Filed under: History, Modern Nostalgic, Shopping, Vintage | Tags: archive, British, department, design, fabric, heritage, history, interiors, Liberty, London, pattern, shop, store, tour, Tudor
Today was an extra exciting jaunt to Liberty, as myself and a dear friend were treated to a whistle-stop tour of the lesser- spotted aspects of Liberty’s history.
Meeting Anna, the in-house archivist for Liberty at the appointed hour in Customer Services, we were whisked downstairs and across the narrow street to the original frontage of the building (now owned by clothing brand COS), where Anna asked us to walk a little further on and raise our heads to the skies…
Above, barely seen, are huge Oriental style columns and carvings, which marked Liberty’s original raison d’être as an Oriental Emporium; bringing luxury exotic goods to the (albeit well-heeled) masses.
When Liberty opened its doors in 1875, built on a loan of £2,000 from Arthur Liberty’s future Father-in-law, and with just 3 staff, it was excellent timing. Liberty offered its clientele objets d’art, luxurious rugs and fabrics at the height of fashion with the public clamouring for desirable Eastern exoticism mixed with the comforting backbone of British tradition, and a sort of passionate longing for a romanticised Heritage which described the ideals of the Pre-Rapahelite movement.
As we re-trace our steps and walk back to the entrance, Anna tells us to look up again at the strange little bridge between the original building and the newer part that Liberty now inhabits. This was specifically built to join the two sides together, but with the written stipulation that “…should one of the buildings be sold and used by another company, the bridge should immediately be pulled down. Which means, of course, that it shouldn’t still be standing,” Anna laughed, “though as it’s been listed, I think it’s pretty safe now.”
The Tudor facade of the building we now think of as Liberty was actually built while the original building underwent refurbishments, so they could continue trading; and was chosen to stand for all that the ultra fashionable householder could desire – the entire building was meant to be a kind of Show Home Par Excellence. And indeed, for a price, you could walk in and have the exact carvings and “draped linen” effect wooden panels in your own home – built and furnished entirely by Liberty. Very nice, too. Put me down for one of everything, please!
Climbing into one of the quirky wooden lifts, Anna remarks that people who work on Liberty occasionally like to gently poke fun at a certain kind of wide-eyed tourist, by loudly acclaiming the wonders of their “original Tudor lifts.” The thought of this amused me greatly, though as we guffawed, I couldn’t help noticing the slightly crestfallen face of the lady standing beside us, and hoped we hadn’t crushed her marvelling at the advanced technology of those Tudor types. Bless.
The dark wooden beams and chunky Heraldic carvings in the 1920’s Tudor style building that so epitomises the Liberty aesthetic were actually taken from two massive ships, the HMS Impregnable and HMS Hindustan. The frontage of the building on Great Marlborough Street was supposedly constructed to be the same length and width as the Hindustan, though to Anna’s knowledge this has never been absolutely verified. It’s a pleasing thought, so let’s just imagine it’s true and leave it at that.
There is definitely the salty tang of the sea about Liberty’s interior. Perhaps it’s all the creaking timbers and the way it’s laid out, but one can certainly imagine you are all aboard the Good Ship Liberty, a proud galleon of British idealism, all oak leaves and marigolds, in full sail, carrying exotic goods gathered from each corner of the Empire.
Trotting through the store at a cracking pace, startling crowds and scattering tourists as we went, Anna got us to notice the way the wood is treated differently in certain areas – variously varnished, gilded, painted, and (horrifically, in my opinion) bleached with vagaries of fashion and reflecting the changes of what is seen as ‘good taste’ in different eras. “In the sixties they wanted everything modern and new, none of this old stuff, so the thought was that the woods was far too dark. So they either ripped bits of it out or had a go at bleaching it.”
Some of the wood was re-stained, some left as it was, and this adds to that patchwork Make Do and Mend, higgledy-piggledy nature of the place. And this is the way it has always been, the building is constantly changing shape with use, and so it should. This is a living, breathing business, not a museum piece trapped in aspic.
