Poppy Valentine

Christmas Markets & Fairs in Norwich

admin — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 14:56:13 +0000

We will be appearing at several Christmas Markets in Norwich over the coming weeks:-

1st December 11-3pm

Trowse Xmas Handmade Market

The Manor Rooms,Trowse NR14 8TH

——————————————————————————

2nd December 10-7pm

Unthank Artspace Xmas Vintage Fair 1

The Old Norketts Electrical Store

Unthank Rd, NR2 2AH

——————————————————————————

16th December 10 -7pm

Unthank Artspace Xmas Vintage Fair 2

The Old Norketts Electrical Store, Unthank Rd, NR2 2AH

We hope to see you there.

Upcycled bags for life

admin — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 13:56:10 +0000

Like many women, I have a bit of a thing for bags. I am however, very particular about my bags, not in a ‘They must be a posh label’ way, but in a more practical sense. Over the years I have found that what ever size bag I have, I fill it to the brim, all seemingly with the essentials, be it a tiny handbag or an oversized tote, I don’t seem to be able to carry a half empty bag!

I solved this problem by having a small-ish grown up leather shoulder bag (still full) with the essential purse, keys, phone, foldaway brolly -well it is the British summer! In addition to this I have a cloth bag which houses the things I need to take to work with me that day. This system seems to work quite well for me and prompted me to make a series of funky ‘bag for life’ type cloth bags using upcycled vintage fabrics.

I had a load of great vintage prints that would work really well, and I made sturdy shoulder length straps in calico. People love my Hepburn and Tushingham bags but sometimes don’t want to invest that much in a bag and don’t need one that’s lined and has leather straps etc.. With these upcycled bags for life you can still get a bit of Poppy Valentine vintage print without breaking the bank. Currently available instore (online soon) for £19.

Happy shopping!

Molly Returns…..

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:07:09 +0000

Today I made some Molly bags for the first time in ages. The Molly bag was our very first bag, our very first product in fact, and in the right vintage fabric, it really summed up the fun, colourful nature of the brand. Some of you may remember our first shop, in the arcade off Portobello road, it’s stark white walls and bright lighting set the Molly bag off a treat.

It was especially popular amongst Japanese tourists, we got a lot of those in the Portobello shop. We did work with a Japanese agent for about 18 months who bought stock from us to sell in some of the department stores in Japan such as Isetan and Hanku

Model Laura Bailey was a Portobello/Notting Hill local and she popped onto our stand at a trade show to admire the Molly bags

So today I found 3 of my favourite fabrics to pay homage to the faithful Molly bag, a stunning off-white barkcloth with printed red flowers

A gorgeous rose and leaf print in shades of soft blues and greens on cream barkcloth

And a classic early 50s furnishing fabric print of big fat pink roses and flashes of deep crimson on a taupe background

All 3 bags are available instore and online now

xxx

NEW! Mini Poppy Valentine Collection

LauraSummers — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:11:41 +0000

So excited about this announcement and I know lots of you will be too. Now, not only can you shop for your own wardrobe and accessories here at Poppy Valentine, but we are proud to finally unveil the very first items in our miniature collection for girls.

In response to popular demand, we are launching the first in our girlswear range in the shape of these ultra cute girls dresses. Inspired by the classic tunic/boho style, the dress can be worn over a long sleeved T-shirt with tights or leggings or even over jeans. Once the sun gets his hat on for good, these dresses will make ideal cool, comfortable summer wear. A year round wardrobe essential for all little girls out there who want their own taste of Poppy Valentine vintage style!

Made from genuine vintage prints from the 1950′s and 1960′s and currently available in sizes 1, 2, 3 and 4; the dresses are available in store and online right now priced at just £29.00. .

As if that wasn’t enough, we’re also buzzing about these super cool vintage fabric baby booties. Available in sizes 0-3 months, 3-6 months and 6-9 months they make the ideal unique baby gift that are certain to brighten up any outfit. Made from lovely soft fabrics, priced at £9.95 and available both in store and online right now, who could resist smiling at a baby wearing a pair of these?!

Are you Ready for Valentine’s Day?

LauraSummers — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:30:33 +0000

We’ve hit the double figures in February 2012 already, can you believe it? Now of course we are rapidly sliding our way towards the perils of Valentine’s Day. Are you prepared?

According to the wonders of Wikipedia:

In Norfolk, a character called ‘Jack’ Valentine knocked on the rear door of houses leaving sweets and presents for children. Although he was leaving treats, many children were scared of this mystical person.

Ever heard this tale before? Know of any others?

