Hi, all! For those of you who do not know, I am studying Fashion at Regents University this Summer for 6 weeks in London, England. It has always been a dream of mine to study abroad, as I love to travel! London was definitely on my bucket list, and after receiving a scholarship to study at the university for the summer, I knew that I had to go!
Each Sunday I am going to post a weekly update about my experience here in London. I want to update you all on the best shopping, food, attractions and more. I also want to tie in some of the knowledge I learn throughout my course of study within the fashion industry. London is a fashion capital; therefore, I am going to experience hands-on activities during my class times and attend numerous historical places that made a mark in the current fashion industry.
Today marks the end of my first week in the UK, and I could not be more excited to share my experiences with you all! I hope you enjoy these posts whether you want to learn more about fashion, sightseeing, good eats or just a fun read.
Sunday, May 19th:
Today was the day that I arrived at Regents University. I departed from Charlotte around 6:30 pm, and landed in London around 11 am. London is 5 hours ahead from US eastern time. Regents University is approximately 40 minutes from the airport, so I knew I would have time in the car to see some stops along the way. My driver was extremely nice and answered all the questions I had for him. So far, my first impression of London is that the people are friendly, and the city is gorgeous.
Once I arrived, I unpacked all my things and got settled in my room. I was actually the first person to arrive out of all the students enrolled in the Summer program, so I was able to walk around campus and explore places before anyone else. I am staying in a dorm, Reid Hall, where I will be sharing a room with one roommate as well as a hall-style bathroom. There is a small kitchen on each floor, restrooms, laundry and honestly anything you could ask for in a dorm.
After a while, my roommate arrived and we immediately hit it off. She is from New York, and is attending the Fashion Institute of Technology in the fall. Once she got settled, we immediately hit the ground running and took off to Marylbone Street, which is not too far from campus (about a 10 minute walk). What I loved as soon as I stepped off campus, was how everything is either walkable or a tube stop away, and how great our location is in comparison to the city. The city is extremely clean, easy to navigate and filled with character. After reflecting on my week, Marylbone ended up being my favorite shopping place thus far. There are tons of cute shops, cafés, grocery stores and more. We went to a café in between shops, and I was able to order my first "London" tea.
Before the airport. Outfit Details: (Top - Pacsun, Bottoms - Lulu Lemon, Jacket - Forever 21)
Campus housing
Marylebone Street
Outfit Details (Top - Brandy Melville, Skirt - Free People, Shoes - Adidas, Purse - Vestique)
Regents Park
Monday, May 20th:
Today was the first official start day after everyone had been settled in; we had orientation all day (10 am - 5 pm). During this time we were introduced to the history of Regents University, got to know multiple teachers in the program (called "tutors"), register for classes (I am taking Fashion PR and Fashion Styling), receive our weekly schedules, go on a campus tour, and complete a London Scavenger Hunt. It was great to be able to get organized, learn who was in my classes and become more secured with the school itself.
After orientation, the group decided to head to a local pub and get some food and drinks. This was a great start to getting to know each other, because everyone came from all different places. All of the students in the summer program are from the states, but they are mostly from different schools (Auburn, New York, North Dakota, etc.). We then ended the night by riding the tube into Camden Town (a college town), and went to some different bars in the area. The Tube is the equivalent to the subway in New York City. Once you get the hang of it, it is extremely easy to use and one of the cheapest forms of transportation throughout the city.
Campus
Camden Town
Tuesday, May 21st:
I have class generally M, T, W, but since we had orientation Monday, I did not have my Fashion Styling Class on Monday or Tuesday. Therefore, I used today as a way to explore London and sight see. Some friends and I went on a London Bus Tour (hop on and off), and the entire day compiled of 22 stops. I would DEFINITELY recommend this if you are traveling to London. It is worth the price (35 pounds), and a great way to see everything in London location wise. You can get off whenever you want to see the sites up close, because buses are running all day and can pick you up and at any stop. Some of the stops included the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and more.
My favorite stop was Regents Park, because we walked to Carnaby street (AMAZING SHOPPING) and shopped there for hours. Some of the shops included ZARA, Brandy Melville, LuluLemon, Burberry, and tons of UK owned stores. Doing the bus tour is definitely an all day event, and worth scheduling an entire day for.
Outfit Details (Dress - Princess Polly, Shoes - Doc Martins, Belt - Adair Boutique, Purse - Vestique)
Wednesday, May 22nd:
This was the first official day of class for me, because like I said earlier I did not have my Fashion Styling class on M/T. Today I went to my Fashion PR class, and it was amazing! Since I am only attending Regents for six weeks, each class meets for six hours a week. My schedule on Wednesdays would be class from 10-1pm, an hour break, and the same class again from 2-5 pm. At first I was overwhelmed by this schedule; however, these classes are not lecture based the entire time. Generally, the class starts out with a brief lecture, project work time and other activities, while the second half of class consists of more hands-on work, such as traveling to a museum, fashion history place, fashion show, etc.
The first half of class we got introduced to all four tutors who will be teaching us this summer, we learned about our summer long assignment, and we got to hear more about the history of fashion in London (historic places, fashion icons, how we fit into fashion itself). This by far is my favorite class! Next week we get to travel to a fashion show led by the university, and help work the show itself.
