Head On at the London College of Fashion

The exhibition space at the London College of Fashion is somewhat limited in size, yet one room and adjacent cabinets are certainly used to maximise impact in the new millinery show: Head On.

"While contemporary society no longer dictates the daily use of hats, the appetite for millinery on the catwalk, in editorial and even on the high street, continues to flourish," says the preamble. Focusing on decorative millinery, the exhibition features mannequins styled to incorporate headwear as part of a total look. 

Dress by AF Vandervorst, hat by Stephen Jones

Dress by Giles Deacon, millinery by Stephen Jones

You would probably get very odd looks if you wore any of these outfits - and the curious headwear doesn't look to be very practical. However, ShopCurious drew attention to the emerging trend of promoting fashion as art some years ago.

Dress by Gareth Pugh, headwear by Philip Treacy

Dress by Yiqing, headpiece by Paul Stafford

The show runs until 23rd March, so do pop in to see the display if you are in the Oxford Street area. 

Will you?

Pumpkin curiosities

Happy Halloween from ShopCurious!

If you’re celebrating on the East Coast of the USA, I hope you’re not inundated with water, or without power  - in which case a pumpkin may prove to be a useful candle holder.

I saw pumpkins masquerading as lots of things in American shops – everything from cooking pots and punch bowls to candles, plates and creatively carved decorative table centre pieces.

Thankfully, there was also the real thing in the form of these wonderfully misshapen gourds. 

And at Sonoma’s Cline Cellars, pumpkins lined the driveway, right up the steps…

… to this curious fellow.

But we Brits are catching up in the pumpkin presentation stakes, as I discovered on a recent visit to Elizabeth King’s delicatessen in Parsons Green (see below).

Not sure this was meant for Halloween, but I love this pumpkin coloured lampshade sculpture (photographed at London's Design Junction) too.

Do you?

Banana bonanza

Have you noticed that everyone’s going bananas? Artists, fashion designers and celebrity movers and shakers are suddenly inspired by the unique, yellow fruit. With all the fuss over this quirky curiosity of nature, I decided to investigate the slow banana boat travel option in my Retroprogressive column at The Dabbler today.

Meantime, if you’d like to indulge in the strange new craze, we’ve a deliciously decorative retro fruit basket box by uoldbag! at ShopCurious. Or, perhaps you’d like to celebrate this curious new trend by joining me in a Banana Split?

Will you?

Age, vanity and upcycled old bags

Nietzsche said, “the vanity of others offends our taste only when it offends our vanity.” The word ‘vanity’ as we know it, didn’t develop narcissistic undertones until the 14th century. Excessive pride in appearance and conceitedness are usually frowned upon, yet seem to have become de rigueur in today’s fashion focused world.







But, “modern excesses of body shape and fashion are not a recent phenomenon,” says Dr Ulinka Rublack, teacher of early modern European history at Cambridge University, and author of Dressing Up:Cultural Identity in Renaissance Europe. Apparently, even in the 15th century, people aspired to an elongated, delicate and slim silhouette. With the development of international trade by merchants from around the world came new fabrics and techniques for cutting and sewing, along with unique accessories such as hats, bags, gloves and hairpieces. And Renaissance art was the ‘new media’ of its day – a way of being noticed and admired by others.



July 1526, Mattheus Schwarz, of the Fugger family in Augsburg, commissioned a naked image of himself looking fashionably slim. In fact, during his life, Schwarz commissioned 135 watercolour paintings in various outfits, which were compiled into an album called the Klaidungsbuchlein (Book of Clothes), which is currently housed in a museum in Brunwick. From the book, we know that Schwarz carried heart shaped leather bags in green (the colour of hope) when courting. In later images, he wore black, as opposed to the red of his youth, so as not to apear like mutton dressed up as lamb.




Talking of of which, I thought you might like to see these vintage vanity cases by uoldbag from ShopCurious. Each one is an upcycled old bag which has been individually embellished using iconic images from vintage magazine cuttings to create decorative decoupage. A stylish alternative to bland modern travel bags, they’re also great for keeping lots of girly bits and pieces. They’d make an extravagant and unusual Mothers’ Day gift too, in which case they’re probably best described as ‘retro’ rather than ‘old’. You don’t want to offend Mum’s vanity on her special day.

Do you?

