vegetables

We were given a very good box of vegetables this week. A pumpkin, artichokes, button mushrooms and chicory (plus sweet potatoes, watercress and a yellow pepper).

from the vaults: illustration: pyjamas, 2010

from the vaults: spring, 2011

Cambridge.

Duncan at home with milk.

Cambridge.

the heath

Hampstead Heath at midday. Muddy boots.

colbert

We drank hot chocolate outside Colbert on Sloane Square on Saturday; it was a quick pit-stop, five minutes to bask in the cold January sunshine. I'd never been to Colbert before, but it'd been on my list of must-visit-immediately restaurants for some time. Inspired by the great boulevard cafés of Paris, Colbert's interiors were designed by David Collins Studio. Pay a visit, even if it's just to marvel at the brilliant bathrooms.

'Of course I have played outdoor games. I once played dominoes in an open air cafe in Paris.' Oscar Wilde.

bee tumblers

We were given a set of these charming tumblers for Christmas - they perk up breakfast time every day. (They also provide the perfect opportunity to celebrate the humble honeybee.)

i am listening to...

signs of islington

I had to hop off my bicycle earlier today and take these two pictures. Such good little signs.

from the vaults: europe, 2008

Rome.

Rome.

Amsterdam.

Prague.

Somewhere up high in Switzerland.

Venice.

the study

We're still in the process of redecorating the flat; replacing and renewing furniture, painting walls, laying down rugs and putting up pictures. Our study however has remained more or less untouched. It's an extension of our main living area, tucked away in a corner, a quiet space to read and work. This is where our books (and a strange few curios) are stuffed away... A taxidermy bird rests against a pretty rubbish David figurine that I bought in Rome when I was 18 (see post above).

i am listening to...

Bastille's debut album Bad Blood, featuring the superb new single Pompeii, will be released on March 4th. I can't wait... Pompeii is totally anthemic.

along the enchanted way

Along the Enchanted Way: A Story of Love and Life in Romania by William Blacker is proving to be a great bedtime read. It might just be the first travel chronicle that I've really been able to sink my teeth into, which is probably a result of the author's brilliant storytelling abilities - it's a book to get completely lost in. When William Blacker first crossed the snowbound passes of northern Romania, he stumbled upon an almost medieval world. There, for many years, side by side with the country people, he lived a life ruled by the slow cycle of the seasons, far from the frantic rush of the modern world. This book documents his adventures, and it's a real jewel. Highly recommended...

lionheart shirt

I created this shirt for Patrick Wolf to wear on tour back in June last year, and in terms of shirts that I've made, it's still one of my favourite pieces. Of course this is entirely due to the fantastic print - it is called Lionheart, and was produced by the artist, designer and illustrator Ed Kluz for St. Jude's Fabrics. I am a huge fan of Ed Kluz's work - it's steeped in English Romanticism, so charming and colourful. As soon as I came across this print (possibly at Ed's excellent Theatre Britannica exhibition, which was presented at my friend Ben Pentreath's shop), I knew that I had to do something with it. So, a month or so later, it became a shirt. (The fabric is actually very heavy linen, but it needed to be worn, I thought!)

Ed explains the inspiration behind this particular design:

'Lionheart depicts the simplified forms of castles, follies, pavilions, cottages, cathedrals, mills, a steam train and a sailing ship with the lion rampant at the core. I wanted to create a pattern which hints at the man made symbols of Britain.'

He most certainly succeeded, wouldn't you agreee? This wonderful fabric is a true testament to a roaringly brilliant Britain!

the moths are real

'The harp is a lonely instrument', says Serafina Steer (who has been playing the instrument since primary school) in an article in today's Observer. The 30-year-old singer-songwriter has just released her second album, The Moths are Real, and I am enjoying it immensely. It's a slice of sublime chamber pop - rich, pensive, bright and dark. I love the sound of the pulsing church organ on The Removal Man, the electronics on Disco Compilation, and Steer's crystal clear, almost austere-sounding vocals. I am completely hooked. Listen, immediately.

willow crowns

Willow crowns, created by skilled craftspeople in the heart of the Lake District, available to buy from my online shop, here. I commissioned these crowns for my BA graduate menswear show at Central Saint Martins in July 2011.

Second image: photography by Kim Jakobsen To. Styling by Anthony Stephinson. Taken from the Luke Edward Hall AW 2012/13 Endymion lookbook.