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Image: Indochino 
Similar to what Anya Hindmarch did many years ago with her Be a Bag line, I keep coming across examples of retailers offering some form of customisation in an attempt to differentiate themselves and provide a better service and goods to their customers.  Retailers are giving customers the option to personalise and tailor garments to suit their individual tastes and size.  Indochino offer trousers which are custom-tailored to your exact dimensions using premium fabrics and also allow the buyer to choose details like the cuffs, pocket lining, suspender buttons and pleats.  J. Hilburn go a step further by offering a perfectly fitted suit though, rather than submit your own measurements a 'style advisor' from J.Hilburn will come to your home or office and measure you, they still warrant that service will be speedy and the quality will not suffer.

This phenomenon is not restricted to men either; Alex & Eli allow women to chose the colour, lining and buttons on the blazers in its Tailor Shop.

Image: Carsten Anikstdal
I love the primary colours and the mix of wood and textile of this sideboard-cum-desk from Amy Hunting.  Made from Douglas Fir, wool and solid brass bolts, she ingeniously uses gravity to create and form the storage shelves while maintaining a workable surface.
Driving to the east end of the island a few weeks ago, I was floored to see what appeared to be two bus shelters directly opposite to each other vandalised and spray painted with graffiti, something which is rarely seen here.  I subsequently thought the work was a little too polished to be unlawful and I was right.  It turned out to be a piece by Kathleena Howie Garcia, aka "Lady K Fever" who was Masterworks Gallery's recent artist-in-residence.  Hailing from Bronx, Lady K Fever is a multi-disciplinary artist in media of painting, graffiti art, murals, digital art and photography.  She has since left the temporary artist-in-residence post having given a number of tutorials over the summer and unfortunately when I passed the shelters again recently, I noticed the murals had been painted over and so no longer exist.  

Have a look at the work in more detail after the jump.
Image: Maria Hardig
How many times have you found yourself out jogging or carrying on some other sporting activity when you realise you are without pockets, and carrying a bag in which to put important or valuable items such as money or keys is impractical or inconvenient?  Proving once again that the simplest ideas continue to be the best, you may then welcome this idea by designer Maria Härdig who has produced a bag which can be attached to a bottle to keep your personal effects close to hand and safe without the need for bulky bags.
I'm always interested in finding examples of modern architecture in the Caribbean and therefore when I was told a new hotel had been built around the Queen's Park Savannah in Port of Spain a few years ago, I was very excited to finally have the opportunity to look around (although I was accosted by a very nervous-looking marketing manager while I was doing so).  My exploration of the Carlton Savannah was restricted to the public spaces of the hotel only and unfortunately the pool area was closed while I was there.  While it was nice to see an attempt at modernism being made, what I saw left me a little underwhelmed.  It is obvious that they were going for a Miami rather than a Caribbean feel which meant that the overall effect was a bit generic.  Kudos however for showcasing some local talent in the foyer which featured a few local artists' work including the piece by one of my favourite watercolorists Camille King shown after the jump.

Alp, a design studio led by Swiss-born, London-based interior architect Annick L Petersen, make such interesting pieces based on the aesthetic of turned wood.  The 102 stool is made of beech with a white gloss lacquer finish and the 702 mirror has a white gloss lacquer finish and oak embellishments.  See more details after the jump.

Kelly Wearstler continues her quest for retail domination and evolution from interior designer to overall style and fashion arbiter.  Last month she opened an e-shop selling the fashions we featured here as well as home decor and accessories (I particularly love her jewellery).  Yesterday marked the opening of a bricks-and-mortar shop on Melrose Avenue, meaning she has reached another milestone in her journey.


Todd Oldham has joined forces with Fishs Eddy to produce a dishware collection based on Charley Harper's illustrations.  The result of this exclusive deal brings colourful and bright serving trays, plates and glasses to the table.

See more of what's on offer after the jump.

Thanks to Target and H&M, I am a little collaboration weary, but one which still has the power to excite me is this between Comme des Garçons and Cambridge Satchel Company. Rei Kawakubo has re-purposed the traditional bag in glam metallics with double-strap handles which make it a bit more wearable, and less twee, than the other versions out there.

The satchel is available in gold and silver featured above as well as basic black, brown and white (shown after the jump).

