COOL PEOPLE

You may have read in my prior post that I am launching a blog series that I hope I stick with forever.. here it is!! After spending an eternity in the brainstorming process I have gone for the name 'cool people' (lol, I know it's rubbish). Cool People will feature a few standard photos of a random individual, some information on them and what they are doing, how I met them and my positive opinion on them and finally.. how to connect with them!

I decided to do this for a number of reasons, I managed to come up with 8 exactly - here they are;

1 - Cool People - I meet so many cool, inspiring people everyday (cool and inspiring in a number of ways..) and I am tired of keeping them a secret. A person doesn't gaq

2 - Consistency - I want to be blogging on a much more regular basis and have been saying so for a long time and have decided that there is no better way of kick-starting this by completely chucking myself in the deep end.

3 - Bye bye poor traits, hellooo portraits - I have formally divorced myself from my old friend 'Laziness' especially in my photography life. I want to be taking a wide range of shots from no onwards, especially portraits!

4 - Life is confusing. - So confusing that it would be good to get some inspiration or reassurance (whatever you need!) from a total stranger.

5 - Similar to '4' - See what people are doing with their lives, how they got to where they are and where they want to end up.

6 - Improved connectivity - I think that something like this on a big scale will improve connectivity and the sharing of ideas among our generation, people who may have never bumped into each other could get in touch with one an other as a result of seeing them on 'cool people' - this isn't a new thing though at all, social networks are kind of already supposed to do this.

7 - Meeting New People - A lot of people worriy about this, maybe learning more about people and realising that they're all fab will help you ease those fears.

8 - Difference - Difference is good, learn about people's difference, understand and love them for their differences (a bit soppy but it's true).

The first of my series will be posted tomorrow at 8pm. Thanks for reading!

COOL EVENTS; LFW - SS'17 (Street Style)

"London Fashion Week (LFW)is a clothing trade show held in London twice each year, in February and September. It is one of the "Big Four" fashion weeks, along with the New York (NYFW), Milan (MFW) and Paris (PFW)." .. Gracias Wiki!

It is now Wednesday and London Fashion Week is well and truly over for the year.

Once again I got myself down to the vibrant centre of London, to connect with new people and take some cool shots in between. I leave LFW with a bag full of business cards, a bulkier personal portfolio, a slightly boosted online presence.. Oo and a big smile on my face!

Over the past few days I have also been brainstorming various ideas for a potential 'blogging series'.. I've trialed many before but haven't had that burning passion for any of them - the burning passion is the key to it's success, I feel. 

Anyway, I will be blogging more about that later. For now, here are some photos from the past 4 or 5 days.

Follow my Instagram for more of my snaps!

FVCE YOUR FEVRS.

"There comes a time in everyone's life where anger supersedes fear, and that's when as a person, you rise or fall"

In short, one day you'll become so pissed off with the things that hold you back that you will either tackle them and rise, or let them continuously tackle you, causing you to fall.  

Life is a journey, good or bad, it's a journey. One thing is for sure though.. and that is that life is also a blessing and NEVER a curse. So, surely that means that we should live a life free of troubles?.. This naturally brings the question, 'why is life so hard?'.

Over the past few years, I've gotten to really know and love people. I've also asked myself MANY questions and found many answers. Now, I don't know if these all of these answers are spot on, but I'm pretty sure of what I'm about to tell you guys.

'FEAR' is your life's biggest enemy.. But what does this mean.. you shouldn't watch horror films?

No.

Society has done extremely well to strip us of  our natural title as 'leaders' and 'rulers'. People have been reduced to nothing but servants, slaves and not of the Earth (which would be acceptable), but of other men. The constant fear of doing something wrong, keeps us in the position that we are in now, but I'm not saying anything new.

Watch this video..

Some of you may be thinking, 'okay... so the elephant is an absolute wimp.' But hold up, aren't we the dominant species on this Earth, aren't we top of the food chain, is this not OUR world? Why do animals attack us.. WHEN WE SHOW FEAR.

Fear also stops us in other aspects of our lives. 

So, I'm here to tell you; if you have any fears (don't take the word to literally) or insecurities that are stopping you from doing something try your hardest to break that mindset, in short, tackle that 'fear' head on and see how quickly it runs from you, making whatever you were scared of seem a lot more achievable.