Luckily they didn’t destroy too much if the original carvings, but a great deal of the original plaster work was chiseled out. In a few places you can still see the moulded oak leaves and ornate ceilings that would have been everywhere, but most walls are plain these days.
The tea rooms originally used to be in the basement, the clue to this being the tiled walls, though this now fits very well with the menswear section and traditional style barbershop that now lives here. In what is now used as the hat department, along one wall, is a huge and incredibly ornate safe with a massive lock. “This used to be the jewellery department, and they kept the most valuable pieces locked away.”
Luxury leathers, now full of designer bags, once housed Liberty’s Goods In delivery area. “The street that runs alongside it was once a quiet little alleyway, so perfect for having their deliveries brought into; but when the street became more wealthy and successful, the store had to increase its frontage and entrance ways to entice the shoppers in, so the area became prime floor space instead.”
Liberty has changed to meet the world around it, too, then, just as it has changed internally over the years. As we cautiously peered over the railings on the top floor, Anna bade us look right down to the ground below. It’s a rather dizzying sensation, I can tell you. Next, she showed us another section in which a floor had been inserted in the 1960’s, again to maximise floor space, which is understandable but rather regrettable, like much of the Sixties architectural choices, if you ask me. She said, sounding like Prince Charles. ;-p
When I’m usually in Liberty, my eyes are darting from one one thing to the next, there is so much to see you quite literally don’t know where to look next. It’s quite wonderfully exhausting, just trying to take it all in; every surface laden with goodies.
My favourite throughout the whole tour was the way Anna would suddenly pause and point out the things you normally miss amidst the sumptuous offerings. “Look, there’s one!” she exclaims, and we creep closer to the window she’s pointing at, peering at the tiny fragment of stained glass the window pane had been patched with.
“There are simply loads of these scattered through the whole of Liberty’s,” Anna explained. They would buy up antiques and old windows in auctions and patch the glass whenever a bit got broken or damaged.
Larger clues to the original look of the Liberty Ideal Home are found in the many fireplaces around the building, dating from various periods in Liberty’s history.
Anna explained this informal way of displaying goods for sale was quite revolutionary. Instead of just relying on special cabinets and shop fittings, Liberty revelled in the backdrop of the building itself to best display their wares: rugs draped over wooden railings, fabrics arrayed over antique tables, baskets arranged in fireplaces – just as they are today.
Fabrics must be what Liberty is most famous for selling, but in fact the rug department is the only original link to their true beginnings as an Oriental Emporium. The rugs are still draped nonchalantly over the wooden railings, as though awaiting the attentions of the maid and her brush.
I love the cosy homeliness of Liberty – albeit on a grand scale. The fact that around every corner peeps a carved wooden figure, peeking through the Liberty Print shirts, mischievous little links to the past. Anna’s favourite is the Elephant “It has really odd, strangely human ears, don’t you think?” My favourite has to be the lion, as it looks really worried and a bit scared. A cowardly lion, perhaps? This playfulness only adds the charm and character of the place.
At the moment, Liberty is festooned with elegantly naive Christmas decorations, the golden chains harking back to the crepe paper ones of childhood, and hug from the original carved beams, some of which are from the ships that never made it to sea, some from the specialised wood turners Liberty employed, who would also make them to commission for your house, if you had sufficient funds for the task.
The awe inspiring chandeliers which drop almost the full height of the building are always there, though these obviously aren’t original. “They replaced them in the 1990’s as the weight of the previous ones were found to be pulling the ceiling down!” Anna chuckled. “These are far lighter, and were chosen for their airiness while retaining that same grandeur.”
There are far older chandeliers in the building, like this one which dates back to the opening of the 1920’s section, and according to Anna “…was once the longest chandelier in Europe. Or maybe it still is, I must admit I don’t know for sure.”
Whether or not it’s still the longest original chandelier of anywhere at all, it is quite a sight to behold, and must be a nightmare to change a bulb in!
The glowing ice-crystal like droplets really are magnificent, and I like the fact they are obviously very modern but with a splendour that seems to belong to an earlier age. This very much fits Liberty’s clever balance of strikingly new designer ranges and the incredibly classic patterns and designs they built their name on.
