The Uglydoll brand is very distinctive and if you get a chance to hear how the company began then visit their website, it is very romantic. We have spotted this very colourful cookie jar which would look good in any kitchen that has a sense of humour!
TUMTUM is an innovative UK company that offers a range of well-thought out tableware and cutlery for kids that make eating times so much easier for parents. Designed by parents the products are a result of totally fresh thinking that address common everyday problems such as food landing on the floor, kids chasing their dinner around the plate and general frustration from both parents and kids. We love all the products which we also should mention are bright, stylish and affordable. The trainee egg set is so clever with the egg cup built-in to the plate and the cutlery is longer and easier to use for kids. The curved plate with corners provides stopping points for difficult foods such as peas and overall the company has brought to the marketplace products which are not simply scaled down versions of adult tableware but products that are designed from start to finish with children in mind.
nails inc, London has introduced their Magnetic Attraction series which allows the user to create stunning 3D patterns using a unique magnetised cap. Once the nail polish (containing magnetic particulars) is applied, passing the magnetized cap over the nails produces the 3D zebra-print effect. The series comes in silver, gold and purple (each names after famous London landmarks 'Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament) and costs £13 for each. In addition £1 from every sale is donated to the Princes Trust.
Juno Design Shop really is a fantastic little online store if you want affordable yet novel home accessories. We love their sparrow key holder and paper clip magnet and the stick man bedside light is just way cool.
The people behind Mall of America in the US are now expanding their mega mall concept and bringing it to New Jersey. Mall of America in Minnesota is a large scale fusion of retail and entertainment with indoor amusement parks as well shops and restaurants. Their new venture entitled American Dream/Meadowlands is going to be even bigger. With a total project area of 11 million square feet this new shopping mall will include the first indoor ski facility in North America, a water park, amusement park, 26-screen movie complex as well as a live performance arts theatre and that is just the entertainment side. There will also be an abundance of shops and restaurants, making this an ideal destination for local shoppers as well as tourists. It is expected to open in 2013.
Online store 2K By Gingham have a stack of offbeat, supercool t shirts for guys and girls. Their collaboration with various artists means that there is something for everyone's style buds.
Blue Banana is a great online store that stocks a wide range of alternative, edgy fashion lines. We love their wide range of festival gear including their own label Music & Chains wellies and Knuckle Duster rucksacks, David & Golliath Sushi Roll hoodie, Ethnies Chrome O2 trainers, New Era DC Comics Superman Jigsaw cap and this Famous Stars & Straps tee.
As lovers of street fashion we give online store street casuals a big thumbs up. They have some great gear from brands such as Actual Pain, The Hundreds, HUF, KR3W, supremebeing and Supra footwear. Great t shirts, trainers and caps. Wish list at the ready!
Gearbottle is a worldwide streetwear/sneaker boutique locator that assists shoppers find streetwear retailers wherever they are in the world. Many bricks and mortar streetwear stores are small boutiques and can be hard to find. Gearbottle was created to help solve this problem, and help people find such hidden gems as well as support business owners promote their indie stores. We think this is a pretty cool tool for tourists visiting a city, who wish to hunt down unique shops. With 18months in development and launched only 2 months ago this unique tailor-made search engine has already over 900 cool stores registered with plans already to launch V2.
If you are wanting to find funky, colourful tees, hoodies and accessories that pop with colour then online store Tee and Toast is worth checking out. This energetic brand offers a range of Irish related fashions, with a modern, humorous twist, including their cool "Shamrocker" tees and hoodies. We also like their vintage t-shirts including this 1974 Frankenstein print.
