Maison Sauvage

After over two years of commuting, drunken nights falling asleep on the train home and missing my stop, or staying on whatever floor I could find to crash, last summer I made the big move from my quaint little village in Bucks to East London. A quaint little share flat it was already perfectly filled with loads of bric a brac, books, art posters and some very interesting but beautiful pieces of pottery. My kind of place! It was only a few months ago that i discovered these unusual pieces of art were in-fact the hard work of my previous room owner - Nicole Mueller. Having only met Nicole a few times but along with stories from my flatmates it is clear just how dedicate and deeply creative this girl is. Hailing from Germany and inspired by artists such as Dutch ceramicist and designer Hella Jongerius, Nicole headed over to the UK to complete her MA at Central St Martins. Maison Sauvage (which was selected by and is now stocking at Wolf & Badger!!) is Muller's eye catching collection, characterised by the use of strong neon lines and quirky shapes, the collection aims to reflect the 'present day patchwork family'. I love her use of simple but strong shapes that are both uniformed but un-uniformed, and the whole inspiration behind her workings. With my expanding role into the world of gallery curating and art press - i very much hope that i can get Nicole's next collection exclusively launching at our brand new gallery!

Apart from gaining an exclusive space at Wolf & Badger - the new concept store space (see previous poppy entries) Nicole is off to the states to work with fellow ceramic artist and friend Andrea Faith Martin...watch this space

www.maisonsauvage.de

Friday Musique and Madness

Ohhh i love Stereo Total and i love friday, so what better way to sign off for the weekend than sharing it with you ! Favourite Album has to be Musique Automatique...mainly because thats the one i've been listening to the most! But all the same despite the fact these guys are from Germany its made me come over feeling all French and creative! Bizarre! The excessive amount of Beechams i have been on may have added to todays madness but hey ho, thats life! So here is a little clip of this brilliantly awesome strange musical collective....

Im feeling like i should be in aztec prints, dark sunglasses, fag in one hand german beer in teh other hanging out with equally as strange individuals, sharing our love of Stereo Audio and all things creative. This i'm thinking should all be taking place in a brown styled bar in east london..of course! Suitably cliche..but i feel inspired...Poppy Cleopatra euro mash up night on the cards? Maybe not when i've come to my sense and off the drugs.

Just noted the amount of ! i have used...but its friday and i'm all excited..so fuck you if you don't like it!!!!!!!!!!

And Today i will be....

With credit card in hand...I salute you

So its taken a little longer than planned to get this piece up..but things have been manic and maybe i am still recovering a little from the launch party and the endless drinks i HAD to attended since! Oh dear. Anyway back to the point and Notting Hill has finally been given a new lease of life lets face it it needed something new!) as last week saw the launch of new concept store space Wolf and Badger - oh and what a beauty it is! Set up by hand bag designer Zoe Knight and her partner art gallery owner Samir Caric , Wolf and Badger aims to be a store but not a store, but a unique lifestyle space that provides a platform for some of the best design talent from the UK and beyond. Designers have to apply to be apart of The Badger, and if selected they get the opportunity showcase their amazing, individual innovative creations that can span across fashion, accessories, jewellery and homeware. Its a treasure chest of exciting new talent and offers a unique and most importantly cheap opportunity for upcoming creatives to show and sell their creations.

The launch night was an absolute success - not just for the yummy cocktails on offer but the store really lived up to its kooky name, beautifully designed and mystically inspired site and pre launch hype! Cocktails aside i was presented with an impressing array of eclectic pieces from a wide selection of both unique and upcoming talent and established designers. Only a few designers were selected for the opening but highlights included established brand Felder Felder's leather studded pieces and a beautiful jacket from Maria Francesca Pepe.

A beautiful store, a great idea and two individuals who are dream mentors for anyone looking to take that selling step in the industry. I suggest even if you don't plan on spending money you head down there and check it out..!

Wolf&Badger

46 Ledbury Road

Notting Hill

London W11 2AB

Mon-Sat 10am 6pm

Sunday: 11am 5pm

Save Our Small Smalls...

Available at Topshop Online - probably not instore

Arrrr Valentines….and surprise surprise, magazines and sites are awash with top underwear picks! I have a very very serious problem with this, not because I don’t like valentines (infact I don’t really mind it and am not adverse to being spoilt) but because the underwear reviews seem to be pretty much tailored to those lucky individuals blessed with breasts. This isn’t just a seasonal problem but an ongoing one, it just seemed like the perfect time to have a moan..its a tuesday after all and still three days until the weekend!