Now when I come to Liberty, as well as gazing in awe at the thousands of Wondrous Things to buy, as I always have, I shall definitely be looking at the building itself a lot more. “There’s always more to see, I find new things all the time that I’d never noticed before, even more patched windows!” Anna tells us. She is based over at the Wholesale building across the narrow alley (that runs under the infamous bridge), but is in the Tudor-esque bit very often, on one fact finding mission or another. “People write to me from all over the world, sending me scraps of material from their bridesmaid dresses and trying to trace the pattern’s name.”
It was a pity the Heritage Suite was still being used at the end of our tour, Anna had hoped it would be empty by then so she could show it to us. “It used to be the Director’s dining room,” she explained, “but is now hired out for various functions, meetings or events. Ooh, and if you ever have a beauty treatment here, you must get them to show you the room off the makeup hall which is all gold panelled and was used to formally receive Queen Mary!”
Although there are several department stores around the world that have become tourist attractions in their own right, there can surely be few where the actual building and interior is so vitally important to the ethos of the company and the very goods they sell. Liberty sell you pieces of the dream you’re standing in.
Home is where the heart is, and I lost mine to Liberty years ago…
Filed under: Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Shopping, Vintage | Tags: bijou bakery, cupcakes, dressing up, Fashion, fizz, Gently Worn Vintage, gloves, hats, Kent, nibbles, Stuff & Good Sense, UK, Vintage, vintage rose cupcakes, vintage soiree
Stuff & Good Sense is a little treasure trove of a boutique, nestled away in that sacred heart of Tunbridge Wells: the picturesque Pantiles. This historic area of the town has always drawn tourists but previously became written-off as being perhaps a bit Cream Tea Twee (though I love a good ol’ cream tea, me).
In the last year it has definitely become apparent The Pantiles is quietly booming & actually quite a (whisper it) funky/alternative location for locals AND tourists to shop, eat, drink and generally parade themselves about.
A plethora of really interesting independent shops abound and I cannot overstate how refreshing it is to wander around an area free of big chains and the corporate big boys: a shopping experience that’s becomming distressingly rare these days, it seems.
I love supporting local, hand-made and independent shops, so when I received an invitation to attend a Vintage Soiree including PINK FIZZ, delicious food, retro furnishings, vintage designer gowns & all manner of fabulous nick-nackery… It would be rude not to go along and show one’s support, wouldn’t it? Quite.
Knowing full well that friend & colleague in crime, Sallie the Sausage Queen (see below), would be up for a bit of fizz sipping while shopping, we’d hot-footed it to the Soiree straight after work.
Stuff & Good Sense is tucked behind the inimitable Trevor Mottram’s – a veritable maze of a shop containing every cooking impliment known to man. And many unknown to man or, indeed, his dog. As we arrived the party was already in full swing, with the laughter and chatter bursting out of the open door to greet us.
Plunging forth, we made straight for the makeover area with the utterly charming makeup artist from Powder & Glow (I think it was Caroline herself, but do forgive me if I remember incorrectly!) giving good lip (I was complimented on my pillarbox red lipstick, which was pleasing) & Sallie’s pout was painted, too. Just before she applied herself to some refreshments.
The makeover area just happened to be right next to the table of alcohol and an extremely tasty selection of nibbles, kindly provided by The Bijou Bakery. Imagine: Sallie & I plonked next to a table of plonk. Oops, what a coincidence!
We were particularly fond of the Sticky Sausages (indeed, I imagine there are very few times either Sallie or I would willingly turn down a sticky sausage). We could quite easily have polished off the whole plate, and very nearly did.
A few glasses of PINK FIZZ saw us glowing rosily (well, Sallie had just the one, as she was driving, so I drank her share. It seemed the right and proper thing to do).
No vintage event seems complete without a pretty stand of cupcakes, but the ones here were truly, gobsmackingly gorgeous.
Look at them. LOOK at them!
