Retro TV W/C 1st February 2008

Barry Murphy returns once more trawl the TV and radio guides (so you don't have to) to find anything worth tuning into this week. All listings are for UK terrestrial TV, Freeview and national radio, with the shows running from Friday 1st February to Thursday 7th February.

Highlights of the week

Everybody's favourite un-pc PC is back on our screens on Thursday 7th Feb, when beer swilling, spaghetti hoop-munching hardman DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) returns in Ashes to Ashes, the sequel to Life on Mars. This time the action is set in London in 1981, and joining Gene and his faithful sidekicks Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) and Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster) is DCI Alex Drake (Keely Hawkes) a female detective from the 21st Century who is stuck in the past after an accident.

In other highlights, BBC 4 devote a night of programming to jazz pianist Oscar Peterson on Friday 1st, and on Monday 4th broadcasts two shows of interest to any sartorially minded modernist - Ready to Wear - a look at how the suit has changed from the sixties to the eighties, followed by Saville Row, the first in a 3 part series, looking the tailoring houses of Mayfair's famous street.

Pierre Paulin's Orange Slice Chair

Much like the word vintage, iconic is a word that is over-used, but the Orange Slice Chair by Pierre Paulin is surely one piece of furniture worthy of that honour.

Designed in 1960, it is one of Paulin’s series of chairs for Artifort that combine an inner structure of steel tubing with foam and fabric to create a structural piece. It is still being manufactured today by Artifort and it can be bought online from several place, including from Modern Classics Direct where they cost £399.

They are available in a wide selection of colours, although ironically it seems, not orange!

Visit Modern Classic Direct to view their selection.

Aaron Foster Bob Dylan Portrait

Artist Aaron Foster specialises in found art, that is reusing old things in a new context. His chosen medium is discarded license plates, which he uses to create some amazing pieces of art.

He started off by producing a map of the USA using license plates, but has expanded his range to include images of cars (a fairly natural association) and more surprisingly portraits of rock stars. Pictured here is his Bob Dylan portrait, which if you look at closely, you can see is made up of license plates.

Each one of his pieces is handmade in California and can be bought online from American in XS. The Dylan portrait costs $1,300 (approximately £650)

New Biba pieces available on pre-order from Matches Fashion

No one needs telling how much the Biba brand is synonymous with the swinging 60s, so it's hardly surprising the brand's relaunch was met with whoops and cheers.

They're still coming up with retro inspired wardrobe fillers, and though some don't match the wow factor of their vintage counterparts, there's a few gems among the bunch.

A select few pieces from Biba's new range for Spring/Summer '08 are now available to pre-order from Matches Fashion, including these striking burnt-orange Greta shoes. This pair will set you back a very designer £275.

Find out more at the Matches website

Cole & Son launches the Vintage Glamour Collection - wallcoverings from the 1920s to the 1950s

High-end wallpaper retailer Cole & Son has launched the Vintage Glamour Collection, re-creating 16 authentic designs from  the 1920s to the 1950s, the kind of thing once found in mid 20th century ocean cruise liners, hedonistic hotels and haute couture.

HIghlights include Carlyle (an Art Deco design that simulates an embossed leather book binding), Belgravia (coiled ribbon design on a leather grain background), Crocodile (a 1930s Cole original of simulated 'buffed crocodile skin'), Fairmount (50s archive design reviving an 18th century look), Chevron (Art Deco chevrons), Dolly (3D-style fan design from the 50s), Palm Court (1920s archive design featuring olive leaves and stylised flowers) and Molino (Art Deco half circles).

Expect them being available to order in the coming weeks, prices to be confirmed.

Find out more at the Cole & Son website

Vintage ladies hats and headgear on eBay

Last weekend I fell in love with the idea of a vintage hat complete with netting, after seeing one atop a very pretty young lady's head. A classic Hollywood look, a hat complete with netting isn't easy to come by but it is very stylish indeed.

Luckily, an eBay seller called Mad Hatter is selling a number of vintage hats from various periods in vintage fashion.

This fantastic emerald green piece is from the 60s and is currently selling at a bid of just £9 and looks to be in great condition.

Find out more from the eBay product page. From here you can view the seller's other items too.

