The Oxfam Curiosity Shop @ Selfridges (London, UK)



Have you ever wanted to own a red carpet dress as worn by Scarlett Johanssen? Do you adore Colin Firth to the point where you'd just like to snuggle up in his cashmere sweater? Well, fear not... all of the above and more is now possible thanks to Britain's largest charity pop-up store, which opened its doors on April 1 in Selfridges' Ultralounge. Organized by Annie Lennox, the ten day event is in its second year running and includes items donated by celebrities such as Lennox herself, both Colin Firth and his wife Livia, Scarlett Johanssen, Jude Law, Dido, Florence Welsh, Alexa Chung and Elle Macpherson to name a few, as well as donations from designers such as Stella McCartney or Vivienne Westwood. In addition, sought-after samples and vintage pieces, both high-end and more affordable have been pulled from over 700 Oxfam shops in the UK and will be made available in the pop-up store.

Some of the items up for grabs include Annie Lennox' s Alexander McQueen gown (left), Livia Firth's gown (center) and Carey Mulligan's Vionnet dress (right). The first two gowns are available online.

More stuff for sale, including Alexa Chung's Mulberry skirt suit (top left), Alison Goldfrapp's Miu Miu shoes (lower left), Vivienne Westwood dress (center), Vivienne Westwood bag (top right) and Elle Macpherson's Celine tote (lower right).

According to Oxfam: "All the money raised will go to fund Oxfam's women's projects across the world from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to Democratic Republic of Congo, West Africa and South Africa. These projects protect support and empower vulnerable women: campaigning against violence, empowering them to fight HIV and AIDS and offering the poorest girls the chance of education. The projects funded by the shop include a women's tailoring project in Liberia which Laura Bailey recently visited with Oxfam. The money raised from last year's event has helped to transform the lives of countless women already." Last year, more than 30,000 customers visited the shop in just one week, raising an amazing £250,000 for Oxfam’s work.

A huge selection of vintage goods...

I spied cute purses and a pair of Marc Jacobs sandals.

If you're nowhere near London, don't worry: some of the most coveted pieces, including the gown Livia Firth wore to the BAFTA awards to support husband Colin, a stunning Alexander McQueen dress donated by Ms Lennox or a sequined number from Kate Moss are all available online here. There's no excuse not to visit Selfridges if you are in London though, especially considering the great cause. I dropped by the store yesterday and even though I'm usually overwhelmed by vintage shops, the spacious and colorful sales area was easy to browse and had a fantastic selection of both celebrity goods and regular (i.e. less pricier) vintage fair.

The gents had a great choice of ties (right), while the ladies could choose from a multitude of scarves and knits (left).

Loved the colorful displays, which showcased the Michael Kors heels (top right) nicely.

So many clothes, so little wardrobe space... sigh.

In addition to clothing, there was a wonderful selection of scarves, ties, bags, shoes and even trinkets such as an antique Singer sewing machine (already sold... bummer), music records, books and homeware items.

The Singer sewing machine (left) was already taken, but lots of scarves and bags were still available.

Sick of clothes? There's always the record collection or retro radios. I quite fancied the picnic set (right).

Tea for two... or more with the lovely porcelain set (left) and more for the music fans (right).

Of course the biggest draw will be the celebrity donations. Even though I didn't have the funds to buy any of them, I made a point of touching every single Colin Firth item (both he and his wife donated a lot), realized that Dido has excellent taste in clothes (her Hussein Chalayan and Vivienne Westwood coats were very cool and in great condition) and marveled at how varied Annie Lennox's style was (everything from black and simple to bright and printed).

Pre-loved Hussein Chalayan coat from Dido (top left), two dresses from Annie Lennox (lower left), Stella McCartney top (top center), Colin Firth's overcoat (lower center), Dido's Vivienne Westwood jacket (top right) and Annie Lennox' s Shanghai Tang dress (lower right).

The cutest area was undoubtedly the little corner that actually resembled a small vintage shop. It was stocked full of the more glamorous celebrity items, while ScarJo's Dolce & Gabbana dress and Colin Firth's leather jacket fronted the space. Inside, a video showed some of the celebrities describe the items they were donating, while the walls and shelves were adorned with more goodies than I could take in properly.

How cute is this shop-in-shop? And more from Colin in the form of a leather jacket. Scarlett donated this lovely Dolce & Gabbana dress (boy is she tiny...).

Inside the shop... more celebrity gowns and memorabilia. The embellished dress (lower right) is by Stella McCartney.

Shelves filled with accessories (right), while a screen featured video clips (top left) and yet another Annie Lennox find: the iconic wet-look trench.

I might actually have to go back to browse a second time and if you're in London, you'll have the chance to peruse the selection yourself - until April 10. As mentioned before, all others can still check out the online auction. I've provided a small selection of what's currently available below...

From the online auction (starting left): Livia Firth's gown as pictured at the top of the post, Kate Moss' dress, Stella McCartney boots from Beverly Knight, Colin Firth's coat and a beautiful Alexander McQueen gown by Annie Lennox (as pictured at the top of the post).

