Lucie Loves

Part two | Portobello People

This post is dedicated to Vintage shop lovers and food fans… 

If you’re wondering where to spend your weekend here are a few more of my favourite photos from when I took myself and my DSLR camera to Portobello Road Market on Bank Holiday Monday.

Enjoy.

The first chap pictured in this post is Alexandro, an Italian photographer, who stopped me in my tracks at the top of Portobello Road and asked if he could take my photo. He pulled out his old Nikon film camera and snapped a headshot. I decided to repay him by taking a portrait of him too.

After saying goodbye to Alexandro - my belly still full of Nutella and banana crepes - I passed an iced lemonade stall and felt compelled to ask the man if I could take his photo. He looked so serene amongst summery oranges and lemons and the quaint hand-painted signage.

I went on my way, strolling in the sunshine, spying vintage shop after vintage shop on Pembridge Road – the road that runs up to Notting Hill Gate. Here you will see shop windows piled high with old books, comics, graphic novels, kewpie dolls and retro costume jewellery, as well as trinkets and designer shoes sitting alongside Natwest Wade ceramic money boxes - the piggy bank of many an ’80s child.

The little Vintage shop I went into was called Retro Woman. It can be found at number 20 Pembridge Road. It is a treasure trove of vintage designer shoes, clothes and accessories. The shoes are kept in glass cases that makes the whole shopping experience feel a little like you are selecting museum-worthy collector pieces.

Well, actually, if you’re a real fashion fan with an eye for a designer bargain - you probably are looking at museum-worthy pieces.

If you follow the road from Notting Hill Gate, in the opposite direction of Holland Park, towards the city, you will pass lots of little coffee shops and pizza places. If you look closely you might even spot the two women sitting on the floor of a takeaway restaurant making savoury pancakes for eager customers. I couldn’t resist taking a photographic momento.

If you missed part one of this post you can read it here.

Directions to Portobello Road Markets…

If you fancy a visit to Notting Hill and Portobello Road, check out the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea website for more details.

Check out the TFL website for Tube details on how to get to each of the London Markets.

Photography © Lucie Kerley

#todayimwearing ‘don’t-look-at-me-I’m-ill-but-still-want-to-look-nice’ nude @HelenECosmetics Lip Crayon in Nectar from my @companymagazine #fashionforum goody bag.

If you love vintage, you’ll love Notting Hill and Portobello.

If you’re thinking about having a wander down *sings* Portobello Road! Portobello Road!

Do it. 

Here are a few of my favourites photos from when I took myself and my DSLR camera to Portobello Road Market.

It was Bank Holiday Monday, I was still feeling a little under the weather and needed a pick me up. I decided on some ‘me-time’ (partly because the Tubes were disrupted and I couldn’t get across - easily - to East London to spend the day with my friend Marcos.)

With JMG over 100 miles up north and not available at my disposal, I went for a walk to:

1. indulge my senses
2. unleash my creativity
3. swap my fashion blogger hat for my documentary photographer hat
4. satisfy my hunger for a nutella and banana crepe
5. be charmed by the many lovely stall holders and folk who greeted me on my journey. 

Smiles all round.

If you fancy a visit to Nottinghill and Portobello Road, check out the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea website for more details.

I was quite surprised how quiet the streets were on Bank Holiday Monday. I was expecting Portobello Market and Notting Hill to be heaving with tourists? But no. It wasn’t the usual Euston Station free-for-all I had anticipated. How refreshing.

There are some lovely well-known boutiques like Cath Kidston, along with the likes of All Saints, Kurt Geiger and Religion. However, the beauty of Portobello Market - as it often is with any market - is the joy of the undiscovered. Take a peek at my blog post about my visit to Columbia Road and Broadway Markets - another weekend must-see!

The vintage clothing, 1930s enamelware, old signage, letterpress lettering, old maps, harris tweed, clockmakers, knob shops, art galleries, antique shops, street food and home-made iced lemonade. It’s wonderful.

One of my favourite such shops was Chloe Alberry (pictured above) which featured a vast array of beautiful door furniture, colourful glass bottles, vintage tiles, cabinet hooks and mirrors, and many more curiosities.

