Top of the Blogs

The October schoolwear issue of CWB is out now!

The issue includes a review of spring/summer 2012 footwear spotted in the kid's zone of Moda Footwear, for both boys and girls.

Don't miss the Top of the blogs feature on pages 20 and 21, where CWB chose some of their favourite blogs within the industry. Bubble and Speak were one of them!

Spotlight on Carla Valverde

A few months ago, we were introduced to the amazing work of Carla Valverde by CWB editor and Bubble and Speak guest blogger, Laura Kirkpatrick.

Having previously worked in the theater world and as a teacher, the Portuguese designer unveils some of the secrets behind her treasured dolls.

I like to think of my dolls as a toy you can play with and “a piece of art” a child can cherish for many years.

When starting my own collection, one of my main influences were some traditional Portuguese dolls made at the beginning of the century called "matrafonas". 

I'm inspired by what surrounds me - animals, fabrics, fashion - and of course the work of some fellow designers such as Mimi Kirchner and Jess Brown. 

 

Due to popular demand, I’m currently working on more colourful and smiley designs.

As I always have thousand of ideas but very limited time to execute them, my home-based studio is never kept tidy for long!

For more information on Carla's work, please visit her blog.

Superb Tent

It’s always a pleasure to visit Tent London. Now in its fifth year at the Old Truman Brewery, the design event hosts over 200 international exhibitors, showing the very latest in contemporary interior products - furniture, lighting, ceramics, textiles, materials and accessories.

We discussed wallpaper with Famille Summerbelle, treated to homemade muffins on Muffin Pouffes ’ stand, shared jokes with Mini Moderns, and overall, were smitten by the incredible work of some designers.

 X benches from Adam Xander

Little red riding hood cushions from Naori Priestly

 Spray cap stools and mug chairs from Alex Garnett



Count on me chair from Seks  

 PlayShapes Sculptural relief from Miller Goodman

Alphabet lampshade by Design Bark

Ghost lamps from Design Collective

  New tea towels and ribbon tapes from Famille Summerbelle

  

Whitby porcelain collection from Mini Moderns & Magpie

The oh-so-yummy Muffin Pouffes

 

The next edition of Tent London will take place on 20 - 23 September 2012.

All For Children

Tomorrow sees the launch of  H&M and UNICEF’s special range of children’s clothing, All for Children.

The collaborative collection will be available in 150 stores worldwide and on-line, with 25% of all sales going directly to UNICEF’s project, working towards the promotion of children’s rights to education and protection  in some of the poorest parts of the world, where many of H&M’s clothes are made.

Children can read about Moritz the sheep in an accompanying picture book full of games, then dress their very own Moritz in exactly the same outfits, with a wardrobe full of mini-versions of the collection.

The collection includes patterned jumpers or aviator jackets for boys and floral print trousers or character t-shirts for girls.

Children can help children this September and be fashionable for a good cause.

 

When in Shoreditch ...

We stopped by one of our favourite stores SCP, who was hosting new product launches during the London Design Festival. 

Here are a few of the design store's goodies.

Donna Wilson

New textile and home products from the "knitting queen"

Frank Treecloud pouffe

Make you own magpie kit

Snowflake decorative mat

swan and house scarfs  

Rob Ryan

Ruler for measuring the growth of human beings is Rob Ryan’s first piece for SCP and features his characteristic paper cut design.



Rota Stacka 

Super-robust stacking indoor & outdoor stool manufactured in England, from 100% recyclable rotationally moulded polyethylene.

SCP East
135 Curtain Road
London
EC2A 3BX