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?

Cushions of courage

With Fathers’ Day on the not too distant horizon, it seems appropriate to look forward to June with this in mind. It’s great that we get the opportunity to thank our fathers for their love, support and encouragement, but this is also a time when we might like to reflect on previous generations and their contribution towards our being able to enjoy the freedom and the lifestyle that we do today - especially as the 65th anniversary of D-Day is also imminent.







At ShopCurious, we’ve got some authentic and very unique silk cushions that are a part of our cultural heritage - and each one tells its own story. These original, hand painted silk cushions are very special as they were purchased as tourist memorabilia by American G.I’s, who sent them home to their parents as souvenirs of places where (or near to where) they were stationed.








Many of the bases were by the sea, such as Fort Hamilton near Coney Island in Brooklyn, Fort Lawton in Seattle and Pearl Harbour in Hawaii (named after the pearl oysters that once grew there).







Whilst sexy poses of bathing beauties adorned members of the forces’ walls, they sent home cushions with messages of sincere love ‘to Mom and Dad’ back home.







Your Dad may prefer a photo of a Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable, Dorothy Lamour or Lana Turner, but these vintage cushions make really unusual gifts for occasions such as Fathers’ Day. What’s more they're timeless pieces of history that are collectable and can be passed on to future generations. Now that’s what I call style with brains.

Do you?

Summer wedding

Did you know that in Victorian times, June was considered the luckiest month for a wedding - hence the tradition of early summer weddings? June has always been the most popular month, as it is named after Juno - the Roman goddess of marriage. She would bring prosperity and happiness to all who wed in her month. Practicality was also a consideration since, if married in June, the bride was likely to give birth to her first child in spring, allowing her enough time to recover before harvest time. June also signified the end of Lent and the arrival of warmer weather, so it was time to remove winter clothing and partake of an annual bath! April, November and December were also favoured months, as they didn't conflict with peak farm working times. October was an auspicious month too, signifying a bountiful harvest. May, however, was considered unlucky. 'Marry in May and rue the day' says an old proverb, but 'marry in September's shine, your living will be rich and fine'. The Victorians were very superstitious about weddings, resulting in many traditions that have since fallen out of favour. Around the turn of the century, it was customary to create a marriage globe in the form of a collection of precious things from the special occasion, usually the bride's wedding crown, flowers and other family momentos inside a large glass dome. The items chosen to put into the dome were highly symbolic, for instance:

• Oak leaves to represent the longevity of union

• Sheaves of wheat to symbolise the gift of life

• Rectangular mirrors to signify the years of engagement

• Diamond shaped mirrors meaning fertility

• A large central mirror symbolic of the reflection of the soul

• Clusters of grapes standing for prosperity

• Roses or daisies representative of love

• Cherries seen as protection from bad fortune

• Ivy indicating attachment to each other

• Chestnut tree leaves signifying links to others

We have a couple of original antique wedding domes available at ShopCurious. These are beautiful pieces of history and would make a totally unique and very romantic wedding gift. Alternatively, you might simply want to invest in one as a curiously collectable heirloom for future generations, or to decorate your abode in opulent Victorian style? Perhaps you're even inspired enough to make your own modern day version. Are you?