Is it possible to publish a retraction on your own blog?
So ... I just stopped by Topshop at Oxford Circus today for a quick look around, and (surprise, surprise) the latest Kate Moss stuff wasn't exactly impressive. In fact, it was kinda shockingly bad. And uh, really overpriced. Why was I so optimistic, considering all the cold, hard facts?
It just took a 10 second dash around the racks to confirm the worst. (I still quite like the idea of the little tunic, but not at £60. It looked like something you wouldn't mind paying five quid for at Primark. Maybe.) 'Nuff said.
Meanwhile, I headed downstairs to the indie designer section in the basement and spied some rather lovely summer frocks (at reasonable prices, too). Only problem is, a lot of the cuts were a bit on the wee side. One of my more petite friends picked up an incredibly sweet striped red shirt with puffy sleeves by Sahrei Lamar London.
She also scored a rather Marni-esque frock across the road at Gap. With a heavy, almost utilitarian cotton drill fabric combined with fitted shoulders and an exposed zip at the back, it was a total steal at £39. Quite beautiful in its simplicity, and it totally kicked Kate's arse.
Like most Londoners, I suffer from the worst case of decision fatigue. My notebooks are filled with long lists of shops, art galleries, exhibitions, restaurants, cafes, parks, museums and markets that I Simply. Must. Visit.
So when B suggested we head to Tom’s Deli in Notting Hill for lunch last week, I was not only grateful for (a) her quick, decisive action, but (b) the opportunity to visit one of the top spots on my “to-do” list.
I love Tom’s. It’s where disco meets old-fashioned deli, thanks to the mirrored disco ball hanging from the ceiling and nostalgic wooden display shelves crammed with beautifully packaged treats. Little wonder the visual merchandising gets full points, since Tom is Terrence Conran’s son.
The buzzy café at the back is a cosy retreat from the bitter wind outside, and its full English breakfast is almost as legendary as the crowds and queues on the weekends. But it’s Thursday so it's relatively quiet, and the squish factor is minimal.
Tom’s makes an ideal shopping pit-stop in the Westbourne Grove and Ledbury Road area, where you’ve got such gems as Twenty8Twelve, Nicole Farhi, Aime, Joseph, Smythson, Emma Hope, Comptoir des Cotonniers, L'Artisan Parfumeur, Mulberry, Paul & Joe, Diane von Furstenberg and Matches. And then there are the exclusive French children’s boutiques like Petite Bateau, Petit aimé, Bonpoint (where I spotted Claudia Schiffer shopping with her wee bebe), and Marie Chantal.
The café’s changing menu features an impressive line-up of hearty salads, soups, pizzas and sandwiches. After devouring an artery-challenging but delicious breaded goat’s cheese and beetroot salad, I descended on the Easter goodies out the front. Amongst a selection of chocolates by the likes of Rococo and Prestat, there’s also a great range of European foil-wrapped chocolate chickens and bunnies.
I like this delightful gingerbread family (with requisite cat), £4.50, and gingerbread chick & egg set, £1.95. A rather tempting alternative to chocolate, no?
And if you’re just after tea and cake (a very pleasing combination for shopping pitstops), there’s a delectable selection of eat-in or takeaway cakes and pastries including hot cross buns, lemon crunch cake, carrot and pineapple cake, chocolate sponge, deep-filled treacle tarts, and Primrose Bakery cupcakes.
Don’t forget to pop downstairs for traditional deli items, take-away dishes and sandwiches.
Tom’s Deli 226 Westbourne Grove London W11 2CH Tel. 020 7221 8818
Wait. What? Kate Moss for Topshop garments that I’d actually consider wearing?
I’m quite mad for a good summer frock, and these little lovelies are perfectly wearable. Not sure that I’ll actually follow through to the check-out, though (but I do quite like the white tunic dress).
The first (and last) time I considered La Moss involved some rather hot, sweaty and downright undignifying moments in the dressing room. (Hey! Not as dirty as it sounds! You know that manic hopping-on-the-spot-fight-dance you do when you’re stuck in a top that was clearly designed for a child, not a grown woman? That was me. I choreographed a new version. I like to think of it as a breakaway-pop pastiche.) Sigh.
Of course, there's also the problem of it being so bleeding obvious.
Is it just me or does Easter seem unseasonably early this year? (Either that or London's dismal and most un-Spring-like weather is getting the better of me.) Check out these super-cheery ideas for Sunday: Clockwise from top left: Easter crackers (well, why not?), £8 for a set of six, from John Lewis. German wooden racing rabbits, £15 for a set of three, from Thorsten Van Elten. Spring boxes template (download as a PDF), US$3.99, from A Little Hut. Easter chicken doorstop and Green & Blacks Fairtrade Easter egg (until stock runs out), £12.49, from Love Eco.
A wee birdy told me that Ruby, 23, is wearing a dress from Ebay, pendant from Portobello Road market, purple tights from Accessorize, and vintage gold shoes.
Oh joy! H&M has just revealed its killer 70-piece tribute collection to Marimekko, due to arrive in stores on April 10. Initial verdict? Marimekko fans will be deliriously happy with the signature big, bold splashes of colour and wild prints, not to mention the extremely affordable prices (e.g. 3-button apron dress £30.65; tunic top £11.45; sun hat £11.45; scarf £15.30; and one-piece swimsuit £23).
At the same time, it's an ultra-wearable collection in mostly cottons and jerseys with an appealing throw-on-and-go element. (I love that part about summer fashion.) The punchy palette features dynamic combinations like red and pink; olive and orange; red and turquoise; and red, white and black.
