As a Bristol based journalist and blogger, I must give a well deserved nod to one of the best up and coming blogs on the fashion circuit: Bristol Fashionista – not only is it sharp, witty and on the nail when it comes to fashion know-how, it is THE place to go to get a good dose of style, Bristol fashion.
If you are local to the Bris, or even if you’re not, check ee out.
Oh God! Don’t you just LOVE these oversized clutch bags by Nigerian designer, Dolapo James- who also goes under the name of Urban Knit. They cost £79 and the vibrant mix of Englishness and African textiles just works. I am coveting one of these – badly!
I spotted them on The Shop Project (theshopproject.com) but I warn you – you will get addicted – it is my fab find of the moment.
Occasionally you come across one of those magazine that makes you drool, visually speaking, and for me the wonderful Nude Magzine does just that! The London-based mag covers counter-culture in all it’s craziness, from art and shopping to fashion and news. I think it’s great!
A definite addition to my lust list – just found this beautiful ‘Claret’ brooch and I simply must have it! £45 from Radichi – a great little online shop selling all kinds of whimiscal bits and bobs .
Ok, so I know i’m not a kid, but the rather swish ’mobile home’ for children they sell on their site is so ace - I’m sure it will inspire a generation of ‘grand designers’ for a decrepid Kevin McCloud to pester! Still, I rather fancy one myself, with eight well-proportioned rooms and even an attic to store up all your brick-a-brack, at least in this market you can get a property at a snip – only £15 – how cool!
I just spotted this super-cute egg cup over on The Secret Shopping blog and want one. It’s called Sir Randolf and is part of a collection by Camila Prada. I will be heading over to the Clifton Arcade in Bristol to grab one of these (only £9 from Soma.) It will make a welcome edition to my breakfast table and imagine how cute Sir Randolf will look nestled amongst some toast soldiers!
I have stumbled across a delightful little webshop called Hannah Zakari - what a gem. Set up by jewellery maker and all round magpie, Rachael Lamb, it offers really quirky art prints, handmade bags and the like from independent artists. Vive les independents! Here are some of my selections for your Friday viewing…
How about this rather sweet ‘custard cream’ print? Designed by artist Kate Wilson, I think it’s got a lovely olde worldy feel about it. It costs £20 and is printed onto A5 sized (14.8x21cm) Bockingford artists paper, signed by the artist herself.
OOh! I rather fancy this Beatrice Vintage shopper - great for nipping down tut fruit and veg shop of a weekend and means you won;t need any of those crummy blue plastic bags that cut your hands to shreds and spill spuds all across the road. Again, it’s that quirkiness that lures me in. Again, cheap and cheerful at £12 a pop. It is screen printed on both sides and is made from organic cotton. Designed by Showpony.
Finally,check out this stunning bit of arm candy. Made of leather with beautiful pale green and bright yellow bow sequins and beads and lined in sumptous yellow silk, how could anyone resist? Ok, bit pricier at £65 but I’s say it’s worth it. This little beauty is designed by Dazed Dorothy.
Enjoy and have a great weekend!
One for my Lust List…
This rather fab piece of ceramic wall art can be purchased from In My Room – a cool little shop that can be found in trusty, old North Laine, Brighton. It costs £75 but be warned, there is a waiting list! I am already dropping big fat hints to my other half as my birthday is only in February (10th, if you are interested!)
I think it’s going to be as popular as the “For, like ever” poster from Village…you heard it here first!
I met a lovely girl in Amsterdam called Nadine who runs a shop called ‘Wini’on Haarlemmer Straat (apparently this is now officially the best shopping street in the city – of course I’ve been saying this for years!) I bought some seventies silk scarves which am making into cushions for my new sofa (arriving on Saturday!!!) and she gave me a retro canvas bag for free, bless her! Here she is with a pair of boots that she customises for the shop. If you go to Amsterdam, pop in and say hi from me!
Wini sells the best vintage clothing, and it’s really well priced. I also picked up a cute little cowboy hat brooch and had my eye on a jazzy skirt too, kicking myself for not buying it now! It also stocks an excellent range of vintage fabrics particularly lovely 50s patterned material.
Had to sneak in a picture of some shoes too…
Wini can be found at 29 Haarlemmerstraat, Amsterdam.
…and silver and gold and jewels. Yup my new love is jewellery in all its forms – old, new, borrowed and any…um…colour I fancy.
Image found here
There is no end to the plethora of fabulous jewellery makers out there – of course, what you choose is very much down to personal choice, however, here are some of my faves…
Emma Ferguson has totally nailed her own individual style – like the ‘I Heart Tea’ pendants and her lovely metallic leather feather necklace (another of my new acquisitions).
You may recall a few weeks ago I was rattling on about Untamed Menagerie – a mother and daughter team based in the US who create exquisite designs using acrylic. I recently purchased the divine “Whatever Lola Wants” necklace and have gone back for more… excellent price, excellent customer service and unique jewellery – what more could a fashionable, yet budget conscious gal want?
Another fab find is Bonbi Forest - full of heavenly creations . They stock all sorts from tee-shirts to graf-illustration, but I have taken a particular liking to this ‘Little Shard’ necklace which is a very reasonable £28 and the extra lovely ‘Secret Garden’ piece by Lee May Foster which is a snip at £18. It hits this season’s nature and bird trend in one fowl (haha) swoop!
Ok, are you ready for Buddug? If you haven’t ever come across this site, then take a deep breath because I guarantee not only will you favourite, Digg or Stumble It, but you will find it impossible to resist wanting practically everything on it! You can’t actually buy direct from the site, but there is a comprehensive list of stockists and they are spread across the globe…
I know a hair band isn’t strictly jewellery, (hey, it an accessory) but I adore this birdie version – now even nest hair can look cute! I also love the bird pin (I have a bit of a bird fetish, you might notice) and look at this beautiful flower brooch too. Nature-inspired accoutrements never looked so good!
I actually tracked down this mega second hand clothes store first. Modemarkt Freestyle (Bergmann Strasse 102, Kreuzeberg district) is a great find for the vintage fancier. Stuffed to bursting with garments from every conceivable era – well no suits of armour, but you get the picture. I can’t find a website for it, but actually I think that is part of the fun of discovering new places, not knowing anything about them until you are there in the flesh! You’ll just have to trust me on this one – like vintage? Love ModeMarkt Freestyle!
Anyway, after that, and a few coffees in some of the super cool cafes in the area, I trundelled off to find Kwikshop. 
If you like your design shops, you will LOVE Kwikshop. It is located on Kastanienallee 44, 10119 in the Mitte area of Berlin. Part design boutique, part petrol station-style hatch, you don’t even have to enter to buy your goodies. Prices are more than reasonable, items are totally unique but really, it’s the Kwikshop experience that is worth the visit. 
I bought this cute little stamp that says “Diamond Ring” and you stamp it on your finger – cool!
Incidentally, check out Stil in Berlin - a great blog to give you an idea of just what great style can be found in this fab city. I have lots more to say but haven’t uploaded images yet so pop back soon and I’ll get straight onto it!
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