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Alternative music Christmas cards by Piper Gates Design

Alternative music Christmas cards by Piper Gates Design

20 affordable retro tech gift ideas

20 affordable retro tech gift ideas

10 of the best retro alarm clocks

10 of the best retro alarm clocks

Categories / Homeware, Music

Elbow’s Penguin-inspired Seldom Seen Kid mugs

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Wants to show off your retro credentials as well as your knowledge of music? You need one of Elbow’s Penguin-inspired Seldom Seen Kid mugs.

As you can see, the mugs are inspired by the classic Penguin paperback book covers of the 1930s, but look closely and you’ll notice that the Penguin has been replaced by the cube on the album sleeve, the author and title obviously featuring the details of the Mercury Prize-winning album.

Pick one up online, priced at £4.89.

Find out more at the Elbow website

Categories / Men's Fashion

The Mod Suit by Social Suicide

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The word ‘Mod’ is big business these days, so its no surprise to see the more mainstream fashion scene jumping in on the act, The Mod Suit by Social Suicide being one example.

Irrespective of the suit itself, the idea and the range is actually quite interesting, featuring youth cult looks over the years, including the Teddy Boy, Mod, Rocker, Peanut, Beetle and Rudi, with each inspiring a handmade suit/outfit with the kind of detailing you’ll usually expect at a tailor.

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Categories / Design and Interiors

Ilse Crawford Studioilse desk lamp

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Studioilse

It might look like a vintage take on the classic Anglepoise lamp, but the Studioilse desk lamp is actually a modern design.

The work of Ilse Crawford, it’s made of very traditional materials – an iron base, a wooden arm and a porcelain shade, with a vintage-style switch in the base. Combined they create something that wouldn’t look out of place in a modernist-inspired room.

Available now, it sells for £323.

Find out more at the TwentyTwentyOne website

Categories / Design and Interiors, Homeware

Alessandro Mendini Proust Armchair

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The Proust Armchair was designed in 1978 by Alessandro Mendini and has been reissued by Cappellini.

The armchair has a hand-carved and hand-painted wooden frame, upholstered with multicolor fabric in a choice of of blue/grey/yellow or black/green/red.

It is available to buy from Viaduct although no price is given. For such a decadent piece of furniture, I think it is safe to assume the price tag will be high. Visit the Viaduct website to enquire.

Categories / Books, Women's Fashion

“Vintage Shoes” by Caroline Cox

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Sub-titled “Collecting and wearing twentieth-century designer footwear”, the book “Vintage Shoes” by Caroline Cox chronicles the history of fashionable footwear.

Beginning with Edwardian shoes, the book moves on decade by decade through the Modernist Shoe of the 20s, the youth revolution of the 60s and Biba and beyond in the 70s. The book explores the technical advances and cultural influences on footwear with accompanying archive and fashion photographs.

There is also a guide for where you might buy vintage shoes and predictions about which current shoes may be collectable classics of the future.

It is available in hardback from Amazon for £15.

Categories / Art and Photography

An Alphabet by Sir Peter Blake postcard set

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If you’re looking for a last-minute stocking filler for Christmas, the An Alphabet by Sir Peter Blake postcard set might just fit the bill.

It is what it says – a set of alphabet postcards, with each letter featuring a distinctive pop art-style Peter Blake design, all packaged in an added Blake box. There’s only one downside – you might not want to give it away.

Great for framing, great for sending and great value too – the set retails for £12.

Find out more at the Ink’d Gallery website