Susannah Erskine (as seen in the above image)is a Digital Strategist for fashion brands. She was part of the team that set up Fashionair and is currently working on some very exciting projects due to be revealed later this year.
She recently documented a diary of a trip to America which saw her spend time in New York, The Hamptons and Palm Beach in Florida. Read on for the latest in the diary series.
Thursday 11.30pm
It is almost midnight in London on a grey rainy Thursday. My boyfriend and I suddenly decide that it is time to escape the rain and general miserableness of a country which is still experiencing winter in May, and make a spontaneous trip to one of our favorite places – America!
Thursday 11.37pm
The tickets are booked!
Saturday 8pm
Less than 48 hours later we arrive at JFK and drive out to The Hamptons for the weekend. My boyfriend makes his traditional pit-stop at a drive through McDonalds, and I discover that the Marni dress I am wearing works perfectly when combined with fast food, as the voluminous sack shape comfortably hides my tummy full of fries. Fashion can be so practical!
Sunday
Sunday is spent enjoying the beautiful spring weather in the garden. My style in The Hamptons is all about retro bikinis and cute dresses. Today I’m wearing a cotton APC dress I bought in Paris 4 years ago, belted at the waist to give it some shape, with a pair of retro style sunglasses from Topshop. We drive out to Montauk for lunch at a little restaurant by the sea and enjoy the kind of chocolate peanut butter pie you can only find in America.
Image courtesy of Susie Erskine.
Monday
On Monday morning we take the Jitney bus into Manhattan to spend two days in the best city in the world. I adore New York and get butterflies in my stomach as the city skyline comes into view. With huge smiles on our faces we jump off the bus ready to run round our favorite city.
We spend the afternoon wandering around downtown, walking down Bleecker street in the West village and shopping in Soho. My boyfriend finds a great blazer from Steven Alan at a sample sale for only $30 and proudly wears it around for the rest of the day. I’m planning on doing a little shopping tomorrow so for now I just enjoy strolling around eating hotdogs and cupcakes.
Images courtesy of Susie Erskine.
Whoever lives in this house must be very happy! Me in the West Village in a gold Marni dress and Stuart Weitzman sandals
Tuesday
On Tuesday morning I wake up super early from the jet lag so I pop all the way downtown to Century 21 which is an outlet store that opens at about 7am. I don’t really like to inflict too much shopping on my boyfriend so I leave him in bed and agree to meet for brunch later in the morning. I find a really pretty Giambattista Valli top (seen in last image in the diary) at Century 21 for $150 (originally around $800) which I can’t wait to wear, and then head back uptown for a little more shopping. I buy some grey sailor shorts from a great Korean store called Eryn Brinie, a pair of blush colored roll up pants from J Crew.
Brunch is at Balthazar which is one of my favorite places to go in NY. In this photo I’m wearing a vintage red polka dot blouse with silk shorts and a vintage Chanel bag. The waitress and I spend a long time discussing how useful a polka dot blouse can be – my boyfriend watches us looking a little bemused. He says I’m cute when I talk fashion.
We spend the afternoon enjoying the heat wave (yes a heat wave! no more grey rainy days for us!) by lying in central park, before heading off for drinks at the Mandarin Oriental and then dinner with friends in the East Village.
Images courtesy of Susie Erskine.
Wednesday
On Wednesday we take a flight to Palm Beach in Florida – Palm trees and beach here we come!
Images courtesy of Susie Erskine.
Thursday
Thursday is spent lying in in the sunshine. When it gets too hot we go for a drive, stopping off at the Chanel store on Worth avenue where they are having their fall trunk show. I hadn’t managed to go to the press day as I had too much work on so I jump at the chance to take a peek. I giggle over the little Chinese takeaway bag from the Shanghai collection, and drool over the beautiful sting ray bags that the store always has. Sadly though my eyes are much bigger than my purse so my price range is much better catered for by the consignment stores on the Island which sell a range of vintage Chanel pieces amongst other things. After stopping off in one of the nicest ones, which even has a small room dedicated to Chanel couture, I find a lovely jacket in one of the stores which I plan to have altered to fit me when I’m back in London.
Image courtesy of Susie Erskine.
Friday
Friday is another beach day! We spend the evening having drinks at McCarthy’s bar which is normally rammed at Christmas and Easter with every person in their 20s on the Island, but for now is gorgeously quiet, before heading over to an Al Fresco Pizza restaurant where we eat under the stars.
Image courtesy of Susie Erskine.
Saturday
We fly home on Saturday evening having enjoyed one of the nicest weeks, spending time with our friends and family in some of our favorite places. Below is an image of me in Palm Beach wearing the Giambattista Valli top that I bought in NY, a gold YSL cuff, scallop Chloe shorts (which are currently on sale at Yoox.com should anyone want them!) and my gold Stuart Weitzman sandals.
Image courtesy of Susie Erskine.
After reading Susie’s diary I felt like making like her by spontaneously jetting off to sunny Palm Beach.
From everything to eating Alfresco under the stars to picturesque hamlets in The Hamptons, Chanel and other shopping adventures, the diary was utterly fabulous.
Her effortless chic holiday wardrobe was spot on. I adore the photo of her in the nude Marni dress in front of the red West Village house.
I think it is fantastic that she found the Giambattista Valli top for $150 (seen in the last image) and that her boyfriend scored a Steven Alan blazer for $30. Don’t you just love hearing about a great fashion bargain?
It does not get much more fabulous then spending a week of vacation in between New York City, The Hamptons and Palm Beach, Florida!
What are your favourite parts of the diary?
Kind thanks and glam kisses to Susie for documenting it.
Visit her on twitter here.
Read her pre London Fashion Week to do list here.
Catch up on the rest of the features in the Diary series here.
