Waxing Lyrical

Kids driving you to the point of hysteria?  Dreaming of exotic holidays? Or just need to take the edge off your stressful day without the guilt of the unit count?

Not just a gift for someone else.......at these prices (£10.50) you too can treat yourself to some me time......unwind by lighting up one of our scented candles. 

Ian's favourite is the juicy & vibrant Mango Mandarin - of course! While Nadia prefers the sophistication of the Parisian Cafe society!

Enza dreams of a colourful and exotic holiday in Zanzibar to compliment her new wardrobe -(pop by and see her amazing hand-made African Print dresses)  While her gorgeous son Dario picked out Wild Lime and Rose Tea - good choice captain!

For Kathryn a chance to unwind with the best selling Black Pomegranate??? although for those who know her well - let's face it she's much more likely to choose Prosecco - cheers!

The Greats 2016 - and the winner is......

We have won the amazing title of "Independent Gift Retailer of the year in London".  What a great event!  It was a total pleasure to accept the award from our generous hosts Really Good! Many thanks to the lovely two Lisas, Lynn and David for inviting us to be your guests, and for sponsoring this award, we're chuffed to bits!

The scene was set at the glamorous ballroom Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane for The Greats 2016. We were delighted to be in such Really Good Company - Table 15 were a talented bunch with nominations in 4 of the awards.  Really Good were finalists in the category for Best Service To The Independent Gift Retailer and Bentalls Kingston were finalists for the award for Best Department Store Retailer of Gifts.  We were also up for the Best In-Store or Window Display!  Click here to see the full list of the winners in each category.

Tis the season to get married!

We are celebrating the season of love & marriage with a wedding inspired window courtesy of 2 of Archway's finest talents. Our brides shoes are designed and made by Harriet Wilde the luxury London footwear label, established in 2008 by designer, Ruth Shaw & our bride wears a vintage wedding dress on loan from Yuksel of Resurrection Boutique.

Ruth Shaw decided to create her own collection of wedding footwear after searching for the perfect pair to accompany her own original vintage wedding dress - she was looking for  something less ‘fluffy’, more stylish - named after her great grandmother, the Harriet Wilde collection offers brides a vintage-inspired aesthetic with a touch glamour, and superior European craftsmanship.  Her second collection was snapped up by Harrods and she is now the go to bridal brand of royalty and celebrities. Services include: a ready to wear collection, customization and a bespoke service. You can book an appointment to try the shoes from her London studio , or buy online, The London showroom is at:-

Studio 21C
Bickerton House
25-27 Bickerton Road
London N19 5JT
Tel: + 44 (0) 207 263 4147

Open from Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, with late evening available on Thursday's until 8pm Tel: + 44 (0)207 263 4147

Yuksel Karaagac owns Resurrection Boutique, tucked away in the heart of the Archway roundabout, is one of London's best-kept secrets for lovers of vintage clothes and quality tailoring and craftsmanship.  With 25 years' experience in high-end fashion, pattern-cutting, styling, alterations, repairs and made-to-measure tailoring, Yuksel specialises in working with you to meet your creative aspirations for a stylish, quality, designer wardrobe, that is still affordable.  She even inspires clients to take advantage of her popular sewing classes and learn how to work with fabric for themselves.  Resurrection Boutique is a one-stop shop, a unique creative London hub, for those with a passion for fashion.  Pop in for a chat!

Resurrection Boutique is at 3 Archway Close and Yuksel's opening hours are Monday to Friday 10:00 -18:00 Saturday 10:30 -18:00
Tel: 020 7263 2600

We have some great ideas for gifts for everyone - guests and the special couple themselves!  Our Carnival letter lights not only make a fantastic gift but can make a statement on the day itself!  Particularly if the wedding has a vintage theme.

Coasters & Placemats make great gifts and props too - some friends of Map Gift Shop sent us this brilliant picture from their wedding at St John's Tavern!

