Victorian Sporting Plaques

Are you gearing up for the Olympics? If you're in the sporty mood, at Alfies you will find lots of sports related antiques. This is just one example..

These are Victorian bronze sporting plaques, c1890. They were displayed in a gentleman's club games room. The nineteenth century was the age of clubs, each with its own building resembling a stately mansion where gentlemen smoked, drank, ate, read (in libraries or news rooms), gambled, played billiards, and socialized among their peers.

Each plaque depicts a sporting scene.

Fencing

Football

Horse Racing

Available from Good Time Antiques
Stand F057/58 & F052/53.

Bastille Day - Saturday 14th July

It's Bastille Day on Saturday!  French National Day or La Fête Nationale, as it's called officially, is celebrated each year on the 14th July.  Held on the anniversary of the 1788 storming of the Bastille fortress it symbolises the uprising of the modern nation and celebrates the start of the French Revolution.  Festivities are traditionally held all over France and we thought we would join in and show you some of the ever popular, stylish French antiques to be found at Alfies.

French Brass and Bamboo Floor Lamp. From Lorna Lee Leslie.



French 1930s Beaded Bag. From Tony Durante.

1940/50s French Mirror. From Louise Verber Antiques.

French 1920s Onyx and Diamond Cufflinks. From Kieron Reilly.



Pair of French Vases £550. From Gloria Sinclair.

French 'Mocodile' Trunk. c1910. From Tin Tin Collectables.

Pair of French Lounge Chairs.

Alfies Summer Jubilee

On Saturday the 16th of June we hosted our very own Summer Jubilee.

Throughout the day guided tours were being held where guests could learn about the history of various specialised subjects direct from the dealers, such as how Melamine revolutionised home ware in the 1950s, vintage luggage and travel, colonial furniture from the 1930s, and much more.

Customers browsed around sipping on Pimms & lemonade while listening to the sweet harmonies of The Wayward Sisters who performed on the 2nd and ground floor.

Many thanks to everyone who made it a great day!

If you missed out, here are some pictures of the event...

Fillipo of Modo Italia hosting the first guided tour of the day

The drink of the day!

The Wayward Sisters

 

 

Mike of Velvet Atelier talking about vintage fashion

Beth giving a talk about collecting of ceramics in the 20th century

Liz's 'Dodo' stand F071/72

Ian Broughton's stand S048/49 & S059/60

Alfies staff: Sarina, manager (centre), Titika (right), and friend

Customers enjoying the music and sipping on Pimms

The Wayward Sisters final performance on the ground floor



Symphony of Shadows opens at Alfies

Laurie Vanian is no ordinary seamstress.  Her unique background in the London punk scene, training at two of the very best fashion institutes and experience with stage costume and underground fashion give Laurie a certain edge to her original and exquisite work.  Opening a new studio at Alfies Antique Market, Laurie undertakes all requests from vintage repairs and alteration to bespoke pieces of clothing and pattern making.

Laurie in her new studio at Alfies

An enthusiastic designer from the age of 11, Laurie trained in New York at the Fashion Institute of Technology and completed her degree at Central St Martins in London.  From there in 1977 she went on to set up a stand on the Kings Road where Adam Ant was one of her first customers.  By 1983 she had a stand at Hyper Hyper on Kensington Church Street, a retail premises known for emerging young designers such as Ghost, Pam Hogg, and Nigel Hall.  Laurie also spent many years making the stage costumes for her ex-husband’s punk band The Damned and was featured in numerous publications with celebrities such as Prince wearing her pieces.

An original design by Symphony of Shadows

Now working freelance Laurie has recently opened a studio at Alfies where she takes on a slightly different approach to fashion design.  Altering vintage pieces, she creates items of clothing that are wearable today.  With a diverse range of skills and experience Laurie takes on a variety of projects, from altering damaged vintage items and making them wearable again, to creating a dress pattern so that a much loved design can be re-made.  Laurie is the perfect person to see if you have something you just can’t bear to get rid of but no longer wear, or have seen the perfect vintage piece but it just doesn’t quite fit.  She’s the miracle cure to the vintage shopping dilemma.

Vintage Alterations by Symphony of Shadows.

Contact Symphony of Shadows:

Room D, First Floor at Alfies Antique Market

13-25 Church Street, Marylebone, London, NW8 8DT.

Email: symphonyofshadowsdesign@gmail.com

Tel: 07951 527 568

Mexican Gaucho Suit

What to do on a rainy day like today? Have a stroll around Alfies Antique Market for some serious treasure hunting and find the most amazing antique objects and vintage pieces. Like this Mexican Gaucho suit for example from Tin Tin Collectables.  It is an original 1930s Mexican three piece Gaucho suit comprising of trousers, vest and coat in fine chamois leather with cornelli applied corded embroidery. Yeehaa!

For more information visit www.tintincollectables.net

Swimsuits & Pyjamas

Hidden away on the second floor at Alfies there is a whole gallery of shops waiting to be discovered.  Many people don't manage to make it up to the rafters of Alfies and they are seriously missing out.  Follow the wooden staircase from the ground floor right to the top and you are in for a treat.

