Bonjour du petit oiseau

Just a wee note from Paris ... and a sneak peek at what I'll be posting next week:

This just in: new Celia Birtwell range at Topshop

The last time I saw an original Celia Birtwell print, it was behind a glass cabinet at the brilliant Ossie Clark exhibition at the V&A museum in 2003. I missed the first two seasons of Celia Birtwell at Topshop, but I'm excited about being in London for the new collection which has just hit stores. The dreamy floral prints are Birtwell at her best. Prices start at £45 for blouses, but check out one of the gorgeous limited edition print scarves for £18:

Wee Birdy Q&A: Dressmakers in London

I’m looking for a good dressmaker in London. Could you recommend one? I’m after someone that can make me a ‘50s-style Wiggle dress. – Azka

Oh, lucky birdy, a ‘50s-style Wiggle dress is the sassiest choice for a chic-n-sexy look, and the originator of the new so-called “body conscious” trend. And you’re heading in the right direction wanting it made-to-measure, as you really need the garment to fit like a glove. (I learnt the hard way when I went shopping for a Wiggle dress last year on Ebay. Three ill-fitting vintage frocks later – two I could not get beyond my hips – and I discovered that unless we share the same DNA, other people’s Wiggles were not the way to go).

I haven’t used a dressmaker in London, and all my usual sources for recommendations were thick on tailors and thin on dressmakers of the non-wedding variety. But I’ve found three dressmakers who sound like they can whip up a Wiggle for you. At least get a quote from each one and suss out if they’ve got a handle on what you’re after:

Paul Hawley
Dressmaking & Tailoring
www.paulhawleylondon.co.uk
4 Tiber Gardens
London N1 0XE
Tel: 020 7278 1065
Mob: 07958 481064
Email: paul@paulhawleylondon.co.uk

RozDesigns
www.rozdesigns.com
39 Mayfield Avenue
North Finchley
London N12 9JG
Tel: 020-8446-5555
Email: roz.designs@btinternet.com

Brown Atelier
Tel: 078 1622 2841
20 Woodhouse Road
North Finchley N12 0RG

In the meantime, I do recommend that you check out Whirling Turban for their truly fabulous online made-to-measure service. They design their own vintage-inspired frocks and source the most gorgeous vintage fabrics and Chinese brocades for you to choose from. They take all your measurements and are particularly finicky about fit, so allow enough time for them to create the perfect Wiggle for you. One of my BFFs in Australia had a sensational Whirling Turban creation for a Shag launch (the same event that led to my sad Ebay search for a Wiggle). She chose a wild Tiki print and was the sauciest wahini in the place. And they even made her the sweetest matching fan. Here's another cute look from Whirling Turban:


While most of their frocks feature a sarong-style wrap element, you could ask them for a variation on the pattern, such as a fitted pencil skirt instead.


For an off-the-rack Wiggle dress, I also recommend you check out Stop Staring online for 107 vintage and rockabilly-style frocks. You’ll find some fabulous Wiggles in their collection (have a peep at the Starlette dress, Summer Fling, Drama Girl dress, Sydney dress, Manhattan dress, Black Vixen, Leopard Martini dress and the ultra-sexy Black Satin Hollywood dress). Make sure you click on the link to “Our Items Available at Daddy-o’s” and refer to their helpful Sizing Chart for the perfect fit.

London shopping: Mrs Kibble’s Olde Sweet Shoppe

If you’ve ever read a Harry Potter book (you have? smart bird!), you’ll be familiar with Honeydukes, the ever-popular sweet shop in Hogsmeade that sells everything from Acid Pops and Cockroach Clusters to Whizzing Fizzbees.

Now while Mrs Kibble’s Olde Sweet Shoppe in Soho doesn’t sell sweets that make you levitate or (thankfully) burn a hole through your tongue, it does capture the magic of an old-fashioned store packed with curios and unusual sweets.



