Last weekend, I attended a lovely wedding in Chorley, Lancashire (England). Among the many highlights were the vintage coaches provided for guest transportation to the ceremony and reception. Available for hire through Cumbria Classic Coaches, these 1940s- and 50s-era coaches (with charming names like "Florence" and "Harvey") are full of deco details and upholstered in gorgeous, Japanese-inspired velvets. The photos above are mostly of "Florence", a green and cream 1948 AEC Regal. The company also furnished the charming 1936 Rover which served as the bride and groom's getaway car.
Robert Ryan Papercuts & Screenprints
We're tickled to have just discovered London artist Rob Ryan on Etsy. We must have been asleep at the wheel these last few years to have missed such a remarkable talent. (Imagine us motoring to Las Vegas and somehow managing to miss the Strip despite a thicket of glittering lights, pink flamingos, pirate's canons, wedding chapels, and Arthurian towers - a scene not unlike Mr. Ryan's fairytale-like, intricate creations.) Mr. Ryan's exquisite paper cuts, which he has parlayed into silk screens, tiles and textiles, have been commissioned by Paul Smith and Project Alabama, among others, and and he has decorated the shop windows at Liberty. His artwork can be purchased here.
English Wedding Invitations
We debuted several new letterpress wedding invitations at the Designer Wedding Show in London last month, including several elegant designs inspired by the traditional English wedding invitation - a simple folded card with plain type and reply details printed on its face (no ticking of boxes for the truly traditional!). We couldn't resist adding a small hint of our signature vintage-inspired flare, of course!
Photographs by Sara Remington.
My Story
We were thrilled to receive our advance copy of My Story, by Mitchell Symons, from Headline Books last week - just in time for Mother's Day in the UK! The book is a guide to writing your own autobiography and includes a blank journal with plenty o' pages to fill with all your juiciest tales! Hello!Lucky's talented Shauna Leytus designed the covers (way to go, Shauna!). This is our second project with Headline; the last one was Left Bank, by Kate Muir and we're working on Ms. Muir's next title as we speak. Many thanks to Headline Books, and the lovely Ami Smithson, with whom we worked on this project!
The Designer Wedding Show
Most bridal fairs tend to be overwhelming, replete with bad wedding singers and puff-sleeved bridal wear, so we generally try to avoid them like a bride-to-be avoids Ben & Jerry's. We make an exception for London's Designer Wedding Show, held this past weekend in Battersea Park.
The Designer Wedding Show is a wonderful feast/fantasy for the bride-to-be, and a tolerable weekend afternoon for grooms. (Note: We have suggested that the organizers add a groom's salon, where one can tip back a pint and watch football while the ladies try on gowns. We are still awaiting a response.)
Some highlights: gorgeous wedding flowers and table centrepieces from eminent florist Jamie Aston; exquisitely detailed gowns by Sassi Holford and Barcelona-based coutourier Pronovias; fun, 50's-inspired frocks by relative newcomer Candy Anthony (who herself is a traffic-stopping style icon); effortlessly elegant gowns by celeb couturier Bruce Oldfield; and stunning hats by our favorite London milliner, Rachel Trevor-Morgan. Of course, we were there, too debuting our latest custom designs for our letterpress wedding invitations.
The next show is in October 2008 - mark your calendars!
Letter from London: Bermondsey & Borough High Street
The neighborhood encompassing Bermondsey Street and Borough High Street is the home of Hello!Lucky's London studio, located at the historic Leathermarket building. Just steps away from our studio, we absolutely adore the Garrison Pub for its gorgeous, vintage style and its incredible gastro-pub-style food. Also on Bermondsey Street: the headquarters and London retail outlet of Terra Plana, a wonderful design studio that creates stylish, environmentally sustainable shoes and boots created from recycled materials. And of course there is the Fashion & Textile Museum, currently exhibiting Peacocks & Pinstripes: A Snapshot of Masculine Style. We also adore Holly & Lil, the couture dog accessory designer that also happens to stock Hello!Lucky's letterpress printed greeting cards. And finally, there is the historic Borough Market, home of the juiciest organic produce and gourmet fare in London.
Letter from London: King's Road
Despite becoming more dominated by chain stores recently, we still love visiting King's Road in Chelsea to check out some of our favorite shops in London. This week, the post-Christmas sales were on, making the treasure hunt even more fun (especially from those of us who are earning in the North American peso!).
Couverture, which is soon making the move to Notting Hill, always has wonderful home decor and a great children's section. We loved this tea cozy as well as their vintage-inspired patterned ottomans. They also carry these fabulous wool lemon pillows by the Jonathan Adler.
We love pouring through the wallpaper pattern books at Osborne & Little -- they always strike the perfect balance between vintage elegance and contemporary style. We covet every single pattern in their Vintage collection!
Cath Kidston is always good for some sweet, kistchy pieces. We love her textiles, in particular these cheery oven gloves and mits. Her books are a great resource for those looking for ideas for using vintage fabrics for creative DIY projects.
A newcomer we noticed on the block is lovely brasserie Napket. The restaurant's design combines warm lighting, natural wood, and vintage pieces like this witty fork chandelier. Offering "snob food" (with tongue firmly in cheek!) the ambiance is hip and earthy - reminded us of Craft, one of our favorite places to dine in NYC.
And then, of course, there is Designers Guild, which always offers a feast of fabulous design. We especially love their children's section.
Letter from London: Pimlico Road Design District
We love looking at interior design for inspiration for our stationery and London's recently-rejuvenated Pimlico Road Design District is one of our favorite resources for a vintage-inspired aesthetic, particularly 18th and 19th century English and French. Nestled just a few blocks away from Sloane Square, Pimlico houses some of London's most lovely antique furniture and interiors firms featuring classic, vintage design.
Westenholz Antiques specializes in gorgeous 18th and 19th century British furniture - we love the ornate details and lines on this opaline glass and gilt metal lamp base.
Renowned interior designer Jane Churchill has a quintessentially English classic-meets-modern aesthetic. We love the beach theme currently featured in her store window.
The wonderful Appley Hoare Antiques transports us instantly to the Paris flea markets (Les Puces) at Clingnancourt - we love the piles of yellowed, old French paperback books and ultra-worn 18th century sofas and armoires. For more inspiration, this aesthetic is perfectly captured in The New Eighteenth-Century Style: Rediscovering a French Decor (Harry N. Abrams, 2006), available here.
Other favorites on the square: Marston and Langinger, the renowned designer of English glass observatories, and Daylesford Organic, a lovely country-inspired bakery and deli that offers fresh organic eats.
Above: Opaline lamp bases and skull in the window of Westonholz Antiques; chaise at Westonholz Antiques; sea-themed window at Jane Churchill Interiors; French paperback books at Appley Hoare Antiques; French florist jugs at Appley Hoare Antiques; French writing desk at Appley Hoare Antiques; French moulds at Appley Hoare Antiques; Vintage French price tags at Appley Hoare Antiques.