MODernism

OOs Britpop jersey dress

80s Ska skirt and dress

70s Paisley shirt dress


60s Mod shirt mini dress




Fashion and music have always enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship. Every major musical movement has had a 'look': Grunge and flannel; Riot Grrl and baby doll dresses; Hippies and flares. True, every genre has its own style but only one fashion label has dressed five musical movements over 50 years. Introducing the Ben Sherman collection: 'Decades of Dresses'.

From humble beginnings in the 60s when Beatlemania was sweeping the world and a new youth movement called Mod was erupting in London, Ben Sherman have always produced clothes to blend with the latest scene. To celebrate, Ben Sherman have collaborated with fashion label PPQ, a label also in tune with the music vibe, to create a range of five uber-cool dresses that encapsulate the mood and feel of five decades of musical history: Mod, Rock, Ska, Britpop and Indie.

Visit Ben Sherman to snap up one of these dresses and transport yourself back to your favourite decade. But be quick! These highly coveted dresses won't be around for long!

Each dress is 175.00 from Ben Sherman

Cool Stuff

Rule Britannia! This is some of the coolest wallpaper I have seen in awhile. Find it at Wonder Walls.

Doth take tea

Antique teacups at Camden Passage Market, Angel.

Fleur Tea Pot and Stop For Tea Gift Set- Whittard of Chelsea.

Like most girls I have a thing for teasets. The search for the perfect tea pot and matching cups and saucers is ongoing and it's only sheer will power that keeps me from purchasing one tea pot a week! But I still love looking and London is the perfect place to look for teasets. Teatime is a national pastime here and given that it's cold for much of the year alot of tea drinking is recommended so owning a special teaset is therefore quite necessary. Street markets are a great place to find authentic antique cups and saucers but for a killer matching set check out some of London's many tea shops like High Tea of Highgate which is the cosiest tea shop I've found in London so far.

Christmas in London

Each year the London high street stores attempt to out do in each other in the who-has-the-best-Christmas-display war. This year the competition was tough. Honourable mentions go to House of Fraser of Oxford Street which was lit from top to bottom and Carnaby Street for the enormous snowmen and snowflakes. However, I couldn't find a better Christmas display than the Santa display at Selfridges. Each of their front windows featured Santa in a different scenario and the detail was immaculate. I couldn't find a sillier or more interesting and inventive display anywhere so I hereby declare Selfridges the winners of high street Christmas wars 2008! I can't wait to see what they do next year!

My Favourite Christmas Tree

I found this Christmas Tree by Dutch designer Jane Schouter of All the Luck in the World and think it's the most original Christmas Tree I've ever seen!

Kitschy Cool

Tatty Devine jewellery is some of the quirkiest jewellery to come out of London. Started in the 90s by two art school friends, Tatty Devine has since grown into one of the coolest jewellery labels in the UK thanks to their unique idea of elevating plastic jewellery to art status. Needless to say, Tatty Devine jewellery isn't your typical jewellery. One of my personal favourites is their very popular 'Horse and Carriage' necklace: a massive plastic necklace made of a carriage being pullled by two galloping horses. Their previous collections are similarly quirky. Take their Movie Mayhem collection for example. Everything you associate with the cinema became plastic fantastic jewellery: popcorn bracelets; movie reel brooches and 3-D glasses as a necklace. Unique but also very kitsch. Check out their latest collection online at http://www.tattydevine.com/.

Dead Smart

Rest a Little in the Lap of Life (2005)

Still Life After Death (2006)

Polly Morgan is a taxidermist turned artist. She is known as 'Britains Hottest Bird Stuffer' and can count Kate Moss, Banksy and Stella McCartney as fans. So who exactly is she?

It was Morgans love of animals which intitally attracted her to taxidermy. Frustrated with the taxidermy artworks available on e-bay she took matters into her own hands and learnt how to 'mount' (ie stuff) an animal- a gruesome task to most but to Morgan it's as arbitrary as washing the dishes.

Eventually, she began taking photos of her subjects. Unlike typical taxidermy photographs, Morgan removes her subject from it's natural habitat so as to impress a new perspective on the viewer. Curiously, Morgan makes no attempt to bring her animals to life. They lay dead, completely still or propped up against something. A little macarbre yes but the result is a collection of strikingly beautiful photographs.

See her work at online.

Rob Ryan

You may not be familiar with the name Rob Ryan but you may be familiar with his artwork. Ryan's distinctive papercutting and screen printing images have graced the covers of books, CDs, magazines and now his own fairy tale book, This Is For You. Based in London, Ryan is fast becoming one of the hottest artists in the UK and is at forefront of the pop art scene in London.

Ryan's charming papercuts are delicate works of art cut from the smallest scapels on the finest paper. Images of flowers and fountains, birds and leaves, lovers and hearts and couples kissing are prominent motifs as is a theme of solitude and childish innocence. Text features heavily in the majority of his works and adds an emotional aspect to this images. For example, a recent papercut features the words 'Every Beat of My Heart' cut into the chain of a heart-shaped necklace with singing blackbirds encased. His wifes' intials are at the top of the necklace.

This Is For You, Ryan's first book, is the tale of a lonesome man who has lost his place in the world, and who sets out on a magical papercut journey, through jewel-coloured landscapes, to rediscover his sense of belonging. It is a folkstory for adults and children alike and it is utterly endearing.

Ryan's work is available to purchase in his shop, Ryanstown, on Columbia Road, London or from his website: http://www.misterrob.co.uk/.

Take Me With You- The ultimate London Souvenir

I am always on the lookout for the ultimate London souvenir; a gift that so perfectly captures the essence of London. Here are a few of my favourites:




Got Haute Couture?

British fashion designer Giles Deacon recently collaborated with luxury stationer Smythson to produce a range of stunning correspondence cards. Each card is stamped with an original ink sketch by Deacon on Smythson White Matt cards and comes with a tissue-lined envelope. This strictly limited edition range is the only form of haute couture available to those us whose last name isn't Hilton so check it out.

The Way Home- Marc Fernand Severin, 1938.



The Picture Complete...-Denys Nicholls, 1971.

When You're Late In London...-Bruce Angrave, 1943.

When Wet Travel Underground It's Drier- Cecil Dillon McGurk 1922.

London Underground Posters.

A London Underground poster is a totally unique souvenir. Every visitor to London has no doubt experienced the pleasure and pain of the tube- the heat, the crowds, the animals, the tramps, and the awesome break neck speed of the tube. Only in New York City is there an underground network as fast and as efficient as London's underground network. Everyone rides the tube and everyone experiences life underground- it's an essential and unforgettable part of life in London, so why not take a peice of it home with you? I have recently discovered the London Transport Museum's website and have spent ages going through their poster database and have picked out a few favourites already. Find your own favourites here: www.ltmuseum.co.uk.

Rob Ryan- This Is For You



This Is For You is the first book from London artist Rob Ryan. Ryan's delicate papercuts adorn each page and form an enchanting tale for adults and children.

Union Jack Smeg fridge!
Ok, so this one is permanently on my 'I Wish List' but isn't it just amazing?