Adapt To Survive

So here I am again, back in Wales and working in retail. I'm still not quite in a position to be able to intern, or even move out of my parents' house, as I am yet to find a landlord willing to accept dreams and smiles as rent payment, so I'm doing what I can until my career gets back on track, and oddly, I'm enjoying it. 

Marchesa for Playboy

http://tinyurl.com/4x6ggam

Haute 25.03.11

A little peek at the promotional image of me for London club night 'Haute', in association with Illamasqua by photographer Lefteris Prasopoulos.

The night will also be the celebration of my 21st birthday.

Can't wait.

Take A Sip

For those of you who are always thirsty for more, don't forget to check out my Tumblr.

http://romanticallyjack.tumblr.com/

Life is somewhat hectic at the moment and I find myself updating that more often.

Enjoy my sweets.

Valentine's Day 2011

This is my 20th consecutive Valentine's day alone and there have been times when I've thought that I wouldn't love again, but I know that's not the case. Some people never get over their first love, but everyone, in their own time, learns to love again. And I know I will... eventually. (It's been recently proven that I'm actually not that great at taking my own advice).

To those of you who are in love, to those of you who are happy to be single, to those of you who may have a new love on your hands and to those of you who have been broken down and shattered by love and are optimistic that another great love is right around the corner, someone who will pick you up and put you back together again, I sincerely wish you all a very happy valentine's day.

Mourning Jacket

I'm currently mourning the loss of a leather jacket of mine which I wore on almost a daily basis. In a drunken state I thought it was perfectly acceptable to leave said jacket on the night bus home. Some other (perhaps slightly more sober) passenger got very lucky that night.

In any case, new year, new leather jacket and so the search for a new one begins!

Any tips?

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2011 everyone! I sincerely hope you've all had a lovely holiday season and that this year will be sufficiently better than the last.

My main new year's resolution was going to be to forget that the past 12 months had even happened, but it's useless even trying. On reflection I wish to take last year and learn from it, from all of my mistakes and from other people's mistakes and not to focus on the negativity in my life but to celebrate what's positive about it to ensure that 2011 is well... fucking fantastic. Along with getting a decent job and bettering my physique, changing my way of thinking and overall outlook on life is definitely something I'm going to concentrate on this year. I put too much pressure on myself, I worry too much. I complain about being stressed but I'm often the one that's making me so stressed! I'm 20 years-old and I often think like a middle-aged man. I'm going take someone's advice and stop taking things so seriously, stop thinking so much and take a big fat dose of optimism... and then maybe happiness will find me.... and you!

What are your resolutions?

Frost Bite and Respite

Hello everybody, Jack's back.

I do apologise for my (longer than expected) absence, I can't believe this is my first blog post in over a month! With university, house hunting (then eventually finding and moving in to a new flat without internet access) and then Christmas, I've been somewhat distracted.

I'm currently writing this from the living room of my parent's house, the house I was brought up in. In front of a roaring log fire (that I started - snaps for me!) and looking over the glistening snow-covered valley, it's apparently the coldest it's been here since 1982 and we had the coldest Christmas Day on record. It's pretty ridiculous. It's slowly becoming my goal in life to never see a winter and to just follow the sun around the world... or just move to LA. Having said that, I always find it comforting and humbling to come back here. A place to gather my thoughts, slow down and get some perspective on life. The perfect time and place to start writing again and to concentrate on myself!

Needless to say, I am throwing myself back into the blogosphere with lots of new material coming your way (mostly lifestyle posts as being out of the fashion loop for quite some time, I've got some catching up to do!)

I hope you've all had a spectacular Christmas and are all looking forward to New Year. Stay tuned for more regular updates. Lovelovelove.

Creative Outlet

Looks like I've found another outlet for the crazy in my head.

I now also have Tumblr. It's brand new so keep an eye on it -

http://romanticallyjack.tumblr.com/

Holy Hi-tops Batman!

For some reason, unknown even to me, I want these.

Not a matching pair you understand,

Batman on one foot, Robin on the other.

Of course.

Blogger's Block

"I'm a connoisseur of roads.

I've been tasting roads my whole life. This road will never end.

