Fashion colorful
Dr. House in colorful
Stan's favorite spot is the sofa with a patchwork of vintage and new fabrics. Every piece of furniture is unique.
Time-out in Lisa's Victorian townhouse in Hackney, London. Wrap dress with puff sleeves by Paul & Joe, ca. 370 Euro. Mohair block cardigan by Marc Cain, 380 Euro. Pantyhose: Hawk. Chain: Rio.
Style Council
Wrap dress made of silk from Hoss, about 390 Euro. Mohairjacket from Schumacher, approx. 600 Euro. Chain: Rio. Stockings: wit. Shoes: Chie Mihara.
Sleeping Beauty
Patchwork quilts have a centuries-old tradition. In America they belonged to every dowry of a woman. She usually had 13, the 13th was the wedding blanket.
Remix
Satin top by van Laack, approx. 180 Euro. Wool jacket with flowered lining by Lena Hoschek, approx. 420 Euro. Ruched skirt in silk chiffon from Hoss, about 205 euros. Belt: C & A. Bangle: Accessorize.
Independent
Here, each piece stands alone, and yet everything belongs together: candlesticks, armchairs, mirrors and pendant lamp are their own design, the floor lamp and the antique farmhouse table by the junk dealer.
Be Square
Karos, also called tartans, have been fashionable in the UK since the 16th century. Viscose dress by Ana Alcazar, ca. 155 Euro. Chains: TomShot. Pantyhose: wit.
squint means in English "eyes together and squint". The kaleidoscope-like color and shape perception that you have in mind looks a lot like the interior of Lisa Whatmough's shop.
Britpop
Lisa and Stan in front of their store Squint Limited. She wears a short-sleeved silk dress from Oui, about 130 euros. Polka dot jacket with grosgrain ribbon by Lena Hoschek, about 395 Euro. Pantyhose: Hawk. Shoes: Marc O'Polo. Umbrella: Accessorize.
Lisa Whatmough: The playmaker
Also, Lisa Whatmough's store Squint Limited at Shoreditch High Street number 178 in London's bohemian Shoreditch district is a must-see.
Formerly Lisa Whatmough could not afford her own designs. But since the Londoners are enthusiastic about their heartwarming patchwork objects, even that works
Some people have to search long until they find the right one. Others are found. Lisa Whatmough is such a woman. "Things just happen to me," she says. Just like back when she was still a destitute artist and spent the weekend wandering through flea markets to get bargains. There was this dealer who had the most wonderful vintage fabrics. She bought a whole bag full, though she could not sew at all. At the next corner she fell in love with a curly rococo mirror, and she took it too. "Somehow, the two things have to go together?", She asked herself and began to cut the fabrics and paste the frame of the mirror.
Then, what happens sometimes, when one has an idea that hits the nerve of the time: it becomes independent. To the mirrors came candlesticks, floor lamps, armchairs, sofas, until Lisa Whatmough landed her first collection in London's upscale Liberty department store. And she just kept going - without thinking about it for long. The small business has grown and now has two permanent employees and several freelancers. Squint Limited's furniture and objects are sold to the US and France, all in-house. The 42-year-old likes to keep track. Anyone who wants to be creative, she says, has to be enterprising. In the meantime, she could even afford her own furniture with her income. A floor lamp is available from 900 euros, a chair from 2500, not cheap, but handmade. The armchairs and sofas can be made in a upholstery. Lisa Whatmough takes her job with humor, "at the end of the day I just decorate things".
Nothing is impossible, not even when it comes to the combination of shapes and colors. After the initial enthusiasm for the color noise that customers receive in the small shop in Shoreditch, they often leave the courage when it comes to the selection of fabrics. They do not dare to be so colorful in their lives, in their apartment. Sometimes Lisa Whatmough helps a bit. But actually the British are very brave when it comes to personal style, says Lisa Whatmough. "They do not run after any trend, like they are distinguished with a touch of eccentricity, like to mix old with new." An old fringed floor lamp, the Victorian chest of drawers or the flea market sofa: at Squint Limited, favorites are being made salon-fine again, but "things must have character," says Lisa Whatmough, "I can not make a diva out of a boring dresser".
More information on www.squintlimited.com.
