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.
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.
You know you've progressed from London tourist to London resident when you're no longer wildly snapping pics of the resident performing grey squirrels in Hyde Park (check), or batting an eyelid when a giant mutant rodent emerges onto the Central line platform at Liverpool Street Station (check).
But I've lived here for over a year now and am yet to spot a fox in the neighbourhood. Where do foxes hang in Hackney? And does it make me a tourist if I really want to see one? (I kinda took a liking to Glasgow's Chip Shop Family from BBC's Springwatch. My god, I love that show. Bill Oddie is an ornithological legend. I'm seriously counting the days to the next series...).
Chip Shop cutie.
I heart Bill.
Garudio Studiage's handy new tote bag, £15, showcases the wondrous beauty of London's wildlife, with a three-legged red fox, grey squirrel, common brown rat and feral pigeon. Available to buy online and instore atBeyond the Valley.
I’ve always been a ballet girl so the flurry of pirouettes, pliés and pointe shoes on the catwalks recently piqued my interest.
Whilst ballerina-style isn’t anything new on the runway, ballet graphics took centre stage this season.
Take Matthew Williamson, for instance, and the graphic ballerina print at his pre-Fall 2008 show in New York. His inspiration? Diaghilev’s revolutionary Ballet Russes and La Bayadère (The Temple Dancer).
Then came Australian designer Marnie Skillings, and the dreamy painterly ballerinas leaping across her aw2008 dresses.
Meanwhile on the high street, Britain’s Queen of Prints Cath Kidston released her Spring 2008 line-up, showcasing a delightful ‘50s-style ballerina print for children.
All these nostaglic ballet references sent me hunting on Etsy for those awesome kitsch plastic ballerina decorations that were the stuff of eight-year-old's birthday cake dreams.
Just a wee sentimental post dedicated to my smart, clever, funny, supportive and endlessly creative friends. You know who you are. I know. I'm a sap. But it's my blog so I'm allowed to be totally biased.
Elizabeth is an Australian jewellery designer who recently moved to New York with her husband. She's just designed a small range of pieces for the Nicole Miller FW08 New York runway show. You can spot her cuffs and bracelets in these pics:
Elizabeth's own collection features beautiful pearl and semi-precious stone pieces with a clean and modern take on the classics. Take this freshwater pearl ring, for instance, where the three pearls seem to float on the finger.
If you feel inspired and want to have a go at making your own jewellery, check out Elizabeth's "how-to" book, Bead, for Murdoch Books. The book contains over 20 projects ranging from homewares to jewellery and is currently on sale in Australia, Europe and the UK.
Gemma Jones is a Melbourne-based artist and curator, and she predominantly paints big, bold poptastic portraits of sixties girls who shimmer and shake, scream and shout aross the canvas. Whilst her work is immediately reminscent of Andy Warhol's screenprints, Gemma's paintings are actually carefully handpainted, which "calls attention to the juncture between the mass produced image and the handmade artwork" (from an interview with Uppers). Four of Gemma's prints are available to buy from Habitat's "Art on Demand" series:
She has recently re-stocked her Etsy shop, where you can pick up a rare Gemma Jones original from US$175.
There are also a number of limited-edition prints available for US$20 from her exhibition "Krazy Lil Peeps": little girls in candy hues with names like Tabby Tomboy, Trixie Telltale and Delia Daydreamer.
So cute for a girl's room or nursery... For more information on Gemma, check out her website www.gemmajones.net.
The Gracie leather purse, £40, by East London handbag designer Mimi Berry, is a classic design and comes in a range of beautiful colours like antique gold, ruby red and burnt orange. Berry, a Central Saint Martins graduate, has built a reputation for quality leather handbags that marry practicality with understated style.
Mimi 40 Cheshire Street London E2 6EH Tel: 020 7729 6699
I found these gorgeous hand-made paper Valentines at Broadway Market on Saturday. *Swooon!* They're like modern-day Victorian Valentine's greetings, with strips of lace paper doilies adding a decorative touch. I'm not sure if this stall will be a regular at Broadway Market (since V-Day comes just once a year) but it was just next door to the divine Violet Cakes stall.
