Seasonal fabric design

A look at Liberty's fabulous spring collection.                                                                                       

It was minus 9 degrees in some parts of England last week, and just to confirm the point the Daily Mail featured an image of a waterfall which had, rather stunningly, frozen solid in the Brecon Beacons. The trend for hand-knitted hats topped with a colourful bobble was displayed in abundance on the streets of London (or so I hoped having knitted myself one) and it was generally overcast, dull and grey.

Yet this week it feels like spring has arrived. The temperature has risen ten degrees and the Daily Mail website is now featuring pictures of women in bikinis (it's not that hot). 

The change in season has had an impact on the design world too, which has dutifully launched its spring collections upon us.                                                                                   
The new fabric designs at the Liberty store in London in particular caught my eye. Zandra Rhodes and Martin Miller are just two of the well-known artists who contributed to the collection, which features a selection of old designs reinvigorated by young designers amongst completely new patterns. 


Here are some of the best:

Visit Liberty's excellent website for a look behind the scenes at their deign studios. Click here for the video.

Claire’s Accessories unashamedly rips off small, ethical business...and then ignores the fallout

I was astounded to read that Claire’s Accessories have released a range of jewellery that replicates, perfectly, several necklaces by Tatty Devine. The multi-million pound retailer has not even attempted to alter the designs of this independent British business, and has simply reproduced them, correct to the last detail. 

In Claire’s, of course, they are far cheaper. Not only have Claire’s acted immorally by presenting another company's work as its own, it has benefited financially from stolen ideas and potentially damaged the reputation of an innovative, hard-working smaller business. In a time of recession, when we are in desperate need of new business start ups to boost the economy, this appears not only illegal but totally unethical.

Claire’s PR strategy is to completely ignore and immediately delete the thousands of complaints which are flooding its facebook page, although it has little power over blogs, twitter and other social networking platforms. Tatty Devine has stated on its website that that it will be taking legal advice. However, in the murky world of intellectual copyright, it is sadly unlikely that any case they bring will succeed. 

A recipe for success...Comptoir Libanais followed by a trip to the V&A

The lecture theatre in the V&A's Sackler centre (top picture) hangs beautifully above the corridors below. The architect has cleverly employed mirrors and lights to create the illusion of space in the narrow corridor, he transmutes a claustrophobic space into a work of art. I thought it was a great example of the interplay between design and the space it occupies. It also  provides a smooth transition for the viewer into the older, more austere galleries of the museum. A perfect collusion of modern and historic architecture. 

A stones throw from the V&A 'Comptoir Libanais' has just opened and become my new favourite restaurant. The food is affordable (at about £8 for a main) and the decor inviting, a jumbled fusion of cafe and street market (as unusual as it sounds). It's the perfect place to rest after a long day meandering the galleries, or to refuel before heading into London.


Comptoir Libanais: 1-5 Exhibition Road, South Kensigton, SW7 2HE.