I have struggled for longer than I wish to remember to deck out my 34 A chest in a simple style at a simple price! Underwear sections are banned on shopping trips and I have long given up trailing the stores to find something simple, not under-wired, not padded that still retains a touch of maturity (e.g not looking like a training bra). I’m not going to completely slate the lack of the underwear industries insight – there are some beautiful pieces and triangle bras out there for those of us who could earn a wedge from BA to use our chest as a runway, but these tend to be so god dam frilly its not meant for everyday wear. – instead it deserves to be framed and mounted on the wall as a piece of art. Also do I look like I can afford £50 odd quid for a bra??

I am not convinced I am the only one who can only wear soft unpadded underwear and who would like to feel they can enjoy the pleasures of underwear shopping without the MYLA price tag. SO just a little plea to all you designers, business brains, high street chains, journalists and stylists – please can we do something about this and maybe next valentines day think outside the box when it comes to underwear features???

My Round Up ....

Online is definitely the way forward at the moment...as there is a much bigger selection - downfall? I want to enjoy shopping in a store and try on styles.

Bralets - both on trend and unpadded - perfect. Except can we get a few styles without the underwire and a bit better stretch support? I don't know why but i really dislike Topshop, however they do have a great selection....

Throw away associations with training bras and try some snuggly fitting crop tops - these keep you feeling supported but look great under a denim shirt and exposed slightly! I just picked up some great ones at Primark - 2 for £4!

Last but not least - embrace and just be happy in the thought you will not have back problems and can wear your underwear as outwear without looking stupid - something that will be big for S/S10!

Sleigh Bells ring....are you listening?

On tour with Major Lazer and Yeasayer later in the year, none of their forthcoming dates are in the Uk ...booooo! But im still loving Sleigh Bells work...although not so much the name, to much of an association with Christmas. With Festival line ups all starting to be announced i have no doubt these guys will be appearing on more than a few billings....

Crown On The Ground by Sleigh Bells

A New Mutant Breed Of Sound

MUX MOOL

A self confessed nerd, Lindgren aka Mux Mool has been weaving and criss crossing his way across the country for many years, collecting records, loops, samples and partying a bit (a lot) along the way too...! A new mutant breed of sounds, the Mools obsession began like many, from an early age with a cheap toy keyboard. With a hunger for always creating something new and an extrovert imagination Mux mixes his nerdy passion for technology, love of sounds including hip hop, dub and electro to bring a wholly individual new breed of sci fi homespun electro that is equally as weird as it is listenable and wonderful! A piece of art as much as a piece of music, Mux's work is like looking at the inside of a computer - complicated but compiled perfectly.

Single Lady his 'First' release (not necessarily true - just adds to the labels PR bumf) was out at the end of January and expect his 2010 full-length debut, SKULLTASTE, in March....PR BLURB - the culmination of years of toil and experimentation, gathering Lindgren’s myriad talents and obsessions into one gloriously sprawling document. I will update you on a real persons verdict when i get the album...but i have a feeling it will be pretty good.

PARENTHETICAL GIRLS

Members: Zac Pennington, Rachael Jensen, Jherek Bischoff

Hometown: Portland, OR

Record Label: Slender Means Society (their very own)

Simple, complicated, unique, pop music..i can't quite work out this band, but its probably why i'm such a big fan. Their music is easy listening pop and uncomplicated but from the lyrics and meandering melodies to the cover artwork, each release seems steeped in history, stories and individual personality - and now they have come up with another clever, complicated, beautiful masterpiece! Ever the pragmatists, Parenthetical Girls are set to release ' Privilege' their new full length, as a box set of five extremely limited 12" EPs on their own Slender Means Society label. Wether you like the music or not the brilliant artwork on their releases is enough to invest and commit yourself to collecting all five!Each 12" will feature artwork by the Swedish illustrator Jenny Mörtsell (see top picture) and will be hand-numbered in the blood of the core members. Weird but fitting for the first of the 5 releases,'Privilege Part 1 is titled 'On Death & Endearments'....and is released on the 23rd February....I LOVE IT!You can't get it in store but via their very own Slender Means Society

As the cycle concludes in May of 2011, the fifth and final 12" will come packaged in a beautiful, aesthetically cohesive LP box designed to house all four of the preceding releases, forming the complete Privilege album.