part 3 - my home, London.

London. 

-currency- pounds, key areas - Shoreditch, Soho, Oxford Circus, Bond Street, Covent Garden, Hackney, Dalston, Clapham Common,  Transport -Uber, Tube, feet. 

Dress Code. 

When it comes to London ladies and gentlemen, fear not if you are one to stand out from the crowd. As the originator of punk queen Vivienne Westwood and tortured artisan Alexander Mcqueen, London is the home of creativity and expression of identity. Opposed to Paris and New York, there is a certain carefree attitude when it comes to dressing, where those who have lived in London and call it their home, and unafraid to dress how they want - whether you're a minimalist, a thrift-shop goddess, a kardashian-influencer, a metal head, a sports-wear fanatic, a Vetements rebel, a blogger in the making, an east-ender inhabiter, the population is made up so many different styles and dress codes, you will always fit in, even if you're trying to stand out. 

As someone who is an official Londoner (I moved from Surrey to London around four years ago, and have never looked back), I have personally felt that the key with London and its unspoken dress code (paris has its black and navy, New York has its casual wear), lies in the styling and presentation of the look you are trying to achieve... I don't think once have I not thought about what I'm wearing and how it works, and neither have the majority of my friends, but maybe that's just me and who I surround myself by. 

I have also found that London is also very good for providing affordable and accessible options and alternatives to fashion trends - and we are also BIG embracers of online shops and instagram accounts that sell these alternatives (misguided got the current trends down to the 'T'). No longer can we not afford the Vetements graffiti jeans, we have pretty little thing and Topshop offering us the DIY alternative. As a fashion capital, we are also unafraid to create fashion ourselves - from creativing a clutch out of left over leather, to making a plastic necklace made out of paper ties, to cutting up our jeans and painting our denim jackets, London is a very clever community when it comes to saving money but still looking fashionable.

Food. 

Just as diverse as fashion, London is also the place for experimental food - little cupcake shops down colourful alleys? check. Kingley court made of vietnemese, italian, healthy/organic, Indian, Sushi, American restaurants? check. No matter what kind of food you are feeling at 10pm at night after a work shift, the world is your oyster - well, central London is your oyster. 

We are the patron saint of trying to step out of the box when it comes to building a lifestyle, and, similarly to America, we are also avid lovers of health and fitness - particularly in East London, you will be able to find the kind of food that can give you your instant protein kick, or even your daily iron injection with green veg smoothies and takeaway boxes. Companies have also developec themselves enough to deliver any kind of food or takeaway or even home cooked healthy meals right to your doorstep (uber eats and deliveroo, what did we do without you?) We even have organic vegetables and fruit markets (borough market, you the best), so you will never feel limited to buying in a supermarket when it comes to groceries. 

There is no traditional food anymore when it comes to London - like the community in which the city holds, Londoners are aware of other cultures and only embrace every kind of food that can be offered. Pilgrim Pizza anyone? 

Travel. 

Finally, the one key area out of the three cities that I feel is the most developed - how we travel around our mother city. Now not only can we walk, which London is small enough so that you can get from Kings Cross to central London in 45 minutes, we also offer the Boris Bike - free cycling for 30 minutes to the next bike dock, taxis - the fare is quite high but they know London like the back of their hand, ubers - from the average uber pick up to arriving in a Mercedes, every individual possesses the uber app on their phone and now with a business account, the firm is set to develop as a work environment transportation system, rather than just the taxi firm you order on a night out, and the tube. 

In regards to the tube, I have found this train system probably the best out of the three cities, with trains being clean and staff being helpful and understanding, with the routes being simple and understandable - when the tubes do fail as well, there is an increased bus service which provides extra support for commuters. And now, similarly to New York, the night tube has also been launched on key lines at the weekend, so Londoners who both party and work hard, can still get home easily and safely. 

so, out of the three, which city would you pick? For me, of course, I'd pick London. 

part.2 - The Parisian Romance.

Paris. 

currency - euros, key areas - Hotel De Ville (thrift shops galore), le Marais (coffee), Champs-Elysees (shopping), Canal St.Martin (brunch), Montmarte (shoreditch-esque), transport - uber, metro, bike. 

Dress Code. 

