Accessories in abundance at LFW

When is a lampshade not a lampshade? When it’s a fringed dress, hung from the stone staircase at Somerset House. I spotted lots of unique accessories at London Fashion Week.

Like this hand-sculpted metalwork and leather cape by jewellery design-duo Yunus and Eliza,

cutesy Perspex hair bands and epaulettes from Little Shipa,

arty headwear by Stephen Jones,

illuminated shoes by Liam Fahy,

and quirky handmade bags by Benedetta Bruzziches.

This time there seem to be more accessories than clothes at the exhibition – perhaps related to the growth of online shopping?

Unusually for London, there seem to be plenty of empty parking spaces too…  By the way, I am wearing a vintage men's Playboy shirt, hand painted and embellished platform shoes, with a handbag and sunglasses from ShopCurious..

Will you? 

Fashion's hairy moment

In today’s Curious Trends posts, ShopCurious considers why hair-inspired trends are so happening.

Check out our post on uniquely hairy designer accessories…

Discover why vintage hairdressing dummies have become curiously collectable…

Find out why headdresses are the new fascinators…

And see quirky, cutting-edge examples of exotic headgear in our latest post at The Dabbler.

Will you?

Fashion your diary...

I mentioned (in August 2010) that books are the new fashion – it’s all part of the move towards ‘slow style’. This probably explains why Selfridges has erected a library in its Ultralounge, with 15,000 books to choose from as well as library classes – including 'stories about fashion' coming up this Wednesday 22nd.





And in the Wonder Room there’s a curious contraption that’s a cross between a Mousetrap game and a lottery ball spinner. 30,000 balls inside are giant-sized versions of the ones you get in bubblegum machines and contain fortune cookie style cards, each of which has a message linked to a unique word.



I have to say I was a little miffed when my friend’s card said ‘2012 is going to be LUXURIOUS for you,’ whereas mine read, ‘Welcome to the NEBULOUS new you.’ That must account for my failing eyesight and inability to focus my camera correctly…















Anyway, I suppose getting young people to sit down and read a book, rather than indulging in yet more reckless consumption, is a good thing? However, I don’t think teenage blogger, Stella of Stella's Wardrobe, would agree. When I bumped into her at London Fashion Week, she was just back from Top Shop, where she’d been through retail hell to snap up one of the more expensive limited edition Mary Katrantzou dresses. Yet she still looked like an angel - in fact, she was even wearing a halo.

Judging by her uniquely colourful style, I think Stella may like some of the books we’ve got at ShopCurious. Well, they’re notebooks-cum-diaries actually… with quirky, retro illustrations interspersed with daily, weekly and monthly pages and places where you can compile your own lists, charts and jot down everything that’s useful to you.

































Actually, they’re perfect if you’re thinking of writing your own book. Your curiously stylish memoirs, perhaps?

Are you?

The Art of Concealment

As the luxury-priced streets of London are gradually appropriated by the likes of Tesco Metro, it’s refreshing to find a gem of quirky individuality on a thoroughfare just off Piccadilly. The Jermyn Street Theatre once housed changing rooms for the staff of the Getti Restaurant (formerly the Spaghetti House).








In 1991, Howard Jameson had a vision to transform the space into an intimate studio theatre in the heart of the West End. The theatre opened in late 1994, thanks to a major donation from building firm, Laing – and further renovations were made in 1997, with the help of a National Lottery Grant from the Arts Council.

Prior to the first night of the theatre’s latest production - The Art of Concealment, a play about the life of Terence Rattigan - I met up with movers and shakers behind the show for a celebratory drink at Getti (see above).















Producer, Alexander Marshall, showed me his Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club tie.

















And, as curiously cumbersome juggernauts manoeuvred awkwardly in the narrow street outside, writer Giles Cole told me about his new play.

Cole’s tribute to the legendary playwright is based on material gleaned during his editing work for Rattigan’s official biographer, Geoffrey Wansell. The plot cleverly weaves together episodes from Rattigan’s early (1920s and ‘30s) and later (1950s to ‘70s) life, to tell a story encompassing homosexuality, deception, torturous familial relationships, ageing, love and loss.

The casting is strong, with Judy Buxton and Graham Pountney impressively taking on double roles. Alistair Findlay makes a very convincing Older Terry, as does Charlie Holloway, as his lover - and Christopher Morgan as Cuthbert. But it’s Dominic Tighe, as the younger Terry, who steals the show, with a commanding swagger of narcissistic bravado that hides inner torment. Tighe’s sonorous voice is worth the visit alone, and his mastery of the play’s most poignant moments makes for a laudable performance.




An after-party, held at the Garrick Club, was a suitably splendid affair.








Inspired by the art of concealment, I whipped out my carefully hidden camera to take a few snaps of the grandiose surroundings and mind-blowing art collection for readers of the ShopCurious blog. I hope that’s not going to cause any embarrassment…

Do you?

Slow-tech lifestyle shift?

I was reading Elle Decoration’s recent trend report, which seemed rather like a manifesto for shopping curiously – favouring nature-inspired pieces, along with "humble materials, upcycled treasures and… quilted fabrics."

If you’ve visited central London recently you may not have noticed any move towards frugality, but after the recent riots, we’ve begun to think in a totally different way.




