south beach: fitness center

Another thing I love about South Beach is the fitness fanaticism: after living in London for so long, where the vibe is to be skinny but in a kind of 'I don't work out, I'm just genetically scrawny' way, it's a shock to the system to see such overt exercising taking place on the street. In public, and in broad daylight!




Snapped Running Man (on 15th Street) and Roller Girl (on Collins Avenue) within moments of each other. I wonder if, after I took this shot, they bumped into each other, realised they were both playing the same song, fell in love & lived happily ever after.

I wonder what they were listening to.

leigh @ la provence: miami style

We stumbled on a great place on Collins Avenue, near the Delano called La Provence for the best little brunch, which is where I met Leigh, a photographer from NY, who was on a coffee break from shooting her boyfriend kite surfing at the beach. Lovely, lovely girl, and so tall, I had to back way back, practically onto the street. She said she was a bit embarrassed to be photographed so scruffily, which only makes me wonder how great she'd look when she 'scrubs up', as they say in London. Sourcing (in her words):

Homeade cut-offs-Rock & Republic
Painter's Tee-JCrew
Hoodie-Merona (Target)
Scarf-Sir....something
Sunglasses-Burberry
Flops-Havianas
Camera-Nikon D60 ;)



I love her colours - blue and white and turquoise with the tans and browns of skin and hair are my favourite, most relaxing, happy colours ever. Which is part of why I love the Delano so much. I've got so many shots of various chair groupings, and I realise this blog is called 'street style london', not Hotel Lobbies I Have Known and Loved, but, still.. it's just so hard to pick one or two.



And of course, I've got to leave you with another shot of the reluctant Mr. Dot. When we were young, my dad, who had a great photographic eye, would put my sister and I in photos. Like Mr. Dot, we'd be all 'oh, dad, not another shot' but he'd say he needed us in 'for scale'.

south beach style: brionna outside the delano

Yesterday Mr. Dot & I drove down to Miami (South Beach) for the day. I can't believe all these years we've stayed up in the Palm Beach area when we visited. I love love love South Beach. I knew it had changed since I hung out there as a teenager when we'd visit family friends in Key Biscayne, but man oh man.. it's just like what I've been longing for about LA: that wonderful mix of old/new rich/poor, the Cuban influence, the architecture.. well those of you in the real world know what I'm talking about. I've basically just landed on this planet, so I'm like the last to know.

I swam in the glorious, turquoise sea: the wind was so strong we were getting stung by the sand, and the surf was just pounding me to bits. Even after a swim in the pool later on, AND a shower, I still had sand caked in my ear. My idea of heaven!

Met Brionna, who's so lucky to live there, outside my new favourite hotel, the Delano. I love the flashes of purple, the accents of diamonds & beads adding a bit of femininity to balance that clean, now classic look of white ribbed 'vest' and skinny blue jeans. She is a warm, delightful girl. I wish you could see the little tattoos on her neck, they're so subtle, and cool.



Her sunglasses remind me of a chair inside the Delano.



She can't recall who made her shoes but she bought them at Nordstrom. A nice feminine touch, like a bit of lace peeking out of a Victorian lady's hem.

More South Beach (& Palm Beach) shots to come. Sorry I'm not commenting as much, sweet blog friends, but I am visiting when I can, and so happy for your comments. Wish you were here!

p.s. Thank you, Lolitta, for the tip off on Brionna's shoes (she forgot the make, too): she said they're by Steve Madden, cause she has the same pair in black.



And to Butterfield, who asked what the deal was with the sparkly beads, I'm adding another shot so you can see what she's done: it's brilliant, actually. Just tossed a beaded necklace over her shoulder like a shoulder bag. I don't know if you can make out, but she's also got some really sweet tattoos on her neck & shoulders. Very subtle.