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

Author Archives: topbird

  2. What to take home: Paddington Bear

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    There's been a steady stream of visitors to my part of the world recently, and it's got me thinking about the perfect London souvenir.

    Now, there's much debate about what makes the perfect souvenir. Of course, the issue is entirely subjective and whether you're after a whimsical snow-dome London Eye fridge magnet or a quality, locally-produced woollen scarf from a remote island in the outer Hebrides is mostly a matter of taste (and budget). And it's not really a debate I wish to enter (although I have been known to indulge in both types of souvenirs, which I think is all the more fun).

    So over the course of this blog, I'm going to start posting about some stuff that takes my fancy. I'd like to think that all of them are locally-produced, using locally-sourced raw materials, but sometimes your eye catches stuff that's, well, not. It's a sorry sign of the world that even the most classic, traditional products from a destination aren't as "local" or "authentic" as you'd like them to be. (But hopefully, I'll find some products that tick both boxes!). And you just might spot the odd tea-towel.

    Anyway, without further ado, step away from that high-street souvenir tat stall, and put down that khaki vinyl Harrods shoppper ... here's what to take home.

    #1 Paddington Bear
    I've seen quite few knock-offs of this lovely little marmalade-eating fellow, but you really can't beat the charm of the authentic version (ahem, official licensed product) from London's premier toy store, Hamleys.

    Traditional Paddington Bear, £44.99, Hamleys.

    Isn't he just the smartest wee chap in his duffle coat and shiny red wellies? I know, you can buy versions of (arguably) London's most famous resident all over the world now, but Hamleys do have an impressive line-up of Paddingtons, starting at £5.99 for a keychain or a clip-on. Alternatively, head to Paddington kiosk at Paddington station in London for more bear fun.

    I love this Paddington's furry face and standing at a stately 46cm tall, he's just the thing for a nursery bookshelf.

    Hamleys
    www.hamleys.co.uk
    188-96 Regent Street
    London W1
    Tel: 0870 333 2455

    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

    Nearest Tube:
    Piccadilly Circus
    Oxford Circus

    Opening hours:
    Monday-Friday 10am-8pm
    Saturday 9am-8pm
    Sunday 12noon-6pm

    p.s. Want to know more about Paddington and his wonderful creator, Michael Bond? Check this out.

  5. London shopping: Fabrications

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    Carrying on from my raving craft post is this charming little shop in the heart of ever-hip Broadway Market in London’s East End, which if anything, supports my new motto, “Craft is Cool, OK”? (Maybe I should run up some screen-printed t-shirts in bold black type, Katharine Hamnett-style…)


    Fabrications is alternately an artist-run gallery, shop and studio for in-house designer Barley Massey. It stocks an excellent range of unique, eco-friendly products and homewares that are hand-crafted by local artists and designers.

    One wall of the shop features displays of quirky greeting cards, stationery and badges made by Hackney locals, accompanied by a profile on each artist. Keep an eye out for Lucy Jane Batchelor’s sweet retro-style range including tooth fairy envelope cards for children and her clever Missing Button badges.


    The nice thing about Fabrications is that stock is constantly updated, so you’re likely to find new quirky gems all the time. I like the fabric pouffes bound by knotted rope using traditional sea-faring techniques (£150) and The Old Broad Bean (the Queen) Cockney jewellery, featuring faces of the royal family (and er, Dodi) on dried beans. Prices range from £3 for a badge to £30 for a necklace or cufflinks.


    The other highlight of the shop is the wall of rainbow-coloured yarns (wools for winter and cottons for summer) and a small range of vintage yarn and hand-spun yarn with lanolin. There is also a wide variety of knitting and sewing supplies, including super-sized knitting needles.



    Beginners can get fully kitted out here, with knitting packs complete with instructions and a pack of wool, as well as customised sewing kits for £2.50 with basic embroidery stitches. Or you could join one of the regular knitting classes.

    When I visited, I found vintage knitting patterns for babywear and some gorgeous ‘80s pattern books including designs by Jean Paul Gaultier and Alaia. I also like the cute knitted goodies, from traditional Bakewell tarts and “I heart Hackney” purses (British souvenir alert!) to potted cactuses (bonus: not prickly at all!).

