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

Henry Holland's 'Debut' - Charity Event & Exhibition (London, UK)

There's nothing better than spending money on something when you know it's for a good cause. Which is why the combination of fashion and charity is such a great mix. The last time I posted about a charity collaboration, it involved designer dolls, which some of you (and yours truly) deemed to be a bit creepy at times. An event that happened this week titled Debut was decidedly less sinister, since it involved actual clothing, art and other memorabilia.

Launched by Henry Holland, Debut saw the designer recruit the help from fellow British creatives and friends, resulting in a large collection of coveted pieces which were first featured in a pre-event exhibition, then auctioned off on March 24. All proceeds went to Cancer Research UK, the world's leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research.

A gorgeous venue: auction pieces displayed in the converted church that is One Mayfair.

I got a chance to catch a glimpse of some of the pieces prior to the auction event, all of which were presented in the stunning One Mayfair venue (a converted former church dating back to 1825). The lots up for auction focused on British fashion through the ages, featuring donations from the likes of Christopher Kane, Nicholas Kirkwood, Kate Moss or Paul Smith to name a few - while Agyness Deyn starred as a DJ during the actual auction.

Loved the pink-black combo of the seating area. The official booklet listed all auction items and the event schedule.

Below you'll find a few of the pieces that went up for auction. Which item(s) would you have bid on? Let me know!

Left: Peter Pilotto dress; the design was worn by Kate Bosworth. Right: Dress by Erdem, designed for Browns boutique to celebrate 40 years of British Fashion.

Donations by Henry Holland himself, included the signature House of Holland slogan shirts and an afternoon out with the man himself (left). A beautiful creation by milliner Stephen Jones (top right) and an autographed photograph of Kate Moss during Alexander McQueen's 2004 runway show, photographed by Richard Young.

Left: Christopher Kane red bandage dress from his first collection, as worn by Victoria Beckham. Right: Richard Nicoll dress featuring artwork by Linder Sterling.

Fashion as art: David Downton illustration of Erin O'Connor (top left), oversized limited edition signed Mary Quant stamp (lower left), painting from Alex Echo, who's art inspired Paul Smith (center), Simon Claridge pop-art of Kate Moss (top right), Dior by John Galliano photograph (lower right).

Left: Erdem floral dress. Right: Bellville Sassoon evening dress.

Top: Kate Moss for Longchamp bags designed exclusively by Kate for Debut (incl. handwritten note). Bottom: Nicholas Kirkwood shoes designed exclusively for Sarah Jessica Parker.

Left: House of Holland wedding dress reading 'Who needs a husband I've got House of Holland'. Right: 'History of Rainbows' dress by Tracey Boyd, exclusively for Debut.

More impressive shots: Twiggy (top left), Sid Vicious (bottom left), Tamara Rojo photographed by Paul Smith (center), David Bowie (top right), signed copy of Alexandra Schulman's first publication of Vogue UK as acting editor (lower right).

Vintage items, incl. a sparkly cardigan from the 20s (left).

If you missed 'Debut', you can always donate to Cancer Research UK via the official page. Henry Holland will be doing more charitable work next month when he runs the London Marathon for Oxfam along with a few friends (including Agyness once again). Donations for that can still be made via this fundraising page.

On a final note, if you happen to be in London this weekend, eco-brand People Tree is running a 'Sample Sale for Japan' until March 27 (near Aldgate East), with all proceeds going towards 'The Second Harvest Charity', which will provide food for the victims of the recent earthquake/tsunami in Japan.

Noir Kennedy (Paris, France)

In the spirit of all things gory and grisly, I thought I'd share something a little more Halloween appropriate, even if this event isn't celebrated in France. The first boutique that crossed my mind when I thought 'horror' was Noir Kennedy, a set of two vintage boutiques located in the heart of the Marais district. While I'm usually not the best vintage shopper - I get too overwhelmed and lack the patience to sort through racks and racks of clothes - this store is perfect due to its compact size, unique interior and carefully edited selection.

Noir Kennedy vintage looks (images: Noir Kennedy).

What drew me in the first time I passed Noir Kennedy was the glimpse I caught of the store interior: black coffins were placed in the shop window, while skulls could be found on shelves along with bottles and vials of fake blood. Intrigued, I stepped into the boutique only to be greeted by a mishmash of goth and punk memorabilia. Founded by Sebastien de Jaegher (aka Joon) and his partner Flora in 2004, Noir Kennedy is a result of their love of 70s rock music. Frustrated at not being able to find clothes they liked in their hometown of Paris and tired of having to constantly travel to London to find items they wanted to wear, the couple created both a second-hand outlet and a line of clothing under the same name. Though they initially had trouble financing their business via investors due to their young age, Noir Kennedy soon garnered a lot of attention thanks to the unique items they stocked, such as April 77 and Cheap Monday jeans or the large selection of vintage rock t-shirts.

