Local Lovin': Something Different

In Local Lovin' I am looking at designers/ stores/ creators of marvellous things/ anything else that catches my eye - all based in Glasgow. I believe that we should be supporting the talent that we have locally so have decided to start Local Lovin' as a regular feature. If you would like to be featured please get in touch! See my Contact page for details.

As many of you will know by now, I am a huge fan of glitter. And bows. And hair accessories. I feel a bit naked if I don't have something pretty perched on top of my head! Call it a fancy comfort blanket if you like! So it was with great delight many craft fairs ago that I discovered Something Different and their sparkling treasures. As well as gorgeous hair candy, designer Eilidh also creates other accessories like shoe clips and beautiful multi-coloured jewelled collar necklaces. I have mentioned Something Different in previous outfit and shopping posts  but I think that it's only right that I give them a full Local Lovin' fanfare for their services to accessory lovers everywhere!

I caught up with Eilidh and found out more about her designs and what inspires her, as well as getting an exclusive sneak peak at some new designs that will be hitting the web soon...
 
When did you start Something Different and what made you decide to do it?
I started about 5 years ago now one summer when rummaging through all my sewing things. I've always made things since I was little so a sewing machine has been a part of my life for years! From having to take things up and in, back when I was younger to whizzing up little tote bags for my friends. I've made prom dresses for myself and friends, and even made a sarong for an old boy - friend going through a David Beckham phase! I hadn't done any sewing in a while as the 9-5 job took over... So It all started out as I had a massive collection of sample fabrics and silk scarves and a creative itch! With a huge revival of all things retro and vintage I wanted to use what I had to turn in to simple hair bows. Hence the name Something Different each hairband was unique. I sold them through a friends shop in the west end to huge success and simply grew from there...

If you had to sum up the overall style of your accessories in a sentence how would you describe it?

Limited edition pieces with something suit everyone! Always girly and more importantly glitzy! 

What kinds of things inspire you to create your accessories? Are you influenced by other designers, artists or anything else?

Mainly influenced by what I love... beading, sequins, glitter and print all feature heavily in what I like and what I wear so I try and incorporate these elements in what I think my customers will like. Street style is massively important also as I love to see what and how people wear there hair accessories to inspire me to make new styles.

I love that you can be seen modelling your own creations, who else do you have in mind when you are designing your pieces?  What kinds of customers do you normally find buying your designs?

I don't aim my designs at anyone in particular and am always surprised when any piece becomes a such a success. Simple things like my valentines print bow was so popular with everyone. I have a lot of young girls that have huge collections of my bows and people that maybe make a one off purchase of that one thing they love. I love summer as it's holiday and festival time and I always think girls of every age love to go a little bit further with their accessorising.

What has been your favourite piece so far and why?

Hard to pick a favourite! (I don't blame her...)

Over the last couple of years I've seen lots of your happy customers giving testimonials online and in person at the craft fairs. What has been your proudest moment so far?

Whenever I can help anyone to get something unique I guess... I do a lot of custom orders where people come to me with an idea which is always great to turn into reality. Even people like yourself who has followed me and continued to buy new pieces all the time.  Also a friend of mine told me once she heard a couple of girls discussing my glitter bows on the bus! So I guess knowing that people are talking about the website is a great boost! 

Anything coming up soon for Something Different?

Hopefully be back in Hummingbird maybe end of August/ September time to meet all the new freshers and show off my new autumn pieces... of which I'm working on now. I love a change in seasons to push you to think of new ideas. It's such an exciting time hunting down supplies to make new creations! So watch this space... Hope everyone will love them as much as I already do!

Eilidh also  very kindly let me see some new pieces not on sale yet! These new metallic leather hair bows (shown left) are a total exclusive and will be available to buy from Sunday. I just know that people are going to LOVE these bad boys. You can find out more about Something Different, keep up to date with new events and browse their accessories on their website (which has a summer sale on at the moment!). I definitely have my eye on a few things! A huge thanks to Something Different for being part of Local Lovin'! 

