In thirty days' time I'll be moving from 'just' outside Glasgow to 'just' outside London. I'll be living in Guildford whilst finishing a year at Italia Conti Arts Centre. I'm going to miss the comforts of home, and the familiarity of the city I'm leaving behind. Although London is of course our cultural capital, there's pretty much nothing that Glasgow doesn't have to offer. Sometimes you might have to go in search of it, but that's part of the fun. Lynsey and I like nothing, if not a bit of an adventure, and we hope there will be plenty of these to share.
We decided to set up this blog as an interesting go-between of all things fashion & music related between the two cities. A place where we'll share the things we love, and which might inspire you too.
I figured a good way to start is with some things that I've seen/ discovered/ thought of this week
I. Secondhand and Vintage London - Andrew Whittaker
An alternative city guide for those with an interest in vintage fashion and an eye for the unique.
This was as an early leaving home present and I can't wait to use it. The book is a beautiful thing to have in general; it has some striking pictures and is divided up perfectly into easy to find categories. It covers everything from clothes & accessories, books, music and memorabilia to homewear and car boot sales. Then there's my favourite, the 'Only in London' section, including detailed maps of each area, nearest tube stops and several pages dedicated to the cities notorious markets and auctions. Having only ever scratched the surface of London's shopping scene, I can't wait to spend hours discovering some of these hidden places. Published by Vivays Publishing, it's available online for a reasonable price.
II. Joy Division and eBay (I'm VERY late to the eBay party, so it still makes me excitable)
Ian Curtis, books and gold things are up there with my favourite things life. Add my new eBay obsession into that and this week has been beyond productive. After re-reading Touching From A Distance by Deborah Curtis (which I can't recommend enough) I went off on a 'Joy Division Day', listening to this live set, and thinking about that ^ infamous t-shirt, the title of William Faulkner's 1929 novel printed across the front. In the end I bought a short t-shirt style dress with the image (one of my favourites) from infinityshirt on eBay, it looks great with ankle boots and a leather jacket.
Needing something to new to read and having always been fascinated (albeit slightly morbidly) by the situation which the band took their name from, I went on a search for the incredibly sobering House of Dolls (Ka-Tzetnik, 1973). Based on the diary entries of a young Jewish girl kept in 'Joy Division' within a Nazi labour camp, the original publication of the novel which I managed to find, tells of the harrowing real-life events of enforced prostitution within these camps. As quoted ' the story would be incredible were not the authenticity of its background undisputed'. I'll admit not an easy read, and I assume not suited to the tastes of many, however this is something I've wanted to learn and understand more of, and the book itself is fascinating in so many ways. It's worth investing in a copy if only to experience the events through a voice which is too often supressed.
Now that I've brought the mood right down, I'll finish with the last (ordinary) thing I found this week, an Anne Klein leather handbag. As many people (Lynsey included) will agree, my usual handbags are the size of a small piece of luggage and I tend to stick to the same one for months (years?) at a time. This new purchase with the original Anne Klein lion head logo and gold chain detail is a perfect size with a vintage 90's feel. The seller, vintageclothing11 has a selection of great quality bags, so if you feel like you need an update this is the place to go.
III. Columbo, in general. Plus it's nearly time for old-man jumpers again.
As you probably can't see from this photo, the man himself Peter Falk
as the endearing Lieutenant Columbo is so important that he shoulders
the responsibility of 'iPhone cover' in my life. The iPhone cover is not
something to be taken lightly, and it was after much deliberation
through 'retro' cassette case (your phone looks like a tape, that's so
cool), various cat themed ideas and other heros, I decided that the only
way to go was to have something so obscure (I'm so individual) that no
one could possibly question it.
As it happens Columbo is one of my favourite things on TV. Seriously, if you haven't watched it do it now. I could sit all day, and might well do some day soon, explaining why. The sets are amazing, as are some of the fashion choices, the 70s Hollywood mansions and guest appearances, not to mention the classic one-liners and 'just one more thing's' from Peter. Plus you're guaranteed a twist at the end, and who doesn't love one of those?
Finally, I decided that although it may be August and we're hitting a steady 17 degrees on better days, the time has come to assemble the Grandpa jumpers of last year and put them to good use. The above, a personal favourite of mine didn't get as much air-time last year so I'm starting with it this time around. I bought it for a mere 50p in a local indoor market that is sadly no longer with us. Start hunting around for your new winter jumper before everyone else gets the chance! For some equally amazing ideas, check out etsy.com.
That's all from me just now, since this has taken 400 years to actually put together - still learning.
- Kirsty