I've personally always wanted to become a presenter of some sort from an early age, and throughout my short life people have said 'weird' things to me. I say weird, but really I just mean Christians amongst others, but mainly Christians, have told me that I will one day be a 'pastor' and a 'voice for my generation'. And it didn't really hit home until the past year when I realised that my dream, to become a presenter, could very easily be seen as a 'pastor' for the people, a voice for the generation.
Don't worry, I'm not just using this as an opportunity to waffle about myself, there's more..

I left university in February of last, and told myself that it wasn't for me and that you don't need a degree to be successful (which is still very true, if you are motivated enough to pursure something off of your own back). I started looking for other routes and others paths and this only came with massive pressures as I was trying to force a life path for myself that maybe just wasn't mean to be. Over the past year or so, I have spent notable time tackling my fears and found that my biggest, was that of rejection. Rejection from top universities, rejection from friends, all this led me to stay at square one. Once I faced up to these fears I was able to talk to people about the possibility of heading back to uni and pursuing my dream job. My silly fears almost stopped me from achieving what I wanted in life. Your fears only make you settle for less, so realise them and tackle them ASAP. 

Realise that there are good and bad forces in this world, and bad wants to see the destruction of everything good. The Earth is good, and bad wants to see the destruction of it and it's people (who are ALL start off good). 

 It is sadly a relentless attempt by bad to ruin us all, mentally and physically. And bad only can attack us in two ways, through fear and deception. Don't worry too much about deception, that's just when you're head plays tricks on you and you start thinking negatively about situations, attracting a negative situation, I'll talk about that more in the future.

If there's one simple lesson to take away from this post it is that positive action counters fear and positive thinking counters deception.

Stay tuned and stay blessed!

COOL DEALS; WHERE THE HECK DID YOU FIND THAT??

Cool, so I'm back as promised, with some AWESOME new deals. As you all know, I am addicted to buying clothes, especially cheap ones, I am a bargain hunter. If I see a good deal, I'm there. and if I don't have the money at the time, I will borrow it, and then I'm there. Good deals do not wait for anyone. Just like in anything you do in life, you must be an opportunist.

I've mainly sourced my clothing from charity stores, must notably, Iain Rennie, BHF and Cancer Research. Some of the items I am about to show you were also found in sample sales that I have recently attended (search google for 'local sample sales') where I was able to pick up some really nice things for under £2.

Some of the items I will be showing are for sale now too, so if you're lucky enough to have me on a social network, contact me via one of them, for more information. Notepads ready?.. Let's go. 

 

This simple ASOS Black Bucket Hat was picked up at a sample sale for 25p.

You can't go wrong with the classic, Nike swoosh design. Copped this at the Islington Car Boot Sale for £2.

Now for some bottoms.. These high-rise Levi's 505's, have quickly become my life. Slightly different from the original 501's, these beauties cost me £10 (50%) from Beyond Retro, Dalston. Get yourself down to your closest BR if you're looking for a solid pair of jeans.

For those who don't know, Carhartt, is my favourite brand. I actually got these Carhartt Sid Chinos, from EBAY for a £10. Have a look yourself, these babies retail at 85.00GBP!

Now for some of my hot finds in sportswear..

This 80s LA Sharks Ice Hockey jersey was bought aaaages ago now, I couldn't resist it at the time and still absolutely love it. One of the best things I've ever picked up for £1. 

We all know how sort after Adidas Firebird Tracksuits are.. Retailing at a mean £50. I felt like the heavens were smiling on me when I found this on an Algerian man's rack at the wonderful Dalston Car Boot Sale. He charged me £4! 

Again, another blessing. This was sourced a lot closer to home than my previous buys. I picked this Adidas Original Brasil World Cup edition shirt from my local favourite, Iain Rennie Hospice for £4.50. Again, that's almost 90% I saved myself on the retail price. This hobby takes a lot of patience, don't guy buying anything or crying because you didn't find something mind-blowingly cheap, that just defeats the whole object of bargain hunting.

D'you know a stylist? Luckily I know a few! They're fab because they're always looking to offload spare clothes. I actually picked up the next three items you're about to see, for free!

