Elite Model Q&A / Ellen Gibbons

Elite: What was your first job?

Ellen Gibbons: I used to stand outside Lincoln Cathedral to busk with my violin when I when I was 14.

E: Where is the worst place you have ever worked?

EG: A cinema, I thought it would be really fun but my job mainly consisted of tearing tickets and scraping salsa and popcorn off the floor.

E: What is your favourite film?

EG: Some Like It Hot…1920's cheesy jazz, cross-dressing and hilarious characters, what's not to like?

E: What is your nickname?

EG: Smellen or Melon, not very flattering!

E: Guilty pleasure?

EG: Sleeping later than I should on weekdays and any cheese & chutney sandwiches.

E: Dream job?

EG: Treading the boards in London's West End!

E: Favourite person in the agency?

EG: James Ross - we're both from Lincolnshire. Enough said.

E: Best thing about London/Paris/Milan?

EG: All I remember from Paris is EuroDisney, and I love walking through parks in London.

E: What did you want to be when you were younger?

EG: A ballet dancer…or a dentist.

E: Marmite: Love/Hate?

EG: Love love love!

E: If we took you to Starbucks right now what would you order?

EG: Caramel Macchiato (recently became a coffee addict)

E: What song is most played on your ipod?

EG: I don't own one!

E: What did you have for breakfast today?

EG: Porridge, yoghurt and grapes.

E: How would you describe your style?

EG: Huge baggy jumpers and leg warmers, especially at this time of year.

E: Which established model do you most admire?

EG: Freja Beha Erichson…she's such a chameleon!

E: What's the best freebie you've ever got?

EG: Free cheesecake at the Model Sanctuary! And a huge Hugo Boss umbrella that saw me through the February rain.

E: What's your Facebook status at the moment?

EG: Spring is definitely coming to London…I'm only wearing two jumpers and a coat!

E: How much is a pint of milk?

EG: 45p…apparently

E: What is your fashion week survival strategy?

EG: Coffee and sleep…and flat shoes to run to all the castings in.

Chris Benz Fall 2011 Shoes

Ever since I interned for Chris Benz, I have had a lot of respect for him as a designer and a person. I've always loved his use of bright colors, layers, and vintage styling. One of his secret strengths is shoe design. When I worked there, he worked with Manolo Blahnik on chic painterly oxfords and for heels he would buy lucite pumps from the shops on 8th Avenue that catered to "working girls" because they made their legs look better than anything else. When I saw Carolina's photos of the wedges at his Fall 2011 presentation I wasn't surprised at all, they are both artistic and majorly sexy.

Via Fashion Squad

New in Town / Russell Giardina

Vogue Germany / Constance Jablonski

Feast your eyes on this stunning editorial of Elite girl Constance Jablonski in this months Vogue Germany. The East meets West inspired shoot was shot by Alexi Lubomirski, with the props and styling helping her portray a glamourous tourist in early 20th century China. The saturated colours add to effect that everything oriental seems alluring to Western eyes. And Constance looks just as alluring to us!

Agency Playlist of the Week

We thought we'd give you a look into what daily life at the agency is like, so we thought a weekly playlist of what we're listening to would be perfect. Check out our Spotify account here to listen to our picks of the week and see who chose them below.

Knights - Crystal Castles (Sadie Phelps, model)
Hey Mama - Kanye West (Alice Cornish, model)
Price Tag - Jessie J (Bridget Jakes, model)
All the Eastern Girls - Chapel Club (Andrew Jones, model)
The Air Near My Fingers - The White Stripes (Felix Branch, model)
California Gurls - Katy Perry (James, booker)
Something Good Can Work - Two Door Cinema Club (Charlie, booker)
Rolling in the Deep - Adele (Amelia, booker)
Some Love - Chaka Khan (Marco, art department)
What's My Name? - Rihanna (Frederic, office manager)
Venus In Furs - The Velvet Underground (Ailish, pr intern)
Summertime - Jamie Jones (Dominique, trainee booker)
Crystalised - The xx (Lucie, intern)
Pure Morning - Placebo (Luke, production)
Unfaithful - Rihanna (France, booker)
L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N - Noah & the Whale (Benn, art department)
Freddie Freeloader - Miles Davis (Angela, intern)

Dries Van Noten Fall 2011: Backstage Hair

I love the hair at Dries Van Noten Fall 2011. These backstage pictures show off the details of Paul Hanlon's styling. It's pretty much set that the low pony is going to be the new go-to style for chic women and I love how he incorporated the gold ring around the pony. I've been trying to get something similar to this look with curved tortoise shell barrettes, but haven't had success. The slightly unkempt texture is also the perfect accompaniment and makes me want to rush out to buy Bumble & bumble's new Texture cream ASAP.

Via Into the Gloss

Homme Essential / Marshall Brockley

Marshall Brockley is sweeping the board editorial wise at the moment. Here he is in the latest issue of Homme Essential magazine, showing how diverse he can be Marshall showcases a tough, rocker look complete with leather accessories. And what can we say, here at the agency we love it!

New In Town / Bridget Jakes

Proenza Schouler-Inspired Nails Round 2: Fall 2011

My latest nail endeavor was spurred by a very sweet present of OPI's sold out Shatter polish and a fortuitous broken nail, both of which happened to take place during NYFW. As always, I was inspired by Proenza Schouler. Their Fall 2011 collection was inspired by a trip they took through the American West. I tried to capture the mix of bold colors and graphic black accents by layering two different shades of blue and neon orange underneath the black shatter polish. I really liked the results, very different from my normal polish routine.

View details from the Proenza Schouler Fall 2011 collection here.

All photos by Mark Iantosca

Emily Charlotte Barcelona

Beautiful girls Emily Smith & Charlotte Benson are currently taking Barcelona by storm, and they have kindly agreed to give us a peek behind the scenes at their time in the city. We'll be updating you regularly on the girls Spanish escapades. You can also go to the Facebook album here for all the pictures the girls have taken on their travels.

Jil Sander Fall 2011 Sweaters

Jil Sander's re-envisioned ski sweaters happened to be inspired by one of my favorite movies, Blake Edwards' The Pink Panther. One of the reasons I loved the movie so much as a kid were the costumes by Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent. While Raf Simons sent more literal translations down the runway, I was taken by these bold chunky knits. Finally, '60s Italian ski culture feels modern again.

Via Vogue.com

Jonathan Saunders Fall 2011

I often get obsessed with the details of a collection, but in the case of Jonathan Saunders' fall 2011 show, it was just as much the full look. This is what I consider a perfect collection, it makes a big statement, but it is also immediately covetable. Saunders' mix of prints, bright colors, and textures in classic shapes makes him a huge standout this season. I imagine myself trying to recreate these looks ASAP.

Via Vogue.com