Wee Birdy

Wee find: Merci Liberty collection

2010-03-18T00:28:59+00:00

Oh, how I wish I was in London right now. I've got loads of things to tell you since arriving back in Sydney (I'm just starting to thaw out after Britain's coldest winter in 30 years), but right now I've got my eye on - where else? - lovely, lovely Liberty. Right on the back of the rather clever Liberty for Target collection comes the sublime limited edition Merci Liberty collection for spring.

Designed by Parisian concept store Merci's creative director, Marie France Cohen, the super-pretty collection features a bouquet of Liberty's most iconic floral prints. With an emphasis on what Merci does best (homewares and children's ware), stand-out pieces include the old-school mini suitcase covered in Liberty print, long print aprons, as well as reasonably priced cushions from £20.

Stationery nerds will rejoice in the sublime range of printed tapes, notebooks and assorted papery delights (I really love the old-school brown envelopes with a posy of Liberty florals peeking out from the lining).

Tell me - have you picked up anything from the Liberty for Target collection? Have you had a peek at the new Merci collection? Go on, give me my London fix.

p.s. I snuck in a wee trip to Paris (and a visit to Merci) during my last week in London, so a shop tour will be coming soon!

Liberty
Great Marlborough Street
London W1B 5AH
Tel. 0207 734 1234
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Birdy pick of the week

2010-03-15T06:00:00+00:00

Me me me's glazed porcelain bird with star or heart on a 70cm sterling silver chain, £60.

Birdy pick of the week

2010-03-07T10:16:11+00:00

Frerk Muller's Mugs, £12 each, from Shelf.

Shelf
40 Cheshire Street
London E2 6EH
Tel. 020 7739 9444
Nearest tube: Liverpool Street
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Friday afternoon by appointment only
Saturday 1pm-6pm
Sunday 11am-6pm

For more shops on Cheshire Street, click here.

Best of London shopping: Labour and Wait*

2010-03-05T06:00:00+00:00

I don't think I have an especially over-developed sense of smell, but I'm particularly adverse to the kind of shop (usually of the super-feminine gift variety) which assaults the senses with a cacophony of scented candles, perfume diffusers and oil burners. And don't even get me started on the overwhelming pong that makes my brain ache every time I walk within 10 yards of a Lush store.

So the curious aroma of wooden clothes pegs, beeswax candles and tarred jute twine creates a rather unusual but instantly comforting atmosphere of a timeless general store at London's legendary Labour and Wait.

Classic and functional design marries vintage aesthetic, with a rather excellent selection of enamel cookware, Breton striped tops and wooden bristle brushes. Keep an eye out for the excellent stash of vintage linen, giant balls of twine and enamel pendant lampshades, as well as the extensive range of high quality tools, gloves and packets of seeds.

Labour and Wait
18 Cheshire Street
London E2 6EH
Tel. 020 7729 6253
Nearest tube: Liverpool Street
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Saturday 1pm-5pm
Sunday 10am-5pm
Friday 11am-5pm by appointment

Images courtesy of Labour and Wait.
For more shops on Cheshire Street, click here.

* Please bear with me - I'm flying back to my Sydney nest so I'm digging into the Wee Birdy archives for a couple of weeks. Normal posting (and ace new London shops) will resume shortly. xx

Best of London shopping: Dover Street Market*

2010-03-04T06:00:00+00:00

It’s easy to feel intimidated walking into Dover Street Market, arguably London’s number one cutting-edge shopping destination. When I first arrived in London last year, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but gathered it was something along the lines of Colette in Paris. So far, so (very) good.

But with "market" in the title, I was initially thinking on a linear level, as opposed to an uber-department store with six floors dedicated to fashion, design and art. And with terms like "avant-garde", "groundbreaking" and "edgy" bandied about in the press over the past three years, I was half-excited and half-scared, fearing six floors of pretension and a f***-off attitude to boot.

