A wee birdy told me that Charlotte, 35, is wearing a blue dress from Topshop, coat from Primark, red shoes from Office, and handbag from a market stall. Her red lipstick is by Nars in Rouge D'enfer.
After one too many trips on the tube emerging like a soggy chip wrapper (hold the vinegar), it’s time to crack open the emergency summer survival kit.
What you need right now is a handpainted Chinoiserrie fan from Coco Ribbon. It ticks both stylish and practical boxes, and at £6.95 it’s a snip for staying cool and sweet next time you’re wedged under someone's armpit on the central line trip home.
Oh, and did I mention that you can also update your flirting-on-the-tube technique with the secret language of fans?
Sure beats putting a “lovestruck” ad in The London Paper …
Coco Ribbon
www.cocoribbon.com
21 Kensington Park Road
Notting Hill
London W11 2EU
United Kingdom
Tel: 0207 229 4904
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Opening Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10.30am-6.30pm
Thursday 10.30am - 8pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 12.30pm-5.30pm
Tube: Notting Hill Gate and Ladbroke Grove
Lacking inspiration? Feeling lost and parched in a creative desert? Just need to buy a cool gift for someone who’s got everything? Then head to Magma in Clerkenwell for an instant hit of creative refreshment.
This cool spot is a haven for design-types, stocking a wide selection of the latest books on graphic design, art, pop culture, typography, photography, fashion, film and animation, illustration, and architecture. The staff are friendly and knowledgable and can help steer you in the right direction.
But Magma is more than a book shop, with other fun and design-driven products such as stationery and accessories, badges and pins, and vinyl toys by Kid Robot and Nathan Jurevicius.
There is also a wall of the latest design, art and fashion magazines, including overseas and hard-to-find publications.
The front window displays a range of artist-designed t-shirts, like David Shrigley’s cute-n-tragic penguin with an arrow through his heart (£32) and A. Johnson’s (the guy behind the Robinson juice adverts) elephant spouting rainbow drops (£30).
The tiny cigarette-packet-style of classics by the likes of Tolstoy, Conrad and Hemingway make a great gift, as do the beautifully printed tea-towels and hankies by Sukie. The selection of children’s books are also carefully considered, featuring clever graphics and gorgeous illustrations (my personal favourite is Everybody Poos by Tara Gomi).
Magma has a new (non-book) store that has just opened on Earlham Street, which is dedicated entirely to products. Stay tuned for the review.
Magma
117-119 Clerkenwell Road
London EC1R 5BY
Tel: 020 7242 9503
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Opening hours:
Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm
Nearest tube: Faringdon
One of my most satisfying shopping experiences in London is spending a bit of time in Muji. And with eight stores in the Greater London area, you don’t have to go far to stock up on some “essential” stationery items and “must-have” accessories.
OK, so maybe not “essential” or (at a stretch) “must-have”, but it’s deeply satisfying to pick up a functional (and nicely designed) product at a reasonable price.
Muji is a Japanese brand that has grown wildly in the past few years, with 15 stores spread throughout the UK. They stock a range of fashion, homewares and furniture, but I seem to always get stuck in their stationery, gifts and accessories department.
They are masters of minimalism – so there’s no jarring prints or florals here, folks. I’m a fan of Muji's clear acrylic storage range, because they make your bits and bobs look like tasty pieces in a cool gallery (see my postscript in the Tatty Devine post). I like the acrylic three-drawer box (£9.95) and the acrylic cosmetics box (£7.50).
You can also give your desk a Muji makeover with the acrylic hole punch (£2.95), large stapler (£4.95) and tape dispenser (£3.71). There’s also a lovely selection of notebooks and sketchpads, starting at 75p.
I also like Muji's fun gifts like the Re-Used Yarn Bunny (£6.95) and chunky tub of coloured pencils (from £7.95).
The best buy (and my personal favourite) is London in a Bag (only £3 now): a wooden set of all the iconic London buildings from the BT Tower to Big Ben. You can also get Tokyo and New York in a Bag (also reduced to £3 each), which look fab set up on a bookshelf. Check out my brother-in-law’s New York (which is actually in Sydney, Australia):
Muji
www.muji.co.uk
Click here for store locations.
