Which muse to choose?

Love ‘em or loathe ‘em, fashion designers’ muses are often celebrity icons – actresses, singers, models, or well connected celebtocracy types. As Liz London’s pop-art style fashion muse inspired artworks are currently available at ShopCurious, I decided to take a closer look at the role of the celebrity muse.

Free clothing and accessories, plus masses of attention grabbing publicity are some of the perks of the muse’s job, but what must she (or, increasingly ‘he’) offer in return? Here’s my list of the top 10 requirements of a job spec. for musedom:






1) Beauty or aesthetic appeal
2) A ‘coat-hanger’ body to show off the latest designs
3) A large following, to get designs noticed
4) Wealthy friends, who might buy designer creations
5) Relationship issues – always good for extra publicity
6) A willingness to be re-styled every season
7) Some semblance of individuality for inspiration
8) An ability to walk in high heeled shoes
9) A good PR firm
10) A love of fashion, or a talented stylist.





We may well think it’s all air-heads and freebies, but celebrity fashion is hugely commercial, and even muses have to pull their weight (oops, did I mention weight?)

And, of course, there are some muses who fall outside this categorization - who have their own arty, eccentric, and curiously inspirational style, like the late Isabella Blow, Daphne Guinness and Lady Gaga.










Anyway, if you’ve got any additional points to add to the list, do let me know.

Will you?

Birds of a feather flock to LFW

Designers at London Fashion Week no longer seem desperate to shock. Obscurely arty fashion statements are gradually being eclipsed by timelessly wearable clothing and accessories. However, if Lady Gaga is one of your clients, I suppose it's advisable to err on the side of eccentricity - like Charlie le Mindu, who’s responsible for the curious mannequin creation gracing the alternative, On/Off show space.












Meantime, at Somerset House yesterday, I shared a bird-watching hut with the British Fashion Council’s lovely Marits Roberts. We did a bit of twitching together, admiring Orla Kiely’s charming showcase, complete with trees, taxidermy and books on British birds. Marits - who by the way, has the most beautiful voice - kindly informed me that the Turtle Dove has recently been seen in the UK, for the first time in years.










































I spotted quite few avian inspired accessories at the exhibition, along with the influence of other native animals, like the fox - as featured on the Mulberrry sponsored canvas bag - and the squirrel (this is beginning to sound like the name of a pub).

There were also plenty of friendly faces, like Desiree Mejer of Fake London, whose uniquely English designs are available at ShopCurious.

What I didn’t find were freaky fashions, or the media circus I’d expected... But you can read more about those sort of things in today's post on my weekly style column over at The Dabbler.

Will you?

The London buzz...

I’ve been such a busy bee with work this week, though I managed to fit in a few fun things. The other day I went to see a curiously named musical comedy at the Donmar Warehouse. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was originally produced on Broadway. It involves audience participation and is hilariously funny, as well as being rather odd. The characters are decidedly quirky in a way that forces you to consider your own eccentricities.

The costumes in the show are retro American preppy style and reflect the uniqueness of each of the performers. Individuality is something ShopCurious will be looking out for today at London Fashion Week. Is London still buzzing with creativity?

I’m curious to find out if, in this economic environment, London fashions have become more conventional and commercial, and less cutting-edge.

Are you?

Gifts for the gentleman father

Over the next few days, I thought I’d feature a few books and unusual gifts for Fathers’ Day, in case you’re stuck for ideas. I think our men’s book week should start at the highest level of refinement, with Debrett’s The English Gentleman Series - a wonderful vintage boxed set of whimsical etiquette books by the late Douglas Sutherland.

The three slim volumes are written especially for men wishing to clarify the quirky eccentricities of the English gent and confirm their place amongst the English upper classes. The books are full of useful tips and advice for aspiring gentlemen too, for instance:





“A gentleman always has well polished shoes, which are handmade and last a lifetime. They are polished with ox-blood, which is a similar eccentricity to washing his riding breeches in urine.”

