Wee Birdy

Sneak Peek: Tracey Neuls + Sanderson shoes

Chintz has never looked so chic since London shoe designer Tracey Neuls got her hands on Sanderson's reissued vintage textiles.

This somewhat surprising collaboration between the British heritage wallpaper company, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, and one of London's more avant-garde shoe designers will coincide with London Fashion Week next month.

Neuls' gallery-like Marylebone Lane shop (read my shop tour here) will be transformed into an eccentric English tea party, complete with a large-scale installation by sculptor Nina Saunders. And apparently birds will be involved - I await with baited breath!

Admittedly, I've got a soft spot for Neuls' rubber-soled shoes, as her mid-height heels are about as high as I can go with my rotten old arthritic toes. It hasn't been easy finding anything attractive I can actually wear, with season after season of increasingly vertiginous heels. So I can't wait to see what she's done with Sanderson's prints - her signature sculptural silhouettes combined with her penchant for dramatic contrast piping will give the chintzy florals a quirky edge. 

'Most Curious'
Footwear from Tracey Neuls
Sculptural installation from Nina Saunders
To celebrate Sanderson's 150th Anniversary
From 17 February 2010 to 30 June 2010
Tracey Neuls
29 Marylebone Lane
London W1U 2NQ
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Click here for more Wee Birdy shop reviews on Marylebone Lane.

Wee find: Rae Jones boots

I couldn’t believe my eyes a couple of weeks ago – September 1 to be exact – when I walked down to my local café and stumbled upon the first conkers of the season. It’s like somebody orchestrated the Official Arrival of Autumn down to the exact placement of the shiny brown nuts on the footpath.

I do love the transitional seasons in England, but I can’t get away from the fact that Autumn means that I can finally slip my feet back into my beloved boots, and experiment with fancy hosiery (Eley Kishimoto’s AW09 geometric patterns are high on my wishlist this season).

One British shoe designer to watch this season is Rae Jones, whose second collection of four core styles – a range of flats, everyday mid-heels, an evening range of high heels and flat winter boots – is inspired by ‘40s designers Beth and Heubert Levine.

I particularly love the tan flat boots (see top), with its diamond pattern detail and folded-down top. Prices start at £160, and are available from Poste Mistress and Labour of Love. Keep an eye on her website, which should be transactional by the end of September.
www.raejones.com

Shopping in London: Browns' new shoe store

What’s that you hear? Oh don’t mind me - that’s just the pounding of my wee heart as I race to post these pics of Brown’s brand-spanking new shoe store, which opens its doors on Brook Street tomorrow.

As London’s very first dedicated shoe boutique to carry a variety of up-market international designers as well as emerging talent, Browns has created what sounds like the ultimate shoe experience with repair services, bespoke shoes and upcoming “special events”. The downstairs mens’ floor comes complete with its own wireless laptop service and a line-up of designers including Commes des Garcons, Lanvin, Raf Simons and Rick Owens.

And in a move that will compete with Liberty’s new-ish designer shoe floor, Browns will be carrying its own line-up of exclusive designs by the likes of Balenciaga, Balmain, Rupert Sanderson and Martin Margiela.

It all sounds defiantly anti-recession to me, which is reinforced by Browns’ comment that shoes are its “fastest growing category, having doubled year on year since their introduction two years ago.” 

That may be so, but I’ll be desperately trying to hang on to my pennies come opening day tomorrow.

Browns Shoes
59 Brook Street
London W1K 4HS
Tel. 020 7514 0000

Nearest tube: Bond Street
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Read more about shops in Mayfair.

Not-so-wee heels pictured: Marni coloured platforms with bow, £390.

All images courtesy of Browns.

“My Secret London” with Jess G. from Cult Beauty

To kick-start this brand-new series, we asked Jess Gearheart, creative director and blog editor of uber-cool new online women's beauty destination, Cult Beauty, to share her London secrets with Wee Birdy readers. And my, she's really spilled on the good stuff ... Dig in, my dears.

