Loewe comes to London

Last month Spanish luxury leather brand Loewe opened a new boutique on Mount Street, Mayfair, its first independent shop in London. Previously only available to London shoppers at Selfridges and Harrods, Loewe has found its new home in a gorgeous nineteenth century building complete with cornicing  and pillared entrance; it is almost as attractive as the colourful treats inside.

As pretty outside as it is within: Loewes new Mount Street shop

Daisy Lowe and Pixie Geldof at the launch

The launch party attracted some big fashion names as well as mainstream celebs; Bianca Jagger, Marie Helvin, Jade Parfitt, Daisy Lowe and Pixie Geldof were all in attendance. Guests nibbled classic Spanish tapas including chorizo and manchego, washed down by Moet & Chandon champagne and elderflower presses. Sadly, HispanicLondon was not invited, but this doesn’t stop us from lauding this iconic Spanish brand and celebrating its bold arrival in the capital…

El caganer: Cataluña’s crazy Christmas tradition

The traditional Caganer

It’s called the caganer and if you were to translate it into English we’d probably call it the ‘defecator’, which sounds like some poor excuse for a superhero. In fact this little figure of a peasant boy ‘doing his business’ has become one of the most popular features of Christmas for children across Cataluña. The figure, dressed in a red beret, sash and black trousers, is hidden in the traditional nativity scene. Along with baby Jesus in his manger, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, angels and kings, no Catalan nativity scene is complete without its caganer.

Spanish artist Francesc Ruiz taps into Vauxhall’s gay scene

Spanish artist Francesc Ruiz’s first solo exhibition in London is creating quite a stir down in Vauxhall, where parental discretion has been advised.

Francesc Ruiz, Gasworks Yaoi, 2010

Inspired by Japanese manga culture, and most specifically the male homoerotica of yaoi comic books, Ruiz’s Gasworks Yaoi exhibition has transformed the gallery into a comic bookshop. Rather than being male-oriented, these comics, translated as ‘boys love’ are traditionally produced and read by women. They are less a form of pornography, more harmless accounts of titillation and voyeurism from women fascinated by homosexuality.