Win copies of Armchair Thriller on DVD!

Remember Armchair Thriller? Possibly not, unless you were around in the late 1970s. It was a series of mini-dramas made by ITV, very much like other 'creepy' shows of the era (Thriller, Tales of the Unexpected and Hammer House of Horror), except Armchair Thriller was played out over a series of weeks, with each episode ending on a cliffhanger.

The show hasn't been available since on either video or DVD - until now. Network is reissuing all episodes, kicking off with Rachel In Danger and A Dog's Ransom. Both received high praise over at our cult film/TV site Cinedelica, both are available to buy now for £12.99 each and both are available to win in our latest competition.

Three lucky people will each receive a copy of the first two Armchair Thriller DVDs. To be in with a chance, all you have to do is enter your details on the competition page (hosted on our Modculture site). Good luck!

Enter the Armchair Thriller DVD competition

Get the Twiggy look with Andrea ModLash false lashes

There's nothing more iconic about Twiggy's famous 60s look than her amazing eyes. She's most certainly got a great pair of peepers, but its those 'lashes that make the statement.

If you're looking for quick and easy do-it-yourself false eyelashes then Andrea Modlash is the perfect range to choose from. There's a variety of lengths and shapes to choose from, so you can be as bold or natural looking as you choose.

They're available online in the UK from Eye Beauty for around £3.50 per pair, and each pair is reusable too.

Find out more from the Eye Beauty website

"Vintage" leather handbag from Urban Outfitters UK

One of my pet peeves is mis-use of the word vintage - surely its meaning is pretty clearly removed from the word retro? Well, Urban Outfitters have me cursing their blatant misrepresentation by 'naming' one of their new bags Vintage.

Irksome name aside, though, it's not half bad. Rich brown leather and a decent size make it perfect retro fodder.

£80 isn't exactly a bargain, but for that price you can hopefully guarantee higher quality than a lot of high street lookalikes.

Find out more at the Urban Outfitters website

Vintage Radio Birdhouse

While you probably aren’t spending much time in the garden at the moment (not if you are reading this in the Northern Hemisphere anyway), spare a thought for those who have no choice but to brave the cold – the birds.

Now is just the time to give nature a helping hand with a birdhouse and this Vintage Radio Birdhouse is an unusual spin on the average birdhouse. Made from wood, it has been fashioned to look just like a 1930s radio complete with speakers and tuning knobs.

Its costs $30 (approximately £16) from Uncommongoods although you can expect to pay about another $20 on top of that for international shipping.

13th Floor Elevators Biography - "Eye Mind" by Paul Drummond

The subtitle of this musical biography sums up its story neatly. “Eye Mind – The Saga of Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators, The Pioneers of Psychedelic Sound” by Paul Drummond offers insight into the history of this important band.

Although not commercially successful, the 13th Floor Elevators were indeed pioneering and lay claim to being the first band to refer to their music as psychedelic rock. But the rest of their story is pretty tragic, with the band falling apart. Drug abuse, mental health problems and clashes with the ultra conservative authorities all contribute to their downfall.

However sad it may be, it does make for an interesting story and a good read. It is available to buy from Amazon for less than £10.

BT Tower (formerly Post Office Tower) set to become a hotel

I don't know how we missed this, but according to a recent report in The Times, that icon of swinging London, the BT Tower (formerly Post Office Tower) could be set for a new lease of life - as a boutique hotel.

The Times quotes the Estates Gazette, stating that BT has appointed a team of designers to draft ideas for the base of the grade II listed building, possibly expanding it to a six or seven-story hotel. And best of all, re-opening the revolving restaurant on the 34th floor to the public. The restaurant was originally run by Butlins - I suspect something more upmarket this time.

What will become of the rest of the tower (currently used by BT for administration) isn't clear. More on this when we have it.

Wikipedia page for the Post Office Tower

Photo via Art Of The State

Conran Matador wingback chair

A great design and great upholstery on this Conran Matador chair.

It's a classic wingback chair - a simplified take on the gentlemen's club chairs, ideal for relaxing in and having a nap. And if the design isn't enough, check out that cloth - there isn't enough detail about it on the site, but it screams mid-century Scandinavian.

