They are the work of Carey Huffman, featured on her blog, Full Of Fluff. And if you like them, she’s also made the patterns available for download. With the weather showing no sign of improving, it might be worth giving them a go.
If you think about space age design, chances are you’ll think of the round TV, more specifically, the Keracolor Sphere TV range, the brain child of a man called Arthur Bracegirdle in 1968.
They burned brightly in the early 70s, with a range of models available, including floorstanding and hanging TVs, wood-effect models, even a large model with a built-in 8-track player. The TVs stayed in production before the company closed down in 1977 – but the round shells remained in storage.
But now they’re back in production, with the full co-operation of Arthur Bracegirdle and using those original shells. The difference? Well, the TVs inside are updated with modern-day technology, including Scart sockets, Teletext, Nicam sound and a remote control. Not right up to the minute technology, but certainly recent.
There’s perhaps nothing more retro than going back to the stone age – and you can go back that far with the Stonehenge Watch.
It uses the same technology as the original Stonehenge – using the power of the sun with the ‘stones’ to tell the time. Once you’ve mastered how that works, you can check if it works against the ‘real’ watch built into the other side.
Sold complete with chain, compass and instructions, it retails for $34.9 (around £18).
Find out more at the ThinkGeek website
Topshop has recently launched its ‘Archive Collection’, an online selection of vintage clothes mainly from the 1960s and 1970s. The cherry-picked range includes the best of the British high street alongside some top designer names of the past including Biba, Mary Quant, Radley & Ossie Clark, with new items added weekly.
The collection is mainly made up of dresses, including maxi dresses which are enjoying something of a renaissance at the moment. As these pieces are genuine vintage, rather than reproductions, only one of each item is available, so if you see anything you like, you have to hope it will be in your size.
The other factor to consider is the cost. Even the non-designer items cost more than your average Topshop dress and way more than any charity shop find – prices start at around £60 for a mid-length dress and £120 for a maxi dress. But if you want something unique without the hassle of trawling round numerous shops, this could be the answer.
To see the full collection, visit the Topshop website.
Time for another reproduction of a classic chair – the Corona Chair by Poul M Volther. Danish designer, Volther was heavily influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement and the Corona, is his most famous piece. It received wide-acclaim when it was first produced in 1964 and its popularity has continued since then.
Its distinctive four part structure was apparently inspired by time-lapse photography of a solar eclipse. As with all the best Scandinavian designs, functionality is just as important here as looks – the four upholstered shells give support to the body, so is reputed to be incredibly comfortable.
The Corona Chair and matching footstool are available from BlueSunTree priced £549.
More retro footwear from Puma, this time a reissue of the Puma Argentina – and they’re very limited.
The original shoe was released in 1978 as a ‘thank you’ to the 10 Argentina players that wore Puma during their World Cup win. The trainers themselves were picked up on the terraces in Europe, before fading away. They’re back now in blue and in very limited numbers – just 240 pairs worldwide, each one sold with a limited edition fanzine of the history of the Argentina national side.
If you want ot pick a pair up, you can for £65.