So by the time I arrived in Paris, I had been chewed up by the "coolness" monster of New York and spat out as a lower Manhattan gal, baseball cab-sweatshirt combo and all. Low and behold, I touched down in chicness central in Paris, where carelessly careful dressing was perfected to a T. 

To begin with, the cool girls wore a uniform - an understated, multi-textured uniform of black. It was almost necessary to wear black if you were in fashion, and it was easy - in the constant rainy weather, the only colour you would want to chuck on in the mornings was black.. as well as a little navy to mix it up. I learnt to appreciate an accessory that was made well and wouldn't be necessarily the most brightest, eye-catching one on the shelf. I learnt the benefit of black flat leather boots (and of course trainers) and found that a simple white shirt, with a pair of black jeans and black jacket with black boots was enough for me to be taken seriously... and I can safely say, the baseball cap rarely came out. 

I stopped wearing makeup, similarly to new york, and stopped doing my hair - Paris, after all, was all about the "I promise, I actually did wake up like this" look, despite the time spent thinking about the outfit, and taming your hair into a messy pony tail. I also began to realise the benefits of dark eyeliner for nights out drinking red wine (I'll come on to that next). It was indeed the city of chic, and soon enough, I was being told by those I met "you always seem to wear black!" 

Lifestyle. 

Now, unlike New York, time was to be enjoyed in Paris and you definitely did not need to waste a single minute rushing around. Everything was at a level of calm, enough for you to appreciate your surroundings and think about your day-to-day errands (well, enough time to get a lie in in the mornings). Even turning up to lectures was not regular, with some lessons not starting until an hour after scheduled time because we were still waiting for other pupils to arrive. Food shops close at 2pm on a sunday, so expect to not have food in your cupboards for sunday, if you're hungover and would rather stay in bed. 

The culture and history of Paris is also incredibly celebrated within the city, with as many different museums as you would like, all being free for students of the EU - one in particular, Palais de Tokyo, was my favourite, with the overall experience transporting you into another world. There is also so much to take in when visiting Paris - from the neighbourhoods to the buildings to the monuments to the hidden away cafes, even the people (particularly the fashion). Although it is definitely not as fast-paced as New York and London, there is definitely a lot to explore (note: not everything can be fitted into a two day visit without fully appreciating the city and its culture). 

Food. 

So as much as New York is known for its brunching, Paris is known for its coffee and wine.. we'll discuss food in a bit. I was never a huge red wine drinker, until I touched down in Paris town. Bars are open until 1am on weeknights, with a small glass of red wine (and not a bad tasting one either) costing around 4 euros, thats about £3 for us brits... and you can bet your bottom dollar that you can sit outside a nice bar, surrounded by fellow parisians, facing out into the road, and watch time go by. And it seemed that a glass of wine, even if you fancy a lighter white wine or rose, was indeed cheaper than a cafe creme - a latte for us. Un ver du vin was an easy excuse to see your girls, whilst meeting the "city chic" criteria for a friday night. 

And also, coffee. Now, having just jumped ship from one of the most coffee-central cities in the world, I was slightly disappointed with the difficulty of finding a good coffee, in a regular sized mug, that wasn't Starbucks - and how uncool it was to be seen drinking Starbucks at an arts university. Even though I STILL bought my Starbucks whilst on the metro home, it was only after really searching and hunting down coffee shops launched by English or Australian ex-pats, was I able to sit down with a mug of coffee (The Broken Arm, Honor Cafe and Holy Belly Cafe, you fed my coffee cravings well)... note : to all those looking for the parisian experience, a double shot expresso from a parisian cafe style on numerous city corners is the best option, for those who want to hunt down the perfect thought-through coffee blend, find the above.  

Not forgetting, food. One thing I found was that I learnt to appreciate doing picnic-style eating - sitting by the river Seine with bread and cheese and a can of coke, was one of the loveliest experiences I had with my friends from Denmark. It is also very difficult to eat from stores like "Tescos" or "Sainsburys", with a "Marks and Spencers" only being one in some of the main metro stations. The best wait to eat a good lunch, for less than 10 euros, was indeed at a localy family-run Boulangerie (bakery) where you could find any large, home-cooked, freshly baked sandwich with a filling of your choice - cheese with lettuce and tomatoes, yes please! (+ additional crusty bread). 

