What to take home Wednesday: CdG/Kaws wallet

Commes des Garcons/Kaws fuschia and white leather purse (215mm x 160mm), £60, from Dover Street Market.
Commes des Garcons/Kaws green and white leather purse (145mm x 105mm), £50, from Dover Street Market.

Continuing with the Dover Street Market love-in this week, make haste and take home a limited edition wallet by Commes des Garcons and New York artist Kaws. Created for DSM's Christmas 2007 "Sparkling Party" theme, you can find t-shirts, bags and more wallets by this cool collaboration at the box-office inside the lobby at Dover Street Market.

Available online and in-store at DSM until 24 January.

Dover Street Market
www.doverstreetmarket
17-18 Dover St,
London W1
Tel. 020 7518 0680

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 11am – 6pm
Thursday 11am – 7pm

Nearest tube: Green Park

All images courtesy of Dover Street Market.

London shopping: Dover Street Market

It’s easy to feel intimidated walking into Dover Street Market, arguably London’s number one cutting-edge shopping destination. When I first arrived in London last year, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but gathered it was something along the lines of Colette in Paris. So far, so (very) good.

But with "market" in the title, I was initially thinking on a linear level, as opposed to an uber-department store with six floors dedicated to fashion, design and art. And with terms like "avant-garde", "groundbreaking" and "edgy" bandied about in the press over the past three years, I was half-excited and half-scared, fearing six floors of pretension and a f***-off attitude to boot.*

Emerging from the lift onto the fourth floor, I was immediately struck by a few things. Firstly, a vintage anatomy plaster model of a foetus in utero, the kind of thing you’d find in a university science lab from the fifties; secondly, my beloved Labour and Wait’s counter of traditional homewares (think balls of twine, sturdy gardening tools and French stripey tops); and finally, a rack of Commes des Garcon’s PLAY line, mixed in with designers such as Commuun, Toga Archives, and Veronique Branquinho. All this and the comforting homely aroma of freshly baked scones pervading from the Rose Bakery in the corner of the room (more on this in another post). It’s kinda crazy and cool and I love it.


But let’s turn down the “crazy” dial for the moment, after all, there is serious fashion to consider. Dover Street Market is the brainchild of Commes des Garcon’s Rei Kawakubo, and it features well over 50 designers, with numerous exclusive collaborations and all 14 CdG lines.


Kawakubo challenges traditional concepts of merchandising by mixing top designers such as Dior, Galliano and Alaïa, with lesser-known labels sourced from all over the world. Menswear merges with womenswear, and unexpected suprises (like the voodoo-vibed World Archives stall and Emma Hawkins’ Victorian collection of taxidermy, animal skeletons and vintage plaster anatomy models) keep shoppers engaged and excited. And by inviting the various designers to curate and regularly update their own space, Kawakubo breathes new life into fashion retail.


Personal highlights include Very Lustre’s ultra-modern diamond jewellery; Boudicca’s velvet-draped birdcage dressing room, complete with mirror and bell; Parisien Didier Ludot’s ultimate LBD range, and Cameron Silver’s “Decades” stall (a little piece of Melrose in Mayfair, where I spied heart-stopping premium vintage pieces by Azzedine Alaïa, Missoni and YSL couture). I was also enamoured by Japanese label Sacai’s simple and relaxed knitwear, as well as Sacai Luck’s ultra-femme lingerie line featuring pretty camisoles and shorts in cashmere and silk.


On each visit to DSM, I've found it increasingly difficult to walk past the range of Pierre Hardy shoes without drooling all over the wares, and it was nice to see Australian designer Michelle Jank’s eclectic one-off neckpieces. And the one-off creations by London’s premier milliner Stephen Jones’ for DSM are always fun and fanciable (I loved the adorable A/W 2007 "Chic!" berets). I could go on and on … each stall is worthy of an individual post, so you can expect additional posts and updates on DSM in the future.


In the meantime, don’t miss Alber Elbaz for Lanvin’s shambolic installation on level three, featuring a collapsed mannequin, a chaise longe, scattered articles of clothing and shoes and a bottle of champagne (perhaps a day-five London Fashion Week survivor, non?). But it’s not there for much longer, as the store closes for its bi-annual "Tachiagari" on 24 January, where all the stock and installations are refreshed over a two-day period.