It probably goes all around the world."

Now I know I haven't blogged in a long while, to be quite honest this has merely been because I haven't had much to say. Between looking for a house, looking for a job, starting my second year at university and just downright enjoying myself, my life hasn't really been that eventful of late and I therefore haven't had much to report or comment on.

I often get like this. I consider myself to be rather introverted, always in my head, always thinking and yet now and then my fountain of creativity can temporarily dry up. Instead of posting meaningless crap and just generally cluttering up my blog, I would much rather wait until something comes to me, something of substance, something actually worth blogging about, rather than blogging for the sake of blogging (which far too many people are guilty of).

A very good friend of mine gave me some of the best advice I've had recently "You can go to all the parties and know all these fabulous people, but it doesn't pay the bills". Sane, simple, sound advice. Another acquaintance of mine mused "Go out as much as you can, meet as many people as you can and just work on getting yourself out there. These girls that go home every weekend to be with their boyfriends will get nowhere." Two very different pieces of advice, both of which I have to agree with. The message here is, that although making contacts and social events are vital, it is important to stay grounded, don't get too wrapped up in it all. Keep your priorities right - party your ass off, meet important people, but remember you have bills to pay and probably a mountain of other responsibilities.

Although I am a very sociable person, and consider myself fairly easy to get along with, I have often struggled to create really strong affinities with people. I've been mistaken for a social butterfly, a social climber, but in reality it's not that I'm flitting between friendship groups, I'm merely trying to find my way in the world, trying to figure out where (if anywhere) I fit in and in what kind of tribe of people I belong. Which to be honest, I'm really enjoying, I've met some incredible people and made some amazing friends along the way.

At twenty years of age I am still constantly learning about myself. Getting older is a constant education. I truly envy people who are so sure within themselves, they know exactly who they are, what they want and where they're going. I've always had a rough idea, but have never pinned down any specifics. Perhaps this has saved me from being even more overly-ambitious and setting myself up for disappointment, who knows?

There's plenty of things I'm not too sure about, but one thing I do know is that any day now, I'll know exactly who I am, what I want and where I'm heading. But right now, I'm just enjoying the ride.

Summer 2010

Being British I spend a large amount of time complaining how awful the weather is. However when it does improve I seem to spend that time complaining that there are far too many insects and people on the Earth and not enough beaches. Having said that, as a self-confessed sun-worshipper and welcome any form of summer with open legs. Especially in Britain.

This summer has been pretty incredible. I've got closer to existing friends and made so many new friends who I know will still be in my life in years to come. Good friends are hard to come by in the city, particularly in the fashion crowd and this summer has certainly been an eye-opener, I've learned a lot about myself and those around me. My biggest and most useful lesson has been to prioritise. As much as I adore my lifestyle, I didn't move to London to party and/or fall in love. I moved here with the intention of making something of myself, building a foundation, meeting people, carving out a career for myself and to start the journey towards becoming the man I have always wanted to be. I'm much more focused, determined and at peace now. With a few internships under my belt and more to come, this summer has been a constant education. I'm going into winter not only enveloped in chunky knitwear and cosy shearling, but also feeling stronger, more confident and more optimistic about the future than I've felt for... let's just say a very long time.

My trip to Egypt was good for me on so many levels. I needed to get away for a while, I needed good weather and good times and some worry-free time, which is exactly what I got. Escaping emotional and career drama and also the ongoing house-hunting drama, I was simply existing for 2 whole weeks. I returned to London relaxed, with a clear train of thought. I had gained a new perspective on things, new priorities, new goals and a new outlook on my path in life.

I'm ready to take on the world.

I just hope the world is ready for me.

My mantras this summer come from two of the most inspirational people to have ever graced the Earth.

Abraham Lincoln -

"The best way to predict your future is to create it."

And Lady Gaga -

"Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you're wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn't love you any more."

Thank you to everyone who has made this summer so amazing and so memorable (next summer has a lot to live up to!) and thank you to those who actually take the time to read this blog. It does mean a lot. I put a lot of time and effort into it and try to be as open as I can without blabbling about every minute detail of my life. (Another thing I've learned this summer - albeit the hard way - is how to keep my mouth shut when necessary). With the fashion weeks drawing to a close and the new uni term starting in less than a week, this month feels like a second new year to me, a second chance for a fresh start. Let each year be even better than the last!

