Saitch Pop Up Shop!!

I created my very own pop up shop in my wardrobe in the hotel to see all the things I brought, it's one of my favourite things to do after shopping, showing off all your new things.


From left to right:
Hat: H&M
Perfumes: Victoria's Secret
Bag: Forever 21
Benefit Make up: Sephora
Notepad: Shakespeare Bookshop (Noho)
Bra: Victoria's Secret
Pink Blouse: Forever 21
Black and Beige Dress: Forever 21
Brown Sheer Tunic: Necessity
Cami with Hearts: Necessity
Black Skirt: Forever 21
Black Bandage Dress: Forever 21
Khaki Dress: Urban Outfitters



Anthropologie Store

 

This store was amazing from it's visual merchandising, store layout, product mix and customer service.

They say you're not a true New Yorker until you have stolen someone elses taxi..... well played girls!

Day 5: Final Day

The day of the walker. I don't think I have ever walked so far in all my life. On our final day the plan was to explore the Upper East Side, top of 5th Avenue, Central Park and Madison Avenue and we did all of these things. Rather impressed that whilst on the Upper East Side a lady who clearly had impeccable taste asked me where my hat was from, I feel she may have been expecting a very fancy specialist fur retailer from her reaction when I repsonded "H&M." O well atleast I looked the part eh?

Central Park in daylight was lovely and it was refreshing not to be looking at buildings for a change, even managed to sample some local cuisine: a hot dog from a Central Park stand YUM!

Finally we popped into the Library so we could picture exactly where it was Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big were supposed to get married, would have been amazing.

Day 4: A different kind of Liberty to what I'm used to

We didn't look at all silly! Imagine if someone got on the Underground here wearing a Big Ben hat!

Love this picture!!

Statue of Liberty well hello there! We jumped on the Statten Island ferry to go and see the lady herself and she was quite impressive, you have to go see her would be rude not to.
We then headed down to Noho ( I love this name) where we had some lunch and did a spot of shopping because we hadn't already done enough!
Then TGI Fridays for dinner, a slightly slower paced day but was nice to chill out in the Big Apple!

Day 3: Hello Soho!!

Converse Store.... love it!

Day 3 commenced with us visiting Century 21.......wow that was an experience I wish to forget! Everyone tells you it's a must, THE place you should go to get your bargains "it's TKMaxx on steroids" that it is indeed but seriously? The mess of the store was unbearable, the crowds were unbearable and the queues were out of this world. Call me crazy but if I'm to spend $400 on a handbag then I want it to be represented well, have some form of service and have a nice carrier bag and tissue paper to take it home in. I don't care if it's discounted it's still a lot of money. Will not be returning anytime soon!
Soho on the other hand I loved. It was so sheek and I loved the multi-storey old school buildings. Shops we visited included Converse, where we spent an eternity trying on shoes with one of the nicest sales men I think I have ever met, and he actually understood English banter which I loved! Popped in on Steve Madden and browsed his shoes - new collection was stunning. Zara and H&M a must, and of course Forever 21. TOPSHOP!! the store was buzzing with people and had a great atmosphere, the music was great and loud made us all want to party, but the prices!! Well lets just say none of us brought anything.
Of Course whilst we were in Soho we couldn't not visit the Prada store, it was breath taking. Everything from the visual merchandising, store layout and merchandising was breath taking. It was more than a store it was selling a whole concept and we looked on in awe as the New Yorkers purchased some truly gorgeous Prada product. One day, one day.
For our evening entertainment we visited the famous "Comic Strip" where we took central seats to sit back and enjoy some comedy. Little did we know a group of English girls would stand out like a sore thumb so much and we took out fair share of English jokes and embarrassing questions. In the end though it was a fun night out and I'm glad we did it.

Day 2: Ready for the 2nd chunk!

2nd day we awoke full of enthusiasm and hunger!!! We headed down into Times Square for breakfast which consisted of pancakes and lashings of maple syrup....naturally. From here we headed to the Conde Nast building which is just as you would imagine. With a big grand entrance and crawling with security, who surprisingly didn't like the look of a group of English girls and even though it was attempted by putting on a very British accent and battering of many eyelashes we were denied entry. It's fine we weren't bitter at least we could soak up the atmosphere............. of the foyer.
From here we decided retail therapy was in order so headed down towards Macy's and Victoria's Secret. Wandering through Macy's to me it just felt like any other department store, if anything I thought it a little bit dated, I think we are just too spoilt here in England. After this we sprinted across the road to Victoria's Secret to get our hands on some sale lingerie. Love, love, love that store cannot wait for it to come to England.
Then on to FIT to look at the exhibitions on men and women's fashion and Japanese fashion. I found the exhibition on men and woman's fashion the most interesting purely because I enjoyed looking at the similarities and contrasting elements of the outfits.

Heading back down to Times Square and we visited MnM World and the Hershey store. It amazed me how many different products they had in the MnM shop. MnM pants, golf balls, baby grows, alarm clocks you name it they made it, almost. When asked where they kept their normal standard packet of MnM's the reply was "we don't stock it ma'am." They stock everything BUT a standard packet of MnM's....craziness!!