Emerging from the lift onto the fourth floor, I was immediately struck by a few things. Firstly, a vintage anatomy plaster model of a foetus in utero, the kind of thing you’d find in a university science lab from the fifties; secondly, my beloved Labour and Wait’s counter of traditional homewares (think balls of twine, sturdy gardening tools and French stripey tops); and finally, a rack of Commes des Garcon’s PLAY line, mixed in with designers such as Commuun, Toga Archives, and Veronique Branquinho.** All this and the comforting homely aroma of freshly baked scones pervading from the Rose Bakery in the corner of the room (more on this in another post). It’s kinda crazy and cool and I love it.

But let’s turn down the “crazy” dial for the moment, after all, there is serious fashion to consider. Dover Street Market is the brainchild of Commes des Garcon’s Rei Kawakubo, and it features well over 50 designers, with numerous exclusive collaborations and all 14 CdG lines.

Kawakubo challenges traditional concepts of merchandising by mixing top designers such as Dior, Galliano and Alaïa, with lesser-known labels sourced from all over the world. Menswear merges with womenswear, and unexpected suprises (like the voodoo-vibed World Archives stall and Emma Hawkins’ Victorian collection of taxidermy, animal skeletons and vintage plaster anatomy models) keep shoppers engaged and excited. And by inviting the various designers to curate and regularly update their own space, Kawakubo breathes new life into fashion retail.

Personal highlights include Very Lustre’s ultra-modern diamond jewellery; Boudicca’s velvet-draped birdcage dressing room, complete with mirror and bell; Parisien Didier Ludot’s ultimate LBD range, and Cameron Silver’s “Decades” stall (a little piece of Melrose in Mayfair, where I spied heart-stopping premium vintage pieces by Azzedine Alaïa, Missoni and YSL couture). I was also enamoured by Japanese label Sacai’s simple and relaxed knitwear, as well as Sacai Luck’s ultra-femme lingerie line featuring pretty camisoles and shorts in cashmere and silk.

On each visit to DSM, I've found it increasingly difficult to walk past the range of Pierre Hardy shoes without drooling all over the wares, and it was nice to see Australian designer Michelle Jank’s eclectic one-off neckpieces. And the one-off creations by London’s premier milliner Stephen Jones for DSM are always fun and fanciable (I loved the adorable A/W 2007 "Chic!" berets). I could go on and on … each 'stall' is worthy of an individual post, so you can expect additional posts and updates on DSM in the future.

**NB: this post was originally written in January 2008 so some of the installations and designers I've described have changed since then.

Dover Street Market
17-18 Dover St,
London W1
Tel: 020 7518 0680
Nearest tube: Green Park
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 11am-6pm
Thursday 11am-7pm

All images courtesy of Dover Street Market.
Click here for more shops in W1.

* Please bear with me - I'm flying back to my Sydney nest so I'm digging into the Wee Birdy archives for a couple of weeks. Normal posting (and ace new London shops) will resume shortly. xx

Best of London shopping: Fabrications*

2010-03-03T06:00:00+00:00

Long before London's contemporary craft scene took off, Broadway Market's Fabrications was quietly carving out a niche for themselves from their independent boutique. Offering a plethora of crafty courses, as well as a range of textiles and design by new and established local designers, the shop also serves as a studio space and gallery for owner and in-house designer Barley Massey.

One side of the shop is dedicated to a quirky range of stationery and badges made by Hackney locals, accompanied by a profile on each artist. Keep an eye out for Lucy Jane Batchelor’s sweet retro-style collection including tooth fairy envelope cards for children and her clever Missing Button badges.

The nice thing about Fabrications is that stock is constantly updated, so you’re likely to discover new gems all the time. I like the fabric pouffes bound by knotted rope using traditional sea-faring techniques (£150) and The Old Broad Bean (the Queen) Cockney jewellery, featuring faces of the royal family (and er, Dodi) on dried beans. Prices range from £3 for a badge to £30 for a necklace or cufflinks.

Another highlight is the wall of rainbow-coloured yarns (wools for winter and cottons for summer) and a small range of vintage yarn and hand-spun yarn with lanolin. There is also a wide variety of knitting and sewing supplies, including super-sized knitting needles. Beginners can get fully kitted out here, with knitting packs complete with instructions and a pack of wool, as well as customised sewing kits for £2.50 with basic embroidery stitches.