From my lovely friend Grace. That's a link to this cool chick's instagram.. Take a look at what she's about!

 

FOR SALE - Add me on Facebook (Zachary Ekpe) or contact me on a social network (@ZachEkpe).

 Alternatively, you can email me at zacharyekpe@gmail.com or text me, if you're lucky enough to have my number.

This bad boy bomber is also for sale, again, hit me up.

Now for some slightly more upmarket finds..

To keep myself out of the trap of becoming

This FCUK top, as seen in my 'profile pics' all over the web, cost me £2, from an ASOS sample sale, just outside London. This shirt is loud and screams 60s!!! So I'll have to be in a certain mood or going to a certain event to wear this one.

To add to the classy buys I nabbed myself this ZARA jumper for men. This probably retailed at around £25-50 and I got it from Age UK, in Hemel Hempstead's town centre for £4.

And finally, to ensure that I can look smart with regardless of the bottoms I choose. I had to get this, a lovely North Face fleece that was only £6, from Cancer Research. 

This was bought by a friend of mine, for me, as he knew it'd be right down my street, thank you Ross!

 

  ..

I trust that the items you have seen have given you all hope, but, I'm not done yet! I still have the shoes to show y'all.

First up, we have these beauts. These are classic Timberland walking boots, they are around 20-30 years old now, but knowing Timberland and they're high quality/prices, these would retail nowadays at somewhere near £80. You want to know how much I paid? £2, from Dalston Car Boot Sale. The lady really wanted to shift her ex-husband's old walking boots and as it was the end of the boot day, she was looking to get ANYTHING for them. I almost felt bad buying these. Admittedly, these needed abit of mending as the inner soles had holes in them! Not anymore though, I put some Supra insoles in them, making them clouds for my feet to rest in.

The Reebok Classic Workouts were also bought at the car boot sale in Dalston and they set me back £4, which again, is a really good price. Especially considering the condition the shoes are in and the way in which they've kept their value over the last decade.

 

So guys, this is the end. I've got many more items to show you in the near future, I just hope that this is evidence enough that good deals are accessible to all of us. The proof is in the post. Go out there and search for local sample and car boot sales. And pop into the odd charity shop, you'll DEFINITELY find something. If you're weirdly embarrassed by charity shopping, glance into them at the very least, when you walk past, something may catch your eye.

Remember, some of these items are for sale so please do not shy away from getting in touch with me.

Have a great day, stay tuned and stay blessed!

COOL POINTERS; BARGAINS - £24 for EVERYTHING!

Good day friends, it has been a WHILE. Too long. Anyway, today I think I'm going to give you guys 2 posts today! I do have the dentist at 3pm, so it depends on how I feel after that.

But before I go, I'm going to show you guys a few bargains I've recently bumped into and couldn't help but buy! As you know already, I'm not a big spender and that's mainly because I'm not a big earner, so I LOVE bargain hunting. When bargain hunting, in this instance, for clothes, you must take into account a number of different things before you make the purchase. These things are all pretty obvious, I'd say they were; price(before n after), originality(it may be cheap because it's massed produced and you do not want that!), brand name(the more familiar you are with the brand, the more you can trust it's quality) and then all the other factors that come into play when clothes shopping normally like size, etc.

All these items cost me £24 in total, scroll down and see what I bought!

We start with this Peter Storm Jacket, once an £80 jacket, is mine and all for just £6!

£6 - British Heart Foundation

Here we have some Gola socks, 2 pairs from a pack of 8! Wait for it.. that cost me £4!! I was on break from work in my local Tesco and had to buy, especially as I was experiencing the worst sock drought of my life!

£4 - Tesco

NOW WE HAVE SOME SHIRTS..

£2 - East End Thrift Store!

£2 - East End Thrift Store

£3 - Iain Rennie Hospice

£3 - Iain Rennie Hospice

The penultimate item is one my favourite buys, as I've been looking for a head sports bag for some time now! And when I finally bumped into one, the price meant I had to make it mine there and then. £4 people!!!

Jealous? Wait for my next acquisition!