Travel. 

So unlike New York, the metro in Paris did not run through the night, it rain up until about 12am on weeknights, and 1.30am on weekends (friday counts as a weekend). You also have the "RER" metro, which travel to the outskirts of Paris and out of Paris, as well as in the in-city lines that are number 1-14 depending on the route... it is also a hell of a lot easier to understand than New York, as well as being slightly cheaper for a monthly student pass. Uber was just about as cheap as London and just as reliable - remember, alle' is to go, 'ici' is here, and 'se bonne' is that's good. That is all you need. I also found that a lot of friends did indeed cycle everywhere, with a similar system to Boris bikes existing in Paris, and traffic not being as crazy as it is in New York and London, it was safe enough to cycle. 

---------------------------------------------

If you want a city to live in where you can relax and appreciate culture and history, this is the city. I personally found that I relaxed massively whilst living here for three months, and found that I gained a different way to approaching my own life. Paris is the city of Romance, of beauty and of life, and will always be the most calming of the three from this past year. 

From London to New York to Paris.

Dearest readers, I have not deserted you. It has been a copious time difference between the last time I wrote to this evening - I have indeed returned back to London from Paris, my original home, and now can happily say I am finally settled into one city. As a girl who has now lived in three major cities, disregarding having also travelled to two other incredible cities, I now have the opportunity to reflect on the three different living situations of New York, Paris and indeed my home, London.

When asked to compare, the three cities are incredibly different in many ways, and do create a different lifestyle from the next - from how its inhabiters live their day-to-day lives, to how their weekends are spent, how they work, how they eat,  even how they dress. So, I want to create a small city guide to really show what I learnt from this year of travelling.

New York. 

currency - dollars, key areas- Brooklyn, manhattan, dumbo, Williamsburg. transport - Uber, taxi, metro. 

Dress Code. 

As most of you lovely readers know, I am an avid fashion follower - I like styling ideas and I like to take note on what others are wearing. I found that after living for four months in New York, living in Brooklyn and spending most of my time in down town Manhattan (soho, TriBeCa, garment district), my own personal style definitely undertook a change and became influenced by those around me. 

My design mentor in particular was a strong influencer in how I chose to dress - she was a woman of style, comfort and minimalism - not only did she wear pieces from her own collection that had a very "niche" and quirky style about them, she also loved to wear oversized, almost boyish shapes, with a pair of trainers or when dressing up, mules or loafers - indeed, when given the opportunity to head to a presentation during New York Fashion Week with my mentors, I was told to turn up in trainers and not be the girl in heels. Which was indeed how I found other New Yorkers that I met. Before I knew it, I took was walking around in an oversized coat and baseball cap, with trainers as my favourite go to, and almost always wearing a neautral colour scheme of grey, black, and white. Before I knew it, I stopped drying my hair and kept my makeup either natural/barely there, and kept my hair also natural. 

There is a certain air of relaxation and ease when it comes to New York styling, where no one over thinks what they're wearing, and everyone is dressed in clothes that are suitable for the city life. 

Lifestyle. 

The lifestyle in New York is indeed how you would image that in any large, busy city that is made up of array of people all chasing their dreams - in other words, everyone is hustling, and life does not stop at 5pm on weeknights. 

To put it clearly, not one person I met worked a 9-5 job - it seemed everyone had at least two jobs, multiple methods of income, and weekday drinks was a usual choice of activity. Its a lifestyle that is particularly infectious - even I found myself going home after a day of interning and learning about design, business, watching youtube videos on dress making and "hustling" towards being better at what I do. My mentors told me stories of how they had worked in multiple careers and work fields before design, and had indeed also been sole creators of an online magazine, before they even reached the career path of designers - they were also incredibly hard workers, with my mentor Julie taking charge of manufactoring, design and selling, which Jason took charge of branding and graphics of the brand - they worked hard to keep the brand alive, with just the two of them supporting the brand's development.