Divinely decorative

True religion is more than just a jeans label…As we increasingly find ourselves searching for meaning amidst the tumult of these rapidly changing times, more of us are seeking solace in some form of spirituality.

I’m always curious to learn about other people’s views on religion and have been fascinated to hear some of the recent speakers on Channel 4’s 4Thought TV. Being exposed to the wide ranging opinions of Scientologists, Islamic fundamentalists and devout Christians certainly broadens the mind.








What’s more, far from losing their meaning, traditional sacred icons, of whatever religion or denomination, seem to be becoming rather popular as decorative home or fashion accessories - which is why we’re offering these antique mother of pearl crucifixes at ShopCurious.







The one thing I can’t get my head around is why anyone chooses to fight over religion, when faith supposedly emanates from pure love. Perhaps we need to go back to basics and search for something a little more sacred within ourselves…

Will you?


PS Over at the Dabbler - read my post on Britain’s (neither divine nor decorative) local shopping centres.

Trophy style

This week at The Dabbler, I travel back to the 1980s for some old school, trophy style. Preppy blazers and sporty attire were first popularized by Fred Perry, Lacoste and Ralph Lauren – and have recently been revived by the likes of Abercrombie and Fitch, Jack Wills and J Crew. Next season we'll be seeing a lot more preppy blazers on the catwalk, in the shops and generally around the streets.






But will the new preppy menswear trend mark a return to the rules of the old establishment, or is 'trophy dressing' just a curious reflection of the current craze for collecting sporting memorabilia?

Originally, trophies were won through academic achievement, or sporting prowess, though these days you can buy most things - including these curiously quirky, ready-mounted hunting trophies from ShopCurious (perfect for an arty arrangement on the wall of your ski chalet).








Funny how curiosities of nature, like animal skulls, have suddenly become desirable as as decorative works of art.

By the way, do you have any sporting trophies - genuine, or purchased.

Do you?

Flowers, fashion and photography

This is not the Chelsea Flower Show, but the new flower inspired exhibition by seven world class photographers at the Diemar/Noble Gallery in London is well worth a visit.

There’s no doubt that flowery decoration is currently in vogue. However, dismiss from your mind the rails of frilled and floaty floral dresses currently filling our chain stores, and distinguished purely by their prosaic Polyester prettiness.

Aside from their innate beauty, flowers are often awarded allegorical significance by curious minded creative types, and are subject to all manner of intriguing artistic interpretations - as in the fascinating works on display in this show:





Photographer Lisa Creagh wanted to combine the handmade elements of detailed and painstakingly constructed handicrafts (like needlework, lace making, quilting and crochet) with the digital possibilities of twenty first century photographic software.




She sought not only to capture the moment, but to also reflect the ‘rich and elaborate patterns of decorative arts… associated with the seasons and cycles of birth and death’ in her ‘Instant Garden’ collection. One of her digitally stylized photographs (above) is based on the design of a floral Persian carpet, with softly lit flower petals, reminiscent of those in Dutch Still Life paintings.

Neeta Madahar photographed her friends alongside plants whose flowers have women’s names, such as Poppy, Orchid and Primrose. Photographs in her Flora collection are styled in the fashion of vintage Hollywood glamour images, with a little bit of a modern twist.













The sitters for the photos suggested the emotions they wished to convey through their portraits. However, a theme central to all is the rejection of conventional fashion models: the photos are a comment on the requirement for women to live up to fantasy ideals of the female form.



This curiously evocative composition (right) by Dora Maar reminds me of Audrey Hepburn, who was often photographed together with flowers. However, the unique oversized 1930s print on show at Diemar/Noble Photography is of Assia, Maar’s favourite model.

Maar herself, admired in the art world for her avant garde and surrealist imagery, is actually most famous for being the sitter, muse and partner of Pablo Picasso and, of course, ‘The Weeping Woman’.











28 Day Flower Diary by Kate Owens is a series of digital bouquets that mirror Victorian floral arrangements, which were used to express unspoken feelings. Owens wished to make visible the physical, sexual and emotional effects of the menstrual cycle. She wanted to contrast the uncontrollable forces of female nature with attempts to repress emotional urges through occupations such as floristry which, in the past, were seen as a way of keeping women occupied and out of trouble.