Here's what I may consider doing something dire for on April 10:
Take a look at the tees from the men's collection:
And the super-cute kids' line-up comes with a co-ordinating teddy:
As regular Wee Birdies may already know, I’m rather fond of shopping on Cheshire Street. It’s rarely crowded, not far from where I live, and it offers the best line-up of independent boutiques in London. MarMarCo is one of its wee gems. This small shop at number 16 specialises in contemporary homewares and gifts, mainly of European and British design.
There’s also a whole lot of Scandi-love going on here, thanks to Danish co-owner Marianne Lumholdt. Pick up Danish goodies such as undyed felt slippers (£47.50), Kähler striped ceramic vases (£19.50-£49.50) and Randers water-resistant leather gloves (£37.50). I dig the delicate hand-made porcelain jewellery by Louise Kragh and the collection of baby clothes by Danish label Holly’s Baby (socks for £4 and onesies for £20).
The shop is particularly good at offering a wide range of items that tick all the right boxes in terms of beautiful design at good price points. And I’m never disappointed when I'm on a mission for finding The Perfect Gift. Right now I’ve got my eye on the modish spherical birdfeeder (£34.95), multi-pin candlesticks (which give the illusion of candles floating on air, Hogwarts-style, £27), and the surreal gold and silver plant-like spoons (from £13).
It also stocks an excellent range of Vynil Domestic’s decorative wall stickers (from £25) and laser-cut mirrors (from £45). Other highlights include the Bolivian Fairtrade Cashlama throws, scarves and shawls (from £75), Höganäs Keramik’s range of dinnerware (for the prettiest coloured glazes) and Cecilie Manz pendant lamps (£98). Oh, and did I mention that Sarah Jessica Parker is also a fan?
Mar Mar Co 16 Cheshire Street London E2 6EH Tel. 020 7729 1494
My current obsession on Etsy? Ridiculously cute hand-made clothes for Blythe.
Haven’t heard of Blythe? She’s the ‘70s fashion doll with big eyes that changed colour when you pulled a string in her back. Nifty! I was the proud owner of Blythe when I was five and thought she was the bee’s knees. Unfortunately, not many other kids shared this view. Apparently they were freaked by her other-worldly appearance, and she was subsequently pulled from production after just 12 months.
photographer Gina Garan rediscovered Blythe, dressed her up in cool clothes, and shot her in locations all over the world. The resulting highly-stylised and colour-saturated images were compiled for a book, This is Blythe, which was released in 2000. Since then, Blythe has gained a cult following, and vintage Blythes sell for over $1000 on Ebay (and I’m still kicking myself for letting my doll go to charity shop heaven).
A year later, the first of the neo-Blythes were produced and the anniversary of the launch was celebrated with an exhibition in
New York
, featuring photos by Gina Garan and dolls styled by artists and designers including Issey Miyake, Chisato Tsumori and Hysteric Glamour.
As the Blythe fanclub continues to grow, Etsy has spawned a number of crafters making mini clothes for the doll with the multi-coloured peepers. My favourite Etsy shop is Le Petit Boutique, which specialises in using vintage fabric and kawaii Japanese prints for custom-made Blythe creations. Prices start at US$10 for a dress. I dig the super-sweet details like grosgrain ribbon, decorative trims and buttons:
I haven't bought anything from Topshop for ages. Lots of looking, not much buying. But that's all changed with the new designer ranges by the likes of Marios Schwab, Christopher Kane and Jonathan Sauders. Sadly, my favourite Marios Schwab dress has sold out (no surprises there), but you can see the very fabulous Susie Bubble wearing it here. However, I quite like this ultra-sweet Richard Nicholls striped cotton dress with a summery ruffled bib:
I'm particularly excited by the kitten heels and sandals which wouldn't pose too much of a threat to my poor old arthritic toe. I can remember a time when I would have run ten miles from anything kitten-heel-esque. God forbid the chunky ankle (chunkle) effect. It's amazing how chronic pain has made kitten heels my friend, and chunkle the least of my problems.
Elsewhere on Topshop online, I quite like this pretty suede clutch with an oversized bow:
Cute, huh? Nice price, too, and it's just the thing to perk up my totally-over-it winter coats. Hmmm, I just might have to pay Topshop a visit tomorrow ...
I know. It’s another tote. But seriously, how could I possibly not post about this little beauty? It’s designed by Eley Kishimoto (and that’s the sound of me dropping everything and jumping to attention). It has a damn fine-looking owl on it. It replaces plastic bags and gets a big green tick of approval. It’s made from organic cotton. It’s for a charitable cause, Cancer Research UK. It’s freakin’ £2.99. And why look, it doesn’t have “I'm not a plastic bag” scrawled across it.
I've been meaning to post about Ann Wood's glorious handmade birds for a while now. Ann's birds are so highly sought after that her stock sells out within minutes.
Not surprising, really, given the exquisite detail of these handcrafted birds, which are usually one-of-a-kind. Ann, a Brooklyn-based artist, uses vintage fabrics for her birds and pieces from Victorian and Edwardian wedding gowns for her wedding caketoppers.
Her online shop of birds was just re-stocked today and has already sold out, but I DO know that she will be re-stocking her Etsy shop on Friday, 29th February at 2pm EST. Hop to it if you're interested, they'll be literally flying off the shelves within seconds.
These acrylic laser-cut rings by Soop are really clever. Wear the fox ring on its own, or add other rings to build a multi-layered landscape. Fun, huh? Mr Fox ring, US$12, from Soop’s Etsy shop.
Belle & Sebastian's Ladies Fox t-shirt, £15, from the B&S online shop.