Art, medallions and men's summer fashion

My escort for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Preview Party was charming young interior designer, Romanos Brihi, who was seeking works for his clients, and for his own collection.

In addition to possibly being a good investment, I suppose owning a unique piece of art is a way of showing off your taste or wealth, or both - even if you don’t choose it yourself? Art has become so much a part of the luxury lifestyle that the line between art gallery and concept store has become somewhat blurred (see my latest post at The Dabbler): I’m sure it’s all good for the UK economy, but I do think there's too much focus on pure materialism. Should there be such a symbiotic relationship between contemporary art, interior decoration, high-end fashion and designer goods?

Talking of which, I spotted some finely dressed men at the party. Apart from the Olympics, it’s not everyday you see chaps wandering around wearing medals on ribbons around their necks. The Royal Academicians have different coloured ribbons according to their discipline eg red for painting, green for sculpture – and (I think) grey for architecture.

These gentlemen are wearing the red ribbon. I do hope Anthony Eyton (on the right) remembers inviting me to lunch at Brixton Market, the subject of one of his paintings in the show (see below).

Stephen Cox, whose daughter is the first RA poet in residence, models the green ribbon here, rather dramatically set off against a royal blue linen suit.





















His granite and gold leaf masks work exceptionally well with greige, rendering them an instant hit with interior designers the world over.

Elsewhere, other smartly dressed menfolk included cocktail waiters in buttoned-up black, Gareth Pugh in a curiously gothic cutout suit,

Nicky Haslam in a wall-matching grey number... and this jolly fellow in vintage-style pinstripes.

There were sunglasses and hats..I wore recycled vintage cotton lace with a feather bolero - and I borrowed a Bakelite butterfly bag from ShopCurious. Plus, there was one elderly gent who wasn’t wearing anything at all.






















Towards the end of the evening, as paparazzi and punters clamoured to get final photographs on the red carpet, things became a little crazy…

 
You’ll have to visit the show yourself to see the art.

Will you?

Pink chintz and charming country style

I’m saving the middle part of my Christmas story till later, but early in the New Year I spent a couple of days visiting friends in rural Derbyshire. I wanted to share this with you first, because if you happen to find yourself in that part of England, I’ve discovered a rather lovely place to stay:

I can thoroughly recommend Park View Farm near Ashbourne. An eclectic mix of granny’s attic style meets faded chintzy boudoir chic, this has to be amongst the most charming Bed and Breakfast accommodation in the country.
















There’s a creaking wooden staircase, four poster beds, free standing roll-top cast iron baths and the main house is adorned with characterful vintage prints, chiming clocks and quirky curiosities.


The traditional pink chintz curtains made me feel completely at home – I have a feeling they’re made from the same Laura Ashley fabric I had in my flat in the late 1980s.















There are wonderfully dated festoon blinds, which are perfect for collecting Jack spiders, so they don’t nibble you in the night. A painting of a curiously cute rabbit hangs above the loo - and, amidst the memorabilia, there are even some old fashioned costume prints to keep us fashion hounds amused.












If you’re in a big party, there’s plenty of accommodation in additional guest cottages with pretty names like Honeysuckle Cottage, curiously appropriate since honeysuckle pink is Pantone’s colour of the year.













There’s also a large breakfast table, where you can congregate for a home-cooked breakfast that (to borrow a word from Jamie Oliver) is utterly delish… What’s more, the table is beautifully set with Willow Pattern crockery, plus there are crystal serving bowls and twirly-stemmed antique candlesticks.




















In terms of practical comfort and simple but stylish home decoration, you can’t go wrong with a country farmhouse style kitchen, especially if you actually live in a country farmhouse and can look out of the window onto an authentic field of grazing sheep.

The host and hostess are a lovely couple who are polite, friendly and amazingly available for a chat at the same time as running a farm and preparing a full English fry up (with mouth-meltingly buttery mushrooms, freshly laid eggs and unusually tasty wholemeal toast). Radio 3 burbles along in the background, though apparently the cows in the milking parlour prefer Classic FM.








Anyway, if you’d like to ‘get the look’ we’ve some uniquely arty Willow Pattern placemats at ShopCurious, along with this fabulous antique porcelain cherub mirror. Perfect if you’re suddenly feeling all romantic.

Are you?

Curious Christmas greetings

Forget the Adoration of the Magi, Christmas has become a time for all things kitsch and over the top. Last year we sent you Christmas greetings from Chelsea.

This year ShopCurious brings tidings of glad joy from wonderfully olde worlde Fulham. Yes, there was snow in London very recently, but as far as I’m aware, it’s never looked quite like this…

Other curiously quirky Christmas touches I’ve spotted recently include:









Crazy Christmas lights in the backstreets of Battersea.










A knitted nativity scene.








Timelessly thought provoking children’s art.











A stuffed stag's head decoration (from my guest loo).









A curious Christmas icon from Mexico (looks Christmassy whether it is or not).






My mother’s Christmas cake – purely ornamental and totally excessive as no one ever eats it, but she insists on baking one every year - and probably has several from Christmases past rotting in tins at home. And not forgetting all the peculiarly coloured festive drinks (read more about my experience of these over at The Dabbler).









Anyway, for those who are curious, I can confirm that Father Christmas didn't quite make it back to the North Pole - due to the snow he got stuck in Fulham.

Wishing you a fabulously curious Christmas Day wherever you are.

Are you?

Tink before you tattoo

Did you read the article from Shine, The 6 biggest tattoo regrets, that was posted on a major search engine’s lifestyle site today? There were a huge number of comments, indicating that an awful lot of people want to talk about their tattoo troubles.

If you’re looking to avoid regrets altogether, temporary tattoos can be the answer. At ShopCurious, we’ve just become the exclusive UK stockist of a new range of limited edition temporary tattoos by a company called Tink-It (Temporary Ink It).





