Photography Exhibition Launch Event at The Society Club

Yelp put on a lovely event last night to launch the group exhibition of 24 Soho photos that will be featured at The Society Club until the 10th of June. It’s an interesting venue and made CNN Travel’s list of 10 most interesting shops in London.

Four of my photos (below) are in the exhibition. Two (the green wall in Chinatown and the black and white alleyway shot) are blown up quite big – one upstairs, one downstairs. The other two are smaller, back to back in the front window – one facing in and one facing out.

The Society Club will be selling 25 prints of each (not sure about prices), the proceeds of which will go to the Soho School in London, so a great cause! If they run out, you can also find the black and white alleyway shot and the green Chinatown photo in my Etsy shop, Photo Larks.

There were some 250 people on the guest list, so it’s a good thing they decided to set up tents in the space next to The Society Club as well.

It filled up and spilled out on to the street.

I brought along some of my closest friends to help me celebrate.

(That’s Jorge, Lucy and Danny with me)

There was a bit of guitar playing and a guy in a bright red cape who I didn’t manage to photograph.

There were free burritos and cupcakes.

There were free drinks of many types, including a beer tasting table downstairs.

And bubble tea, which I remember fondly from my teenage years but was not quite appealing anymore. We each had one and it was fun for a while, but they were admittedly abandoned.

When it got a bit chilly outside we went back indoors for a while. Yelp balloons everywhere. Free promo stuff. Lots of people. That’s my black and white print at the top right.

They even had strawberries and cream smelling balloons…

The books usually sold by The Society Club were still around the edges.

All in all, a bit over the top with all the promotional stuff going on, but it was a fun time! If you’re in Soho between now and June 10, pop in to The Society Club, browse their book selection and check out the exhibition. A few shops down on the same street is Ginger & White, a fabulous little place for tea and cake!

Giveaway: A Pair of Playful Knickers

It’s giveaway number two on LLO: a fabulous handmade pair of knickers from British designer Alicia Rose. (Don’t be shy, guys- think Christmas gift!)

.

Here’s the thing… Alicia from Alicia Rose Lingerie needs a name for her Facebook page, but all the names she tried are already taken. That’s where you come in. Alicia will choose the winner on November 29 from the comments on this entry and she’s giving away your choice of a pair of embroidered knickers worth £35 from her shop for the name she likes best.

.

RULES: If a name is suggested by more than one person then only only the first entry will be valid. Facebook usernames can only contain A-Z, a-z, 0-9 and full stops (.) Unavaliable names: iamaliciarose, aliciaroselingerie, aliciarose, iamaliciaroselingerie.

.

THE GIVEAWAY (Your Choice)

.

BACKGROUND INFO

To help you come up with a fantastic new name for her Facebook shop, I’ve asked Alicia to give us a little background information. This is what she had to say:
.

Alicia Rose Lingerie has been created for women who don’t take themselves too seriously and want to look sexy in a playful, fun way. Unexpected and quirky details are mixed with sumptuous fabrics and finishes to create luxury lingerie with a unique twist.
.

Each item of Alicia Rose Lingerie is designed and made in the UK by Alicia, who is professionally trained in sewing, fashion design and pattern cutting. Alicia made her first lingerie set whilst still in school and eventually went on to study at the prestigious London College of Fashion earning a place on their renowned Fashion Design degree. It was here that she began to develop her signature style, the embroidered illustrations that often feature on Alicia Rose lingerie. Alicia has now put all her passion and energy into creating Alicia Rose Lingerie, a luxury underwear brand that launches its main collections twice a year along with several smaller lines at regular intervals.

.

ENTER TO WIN:

Be a follower of Little London Observationist, visit Alicia’s shop and leave your suggestion for her Facebook page name in a comment and on her Facebook page.

.

FOR EXTRA ENTRIES:

Leave an extra comment here with a different Facebook name suggestion for each of the following: Follow LLO on Twitter; follow Alicia on Twitter; add Alicia’s shop to your faves on Etsy; like LLO on Facebook; like Alicia’s shop on Facebook; add a London photo to the LLO Flickr group.

.

THE WINNER

The winner will be chosen by Alicia Rose on November 29, so get your suggestions in before then. Alicia will ship the winner’s prize anywhere in the world.

.

(If you would like to giveaway a product on LLO or sponsor a giveaway of one of my London photography prints, get in touch.)

.

Shop: Made in Mogotes

If anyone is still popping by LLO, this is a quick post and let you know I’ve started working with local artisans in the small village of Mogotes, Colombia where I’m staying to promote their crafts abroad.

They made pretty bags, jewelry and home decor from natural resources that grow in the area – fique and guadua – and all by hand.

Here’s one of the latest bags:

(It’s a little sparkly. You can see the sparkle better if you click on the image and open up a close up shot.)

If you have a sec stop by the Etsy shop and check out the other very colorful bags and lots of jewelry! (And yes, we will ship anywhere in the world.)

Listen to a Londoner: Emily Webber

Listen to a Londoner is a weekly interview post with people who live (or have lived for a while) in London. If you fit the bill and want to be interviewed, give me a shout at littlelondonobservationist@hotmail.co.uk. Always looking for new volunteers.   

Emily Webber,
(Photo by Mike Laurie)   

Emily is a native Londoner. You’ll most likely find her cruising around London on her bright green Vespa seeking out cool photos for her blog London Shop Fronts.

LLO: How long have you lived in London?
EW: I was born in London, so pretty much all my life. I grew up in the south east but crossed north of the river to east London.   

LLO: What gave you the idea to start your blog, London Shop Fronts?
EW: It started when I was taking photos of my local area in 2004. I always found them fascinating and an interesting insight into an area, its history of affluence and diaspora. In 2008, I finally put some online, which sparked my interest to take more. Shop fronts are fascinating for so many reasons and as the collection gets bigger it only gets more interesting.       

LLO: Which shop front that you’ve captured is your favourite so far?
EW: I couldn’t choose just one. I have so many I like for many different reasons. The first photo I posted on my blog was Get Stuffed (taxidermy) in Islington and probably my favourite types are Cafes, Launderettes and Chinese takeaways. These seem to have the most original signage and layering of history.  

  

  

LLO: Favourite place in London to take your camera?
EW: I am never without my camera, so everywhere! But I’m most excited when I find a new street full of independent shops that I haven’t been to before.  

LLO: Somewhere in London you’d like to explore but haven’t had a chance yet?
EW:  I’d love to get the chance to see some of secret London, the places that are locked most of the time like the closed underground stations (see http://underground-history.co.uk). Last year I got the chance to explore Savoy Cafe (http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilywebber/sets/72157619950686676/detail/) which has been closed since the 80s, it was an amazing chance to see something that has hardly changed since the 50s.

LLO: Loving the bright green Vespa! Have you found it to be the best way to get around the city?
EW: I love my vespa for many reasons and it really is a great way to get around. It beats sitting on a bus or a tube and of course looks great.

LLO: Best London discovery?
EW: London has so much to offer once you start exploring, I love summer walks along the canal to the parks and marshes around Hackney and Walthamstow.    

LLO: What’s your favourite London shop?
EW: I do a lot of my shopping online and I particularly love finding unique stuff on Etsy and eBay.    

LLO: If I only had one night in London, where would you tell me to eat and drink?
EW:  Cocktails at Saf then dinner and drinks at Bistrotheque.

LLO: Describe your perfect Saturday in London.
EW: Probably start with brunch in Springfield Park cafe if it’s warm and sunny, then out (on the vespa) for some photo taking, then back to Hackney’s numerous pubs for some drinks with friends. 

Thanks Emily!  

For more Listen to a Londoner posts, click here.