When I was THE FACE OF GUCCI...

I race through Charing Cross station, I was not about to be a minute late. It was maybe a 15-minute walk according to my pocket map, I really didn’t understand East or West or maps , Los Angeles was much easier in hindsight…ocean or mountains pretty much told you. I didn’t want to risk getting turned around and I always seemed to be going in the wrong direction or getting my shoe stuck in the street here. I got into my comfort zone, the black cab and stretched my legs. I loved black cabs, so much leg room, you could lay down and they didn’t mind, they always knew the best route and not a lot of talking….well usually. I hopped out, the cabbie wished me luck, I didn’t tell him I had a big meeting but he must have seen me open and close my teeny purse 40 times to check my face.

Very fancy street and complicated fancy door, I was at Gucci, not the store their main giant office ! My agency called with a request to go for a meeting and fitting for a special Millennium project. The Millennium was all anyone could talk about it. It was maybe going to be the end of the world and everyone’s computer was going to explode was my takeaway. I wasn’t worried about losing the 3 emails I had in life.

A fancy woman greeted me, I immediately felt linty. She walked very fast and I sort of chased her, we stopped the race at massive doors she opened and there was Tom Ford. Jesus Liz be cool, just be cool,  I thought about maybe doing a little curtsy… I didn’t. She offered me some tea that I accepted in a strange high pitched voice. Another fancy woman was inside and handed me some very tiny clothes to change into, both had  posh accents, this was something I learned after moving to London, I had assumed everyone spoke like the Queen. My husband was from Southeast London, a Cockney accent and half the time I had no idea what he was talking about.

It was a relief to hear his accent, he asked if I felt comfortable changing there in the room,  I was used to changing anywhere but not used to such good manners.

I slipped into some sort of mesh underwear situation and spent the afternoon covered in diamonds. He was creating diamond underwear for something I was not too sure what it was for,  but again I didn’t really care if the world was going to explode soon because I was having the time of my life that after noon. Cups of tea in a beautiful room and talking occasionally about where I came from, usually fashion people talked at you, or like you were a vase or something, he was so nice.  I was used to standing behind a stage where everyone else was shining. It was nice to be asked about myself and have a workday that was mine, I felt all shiny for a change.

The day came to an end and Fancy came back at her marathon pace to jog me over to change. God she was a buzzkill, I changed as fast I could and handed over the goods. She jogged me out. Crap it was raining, no cabs, I ran to the train station. I was starving and hoping the guy that sold bacon Butties would be there,  ( crispy bacon, HP sauce, and butter jammed into soft white bread and it was goddamn heaven) Yes, he was! I managed to grab that and my train. My cell phone was ringing off the hook,  I flipped it open answered quietly as I had recently been yelled at for my “resounding American accent ringing through the entire carriage”. The call dropped, I could hear the excited voice of my agent for a split second though. I close my phone and saw quite a few calls had come in from her.  I was shaking with excitement…. this was it I thought to myself, they only want to me to be the GOD DAMN FACE OF GUCCI!

could have been a fax? I had no access to shampoo ? hazel…calm down