Outside Noir Kennedy: coffins in the window (left) and images of the Kennedy men - the Kennedy's dark family history inspired the boutique name.

Overview of the well-stocked but easy to navigate store. Note the bats on the ceiling.

A Vespa on display along with men's shoes (left). Nearby, an antique pram filled with accessories and a human skull (right).

In 2006, the more goth-inspired larger boutique (the one featured here) followed and while it may resemble a store version of a horror house, you'll soon realize that the scary props are probably a little tongue-in-cheek. The first few times I visited, music from the likes of The Cure, Joy Division or The Cramps would be blaring from the speakers, but on occasion - and this included my visit last week - you'll also get a dose of cheesy pop music, which included non-stop playback of Paula Abdul and LL Cool J songs (from the late 80s). The same applies to the clothing. Yes, there are plenty of looks to channel your inner punk/skater/metal-head, whether it's the leather jackets, plaid shirts, Metallica tees or torn denim, but in the middle of all this, I actually found a Liz Claiborne dress and preppy blazers to name a few.

The very cool British phone booth changing rooms, surrounded by a coffin cupboard and schoolboy blazers.

More useful coffins serving as mirrors and displays.

So much to look at... including chic fur coats (above), a leopard print number and red boots.

Safe to say, the selection is for everyone, and Noir Kennedy staff will be the first to tell you their clientele ranges from teenagers to grandmothers. Among the usual hipsters in skinny jeans, giggling at the painted bats on the ceiling or making a point to use the London phone booth changing rooms (my personal favorite among the props), you'll find some serious vintage freaks, stylists, upcoming designers and tourists among the eager shoppers. The Vespa adorned with men's shoes near the entrance is another highlight, along with the antique pram filled with scarves, belts and yet another skull. Second-hand items can be found between brand new gear from Noir Kennedy's own label or the large range of other hip brands such as Merc, Harrington or Keednim.

Morbid trinkets, incl. skulls, preserved butterflies, false teeth and fake blood.

Band t-shirts from The Cramps or Nirvana, along with varsity jackets and chunky knits.

If you don't fancy the bloody white gown, there's always a range of leather jackets or silk blouses.

Clever use of coffins include one that has been transformed into a mirror and others that are used as shelves or display cases. This time around, I noticed a fantastic selection of faux fur jackets and military coats. The space near the cash desk featured some beautifully made handbags in shades of tan, brand-new Cheap Monday and April 77 jeans and the very cool vintage pinball machine. But of course it's the creepy stuff that ends up being the most interesting: aside from the aforementioned skulls and blood, there's the (fake) blood-stained wedding dress, dead rats, false teeth, preserved butterflies and more droplets of pseudo blood on clothes hangers.

Looking for fab accessories, I found cute tan bags and matching belts in a drum.

The fully functioning pinball machine near the Cheap Monday selection (left) and vintage Levis on a table (right).

More cool accessories on the cash desk (right) and overview of that area (left). Droplets of fake blood on hangers (above).

If you're not into the slightly morbid, don't let the interiors deter you. I've always found the selection here to be very eclectic and the prices are good (for Paris). The smaller sister store, which is sleek, white and more toned down, can be found a few steps away and a concept store in Bordeaux has just been opened as well. Though the official website is currently under construction, Noir Kennedy also stocks their goodies online, so check back soon if you want to shop vintage with a cool unique spin.

More looks from the vintage selection (images: Noir Kennedy).

Address: 12 & 22 rue du roi de Sicile, 75004 Paris
Opening Hrs: Mon: 13:00-20:00, Tue-Sat: 11:00-20:00, Sun: 14:00-20:00
Noir Kennedy Homepage

Bolongaro Trevor (London, UK)

The great thing about the UK is that it hasn't just given us a great number of innovative and creative designers, but it's also one of the few places where even high street brands are known to push the envelope instead of just following existing trends. One of my favorite retail labels has always been All Saints, known for their cool and edgy 'grunge meets glam' style. But as the brand became more and more popular and its founders Kait Bolongaro and Stuart Trevor became more wary and tired of (as the JC Report puts it) the 'homogenization and mass production of a post-millenial high street', they sold their stake in All Saints and founded Bolongaro Trevor instead - as an antidote to your typical retail brand if you will.

A selection from the FW09 lookbook (images: Bolongaro Trevor).