Dozens of glass jars line the windows and walls, and you can pick and mix from an impressive line-up of sweets such as sherbet lemons (95p/100g), clove rock (£1.55/100g), watermelon sticks (50p), liquorice root (50p) and Pontefract cakes (95p/100g). There is also a range of ultra-versatile coloured sherbet crystals, which you can sprinkle on ice-cream, rim cocktail glasses, or dip with a lollipop.


A cabinet of truffles and ganaches also entices, with delectable fillings like William pear ganache, rose creams and violet creams (£3.75/100g). And the chocolate heels (£4.99) make a nice gift for your favourite sartorially-minded friend.

But the best gift award has to go to the very handsome Nostalgic Sweet Jar, which for £15.99 makes a wonderful treat for those with a sweet tooth and a fondness for retro. It’s packed with the goodies you gobbled throughout your childhood, like Flying Saucers, Parma Violets and Anglo Bubbly. For an extra service fee, you can also have the label personalised with a message to your friend. Sweet.



Mrs Kibble’s Olde Sweet Shoppe
57a Brewer Street
London W1F9UL
Tel: 020 7734 6633
Email: mrskibblesoldesweetshoppe@hotmail.co.uk

Opening hours:
Monday-Wednesday 10am-6pm
Thursday-Friday 10am-7pm
Saturday 11am-7pm
Sunday 12noon-4pm

Tube: Piccadilly Circus

Look out for the new shop opening in St Christopher’s Place in a couple of months.

Edit: The new St Christopher's Place address is:

4 St Christopher's Place
London W1U

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
For more shops in W1, click here.

Street style: Charlotte at the Hayward Gallery

A wee birdy told me that Charlotte, 35, is wearing a blue dress from Topshop, coat from Primark, red shoes from Office, and handbag from a market stall. Her red lipstick is by Nars in Rouge D'enfer.

London shopping: What you need now

After one too many trips on the tube emerging like a soggy chip wrapper (hold the vinegar), it’s time to crack open the emergency summer survival kit.
What you need right now is a handpainted Chinoiserrie fan from Coco Ribbon. It ticks both stylish and practical boxes, and at £6.95 it’s a snip for staying cool and sweet next time you’re wedged under someone's armpit on the central line trip home.

Oh, and did I mention that you can also update your flirting-on-the-tube technique with the secret language of fans?
Sure beats putting a “lovestruck” ad in The London Paper …

Coco Ribbon
www.cocoribbon.com

21 Kensington Park Road
Notting Hill
London W11 2EU
United Kingdom
Tel: 0207 229 4904

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10.30am-6.30pm
Thursday 10.30am - 8pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 12.30pm-5.30pm

Tube: Notting Hill Gate and Ladbroke Grove

For more shops in W11, click here.

London shopping: Magma

Lacking inspiration? Feeling lost and parched in a creative desert? Just need to buy a cool gift for someone who’s got everything? Then head to Magma in Clerkenwell for an instant hit of creative refreshment.


This cool spot is a haven for design-types, stocking a wide selection of the latest books on graphic design, art, pop culture, typography, photography, fashion, film and animation, illustration, and architecture. The staff are friendly and knowledgable and can help steer you in the right direction.


But Magma is more than a book shop, with other fun and design-driven products such as stationery and accessories, badges and pins, and vinyl toys by Kid Robot and Nathan Jurevicius.


There is also a wall of the latest design, art and fashion magazines, including overseas and hard-to-find publications.


The front window displays a range of artist-designed t-shirts, like David Shrigley’s cute-n-tragic penguin with an arrow through his heart (£32) and A. Johnson’s (the guy behind the Robinson juice adverts) elephant spouting rainbow drops (£30).


The tiny cigarette-packet-style of classics by the likes of Tolstoy, Conrad and Hemingway make a great gift, as do the beautifully printed tea-towels and hankies by Sukie. The selection of children’s books are also carefully considered, featuring clever graphics and gorgeous illustrations (my personal favourite is Everybody Poos by Tara Gomi).


Magma has a new (non-book) store that has just opened on Earlham Street, which is dedicated entirely to products. Stay tuned for the review.


