The Burlington Arcade's Wolf

  For this post, we decided to revisit a truly timeless destination in the heart of Mayfair, the iconic Burlington Arcade, a runway uniting Picadilly and Bond street. It was the world’s first shopping arcade, opened in 1819 to great acclaim and now recognised as a historic and architectural masterpiece.

   The arcade was built to the order of George Cavendish ( it was his idea to stop people throwing oyster shells, bottles and dead cats into his back garden! ). It was built “for the sale of jewellery and fancy articles of fashionable demand, for the gratification of the public”.
   The Burlington Arcade is patrolled by beadles in traditional uniforms including top hats and frock coats (thank you so much John ! you’ve been so understanding and helpful !!!).The original beadles were recruited from Lord Cavendish’s 10th Hussars to patrol the strip, checking that no one is whistling, running or opening umbrellas.
    A special thanks also to the best “shoe shine” in London, Romi Topi*, who has polished with extra care my “special shoes “!!!  I think it was a first for him to polish a wolf's angry birds shoes !!!
    The new owners, who bought the arcade for 104 millions of pounds in 2010, a New-York based property investor and a Europeen real estate investment and fund magement firm want to renovate it for a high-end international market (it means big luxury brands such as Prada, Gucci,Chanel…).Rents will be significantly increased  and all the small family business will probably disappear…

      So if you want to enjoy a proper “British institution”, do it now before it’s too late…xxx S.D.

black coat : Luisa Spagnoli | skirt : Whistle | grey cashmere cardigan : Esprit | black bow blouse : Uniqlo (current) | grey leather shoes : Zara | perl bracelet : Zara | angry bird slippers : H&M (current) | vintage crocodile handbag

*(www.shoeshineservice.co.uk)

Buoyant mood

drawings by Aude D on the inside of recycled envelops

здравствуйте меня зовут Владимир

I have been a faithful fan of Shepherd's Bush for the monthly visit I pay to the best inimitable and colourful (in every sense) fabric shops in London. But I have recently found a really good reason to drag my friends and adventurous husband outside the outskirt of their favourite neighbourhood for a great night out… BrewDog has hit West London. This bar offers an eclectic mix of beers made in Scotland and around the world, no less than forty taps of craft beers to satisfy even the most jaded palate. Between two bites, mostly american barbecue style food, you can even challenge yourself at the vintage pinball or arcade machines. 

The icing on the cake took the shape of the world's first protest beer, featuring an Andy Warhol-esque image of Vladimir Putin, complete with lipstick and eye shadow! Named 'Hello my name is Vladimir", the "not for gays" scottish beer was designed to mock the Russian premier ahead of the Sochi Winter games last month. An allusion to the growing uproar at the, then, prospect of gay athletes and supporters at the games facing arrest under the new legislation signed by Vladimir Putin banning "gay propaganda" in Russia! 

In short words, I invite you to pay a visit to the lovely place and staff (special thanks to Geremia) very shortly!  здоровье Владимир* ! A.D

*cheers Vladimir!

blue jeans : Citizen of Humanity | stripped top : Primark | red leather shoes : Dune

Psychedelic Funghi

drawings by Aude D on the inside of recycled envelops

Baron's Court

      In less than three months now, I’ll be saying “bye bye” to Kensington and “hello” to Baron’s court…a new adventure’s going to start….

I must say that the tube station is lovely, all these green tiles make me think of palm trees , it’s like an urban oasis !!!

