New dandy style - fashion for gentlemen

London Collections: Men should have its name changed to Gentlemen's Fashion Week, if yesterday’s Savile Row showcase at Spencer House is anything to go by. The event was an elegant display of all things uniquely British and beautifully made – interiors, furniture, art and afternoon tea, as well as men’s tailoring, hats, shoes and accessories.

The presentation, sponsored by The Woolmark Company, was a reminder of the fact that London is still the world capital of masculine style – as it has been for over two centuries – certainly way before Downton Abbey (the television series at least).

A mix of models and ‘London men’ were dressed by Savile Row Tailors, from Ede and Ravenscroft (established in 1689) to Richard Anderson (opened in 2001). The outfits were styled by Jo Levin of GQ Magazine, with accessories from the likes of James Lock and Co, John Lobb Ltd and Holland and Holland.

A delicious tea of sandwiches, mini-cakes and cocktail curiosities was served, washed down with Nyetimber English champagne and King’s Ginger from Berry Bros and Rudd – or a nice strong cuppa.

Spencer House, described as London’s “most magnificent 18th century private Palace,” belongs to the Trustees of the Spencer family and is open to the public on Sundays. You can also hire the venue for private events. I can confirm that it is even more spectacular when lit up by candelabra for a dinner, plus you get a private tour of the house and a box of Spencer House chocolates when you leave. Even the loos are curiously splendid!

Anyway, getting back to fashion… Shopcurious noticed that some of the male guests, like Masahiro Murase (below), wearing Celine, had their own arty and original interpretations of gentlemanly dress.

But British dandy style doesn't have to be traditional...

Are you?

Retro toys and dolls in fashion

Have you noticed how dolls and other toys are appearing everywhere from art galleries to fashion boutiques, and on everything from clothing and accessories to furniture and walls? Here are some photos of the sort of thing I mean. You can see many more in my latest ShopCurious trends post.























Meantime, over at The Dabbler I take a look at some retro toys and games, like Spirograph and Mouse Trap. Which were your favourites - and are games today an improvement on those of yesteryear? And why are adults suddenly turning to toys to express their creativity? You’re very welcome to join in the discussion.

Will you?

Style blitz hits Shoreditch

After it was decimated by bombs during the London Blitz, much of Shoreditch was rebuilt in soulless 1950s and ‘60s style. However, in recent years, the area has re-emerged as the inspirational new design hub of our capital. Artsy, vibrant and full of innovative young designer-makers, the area is enjoying its newfound status as the global centre of all things creative, cultural and cool.

With London Fashion Week almost upon us, and London Design Week (or London Design Festival as it now seems to be known) just ahead of that, this is the perfect location for a celebration of creativity at one of the most exclusive and stylish events of the Autumn/Winter season – The Shoreditch Ball.




On 15th October at Shoreditch Town Hall, local celebrities and the East End fashion cognoscenti will attend a night of culture, dancing and cabaret. A very special art, furniture and fashion auction is being hosted by Adrian Biddell of Sotheby’s, featuring work donated by local artists, fashion and furniture designers – reflective of the original creativity for which Shoreditch is renowned – and raising funds for local causes (Charity, TLC Care and local cultural hero, Chris McMuck). You can even bid for lots in the auction online, in advance. In view of the Pope’s impending visit to London, some of the items seem curiously appropriate.




The JAM Cross is a crucifix light, glowing pink and blue, inspired by the Las Vegas wedding chapel. Made in frosted Perspex and measuring 152cm x 92cm, this global symbol, drenched in meaning and iconography, is an exploration of religious taboos and fashion.







Pakistan based Alixandra Fazzina’s ‘Maternal Mortality’ is one of ten limited edition photographs of a startling image (reminiscent of the Madonna), conveying the perils of childbirth in Afghanistan.







However, if these themes are a little too heavy for you, the auction will be followed by some jazz- with singing by Natalie Williams, dance music from the twelve piece Ray Gelato Giants and DJ sets from none other than the East End’s resident fashion starlet, Pam Hogg.