On my visit, I found a pile of vintage knitting patterns for babywear and some wonderful ‘80s pattern books including designs by Jean Paul Gaultier and Alaia.There was also a sweet collection of knitted goodies, including traditional Bakewell tarts, “I heart Hackney” purses and potted cactuses (bonus: not prickly at all!).

Don’t miss in-house Massey’s ingenious range of eco-friendly cushions, pouffes, rugs and mats made from recycled bicycle inner tubes and vintage shirt ties. Amongst many of her commissions was the infamous Lost Vagueness tent at Glastonbury in 2003. Just imagine: your own piece of fabulous festival fun at home (minus the mud).

Fabrications
7 Broadway Market
London E8 FPH
Tel. 0207 275 8043
Nearest tube: Bethnal Green
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Saturday noon-5pm
Or call for appointment.

Click here for more Wee Birdy shop reviews on Broadway Market.

* Please bear with me - I'm flying back to my Sydney nest so I'm digging into the Wee Birdy archives for a couple of weeks. Normal posting (and ace new London shops) will resume shortly. xx

Best of London shopping: Hope & Greenwood*

2010-03-02T06:00:00+00:00

Lollies, toffees and bon bons – oh my! If you thought I was done with British childhood nostalgia, you’d be wrong. Big time.

It’s a cold and icy Thursday morning in Covent Garden this week that finds me trudging towards Hope and Greenwood’s pillarbox red front door. Everyone is feeling the effects of London’s extended frigid weather. The Big Issue bloke outside the Tube shouts to nobody in particular, “Get yer Big Issue, yer bunch of tight, miserable sods.”

But then the front door bell tinkles and a rush of warm air and ‘40s show tunes greets me as I step over the welcoming threshold into the most charming old-fashioned sweet shop emporium. It’s ridiculously gorgeous, with row upon row of shiny glass jars filled with sugary delights and colourful bunting catching my eye at every turn. The store is straight out of my childhood dreams fuelled by Blyton-esque boarding school tales of tuck boxes crammed with delicious treats and illicit midnight feasts.

The genuine loving care and consideration that has gone into decorating the shop and fulfilling a certain British vintage aesthetic from the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s is obvious. For example, the handsome green enamel pendant lamps that hang over the front counter are from the old Rover factory in the Midlands, while said glass counter was sourced by Mr Greenwood from an old haberdashery shop in Wales.

Elsewhere, a vintage kitchen dresser is packed with Hope and Greenwood’s exclusive range of chocolates and sweets, and an old stepladder serves to display a range of liquorice allsorts, Catherine Wheels and sugar pigs. Other sweet treats are tucked into painted wooden crates and old Hovis tins, while slabs of fudge and chocolate truffles are piled on footed cake stands with glass bell jars.

Miss Anita (all the staff at H&G are known as either Miss or Mr) greets me warmly from behind the marble-top counter, and displays a superb knowledge of H&G’s confectionery as she takes me through the glorious selection of truffles (£5 per 100g). Hope and Greenwood’s handmade British chocolates are one of the considerable main attractions, with a delectable line-up including Champagne Charlies, Lime Creams and Bitter Raspberry truffles.

The 120-strong pick and mix selection is also a major drawcard, which includes childhood favourites like apple whips, giant gobstoppers, Anglo Bubble gum, Fruit Salad chews, Black Jacks, Mojos and Parma Violets. Adding to the overall sense of nostalgia, there are war-time sweetie ration cards, as well as a choice selection of vintage items, including packets of ric-rac, pretty chocolate tins, children’s annuals, Ladybird books and egg cups. A delightful slice of bygone British life in the heart of London's West End.

Hope and Greenwood
1 Russell Street
London WC2 B SJB
Tel. 020 7240 3314
Nearest tube: Covent Garden
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 10.30am-7.30pm
Sunday noon-7.30pm

Click here for Wee Birdy shop reviews in West London.

