Bonfire Of The Brands

burning sneakers, originally uploaded by chantelle.

A religious part of my Sunday is the Sunday Times, the Style supplement more specifically. This morning we rejoyced that Paul Flynn had a column on the opening page, only to find out he's filling in for a week. Hello? Somebody sort this man out a regular slot! Next to open my eyes was the double page spread on Neil Boorman (my Straight Outta Bethnal partner). I've mentioned his forthcoming book, Bonfire Of The Brands on here before (someone called him a slimy c**t, can't say he's greased me in any way, shape or form, quite the opposite in fact), and this article documented in brief his mission (ridding his life of everything branded) and details of the burning which takes place on September 17th (let's hope he gives me a Birthday present then). When I first met with Neil, I didn't view him as label obsessed, but since reading his blog and talking with him I've realised it's because we all are really. Today raised some more food for thought - literally - even buying Tesco Finest can be deemed buying into a lifestyle, so surely that can also apply to Tesco Value? One request on Boormans blog is to find non-branded innersoles for his non-branded trainers, I'm imagining his life is going to prove difficult. Will he have to start making much of his attire? Perhaps he'll need to further his culinary skills in order to satisfy his love of dips and start making these fancies from scratch? The debate as to what does and doesn't qualify as a brand could rage forever. Does wanting to live a non-branded lifestyle thus make you part of another world of cliche's and assumptions? Think how many times the word hippy gets attached to someone who chooses to live off the land. It's made me start thinking about my own choice of brands and my reasons for owning them. I don't know if I'm going to like what I'm about to write but here goes nothing... Neil Boorman I dedicate this to you in the name of research. www.bonfireofthebrands.blogspot.com

Sony Ericsson W900i - It's white. That why I chose it as my upgrade. The music player also seemed quite a bonus. And it matched my watch.
Guess watch - It's white. It seemed unusual and I loved it. I bought it in America last year as a birthday present. I actually prefer it to the Chanel one. And it's £3,000 cheaper.
iBook - Everyone in media uses Mac's don't they? And I don't like PC's.
Trashy Lingerie vest - It's an underwear shop in LA that you pay entry to get into. I liked the colour combination. It was cheap and a reminder of my trip. It did make it into Style a few months later though.
Non-branded jeans - Woohoo. One bonus point for me. I was probably broke and mum goes to Asda.
iPod - When I got it there wasn't an alternative. And who didn't want an MP3 player when they hit the market.
Nike Trainers - A present from an American journalist who I helped on a story. I don't really buy Nike in the UK because it's too expensive and when it comes to clothes I'm actually quite tight although I once spent £60 on a denim skirt. They saw me coming.
Oxford English Dictionary - Does this qualify as a brand? I'd rather swear by Oxford than an unofficial imitation.
RSPCA Socks - Another gift but the RSPCA brand does suggest I care about animals. I do. But I haven't done much to help unless you count handing in a dog I found wandering the streets of Shoreditch. The weekend I had Foxy Brown was like I had a child. Allow that.
Body Shops Moisturiser - I trust the brand. I admit it. When I pay £6 for an illuminating moisturiser from the Body Shop I expect to radiate from E2 to SE1.
Disney Calendar - Honestly I got it for the double line spacing. My schedule is hectic and warrants room to move. Like I ever write anything on it.
Samsung TV - It was the cheapest option although I did trust it more than the alternative I'd never heard of.
adidas jumper - It was FREEEEEEEEE.