The Elisalex dress from By Hand London.
Looking for some last minute gift ideas to please the lady who loves good design, handmade goods and occasionally creating her own? Well go no further…
It was with much happiness that I ran into Elisalex de Castro Peake at the recent East London Design Show – daughter of ethical fashion doyenne Orsola de Castro and one time creator of ethical shoe brand Nina Dolcetti – Elisalex is back with a brand new project based on her love of hand sewing. Easy to follow patterns come in a lovely box designed by business partner Charlotte Hintzen.
The first two patterns available are classic shapes named after the founders, and they will be adding to these soon. In the meantime if someone is kind enough to buy you the fab peplum skirt pattern, then why not join the Charlotte skirt sewalong in the New Year? For those who are novices to sewing the site includes ace tutorials such as how to make a DIY skirt.
Some of Lauren Baker‘s more extravagant creations might require you to remortgage your home, but this artwork is reasonably priced. Frankie, above, was inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead. He is cast from a human skull and then painstakingly hand decorated with beads and acrylic.
At the Toft Alpaca Shop find a one stop shop to buy the yarns and the designs to create cute crocheted Amigurumi toys – or commission their crafters to make one of the little guys for you.
On the gadget front this gorgeous abstract BOLD design by Bianca Green fits perfectly into our ongoing love affair with all things tribal.
Or go for something a bit more illustrative: how about contributor Dom & Ink‘s fabulous portrait of Ophelia on an iphone skin? It’s bound to be a talking point.
I’m also loving Dom & Ink‘s Batter My Heart zine – chock full of great illustrations, wry observations and insights on the theme of relationships. It’s guaranteed to appeal to anyone who is or has been heartbroken.
On an eco conscious tip take a look at these beautifully crafted bamboo scarves by Rebecca Desnos: each geometric design is handmade with plant dyes using a Japanese technique called Shibori.
And I adore these eye catching merino wool fingerless gloves by ethical woollen brand Lowie. They are decorated with an interesting thistle design and are long enough to cover your entire wrist area for extra warmth.
On the more affordable front, I really love this cute woollen trapper hat with fleecy lining at Chelsea Doll.
Leona runs Thriftola, a website dedicated to bringing you the best in vintage gems. She was formerly the brains behind much loved jewellery brand Lady Luck Rules OK and she has finally decided to make a new product: meet Lola. Lola is a stylish hand illustrated clothes hanger designed to showcase your favourite garment to perfection.
Or if you fancy something a bit sillier you could look to these Coco Boheme hangers, made out of strong recycled cardboard and printed in environmentally friendly ink.
Fashion brand äelska specialises in beautifully made collars, and I absolutely adore this buttery soft sequinned version that would look great with a party outfit, here modelled by creator Emma Hamshare, who once upon a time helped make Amelia’s Magazine in print.
For bag fans look no further than the new range of British made goods by Carmen Woods, all made using the finest leathers. I love the bright pattern on this clutch.
And for the serious photography fan, check out these newly discovered Kelly Moore camera bags: incredibly stylish totes to keep your equipment safe. Above is the Kelly Moore Libby Camera Bag. So want one to cart my SLR around in during LFW!
Thinking about some luxury stationery? How about this gorgeous hand stitched journal, which comes with a timeless photographic hydrangea design, by Pumpkin Sputnik.
Or something simpler: Mellybee makes slim pocket-sized notebooks, screenprinted by hand onto 100% recycled card with a delightful anchor design.
Finally and by no means least, may I draw your attention to this genius screenprint from Studio Her? It first caught my eye at Sarah Julia Clark‘s graduate exhibition and she was kind enough to send me one in all its golden feminist glory: now you or your loved one can own your very own version for she has finally set up an online Studio Her shop. Hell yeah: Beyonce for the wall!
Categories ,2012, ,äelska, ,Amigurumi, ,art, ,Batter My Heart, ,beyonce, ,Camera Bags, ,Carmen Woods, ,Charlotte Hintzen, ,Chelsea Doll, ,Christmas, ,Coco Boheme, ,Day of the Dead, ,design, ,Dom & Ink, ,East London Design Show, ,Elisalex de Castro Peake, ,Emma Hamshare, ,fashion, ,Frankie, ,gifts, ,Kelly Moore, ,Lady Luck Rules OK, ,Lauren Baker, ,Leona, ,Lola, ,Lowie, ,Mellybee, ,Mexican, ,mosaic, ,Nina Dolcetti, ,Ophelia, ,Orsola Castro, ,Orsola De Castro, ,Pumpkin Sputnik, ,Rebecca Desnos, ,Sarah Julia Clark, ,Shibori, ,SLR, ,Studio Her, ,Thriftola, ,Toft Alpaca Shop
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