It also seemed that those that lived in the big smoke were individuals of an independent nature - it was not uncommon to find both men and women eating alone on a friday night, or sitting at a bar with a glass of wine and a book. This even rubbed off on me when I found myself outside in a near by bar after a buying meeting, with a good glass of wine and Skyping my parents. In New York, it's okay to be on your own - as my mentor told me, its what New York girls do.

Food.
It's not only the lifestyle and fashion of this incredible city that deserves commentary but also the food, and how different eating and drinking is compared to Paris and London. For example, brunch. Brunch is one of the most popular go-to's on the weekend, with brunching spots like the Egg Shop (TriBeCa), Rabithole (Williamsburg) and Jack's Wife Frieda (Soho) filling up at 12am, with a line outside by 1pm. It is a time to catch up with friends, whilst enjoying bottomless coffee, pancakes, egg and with a large coffee refill in one hand as you leave to browse the local thrift and book shops.

But it's not only brunch that celebrates the love of food in this city - Pizza Slices on every block show that fast food doesn't have to be just Mcdonalds or in New York's case, Popeye's. It is the $1 slice that is picked up on the commute home, a quick pick me up after the day's work that really hits that junk food craving at 6pm.

Finally, who can forget the importance of coffee in this city. Throughout my four months in New York, I was a coffee feign, with regular coffees throughout the day - be it iced or a straight up hot cup of Joe to go. Coffee shops are unique in New York, having their own take and own customer experience, as well as maintaining an eye for taste and detailing when it came to coffee - one particular coffee spot in the garment district even maintained the rule of having no wifi as the shop was about socialising and a love of coffee, not sitting on social media. One particular coffee shop, Happy Bones, was my little hideout when it came to grabbing a coffee after a day of interning, or even as a before-work visit to read my magazine and to chill. The spot was small but well decorated with a white interior (walls, floors, tables, chairs, you name it), and attracted the fashion pack before 10am, and the trendy TriBeCan's after 12pm.

Travel.
In every city, I have found that travelling around is also a lot different in each place. In New York, cabs are everywhere - it's a real Carrie Bradshaw moment when you have to walk out into the middle of the road, raising one arm and shouting "Taxi!". The fare's are not as steep like in London with our black cabs, with taking a cab from Williamsburg to Brooklyn being around $24 (roughly about £20). Uber is also still at large and still remains inexpensive, but is definitely in competition with the city's taxi rank.

There is also the metro - however, unlike the London Tube system and Paris' version of the metro, the metro is a little more confusing - with routes either stopping at every station on the line, or being "express" and missing out four in between. Sometimes, this change can happen mid journey, so always pay attention whilst on route. The metro is also not as clean as the London underground, and there is much more activity on the New York metro system - including street dancers hanging upside down in the carriages mid journey, and even live performers striking a chord as you travel over the Manhattan bridge. (the videos on Facebook you see of train performers and buskers? That's in New York).
                                                                                         ------------------------------------------
All in All, I found that New York is a fast pace city, where no weekend was boring and days-off could range from brunch, to afternoon drinks, to rooftop parties to nights out in a club or a bar. It is as they say, the city that never sleeps, and is not for the faint hearted. Next up, Paris. 

London Collection for Men with Jungle-Magazine

So this LCM, I was given the amazing opportunity to write for Jungle-Magazine, being able to it and watch some of my favourite designer collections and take the time to really understand the design aesthetics behind them.

Valencia.

So this morning I returned from a little getaway to Valencia. Having spent the last few months working hard with my design work, I felt it was about time to find some sun, sangria and sea.. and of course relax. 

Country - Spain 

Language - Spanish

where to stay: 
Home Youth Hostel - As we were a large group of students, half of us travelling around europe, the easiest, cheapest thing to do is the stay in a hostel. The hostel that we chose in total cost less than 70 euros for three nights, with rooms of four beds, lockers, and bedding. The hostel we stayed in was the best I've stayed in with a comfortable bed, a high-powered working shower and a warm hostel staff that aren't afraid to have fun. The Home Youth Hostel was also in one of the best areas in Valencia, with cafe's and restaurants just around the corner, and within walking distance of bars and a huge food market. The hostel also holds regular bar crawls that ends in free entry into a club of their choice (and can't forget a free shot on every entry into each bar).