Available now, you can order the chair from £795. The stool is extra, priced from £285.

Find out more at the Red Door Sofa website

Swedese Flower coffee tables

That curved wood and wire support might say mid-century, but the Swedese Flower coffee tables are actually a modern design.

The work of Christine Schwarer, these tables are offered in large or standard sizes, both with the choice of red, white or black laminate top, bordered in lacquered birch and with a base of chromed steel.

The standard table sells for £349, with the larger table at £529.

Find out more at the Dansk Online website

Albini Mini Desk for Knoll

I've been hunting round for a simple and stylish desk for some time now - and if I had the budget, I would seriously consider the Albini Mini Desk.

Franco Albini was one of the first European designers commissioned to work for Knoll, producing this desk in the modernist tradition in 1958. The legs and frame are in square chrome-plated steel tube, the top is of 12mm polished plate glass and the 'floating' wooden drawers have an open rear shelf for magazines. The drawers are available in black stained oak or white lacquer.

The whole package(excluding the chair pictured) is £1,892.

Find out more at the Lollipop Shoppe website

Brown leather Mary Jane heels from Faith

Mary Janes of all shapes and sizes have been all over the place of late. It might be bordering on overkill, but there's a retro gem or two sitting amongst the achingly fashionable.

This pair of court shoes from Faith have a distinctly '70s feel thanks to that rich shade of brown leather, and the fantastic ruching detail on the vamp.

Perfect mid-height heels make them a versatile day or night pair, for a great price of £40.

Find out more at the Faith website

Fritz Hansen introduces limited edition 50th anniversary Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair

It might be a design classic, but the Egg Chair is pretty much everywhere these days. What you want is some exclusivity - and you'll certainly get that with the limited edition 50th anniversary Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair from Fritz Hansen.

Designed in 1958 for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen Denmark and previously available in an endless range of colours and finishes, this limited edition anniversary model introduces  chocolate brown suede on the back and dark chocolate brown leather on the front, as well as a bronze base that will apparently darken with age.

Just 999 of these are being made, each engraved under the seat cushion with a unique number and a few words about the history and origin of the Egg chair design. it also comes with a limited edition 50th anniversary book about the seat. Expect to see them in 'selected stores' from February 1st 2008 - no price given as yet.

Find out more at the Fritz Hansen website

Steel Cake Oversized Military watch

I'm liking the vintage looks of the Steel Cake Oversized Military watch range.

Very much a watch of the past in looks, particularly those vintage-style numbers and very simple design. The face and quartz movement is housed in a matte stainless steel casing, which all looks very stylish - but what's going on with that canvas strap? It co-ordinates, but I'd replace it almost immediately.

Theres a choice of colours available now (including the ones above), retailing for a reasonable $125 (just over £60).

Find out more at the Steel Cake website

Hartnett – 76 < Now - 30 years of street and club culture

London's PYMCA Gallery is celebrating 30 years of club and street culture with Hartnett – 76 < Now, a celebration of the photography of Paul Hartnett.

Using A Nikon camera bought for £10 at a flea market, Hartnett’s work has gone from photographing fans of the Sex Pistols and New Romantics in London through to the likes of Tokyo's Harajuku Kids, New York's electro scene and the new rock scene in Paris, appearing in publications including i-D, Dazed & Confused, Tank, Attitude and The Independent Magazine along the way.

The exhibition kicks off on 14th February in a recreation of Leigh Bowery’s 80s club Taboo. You can check it out the PYMCA Gallery at the Vibe Bar, Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London E1.

Find out more at the PYMCA website

Celeste Stein Tights

Tights might be essential if you want to wear dresses in these colder climes, but they are rarely anything to get excited about. But I’ll make an exception for the range of tights from Celeste Stein.

The above images are just a few of the amazing designs available from the American designer as opaque tights. Pictures here are “Black Vogue” a sixties inspired floral print, “Black White Optic” a geometric monochrome print and for the really confident “Comic” a comic-book story in the style of Roy Lichtenstein. Other retro designs include pictures of a 50s pin-up, psychedelic flowers and animal prints.

