Retail concepts

A fashionable fete




I’m a sucker for an in-store event so if I wasn’t busy volunteering for Kids Company tomorrow I’d be first in the queue for this. Stylist-slash-shopkeeper Zoe Lem is gearing up for a chic summer fete at her boutique My Sugarland with the type of goings-on that you’d expect from Selfridges or Topshop, not a wee little shop in Islington.

What’s in store? For starters, there’s 10% off all day Saturday. Just to whet your appetite, she stocks stuff by the likes of PPQ , Superfine,Terry de Havilland, Felix Rey and Mawi plus stacks of vintage. Designer Laura Lees will be doing on- the-spot customising and embroidering and giving crash course embroidery lessons so bring an old denim jacket or, er cushion cover with you! In addition, jeweller Bernadette Deddens will be adding to the craft club with her pick-n mix-jewellery corner, full of jewellery components to fashion into your own unique trinket.

Interest piqued? There’s more! Live music, home made cakes, a tombola where you can win some fabulous fashiony goodies, body shape analysis sessions, plus make-up lessons, manicures and massages*.

My Sugarland’s summer fete is tomorrow from 12pm-7pm at 402-404 St Johns Street, EC1. *Best to call to book an appointment on 020 7841 7131.

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The Convenience Store




No sooner has one caught one’s breath after the razzmatazz of fashion weeks left, right and centre does launch season begin with a zillion different shop openings, high summer previews and A/W press days. In the fortnight ahead I have another Joseph shop relaunch to attend (poor me), press days for Harvey Nichols, Paul Smith, Lulu Guinness, Swarovski, Blow PR and so on and so forth. That’s not including the flood of invitations set to arrive next week for the rest of the press days or the Fashion Business Club talk with Alexandra Shulman I’m attending on 26th March.

On Thursday night it all kicked off with the launch of the clever new pop-up shop by The Convenience Store. The Convenience Store is taking a three-week sabbatical from its home in West London (next door neighbours to Rellik vintage store to be exact) and has taken up residence in the chi-chi environs of the St Martins Lane hotel.

What caught my eye? Ooh, where to start? Wonderful shoes by Camilla Skovgaard (those are her legs and sexy shoes below. If you think they look hot, you should see her face!), raunchy Pam Hogg catsuits, T-shirts and credit-crunch-friendly mugs, sequinny sportswear by Sophie Hulme, lots of lovely Ann-Sofie Back and A.F Vandevorst and plenty of Gareth Pugh including a ventilated armour dress which one commentator was overheard unkindly referring to as looking ‘like an airconditioning unit’, meow!

Everyone was networking like crazy – I have never been given so many business cards – and bemoaning the state of the industry. It was quite nice in a way as everyone is in the same boat and not bothering to hide it. There was a good flow of champagne, much gossip and laughter and a great procession of fashiony characters including Fred Butler, a rosy vision in head-to-toe pink, Pam Hogg, Steven Rellik, various mums-of-designers and handsome blogger Pelayo with the most perfect quiff ever. Topics of conversation: Blogging, men in skirts, Twilight the movie, Starlight Express the musical, soulful house clubs, street parties, press day goody bags and the price of toothpaste. You can’t buy toothpaste at The Convenience Store but you’re in for a treat if you’re after cutting edge, collectable fashion.

The Convenience Store is at the Front Room at The St Martins Lane Hotel, 45 St Martin’s Lane, WC2 from March 19th-April 9th

www.theconveniencestorefashion.co.uk








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The Sartorialist for Barneys?



An interesting article on Scott Schuman AKA The Sartorialist in the Times magazine last Saturday. The bit I liked most? This bit:

‘To launch the Sartorialist book there will be a pop-up shop in Barneys New York (“The Sartorialust,” he says, “selling great accessories that really define a look. A great watch, great pyjamas, great suspenders…”)’ – although Fashionista points out that this hasn’t actually been confirmed yet. Still, it does tie in nicely with my retail experience fantasy of stores having specially-curated areas by guest ‘buyers’, so if it does happen at Barneys, maybe it would happen in other stores…

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"Recessions get rid of the shit…"




This oh-so-true choice quote came from my 90 minute long browse at the Vintage Academe Pop-Up Salon in Jermyn Street yesterday, where I chatted, fashion, history, politics and of-course, economics with co-owner Clare Nicholls (above). Not only did I get a fantastic fashion history lesson, I also managed to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over a number of amazing couture and ready-to-wear vintage finds. The Pop-Up Salon is in situ until Sunday and thereafter you can visit by appointment. Not a Londoner? You can also shop online [link redacted] or learn more about vintage from the regularly-updated Journal [link redacted].

The Vintage Academe Pop-Up Salon is at Suite 201, 22 Jermyn Street Hotel, London SW1 (0207 734 2353). It’s open from 12-6pm Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th March and thereafter by appointment.

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