Extraordinary company, Queen's tea and really excellent conversation.
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"I've never known a girl like you before,
Now just like in a song from days of yore.
Here you come a knockin', knockin' at my door,
And I've never met a girl like you before.
You give me just a taste so I want more and more.
Now my hands are bleeding and my knees are raw.
Now you've got me crawlin', crawlin' on the floor,
And I've never met a girl like you before."
This song was on repeat when I was in London. Where to start, where to start? I tacked on London to my European work-holiday adventure to see how much I would like living there. London has been a place that I always wanted to spend some time in for a number of reasons. So this was the first time I spent an extended amount of time in London in one straight shot. It's always been one of my favorite cities and this past trip proved that it's possibly even by second favorite city in the world, behind my beloved New York. It's grey, dark, rainy, and you wait for hours to get anywhere since London is so spread out, but you also love it. My return to London, since the last trip I made earlier in January of 2015 was surreal, and the entire trip I couldn't help but continue to make these equivocal remarks on whether or not I was ever planning on actually ever leaving. My good friends Charlie and Christina just moved there and I had such a terrific time with them, that I almost moved into their second bedroom.
I lived in Chelsea, a neighborhood in West London, that is posh, expensive and honestly close to everything I would want to be around. My AirBnB host was lovely and possibly one of my favorite characters that I encountered during my stay. Her place was situated right off Fulhum Road, close to every good neighborhood restaurant or club that you could want, if you’re into that sort of thing. One night, while I walked the seven minutes to my neighborhood restaurant, Goat, I had a momentary illusion. Is this what my life would be like in London? I was wearing my gorgeous new Dolce & Gabbana silk and cashmere navy coat that I bought earlier in the week at Selfridges (my mother has since taken it hostage and I've realized that it looks so good on her that not gifting it to her would be a total crime) with a silk Chloe 60s-inspired frock/ pearl belt and my lady-like Ferragamo heels and I thought to myself, “I’m not sure Chelsea is a good representation of me, but I’m not positive that Shoreditch is either.” After that, I enjoyed a very quiet and easy dinner with my very sweet friend Christoffer- easy because it was no frills and it reminded me, in a sense, of my beloved New York, but this feeling was different. I walked outside on Fulham Road, down the street for a nice seven minute stroll to a wonderful neighborhood pizza restaurant in the rain, where I enjoyed wonderful conversation with my dear Swedish friend, then walked another seven minutes home to my lovely, cozy apartment.
Usually during this time of year, I think of fashion differently than most. I love fur jackets with bare legs and sandals and then wear leather moto jackets and boots in the summer. There is something special about doing what’s not expected and then pulling it off with ease and comfort, even if the weather is not behaving in your favor. That was me in London. On one of my first nights there, I went out with two American friends of mine that happened to both be in town at the same time. I wore an oversized silk slip dress from Dries Van Noten with a blazer by Jason Wu, which you can see on my Instagram here. I'm totally into collared shirts if you haven't noticed; I always have two packed with my in my suitcases wherever I go- shirts that slightly have strategically popped collar and the sleeves that are expertly rolled to expose a wrist of gold bangles. This was my daytime uniform in London, paired back with my leather leggings and over the knee boots.
Always being one for the theatrics, I lived out my very own screenplay that resembled a Lifetime movie midway through my trip. Knowing that there is nothing of value which Lifetime Movie Network broadcasts, other than that one movie about the pregnant teenager who was bullied in school so she became anorexic and then lost her family to a fire and her boyfriend to some flesh eating bacteria, while she herself was fighting a rare eye problem- that one moved me. Anyways, my screenplay was definitely top notch and well lived. Get me drunk enough one night and I may just walk you through a play-by-play of all that went down and how I made fans at the bookstore.
Coco Wears: Cashmere Ralph Lauren Collection Cape, Vince Jeans, Dior Sunglasses, Abercrombie and Fitch Chambray Shirt, Chanel J-12 Watch and Etro Silk Blouse, Brunello Cucinelli Slim Pants, Michael Kors Collection Belt. Photography: Danielle Draizen Locations: Columbia Road Flower Market, BuckingHam Palace. City Guide: London