Favourite London shops?
"One of my favourites is now closed. It was Mootich shoe shop on Elizabeth Street. Katarina's shoes were hand-crafted and stunningly gorgeous and the little studio was so welcoming and Dickensian in size and feel ... perfect.
Sari shops on Brick Lane and Southall for their endless vibrant fabrics and row upon row of sparkling bangles.
Huntsman and Henry Poole on Savile Row because they're some of the last true tailors left on a street that is swiftly filling up with posers trading falsely on the Savile Row name.
Ormonde Jayne because it's diminutive and black and filled with marvellous scents.
The Village Deli in Highgate because they make American-style coffee."

Best for a bargain?
"A bargain? Does it exist in London? I always make a beeline for the 'Buy Now or Regret It Forever' rack at Topshop (in the back right corner of the basement) and have bought some of my coolest pieces there. If you can stomach the insanity of the sample sales, check out Fashion Confidential or Urban Junkies for the best and most up-to-date listings. The Century Theatre in Westbourne Grove always has something going on (Paul & Joe, Temperley, Matthew Williamson et al) and so does The Music Room on South Molton Lane (i.e. Hermes, Prada)."

A Music Room sale

Best for vintage?
"Annie's on Camden Passage for dresses and Blondie/Absolute Vintage on Commercial Street for accessories and shoes. Go to charity shops in the country for real bargains because you won't find them in London. Vintage does not come cheap in the Big Smoke. Actually, now that I think about it, Change of Heart in Crouch End is great for vintage finds, as it's off the beaten track. I found the most beautiful DVF dress with tags still on marked down to 100 quid. Still, like I said, not terribly cheap. You could also try The Button Lady in Hampstead."

Best for fashion?
"Matches for Sum Fortune shoes. Spitalfields Market for one-off dresses and jackets. COS for simple, essential pieces like ballet flats, shift dresses, vests and jeans. And they sell slips! GAP for summer sandals (because they have a brilliant European design team). Wolford on South Molton Street for the best opaque tights. You can buy an entire, beautiful wardrobe from those stores and, although it's not, it'll look super expensive and put-together."

Sum Fortune shoes.

Best for jewellery?
"Blondie for vintage jewels; Kabiri on Marylebone High Street for precious and semi-precious stones; and Tatty Devine on Brick Lane for quirky pieces like cassette tape brooches, name plate necklaces or Rob Ryan cut-outs. Astley Clarke is the best online jeweller in town and will deliver same-day courier service and gift-wrapped. Belmacz does the most beautiful high-end pieces. So does Alexandra Jefford and she takes commissions."

Best for interiors and gifts?
"Palette London and The Design Museum."

Best for stationery?
"Liberty and Hazlitz. Liberty for traditional stuff and brands like Billet Doux and Hazlitz for cool stuff no one else will have."

Best for beauty?
"Facials: Monique Horsey (great at extractions) or Sarah Chapman for facials. Una Brennan and Vaishaly Patel are good too but you need to book waaaaaaaay in advance for those ladies.
Nails: Teresa Smith because she'll come to you. Get a buffed finish. It last longer.
Hair: Karine Jackson for colour and I usually cut my own hair (yes, I know I shouldn't).
Shopping online: Cult Beauty for the best beauty finds online without having to dig around for them, of course. The Cult Beauty blog or Vogue.co.uk for beauty news.
Shopping in-store: If I want to browse in-store I go to Urban Retreat, Space NK, Lost in Beauty or Content Beauty/Wellbeing [Top Bird: shop tour of Content Beauty/Wellbeing coming soon!]. Content Beauty/Wellbeing is an all-natural shop with the best selection of natural and organic products I've ever seen, both online and in-store. And they do Dr. Alkaitis facials, which no one else in London does.
Spas: Bloww does great massages, Bliss is good for a New Yorker who misses her American spa treatments and Origins do mini-facials in-store, as do Simple (both based in Covent Garden).
Fragrance: Les Senteurs for hard-to-find fragrances or Ormonde Jayne in the Royal Arcade for my go-to scents, Frangipani and Ormonde Woman.
Eyebrows and lashes: Vanda Serrador or Vaishaly for threading and Sue Marsh for Eye-tec false eyelashes. Marsh does the most artistic and cool lashes in town. She'll come to you or you can visit her at Daniel Galvin in Marylebone. They'll stay on for a Very. Long. Time.
Waxing: Otylia Roberts or Bloww. Just go. Otylia is the best. She does the least painful Brazilian in Europe. Bloww is the second least painful."