Apparently, no gentleman ever has a garment called a ‘sport’s jacket’, nor a blazer with a badge on the pocket (Rod Stewart, be warned), except at events like Henley, where old rowing blazers are worn.



A gentleman also carries the minimum of accessories, “Those who go around with what is know as the Cartier set – gold lighters, gold cigarette cases, watches with crocodile straps and so on are put down as bookmakers or confidence tricksters.”

I’m sure there must also be some comments on the wearing of cravats, beards and knitwear under jackets…


And I wonder what Sutherland would have made of the curious new trend of brooches for men?

The English gentleman’s mistress is the subject of one of the volumes, which should bring a smile to Dad’s face. Sutherland asks if the demise of the English gentleman means that his mistress must also be “swept away in the avalanche” of change.

Another book in the set is devoted to the gentleman’s long-suffering wife and broaches tricky topics like divorce and unmarried ladies – though stands firmly on the side of tradition and the preservation of the classic, old-fashioned English gentleman, of course.

All said and done, this curiously characterful and informative book set from ShopCurious is perfect, if you’re looking for a reasonably priced, fun Fathers’ Day present for someone with the most important prerequisite of any gentleman - a jolly good sense of humour.

Are you?

Castaway couture, or wot?

Entrepreneurs, senior executives and trade bodies representing the luxury goods industry will meet in Barcelona tomorrow for the 12th Annual Prestige Brands Meeting.

Europe has always been considered the main producer and market for premium products, with European brands accounting for around 75% (approx. $229 billion) of the global luxury market, according to figures from the Boston Consulting Group.

However, the Financial Times reports serious concern regarding the erosion of specialist skills such as dressmaking, watchmaking and perfume creation in the European luxury goods sector, combined with a shift in production to emerging markets in Asia and eastern Europe.




Guy Salter, deputy chairman of Walpole, the British Luxury alliance claims that “All young people want to be designers and very few, makers." He says, "We want to try and change that by promoting craftsmanship in the luxury sector" adding, by way of example, "only a handful of small manufacturers in the UK are now making bags and leather accessories, compared to over a hundred factories only fifty years ago."



Some brave souls are already taking their own action to help preserve traditional skills and crafts for posterity, amidst a rapidly changing global marketplace. StyleCurious featured Mark H, a personal victim of UK manufacturing's demise, has made it his mission to turn adversity to advantage in a bid to save British craftsmanship from extinction.

Mark says, “There are still people alive, but only just, who remember England as the Workshop of the World, making everything from corsets to a silver condiment train for the Maharaja of Jaipur.” He adds, “We were busy making things: inventing, tweaking, fumbling, making fools of ourselves – the world’s eccentrics – in garages and small workshops all over this green and pleasant land. To achieve a Royal Warrant to supply members of the British royal family was a licence to export products to every part of the globe.”





In order to help prevent the UK’s industrial heritage from being totally “squandered”, Mark decided to establish his own curiously eccentric new luxury brand called OR WOT! to capitalize on ‘the finest components, skills and crafts that England can muster.”







The story behind OR WOT's ‘Castaway Couture’ collection is highly symbolic. Mark imagined the only survivor from a luxury British cruise ship, marooned on a desert island. Key pieces in the collection are inspired by the survivor's luggage, together with flotsam and jetsam from the shipwreck and the animal and reptile life on the island.












An eclectic range of handcrafted luxuries for him and her, plus a selection of beautifully handmade curious gifts and things for the home by OR WOT! is now available exclusively at ShopCurious.







Each product is made in England, has its own tale to tell and is intended to be a family heirloom that will last for generations to come. What’s more, the skill and craft involved in the making of every single item will be passed on to future generations too.

Curiously crazy, curiously clever, OR WOT?

I'm curious to know what you think.


Do you?

