London – Page 8

A riot of colour

Published on August 9, 2013 by Alicja Jasnikowska1 Comment

Today’s blog is about my new favourite place. No, it’s not a boutique selling aggressively reduced Acne and Stella McCartney (although if anyone knows one of those please do let me know). It is a very unassuming fabric store right on my doorstep in South London. If you are coveting all the dramatic prints that have been filling stores this summer, but don’t want to find yourself along with several others in a matching dress, then this store may be just the ticket. Stocking a huge range of gorgeously patterned 100% cotton waxed fabrics, this is a treasure trove of bold daring prints. The pictures speak for themselves. Fabrics are sold in set lengths, but if you don’t want the whole 6 yards there is a selection of 2 yard off-cuts that sell for £5. Yes, that’s £5! This is like manna to a serious bargain hunter such as myself.

I have bought 3 different short lengths over the last few months and always pop by for a quick peek or to see if one of my favourite fabrics has made it to the off-cuts rail. With my first 2 yards I made unique cushion covers as presents for my friends’ weddings. This is enough fabric for two 20x20in cushions and then some. Both couples were supremely happy with their gifts (or so I am led to believe). Another length I am hoping to make into a summer dress or top, or even perhaps a pair of harem trousers if I’m feeling brave. The final length has yet to be assigned a plan.

A home-made cushion cover I gave as a wedding gift

The fabric is very durable and so perfect for both interiors and hard-wearing clothing. The tradition of using batiq to create these wax print designs goes back over 150 years. Produced originally by the Dutch and sold to West African traders, these fabrics soon became synonymous with African culture, and prints were given unique names by the traders based on characteristics in the design.

A selection of the amazing fabrics available at Sovereign Textiles in Tooting

If you don’t have a fashion degree, or aren’t adept with a sewing machine, then take the fabric to your local tailor and get yourself an original custom-made garment. I highly recommend Andy Piccos of Stitchin Biz (find his blog at http://andypiccos.com ) who I have worked with for years and is a wiz with a pair of scissors and a measuring tape. Otherwise try your local dry-cleaners, who often have competent and reasonably priced tailors on hand. Or be daring and turn your nimble fingers to a needle and thread. At only £5 you can afford to make a couple of mistakes and you never know… you may unleash the next Alexander McQueen.

Sovereign Textiles, 113 Mitcham Road, Tooting Broadway, London, SW17 9PE. T: 020 8682 1444. www.sovereigntextiles.co.uk
Opening hours 10-5:30pm but call in advance to check as they are quite flexible

For further information about the history of West African fabrics go to http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/design/2012/03/african_fabric_where_do_tribal_prints_really_come_from_.html

Going Geometric

Published on July 25, 2013 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

This week saw the online launch of the Sarah Angold for Freedom at Topshop jewellery range. With an MA in Constructed Textiles from the RCA and clients including Selfridges and Hussein Chalayan, Angold is a name to watch in the world of accessories. Her main range employs techniques such as laser cutting and acid etching to create unique architectural pieces, with her team utilising the finesse of watch-making to craft all the pieces from her East London studio.

Freedom at Topshop, £52

Angold has not compromised on quality with this diffusion range for Topshop – each item in the collection is handmade in her studio and engraved with an individual production number. Having arrived at the Oxford Street store 2 weeks ago, fashion fans outside London can now grab a piece of the action online. If you like your necklaces to make a statement then this is the range for you. Bold, graphic and futuristic, these pieces are perfect for a hedonistic night in balmy Ibiza. Or, closer to home, add one to your outfit for this weekend’s Secret Garden Party.

Sarah Angold for Freedom at Topshop. Prices range from £30-£60 http://www.topshop.com

For her stunning main collection and lighting designs go to http://www.sarahangold.com

Freedom at Topshop, £32

NB. Speaking of partying, a pair of Angold’s striking earrings wouldn’t go amiss at the V&A’s Club to Catwalk exhibition, which highlights the clothing of the crazy 80s London clubbing scene. With a resurgence of 80s influenced garments currently in stores, and neon brights doing the fashion rounds, you can get inspired by the New Romantics or warehouse party looks of a bygone era. Just leave the glow-stick at home.

Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 1980s at the V&A London runs until 16^th Feb 2014 http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/exhibition-from-club-to-catwalk-london-fashion-in-the-80s/about-the-exhibition/

Hit the Lido

Published on July 22, 2013July 22, 2013 by Alicja Jasnikowska1 Comment

In this hot weather there is only one solution… water. Not the type you find in a bottle (although that is also very helpful in times of intense heat) but the kind you find in a deep pool or at the end of a sandy – or even pebbly – beach. If you happen to live by the coast, then lucky you (I’m not jealous at all… honest!). However in London there is only one option for those without an open entry to Shoreditch House – the Lido. Retro, kitsch and minus the 1-year-waiting-list membership policy, the Lido is your pass to staying cool this summer. Which is exactly what I did last Friday. It was heaven.

There are quite a few Lido’s in London – Brockwell, London Fields & the recently refurbished pool in Charlton to name a few. I happen to live very near Tooting Bec Lido, the largest outdoor open-air pool in the UK. With cute brightly-coloured wooden changing cubicles and a massive 90 metre pool this is The Shard of Lido living.

Top tips – get there before 10am to avoid hour long queues and be prepared for mania on sunny weekends. Also I advise bringing your own food as the selection on offer (similar to many UK swimming pools) tends to lean towards the greasy, beige, deep-fried variety of cuisine. This weekend they are also showing a selection of cult classic films in the evening including the ever popular Withnail & I, and (hilariously) Ghostbusters. Pack a picnic, a bikini and your favourite sunnies and get down there pronto.

Tooting Bec Lido: Currently open 6am-8pm. Entry: £6.20 for adults; £3.80 for children/concessions; under 5’s free; £3.80 after 6pm.

http://www.dcleisurecentres.co.uk/centres/tooting-bec-lido/

Cinema at Tooting Lido (26th-28th July 2013) http://www.tootingartsclub.co.uk/

For further open-air swimming areas in London check out this article in The Telegraph archives

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/london/9357593/Londons-best-outdoor-swimming-pools.html

What I’m wearing

Published on July 11, 2013 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

Today’s post is a quickie of a few snaps of my outfit. I am a huge fan of charity shop shopping! NB. not overpriced vintage stores, but bargain-basement, mildly musty charity shops. I love rooting around for a good bargain. Today’s top and bag were both recent purchases in the lovely shops in Wimbledon town, which has Oxfam, Scope, Cancer Research & The British Heart Foundation all within a stones through. I highly recommend a visit. They are a little pricey in this area (I generally prefer charity shops in villages out of London for the best finds) however, I managed to buy a knitted Chanel inspired jacket, this blouse & bag and a preppy cardigan all for £25.

Shirt £4, and bag, £6.99 originally from Marks & Spencer, bought in Scope and Oxfam, Wimbledon. Teamed with cobalt skirt from Topshop, studded slippers from New Look and printed scarf (in hair) from Miss Selfridge.

Hitchcock heroines

Published on July 10, 2013 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

Today sees the opening of ‘I Only Want You to Love Me’, a retrospective of the work of London born fashion photographer Miles Aldridge. Launched to coincide with the book of the same name, the exhibition highlights Aldridge’s bold use of colour and glossy yet dark images of women. Part Hitchcock heroine, part airbrushed Vogue model, Aldridge references both cinema and photography, citing film director David Lynch and fashion photographer Richard Avedon as influences.

I am a huge fan of these surreal, almost plastic looking shots, and the large scale on display is an assault on the senses. Aldridge’s female models – and he only really shoots women – often appear troubled, vacant or distressed, and there is a clear cynicism towards the perfect Stepford wife imagery that dominates advertising. This he feels, is something most people can connect with – “I think that’s why my work is collected and enjoyed,” he said. “It’s not black and white though – we don’t exist within an evil empire. It’s complicated. The world is a strange and troubling place and we live in the middle of it.” Stunning, glossy images that belie a deeper, darker message, this is thought-provoking fashion photography at its best.