at home from time-to-time. Reconnect with nature, go out on a walk, leave the phone at home and it will go some way to helping you on your Beautifully Healthy journey. 

So switch it off and tune in - you won't regret it, I promise!

Love Lucy x

Tim Walker: Story Teller

Yesterday I finally found the time to go to Tim Walker's Story Teller exhibition at Somerset House, London. I'd been wanting to go since it opened in October, but hadn't found the time since starting a new job and generally doing too much! As soon as I walked into the first exhibition room I couldn't believe that I'd left it so long! His work is utterly captivating. I'll try to sum it up: he's like a child who has been tainted by the darkness of adulthood, and can perfectly translate his anxieties into mesmerising photographs, that are beautiful, intriguing and disturbing all-in-one.

I am often captivated by fashion photography; the photographs of legends such as Nick Knight, David Bailey, and Mario Testino regularly stir up emotions of wonder in me. However Walker is unique in his ability to both horrify and delight in one photograph. His photographs are not for the faint-hearted. He has a way of re-telling the whimsy of fairytales with a dark twist.

Story Teller combines his work from roughly the last 5 years all into one exhibition that barrages the mind. His photographs really make you think. And not only that, but there are crashed spitfires, delicate swan-boats, over-sized china dolls, and giant cello playing wasps interspersed amongst the photographs - props from his extravagant shoots. The photographs containing these props are so intricately put together, often tripping up the person studying them - they're designed to baffle and amaze, and they certainly manage to do so.

The exhibition also includes much more intimate photographs, such as Walker's iconic shot of Alexander McQueen with a skull. His portraiture work is truly fascinating, and the models in these photographs have done a magnificent job - Karlie Kloss, Vivienne Westwood, Helena Bonham Carter - to name a few. Walker has a way of capturing people with the most intriguing expressions. His work is truly unique. But, enough writing, take a look for yourself!

These photographs were just a few of my favourites (there were so many), but hopefully I have given you a flavour of what to expect from the exhibition. 

This exhibition is truly exhilarating, and perfectly celebrates the disturbed genius of Tim Walker. If you want to see it for yourself (which I highly recommend) you only have until next Sunday (27th January) as this is when it closes, so do get down to Somerset House as soon as you can! 

For more information visit the Somerset House website: www.somersethouse.org.uk

I hope I have offered you some Sunday inspiration!

Love Lucy x

Coco & Karl

Coco Chanel was the first woman who understood the true potential of the Little Black Dress. 

She once said that: “Women think of all colours except the absence of colour. I have said that black has it all.” She would often be seen in her elegant uniform of a perfectly fitted LBD and a string of pearls. And fashion has never looked back. The LBD is now a wardrobe staple for every fashion conscious woman. 

Her legacy has been continued by the controversial genius, Karl Lagerfeld. Whilst his collections often celebrate the LBD itself, the Little Black Jacket has also become synonymous with Chanel. Coco herself promoted the benefits of a fitted box jacket, however Lagerfeld has truly cemented the brand's love affair  with the LBJ. And like his predecessor, Karl takes his uniform of the LBJ very seriously; in fact I can't think of a single picture in which he is not wearing one himself. 

The LBJ has become such a large part of Lagerfeld's legacy that he is releasing a book this Autumn entitled: The Little Black Jacket: Chanel's Classic Revisited, in which 109 celebrities model Lagerfeld's chic LBJ. 

Furthermore, if you live in the UK, you still have the opportunity to see the exhibition of the photographs as it is arriving in London between 12th-28th of October. I'll definitely be taking a visit!

http://thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com

If only I could afford the jacket itself...

Love Lucy x