Off Again!

So after a vintage filled and Nick-less :-( weekend I'm packing my bags and I'm off to China again.

So I will probably be quiet on the ol' bloggage front as I will be working away til the wee small hours for the next week or so.

I've got a couple of posts brewing so if I get an early night at some point I will try to get them up!

Vintage at the Southbank

Yesterday me, my Mum and lil sis, Melinda pottered off to Vintage festival at The Southbank. After trying to take advantage of Elle The Club's offer for 2for1 tickets (which apparently doesn't include sat even though the website says it does!!) We just went to all the free bits and enjoyed the sunshine (a little too much- ouch!) and amazing atmosphere. 

The clothing stalls varied from high end antique clothing and pristine 1960's Ossie Clark to the mixed retro fun of Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair which I happen to be a massive fan of! Don't be scared people you just have to get involved in the £5 special baskets!

Lady Jane's Vintage Bandwagon

Lady Jane's was one of my fav stalls. There was a good mix of retro clothing in good condition, silk shirts and great printed dresses sat side by side with amaaazzing examples of 1970's Ossie Clark/ Celia Birtwell collaborations which were by far and away the most reasonably priced in the fair.

Although the clothing was vast and varied I have to say my attention was definitely drawn to the homeware, ranging from 50's formica coffee tables, amazing danish design desks. The bits and bobs or nic-naks if you will were also amazing! I had a lovely chat about the joys of coloured glassware at Drake & Naylor who are the most amazing couple who I will def be purrrchasing from soon!!

I had my eye on the green cups an saucers

Apparently the pigs come in many, many different colours!

For those of you who follow this blog or read my twitter, you will know about my obsession with vintage crockery, as you can see there was plenty there to keep me happy!

BuyVintageAntiques.co.uk I think I will be calling these guys for a couple of settings for our wedding!

Aside from crockery there were so many other bits and bobs which were just fun to root through going 'ooh look at the package..' and 'oooh what is this?!!' So this is just a little selection of my fav.

After all our shopping (oh and being snapped by Elle!) we set off to have a pint or two of pimms outside the Southbank Centre enjoying the sunshine and views across the Thames.

My Amazing Mum and Superstar Sis!

Me!

Southbank in the Sunshine, loving the bunting and beach huts!

And here's what I bought!

Two poly/silk embroidered shirts, a pink brocade knee length pencil skirt, a 70's Aztec carpet bag, a etched mirror for our bathroom and a card for my Nick made from a vintage playing card!

Broken Down Doll Launch @ The Shop

Last night me and my amazing friend Katie trekked off to Kensal Rise for the launch night of Broken Down Doll's five day pop up vintage shop at the gorgeous cocktail bar The Shop.

Aside from the absinthe/ prosecco cocktail served in jam jars, the perfectly edited selection of vintage clothing, from Edwardian lace blouses to 1950's Christian Dior proms, vintage furniture and hand made etchings on vintage music manuscripts. 


Although I managed to restrain myself (despite two or three cocktails) shopping wise, it really was the most perfect evening, cocktails and vintage, really what more could you need on a tuesday night.

Katie, rocking her 40's look

Nearly succumbed to this blouse

Yummm! Cocktails

Eclectic furniture @The Shop

The mixed wood bar @The Shop

Handmade etchings

Selection of vintage clothes and mirrors

Sketching: Breaking out the 6B

I really must start drawing some clothes!

Image courtesy of Lula Magazine
Earring Van Clef & Arples
Top Alice Temperly

Give me more, more Mui Mui Resort!!

Get your frock on! A playful collection of eccentricities and youth. From puffball gingham dresses to layers of pearls and diamante necklaces. Mui Mui's resort collection is full of rock 'n' roll optimism and of accessories and excess!

Images courtesy of Syle.com

Sketching

Flipping through my new magazines I came across the below backstage Erdem photo's. I love the roughly plaited hair and the softness of the model's features. For the first time, in a very long time I felt like I had to sketch something other than technical garment drawings! It felt so good! Bear with me I know its not perfect yet but I'm just getting back into it!! 

Erdem SS11

Prada Resort 2012

So just when I thought I had a pretty good idea of how Spring/ Summer 2012 was going to look, not surprisingly the amazing Muiccia Prada put her own take on Resort!

Images courtesy of style.com

Clean poplin shirts and boysy zip through jackets sit against full printed skirts and prim twin sets to create a new take on 50's rockabilly. I love the use of bright retro florals as cropped cigarette pants or shirred, double collared dresses to lift the 40's inspired crepe pieces. 

Muiccia's vision, as always, is a myriad of prints, fabrics and era's create a unique, contemporary take on a vintage inspired collection.

Broken Down Doll Boutique/ Bar

I can't think of a better/ more dangerous combination, vintage shopping and cocktails! See you there!

Vintage resort photos

As we were at my parents this weekend having our wedding planning initiations I took the opportunity to have a bit of a riffle through my Mums photograph archive and I think I stuck holiday themed gold!!

I knew my tropical print obsession must have come from someone before Stella McCartney!

Hoola-hoola circa 1980

Ooh short, shorts

Rocking breton stripes, Venice 1978

Not only is my Dad's mustache quite amazing here, I love the fact he's wearing the same breton stripe tee as the gondolier. I think this double stripe effect must have had some kind of profound impact on me as a child as I can't get enough of them!!


What can I say, to this day I'm still inspired by my parents, who are still cooler than I will ever be! xx

Another Magazine 10 Year Anniversary

Another Magazine 20th Issue S/S 2011

Photography: Walter Pfeiffer
Styling: Mattias Karlsson
Model: Karlie Kloss @ Next

'The House Riccardo Tisci Built'
Photgraphy: Lina Scheynius
Styling: Cathy Edwards

Photography: Serge Leblon
Styling: Camille Bidault Waddington
Model: Nimue Smit @ Womenswear Management NYC

Lula Magazine: Number 12

I know this is slightly (obvs I mean very) lazy blogging, but I just wanted to share with you some of my favourite bits from the new Lula Magazine. I love their feminine quirky take on fashion.

Lula Magazine

Photography: Clare Shilland
Styling: Lucy Ewing
Model: Imogen Morris Clark @ Next

Photography: Sofia Sanchez & Mauro Mongiello
Styling: Samuel Francois
Model: Ilvie Wittek @ Viva Models Paris

Photography: Clare Shilland
Styling: Lucy Ewing
Model: Imogen Morris Clark @ Next

Lula Loves

Photography: Damon Heath
Styling: Leith Clark
Model: Tati Cotliar  @ Next Models