College Avenue

Karen Walker Number One sunglasses, J. Crew leopard belt, Kate Spade bag, Kate Spade patent leather loafers,  Jennifer Fisher earrings, Zara top, Zara shorts


I love spending lazy weekend afternoons visiting my old college town. There's a lot to be proud of in Berkeley, and other than having a soft spot for my alma mater, it's generally a lovely place to be. The town has a laid back atmosphere, mixed in with yuppies, un/sociable intellectuals, and... interesting characters for good measure. The best part is they're all thrown into the same square mile radius and told to coexist — and surprisingly they do.

Affluence is not showy here, although it is mighty prevalent, so "dressing up" takes on a different meaning. In a town so heavily into everything — food, politics, the politics of food, family, themselves, etc. —it's all about being an individual. Which as it turns out is a good rule of thumb everywhere, actually. That's what I love about visiting Berkeley. It's a place etched my heart for the lessons I've learned, the memories it holds, and a constant reminder to just be myself.


Photos by Nick Smith