THE OUTFIT
New York was an unforgettable trip; I will always remember my first visit to ‘the city that never sleeps’! It’s so hard to know what to wear. Before I visited I was torn between looking ‘killer’ and being warm & comfy. With the NYC crazy cold temperatures, I packed for Arctic weather…however, I was extremely lucky to have temperatures of 10 degrees daily! The second day was jam packed. Cream baggy jeans from Zara were the base for my outfit, the waist drawn in by my brown Gucci belt. I tucked a Zara cream thin-knit jumper with gold button detail on the sleeve into the jeans. I threw my brown fur coat over my shoulders, slipped on baby-pink, fluffy socks under cream Converse boots and finished the outfit with a H&M silk scarf in pale pink and charcoal grey. An impeccable balance of fashion and comfort. The key to New York dressing is styling an outfit that suits all occasions; perfect to throw on and wear all-day-long.
THE EXPERIENCE
I started the second day with a classic Starbucks. America is the perfect place for me; even at Starbucks everyone is buzzing with energy. After a white chocolate mocha and almond croissant, I headed to the MoMA – Museum of Modern Art. Home to the legendary ‘Starry Night’ by Vincent Van Gough and ‘Campbell’s Soup Cans’ by Andy Warhol, as well as, unbelievable modern art. MoMA is a significant hub for inspiration; I was captivated by the classic, characteristic prints in monochrome. Being left tantalised by the art, I searched for a typical New York pizza to devour; an appetising pepperoni deep-base pizza square was more than adequate.
Midday I headed to the Hudson Yards Shopping Centre. With every shop from Zara and Sephora, to Dior and Coach, the shopping centre provided inspiration for both my actual budget and my dream budget. Designer stores are cottoning on to the importance of Millennial consumers and Gen Z consumers; the loyal consumer of the future. The experience in brick-and-mortar luxury stores is astonishing in comparison to 10 years ago. The shop assistants give personable experiences for all consumers; enticing the new audiences. The Dior saddle bag and Coach red bag caught my eye; both stores staff were brilliant allowing me to try the bag with my outfit! After exploring the designer stores for delectable products, I headed to the High Line.
The High Line was once a railway network through NY, converted into the picture-perfect walk-way displaying New York’s stunning views. Spying the Giorgio Armani head office on the walk, as well as a breath-taking sunset the High Line did not disappoint. Littered with artistic instalments along the walk, the High Line is a MUST when in NYC. I spent about 2 hours taking in the views, regularly pausing to take in the buzzing atmosphere; stopping for a lengthy time at a window overlooking a heavily populated NY road. The stream of yellow taxis was hypnotic. I’m so thankful that I decided to take my time to take in the atmosphere along the High Line as I was lucky enough to experience the most stunning sun-set highlighting the NYC skyline. As the sky darkened the lights of Chelsea welcomed me in the distance.
Chelsea was the pot-of-gold at the end of The High Line. A treasure trove of tasteful restaurants, classy designer stores and niche galleries. Upon exploring Chelsea, I came across the Atouche Gallery, sneaking into the gallery the silence of the room overwhelmed me, until a friendly Frenchman cheerily greeted me; he was keen to learn about why I was visiting and my love for fashion. It is so important to do research prior to visiting a city, however I highly recommend exploring the side-streets to find the exclusive spaces. The art was beyond enticing, each piece secreted an erotic connotation; so refined and stylish. Along the street, designer shops littered with Balmain had exceptional art wall-to-wall. Chelsea is the definition of elegance.
Brands incorporating lifestyle into their business’ is a trend; I’ve learnt about this at university, the Starbucks Reserve being used as an example, our lecture scattered with images of the legendary location. Now…I can’t see long distance without my glasses, but I did recognise the Starbucks logo and the intimidating doors of the Reserve. I physically ran to it! I’m such a coffee lover, the concept of a ‘Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory’ for coffee lovers is my heaven. On entering, the visuals of the copper machinery, the scent of the sweet coffee beans and the sound of the steam arm was overwhelming me in the best possible way. Everything you could imagine from a coffee bean pick & mix, an espresso martini bar to an extraordinary, copper coffee bean roaster was located in this coffee playground. I ordered an iced latte, with the coffee bean exclusive to the Starbucks Reserve; iconic! After my second coffee stop of the day I ventured to the Chelsea Market.
Historically the National Biscuit Company Factory (where the Oreo was invented), now Chelsea Market! The location has a quaint style, full of charm and personality. The brown stone walls, the music, the flower market, the independent restaurants and the wishing-well combined provided a dreamlike, fantastical ambiance. Spoilt for choice I settled for ‘Le Song’ a scrumptious French Bistro. The tapas style menu intrigued me. I chose mac ‘n’ cheese, calamari and truffle oil infused fries with parmesan shavings. White wine was perfect to pair with the meal. The French setting was so appealing and continued the dream-state. Wandering back out to the streets of Chelsea brought me back reality. After a long day I headed ‘home’. Completely exhausted, nonetheless still buzzing from the day, it dawned on me that New York is definitely where I will live at some point in my life. Perfectly in love!
SHOP THE LOOK
SOCKS – F&F
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