Magma
117-119 Clerkenwell Road
London EC1R 5BY
Tel: 020 7242 9503

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm

Nearest tube: Faringdon

For more shops in East London, click here.

Wee Birdy Sore Toothy

Hi birds,
I'm out of action at the moment with a nasty wisdom tooth, but I'll be back soon and chirping loudly about London's shopping gems and style secrets.
Tweet you later,
Top Bird

London shopping: Muji

One of my most satisfying shopping experiences in London is spending a bit of time in Muji. And with eight stores in the Greater London area, you don’t have to go far to stock up on some “essential” stationery items and “must-have” accessories.


OK, so maybe not “essential” or (at a stretch) “must-have”, but it’s deeply satisfying to pick up a functional (and nicely designed) product at a reasonable price.

Muji is a Japanese brand that has grown wildly in the past few years, with 15 stores spread throughout the UK. They stock a range of fashion, homewares and furniture, but I seem to always get stuck in their stationery, gifts and accessories department.

They are masters of minimalism – so there’s no jarring prints or florals here, folks. I’m a fan of Muji's clear acrylic storage range, because they make your bits and bobs look like tasty pieces in a cool gallery (see my postscript in the Tatty Devine post). I like the acrylic three-drawer box (£9.95) and the acrylic cosmetics box (£7.50).


You can also give your desk a Muji makeover with the acrylic hole punch (£2.95), large stapler (£4.95) and tape dispenser (£3.71). There’s also a lovely selection of notebooks and sketchpads, starting at 75p.



I also like Muji's fun gifts like the Re-Used Yarn Bunny (£6.95) and chunky tub of coloured pencils (from £7.95).



The best buy (and my personal favourite) is London in a Bag (only £3 now): a wooden set of all the iconic London buildings from the BT Tower to Big Ben. You can also get Tokyo and New York in a Bag (also reduced to £3 each), which look fab set up on a bookshelf. Check out my brother-in-law’s New York (which is actually in Sydney, Australia):




Muji
www.muji.co.uk
Click here for store locations.
I visited:
41 Carnaby Street
London W1V 1PD
Tel: 020 7287 7323

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Friday 10am-7pm
Thursday 10am-7.30pm
Saturday 9am-7pm
Sunday 12noon-6pm

Tube: Oxford Circus

For more shops in W1, click here.

London shopping: Rebel Rebel

It was (a) sight and (b) smell that lured me to Rebel Rebel some time ago. Wandering along Broadway Market one Saturday morning I discovered a sandwich board out the front of a shop which announced “Titania sleeps”. Intrigued, I turned to face a gorgeous window display of blooms that looked as though it had indeed been transported from a Shakespearean fairy’s moonlit forest garden. Then I inhaled … and discovered the true fragrance of fresh roses.



Rebel Rebel is a flower shop which delights in stimulating the senses of its customers, as well as its long and impressive list of corporate clients (like Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, L’Oreal, the BAFTA’s TV Awards, et al). But what I like most about their work is how they use the delicate and tiny flowers from a variety of herbs (such as mint, dill, fennel, rosemary, oregano and chamomile) to add texture and interest to their bouquets and arrangements. It’s an unusual and distinctive touch which adds to that all-important unstructured and “just picked from the garden” feel.


The roses, are of course, the hero bloom of the store. Rebel Rebel has a knack for selecting big, full-bodied roses with loads of petals and a delicious fragrance. When I visited, the deep blue-purple of some new hydrangeas were also impressive, as were the row of blood-red gladiolis in the window.



The store also stocks a small selection of quality cards, as well as a range of French Manuel Canovas luxury scented candles. The most popular fragrance is Nuit de Serendip, which boasts a staggering list of ingredients including freesia, tuberose, cinnamon, clove, peach, cherry, plum and vanilla. Can I hear the fairies beckoning …?


Rebel Rebel
5 Broadway Market
London E8 FPH
Tel. 020 7254 4487

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday 10am-6pm
Saturday 10am-5pm

Nearest tube: Bethnal Green Station
Nearest train: London Fields BR

For more shops and market stalls on Broadway Market, click here.
For more shops in East London, click here.