Yesterday I went to an exhibition on Soviet architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts, which I rather enjoyed. I would write more about the things I learnt there and trawl the internet for some pictures by architects and artists who particularly took my fancy but, as you may or may not have noticed, I've been rather word-lite on posts at the moment and this is because I'm snowed under with course work. However, I want to keep my blog swimming along and it's nice to take wee breaks now and again, so I'm hastily posting every now and then.
As such, today's post is not going to be on Communism and architecture but rather, the shop windows at Fortnum & Mason! Yes, upon emerging onto Piccadilly after the exhibition, my friend and I decided to go have tea in Fortnum & Mason. I happened to get incredibly distracted by the windows... For quite a while... In fact, my friend decided to leave me to it while she went in to look around at actual food and beverages...
As you can probably tell, I wasn't overly bothered by the food on display and just went a bit nuts photographing all the details. Note: I don't really have a weird foot fixation, despite the fact they feature rather heavily in my snaps.
Aren't they just fabulous though! Evidence that the fine artistic eye of Fortnum & Mason's creative director, Paul Symes, does much more to get one drooling than the food inside the building. Everything was just so exquisite and detailed, I could have stayed there for hours admiring it but I was called inside to afternoon tea which was, admittedly, also quite good.
I also just want to note, for anyone who doesn't already read her blog, the lovely Miss Kelly-Marie at Harem of Peacocks recently had her Beyond Retro windows appear alongside Fortnum & Mason in Drapers magazine. Fabulous news and well-deserved.
As such, today's post is not going to be on Communism and architecture but rather, the shop windows at Fortnum & Mason! Yes, upon emerging onto Piccadilly after the exhibition, my friend and I decided to go have tea in Fortnum & Mason. I happened to get incredibly distracted by the windows... For quite a while... In fact, my friend decided to leave me to it while she went in to look around at actual food and beverages...
As you can probably tell, I wasn't overly bothered by the food on display and just went a bit nuts photographing all the details. Note: I don't really have a weird foot fixation, despite the fact they feature rather heavily in my snaps.
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| I love that French Railways House (1960-2) is reflected in this picture and Burlington House is in the one with the peacock lady. Seems appropriate somehow. |
Aren't they just fabulous though! Evidence that the fine artistic eye of Fortnum & Mason's creative director, Paul Symes, does much more to get one drooling than the food inside the building. Everything was just so exquisite and detailed, I could have stayed there for hours admiring it but I was called inside to afternoon tea which was, admittedly, also quite good.
I also just want to note, for anyone who doesn't already read her blog, the lovely Miss Kelly-Marie at Harem of Peacocks recently had her Beyond Retro windows appear alongside Fortnum & Mason in Drapers magazine. Fabulous news and well-deserved.
Thank you so much for including me in your post, it really means alot. :) The Fortnum and Mason windows scored 10/10 in the Drapers review and I am really not surprised. I could quite literally live in them, they are breathtaking! It would be a dream to one day work for their window team, imagine the budgets, and I would get to rub shoulders with those peacocks. ;) xx
ReplyDeleteHe he! You could make the peacocks a permanent fixture - your motif, always incorporated into each change of windows... But I absolutely agree, they are so breathtaking and intoxicating. Life would be good if you inhabited those windows.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're welcome for the mention! I was so chuffed for you when I read your post. I wondered about pursuing a window-dressing life at one point so I always enjoy seeing what you've created.
It's well worth popping up to the top floor of Fort Noms as they also have an excellent perfumery, with Caron and Grossmith among the brands stocked.
ReplyDeleteFort Noms - cute! And thanks for the tip.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous displays, i love them all! :)
ReplyDeleteha! I like being the friend who had no time for windows and dragged you inside for tea instead :)
ReplyDeletebut about the windows, oddly I didn't really notice the food much, even though it does abound. overglitzed by the rest perhaps.
Miss Vintage Love - They were all just stunning, and these photos are only of some of the many displays there. I had such a hard time deciding what to photograph.
ReplyDeleteAlison - Hehe! I'm glad you were the friend I shared tea with also. I'm not sure that there was a whole lot of food in the displays, actually... Maybe on some of the ones I didn't photograph. But these ones were definitely more just going for a general ambiance, I think!
Stunning! And the mannequins look almost real. Such delicacy everywhere. I love the chain with the doll, dangling from the slender hand. What an unusual trinket. I did notice the different styles in the reflected buildings - glad you named them. I look forward to finding Kelly-Marie's blog now too. That would be fun to have a peacock feather as a signature piece. Maybe a white one for the unusual.
ReplyDelete