* Please bear with me - I'm flying back to my Sydney nest so I'm digging into the Wee Birdy archives for a couple of weeks. Normal posting (and ace new London shops) will resume shortly. xx

Best of London shopping: VV Rouleaux*

2010-03-01T06:00:00+00:00

VVRouleaux is London’s legendary emporium of ribbons, trimmings and braids, and oh, so much more. It’s the kind of place that instantly makes you bug-eyed with excitement, recalling childhood days of coveting ribbons, buttons and other “fancy” bits and bobs to add to your most precious and treasured collection.

But it’s the grown-ups who flock to this beautiful bazaar of inspiration for specialist ribbons sourced from all over the world, like Japanese organdie and French wire-edged taffetas in every shade imaginable. In fact the large light-filled entry-level room in the Marylebone store is like a Pantone book come to life, with reels of ribbons in every size, pattern and colour.

No wonder brides make a bee-line to the store for that exact shade of caramel to work their bridesmaids’ sashes back to the reception chair tie-backs. Speaking of brides, there are double-sided velvet ribbons which make perfect belts and sashes, as well as double-sided Japanese satin ribbons. And downstairs, there’s a fabulous collection of vintage bridal accessories, including hand-made veils, headpieces, hats and birds (birds!) from the late 1950s.

Ribbons aside, there’s a glorious range of silk, organza and velvet roses in a myriad of fashion shades, as well as a vast collection of fancy feathers. Apparently the shop does a roaring trade in June and July during racing and wedding season.

Don’t miss the tables crammed with vintage pieces like hand-crocheted butterflies and clusters of velvet violets (I spied the same violets behind a glass cabinet at the Golden Age of Couture exhibition at the V&A). I particularly love the selection of vintage French earrings and hair combs as well as the double-sided velvet belts with vintage buckles (from £14.95), delicate feather brooches (from £12.95) and bird decorations (from £3.95).

Downstairs is haberdashery heaven, dedicated to heavier furnishings like acrylic and glass tassles in traditional and modern colours, as well as vintage braids, faux-fur trims, cotton lace trims, and leather and suede ribbons for fashion and furnishing.

I found a bunch of Chanel-style braids that would make chic suit edging. There’s also an extensive range of wax cords in all shades, which was raided by the wardrobe department for the making of Elizabeth: The Golden Age. For more inspiration, pick up a copy of owner/creative director Annabel Lewis’ new book, Ribbons & Trims, for £20.

VVRouleaux
102 Marylebone Lane
London W1U 2QD
Tel. 020 7224 5179
Nearest tube: Bond Street.
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday (excluding Weds) 9.30am-6pm
Wednesday 10.30am-6pm

There is also a second shop in Sloan Square:
54 Sloane Square
Cliveden Place
London SW1W 8AX
Tel. 020 7730 3125
Nearest tube: Sloan Square

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday (excluding Weds) 9.30am-6pm
Wednesday 10.30am-6.30pm

Click here for more Wee Birdy shop reviews on Marylebone Lane.

* Please bear with me - I'm flying back to my Sydney nest so I'm digging into the Wee Birdy archives for a couple of weeks. Normal posting (and ace new London shops) will resume shortly. xx

Birdy pick of the week

2010-02-28T06:00:00+00:00

'London' and 'Sammy Seagull' 16" x 20" silkscreen prints, US$35, by Wayne Pate. I'm also a little bit in love with his 'Jacques' print, below... Click here for more of my favourites by Wayne.

Best of London shopping: Bernstock Speirs*

2010-02-26T06:00:00+00:00

There is something seductive about a milliner's boutique and the allure of dozens of different hat styles that promise 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.

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 eponymous debut album in 1988.

These days, 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 with netted veiling and pom-poms (£45). Definitely worth a trip up Brick Lane.

Bernstock Speirs
234 Brick Lane
London E2 7EB
Tel. 020 7739 7385
Nearest tube: Liverpool Street
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday 11am – 6pm
Saturday and Sunday 11am – 5pm

For more shops in East London, click here.

* Please bear with me - I'm flying back to my Sydney nest so I'm digging into the Wee Birdy archives for a couple of weeks. Normal posting (and ace new London shops) will resume shortly. xx