Nature- the mother of all inspiration.

Close-up of garden-themed embroidery on a dress from Bambah.

The Nature theme as inspiration for fashion, home and lifestyle products has been popular for some time now, so it comes as welcome news when leading colour authority Pantone announced in early December that Greenery is the Colour of the Year 2017.  It is a natural (mind the pun) development since the botanical theme came onto the scene last year and will continue to play a key role in 2017.

Vibrant colours for floral jacquards and brocades for AW17 as presented at Premiere Vision, Paris, September 2016.

Photo © Lucia Carpio

Enchanting garden-themed fabrics for SS17 as seen at Premiere Vision, Paris, February 2016.
Photo © Lucia Carpio

All things floral and botanical were shown in a myriad of fabric bases at the prestigious Premiere Vision textile trade fairs in Paris in February and September this year.

Eden silk scarf by designers Shan Jiang and Ying Wu at Pig Chicken Cow of London. 

Dream girl silk scarf from Cleo Ferin Mercury for SS16.

And throughout the year, botanical prints have been a driving force in interior design.

Terrarium-printed floor cushion from Hothouse.

And then, the notion of incorporating the outdoors and plant life into interior design has become a key driver.

Tom Dixon's Tank vases also available at Heal's.
Photo © Lucia Carpio

Lantern Terrariums from Oliver Bonas.

All things Green - Colour of the year 2017

It's official.  Green is the colour of the year 2017.

The Hotel Monopol at Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, oozes with old world charm.
Its inner courtyard off the reception is an oasis of calming greenery, filled with palm trees, hanging green ferns, evergreens, and tropical creepers that climb up to the glass roof  and 
surrounded on all sides by hand-carved wooden verandahs.  
Photo © Lucia Carpio, December 2016.

Colour institute Pantone has named green as the colour of the year 2017.  To be exact, the word they have used is Greenery, a colour inspired by nature, hope and fresh beginnings and described by Pantone as a "tangy yellow-green" often seen in foliage.

Considering the state of world affairs today, one also hopes the colour brings a sense of optimism.
Known on Pantone's colour chart as 15-0343 Greenery, which has been described as "a tangy yellow-green that speaks to our need to explore, experiment, and reinvent, the colour authority Pantone also says the colour is "illustrative of flourishing foliage; the fertile attributes of Greenery signals one to take a deep breath, oxygenate, and reinvigorate."

In an interview with the New York Times, executive director of the Pantone Leatrice Eiseman said it is a colour of hopefulness and of our connection to nature; a choice made in response to a "stressful and tense world".

UK retail sales to grow 2.5% this December

With the current bout of railway strikes and the just announced post office strikes, one can understand why many of us Brits are shying away from the Christmas high street rush.

A luxury home festive scene set by this plush Claude Armchair in Prussian Blue and matching
 Georgette Footstool In Prussian Blue, both available at Made.com

New research from market intelligence agency Mintel reveals that as many as one in five (20%) Brits are expected to shop online more for this Christmas, rising to 24% of men and 28% of 16-24 year olds. The top three reasons why Brits shopped online for gifts last year were to get cheaper prices (55%), to avoid the crowds (49%) and to shop when it suited them (49%).

According to the new research, Mintel estimates that total UK retail sales will reach £42.2 billion, a growth of 2.5% this December.

Richard Perks, Director of Retail Research at Mintel, said: “When it comes to Christmas shopping, it is increasingly artificial to make a distinction between online and in-store as the two increasingly are working together to suit shoppers’ needs. We are seeing pure players recognise the advantages to having a physical offering, signified by Amazon and Zalando’s interest in moving to the high street. At the same time, a number of high street retailers now price match against online retailers, trying to fight back against the continued belief among shoppers that it's cheaper to buy online.”

Overall, 93% of Brits bought gifts for Christmas 2015. 86% bought gifts in-store and 76% purchased online. Just under one in ten (8%) Brits bought all of their Christmas gifts online, compared to one in five (18%) who bought all of their Christmas gifts in-store.

