Glad tidings one and all, I hope you are in fine fettle on this bleak and blustery day. Mr S is indeed fine and dandy thanks to the autumnal winds blowing many good things Smithers way, the most notable being the The Red Carpet Fancy Shop event, we were fortunate enough to be part of at the stunning Apple Store in Covent Garden with a list of famous celebrities including JME And Ciara.
Such is my excitement I’m not entirely sure where to start, but let’s aim for the beginning. As you know, we have been working with Fancy for a good while now, and loving every minute, so when Joe asked me to be a guest speaker at their UK event, I thought – ‘Yeah, I fancy that!’
Joe Einhorn, the genius creator behind Fancy has been spreading the good word about his fantastic site with a series of events hosted by himself, guest speakers like myself , talking about my love of Retro and a smattering of super cool celebrities in only the most stylish of cities London
Obviously being hosted by Apple, it was only right to begin in the Big Apple so Joe kicked started the events in New York with Emily Ratajkowski (actress, model, Blurred Lines fame) for company – you get the idea. A few weeks later, they took the Fancy party to Paris with American singer Zendaya in tow before finally making it to our very own glory town, London. Set in the worlds largest Apple Store, myself and Mrs Smithers made our way to the bustling streets of Covent Garden, but not before we killed a few strange hours being chased by Zombies at London Bridge. No, I’m not kidding.
In my own head, I was Rick. Obviously. The nerves started to kick in, so we slipped into The Punch and Judy for a pint or two of Dutch courage. From the pub balcony, I watched hundreds of cool kids pour into the beautiful Apple building. Why had I ever agreed to this?! I’m a wannabe hermit!! Too late, the hour was upon us, or me, as it were.
I’ve never made it inside a Green Room before… well not legally anyway. I could tell you what goes on inside those walls of green (or white in this case), but I’d have to kill you. All I truly remember is I felt like Rocky going in, and Pee-wee Herman coming out!
In all seriousness, it was very low key and welcoming. Joe was his usual charming self and kindly introduced us to the ultimate tech geek and MC Jme. And his Rubiks Cube. Never could do those bloody things! We also met a couple of cheeky chaps, Jack and Joachim, who work on the Fancy app and after a few nervous minutes, a highly polished and Goddess like Ciara entered the room with her entourage. I wonder if I’ll ever have an entourage? I don’t think the wife and kids count.
All were lovely and very chatty, and I was starting to enjoy myself until the call came and it was time to make our way down to the stage that contained those four panel chairs and that barrage of terrifyingly cool kids.
My life has never felt so surreal and real all at the same time before. Somehow my knocking knees carried me to my chair, amidst the whooping and clapping. Convinced there must have been some terrible mistake and that security would remove me at any given moment, I decided to try and enjoy it whilst I could.
Uber smooth and oh so cool, Joe kicked things off talking all things Fancy. I love the theory behind the business – it’s less about the things you need and more about what you want, which inevitably then becomes something you very much need.
Fancy is all about being a place where you can appreciate and share the quirkier things in life, and fortunately for me, can now buy from too. The more you ‘fancy’ something, the greater it’s rise on the site. Mutual appreciation for the amazing things the site has to offer.
Before long, Joe was waxing lyrical about Smithers, all eyes turned my way and it was time to talk. Squeaky bum time ahoy. I had prepared a speech. I think about eight words of it came out, at most. I fluffed my way through what felt like hours, but I do recall hearing laughs (with me, not at me, hopefully) and when I fessed up to this being my first time public speaking, my kind audience spurred me on with a round of applause and a cheeky wolf whistle if I’m not mistaken! I obviously won them over with my blathering humility.
JME was up next and obviously a lot more laid back than i was. Like a pro he chatted easily about his love of Fancy, sell out gigs, successful siblings in the form of sister Julie, one of three lead DJ’s for Apples radio station Beats 1 and of course brother and successful rapper, Skepta (their parents gotta be pretty chuffed) and not forgetting a slight hint of denial when it came to his possible marriage nuptials next year!
Ciara cruised into action and worked the room like a dream, particularly when she occasionally made an attempt at a British accent. She spoke with more clarity than I did to be fair! Ciara’s new record ‘Paint it Black’ (Rolling Stones cover) was plugged as she happily chatted about all things fanciful and everyone fell just that little bit more in love with her. Having said that, I see she’s been papped with Vin Diesel this week, promoting the last witch hunter movie. She’s one lucky lady, smithers last week vin this week.
I slowly started to relax as the spotlight moved away from me and joined in the Q and A session that followed, although how I got round to talking about the six foot fork that we sell, I’ll never know! I was amazed and humbled that people actually hung around after the cameras cut and the flashes faded to shake my hand and congratulate me about Smithers. It was a truly amazing experience, but I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed a burger and pint round the corner at Sophie’s after the mayhem was over!
Moving on, we’ve been inundated lately with sales of the spooky variety in readiness for Halloween, so I thought I’d share some of my freaky favourites with you. Our bony friend Mr Mort Ality the anatomical skeleton model has been warmly received by the Smithers public having even made it to Texas recently, and whilst he encapsulates this time of year perfectly, his classic style makes him as easy piece for any living space, all year round.
For all you Gryffindor wannabes, our Harry Potter Potions Box is an absolute must have for Halloween and makes an eye catching piece for dishing up some blood-curdling beers or ghoul-tastic treats.
The Skull Tidy is an excellent and eerie home accessory. Not only is it suitably apt, the skulls also the perfect place to hide your keys and phone to prevent cluttering up your scary sideboard. I do love a trick or two but these beauties are the perfect treat for any home this Halloween.
I hate to say it but all of the above also make great Christmas gifts for men.
Yes I’ve said it – the dreaded C word! I’m afraid Smithers is very much thinking along the lines of all things festive at the moment and as we move into offering an amazing collection of retro toys and gifts in time for the big day, so will you be too!
Vintage style ride-ons, smoking robots and colourful retro skateboards are all going in our Letter to Santa, so you’d better start being nice and get yourself off that Naughty List sharpish! Don’t forget to get your ghoul on for the 31st, enjoy a banger or two for me with ole Guy Fawkes on the 5th and I shall be back with you soon. Until then my friends, or should that be fiends?!
Mr Smithers.
