"Missouri is not just some mid-western state, it's got a lot to offer!" - Mr. Darkwah

The Missouri State Flag

A lot of people get confused when I say I'm going to Missouri for a holiday. I meet questions such as "What are you going to do there?!" and "Where is that?!" Well let me answer those questions for you. I am going to relax and get away from the busy nature of London and for those who don't know where it is, Missouri is a mid-western state bordered by eight states - Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.

So now you know where it is, I'm sure you've assumed that I've gone there because it's out in the middle of  nowhere with absolutely nothing to do but sleep, eat and work out. If this reflects your thought pattern on the subject, you are very wrong. As a stylist, I seek out inspiration everywhere I go and the beautiful open fields as I drive from the airport home are just the beginning of it! Springfield, Missouri is home to many thrift stores - any hipster's dream for vintage clothing from letterman jackets to snapbacks that are old enough to be your grandfather! Excited yet?

If not, there are many seamstresses and tailoring businesses that will happily take your vintage buys and customise them for you at very reasonable prices - I've taken my mink to one and am excited to see the final result. So aside from seeing your drawings come to life, vintage stores and open fields, what else does Missouri have to offer? How about a shopping city of discounts and great finds? Is that good enough for you?

Branson City, Missouri is home to Tanger - similar to Bicester of the UK - where you will find Ralph Lauren gilets and coats that originally retailed at hundreds of dollars for a fraction of the price ($50 dollars, people!) You will also find a Nike store that you'd probably have to stay overnight in to see everything and a Bass store for your loafers at a price low enough to make you buy four pairs without thinking! We've covered the fashion end a lot and I'm sure you're ready to leave now for Missouri but there's more.

For the thrill-seekers and adrenaline junkies, there is everything from Archery in St. Louis to Ziplining in Branson so there will not be a dull moment on your trip. For relaxation after your activities, you can drive down to The Lake Of The Ozarks and picnic whilst the kids jet ski over the lake! I bet you never thought you could do all of this in Missouri...

Next time you're planning a holiday, be sure to think of Missouri (that is, if you havent booked a flight there for next summer already!)

Ciao Belissimi!

Mr. Darkwah
X

"It's not what you wear but how you wear it" - Rianna Croxford

It seems that more and more, the high street is being shied away from. This is perfectly understandable as economics teaches that as incomes rise, consumers will move away from the inferior goods that they consumed due to their income to the more superior goods. I feel that although this is one of the fundamental laws in economics that relates to all consumers everywhere, it should not have to be the case in fashion. Of course there will be the move up from New Look to Topshop and from Topshop to AllSaints but when one moves up so high that they feel all they should be wearing is Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci and Prada, it's a little odd - no?

Whenever I tell people I'm a stylist they seem to think that I only work with the large high-end fashion houses and refuse to touch high street. What they forget is that I am a stylist - not a brand promoter. I will go where I need to go to get the job done and this means that the high street option is never closed to me. It has come to my attention that as one walks down Oxford Street (and swiftly finds their way to New Bond Street - excuse the snobbery) there are too many "Gucci" belts and hats around as well as "Ralph Lauren" polos with the ponies on the wrong side or the wrong colour. Dead giveaways of fake merchandise. I used to like to believe that these people, donning the fakes were duped into thinking that they were real. What I didn't realise, however, was that I thought this because access to the brands that they had purchased fakes for was open to me all my life and still is now. It led me to think that there was a problem with wealth distribution (which undoubtedly there is - but I'll leave that to the politicians to sort out, back to fashion.)

I finally settled at the conclusion that they wanted these brands to impress. By wearing Gucci and Ralph Lauren, they were impressing their contemporaries and elevating themselves, I suppose. This, in my opinion, is the problem with people and fashion. One cannot allow the wearing of a brand to speak for oneself. What I mean is that my wearing Gucci or Prada does not make me look better or worse (well, depending on how the outfit is put together it could make you look worse) it is the way I put my outfit together. I have seen people wear clothes bought in a thrift store, taken home and altered by themselves and look better than me and it caused me to think about where I was going wrong in my style. Note that I asked where I was going wrong in my style and not in the brands I was wearing.

Skakespeare wrote that "the apparel oft proclaimeth the man" and this too, is true but remember, it is how you wear it, not just what you wear.

Ciao Belissimi!

Mr. Darkwah
X