Everyone expects the Spanish Inquisition!

I presume most of the people reading my blog expect now pictures influenced by my recent trip to Spain. I came back full of inspirations, indeed. I like to think that the overall atmosphere of Barcelona and Madrid had an influence on me but I guess the reality is a tad different. A general atmosphere is created by places, people, light, sun, colours, works of art, food, smells, sounds etc. and I can say what had a particularly strong impact on me. And a sound can influence me as much as a visual stimulant. Barcelona has Gaudi, as everyone knows, who together with other architects like Domenech i Montenera was able to create a bit of a fairy tale from an ordinary city. Just looking at their outbursts of creativity had an energising effect on me. Madrid, on the other hand, with its opulent belle epoque buildings that looked like a tart with sugary icing made me want to add a bit of glamour to my life. Museums gave me inspirations as for pictures that I present here and numerous plazas, little shops, bars and monuments are a nice supplement to outfits. I was enchanted by painstakingly beautiful brick houses with little iron balconies, even the most ordinary houses look charming. I often wish I had wings and was able to fly high to see what interiors of such houses look like (even in my neighbourhood in London I can't refrain myself from giving a quick glance through the windows of houses I'm passing by, especially when I see nice mantelpieces, books, colourful walls and nice, cosy light).

From the point of view of pure fashion I was disappointed with Spain. There are quite a few little boutiques selling unique one-off pieces but prices were unfortunately quite high and the choice was limited. I didn't have time to fully explore the fashion side of the cities (it's really bad that all shops close for three hours during the day for siesta - as if air conditiong didn't exist! And what's the point of closing shops in winter when it isn't even hot?) but I didn't see this creativity that I see in London every day, wherever I go. I was shocked that everyone looks more or less the same - jeans and trainers are staples for young women while here you can see skirts and high heels much more often. People also dress much more colourfully in London and play with fashion much more while I had the impression that they dress more safely (safe colours, safe designs, safe flattering clothes). I desperately wanted to buy a nice pair of shoes since I heard that Spain is a shoe heaven. Not so much in comparison to London. I didn't find anything in Spain that I would like and that I couldn't buy in the UK for a fraction of the price. And here I have at least five times more shops to choose from, not mentioning all these fabulous vintage shops scattered around whole London. Now I really appreciate the city I live in :)

The dress I'm having here is a gift from my boyfriend who fell in love first with this art nouveau inspired pattern. It's a kind of a wrap dress but not so obvious as Diane von Furtstenberg's pieces. I like the small flounce on the side, it makes the whole dress a bit girly and not so seriously womanly. The dress can reveal the decoltage or be buttoned at the collar as on the small photograph giving, however, a glimpse of skin in between the buttons. The designer sells her dresses in London's Spitalfields Market as well as in India, in Goa. We first met her friend selling dresses on the Anjuna Market in Goa and I was thinking about buying one of her polka dotted dress. But being spoilt by Indian prices I didn't want to pay almost £15 for it. In London we discovered the same dresses in Spitalfields plus this one gorgeous work of art and my boyfriend immediately wanted me to have it. Lucky me :)

The painting on the left is by a Spanish realist, Amalia Avia, and is entitled "Benito Garcia Fontanero". The picture on the right shows one of countless sweet shops in Madrid.

Dress: Spitalfields Market

Shoes: Ebay

Tights: Marks & Spencer