The Eighteen Year Itch

I don't have to runaway and live in the street. I can runaway and I can go to the ocean, I can go to the country, I can go to the mountains. I could go to Israel, Africa, Afghanistan.

That moment in your life when, actually, what you want to do is just get the hell out of home and do something, anything, in order to make your stamp on the world, or leave your mark on other people's lives, whether for better or for worse, just so long as people actually care. In the words of Tallulah in Bugsy Malone 'You may forget I've been here but you won't forget me'.

Actually that sounds vaguely threatening, so to tone it down, I'd like to mention how I have won my coveted place at university, and now I would like to just GO THERE ALREADY and not have to wait until October. Which is such a long time away. And yes, I am doing things in the mean time like, um, going to Italy on Sunday (such a hard life, right) but really all I'd like to do is start living. 

And so we come to The Breakfast Club, John Hughes' brilliant film about high school cliques, genders, preconceptions, and breaking all of the above. I think the beauty of it is that everyone can identify with multiple characters and, unlike Ferris Bueller's Day Off which is just about the freedom of life (deep statement alert), it actually asks questions of teenagers, about why we act how we do, whose perceptions of ourselves we are conforming to, wittingly or unwittingly, and whether we can actually break from the mould and live for ourselves, making our own decisions. 

I think the images and styling of this film are absolutely to-die-for, with 'good' vs 'weird' clearly marked out in the jock clothes and fingerless gloves, but one of the most poignant scenes in the film is when lovely Molly Ringwald gives Judd Nelson's character her earring. Just this idea that a small diamond earring can stand for so much and so many different things in different settings, wholesomeness with Molly and rebel attitude with Judd... It's brilliant.

Make like Madonna at the Super Bowl

I have neglected this for the longest time - not exactly my most brilliant decision ever, as I have come to realise. Just when I have acres of free time on my hands and am about ready to apply for various fashion mag/site work experience type-stuff. My plan was to impress 'them' with this uber-cool portfolio of my absolutely amazing writing style, fashion skills and general all-round greatness and hireability. Instead, I have an amateurish, horrendously un-uptodate corner of the internet, which I would be embarrassed to show my mum. Oops.

However, after wasting a day on YouTube, I have decided to make like Madonna at the SuperBowl and just go for it with every sort of glitz and glam and fireworks and crazy futuristic Egyptian americana sports-style Cleopatra madness, which shouldn't work on so many levels, but somehow, just DID. I think.

If you haven't watched it, it is necessary that you do so now. I don't even know what sort of sport the SuperBowl is (or whether this is even how you spell it, or if I have just created this new word).

Here we go then, blog take II.
And if I can get round to it, I will think about changing the name and/or web address, or whatever, since this is CLEARLY not a gap yah blog any more.
And now I need to stop talking about myself in overly-knowing sentences. And start creating. If html can be creative.

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Zadig et Voltaire

Zadig et Voltaire Autumn Lookbook

I almost had a fit yesterday when I realised that Montpellier is home to a lovely Zadig et Voltaire store. I have huge love for this French brand, half way between the chicness of another highstreet(ish) French brand The Kooples and the glam rock aesthetic of Balmain. The hefty price tag is well out of my student budget, but I plan to spend a lot of my time browsing there, and hope for some serious sale reductions. Although, if I have some money saved at the end of my stay, I may invest in a top as a little present to myself. If nothing else, I will try to save enough for this barrette, which will be perfect for Christmas.

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Zara - The Mood

lookbook

Flick through the Zara lookbook for a bit of winter inspiration - my favourite is the glitter photo with the oversized hat.

Mor - Jewellery Carnaby and Soho London

One of the best jewellery shops I found around Carnaby Street, when I was looking to spend my birthday money on something long-lasting. I can't wear silver jewellery as my skin tone is too pale, but Mor has the best bronze jewellery which looks classy but less expensive than gold (thank god). It's hypoallergenic too, which is great as I'm wary of becoming allergic to metals, as my mum is allergic to nickel and silver and it's such a pain for her to buy jewellery.

ring, earrings, earrings, bangle

The shop sells basically a nicer version of beach jewellery, the type you buy in little shops on Greek islands, with some interesting twists - so there was a necklace with lava rocks posing as a string of beads. I bought a freshwater pearl bracelet and pair of bronze earrings in the shape of a flower (will post photos later). The designs are all created by three different women, and they pull on architectural structures and ancient jewellery artefacts to create some thoroughly modern pieces.