To get to Portobello Road, I searched google for directions and quickly realised that my local 295 bus from Hammersmith to Ladbroke Grove would drop me close by, in under 40 minutes.

Check out the TFL website for Tube details on how to get to each of the London Markets.

Photography © Lucie Kerley

Library @wearelibrary, the online boutique selling prints and posters, is now live!

Vintage or modern, we love a good print.

Launching today, Monday 11^th March 2013, Library is an online boutique selling prints from established designers and illustrators. Good times for all really! There will never be enough places to showcase and purchase work by independent artists.

Over the past few of years we (JMG and I) have personally ‘invested’ in work by Anthony Burrill from Beach London, Jam Factory, Klingatron, Tunnel Out aka Lets Try Hard, Others Studio, Mezzetty, and Joe Wilson as well as picking up a range of vintage pieces to pop into frames from Chesterfield Market and antique shops. Buying art is such a fun way to put your stamp on a home and it is also a great way of supporting new talent. Britain’s machine of a creative industry.

Library has a range of posters on offer from designers such as Family, Mou&Ye, Known As Unknown and my good friend Joe Mitchelmore aka Others Studio,

Library has carefully chosen each artist to offer a unique collection of artwork. Eager to promote like-minded designers, Library has been launched to act as an inspiration and provide thoughtful, intelligent artwork at a reasonable print (and price) point.

Founded out of a love for good design and using only the best printing processes, all the artwork has been commissioned exclusively for Library; the prints are often limited editions and cannot be bought anywhere else, online or offline.

Encouraging engagement with the wider design community, Library is keen to hear from other emerging artists and designers and to continually develop the pool of talent on offer.

Library prides itself on delivering a quality product, including printing all orders in house, on high-quality, heavyweight stock, using bespoke packaging and shipping worldwide.

For more info please contact:

Laurie@soeur-pr.com 07730 761 476.

Dan@wearelibrary.com 07595 746 785.

#todayimwearing Music, plait and print. 

How cute is the bedroom I stayed in last night! 

Such a gorgeous home @kayogilvie. 

My love affair with Draw in Light continues… this time it’s the over-sized Easy Silk T that’s got me hooked. I think the swirls and print technique take me back to being at art college in Liverpool. I love the fact that Draw in Light piece’s, because of their hand-printed patterns, are completely unique. 

I’ve teamed this with my Topshop casual military shirt, Dr Martens Clemency boots and my big vintage fur hat.

Photography: © jmgcreative & Styling/Edit: Lucie Kerley

Feeling all festive and wintry in a touch of tarten.

As most of my good friends will know… (and often look at me aghast!) I’m a fan of mixing colour, print and texture, so decided to pair my Topshop boutique grunge floral dress with some fairisle Tightsplease grey tights, and an old Primark tarten bomber jacket (I’ve spotted one for sale on eBay starting at £5 in a size 10). I topped the look off with a big vintage fur hat and my Sophie Hulme green leather tote bag complete with beautiful gold plated hardware detail and my Dr Marten’s Clemency Boots.

Photography: © jmgcreative & Styling/ Edit: Lucie Kerley

Heading home after a hard days work wearing my @drmartensofficial #CherryRed #1460’s, a #vintage tweed coat, skinny jeans and my DM’s tartan scarf. #Fashion #style #blogger #whattowear #inspiration #photo #me #girl #redhead #hair #print #fblogger #clothes #ootd #wiwt #instapic #outfit #whatiwore #igdaily #london #fashiondiaries #aw12 #instafashion

Home. You’ve gotta love a good scatter cushion…

Haha! @cakedandgreen is it you that HATES these?

I’m going to miss this place.

Coffee time… My eyes have excel spreadsheet squares etched into the back of them. Urgh. #instapic #vintage #french #teacup #bestoftheday #coffee (Taken with Instagram)

I love a good #vintage portrait. #instapic #igdaily #photo (Taken with Instagram)

Wandering around the shops in Holt with @jmgcreative #vintage #instapic #igdaily #photo (Taken with Instagram)

Just what you need on a long journey… Car #sweets! Cadbury’s Clusters and Maynards Wine Gums, and an AMAZING birthday book on #vintage #fashion from @kayogilvie! I’m going to be very well read. #fblogger #gift #holiday (Taken with Instagram)