College Shop

Mmmm Fashion. London Fashion week. Fashion blogs. Clothes I cannot afford or pull off. I have a love hate relationship with FASHION.

When I was 13 I started taking notice of what I wore. I was probably at my most creative when I was around 17 - I loved wearing boyish clothes: high waisted trousers, shirts and ties, old Docs, brogues, waistcoats, blazers adorned with badges. My style icon was
Rick from the Young Ones.
Where I grew up, you'd get an outraged reaction in the street if you wore red shoes. So being individual and quirky was effortless. My favourite acquisitions were a pair of canary yellow cords, and a collection of shoes pillaged form my mother (Brothel Creepers, cowboy boots...) and the Japanese-inspired clompy doll-like shoes from Gazith. 

London marked my disgruntlement with fashion. It's everywhere, it's generic, it's disposable, it's dictatorial. In London you can be what you want, however you want it and everyone is trying to be it. I found it exhausting. So jeans and t-shirts was the way to ignore it.

Now I'm getting over the 'attitude' and utter vanity fashion can be about, and just enjoying the fun, pretty stuff. 

Aaaaanyway. I visited the College Shop off Carnaby Street and was delighted to see one-off beautifully made pieces for the price of an average dress from Topshop.

 Silence Beyond Syllables

 Emma Erskine Omigie

William Tempest

 Michela Carraro

 Michela Carraro

Apologies for not liking all the designers' names. But you should check this little place out before it closes its doors for good...

 until the next fashion week. Which seems to come round far too quickly.

Some favourites from the big fashion blogs: Le Fashion, Oracle Fox, Milk and Mode, Harper&Harley, Street Style Aesthetic and latest blogger and fashion-knower (will solve all my fashion queries) MAYA at I want to be wearing.