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Erica Weiner
We love jewellery designer Erica Weiner so much that, yes, we put her twice on our 'most-wanted' list this issue (for boys and girls) . Erica collects deadstock, vintage and 'curiosities' to craft into her handmade jewellery, which is fantastic and shockingly affordable (especially to folk in the UK with the exchange rate and all...).

It's in the same vein as Tatty Devine, Miss Bibi or Kenneth Jay Lane in the characterful/miniature pendant style, but offers some really unexpected pieces that justify any 'must-have' blessings.

A grasshopper pendant, a necklace cast from a found mouse's pelvis, miniature saw earrings and ear-hoops made from clock springs, holding tiny birds made from brass are some of the best pieces. But her webshop is pretty much a treasure chest, stocking random things like 'shoe clips', which according to Erica these were 'first manufactured in the ornament-obsessed Victorian era when instead of buying multiple pairs of shoes women dressed up their footwear with detachable bows, buckles and jewels'. Very pretty indeed. And her blog is sweet too, with pictures of lambs and musings on fancying Thomas Jefferson.
www.ericaweiner.com
http://ericaweiner.blogspot.com

Posted by Elliott James Sainsbury.



Why Did It Have To Happen To MY Oxfam?
It’s all making sense to me now, maybe the sun had got to me and frazzled my brain, but it was only this morning, when, with a slight chill in the air, I decided on my Oxfam vintage cream silk shirt, with black trimmed collar and gold buttons, to wear under my navy jumpsuit, that it dawned on me: the brand new Oxfam boutique, as covered on last Saturday’s blog, is actually MY Oxfam! That is to say, WAS my Oxfam!

I have long been a fan of Oxfam Westbourne Grove, where the W11 ladies-who-lunch always manage to throw a few silk vintage shirts and other coveted items through the doors en route to brunch at Nicole Farhi’s 202. For a good few years it has been my failsafe, always gonna find something, charity shop! From scarves, to dresses to silk shirts and Lanvin skyscrapers, I have never ceased to be amazed at what people donate but now, sniff sniff, it’s the end of an era, and my little secret.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for eco-fashion and fashion design students and all that jazz, but I can’t help but wish they had chosen a different Oxfam to price me out of. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to rummage through the polyester in a certain Ladbroke Grove charity shop, even if does smell like mouldy cheese and pickle sandwiches.

Posted by Liz Dye.
Artwork: Carolina Conte





5Preview
'Upside down, before you turn me. Inside out, round and round.'

Ah, words of genius. But did Diana Ross realise when she sang them that she'd provided the last word on desirable t-shirts, circa 2008 (as well as soundtracking a very good Viktor & Rolf show once)? The tees are by Rome-based duo 5Preview and the six designs deal with subverting pop motifs like the Eiffel tower, the Chanel and Louis Vuitton logos and Mickey Mouse as you can see above.

A printed, monochrome tee is way too often something that's ignored or glossed over, but chosen well they really can be 'wardrobe basics', those kind of items that help pull a wardrobe together. So anyone attempting to take them to the next level is to be applauded. And it's obvious that these tees ('especially for inappropriate occasions') would look great under a dinner jacket, over high-waisted smart trousers with braces or a full skirt as well as they would oversized with faded jeans.

Whilst I'm not the punkiest person on the planet (hardly), it's the boldness and the clarity of their vision that draws attention; and as punk and bravado as their inspirations are (they've recently done tees for The Kills and Raveonettes), the child-like, cut-and-paste, wonkiness of their letters and logos is what appeals to me.

They already have a cult feel about them like the earlier House of Holland collections, and 5Preview's blog has some great people like Bugo ('the Italian Beck': who knew?) wearing them and providing inspiration; like the tees, it feels a gloriously subversive affair and adds to a label whose appeal is definitely more than the sum of its parts.
www.5preview.com

Posted by Elliott James Sainsbury.



Next week is STREET FASHION WEEK! A Open Call To Our Readers
As of next week the fashion156.com blog is changing. Each week we'll see the introduction of a different theme, kicking off with the STREET FASHION WEEK on Monday 19th of May.

Documenting only the most unique, chic-est cutting-edge looks from all over London (not just Hoxton, Shoreditch and Brick Lane) we’re going to scour the city to try and find the edgiest, most inspiring and most individual street style heroes.

We would love for you to get involved; so please send any pictures or short video clips of yourself/friends/family etc to: info@fashion156.com , with a few words on what you are wearing and some random info about you, i.e "my favourite type of cake is ???"; or "this week I am really loving ???".

It will be great to receive your shots/videos and you will get chance to get involved and get your name and face out there to our thousands of daily readers.

The next themes are:
No Credit: Week 2. We and everyone one we know are BROKE! It is so bad some friends do not even text anymore, hence the theme of the blog. So we are having to get creative and beg, borrow and paint our way to reinvent and refresh our wardrobes. Send in your DIY videos/pictures of ways to customize and create using very few £’s .

Eat Chic: Week 3 is dress-up styles for occasions when you dine, carpet-picnic, visit a greasy-spoon, etc. We want people to seriously DRESS UP! And show the world how fabulously stylish fashion156.com’s readers really are!

Posted by Elliott James Sainsbury.

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