Art in a tree. Clerkenwell Design Week #cwdw

Illuminaires. Clerkenwell Design Week #cwdw

St. John’s Tiles. Clerkenwell Design Week #cwdw

Engineering Temporality. Wrapping wooden furniture in metal rings then burning away the wood 2013 #furniture #designmuseum

Recycled high-density polyethylene chair 1996

2013 Catwalk Influences

Cotton Creates is loving some of the styles gracing the 2013 catwalks such as this brightly coloured ensemble from Peter Pilotto, below on the left, Alexander McQueen on the right and Versace at the bottom

New Cotton Creates products coming soon representing these styles.  See the various influencing mood boards on Hazel Cotton’s Pinterest, the artist behind the brand

Melbourne Observations

Cotton Creates is in holiday in Melbourne, and here are some of my initial observations of the city whilst I take a break from fabric.

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  There are a lot of rules in Melbourne
  
  

 

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  Everyone appears to abide by the rules, possibly because the enforcers enforce the rules with vigour which I guess indicates that enforcement and punishment deters rule breaking. I’m not sure how I feel about this militancy, but I suppose it is better than Sudan.
  
  

 

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  The green man traffic signals sound like a demented woodpecker. It’s very unsettling.
  
  

 

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  I’m allergic to Melbourne grass, it brought me out in a rather unsightly and painful rash that has lasted for days –  feel grateful that my SD card is not co-operating.
  
  

 

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  It gets very hot here, hotter than England unbelievably so,  especially yesterday, potentially the hottest day in Melbourne history. Unfortunately the heat causes fires, which is not a good thing at all.
  
  

 

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  However, it’s  not always hot, four seasons in one day they say and this requires layers, a bit like packing for an English festival one might assume.
  
  

 

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  It’s difficult to buy bad food in a restaurant Melbourne. Free range and rather palatable, although one pays for the privilege.
  
  

 

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  Free tap water is proactively provided with every single meal in every (non fastfood) eating establishment.  This makes me very happy and i haven’t yet got over the shock/delight. The English should take heed.
  
  

 

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  The streets are very wide and there are many trees even in the city centre, big trees with leaves. 
  
  

• 
  
  The suburbs, which start practically within the city even put Bow to shame. Hard to believe, I know.
  
  

 

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  Syringe collection boxes are present in McDonalds toilets and other such city establishments.  They came in very handy.
  
  

 

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  One Direction, Ellie Goulding and Little Mix are equally popular here as in the UK which is reassuring.
  
  

 

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  In clothes shops, the changing rooms are kept locked, presumably to prevent theft, yet the attendants don’t count the number of items and then proceed to wander off.  Some what counter productive.
  
  

 

• 
  
  There is a Spitalfields equivalent called The People’s market, but it has 6 stalls (and some art).  It was very cool though.  Ive heard that Rose Street Market would be up my street too but it was closed.
  
  

 

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  It’s very expensive, well Melbourne is the 15th most expensive city in the world compared to London at 25th, I always knew London was well cheap.  Im sure I will be in for a pleasant surprise when I visit Sydney at number 11
  
  

Photos will follow at a later date when my SD card decides to co-operate.