The Dark Side of Shopping

A new addition to the sweeping trend of ‘curated’ shopping has hit the high street; Darkroom on Lamb’s Conduit Street opened earlier this month offering a meticulously researched expose of pieces from the fashion, interior and lifestyle arenas. The space is simple yet beautifully crafted, offering a selection of stunning wares displayed with talented artistry.

The Darkroom concept offers an exploration into the crossover between fashion and interiors through the juxtaposition of materials, scale and form. Boundaries between art and design are questioned by functional pieces that also hold sculptural qualities. Darkroom proprieters Rhonda Drakeford and Lulu Roper-Caldbeck explain that ‘Oversize plaited quilted scarves resemble eiderdowns whilst jewellery made from chunky rope evoke Sculptural furnishings’.

Alongside the range of fashion and lifestyle offerings, Darkroom also runs bi-monthly art and sculpture exhibitions. Currently on display until January 2010 is Central Saint Martins and Royal College of Art graduate Marcus James, a London based artist and designer. James has worked on commissions for Chloe, Yves Saint Laurent, and Camilla Stærk and will present a set of 16 drypoint copper etched portraits, reworked with gold ink, each available in editions of 10 exclusively at Darkroom.

Darkroom, 52 Lamb’s Conduit Street, London, WC1N 3LL

All I Want For Christmas…

Top of my Christmas wishlist (fingers crossed I’ll find some of these in my stocking tomorrow morning!)

– Delfina Delettrez skeleton hand bracelet, $30,420 from Luisa Via Roma
If this isn’t a statment piece I don’t know what is.

– Diana F+ Mr. Pink camera, £136 from Lomography
I love these retro Diana camera’s and this shocking pink version is AMAZING!

– Henery Reeve ‘Lady’ & ‘Gentleman’ prints, £140 each from Little Art Book
These hand pulled screen prints combine classic with modern style – they make a great feature paired together.

 

– Marty Thornton ‘Colonel Sanders’ Tax Disc Holder from CultureLabel.com
I can’t deny I have a shameless love for KFC and this brand new limited edition tax disc holder is the perfect plaque in hommage of my main man, the Colonel.

ShortList Shopping Guru!

Yes, according to Shortlist magazine I’m a ‘Shopping Guru’ and who am I to protest? Check out my pick of the best art prints on cultureLabel…

See the full article here (pg.32)

Jotta Shop

JottaShop is the latest addition to the jotta community. Making the daunting step into art buying more accessible, jottaShop offers visitors the chance to start collecting from the best new artistic talent. Born out of Central Saint Martins and the broader University of the Arts London, jotta artists and designers are students and graduates from the most prestigious institutions across Europe. With that in mind, discovering the next Lucien Freud or Damien Hirst is not such a distant prospect.
www.jotta.com

Turn your home into a 19th Century Manor

Ok so may so maybe easier said than done but this gorgeous collection of homewares will get you off to a good start. These pieces are part of a range developed between Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire and students at the Royal College of Art. Waddesdon, best known as the home of Rothschilds, first commissioned students with the project last year and following on fromthe initial, recently launched their second collaborative range. All the pieces are inspired by the Manor’s impressive 19th century decor and juding by the results, students were certainly not stuck for ideas. Below hightlights a selection from the collection, all of which is available to purchase online at Waddesdon Online Shop.

Clockwise starting from top left… Hitomi Hisono: Spoon on Spoon (£15), Rachel Colley: Letter Rack (£25), Owen Wall: Spun Glass Bowl (£120), Nathalie Perneel: Architectural Brooches (£45)