Here at Poppy Valentine we have taken the stresses and strains of Valentine’s Day away. This year we are your one stop shop for all of your V day needs. If you want to escape the dog house, we’ve got your back

If it’s a gift you’re looking for, check out our gorgeous handmade cushions emblazoned with ‘Love’. Handcrafted right here in Norwich from beautiful vintage fabrics; these cushions were a huge hit at Christmas and no doubt will be popular in the shop over the weekend too. Available in our popular Union Jack design or the more romantic heart shaped cushion, you will be sure to delight your loved one with one of these as an imaginative gift.

As mentioned before; in the spirit of making your life easy in the run up to the romantic week ahead, we also have a stunning range of Vintage handmade Valentine’s Day cards available in store.

Now if you’re lucky, you may have big plans taking shape for a romantic evening out (or in?!). If you’re looking for a new outfit either for yourself or for your partner as a gift, we have a wide range of dresses for just such an occasion ready and waiting.

You might be looking for a token gift, if so we have the ever popular range of coin purses which never fail to please.

Of course, if you’re local to us in Norwich or Norfolk you have the ideal excuse to come in to the shop and say hi this weekend.

WE WIN!

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:41:57 +0000

We’ve won the Norwich Regional heat of the Local Business Accelerators Programme which has given us three months advertising in our excellent local newspaper the Norwich Evening News. We will also get a years worth of marketing marketing advice from a local media guru. Winning the heat means we’ll be entered into national competition for a year of Deborah Meaden’s business advice. We’re one of 1500 winners so keep your fingers crossed.

Women At The Forefront

admin — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:32:40 +0000

I was watching BBC Question Time recently and was left in admiration of Deborah Meaden, the Dragon’s Den entrepreneur. For those who missed it she was promoting a growing campaign for more of the goods we consume to be made in Britain. She equated this with the lack of manufacturing and creative skills young people possess in the UK. She made the point that we’re educating young people with the sole aim of getting them good grades, and not putting enough emphasis on getting those that do not thrive in academia, pre-skilled for the job markets they’re likely to find themselves in. This, she intimated, left young people with the feeling that as they had failed at school, giving them the low self esteem and other traits associated with not having succeeded in the first of many challenges they’re likely to encounter. This tallied with conversations I’d had recently at a School Reunion I attended. I went to a school which was and still is predominately working class. I was asking the women how they had faired after leaving school at sixteen without the qualifications required for Further Education. Almost all of them found a job in Manufacturing. Norwich had a thriving shoe industry in those times and firms like Start-Rite and Bally would take on a number of school leavers. I worked at Bally for a while, in the stores attached to the factory floor. It was filled with a mix of young and old. The more experienced machinists helped out the less so , amidst an atmosphere of laughter and banter that was continuous until the whistle blew at the end of the day. The money was OK, overtime was to be had occasionally and bonuses’ were paid at Christmas. Where are the jobs these days that have replaced those? Looking at the employment figures for young people tells you all you need to know.

This brings me to another woman to be found on our screens a lot lately, Mary Portas. Whatever you think of her rise to fame, her move across fashion from retail consultant to brand co-designer for her recent series Mary, Queen of Frocks has led her to see whether she can start up a clothes factory. She’s taking applications from the ranks of the unemployed in Middleton, a former silk and cotton spinning mill town in Greater Manchester and attempting to re-establish an old mill as a working cut, make and trim operation that will provide garments to the big hitters on the British High Street. Unsurprisingly there is TV show attached to this but this is the sort of exposure I can forgive as the experiment (they’re on 12 month contracts) could open up a major new supply chain for the big players in fashion who are fast becoming exasperated by the quality, slow turnaround and the ethical nature of manufacturing in the Far East. Allowing quota free levels of imported garments effectively ships jobs overseas, while much of what we export back to these countries is our air in the shape of empty containers. Government’s talk of high skilled manufacturing being the future, but lots of these jobs still require degrees. In my eyes the failure to ensure that there is work for young people is a massive indictment on successive governments overseeing a warped education system. We need to start vocational education for young people at the ages of 14. We should also start to measure the success of a school, not only by grades, but the amount of leavers it has managed to place in work or work based training. As a retailer we often get young people come into the shop asking if we have any retail work. What we’re we’re looking for is young people with creative handiwork skills, of those we have had exactly none, and that’s scary.

Tim

Welcome

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:55:52 +0000

Hi and welcome to the Poppy Valentine blog. Periodically we’ll write about our influences, what makes us happy and what makes us sad. Click on the title, top right, for our latest entry.