Wee Birdy

Wee Christmas finds: Gifts for fashion lovers

The new YSL book, a luxe but affordable Manolo Blahnik shoe horn, the perfect Vivienne Westwood party dress and beautifully constructed silk-satin Marni undies ... all manner of marvellous presents for lovers of fashion.

1. Bloch yellow patent ballerina flats, £105, from Net-a-porter (this links to the UK store, so be sure to select your own country before purchasing).

2. Erdem Narcisse scarf for the V&A, £185, from the V&A shop (ships internationally).

3. Sonia by Sonia Rykiel mohair-blend heart intarsia scarf, £160, from Net-a-porter (this links to the UK store, so be sure to select your own country before purchasing).

4. Marni silk-satin bandeau bra, £155, and silk-satin briefs, £97, from Net-a-porter (this links to the UK store, so be sure to select your own country before purchasing).

5. Tortoiseshell shoe horn by Manolo Blahnik for Liberty, £25, from Liberty (UK only).

6. The Fitzgerald large gold mirror spike necklace, £90, from Jennifer Loisell’s Etsy store.

7. Firework brooch, £81, by Tatty Devine (ships internationally).

8. Yves Saint Laurent by Farid Chenoune, Florence Müller, Jéromine Savignon, Bernard Blistène, £32.55, from Wee Birdy’s UK Amazon store.

9. Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Friday printed cotton dress, £395, from Net-a-porter (this links to the UK store, so be sure to select your own country before purchasing).

Birdy pick of the week

Remember Tord Boontje's garland light? It was hugely popular a few years ago, when every design-conscious abode seemed to feature a bare lightbulb cloaked in Boontje's etched metal tendrils. He's currently Head of Product Design at the Royal College of Art, and this new bird and flower charm necklace, £35, is available to pre-order from the V&A Museum.

The V&A Shop
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL
Tel. 020 7942 2687
Nearest tube: South Kensington
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Sunday 10am-5.30pm
Late night every Friday until 9.45pm

Shopping in London: V&A shop

Over the past couple of years I’ve posted quite a lot about my favourite bits and pieces from various London museums and galleries, but I’ve never delved into any great detail about the actual shops themselves. So naturally, that’s about to change…

It’s a given that any gallery-goer’s journey will end in the designated shop space – in fact their presence (and the promise of a toy dinosaur) has been used as the proverbial dangling carrot to get many a child through the tedium of an exhibition itself. But some of the world’s greatest and most-loved museums and galleries (New York’s MoMA, London’s Tate Modern, Design Museum and the V&A) have evolved in such a way that their shops are a retail (and tourist) destination in their own right.

I must confess that I’ve been guilty, on more than one occasion, of making a specific gift-buying dash to the V&A shop, without so much as a peep in at any of the permanent collection galleries (I know, shameful behaviour!). But that’s because the V&A, in particular, offers up an expertly-edited line-up of gifts, accessories, books and children’s toys – all perfect candidates for being packaged up and sent away to friends and family far away.

There's also a dedicated bookshop, with subjects spanning the worlds of design, art, fashion, textiles, jewellery, photography and architecture. And they always have an extensive range of the most gorgeous cards:

The website is also an excellent source for all manner of design-led products and accessories, and autumn/winter’s new collection has just arrived online. I’m loving the cherry brooch by Francoise Montague, squirrel ring box by Jonathan Adler, and chirpy cicada brooch.

There's also a really lovely selection of luxe hairbands and headpieces, like this little pleated beauty ...

The shop is also particularly good when it comes to accessing a clever range of kids’ toys, games and activities, starting at pocket-money prices. I’m particularly fond of the vintage-style wind-up tin toys, like this circus elephant, and these Clifford Richards cat and fairy notebooks.

The V&A also have a brilliant prints service, where you can order any print from their vast collection in the size, format and paper of your choice.

Also keep an eye out for pieces from the Cherry on a Cake collection, a brilliant line of limited edition designer collaborations, making them perfect (read: non-crap) souvenirs for tourists and London newcomers alike. Inspired by the museum’s extensive collections, you can take your pick from a stunning Grayson Perry doll (at a super-cool £4000, wow) or a Concise Book of Patterns necklace by Comfort Station. Art and history has never been so wearable.

The V&A Shop
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL
Tel. 020 7942 2687
Nearest tube: South Kensington
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Sunday 10am-5.30pm
Late night every Friday until 9.45pm

What to take home: Thames pin

This wee wriggly worm is actually a limited edition, gold-plated pin, shaped like the river Thames. Designed by Kit Grover exclusively for the London Design Museum shop, it is also reflective of the folkloric bent pin, which has been used as votive offering in many cultures. Thousands of bent pins have been found on the Thames foreshore and down hundreds of London's holy wells, which were thrown into the water to grant wishes or to allow a safe crossing. Great value for a unique London souvenir.

Thames pin, £5, limited edition of 100 by Kit Grover for the London Design Museum shop.

Going, going … Hats at the V&A

This weekend is your last chance to catch the very fabulous Hats exhibition at the V&A, which is a collaborative effort between London milliner Stephen Jones and the museum. Jones has scoured the V&A’s extensive archives to showcase not only the changing fashions in headwear over the past 17 centuries, but to throw light on the workmanship, creativity and inspiration that goes into each individual piece.

Challenging my own (rather bad) habit of visiting must-see exhibitions ‘til the final days, I caught Hats back in March, and was enthused by Jones’ clearly passionate curatorial role, which also provided many professional insights.

Personal highlights included Jones’ mod-ish Underground roundel hat for AW08, a horsehair and silk bonnet worn by Queen Victoria, and a 17th century leather jester’s cap adorned with tiny jingle bells (and not a lurid velour version in sight!). I also really loved Hussein Chayalan’s wooden egg helmet (’98), Christian Dior’s plastic cubist pillbox (’66) and Adolfor’s mushroom hat (’65). And then there’s the Norman Hartnell evening hat worn by Margot Fonteyn, and the Cecil Beaton bonnet worn by Audrey Hepburn during the Ascot scene of My Fair Lady.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is a voyeuristic glimpse into the inner sanctuary of a milliner’s studio, which Jones accurately describes as “half-Aladdin’s cave and half-artist’s studio”.

Keep an eye out for some of the choice goodies on offer in the museum shop, like these cloche hat brooches and reasonably-priced paper hats.

Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones
Closes Sunday 31 May 2009
£5 adults, £4 concessions.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL

Nearest tube: South Kensington

All images courtesy of the V&A Museum.