Best paired with a plain outfit and lots of confidence, the tights cost £9.95 a pair and can be bought in the UK from MyTights. Customers in the USA can order directly from the Celeste Stein website, where there is an even greater selection of designs.

Focus DIY introduces 50s-style wallpaper

We feature lots of bold 70s-style wallcoverings on Retro To Go, but less from earlier eras. We'll remedy that with these 50s-style wallpapers from Focus DIY.

I say 50s, but they could actually fit in with interiors inspired from earlier eras. Three designs in the range, the two on the first image are the Milie Spot (white dots on light blue background) and  the Millie Floral (small flowers on blue background). The second image is the Millie Large Floral, which increases the foliage size if you fancy a flower-covered feature wall.

All are available from Focus DIY online or instore from March, with prices starting at £15.99 per roll.

Find out more at the Focus DIY website

Piero Fornasetti 'Teme e Variazioni' Plates

Upmarket department store Liberty are now selling Piero Fornasetti’s collection of plates entitled 'Tema e Variazioni'.

Roughly translating as Variations on a Theme, each piece of china is decorated with an image of a beautiful 19th century woman, Lina Cavalieri that he had once seen in a magazine. So haunted was Fornasetti by her image that he created over five hundred variations on her face. Some are more straightforward depictions, others individual features and some are very much in the Surrealist mould.

Each plate costs £85 from Liberty. Expensive but these plates weren’t really designed to eat your dinner off!

Further details can be found on the Liberty website.

Ben Nicholson St. Ives clock

Ben Nicholson was a pioneering British abstract artist, wife of British sculptor Barbara Hepworth and a member of the St. Ives school of artists from the late 1920s - as well as being the influence behind this Ben Nicholson St. Ives clock.

Influence behind, not designer of - it's just a clock with an abstract design on the face rather than some kind of reissue. But it's an eye-catching design with bold colours and a contrasting hands, measuring 190 x 290 x 65mm.

And it's cheap to buy - just £19.95.

Find out more at the Surround Style website

Russel Wright modernist designs reissued

The name Russel Wright might not mean much to you, but he's actually one of the most influential American designers of the 20th century - and a man credited for bringing modernism to the American home in the 1930s.

Originals from the 1930s are both scarce and expensive, so it's just as well that Russel Wright Studios and HK Designs have reissued these spun-metal pieces, all completely faithful to the originals, with just the HK and Russel Wright marks on the bottom as additions.

There's a range of stylish items, all available in aluminium, copper and steel and well worth checking out on the website. But if you want something that isn't going to cost a fortune, check out the tumblers above, designed in 1932, great for long drink or cocktail and priced between $30 and $40 (£15 and £20) each.

Find out more at the HK Designs website

Art Deco-style Rockefeller fan

OK, it's not exactly fan weather right now, but when the warm weather does return, you'll be glad you bought an Art Deco-style Rockefeller fan.

This weighty fan (made of solid zinc) claims to move air more than any other fan of its size, with three speeds just in case you want to limit the breeze. But best of all, it's a stylish item even when you don't need a draught.

The Rockefeller is available in five colours – red, yellow, black, blue and white - all retailing at £170.

Find out more at the American Fan Company website

Lego offers 50s-style building with the 50th anniversary Town Plan set

Lego is 50 years old today - and the company certainly isn't going to let it pass without some new product - which includes the 50th anniversary Town Plan set.

It's a special edition update of a classic playset, themed around 1950s America. So expect a 1950s-style gas/petrol station with pumps, car wash and garage, a town hall with a newly-married couple, a cinema with ticket booth, seats and posters, two vintage cars, eight minifigures and of course, lots of bricks.

In fact, as a bonus, there's three gold bricks to celebrate the anniversary, along with a letter from company owner Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, who actually appeared on the original Town Plan box as a child.

Yours for £89.99.

Find out more at the Lego website

Richard Sapper Espresso Coffee Maker

Dating back to 1979, but with inspiration going back to the modernist era, it's the Richard Sapper Espresso Coffee Maker.

Made by Alessi, this classic design is represented in the Museum of Modern Art collection, as well as being available for sale through the museum's shop. It's a stainless steel stovetop espresso maker, good for making six cups of espresso as well as for adding a touch of class to any kitchen.

It retails online for $165, which is around £85.

