Retro design revival goes analogue

The other day I spotted a rather curious biscuit tin at Sainsbury's. The lid was painted to look like an old fashioned radio.








I guess it’s all part of the latest retro-progressive, analogue-inspired design trend – as reported in ShopCurious’s latest Curious Trends post.








Read more about analogue design in my post at The Dabbler, where I consider the advantages of vintage versus digital television sets...

Will you?

Seasonless and sustainable salvage designs

Artists have been salvaging bits of old scrap metal and recycling waste material to create unusual and sometimes disturbing artworks. At least there’s still something worth salvaging…

I’m trying not to think about the economic prospects for 2012. Those in the know are already prepared – I’ve spotted some curiously retro-progressive designs for the new Dark Ages (see my latest post at The Dabbler for photos).










If you’re also thinking ahead, you may wish to consider some of the upcycled curiosities at ShopCurious for Christmas gifts this year. Check out our unique selection of jewellery and accessories for handcrafted, sustainable pieces and one-off vintage finds.

Will you?

PS Last day for UK Christmas delivery is 22nd December (see website for details).

Curious shopping trends

It’s dark by 4.0 pm, it’s raining, and the high street is a depressingly familiar sight...

But what would you like to see instead of the bright lights of Poundland?

This weekend ShopCurious has an alternative shopping showcase:





At Curious Trends, we’ve a feature on one of London’s most unique curiosity shops – LASSCO at Brunswick House. This architectural salvage emporium is perfect for anyone renovating a home, or simply on the look out for quirky antiques and retro memorabilia (though probably not for a pound).

Over at The Dabbler, we visit curiously colourful and retro-progressive Brixton Market, where you’ll find slow food, ethnic homewares and fabulous vintage fashion.

And we also take a peek at the hi-tech future of retail – just look at this virtual Tesco Homeplus store in South Korea. People in Seoul are shopping from the walls of the subway…

Are you?

Contemporary curiosities

The pop art and punk of postmodernism have morphed into a new (albeit retro-progressive) age of crafting and collecting.

But what started out as a genuine curiosity for naturally beautiful, or unusual, things and their provenance has become something of a preoccupation with packaging rather than content. Have you noticed how so many things appear inside domes these days – or encased in resin?

And what constitutes a curiosity anyway? Just because something’s unusually large, or very tiny does that mean it’s especially unique or valuable?




Postmodernist media-led consumerism segued into the electronic age of the internet – so will the new age of rummaging for ‘found’ objects, and recycling, pave the way for another reinvention of communications networks and social structures?

ShopCurious spotted some curiously crafty postmodernist-influenced creations at the London Design Festival - Tine De Ruysser’s bank note jewellery and wall art amongst them. But, beyond postmodernism, is there room for a whole new exchange mechanism - something like a bartering based economy? Will money itself eventually become something of a curiosity?



Latest trends aside, we seem to be moving into uncharted territory. I have a feeling that our lives are about to become a lot more curious…

Do you?

Are you high-brow, or low-brow?

There’s more retro upcycling in my special Retro-Progressive post today at The Dabbler. Check out ShopCurious’ updated version of an old feature from a 1940s Time Magazine that’s been magnificently illustrated by The Spine.

Entitled ‘Everyone's Tastes from High-brow to Low-brow’, the chart uses iconic images to represent our preferences in areas such as food, fashion, furniture and entertainment.

Take a look at this amusing snapshot of our style and lifestyle choices. And let me know what you think…

Will you?

Festive phone box art

Modern digital telecommunications have made the retro telephone box largely obsolete. However, some have been put to inventive alternative use.

Earlier in the year, it was reported that villagers in England had opened a grocery store inside a phone box.

Today, at The Dabbler, you can find out what Father Christmas was doing on top of this old fashioned telephone box in rural Cornwall.