What to do: 
Malvarossa Beach - This was the one beach we visited during our stay. The beach is a natural sand beach (no rocks, I promise), with Spanish cuisine restaurants lining the sideline and a good few bars to get a beach beer or glass of Sangria. The trip to Malvarossa was approximately 20 minutes in a taxi (depending on what of the beach you chose) or 45 minutes by bike. 

The City of Arts and Science Museum - Although we didn't manage to squeeze this one in (the weather was just too good to not be outside), the architecture of this building is incredible. It is highly recommended to check out, for those rainy tourist days, and with entry at just 6.20 euros for students, it's definitely worth trying to go, or even just visiting to see the architecture. 

Bike Hire - This was my favourite part of the trip, the bike hire. At 12pm, we hired bikes for 9 euros for 24 hours, and cycled from the city centre to the beach, going through Valencia, past The city of Arts and Science Museum, to the beach. On a sunny day, this is perfect, with stopping at a small bar for Sangria being a perfect way to relax and take in the atmosphere. Do not forget to wear trainers. 

Get lost in Valencia - one of the nicest things to do around the centre of Valencia was to walk down all the alley ways and discover the buildings and little bars that are tucked around the corners. The locals stay out drinking until the early hours of the morning, so it's not unusual to drop by a bar at 12am to get a glass of wine. 

Valencia Cathedral - for lovers of architecture and history, the Valencia Catheral is also worth a visit. It is one of the holders of the holy grail, with a seperate chapel allowing viewings. With regular services, make sure to be respectful inside, as the atmosphere is one of religion and not of tourism. However, saying this, it is possible to embark upon the 207 steps to the top of the Cathedral in order to look over the entire City of Valencia, at only 2 euros. 

Mya Club - For those that wish to also experience the nightlife, Mya Club is definitely the club of choice. Open until the late hours of the morning (6am finish anyone?), there is a total of three rooms to choose from, featuring house music, hip hop and of course latino. The drink prices are reasonable and the rooms are of good size, which makes going in a large group of friends perfect. 

What to eat and drink: 
Paella - A Spanish delicacy of rice, meat, fish and vegetables, served practically everywhere that serves food in Valencia. You cannot go to any Spanish city without trying Paella. 

Tapas - another traditional Spanish food and that isn't quite the same when tried outside of spain. Order 3 or 4 dishes at 4 euros each, combining fish, vegetables and meat to really fill yourself up. 

Sangria - Sun, Sea and Sangria. A sweet alternative to just wine, with slices of apple and orange, this is a specialist drink that the spaniards love to promote. A pit stop in tourist activities accompanied by a large glass of Sangria is definitely all you need. 

Getting around 
Taxi - The easiest way to get around Valencia is by Taxi. With no Uber working in this city, the Taxi prices are relatively cheap, with trips costing roughly around 3 euros each when there's a group of 4 of you in the car. 

Metro - the metro stations and trains are very clean and not too confusing, with a pack of 10 tickets being able to be purchased for 9 euros. 

Bikes - the city is small enough to be able to bike to pretty much get to any part you would like, and with a number of different bike hire shops places around the town, it's hard not to try it. 

So, Valencia - make sure to tick that one of your list when you're thinking about Barcelona and Madrid. Definitely one of my favourite cities, and I'll definitely be back. 

The Ace of Clubs - Four Years Strong.

Family - love, care, attention, support and respect. A adjective I can happily place upon the heads of London events and promotion team Ace of Clubs. After two years of attending the teams events as a guest, I can safely say that I see this group of incredible people as a family - they love and care for each other, support and respect each other and pay attention to each other's needs. This incredible team not only holds the majority of the best London nightlife experiences under their belts, they also threw a spectacular fourth birthday celebration this Tuesday at their launch of their new weekly Tape Tuesday. 

Previously, I have taken the time to write about Tape Tuesday on a previous piece, but this night was special, to say the least. The events and promotion team are now four years old - a family running under the mentorship and support of the team's director Nico Bandeira... and did they show us why the team are currently the most hard-working and recommended on the scene.

