Tag Archives: shopping

Hot on the Highstreet Week 271

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Earlier this week I visited Marseille for a weekend, and was delighted to find a few unique little shops that I wanted to tell you about. This southern French city is big and particularly popular with tourists during the summer months. The Eurostar has recently introduced a direct service from London and so I predict the destination will see a lot more British tourists in the coming years.

chez lucas

Chez Lucas – this den of salvaged French vintage items is great fun to explore. From 1950s school maps to retro glassware, you will find everything you could need to make a perfectly old-fashioned French home. Prices are reasonable and the owner may even let you bargain him down.

Manufactures Françaises – this is a new boutique outpost of Maison Empereur, the popular French concept store in Marseille. The shop is found in Panier, the oldest district of the city and is instantly alluring from the street. This little treasure trove only opened in April stocking a range of traditional, design-focussed products including colognes, soaps, homeware, straw hats, smocks and old games.

Marseille shop

La Grande Savonnerie – The city of Marseille is famous for its soap, though only a few authentic shops remain.  La Grande Savonnerie is one of the best, and customers are able to personalise their bars of soap with their own message. Opt for the traditional flavour, Savon de Marseille made from olive oil and other natural ingredients.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 261

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Dosa at Egg sounds more like an Indian breakfast dish than a pop-up shop in Knightsbridge. Egg is a beautiful boutique that is usually known for its discreet white exterior and muted simple clothing. The Dosa pop-up at Egg is a blast of brightness, a collaboration of two artists (Christina Kim and Sam Schonzeit) and everything is pink. Needless to say this made me extremely happy.

The Dosa summer 15 collection is named ‘untitled pink field’ and is lively and high spirited. A beautiful collection of lightweight, floaty garments that showcase a range of rose hues. Smock dresses and billowing shirts make for the perfect summer wardrobe. The clothing collection is displayed on minimalist industrial rails in front of a wall installation inspired by the lotus pink sunsets of Myanmar and the pink-robed Buddhist nuns of Bagan. It is a patchwork collage of neon pink and white postcards, which are also available to buy individually.

In true Egg style there are cherries and cupcakes (all pink of course) for shoppers to pick at and pretty peonies adorning the entrance. It is a gloriously celebration of the colour pink and an immersive experience for fashion and design enthusiasts.

egg
37 Kinnerton Street London
www.eggtrading.com

Exhibition open
5th June – 25th June
10am – 6pm
Monday  – Saturday

Hot on the Highstreet Week 260 – Shopping in Edinburgh

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Considering it is the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh’s highstreet has a poor selection of brands to splash your cash at. Students have to make do with H&M, Topshop and Primark, they isn’t even a Uniqlo for your basic buys. There are plenty of designer boutiques on offer, including the smart department store Harvey Nichols, and for tourists there is an abundance of tartan and shortbread stores. When I visited last weekend I went on the hunt for a few interesting independent shops for high quality, quirky designs that inspire you to spend.

Life Story – I loved the look of this concept store from the exterior and interior. This little design shop stocks a range of brands from all over the world, including interior items from Ferm Living from Copenhagen, Washi Tape from Japan and knitwear from Hilary Grant. The items are beautifully displayed and often have a paper tag explaining their existence.

Dick’s – A stylish menswear shop offering a carefully curated collection of clothes, accessories and homeware. Chic men can completely kit out their wardrobe and homes here with striped naval jumpers from Andersen-Andersen, crockery from Koninklijke Makkum Tichelaar and notebooks from La Compagnie du Kraft Mikro. I fell in love with the luxurious flannel grey cashmere scarf made by Begg + Co.

Hannah Zakari – This wacky shop sells affordable and fun handmade jewellery by Hannah Zakari. The perfect place to pick up a unique gift or souvenir of your stay in Edinburgh. I loved the perspex weather stud earrings, depicting varying weather conditions. The shop also sells art work, look out for the quaint prints by Kate Broughton.

Walker Slater – This beautiful shop stocks the finest tweed in Edinburgh. Promoting the heritage of Scotland but offering modern tailoring and bespoke suits, this is the place to get stunning Scottish outfit. Walker Slater also have a range of sophisticated accessories and sell a few select British brands like Albert Thurston. There is now a womenswear shop too, just down the road from the original store.