Take a look at Rob Ryan's brand new Valentine for this year. Could the man get any more old-school romantic? I think not. This lovely laser cut is hand-screenprinted and available in a limited edition of 250. You can purchase them directly from Ryantown on Columbia Road.
Thank you all for entering in the Kitty & Polly competition. Using a random number generator, the winner is Gemma Milly.
Congratulations, Gemma, your silver birdy leather purse will be winging its way to you soon.
Loving Emma Cook's spring/summer 2010 collection, which signals a return to her favourite woodland creature motifs across a muted palette of caramels, dusky pinks and chocolate. When I talked to the Dalston designer last year for Time Out, she mentioned that she was inspired by the wildlife in her local park (I spy a birdy and a foxy!).
There are some very pretty and ultra-feminine throw-on-and-go summer frocks in the collection, but my favourite pieces include the fitted short-sleeved shift dress, as well as the '40s-style frock with the tied waist. And I do love the ruffled black coat below for a hint of drama... it's light-weight but has enough coverage for the perfect summer coat (a necessary accessory for British summers). Stockists include Liberty and Matches.
Just wanted to give you a heads-up about Liberty's open call for new British designers and creative talent. They're holding an open call on Saturday 6 February, where designer-makers can present their ideas to a panel of experts including the Liberty buying team (and they promise it won't be anything like Dragon's Den!). The best ideas and designs will have their wares snapped up and sold at Liberty. For more info, including registration details, click here. Good luck, everyone!
In other Liberty news, the store is returning to its Arts & Crafts heritage with a new dedicated department on the fourth floor. Curated by Arts & Crafts expert Patch Rogers, the department will feature original furniture, metalwork and textiles. Look out for a full Wee Birdy report...
One of the wee finds I stumbled across in the Glasgow School of Art shop is this collection of stationery and homewares by London designer Ella Doran, whose shop I reviewed a few years ago.
Capturing some of the more unknown details of Mackintosh's building in her inimitable photographic style, Ella's produced a range of notebooks, mugs and coaster for the shop. Apparently she used the student tour guides' list of favourite 'hidden' spots for inspiration.
Glasgow School of Art
167 Renfrew Street
Glasgow G3 6RQ
Tel. 0141 353 4526
Nearest underground: Cowcaddens
To be in the running for the prize, leave a comment below telling me what your favourite Kitty and Polly product is. The winner will be chosen using a random number generator. Entries close 6pm Thursday 28 January (GMT) and the winner will be announced on Friday 25 January. Please be sure to leave your email address below so I can contact you if you win. Good luck!
***NB: This competition is now closed, thank you all for entering.***
Marc by Marc Jacobs Petal To The Metal satchel with bird detail, £175, from Net-a-Porter.
Chintz has never looked so chic since London shoe designer Tracey Neuls got her hands on Sanderson's reissued vintage textiles.
This somewhat surprising collaboration between the British heritage wallpaper company, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, and one of London's more avant-garde shoe designers will coincide with London Fashion Week next month.
Neuls' gallery-like Marylebone Lane shop (read my shop tour here) will be transformed into an eccentric English tea party, complete with a large-scale installation by sculptor Nina Saunders. And apparently birds will be involved - I await with baited breath!
Admittedly, I've got a soft spot for Neuls' rubber-soled shoes, as her mid-height heels are about as high as I can go with my rotten old arthritic toes. It hasn't been easy finding anything attractive I can actually wear, with season after season of increasingly vertiginous heels. So I can't wait to see what she's done with Sanderson's prints - her signature sculptural silhouettes combined with her penchant for dramatic contrast piping will give the chintzy florals a quirky edge.
'Most Curious'
Footwear from Tracey Neuls
Sculptural installation from Nina Saunders
To celebrate Sanderson's 150th Anniversary
From 17 February 2010 to 30 June 2010
Tracey Neuls
29 Marylebone Lane
London W1U 2NQ
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Click here for more Wee Birdy shop reviews on Marylebone Lane.
Willow Tea Rooms
Take tea in Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed splendour, surrounded by wooden lattice-style screens, iconic high-backed ladder chairs and incredible leaded glasswork. There are several Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow, but the Sauchiehall Street location is the best as it retains most of the original architectural details.
