I knew that illustrator and self named drawist Galia Durrant had it going on when she burst into the shop with her slightly crazy enthusiasm for all things weird and wonderful. With a dynamic individual streak she is better known as one half of critically acclaimed duo Psapp who put toytronica on the map with their multi award theme tune to Grey’s Anatomy, a music for whole host of TV shoes and commericials.
Soon Galia created a parallel universe for Psapp filled with irreverent cats, imaginary keyboards and friendly monsters that graced their album covers, T-shirts and animated videos.It’s not difficult to see the brilliance of everything she creates.
Come and have a look at Galia’s hand finished bespoke name screen prints. Prices for framed prints range from £100 TO £125 with a week lead time for the final naming process. To order or to request more details just email info@olivelovesalfie.co.uk
Our home has made it onto the pages of another new Japanese interior book, A Girly Interior in London, published by Editions de Paris. Just inside the front cover there is a beautifully illustrated map that puts Stoke Newington right up there where it belongs as an exciting and diverse London neighbourhood. We have already been asked if we can get hold of some prints of the London map for friends and customers in Stoke Newington so I will see what I can do.
When stylist Emma Cassi came to visited us in East London she was stunned by the cherry blossom mural in Olives bedroom. A mural as grand as this is a big statement but we really pulled it off. I think that there is a fine line between a mural that really works and one that is too twee or too contrived or quite frankly just not painted very well. I consider myself to be incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to work with a wonderful scenic artist Susanna Burton who bought my ideas to life quite beautifully. If you would like to discuss ideas for your children’s room with us please get in touch with us info@olivelovesalfie.co.uk
Alexandra came to see me a few weeks ago with a simple but lovely idea for a contemporary kids alphabet poster that doesn’t have a bias towards boys or girls. I loved her use of colour and nature inspired illustrations and thought that the poster would sit perfectly in Olive Loves Alfie. Ali went away to find a printer and returned a few days later with some gorgeous new stock for us. Keeping things simple the poster is supplied unframed in a cardboard tube so travels easily. The poster measures 100cm x 70cm and fits perfectly into standard frames.
The posters cost £55 and for an extra special bespoke version that can include a childs name and a few other details the poster costs £120 and takes upto 2 weeks to produce.
To place an order for a bespoke poster email info@olivelovesalfie.co.uk or call Olive Loves Alfie on 0207 241 4212.
Before I met Vicky I had seen her work on her website and loved its psychedelic exuberance. I wondered how children would interpret her illustrative style.
When I showed Vicky’s work to Olive she made up more than one story for each illustration. Having an insight into a child’s view reinforces just how much scope there is for their own creativity to be encouraged when they are exposed to inspiring ideas.
Vicky’s illustrations are available from our handmade and bespoke section on online shop in three sizes and prices range from £25 to £99. Inspired by her work and Olives love of trapeze we are working on a circus themed illustration together that will be available this Spring exclusively through Olive Loves Alfie.
Our bespoke name cushions have been a big hit so we asked Gina Lely to make some bespoke name stockings for Christmas. Olive and Alfie's arrived yesterday and we have been taking lots of orders for children and grown ups of all ages. So for something to treasure each Christmas you can now order a bespoke patchwork and denim Christmas stocking made in Hackney. The stockings are fully lined with printed cotton and cost £20 and each additional letter is £4. Not too big and not too small for the perfect bundle of goodies they measure approx 45cm in length.
To make sure we can get your stockings to you in time please order by Monday 14th December.
I fell in love with Eastern styling during my design days at Red or Dead when we travelled to China and Japan three or four times and year. It was there that the design team always found new and exciting inspiration. We spent time scouring fabric markets in small towns, flea markets and night markets in the chaos of Asian cities and whenever we had a moment to ourselves we would always head to one of the many temples we had discovered for a very different type of inspiration.
When I came across Dumpling Dynasty it couldn’t fail to charm me!
