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Tag: vintage

Best Antique Shopping Spots in France

Written by Anya Cooklin-Lofting on . Posted in Events, Gifting, Latest, Lifestyle, Travel.

By Anya Cooklin-Lofting

I can’t imagine a finer holiday than a few days in France, punctuating the languorous poolside hours with jaunts to the nearest antique market for a good rifle through rustic, storied bric-à-brac to take home. A vintage ashtray marked serendipitously with the initials of a good friend makes the perfect gift, or perhaps you find the dining chairs you’ve dreamed of for years; the cerise on the top of the renovation you never thought would feel complete. These treasure troves, which are common across Europe, are most popular in France. Antique-savvy tourists and local collectors are joined by interior designers from across the globe in search of the antique gem to give their homes a unique feel, laden with personality and history. 

Such markets go by various names, such as brocantes, puces or, a personal favourite, vide-greniers, which, rather delightfully, translates to ‘emptying the attics.’ Luckily, you can find antiquing hotspots very nearby many of the favoured holiday destinations, from the charming churn of Paris to the sophisticated splendour of the South, giving visitors to Paris, Beaune, Lyon, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Marseille no excuse but to explore…

Paris: Les Puces de Saint-Ouen

The Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen is more than just a flea market; the network of 1,700 dealers manifests in a rambling series of warehouses, alleyways and stalls across any and all categories of antiques and vintage furniture and accessories. It is the largest second-hand market in the world, attracting over five million annual visitors, each of whom would struggle to see more than just a fraction of the ware in a single day. Within Le Puce de Saint-Ouen there are 14 distinct markets, and everyone has their own favourite. Highlights include the Marché Vernaison where dramatic courtyards conceal some of the most spectacular pieces for sale, and the Marché Dauphine, one of Saint-Ouen’s largest markets totalling 150 sellers in the iconic glasshouse-style structure. 

Lyon: Les Puces du Canal de Lyon

Considered ‘second place’ to les Puces de Saint-Ouen, les Puces du Canal de Lyon is an indispensable part of France’s antiques and second-hand offering. Restaurants and cafes punctuate the stands belonging to some 400 merchants, attracting 500,000 visitors annually. Located in Villeurbanne on the Jonage Canal, les Puces du Canal de Lyon is just a 20-minute drive from the city centre, making it the perfect holiday outing as you enjoy the rest of the region. It holds the unofficial title of the capital of French gastronomy – an excuse to visit if I ever heard one.

Marseille: Les Puces de Marseille

At les Puces de Marseille, you can find all manner of bric-à-brac, produce and clothing, but its gallery of antique dealers is its finest and most alluring section. Around forty antique dealers can be found in the gallery all year round, closed only on Mondays, and joined by a further 120 dealers on weekends. Les Puces de Marseille are particularly well-located for the popular holiday destinations of Aix-en-Provence and Cassis, making the eclectic market the perfect, shaded spot to explore between a leisurely breakfast and apéro.

L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue: Le Village des Antiquaires de la Gare

The Provençal town of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is renowned for its antique markets, and rightly so. L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is home to almost 300 permanent antique dealers, operating out of the beautiful buildings that line the canals. The whole town is dedicated to the arts and beautiful objet and some of its most beautiful homes have been converted into galleries. Twice annually, at Easter and on 15th of August, the city welcomes an influx of dealers that come to present their ware to collectors, interior designers and interested browsers in celebration of the country’s status as a mecca for antiques and unique finds. 

How to Create an Eco-Friendly Wardrobe

Written by Anya Cooklin-Lofting on . Posted in Fashion, Latest, Lifestyle.

By Anya Cooklin-Lofting

It’s common knowledge that fashion is one of the most polluting industries. According to style magazine, The Face, the fashion industry is responsible for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. What’s more, the magazine also reported that annually, 300,000 tonnes of unwanted garments are binned. The scale of the waste, from the garments themselves to the water and energy used in their production, is gobsmacking. Of course, it would be remiss not to touch on the awful conditions that the staff at some of the biggest fashion houses are forced to work in. Fashion’s problems run deep, with more issues than Vogue and more dirty secrets than Cosmo.

So, in the rare moments that we aren’t campaigning on Oxford Street and writing to the CEOs of some of the biggest fashion troublemakers, it’s time to think about how we can affect some change on a personal level, assessing our options putting our greenest foot forward. There are many ways to approach curating an eco-friendly wardrobe, and I want to caveat this by saying that 99 per cent of the options available won’t break the bank. In fact, my first tip will actually help you save money while doing a little bit of good…

Shop Your Wardrobe

One of the best ways to curate a wardrobe that doesn’t hurt the environment (any further) is to shop the rails in your own bedroom or dressing room. In other words, rethink the clothes you already own, adopt a fresh perspective and look at the new ways you can style pieces for a fresh new look.

Shopping your wardrobe requires careful organisation. If you’re anything like me, your wardrobe starts the year in perfect order and quickly descends into a chaos of creases, making it impossible to see beyond the handful of pieces you keep on rotation. Giving yourself more of a boutique experience when it comes to getting dressed in the morning or for an evening out means creating a shopfloor environment. For example, group your blazers near your shirts or camisoles, stack your jeans in a neat pile on a shelf and hang dresses of the same length or style together. Not only will this take your wardrobe to level-Kondo, but it will also make the process of selecting pieces a pleasure rather than a (physically exerting) chore.

Of course, this kind of organisational activity will help you rediscover both the pieces you love and those that you never want to wear again. For the pieces that fall into the second category, keep a bag close by to fill and take to your local charity shop.

Renter’s Paradise

To maintain all that extra wardrobe space and to keep up the organisational pace, renting clothes for special occasions, or even nights out with friends, is a sure-fire way to keep your look fresh and eco-aware. Rental sites like Hurr and Rotaro offer style-led, high-fashion, designer items on a short-term basis across accessories like handbags and jewellery and clothing from bridalwear to winter coats. 

Making a conscious step away from the mindset that tells us we must buy-to-keep, from anything including housing and cars to pets and clothing, really does serve to help save the environment. One particularly interesting feature of the Hurr site is that each garment is listed with environmental savings. For example, renting a shimmering, rhinestone-embellished, Prada shift dress for £134 instead of buying it for £2,500, saves the carbon dioxide equivalent of 42 trees or 9,041 miles in a car.

Pre-Loved Updates

Now, if you must buy new clothes with any frequency, the best way to do this is by shopping second hand. Charity and vintage shops are perfect for the thrill of finding a diamond in the rough (or, in my case, a perfect Eighties jacket with in-tact shoulder pads). Second-hand shopping is understandably daunting for newcomers, but once you get the hang of it, there’s really no greater pleasure.

It’s all about approaching the rails with an open mind. The easiest mistake to make is to go looking for a specific item, and in your haste to find said item, miss out on all the brilliant finds that fail to resemble the piece in your mind’s eye. In this way, second-hand shopping should really be seen as a fun outing or activity to do with friends when you can give it the time it needs (with all the necessary coffee breaks).

Shopping the Top Eco Players

And finally, for those who can’t break from their retail therapy, there are so many options out there for truly sustainable new garments. From retailers and makers on Instagram to pop-up clothes shops on some of London’s cooler highstreets, the choice is overwhelming. A quick Google search will bring up countless options to suit your style and taste, but a few of my favourites are Franks, Sézane and Boyish.