Patricia Fields, Soho, Ground Zero, Ecclectic Day

Sorry my unicorn friends for my lack of bloggage, but this has been a crazy few months been such a busy bee I was starting to turn yellow and black.

I still have so much news to tell about new York,
But briefly one paragraph I would like to dedicate to the Late Lee Mcqueen, a huge inspiration to me and now there is a true crack in the fashion world. He will be sorely missed and my deepest condolences go to his family and friends.
Back to the crazy stories in New York, on my third day we headed to the notoriously urban chic Soho. Hoping to see a hip sohoian new Yorker we fell into this crazy shop which was down a basement, called Girl Props, Like Ju Ju in Brighton the shop was completely zebra coloured, so i walked in and died and went to crazy jewellery heaven. Huge knuckle duster rings with pianos, lip rings with cigarettes poking out, peacock Alice in wonderland kitsch heaven. I purchased a tacky but fabulous gold coloured dollar bracelet. Was amazing a kaleidoscope of crazy knick nacks!

We then came across a shop which was the complete antithesis to this which was Anthropologie. Never seen one before as they do not have a store in England so was very intrigued along with the humble oak door it was so inviting with it’s vintage brass door handle. Walking in it was like the modern day snow whites cottage with antique patchwork duvets, musty wine glasses, hippie probably environmentally friendly clothing, rustic velvet chairs. What was also shocking about the shop besides the ridiculously high price tags, was the huge tissue paper sculpture, pouring out of the shop window into the store like a over flown bath. It was stunning and very appropriate with the winter weather it was like snow coming into the shop.

Just down the road was like Snow whites wicked witches house, with this Gothic black door and shop window. Entering it realised it was Anna Sui, it was quite unusual but there was a man who took your shopping bags like a cloak room for your extra luggage, he looked like Lurch from the Adams Family. The Gothic exterior was reflected to the interior accompanied by weird eerie music, but the clothes were all hung in these huge black medieval wardrobes which i thought were very cool. Also didn’t realise Anna Sui do makeup?

One of my favourite moments on this particular day was going into Miu Miu and they allowed me to try on these ridiculously huge gemed necklaces, they were AMAZING!!!! I felt like my grandma was dressing me up in her antique jewellery, except for the fact my grandma would’ve been a gay man called Sean wearing a pin stripped suit.

I felt so at home when i found the Georg Jenson shop although he’s Danish, the Swedes and the Danes, are like the English and the Welsh. It was nice walking in and the tables were set out with his stainless steel cutlery and his sculptural bowls, it felt like walking into a grown ups sophisticated modern home.

I think the star of the show when it came to that days experience was going to the Prada shop. I’ve only seen it through the eyes of Sex and the City when Carrie goes and visits her Prada family, but by god it was so much more than that. As you were walking down these beautiful steps this huge wooden swooping gorge, where the mannequins were serenaded with the most relaxing music and dressed head to toe in the latest autumn winter collection. The staff were soooo friendly made feel I was worthy to buy Prada and to top it all off they complimented me by saying, “I love your Chanel!” No one needs to know that my Chanel actually came from canal street.

I really did feel like Cinderella that day, but then I received my glass slipper when I found the Tarina Tarantino shop. I have always always wanted to own a Tarantino piece sinse I was 16, but unfortunately was only available in America, so I would just have to watch the likes of Katy Perry, Kelly Osbourne and Paris Hilton wearing my precious designer. But finally I was here in front of her shop with her famous pink shop exterior and rainbow coloured butterfly. To enter I had to press a door bell and be buzzed in which was even more exciting i actually screamed a little I was so excited. Inside was quite small but it really didn’t need to be any bigger, with a pink kitsch Victorian couch in the middle and shelves embellished with the Tarantino rainbow coloured jewels and gems. A corner was dedicated to the hello kitty collection and another to the Alice in wonderland collection. There was so much I wanted to buy I was like a kid in a fairyland sweet shop.

I am very fortunate to be studying in Nottingham were we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to vintage shops, so it was interesting to find a vintage shop on the outskirts of Soho. Like the vintage shops anywhere they had a very laid back staff but very very cool with the 5 $ eclectic mix of rings vintage Levis acid wash torn shorts and long 80’s shoulder padded up to the max dresses.

One of my ambitions in life is to have some association or dabble a bit in styling, and one of my favourite stylists is Patricia Fields. So when I went to visit her shop one the outskirts of Soho passing by a huge graffiti wall which was covered in rainbows I was extremely excited. When I arrived it seemed like a drag shop with a hair salon downstairs, feather boas and shrugs, fetish high heeled glittery stripper shoes, bracelets with huge elephants architecturally springing out, huge Lady Gaga bows, but my eye drew straight to the Eiffel tower bag. Now I have a huge fascination for Paris and cliché as it sounds, "J’Adore Paris", so this purchase of the Eiffel tower bag is a true treasure.

It’s really funny because I love weird quirky crazy border line lunatic shops with one off items, so when my friends dragged me to Century 21 I was not impressed. It was like a TK maxx America style with high end labels such as Ralph Lauren, Emilio Pucci, Juicy Couture, Calvin Klien but for about a third of the price. But I’m not really keen on the hussle and bussle and when I heard a trainee sales assistant being told, “don’t be afraid to tell people to hang up the clothes and put it back themselves and be extremely tough on it,” I was a little nervous and missed my nick nack shops. I’m not saying customers shouldn’t hang the clothes back on the hangers, but when you’re in an environment where you’re bullied into it then it’s not really a nice place to be in.

Leaving quite abruptly and efficiently I came outside to find a really eerie environment. I was standing infront of Ground Zero. To be honest I found it really hard to feel something when there was nothing, no commemorative statues, no flowers, no signs I had to ask someone if it was Ground Zero because it just looked like a building sight. In some ways it’s nice for you to just reflect on what you saw and think about life and family and friends.

So to end little sequined pumpkins say love more than hate because life is too short.