The joy of the city

Today, in a completely spur of the moment decision, I went to London. My mum was being driven up for a meeting so I thought that I would tag along. There's nothing better for self-reflection and gaining inspiration than walking aimlessly around a big city. Whether it is in Florence and you are taking in the overwhelming splendour of renaissance architecture, or if you are in Berlin being affected by the intensity of emotion which radiates from the city's history- being a carefree flaneur (you can thank Charles Beaudelaire for that ingenious term) is a fabulous way to spend the day.
My first stop in London was the area around Old street- full of young artsy fashion types this area is a wonder for spotting hip street style. I saw some seriously retro sneakers, a lot of chubbys (I am referring to the short and wide big fur coat here, not to people with weight problems), some gorgeous pointy men's brogues (on women), a lot of leopard print (on scarves, hats, belts and coats), a lot of plaid, some enviably chic tapered black cropped trousers and many a pair of cheeky geek chic glasses. This area is also great for checking out the graffiti- there was an amazing nu-rave fluoro design and I caught one guy in the act of painting a beautiful mural of a woman's face with streaming windswept hair.
Next stop- HARRODS. The quintessentially British department store never fails to impress me with the extent of its range of goods and the friendly demeanour and knowledge of the staff. The menswear section had some stunning luggage- a gorgeous Louis Vuitton backpack, a dappled leather satchel and a patent leather travelling drinks case!!! The shoe section was fairly disappointing- mostly because the miu miu satin sandals and embellished pumps were absent :( But my mum did try on a gorgeous pair of classic Chanel pumps which were black leather with a metallic silver toe section, complete with the 'CC' logo. Don't get me started on the foodhalls- I went in with the sole intention of buying some sushi for a late lunch and ended up spending (ahem-mums credit card) about £60 on pasta, salad and cheese. Ooooopps. And did I mention Harrods now has Laduree?????
Last stop- Sloane Street. Aka DESIGNER HEAVEN. If there is a single high-end store you can think of, it has a home here. Not that I can afford anything from this area, but I like to torture myself. One thing that is worth checking out here, if like me you are poor as pie, is the window displays. Window dressers, like catwalk producers, are some of the most highly underestimated people in the fashion business. A store window is like the cover of a book- if it is attractive, consider the product sold; if it is unappealing- product shunned. Here is my low-down of the top stores:
-Harvey Nichols: I'm not talking about the overall window displays here because they are a little too modern art-installation for my tastes; I am talking specifically about the display on the corner of Brompton Road- the one which is a shrine to Alexander McQueen. I'm not sure I can even describe it, you really need to see it for yourself. All I will say is that it is very moving. If I wasn't being heckled at by a Big Issue seller and dragged down to Jigsaw by Mama I would have just stayed there staring for hours.
-Louis Vuitton: The Spring bag and shoes collection is beautifully displayed inside of numerous hanging gold birdcages. LOVE IT.
-Mulberry (on the Brompton road): I've mentioned this before but I loved it so much that I shall say it again. CAROUSEL HORSES!!!!!! High fashion has really become a child's playground.
(Outside of Sloane street)
-Start: this boutique run by Brix Smith-Start (you will have seen her on Gok's Fashion Fix and she has been featured in Elle's section detailing celebrities' wardrobes) is a haven for all things wacky and wonderful. The window display features soft toy cartoon monkeys (like, weird Manga style ones if that makes sense) wrapped with studded belts and jewellery, and the amazing shoe collection is displayed in a framework of fluorescent pink acetate boxes, right there for passers by to see. If anyone fancies buying me the white platform sandals with angel wings on I shall be extremely grateful!!!