The totally cool new range from PiP Studio Royal 'white' makes a great Wedding Gift!  A timelessly stylish take on the blue 'willow pattern' - I love the placement of the imagery and the subtlety of this range! It sits perfectly as accent pieces alongside any set of white china!

Brendan Hansbro

We were introduced to local artist Brendan Hansbro by his partner (and good friend of Map Gift Shop) Lisa. We were intrigued by his surreal and slightly spooky collection of animal wood engravings which he has translated onto china.

The monochrome mugs and plates are available exclusively from Map Gift Shop.  

Brendan is best known as a printmaker.  He is represented by the Curwen Gallery in London who commissioned the double Unicorn image they use as their gallery logo and impressive swinging sign.

Brendan's next exhibition with Curwen Gallery titled Panoply runs from the 5th-26th May in the upper gallery space.

"Instantly recognisable, and yet, as they have never been seen before, famous architectural landmarks from many different parts of the world have been re-interpreted in this exhibition of paintings by artist Brendan Hansbro."

Spring Greens

Mix and match fresh shades of green for a contemporary feel this Spring.

1 & 2. Get minimodern-ised! These Ceramic Water Tumblers and cool Ceramic Carafe (which surprisingly holds 1 ltr) are by Mini Moderns - perfect for ice cold soft drinks. 3. Caspian Origami Lamp Shade is functional and full of style. 4. Quintessential British Retro Telephone and '60s style icon 5. Geometric Green Glass Tea Light Holder 6.  Green by design and nature - these gorgeous soya candles are poured by hand into repurposed wine bottles which have been polished by flame to give a perfect finish 7.  A cool green set of 4 glasses from the Modern Home collection by Magpie. A stylish addition to any home, these are a must-have for discerning mid-century design lovers. Shop the look here

I really love this colour story for this season!  Green stands for balance, nature, and rebirth. It’s the symbol of prosperity, freshness, and progress! Get spring cleaned and Spring greened! 

50 Best Boutiques in London

Yay!  Chuffed to bits this week - not only 2 nominations in 'The Greats' Awards but also we made it into the top 50 Boutiques in London.  

"From North London’s cult design stores to treasure troves south of the river, ES Magazine have nominated the capital’s hottest indie stores!" 

"Not just one for cartography enthusiasts, it’s the ideal destination for last-minute presents. An Archway institution, owners Ian Morris and Kathryn Phalp are pillars of the community."

...and we weren't the only ones in our locale - we're in good company!  Congratulations to our near neighbours Future and Found , Vivien of Holloway Road,  S K Vintage  too and a welcome to new girl on the block Jessica de Lotz who also featured!
Click on the pictures to link to their sites!

"With a vision for what’s to come and a love of what’s been before, Future & Found brings you a carefully curated collection of beautiful things for your home."

 Vivien of Holloway - "producing gorgeous vintage-style clothing to make the world a more fabulous and glamorous place, day by day".

Sarah Khan's passion for fashion and textile design instinctively led to her to start S K Vintage - her vintage and designer clothing business.

Emotive, evocative and intriguing, Jessica invites you to enter her world of collectibles, cherished possessions and achingly touching personal stories - the wonderful new Jewellery shop  Jessica De Lotz is at 49 Fortess Road!

Even Greater News!

The Greats 2016
It's time once again for 'The Greats' and we are really proud to announce that this year we have been nominated for not only one but two 'Greats' awards!  We have been nominated in both the Best Independent Gift Retailer of the Year, London (inside M25) and the Best Retail Display of Gifts, award categories - which are sponsored by Gisela Graham Ltd, Really Good and Soul, (our hosts from last year!)

"These dedicated awards for gift retailers have risen immeasurably in status over the years and are now universally acknowledged as being true accolades of excellence," commented Sue Marks, editor of Progressive Gifts & Home. "Being selected as a finalist is a fantastic achievement. There was a huge entry this year, with some outstanding, first class entries."

The winners of this year’s prestigious gift retailing awards  - The Greats 2016 – will be revealed at an Awards lunch at the glamorous Ballroom at the Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel, Park Lane, London on Thursday 5th May 2016  - will it be our day?