After being told off on numerous occassions for thinking I can get away with wearing all black trainers, instead of smart shoes, I finally chose to conform. But I was still being stubborn I was only settling for a pair of Doc Martens, and when my hairdresser told me his best friend worked at Doc Martens, I thought life couldn't get better. Obviously, it did. Turns out my hairdresser Ben just bough brand new ones and was looking to get rid of his! Given my interest, Ben offered them to me for FREE, conveniently he lives opposite me girl Laura in Hackney so I was able to pick them up soon after the agreement was made and HERE they are..

£0 - A friend!

Jealous now? YOU STILL DON'T HAVE TO BE! As you see, I only really go to charity shops for these finds,  so go to your local charity shops and if they don't do it for you then go to some charity shops that aren't local to you? See how it works.. Also, if you really want something go to someone you think will have that thing and ask if they can advice you on the cheapest to get what you want.

Click here for more information on the East End Thrift Store. Some days EETS host a £1 day where selected items (ALOT) are all a pound.

Save your pounds and shop cheap people!

Stay tuned and stay blessed!!

COOL PLACES; HOT DAY IN NARNIA

The 9th of March had been highly-anticipated by many people all over the captial. High's of 17 degrees had been reported (hotter than a 9th of Match spent in Ibiza) and the day did not disappoint, not a cloud in site and a gawjusss heat. Laura and I decided to head out to London's thrifty East End! We went for a afternoon drink on Boxpark, Shoreditch. We then made our way to the sure-to-be-packed Brick Lane, we cut through the market on Scalter Way and it was definitely a taster for what was in store at the market. There were great deals everywhere and movement was oh so limited. 

Good deals on Scalter Way Market, towards Brick Lane from Shoreditch High Street Station

MEGA bottles of shampoo and conditioner - £2

Heavy Duty bike lock, with 3 keys! - £3 (£30-100+ RRP) - this makes me think that the keys are all generic so be careful if you're buying these locks for a bike in the Shoreditch area as people may have the key to YOUR lock)

Vinyls for cheap - (20p - £3)

Typical yard sales

Anyway, we soon reached a busy Brick Lane and proceeded to look around! You had all your different market stalls and more innovative stalls, selling quirky, cool and also common gadgets and products. Our stomach's soon started talking to us, so we listened, and went to eat in Brick Lane Food Hall recommended by Laura, there was so much choice and ultimately, we ended up going for a Venezulan(...?!?) delicasse.

After that, we made our way to see what Brick Lane had to offer! We ambled through the herds of people, making some buys on the way. Our eyes were drawn to various vendors, some had an amazing artillery of stock, from vintage cameras to henna tattoos, Brick Lane's Sunday Market does have it all! We then sat down on a bit of free space in the midst of thousands of people pausing for a 'breather'/sip of anything. There we met a cooool couple, Moss and Louis. We ended up walking down Regent's Canal and also having a look at the Columbia Flower Market, PERFECT, for you guys that have A LOT of making up to do. You can buy lovely bunches from as cheaps 50p so check it out if you're in the area on a Sunday!

Finished the night at The Ferry Boat Inn, in last year's hometown.. Tottenham Hale, where we enjoyed a delightful meal before retreating, back to Hackney.

Here are some snaps from the day! I THINK.. they're in the right order.

Sunnies (Brick Lane Market) - £8

 

Smoked Salmon Bagels for £1.40 (20p more for cream cheese..)

 

 Sunnies (Brick Lane) - £5

Top (East End Thrift store) - £2

Casio Watch (Argos) - £8

Last year, a party was held in the derelict bulding just behind the red frame, music and people could be heard and seen for miles, ahh London.

Nigerians are out here, land, water, we're everywhere.

This lovely bunch was only £2 from the flower market!

They really brighten up a room, more for the ladies. Men, I am not encouraging you to buy roses for your windowsills, this is a picture of Laura's windowsill in Hackney.

 All in all it was a good day spent getting to know cool people and enjoying all the offers a keen bargain hunter like myself could dream for!

Whilst walking through the crowds of people L was stopped by Gianna, a Cypriot hairdresser, working for Ena Salon, Holborn! Laura was offered a free haircut, this is a common thrifty opportunity that you just can't turn down, my next blog'll be a wuick one about L's free cut!

Stay tuned and stay blessed, GRM updates also coming soon!

Follow the cool couple on insta.. Moss & Louis

and have a look at Laura's new blog @ kitkittyfashion.blogspot.com