Breakfast at Tiffany's, Lunch at Bergdorf's, Dinner at Sak's

I hurl out of the yellow cab into the pounding rain outside. The tyres of cars swoosh through the puddled street, sending pedestrians skittering and splashing with black briefcases held over their heads. I run through them, the sound of my heels tip, tapping on the wet pavement.

“Caaaaaat…..” I cry. 

“Cat! Cat! Caaaaaaaaatt!”

BBZZZKK ..... BBZZZKK ..... BBZZZKK ..... BBZZZKK ....  

"Just a dream. It was only a dream".

That morning I sat down at breakfast to direct the movie I was starring in at the moment, the movie that was my life. In it I was Holly Golightly. Pulling up in a yellow cab at Tiffany and Co, wearing an elegant Givenchy evening gown, a pair of elbow length gloves and nibbling on a Danish pastry. Henry Mancini’s ‘Moon River’ playing dreamily in the background of my mind. 

The opening sequence of ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ is a lasting symbol of New York City. The outfit worn by Holly as she peers through the store window has become a Halloween cliché (a side effect of making it as a symbol), and has been reproduced time and time again in pop culture. It’s no wonder that it should play out in my dreams as I imagine my exchange to New York. 

Pop culture series by Designcrowd

Pop culture series by Designcrowd

Breakfast is Tiffany - Hollywood is Dead

A scene from the CWs Gossip Girl

I can’t help but find it ironic however, that a symbol so integral to New York's self image, was also entirely manufactured by Hollywood. This 1960’s snapshot has been responsible for thousands of tourists, who have nibbled on their own croissant outside Tiffany’s. Little do they know that Audrey hated pastries so much, the opening scene had to be re-shot over and over as she tried not to gag. 

I’d like to think of myself as a modern-day Holly Golightly. For starters we're both extroverts. We're both nineteen and we both have a cat. But, most importantly, we're both young woman leaving their small towns for the allure of the big city. Although, New York is expensive for Holly (like it is for me), leading her to pursue work as a ‘call girl’ (unlike me). So calm down mum if you're reading this.

Wouldn’t we all like to be a little like Holly? Considering the trail of fashionable female New Yorkers following in her footsteps, from Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City to Andy in The Devil Wears Prada, the answer is undoubtedly yes. Holly Golightly is not just a symbol, she’s an icon.

Xx