We looked at them for several minutes before deciding that no, they weren’t ‘too good to eat’ and cramming them into our mouths. They were meltingly light and the frosting wasn’t too sweet – the downfall of many a cupcake, in my opinion. Some look nice but you find you’re left with a mouthful of what is basically pure sugar, with your eyes spinning in their sockets and the onset of diabetes. These were simply cupcake perfection, and you, too, may experience their delights at Vintage Rose Cupcakes. HIGHLY recommended!
The Stuff & Good Sense soiree was such fun, a really friendly atmosphere of celebration and larking about. It was really quite uplifting to the spirits, seeing the lovely laydeeees of Tunbridge Wells all quaffing, laughing, scoffing and browsing.
Shop owner, Gaynor, has amassed a fantastic collection of desirable goods, from mid-century furniture to Liberty patterned dog collars – with pure, handmade soaps, & cosmetics, retro crockery, quirky jewellery, art and all manner of Perfect Gift type pieces in between.
I really liked a lot of the prints they had hanging in the shop – but am always drawn to things like this, being a bit of a font nerd of old.
Knowing a good thing thing when they see it, the fabulous frock purveyors Gently Worn Vintagewww.gentlywornvintage.co.uk now have a tempting closet of gorgeous vintage clothes & accessories within Stuff & Good Sense.
We all spent quite a long time cooing over various glamourous hats bedecked with pearls or overlaid with peacock feathers.
So glamourous! People should wear hats more often, I think.
Sallie tried virtually all of them on while I sipped another glass of pink fizz, so that she didn’t have to. I’m SO NICE like that. Here’s Sallie hiding in a corner while Cath (independent tour guide who runs Discover Southeast England & is a general font of local knowledge) looks slightly alarmed.
The conversation ranged from hidden wells (not a euphemism, get your mind out of the gutter, dear), and the history of various local buildings; to mad aunts, fur-lined gloves (also not a euphemism) and a Fashion Tour that Cath’s hoping to arrange in the near future. Also, lots of dressing up (them) and drinking fizz (mostly me). It was all rather marvellous.
My eye was taken with a stunning brocade evening coat, while Sallie fell head-over-heels for this perfect condition patent leather vanity case/handbag complete with original contents. Lined in watered pink silk and with dinky little bottles & pots for ones lotions & potions to be decanted into, it was pure Mad Men! Sallie put it by in order to purchase for her birthday. I think many of us are quite green with envy. 😉
For those of you who didn’t make this special event (or weren’t important enough to be invited. JOKE! ;p) you will be very glad to hear that future soirees are planned – in fact, one is happening this very week, on Wednesday 26th of October, 7-10pm.
Cocktails, decadent treats and music from a bygone era are promised along with the chance to learn the secrets of the art of couture. Which can’t be bad.
Against the fabulous retro backdrop of the shop, guests will be transformed with a personal makeup consultation and given a face chart to take home (estimated value of this service is £75, so worth the ticket price alone!) and a professional photographer will be present to capture the new look. In addition, guests will also be given an exciting goody bag, with a specially selected vintage gift in each one.
My goody bag from the soiree was full to brimming with exciting stuff, and I loved my vintage jade green silk scarf and twinkling hair clip – so cute!
Tickets for this event are £30: If the forthcoming soirée is even half as much fun as the one we attended, then it’s worth twice as much as that! Hopefully some are still available if you’re interested; contact Carole on 07827 960389 to reserve a place, or pop in to Stuff & Good Sense itself.
Stuff & Good Sense
29 The Pantiles,
Tunbridge Wells,
Kent
TN2 5TD
Thank you so much to the lovely Gaynor, all the hard work that everyone put into the event and to all the lovely ladies we met that night. It was a huge success and created a real buzz – and that wasn’t just the alcohol! I’m just sorry it took me so long to finally upload this post – a perfect storm of work pressures, illness and NO TIME AT ALL for ANYTHING (the usual) kept me from getting it up as soon as I’d have liked. Oooh, Matron.
I do hope you have enjoyed reading about our adventures at the vintage soiree. You must go and visit Stuff & Good Sense yourself, it’s a real gem and we’re lucky to have such quirkily interesting shops as this on our doorstep.