Remember, if you would like to be featured as part of Local Lovin' please see my Contact page and get in touch!

Have you ever bought anything by Something Different? What is your favourite piece? Do you have a fashion comfort blanket?

Thanks for reading!

(All photos in this post are used with thanks from Something Different)

Local Lovin': Back in La La Land

In Local Lovin' I will be looking at designers/ stores/ creators of marvellous things/ anything else that catches my eye - all based in Glasgow. I believe that we should be supporting the talent that we have locally so have decided to start Local Lovin' as a regular feature. If you would like to be featured please get in touch! See my Contact page for details.

At the weekend The Boy and I popped into La La Land at De Courcy's Arcade as it had been way too long since I had last been to visit. I have blogged about the store before (back in 2011) and it was lovely to see the owner (and all-round awesome chick) Sarah, have a blether and a nosey at the new goodies that she had in store.

As ever, I felt like a kid in a fashion candy store and loved looking at all of the cute jewellery on display. From acrylic nameplate necklaces by Scottish favourites Bonnie Bling (I spied oversized OCH and PEELY WALLY designs on sale), to paper aeroplane brooches and scrabble tile rings, I had to restrain myself! Too cute. The Boy pointed out an itty-bitty inverted cross necklace but as it was displayed very closely to some Ryan Gosling jewellery I found it a little hard to focus. Ahem.

For beauty junkies, there were some fun new items like brightly coloured hair chalk, nail decals and heart-shaped hair rollers to choose from. I'm dying to try out the rollers, they look really easy to use and I love the heart shaped foam.

I noticed a lot more stationary and books in stock on this visit, and general non-jewellery/ clothes items that are just as fun as the fashion pieces . For example, prints, DIY bunting (love this!) cushions and some rather excellent colouring books by Colour Me Good. Colouring in the 90s, Hip Hop and Ryan Gosling (him again, whoops) never looked so good. And did I mention the amazing pencils (as a total stationary geek I stand by the phrase 'amazing pencils' with conviction) stamped with quotes from TV shows like Parks and Recreation, Community & Arrested Development. I'd love a 30 Rock set, but sadly it wasn't meant to be. I picked up a pack of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia pencils as a gift for a friend - at £3 they are totally inexpensive and I know she will get a real kick out of using them at the office.

On the racks of clothes I spotted adorable animal vests and the coolest anorak ever (standing firmly by that statement too) by Brat and Susie, and some new pieces by one of my new favourite indie brands, Abandon Ship Apparel. It's awesome having a boutique that stocks these brands, especially if you are unsure of sizing or fit and don't want to take the gamble of buying online. La La Land even have a little changing room so you can have your own mini fashion parade before deciding which outfits to buy.

The merchandising is still awesome, with lots of items on display but with plenty of room to browse too. The jewellery displays are still my favourites and I was pleased to see the necklaces were still on coat hangers and  smaller items, like rings, on cake stands.

Overall La La Land still has a place in my heart as being one of THE coolest boutiques in the West End for it's dedication to stocking independent brands. This coming weekend I'm taking a friend on a 'West End Tour' featuring shopping, food and general wandering and will be sure to make a trip to La La Land mandatory on our day out.

You can visit La La Land on the Lower Floor of De Courcy's Arcade on Cresswell Lane (just around the corner from Byres Road). Also, their online shop can be found here!

Have you ever been to La La Land? What is your favourite item in store? Are you a stationary geek like me?

Thanks for reading!

Local Lovin': We Are The Robots

In Local Lovin' I will be looking at designers/ stores/ brands/ creators of marvellous things/ anything else that catches my eye - all based in Glasgow. I believe that we should be supporting the talent that we have locally so have decided to start Local Lovin' as a regular feature. If you would like to be featured please get in touch! See my Contact page for details. 