So put on your sparkly tights, (I suggest the luxury edition Lourdes design from Bebaroque at ShopCurious) and let’s go out and party! I’m in favour of any opportunity to help promote the work of talented young designers and artists… as well as having fun for a good cause.

Are you?

The curious art of investing in modern design

The market for quirky modern furniture and home accessories has rapidly become a focus of attention for art aficionados and professional investors alike. Gareth Williams, the curator of the V&A’s Telling Tales exhibition says, “Suddenly almost every object conceived within a spirit of enquiry and experiment can be passed off as ‘design art’, even if it barely registers any fundamental test of design (functionality, for example, or appropriate use of resources) …within a few years, an entirely new ‘design art’ market has arisen as an adjunct to the mainstream market for contemporary art, fed by the rivers of corporate and personal wealth that course through art.”


I’d agree that, just because something is a little bit unusual and different from the norm, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s of any more value. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and prices in the art market can fluctuate dramatically, according to popular demand and personal taste. When an artist becomes a ‘celebrity’ things can get completely out of hand – as in the case of Damien Hirst, where, in my opinion, the media hype far outweighs the talent involved and the actual worth of the pieces being sold.




I’m curious to know if ‘design art’ is headed in the same direction as the financial markets. How can one possibly know what’s worth buying? How can these sorts of items be accurately valued? When is the right time to invest: now, later, or never at all? Based on my own experience and intution, I’ve devised some sensible suggestions for how to decide on whether or not to invest in a piece of arty designer furniture:





Firstly, there are practical considerations that you should take into account, for instance, can you actually use the item in question and roughly how much might the piece have cost to make in terms of materials and labour? Is the piece unique, or one of a limited edition? What is the quality of the craftsmanship? If you’re buying to sell, then do you have evidence of the highest (and lowest) price that someone else is likely to pay for this sort of work? Be realistic, what if there’s financial Armageddon – is your purchase really practical, strong, built to last …or could it be recycled to create something useful like a barbeque or some firewood?



Do also bear in mind that the purchase of creative design is best made as an investment in your own personal wellbeing (after all, you’re the one who’ll be sharing space with your purchase) – and, of course, it’s also an investment in the talent pool of the design art market (so a form of patronage). Other subjective considerations worth making before you buy are:







What is the value of the ‘design’ to you – do you actually like it and could you live with it in your home for the rest of your life? Does it fit in with the style of your home, the rest of your furniture, or other key pieces in your collection? What does the piece ‘mean’ to you – is there an emotional reason as to why you are drawn to this particular item, does it hold memories, suggest a story or have a special significance?



By the way, at ShopCurious, we’ve some beautifully hand crafted, eco-friendly furniture, made by young designer, Ali Chapkin - inspired by her travels in Mexico. To my eye, the natural materials, the bold, earthy colours and curved lines are aesthetically appealing – plus, these are all practical, usable items. What’s more, they're the sort of pieces that I feel would look good in many types of setting: from modern apartments and modernist homes to ski chalets, holiday villas and cutting edge bars.








As to whether or not these will prove to be a good investment, well that’s up to you to decide …so let the buyer beware.

Will you?

Curiously crafty knitted chairs

The ubiquitous plastic chair comes in all shapes, colours and sizes. Whilst many have attempted to re-design its form, resulting in all manner of cool, ‘designer’ versions, few have been creative enough to look beyond the actual fabric of the chair itself.









Here’s an example (left), where a plastic chair has been recycled to create a rather curious looking piece of furniture … it’s intricate, arty and fairly pleasing to the eye, but I’m not sure how comfortable this chair would actually be to sit on.





The Brazilian Campana brothers have inventively embedded plastic chairs in what appears to be natural wicker to create a sprawling, organic-form sofa – perfect if you have plenty of room, or your own art gallery to put it on display.









