A global field guide to design, (life)style and secret finds
est. 2007

Author Archives: topbird

  1. Update: Kate Moss for Topshop

    4 Comments

    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.

  2. Where to eat in London: Tom’s Deli

    8 Comments

    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

    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

    Opening hours:
    Monday to Friday 8am - 7.30pm
    Saturday and Sunday 9am - 6.30pm (check times for bank holidays)

    Nearest tube: Notting Hill Gate
    For more shops in Notting Hill, click here.

  3. Online shopping: Kate Moss for Topshop

    3 Comments

    Clockwise from top left:
    Broderie Anglaise dress, £60.
    Embroidered Tunic Dress, £60.
    Daisy print tea dress, £60.
    Kate’s 50s-style dress, £45.

    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.

    So, what say you? Can you be bothered?

    Topshop Oxford Circus
    216 Oxford Street
    London W1D 1LA

    Tel: 020 7636 7700

    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

    Nearest tube: Oxford Circus

  4. Online shopping: Easter round-up

    1 Comment


    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.


    Clockwise from top left:
    Gorgeous fabric Easter egg decorations, £3.50 each, from Not on the High Street.
    Biscuiteers Fluffy Bunnies Tin, £37.50, from Not on the High Street.
    Hand-made fresh Easter door wreath, with English foliage, herbs, moss, pussy willow, cotton tails, nests, and ribbons, £48, from Not on the High Street.
    Papilio Easter Egg Paper Lanterns, £4.50, from Not on the High Street.

  5. Top Bird loves: H&M’s tribute to Marimekko

    14 Comments


    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:





    So, what do you think?

    Click here for H&M stores in London.

    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

  6. London shopping: MarMarCo

    4 Comments

    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

    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

    Opening hours:
    Friday and Saturday 1pm - 5pm
    Sunday 11am - 5pm
    (Other times by appointment)

    Nearest tube: Liverpool Street
    For more shops in East London, click here.



  7. Top Bird loves: Blythe fashion on Etsy

    4 Comments


    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.


    Fast forward to 1993 when

    New York

    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:







    Other good Etsy sellers worth checking out include Millie Made, Dollypops, Fern's Closet and Godesia.

    For more information on Blythe, check out This is Blythe.

  8. Top Bird loves: Spring Topshop stuff

    5 Comments

    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:

    Richard Nicholls dress, £70, from Topshop.

    Finsk's covetable collection of shoes for Topshop are also on my wishlist. Not exactly bargainous, though:

    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:

    Large zip-top bow clutch, £30, from Topshop.

    And check out this super-lovely brooch I found:

    Lady Walker brooch, £7, from Topshop.

    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 ...

  9. Totally hoot now

    2 Comments


    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.

    The Fukuro bag is available to buy at your nearest Cancer Research UK or Wishes shop from 7 March 2008.

  10. The sweetest wee birdies

    4 Comments



    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.

    www.annwoodhandmade.com
    Check out her Flickr for more wee birdies.

  11. Fox in the Snow

    5 Comments

    OK, I'm on a foxy roll now. Maybe I should call this blog Wee Foxy. Just call me Mrs Fox. Here are some of my favourite foxy finds of the moment:




    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.