Richard adds.“The economic background for consumers continues to be favourable. Real incomes are rising and unemployment is falling. There are some worrying signs though. Consumer credit has risen back to record levels and the housing market has weakened a little but overall, the prospects for Christmas remain good.”

Jode Pankhurst among new designs to feature at Heal's come SS 2017

Watch out for beautiful porcelain decorative works by designer Jode Pankhurst, who will be launching an exclusive collection at Heal's in their Tottenham Court Road flagship in April 2017.

Jode will be one of the new and emerging designers on Heal's Discovers programme.

An illustrator who makes bold, graphic and playful pieces of homeware and also have a collection of wearable ceramic jewellery, Jode decorates her wares free-hand, as demonstrated here at a preview of her range of lovely bottles, plant holders, holding vessels of various designs.

Jode originally homed her craft in Edinborough, and she has now moved to London to continue her craft.

All photos  © Lucia Carpio.

Mighty Clutch-bags with built-in chargers keep the party going.

You've got the knock-out dress and the sexy heels for the party.  Now all you need is the Mighty Purse because when you’re dancing the night away, the last thing on your mind will be to run out of juice.

Fusing fashion with technology, the Mighty Purse charges a mobile phone on the go without compromising on style - perfect for the festive party season. All available on cuckooland.com

Australian designer brand Handbag Butler has launched a new range of Phone-charging Clutch Purses that can keep smart devices charged up so you can snap all those selfies, tag everyone on Instagram, and safely call a taxi home at the end of the night!

Tribal Stud Mighty Purse.

Handbag Butler's Mighty Purse is made from quality goat leather, with a built-in 4000mAh rechargeable battery capable of bringing your Micro USB Smartphones, iPhones or Apple Lightning device back to life for two full charges on the go.

Designed with a removable wrist strap, each purse  measures 23 cm x 15 cm and has enough room for money, cards, keys, phone and lipstick with two compartments, credit card sleeves and an internal zipped pocket.

New for AW16 are on-trend metallic designs, including the Black & Gold Star print and the equally stunning geometric stud designs. New colours - Coral, Teal & Rose Gold - are also on offer.

All available on cuckooland.com

Over 40% of Millennials will gift digitally this Christmas, reveals new research

New research from the UK Gift Card & Voucher Association (UKGCVA) has shown that Millennials are pioneering the idea of ‘digital gifting’ this Christmas, with over 40% of Millennials planning to gift digitally through gift cards and vouchers this Christmas.

Londoners are the most tech-savvy gifters according to the research, with over a third (35%) intending to gift digital gift cards and vouchers this year.

The research, conducted by Verdict Retail, found that Millennials are the age group most likely to gift digitally this festive season, with less than a third (29%) of Generation X and even fewer Baby Boomers (17%) stating that they plan to do so.

The Christmas spirit also encourages consumers to gift digitally, with over two thirds (68%) stating they are most likely to purchase a digital gift card or voucher for someone during this period.

Londoners are the most tech-savvy gift buyers according to the research, with over a third (35%) of consumers in the capital planning to join in and gift digitally this festive season.

Gail Cohen, Director General of the UKGCVA, comments: “As Millennials are the most likely to purchase digital gift cards and vouchers during the festive season, retailers and other issuers of these products should look to targeting this sub-group with their gift card marketing strategies this Christmas.
Our research also found that Millennials are the most likely to purchase digital gift cards and vouchers full stop. As such, retailers need to be aware of this pattern when developing their marketing strategies, not only at Christmas, but year-round.”

Presents for Self and Others, from the V&A Collection at Heal’s

While looking for 2017 calendars to gift, I'm glad to find now available at Heal's Christmas Market at their Tottenham Court Road, London flagship store is a selection of wonderful goodies - an edited pick of V&A (Victoria & Albert Museum) products on offer - including not only calendars but also notecards, note books, diaries, interesting children’s books, tote bags and an array of iconic prints.  My favourite is a William Morris colouring book.  All available until Christmas eve.

Brands use Xmas season to better connect with customers

Throughout this festive shopping period, businesses need to deliver a marketing strategy which delivers a personalised brand experience, according to Massimo Fubini CEO and founder of Contactlab (1) .

