Anzu area in the General Trading Company!

We are delighted to say that we now have a little Anzu stand in that English institution the General Trading Company including our candles, bejewelled cards, notebooks, candles, boxed cards, and more.

So do drop in! The General Trading Company is located on 91 Pelham Street, South Kensington (next to Chanel) and on 84 Holland Park Avenue, or visit www.generaltradingcompany.co.uk for more general information.

More pattern!

Following on from my previous post, some more pattern images I'm finding inspiring. Above, the Mughal patchwork from our current collection of Patchwork cards.

Don't chuck out the chintz - a Carolina Herrera designed gown in a full-on interior. I always think the French do this so well, and have pattern on wallpaper, chairs, curtains, everything! Although I couldn't live with it, I think it looks great.

From a rather different viewpoint I love the intensity and colours on this Jose Parla graffitied wall.

and finally I'm not sure I like the metallic sheen on these, but I like the painterly look and they are nonetheless an interesting idea!

Images: Anzu, Carolina Herrera in Vogue?, Jose Parla, unknown

Dense pattern

Balenciaga often has lovely brocade in it's collections and I love the way they've shot this piece against the patterned background for their pre-Fall 2011 collection. Ever since I was little, I've loved painting pattern and colour and always find myself drawn to images like this, that are actually quite full on. At the moment, I'm working on something not dissimilar, so I thought I'd post a selection of some images I'm finding inspiring

This Matisse painting always reminds me of my childhood as for a long time we had a print of it hanging on the wall and Matisse has always been an inspiration for me.

How amazing is this? Discovered via the wonderful mlleparadis.blogspot.com

And then a piece of my own work, as featured on our current Patchwork range of cards. It was inspired by every kind of textile from folkloric Russian textiles, Chinese silks, Saris and Valenciennes lace. Apologies that the colours became a little more lurid on the upload (no idea why!).

More on this topic to follow!

Images:Balenciaga, Gaugin via Andrewgrahamdixon.com, Passage Paradis blog, Anzu, Anzu.

Top Drawer Spring 2011

Thank you to everyone that came to visit us at Top Drawer. It was a great show and actually one of our best so we are delighted about that! And I look forward to showing you some of the goodies that we have been so busy working on.

Above is an image from our Pink necklace card

Top Drawer Spring 2011

Come and see us at

Top Drawer Spring, Stand D28

16th-18th January 2011

Earls Court

London

Lots of exciting new things, so we look forward to seeing you there!

Louis Vuitton store, London

I finally managed to pop into the new(ish) Louis Vuitton store on Bond Street, and I was really wowed by the design off it. Minimal but with character and totally luxurious.

This is even more dramatic looking when you're in the store.

Images: 1,2 & 4 luxurylaunches.com, 3 interiordesignhouses.com (Peter Marino).

What are these two up to?!

Looking very suspicious indeed - Loulou and Jasmine share a scarf on their way out for a sneaky dim sum anzu lunch today.

Crystals

We're all busy at Anzu at the moment, working on doing lots of new cards for the two tradeshows coming up. We have some new editions to our Bejewelled range with crystals on them, men's cards and more goodies!

As we will soon be busy hand decorating the new Bejewelled range with crystals I thought I'd do a little crystal post - love the bookends above from Artwareeditions.

And perhaps just for decoration? The invisible shoe by Andreia Chaves. Below is our Diamond bow thank you card

Happy New Year!!!!

Wishing you a sparkling evening and a very Happy New Year from us all at Anzu!

Images: Mien magazine, a Busby Berkeley flat, Great Gatsby 1947 via nysun.com, Golddiggers of 1933.

Just in case

you haven't had enough of Christmas already, I thought I'd post this year's John Galliano tree at Claridges.

I like the idea of having a seaside theme to Christmas decorations - bit different.

Images via housecret.com, universalexcuses.com, and the telegraph

Home

Just got back from the family home in Yorkshire for Christmas. Lots of eating, and just relaxing with family. I also went to the church above for Midnight Mass for the first time in a long time, where the service was a rather odd mix of Wuthering Heights and Father Ted!

This is how it looks in summer and was the view on the daily walk to school - I still can't believe how lucky I was!

The classroom even overlooked a bluebell wood. Ridiculously idyllic and sadly the school has now closed down as it was just too small. I often joke that my childhood was practically Victorian - walks to school through the fields, no central heating or tv, growing our own vegetables etc etc. And it was definitely richer for it.

Images: Alex Murphy's wonderful photos 1 and 3 on Flickr, 2nd image unknown

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you have a lovely day, and thank you for all your support and enthusiasm for Anzu - it has been a very special year!

London Christmas - part 2

I couldn't resist posting some more London Christmas pictures. The other night I had some festive cocktails in the recently renovated Savoy. I loved this chinoiserie table decoration that they had full of birdcages overflowing with orchids and lots of little candles. It looked stunning.

Next to it they had a chocolate and cake making section - how perfect could it be?

Above is a photo of the decorations at the Berkeley Hotel, where I have to confess I also had festive cocktails! Simple but very effective I thought.

And finally the sparkly cobwebs on Regent Street.

Christmas wish list

Manolo Blahnik flats - I love this version in black perhaps even more!

This Alice Temperley cushion.

The latest Penguin editions of Fitzgerald books, designed by Carole Bickford-Smith

Isphan rose earrings from Astley Clarke

The new book on Gloria Vanderbilt that I spotted in Selfridges yesterday

and tickets to see Mousetrap - I love any kind of 1930-50s whodunnit or farce and seen as this one has been on for about hundred years it must be alright!

Images: unknown, Rug company, Penguin, Astley Clarke, unkown, via home.insightbb.com

Grey London...

Usual weather here, but I thought this illustration was fun, found via cool hunter.

A London Christmas

The girls over at Emirates Woman magazine were saying how they missed London at Christmas - all the lights and the buzzy feeling. As much as I love it, I'd have to say right now I would definitely swap it for the warmth, but girls this post is for you!

I thought I'd do a few posts and this first one is on Bond Street. Above is Tiffanys in all it's gloriousness! Apologies for the quality of the photos - I just did them on my iphone.

Lovely paper cut out Christmas trees and mini Coco dolls at Chanel

Glorious red at Cartier

The sumptuous banquet tables that Dolce and Gabbana do are always so indulgent.

Not quite so stylish and just off Bond Street, but I liked the combination of Christmas tree and tropical fish!

Still lives

Just some interior still lives I love...

Red roses and Roger Vivier shoes,

silver trophies used as vases,

a silk backdrop and an effortlessly elegant floral arrangement,

modern art on a traditional gilt console,

turquoise, hot pink, and gold just singing out.

Images: Roger Vivier, unknown, Veranda, unknown, via Julie RIchard?