Categories / Food and Drink

Authentic KGB hip flask

Kgb_flask

Did you know that there's an International Spy Museum? And did you know that this particular museum has an online shop? Well, indeed it does, offering a mix of modern-day spy kit and vintage goodies – the latter including this authentic KGB hip flask.

It's made of stainless steel and weighs eight ounces, with enough capacity for a slug or three of vodka on those cold nights. It also features the KGB emblem, with the words 'Honorable Worker of the KGB and USSR' (in Russian of course).

Flasks vary, so might not look exactly like the one in the picture, but all sell for the same price – $24 (around £16).

Find out more at the International Spy Museum website

Categories / Design and Interiors

Ikea’s retro-styled Fusion dining table and chairs

Fusion

If we see dark wood and chrome, we always think late 60s/early 70s. But this is actually a modern design – the Ikea Fusion dining table and chairs.

Spotted by Trizia (many thanks for that), this is a Sandra Kragnert design, offering chrome-plated support for both table and chairs, with an ash veneer and beech plywood used for the table tops and seating (the latter with added polyurethane foam for comfort).

And just to add to the look, the chairs sit comfortably under the table when not in use (just like the classic Frem Rojle dining set, not that wer'e saying this is up with that particular design).

As far as we can see, this is currently US-only, retailing for $299 (around £200). But with the new season about to start at Ikea, we might just see it in the coming weeks.

Update: Seems it is in the UK – just not available online

Find out more at the Ikea website

Categories / Women's Fashion

Juicy Couture Jackie print dress

Juicy couture

Fashion houses seem to have gone crazy for silks of late, but it isn't all ivory thirties glamour, as proved by Juicy Couture. This Jackie print dress uses a silk viscose mix to great effect, to make a sixties inspired dress that won't go unnoticed.

The prints are fairly busy and perhaps more usually seen on textiles, but combine well to make a statement dress. The low, round neck makes for a truly sixties shape that's youthful and easy to wear.

It's available now online from Net-a-Porter for £225.

Find out more from the website

Categories / Women's Fashion

Vintage inspired blouses from Fenn Wright Manson

Fenn wright manson

Retro womenswear seems obsessed with dresses, meaning stylish separates are often hard to come by on the high street or elsewhere. Fenn Wright Manson have delivered with these vintage inspired blouses for the more high end retro ensemble.

Showing inspiration from 30s and 40s styles, the use of satin and silk in both blouses give an air of the well made luxury of higher end clothing from the era. Perfect for teaming with a sleek pencil skirt, the two blouses are ideal for both luxury and workplace glam.

Find out more from the John Lewis website

Categories / Books

“1968: The Year that Rocked the World” by Mark Kurlansky

1968

If you are interested in the political movements of the 1960s, then “1968: The Year that Rocked the World” by Mark Kurlansky is a good place to start for a global overview.

Obviously it focuses on the major events of the title year including the assassination of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, Prague Spring, the Tet Offensive and the student riots in Paris, but it does put these in the wider context what had led to there, and the future impact of these events.

It is quite a weighty tome, with the text only broken up with the occasional photograph and there is not as much on culture (music, film etc) as the blurb would led you to believe. Nonetheless it is an interesting read and the serious parts are alleviated by the antics of Abbie Hoffman and the Yippies.

It is of course available from Amazon (currently priced £6.99 or cheaper from sellers), or if you happen to be near one of the few remaining Fopp record shops, they are selling it for just £2.

Categories / Homeware, Kids

Marimekko Children’s Bedding

Booboobedding

This children’s bedding combines two great things, namely Marimekko design and retro vehicles.

It goes by the cutesy name of Boo Boo and features an assortment of trucks, vans and decidedly retro-looking cars. The design is available on a single duvet and pillowcases, both made from 100% cotton.

The duvet cover costs £52 and pillowcase just under £10 from Abode Living.