He said brands can build effective and profitable seasonal campaigns which showcase the brands' reputation and simplify the shopping experience.

Massimo comments: “Brands prepare for Christmas, well before the consumer. To get a head start, marketers need to position their brand’s presence well in advance of the shopping season. Brands need a comprehensive omni-channel and personalised strategy to win the hearts of customers. Digital marketing channels add another layer of emotion to campaigns which helps to deepen their customer relationship.”

Massimo continues: “For brands the festive season gives them with the opportunity to better connect with customers. By integrating the insights gathered by consumer shopping behaviour into brands’ marketing strategies, retailers are able to drive customers to convert their activity into sales. Brands are under immense pressure to stand out against their competitors and so capturing shopper’s attention is key to driving significant revenue.”

(1) Contactlab is a digital engagement solution partner combining its owned enabling PaaS technology with industry focused expertise. Contactlab enables brands to plan, build and monitor effective digital contact plans to drive growth. Brands can use Contactlab solutions to build personalized and cross-channel digital messages, shaped around people behaviors and product lifecycle to expand and deepen the retail experience.

UK companies will spend an estimated £5.6bn on marketing in the run-up to Christmas

After Black Friday, it's Cyber Monday, and like you, my inbox is clogged up with numerous invitations to shop and part with my hard-earned money ...once more. It's not unusual to receive extra discounts on top of discounts.

The Advertising Association have forecasted that UK companies will spend an estimated £5.6bn on marketing in the run-up to Christmas which is £300m more than in 2015.

Buster the Boxer in John Lewis 2016 Christmas Ad.

To drive revenue during this festive period, retailers invest a lot of resource, time and money on their lavish marketing campaigns to attract shoppers and raise their presence within the market.  Many brands such as John Lewis, Coca Cola and Burberry are using emotion to develop strong ties with customers.

As the countdown for Christmas begins, retailers opt to create personalised marketing strategies to help drive customer loyalty and retention, as customers develop strong connections and feelings towards a brand.

Customers will choose different channels to engage with brands and now expect a seamless integration across channels as part of their customer journey.

Tis the season to shop and spend

Did you enjoy the Black Friday sales?
Did you shop from the comfort of your home or you opted to physically visit the stores?

According to specialists' reports, physical retail traffic referred to as footfall was surprisingly strong while online sales did not grow as much as expected.

Footfall tracking specialist Springboard reported that overall footfall rose 2% on Black Friday (25th November) but fell 0.8% on Saturday.  While high streets and retail parks' traffic were up, shopping malls turned in the worst performance.

Springboard also quoted data from PCA Predict that online transactions rose only 6.7% on Friday and 1.8% on Saturday, defying preditions of 25% increase.

UK's Black Friday evolves as majority of sales move online

Slow fashion label A-MM-E by Emma Kempton is one of the British-made brands on the online store set up by
Best of Britannia, the consumer event platform of British brands.
The BOB online store will launch on November 24th to coincide with Black Friday weekend in the UK.

Experts predict Black Friday this year in the UK will be another shopping bonanza, and that £1.1bn spent last year on the day to be surpassed. Emerging key trends point to evolving consumers behaviour with  15 billion online searches a month regarding Black Friday. 

Online spending on and around Black Friday in the UK this year (that's November 24th, the day after the US celebrates Thanksgiving) will hit an estimated £6.77bn, according to e-tailer body IMRG and SimilarWeb. And around 51% of that spend will be via mobile devices as m-commerce continues to grow fast.  But insights-driven advertising technology company Captify predict the £1.1 bn spent last year on Black Friday is set to be surpassed.

Justin Opie, managing director at IMRG also said the Black Friday period is evolving but despite retailers focusing on week-long bargains, IMRG believes as much as £1.27bn will be spent on the day itself, up 16% year-on-year. And around £3.45bn of the total spend will go through smartphones and tablets.

Genevieve Sweeney lunxury knitwear for men and women is one of British labels on the Best of Britannia online shop. 

