Oh Vivienne How I Love Thee!

After the Japonesque consult and the St David's Xmas Shopping Event last week I was invited to the Vivienne Westwood new collection showcase. Ah you know how much I love me a bit of Westwood! 

Her new collection is a collaboration with a number of other top british designers.

The jumpers and jacket didn't really win me over but I am a little in love with the 70's style felt brimmed hats (maroon one in hat box above with blue ribbon, navy one in hat box bellow with black ribbon) they were made in collaboration with Lock & Co. Sadly they are £250!

And how amazing are her vintage style suitcases! Made in collaboration with Globe-Trotter they range from £400 for the mini (on shelf below) to £1285 for the larger one (cream one above)

 Then of course I had a good nose around the rest of the shop, it would have been rude not to!

 Loving the heeled bondage boot above! £375

 Oh how I love her bags!!

 I think the above colour collection is my favourite the black has a grey blue pattern to it, that is really beautiful!

And this dress below is my favourite item from the whole store, the whole season in fact. It is just too perfect! At £520 though it is a little more than I can ever afford!

X-rated images below! Please if you are easily offended do not read any further, but if you love a bit of Vivienne's humour and phallic imagery, look away and enjoy!!

Viv we salute you for your genius! 
Fingers crossed one day I will actually manage to afford something of hers. 

Shop Local - Little White Feather Company

Tuesday again! So this weeks Shop Local feature I'm bringing you a great Welsh company that screen prints great messages and pictures onto tote bags, cards and pictures. I present to you The Little White Feather Company!

What's your name and where do you come from?
I am Samuel Evans and I'm from Cardiff.


How long have you been making your designs?
I've been screen printing for just over a year now.

Moustache Tote £7 
Is there a story behind your shops name?
There is meaning behind the 'little white feather' but I don't like to reveal it incase I jinx it!

What's your favourite material to work with?

Cotton and water based inks are my favourite.

Alphabet Screen-print £12
Of your items which is your favourite?
My current favourite is the moustache bag.

Where do you get your inspiration for your designs and also their names? 
The natural world is one of my most reliable sources of inspiration, not only visual

Welsh Happy Birthday Card £2 each
Do you have any formal training or did this start as a hobby?
I learnt the bare minimum at university and taught myself a lot.

Handprinted Cariad Card £2 each
Do you have any favourite etsy shops which you buy from?
I love sass and peril .
I love the illustrations and design from Bryce Wymer of Flat Earth Studio
And I love the beautiful letterpress work from Dutch Door press

Love Heart Tote £7

What's your dream for the coming year?
My ultimate dream for the future would be to be able to work full time for myself, so my dream for this year is to work towards that by getting more wholesale orders and getting myself out there!

Cariad Tote Bag £7 - and very soon they will be bringing out a Cwtch version of this bag! I seriously can't wait and it is on my To Buy list!
What's your favourite flower?
African daisies! 

You can find out more about the company and see more of their designs on their website too!

So ladies are you swooning over the welsh word totes? I totally love them and can't wait for the Cwtch one to come out so I can place my order.

Shop Local - Coterie

I'm so proud to announce my first Shop Local Interview. For this feature on my blog I will be interviewing and highlighting local Welsh Designers, Crafts People and Store Owners.

So for my first interview I would like to introduce the amazingly talented Tracy of Coterie. Tracy uses salvaged leather from the furniture industry to make raw edged and nature inspired functional leather bags. Each bag is completely unique and she can even make to order if you want. So on with the interview! 

Whats your name and where do you come from?
Tracy Watkins, beautifull Pembrokeshire on the west coast of Wales

How long have you been making your designs?
I set up the business in 2007, but had been making bags for a few years before that for family & friends, trying out ideas.

Pebble Detail Bag - £128.92

Is there a story behind your shops name?
My shop is called Coterie. When I first set up the business I ran a contempoary design gallery, Coterie meaning exclusive group or clique. I worked upstairs in a studio making bags, running downstairs to the gallery when the doorbell went. As I got busier it didn't really work doing both, so concentrated solely on the bags. I now work from home, selling online as well as to small boutiques, indepedent shops and galleries.

Scarlet Vintage Key Clutch - £59.99

What’s your favourite materials to work with?
Just leather! Though I have got some lovely welsh wool blankes made from recycled wool here, so have a few new ideas to work on.