    Don’t leave Fabrications without checking out in-house textile designer Barley Massey’s ingenious range of eco-friendly homewares. Barley recycles materials and waste such as bicycle inner tubes and vintage shirt ties to create beautiful and long-lasting cushions, pouffes, rugs, mats and runners. Amongst many of her commissions was the infamous Lost Vagueness tent at Glastonbury in 2003. Just imagine: your own piece of fabulous festival fun at home (minus the mud).




    Fabrications
    7 Broadway Market
    London E8 FPH
    Tel. 0207 275 8043

    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

    Opening hours:
    Tuesday-Saturday 12noon-5pm
    Or call for appointment.

    Nearest tube: Bethnal Green Station
    Nearest train: London Fields BR

    For more shops on Broadway Market, click here.
    For more shops in East London, click here.

  6. Crafty birdies

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    Have you noticed there’s a craft revolution happening right now? OK, yes - women have been crafting for centuries - but surely you’ve become aware of the increasing number of cool kids yearning to make stuff, as well as new stitch-and-bitch groups, a growing amount of gorgeous craft blogs, websites like Etsy and hipster craft shops like Melbourne’s Meet Me at Mikes popping up all the time?

    What was once assigned by the patriarchal order as definitively belonging to the “women’s realm” (apologies for coming over all Women’s Studies 101 on you), has now been appropriated and reinvented by the coolest girls around. Today, women are taking back and CHOOSING to do craft themselves, and this time it’s on their terms. (Oh, and it’s not just girls, either, guys are getting in on the act as well.)

    Not so long ago, craft stirred up memories of toilet roll dollies and those nasty padded photo frames we went nuts for in the ‘80s. Thankfully, that’s been relegated to the “craft gone bad” bin, and it’s been replaced by cute tampon purses, hand-knitted vegie rattles and Sew-Your-Own-Miss-Buttons.

    And the popularity for crafty stuff right now has probably got something to do with the folk vibe and arts-and-crafts trend we’ve seen recently in fashion. Not to mention the anti-consumerist and eco-friendly element to crafting, in terms of turning your back on mass-produced items and sweat-shop labour.

    Dolce & Gabbana gets crafty on yesterday's catwalk in Milan

    There’s also something deliciously subversive in the name “stitch and bitch” – on one hand it sounds dreadfully un-sisterly, and not too far removed from what those Jane Austen birds were doing all day in their drawing rooms. But as one of my friends (who co-founded Melbourne’s stitch and bitch group, Kaotic Kraft Kuties) said, women’s craft groups are more about “women re-connecting, women celebrating and re-claiming women’s crafts.” Which isn’t too bad for the sisterhood, eh?

    And according to the Kaotic Kraft Kuties' manifesto:

    "* We believe in the modern folk revolution
    * Scissors and champagne can mix
    * Colours can never clash
    * Tea cosies are not square
    * Freeform craft is all about spirit not technique
    * Chain stitch can be avant garde
    * Little Edie is a style icon!"

    I’m loving the whole crafty world at the moment, even if I haven’t fully embraced the practical side of it myself. There’s nothing better than spending a lazy 15 minutes trawling through other clever birdies’ craft blogs, where I’m constantly amazed and impressed by their cool creations and imaginative efforts.

    For me, crafting reminds me of cosy afternoons watching TV with my grandmother while she bent quietly over her “fancy work”, having fun and relaxing, as well as a return to childhood and my favourite time at school when we got to unleash our creativity on paddle pop sticks and the like.

    Sew Your Own Miss Buttons ... D&G's muse of the moment?


    p.s. Big props to the world’s biggest stitch and bitch, the magnificent Bayeaux tapestry. Debate still rages over who made it (the old French vs. English argument) but I bet whoever it was, they had a bit of a bitch while they stitched.

  7. Street style: Merete on Broadway Market

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    A wee birdy told me that Merete, 24, is wearing a black tunic from Asfalt in Denmark, jeans from H&M, shoes from a vintage shop in Copenhagen, and a vintage bag from a flea market. I also love Merete's too-cute casual up-do. Scandi-heaven on a sunny Saturday morning.

  9. London shopping: RelaxGarden

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    I spend a lot of time waiting for buses. Invariably, in the rain. But recently on Kingsland Road in Shoreditch, I was rescued by an ultra-cute window display which caught my eye, and RelaxGarden proved to be a haven in more ways than one.



