Stars and Stripes

American Independence Day or as the Americans call it, the Fourth of July, commemorates the United States independence form the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1776. It’s commonly celebrated with fireworks, parades and parties and is a great chance to indulge in the fantastic nostalgia that the American dream has instilled all over the world.

Think of the stars and stripes or Hollywood glamour as a great way to inspire a summer picnic or themed cocktail party.

Have a look here for some Alfies hand-picked inspiration:

A selection of American cocktail shakers, some with glasses and ice bowl.Robinson Antiques

Or why not introduce some American 50s style furniture into your home with these selection of chairs from Thirteen Interiors and The Upholstery Workshop.

Set of 4 American 1950's chrome dining chairs re-upholstered in red leatherette with white piping.Thirteen Interiors

A 1950's chair from a set of 6 chairs which has been re-upholstered by The Upholstery Workshop.

Or if you don't fancy hosting your own party, why not treat yourself to a Deluxe Rooftop burger with fries and a soda at the rooftop café?

London Festival of Architecture

From 25th June to 4th July, Church Street will become a hive of activity as this year's London Festival of Architecture takes over, providing an exciting line up of events. Forming part of this years Festival of Architecture, Anatomy Of A Street will unfold in shop windows and market stalls along Church Street and includes an engaging audio guide, the exhibition of research materials, installation of maps, photographic and video works along with performances by a variety of artists, activists and architects and other interactive elements for all visitors to enjoy.

All of this will take place alongside Church Street's busy market and on the second floor at Alfies! There will be a sound installation set up by the szovetseg39 design group as part of the festival.

If you haven't visited us already, Church Street is a diverse and bustling street with a large street market selling fruit, veg, and practical items set in contrast to many antique shops, an art gallery and of course, Alfies Antique Market. It's great to have such a fantastic community on our doorstep and be able to take part in events such as this one!

Make sure to come in and take part!

For more information about the London Festival of Architecture please click here
You can find out more about the history of Church Street here

Alfies' 3rd Nostalgia Saturday - 60's/70's

Dear All,

Please join us this Saturday for the last of our events series, while being very excited about it, we have to admit to being a tad sad as we've had such a good time at the past two Nostalgia Saturdays. So let's make this one even better!

Of course we have taken care of a fantastic musical backdrop for your listening pleasures, please see below:

The following images are just a taster of the wonderful things waiting for you to be discovered here at Alfies. We believe that this is an especially lovely selection of designs typical to this weekend's featured era.

1960s Gold & Diamand Brooch by Zeeba Jewels

1970s Floral Maxidress by Persiflage

1970s Marble Coffee Table by Lorna Lee Leslie

Grey Sofa by CR Designs

As always, Mark and his friendly team in the Rooftop Restaurant will be happy to whip up some delicious treats so be sure to pop by for a snack enjoying the sun on the terrace!

You can still RSVP to info@alfiesantiques.com or call 020 7723 6066 to receive our lovely event directory for you to print out and bring along on Saturday.

Nostalgia Saturday 1960s -1970s

We're all looking forward to our third and last Nostalgia Saturday which focuses on 1960s - 1970s. On the day we will be featuring dealers that have lovely selections of items from this period. Below are a few of the dealers and an insight into their stands.

Persiflage

This is a real treasure trove of a shop located on the second floor, with a fantastic and affordable range of vintage clothes and accessories. From pretty 1960's day dresses to elegant sequin gowns, Persiflage is a must for any vintage fashion lover.

Francesca Martire

Found on the first floor, Francesca's stock includes usual decoratives, lighting, glass, furniture and some beautiful costume jewellery.

Zeeba Jewels

Sormeh has a vast selection of exquisite antique and vintage jewellery with many one off, specially designed pieces.

Biis Century

One of five dealers in The Quad, Biis Century specialises in 20th century furniture sourced from all over the world.

CR Design

The newest dealer in The Quad, CR Design specialises in continental 20th Century furniture and lighting.

Mark it in your calenders, 19th June for Alfies last Nostalgia Saturday!

Fathers' Day - 20th June

We thought we'd give you plenty of warning about Fathers' Day this year. The temptation is to leave any present buying until the last minute, but you know you'll end up getting your Dad a CD or book!

So we've had a wander round Alfies for you and picked out some highlights that might appeal to your Pops. Something that will be a bit different and show him what he means to you...

If your Dad's a dapper dresser then how about Hell to Pay's collection of men's vintage. The prices are reduced so you are sure to pick up something that is not only suave and sophisticated but bargainous to boot.

Robinson Antiques is a good place to stop off with a fine selection of Art Deco accessories, including silverplate cocktailware, cufflinks and lighters.