And I guess I’ll be taking the tube more often there, so you may bump into a tiger, a dinosaur, a giraffe, a rabbit, a lion….but don’t be scared… I won't bite, you can talk to me…I’m just a pussy cat at heart !!! xxx  S.D.

navy skirt with orange underline : Cos (current, shop here) | orange silk jumper : Cos (current, shop here) | Coat : Cos | shoes : Dune | clutch : Dune | necklace : Top Shop | purple collar fur : vintage

Magical Encounter

    For his post, I wanted to be a mouse thinking of the millions of rats living in the underground…and apparently we share a lot of things in common…

In the tube, and as you can see on the pictures, people are very busy phoning, playing with their mobile, listening to music, reading…they barely paid attention to us…but eventually a few of them did :

a dad who said to his toddler (sitting in his push-chair ) “oh look at the rabbit !” “euh…actually I’m a mouse !”, I didn’t want his son to be confused so early in his life…

Five minutes later, the man sitting next to me engaged the conversation by telling me how great my 'bear' mask was !!!, and asking me if I was a designer for bear clothes, “that’s true that they have nothing to wear…” he added : we thought this situation was hilarious! This guy is in fact a magician and if he is as good with tricks as he is funny, he will become a superstar ! For whom it may interest, you may contact him at www.stephenkarlmagicien.com

      So, sometimes, we meet interesting people and masks can create some surrealists situations , and I guess everyone has its own interpretation…

But….and this is a message for Superman : “I know you’ll come one day, and I promise you I will recognise you straight away !!! “.

Xxx S.D.

navy skirt with orange underline : Cos (current, shop here) | orange silk jumper : Cos (current, shop here) | Coat : Cos | shoes : Dune | clutch : Dune | necklace : Top Shop | purple collar fur : vintage

Spreading Disarray

drawings on the inside of recycled envelops by Aude D

Riding the subway

    When the Circle line opened in 1884, the Times described it as "a form of mild torture, which no person should undergo if he could conveniently help it". This quote sums up well my feelings towards this 151 years old lady, the london Underground.

    I decided to overcome my shy addiction to the home of bats, snakes, rats, mouses, newts and mutant mosquitoes and ride the subway like everybody else to avoid aggravating London's traffic… I discovered a world where you encounter an eclectic variety of fellow travellers, from oddly-attired trendies to dozing bankers, from eccentric octogenarians to tired and emotional twenty something in fancy dress. A trip to the underground offers a wonderful snapshot of the capital's eight million residents  and its numerous visitors. There is simply no better place to people watch and to spy on other people's conversations, arguments, complaints, despair, anger…and I will not dwell on the world class advertising you can enjoy while waiting for your train!

    Our ninety minutes trip to nowhere, just riding the tube randomly with no aim but to take snapshots in a relatively wild and grey environment ended up being very profitable. We hope you will enjoy the virtual journey and the mini scenarios we have prepared for you all this week. (A.D)

navy skirt with orange underline : Cos (current, shop here) | orange silk jumper : Cos (current, shop here) | Coat : Cos | shoes : Dune | clutch : Dune | necklace : Top Shop | purple collar fur : vintage

Les Trois Garcons

    Yesterday's auction at Christies, South Kensington, hosted some 380 pieces of the phantasmagorical world of Les Trois Garcons, best known for their restaurant of the same name in Shoreditch (here). There was no way we were going to miss the opportunity to stroll around such iconic pieces of furniture, sculpture, painting, lighting and ceramic scattered in a bold juxtaposition of antiques and 20th century design. We wanted to feel the beat of their shared passion for design, get inspired by their daring use of colour, get giddy with the fantastic blend of the surreal, the chic and the eccentric.

   For those of you who live outside the UK, Les Trois Garçons ran a successful business as antique dealers and interior designers before they opened their successful and iconic restaurant in 2000. I came across them in 2010 at their Shoreditch antique shop where you would be greeted by a giant dalmatian who would guide you through the fairytale maize of their visually chic mise-en-scene two rooms shop. That was a unique experience and it came very natural to me to suggest that Sophie would wear a dalmatian mask in memory of that engraved memory.

   This post is about sharing with you the diversity and unicity of this iconic private collection, that is the reason we choose to publish so many visuals. We hope you will too, feel thrilled with this surreal atmosphere. A.D

pink top : Zara (in shops now) | black skirt : Zara | pink shoes : Top Shop | clutch : New Look

Special thanks to the staff at Christies for turning a blind eye to our audacity!