Dom Joseph CEO and Co-Founder of Captify, an insights-driven advertising technology company, also predicts the £1.1bn spent last year on Black Friday is to be surpassed.

He said, “In the six years since its introduction into the UK, Black Friday is rightly recognised as the best day of the year to get a good deal on a huge variety of products.”

“We are seeing two key trends emerge this year, firstly, more and more retailers, both online and offline, have offered discounts well ahead of Black Friday. Amazon launched its ‘35 days of Black Friday’ , while UK companies, such as Argos and Tesco, have also offered deals ahead of the day, in order to capture as many consumers as possible. Retailers know the heightened expectations that consumers have for Black Friday, which is why we’ve seen such growth in discounts before the event itself.”

“Secondly, people are now monitoring the prices of products they want to buy, months in advance of Black Friday, and researching information as early as August. Not only this, based on the analysis of 15 billion online searches, there was actually an 11% jump last month of UK consumers researching product prices related to Black Friday, compared to last year."

“Consumers will always vote with their wallets, and if Black Friday didn’t offer huge price discounts on products that consumers valued and wanted, it wouldn’t be nearly as successful as it is and will continue to be.”

London's Design Museum re-opens November 24.

London's much loved  Design Museum will re-open November 24 at its new location in upmarket Kensington, in the former Commonwealth Institute building - after 27 years in a former warehouse in Shad Thames across the river.

With the promise of three times more space than its previous venue, the Design Museum's new home is billed to have a superslick interior, designed by John Pawson, and houses three exhibition spaces, a library and archive, a restaurant and café, learning spaces and a designers-in-residence studio.   Plus an impressive "hyperbolic paraboloid" roof.

No doubt it will prove to be London's newest swanky destination - not just for our cultural enrichment, but for shopping as well with two shops filled with trendy lifestyle products.

Of course the Design Museum no longer has the view of the historic Tower Bridge.  But the new location is a stone's throw from trendy Holland Park and close to the heart of Kensington’s cultural zone that includes the Victoria & Albert Museum and Science Museum.

The permanent collection in the Design Museum is free but periodical exhibitions cost £14.
There is a public programme of talks and classes monthly and design workshops to nurture young talents.  Can't wait to get involved.

Design Museum reopens Thursday November 24 at 224-238 Kensington High Street, London. 

Photos - Design Museum's own.

Winners of the 2016 Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery announced.

The 2016 Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery once again illustrated that intricate surface fabric texture adds invaluable value to the garments and products they adorn.

Annalisa Middleton
Winner of the Gold & Silver Wyre Drawer Award and the Fashion Open Category 1st Prize
Model: Antonina Kozerovskaya Photographer: Jutta Klee

This year's event, held at the historic Bishopsgate Institute in London on the 3rd of November, was billed by the organisers as being ever more dynamic, providing entrants with the opportunity to explore their creativity and showcase their talents in a variety of ways.

The Annual Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery (organised by well-established Hand & Lock London which has been producing some of the finest embroidery since 1767) was established to encourage the use of hand embroidery and seeks to discover emerging embroidery talent.

 Jin Kim Fashion Student Category 1st Prize
Model: Louise Laag  
Photographer: Jutta Klee

This year the Wilcom Institutional Prize was awarded to The Royal College of Arts - the erll-known London University with the most entrants into the Prize.  
The Gold & Silver Wyre Drawer Award went to Annalisa Middleton, who was also the winner of the Fashion Open Category Prize.
In the Fashion Student Category, the winner was Jin Kim.
First prize in the Textile Art Open Category was won by Sally Wilson and the top winner of the Textile Art Student Prize went to Devi Vallabhaneni

Embroidery by Sally Wilson
Textile Art Open Category 1st Prize
Photographer: Elena Molina

In total there were 24 finalists who presented the most creative interpretation and exceptional execution of the brief given.  The final prizes were decided by judges as well as public vote combined.

Congratulations therefore are in order to all 2016 winners for their amazing creativity.