Designed by Mackintosh for Kate Cranston in 1904, every detail was considered and carefully planned, right down to the teaspoons and the waitresses’ uniforms. The afternoon tea includes shortbread alongside the usual suspects of sandwiches, scones and cake, and is reasonably priced at £11.95.
Or you could go for the more traditional Scottish option of haggis, neeps and tatties.
The Willow Tea Rooms
217 Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow G2 3EX
Tel. 0141 332 0521
You might recognise their French toile-style London and Glasgow designs, which portray gritty urban scenes of homeless people, muggings and a dude pissing in the park. Great stuff.
If you’re not in the market for wallpaper, you can still get a piece of Beasties brilliance, with an excellent collection of lampshades, mugs and cushions.
Timorous Beasties
384 Great Western Road
Glasgow G4 9HT
Tel. 0141 337 2622
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 10.30am-6pm
Friday 10.30am-5pm
It’s well worth spending some time to have a poke around – I picked up a wonderful old book, The Scottish Clans & Their Tartans, featuring 96 colour plates of Tartans. A wee gem.
Voltaire & Rousseau
18 Otago Lane
Glasgow G12 8PB
Click here for a Wee Trip to Glasgow, Part 1
Click here for a Wee Trip to Glasgow, Part 2
Glasgow School of Art
Considered to be one of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s greatest masterpieces, Glasgow School of Art is a living, breathing, working campus, but it’s the building itself, and the painstaking attention to detail, that is most impressive. It's seriously glorious, and I had to stop myself from squealing in delight at every nook and cranny.
Showcasing Mackintosh’s progressive approach to architecture where Arts and Crafts meets Art Nouveau via traditional Japanese design, there are loads of hand-made details to admire. I really loved the organic motifs of birds, flowers and insects, which are repeated throughout the building.
The school isn’t generally open to the public, but I thoroughly recommend that you pre-book one of the daily guided tours. Make sure you pay a visit to the excellent School of Art Shop, where you can buy all manner of lovely Mackintosh-themed paraphernalia, as well as the latest collections from the School’s graduates.
Glasgow School of Art
167 Renfrew Street
Glasgow G3 6RQ
Tel. 0141 353 4526
Nearest underground: Cowcaddens
Images courtesy of Glasgow School of Art
Che Camille
Sprawled across the sixth floor of the historic Argyll Arcade is Glasgow’s most progressive retail destination for young and emerging fashion designers, with an emphasis on local talent.
Here you’ll find some really lovely limited edition Harris Tweed bags (the satchels are superb) from £160, as well as Harris Tweed and velvet shift dresses by Scottish designer Nelfin.
Paul Cassidy’s Tunnocks Glasgow Tenement tees make a perfect souvenir for £20.
Also keep an eye out for luxe feather headpieces by local milliner William Chambers, and Dana Finnigan’s vivid digital print designs.
Che Camille Showroom and Studio
Floor 6, Argyll Chambers, 34 Buchanan Street
Glasgow G2 8BD
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 10am-6pm
Sunday 11am-6pm
The Glasgow Vintage Co
A new addition to Glasgow’s vintage scene, this spacious two-level boutique stocks a wide selection of clothes for men, women and children.
I found some real bargains, and the hat section downstairs is not to be missed.
The Glasgow Vintage Co
453 Great Western Road
Glasgow G12 8HH
Tel. 0141 338 6633
Opening hours:
Monday to Thursday 11am-5.30pm
Friday to Saturday 11am-6pm
Sunday noon-5pm
Deep Fried Mars Bar from University Cafe
Oh yes, I went there. And it was disgustingly delicious, too. The University Cafe is also home to traditional Fish Suppers and all manner of deep-fried food (they can do deep-fried Cadbury Creme Eggs on request).
University Cafe
87 Byres Road
Glasgow G11 5HN
Tel. 0141 339 5217
Part 3 coming tomorrow.
Click here for a Wee trip to Glasgow, Part 1.
Click here for a Wee trip to Glasgow, Part 3.
Urubbu is stocked in the following UK shops:
Soma Gallery
Clifton Arcade
Boyces Avenue
Clifton Village
Bristol BS8 4AA
The Lollipop Shoppe
44 Trafalgar Street
Brighton BN1 4ED