This post has been a long time coming and some of you readers will already be aware of design darlings We Are The Robots (WATR) and their cute, quirky creations. The girls have been appearing at design/ craft fairs at venues such as Hillhead Bookclub, Oran Mor and Chambre 69 for as long as I can remember. I first became aware of WATR when I bought my Sheldon Cooper cameo ring (those 4 words alone just smack of awesomeness, don't they?) from them a couple of years back for a very reasonable couple of quid. The girls were also one of the first brands that I seen using the now-very-popular Scrabble tile motif in their jewellery, and I was drawn to their fun, statement designs using my favourite pop-culture icons (yes, Jim Parsons is an icon, okay?) and nostalgia-tastic items such as lego blocks. Since discovering them for myself, I have also bought a few of their pieces for friends as gifts - even for boys, seeing as some of their designs are suitable for everybody!

I wanted to hear a little more about the thought process behind their designs and the company in general so I caught up with the girls (or, as they are better known, The Robots) who were lovely enough to answer my questions...

When did you start your company and what made you decide to do it?

We have known each other for about 8 years now and met working together for a high street retailer. We became friends and after a while realised we both had crafty/design-based backgrounds and wanted to make our own jewellery.

We set up We Are The Robots (named randomly after a Kraftwerk song!) about 7 years ago and joined the Glasgow Craft Mafia, selling at markets organised by the Mafia and great events like Made In The Shade. For a while we were one of the only Glasgow based kitsch jewellery companies selling at such events.

If you had to sum up the style of your products in a sentence how would you describe it?

We try to make fun, kitsch, but also wearable jewellery, clothing and accessories.

What kinds of things inspire you to create your clothes and accessories?

We’re inspired by all manner of things! From music to pets and everything in between! We tend to design items which we like ourselves! We’re well aware of current trends, what is selling in high street stores, celebrities etc. however, we like to stick to our own designs and stand out from the crowd even if it’s not to everyone’s taste!

What kinds of customers can normally be found shopping at WATR?

It’s obviously hard to tell with online sales however at our stalls our customers are generally young girls and women, aged 16-30.

What have been your favourite pieces so far?

When we started out we sold pixel heart necklaces which we loved (and even had matching tattoos done of them, pictured right) It was always a great feeling being out and about and spotting someone wearing one of them.

In more recent times, we’re particularly fond of our kitten collars and leopard collar chains, also popular with customers.

Finally, Anything coming up soon for WATR?

We have stalls at Ecomunky at Oran Mor 28^th April, and a monthly stall at Granny Would Be Proud in the Hillhead Bookclub.

We have recently joined forces with Made In Glasgow, a platform for Glasgow based artists and designers. As well as featuring on their website we are in talks with them about future events, details of these will be released shortly.

We are updating our website constantly and coming up with new ideas all the time. For anyone interested in keeping up to date, we suggesting “liking” us on facebook or following us on twitter (@wearetherobots_) or instagram! (@wearetherobots).

A big thanks and hi-five to We Are The Robots for being featured in this week's Local Lovin'! I hope you enjoyed reading a bit more about them. I really admire their passion and the thought that goes into their collections, as well as their dedication to going their own way and being themselves (it can be so easy to forget your own principles and it's great that they don't). I look forward to seeing what they come up with in the future, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for them at future craft fairs too!

Have you ever bought anything from We Are The Robots? What is your favourite WATR piece? Do you consider Sheldon Cooper to be an icon? 

Thanks for reading!

*all pictures used courtesy of We Are The Robots*

Shops: La La Land

One if the best things about living in the West End is the shops. You won't find too many chain stores up this neck of the woods, and shoppers feel well and truly spoiled for choice with so many unique boutiques, vintage stores, gift shops and cafes to choose from. On the other hand, it can be hard to stand out in a crowd of offbeat and exclusive retailers who all try to offer a break from the norm. De Courcy's Arcade on Cresswell Lane is home to a handful of independent stores, and La La Land has quickly become my favourite store of the bunch.