Wilcom Institutional Prize:
The Royal College of Arts
The Gold & Silver Wyre Drawer Award:
Annalisa Middleton
Fashion Open Category Prize Winners
1st prize: Annalisa Middleton
2nd prize: Elena Savelyeva
3rd prize: Charlotte Appleby
Fashion Student Category Prize Winners
1st prize: Jin Kim
2nd prize: Ryan Gambel
3rd prize: William Lathrop
Textile Art Open Category Prize winners
1st prize: Sally Wilson
2nd prize: Emma Cassi
3rd prize: Eranga Bandaranayake
Textile Art Student Prize Winners
1st prize: Devi Vallabhaneni
2nd prize: Suzanne Treacy
3rd prize: Sarah Tickner

Cat scratch furniture has gone state of the art!

Design-conscious cat owners and their treasured pets are in for a treat.

British company that specialises in unique cat scratch furniture - 3 Fat Cats, owned by Kim Manners - has just launched a new collection of ten new items for your treasured pets to enjoy.  They are bound to make a statement for those feline friends.  To read the rest of the article, click HERE.

The Roman Emperor Chaise Longue from 3 Fat Cats.
Size: 74 cm (L) x 30 cm (W) x 37 cm (H)

China goes on shopping frenzy on Singles Day.

Perhaps one can deduce that shopping is the best cure for a lonely heart, or a great distraction from the world's developing problems.

Yesterday November 11th is Singles Day in China and the world's second largest economy was on an online spending frenzy.  By day's end, record sales (still to be verified) were reportedly broken.

The country's e-commerce giant Alibaba was reporting US$5 bn of shopping sales in the first hour of Singles Day, with total sales expected to top US$20 billion this year, overshadowing America's equialents of Cyber Monday and Black Friday - the Monday and Friday after Thanksgivin (November 24).

Chinese market - a force to be reckoned with.
Photo: ISPO fair in China.

Singles Day was invented in 1993 by students in Nanjing, the ancient capital, who wanted to celebrate their singleness, and the date 11/11 was chosen because the number one stands for the solitary single.

Every year, thus on this particular day, millions of Chinese go shopping and Chinese companies have turned it into the biggest online shopping day in the world. Alibaba has approximately 440 million online customers.

Singles Day revenue nearly tripled from 2013 to 2015 to the tune of US$14.3 bn grossed on the Alibaba’s shopping sites, Tmall and Taobao; recording, approximately US$357 million were profit.

Alibaba company founder Jack Ma drummed up the enormous business by making Singles Day into a gala event onn November 10  in Shenzhen, the cosmopolitan city across from Hong Kong in Guangdong province.  There was a four-hour show broadcast on national television studded with countless stars, including star couple Victoria and David Beckham, Hollywood star Scarlet Johansson and LA Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant as guests. Pop star Katy Perry was billed as a star attractions but she pulled out at the last minute due to a "family emergency".  Mr. Ma himself even performed a magic act.

Italian fabric mill won prestigious award with a "Sparkling" denim collection

Italian manufacturer ITV Denim has won the prestigious Global Denim Awards 2016 for the second time thanks to its collaboration with Dutch designer Anbasja Blanken, who surprised the panel with a literally “sparkling” collection.  By treating denim from a semi-couture perspective, this collection addresses women directly, communicating strength, elegance and beauty, according to the company's press release.  While the title was awarded to the winning company and Anbasja Blanken received 10,000 euro.

ITV Denim collaorated with Dutch designer Anbasja Blanken to produce the winning collection.

The creative concept was developed on the basis of innovative experimentation on the yarn, aimed at achieving an actual “glow in the dark” effect.   This idea derives from the designer’s intent to recreate the fluorescence and bright light that many marine species are able to emit in the depths of the sea world, where the absence of light forms a stimulus for transformation.

The collection highlighted all the artisan skills of ITV Denim, featuring coral appliques, pearls, floral embroideries and luminescent woven fabrics, incorporating also the use of laser cutting and recycled fabrics.

This was the third edition of the Global Denim Awards which took place in Amsterdam on October 26 participated by 11 denim manufacturing companies in collaboration with as many designers, before an audience of 600 professionals from the denim international scene and a panel made up of denim experts and designers in The Netherlands.   A total of 11 Capsule Collections with five total looks were presented, showcasing special fabric treatments and washings.

