London's Calling....One Girl's Wanderlust Goes and Investigates!!

London has long been the fashion capital of the world, with many great designers such as Alexander McQueen, GILES, Charlotte Taylor, Katrina Ferrari and Brett de Jager all revolutionising the way we dress. London Fashion Week has now become the biggest event in the fashion calendar and all the major fashion bloggers either come from London or are living in London.

What is it that makes London so special?
Living and working in London, it is hard not to favour this city above others in the world, however, in no other city do I feel as inspired as I do when I am immersed in London culture. I can feel a vibrant energy pumping through my veins,via the Central line, when I walk down the street, feeding my brain with inspiration. London is a melting pot of different cultures, made so by the vast collection of nationalities that make up it's population. It is no surprise then that London is home to a rich and diverse art scene.


London inspires so many people with its eclectic array of food, art, culture, entertainment, personalities and so much more. Fashion plays a massive part in this. There is a certain 'London Look' that epitomises the capital's creative edge. With the culture clashes, freedom to wear what we like, the availability of throw away fashion and the strong emphasis on art, people can create their own unique look, a look unique to London...something that would be impossible to recreate anywhere else in the world. It is safe to say that fashion has definitely stamped its sharp stiletto heel into the paving stones of the Capital...(Hungerford Bridge...ahem!!)

The Kate Middleton Effect:
London has only just become the fashion capital of the world earlier this year and we have one woman to thank for that....Kate Middleton! With all the media hype and social media buzz surrounding the royal wedding and her beautiful Sarah Burton wedding dress, London knocked New York, Paris and Milan to second, third and fourth positions in the Global Language Monitor survey. Despite this, some industry insiders dismiss the survey, still recognising Paris and Milan as the commercial and creative hubs of the industry. For some people like the milliner Stephen Jones it is a generational thing: "For young people, London is the fashion capital, but if you are an American buyer it would be Paris or Milan."

What is the future of the fashion capital?
Now that London has received and is getting used to all this love and affection it is learning to embrace it and forget its modesty. This is not a bad thing, after all it is widely recognised that Brits are far to modest in comparison to the rest of the world. 


The focus has shifted away from the commercial, harsh sales where all that mattered was turnover and profit and we are learning how to nurture and develop the brands/designers we love. Over the past year (especially during LFW during September) a plethora of emerging young talent has moved onto our radars. Names like Jessica Au, James Kearns, Susie Stone and Stephanie Grace Foy have become household names for anyone interested in fashion. This is due to the increased support and funding given to recently graduated designers. It seems that finally people are realising that the smaller, fresh faced designers of the present will be the profit earners of the future. We only have to look as far as Alexander McQueen to see that.


Saying all this however, you would have to have been living under a stone over the past few months not to hear about Westfield Stratford City opening it's doors to the public. Being Europe's largest urban shopping complex it is no shrinking violet and it doesn't pretend to be. The shopping centre is situated alongside the London Olympic Park and is home to over 300 shops and 70 restaurants. It has also been said that by building the new shopping centre, it will create 10,000 new jobs. 

How will this affect One Girl's Wanderlust?
As a fashion intern in the big bustling city that is London, I need to stay on top of all the fashion current affairs and working in a city that is as fashion forward as London is really helps. More and more I have seen pivotal people in the fashion industry favour London over New York when it comes to hosting their events or opening a new store. You would think that with the media frenzy surrounding London earlier this year and the increased popularity of smaller independent designers that it would be easier to find a job. Personally, I don't think that having London as the fashion capital has increased the possibility of finding a job at all. In fact, I think it is harder than ever to find a job in the fashion capital and even unpaid internships are hard to come by. It all comes down to networking and getting your face out there. 


What is really important to me is the increased level of support and understanding that British fashion has received since London has been elected the fashion capital as it means that the British fashion industry can remain as fresh and diverse as it always has despite the current economic climate.


What are your views on London? Should it be the fashion capital of the world?