Content Beauty/Wellbeing.

Best London souvenir?
"Until it opens in New York, a Topshop dress and accessories; Organic Pharmacy shampoo and conditioner; BECCA concealer and beach tints [pick them up at Harvey Nichols]; sugar mice; Cadbury Flake; and new music that hasn’t arrived in the U.S. (Adele is just making it stateside)."

Favourite place to eat?
"There are four: Afghan Kitchen for a cheap night out and BYOB; the Grain Shop when I'm in west London and want a mound of healthy food (and sweets) to take away; Ottolenghi for brunch and 32 Old Bailey (but only on Balkan Fever night!) for a night of silly dancing. Also, on a sunny day I wouldn't complain if a mate invited me for Pimm’s and nibbles and poolside fun on the roof of Shoreditch House."

Salads at Ottolenghi.

Your number one London shopping secret?
"Stay away from Portobello Market. It's a waste of time, money and energy. Visit the other ones instead and go either really early or really late. There's no other city in the world with the street market culture of London. There's Columbia Road for flowers, Borough for food, Camden Passage for antiques and so many other smaller local ones (e.g. Broadway Market in Hackney et al)."

Click here for a Wee Birdy map of Jess G's Secret London addresses.
Check out Jess's must-read blog on niche skincare and cosmetics brands at Cult Beauty.

Super thanks and big birdy kisses to Jess for her generous tips and advice.

London shopping: Tracey Neuls

Today we’re heading back to Marylebone Lane and the bijou boutique at number 29 which is home to Tracey Neuls and her eponymous collection of shoes.

I’ve often walked past the window and marvelled at the Canadian designer’s unconventional approach to visual merchandising. Here, shoes are displayed like an installation, hanging in rows from the ceiling.

The artsy connection doesn’t end there. The shoes really are “pieces” and reflect the designer’s taste for the theatrical. Her premium Tracey Neuls label is beautifully hand-crafted in Italy with extraordinary attention to detail. But unlike a pretentious hands-off gallery, these elegant shoes are utterly wearable, with lots of low hand-carved conical wooden heels and flats (joyous news for this arthritic ol’ birdy!).

The current Tracey Neuls summer collection (on its way out and on sale with 30 per cent off) features lots of patent leather in ripe, juicy colours like apple green, sky blue and cherry, with distinctive girlish and vintage-inspired details including contrast piping, oversized buttons, duplicate buckles and peep-toes.

Her other label, TN_29, is made in Portugal and showcases a more muted, neutral palette with a less “produced” quality. I love the soft leather tie-front sandals in tan and black.

Apart from shoes, there’s a selection of tights and soft, slouchy leather bags in black, red and grey with covetable circular wooden handles. Neuls is also the only English stockist for German designer Girl and the Gorilla’s range of delicate crocheted headbands (£40), cotton crocheted gloves (£75) and wrist bands.

There’s also a changing line-up of artists taking residence on the shop’s walls, reinforcing the notion of shop-come-gallery.

Overseas readers will be pleased to hear they can purchase online, with the new Autumn/Winter collection hitting the website soon. Stay tuned…

Tracey Neuls
29 Marylebone Lane, London
United Kingdom, W1U 2NQ
Tel: 0207 935 0039

Nearest tube: Bond Street

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Friday 11am – 6.30pm
Monday and Sunday 12 noon – 5pm

For more shops in Marylebone, click here.
For more shops in West London, click here.