What were you doing ten years ago?! As you can see from the photos below we've had a few incarnations in our time. I had quite a nostalgia-fest searching through my old photos and remembering all the ups and downs.
As with anything in life, mostly we look back and sigh at the mistakes we made and the hard won lessons we've learnt. As I have often said to my son: "Hindsight is a wonderful thing...but it can be a big stick to beat ourselves with!" We look back and wonder why we didn't know what we know now...forgetting that the knowledge we have comes from experience. And as Chris says: "Experience - you can't buy it and you can't teach it."
But since I'm throwing quotes around, they also say "Life's about the journey, not the destination" - cliched but true! And here is Therapy's journey:
Therapy For Feet, High Street
Kids Therapy, 10a New Street
10a New Street - from Kids to Therapy Frocks to Shoes & Homewares
Therapy, Golden Square - the original & the best!
When I think back over the last ten years of Therapy it is the yummy things I've bought that I remember best. I adore fabulous fashion and I find it much easier to bring to mind than people or events! So here are a few of my favourite things:
The tweed skirt with mad applique rabbit from Des Petits Hauts (my sister still has hers).
Rebeca Sanver's suede platform, ankle strap wedges from our very first season (I still have two pairs which I look at every summer and sensibly decide against wearing - sigh).
All the leather bags from Abro - yum yum yum! I know they were expensive but oh how beautiful! I still have two and the one I use every day has just got better and better.
Talking of bags - I still have a lime green snakeskin bag with matching stiletto slingbacks from our opening season of Therapy For Feet - so Grace Kelly.
Avoca's cute 50's style sundress with lips woven into the fabric.
Avoca's gorgeous tartan throws in mohair and lambswool - the colour combinations make me smile with happiness.
Ah, the Old Gringo cowboy boots - so expensive and total works of art. If I could afford it I'd collect them - heavenly!
Noli dresses - how fabulous were they?! Feminine, unusual, wearable, flattering - Wenlan the designer is a genius. Where is she now?! (I don't know, I've tried to find her)
Part Two. I love the Danes and this brand has been our faithful stalwart for the last ten years. Clean styling, great fit, understated, yes - boring, no!!
Polo Ralph Lauren for kids - too cute!! I know Kids Therapy didn't work out but that collection was just so iconic. I used to buy the men's range when I worked for Jenners and it was a real nostalgia trip to buy the kids' range.
Trussardi Jeans. I know, typically fabulous Italian design and quality...and typically Italian - impossible to work with! The fit and fabrics were so innovative and ahead of their time. Some of you are still wearing them.
Jaime Mascaro's Pretty Ballerina ballet pumps - like Cinderella shoes! Expensive, yes. Gorgeous, yes yes yes!!!
Aftershock's beaded tops from our early days. I know they shed beads all over the place but they were works of art and such a good price. I wore one (with my Rebeca Sanver wedges) on my 40th birthday trip to Paris. Ooh la la!
Jackpot trousers! I know trousers are boring things to buy but they have to fit right...and Jackpot's did! Such a shame they're no longer wholesaling the collection.
Jewellery, jewellery, jewellery! Such fun and so easy to buy - no sizes to worry about. Manouk's mad wire & bead necklaces in every colour; Majique's endless selection of on-trend and affordable baubles; Tantrend's current colourful collection. Ah, like a pirate's treasure...
I love buying accessories because there's no sizing to worry about. I love the fact that scarves, socks, gloves, tights can be any combination of mad colours and prints. Echo is another collection which we've stocked from the very beginning and some of their designs have made me want to weep at their beauty. And as for Avoca's cute scarves and gloves - it's our chance to dress like kids again - and why not?!
I'm sure you all have your own favourite's - because they're beautiful, because you wore them for a special occasion, because it was a gift from a loved one...
Fashion may not be life saving, our men may not understand our passion, we may panic about spending on something gorgeous and frivolous when we should be buying groceries...
but who cares?!! Fashion makes us feel great and to me that is a good enough excuse to do what we do at Therapy.
Thank you all of you for making that possible.
Laura x
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