I feel very proud of my friends, who all seem to be making their mark on the world in creative and unique ways. Last weekend I went along to the launch party of L&F London, a bright new company selling finely picked vintage and second-hand clothes, at insanely low prices.
L & F stands quite simply for Lizzie & Florrie, the names of my two friends who have recently brought their whimsical fashion idea to life. It’s a plan I’m sure many have considered; I for one regularly take my unwanted clothes to the retro shops that litter the Notting Hill area, unfortunately only receiving a fraction of the amount I paid for them but definitely getting a sense of satisfaction from the transaction... the point is, very few people have the stamina, motivation and flair to put the idea into motion. The realisation of L&F turned out to be quite spectacular on Saturday afternoon, I was wholeheartedly impressed.
Located at Florrie’s house in Fulham, the collection of vintage clothes and accessories filled an entire room. Immaculately set up, the colourful array was extremely tempting. Being a bit of a shopaholic myself, I had disciplined myself to resist, but this good behaviour lasted a mere two minutes. Once I’d slurped down the last of my hot spiced cider (yes they were offering drinks and handmade canapés too), I went to look through the rails. I picked up about eight items before heading to the makeshift changing room. After an hour of umm-ing and ahh-ing I decided on five items: leather boots £8, butterfly patterned shorts £15, flowery dress £16, Spotty shirt £12.50, and corduroy cropped trousers £20. All of which now have special places in my wardrobe, in fact I’m wearing the spotty shirt as I write this, and can honestly tell you I have had at least two compliments on it already today.
There is definitely an extraordinary quality to these clothes – Lizzie and Florrie have a keen interest in the history behind the garments, rather than just appreciating their prettiness, and this ethic can be seen on their own blog. The walls of the studio were covered in pictures of their models – stunning, but approachable; I felt guided by them to pick clothes that might look good on girls who are not lucky enough to have never-ending limbs. It seems a novel idea – vintage clothing that can actually flatter your figure! Each piece had a personalised touch too – a cute ‘Picked By L & F London’ label, lovingly sewn on by hand.
The L&F sale was accompanied by beautiful foodie treats from entrepreneurial chef, Georgia Doherty, who is talented both in the kitchen and on the design side of things; her presentation is rivalled by no-one. I bought some Christmas presents, and a few chocolate snacks to munch on the way home.
Lovely to see so many old friends and encounter L & F London for the first time. Visit their blog here.
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