Neat.

Industrial and retail-inspired furnishings. Minimalist Japanese style aesthetic. Resourceful woodworking and craftsmanship. Functional found objects recycled into refined fixtures. To add to the above, the space is flooded with more natural light than you can shake a repurposed wooden pole at. This perfect San Francisco bedroom not only masters the art of what I think of as 'neat clutter', but does so by satisfying my love of exposed storage and clean-cut asymmetric silhouettes, with reclaimed wood from commercial buildings creating ingeniously mismatched book(and shoe)shelves. It also appeals to a penchant for low platform beds - the Japanese-inspired style amplifies the airspace of the room, making it feel even more spacious, bright, and fresh. From my unattractively clunky hired hospital bed this looks even more appealing, but it will take a bit more physio for me to be able to bend down that far to the floor. With all this time currently spent on my backside I thought I would rekindle my enjoyment of DIY, so maybe some bedroom adjustments à la timber are on the cards once I can make it upstairs. My ideal bedroom boat is well and truly floated.

Photos via houzz

Liquid Dreams.

Selected photographs from Jack Hardwicke's Liquid Dreams series. See them all and his other mesmerising projects here.

A find.

Bath is known for its vast selection of contemporary independent boutiques, despite its compact size and traditional Georgian heritage. As a city paved with mini wonder emporiums, luckily you come across far more hits than misses - particularly if you're looking for divine homeware or one of a kind jewellery. One of my favourites is the intimate and unique space of Found on Argyle Street, across the infamously beautiful Pulteney Bridge and a stone's throw away from the better-trodden shopping avenues of the town centre. The first time I found this place (ha ha) was to exchange a ring my brother gave me last Christmas for another size (for some reason my main area of weight fluctuation seems to be my fingers). The light, airy, Scandi-esque interior adheres to both function and imagination, with the colourful stock popping from the alcoves and rails. Including a quirky mix of brands which range in style from the classic to the contemporary, the items are refreshingly diverse in description but consistent in quality. In the boutique, presented inside, upon, and hanging from the pleasingly mismatched wooden furnishings and fixtures are carefully curated collections of impeccable stationery, delicate minimal jewellery, vibrant accessories and offbeat mens and womenswear ranging in cost from pocket money to a pretty penny. So whether you wish to purchase or simply peruse, Found is the perfect find.

Photos via their website

Here are a few of my favourite pieces you can find online, with plenty more in store. 
Follow them @foundbath for new stock and upcoming collections.
I think my Christmas list just got quite a bit longer.

My beloved Karen Walker Rabbit Ring, £45

Essential Il Sacchetto Storage Sack, £19.50

Large House Candle, £4.40

Aqua Green Stripe Straws, £3.60

The Great Northern Hotel Key Ring, £5.50

Animaux Writing Paper, £12.50

Karen Walker Northern Lights Crazy Tortoiseshell Sunglasses, £165

YMC Clover Club Shoe, was £195 now £125

Twenty Seven Names Boardwalk Dress, £149

Karen Walker Hiding Cat Sweater, £110

Kate.

AnOther Magazine A/W14

Kate Moss in Raf Simons x Sterling Ruby

Figure of skate.

With my confinement to six weeks of bed rest, I have seen my fair share of films. One which stands out is Dogtown and Z-Boys, a 2001 documentary directed by Stacy Peralta recommended to me by fellow mending friend Gerry (as many of my viewing choices are). The film traces the roots of skateboarding and its mastery as we see it today back to an area of Santa Monica called Dogtown, where a group of kids formed the Zephyr skate team (aka Z-Boys). Starting out primarily as surfers, they translated their passion onto the streets each day once the waves subsided and eventually took to illegally skating empty swimming pools in upmarket LA neighbourhoods. This spawned the style, outlook and techniques of skateboarding that we see today. 

As the director was part of the original crew, he combines footage and photographs from the late 60s/70s with conversations with his fellow team members 25 years later, as they explain the seismic effects their simple hunger to ride had on the action sport. They created cutting-edge moves, travelled the world, and sparked an entire cultural craze which is palpable in the vibrant footage and evident passion of this motley crew of street mavericks. It has a raw, infectious sense of attitude and innovation that bursts through the grainy but vivid photographs taken at the poolside, with boards and bodies twisted into elaborate shapes reminiscent of their surfing predecessors. Dogtown and Z-Boys presents the birthplace of a relentless urge to skate and create, and its transformation from subculture to lifestyle. 

"The greatest thing about it was that we were not the valedictorians of the school,  we were the guys who would have been chosen last to succeed. For some reason, by doing something that everyone said was a waste of time we ended up influencing kids all around the world." - Stacy Peralta

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stills from Dogtown and Z-Boys

From these stills you can see that not only is their trailblazing obvious in the sport as it appears today, but also that the popularity and cultural clout of skateboarding continues to resonate in other areas - particularly fashion. Oversized tees, denim (ripped or otherwise), snapbacks, tube socks and trainers bring a little Californian culture from their streets to our shores to influence our style pretty much all year round.

 

 

We even see it in the less obvious details and hints of the grungy street vibe, including my go-to combination of sailor stripes, knee holes and kicks.

 

 

Photos via Tumblr, Pinterest

Seeing this skater influence in both candid street style and more subtle sartorial nods, it's also repeatedly relevant all the way through to ads and editorial.  

Daria Werbowy in Céline's Spring 2011 campaign by Juergen Teller

Aymeline Valade for the Icons Issue of Antidote by Jan Welters, 2012

Barbara Fialho for The Wild Magazine by Jeffery Jones, 2013

 

Kate Kondas for Elle Hungary by Zoltan Tombor, 2013

  

Miranda Kerr for Vogue Korea by Eric Guilleman, 2013

 

 

Photos via fashiongonerogue.com

From the humble beginnings of a few street punks to the feature pages of high fashion magazines, the style sparked by the Z-Boys' unwittingly powerful cultural influence reverberates in one way or another throughout many a discerning publication, wardrobe and fashion week photo op - whether you own a skateboard or simply a pair of tube socks.