La La Land opened in September 2010 and occupies a bright ground floor shop at the entrance of the arcade. The store specialises in selling clothes, accessories and gifts by cult labels and Scottish designers. After visiting the store I had to write about it, as I was blown away with the selection and cute displays and frankly wanted to buy almost everything myself!

Some of the cute jewellery displayed in-store

I recognised some of the labels on offer such as old favourites Tatty Devine and Lazy Oaf, as well as pieces by lesser-known labels like Brat & Suzie and the ever-amazing comic-strip style headbands by Janine Basil. The store displays were extremely eye-catching and quirky, such as a selection of rings and brooches on a cake stand and necklaces being displayed on coat hangers:

A selection of jewellery and accessories displayed with a La La Land twist

What sets La La Land apart from most other West End Boutiques is the attention to detail and selection of designers. There aren't many other stores that support Scottish independent labels as passionately as this one and although the store started with the aim of exclusively stocking Scottish designers, they now hand-pick unique smaller designers from all over the world. This initiative gives new talent without the opportunity for retail a platform, and La La Land are still on the lookout for new designers. The shop is run by the multi-talented Sarah Graham, who has a background in vintage retail, fashion journalism and styling. Sarah - who is also the Editor of the rather excellent Coveted Magazine (known as 'Scotland's first and only fashion magazine dedicated to supporting & promoting The Scottish Fashion Industry') - decided to open La La Land to offer a change from the busy and predictable high street, to support Scottish design and to stock the cult labels that she (and so many others, myself included) loves.

Accessories and headpieces available at La La Land (including my favourite POW! Comic-strip headbands by Janine Basil)

La La Land offers independent fashion at affordable prices - from just £3 for a set of Lazy Oaf badges, to mid-range (about £25 for a hand printed Brat & Suzie tee) and the most expensive item in store will set you back £180 (a gorgeous handmade jacket made from luxurious fabrics such as wool and mohair). The customers that walk through the door can vary from young girls to students, to the more mature customers, and even though the products sold cater predominantly to les femmes, La La Land hasn't forgotten about the guys with their 'Token Men's shelf' attracting boyfriends and hip dads alike!

Clothing includes tees by Brat & Susie, £25 and other independent designers

Sarah specially selects her stock from smaller original brands and the shop has a selection of unique pieces you will struggle to find in other stores. I chatted to Sarah about the pieces in store and she showed me her current favourites, cameo necklaces made by the super-talented Untamed Menagerie. These beauties are priced at £25/ £28 and are delicately crafted with slogans such as 'Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History' and 'Carpe Diem':

A selection of necklaces by Untamed Menagerie, £25-£28

I also enjoyed looking at other items, particularly the well-made and eye-catching tights by Les Queues de Sardines, which at £35 I may have to save for a pay-day treat:

Lightning bolt and Winged design tights, £35 by Les Queues de Sardines

La La Land are official stockists of cult labels and at times even exclusive stockists - colouring books (£7) and paper dolls (£10) by I Love Mel won't be found anywhere else and make great gifts. The store also exhibited designs by fashion illustrator Shona McGuiggan and now stocks gift cards by the designer. The shop is also open to collaborations and keeping local talent involved and there are projects and events planned for the near future. An upcoming project involves designing the shop window, and local artists specialising in fashion illustration/ patterns will be commissioned to design a display for it (which has a prominent placement on Cresswell lane). The store will also be launching its Spring/ Summer 2011 collections very shortly and the sale featuring items from Autumn/ Winter 2010 will continue for the rest of this week.

As previously mentioned, La La Land are always interested in new designers and you can get in touch with Sarah by email (please include photos of your work) or just by popping into the store in person.

Be sure to visit La La Land on your next trip to Cresswell Lane, I promise you won't be disappointed by this brilliantly cute and quirky store.