I have wanted to do this post for the longest while.    The Irish Linen Shop is situated at Heyl's Corner at the junction of Queen and Front Streets near the infamous 'Birdcage' and is housed in the old Apothecaries' Hall building.  Don't let the name or the traditional exterior fool you, The Irish Linen Shop is what I would call a hidden gem. Its quaint, historic facade hides a veritable treasure trove of beautiful and luxurious products sourced from around the world. Historically the largest distributor of luxury bed and table linens in Bermuda with Le Jacquard Francais, Beauville, Yves Delorme and more recently Serena & Lily on offer, Elaine Murray, buyer and part-owner has gradually expanded the shop's inventory.  It now carries more than just linen these days, including a wide range of children's clothes, toys and books from Petit Bateau, Papo d'Anjo and Chantal, home accessories and small furnishings from Michael Aram, Mariposa and Cire Trudon, art books, candles and toiletries. 

The Irish Linen Shop has long been one of my favourite places for buying gifts, treating myself or just browsing.  You are guaranteed to find beautiful and usual items which cannot be found elsewhere locally.  Have a look around The Irish Linen Shop after the jump.

The sharp, angular look of this dress from Martel's Spring 2012 collection make it feminine in an edgy way.  The New York city based line is designed by Antonia Martel and will be available to purchase online in the near future from here.

How great is this custom Eames LTR or Low Table Rod collaboration between House Industries and Herman Miller Japan?  A total of 80 tables with the classic Eames wire-base were produced by Herman Miller, with the tops of each being hand-printed with letters, numbers and ornaments from the Eames Century Modern font collection.  The tables were initially manufactured at House Industries' factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan and then sent to Herman Miller for assembly and packaging in a special House Industries-designed wooden crate, the idea being that the packing itself should be just as beautiful and worth keeping as the contents.

Forty LTRs were initially unveiled at Herman Miller's Reach exhibition in Hong Kong on September 16, 2011 and another forty were featured at the House Industries exhibition at the Herman Miller Tokyo Showroom on October 27, 2011.  See more after the jump.
Image: Designtree
With frosted or clear versions of its artisan blown glass, the Pil pendant lamp from New Zealand design studio Designtree is made from hand turned cherry or silver beech timber from its indigenous forests.  In so doing, they have married traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge (and energy-efficient) LED lighting technology to produce a beautifully rich sculptural piece. 
Image: island*atelier
After wearing everything from my natural shoulder-length hair to waist-grazing extensions, a few months ago I decided to go in the opposite direction and cut all of my hair off.  While looking for ideas, I scoured the Internet and a few of the images I used as inspiration for the cut are pictured above.  I like the result and have received many complements since, so you can imagine my surprise when I read this article in The New York Times yesterday which describes the style perfectly, especially the description of it being something young men wore back in the heyday of Western Europe's fascist movement because the immediate reaction my German SO had when he saw it was that I now look like their leader. 

While I'm a little upset that I no longer have a distinctive cut but one which is apparently part of a trend, I like it so I'll probably keep it for a while.  I prefer to consider it a throwback to the New Wave/Synthesizer band look of my heyday rather than anything else.
Image: Target
This adorable retro-looking gift card from Target turns into a plane and comes complete with its own landing strip.
Clockwise from top left: BCBG, Peter Som, VPL, Lela Rose

A little later than I expected, but Warby Parker's collaboration with SUNO finally hit stores yesterday. I love the Wendel frame shown above which is an updated version of a classic, round frame. Each of the three limited-edition styles contains polarised lenses and feature SUNO’s gorgeous prints on acetate frames.

See more styles after the jump and purchase them here.

I love the way these tactile and beautiful ceramic globes by Miguel Angel Garcia Belmonte glow from within.  The lights are handmade in Spain.
Image: Anthropologie
These embellishments have been turning up everywhere and on everything.  See more after the jump.

These beautiful and elegant necklaces would make the perfect personalised gift this holiday season.  Calligraphy necklaces from Brevity Jewelry are available here.
How is this for practical, stylish yet space-saving design? These chairs by Québec born, London-based furniture designer Philippe Malouin who we featured last month here can be folded and stored or do double-duty as hangers for clothing.  See the chairs in action after the jump.