Meantime, digital artists have come up with even more cleverly creative phone box functionality:

Curious Superhero by Thea Maia - www.maia-arts.com


Introducing The Glamorizer 3000 by april-busy

And, finally, how about this for an innovative, retro-progressive way of brightening up your Christmas: Finn Stone’s fabulous phone box lamp offers the ultimate in arty style for the uber-cool home, or garden... Available to order, at ShopCurious.


Will you?

Superstar v Supersloane style

Nowadays we have style icons, but a few decades ago they were still ‘heroines.’ The Princess of Wales became the ‘Supersloane’ heroine of the 1980s. Her transformation from the bashful Mark II Sloane Ranger ‘Lady Di Look’ to English romantic taffeta-clad Mark I style was amusingly documented in ‘80s style bible, The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook (intriguingly subtitled The First Guide To What Really Matters in Life).

BC, before Charles, Diana wore the Young Sloane wardrobe, central to which were granny’s pearls and “ruffled shirts with ribbons at the neck”. We’ve an original 1980s example at ShopCurious, made by fellow heroine of Wales, Laura Ashley - the designer behind the popular homespun look of the day. In fact, as sales of her Victorian and Edwardian inspired floral dresses and frilly bow tied shirts rocketed, Ashley also underwent something of a metamorphosis from small time dressmaker to international business woman.

What’s so curious about British heroines of the early ‘80s is that, despite increasing power and presence within the workplace (think Margaret Thatcher), they still deferred to time honoured, traditional values and maintained their ladylike propriety. Lady Di stayed well out of the press until 1980 – she was ‘never café society.’ And Laura Ashley never courted attention for her success in the competitive world of high street fashion.

The Princess of Wales, or PoWess (pronounced Powys) and her Laura Ashley style were much emulated by young girls, especially in the UK, but farther afield too. Her sensible Pearly Princess, fresh-faced, effortless look and impeccable manners (instilled by a nanny) commanded the respect of young and old alike.

As we know, Diana retained her individuality, but in an appropriately retro-progressive way: “Like many of her contemporaries – flat sharing SW7 and SW10 girls under 20 – she did the old things… but with a new flair.” Initially at least, she stuck to the rules, and everything seemed hunky dory and everyone seemed reasonably happy…

Now there don’t seem to be so many rules. British society is much more of a free for all. Pink cheeked, naturally buxom country girls have gone all beer-bellied, teeth whitened and tattooed. Their dream goal of marrying Prince Charming replaced with a burning desire to appear on the Shock X-Factor.

But have we started looking back to the past again, with the current revival in all things homespun and vintage? Kate Middleton certainly has some genuine colour in her cheeks and seems suitably un-cool, old fashioned and demure, like a proper lady.

But whilst Kate may be a Supersloane heroine in the making, perhaps it’s iconic celebrity style we still seek to emulate…

Anyway, what really matters to you? Do share your thoughts and comments...

Will you?

London Fashion Week: Let them eat...hats?

The skies looked ominous, but there were brief spells of sunshine, and barbeque smoke from the restaurant tent wafted up towards the London Eye...

And a curious trend I spotted on the first day at London Fashion Week was...

Hats.

Funny, beacuse I heard Hilary Alexander on the news a little while ago saying that “if fun isn’t coming back within the next few weeks, I’ll eat my hat.” I must say, the atmosphere did seem a little more subdued than usual, and hats were certainly out in abundance. I wore a hat myself, but I’m afraid I couldn’t photograph me, so here are a few of the others I saw:

Anthony Hagen from the St Louis Post was wearing a charmingly characterful hat, along with a fabulous ‘back to school’ satchel and curious Amish style shirt. Rosie from the London Style Journal was dressed in her trademark cheap and very chic vintage. 

Jodie Chinn, the face of Young British Designers was wearing a delicious red felt hat.

I’ve never seen Tracy Rose without a hat, so it’s probably just as well she’s a milliner. I’m just curious to know how she does anything with those nails?

This stylist from Thailand was wearing a trendy crocheted bandana (and out of view are his vermillion nail polished fingers). 

Piers Atkinson went for the traditional floral look with cherry blossoms, shown here.

