the perfect mixture...
While teetering t0-and-fro the countless amounts of vintage shops in Brick Lane last week I happened to stumble upon this little gem. Entirely unexpected and instantly entrancing, the Louis de Gama boutique sucks you into an alternate world where being draped in gorgeously soft fabrics that have been hand crafted into whimsical masterpieces feels like it should be commonplace. While it fits into the retro-edgy feel of the surrounding shops the craftsmanship of each item clearly towers above any of the neighboring shops that are rammed full of 20quid dresses. Was it alright to touch? Would the oil on my fingers damage the ethereal quality of the items? Would they wither at my mortal touch? Quite the contrary... while each item is hand sewn and unique the prices were shockingly reasonable with items starting off below one-hundred pounds. Not only are the clothes incredibly gorgeous and exactly what I want to be wearing right now but the boutique is utterly transfixing, the sort of place you have difficulty dragging yourself away from.
The Angolan born, Portugese designer has been living in the UK since 1992, has shown his collections at London Fashion Week, and has been awarded three new generation awards by the British Fashion Council. His latest collection nails the current craze of mixing masculine and feminine details together bang on the head. Leather is paired with lace, soft floaty dresses sit short and have cut out details, and there is the perfect mixture of woodland greens, dusty beiges, whites and blacks. Paired against the backdrop of faded editorials and roses, this collection is any girls dream. I can not wait to go back and check it out the pieces in more detail... and I can't help but wonder how I have not heard of this amazing designer sooner?
The lovely girl who was working in the boutique kindly posed for a (blurry) photo. She was so helpful in explaining the ethos behind the collection and boutique and mentioned that the people who work in the studio take turns manning the store. I'm so pleased that she happened to be in on the day that I popped by. I couldn't help but think her outfit falls absolutely inline with the LdG collection - the mixture of delicate lace with the black oversized jumper and worn out leather boots... the perfect mixture.