After the excitment of MnMs you would of thought we would have been done but oh no, hello there FOREVER 21! One of the greatest shops ever, upon arrival it was evident this was going to be a looooong shop. So we grabbed our baskets and set about filling them to the brim with cheap fashion. The store was immaculate and looked like Topshop with Primark prices: amazing. Floor after floor after floor of clothing, accessories, underwear, shoes it was endless. Once we had all tried on, paid and left the store with multiple yellow bags each and our purses still holding plenty of cash, it was a good 2 hours later.

Once again our tummies called (after a lot of hard work I might add) and we crossed over Times Square and went to Bubba Gumps restaurant, which is based around the Forest Gump story, and had a lovey dinner to finish off our day! (I'm tired just writing it all down, how an earth we fitted it all in I will never know!)

1st day in NYC!!

After arriving at heaven on 3rd the adrenalin began to kick in and all we wanted to do was explore. The eyes widened, the heart began to beat faster and our heads became giddy with the thoughts of everything each of us wanted to achieve from this trip. Bags dropped, quick refresh and outfit change for some and we were out into the concrete jungle itself to see what it truly had to offer.

1st stop 5th Avenue walking down the street, head constantly looking up and up and up as each building became increasingly taller. (I feel there should have been some kind of neck exercise regime in the tourist information books to prepare you for this as I suffered severe neck stiffness the next day!)
Wandering down 5th Avenue felt like a dream, you see it in the films, in adverts, in music videos and yet when you're actually there it looks completely different and feels completely different to walking down Regent St or Oxford St. The noises, the smells, the sights: all a whole new experience.
After this we hit Rockefeller Centre determined to get some snaps of the city at sunset. The strangest thing about this experience is how quiet it is up there. Once you're at the top it's almost silent and it feels incredibly eerie. Seems if you want quiet in New York you gotta go high!

After looking over the city we ventured into Central Park. Freezing cold and pitch black 8 of us shivered our way through the park determined to find the ice skating rink, and of course the determination of 8 girls on a mission was enough to ensure we succeeded. Skating around singing to a bit of old school RnB and then you look up an see a sky full of  lights from the apartments overlooking, and even in the freezing cold it gave you a warm feeling that felt to surreal. It was a perfect 1st day.

Heaven on 3rd

Imagine our delight when we arrived at the hotel "Eastgate Tower" to be greeted by a vision of a gigantic living room, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a kitchen (all be it as a non-cook this part didn't particularly excite me, all the same thought a kitchen!)
Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big had their heaven on 5th, well Ive got news for them, it was all going on down on 3rd Ave in what one would only describe as my penthouse for the week. Ms Bradshaw eat your heart out, there was enough wardrobe space in that hotel room, had I been able to afford Manolo Blaniks, I could have purchased the entire shop, stored them meticulously in their boxes and still have had room for a few Chanel handbags. It was amazing!!!

A 2-5-2 Formation

So most men when they read "formations" instantly think of football and how their teams should have played a different way. Well here's a formation I have never experienced before a "2-5-2." Obviously I'm not talking about football, I am rather impressed I know formations exist at all, but this is the extent of my football knowledge, I am in fact talking about the seating arrangement on the plane on our way to the big apple. I've seen " 2-3-2" a "3-4-3" a 3-2" but never a "2-5-2." It's the little things in life that fascinate us eh?
It was whist sitting in my "2-5-2" formation however that myself and friends discovered an attractive American boy travelling home. Instantly taking in every detail of him, we decided upon a whole life story for this boy based upon his clothing. Wearing anti fit Levi light wash jeans, black old school Converse with the laces half undone, American Eagle polo shirt in light grey and a forest green hoody which obviously was Abercrombie and Fitch. From this we instantly chose Ivy League colleges he could be attending, types of sports he played, social crowd he hung out in and music he liked. We have the prefect picture of a "stereotypical American guy" I think I even started to believe everything we were saying.
However when it came to getting off the plane on the other side of the pond the dream was shattered. We heard him speak, definitely not American, somewhere close to Birmingham would be my guess. Never mind kept us entertained for the flight. And it just proved there is nothing like a bit of fashion stereotyping!!

New York New York

So when posed with the opportunity to go to new york with all 84 other members of your fashion course, it of course is a dream come true. Your head begins to spin with ideas and you can just see the photo uploads on your facebook and feel the envy from all your friends.

A persons normal response to a trip is to hot foot it to your nearest Waterstones or WHSmith and get a trip planner or a tourist attraction book.

A fashion students response is to hot foot it to the high street and begin planning ones wardrobe!!

Do we walk the streets of Manhatten as walking talking adverts for Topshop? or push the boat out and mix it up a little its toughie we have all had to face. When asked by my mother what are you going to pack? and I reel off a list of suggestions that I have tirelessly thought about every night before bed, I find myself getting defensive over my list when she is suggesting them not "warm enough" or "comfortable enough." Well you know what they say "it aint fashion if you aint freezing!!"