From Catwalk To Cover-Discover The Secret World of Fashion Week

Have you ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes during fashion week? Do you think that there must be more to it than a seemingly exclusive event where only a few fashionistas get to sit in the front row resulting in a few outfits being featured in a glossy magazine? You can now discover the secret world of fashion week at London's Fashion and Textile Museum this November when they will put the whole process from catwalk to cover under the close scrutiny of the microscope. 


The exhibition will feature a series of photographs taken by top catwalk photographers over the years and with the coverage of these photographs, no areas will be access denied. The photographs allow the viewer exclusive backstage access displaying all the different elements that make up a catwalk show-Backstage, Front Row, Catwalk and Street Style. This allows the viewer an insight into a world full of chaos and beauty which makes up the apparently glamorous fashion shows that bloggers and magazine editors alike fawn over to get the best story for their website or magazine. The shows featured include Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs. This is a must do for any fashionista out there.

Ed's Easy Diner-The Perfect Place To Get The Real Taste Of 1950's America



Having had a few day trips to London over the last month, I have discovered a hidden gem in the heart of London where milkshakes are served by the jug full and each table has it's own mini jukebox.....If this sounds like heaven, then read on.....

This oasis for fast food lovers or just lovers of good food is called Ed's Easy Diner and there are a handful of diners scattered over the heart of London. So far I have only been to the ones in Soho and Mayfair and on both occasions, it was a delight to eat there. Surrounded by friendly attentive staff and the soundtrack to 1950's America, it is hard not to feel happy and the addition of a scrumptious meal and milkshake just makes this oasis turn into a heaven. Not only are the staff really friendly but also the customers that it attracts are all out to enjoy the experience and the taste of the food making the whole experience relaxing and enjoyable.


It is not just the food that score high in my eyes, but also the decor of the diners. Each one is unique in the layout but the fixtures and fittings do not vary greatly giving it a safe, homely feeling which is emphasised through their motif of a warm happy red. The Mayfair diner even had a mirror with the words "Customer of the Week" etched into the glass with space for your face underneath giving it a quirky and unique twist and the customer endless enjoyment from seeing their face in the best customer section.


If you were to visit on of Ed's Easy Diners, I would recommend ordering the Chocolate Milkshake, Onion Rings, Classic Fries and the Beanspice burger or just a selection of these things as the food is extremely filling.


Here is the link to the Ed's Easy Diner website

Ed's Diner Soho

Chocolate Milkshake and Chocolate Oreo Milkshake

My Trip to the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern

It is not everyday that you get the chance to see the work of so many great masters all in one place. On Wednesday I visited the Tate Britian in the morning and then the Tate Modern in the afternoon. The main purpose of the trip was to see all the works of art I am studying for my History of Art class up close and personal.


Whilst at the Tate Britain, I explored the enchanting, mythical, haunting work of the Pre Raphaelites. It was early morning and we had the bright sun light streaming in from the windows high above allowing us to see in detail the dappled brushstrokes and emotive expressions that make up so many of the Pre Raphaelite paintings. After carefully analysing each work of art relevant to the course, we made our way into the Romantics exhibition to see the work of Turner who is considered by many to be the best British artist of all time. After taking in the moody, expressive landscapes of the great master we caught the Tate boat to take us up river to discover more great art.


If anything could contrast with the serene scenes of Victorian daily life and the beauty of the British country side then the Tate Modern would be it. The work displayed in the gallery is equally amazing but you don't appreciate how radical and brutal it is unless you study what came before it. All beauty as we know it is thrown away and we are placed in a minimalistic old power station housing some of the worlds most shocking and expensive paintings of all time. The most expensive being the new Picasso which is said to be worth £65.5 million. It was so unbelievable to be surrounded by all the works of art we had been studying for so long that we were all walking around in awe especially at the sight of Ai Weiwei's amazing carpet of 100 million handpainted sunflower seeds on display in the Turbine hall.


