The perfect journal is tangible (ie. not online), tactile and has lots of hidey-holes to stash the assorted paper detritus one accumulates over a 12-month period (think letters, bills, bad jokes from Christmas crackers, photos, business cards and difficult-to-decipher scrawled notes).
London-based designer Jessie Chorley makes altered journals from the body of an old book, and creates “new” blank pages from an assortment of vintage and recycled papers, as well as envelopes, stitched pockets and old-school typewritten messages and reminders. Beautiful and handy.
Jessie’s books can be purchased online, or you can buy them from her wonderfully whimsical stall, Un-Petit-Cadeau, at Broadway Market in Hackney on Saturdays.
Oh looky, The Museum of Modern Art shop has an exclusive limited-edition collection of Alessi classics from the second half of the twentieth century. I dig the simple design of the red and yellow wire bowls from the '50s and '60s.
Square wire basket by Ufficio Tecnico Alessi (1951 & 1966), US$110, from MoMA.
Round yellow basket by Ufficio Tecnico Alessi (1951 & 1966), US$85, from MoMA.
Sheez, you've got to be quick when it comes to Etsy's hottest shops. I was only just checking Swedish designer Karin Eriksson's shop yesterday, which was stocked full of new ceramic pieces. Checked back in today and there's just six items left. But how lovely are these organic dragonfly pieces?
When the Swedes meet the Finns, I'm a very, very happy birdy. As regular readers may already have guessed, I really love my prints. So I'm just about beside myself with anticipation for H&M's Marimekko collection for Spring 2008. If you haven’t already heard, Swedish company H&M have created a 50-piece collection using Marimekko’s patterns from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s.
Apparently we can look forward to the Finnish brand’s distinctive graphic prints in “summer favourites” such as wide ‘70s dresses, tunics, skirts and shorts for women. And there will also be a few pieces for men and kids, all at ultra-affordable price points. The collection will be hitting H&M stores worldwide in April. Roll around Spring, printy please.
Marimekko prints for H&M, illustration by Moa Lindqvist Bartling.
But to satiate my immediate fix for Finnish graphic prints, I’ve been dreaming about Marimekko’s Spring 2008 womenswear line-up. Some really gorgeous pieces here, birdies.
And this season’s Marimekko kids’ range couldn’t be sweeter. Red apple and giraffe prints = too, too cute little girls' frocks.
Marimekko www.marimekko.com 16-17 St Christopher's Place London W1U 1NZ Tel: 020 7486 6454
I’ve never felt compelled to step foot in a Swarovski shop before. It was always the domain of Nannas and their novelty crystal mouse collections, with royal blue walls completing the outdated and entirely naff package. On the other hand, I’ve happily paraded about and lusted after certain designer accessories adorned with Swarovksi crystals. It’s a brand that always seemed to be at odds with itself.
But the recent unveiling of the world’s first Swarovski Crystallized Cosmos and Lounge on London’s Great Marlborough Street has put paid to any fuddy-duddy image of the past. Indeed, this new store celebrates Swarovski’s various designer collaborations, and the results are quite breathtaking. The royal blue colour scheme has been replaced with layers of reflective surfaces that catch the light in the gleaming white minimalist space.
You can’t miss the tiny clear Perspex drawers lining the walls of the ground floor, otherwise known as The Cosmos. It’s like a space-age Chinese herbalist’s den. But pull open the gliding drawers and you’ll find small clear boxes of lapis lazuli, amber and turquoise instead of dried up bits of animals and roots.
This is where the fun starts. It’s a bit like pick and mix – or an upmarket bead shop – but way sexier and with loads of designer inspiration (by way of plasma screens around the store). The emphasis here is on being creative, and if you’re a dab hand at jewellery-making, you can browse the drawers for Swarovski loose crystals, semi-precious stones and beads. A box of 50 smoked topaz pieces will set you back £4.50, and there’s also all the design components and tools you need for making jewellery, including wires, clasps and pliers.
But if you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, the online tools in store will support you every step of the way. The Personal Stylist program is like jewellery-making-for-dummies, as it holds your hand through the creative process. It’s actually quite detailed, as you select your “style mood”, skin tone, eye colour, face shape, etc. Otherwise the Design Studio programme will assist you in creating your own bespoke piece. Choose from a selection of designs and customise it to suit. Once you’re done, Swarovski will send your order away and after two weeks it’s ready for pick-up. The “Dream” ring, for instance, featuring a delicate crystal and leaf design, can be customised in a range of colours for £20.
There’s also a range of jewellery-making kits, including rings, bracelets and necklaces. They come in three different skill levels, which is handy if you’re just starting out and don’t want anything too fiddly. A basic skill level kit such as the turquoise linear ring kit is £19, and the topaz and gold long earrings kit is £20. The Swarovski team have really hit the nail on the head with the whole urban craft trend, with regular jewellery-making workshops starting in February.
Head upstairs to the Crystallized lounge and it’s a different change of pace, with a relaxed café/bar area and an exhibition space. The current exhibition, Crystal Temptation Shoes, features a long white table adorned with thousands of loose crystals and a designer shoe at each place setting. The line-up includes designers such as Christian Lacroix, Gina, Nicholas Kirkwood, Vivienne Westwood, and Giorgio Armani.