To learn more about La La Land, or to shop online visit the website
Designers/ contributors can contact the store directly at: info@livinginlalaland.co.uk

A Sunday Granny Would Be Proud Of

After that freak snowstorm the other week it was nice to wake up to a nice calm and sunny Sunday. When I looked out the window and seen the weather I couldn't wait to go for a stroll around the neighbourhood (my new favourite Sunday activity). I'd heard that Granny Would Be Proud vintage and craft fair was on at Hillhead Bookclub and being no stranger to the GWBP events or Hillhead Bookclub itself I knew it would be well worth a visit. With the promise of a lazy Sunday lunch following a browse round the stalls I was happily accompanied by my beau.

Hanging about Hillhead Bookclub on a Sunday whether there is a fair on or not is still good fun, thanks to the shabby-chic decor, relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff and great food (more on that later). While weekend regulars and visitors alike lunch on the ground floor all of the vintage and craft stalls are set up on the mezzanine looking over. Today there was an excellent selection of vendors and a few really stood out to me as being extra appealing.

First up were the friendly and very helpful guys of Eyedresser Vintage, set up at the top of the stairs next to Flamingo Bakery's tasty treats. I loved this stall and it really made me wish I needed glasses (although having to work with computers every day makes me think my spectacle-free days are numbered...). Eyedresser Vintage specialise in vintage, retro and antique-style glasses. They had literally hundreds of styles and as professional opticians they offer to expertly fit prescription lenses. The staff were very attentive and assured me that although the website isn't quite ready yet (keep checking back), they can be contacted by email at the moment (eyedresser@gmail.com). As a fifties vintage fanatic I was especially drawn to Eyedresser Vintage's cat's eye style glasses, but there were far too many fabulous frames to pick just one favourite pair.

A selection of glasses available from Eyedresser Vintage

As we wandered around the fair to an excellent soundtrack (I could have sworn they had my iPod on shuffle...) the next stall to catch my eye was the handmade goodies by Something Different. I remembered seeing this vendor from previous craft fairs, including Say No To Plastic at Oran Mor and it's always nice to see what cute creations are on offer.

Something Different's stall

Today I was especially excited by the bow-shaped shoe clips, which can be seen at the front of the table in the photo above. At first glance I assumed these were bow hairslides, but these little cuties actually clip onto the front of your shoes, instantly glamming them up from drab to fab! Genius. The shoe clips (£6), along with pretty headbands and other accessories can be purchased online at Something Different's store if you didn't make it along today and want to see more.

Lastly, but by no means least, I fell in love with some of the original handmade pieces at West End-based Pure Brass Neck's jewellery stall. With earrings, necklaces and brooches made from silver and plastic, featuring skulls and animals (two of my favourite motifs) I was truly spoilt for choice. Also, the girls at the table were cheery and approachable, which always makes for a pleasant shopping/browsing experience I think!

A selection of quirky jewellery by Pure Brass Neck

Even though I didn't buy anything from Pure Brass Neck today, something tells me I will next time. Until then, there is always the website to peruse or I am reliably informed pieces are locally stocked at Lupe Golightly (639 Great Western Road) too. Bonus!

Phew, after all that I needed a sit down and the boy was ready for food so we headed downstairs for some lunch. Hillhead Bookclub is a local haunt for many people on a Sunday and getting a table between 12 and 2pm can be slim pickings but we still managed. The brunch menu is a little more succinct compared to the lunch menu, but the prices are great and the food is yummy so no complaints here. I had the french toast & bacon (below) and the boy had the biggest burger we'd seen in a long time!

Lunch at Hillhead Bookclub (soon to be demolished by yours truly)

After a long and lazy lunch we were suitably stuffed and headed out into the sunny afternoon to walk it off. All in all, a great day.

Be sure to check out the vendors' websites (all linked above) for more info.

What did you do today?