Filed under: Fashion, Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Vintage | Tags: bands, competition, fair, Fashion, fashion show, festival, flea market, Kent, music, Pantiles, second hand, tunbridge wells, Vintage
Hot on the heels of May’s hugely successful Pantiles Food Festival, tomorrow my darling colleague Sallie and I shall be lapping up the Pantiles Vintage Fair and Flea Market. I am SO excited I might actually burst. Though I’ll try not to.
Held by The Association of Pantiles Traders, this event will span the weekend, meaning most people should be able to attend. I actually have two weekends in a row off work, as I have booked them as holiday leave. This is an occasion so rare, I fully expect a star to rise in the East, and for 3 wise men to begin their trek to Tunbridge Wells.
Last night I began celebrating by drinking Prosecco like it was going out of fashion and dreaming of all the fabulous vintage goodies I may get my paws on this weekend.
“Vintage is hugely in vogue,” says Richard Simm, chair of The Association of Pantiles Traders. “A younger generation are discovering and embracing mid-century style, while the older generation are happy to immerse themselves in the nostalgia of the era. “New shops, like Stuff & Good Sense on The Pantiles are proof positive of the popularity of vintage items – that only a few years ago would have been thrown into a skip,” he says. “The Pantiles has a tradition of antique shops, we see the Vintage Fair as continuation of a theme – and something we can have some fun with.”
Held in the year of the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain, we should be in for a bumper day of vintage delights. In addition to many stalls hawking their wares, we are promised vintage fashion shows, live bands, free antique valuations, a competition for the visitors wearing the best vintage outfits, and a controversial Turner Prize winning artist… Intriguing!
Programme of Events:
- 11.30 – 12.30: The Swinging Little Big Band (Sat)
- 11.30 – 12.30: Downtown Meltdown DJs ‘Sunday Morning Fry Up’ (Sun)
- 1pm: Vintage Fashion Show – organised by Gently Worn Vintage (Sat and Sun)
- 1.30pm: Gypsy John’s Cinque Ports Lindy Hoppers (Sat and Sun)
- 2pm: Vintage Fashion Show – organised by Gently Worn Vintage (Sat and Sun)
- 2.30pm: Gypsy John’s Cinque Ports Lindy Hoppers (Sat and Sun)
- 3pm: Vintage Fashion Show – organised by Gently Worn Vintage (Sat and Sun)
- 3.30pm: Gypsy John’s Cinque Ports Lindy Hoppers (Sat and Sun)
There are some really exciting shops opening up in the Pantiles, now, and the diversity of the boutiques really serves to maximise the area’s originality. It’s interesting to see the range of fashions, homewares, art and accessories (both new and vintage) available, and positively cockle-warming to witness once empty shops blooming with renewed life. Please read the ever-wonderful Bettina (aka: Mrs Anke)’s latest blog article, focusing on these Pantiles boutiques, for an overview!
Filed under: Antique, Fashion, Vintage | Tags: accessories, coucou heart, cupcakes, everything cupcakes, Fashion, Kent, Love Is Boutique, Magpies Vintage Fair, Salomons, tunbridge wells, Vintage
The highlight of last week for me was, without doubt, Magpies Fabulous Vintage Fair.
Please excuse the dreadful quality photos – they’re from my phone. 😉
Held at Salomons in Tunbridge Wells, within the Victorian wood-panelled Science Theatre, this was the perfect venue for an eclectic assortment of vintage sellers to hawk their wonderous wares.
Run by local vintage & designer emporium, Love is Boutique – who I have previously waxed lyrical about – the Magpies moniker certainly lived up to its name: everywhere the eye rested, a bejeweled creation or fascinating piece of designer ephemera jostled for attention.
Ladies munching cupcakes almost too beautiful to eat (almost!) by Everything Cupcakes, chattered excitedly in glamorous huddles, surrounded by an Yves Saint Laurent couture suit here, a 1920’s feathered boudoir robe there. It was all quite gloriously giddy-making.