Find out more at the MoMA website

Pearly King Cushions

Lots of places sell cushions decorated with the union jack motif, but these cushions are the first I’ve seen to celebrate this specific bit of English heritage, the cockney tradition of the Pearly King and Queen.

The Pearly King Cushions from Re-Found Objects are black square cushions decorated with hand-sewn pearl buttons. Available in two designs, Anchor or Good Luck, both are inspired by popular Pearly King costume designs.

Put aside memories of Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins and buy your own piece of East End tradition. They cost £55 each and can be bought online from Re-Found Objects.

Ibride Art Deco Trays

French company ibride makes a range of art deco style trays that are much too pretty to just use as serving platters, so they are being sold with the dual purpose of being suitable to display on your walls as well.

They come in a range of designs, some depicting wildlife that may stray too far into kitsch but others are decorated with portraits of women from the early 20th century.

Pictured here is the tray called Louise, which may well be a picture of the silent movie star Louise Brooks. It can be bought online from Made in Design for just over £43.

Conran Spirograph log basket

Remember the Spirograph? The Conran Shop certainly does, introducing this Spirograph log basket to its latest range.

Yes, this is based on the poplar 60s toy, which allowed you to create op art-style images with various tools and coloured pens. This 'real' Spirograph is handcrafted in iron wire, designed to store logs for your open fire.

It's exclusive to the Conran Shop and so far only shows on the US site at $95 (around £48). Might be worth checking with the London store for UK availability.

Find out more at the Conran Shop website

Rainbeaux tea dress at ASOS

Tea dresses are seemingly everywhere at the moment, which is good news for those of us who can't resist some demure glamour with a retro feel. From chiffon styles to something a little more Mod, there's something for everyone.

This version is by Rainbeaux and is available exclusively at ASOS. They say it's "in the style of Fearne Cotton", but don't let that ludicrous claim put you off.

This one's perfect for Spring with three quarter sleeves and a high neck, all for a pretty reasonable £60.

Find out more at ASOS

Move over Fiat 500 - the Trabant is the next car for a modern makeover

Hot on the heels of the Fiat 500 comes another cult car from the archives - the Trabant - which is set to be re-launched in 2009.

The Trabant was the car of the common man in East Germany from the 50s through to unification, a light and durable car with a two-stroke engine and plenty of room for a family of four. Amazingly, it was also eco-friendly before its time, using 'duroplast' for much of the car's structure - a recycled material, made from cotton waste from Russia and phenol resins from the East German dye industry.

Douglas Wilson All You Need Is Love print

Looking for something a little different for Valentine's Day? You could share your thoughts with this All You Need Is Love print by Missouri-based designer Douglas Wilson.

It's available from the Keep Calm Gallery in a limited run of just 55, each signed and numbered by the artist. The print measures 13 x 17.5 inches, all hand letterpressed by Wilson, printed using metallic silver ink on 'Wild Cherry' French 100lb. cover-weight paper.

You can pick one up online for £20.

Find out more at the Keep Calm Gallery

People Will Always Need Plates offers exclusive De La Warr Pavilion merchandise

Retro To Go favourite People Will Always Need Plates has a range of merchandise available featuring the iconic De La Warr Pavilion - only available from the Pavilion itself.

If you didn't know, the De La Warr Pavilion at Bexhill On Sea was commissioned by the Earl De La Warr in 1935 and designed by architects Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff - the UK‘s first public building built in the Modernist style. It's recently undergone renovation, returning the building to its former glory. And the merchandise on offer celebrates this event.

The tea towel (retailing for £7.95) is pictured above, but there's also a limited edition plate (£25), mugs in a choice of colours (£9.99 each), a canvas tote bag (£14.50) and at the bottom of the price scale, badges at £1 each. You can buy them from the Pavilion or you can contact the Pavilion's shop for mail order.

Find out more at the De La Warr Pavilion website

Electra offers retro E7316 fridge freezer in pink

Back in October of last year, we featured the Electra retro fridge freezer range as an affordable option to the more commonly featured Smeg fridges. And Electra has now added to that range with the pink E7316 fridge freezer.