Inspired by many of the things that I love too, illustrator Fiona Hewitt, and expert in Asian Kitschology, Andy Tainton, conceived Dumpling Dynasty after years spent living in Shanghi, Beijing and Hong Kong.
All of their creations have taken inspiration from the days they spent in the East and quite specifically the styling of vintage packaging.
Each collectable and beautifully illustrated tin from Dumpling Dynasty evokes the same sense of charm that is so prevalent in the East. Look closely at the illustrations and I am sure that you will be charmed just as much as I was.
Check out their collection on our on-line store:-
Dumpling Dynasty
And so I am delighted to bring you Dumpling Dynasty….
Making new discoveries has always been one of my favourite things. Finding Tokyo Milk , in a tiny artisan perfumerie in a quiet Parisien back street in the Marais, last month is quite possibly my favourite find of the season.
The hand glittered packaging make everything Tokyo Milk produce a miniature work of art that is almost collectable. That is before you even check out the actual product! Let me know if you ever get beyond admiring their oversized blocks of wrapped soaps and actually open them. If you do take the gorgeous glittered wrapping and stick it around an old jam jar and give it a new lease of life by using it as a tea light holder.
Check out their new collection in our boutique or on our on-line shop.
We have a lovely selection in our boutique that is also available on our on-line shop Tokyo Milk.
You can expect to see much more here from Tokyo Milk next year.
If you are looking for present inspiration look no further. Last year we worked on a collaborative project with Gina Lely to design heirloom cushions that are perfect for naming days or birthdays. They are just as popular for presents for grown ups too. They are also perfect for putting messages and we are having JOY and PEACE made at the moment for our Christmas window. The handmade cushions have a lovely retro feel with patchwork letters on a denim background and a brushed cotton back.
The cushion complete with the inner cushion costs £17 and each letter is an additional £4.
Allow approx 1 week for the cushion to be made especially for you.
Just before I started to decorate Olive’s new bedroom I had spent a week in Japan researching for a new collection during my time as a footwear designer at Red or Dead. I have never quite managed to be in Tokyo to experience the beginning of the cherry blossom season but it is way up there on my list of things to do. I recently read a fantastic book called Hokkaido Highway Blues that talks about just that. If you are like reading travel stories or have an interest in Japan I would recommend it. It really is a hillarious and illuminating account of a hitchhiker’s trip through Japan. As I unpacked bright pink lanterns and a vintage kimono for Olive I wanted her bedroom to be inspired by one of my favourite places. I began thinking about painting a cherry blossom tree on the wall above Olive’s bed. The next day I ran into my friend Susanna Burton who is a scenic painter and as much as I would have loved to have had a go at painting it myself Susanna was looking for a kids room to paint and I knew she would do a fantastic job. We talked about the idea, the colours, the mood, we looked through some reference books together and this is what Susanna came up with. It has been on the wall for 3 years and Olive and I never tire of looking at it. I didn’t want it to be too pink so asked Susanna to incorporate some really dark shades and some black outlines to give it some depth and some character. We added a huge oversized moon that has a dreamy pearlised finish to it. Towards the top of the wall the pink gets progressively darker and the colour runs into a black line that runs around the top of the wall.
Susanna’s mural features in the 2008/2009 issue of the beautiful French book MILK – Styles of inspiration for contemporary families as well as the May 2009 issue of Junior Magazine.
http://www.milkmagazine.net
www.muralsoncanvas.co.uk
One of the things that I thought I would miss when I left Red or Dead was the opportunity to develop products and to collaborate with brillant designers and illustrators. I am grateful that so many designers want to talk to me about their ideas for children’s products. When Gina Lely came to see me with her bespoke name cushions I loved the idea. We talked about colour and fabrics. Instead of producing white cushions like the samples I asked Gina to make an Olive Loves Alfie exclusive on dark denim. The samples looked great and among others we have had Enzo, Lukas, Lola and Bo produced for birthday and christening presents
The cushion complete with a filler costs £17 and each additional letter costs £4 each.
Delivery takes approximatley 1 week.
