One of my favourite things to do on a Sunday, even when I'm in another country, is visit the local flea markets. This one in Ginza, Tokyo, was great for a good look around and a rummage through traditional toys, vintage kimonos and old Japanese postcards. And of course I picked up a few goodies to take home with me!
I am really liking the work of Matt Pugh at the moment. I have come across it a number of times but finally managed to fit the design with the designer! Yay! In my next project I really fancy working with wood with paint detailing, so these pieces are really inspiring! The natural and paint lacquered finishes really compliment each other and add a contemporary twist to the traditional materials. Oh dear! Christmas List has begun already!
Wow! A week ago today I arrived in Tokyo and what a week it has been! As part of my Masters I am taking part in a two month exchange with students from Bunka University, a specialist fashion university in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo. I spent the first few days, overcoming my jet-lag and trying to take in all the new sights and sounds of the Japanese culture. This week I had met many of the polite and extremely helpful faculty in the university, learnt how to tie a traditional kimono, sampled sushi, visited many temples, witnessed a traditional wedding and had my first Japanese lesson! Plus much much more, which I will report on in the coming weeks. I have already taken an overwhelming amount of photographs which I will continue to post over the next two months. This is merely bye-bye and not sayonara!
Because at the moment I have very little chance of getting my hands on an original Finn Juhl or Hans J. Wegner, I have been on the search for the perfect poster, so my love of Danish designed chairs can feature somewhere in my home. Here are a couple of my favourites by Blue Art Studio.
I found a replica of my favourite chair in my favourite shop; Cos on Regent Street! And now I have had the chance to test it out...I want one more than ever!
As a big fan of High Society I can't help but love the simple and sophisticated style of Grace Kelly. And this exhibition, at the V&A, displayed garments that captured the essence of the actress. I love the beautifully subdued colours in these photos from the 50s.
For my birthday I received a great present of tickets to see Shoes at Sadler's Wells Theatre. So my Mum and sister came to visit and we enjoyed a couple of days exploring London, but the highlight was most definitely the show itself! We weren't quite sure what to expect and what we found was a an awesome cast of dancers, performing in an array of different slick styles alongside some witty and comic songs! It kept me on the edge of my seat and I had to keep reminding myself they were performing in 8inch platforms, ugg boots and even skis! It was a great statement about society today and our relationship with shoes. I would definitely reccommend you go see it! See a clip of the making of the show here.
Also this week I was photographed by the lovely Linda Brownlee for and up and coming project I'm taking part in. I was approached by the organisation Everywoman to be a part of their Modern Muse project. Everywoman have set out to substantially raise the aspirations of today’s generation of young women and girls and they hope to raise awareness of successful women in business through this book; Everywomans's Modern Muse: A Decade of Inspiring Women. I am delighted to be taking part in this project which is a really exciting opportunity and a great chance to show what I have done and hopefully inspired girls in the future to go into business. I will keep you posted as and when I hear more, the book is due to be released this November. For now I'll leave you with some of Linda's great portrait photography...
Wow...it's been a busy week in London and it has thoroughly tired me out! This week I have been lucky enough to be working at Hemmingway Design, whose studio is run from the downstairs of their family home. The guys in the studio all seemed quite tired in the aftermath of Vintage at Goodwood festival, but it was great to be a part of the goings on in the family run business. Unfortunately I was away during this years festival, but from all the great reviews I have read it sounds like a must for next summer!
