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?

Wardrobe scents make style sense

You might leave clothes in your wardrobe thinking they’re perfectly okay, but it takes a surprisingly short time for pesky little moths to nibble their way through rails of expensive woollen coats and layers of fine quality knits. I’m not sure that anyone really likes the moth-eaten look, though apparently filigree designs are destined to be a major new fashion trend.




I was planning to show you some pictures of the sneaky flying creatures at work, but they look so disgusting - and they make me feel rather sick, so I decided it’s probably not the best idea. In London, we have a particular problem with moths – they’re an unavoidable hazard and you’re well advised to learn how to deal with them effectively - especially if you want to wear that beautiful vintage silk dress next year too. It’s curious that something so innocent looking can be so scarily invasive - and most annoying when, somehow, unobtrusively, it manages to gnaw a tiny hole in the sleeve of a beautiful jacket or jumper, rendering a treasured, luxury item unwearable.




I’ve tried most things to combat marauding moths, but remain convinced that good old fashioned floral scents like lavender are the most effective, and by far the most natural way to ward off the fateful, fluttering pests. Just fill a few gauze bags (the sort sometimes supplied as dust covers for jewellery are perfect) with dried lavender flowers and hang them in your wardrobe.






If you haven’t the or the time or the inclination to grow and make your own lavender bags, I can recommend another really stylish way to fragrance your wardrobes, drawers and anywhere else that the disagreeable flying foes may be lurking:







I suggest you try these beautifully presented Catherine Masson scented parcels, available from ShopCurious – each adorned with a pretty floral embellishment, and supplied with a divinely perfumed, top-up room spray.









They’re great as gifts too. What’s more they seem to charm the moths into abeyance, so you can bring out your favourite cashmere cardie year after year - and indulge in the sensible practice of seasonless style.

Do you?

Colourful characters in fashion

Money can’t buy you style …

Style is about being just a little bit different - and it also has a lot to do with expressing your true personality. Don’t feel you have to conform to what anyone else is wearing (though it's probably best to follow your office dress code, especially in these market conditions).









Celebrities are often fashion victims because their clothes are invariably chosen for them by others – like personal assistants or well intentioned friends. Not everyone has Patricia Field as their stylist and hapless celebrity fashion victims are always turning up on the pages of trashy tabloid magazines with their clothes wearing them rather than the other way round.

Of course, there are also seasoned style queens, like legendary American fashion designer Mary McFadden, left, who I accidentally stumbled upon at private party in London recently. Illustrating the irrelevance of age vs. style, Ms McFadden still cuts the mustard in this floaty and folksy ethnic silk ensemble. In Mary’s case it appears perfectly effortless, but there’s much more to being a colourful character and showing true style than you might think: it helps if you have a natural flair for fashion and there's a real art to mixing colour.





The curiously colourful and very arty Yasmina (who you’ll be seeing more of later) definitely isn’t afraid to stand out from the crowd and express her preference for bold acid colours and accessories – all done in a highly creative way and resulting in a quirky, but seriously cool look.





Less colourful, but still characterful is one of the outfits I feel most comfortable in – it’s an amazing vintage Zandra Rhodes silk chiffon cactus print dress - though perhaps the vintage Dior sunglasses from ShopCurious make me look a tad Dame Edna-ish…The shoes are interesting: they’re actually Miu Miu from the mid 1990s, but d'you think their design might have been inspired by the work of a famous English cobbler?



I salute Beth Ditto, seen here at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Preview in June, for her stylish, brightly coloured clothing, even though she doesn't conform to the media image of bodily perfection. This magical mauve number, accessorized with a simple statement necklace, a crisp bobbed haircut and 1970s glam-rock inspired makeup simply oozes authentic taste and style.











Being confident with your appearance and your individual sense of style is one of the keys to looking and feeling great, whatever your gender, age or size. And having the odd imperfection can be a great advantage – after all, you don’t want to look the same as everyone else.

Do you?

Easter curiosities

With many schools starting their Easter break today, I’m sure there are lots of eggs being bought and eaten. I had scrambled eggs for breakfast yesterday and one of the two eggs I cracked open had a double yoke – I’m sure this must be a lucky omen?

Did you know that the tradition of giving real, coloured and decorated eggs dates back over 2000 years? Eggs of the chocolate variety are a relatively recent phenomenon – in fact Cadburys produced their first chocolate egg less than 150 years ago in 1875.

In Ancient China, Greece and Persia, the egg was a symbol of new life and eggs were exchanged at a festival in celebration of the rites of spring. The goddess of spring, who rose from her winter sleep to fill the earth with new life was known as Eostre by the Anglo-Saxons and that’s where the word Easter originates from.



Eggs are often associated with birth – in France, brides still break an egg over the threshold of their new home to bring them good luck and healthy babies. To Christians, the egg became a symbol of Christ’s resurrection – or re-birth.

From the 14th century onwards, there are accounts of eggs being dyed and even covered with gold leaf for the royal household of Edward I. Later, eggs were handmade by specialist craftsmen using silver, gold, ivory and porcelain. Some were even encrusted with jewels – like the luxury Faberge eggs, the most opulent of which was sold in 1994 for $5.6 million. By the 18th century, papier-mache eggs were available as containers for small gifts and by the 19th century cardboard eggs became the fashion. These were covered with silk, lace, stylish velvet bows and ribbons.


If you’re curious to find some quirky and unusual gifts this Easter, ShopCurious is definitely the place to look for eggs. We’ve a seriously cute and highly individual hatching egg that’s an antique carved ivory curiosity from the Far East. Of course, you don’t have to be a Christian to celebrate the Easter holiday, or even be religious for that matter, but if you are we’ve also got a vintage ormolu-embellished mother of pearl ‘Souvenir de Lourdes’ containing a delicate mother of pearl and silver rosary.



These unique eggs are timeless in their appeal, as well as being collectable – they’d make a great investment and a much healthier option for an Easter gift than the common calorific variety. They’re certainly more original, though I don’t think Easter would be quite the same without a little bit of chocolate…

Do you?