All photos by Team Peter Stinter.

A red-carpet parade of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s pooches along with stars and celebrities.

Need a break from all the Brexit and US Presidential talk in the media, these lovely pictures can offer you some welcome relief.

British actor Guy Henry and an admirer.

London's famous animal rescue - Battersea Dogs & Cats Home - once again wowed its supporters and animal lovers last week with the return of its star-studded Collars & Coats Gala Ball at the iconic Battersea Evolution in south London.

TV presenter known for his animal and nature world credentials
goes eye to eye with a man's best friend.

Celebrating its eighth successful year, the high-profile annual charity extravaganza saw a host of UK and international stars take to the red carpet to raise vital funds for Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s work in rescuing and re-homing abandoned dogs.

Pas de deux!
BBC's Strictly-Come-Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood with friend.

London fashion guru Hilary Alexander
and
hairstylist to celebrities
Charles Worthington
with one of the red carpet dogs.

This year’s star line-up, from the world of TV, music, film, sport and fashion, included: Battersea Ambassadors Dame Jacqueline Wilson and David Gandy, and friends of the Home, including Strictly-Come-Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, TV Dr Christian Jessen, as well as actor Guy Henry, Danielle Bux, fashion guru Hilary Alexander, hairstylist supremo Charles Worthington, comedian Harry Hill and Leah Weller,  and the iconic music group Sister Sledge. Guests and stars were welcomed by the popular ‘Battersea Doggie Guard Of Honour’ – a red-carpet parade of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s pooches.

Comedian Harry Hill with Sisters Sledge group members (Debbie, Kim and Joni) and pooches.

After an opening number by Britain’s Got Talent gymnastics troupe Spellbound, Battersea ambassadors and supporters united on stage to highlight the work and achievements of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. Other highlights of this year’s event included a spectacular performance by headline act Sisters Sledge who brought their legendary R’n’B and disco hits to the dance floor.

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Ambassador Dame Jacqueline Wilson  with a friend.

Claire Horton, Battersea’s Chief Executive said last year over 8,000 dogs and cats needed Battersea’s care and attention to help find them the best possible new homes.

Fashion model David Gandy and pooch.

It costs Battersea over £10m to care for its dogs and cats every year, and with no government funding, the Collars & Coats Gala Ball is all about helping to increase awareness of the important work the charity does each and every day of the year to offer a second chance in life to thousands of animals.

Since it was founded, Battersea which was established in 1860, has rescued, reunited and rehomed over 3.1 million dogs and cats.  Battersea cares for an average of 300 dogs and 220 cats across its three centres at any one time.

For further information on Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and to pledge donations, please visit www.battersea.org.uk
or call +44-(0)207 627 7883.

Real Art in Print and images of London used as statement art.

Love London?  Images of key architecture and aspects of the capital are great for making show-stopping statements and stimulate lively discussion.

Britain's Crowning Glory.
This magnificent vintage poster design from Printism shows London at its best as the sun streams across the city on a lovely fine afternoon.  Displaying an abundance of detail, the poster depicts an usual angle of view designed to take in a range of famous city features including the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Battesea Power Station as well as Hungerford and Westminster Bridges. An iconic double-decker bus can also be seen traversing Waterloo Bridge in the foreground. 

Just launched by Printism is this vintage style London poster shown above, available as print only, framed print or stretched canvas in a huge range of sizes, right up to an impressive height of over two metres – perfect for creating that wow factor or statement wall in the home, office or shop front.  Whether you're 'born and bred' British, a visitor from abroad wanting a spectacular souvenir of a short or long stay, or an expatriate missing home, this design, "Britain's crowning glory", captures the spirit of London.

Printism from Australia produces vintage travel posters and advertising posters from the 1930s, 1940s and beyond, and delivers worldwide.