My, how times have changed! Nevertheless, expressing a love of all things floral is something that’s probably been a constant through the ages.

Anyway, if you’re a flower fancier, you should definitely check out the Italian garden inspired hand painted bangles that are newly available at ShopCurious – and do pop into the gallery to see these fabulous photos, and many more too.

Will you?

The future, written in stone?

Yesterday, I happened to be attending a lunch at The National Liberal Club, where I noticed this magnificent marble bust of 19th century Prime Minister, Gladstone, at the entrance. Innocent looking enough as a decorative work of art…












Busts are a great way of being immortalized for posterity, as well as adding a touch of gravitas to any interior. We’ve got some curiously colourful, contemporary examples, based on classical sculptures by Hacene Sadoune at ShopCurious. (If you’d like a bust made in your image, or that of a loved one, this can also be arranged).









Anyway, when my eyes wandered down to the text inscribed on the plinth below the bust, I was genuinely surprised to read Gladstone’s words from a speech at Chester:

“The principle of Toryism is mistrust of the people, qualified by fear: the principle of Liberalism is trust in the people qualified by prudence.”




How curious that the Liberals now share power with the Tories, holding office for the first time in over half a century. And extraordinary that partial control of the Government is in the hands of this minority party, which actually lost seats in the recent election. Does this indicate how far the parties have progressed to overcome their differences – or should these words act as a warning for the future of this historic coalition?

What do you think?

Do you?

Have a curiously happy and healthy Easter!

Lest you think you’ve stumbled upon one of those strange sites selling all sorts of curious and unmentionable devices that are usually kept hidden away in a bedside drawer, don't be mistaken - this is just an alternative Easter blog post. If you’re the curious type, you may have noticed the current fashion for luxury erotica. Even so, I was rather surprised to find a lady selling designer sex toys at London Fashion Week.




In these times when everything seems to be reduced to the lowest common denominator, little shocks any more. Women’s magazines indulge us in graphic descriptions of basic bodily functions and popular prime time TV programmes include the likes of Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies. Is this mere voyeurism for us hitherto stiff upper lipped Brits, or are we taking the lead from our fellow Europeans, like the Dutch and the Scandinavians, in becoming more open and direct with regard to our physiology?



Compared to many, I’m probably considered postively prudish, but my curiosity was aroused by Shiri Zinn's decorative glass eggs, now available to order at ShopCurious.

It’s recommended that we keep fit in order to live a long and healthy life. However, some parts of our body are more difficult to workout than others – mainly because we can’t localize them easily. This is the case with the lower pelvic floor muscles which, without regular exercise, weaken and lose their resilience. Aging and childbirth also reduce the flexibility and sensitivity of this area.

The eggs come in three handy sizes, of varying weights, and can be used to train those parts that can’t otherwise be reached. It’s suggested that you start with the lightest egg. In fact, the instructions are curiously amusing:


- Always wear knickers while training…This is because the solid eggs are heavy and can fall out onto your toes or break if they hit hard flooring;

- Eggs will always come out naturually if you laugh, sneeze, cough or push gently in a similar manner to making a bowel movement;

- A woman that practices regularly can learn to use two eggs in opposite directions until they hit each other gently. The vibrations can be heavenly.





It’s an added bonus that the ornamental eggs are also tasteful enough to double up as pretty objets d’art for your dressing table or mantelpiece. Anyway, if you’re on the lookout for unusual gifts this Easter, these curiously erotic eggs may just hit the spot.

Are you?

Festive pillow talk

I received this card today, from friends who are sensibly going somewhere sunny for Christmas. The hastily scrawled message inside reads, “sorry we will be away this year, but have one for us xxx”

Having narrowly escaped illness all year, despite being sneezed upon by everyone around me (babies in pushchairs in Post Office queues have been the worst offenders), I was happily in the midst of a frenzied whirl of work, present hunting and festive fun…but now I feel like I’m finally about to come down with a cold. So, I’m dosed up with Vitamin C - as the prospect of looking like a red-nosed reindeer in a party dress doesn’t really appeal.

Thanks for rubbing it in guys – I’ve taken on board the curiously cool dark glasses idea… I'll probably need them more than you!





