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

Categories / Design and Interiors, Kids

Kay Bojesen classic Rocking Horse

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Kay Bojesen is no stranger to this site – we’ve already featured his classic mid-century Monkey and Elephant. But the Kay Bojesen Rocking Horse is an altogether bigger beast.

Designed back in 1942, it’s a timeless design for a timeless toy, made of beech wood and with a ‘trustworthy and open face’. After creating the horse Bojesen said: ‘From now on, no children are going to be bored.’ Obviously times have changed since he said it, but the rocking horse is still a stylish thing to have in your home, as long as you have children obviously.

This one will set you back around £415.

Find out more at the Panik Design website

Categories / Art and Photography

Bret Kane’s pop art-style Space Invaders art prints

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Nice to see something a little different in the world of art, which is what Bret Kane is offering with his Space Invaders art prints.

The prints are sold in sets of three, in a choice of arcade green or the slightly more bold three-colour set, all featuring stylised images of the classic arcade Invader and limited to just 50 of each. Not just cheap print-offs either – the images are hand-pulled prints on archival art rag paper.

Each set retails for $150 (£100) and is available to order now.

Find out more at the Mr Kane’s website

Categories / Books

Peace: 50 Years of Protest, 1958-2008 by Barry Miles

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The word “Peace” turns up a lot around this time of year, so it seems a good time to mention this book “Peace: 50 Year of Protest, 1958-2008” by Barry Miles.

Telling the story of one of the most widely recognised symbols, the book follows the creation of the Peace sign in 1958 as a logo for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament onto its appropriation by various protest movements from the hippies in the Sixties, feminists and punks. The book provides a fascinating insight into the popular protest movements accompanied by a collection of photographs of the symbol in use by rock star, activists and politicians.

The book’s author Barry Miles has the right credentials for putting together this book, as he was at the forefront of many influential organisations in the Sixities, including chairman of the Youth Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, co-founder of Indica Books and Gallery and International Times (IT) and head of Zapple, the Beatles’ spoken word label.

Peace is available to buy in hardback from Amazon for £17.50.

Categories / Design and Interiors

Cox & Cox Famous Faces masks

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Well, Christmas and New Year is always a good time for a party – and if you’ve been asked to go fancy dress, you could cheat by slapping on one of these Cox & Cox Famous Faces masks.

Each pack contains  eight masks, which includes David Bowie (Aladdin Sane era), Clint Eastwood, Dame Edna, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Charlie Chaplin, Audrey Hepburn and Carmen Miranda. And each has a fabric tie to keep your mask in place.

You can buy online, price is £15.

Find out more at the Cox & Cox website