Accessories for the afterlife?

Are you planning to visit the forthcoming exhibition at the British Museum? From 4th November, Journey through the afterlife: ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead will present and explore the ancient Egyptian beliefs about life after death, via an amazing collection of artefacts and papyri.

I recently read that an ancient papyrus in the Brooklyn Museum served as a manual for a doctor treating a snake bite, though he probably omitted the magical incantation that would have been spoken whilst the remedy was being applied. Despite their obvious dangers, snakes were sometimes worshipped as deities in ancient Egypt, and mummified cobras have been found amongst the millions of other animals in great animal catacombs.





If you’d like your own snake charm, we’ve some curiously Egyptian style accessories at ShopCurious, from vintage snake jewellery to Thea Cadabra’s individually hand crafted, colourful leather snake belts and hand embroidered snake ties from Or Wot.









We’ve also recently acquired some uniquely stylish antique pendants featuring pharaohs and scarab beetles. These are original Czech glass pieces from the ‘Egyptian revival’ period of the mid 1920s, which are highly collectable. Also new in is a vintage 1950s retro mirror compact, featuring a pharaoh’s head.







I’m not sure if any of these will help you in the afterlife, but you never know...

Do you?

The fashion for all things freaky

No matter whether it’s Halloween, have you noticed the tendency for artists, musicians and designers to want to shock their audiences?

A couple of months ago, Alice Cooper held a macabre evening of horror at the London Dungeon to choose freakish acts for his Halloween Night of Fear shows at the Roundhouse in Camden. The winners included a very unique ballet routine, where the dancer stuck needle-mounted feathers into her arms. Another winner was a cabaret style performer, who hammered a nail up her nose and put hooks with weights attached though her eyelids.

A further winner went one better – and used a drill to bore through his nose. Then there was a man who lifted barrels of beer using hooks through his arms, who also put his tongue in a mouse trap.

On the art and design scene, we’re continuing to see all manner of morbid fashion accessories and weird taxidermy, like Alex Randall’s Rat Swarm Lamp (as shown above).


The current focus on our mortality is fueling an obsession with death and disease. Medical curiosities, anatomical models, pickled body parts and freakish pathology inspired installations are increasingly being incorporated into the work of emerging artists and designers.

With this in mind, we thought we’d tempt you with our own freak of nature – a dicephalic, two headed teddy bear called Ted and Eddy that’s now available at ShopCurious, courtesy of our most curious friend Viktor Wynd and his Little Shop of Horrors. Just the thing to cuddle up to in bed.

Hope you don't get nightmares?

Do you?

Halloween fashion horrors

What’s your verdict on the curiously unique Halloween outfits in my article over at The Dabbler today… even ShopCurious finds them rather scary.

Do you?

Retro maps and dashing old dogs

You’ve probably noticed that psychogeography’s in fashion, but did I mention the psychogeography inspired designs by Fake London at ShopCurious? This really comfortable and easy to wear apron style dress, for instance, features a fabulous print of an antiquarian map and the English rose (and there's a scarf in the same fabric too).














Also just in are some new super-soft cashmere cardigans for men, featuring Fake’s trademark Union Jack logo. This cardie definitely qualifies as a timeless modern classic and is a great investment, as it’ll keep you warm for years to come. Something to consider for Fashion's Night In next Monday...



Talking of menswear, I recently produced some of my own DIY design men’s waistcoats, with suede at the front and vintage silk on the reverse side. One of these is made using retro tourist silk scarf fabric featuring a map of Italy. The simple waistcoat style, updated using upcycled offcuts of exotic fabric, looks flattering on everyone from cool young dudes to dashing old dogs.







Which reminds me of the typically quirky Fake London video, showing a British-looking dog getting up to all sorts of curious mischief. Come to think of it a book on the psychogeogaphy of dogs is rather a novel idea. A sort of four legged tour of trees and lamp posts… Might be rather amusing, don’t you think?

Do you?

On psychogeography and walking in style

With half term week approaching, many of you are probably wondering how to get the kids out of the house and how to encourage them to be a little more active? Over at The Dabbler this week, I step back in time on a psychogeographic journey to the days when children enjoyed walking. And I've come up with a few novel ideas involving books and celebrities that may help to get children stepping out in style.

The latest trends from ShopCurious also indicate that lifestyle walks are an increasingly popular way of exploring fashion, art and design districts to find out what exciting new things are going on. Read today's Curious Trends article and you'll probably want to step out on your own psychogeographic expedition...

Do you?

Sweet but spooky retro treats

Did you know that Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday next to Christmas? In the United States, Halloween candy sales average around two billion dollars annually.

I stumbled upon this old style American candy store on a recent visit to the States. Full to the brim with old fashioned varieties of sweets – plus retro memorabilia that included images of dead movie stars and celebrities like John Wayne, Elvis Presley and Ronald Reagan.











Never mind the ghoulish apparitions and skulls on display, I got a distinctly weird feeling about this store. The staff were very curious - and there was something decidedly eerie about the place. I started to imagine all sorts of horror film scenes, like candy store displays coming to life in a sort of Mexican Day of the Dead style procession.






















And I was reminded of the Mexican style curiosities (called Die-a-ramas) by Blue at ShopCurious. There’s one curiosity box in particular - featuring a skull and the word ‘Muerte’ (death) - that’s made from a vintage sweet tin, decorated with found objects and macabre ephemera. If you’re looking for unusual gifts for Halloween, this is curiously creepy.











Go on, have a sweetie…

Will you?

Web of curious Halloween horrors

I spotted a huge variety of pumpkins for sale outside a supermarket in southern California the other day. The Cinderella pumpkins looked so perfect – like something out of a children’s cartoon. I wasn’t sure if these were $9.99 for each pumpkin, or per box? Though I can probably find out by checking the prices on the internet.

The web is a great source of information on everything to do with Halloween. Here you can learn how to carve the perfect Jack-O-Lantern, where to go, what to wear - and discover all manner of Halloween related ideas and curiosities.

By the way, I noticed there are some suitably spooky events going on in London, including the Ghost Stories Show at the Duke of York’s Theatre. However, those who are especially curious might like to dance the dance of death at the Last Tuesday Society’s 'A Danse Macabre' Halloween Ball on 29th October. Amongst the decadent delights on offer are a 'torture garden operating theatre' and The Urban Voodoo Machine. You’ll also be able to watch the iconic Empress Stah ‘suspended from her chandelier draped with Miss Havisham cobwebs, syringing out her own blood and drinking it…’ Mmmm.. most tasteful.



The dress code is ‘beautiful and damned’, so if you’re looking for a costume it’s worth considering some of the curiously unique accessories at ShopCurious. In fact, may I suggest this hand crafted corset-like, black leather spider’s web belt by Thea Cadabra?







Anyway, that’s enough advice from the web - I’m sure you’re more than able to spin the guests in your own seductively mysterious web of dark and delicious charm. Just remember, if you're not home before midnight, you might turn into a pumpkin.

Will you?