The night began at 9pm with Little Tape, an almost warm up to the night ahead, with nibbles, tables, seats and drinks surrounding the intimate yet lively private room. To add to the warming atmosphere, the band "The Shades" performed several tracks that created an easy-going vibe that allowed for gentle mingling and catch-ups. The Ace of Clubs team worked their way around the room easily, welcoming guests and showing their care and gratitude for their attendance.

Once it hit 11pm, guests were taken into the main room, with the main tables being placed in easy access to each other for an intimate feel - this also made it easy for guests to move between groups, as it allowed easy access from one table to the other. The music began with soft RnB to create a pace but not make the atmosphere seem to intimidating - this gradually built up to house music and remixes, and then onto HipHop. And my, did the atmosphere build - not only did the venue itself become busy and buzzing, the team also worked professionally and efficiently, separating themselves between the individual tables, in order to support and aid each other. Not only did the team respect each other, they respected their guests, maintaining the care and attention that the majority of promotion and events teams seem to forego in a nightlife atmosphere - if there was an incident in which any other of the girls in my group felt pushed around or uncomfortable, my big friendly giant Jeremy Kyle would politely make room for us and make sure we felt safe.

There was definitely no shortage of enjoyment and fun either - the team were surprised with champagne and cake, with Nico gratefully taking the prizes of the night, and not one attendee in the room stayed quiet - everyone was celebrating and cheering in aid of Ace of Clubs birthday because the team have built up such a huge following. Everywhere you looked, there were smiles, dancing and laughing. It was easy to see that this was not just a normal night, and not just a normal promotion team.

Now, I want to finish on the idea of Family. In the words of Nico, as he awaited the events of the night - 'We are what we are not by the success of one but by the success of the many that make this team what it is... "I am what I am because of who we all are"'.


 To Family, and to The Ace of Clubs.



photo credits - Thomas Van Cam, https://www.facebook.com/ThomasVanCamphotography/?pnref=lhc. instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thomasvancam/

Ace of Clubs - https://www.facebook.com/aceofclubslondon/?fref=ts 

Tape Tuesday original posting - http://thelondongirlstory.blogspot.fr/2016/01/tape-tuesday-featuring-ace-of-clubs.html

Dior is a Girl's Best Friend.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend? Correction - I have found Tiffany's replacement, and it comes in a form of sweet smelling, Gris Vision, Dior. Now, I never really appreciated luxury couture houses before I moved to Paris - sure, Alexander McQueen stole my heart with his rebel attitude and liberating pattern cutting skills, I admired Chanel for the history and the storyline, but I never really embraced Couture, such as Louis Vuitton, Dior or Balenciaga, nor their past, their development or indeed, their present design aesthetic..until this week. 

I've found that there has always been a stigma attached to the label of Dior - after all, who cannot appreciate the Dior 'New Look' and the reintroduction of feminine sexuality in dressing during the war? The small waists, oversized skirts and elegant materiality, what is not to salute as a historical moment in fashion? Well, as part of developing an interest in Dior (after seeing how incredible a pair of Dior pointed toe pumps really look on a foot, and how shiny that lady Dior bag really is) I took the time to watch the documentary 'Dior and I' and reestablished my belief that a classic couture house can still be modern, with the help of previous Jil Sander protege Raf Simons. 

Through Simons, the Parisian girl-next-door was given a back bone - the previously historical tailoring and romanticised fabrics, were pushed forward by Simons and introduced into the 21st century, with raw edges roughening up the sweet-heart necklines, and the classic small waist and volumnous skirt taking form in evening tops and power-hungry suit jackets. Think Kate Moss takes over Paris (or at least, the Palace of Versailles.)

Now, I know that Simons has since departed the house since 'Dior and I', and has stood as the tip of the fashion business iceberg in terms of pace vs. productivity, but it is stamp of futurism on the historical house that I greatly admire and has attracted me to the previously unfavoured brand - the idea of taking innocent femininity into the 21st century and turning it into sexy without the Yves Saint Laurent 'Le Smoking' Jacket. It is the want of trying to twist the history into something new that attracts me, whilst the house still keeps it's iconic products (The Lady Dior will be a bag to tick off), the Parisian Chic in the 21st century. The Dior woman is now aiming for the glass ceiling, armed in pearls and studs, no longer restricted by corset and stiffening material. 

Still think Diamonds are a girl's best friend?