Raw Cowhide with Vintage Key Bag - £88.35

Of your items which is your favourite?

Ooh, one of the big bags with a large brass key. Though my own bag is from the 'Lifesyle' range in mustard. I made it and hung it up in the shop window then took it straight down as I'd have been gutted if someone else had've bought it. It was MY bag now! I've had it about 5 years now and it's still going strong. Everyone loves it!

Distressed Chocolate Raw Leather Messenger with Vintage Key - £155.09

Where do you get your inspiration for your designs and also their names? 
I get inspiration from all around me. I'm a great upcycler - I see a use for eveything. I live on a smallholding and I'm always making practical things from bits and pieces from years gone by. The names pretty much do what they say on the tin.

Rouged Detail Black Leather Bag - £130.23

Do you have any formal training or did this start as a hobby?
I trained in London as a furniture deigner, then worked as a product developer for one of the UK's leading contemporary deigners and manufacturers. I used to come home from the furniture workshop with bin bags full of waste leather which is where I started turning them into little bags. I always knew I wanted to come home to Pembrokeshire eventually and jumped at the chance when I got the opportunity to move home and set up my own business.
Pebble Detail Navy Clutch - £58.24

Do you have any favourite etsy shops which you buy from?
I don't really have any particular favourite etsy shops to buy from, but I like perusing lots of differnt ones, particularly the jewellery and other little quirky gift ideas.

Lifestyle Messenger in Russet

What's your dream for the coming year?
I don't really dream, getting up at silly o'clock in the rain and mud to do the horses keeps my feet firmly on the ground! I'm really busy working on promoting the business right at the moment, trying to pick up some more special little outlets. I'd love to do some collaborations with some fashion designers next...
A selection of beautiful Purses

What's your favourite flower?
Freesia, I love the smell, but I don't like buying cut flowers transported from abroad. I like to keep it local and I love meadow flowers and anything I can grow in the garden too!

Want to see more designs from Coterie then check out their Facebook Page too

So there you have it the first of my Shop Local Feature, did you enjoy it?
What do you think of Coterie's Bags - are you as in love with them as I am.

Sponsor Spotlight - Barratts Shoes

Most of you will already know my first official sponsor, as they are a well known British shoe brand. Most of us will probably already have bought shoes from them at some point in your lives actually.

So I'm very please to present Barratts. 

As the brand is pretty well known this Sponsor Spotlight is going to highlight my favourite shoes and bags from their New Arrivals section. So here you go:

Diamante Trim Round Toe Ballerina Pumps £18

Studded Pointed Toe Casual Ballerina Flats - £22 

Envy Sequin Platform Wedges - £35 (for if I ever get up the guts to wear huge heels!!)

Odeon Bow Trimmed Heeled Sandals - Now £20

Floral Print Satchel - £12.50

Truffle Studded Trim Gusset Ankle Boots - £40

Patent Peep Toe Court Shoes with a Bow - £30 (I think these are my favourites!)

Embroidered Cowboy Boots - £50

Pointed Toe Court Shoes - £35 

Claudia Canova Ostrich Print Handbag - £57

Plus if you go online soon, they are having an upto 70% off sale. Plus with orders over £30 you can get free delivery with the code 'FREEDEL'

Sponsored by ... Il Pavone

Thought I would bring you a quick post today from a new company that contacted me called Il Pavone, an italian bag company that supplies europe.

Stocking brands Piero Guidi, Roccobarocco, Fotnarina, Y NOT? and Gaudi they have a beautiful range bags and belts in all shapes and sizes. And a girl can never have too many bags, right? I thought I would take a nice browse on the site and see what they had to offer.

Here are my top 3 picks:

Fornarina 'Evelyne' €89
This is a beautiful bag with an almost vintage style to it. The colours are stunning together and I just think it would be the perfect everyday bag

Roccobarocco 'Priscilla' €59
The colour on this bag is amazing - almost Lapiz blue. I need a new long side bag and this would be perfect, I love the cute little size too

Y Not? Medium shopper London Phone Box €79.50

Well you all know I like a good novelty bag, and although this isn't exactly a 'novelty' bag in the usual sense of what I have I think the red phone box photo is amazing! And this is part of a series! There are 4 more from different cities! And these come in 3 different size!

Which one do you like?

Daisymay X

Sponsored post by Il Pavone