Anyway, I was briefly on the sofa, propped up with a selection of my favourite cushions, in front of the TV. In fact, I was just thinking about making a honey and lemon drink, when I started to panic about Christmas Day. It’s hardly surprising that the festive season is a time of undue stresses and strains – not just on the waistline, but the temper can get terribly frayed too. According to research by Jarlsberg cheese, statistics show that families will have their first argument at 9.58am on Christmas Day.

Apparently, the order of play on the average Christmas day goes something like this:

Get up: 7.55am
Open presents: 8.19am
Eat breakfast: 9.02am
First chocolate is eaten: 8.39am
Family argument: 9.58am
Tell off the kids at: 11.07am
Time of first alcoholic drink: 11.49am
Sit down to Christmas dinner: 3.24pm
First person falls asleep: 4.59pm
Play board game at: 5.46pm
Time for bed: 11.39pm

The survey concludes that, due to the high level of excitement and expectations, as well as so many things going on, “it's important to remember that Christmas can't always be perfect - not everything may run to plan."

As I dozed in and out of slumber on the sofa (no I wasn’t dribbling, honest), I suddenly thought that a few extra cushions might also be rather useful on Christmas day – and we've got plenty to choose from at ShopCurious.

There are so many advantages of giving and receiving cushions as Christmas gifts:




1) Cushions are great if you’re indisposed with seasonal flu, you need a little lie down after lunch, or find yourself curiously crashed out after a tad too much of the old liqueur;

2) They’re suitable for gents and ladies alike – (though it’s always a good idea to consider the recipient’s style and taste when choosing a design);

3) Parents love cushions too – especially the type that bring back memories of places you've visited together... and a cheesy message always goes down well;

4) They can make a very romantic present too;




5) Cushions are timeless gifts that can be used all year round - and they should last for many years to come, if you treat them with love and respect;


6) Best of all, they can be used for pillow fights on Christmas day.


Do let us know if your cushions come in handy over the holiday break.

Will you?

PS Oops, I forgot to mention that cushions can be fabulously decorative too - and they make a home feel really cosy....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Retro holiday souvenirs

Moving swiftly on from 1950s Great Yarmouth, where many spent their vacations within the happily controlled confines of a holiday camp, or in the dubious splendour of a thoroughly modern caravan, to more cutting edge travel in form of the first ever package holidays.






Cheaper air travel was becoming available for the first time and, although still not yet bargain priced, the British economy was booming - and society was becoming more adventurous and experimental in its taste.







Those with the spare cash wanted to travel further afield and sample the delights that new and exciting parts of the world had to offer. The fashion for air crew style carry-on suitcases and compact little vanity cases started around this time.







The Spanish tourist industry really began in the 1960s with the birth of package holiday deals, offering the irresistible combination of cheap air tickets, accommodation and car hire as an all-in-one offer. Resorts such as Benidorm on the Costa Blanca, Lloret del Mar on the Costa Brava and Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol took off in a big way.





Those lucky enough to venture on the first trips to these hitherto unadulterated shores were keen to bring back trophies of their explorations. Kitsch tourist memorabilia and holiday souvenirs ranged from cheap sombreros and straw donkeys to bottles of sangria, imitation bullfight posters and much treasured works by local artists – many of whom were called Juan or Carlos.



At ShopCurious, we’ve a pair of particularly fine examples of Spanish souvenir poster style paintings of flamenco dancers – totally original, and signed by the one and only Carlos!



Some travelled to even further-flung places and found more unique and unusual curiosities, like this quirky and individual hand painted oyster mushroom vase from Malta. The more design orientated sought out furniture and decorative pieces to bring back home – a curious Castillian lady lamp base perhaps?




At this time, Hawaii was the ultimate in stylish tourist destinations, as it included all the key attractions of the seaside, palm trees, sun, sand and even grass skirts. America’s 50th state, Hawaii, has always had strong links with the UK – after all, the Hawaiian Islands were discovered by Captain Cook. Hawaii’s fame was further added to by Elvis Presley (who adored the islands) and, of course, the cult TV show with the legendary theme tune, Hawaii Five 0. By the way, did you know that President Barack Obama was born in the state capital, Honolulu, in August 1961?





Anyway, I think that’s enough globe-trotting for now, my head’s getting a little dizzy, but I’d love to hear all about your retro holiday souvenirs. I’m sure you must have some really curious vintage tourist memorabilia that you want to share with us ...

Do you?