LAGUNA, CALIFORNIA

07.02.17 - 09.02.17

MORE PHOTOS COMING SOON

WHAT I THOUGHT OF LAGUNA, CALIFORNIA

I'm going to start off with saying that I love Laguna and I never wanted to leave.

When in Venice, I had a lot of mixed responses when I said I was travelling south of the coast to Laguna, it's not crazy distance but it's still like an hour away. Although I knew it was beautiful, I was informed by many that the people in Laguna are rude and obnoxious, so I thought I'd fit right in then. The car journey down was simply breathtakingly beautiful, you've got mountains, valleys, lakes and more beaches. However, I got dropped off at the condo I was staying at and the view was jaw dropping, it's something that will forever be imprinted into my thoughts, every time I now think of Laguna, I think of the view I had from my balcony. 

First day in, I was already let down my someone I was supposed to meet which meant I was plodding around Laguna with all my belongings whilst I waited to check in. See this would be a problem any other time, but that day felt like as good as any to just sit down on the beach and just soak in the sun and enjoy the marvelous view. Exactly what I did, before I knew it 4pm came around and I checked in, emptied my bag and took only the essentials with me: drone, camera and a bottle of water. After hours of shooting, I had to walk back to where I was staying and on the way I noticed this restaurant literally across the road, so I dropped everything inside and strolled across to this restaurant so I could have some grub. Mind, I'm currently dressed in my KTZ joggers, Toms, t-shirt and hoodie. I walk in, realising I'm not dressed for the establishment and was greeted with a concerned women at the desk, giving me eyes like I shouldn't be there. Which prompted me to sound the most British I have ever sounded before, requesting a table for 1 or whether I could eat at the bar. The manager peers over, see's me (with my British accent) and welcomes me in and sits me at the bar. The Mac n Cheese here was just marvelous, never have I experience something so beautiful, then as the night goes on I'm sat drinking old fashions, next to a couple where we then engage conversation about the winter olympics and not knowing what curling was. It then happens that I was sitting next to David August, a bespoke tailor from LA whom I've marveled over for many of years due to the beautiful creations he's designed for A-list celebs. To which, he invites me to his showroom the next day and of course I accept the invitation. 

Next day roles around, hungover from all the bourbon from the night before I power through and wake up early to shoot. Drone up in the sky. Wondering around my hours, I then get back to my place to freshen up so that I can head up to David August showroom. I get there and am greeted by his lovely partner, Sonja. She shows me around the complex and introduces me to all of his staff members, now I don't think I've ever seen an establishment like this. The environment is so clean, so refined and so beautifully managed for something that's well, it's still the fashion industry... I'm finally shown the famous "fuck you" fabric, that was originally designed and made for Conor McGregor, and all other celebs suits that were ready for their final fitting. I then get pointed towards the fitting area, where I'm told to stand still and this gentleman comes in and starts to measure me, obviously I know that he's measuring me I'm just unsure why. I'm then told that David had gifted me 2 shirts to made specifically for me in any fabric I wanted, which they would then be made and sent to me. I'm over the moon, not only have I experienced something I never thought I would, I got to meet the man himself by coincidence in a restaurant I went in on a wim. OH AND I GOT TO PICK UP A REAL UFC GOLD CHAMPIONS BELT, it's actually kind of heavy. 

That pretty much sealed Laguna for me, I fell in love with the location and it's beautiful landscape but to have an experience like that and actually get offered a job from David himself, made me really question about moving to LA.