avoid oxford st. like plague
Shoreditch Town Hall
In blue
Fancier than Dorothy's
Although Christmas starts here in September, with supermarkets offering 2-for-1 mince pies, the real horror is to walk through Oxford St. three months later. The street is teeming with shoppers in different moods, in various sizes, on the other hand, the items in the shops are as generic as ever. However, it has been a trend to go on a shopping bender at local art and crafts fairs. For one, you'd be buying unique gifts unseen on the high street, and second, you'd oftentimes become face-to-face with the designer, who usually sits in his/her booth doing something extraordinary artistic such as knitting. Most importantly, the Christmas present is as much about the givee as it is about the giver. Last weekend I visited the Cockpit Arts, and left empty handed. (Creativity comes with a price.) Today I went to the East London Design Show, and found a funky scarf from here, and a weird hook from here. Ace.