Not just any other Poppy

Beyond Retro is one of the better known, affordable vintage stores in London. They've created somewhat of an empire, with two stores in the city, one in Brighton, a website (with funny graphics!) and a bunch of locations in Sweden. They're like mini-supermarkets, only you don't skim the aisles for the gluten-free, dairy-free crackers, no, you'll want to sniff out EVERYthing, no matter how crazy or unusual. The store in Shoreditch is a guilt-free delight. It's the sort of place you walk into and uncontrollably gasp at the glorious vastness and wild array of colors. And when Poppy and I went shopping there back in March, we did just that. We spent hours running around, scanning the racks, dragging armloads of shirts, hats, bags, skirts and accessories to the changing rooms staging a total take-over. "We really went for it!" laughs Poppy, "trying on everything and anything. I love Brick Lane - it's got good vibes."

Twenty five-year old Poppy Delevingne is "the filling in the sandwich" of older sister Chloe and junior sister Cara, better known as the face of Burberry. Apart from a short stint in New York, she's a born and raised London girl. She started modeling when she was nineteen and became one of the ambassadors for Chanel a couple of years ago, two duties that keep her on a plane pretty much year round. "I just got back from Cannes. I was writing a piece there for the Chanel Cruise show which was amazeballs! I also just did a 70's style inspired shoot for Italian Vogue in New York - I LOVE dressing up. And I shot a coffee table book with Mark Squire called FLIP - I think the pictures are awesome!" She recently took up acting, which, if you ask me, is really where her future career is heading. I cast her in a short film by Fancesco Carrozzini for Imagine Fashion with Elisa Sednaoui, Paz de la Huerta and Zoe le Ber. She was breathtaking.

70's tiered Pucci-esque flower dress (at a store down the road from
Beyond Retro on Cheshire - awful I can't remember!) and Poppy's
own vintage boots

Besides her undeniable good looks and incredible wit, the most intriguing thing about Poppy Delevingne is her voice. It's raspy and deep and seductive. She could sell toothpaste to a fish with that voice. Her laugh on the other hand borders mild hysteria. It's loud and it's big and it will swallow you whole. Hanging out with Poppy is a hoot. Most memorable during our shoot was "climbing up onto that pub dustbin and nearly falling off when two policeman came round the corner!" She says her style is "ecclectic", she loves to shop for vintage "tea dresses, belts, over-sized knitwear or anything colorful", and hates "wrap dresses, clogs and things with too many buttons - I have had a button phobia since I was little". I'm not sure if she would actually wear any of the outfits I dolled her up in but she made them POP in a way I've rarely seen....