None of your kiddy style sticker stuff here, the first Tink-It collection has been designed by achingly cool French artists, plus there are five designs to choose from, and between two and eighteen separate tattoos in each box set. Tinks last for one to three days and can be easily wiped off using make-up remover, but whilst they’re on your body, you’ll become a living work of art.

Tattoos are arguably the Marmite of the skin world, either loved or loathed. If you’re a fan of tattoos, are thinking of getting one, or simply curious to see how some people choose to express their personalties through body decoration, you might like to pop along to the ‘Skin’ exhibition at the Wellcome Collection, which runs until 26th September.


Part of the exhibition explores the skin “as a place where natural, cultural, artificial or supernatural marks inscribe themselves on the body. Human skin provides a living document of transformation, deformity, ageing and illness. It also serves as a canvas where personal and cultural practices of decoration, construction of identity and self-expression are communicated to the world." Something worth bearing in mind…

Tink about it.

Will you?

Exhibition in right royal fashion

Not only is the House of Hardy Amies the pinnacle of stylish decoration, but it also has a wonderful energy and a lovely staff - with the potential to be the source of inspiration to aspiring Amies’ of the future. Moreover, to celebrate the first visit of Queen Elizabeth II to the house in July 1950 (when she was still a Princess), a new exhibition in the Archive Room at No.14 Savile Row features previously unseen sketches, documents, original pictures, letters and garments belonging to members of the House of Windsor. When I took a sneak preview, I found myself signing the visitors’ book directly after members of the Windsor family...





‘The House of Windsor in the House of Hardy Amies’ was officially opened by HRH Princess Alexandra at the end of June 2010 and can be visited until the end of the year, by appointment only. The exhibition features rare sketches of creations produced over 40 years of collaboration with HM The Queen as well as original and duplicate items made for The Queen and other members of the Royal Family – including HRH Princess Michael of Kent (a muse to Sir Hardy Amies), Lady Diana and the Duchess of York. A photograph of the house’s latest muse, Lord Frederick Windsor, is also on prominent display.

One of the main highlights is an incredible giant-sized album, in which Amies collected images and swatches of the various outfits worn by The Queen over a period spanning several decades. This provides a curiously fascinating history of royal dress though the years, as well as an insight into the media coverage of fashion and social reporting during the period.






Amies’ interest in maintaining the photo journal appeared to wane in the latter years, as evidenced by the increasing dearth of photographs in the oversized album...









and the replacement of carefully handwritten pen and ink italics beneath old fashioned cuttings from the daily press by haphazardly placed Post-it notes, atop picture stories from the likes of Hello Magazine.



What I really love about the Amies house is that’s it’s a place of real character. It also seems to reflect the essential character of its clientele – even HM The Queen: The warmth of her personality, along with genuine sincerity and kindness, positively shine out from the letters exchanged between Her Majesty and Sir Hardy Amies.

The house is full of quirky curiosities, like the collection of royal biscuit tins, similar to the ones available at ShopCurious, celebrating HM The Queen’s Coronation in 1953, royal weddings and other regal occasions. Apparently, the heirloom tins were used by Hardy Amies’ couture seamstresses to store their buttons and sewing threads – and now they take pride of place amongst the exhibits.









If you’re able to a secure a place on one of the exclusive private viewings, I’d highly recommend a visit to this extraordinary showcase of our national heritage. What’s more, this retro royal fashion extravaganza is bang on trend.

Are you?

The timeless tradition of the tree

As they turned on the lights on the Christmas tree in London’s Trafalgar Square last night, I had my own little ceremony – switching on the twinklers that adorn my alternative Trithrinax Brasiliensis (Brazilian Needle Palm).

Traditional Christmas trees cause me a great deal of stress. Firstly, finding a tree that fits the height of the room – preferably one with branches in all the right places, is not always a simple task. Then locating the Christmas decorations can be somewhat bothersome, as I’m never quite sure where I put them after last year’s festivities. I know some people love decorating their tree, but I personally find this rather an annual chore. The biggest challenge of all, is keeping the damned thing alive until after the event - by which time, almost all the tree's needles are deposited over the floor, leaving a huge mess to be cleared up (don't even think of going away!) Oh, and there’s the added awkwardness of disposing of an enormous tree trunk from a seventh floor apartment…



It's hardly surprising that others seem to share my mixed feelings - as illustrated by these photos of even more unconventional Christmas trees posted on the internet (click on the pics to enlarge):

I’m not sure this inflatable tree (left) has quite the aesthetic appeal of a real one – and those kitty Santas are a decidedly odd addition... even the cat looks curious.







However, this multi-functional tree of beer bottles solves the problem of where to store your Christmas booze… and you can consume the contents over the Xmas break, hmmm.







An upside down tree is certainly an original idea, but what about the effect of gravity on the needles? This one’s probably best reserved for the artificial variety.








Talking of which, I also spotted some high-tech, designer versions that are most unusual. How about a spinning tree?






Or what about this flat-packed, eco-friendly affair by Australian design team, Buro North? I'm not certain this is quite so timeless in its appeal - and minimalism doesn't come cheap - apparently, this costs nigh on two thousand dollars.









A less costly solution might be to grab a few blocks of wood and add some household candles for decoration (see right).





Or better still, omit the wood and invest in some exquisitiely scented curiosity candles by Mad et Len, from ShopCurious - to ensure that your home smells simply divine over the festive break. By the way, these make affordably luxurious Christmas gifts too.















In any event, although I’m impressed with the innovative array of curious Christmas trees featured on the net, I tend to agree with Amy Jorgensen that, “no matter how a tree is decorated it still symboliszes the timeless Christmas tradition of families gathered together exchanging presents and love”.

Do you?