I remember walking through London for the second time and seeing streets like Regent and Oxford and being so amazed that I was actually there. I was so happy that I took photos of the street signs.
I was 15 or 16 and I was with my best friend on the protest again the increase in university fees and scrapping of EMA; both of which have affected me. The route of the protest went passed The Ritz right when anarchists smashed the windows, that scared me and I held onto my mum. Maybe I was the wrong person to be at that protest because while people smashed the windows of what I consider to be one of the most desirable places to stay, I imagined being inside, imagined all the people who were staying there, the people who had stayed there and the people who would. Don't get me wrong, I understand the message the anarchists were sending and I appreciate it and in many ways agree with it but, it was the first time I had ever seen a Ritz and I thought that was a big deal and I wanted to admire it. To this day, the only Ritz I know, is the cracker.
My second experience like this happened in a shopping complex in Holland. I made my mum go into Gucci and Prada with me just to be able to say to myself that I had. I was so close to buying a keyring, just to own something from either shops. That was before I developed my personal style and before I felt like I could comment on the clothes Gucci and Prada produced.
I was a devoted reader of Company from the age of 12 and still over every magazine I ever bought. I then transitioned into Elle which appears almost too regularly in my shopping trolley. I just loved the luxury of everything and knew I had a passion for it even if I didn't have the confidence to express it.
Now, I still don't own anything from Gucci or Prada. My most valuable item of clothing is a pair of pink Louboutins that I got in a charity shop for £12 (and got the heel stuck in the drain so are actually worth nothing). My style is still developing but I'm proud of it, I enjoy it. I want to share it here. I'm still trying to perfect charity shopping while working on a a career to be able to afford Prada even it's never been my style.