More auction items (from left): Ashish dress by VV Brown, Termperly kaftan dress, vintage Chanel suit, Emma Thompson's Jaeger dress, Jude Law's Oscar tuxedo, Jane Shepherdson's Camilla Skovgaard heels.


Selfridges Auction Homepage
The Oxfam Curiosity Shop Homepage

57 comments:

  1. Quelle belle robe de Scarlett! I have just the wooden box-purse and platforms for it :)
    We have a similar shop here in L.A., albeit non-charitable and far from A-listers' habillements, called It's a Wrap: loads of vintage and contemporary goodies from production wardrobes. (Mea cupla ... I once bought a pair of emroidered jeans worn, purportedly, by Rose McGowan on "Charmed". So enamored of "Charmed", I used to be!)
    Now, I do wonder if there are any Johnny bracelets or fedoras, or the odd Helena linen pantaloons or Mary Janes la-bas at the Old Curiosity?!
    Cheers!

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  2. Zut alors ... emroidered=embroidered. Duh.

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  3. You do realise I am going to be off browsing the website in a minute? ;) Personally, I don't really care much for the fact that a celebrity wore something (they are still people after all, just well-known), but I love clothes as such, the more beautiful the better. And also, just like any woman, I would love to see the sizes and check which ones I can actually fit in... :)

    Hope you had a lovely weekend! xxx

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  4. I knew nothing about this so thanks so much for sharing! You have taken acme great pics!
    Particularly love that Curiosity Shop looks like you could get lost I'm there for some time.

    Abigail x
    www.abigailsplace8.blogspot.com

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  5. can one finish combing thru this shop in a day? highly doubt it! i think i'll stay longer in those places with bright walls, though.

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  6. Hello!

    Great post my friend, as always. Love the photos you have taken, and of course I love the fact that the money goes to such an important cause. Beautiful clothes!

    I'm back in Sweden and the trip to LA was amazing!

    Take care
    johanna

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  7. Love the pictures, and frankly, just want to run to this place.

    So many pieces I would want to have. Envy you for having browsed through them. How was your weekend? India was celebrating its victory in the world cup cricket after 28 years. So it was party time out here.

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  8. @Jennifer: I should have probably clarified that Oxfam is a charity organization, which similar to The Salvation Army or Red Cross relies on public donations of clothes that are then resold in their own outlets. The celebrity aspect is only a special thing, thanks to Annie Lennox who's an Oxfam ambassador (as is Scarlett), who asked a few of her pals to contribute. In general, I don't think Oxfam usually stocks that much designer or celebrity gear.

    @十十f十: If you're quick you could probably finish combing through the shop in an hour! It's not that huge, though tightly packed with loads of items. I really liked the fact that it was relatively compact, but still had a good selection.

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  9. I love this idea! Not only do you get a chance to bid on some of your favorite celebrity outfits, the proceeds go to a great cause! Too bad I probably wouldn't be able to afford much on the list :o/

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  10. lovely place...so many details..I'm going to see the pics again :-)

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  11. Hi my dear-what a unique and fabulous concept, I bet it was so heavenly to visit there and the pieces look stunning-plus all the proceeds are going to a fantastic cause! Great post and photos xxx

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  12. Amazing pics, darling!
    What fun!

    xoxox,
    CC

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  13. I love all the items that they are selling off and for such a charitable cause too. Is it possible though to finish exploring the whole place in a day? There seems to be so much to see and try.:)

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  14. great pictures, I always wanted to wear the same gown as a celebrity on the red carpet, but oh if only I have that money, still I can dream. I'd be in that store touching everything for hours haha

    yeah Britney Spears' performance was pretty embarrassing, but she's made comebacks over and over I guess she's just very "meh" now? anyways doesn't look like she's having fun anymore I'm sure her record label is making her do this, if it was up to her she'd prob just not wear a bra and eat fried chicken all day by the pool...

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  15. thank you for the sweet comment 100% agree with you...
    ahhhhh vintage classic pieces that will stay forever in your closet. i know the pattern was big last year but those Miu Miu ballet flats are to die for!! i want a pair. plus the vintage chanel suit plus the scarfs and then stella boots.. etc etc i could go on.. you alwyas have such interesting photos im going to follow your blogg :D

    xx kisses
    fashion provocateur

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  16. It would be amazing to see all of these donations in person! Although it sounds expensive, there is nothing better than shopping for beautiful clothes and it going to such a good cause!

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  17. That's it! I'm off to Selfridges ot check out this thing. I wonder what the prices are like...?

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  18. What a great idea and beautiful clothes!! Thanks for sharing...

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  19. Oh my I would FLIP OUT!C,! How amazing is this? Oh and I need ScarJo's D&G stat! :) xoxo

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  20. That looks amazing, would have loved to see it all in person.

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  21. Oh goodness how I wish I were in London to see this! I wouldn't mind buying a Colin Firth cardy to snuggle in haha. That skirt suit from Alexa Chung is just beautiful!

