2024 round up
Mostly pictures because I've run out of words xoxo
I’ve ended 2024 feeling pretty nice. And on comparison to the end of 2023 and especially the end of 2022 when my world imploded a little it feels like i’m on a bit of a high. Despite an aching back, a landlord who is pissed off at me (who is also a family member so there is added fuel to the emotional fire) and a tooth that needs to be pulled out on the 6th of January - i’m actually feeling pretty grounded. The festive season was good to me financially (thank you Jesus birthday twin!) and i’m in kissing prison (thank you Laura for this analogy) and I just got given a banana by a very cheerful man on the street who mystically seemed to know I didn’t have breakfast this morning (maybe he is black Santa?).
Today I’m going to attempt to write down some 2025 hopes and manifestations, tidy my flat, try and come up with an outfit for NYD Adonis dancing, go see Babygirl, see a few of MY baby girls, kiss my boo(!), dance around the kitchen table with my family and my nephews and my siblings and my mates and then sleep a good deep sleep feeling like 2025 has a really good ring to it already.
Last year I did a very civilised round up of books I read in 2023 but I’m in writing paralysis at the moment because i’m so tiiiiired… so last night I collected some pivotal (or just cute) moments from each month from my camera roll - the memory is shite, these hazy days of festive purgatory do not facilitate any sense making of the nonsense - so these iPhone moments are what I offer to you.
JANUARY
Like my plan for January 2025, Jan 2024 was full of fires, bed, books, cosy outfits, my mamas sofa and a few El Bras workshops. Apparently we must use fire to manifest, and water to purge so if you want to summon things into your year during these quiet days get your candles lit and burn those Christmas trees on the bonfire.
FEBRUARY
For a new collection I Slept and Dreamed That Life Was Beauty myself and producer extraordinaire Lia Gomez Lang (bestie boo too) plotted a collaborative shoot exploring rituals, cosiness, finding romance within the everyday, and imagining worlds from your bedroom. We looked to Sofia Coppola (the queen) for inspiration. Virgin Suicide’s being one of my pivotal teen movies. The soft pastels, cluttered interior objects, curves, relationships in the private realm, the immediacy of the polaroid; these images bring me right back to the teenage world of me and my friends and now feature so heavily in Coppola’s archives.
It’s always a dream to work with photographer Holly Whitaker who just GETS IT (and also is like my lil sis hehe). Icons Eli-Rose, Evlyn, KimmyCookey, Beth, and Rifke modelled for us. I still have a whole cam corder of footage I haven’t quite worked through yet so be ready for a year late Coppola-cam. Obviously, I broke an SD card with all the digi-cam snaps on it because sometimes we make mistakes but thats OK. Some things just have to live on in our memory. Maybe that’s what is so beautiful about the immediacy and tangibility of the polaroid.
Alongside the collection I hand embroidered some vintage pillow cases with messages that I wanted to feel like handwritten love notes left on the side of the kitchen counter. Forever the romantic, I also made some necklaces out of some shells I found on a beach in Mexico when I was heartbroken the year before. I was saving them for something special. Angel babe Liv Little asked me to write about it these trinkets in one of my favourite pieces of writing I did last year (and my first commissioned piece!!! Thank you Liv you legend) ; you can read it here.
MARCH
March was lots of family and lots of marching and I watched the whole of the L word.
APRIL
I had no idea but I made all of my FAVOURITE pieces of the year in April. This took me by surprise because April is usually the time when I slump into a minor depression - daddy dead day being on the 9th… but hello! I guess we put our hustle hat on and powered through it.
The Jelly body!!
My first star pillow!
And the first GARTER TOP!!!
THE FIRST STAR FOR MY STAR MOLLY MARTIN WHO WAS GROWING HER FIRST STAR IN HER TUM WHO IS NOW SAFELY WITH US BEING A LITTLE SWEET CHERUB LEGEND <3 GO BUY HER ART SO SHE CAN BUY NAPPIES :)
MAY
In May I gathered inspiration in Paris with my mama and my sissy. First time away without my sister’s rugrats which was a blessing. I might have got a bit embarrassed when they ordered what felt like 10000000 oysters at L’European but quickly settled into the boujie Parisian life.
And I went to the studio A LOT.
And because i’m such a lucky mouse, I alsoooo went to Lisbon to see my main girl Els with my other main girl Maia . We pulled many mad tarot card readings and went dancing and swam in the sea. Heaven.
JUNE
In June, I needed a vibe change. So I chopped of most of my hair - well Laura did. When she’s back in London that’s who all you should ALL get your hair cut from.
And then was commissioned to make Eliza Hopewell’s wedding lingerie for her VERY chic wedding of the year. The mood board was full of bows in reds and blues, OTT ruffles, pearls and also PUNK which was so fun to get stuck into. We settled on a blue ruffled garter with a vintage locket safety pinned to it. And a pair of blue lace knickers covered in red bows. Because I was still in my Sofia Coppola world I took inspiration from Lux’s ‘Trip’ knickers and embroidered Theo’s name to the waistband in a very handwriting-writing.
JULY
A LOT OF FAMILY AND A LOT OF NONSENSE AT K3 (a gorgeous festival run by many legends I am honoured to call my buddies).
AUGUST
Cute shoot with Holly and Shoko Yoshida who is a fucking legend. Listen to her music!! Bikini’s went down a treat in the El Bras community.
Then was feeling all Amelie and chic so cut LOADS of my hair off again and went camping with my boybies and girlies and bruva.
SEPTEMBER
Back in the studio, started making more clothes that I actually wanted to wear.
OCTOBER
Shoot for COCO collection with absolute legend Lydia Gray in collaboration with Fai West who makes magical worlds on key-rings.
NOVEMBER
Met so many wicked hunnies from the internet this year. Including Cheyenne the American dream Goth Princess of Brighton. Hot hot cemetery princess. Thanks for getting naked in front of the dog walkers. So obsessed with all my internet friends.
DECEMBER
December was so busy full of love and Christmas and emotions. Really really love so many people in my life right now. Feeling blessed to have so many hunnies near and far. Missing the people that we miss but not feeling too bleak about it right now. This might be the least depressing Substack i’ve ever written, thank god she emo on the outside and not on the inside anymore. Here’s to 2025 my lovers.
El
xxxxxx
Tapping out of socials for a couple weeks so get me on el@elbras.co.uk or bloody CALL me if you’ve got my number. More phone calls in 2025 please!