 The London Mono Collection by Katie Cardew

Meanwhile, British illustrator Katie Cardew  has got a new monochrome collection of iconic London buildings, available framed or unframed available on her web-shop,  along with her other prints and cards in a range of subjects, including maps and animals.  Katie is happy to do commission work as well.

Print made to resemble a classic London Underground ticket from Of Life & Lemons.

Howabout this lovely print above, made to look like a classic London Underground ticket, featuring the quote 'When man is tired of London, man is tired of life'. Instantly recognisable as a London Underground ticket, this print makes a perfect gift for anyone who loves London and is a guaranteed talking point! The print is available in A4, A3, A2 and A1 sizes.  Available from Of Life & Lemons 

is also a series of witty poster prints, tea towels and tote bags inspired by everyday humour, incorporating quotes and sayings to bring fun artworks to life. The range is entirely made in the UK.

Digital print of the famous Tower Bridge over the river Thames, London, by Tabitha Mary.

And British artist Tabitha Mary who is inspired by old railway posters, has made a series of prints featuring world famous iconic city images such as the Tower Bridge of London shown above.  

The artwork are now available as digital prints and signed Giclee prints both with an option of framing, in A4 up to A1 sizes, all made in the UK too.  Tabitha Mary also produces greeting cards and tea towels.

'MAKING THE BEST OF BREXIT' Debate to take place on 4th November in Bristol

Best of Britannia West will launch  'MAKING THE BEST OF BREXIT' DEBATE at the Arnolfini Building in Bristol

Following Best of Britannia in London - the fair that promotes best of British fashion and design, held 30 September to 2nd October - 100 days after the EU Referendem - the organisers will hold the "Making The Best of Brexit" debate on 4th November at the magnificent dockside Arnolfini Building in Bristol.

The panel of speakers will include Patrick Grant (Community Clothing), John Pearce (Made in Britain Campaign), Tom Kay (Finisterre) and Associate Professor Carol Jarvis (UWE) who will discuss post-Brexit referendum Britain.

From Canvas to Catwalk. World Famous Works of Art Printed onto Leggings.

The notion of wearable art is not new and quite often we find in museum and gallery shops the choice of gifts and souvenirs are limited to Tee shirts, shopping bags and scarfs albeit the prints taken from masterpieces are incorporated in their collections.

 

Now a company based in East Sussex in the UK has joined forces with The National Gallery in London in a project that sees images from some of the world’s greatest paintings feature on its range of leggings.

Model Simone Wells wearing A Still Life of Flowers in a Wan-Li Vase’ by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder.

Following an approach from The National Gallery, Wild Bangarang has introduced fashion lines for leggings that feature the masterpieces ‘Sunflowers’ and ‘A Wheatfield, with Cypresses’ by Vincent van Gogh and ‘A Still Life of Flowers in a Wan-Li Vase’ by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder. 

The leggings are being sold on-line and soon at The National Gallery, which houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900.

Adam Jay at Wild Bangarang HQ

Wild Bangarang was set up by entrepreneurs Adam Jay and David Pearson in 2014 and specialises in printed clothing. To date, the company’s success has been built on designs based on pop culture such as World of Warcraft and Power Rangers.

Adam, a photographer, started a ‘superhero creations’ Facebook page several years ago and it engaged with a huge online community, achieving 950,000 likes. Adam and David both felt that the quality and variety of apparel servicing the ‘geek’ market was lacking and identified a business opportunity there.

“Looking at the athleisure market and the projected growth, we couldn't find a home-grown business focusing on this sector so we decided that could be us! Wild Bangarang was started to reach that market window. Initially with a handful of designers, we set off on our venture.”

Now in year two, the business has turned over £350,000 which gave the company the encouragement to see the potential for growing the market sector.

Adam said: “We pride ourselves on dedication and a personal touch to each of our garments. This is attractive to brands like The National Gallery which has strong guidelines and wants to protect its image.

“We always work carefully on samples to make sure the colours and design are authentic and true to the brand, which makes our product the best on the market for printed leggings.

“The National Gallery designs were a challenge for us as we couldn’t edit a famous piece of art just to fit the leg shape,” said Adam.