Today I discovered an amazing collection of vintage pyjamas from June Victor and Carole Collier.  Perfect for looking sharp during the summer evenings and mornings!

I also couldn't resist this vintage swimsuit in perfect condition.  It's unique in the fact that it expands to fit any bust size up to 36D!  The vintage swimming hat is a steal at £15 and matches perfectly!

New Dealer: Fox-Keating

As mentioned in a previous post we recently had Patricia of Fox-Keating join us, specialising in mid century/kitsch collectables, shoes, furniture, costume jewellery, lamps & lighting.
Now that Patricia's fully settled in and her shop is officially open, it was time to find out more...

How long have you been in the business and how did your interest in antiques develop?

I have always had a passion for old things with a bit of history and a story, rather than new.
I worked as a buying director for a large fashion design company and travelled a lot. I would scour the flea markets and antique shops on my travels for interesting bits for the shops and I have continued through bringing up my twin sons and now it's time to set up on my own to buy and sell.

What attracts you to mid century design?

Mid century design was a burst of colour and design after the austerity of the war, and always had a sense of of kitsch as well as taking inspiration from the new space exploration and atomic discoveries of that time and the new use of plastics. I think it is very inspirational and still largely affordable and the pieces look great in most settings.

What is your favourite item in your shop and why?

I think my favourite item(s) in the shop would have to be 'my ladies'. The plaster lamps from the 50's and 60's with mostly oriental themes. I think they were given as prizes at the fairground and is amazing that they have survived so long, as they are basically made from chalk.

Plaster lamps

What is your price range?

There is really something for everyone's budget, I have enamelled buttons and fabric trims from a few pounds up to the larger pieces of furniture which are much more expensive. So, £5 - £2000.

1950s 'SYLKO' Haberdashery Cupboard

Fox-Keating, stand S010/12.

Vintage Furniture & Objects

Make your way to the second floor of Alfies where a few of our dealers have set up exhibition rooms with their favourite items. Emilia Porto from Thirteen Interiors has chosen a nice selection of vintage furniture including a pair of 1930s club chairs re-upholstered in 'suede' fabric, a 1960s coffee table and a 1950s Macassar wood mirror.

Thirteen Interiors

A selection of 18th and 19th century watercolours from Barry Landsman and a selection of paintings & prints from Mo Heidarieh

Vincenzo Caffarella has selected a few pieces of Italian design mainly 1950s/1960s

including a Morandini painting.

Good Times Antiques selected an antique steering wheel and other interesting antique objects.

www.alfiesantiques.com

Sneak Peek

Whilst browsing around Alfies I spotted these lovely mid century chalkware/plaster kitsch lamps in one of the stands....

They belong to our new dealer Fox-Keating.

If you're into kitsch mid century home accessories, shoes, clothing and furniture this will be the shop to visit.

Fox-Keating, stand S010/12. Opening soon. We will keep you posted!

Church Street at the Battersea Decorative Fair

It was fantastic to see so many antiques dealers from our very own Church Street exhibiting at the Decorative Fair in Battersea last week.

Despite the rain the Battersea power station still looks iconic

Church Street has developed rapidly into a thriving art and antiques community.  A street that started out with just a few shops (and Alfies Antique Market of course!)  is now home to over 20 independent art, antiques, and 20th century design dealers.  Some of whom started out with a stand at Alfies itself.

Trusha Lakhani's stand at the Decorative Fair

Lighting and Seating from Trusha Lakhani

Trusha Lakhani, whose stand at the Decorative fair is pictured above, has recently expanded to take up two spaces, one at Alfies and the other at 14 Church Street.  Trusha sources incredibly unique furniture, art and objects from around the world, mixing Colonial pieces with European mid-century design.  From a 1930s chandelier from a cinema in Bombay to a life size Soviet statue of Alexander Pushkin c1957, you are guarenteed to find something exquisite and surprising.

Interesting wallpaper display and mirror

With so many great shops right on our doorstep, here is a list of the few who exhibited at the Decorative Fair. If you missed the fair last week don't forget you can visit Church Street and Alfies Antique Market from Tuesday-Saturday all year round.

Angell Antiques
Specialising in stylish industrial furniture, old shop fittings, counters & cabinets & a good range of decorative furniture including leather chairs & sofas. No. 22 Church Street.

Gallery 1930
18th, 19th & 20th century furniture, ceramics, lighting & accessories, mirrors, glass, theatre & industrial lighting. No. 18 Church Street.

Patricia Harvey Antiques
A mixture of furniture & decorative objects. No. 42 Church Street.
 

Deuxieme
An unusual & decorative mix of furniture & objects from the 18th to the 20th century. No. 44 Church Street.

Hudson Grove
Furniture, mirrors & objects. 18th to 20th century.  No. 14 Church Street.

Magus Antiques
Continental & Scandinavian, from fine period to the unusual & eccentric including contemporary; furniture, mirrors, lighting, objects & pictures. No. 4 Church Street.