I visited:
41 Carnaby Street
London W1V 1PD
Tel: 020 7287 7323
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Opening hours:
Monday to Friday 10am-7pm
Thursday 10am-7.30pm
Saturday 9am-7pm
Sunday 12noon-6pm
Tube: Oxford Circus
It was (a) sight and (b) smell that lured me to Rebel Rebel some time ago. Wandering along Broadway Market one Saturday morning I discovered a sandwich board out the front of a shop which announced “Titania sleeps”. Intrigued, I turned to face a gorgeous window display of blooms that looked as though it had indeed been transported from a Shakespearean fairy’s moonlit forest garden. Then I inhaled … and discovered the true fragrance of fresh roses.
Rebel Rebel is a flower shop which delights in stimulating the senses of its customers, as well as its long and impressive list of corporate clients (like Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, L’Oreal, the BAFTA’s TV Awards, et al). But what I like most about their work is how they use the delicate and tiny flowers from a variety of herbs (such as mint, dill, fennel, rosemary, oregano and chamomile) to add texture and interest to their bouquets and arrangements. It’s an unusual and distinctive touch which adds to that all-important unstructured and “just picked from the garden” feel.
The roses, are of course, the hero bloom of the store. Rebel Rebel has a knack for selecting big, full-bodied roses with loads of petals and a delicious fragrance. When I visited, the deep blue-purple of some new hydrangeas were also impressive, as were the row of blood-red gladiolis in the window.
The store also stocks a small selection of quality cards, as well as a range of French Manuel Canovas luxury scented candles. The most popular fragrance is Nuit de Serendip, which boasts a staggering list of ingredients including freesia, tuberose, cinnamon, clove, peach, cherry, plum and vanilla. Can I hear the fairies beckoning …?
Rebel Rebel
5 Broadway Market
London E8 FPH
Tel. 020 7254 4487
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday 10am-6pm
Saturday 10am-5pm
Nearest tube: Bethnal Green Station
Nearest train: London Fields BR
For more shops and market stalls on Broadway Market, click here.
For more shops in East London, click here.
Walking into Tatty Devine’s refurbished store on Brick Lane in East London is like opening up a teenager’s jewellery box in the ‘70s. It’s full of brightly coloured pop trinkets and jewellery, which, on closer inspection, reveal some dazzling craftsmanship and innovative designs.
Tatty Devine is the unique jewellery label that launched the whole laser-cut acrylic and “found object” jewellery trend many years ago. It has since spawned a plethora of high-street copy-cats. But try as they might, mass-produced jewellery is just hopeless at pulling off this kind of stuff, which requires not only a unique creative vision, but careful attention to detail. Not to mention pain-staking work. Consider the Dinosaur necklace, for instance. It’s made from 50 individual pieces of laser-cut acrylic which are individually threaded onto the necklace.
The label has picked up a strong fashion following in recent years, and it now stocks a “Best Of” collection, reflecting the demand for Tatty Devine’s most beloved and popular items, such as the iconic name necklaces (now available in two new fonts), plectrum charm bracelet (£36), cube bracelet (£36) and the wonderful Cinderella-style horse and carriage necklace (£54).
The latest collection delivers a line-up of Tatty Devine at its best: investment pieces with a brilliant sense of humour and a nod to nostalgic pop culture. I like the Colour Me In Hand brooch (£44), Petal necklace (£102), “Oooooohh” necklace (£46) and “Aaarrghhhh” necklace” (£46).
If your style is a tad more understated, a Tatty Devine piece can still work hard in your wardrobe. Add a Disco Honeycomb black bracelet (£29) to your ensemble, or pin the beautifully crafted Honey Bee Wing brooch (£46) to your jacket.
The store also stocks a range of like-minded products from different designers, such as a huge range of pins and badges, cards and stationery, and the new “Smart Women” range from America, which features retro images of 1950s housewives on items including mugs, trays and tea towels.
Or make like Jean Seberg in Godard’s Breathless and snap up a New York Herald Tribune t-shirt.
This just in: Tatty Devine has opened up space in their Brick Lane store for art exhibitions. Currently on show is illustrator Stephen Fowler, whose work includes hand-printed record and CD covers. His new exhibition features paper suits and shoes, as well as drawings and portraits of people in their Sunday best.
Tatty Devine
236 Brick Lane
London E2 7EB
Tel. 020 7739 9191
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 11am-6pm
Tube: Liverpool Street
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
57b Brewer Street
London W1F 9UR
Tel. 020 7434 2257
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 11am-7pm
Tube: Oxford Circus
p.s. Keep your collection of Tatty Devine pieces in Muji’s clear Perspex jewellery boxes – not only are they super-functional, the minimalist and shiny design make your Tattys look even yummier.
A wee birdy told me that Emma is wearing a vintage dress and patent black belt, Tatty Devine disco honeycomb link bracelet and swallow earrings.