Absolutely the only way to browse effectively was by completing several laps, to make sure you hadn’t missed anything. Luckily I was with three hardy companions who’d run away to the fair with me as soon as we’d finished work.
Half the fun of a vintage fair is having a good old rummage. Plunging in and holding aloft some lurid jumpsuit & remarking how your mum used to wear one just like it, or spotting homewares that remind you of your childhood.
It was really interesting seeing how many pieces looked so contemporary – as though they’d just been used in a Vogue photoshoot – which shows you how much fashion still relies on looking to the past for inspiration.
One of the standout stalls, for me, was the breathtakingly beautiful range of wedding & evening dresses by Charlotte Casadejus . www.charlottecasadejus.com
Her passion for vintage designs can be seen in her exquisite contemporary pieces, which echo the past and give the appearance of having been whisked from the very hands of couture dressmakers from the 1900’s right through to the 1970’s.
I plan to do a separate blog piece about Charlotte Casadejus , I was so taken with her designs, but do go and feast your eyes on her website, linked above, for the moment.
Another stall which blew me away was Coucou Heart. It held all manner if enticement in the way of cleverly repurposed vintage bits & bobs strung into incredible pieces of jewelry. [Of course, I forgot to take a picture of the stall. This one is from the Etsy shop…]
My eye was immediately drawn to a long, silver necklace with a tiny antique key hanging from a shorter, central chain and a large – um, lamp? Incense pot? Censer? – hanging from the longer chain, and bedecked with tiny grey glass beads which tinkle merrily as you move. This is a terrible picture, but believe me, it’s a gorgeous necklace!
Having purchased, I had a lovely little chat with the lady behind Coucou Heart herself, about how much we love antique keys. It’s the mystery behind them that gets me going – wondering what doors and locks they once opened, and if that door or lick remains sealed to this day. I then perused the rest of her pieces, and could literally (and quite happily) have taken home one of everything, it was all so in accord with my own taste.
Again, I plan to do a blog post based entirely on Coucou Heart, so shall leave it be for the moment, but I urge you to grab the pieces as soon as you can, because I will surely be snapping at your heels!
As always, there were several items on practically every stall that stood up and waved at me, begging to be taken home.
Tiredness & lack of funds were the twin evils keeping me from going mad. I’ll definitely be attending the next one – it was a delightful atmosphere, and a joy to see so many familiar faces all aglow with the buzz of a bargain, or clutching some cherished vintage piece that now belonged to them.
For FAR superior pictures of the evening’s shenanigans, please visit the lovely Mrs Anke. 😉
Filed under: Accessories, BBC, Fashion, Vintage | Tags: Costume Drama, Keeley Hawes, Lady Agnes Holland, Upstairs Downstairs, vintage style
Hullo! This is the second part of my re-imagining two memorable costumes from the recent BBC drama, Upstairs Downstairs – basically a chance for me to swoon over pretty dresses.
Yesterday, I sighed over the scarlet silk bias-cut dress worn by Claire Foy as ‘Lady Persie’ [Persephone]; today will focus on her on-screen older sister, Lady Agnes Holland (played by the brilliant Keeley Hawes).
There was a particular scene in which Lady Agnes hurries Downstairs to the kitchen and pauses on the stairs. She wore a full-length gown covered in tiny gold shimmering sequins, and it was jaw-droppingly exquisite. I’ve never been a huge fan of gold, but this dress completely opened my eyes.
The dress used in the show is (so I believe) a vintage original, but I think I’ve found a passable modern interpretation if you’d like to wear something similar. It’s from Dorothy Perkins (yes, really) and is currently in their sale for only £40! It’s shown, below, with the draped back detail (which I think would work equally well – and a better re-creation of the Upstairs Downstairs look) at the front.
There weren’t a huge number of press shots to look at, but you can see what looks like very dark brown nail polish, so I went with that as a theme, along with a selection of accessories I think work really well with the outfit as a whole. I do hope you like the pieces I chose!
