Clerkenwell Design Week is 10 years old. Not an actual week, the three-day festival celebrates the area’s status as one of the world’s most influential design hubs. Clerkenwell, a vibrant area in London’s EC1, is home to some of the capital’s most historic buildings where traditional craft industries today flourish alongside the most contemporary. CDW is showcase of commissioned projects, events, exhibitions, installations and street spectacles. There is even a fringe away from the main spots. To celebrate its tenth year, 10 installations – to symbolise birthday candles – have been placed throughout the area – guiding visitors along the festival route. From state-of-the-art taps to pavilions and art sculptures, CDW is a brilliant place to see first hand designs of the future. Plus there…
Go-Go boots. They're up there with Dorothy’s red slippers, Roger Vivier’s Pilgrim pumps and Audrey Hepburn’s Penny Loafers in footwear folklore. Not just an icon of the 1960s, go-go boots are among the most iconic shoe and boot trends of the 20th century. André Courrèges was the magician who introduced the go-go boot. A white mid-calf boot with a flat black heel, they anchored his space-age look first sent down the catwalk in 1964. The boots were made from leather, matte and patent, vinyl or PVC. Styles had either a cut-out around the top or pleated detail. An instant hit, they defined both the youthquake movement of the time, and the sophisticated look of French stars such as Catherine Deneuve. Where did the name come from? Theories abound....
Sale Time! We're back at Shoreditch with Ops&Ops second pop-up shop this year. And as as hit our final weekend, we're offering 10% off until closing time – 5pm, Sunday 6 November. Find our signature No10 all-leather flats, including our latest autumn palette — Mustard and Teal patent leather, Mink, Cocoa and Indigo suede. And, currently exclusive to the shop, our brand-new No12 ankle boots in super soft, grainy Matte Black and shimmery Moon Dust leathers; and No11 block heel in Black patent and Mink suede. We have sample and sale shoes starting at just £60 a pair, and the chance to enter a count-the-shoehorn compettion to win a pair of No10s. We'd love for you to join us! Ops&Ops Pop-Up 11 Calvert Avenue London E2 7JP 11am-6pm – Sunday 6 November to 5pm...
Excited? On hearing news of the V&A's latest blockbuster show You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966 - 1970, we were ecstatic! It's a subject right up our street and we were thrilled to be invited along to the opening. Laid out in six sections, with an accompanying soundtrack, it explores the political and cultural revolution of the time mostly spearheaded by youth – in 1966, half the US population was under 25, and in Britain baby boomer teenagers were in their millions. It begins with a scene-setting collection of press cuttings, mags and pics showing how the foundations for change were laid before moving to the first room: a recreation of Carnaby Street, reflecting 'Swinging London' as a centre of fashion, music and art. Next up is a focus on the growing counter culture of the...
Casinos, the strip, wedding chapels, shows … Las Vegas is not short on tourist attractions, but top of our list is the Neon Museum. We took a trip there when we were last in Vegas, exhibiting at the FN Platform show, and just loved it A visual feast of a slice of Vegas history, packed with signs and neon that at one time illuminated Vegas, both literally and spiritually. The Stardust, Sahara, Algiers, Tropicana … exotic names and futuristic motifs from when the city was a mecca for the good, the bad and the ugly. They are, unsurprisingly, dazzlingly familiar. Seen countless times in films and books, it is slightly surreal to see them up close. Really close. The neon museum is no ordinary museum and none of these signs is behind glass....
We stopped by Dawn O'Porter's roof-top fashion pop-up on Wednesday evening and had a ball at an event to raise money for Breast Cancer Care at the wonderful Gardening Society. DJ Gemma Cairney got the party started with some great music as guests were treated to ice-cold fizz and delicious nibbles – courtesy of B.O.B's Lobster. But best of all were the racks and rails of BOBbyDOP's classic collections and vintage-tastic clothes to try and buy! Dawn looked fabulous in a navy polka-dot dress and Bumper Car Red Ops&Ops, and she worked tirelessly styling and helping people choose the right outfit – her knack of knowing what will suit and fit perfectly in seconds is uncanny. Lots of Dawn's glamorous friends, including actress Ophelia Lovibond, in Bumper Car Blue No10s, Edith Bowman, Caroline Flack and The Tootsie Rollers turned up...
Red. It comes in many guises – scarlet, cherry, poppy, ruby, crimson, berry. It’s confident, bold, head turning and bright. A standout on its own, it can work as a dashing neutral and a perfect base for any outfit. It demands attention – red letter, red carpet, red hot; it spells danger – red alert, red flag, red light; it indicates passion and it stands for love. It’s played a starring role in the movies – The Red Shoes; songs – Little Red Corvette; and fashion – both for Valentino and Vivienne Westwood. At Ops&Ops we’re big fans. Our Red Bumper Car and Patent and No10s work as a burst of colour against more retiring shades, a contrast or match-up with accessories, and the starting point for head-to-toe daring days....
We are still on a high after a brilliant time hosting our first solo London popup. We opened our week-long Shoreditch store, at 67 Redchurch Street, to the strains of the Shangri-Las. One of the highlights of the popup was a late-night shopping and drinks evening. But the biggest thrill for us was meeting our customers face to face. We had old friends stop by to say hello and check out our new collection, including the brand-new No11s, and met many new faces popping in for a chat and try-on. An ace week was capped off when we got to see the latest episode of Girls, and saw Hannah (Lena Dunham) wearing Ops&Ops Red Patent No10s throughout! If you didn’t get a chance to come over, but would like to try on...
André Courrèges: king of the futuristic? Always. He studied civil engineering before deciding to pursue a career in fashion, and ten years after working under the guidance of Cristobal Balenciaga, Basque-born Courrèges decided to go it alone. In 1964 he launched the Moon Girl collection. Go-go boots, trapeze dresses, space-age designs, mini skirts and helmets in a colour palette of dazzling white and silver, he was for a time the cosmonaut of couture. Trouser suits, too, became a signature of his label, both smart and laid-back – a real departure for women of the time. He was a team along with his wife Coqueline, who choreographed his shows with soundtracks and sporty vibes. Courrèges finally left fashion to paint and sculpt, but his legacy remained, as relevant today as it always has...
A big part of the Ops&Ops story is our love of music and dancing, so we've decided to start our very own record fair with a YouTube compilation playlist. Called simply Ops&Ops Favourites it features some of our all-time top songs, performers and performances. We'll be adding to our record fair regularly and would love to hear from you along with your suggestions. You'll find songs that make us smile, make us cry, make us shout, makes us sing along and of course make us dance. We hope they do the same for you.
