Author Archives: topbird

1. London Fashion Week: a bit of a blur

   September 21, 2009 3:40 pm 5 Comments

   

   I got off to a bit of a slow start with London Fashion Week this season, due to a sudden and unexpected dash to the hospital to deal with a kidney stone (my husband's, not mine!). But once things were sorted (ouchy!), I headed to Somerset House yesterday to catch up on some of the shows. First up was Mulberry at Claridges, which had been transformed into a fairground attraction complete with carousel horses and hundreds of Tim Walker-esque balloons.

   

   The lighting was quite low, so amateur photography was not at its best, but I actually quite like the bluriness in my photos as it captures the 'softly-softly' theme which was portrayed in the uber-femininity of the collection – from the models' wispy crimped hair to the soft puffed sleeves and the delicate pink bows. I also rather liked the fresh prints this season, which revolved around the carousel horse motif. (To see the full collection, head over to Style.com.)

   Speaking of prints, I was captivated at Eley Kishimoto's show, where print and pattern collided and clashed in their trademark glorious fashion. Loved the teal and red geometric print on this smock dress…

   

   
   

   

   

   But their signature charm and quirkiness was ultimately played out in super-sweet details like swan and deer acrylic brooches, crochet square necklines and slouchy socks. I love it when fashion has fun.

2. Wee trend: Customised vintage plates

   September 17, 2009 7:00 am 13 Comments

   
   I’ve noticed this little trend emerging after spotting Lou Rota’s bug-and-bird infested vintage plates at one of my favourite London shops, Caravan, last year (a full Caravan shop tour is on the to-do list!). The plates are customised using homemade and vintage decals. I particularly love the beetles scurrying across this chintz tea plate:

   

   They’re mainly used for decorative purposes (they look amazing grouped on a wall) but can be used ‘lightly’, say for serving up cake for afternoon tea. Lou’s vintage plates can be found at Caravan and Liberty in London, and you can buy them online from Not on the High Street.

   

    

   Ninainvorm is one of my favourite bloggers – and her Netherlands home is probably one of my most-visited ‘destinations’ on Flickr.  (I love her patchworked wall of vintage wallpapers.) She also makes ceramics (a combination of slipcasting and hand-shaping), and she screen-prints her own designs (like Scandi-style birdies) on to her work.

   

   

   

   She also uses vintage items to screen-print as well, like these vintage plates with bunting and birds:

   
   You can purchase Nina’s ceramics from her Etsy shop.

   

   Le petit oiseau is another gorgeous blog I follow, this time closer to home in the UK. As well as being a real bower bird for lovely vintage finds, she uses decal paper to re-design vintage plates with Tangram-style collages.

   

   

   Check out her Etsy shop at Le petit boutique.

3. Shopping in London: M.Goldstein

   September 16, 2009 7:00 am 6 Comments

   

   As much as I love my modern, minimalist boutiques with carefully-considered stock and refined aesthetic (A.P.C’s new flagship store on Dover Street is a great example), there’s something about the thrill of finding treasure in a real magpie’s nest, where the approach to visual merchandising errs towards the chaotic rather than the simple and streamlined. This is what you can expect to find at M.Goldstein, a small vintage shop on Hackney Road, just at the bottom of Columbia Road.

   

   

   The name comes from the former 1930s owner, a newsagent who by all accounts was no stranger to East London’s shady underworld at the time. A jumble of antiques, paintings and the odd human skull, M.Goldstein is today the brainchild of Nathaniel Lee Jones and Pippa Brooks (formerly of Shop at Maison Bertaux in Soho – how we miss you so! But these days you can find Pippa blogging at Madame Says).

   

   It’s not overly or self-consciously styled – in fact, Nathaniel describes it as a bit of a work in progress. There are old drums hanging from the ceiling and mid-century grocery boxes stacked on top of the cabinet, with a Victorian skull sitting on a Gothic stand in the corner.

   

   Taking pride of place is a cabinet of curios, which on my visit was filled with a collection of tiny bird skulls, bird eggs and um, dead birds, as well as some really lovely vintage jewellery, hair combs and mantillas. It’s all rather like stepping into the old office of a mad, fashion-loving scientist.

   

   

   

   I also found a seaside entertainer’s jacket form the ‘30s, some vintage straw hats in the style of Dior’s New Look, and a pair of Eley Kishimoto heels (from Pippa’s personal collection). Nathaniel and Pippa have also started to produce their own small run of garments, like some lovely shirt dresses as well as some screen-printed tees (like this lovely violet number featuring Quentin Crisp).

   

   

   

   Fingers’ crossed there’s more on the way from this creative duo!
   
   M.Goldstein
   67 Hackney Road
   London, E2.
   Tel. 07905 325215
   Nearest tube: Old Street
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

   Opening hours:
   Thursday to Sunday 10am-6pm

   Click here for more shops in East London.

4. Wee find: Rae Jones boots

   September 15, 2009 7:00 am 7 Comments

   

   I couldn’t believe my eyes a couple of weeks ago – September 1 to be exact – when I walked down to my local café and stumbled upon the first conkers of the season. It’s like somebody orchestrated the Official Arrival of Autumn down to the exact placement of the shiny brown nuts on the footpath.

