Spring Has Sprung

What is it about the first signs of spring that sends men and women into such paroxysms of delight? It certainly can’t be the weather alone; I am still wrapped in cashmere, radiators humming, with a scarf never far from reach. Yet there is something subtly different in the air. Perhaps it’s the lengthening days that linger just a little longer into the evening, or the pale ribbon of weak sunshine that appears between clouds and makes the pavements glisten. Maybe it’s the almost imperceptible swell of buds on trees, a faint haze of green along the hedgerows, or the first shy blossoms outside café windows. All of it whispers that winter is loosening its grip, and people, half-reluctantly, half-ecstatically, begin to unfurl with it.

A Twilight Stroll

Yesterday evening, just as dusk was softening the edges of the city, I found myself strolling through Hyde Park. The sky was painted in muted pinks and blues, the lake reflecting the last of the light as joggers, dog-walkers and late commuters criss-crossed the paths. I was arm-in-arm with my charming client, our pace leisurely, our conversation drifting from the trivial to the intimate as only happens when you walk side by side. We had just emerged from a very late, very indulgent lunch at the grill at The Dorchester—several courses, a bottle of wine too many, and the sort of desserts that demand an extra notch on the belt. Walking it off through the park felt both necessary and deliciously decadent.

Plans for New York

My client inhaled great gulps of the cool evening air, chest expanding as though he could pull spring itself into his lungs. He shook his head in disbelief and said he couldn’t quite grasp that it was already May—that the year had somehow slipped from dark January mornings to these softer, longer evenings with barely a pause. As we ambled along, he told me about his plans for a city break to New York in the next few weeks. He spoke with that particular kind of enthusiasm reserved for places that feel like a second home: the noise, the chaos, the unforgiving pace, and yet the exhilarating sense that anything could happen at any moment.

Then, as casually as you like, he turned to me and asked if I fancied coming along. Inside, I was on the verge of an undignified squeal. I adore New York: the gleaming shop-fronts along Fifth Avenue, the hum of taxis at midnight, the way the streets steam in the rain. This year, there was an extra temptation tugging at me—my new SS12 collection had just launched at Bloomingdale’s and Barneys. I could all but hear the garments calling me from their carefully lit rails, begging me to drop by, run a hand along their fabrics, and check they were behaving themselves. It took every ounce of self-control not to clap my hands like an overexcited child.

The Allure of City Breaks

City breaks, I’ve discovered, are a particular favourite of your date as well. London, for all her grandeur and quirks, is one of the most dazzling cities on earth, yet she’s hardly the jealous type. She doesn’t mind at all if you whisk her away for a few days, as long as you bring her back with a story or two. With me, you need only mention a destination, and I’m already mentally packing an overnight bag—heels, lingerie, a dress that works equally well for cocktails or breakfast in bed. I am happily adaptable, ready to slip into a different skyline at a few hours’ notice.

Take Dubai, for instance. When it’s not too hot and slipping into its quieter, off-season rhythm, it can be a wonderful option. The desert heat is bearable, the hotels less frenzied, and there’s a properly indulgent sense of space and luxury. And then there is the shopping: the largest mall in the world, an endless labyrinth of boutiques and designer stores, enough to make any girl’s heart beat just that little bit faster. Even the least ardent shopper might find themselves seduced by the glittering displays and perfectly lit windows. If you whisper “Dubai” to a woman who loves fashion, chances are she’ll be mentally trying on new shoes before you’ve finished your sentence.

The Human Energy of Spring

Beyond travel, there is the more animated, human element of spring that fascinates me. As soon as the weather shows the slightest sign of relenting, people begin to peel away their winter layers. Heavy coats are shrugged off, scarves loosened, and suddenly necklines appear where there were none before. It’s as if the whole city lifts its chin. Instead of hunching forward against a bitter wind, shoulders tense and faces pinched, people start walking with their heads held high, faces turned to the light, however feeble it might be.

This small change in posture has a surprisingly profound effect: people begin to notice one another again. Eye contact, long suppressed under the tyranny of umbrellas and hoods, re-emerges as a kind of game. Between couples—or would-be couples—that lingering glance is often the very first step in the mating dance. From the vantage point of a café terrace, it’s a joy to watch: girls perched at street-side tables, legs crossed, sunglasses perched on their heads, pretending to be absorbed in their phones or gossiping with friends, yet secretly watching the boys who are, in turn, secretly watching them. Both parties try to look nonchalant while surreptitiously checking each other out. They sit there, valiantly ignoring the chill breeze that sneaks under their jackets, too determined to surrender those coveted outdoor seats to admit they’re freezing.

Business, Pleasure, and a Little Mischief

Around them, business people slip out of their offices, loosening ties and unbuttoning collars, suddenly remembering that they have lives beyond boardrooms and email chains. There’s a new lightness in their step as they book their favourite London escort for lunch—a little afternoon escape from the tyranny of the to-do list. Lunch may be followed by a stolen night at a favourite hotel, where they can indulge in a weekend of shameless, joyful mischief simply because the season invites it. Spring gives everyone permission to misbehave a little; it whispers that life is too short not to seize a few deliciously unplanned moments.

Escaping the Indoors

For my part, I see absolutely no reason to be cooped up indoors once the seasons begin to shift. I’ve already spent more than enough time inside over Christmas and through the dreariest stretches of winter, watching the days blur into early darkness. When the light grows longer, and the city starts to bloom, the last place I want to be is trapped within four walls, however sumptuous.

That’s why I gently, but firmly, encourage my clients to take me out. Don’t simply install me in your living room, or squirrel me away in a five-star hotel suite from afternoon till morning. Much as I adore a sunken marble bath, a vast four-poster bed dressed in Egyptian cotton, and those irresistible little chocolates placed on my pillow, they are not enough by themselves. I want movement, memories, a sense of place. I want to feel the city under my heels and the breeze in my hair.

An Invitation to Explore

So I say: wine me, dine me, and above all, walk with me. Let us drift through side streets and grand boulevards, pause beneath blossom-laden trees, and detour into bookshops or cocktail bars simply because they catch our eye. Take me sightseeing while the weather is at least attempting to be agreeable. Let us share the simple pleasure of getting a little lost and then finding ourselves again in an unexpectedly lovely place.

There is an entire city waiting just beyond the threshold—its parks, its rooftops, its bridges and rivers and hidden courtyards—each corner offering the possibility of a new story. Why would we confine ourselves to a single room when the whole world outside is stretching, yawning, and waking up, eager to be seen?