Another reason to hotfoot it to DSM before the 24 January deadline is the post-Christmas sale, where most stock is currently reduced by 40 per cent storewide. Look out for top designers such as Lanvin (in particular, the black cigarette pants and dresses), Marios Schwab (fab LBDs), Boudicca and Atelier One. Also, keep an eye out for CdG’s vinyl bags in black, white and red on the fourth floor, as well as the highly covetable patent leather shoppers in black, white and red. There’s also 30 per cent off Alaïa, 40 per cent off Cutler and Gross’ vintage glasses for DSM, and 50 per cent off Olivia Morris shoes.

*Mind you, I'm also the neurotic-shopper type who feels compelled to act in an overly demonstrative "hey-I'm-not-a-potential-shoplifter" manner around security guards in premium designer brand stores.

Dover Street Market
www.doverstreetmarket

17-18 Dover St,
London W1
Tel: 020 7518 0680

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 11am-6pm
Thursday 11am-7pm

Nearest tube: Green Park

Click here for more shops in W1.

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
All images courtesy of Dover Street Market.

Top bird loves ... Cutler and Gross Spring/Summer 2008

Sixties-inspired eyewear by the kings of cool specs, Cutler and Gross. Can it get more heaven than this? I adore the seductive styling of our star-crossed lovers.

Here's to you, Mrs Robinson.

Cutler and Gross
www.cutlerandgross.co.uk
16 Knightsbridge Green
London SW1
020 7590 9995

Nearest tube: Knightsbridge

For more shops in SW1, click here.

What to take home Wednesday: Vintage Union Jack cushions

Anglophiles will love these embroidered cushions, made from vintage Union Jack flags by London designer Kate Halfpenny. £85, from Luna and Curious.

Luna and Curious
198 Brick Lane
London E1 6SA
Tel: 020 7033 4411

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Thursday to Sunday 12pm-6pm

Nearest tube: Liverpool Street

For more shops in East London, click here.

Top bird loves … Mister Rob

One of my favourite Etsy sellers (ahem, yes, there are quite a few) is London-based artist Mister Rob. I love his intricate and whimsical paper cuts and screen prints, featuring wee birds and sweet words.



He’s just updated his Etsy shop today with some fabulous screenprints and lovely graphic tiles:

"I Cant Forget" Limited Edition Screenprint, US$400.

"This Bell Will Ring" screenprint, US$500.

"Every Beat Of My Heart" two-colour tile, US$40.

I only just discovered his website the other day (thanks Gemma!) … have a look at his current work, including an impressive line-up of commissioned work by the likes of Vogue, Paul Smith and Liberty. Can you imagine his designs as wedding invitations? *Swoon*

I blog therefore I am

Wheee, I’ve just been tagged with a Thinking Bloggers Award, from none other than the very gorgeous Liberty London Girl. *blush*

Such a lovely wee surprise, considering I’m a major fan of LLG and her most fabulous blog, filled with delightful personal insights, fashion industry musings and stylish wisdom. It’s a must-read, bookmark it straight away.

According to the rules of the Thinking Bloggers Award, I now have the honour of bestowing the award on five other worthy birdies, so here goes …

1. Girl with a Satchel
Her wonderfully entertaining and insightful magazine critiques are worth the click alone, but you’ll also be rewarded with pop cultural commentary and industry news.

2. Meet me at Mikes
Pip’s beautiful and creative personality shines through her blog, which is an extension of her incredible craft/handmade/vintage emporium, Meet Me at Mikes in Melbourne.

3. Happy Cavalier
An absolute bird of a feather, and one of my most recent discoveries. Her design-focussed posts are truly inspirational, and I’m happy to say “snap” to at least one of them.

4. The Lark
The best vintage thrifter ever. And you really can’t beat a vintage beer mat of the day, can you?

5. Soule Mama
An incredible blog devoted to her creative family life. I’m still recovering from the Solstice feast they provided for the birds.

London sales scoops

Holy marked-down Miu Miu, Batman.
Red bag, was £525, now £287, by Miu Miu.
For more excellent London sales coverage, check out this page at the Times Online.

