I really dislike people who say "I'm bored" and expect something to happen on a whim. Either stop being boring or go out there an make something happen. A few weeks ago I wanted to explore the Leake Street Tunnel (also known as the "Banksy Tunnel" or "Graffiti Tunnel") as I heard there was a street art competition going down and during my casual wanders I stumbled upon the House of Vans indoor skatepark, the opening of which I covered this time last year. Serendipity and all that 🙂

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House of Vans Virtual Reality

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At it's core House of Vans is an indoor skate park, a live music venue, an art gallery, a cafe, a bar, and a cinema. It's basically a cultural hub for the new generation of young Londonders which is why it was fascinating to see how they would react to the VR headset that accidentally fell out of my bag. I think the picture on the left is very telling with a 5 year old instantly hooked on the virtual reality experience.

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House of Vans was actually a perfect place to test out this medium as it was in this very venue where I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey for the first time, a movie that continues to have strong cultural and somewhat historical significance. The introduction of VR into the mainstream is going to turn a number of established industries, such as film, on it's head. In a world where everyone is looking for that fulfilling experience, whether it's skateboarding or a piece of art, the progress of technology will bring us closer to that intangible feeling.

The fascinating thing about the picture above is that the kid is not even using a full VR headset. It's just a mobile phone with a virtual reality case that anyone can get for less than £10. With the latest 360 video capabilities of YouTube I expect everyone to have an understanding of this experience by this time next year. If you ever tried VR please leave a comment below, I'm truly interested as to what you thought of it.

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House of Vans, London

House of Vans itself was filled with some fantastic individuals who clearly appreciate the opportunity Vans has provided and take care of it as one big family. The place providers lockers, food and other on site assistance should you require it but it's worth popping in for a visit (it's free!) and see the venue in full.

Make sure to visit the official House of Vans website to get the full list of upcoming events (Back To The Future next week anyone?) or just pop in for a visit if you're in the area:

Address: Arches 228 - 232 Station Approach Road, London SE1 8SW
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STYLEGRAM

Make sure to check out my latest photo journal from Budva in Montengero and my shoot with ASOS Menswear for the 'As Seen On Me' campaign. You can also use the links below to stay connected 🙂

INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST

A few weeks ago the National Portrait Gallery was holding an Audrey Hepburn exhibition and seeing as I've seen her face all over Tumblr and Pinterest over the last few years I joined up with Krissy D from INTERLACED to find out more about this style icon.

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As girls are usually late for any kind of meeting I decided to explore the area and see if there's more to Trafalgar Square than meets the eye. Trafalgar Square actually holds a huge significance in my life as it was here around 13 years ago that I got my first taste of London as I climbed on top of one of the bronze lions that adorn Nelson's Column. A little fun fact about the lions is that they were actually melted down from the cannons aboard French and Spanish ships that had taken part in the Battle of Trafalgar.

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NATIONAL GALLERY

Address: Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN, Phone: 020 7747 2885, Established: 1824

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National Gallery and the adjoining National Portrait Gallery were opened to the public on 10 May 1824 and since then it's undergone a number of cosmetic and architectural changes, most notably the work on renovating the Parthenon-esque front of the gallery.

Although we know the structure as it stands today, at the time it received public criticism before it was even completed, as an early version of the design had been leaked to a newspaper.

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The entire National Gallery is a living exhibit as you feel like you're walking through the history of art, starting with early Christian fresco's and finishing with some postmodern art of the 20th century. The entire gallery is a mathematicians paradise with perfect angles and symmetrical shapes adorning the place and 4 huge glass domes letting in natural light from the outside.

The National Portrait Gallery was also a welcome surprise as I've just started getting into people photography and it helped me realise the importance of feeling relaxed when taking as well as posing for photos. As a photographer it gives you much more flexibility if your subject is relaxed and comfortable being around you.

The 3D printed model of Tim Berners-Lee (best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web) got me giddy as without him it would be impossible for this technology to exist in the first place. Although still in it's infancy 3D printing has the potential to seriously disrupt a number of global industries. If you're interest in these kinds of things check out my latest TECH ROUNDUP.

The Audrey Hepburn Exhibition was an interesting one as it showed the snowballing nature of success and just how different the media landscape was in the 50s. Although looks didn't hold her back, it was Audrey Hepburn's charm that won over many writers and producers who wanted to work with her despite the obvious lack of experience. The wall of magazine covers at the end of the exhibition don't do justice to her career which has spanned well over 4 decades but serve as great motivation to anyone thinking that it's too late to start.

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STYLEDESK

I'm a sucker for some trinkets so decided to pick up some snaps and polaroids to decorate my room. Images of Audrey were of course a must, a young David Bowie as well as some close ups that caught my eye. No room would be complete without a CEREAL Mag (this one focused on New York) and the latest Farfetch Curates coffee table book in which the focus was on all things design in 2015.

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STYLEGRAM

Make sure to check out my latest photo journal from a photowalk organised by Richard Harris and my shoot with ASOS Menswear for the 'As Seen On Me' campaign. You can also use the links below to stay connected 🙂

INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST

If you ever want to see London from a completely new dimension I always recommend a trip to The Shard's Viewing Gallery. For around £20 you can go 800ft up the 1,016ft high skyscraper and see the breathtaking views around. It's located just south of the Thames in Southwark and walking distance from the London Bridge underground station.

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The ideal time would be to go at dusk as you get to see the city slowly change before your very eyes from a bright European city to a dark, almost Blade Runner-esque neor noir metropolis. You have plenty of time to look around so don't rush the pictures, your Facebook friends can wait. Instead try to see how many famous landmarks you can find with the naked eye and try to take in the view.

My little sister was in town so what better way to impress a 13 year old than thrusting her right into the deep end of a new town. Teens seem to be preoccupied with their mobile phones so I was kinda glad when hers ran out of juice and we managed to grab a few snaps together.

I would consider The Shard my favourite building in the world as in my opinion it's iconic. It's a feat of architectural engineering as it has 11,000 glass panels (which equals to around eight football fields) and was only recently pipped by the Russian Mercury City Tower as the tallest building in Europe. I would also consider it iconic as it's a perfect representation of the time and culture in which it was built and just like the Tower of London across from the river it will stand the test of time.

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THE SHARD DETAILS

Address: 32 London Bridge St, SE1 9SG
Floors: 73
Construction started: March 16, 2009
Height: 309 m

Architecture firm: Broadway Malyan
Architect: Renzo Piano

Hours:
Monday 2:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday 2:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday 2:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Thursday 2:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Friday 2:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

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STYLEGRAM

Make sure to check out my latest post 'A Mindless Wander' and also an interview with the supremely talented Themba Erik in which we talk about urban photography and our creative aspirations.

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