August is recognised as the quietest month in the fashion world. Paris and Milan shut down completely and a lot of people in the industry take advantage of this and go on holiday.
I, for some reason, never do though. Firstly, I have a lot of projects to finish by the end of August (as mentioned in my blog last week), so going away is impossible at the moment. And secondly, I adore London at this time of year. I've never really understood why we all complain about the weather in this country and yet as soon as summer comes we all seem to leave! So, I save my adventures until later in the year and make the most of where I live when it's at its best.
London in the summer is, to me, the greatest city in the world and, even though I’m still working most days, my two favourite times of day are first thing in morning and dusk. At dusk I always venture over to my secret hiding place - Bishops Park and Fulham Palace, a unique site in London that dates back to the 11th century. It sits on the river Thames and when I'm there watching the sun go down, I can’t help but think “eat your heart out New York and Paris!”
Two of my loves are antiques and interior design, and there is no better place than Sunbury Antiques market at Kempton racecourse to immerse myself in this little obsession. It attracts well over 700 stall holders and I can lose myself for quite a few ‘early’ hours - as to pick up the best bargains you have to be there for around 6.30am.
For more information on both of these check out:
http://www.kemptonantiques.com/and
http://www.fulhampalace.org/