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101 Beautiful Things

A review of beautiful items, luxury and affordable to buy and appreciate

sixties

4th August 2019

Mary Quant at the V&A

Mary Quant with Vidal Sassoon

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has some really exciting exhibitions and fashion seems to be something they excel at. I really enjoyed the Alexander McQueen one they held a couple of years ago. It was amazing to see such skill in tailoring which McQueen was known for, and that his fashion house continues, at close hand.

Currently on at the V&A is a Mary Quant retrospective. This was a name I grew up with. I was aware of her clothing but as a child only took a passing interest in it, and certainly didn’t appreciate the creativity. On a recent visit it was great to see all of the pieces on display and the influence they had on the Sixties. Most of the clothing on show has been donated by the owner and there are some interesting notes about why they bought it, how much it cost and for what occasion they wore it. I particularly liked the quirky items including the cricket jumper dress and admire the interesting use of synthetics such as pvc and crimplene which, while a big no no now, was the height of sophistication at the time. Makes me break out in a sweat just thinking about it.

PVC raincoat by Mary Quant

Mary Quant herself was and still is a style icon, sporting her famous bob created by Vidal Sassoon. She was a massive influence on sixties fashion, creating relatively affordable pieces in comparison to her peers and teaming up with shop and catalogue brands to bring high fashion to the masses. Something that is fairly common now but almost unheard of then.

To me Mary Quant means make-up. When I was about 12 years old I developed an obsession with nail varnish. A school friend had an older sister who worked at a cosmetics factory and she would bring back samples for us – we would spend hours painting our nails in different colours. My favourite was Plum Gone by Miners but the creme de la creme was Mary Quant. Occasionally we would get our hands on the much coveted little round bottle of Mary Quant nail varnish. So glamorous.

Mary Quant make-up

After I tried the nail varnish I was intrigued by the rest of the range. It was so different to anything you could get at Woolworths and so out of my reach financially. But one glorious day my aunt gave me a tin of Mary Quant Crayons; she could have given me the moon and I wouldn’t have been happier. I remember spending ages just opening the tin and admiring them before I ever attempted to use them. Realistically they were not that great but the concept and the hype around them was amazing.

Funnily enough a few years later I got a summer job at the same cosmetics factory as my friend’s sister and although my love for make-up was never diminished, my love for nail varnish did very quickly after working on the production line. It constantly broke down with bottles spilling everywhere when it got stuck on the conveyor belt. I vowed then and there never to buy another bottle again.

The exhibition is great and well worth a visit if you want to learn about sixties fashion or just take a trip down memory lane.
It is on now until 16 Feb 2020. For booking and more information click HERE

This post is not sponsored. Entry fee paid by me.

Filed Under: Fashion Claudia Cain

4th November 2018

Monstera Deliciosa

This plant has been the icon of 2018. Botanicals and leaf prints have been very much on trend recently and I have seen the leaf print of the Monstera Deliciosa commonly known as Swiss cheese plant, on duvet covers, bath products, jewellery, you name it, there is a product with the image on it.

This is my Monstera Deliciosa, not the best kept specimen as I don’t have green fingers but despite this, it is still alive and continues to produce leaves on a regular basis. Even though I sometimes catch my cat secretly chewing the leaves when he thinks I am not looking. So all in all quite hardy.

This one was a cutting from my parents large monstera which they have had since the sixties. It was a gift from my grandfather when they got married, he worked in a nursery at the time and saw the popularity of house plants emerge after the war. Probably due to people having a bit more disposable cash and looking to improve their homes. If you look at any sixties interior photos you will see houseplants make an appearance, particularly in living rooms.

If you have one, you will notice that the aerial roots can be quite prolific in growth, but once you know they are looking for moisture, it all make sense. I have recently filled a bucket with a small amount of water and placed the aerial roots in there, which has really helped with the overall health and appearance of the plant.

All in all, a really impressive plant that is fairly easy to look after but can grow really large, so be prepared. They come in a variety of sizes and prices HERE

Filed Under: Homeware Claudia Cain

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Thank you for visiting my site. I have gathered some of my favourite beautiful things here for you to enjoy. Whether it is for a gift, something for yourself or just to look and learn more about. I have over twenty years experience working in the design industry and have a life time passion for well designed beautiful things. Enjoy. Claudia

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