CATCHING UP: Vogue (strike a pose)

Hello, hello, hello, long time no see, no? Well it’s been a busy few weeks, full of university open days, trips and college essays (I thought it was summer but apparently Lloyd George won’t give a girl a break). I’ve finished my AS year and started A2 but, as I sit in the back of a crowded car with a bag full of books and bikinis, it’s officially summer now. I have The Drums on a loop and we’re gonna go surfing (down, down baby, down by the rollercoaster), so I’m happy. Destination: one of the many ‘Port Somethings’ in Cornwall.

As I have been absent from t’internet for a while, I reckon it’s time to catch up. It’s now July, but other than open days and orthodontist appointments, nothing much has happened in the return to college life. Yes, I loved the universities we visited; no, I am not sharing my favourites. We’ll see whether results day shakes things up first. June has been probably the best month of the year so far; I finished exams on the 4^th, went for a steak sandwich lunch, and I was on the train to Exeter the next Monday.

 

Before that however, in late April, I was tapped on the shoulder at the Patisserie Valerie counter in King’s Cross. H and I were meeting in London for the day to visit  the 2015 Vogue Festival. I had a new white tote from ASOS, my skinny Zara gingham trousers and white leather Converse, so I was practically dressed for the day. After a lunch of calamari at Carluccio’s (where else?), we got lost, then found the foyer which was buzzing with swishing midi skirts and sleek ponytails. After about an hour queuing, H had her hair done by the Kérastase stylists while I watched a styling challenge. During her stop at the salon, Jean Paul Gaultier popped into her mirror, said hello and disappeared. That man is cool. A stop by the Vogue Shop was inevitable and I purchased the notepad and water bottle; needless to say, I feel very college-chic at the hallway water cooler. Other activities were placed around the building, such as the Topshop nail bar and Vogue cover shoot which unfortunately we missed due to lack of time.

 

The Vogue Festival talk we attended was an interview with Jean Paul Gaultier and his muse and friend, Erin O’Connor, whose tall, willowy frame I was instantly jealous of. As they already knew each other well, the pair were funny and comfortable together and the interview felt very honest and intimate. Gaultier’s career began with his designing for his teddy bear and progressed to designing for Madonna (the person he would most have liked to have dressed is the Queen Mother). Gaultier was such a funny and fascinating character and I am so glad that we chose this talk in particular as it was quirky, interesting and I was excited to hear about Erin O'Connor's experience as a model and Gaultier's seemingly rare appreciation for the individual personalities and bodies of models. Hopefully we will go again in a couple of years as I loved the experience but there were a few stations I would have liked to have visited in the foyer.

Cheeky selfie waiting for Jean Paul Gaultier ft, FIJI water photobomb

L

London baby! And Happy New Year.

I tend not to dream of a white Christmas anymore because however beautiful it looks in American Christmas rom-coms and however cold it may feel in the North of England, it is extremely unlikely. The one time I didn’t want it to snow, what did the great British weather do? Snow. On Boxing Day. Just before a planned London shopping trip.

Carluccio's linguine al frutti di mare (a favourite of ours)

Carluccio's



The journey home ft. January ELLE

Luckily the trains were still running and a 6.20am start after watching The Holiday till late the night before meant a sleep in my aisle seat. A copy of Elle (with Kim K on the cover), Regeneration by Pat Barker and a Greggs bacon sandwich on the journey provided entertainment and sustenance en route so the trip was pretty speedy and I do love a train journey. Of course we took the tube straight to Oxford Circus once we’d arrived and of course the first stop was Topshop. Of course. Three bargains, including a navy quilted miniskirt for 20 freaking pounds, some sweating and a walk to Apostrophe later: I was sat with a chocolate muffin and an apple juice preparing for Selfridges. I spied a purple faux-leather bell-shaped skirt in the H&M concession and fell in love - another new skirt and another new book is all I need to be happy.

Another year, another lot of resolutions. It has been a lovely Christmas, seeing family and opening presents, but the paper chains have been recycled, so has the tree and the leftovers of dinner. It’s time to begin 2015 and forget about the chocolate binges of Christmas, the sunburn of summer and the unfortunate fashion crazes of 2014. The year should always begin with resolutions and goals, some cliché, some out-of-the-comfort-zone, all likely to be forgotten by February. Here are mine:

1)      Drink more water, eat more cleanly and exercise more (walking to the fridge does not count as a trek, yes, even if stairs are involved)

2)      Learn to meditate (first might need to learn how to sit cross-legged)

3)      Read something inspirational

4)      Get another piercing

5)      Keep a scrapbook

6)      Complete New Year’s resolutions

Apparently, as I heard on the radio the other day, 1 in 10 people complete their New Year’s resolutions. Let’s see if I do.

L