It was such a fantastic day and really inspiring. I would reccommend it to anyone vaguely interested in art as at the end of the day it is free to enter so you won't loose anything by going and having a look! 

The Old Operating Theatre, London

Last week I went to visit the Old Operating Theatre in London, a place I had been meaning to visit for a long time but had constantly put off. Situated behind an old church in the London Bridge area of London, the Old Operating theatre is Europe's oldest operating theatre and it survives from the days before anaesthesia and antiseptic surgery. The museum itself is situated in the Herb Garret, a timber framed Apothecary's store full of medical instruments, bowls of exotic herbs and shelves of beautiful coloured glass bottles. Here are some of my photos.

A sculpture in the doorway to the museum

One of the theatre's old patients haha



Some of the old bottles used in surgery



The stands where spectators could have watched an operation

The Old Operating Theatre, is a great place to go for an hour or so to see what life would have been like hundreds of years ago. Every Saturday at 2pm there is a live demonstration of surgery before anaesthesia and on Sundays at the same time there is a talk about the museum itself and its medical heritage. It is a truly fascinating experience and is also close to Borough Market so there is plenty of tasty food available.

Even More Street Style London

This woman is not scared of making a statement with her clothes. The combination of the fur coat and hat which contrast with the rich ruby red of the gloves and scarf immediately conjure up images of Russian winters and the opulence of the Tsars. I also love the fact you can see her skirt under the coat and her patterned tights worn with her masculine, leather boots. This woman is super stylish and has the confidence to pull off this quirky look perfectly.

More Street Style London

The mix of the chino with the high heels brings a touch of glam to the androgynous style of these trousers. The colours match so well with the brown leather jacket creating a palette of natural earth colours which work beautifully with this woman's hair colour and contrast with the matching baby blue of the scarf and the shirt!

Street Style London

I love the mix of the brown and black of the woman's outfit and her vintage brown leather bag really makes the outfit and reflects the current craze for 70's fashion. I love the simplicity and smartness of the man's outfit, it is pure and elegant but still maintaining that masculine touch!

Day Trip To The Sea....Brighton

Brighton is situated on the South coast of England and is just a quick train journey from London. This makes it the perfect getaway for daytrips to the seaside.


Aside from the obvious things that have made Brighton famous such as Brighton Pier, The Pavillion and Brighton Rock to name a few, there is a lot more that Brighton has to offer.


I have been to Brighton many times over the past few years and my favourite thing to do there is to sit on the beach eating fish and chips and just watch the world go by. Brighton beach is a pebble beach but despite this, it is a very comfortable spot to sit and have a quick bite to eat. The beach is also a good starting point for your day trip as it is within close walking distance to everything.


Whilst on the beach, you won't fail to notice both Brightion Piers, the old and the new. Whilst the old pier provides a very atmospheric backdrop to your photos, the new pier provides endless hours of fun. Stuffed with arcade games and fairground rides the pier is a big attraction for tourists and locals alike. It is also very nice to see it at night when it is all lit up and all the people have gone home.

Another great attraction is the Royal Pavillion which is situated in the middle of a big public park. This splendid building was built for the Prince Regent between 1787-1823 and it's oriental, exotic appearance is maintained inside and out. It is possible to go for a guided tour around the palace which takes about an hour to an hour and a half.


What I love about Brighton though is the shopping. Being the creative hub of the South East outside of London, it is not surprise that the shopping is fantastic. The city centre is populated with a mixture of chain high street stores as well as quirky one off stores providing you with the perfect balance. There is also an area of Brighton called "The Lanes" which houses independant boutiques and shops in a warren of tiny roads that lead to a big plaza.


Brighton is a fantastic place to spend the weekend or a day as there is always so much going on. It is also so easy to find your way around and everyone there is so used to tourists that they are always happy to help you if you get lost. I would reccommend this to anyone beach lovers and non beach lovers alike.