   I do love the transitional seasons in England, but I can’t get away from the fact that Autumn means that I can finally slip my feet back into my beloved boots, and experiment with fancy hosiery (Eley Kishimoto’s AW09 geometric patterns are high on my wishlist this season).

   One British shoe designer to watch this season is Rae Jones, whose second collection of four core styles – a range of flats, everyday mid-heels, an evening range of high heels and flat winter boots – is inspired by ‘40s designers Beth and Heubert Levine.

   

   I particularly love the tan flat boots (see top), with its diamond pattern detail and folded-down top. Prices start at £160, and are available from Poste Mistress and Labour of Love. Keep an eye on her website, which should be transactional by the end of September.
   www.raejones.com

5. London Fashion Week: Rob Ryan for Elle

   September 14, 2009 9:39 pm 5 Comments

   

   Loving this special limited edition cover by Rob Ryan for this month's Elle magazine. 25 artists and designers were commissioned to illustrate a poster to celebrate London Fashion Week's 25th anniversary.
   Available from WH Smith.

   Photo courtesy of Rob Ryan.

6. Birdy pick of the week

   7:31 pm 2 Comments

   
   
   

   Quite a few of you have tipped me about Green & Spring's luxe range of organic body care products, which feature a delightful bunch of twittering birdies on the beautifully-designed packaging. The range is made in Britain, using flowers and herbs which are native to the UK, and are free from parabens, petrochemicals and synthetic colours and fragrances. You can pick them up online, or check out the full collection at Liberty.

7. Shopping in London: What Katie Did

   September 9, 2009 7:00 am 13 Comments

   

   Fans of London’s burlesque scene may already be familiar with What Katie Did, the British-based label behind luxe vintage-style lingerie and hosiery. In fact, the Notting Hill shop, tucked away at the back of Portobello Green arcade, is one of London’s few locations where burlesque performers can get fully kitted out – from their nipple pasties and corsolettes to proper silk stockings and feathered fans.

   

   But you don’t have to be into burlesque to get something (saucy) out of What Katie Did’s delightful collection of vintage-inspired lingerie and shapewear. In fact, those of you who love their vintage fashion, particularly cinched-in styles from the ‘40s and ‘50s, will rejoice in their range of shapewear and girdles made specifically to pull you in and create a silhouette of your wildest Mad Men-inspired dreams.

   

   

   I really love their collection of bullet bras (£27.50) – the peach satin version is particularly gorgeous – as well as their fancy frilly knickers (£14), available in sizes 10 to 18. Keep an eye out for their excellent range of authentic seamed stockings, which are made in an old-fashioned British factory on a machine that actually stitches the seams together, as well as the seam-look stockings from £4.50.

   

   

   You can also sign up for one of their workshops, where you can learn how to make your own nipple tassle or fascinator over tea and cake. Crafty and raunchy, oh my!

   What Katie Did
   26 Portobello Green
   281 Portobello Road
   London, W10 5TZ
   Tel. 0845 430 8943
   Nearest tube: Ladbroke Grove
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

   Opening Hours:
   Monday to Saturday 10am – 6pm
   Sunday 12 noon – 6pm

   Click here for more good shops in Notting Hill.

8. Birdy pick of the week

   September 8, 2009 1:36 pm 6 Comments

   
   Remember Tord Boontje's garland light? It was hugely popular a few years ago, when every design-conscious abode seemed to feature a bare lightbulb cloaked in Boontje's etched metal tendrils. He's currently Head of Product Design at the Royal College of Art, and this new bird and flower charm necklace, £35, is available to pre-order from the V&A Museum.

   The V&A Shop
   Victoria and Albert Museum
   Cromwell Road
   London SW7 2RL
   Tel. 020 7942 2687
   Nearest tube: South Kensington
   Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

   Opening hours:
   
   Monday to Sunday 10am-5.30pm
   
   Late night every Friday until 9.45pm

9. Going, going … Walking in My Mind

   September 4, 2009 7:00 am 10 Comments

   

   The wonderful Walking in my Mind exhibition at the Hayward Gallery closes on Sunday, so you might like to take advantage of tonight's late night opening (until 10pm) to check it out.

   Yayoi Kusama's lifelong obsession with polka-dots is realised on a grand scale at the Hayward, with giant blow-up sculptures taking over one room and spilling out on to the sunny terrace. The red and white globules are dotted around the hyper-real green astroturf like super-sized ladybirds. Such a brilliant view (and an exceptionally nice place to park yourself for a bit of a gallery break)! 

   

   

   But most delightful, perhaps, is the sight of Yayoi's polka-dot emblazoned trees, lining the promenade along Southbank like a joyously infectious pox.

   

   

   I was also excited to see Yoshitomo Nara's little shed/bedroom/drawing room in all its creepy-kawaii-cuteness. It was a fascinating and voyeuristic insight into his world of sweet-and-sinister characters – not to mention an opportunity to peek at his awesome collection of kitsch figurines.

   

   

   The other artists in the exhibition include Charles Avery, Thomas Hirschhorn, Bo Christian Larsson, Mark Manders, Jason Rhoades, Pipilotti Rist, Chiharu Shiota and Keith Tyson.

