CURIOSITY SHOP

No one does british cool better than Paul Smith, so when in London, one of the first stops we make is at one of his many magpie shops.

Located at 9 Albermarle Street, Smith's Mayfair space is a true treasure trove for vintage afficionados, housing quirky one-off finds such as jewellery, art, objects and furniture, all sourced around the world and beautifully curated in an eye-catching gallery / old style ambiance.

Miles away from the mass produced plastic objects we see in most shops today, its selection is truly unique and personal - new life is brought into forgotten pieces, which after a little touch here and there, are transformed into highly desirable ones.

We absolutely love it, but even if one doesn't have an eclectic bone in one's body, this Alladdin's cave of a shop is definitely worth a visit for its curiosity factor alone.

Paul Smith at 9 Albermarle Street, Mayfair, London W1

( Written and Photographed by Lola )

MINI THE BOOK

Mini is one of our favourite cars because it’s ideal for cruising big cities in a stylish and truly practical way. Created in the fifties by Alec Issigonis, this appealing automobile is definitely our cup tea, both the original model and the new one.
Aiming towards making an homage to this authentic design legend which drove through generations, the brand launched a book with its history from the early days to the present moment, suitably named 'Mini The Book'.
Featuring ten different personalities, including Paul Smith and Mary Quant, this richly illustrated book shows their own views about the fabulous four-wheeled wonder.

( Written by Álvaro )

STYLISH POOCH

We love dogs, and what's not to love? Great companions, warm, cuddly, pure and honest, and let's face it, as cute as they come. Because La Maison de Lola has its very own little friend named Dot (because of her dots), we are always delighted to see something beautiful and stylish for the canine bunch.

Paul Smith has a line just for dogs, but we particularly love his trademark multistripe dog collar (available in sizes small, medium and large), the swirl grained lead (to create contrast), and the metal dog collar tag, which is just adorable and gives your pooch a little playmate of his own.

Definitely too cool for (canine) school!

( Written and Photographed by Lola / Stills courtesy of Paul Smith)

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Having recently exhibited his work at two Paul Smith locations – first at the famously pink angeleno shop, and afterwards at the designers’ New York showroom – Peter Clark approaches art in a truly fun and appealing way.
By using old maps, stamps, letters, buttons, playing cards, paper boxes and lots of other vintage memorabilia to create his wonderful collages of dogs - assuming the typical character and attitude of each breed – and other animals, Clarks’ work is all about muted colours, texture and a witty sense of humour.
We’ll certainly keep an eye open for his work.

( Written by Álvaro )