Designer alert
If, like some others here, you are wont to go into the main hall in Liberty to ogle the scarves, then you may have happened upon designer Emma J Shipley’s luxury neck warmers already.
Excitingly, the above and below are images of her RCA degree show, including wallpaper and rug designs. Okay, so neither are in production… yet.
Since graduating, as well as launching her core collection at London fashion week this year, Emma has been working on commissions for Really Good interior companies. They just can’t be mentioned yet.
Until they can, lets just enjoy her Monkey. An animal I’m surprised to find myself drawn to not for the first time.
And, keep your ears out for wallpaper and fabric news later this year…
UPDATE: That clearly is a gorilla and not a monkey – thank you Django Boudicca. My Friends House was clearly a bit befuddled when this was written late last night.
Fashion battle
A bit like on The Voice, I’m going to throw some images of furniture from two different fashion houses at you and let them battle it out for themselves.
Both were launched in Milan last week.
Welcome to the stage, Marni!
And, Maison. Martin. Margiela….!
A bit like putting Kate Bush next to Dido isn’t it? Is it just me, or would you expect a bit more from the Triple M? Maybe that whole wonky white schtick was a bit more tasteful or visionary in the flesh, but I’m turning my chair back around.
Marni on the other hand, which recruited ex-prisoners in Colombia to make 100 chairs for a social-meets-design project, got it pitch perfect. Those colours.
No contest.
From the car boot
Just in from Battersea Car Boot. It sells itself as a better class of Boot, and you don’t have to get there till midday, but it’s still totally mental. Anyway, I took a few minutes out from stopping people crawling into my car and, to my surprise, bought something. This painted pin-up.
What do you think? Cool or a bit naff? Both, hopefully. I like the colours, which in real life are better than this shot. And also it reminds me of another phone picture that once graced my flat.
At college my flatmate had choreographed a piece set in an 80s bedroom, and the props were brought home. It was a year of Jennifer Rush’s The Power of Love played endlessly, and this Syd Brak Athena poster – Long Distance Kiss – propped up next to the phone in the hall. I started out hating both, but warmed to them. Go on, play Jennifer Rush now, here, and have a stare at the poster. It’s good.
Friday film
If you haven’t already done so then I highly recommend going to see David Shrigley at the Hayward. I laughed out loud and not only when I saw this film.
Happy Friday.
Shop watch
How cute is this pop-up shop near me in Herne Hill?
True, by the time you are looking at this picture the pop-up element has gone – more of which in a minute. But, until yesterday, illustrators Sarah Dennis, Holly Clifton-Brown and Jennifer Matignas Pitchers were exhibiting their work here under the title ‘The owl and the pussycat went to sea…’ in celebration of Edward Lear’s 200th anniversary.
I spoke to Jennifer whose work looks like this…
And, I later discovered via her tumblr site, whose desk looks like this…
Jennifer says she plans to develop her own ‘high quality crafted wallpapers and border runs,’ next, which puts her firmly on our radar.
Here’s the work of Sarah Dennis…
And Holly Clifton-Brown…
The shop meanwhile, Le Garage, is interesting in itself. An ever-changing gallery space apparently owned by Canadian Alice Bailey, it’s gone from junk emporium to photography gallery and even hosted a shadow puppet play so far. Worth watching.
Top table setting
Can you believe it – I’m about to post something off of one of those daisies in a jam-jar, page boys transported to the church in vintage wheelbarrows, bride’s dress first owned by a 1920s showgirl type wedding photography sites. It’s just I like the plate, is all. I’d happily eat my salmon volovants off this. Image by ModernHearts photography, found via MissMoss.
