Montreal's magnificent skyline

Montreal's skyline boasts some of Canada's most striking modernist buildings. The best place to take full advantage of the view is down at the harbour. Look across the water and you could be forgiven for thinking that you're looking both into the past and the future.

One of the most exclusive and sought-after addresses in the city, the bizarre-looking concrete boxes that make up Habitat 67 were built to celebrate Expo 1967, the World's Fair grandly entitled 'Man and his World'.




Another of the Fair's lasting legacies is the Montreal Biosphere, a futuristic-looking dome which houses interactive exhibits aimed at increasing understanding of environmental issues. After a fire burnt away the 'bubble' in 1976, the structure was left out of use and in disrepair until bought by Environment Canada in 1990.


Turn around to look back at the sky-scrapers that define the city's skyline and another iconic architectural achievement stands out. The Aldred Building (in the background of the photograph) is similar to the many Art Deco masterpieces that jewel New York's panorama, and indeed was completed in the same year as the Empire State Building.



Click on the images to enlarge and see some of Sussex's best Art Deco buildings over at www.vintagebrighton.com.

Ethical fashion feature in Fat Quarter magazine

My very talented, creative and hard-working journo friend Katie Allen has put together the second print issue of her fab magazine Fat Quarter - an alternative to women's glossies.

This issue features an interview with enterprising musician Laura Kidd, aka She Makes War, a short story by Michele Roberts, author of the Booker-shortlisted Daughters of the House, instructions for a DIY textiles project, a piece on the lives of Japanese women, book reviews, music reviews and loads more! Delicious.

Plus, there is a feature written by my fair hand on ethical fashion. Just how much do we really care?

See the piece by clicking on the PDF link below and buy your copy of Fat Quarter for just £2.50 (plus £1 for P&P in the UK) here. It's well worth it.

Fat Quarter Ethical Fashion

Canadian vintage finds

I'm back, and have a very good reason for being away - the best reason in fact: I got married (more on that to come) and my new husband and I have just returned from a fortnight's honeymoon in Canada.

Having only ever travelled within Europe before, the holiday was a real adventure, and as we spent four nights in the harbour town of Halifax, Nova Scotia before travelling on a luxurious overnight train to the French-speaking city of Montreal, Quebec for another four, we saw and experienced a great amount.

A guide to the many and varied vintage shops in Halifax and Montreal is to come on my new website www.vintagebrighton.com, which is another reason I've been a little quiet of late. The website is a labour of love and boasts a vintage shop directory, events listings and original blog and feature content - a must-see for vintage lovers whether living in Brighton or not.

Until then, I thought I share with you a few of my Canadian vintage finds:


The Seabiscuit Jumper - bought for $30CDN from Dressed in Time, Halifax. Similar to the alpine knits spotted all over the catwalk at A/W 2010 Fashion Weeks, particularly those championed by D&G, and perfect for keeping me cosy on the boat trip we took.


The Sixties Travel-bag - a floral delight picked up for $20CDN from Seconde Chance in Montreal, a fabulously vibrant little shop on Rue Amherst, somewhat of a destination for lovers of 50s-70s-style furniture and objects. The perfect weekend bag.


The Granny Bag - in great condition - bought in a bundle with a amber heart pendant and 1990s Kate Moss Calvin Klien promo postcard for $20CDN from a junk shop just off Rue Amherst and next to a pet shop housing some of the cutest little kittens I've ever seen. We had to buy yet another present for our cat there to justify our endless cooing and talking to the little furry bundles.


The Pop Shoppe bottle - not exactly vintage but I loved the style of this label so much that I had to buy the fizzy pop - although half of it ended up going down the plug-hole. The bottle is now on my dressing table, waiting to hold a flower. The green costume-jewellery ring on top fits only on my little finger - I'm hoping it's for a child and that my fingers aren't in fact massively obese - but is very sweet and the colour is my birth stone. This was $5CDN from Kitsch n Swell, a fabulous little shop sandwiched between a handful of other vintage boutiques on Boulevard Saint-Laurent in Montreal.


The Shearling Boots - not vintage at all, but I never said I was a purist... Everyone who reads the fashion press will know that shearling is huge this season, with trims appearing on aviator jackets, boots and gloves. I figured that buying these from a shop in The Village in Montreal may reduce the chances of bumping into others wearing the exact same pair in Brighton - we will see. The heel height is just right for my low-pain theshold and, as you can see in the below photo, wearing them makes me very happy.