I've just updated my post about Shelf, the fabulous shop in Cheshire Street in East London, to show you some of the amazing Russian Doll designs from Melbourne stitch-n-bitch collective, Kreative Kraft Kuties. Aren't they clever birds? You can buy the unpainted raw wood dolls from Shelf.
Leigh, 25
A wee birdy told me that Leigh is wearing a white shirt from TK Maxx, a black vest she's had since she was little, a gold hummingbird necklace from a friend, a belt from a jumble sale, a vintage skirt and shoes from a car boot sale. Her saucy red lipstick is from Mac. Try these shades from Mac for a similar look: Russian Red (pillarbox red), Lady Danger (a vivid coral-red), and Ruby Woo (a bluish red).
Do you:
a) want to escape the maddening crowds on Oxford Street?
b) fancy an alternative to high-street chain stores?
c) like design, art and illustration with a fun and quirky edge?
d) all of the above?
Then head straight to Playlounge on Beak Street (just five minutes’ walk from Oxford Circus) and get your fill of innovative and design-focussed collectable figures, vinyl toys, gadgets, books, stationery and games.
I like many things about this shop. The clever product selection is inspired and beautifully displayed in fluoro Perspex honeycomb-shaped units. Here you can admire the range of vinyl figures, like Tim Burton’s Stick Boy and Match Girl, Gorillaz, In Crowd, and Ego’s DIY Designer Toy.
There is also a great selection of quality plush including Miffy, Ugly Dolls and German brand Sigikid (I dig the lanky bunny).
The counter display of small collectable figures and toys are visually enticing (there’s so much to look at) and most ranges are mystery packs (double the excitement). I’ve already started a collection of Australian designer Nathan Jurevicius’s Scarygirl figures, but I also like Japanese design agency Devil Robot’s tofu figures (basically, characters with a block of tofu for a head). Genius. The Mongers Menthols' slogan is "Smoking is Bad" but they are actually wickedly funny smoking characters (like the badass smoking icecream).
Also on offer are prints by Kozyndan and pixel artist Eboy, as well as an assortment of badges and pins, children’s books, Japanese stationery sets and coasters by Tim Biskup.
Look out for Una Funkin – a tiny voice-activated oracle (kinda like a Lucky 8 ball but better) and Japanese You Win/You Lose keychain accessories (the character’s eyes flash when you’re about to experience good or bad luck). Could be handy. And I reckon Generation X customers just might get a kick out of Office Cubes (create your own office fun with collectable modular office sets).
Playlounge
19 Beak Street
London W1F 9RF
Tel: 020 7287 7073
www.playlounge.co.uk
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Opening hours:
Mon to Sat 11am-7pm
Sunday 12noon-5pm
Tube: Oxford Circus
For more shops in W1, click here.
A wee birdy told me that one of London’s top vintage stores, Steinberg & Tolkien, is closing shop on King’s Road in Chelsea. Let’s hope they resurface elsewhere in the future. In the meantime, join the rush for your last chance to pick up a fabulous vintage piece. I’m heading straight for the usually well-stocked Ossie Clarke rack downstairs, as well as keeping an eye out for any Pucci pieces. Make sure you check out the display cases upstairs for vintage Dior and Chanel jewellery, and the hat stands for some really cute cocktail hats.
Steinberg & Tolkien
193 King's Road
Chelsea, London SW3 5EB
Telephone: 020 7376 3660
Tube: Sloane Square
I was brought up on a steady diet of English Ladybird books (amongst other classics like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Dr Suess, Where the Wild Things Are) and I can still recall the 1970s illustrations from the "Learning with Mother" and "Talkabout" series’ that captured and entertained me as a toddler (funnily enough, pretty tea sets, delicious cakes, a bag of sweets in shiny wrappers). As a consequence, I was also a child growing up in Australia who knew how to play conkers. (Not a terribly useful piece of knowledge in a beach-side regional town.)
So I was just a tad excited to discover The Ladybird Lady’s stall at Broadway Market, with a terrific selection of hard-to-find vintage Ladybird books (from £1 to £10), as well as vintage buttons, toy cars, kids’ games and vintage door handles. It’s a bit of a bower bird’s nest, but a very lovely and nostalgic one.
The Ladybird Lady
Saturdays, Broadway Market
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Nearest tube: Bethnal Green Station
Nearest train: London Fields BR
For more market stalls and shops on Broadway Market, click here.
For more shops in East London, click here.
