Bags of junk for Valentine's Day?

Happy Valentine’s Day! Some think it’s a commercial conspiracy to force unwitting consumers to purchase trashy Valentine gifts…but that rather depends on the type of trash we’re talking about. In one of the most curious new trends, discarded litter and old junk are being upcycled to create collectable clothing, arty accessories and works of design art.

These stunning ‘art bags’ by acclaimed designer, Annie Sherburne, at ShopCurious, are an example of what can be created using found objects. Annie sources high quality vintage handbags, which she embellishes individually, using carefully chosen pieces of everyday junk, worked into painterly collages. As well as bits of vintage jewellery, Annie often uses old watch faces and straps, parts from retro dolls and toys, and quirky tourist memorabilia to decorate her bags.

Incidentally, discarded waste and the filth around us form the subject matter of the Wellcome Collection’s forthcoming major exhibiton, which runs from 24th March until 31st August. Dirt: the Filthy Reality of Everyday Life ‘travels across centuries and continents to explore our ambivalent relationship with dirt’ via photography, cultural ephemera, art, scientific artefacts, film and literature.

Apparently, over half the world’s inhabitants now live in urban areas, and are exposed to the overcrowding, inadequate sanitation and industrial nature of modern life. Dirt poses a significant risk to our health, but is also vital to our existence. The exhibition aims to ‘reveal the fascinating world of filth that remains one of the very last taboos.’

Hmmm, perhaps this wasn’t such a romantic topic to bring up on Valentine’s Day. But then I’m not sure how much fun romance would be without the dirty bits…

Are you?

PS Read more on the messy business of romance in my latest post at The Dabbler.

Bags of ancient bushido style...

This weekend we’ve got a distinctly Japanese flavour. I’m not sure if you’ve already seen the unusual handbags by British artisan designer Vivien Hew at ShopCurious? Viv’s latest ‘Bushido’ collection is inspired by the five moral codes of the Samurai Warriors.











“I was intrigued by the contradictions; the image of the ferocious head-carrying warrior in battle with the dignified, artistic, and spiritual, tea-drinking individual. I sought to separate the myth from the reality and to try to acquire some understanding of their conceptions of the world,” she explained to me.




Apparently the Samurai were habitual recyclers of armour; whether this was booty acquired on the battlefield, or heirlooms passed down from generation to generation. They frequently replaced the lacing of their armour to repair, update or personalise their battledress. Vivien also uses recycled materials wherever possible. Much of the leather in her products comes from recycled leather garments.

Personally, I love the funky Samurai tassels, however, probably the most unique thing about Vivien’s highly collectable bags is the woven fabric. Not only are the bags handmade, but the textiles and trims for every single one of them are also individually created by hand. Vivien says, “I drew on the vibrancy, the symmetry and order of the armour for my fabric designs. I used the vertical and horizontal stripes of the armour scales but made them less ordered and less predictable.”





I’ve noticed that all things Japanese are gaining ground over here too, from paper and origami in product design and art, to sculptural folding and pleating effects in fashion. I think we might be even see the rise of more curious fashion sub-cultures here too, like the gothic Lolita trend, featured in my post today at The Dabbler.

Do let me know what you think.

Will you?

Grace Kelly style: timeless with a quirky twist

Last May, we featured retro fashion and accessories from the 1950s and ‘60s. I was so surprised when I visited the Grace Kelly: Style Icon exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum to discover that some of the pieces on offer at ShopCurious are uncannily similar to those worn by the late filmstar and Princess of Monaco.

Take a look for yourself:











One of the exhibits on show is Grace’s classic black dress, designed by Edith Head for Rear Window (see above). Our original 1950s lace version, left, looks almost identical.






She carried her pet poodle Oliver everywhere, so it’s hardly surprising that one of Grace’s signature pieces of jewellery was a poodle brooch, The fine gold one on display in the V and A’s exhibition (left) is every bit as quirky as our charmingly curious vintage costume pooch.










In this photo, Grace wears creamy white framed sunglasses, just like ours.











And our vintage lilac net skirt looks remarkably similar to this dress, designed by Helen Rose for Grace Kelly in the film High Society. The princess loved pastel shades – and now they’re back in fashion once again.

We’ve even got some opera gloves in the style of those worn by Princess Grace - plus a selection of snakeskin handbags, exotic kaftans and printed silk scarves – all items favoured by one of the most stylish and glamorous Hollywood stars ever.

Grace Kelly simply oozed timeless elegance, but her personality and sense of fun were expressed through unique accessories and touches of individual embellishment. I call that style with brains.

Do you?

PS Look out for our Grace Kelly giveaway - coming soon.

Memories of China

What does the phrase ‘Memories of China’ mean to you, apart from possibly reminding you of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of one of Ken Lo’s famous restaurants?

Perhaps your memories stretch back to the days when Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou were offbeat expatriate outposts that sounded extremely exotic and exciting to the average man in the street.

Thanks to the internet and modern air travel, the world is now a much smaller place and many more of us have travelled to far flung parts of the Far East.







The upshot of recent, rapid change means that, as well as high quality natural products like jade and silk, China is now known for its innovative, high technology fabrics and advanced fashion manufacturing industry. Of course, it’s also recognised as being a part of the world that has a certain philosophical depth – think Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.





Hardly suprising then, that we’ve found a Far East based accessories designer who cleverly combines the best of Chinese style – both old and new – in a range of exquisitely made faux skin and hand-carved jade clutch handbags... which are now available outside the Far East, exclusively at ShopCurious.







Designer, Desti Saint, has lived in Asia most of her life, previously in Hong Kong and, since 2008, in Singapore. She’s inspired by the colours, culture and people of the region and says that she loves contemporary Asian design, but is also influenced by the traditional icons and symbols of the past.






Desti’s designs, sold under the Dee label, are especially known for their use of unusual fabrics. The faux python skin bags are made from a unique cotton mix that’s curiously soft to the touch – people simply love to hold them! Desti also works hard to find exactly the ‘right’ colours for her bags, but she explains that “it’s not just how they look, I’m pretty practical and grounded – the bags have to work as part of everyday life. They have to fit women’s lives and be enjoyable.”










Even if you’ve never been to China, these beautifully made and reasonably priced envelope bags are definitely worth remembering.

Will you?

Bags (and pots) of gold

Not quite done with gold yet – one more post left (did I detect a snore?) Apologies if you're totally fed up after all the gold you’ve seen on the catwalks this season, but I'm going to be so bold as to suggest that you seriously consider gold’s long term investment potential and point you in the direction of this very comprehensive article from the Telegraph website, listing 10 ways to invest in gold…





By the way, I’ve come up with a curiously clever 11th way of investing in gold – how about these vintage gold handbags from ShopCurious? They’re unique, timeless pieces that may turn out to be collectors’ items and could actually appreciate in value too - plus they look great and are accessories that will work with a multitude of other colours.




The bags are also very reasonably priced, though if you want to invest a little more we’ve also got a luxury gold satin evening bag with diamante trim and exquisite kid lining (left), handmade by top designer Anya Hindmarch in her pre-'it bag' days – and it’s on sale!

There’s no doubt in my mind that the fashion for all things gold is only just beginning to gain momentum. I was even tempted to go searching for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow the other day, when I saw this magnificent arc of colour (see below) on the South London horizon – probably somewhere in Wimbledon. The rather ugly tower blocks either side add to the dramatic effect, don’t you think?








Anyway, at least this colourful addition to the skyline leads us nicely into our theme for July. If you’re curious to know more, join me in my next blog, where I’ll reveal all.

Will you?