Here are some pictures from this summer. Some of me. Some of me with friends. Some are just pictures that have inspired, caught my eye or meant something to me over the summer of 2010.

And remember kids, don't be afraid to fuck up occasionally. Making certain mistakes could be the best thing to ever happen to you...

Garavani and GAP

When it comes to the collaborations of the high street and the high end, some announcements have caused a huge furore among fashionistas and have had shoppers queueing for hours to try to get their hands on the latest affordable garments by a (usually not-so-affordable) well-known designer.

High street chain H&M for example have been immensely successful with their collaborations (Matthew Williamson being a personal favourite of mine) and soon after the announcement of their latest endeavour (a collaboration with Lanvin) comes the news of a collaboration that I for one, never saw coming - GAP and Valentino.

Designed by Valentino's creative directors, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Pacolo Piccioli (pictured below) GAP will launch a range of womenswear to celebrate the opening of their first Italian flagship store in Milan. Released in November of this year, the collection will also be available in Paris and London but strangely not in GAP's native United States.

GAP, famed for its All-American college aesthetic and ability to create basic, beautifully cut wardrobe essentials is intent on making a bigger impact on the fashion industry and are clearly making more of an effort to appear "fashion forward".

Chiuri and Piccioli claim that their collection for GAP "Brings together the iconic world of Valentino and GAP's fashion essentials. In this way, Valentino and GAP synthesize the current trend of combining luxury with basics." - i.e. like the other high end collaborators before them, they're bringing high-end to the masses (or at least to Milan, Paris and London).

As a fan of both these brands, I am both excited and intrigued to see what they come up with. A combination of GAP, known for its casual daywear and Valentino, known for its red carpet glamour, will certainly prove to be an interesting and fresh concept.

Having said that, I'm still waiting on an incredible menswear collaboration to really get excited about...

Hedi Slimane for Topman maybe?

Christopher Bailey for Zara?

Rick Owens for Uniqlo?!

But that's just my wishful thinking.

What do you think about GAP and Valentino joining forces?

The best things in life are free...

"Money isn't essential, but it is right up there with oxygen."

- Jack Murphy, 2008

Egypt was a dream...

Aswan. Luxor. Sharm-el-Sheikh. Cairo.

Incredible weather, breathtaking scenery and architecture, the history there just blew me away, it was genuinely like being on an epic movie set, I couldn't quite take it all in.... so we may have extended the trip.... twice...

We went on a cruise, stayed in the most beautiful hotels and resorts, went scuba diving and hot air ballooning, we rode on camels and had a bedouin dinner in the desert, we shopped, we sunbathed, we ate, we drank, we laughed uncontrollably and had impromptu Nylon-style photoshoots on balconies, we salonged daaarling and it was Luxorious!

It was a holiday of a lifetime, and I need to thank my friends Victoria, Joe, Amy, and her stepmother Nadia for making the trip not only possible, but incredible. A big shout out to our tour guide Hermada too! What a legend.

It turned out that a holiday was exactly what I needed. For a number of reasons I was very apprehensive about going away, particularly on this trip. Being in a bubble where I was constantly with friends, when there was always something to do, somewhere to go, where the weather was never below 36 degrees and where money was no object was heavenly. For 2 whole weeks I was completely worry-free and although that may induce a slight depression now that I'm back in the "real" world, it was fun while it lasted, and it inspired me to work even harder and earn that lifestyle for myself.

This vacation was also a learning curve for me. I learned that I could be with the same people day in, day out and not be short or frustrated, being thrown into that situation I think my brain just automatically dealt with it. I learned that I'm much more patient than I once thought, and I'm also learning the art of letting go, and not letting what cannot be changed restrict me or affect the way I live my life. I have far more important things to think about than the past.

Now a healthy stack of fashion magazines has accumulated upon my bed, once I've consumed them - it's back to business and back to fashion. Stay tuned.