Art with a Heart at 'Ellie Ellie'

I first came across the 'Ellie Ellie' website when I was looking for gifts for Christmas presents.

Tired of seeing the same old stuff in shops and bored of purchasing the obligatory 'smellies' gift set, it started to dawn on me that 'thought' in the old saying 'it's the thought that counts', wasn't coming into my purchase decisions at all.

Questions began to rattle through my brain, why can't I buy something thoughtful for a change? Why can't I buy something that would actually be meaningful to the recipient?
And why can't I buy something that is going to be treasured rather than thrown away?

So in a quest to buy something meaningful and sustainable I decided to start my search online. Typing 'Unusual gifts' into Google, I discovered notonthehighstreet.com, a wonderful online emporium of unsual and quirky products, it is here that I stumbled across Ellie Ellie.

With Scrabble letter jewellery,  Ladybird book covered sketch pads, clocks made from old vinyl records and accessories made from Lego (yes Lego!), this virtual stumble had led me to the prize in my quest for the perfect gift. 



Love is...a best friend Lego necklace set

 

The personalised up-cycled vinyl record clock, the perfect gift for music lovers 




A reminder of fond memories my beloved Scrabble necklace

  What first struck me about 'Ellie Ellie' products is that they're not just mere objects, they are small reminders of fond memories.  The Scrabble necklace, which I incidently bought, was a reminder of the Scrabble tournaments I had as a kid with my Grandfather. And the personalised Simon and Garfunkel vinyl record clock, wasn't just another record, it was a reminder of the music that my friend listened to when she was growing up.

Another great feature of these products, is that they haven't been newly designed or manufactured.The items have been lovingly redesigned, recycled and upcycled from existing objects. Yes, this is indeed art with a heart.

Shockingly, and as the 'Ellie Ellie' website rightfully points out, TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development) statistics state that over '1.4 million tonnes of clothing' get thrown away by us, the consumer, every year. And these clothes aren't just adding to the ever increasing mountain of landfill, they're also having a hideous knock-on effect on pollution levels. Wool textiles, for example, decompose, but as they do they 'produce methane', a gas 'which contributes to global warming'.

With all this waste produced from fast fashion and bearing in mind the depletion of resources when fashion items are intially created, I am of the opinion that we need to take a step back and consider our fashion purchases more carefully. Fast fashion needs to slow down, rather then producing a brand new accessory or item of clothing we should consider what we already have and make it into something new.

We should as Danielle Plowman, founder of 'Ellie Ellie', succinctly puts it 'Re-design. Re-cycle. Re-love.'



Taking inspiration from 'Ellie Ellie' by putting old bottles to good use


Photos: http://ellieellie.co.uk/
http://www.traid.org.uk/index.html

Fashion with a Story to Tell at 'Wear It Again Sam'

There's something wonderfully quaint about a vintage fashion boutique being sandwiched between a local pet store and a florist.

Squeezed onto a roadside corner in East Grinstead, West Sussex, 'Wear It Again Sam' took their inspiration for the name after an infamous and widely misinterpreted quotation from the 1942 film'Casablanca'. Directed by Michael Curtiz, the line is often cited as 'Play it Again Sam' but was in fact simply 'Play It Sam'.

Our short film history lesson aside, the name evokes an ideal, the ideal that the past should not be forgotten and we should reuse what was worn once before.Why invest in a fast, generic fashion item, which is unlikely to be the 'in' thing next week, when you could be wearing a piece of history and doing your bit for the environment along the way.  



The charming window display, a celebration of days gone by



You couldn't walk past 'Wear it Again Sam' without noticing its charming window display. Updated with vintage treasures on a weekly basis, today the window features wonderful RAF and REME officer uniforms, along with sophisticated dresses and hats from the 1940s.

So with nose pressed against pane and an expression of childlike glee spread across my face I step inside the store.

On first impression I feel as if I am walking into the wardrobe before entering C.S. Lewis's Narnia. Not because it's stuffed with fur coats, but because it evokes warmness and feelings of nostalgia. The shop is filled with a deliciously eclectic collection of clothing, the clothes range from the 1930s to the 1980s, each item with its own story to tell.




Whilst mens tweed and suit jackets line one side of the cosy space, dresses from all eras are neatly and affectionately arranged on the other. 




A silk, fish-tail style wedding dress worn the day before WWII
broke out. What a story to tell on your wedding day!

A dapper mens silk gown and Cravat, perfect for any gent,
now where is my pipe...

A cute and flirty 50s dress, I know what I'll be wearing to Goodwood...



A stunning cream coat worn by Shirley Hazel Robbins

 There also a number of items which belonged to late actress Shirley Hazel Robbins. Adopting the stage name Hal Dyer, Robbins founded 'The Green Room Theatre Company' and starred in such television shows as 'On the Buses', 'A Man for All Seasons' and charming 1975 BBC children's television show 'Rentaghost.' What a real privilege it is to wear the clothes which were worn by her both on and off stage.

Hats, lady like gloves and jewellery all feature, with the authentic gems and handbags draped over a welsh dresser 'Wear It Again Sam' feels less like a shop and more like your own personal dressing room.

Handbags and accessories galore!



Decisions decisions...



Glistening in the light, every girl needs her glitz

With an array of such goodies on show, it's difficult to walk out of  'Wear It Again Sam' without making a purchase. The clothes and accessories although second hand have been reloved and brought back to their former glory by proprietor Fiona Friend, these are definitely objects to be worn again and treasured for years to come.


http://www.wearitagainsam.co.uk/


Thank you to Fiona Friend for her time and permission.