The aim was to provide consumers with consciously designed limited-edition clothing. If you're sick of seeing your neighbor or colleagues sport the same Topshop dress you just bought, you might want to give this brand a try. Even though Bolongaro Trevor is now available in several countries (including the U.S.), clothing and accessories are still produced in limited quantities as higher-end labels would do. The All Saints aesthetic remains to an extent: you'll find a lot of edgier, asymmetric or distressed outfits in the collection - but the quality is much better and as such, the pricing is marginally higher as well. While All Saints will still look visibly 'high street' in some cases, Bolongaro Trevor's pieces can easily be mistaken for designer. In fact, the first few items I held in my hand were a dead ringer for Vivienne Westwood's Anglomania line. Not surprisingly, the brand has a huge following with everyone from Agyness Deyn, Daisy Lowe or Courtney Love declaring themselves as fans of the label.

Overview of the front area of the store (left). A selection of memorabilia and a cool scarf (right).

Make no mistake though: even if the goal was to create a more sophisticated brand, the style is still very young, fresh and not boring in the least. The first collection was for AW07 and since then, the label has been careful to embrace the trends without following them too closely. You will find plaid skirts, but the asymmetric tulip-shaped cut will be different from what any other company is doing at the moment. Likewise, ruffles are given a more playful ballerina-inspired makeover or in some cases a harder edge, as seen on the ruffled leather pencil skirt. Currently Bolongaro Trevor only has one flagship in the world - located in the heart of London just off Carnaby Street. Considering how interesting the pieces are, I wasn't surprised that the store itself was pretty quirky as well.

The FW09 collection in-store (left), a leather jacket and a burgundy bag (right).

The shop is divided into two areas, the first of which looked pretty unspectacular, except for the few taxidermy birds I found sitting on random shelves. This is the area where the mainline collection is housed. The layout was quite straightforward and if the lighting had been harsher, you might have mistaken the interior for an American Apparel outlet. Taking a closer look though, this store is nothing like AA of course. For starters, walls are adorned with various antique-looking paintings. Curtains of the changing rooms feature the Union Jack and memorabilia such as a vintage pin-up calenders are strewn around the store. I spied some great leather jackets and skirts, beautiful silk dresses and a lot of cool draped tops.

A few examples of taxidermy in the front area (left) and a great selection of belts and bags at the cash desk (right).

The more interesting decor can be found in the back room which is home to Bolongaro Trevor Resurrection. The theme seems to be taxidermy, with everything from a giant swan to tiger heads displayed in various glass cases. There were more old paintings and antique statues or other trinkets and a small amount of religious memorabilia - many of these were for sale, though a lot of the taxidermy was just decoration. Most of these items I was told are by the artist Sophie Dickens (the great, great, great, granddaughter of Charles Dickens) and it's the store's intention to display and sell works by other artists as well in the future.

The 'Resurrection' range in the back room (left) and taxidermy at its finest (right).

Old paintings and more vintage clothes (left) and antique religious memorabilia near the sale section (right).

According to a press release, the interior is "a magnetic magpie in a junk yard store, fused with a Frankenstein disregard for rules/correctness.... all elements recycled and forced together by the mind of a mad man", i.e. it's a little crazy. All the 'Resurrection' clothing here is vintage and stems from the founder's 15 year archive. Pieces include Victorian lace bodices, Napoleonic battle jackets and even bus driver uniforms. Some of the vintage also come courtesy of Pearl Lowe who's collection is now available in-store. Because the items are carefully selected, you won't have to sift through a lot, which is great for someone like me who usually gets overwhelmed in London's huge vintage emporiums.

More taxidermy and a few old wooden dolls...

Towards the end of this room I also found a few racks with discounted clothes from last season. Definitely a good place to look, as I sighted a lot of great tops and skirts in my size but for only a fraction of the original price. If you can pry yourself away from the distracting decor, I'd also look out for the impressive selection of belts near the cash desk at the front and some of the men's scarves which again feature the Union Jack symbol.

A few men's tees on sale (left), a cheetah head and a swan (right).

Despite the fact that the store looks quite packed, it's actually very easy and pleasant to browse. The junkyard vibe only applies to the glass cases and displays, but the clothes are always easily accessible. Highly recommended if you love All Saints but need something a little more unique or different. Bolongaro Trevor is also available at Urban Outfitters (UK) and other shops around the world, but the great news is that you won't have to leave your house to shop their collections, as they've just launched their online store. Unfortunately the Resurrection range isn't available via the web, but I'm sure their regular range of clothing will make up for it.

Address: 61 Broadwick Street., London W1
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 10:00-19:00, Sun: 12:00-18:00
Bolongaro Trevor Homepage