Vintage British style

I’m going to be a bit alternative during London Fashion Week by devoting this blog to vintage British style. Trends may come and go on the seasonal media merry-go-round, but vintage British style will never go out of fashion.

The key to this eccentric manner of dressing is to put together a rather eclectic selection of pieces to create an individual and distinctive look. Some consider such a curious mix to be totally over the top – they’re the sort of people who snigger at the merest hint of non-conformity (how dull). Others will observe such style with amusement, possibly even with subdued admiration – or most flattering of all, may seek to emulate some elements of an unusual ensemble.




Of course, one of the key advantages of mixing up vintage clothing with unique accessories and stylish modern fashion pieces is that it’s impossible to be copied - at least not exactly. However, it is still possible to create a similar look that is your own and will always be original if you select authentic items that are one-offs, are part of a limited edition, or are just a tad different from the mainstream ...





Take the curiously colourful-yet-timeless outfit I’m wearing in the picture above left (shot when sinking into the grass on a very windy day), which consists of an early 1900s opera cape with tassels and a marabou collar (purchased at a flea market), a vintage Voyage petticoat (mid-late ‘90s) underneath a handmade and beaded draped silk dress (from my former boutique around 2000-ish), vintage Dolce & Gabbana wooden wedge platforms (bought in London in the early noughties, with the addition of red rose corsages), a large feather hair accessory and an exotic Timmy Woods handpainted acacia wood handbag (a new addition to my wardrobe - and admittedly from a US designer) – plus a few old strings of beads from my jewellery box.




To put together something similar using items available at ShopCurious, you might choose the truly wonderful and very rare early 1900s embroidered velvet evening cape (pictured above), which has awesome gold thread embroidery and floral silk chenille jacquard lining that’s so beautiful you could even wear it inside out. Add a dress which picks out some of the colours – like this frilled swishy skirt evening dress with a glorious golden rose corsage, (as spotted by Style Bubble).







For a more classic vintage look, you might like these bargain priced Jimmy Choo shoes, which were handmade in the early 1990s by the man himself. There’s also a matching diamante trimmed gold satin bag with delicious kid lining by Anya Hindmarch.





Give it a twist with some slightly quirky jewellery like a handpainted antique mother of pearl pendant, or a collectable cameo choker.

Don’t get me wrong, I love London Fashion Week … but I simply adore vintage British style.

Do you?

Curiouser and Curiouser

No, I ain't forgotten how to speak proper ... but I was referring to the Mad Hatter's tea party. I'm sure we can all identify with a bit of good old-fashioned lunacy, especially if it has to do with hats. A curious fact is that the term 'mad as a hatter' originated beacuse milliners used mercury to bind felt fibres. Over time, as the fumes were inhaled, the mercury made some milliners go insane. Apparently, the art of millinery has existed in Britain since 1700 and comes from the travelling Italian salesmen - Milanners.


At ShopCurious, we're offering a new range of beautifully handmade hats by a rather original designer called Sandra Bamminger. What I like is that she creates organic shapes, using natural materials - and the unique way they're designed makes them almost come to life. These are the sort of hats that look really funky and will work for any occasion, or none at all if you're just quirky and eccentric.


I bumped into some eccentric hat wearers over Christmas and took a few pics (as if I had nothing better to do ...) These hats are also very authentic and some look handmade too - though I have a feeling they're less Mad Hatter and more Mad March Hare. What d'you think? This one (left) reminded me of a curious question mark - and the one on the right is just plain silly.




One thing's for sure, hats are fun for people of all ages and they seem to give an added dimension to the personality - if not just a bit of extra height, which these very tall young ladies (right) didn't need at all. And there always has to be one show-off who wants to stand out from the crowd - this time it was Napoleon ... only joking Martin, you're a wonderful host and a great sport too (as well as being a curiously stylish dresser).




Have you seen any curious hats lately? If so, do send us your pictures, we'd love to see them. Just add a link to your comments at the end of this blog, or send to info@ShopCurious.com.

Will you?