Feature-wise, it's identical to the previous models, offering an A* energy rating, glass shelving, salad crispers, a chrome wine rack, an anti-bacterial lining and a considerable capacity in both fridge and freezer.

Price is around £499.

Find out more at the Electra UK website

Habitat's Tommy modernist table lamp

I love the modernist simplicity of the Tommy table lamp from Habitat.

Standing just 22cm high, it;s a steel lamp with rounded base and head, along with full adjustability for getting up close and personal with that book.

It's also well-priced too, available for just £20.

Find out more at the Habitat website

Levi's Vintage 1955 sawtooth denim shirt

More classic denim from the Levi's archive, this time the Levi's Vintage 1955 sawtooth denim shirt.

It's a rigid denim shirt in dark Indigo and made from 7oz pre-shrunk selvage denim. There's all the classic denim shirt detailing -  shoulder yoke, saw tooth pockets, and mother of pearl snap buttons, along with an original Saddle Man Shirt box.

You might end up looking like a cowboy, but if you think you can carry it off, it retails for £89.99.

Find out more at the Oi Polloi website

Vitra La Fonda Armchair by Alexander Girard

Dating back to 1961, but now available as a reissue, is this Vitra La Fonda Armchair by Alexander Girard.

Girard was a friend of Charles and Ray Eames and was commissioned to create a restaurant interior in the Time-Life Building in New York. To furnish the dining area, he wanted chairs whose bases would fit with the rest of the interior, with the height of the backrests the same as the height of the tables.

And this is the result, developed by Eames Office as a padded plastic shell mounted on a two-piece cast aluminium base. The lining is available in a choice of colours - dark grey, black and orange covered Hopsak. And if you want one to furnish your interior, it retails for £636.

Find out more at the Utility Design website

Kate Moross for Topshop collection

Fans of the psychedelic artwork by the likes of Martin Sharp and Hapshash and the Coloured Coat might like the work of a new designer, Kate Moross. She began designing flyers for clubs and bands but her latest venture, a collection of clothes for Topshop is sure to raise her profile considerably.

The Kate Moross for Topshop collection consists of t-shirts, vests and hoodies, all printed with swirling psychedelic images. Inspired by Moross’ background in physics, the designs consist of structured spatial shape intertwined with astrophysical typography. Prices start at £20 for a vest and go up to £30 for the sweatshirts. Pictured here is the Oversized Birdie T-shirt which costs £25 and is my favourite piece in the range.

To view the whole collection, visit the Topshop website.

Spiral Wallpaper by Erika Wakerly

A graduate of the Royal College of Art, Erika Wakerly specialises in surface design for interiors which in laymen’s terms means wallpapers and fabric. Browsing her website, the Spiral Wallpaper caught my attention as it has a retro look to it, especially in the brown on cream or black and white options.

The wallpaper has been designed so it can be hung ever horizontally or vertically to create different looks. The same design is also available as a fabric too so you could make matching cushions or upholster a chair!

It costs £45 per roll and can be bought from directly from the designer’s website.

John Rocha ladies gloves in a very vintage cream

It might be warming slightly, but there's still a chill in the air round these parts and that's excuse enough to invest in a great pair of leather gloves.

This pair from Rocha. John Rocha caught my eye because of the fantastic rich cream colour, reminding me of a fantastic pair worn by the leading lady in A Bout de Souffle. You don't get much more of an endorsement of style than Paris in the 60s, do you?

This pair are available from Debenhams for a bargain price of £18.

Find out more at the Debenhams website.

Jasmine Guinness retro swimwear

If you're lucky enough to have a holiday in the sun planned to whisk you away from the Great British winter months, then the new swimwear collection from Jasmine Guinness might just be the perfect purchase.

New in at Oli, the collection features retro designs and a fantastic revival of the glamorous one-piece. This floral halterneck number looks fantastic and is thankfully very affordable at £30.

Other designs in the collection include a very Hollywood starlet-esque skirted number, and an even more daring polka dot bikini.

Find out more at the Oli website

[Source: The Fashion Police]

Raumhochrosen offers modernist houses for birds

Never mind some bread and nuts, if you really want to treat the birds in your garden, get them the ultimate in stylish living - scaled replicas of great architectural homes for birds