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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Putting the 'It' in Shoreditch.

After an all-night bash in the Hoxton area to celebrate 10 years of Moving Brands and the departure of one of its founding members, we partied with the great and the good of digital creative design on the London scene. Which is why this video particularly tickled me today.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Is THIS the best portfolio you've ever seen? (www.noahstokes.com)



Hell, yes, motherfuton.

Monday, April 20, 2009

With Banksy away living the highlife, idly stenciling elephants and Brangelina's front lounge, it leaves room for the next generation of idealistic guerilla artists. This latest addition to the streets of London's east end makes us want to stop and smell the roses - if only they didn't seem to grow in bunches of 6 on garage forecourts!


When you cut off arterial blood to an organ, the organ dies. when you cut the flow of nature into people's lives their spirit dies. it's as simple as that.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Aubin v Jack

The usual Easter Monday sloth was briefly interrupted when, with heart in mouth, I spotted Aubin and Wills (the big sister of Jack Wills) open for business in Westborne Grove. Not having been in-store before, I dashed across the road - narrowly missing an oncoming Porsche being driven erratically by some Madoff-victim blonde.

I was hoping for a Jack-Wills-goes-to-work range of preppy basics, soft fabrics and sizing aimed specifically at the long-term anorexic. What I found, however, was Jack's sombre, less gregarious, and far less sexy, elder sister.



Jack made us feel that is was ok to wear a scarlet riding jacket on the streets of London, he made us truly believe that y-fronts on girls was hottt. As the more mature, seen-it-all-before, 50-notches-in-the-bed-post, Aubin shouldn't be pushing striped pajama pants and linen shirts. We want suits to match the quiffs of over-grown public school boys now slaving away in the City, and Sloane-tastic work skirts for the Lucinda's and Anabelle's serving their time as a PA until they get themselves married off, and slutty lounge wear for loafing around the flat in Putney we bought with our trust money.

Jack, I think it's time you took Aubin out to Mahiki and spike her drink!

To see how Abercrombie got it right with Ruehl, click here.
The Mighty Boosh lands in, Austin Texas.

Photo by J. Whitfield

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Good-taste Bling. The middle-classes’ secret obsession

Own a Moleskin Notebook? Read the ‘sneak peek’ pages of Design Sponge? Stay in boutique hotels in Brighton or rent a minimalist holiday cottage in Devon with stripped wood floor? Crave a wardrobe full of Jil Sander? Drink out of a Pantone mug?

Then you’re probably a little bit guilty of what The Future Laboratory has recently coined as ‘Blingamalism’. What started as a way of spending mega-bucks without looking like P. Diddy, has now gone into over-drive with the advent of the credit crisis. Suddenly the ‘haves’ are being forced to find a way to show their support for the ‘have-nots’, without (god forbid!) changing their opulent lifestyles.



Judging by the homes of various family friends, and people watching on the streets of Chelsea and Notting Hill, the new ‘socially-aware’ veneer is carefully engineered. Blingamalism nirvana seems to be reached via ‘found’ objects, inherited and renovated furniture, and classic vintage clothes. What no-one admits to is that the tasteful driftwood was found on the beach near their second home in St. Tropez, the furniture is actually 1930’s Heals from their parent’s pile in Sussex, and the vintage clothes were bought the week before in Relik. A couple of terracotta pots and a swish of Muslin and the guise is complete.

Naturally, the world of luxury retail is only too happy to have a new insecurity to nurture in their wealthy clients. Timberland are one of a number of brands offering to off-set the guilt of spending upwards of £120 on a pair of boots by becoming carbon neutral. Waitrose has added free-range chickens to their ‘Essentials’ range, subtly enabling shoppers to justify spending £7/kg. While in Paris, new concept store ‘Merci’ sells donated items for designers and gives the profits to a children’s charity.

And where are the blingamalists if they can no longer be 'seen' at The Ivy? They retreat to play out their luxury lifestyles in the privacy of their own (£1.2million) homes.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Recession beating retailers: hot topic of the week.

Camillastore posted this last week - HERE

Then our favourite, Tabio, had the London Paper championing their credit-crunch defying success.

And now this...



Keep on trucking!

Monday, April 06, 2009

Typical - I go all the way to Milan and back, only to find my perfect 'investment' bag round the corner from where I work.



Beautiful, handmade leather bags from Mimi Berry off Brick Lane.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

The people of Milan. 20.03.09









All photos copyright Camillastore