H&M Design Award 2013

This year's H&M Design Awards expanded its reach, inviting students from 19 major fashion colleges in eight European countries to participate. Eight candidates made it through to the grand final. Eleonora Bruno from Polimoda in Italy is one of them. Vintage fashion is a major source of inspiration for Eleonora and Alfies Antique Market is one of her favourite places in London to find unique and unusual pieces.

For more information visit: http://designaward2013.hm.com/

Tales of The Moderns...

A design duo started out as admirers, then collectors, in between became addicts and later hoarders of the twentieth century. This century of invention, a millennium of innovation that travelled through the pioneering Machine Age, the vision of the Be-Bop and the utopia of the Conceptual. Soon the duo exchanged their wares for money and scoured the earth to find objects unique of their time, like the leather mummified chair by Adnet, or the light sculpture by Sciolari. More tales to be told... 

The Moderns have recently opened their new shop on the ground floor at Alfies. This design duo specialises in European 20th century art & design, with a focus on Post-War furniture and objects with a distinctive character. Find a range of Scandinavian, Dutch and Italian pieces from key designers such as Tapio Wirkkala, Theo Ruth, and Stilnovo, to name a few...

Rare pair of heads from Nigeria, 1940s/1950s.

Hand formed in terracotta and decorated in colourful glass beads. 

Antique door carved out of one piece of hard wood,

Cameroon, circa 1900.

For more information visit the website:

http://www.themoderns.eu/

Happy Valentine's Day!

If you're still searching for that something special for your loved one look no further, Alfies is full of Valentine's inspiration, all year round!

Vintage fold down 1930s Valentine's card from Tin Tin Collectables

Vintage 1950s decoration from Tin Tin Collectables

1950s Heart locket with ring from Good Time Antiques

Victorian stained glass window from Gloria Sinclair

Victorian diamond, sapphire & platinum necklace with from Pari's Jewellery

1970s Bus Stop heart print dress from Next Time Around

Gold Victorian bracelet with heart shaped lock from Gareth Brooks

1950s Men's silver chain & heart lock from The Originals

1930s/40s Universal Genève mechanical wind watch from Moe Heidarieh 

We need your opinion!

Please help us improve the Alfies website by answering a few questions below and be in with a chance of winning a free lunch for you and a friend at Alfies Roof Top Kitchen*.




* Lunch includes two main meals and two drinks to a maximum value of £25.  Must be used within 6 months and during one visit only. The winner will be chosen at random on Friday 8th March 2013 and notified by email. 

Real Men Buy Mantiques...

This week there was an interesting article by Katrina Burroughs in the Telegraph titled "Forget antiques: the latest trend is mantiques".  Here at Alfies we did a bit of research, asked our twitter followers and spoke to some of our dealers who stock a more manly selection of antique goods to find out the word on the street. 

Tin Tin Collectables - First Floor at Alfies

At Alfies, Leslie Verrinder of Tin Tin Collectables has an eclectic collection perfectly suited for the discerning gentlemen.  His luggage and travel accessories shop on the first floor is full of canvas and leather trunks of all sizes, as well as a number of sporting goods including 1950s jockey weighing scales, a 1930s fishing reel with horn handle and a set of boxed gaming chips.  We asked Leslie for his thoughts on this new trend:

"For far too long now the antiques and collectables market has been dominated by a lean to the feminine - consider glass, china, lace, textiles and vintage fashion. Now the new kid on the block sees the rise of the MANTIQUE."

Gaming chips and metal trunk

Leslie has seen demand increase for large pieces of vintage luggage, steamer trunks and vintage sporting goods including croquet sets, crickets sets, and leather punchbags.

1950s jockey's weighing scales

"Originally, these items were the preserve of large shops and interior decorators including Ralph Lauren and Espirit, now they are finding their way into houses and apartments as furniture. A steamer trunk, for example, makes an excellent occasional or coffee table, complete with ample storage, and a home gym looks so much better with a leather working punch bag hanging in the corner."

The Boys Own Book of Outdoor Games & Pastimes, fishing reel and leather football

Mirror Master in the stand next door has some unusual desk accessories including an elephant shaped inkwell and pen holder and some interesting match holders in the style of a bookcase.

Stephen Lazarus - First Floor at Alfies

Peering through the window of Stephen Lazarus shop opposite your eyes take a moment to adjust to the jungle of industrial lighting that greets you.  Angle poise, tubular steel and imposing theatre lights are mixed with model airplanes and glove moulds from a French glove making factory.  A steel filing cabinet with contrasting brass handles sits proudly on a tall metal base, perfect for a modern man’s home office.

Industrial lighting from Stephen Lazarus

So it seems ‘mantiques’ are on the rise with many male collectors looking for interesting pieces to add to their homes.  Whether or not people like this catchy new term, the trend is here to stay and for those looking for original pieces Alfies and the other antique shops on Church Street are a great place to start!

See more great items on our Mantiques Pinterest board.