   Walking in My Mind: Adventure into the artist's imagination
   Hayward Gallery
   Until 6 September 2009
   10am-6pm (late night Friday until 10pm)
   £9 adults
   Nearest tube: Waterloo

   Yoshitomo Nara My Drawing Room 2008, bedroom, (2009 installation), copyright the artist. Photography by Roger Wooldridge. Courtesy of The Hayward Gallery, 200

10. A week of Kent: Sissinghurst

    September 2, 2009 10:19 pm 9 Comments

    

    The glorious gardens of Sissinghurst Castle, home to Vita Sackville West and her husband Harold Nicolson, was perhaps the highlight of our weekend in Kent (which I’ve somehow managed to string into a week of posts). It was thrilling to walk around the sprawling 400 acre estate she had designed and created, with its pockets of themed colour (@LibertyLdnGirl had recommended the stunning white garden) and texture.

    

    

    I adored climbing the tower, peeking inside Vita’s study and admiring her mother’s coloured glass collection…

    

    

    

    Tips from the Twitterati: LibertyLdnGirl suggested heading to the “blissful” Three Chimney’s pub just down the road, and MaggieA recommended getting there late to avoid crowds (done and done, thank you!).

    

    I also couldn’t resist a visit to the extensive National Trust shop on site (whoever is their buyer does an extremely good job), which stocks a good selection of gardening gifts and books as well as works by Vita and Virginia Woolf. I’m really loving the simple but effective cover design of these Vintage Classics:

    

    Sissinghurst Castle Garden
    Sissinghurst, nr Cranbrook, Kent TN17 2AB
    Tel. 01580 710701 (Infoline)

11. A week of Kent: Smallhythe Place

    September 1, 2009 4:17 pm 8 Comments

    

    The former home of Victorian actress Dame Ellen Terry, this 16th-century cottage features marvellously wonky floorboards as well as a startling array of theatre memorabilia that Terry had fastidiously collected in true magpie-style over her lifetime. Truly a woman after my own heart!

    

    The old theatre costumes and props were fascinating, but I really loved
    looking at her more personal items, like the meticulous sewing kit she
    kept as well as her dressing table, laid out with trinkets and hair
    brushes.

    

    The English cottage garden was also a delight, with big, old-fashioned roses and an orchard out the back. Don't miss the small National Trust second-hand book stall in the garden – I stumbled upon some excellent vintage Ladybird and wildlife books.

    Smallhythe Place
    
    Smallhythe, Tenterden
    Kent TN30 7NG
    
    Tel. 01580 762334

12. Birdy pick of the week

    August 30, 2009 9:00 pm 4 Comments

    
    Ben Newman's 'Honk Honk' giclee print, £20, from Soma Gallery.
    (Soma Gallery is a Wee Birdy sponsor, so please show it some love!)

13. A week of Kent: Broadstairs

    August 28, 2009 7:00 am 15 Comments

    

    After our morning in Whitstable, we headed over to Broadstairs for an afternoon by the seaside. Following the excellent advice of @circeplum, we headed to Oscar Road Café for the freshest and most enormous doorstop crab sandwich I’ve encountered. (It was actually a difficult choice between that and the bucket of prawns and lobster rolls.)

    

    

    Set back on a side street away from the bustle of the seafront, the café itself was completely charming with bunting and vintage-style décor. They also offered a small selection of retro-inspired gifts. We found a perfectly sunny spot under a tree in the back garden, where we quietly sipped ginger beer and experienced a little Enid Blyton moment.

    

    

    

    The homemade cakes (especially the moreish Victoria Sponge) looked particularly enticing under their vintage glass cloches, but I was particularly keen to check out the legendary Morelli’s, which @IndiaKnight had tweeted about earlier this year.

    

    The icecream parlour and cappuccino bar opened for business in Broadstairs in 1932 and was the first in the UK to offer over 20 flavours of icecream. It was refurbished in 1959, and it’s still resplendent in all its original formica glory, with Lloyd Loom chairs and a soda fountain now stuffed with kitsch plastic flowers.

    

    Having been advised that no visit to Morelli’s was complete without a Knickerbocker Glory, I duly ordered at the bar and was served what can only be described as a sundae spectacle, topped with whipped cream, cherry, Flake bar, a novel teddy bear wafer and a French flag – all in a wonderful old-fashioned hand-blown glass.

    

    As if that (and the location) wasn’t enough, the icecream was pretty damn delicious, too. (Londoners can visit the Morelli’s outpost at Harrods, which offers an innovative bespoke icecream service.)

    Outside Morelli’s, the vibrant delights of the Broadstairs seaside awaited. All that was missing was a Punch and Judy show and a couple of donkeys. (And I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid if either showed up.)

    

    

    

    O
    scar Road Café
    15 Oscar Road
    Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1QJ
    Tel. 01843 872442
    Opening hours:
    Thursday to Friday 10.30am-5pm
    Saturday 10.30am-5.30pm
    Sunday 11.30am-5.30pm

    Morelli’s
    14 Victoria Parade
    Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1Q