Nice Day for a White Wedding: Gioia Mia Designs

When I was little, I wasn't like a lot of the other girls in my class. I didn't talk about what my wedding is going to be like or dream about dresses and flowers and all of the other things that come as part of the bride 'experience'. As I got older, nothing really changed and as the girls around me talked with even more enthusiasm about what kind of veils they would have and could rhyme off the whole event like a well planned-MI5 operation. They had (and I'm sure still have) their wedding day plans down to a fine science. I guess I just don't have that 'bride gene' (as some people call it), I'm not one of those girls (as lovely as you all are).

Not having been to many weddings I haven't had much reason to look at the fluffy white world of bridal wear. This year, all that is going to change. Two people very special to me are getting married and for the first time I have been asked to be a bridesmaid (twice), which is a total honour (if a little daunting) and I have also been selected to help style one of the brides. No pressure then! This means I have to sit up and start paying attention to what I used to normally call "all that bride stuff" and start to get familiar with all that comes with being involved in a wedding. As much as I am being pushed out of my comfort zone, I am still looking forward to it and have already started to look at different designers (although I have still managed to avoid cracking open a bridal magazine). Being the magpie that I am, I have eased myself in by looking at accessories first.

Bridal wear is a vast and successful industry, there are countless designers specialising in everything from shoes to fascinators. It's pretty overwhelming. There are dozens of magazines solely dedicated to advising brides on what to wear and whole events set up to help people plan their perfect wedding. Where possible, I like to check out local designers and was so pleased when Gioa Mia got in touch with me as they are just what the doctor ordered - local, talented, down-to-earth and unusual. It was enough not to scare me off (some of those bridal shops in town can just be plain scary).

Bracelet: Sterling silver, Swarovski crystal, freshwater pearls, glass (£120)

Gioa Mia are a bespoke bridal jewellery and accessory design company based in the West End of Glasgow. They have been trading for 6 years and over that time have been building up a great reputation for good customer service and attention to detail. I caught up with designer Sonia, who started the company in 2004 after designing and making all of the jewellery and accessories for a friend who was getting married. Sonia explained that her unique designs are bespoke, so each piece is created through getting to know her customers and understanding who they are, what ideas they might have and the overall feel of their wedding. Understanding what your customers want and tailoring to their needs is a huge plus point (just ask Mary Portas) and I should think that attention to detail is probably important in any bride-to-be's book.

Tiara: Swarovski crystal and Swarovski pearl (£180)

Gioia Mia designs are currently made on a commission-only basis directly from the designer which sounds expensive but the prices are very reasonable starting at £15 for earrings and can range up to £150 - £300 for a bridal tiara. The pieces are made from high-quality materials including Swarovski crystals, gemstones and sterling silver.

Earrings: Sterling silver and Swarovski crystal (£100)

It's clear that a lot of the pieces have an antique-y, whimsical feel too and it was no surprise when Sonia revealed that a lot of her designs are influenced by historical costume and design - such as Renaissance costumes or Neo-classical paintings. An excellent example can be seen in this pretty floral tiara:

Tiara comb: Swarovski pearl and crystal, freshwater pearl, rose quartz, paper buds and flowers (£160)

Giving customers the "personal touch" is certainly what sets this company apart and even the website has a warm, almost journal-like approach with real-life customer testimonials and photographs of the brides wearing the pieces as opposed to a hard, corporate sell. As well as the commission based designs, last year Sonia created her ready-to-wear collection which is aimed to be sold online and from a selection of hand-picked stockists. The ready-to-wear collection has already had a massive impact with requests from magazines and photo shoots coming in before the collection was even finished! It's no surprise that Gioia Mia continues to go from strength to strength with plans to launch an online shop later this year.

You can find more information on Gioia Mia on their website, and by joining the mailing list at info@gioiamia.net. And as for my journey into the world of bridesmaid duties? I'll keep you posted.