During the second half of class, our tutors took us to Coal Drops Yard. This is a newer built up area, that has only recently housed brick-and-mortar stores. It is upcoming, and not a lot of people other than the locals know about it. Our tutors took us here to show us how important visual merchandising is, what new ways visual merchandising is being used throughout this plaza, and to show how it is all about the experience, not just clothing. I would recommend going to this area. The shopping is a tad bit on the pricey side, but each store has extremely unique items and a wide variety of types of stores as well.
After class, we went to another famous area in the city, Picadelly Circle. I would say this is the equivalent to New York City (Times Square). We walked around the area and stopped at places such as M&M World, China Town and went to the BEST dessert place called Bubble Wrap Waffle - highly recommend. We ended the night at a local pub near campus, The Volunteer, and hung out some more.
Coal Drops Yard
Outfit Details (Top - Brandy Melville, Skirt - ZARA, Shoes - Adidas, Pony Scarf - Free People)
Picadelly Circus - Bubble Wrap Waffle
Before the Pub
Thursday, May 23rd:
I did not have class today either; therefore, I planned another full day of sight-seeing. We headed to the Chelsea area early in the morning to walk around the shops, check out the annual Flower Festival and shopped all day. Chelsea is a pretty area filled with unique flats, shopping, food and music. This area is also quite high end. Be prepared to walk a lot if you visit!
Outfit Details (Top - American Eagle, Skirt - Free People, Pony Scarf - Free People)
Friday, May 24th:
Today was the first day of my Fashion Styling Class (makeup class for Monday). This class is actually located at the other Regents Campus on Marylebone Street, which I did not mind because it is one of my favorite streets so far to visit. This class structure is similar to my PR class; however we meet from 9-12 am and 1-4 pm. This class is definitely more intensive, compiling of a six week long hand-made portfolio filled with multiple projects, fashion styling assignments and six different photoshoots that we complete each week. These shoots are entirely styled by ourselves and get more vigorous as the weeks go on. We learned that on Tuesdays we will meet with this class in the photo lab to use all the equipment and shoot our weekly looks for each project.
Once I was able to get a better understanding of the class, I became extremely excited because this is something out of my comfort zone and something that I can work at to become more diverse in the industry. I will be able to learn more about photography, photoshop, graphic design, styling, advertising and printing. I will definitely update the blog with each weekly project.
Our first project is called the "White Shoot", where we are given a piece of paper and have to incorporate it into our look. I decided to create sunglasses out of the paper and do a 50s all white beach inspired photoshoot. We plan the look, create a mood board, assemble the product, complete the photoshoot and put together everything in order to go in our portfolio.
This class also has mini assignments throughout the week to include into our portfolio, so I am interested to see how everything is going to turn out once the six weeks have passed.
Saturday, May 25th:
I started off the day early again with another must-see attraction, Portebello Road. This was a couple tube stops away, and it was definitely worth the drive. Portebello Road is only open on Fridays and Saturdays. It is a long-stretched road that goes on for miles filled with vintage clothing shops/stands, food, music, antiques and anything you could imagine. A MUST SEE. I would designate a whole morning and afternoon to fully immerse yourself into the event and see as much as you can.
Once we left the market, we walked around Regents Park, which I definitely did not talk enough about. Regents University is located in the heart of Regents Park; one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. This is a public park that has numerous trails, ponds, animals, food, and grass areas that are used for different events. It is truly something that you need to see in person, and I am so grateful I get to walk see it every day!
Most of the time we eat at our schools dining hall; however, they do not serve food on Saturday nights, so we all decided as a group to go to Nandos, a classic London restaurant. I would recommend this place for tourists, because you get to experience great food for a great price. They are famous for their chicken, fish n chips and bottomless frozen yogurt.
We ended the night by going out to a dance club in Camden where the theme of the night was "guilty pleasures". We listened to a bunch of throwback songs and were surrounded by college people from all over. This was one of my favorite nights by far.
Portebello Road
Outfit Details (Top - Brandy Melville, Skirt - Top Shop, Shoes - Adidas)
Regents Park
Camden Town
Sunday, May 26th:
Today is a typical Sunday morning, and was spent by going to the gym, doing laundry, completing assignments and more. As I write this post, I cannot believe that I have already been in London for an entire week. Time honestly flies, and I am so excited for what weeks 2-6 have in store.
All in all, I am so glad that I took this opportunity, and have already grown so much. Traveling abroad opens your eyes to so many new experiences, people, and ways of life. There is so much to explore, and I want to be able to take every opportunity I am given, and make the most of it. I hope this is just the start to my travel ventures, and I will say that I have been bit by the travel bug. I am so intrigued by different ways of life, new experiences, cultures and everything that comes with visiting a new place. I want to fully immerse myself in London, and continue to learn more about the city, as well as more about myself.
I want to keep sharing my upcoming fashion projects with you all and continue weekly updates! Some exciting things I have planned for this trip is a concert called Summertime Ball (artists such as Khalid, Maroon 5, Jonas Brother, Lauv and more), weekend trips to Paris and Amsterdam and day trips to the beach.
Weekly Tips I have Learned:
- Oyster card is a must have
- Londoners do not use ice or AC (very rare if they do)
- Exchange converter app is smart to have to keep track of pricing (pounds to US dollars)
- Lots and lots of walking ... aka wear comfy shoes