Fine China: Dolce and Gabbana

London being such a large city of tea-drinkers, I've come across a lot of beautiful china in stores, markets, and restaurants here. I always find myself gravitating towards the teacups and other dishes painted with only deep blue over their brighter, more colorful counterparts. I find the simplicity of the coloring and the intricacy of the design to be a beautiful combination. After spending over three hours roaming around Harrods today, I realized that Dolce and Gabbana shares my love of the style. Here I have included a picture of a beautiful urn painted in the style to compare with their beautiful new clothing collection. The white clothing sport a similar floral design. Some of the clothes are designed in such a way that they look like tiles pieced together, while others are decorated with intricate designs reminiscent of antique teacups. If you look closely at the picture of the entire collection, you can even see the mannequin on the far right has a blue china urn on the front of the dress. According to the Dolce and Gabbana website, the collection is inspired by the Mediterranean majolica ceramics. The blue is intended to transport you to the crystalline waters of the Mediterranean sea. Though the resemblance between the ceramics and the printed fabrics is not subtle, I think Dolce and Gabbana did a wonderful job with their design. The prints do the beauty of the ceramics justice in a unique way. I spotted the design not only in the women's department but also in the accessories, children, and even the baby departments! 

An urn from the Harrods Home Department.

A quick look at the Dolce and Gabbana collection in the Women's Department.

A close up of a dress from the collection.

A purse from the collection in the Accessories Department.

This is probably the most expensive onesie I've ever seen, but isn't the print beautiful?

First Visit to Shoreditch

Today we braved the long tube ride north to Shoreditch! We visited the flower festival (8 am - 3 pm every Sunday!) which was absolutely lovely. However, we got stuck in a surprise a rainstorm which cut our time admiring the beautiful blooms a bit short. Luckily for us, we were able to escape the rain by going to the trendy coffee shop Nude Espresso where we sipped on beautifully crafted lattes and mochas. We spent the rest of the day exploring the little shops downtown and going to the craft festival, which had handcrafted jewelry, clothes, and some of the best food I've had in London so far. I highly recommend a visit for anyone who enjoys cool art, good food, and flowers!

Street art around the corner from the coffee shop. 

Serpentine Gallery

Today on a stroll around Hyde Park, we ran into this year's Serpentine Pavilion. This year's exhibit was designed by architect Jose Selgas. He was part of a group that was named Architects of the Year by the German Design Council among many other notable awards and accolades.  The exhibit itself is an ethereal set of tunnels which park-goers can explore at their own leisure. The walls of the tunnels are slightly transparent allowing light to filter in and reflect on the material. The different angles of light created many different colors, primarily pinks, purples, and oranges within the walls. The colors of the exhibit contrast greatly with the natural colors of the surrounding grass and trees within the park. I believe the design is intended to make you feel as though you have been transported from the park to another world altogether. Selgas' design made me feel as though I was walking onto the set of the next science-fiction movie.

On a non-design related note here's what the park looks like for those who are curious:

PS: These not-so-little guys are as elegant as they are loud. When I bumped into one today I don't know who screamed louder, me or the swan!

Winchester

Winchester might be among the most charming little villages I have ever visited. If the fact that every corner looks like it belongs in a Disney princess movie isn't enough to tempt you, it's also home to King Arthur's round table, the ruins of a Tudor Palace, Jane Austen's last residence, Roman ruins, and much more. We took a tour that explored many of these historic places and enjoyed the rest of the day exploring the little shops, sipping on coffee, and taking in some beautiful views!

Chocolate at Harrods

When I first walked into Harrods, it reminded me of something out of the Great Gatsby. Every section of the store was overwhelmingly lavish, luxurious, and perhaps a bit excessive. After roaming only two of its many stories, it was the displays of chocolate that really caught my eye. The chocolate went beyond your standard Hershey’s chocolate bar. In the counters there was a section dedicated to chocolates that were displayed in golds and silvers which made them look as priceless as a treasure chest. There was a section in which the chocolates were wrapped as though each one were a tiny gift. Some were packaged in Parisian pink. My eye couldn’t stop travelling around the room to all the different displays and colors. Each layout appealed to a different personality and flavor.

The chocolates on the top row are edible!

Each chocolate is uniquely wrapped.

Each type of chocolate had a unique package, but the whole collection had repeating elements throughout the display.