The street style blog exploded onto the nascent blogging scene as the new craze-du-jour in 2007. Seven years later, every major fashion city is saturated with ‘photographers’ roaming its streets, approaching well-dressed strangers with the flattering request of “Could I take your photo for my blog?”

‘Street-stylists’ may be patting themselves on the back for inaugu- rating this new phenomenon, but in reality, credit is owed to famed Punch cartoonist Edward Linley Sambourne. Considering that he was shooting the fashionistas of South Kensington in the early 1900s, it’s surprising it took a century to catch on.

The work of this amateur photographer is unique as a rare glimpse into the casual dress of the Edwardian woman. With its depiction of the constrained but immaculately coiffed woman grimacing in her discomfort, it offers a stark contrast to the stereotypical image of contemporary dress.

Though they might seem rather prim to us Oxonians in our crop tops and tight jeans, Rebecca Richardson insists that an Edwardian context these shots are “laced with erotic undertones”.

It didn’t take long for the blossoming fashion indus- try to seize the opportunity to monetize this ripple of social change, sexing up silhouettes and creating the ‘ideal’ hourglass figure. Indeed, the maxim of ‘sex sells’, prominent in today’s fashion media, was active, albeit passively, in a time governed by moral and social judgment.

Amongst all this praise of his uncredited revolution, Linley Sambourne’s work
is somewhat tainted by his dubious methods. ‘Candid’ is the operative
word here. With the use of a concealed camera, his subjects were entirely oblivious they were being photographed.

Before the days of CCTV, this clan- destine operation may feel like an intentional and active violation, perhaps altering the impact of his project.

However, I can excuse Edward his surreptitious ways – his work, limited by a lack of resources, was unique for the time and every Katie, Tom and Emily has him to thank for their current corner of the internet.

For her big 12 minutes in front of 110 million viewers, Katy Perry spared absolutely no fireworks. The half time slot at the Super- bowl is a once in a lifetime opportunity for many entertainers – although perhaps not for Katy Perry – and has previously been filled by Madonna and Beyoncé.

Her performance included Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliot, dancing sharks, and an absolutely amazing anima-
tronic lion, but to make the most of her
time on stage, Perry also called upon her long term friend Jeremy Scott, the creative director of Moschino, to design her four outfits.

Despite a clothing change practi- cally every three minutes, Perry never left the stage during the slot and Scott stated that dressing her was a “math and science lesson about layering, how to hide, and to have her have
big reveals”. The classic Ameri-can designer, known for his ‘fast-fashion’ designs inspired
by McDonalds and other American corporates, was
the natural choice to design
the clothes for the most quintessentially American
‘California Gurl’ performing at the most quintessential of all American sporting events.

The humour may have been taken
a bit too far by some, with a massive number of memes exploding all
over the internet, likening her flame encrusted dress to Cheetos packaging and Will Ferrell in the ice skating film Blades of Glory. However, despite being incessantly mocked online, Perry can have the last laugh as her half time show now holds the record as the most watched in all of Super Bowl history. All-in-all, a very successful 12 minutes for both her and Scott indeed.

Makeup is extremely versatile. For some reason, this versatility pales in comparison to social stigmas that situate makeup, and the act of applying it, as superficial and narcissistic. This assumption is very one-sided. The purpose of makeup is not singularly, and certainly not always, to at- tract a man or woman, and a love of cosmetics does not signal self-obsession or shallowness.

Instead, I proffer that makeup is a form of creative expression, an art. Some might find this suggestion an overstatement, but what about applying a brush, carrying colour (whether in powder form, gel, liquid, cream, or otherwise), is not artistic? Like painting, makeup articulates and reframes a canvas, highlighting key features, malleable to different moods, bold and brazen or soft and subdued. The purpose of this week’s shoot was to underscore the very inherently artistic nature of makeup. We also specifically chose to recreate styles that have a history or are somehow socially constructed, emphasising that cosmetic trends are cultural artifacts just like art of certain eras and ages. Our models, Georgia Galton-Ayling, Persis Bhalla, Brenda Nijiru, Charlotte Ward and Sarah Fan all pose, therefore, using makeup designs from different eras to demonstrate this.

60s graphic liner (Georgia): When you think of thick eyeliner, Egyptian-style winged liner first comes to mind. We chose to emulate the look popularised by Twiggy in the 60s, which is a very stark, graphic design. The contrast of a pale lid with a dark, dramatic line is interesting and bold. It changes the shape of the eye, and can be very flattering. Recently, the makeup industry has gone very natural, as assistants at makeup counters often en- courage clients to go for brown and grey liner shades, rather than black, which they suggest is too ‘harsh’. But we embrace and appreciate the black, graphic trend.