J Smith created something a little more unique and unusual,

as did the talented Zara Gorman over at On/Off,.with her futuristic wood and moulded plastic designs.

But it was Philip Levine who really stole the show as 'head designer' with his Swarovski crystal studded pate (a little reminiscent of this 1920s rhinestone studded headpiece at ShopCurious). You can read more about Philip's retro-progressive headwear over at The Dabbler.

And yes, the traffic was pretty horrendous, thanks to the Pope and so many festivals going on simultaneously in London. Open House London starts today too. Anyway, at least I was able to do a spot of window shopping on the way home. I didn't notice any hats, but there was a lady outside Coutts who looked as though she'd just lost one. See her?

Do you?

Cravat heroes

Fake London is a hero of quirky British fashion. Check out Fake's curiously witty scarf designs at ShopCurious. These can be worn in a variety of ways, one of the most popular for this season being cravat style.

If you're curious to learn more about cravats and heroes, then you'll enjoy today's retro-progressive post over at The Dabbler.

And, talking of heroes, don’t forget to tune in at 2.30 pm today to BBC Radio 4's Saturday Play to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Written by Sony award-winning dramatist, Mike Walker, and produced and directed by the lovely Amber Barnfather, Spitfire! is inspired by real people and events - and features specially recorded sounds of the only Spitfire from the Battle of Britain that’s still flying.

The play traces RJ Mitchell’s design from creation to legend, along with the fortunes of two young pilots who join a frontline Spitfire squadron just as the Battle of Britain begins.

I'll certainly be listening in.

Will you?

Designer books - a curious new fashion trend

We haven’t heard much from Mr McDowell lately – perhaps he’s away on holiday, or working on a new book. Colin McDowell’s thought provoking posts are a far cry from your average fashion blogger’s fantasy affairs, which I suppose is what comes from being one of the most knowlegeable and eloquent fashion journalists in the world.

Here’s a snippet from one of his more recent posts:



“It seemed natural after all that to set off up Fauborg Saint-Honoré and hit the shops. My two male companions were in crazed must-have-it buying mood and egged each other on to buy … anything as long as it had a scary price tag, which meant everything, in fact. Respectively they bought a denim shirt and a pair of trainers (at a cost of over €700) and a pair of trainers and drop-crotch pants (close to €1000), all of which will be totally out of fashion in a very short time. Which is what being a fashion person is all about.”

Colin, I agree. It does seem that for many of us, ‘fashion’ has become a byword for overpriced designer label goods. What’s more, the strong pull factor of branded fashion in popular culture has got everyone trying to cash in on the latest faddish trends...Is brown the new black? Is short the new long? Are books the new trainers?

Come to think of it, astonishingly expensive designer books, a sudden demand for built-in libraries, ‘bibliotherapy’, book inspired artworks and home furnishings are just a few of the curious trends spotted by ShopCurious lately. I know we can't wear books, but expect to see book print fabrics, book inspired accessories and all manner of bibliomaniacal creations on the catwalk.



Oh, and over at The Dabbler, you can find out what us retro-progressive types make of stylized new additions to the book world.

Anyway, I guess it's all good news as it means we’ll be reading more... so I hope you’re feeling suitably bookish?

Are you?

Fashionably retro-progressive menswear

If you're ShopCurious, catch a piece of priceless British style over at The Dabbler, where today we visit a curiously unique bespoke London tailors' shop.

Will you?

Dribbling along in retro-progressive style

Calling all Wags and fans of retro style with a curious new twist. In my new weekly blog over at The Dabbler, today's lead comes from cult early 1980s film, Gregory's Girl. If you're ShopCurious, you'll love the curiously quirky footballing fashions.

Are you?

Dabbling in style

Something for the trend hunter? Introducing RetroProgressive, my new weekly style column at The Dabbler – a curiously cultural new blog.

If you’re a fan of the arts and ShopCurious, you’ll love this new multi-contributor site. Take a look around the Beta version and let me know what you think.

Will you?