The pair have plans to expand their range further to meet demand, travelling all over the world to fashion, comic and licensing events to showcase Wild Bangarang’s range.  So watch this space!

Online Xmas shopping will impact UK Retail high street

As Christmas shopping is gathering momentum, experts from market intelligence agency Mintel predict prospects for the upcoming festive season to be good, and expect total UK retail sales will grow 2.5% in December 2016, taking retail sales up to £42.2 billion.

PURE London, a popular trade fair for UK retailers sourcing fashion and accessories.

                                                   

Many of the consumers will shop online, to avoid high street crowds and to surf for cheaper prices while shopping at hours that best suit them, according to Mintel in a recent report.

However a new report released this week predicted that online shopping will drive more fashion stores to close.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the Local Data Company (LDC) have predicted that as consumer spending habits continue to evolve, UK fashion store numbers on town centres are falling at their fastest rate in several years and fashion is suffering more than the wider retail sector.

The report said there were 2,656 store closures across the UK retail sector in the first six months of the year with only 2,153 openings, the lowest number in half a decade.

Click here to read more.

Photo: © Lucia Carpio.

Scandinavian designs working with makers around the world

Scandinavian designs - projecting an image of purity often characterised by stripped-back looks highlighting clean lines - has been a major influence on fashion as well as interiors, promoting a lifestyle of simplicity and function.

Curly knitted throw on a Nest easy chair - all from Design House Stockholm.

As Anders Fardig, founder of Design House Stockholm has put it, Scandinavian design is "the bearer of certain values" and "expressing characteristics that mostly have to do with practical matters: Scandinavian design is ergonomic, functional and relaxed in expression.

"Today Scandinavian design is a global concept", said the founder and DesignHouse Stockholm's collection covers a wide range of products united by the fact that they form part of the Scandinavian tradition of design.

Indeed Simplicity and function are the main attributes of Scandinavian designs.  At the London DesignJunction2016 fair held at King's Cross in September, new products on show also demonstrated that Design House Stockholm work with designers and manufacturers from around the world.

Here is a selection of textile products from Design House Stockholm.

The Curly Collection

The characteristic of a Curly throw is that it is over-spun in a manner that creates a three-dimensional surface.

Designed by Margot Barolo and Ultrika Martensson, the Curly collection of scarfs, shawls and throws show off a sculptural pattern.  Thanks to its billowing form the fabric feels airy  on  one's skin.
Made in a blend of 50% wool and 50% acrylic, the knitted products are made in Lithuania.

The Knot Cushion

Icelandic designer Ragnheiour Osp Siguroardottir's Knot cushion was created  with tubular knitting on a machine.  The tubes are several metres in length which are then tied up to create a compact knot.  Looking sculptural the unconventional cushions are available in an array of colours.

The Melange Cushion

Melange cushions on show at designjunction2016 in September 2016. © Lucia Carpio.

Designed by Nina Jobs, th Melange cushions represent a fushion of Scandinavian design and traditional Thai crafts, a result of the designer's long-term collaboration with the Kids Ark organisation in Chiang Mai, north-western Thailand.  Founded in 2000 by Allan Gustafsson, Kids Ark is a sponsorship programme to help improve the lives of children who have lost parents to HIV/Aids.  Melange has a tweed effect, made of twisted yarn which varies in colour and as there is no front or back, the weave can be used according to one's mood.  However since no loom is used in the traditional Thai method, there are limitations.  The threads are fastened to a tree thus resulting in warps that are no wider than the weaver's hips, thus limiting as to what can be made.

The Pleece Collection

Created in 1997 by Marianne Abersson, the Pleece collection of ponchos, beenie hats and scarfs, the Pleece collection hhas changed very little over the years, according to Design House Scandinavia.

The colours change slightly from season to season, but the range includes mainly mud, black, loight grey, dark grey and midnight blue, with a new green colour added this season.

Made of a unique blend of 75% polyester and 25% visose, the Pleece products showcases a pleating process that adds volume as well as softness.

Suitable for both men and women, for indoor as well as outdoor use, the Pleece range is considered to be a modern classic.