    The tiny shop stocks a range of little-known womenswear labels from Japan and Europe, as well as its own truly fabulous RelaxGarden label. I especially loved their roomy leather bags, which offer a quality (and anonymous) alternative to the perennial “It” bags. With a lower price tag. Their in-house womenswear is also enticing and reasonably affordable, with pretty vintage-inspired frocks (from £40) and tops (from £30) in jersey, chiffon and silk mixes. So good I let the 242 and the 149 go past. Twice.



    Relax Garden
    40 Kingsland Road
    Shoreditch E2 8DA
    Tel: 020 7033 1881

    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

    Opening hours:
    Tuesday-Friday 1pm-7pm
    Saturday-Sunday 12pm-6pm

    Nearest tube: Old Street

    For more shops in East London, click here.

  10. London Fashion Week Trend Alert: Lavender

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    It’s London Fashion Week and a new “it” colour has emerged on the catwalk.
    It was all about lavender at yesterday’s Spring/Summer 08 collections, where it made an appearance in Peter Jensen’s fabulous patent shoes, and on Danielle Scutt’s swimwear. Armand Basi’s show was predominantly an ode to lavender, with models draped in a subtle wash of this fresh and pretty hue.

    Peter Jensen

    Peter Jensen

    Danielle Scutt

    Armand Basi

    Can't wait 'til Spring 2008? Add a splash of lavender to your look right now:

    O.P.I nail lacquer in Mod Hatter, £8.

    Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow in Iris Pearl, £14.

    Penhaligon's Lavandula Heritage Candle, £45.

  12. London shopping: Buggies & Bikes

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    What’s this? A Bratz-Free Zone? Well, I never. But it’s true, and this toy shop in Hackney is still pulling the kids (and the parents) in with its unique stock of locally-produced goods and products sourced from niche companies around the world.


    It’s the perfect destination for picking up a cool gift for your favourite under-12, with a plethora of innovative and educational toys. While this might sound like death-by-dodgy-craft to your average 10-year-old, I’d dare them to not find the love for a remote-controlled moon light (that surreptitiously teaches them the phases of the moon while they’re NOT going to sleep). Nifty.

    And I reckon the African xylophone and bongo drums (£16.50) will also do a bangin’ job in extracting them from the X-Box. Create your own Partridge family, noughties-style. Rock on.

    The hero products of the store (and hence its namesake) are the collection of beautifully designed German wooden trikes, bikes and walkers. But if you’re on a tight budget or after quality party bag fillers, look out for the RSPCA animal figurines from £2 and the collection of felt fruit & veg for £1.


    I like the woven retro-style mini saucer chair from Africa, and the clever range of felt creatures made by a local mum who brings to life her son’s imaginative drawings.


    The other big drawcard is the glorious range of children’s fashion, which features many locally-produced brands, like Edge & Jo, a Hackney-based co-op that makes batik-print frocks and matching pants. Christa Davis is another local who makes an ultra-sweet range of vintage and Liberty print dresses for little girls.


    If you’re after babywear, look out for the small rack of woollen and cotton hand-knitted pieces. Apparently a Scottish Gran is largely responsible for this adorable range, which includes knitted cardies, all-in-ones and an ultra-cute striped knit pinafore. There’s also a small collection of vintage baby clothes.


    Adding to the strong sense of community is the light-filled space downstairs that’s available to hire for parties and groups.

    Buggies & Bikes
    23 Broadway Market
    London E8 FPH
    Tel. 0207 923 2408

    Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

    Opening hours:
    Monday-Saturday 10am-6.30pm
    Sunday 11am-5pm

    Nearetst tube: Bethnal Green Station
    Nearest train: London Fields BR

    For more shops on Broadway Market, click here.
    For more shops in East London, click here.

  13. Vale Anita Roddick

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    Brazil Nut Body Butter 200ml, £12, is one of my all-time favourite products from The Body Shop, and a tribute to its inspirational founder, Anita Roddick, who died tonight in the UK. I met Anita at a Body Shop launch in Sydney a few years ago and she was not only smart and clever, but funny, warm and engaging. She had a major impact on the way we shop for beauty and was a pioneer in ethical business trading. Anita, you’ll be sadly missed.

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