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10:19am Friday 5th September 2008

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Forget exotic photo shoots - Lakeland has used Cumbria’s coast for its autumn publicity.

AS A stylist, hair and make-up artist, I have been on many foreign trips for fashion shoot work, with various retailers whisking me away to work on their forthcoming collections, sometimes up to a year in advance of the clothes coming into the stores.

Most of the time it’s a bit of a trek out there, carrying heavy equipment, clothes and accessories, up and down quaint cobbled village streets that are better suited to donkeys.

I hate to say it, but even I - a seasoned sun-worshipper - have been known to crack under the heat, while trying to reapply lipstick that has melted in its pot.

One of my favourite retailers to work for as a fashion shoot stylist is Lakeland, with its strong team of buyers and designers always looking ahead for innovative new ideas.

I have enjoyed, and have great respect for, their enthusiasm and hard work on shoots - seeing results far exceed many top magazine shoots I have worked on.

Having been away with them to places like Garachico, in the Canaries, and Marrakech, in Morocco, the team felt it would be good to use our own beautiful Lakeland views as a backdrop to the latest autumn-winter collections.

Having fond childhood memories of Roan Head beach, at Barrow, with blurred pictures in my head of myself, my sister and brother racing around the sand dunes while our mother got some much-needed sleep under a picnic rug nearby, I was rather excited about revisiting the area – but this time with two professional models in tow.

Our talented team set up the photo tent as the sun shone - glorious clear skies, powder-dry sand and rails of the latest, most fabulous clothes. We could have been anywhere in the world - it was wonderful.

OK, so throughout the two day shoot we did have some sudden downpours and at one time we did think the tent, along with all its contents, was going to be blown out to sea, but we could all see the positive side - we were only down the road from our homes and, actually, the effects of the rain served to create a lovely softening to the backdrop.

The two top London models and Leeds-based photographer Kate Abbey stayed at The Abbey House Hotel where we shot some of the less wintry clothes, against the wonderful backdrop of open spaces and natural stone.

I’ve chosen some of the looks from Lakeland’s latest collections that I adore, with pieces that will bring our wardrobes bang up-to-date this autumn.