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  22. Oh what a great idea! Sure to attract lots of attention. And you can be sure to find some fabulous stuff, as your photos cleary show. Love the little vintage-like area!

    http://red-soledfashionista.blogspot.com/

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  23. yes, yes, yes, (imagine meg Ryan in when harry met sally) i am a bit weary of charity shops in general as I don't seem to find the bragains that everyone else seems to but this is something deifnitely to check out.

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  24. Amazing clothes and pieces. And I think it is wonderful when the money I spend goes to helping someone in the world.

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  25. Wow, it'd be great to be in London right now! But I'm not. :(

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  26. Oh man, looks like heaven on earth. I'd sure love to get my hands on the Givenchy couture dress that Florence Welch wore to the Oscars. Will definitely have to check out the website and drool over the pieces for sale.

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  27. This looks and sounds like an incredible idea. I so wish I was in London, for this week, to see it.

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  28. amazing stuff.. I adore you for posting things like these. soon as I spotted those miu miu flats I had to check if they are available online but unfortunately no:(
    kisses

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  29. Looks like such a great shop, such beautiful pieces!

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  30. This is a shop that I would actually love to live in. I so adore the halphazard mix of music, clothes, shoes, and more. Such a fun place to visit!! :)

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  31. Great fashions for a great cause! fashionable charity is always a fantastic thing especially with such beautiful variety of items.

    www.sariandcompany.com

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  32. Wowsers!! I would love to be let loose in that shop. Amazing pieces and I want those Miu Miu flats. Perfect! :)SarahD

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  33. Wow, what an amazing store... and YES I would love to own items by Scarlett Johanssen AND Elle Macpherson, that would be quite a treat. :) The Miu Miu flats are so pretty and I love Elle's purse! Scarlett's Dolce & Gabbana is gorgeous, I want it! I wonder if it would fit me?? What a wonderful charity and it's so great that this is campaigning to help vulnerable women around the world. Amazing!

    xo
    Rachel

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  34. Wow. I hadn't heard about this store before. I love the idea, though. What a great way to raise money for such a good cause. Got to hand it to whoever came up with it!

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  35. haha the sun would not have been out if it was 5am!! It was about 9:30 am on a week day...quite amazing indeed! :) Oh and you are so right...the Trevi Fountain is JUST as bad and it does seem to distract one from the beauty. I'm sure you know very well with all of your travels! :) Happy Tuesday, friend. :)

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  36. Wow, that is such an exciting event! I, too, would love to touch any Colin Firth's items! He's such a great guy in my opinion! There are so many beautiful things and I especially love that little vintage shop! I love the selection you chose from online and I hope I can help support this great cause in some way! xoxoxoo

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  37. haha, i love how you made it a point to touch every colin firth item! this sounds like an awesome idea. since i don't live in london i'm going to check out the online store now.

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  38. um, this is awesome! i wish i could see it in person!!!

    it is so nice when the rich/famous/wealthy/celebs do good with all of their money. it is rad. it makes them all [so much more] likeable, or in the case of colin firth, LOVEABLE! :)

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  39. omg so great all
    dont know what to pick for my one "fav" awesome!

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  40. I looove this shop! It looks very Mad Men-esque

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  41. i should probably go buy a lottery ticket

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  42. Cool shop! I love 3. photo! I want these clothes and shoes and bags! :)

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  43. That's really amazing, so many goodies!

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  44. Yes and Yes!!!! Oooh sounds very interesting. Cannot wait. Thanks for sharing.

    xoxo,
    melrod

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  45. adore the strapless floral dress on the mannequin!

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  46. This is the coolest thing ever!! I once went on Gwyneth Paltrow's site to check out her old clothes :)

    Hope you are having a fantastic week!

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  47. Oh my! What a dream place...yepp-yepp! Dolce & Gabbana floral dress is one of my fave!

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  48. This looks so awesome! I wish I knew about it when I was visiting London last weekend!


    Eternally yours,
    Stephanie

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  49. Ah this is breaking my heart. I'd SO love to go and play dress up! Thanks for sharing hon
    xxx

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  50. Love this idea -- in line with sustainability. I would like to see an idea like this proliferate.

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  51. What a wonderful idea, and for such a good cause.
    Your photographs are wonderful and thanks for sharing.
    Must be great walking around, amongst all the fabulous clothing and treasures.

    Happy day
    Hugs
    Carolyn

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  52. I'm so bummed I didn't get to go last year (we had just moved out of London). This is such a fabulous event and the proceeds go to a great cause.

    Congrats - we're both Links a la mode contributors this week!

    xoxo,
    Chic 'n Cheap Living

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  53. i am so loving what i see in this post! i would be very happy to be there to witness and touch these pieces myself! It's as if my virtual wardrobe, at least i am able to see it without being there personally. Thanks for the insights and will be there one day!

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  54. this is soo cool! What a great post! Congrats on making the links ea la mode list :)

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