ShopCurious has been pivotal in the shift towards vintage and recycling. We’ve been helping lead consumers towards a less wasteful, more meaningful future - from hi-tech to artisanal; from unnecessary extravagance to provenance…













Trends indicate that a lot more of us are starting to look back to a previous (more reliable) time, when the physical and tangible prevailed… But can we not combine the advantages of modern technology with our old-found knowledge of what works, and what doesn’t, to create innovative, contemporary solutions?




On that note, you may like this curiously quirky, collectable out of print book - Corey Ford’s Guide to Thimking (sic). With over 40 vintage cartoons and groovy graphics on the cover, this ‘humorous handbook for the machine age’ is the height of retroprogressive cool.

Are you?

PS My prescient predictions from September 2010 are also worth re-reading.

Charmingly deceptive...

ShopCurious had a sneak preview of Pierre Salvadori’s new film, Beautiful Lies. Described as ‘a quirky and hilarious love-triangle’, the curiously charming film stars BAFTA nominated actress Audrey Tatou, who incidentally is the face of Chanel No. 5 and August 2011 cover star of Marie Claire – you may also remember her from Amelie and Coco Before Chanel.

Audrey plays Emilie, the co-owner of a hairdressing salon in the sunny south of France, who receives a curious love letter from an anonymous admirer. Instead of binning the letter, she decides to send it to her mother, who’s still clinging on to the memory of her ex-husband, four years after the break-up of her marriage.

As the plot of the romantic comedy becomes ever more tangled, we suddenly find that we’re considering our own relationships with others – and with ourselves.




What I particularly like about this film is the clash of cultures. Computer keyboard tapping Emilie appears to have developed a fear of classical music, literature and formal education. How refreshing that a beautifully written, old fashioned love letter sparks the flames of passion – and maintains the twists and turns of the amusing storyline.



With so many misconceived exchanges between the characters, as well as the ever-changing trends in hair designs, it’s rather disconcerting that the only constant seems to be the enormous quantity of alcohol consumed by all involved – presumably to numb their real feelings.

Yet the most significant symbol throughout the film is probably the hairdressers’ mirror. We live in a world where appearances mean everything. We go to all manner of lengths to defy the natural aging process, often masking the very quintessence of our being. If Emilie’s salon is a reflection of society, her relationships are a reflection of herself. Ultimately, this is a film about self-love and self-loathing. It’s about trusting yourself to go with your instinct, to slow down and consider the things that really matter… like truth.

Beautiful Lies is in cinemas from 12th August. I hope you find some time to see it.

Will you?

Hotbed of vintage colour

As the temperature in London rose dramatically over the weekend, Wayne Heminway’s Vintage 2011 at the Southbank Centre provided added rays of sunshine. I don’t think I’ve seen so many smiling faces at the Royal Festival Hall since Robert Mayer’s concerts for children many years ago.

On Saturday, there was a lovely juxtaposition of quirky retro style mixed with ‘60s Pop Art, ‘70s psychedelica and ‘80s disco. The result was a cacophony of colour - and trends indicate that this sort of effect is likely to be a big influence for the coming season.



























From juke boxes to glitter balls, the vintage vibe was curiously colourful across the board. Even the 1940s styled Clore Ballroom (above left) looked ultra-fashionable. In some ways it was a natural extension of the exciting new wave of design unleashed at the time of the original Festival of Britain. But it was also a contemporary continuation of the unique mix of cultures and talents for which our British Isles are so famous.

I was intrigued by the way men and women dressed for the occasion. The 1950s male ideal of 'health and strength' (see below) didn’t appear to be in evidence, but there were certainly some uber-cool disco dudes on the scene...
























Along with plenty of authentic retro fashion...




















And I loved the old fashioned interiors, some of which were created using items from the Hemingways’ private collection.




















Mr Hemingway was on fine form as he introduced the Soul Revue (more on this in a forthcoming post). Though perhaps he could have done with a little retro styling?




















Skylon's bar created vintage inspired cocktails to celebrate the festival... I'll leave you with the wonderful view from Skylon at sunset.
















By the way, gentlemen wishing to get the ‘hot vintage’ look might like the fabulously funky retro silk tie by Pierre Cardin at ShopCurious (shown above).

Do you?

PS See more vintage men’s fashion in my latest RetroProgressive post on swimwear at The Dabbler.

Accessories for a vintage weekend

Starting today, the Vintage festival at London’s Southbank Centre is the place to be this weekend. There’s an incredible range of activities on offer, from retro shopping and dining to fashion shows, dancing and boat trips on the river. One thing’s for sure, the occasion will make for curiously fascinating people watching.

I’ve noticed that the vintage vibe is filtering down through the generations. Fashion students have led a trend that now sees young people all over the country sporting vintage clothing and accessories – even hair styles, like the quiff and the hair roll, have become rather popular.



A key accessory for any vintage look is a pair of retro sunglasses. If you’re not able to get to the Southbank over the next few days, we’ve a selection of quirky and characterful vintage shades at ShopCurious. Hopefully, you'll actually need to wear them at some stage during the summer.




















Anyway, if you’re going along to join in the fun this weekend, we’ll see you there...

Are you?