London shopping: Tatty Devine
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.
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