Yours swooningly,
Miss Nightingale
x
Filed under: Accessories, BBC, Costume Dramas, Fashion, Modern Nostalgic, Vintage | Tags: BBC, Claire Foy, Lady Persephone, Mitford, Upstairs Downstairs, vintage style
The recently screened new series of BBC drama, Upstairs Downstairs has been a huge hit with audiences and critics alike; despite the fact that fans of the original had been anxiously biting their lips, with some getting ready to spew forth poison if their golden memories were tarnished. Thankfully, it was beautifully written, wonderfully acted and with many a sensitive, respectful nod to the past.
One of the greatest treats for viewers (well, certainly for this viewer) were the lust-worthy costumes – many being original vintage pieces of the period – which just shone from the screen and quite made one sigh with envy. It’s a very particular British kind of glamour – all aristocratic complexions, matte lipstick, clicky heels and that clipped Mitford-esque brittleness which defines the period for me.
The two sisters had most of the envy-making ensembles, with Lady Persephone (played by Claire Foy) wearing a particularly memorable outfit in one scene, consisting of a scarlet red bias cut silk gown worn with a fur stole.
Even though I don’t personally like fur, one could not help but gasp at the effect: she looked absolutely stunning.
I adore vintage clothes, but many of the delicate fabrics of this period can be too fragile to wear without fear of spoiling them forever, along with the fact that women were, generally speaking, far more petite than nowadays, so the sizing can be an issue. With this in mind, I wanted to re-create two of the most memorable looks from the series, using contemporary clothes and accessories but echoing that vintage look as closely as possible.
The first outfit I’ve re-created is that of Lady Persephone – I do hope you like it!
Filed under: Accessories, Antique, Etsy, Jewellery, Necklaces, Trinkets, Vintage | Tags: designer, Etsy, Hardware, Jess Amity, Jewellery, Jewelry, Reclaimed, Recycled
The juxtaposition of beauty and decay shall ever win my heart, and the gorgeous range of handmade jewellery by Jess Amity perfectly encapsulates this look.
Using antique hardware (a piece rescued from an old drawer backplate in the Daemon necklace, for example), Jess Amity creates uniquely wearable pieces of art that imbue the glamour of the past – very luxe Deco gypsy – with a modern, exotic twist.
It’s that pairing of imperfect, faded grandeur with little nuggets of the new that I love so much. This one, made with an antique drawer-pull and milky chips of labdorite and moonstone, looks like a cluster of mistletoe dusted with icing sugar, somehow. Simply beautiful.
The range encompasses a wide variety of styles and prices – from $11 to $633 – but all of them obviously made with love, and with that sympathetic re-imagining of otherwise forgotten objects.
Jess Amity gives us an insight into her collection by explaining how her background shapes her inspirations:
Having been brought to life in a globe trotting existence, I have lived in many places and have experienced many wondrous things. I am inspired by dreams, gypsies, tribal nomads, jungle warriors, floating through hazy clouds, concrete and rust, amoebous particles floating through the ocean of life and the desert’s desolate, yet primitive beauty.
I have a degree in fine art photography, but have the inability to contain myself within set boundaries. Because I constantly find myself dreaming and thinking “wouldn’t it be cool if…,” and because I loathe the current consumer society of mass produced, personality lacking, low quality goods, I apply my talents to many areas and live in a handmade and embellished world.
(The Carnelian Spiderwebs Necklace, above, was the first item I saw in the collection and remains one of my favourites; it has an opulent simplicity to it, if that makes any sense? Love, love, love).
I approach all projects the same way that I approach life, with grand dreams, fingers crossed, the ability to love imperfections and the ability to see beauty in unlikely places.
The use of unusual stones in combination with the antique hardware creates a kind of perfect harmony – look how beautifully the chipped patina of the drawer-pull, below, is complimented and echoed in chunky chips of white turquoise. Stunning.
Jess Amity also sells a selection of vintage clothing and accessories, which are well-chosen and lovely, but you can probably tell that it’s her eclectic jewellery designs that have stolen my heart. 😉
Do go and browse the whole shop HERE – it’s well worth your time to snoop around and drool, as I have been doing!