The café has a surprisingly extensive menu, including breakfast, lunch, bar snacks and a traditional afternoon tea for £19.75 (£25 with champers). Crystal-encrusted bottles of Moet line the shelves, and there are a couple of computer terminals to contemplate your creative designs. With comfy lounge seating and a relaxed atmosphere, it’s a rare oasis of tranquility just off Regent Street.
Swarovski Crystallized Cosmos and Lounge www.crystallized.com 24 Great Marlborough Street London W1
And dine out with an Australian chef at: Pied a Terre, tel 020 7636 1178 (Shane Osborne) Smiths of Smithfield, tel. 0207 236 7666 (John Torode) Nahm at the Halkin Hotel, tel. 020 7333 1234 (David Thompson) The Ledbury, tel. 0207 792 9090 (Brett Graham) Petersham Nurseries, tel. 020 8605 3627 (Skye Gyngell)
Phew. I can't believe I got through all that without a Walkabout pub, can of Fosters or a flamin' galah in sight.
I can’t stop staring at these fake food items on Etsy. I don’t know if it’s the kawaii, clever, crafty or kitsch factor that’s grabbed me ... perhaps a bit of all? Or maybe it's the fact that I would have snaffled the whole lot for my Barbie and Sindy dolls when I was a seven. (And *gasp* maybe Barbie would have put on some weight!)
Feast your eyes on this lovely line-up, including felt eggs, crocheted cakes, knitted peas and polymer clay dessert jewellery (surely a tween delight). Fascinating, no?
Parma Violets Tea, Sweet Almond Macaroon Tea and Eau de Cologne Tea are this week's new covetable candles on the block from Jo Malone's deluxe Tea Collection. The Parma Violets Tea candle, my (no-brainer) favourite, makes a lovely London souvenir that will fill your home with the delicate fragrance of this retro and quaintly English sweet.
£80 for a deluxe 400g candle, available exclusively at Selfridges from 15 February.
Call me old-fashioned, but I think there's nothing lovelier than a posy of fresh violets. I spied this box of them at Liberty's flower shop this afternoon, where they are selling wee posies for £1.50 each or four for £5.
I quite like the idea of holding a posy under my nose next time I'm wedged between buttock and armpit on the Tube, just like the judges at the Old Bailey did in ye olden days (to ward against ye foul stench of various crim types). But a bunch of four with a collar of green leaves in a clear round glass vase would look just dandy as well.
2 Comments I ummed and ahhhed about writing this post, fully aware of joining the gazillion-strong force of online commentators discussing this young Australian actor's tragic death. I'm also not loving the judgmental and speculative vibe that's going down right now.
But the truth is that I'm sad he's gone. Sad for his family and friends.
He was a brilliant actor and I was so looking forward to watching him grow older in future roles. Can you imagine what he would have been like at say 50 or 60? Such a great loss.
I’ve always been a fan of Melbourne-based designer Beci Orpin’s label Princess Tina (she of quirky and cool sterling silver jewellery pieces) and I really dig her fun approach to fashion. One of my favourite necklaces is her sterling silver raincloud, which never fails to attract comments whenever I wear it. And how cool are her happy/sad teeth accessories?
So I pounced on her latest look-book when it arrived in my inbox last week, and I couldn’t help but notice the recurring cat motifs throughout her collection. And a quick look around revealed that there’s more than a passing interest in kittens at the moment. Take, for instance, the leading image for Topshop’s new S/S 08 collection:
Kute kitty, indeed! Now, I must confess at this stage that whilst I’m firmly in the “dog camp” when it comes to the dog/cat divide, I do have a few feline friends (shout out to Toby in Sydney, Kubie in Melbourne, and Oscar in the flat downstairs). But enough of that purring. Take a look at some other fab feline finds:
Top row, from left to right: 1. Summer Cats, Scratching Post EP. I know, I never (and shouldn’t!) write about music, but how could I resist two of the cutest album covers around? Twee album art aside, this Melbourne band is seriously good if you’re into sweet sunshine-y indie pop. (And I am.) Former Earthmen lead singer Scott Steven’s soaring vocals deliver a tasty treat not to be missed. Check them out on their myspace page now. 2. Cat print tee, £16, from Topshop. 3. Pink and brown cat kitchen tea towel, US$14, from PataPri’s Etsy shop. (Ack, this just sold-out, but check back again in a few days and it might be up again.)
Fourth row, from left to right: 1. Cat print tee, by Princess Tina. (Not available until late February 2008). (Stockists as before). 2. Summer Cats single (as before). 3. Sabuda Pop-Up Cat Note Cards, US$21.95 for a set of eight, from MoMA.
Continuing with the Dover Street Market love-in this week, make haste and take home a limited edition wallet by Commes des Garcons and New York artist Kaws. Created for DSM's Christmas 2007 "Sparkling Party" theme, you can find t-shirts, bags and more wallets by this cool collaboration at the box-office inside the lobby at Dover Street Market.
Available online and in-store at DSM until 24 January.
Dover Street Market www.doverstreetmarket 17-18 Dover St, London W1 Tel. 020 7518 0680