Hallowe'en!

Halloween with its rich history and uncanny nature is, of course, a great favourite at Alfies! But while we are fully committed to fake blood and plastic fangs, the real treat lies in the endless possibilities of costume choice! Anything goes, and to us anything means any period and any effort counts!

From the Victorian Gothic Party - think mad woman in the attic, candle light and cameo brooches - to swank Murder Mystery themed outfits, there isn't an ensemble we can't accessorize! We're buzzing with excitement over period pieces that complete costumes this weekend and wardrobes all year 'round!

Gold Cameo Brooche from Linda Antiques

1950's Pierre Balmain Cloche Hat from Tin Tin Collectables

Austrian Handbag with Silver Enamel Clasp fom Connie Speight

Browse through our broad range of Vintage clothes from different time periods and look out for fantastic Halloween gems hidden between a choice of unique costume opportunities!

Theatrical Cape from Persiflage

And to put you in the right mood, check out The Girl Can't Help It's bewitching window displays!

The Girl Can't Help It

The Girl Can't Help It

A happy and haunted Hallowe'en from all of us at Alfies!!

Cocktail Pyjamas!

Susanna Lau aka Style Bubble has been shopping recently in Alfies. Here she is in a gorgeous pair of 1930/40s 'Cocktail' pyjama's from Tin Tin Collectables.



Included in her post is a brilliant quote from Vogue, 1931:

"A woman may and does wear pyjamas to quite formal dinners in her own house, to other people's dinners in town and country if you know them well and the more iconoclastic members of the female sex even wear them to the theatre." "Pyjamas - When are they worn?" Vogue 1 June 1931

Read the full post here and see more great photos of how to wear vinatge pyjamas in 2010.

This Week

These items have been catching my eye this week in Alfies, loving the bold block colours!

Pair of Tomado shelves from Stephen Lazarus

Coloured wall lights from Bent Ply

1970s desk lamp from Tycho Andrews



1950s Italian Murano ceiling light from Thirteen Interiors

Hanging light with coloured shades from Stephen Lazarus

Lamp from Bent Ply

Collections

This week sees the opening of the 3rd Exhibition from The Museum of Everything (a display of Sir Peter Blake’s private collection of art curious) as well as ‘Things’, a call to update Henry Wellcome’s curious collection at The Wellcome Collection. Essentially this is a week that highlights our obsession to collect, hoard and display items of personal interest.

Alfies is in itself a hand picked collection of dealers with an eclectic range of stock, but here are a couple of dealers with some very specific collections: Georgina Hayman from Hayman & Hayman
(Stand G052-53) offers an enormous selection of antique photo frames ranging from the 1850s through to the 1950s, with a wall dedicated to hanging frames. Georgina also has a fantastic collection of Limoges boxes and perfume bottles.

Views from within Georgina's stand

Magna Carta Antiques shop (Stand F050/51) is dedicated to a very unusual and vast array of inkwells, with many dating back to the late 1890’s.

A selection of items from within Bernard Barkoff's shop

An early 20th century glass inkwell with silver overlay. Circa 1900

There is something that is so exciting about wandering through corridors of other peoples collections, of what has been of interest to them and what you can tell about a person from what they collect. As you wander through Alfies it can be constantly tempting to add to your own collections as much as it is intriguing to delve into others.

Canvas Bag Design Shortlist

Thank you to everyone who entered the 'Design a Greener Future' Canvas Bag Competition. After a lot of tough decision making we have created a shortlist of our favourite designs. These are our runners up and will be exhibited at Alfies from the 16th November along with the limited edition bags! Just to keep you guessing, one of these designs is also the overall winner who will be announced on the 9th November a week before the canvas bags go on sale!

Shortlist (in no particular order)

Mariko Jesse

www.marikojesse.com

Susan Taylor
www.susantaylorart.net

Alex Howes
www.alexhowes.com



Claire Ward-Thornton


Jerome Flinders



Tasha Whittle
www.thecolouringbox.tumblr.com

We hope you can all make the exhibition from 16th November. This will tie in with the start of National Antiques Week and there will be lots of information about the week as well as the Antiques are Green Campaign.

Don't forget to register your support here: www.antiquesaregreen.org