Yuvinia Yuhadi, a recent graduate from London, has come up with a rather more practical solution in the form of these curiously quirky hand-knitted chair covers - now available online at ShopCurious. They’ll transform any standard plastic garden chair into a cozy and inviting armchair.





Collectively branded as ‘the not-so-ubiquitous knitted chairs’, each of the covers has been lovingly handmade by an eclectic group of passionate knitters from around the world. The designs currently for sale include a cable-knit version, based on the traditional gentlemen’s club style leather armchair, a lacy-knit nature inspired design and a racy-knit laced up mini-length number.

If you can’t afford to buy one of the ready made versions, there’s even the option to knit a cover yourself, with free patterns provided by the designer.



This would probably be a lifetime’s work for me, although I did manage to knit the odd scarf back in my dim an distant school days ... however, if you’re the crafty type, who’s willing an to take on a challenge and dedicated enough to see it through to completion, then this could be just the thing to while away the winter hours.









And I don’t think there’s anything more innovative-but-sensible that you could do with a plain old plastic chair.

Do you?

Sao Paulo - city of colour

If you love colourful places, you’re bound to be attracted to the bright lights of Brazil. I was totally wowed by the wonderful colours of Sao Paulo, when I stayed at the Hotel Unique earlier this year.









The hotel has been described as “an urban work of art”, “an architectural landmark” and a “reference in global hotel design”. The Unique was designed by Brazilian architect, Ruy Ohtake – and the unusual apartment style rooms were decorated by Joao Armentano.


Key features are the round porthole style windows (left), Brazilian wood floors in the rooms - and an incredible rooftop terrace, where you’ll find the most amazing crimson coloured swimming pool (right). The hotel is also very eco-friendly, with self-sufficient energy and a private supply of pure water.





The restaurant and bar are colourful by day, but at night, they come into their own as a showcase for the city’s beautifully illuminated skyline.




I asked Brazilian jewellery designer Marcelle Lawson-Smith to recommend some fashionable places to visit and soon discovered that colour abounds in other parts of Sao Paulo too. The popular Jardins area houses some stunning shops and restaurants, including Galeria Melissa – famed for its quirky plastic shoes, here displayed in futuristic plastic bubbles set against an African inspired backdrop – complete with life size models and photograhs of big game animals.

Brazilian style green foliage even extends indoors, with many restaurants housing a plethora of plant life. These include the romantic Figueira Rubaiyat, with its ancient, gigantic central fig tree and the modern Arthur Casas designed restaurant, Kaa, where tropical vegetation even grows on the walls.




If you’re big on design art then Sao Paulo’s also the city for floor to ceiling cocktail bars and amazing oversized handmade wooden furniture.





The old part of town is just as colour-infused – like the bustling municipal food market, with its exotic fruits and magnificent, huge stained glass windows.







Emerging areas, like the Italian suburb of Vila Madalena, (a bit like London's Notting Hill before it became world famous), have amazing character and curiously cool graffiti that would put even Banksy to shame.






This is the place to find great home furnishings, retro accessories and colourful clothing - like Farm’s Brazilian beach and casual wear (unfortunately no photos allowed). The outside of this hippy-chic boutique is also swathed in greenery, and there's a rather magical butterfly tree in the courtyard.






Food in Sao Paulo is as vibrantly vivid as the rest of the surroundings. The sushi at the Hotel Unique is highly recommended, as is the seafood at the Figueira restaurant. By the way, did you know that Sao Paulo has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan?





Finally, an enormous, brightly painted statue of St George and the Dragon takes pride of place at the Unique hotel entrance. I discovered that it’s probably not just beacause Saint George is the patron saint of Portugal – he also happens to be the patron saint of the Corinthians of Sao Paulo football team (in fact their ground is called St George’s Park).















So, if you’re into delicious food, stylish fashion, design art, football and fun, ShopCurious highly recommends a visit to this city of many colours.

Will you?