TATE
A visit to the TATE in London is always good fun. On our last trip we picked up a copy of this print from Nicholas Munro, which now hangs happily in our office.
Peggy Porschen’s Boutique Bakery
We’ve admired Peggy Porschen’s cakes from afar for quite some time, so we were delighted when a visit (or three!) to her Belgravia parlour didn’t disappoint. Open daily, this boutique bakery serves a freshly-baked ‘ready to eat’ collection of cupcakes, layer cakes and coveted confections. Everything we sampled was delicious but the Strawberry and Champagne cupcake was a hands-down winner. Worth checking out next time you’re in London.
Nothing to See Here
Oliver Jeffers of The Gruffalo fame currently has an exhibition in London entitled Nothing to See Here. Showing at Lazarides Rathbone, the series of work explores themes of censorship and ignorance, the notion that knowledge is power.
The Panama Legacy – Smythson
To coincide with the launch of the Panama leather goods collection, Smythson has collaborated with young British artist Quentin Jones.
We paid a visit to the recently refurbished flagship store on Bond Street to check out the exhibition, which consists of a series of ten artworks inspired by the Panama diary. Each of the pieces focuses on an individual high profile figure, from past or present, exploring their relationship with their Panama diary or book. The list of subjects includes Sigmund Freud, Katharine Hepburn, Bryan Ferry, Kylie Minogue and Dita Von Teese.
In this article in AnOther, Jones talks about her inspiration for creating the collection of artworks
London Design Festival
A trip to London never fails to inspire and our visit last weekend was no exception. There was lots going on as part of London Design Festival with a programme of over 300 events and exhibitions across the design spectrum.
In a unique collaboration, Thornback and Peel teamed up with Winter’s Moon to show a range of vintage inspired homewares and mid-century furniture upholstered with their hand-printed fabrics – we love this vintage Ercol day bed upholstered in Pear ivory linen.
As part of the festival, (and for the first time), Karl Lagerfeld carried out an original photographic project for a furniture brand, Cassina
Once again, the V&A was the focal point for all matters festival related, with an exciting array of displays, installations, talks and workshops throughout the museum. Colonial Common, a pop-up bar at The Old Shoreditch Station, had lots of tastings, live music, and food from the likes of Beard to Tail and Anna Mae’s.
And located right outside the Tate Modern, this year’s landmark project, Endless Stair, remains open to the public until October 10th.
Improv Everywhere ‘Conduct Us’
The Improv Everywhere crew are at it again… the latest mission involved putting a Carnegie Hall orchestra in the middle of New York City and placing an empty podium in front of the musicians with a sign that read, “Conduct Us.” Random New Yorkers who accepted the challenge were given the opportunity to conduct this world-class orchestra. With mixed results, the orchestra responded to the conductors, altering their tempo and performance accordingly.
Donegal Lighthouse Makes Top Ten
It’s great to see Donegal’s Fanad Lighthouse on this list of the world’s most beautiful lighthouses. We’re excited by its upcoming renovation and plans for a coffee and craft shop and look forward to the day that this impressive structure is open to the public. It’s exactly the kind of development required to boost tourism in the county.
Coco – Inside Chanel
Beautiful video from Chanel – check out the full complement of videos here
Brown Thomas CREATE
Irish Designers CREATE is a pop-up installation in Brown Thomas Dublin featuring fifteen Irish designers from the world of fashion, accessories, millinery and graphic print and textile design. There’s also a very special curated archival exhibition from Ireland’s famous couturier Sybil Connolly.
Evian Baby Dance 2013
The Evian babies are back and dancing up a storm with the Evian Baby dance. And now you can unleash your inner baby with the Baby and Me app. Upload your photo and the app will create a baby version of your face using facial recognition software. Brilliant.