a little Blue..

...colour inspiration from these lovely winter evenings

A mini retrospective

 A/W 2012

 S/S 2012

 A/W 2011

S/S 2011

Thanks so much to our lovely friends at Other-shop in London for 

introducing us to the wonderful world of Christian Wijnants. 

We love all of his collections so have selected a few images from the last few seasons to show you how great he is . 

Accessory inspiration..

 We love a good, hand made quality accessory, especially one with a beautiful story behin it...20 years ago Ale Sly left her home town, London in search of Adventure in South America. With her Argentine husband and 2 small children they started a new life on the outskirts of Buenos Aires.
After traveling and exploring the country extensively with in no time Ale Sly became fascinated by all the indigenous cultures rich in tradition and colour. Discovering beautiful textiles and leathers along the way in markets stalls high up in the Andes and Rodeos where proud Gauchos would parade their horses dressed in Rawhide and Silvery finery, it was enough to set the ball rolling and with in no time the ALE SLY range was born. For the last 15 years she has designed and sold her accessories in many countries around the world mainly concentrating in England. It is of huge importance that each product is made by hand using noble materials that Argentina represents i.e. Leather, Alpaca wool and Horn. Beautiful patterned cowhides, leathers and textiles are used with traditional gaucho rawhide braiding to stitch together Bags, belts cushions and old fashioned looms are used for the weaving of rugs and carpets.
The strong Vibrant colours and the carefree spirit of each article is a reflection of the influence that living in South America has had on her over these last 20 years.
Each product is unique, special and tell its own story.

Where to get it.. http://alesly.com/

This is  an Ale Sly exclusive bag for Opening Ceremony...take a look here for more styles and an interview with Ale Sly herself.

Around Town

Out and about on a lovely tour this morning I was lucky  enough to come across the work of Maarten De Ceulaer in one of my favourite design stores here Open House, De Ceulaer  trained as an interior designer before deciding to concentrate more on objects. Open House is one of the few places to be showcasing his balloon bowls, of course I fell in love with the colours their organic shapes as well as the shiny smooth surfaces! Having investigated his work further I discovered his pile of suitcases project, and loved the concept and colours. He vision of design is as follows " to use my work to tell stories, to stir people's emotions, to tickle their imagination or to make them wonder. A project can result from an observation of the society around me, or a reaction on something that simply crosses my path, but can as well be the expression of a very personal thought or feeling that I want to communicate to the world. I want to explore materials, and investigate and play with production techniques and crafts. Some projects are more functional in the traditional way, while others perform a function on a different level, the emotional aspect of objects is of equal importance"...

The Bangle Angle

As Nancy Cunard often features as my screen saver I thought I'd share some bangle love. Here's a selection of fun geometric inspired from Fred Butler, Lucas Jack, Nevis and some Vintage & Topshop too. 

Easter in France

The beautiful faded colours of southern France.. Launguedoc

Antiques & Boutiques for inspiration,  mood boards & colour. 

Art, Craft, Colour

I was in a 'brocante' in Southern France this weekend and found quite a few vintage  books on string art. You know...its those kitsch 70's artworks that feature straight lines turning into curves. eg below in case you fancy a go.

Then today I happened across these beautiful collage embroideries by Jose Romussi. Not exactly string art but reminiscent and very nice indeed. Thanks Jose...nothing like a little nostalgic connection from time to time. 

Hues and Patterns

Loving all these turquoise and peachy hues, and inspired by these patterns for some lovely prints today..

A colourful tale about Tuna

So...it all started when I found these beautiful old colourful rosettes and ribbons on the market..

Then took a closer look and seen that they have messages written all over them which look like little love notes and sweet nothings...

After some investigation I discovered that these rosettes belonged to Spanish university 'Tuna' groups ...wandering musicians who would entertain and then romantically serenade the ladies they were wooing from underneath their windows and balconies. Traditionally the 'Tuna' groups wear a uniform  derived from the Iberian students from the 16th and 17th centuries - one of the important garments for the uniform is a long, loose, sleeveless cloak with an open front worn over the clothing. Adorning the cloak are the seals and shields of the cities and countries that the tuno collect from all over the world and multi coloured ribbons, expressing affection, feelings or love. These ribbons are typically presents from sweethearts, friends or relatives and are worn trailing from the colourful rosettes. 

These rosettes date back to 1973 and here are some of the lovely messages that are written on them translated from Spanish. 

'You have that voice that when you sing them luisillo you steal their hearts'

'you are so lovely and elegant...think of me when you sing'

'you love to speak and can't be quietened... dress yourself for the 'tuna'  and go under the balcony to sing'

'how happy he is...fish in water'

Also...just after finding them and finding out about their story..I found a 7 inch record of the music and a lovely cover with the 'Troubadours' in full costume. 

Its amazing what kind of adventure a few lovely old ribbons from the market can take you on...

...and where you can take them to

this is one idea...

Deco illustration

Wow.....so beautiful. I found these amazing hand painted interior design illustrations at the flea market. This is a small selection of them.... I'm dreaming of shrinking myself down into a small illustrated version of my self and moving in!  if you're lucky I might post some more! 
Antiques and Boutiques...for sourcing of beautiful and amazing things! 
www.antiquesandboutiques.com

Colour Palette