In London, my flat was in the Chelsea-South Kensington part
of London – full of beautiful shops, fashionable restaurants and perfect white
townhouses. Kensington Gardens and
Palace, the V&A museum and the French Cultural Institute were all in a 5-10
block radius from my flat. And so for
several weeks, I did not venture outside of this area much.
After awhile, though, my neighborhood seemed almost too
perfect, and I was restless for something to push the boundary a bit. I don’t even remember how I found the
Shoreditch neighborhood of London. One
of those lost memories of falling in love with a city and discovering it anew
each day.
But I do remember it was different from any other part of
London I had visited. Shoreditch is full
of artistic energy – you can feel the creation and imagination and
experimentation all around you.
Alexander McQueen actually had his first studio in the area.
Every corner you turn there is amazing street art; daring,
little stores; and welcoming yet inventive restaurants. And then the beautiful, winding back streets
– full of stories I’ll never know. I
kept coming back to Shoreditch during my time in London – and I always
discovered something new – a new art gallery, a new food stand, an undercover
sample sale. And I always left feeling
inspired.