Special thanks to LondonDaily Photo for the use of this photo, which was much nicer than mine!
My heart just about melted all over the laptop when I laid eyes on these beautifully crafted bunnies by Canadian artist Sonja Ahlers (and yes, I am a sentimental sap, but hey it’s V-day, the one day of the year to embrace the sap).
I came across Sonja and her softies through the particularly lovely Canadian design blog PoppyTalk. Check out PoppyTalk’s excellent interview with Sonja here.
As PoppyTalk says, the bunnies are the “truest form of repurposing/recycling”, since they are made from vintage angora sweaters (angora being knitted bunny fur). The smallest bunnies are the size of a peanut (a peanut!) and can be found in the homes of Sonia Rykiel, members of Sonic Youth and (in the not too distant future) MINE! Nom nom nom.
George's all-white range of ceramics are created in her Kent studio and feature simple, clean lines that are individually decorated with hand-applied quirky details.
Luna and Curious 198 Brick Lane London E1 6SA Tel: 020 7033 4411
There is something seductive about a millinery boutique and the allure of dozens of different hat styles to transform your look. And at Bernstock Speirs’ bijou boutique on Brick Lane, it’s hard to resist playing dress-ups with their endearingly quirky range of around 40 different hat styles for men and women.
Traditional and wearable styles are given the signature Bernstock Speirs twist, with an unexpected and eclectic use of materials. Take, for instance, their classic black trilby, which has been updated with a slash of orange around the base (£97), or their fabulous range of winter beanies complete with netted veiling and pom-poms (£45).
The talented duo behind the brand, Paul Bernstock and Thelma Speirs, have been stalwarts of the London fashion and club scenes since the ‘80s. In fact, their very first creation was that iconic open-brimmed hat for Kylie on her debut Kylie album in 1988.
Fast forward to spring/summer 2008 and the line-up features reinvented classic straw designs in a delicious palette of powdery pastels with bold details like fat black webbing bows. I love the fabulous straw visors with veiled netting.
With a loyal clientele since the ‘80s including Boy George, Grace Jones and Madonna, Bernstock Speirs continues to grow its fanbase with the likes of Britney Murphy, Kirsten Dunst, Babyshambles, Karl Lagerfeld and local actor Ralph Fiennes all wearing their designs.
International stockists include Colette (Paris), Penelope & Gerard (Italy), Pool & F95 (Germany), Fenwicks, (UK), Fred Segal (USA) and Comme des Garcons (Japan).
Bernstock Speirs 234 Brick Lane London E2 7EB Tel. 020 7739 7385
Just catching up on the last of the New York a/w shows at style.com (I know, I know, I'm way behind) and spied some of the fabulous feathered hats and brooches at Ralph Lauren.
If you like the look, head to London's ribbon and haberdashery emporium, VV Rouleaux, which stocks a fabulous selection of all sorts of feathers and materials to make your own brooch or head piece.
But if that's all too hands-on, seek out their own range of stunning feathered brooches from £12. On a recent visit I picked up a bold black feathered number, just like the ones pinned to the lapels in the Ralph Lauren show.
VV Rouleaux www.vvrouleaux.com 102 Marylebone Lane London W1U 2QD Tel. 020 7224 5179
54 Sloane Square Cliveden Place London SW1W 8AX Tel. 020 7730 3125
2 Comments Hey birdies - the March issue of one of Australia's spunkiest magazines, Shop til You Drop, went on sale today. And this is news because...? Well, apart from the well-known fact that Shop is totally ace and one of the things I miss about Australia, if you turn to page 172 you just might find a wee story on a certain Wee Birdy ("Fashion Blogs to Read Now" by Kate Farmer). And did I mention that their new website is also well worth a click for features like "Buy of the Day" and their eight new shopping blogs? Oh, well in that case...
p.s. Hi to Shop readers and thanks for checking in. Have a good look around and check out the archive and ever-growing categories list. Let me know what you think!
www.annwoodhandmade.com
