Who spends pounds 500 on clothes in a day?: Keith Springer

Alison Veness
Tuesday 10 May 1994 18:02 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

On a Saturday afternoon in Sloane Street money moves as relentlessly and devastatingly as molton lava. Keith Springer, 32, is going with the flow. He is a serious spender.

An ex-City commodity broker he now owns a restaurant in Fulham and he has an anxious, frazzled air about him.' I shop when I'm depressed and I'm usually depressed, you see I work all the time, all day and all night, I go to bed at 4am. I don't have a social life, this is my social life, ' he says, gesturing at the sports jackets and swirly ties.

Hermes ties are his greatest weakness and he's rifling through the racks with a practised eye. He already owns sixty and as fast as they reinvent them, he buys.

' If I go mad, I go really mad, around pounds 1,200 in a day. But it depends, it's so mood-based for me, I'm impulsive. I mean, if you're going to work 18 hours a day you've got to have satisfaction.' Satisfaction in the past has led to a gold credit card bill of pounds 14,000.' I used to use them all but now I've cut them up, all of them, now it's cash.' And he's certainly reining himself in nowadays. 'I wouldn't buy cufflinks here for pounds 1,500, the ones I've got on only cost pounds 600.'

His attention is caught by a vivacious printed silk waistcoat (pounds 490) but he's not sure because it's black and all his suits are blue. He tries it on with a bright tie, assesses it all in the icy bevelled mirrors. 'Now that's the dog's bollocks.'

He pulls out two pounds 50 notes and pays for the tie. He crosses the road and goes into Gucci where he spends pounds 130 on a belt.

(Photograph omitted)

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in