Buying cashmere in London

As I mentioned in a previous post, the streets are awash with the soft, soft touch of cashmere.

If you’ve ever thought about investing in a quality cashmere piece, now is the time to make your move, with the winter sales currently in full swing.

And while all cashmere is luxurious, some cashmere is more luxurious than others (apologies to Orwell). Here’s my pick of the best places to buy the good stuff in London:

N.Peal
Founded in 1963, N.Peal is one of the luxury cashmere brands located in the historic Burlington Arcade, with separate men’s and women’s stores. The knitwear is made and designed in Scotland, using Mongolian and Chinese wool. Cashmere scarves are currently on sale for £79 (down from £99), with certain lines reduced by up to 50 per cent.




www.npeal.com
37 and 71 Burlington Arcade
Mayfair
London W1
Tel: 020 7499 6485

Berk Cashmere
One of London’s more traditional cashmere specialists located in the Burlington Arcade. Think classic cashmere twinsets, sweaters and cardigans. House-brand cashmere scarves start at £99.75.
46-49 Burlington Arcade
Mayfair
London W1
Tel: 020 7493 0028

Brora
This Scottish brand is renowned for its high quality cashmere and classic investment pieces. Cashmere scarves start at £45. If you’ve got your eye on a cashmere sweater or cardie, hold off ‘til 16 January, when the sale starts.



Loving the adorable cashmere baby range:


www.brora.co.uk
344 Kings Road
London
SW3 5UR

186 Upper Street
London
N1 1RQ

81 Marylebone High Street
London
W1U 4QJ

66/68 Ledbury Road
London
W11 2AJ

17 High Street Wimbledon
London
SW19 5DX

Pringle of Scotland
One of Britain’s leading luxury knitwear brands, Pringle started knitting cashmere in 1871. The argyle cashmere sweater is a Pringle classic staple.

Check out the cute kids Autumn/Winter capsule collection for argyle au go go:



(Cashmere aside, here a couple of my favourite looks from their younger and more directional 1815 collection for Spring/Summer 2008:)



Head to Pringle now for 50 per cent off selected items.
www.pringlescotland.com
London stores:
141 Sloane Street
London SW1
Tel: 020 7881 3060

112 New Bond Street
London W1
Tel: 020 7297 4580

High Street picks:

Marks & Spencer
Excellent range of everyday cashmere pieces at reasonable price points, starting at £20 for a cashmere scarf, and £39.50 for short-sleeved sweaters. Sale on now.
www.marksandspencer.com
Find stores here.

Uniqlo
The fun marketing campaign featuring cashmere-clad sock puppets has been hard to miss on London Tube escalators in December, and so is this Japanese brand’s ultra-affordable prices and huge range of fashion colours.


Prices start at £39.95 for cashmere tops. Sale on now.
www.uniqlo.co.uk
Flagship Store
311 Oxford Street,
London,
W1C 2HP
T: 020 7290 7701

170 Oxford Street,
London,
W1D 1NQ
T: 020 7307 9671

Cashmere Clinic
If your cashmere gets moth holes or needs to be repaired, send it to a cashmere specialist. This place is the best in London.

The Cashmere Clinic
www.cashmere-clinic.co.uk
Flat 5, 53 Redcliffe Gardens
London
SW10 9JJ
Tel: 0207 584 9806

New Year resolutions

Here's what's in store for Wee Birdy this year:
* new London shop reviews;
* where to eat in London (shopping pitstops that are stylish/unique/good value/have great food);
* new beauty must-buys;
* more of my favourite online buys; and
* Google maps pinpointing London shops I've reviewed (fingers' crossed I'll figure out how to do this).

And finally, let's hope this list does not go the same way of most New Year resolutions...

Happy New Year, birdies!

New Year, New Calendar

Time to get organised for the New Year, and I'm loving the pin-board style approach to this letterpressed calendar, US$20, from Linda and Harriett's Etsy shop:






But I've also got my eye on this birdy desk calendar, US$12, from Valentina Design's Etsy shop:





As always with Etsy, if the individual item I've linked to has sold out, go to the seller's shop where you'll usually find more listings of the product.