Dark lips (Persis): Dark lips have a long and diverse history: from the Maori of New Zealand, and the Hindu tradition, to Queen Elizabeth I and the 1920s film industry. But the trend really took off in, and is still associated with, the 1970s and 80s punk/goth movement, when dark lips were not limited to women, but also seen frequently on musicians such as Robert Smith (The Cure) and Marilyn Manson.

Brights (Brenda): Bright colours in makeup often immediately recall the 80s, when lids were swept with a pop of colour, or lips were glossy and cherry-red. Modern makeup seems to tend instead towards neutral shadows, and there is an aversion to colour at times. I, however, am a big fan of colour, and going all out. A thick line of eyeliner in teal or purple perks up my eyes in less time than a full lid of shadow, and bright fuschia lips make me feel alive when I’m hungover.

Strong brows (Charlotte): Eyebrows are the most frequently forgotten facial feature. Not only do eyebrows frame the face, but they can also change the facial expression; heavily arched brows create a more surprised look, while straight brows are bold and no- nonsense. These days, bold brows are back – think model of the moment Cara Delevingne. Perhaps surprisingly, the tweezer has taken a hiatus. We experimented with this look on someone who has naturally thin, light brows – the end result is different, but wearable.

Heavy contouring and highlighting (Sarah): By choosing to contour, changing how light hits the face and where shadows fall, you can seemingly change your bone structure in just a few steps. I have loved experimenting with this, and watching the lines and angles of my face shift and change. The trick with contouring for everyday purposes is to blend, blend, blend (which we actually didn’t do in this shoot). Finding a contour shade that mimics the actual shadows on your face is important so that the skin doesn’t look muddy.

As certain as a bad hangover on New Year’s Day are the resolutions and self-made promises of January detoxes, cleanses and health kicks. Amongst all the talk (and let’s face it, it’s almost always just talk), there is hope, because with the new calendar year comes new calendars; and if you want inspiration that’s going to last all year round I suggest you buy one, a naked one. I’m not talking about one with 12 months’ worth of scantily clad, heavily photoshopped Justin Bieber photos, or Page Three girls on a beach, I’m talking about true art in celebration of the human form.

‘Form and Desire’ is the aptly named exhibition of 40 years of photography from the best of the best of these calendars: the Pirelli.

The location of the exhibition is as fitting as its name: the fashion Mecca that is Milan. While clothes are few and far between in the shoots, the models, stylists and photographers are some of fashion’s finest. The 2015 Calendar is shot by Steven Meisel, styled by Carine Roitfeld and features Adriana Lima, Joan Smalls and Natalia Vodianova to name just a few.

Previous photographers include Richard Avedon, Peter Lindbergh, Bruce Weber, Patrick Demarchelier, Mario Testino and Karl Lagerfeld, whilst the likes of Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Heidi Klum and Eva Herzigova appear as models.

Pirelli is fashion, and not just because, as Vivienne Westwood famously announced, “Fashion is about eventually being naked”. The exhibition in its own words is about photography as a “testimony of particular changes, of new styles, of new ideas, of many creative and technical innovations”, just as fashion is.

The 200 photos in the exhibition are displayed accordingly – not chronologically, ironic given that is an exhibition of prints from calendars. They are grouped in five rooms, each room’s collection highlighting a different aspect of the calendar that has run through 40 years of different concepts and photographers. Finally, Meisel’s photos for this year are presented, and they have saved the most overtly sexual for last.

However, there is another surprise too, amongst all the latex and fetish gear: Candice Huffman. She is the calendar’s first plus-size (read: normal size) model. “My presence on this set,” she said, “the most glamorous in the world, is a sign that things are really changing.” She’s right, of course.

Having visited the exhibition during a vacation spent scoffing pizza and pasta in Italy, I hoped to find inspiration for a cleaner, leaner 2015. Instead, I found true inspiration for a happier, but no less glamorous, one.

Some might say that in this age of Facebook event pages and smartphone reminders there is no longer a need for the traditional calendar, but I believe they still have a place, marking the passing of time with regularly changing art.

Unfortunately this is inspiration that I cannot hang on my wall all year round, as the calendars cannot be bought but are merely sent to a select and secret lucky few. So, while I’m working on looking ‘sexy’, not ‘scary’, in the hope of one day getting sent one, I suppose I’ll have to content myself for the moment with the RAG Blues Naked Calendar.