While at Goldsmith & Perris, browse for a Fathers' Day gift amongst everything from hip-flasks to champagne buckets, matchstrikers to magnifying glasses and card-holders to paper knives.

Our jewellery dealers have a great range of cufflinks to choose from, whether looking for some 1970s cocktail classics, or more elegant Edwardian styles.

But if you are really stuck, or your Dad is a tricky one to choose for, there are always Alfies Gift Certificates. A sure-fire hit...

Happy Fathers' Day Dads!

Louis Vuitton Collector's Paradise

As the new Louis Vuitton store opens on Bond Street this week, the brand seeks to emphasise that this is not just a shop but a place to evoke the heritage and legacy of luxury, which Louis Vuitton encompasses.

Maison is designed with the theme 'collector' in mind, "Reflecting Louis Vuitton's art-de-vivre and savoir-faire, conceived as the home of a collector . . . [it] gives visitors opportunities to discover new and exciting experiences." Guardian.co.uk

Louis Vuitton was founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton Malletier who developed the first flat bottomed trunks with trianon canvas which meant they were lightweight, airtight and could be stacked. This was a huge step forward for the travel industry and many others copied this design. To further protect his brand Louis Vuitton started using the damier canvas pattern (see below) with the unmistakable LV logo to stand out from the imitations starting off what was to become and internationally recognised and successful brand.

Walking through Alfies it is hard not to be taken in by the amount of history surrounding the artifacts and objects on the shelves. There are some very special pieces of luggage that resonate with the golden age of travel when journeys were a little more glamourous, if a bit more time consuming than they are today.

Furniture Lighting and Luggage. From Manley J Black


Louis Vuitton suitcase from the 1920s. From Travers Antiques

Head to the second floor for Tin Tin Collectables' new vintage luggage and travelling accessories shop for some serious collectors items.

Stencilled Noah & the Arc Trunk - Perfect for a Child's Toy Box!


Selection of Antique & Vintage Trunks, all from Tin Tin Collectables.

Antique and vintage luggage can be used in so many ways. Whether they are used for storage or as a sensational statement piece, the true beauty lies in the history, journeys and secret stories they contain.

Alfies' 2nd Nostalgia Event this Saturday!

We can't believe it's already been five weeks since our last event here at Alfies which was the first of our Nostalgia Saturdays series. We trust that all of you who attended had just as wonderful a time as ourselves. The music really did set a perfect backdrop for a vintage inspired Saturday spent discovering countless treasures in the market as well as enjoying a lunch or a little snack and a beverage on the sunny Rooftop Restaurant's terrace.

So we have travelled back in time and enjoyed some wonderful 20's and 30's music, poetry and readings, we feel it is now time to take a leap into the past again.
This time we have dedicated our Nostalgia Saturday to the very eventful and exciting 40's and 50's.
We would be delighted to welcome you on our little time travel adventure and tap your feet to the music provided by Dollar Bill and Greaser Leo!

And why not give in to temptation and treat yourself to a tasty milkshake and burger in the Rooftop Restaurant, we know we will!

You can still RSVP to info@alfiesantiques.com or call 020 7723 6066 to receive our lovely event directory for you to print out and bring along on Saturday.

Nostalgia Saturday

In keeping with our 1940s- 1950s Nostalgia Saturday next weekend, we are looking forward to people coming dressed in their finest vintage attire.

If you are not so brave with wearing head to toe vintage, a great way to get the vintage look is by using appropriate accessories. During this period women compensated for the simple dresses they had to wear by jazzing up their outfits with bakelite jewellery, fake flowers and more decadent accessories.

Below are some items of inspiration from Alfies.

A selection of bakelite and celluloid jewellery from The Originals.

A pair of 1950's pink lucite and perspex shoes with pastel diamentes from The Girl Can't Help It



A matching carved Art Deco pink celluloid bangle and bakelite necklace from The Originals.



Stunning 1940s rose diamond, emerald, ruby long drop earrings from Paris Jewellery



A 1940's black fabric evening bag with diamantes from Tony Durante

Hope to see you all at next weeks Nostalgia Saturday! For a more detailed progamme of events email lindsay@alfiesantiques.com

VE Day - May 8th

May 8th 1945 was Victory in Europe Day - heralding the end of the Second World War, when the Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. It was a day of celebration for millions of people. We've had a little look around Alfies to see what beautiful pieces we could find of the period and here are a few of the highlights...

Rare model of Stilnovo writing desk lamp, Italy 1945
Modo Italia

A pair of unworn M43 Second World War US army rough-out boots
The Girl Can't Help It

1940s enamelled on silver gilt bracelet with leaf and flower detail
Gareth Brooks

This beautiful 1940s suit is by "Hebe Sports". The Scottish boucle tweed has a pleated skirt over a tightly waisted jacket.
Tin Tin Collectables