HatQuarters, Barcelona

It was His Nibs turn to go shopping yesterday, as he's been after a pair of casual summer shoes. The weather here is pretty hot and humid at the moment, so leather shoes just feel too heavy, and you can't wear flips flops all the time, tempting as it may be.

Strangely enough, it ended up being a hat shop called HatQuarters that had the perfect pair. They're a brand called Maians that are made locally and designed by Barcelona designer Alfonso De La Fuente Rey. His Nibs went for the Sisto Basico pair. Luckily we managed to get them half price as the sales are finishing up here to make way for the autumn/winter stock, even though it will be hot for a few months yet.

When I got home and looked the brand up I found out that the company is actually named for and inspired by our barri, Barceloneta. Maians was an island which was located a hundred metres off the coast of Barcelona . It was absorbed by the city for creating the first port of Barcelona, and the area Barceloneta, in 1477 under the reign of King John II of Aragon. One for you history fiends out there.

I'm already planning to go back to HatQuarters to get a hat for the winter. They stock hats from American brand Goorin Bros. and are also planning to stock a new range called Indhy Sombreros, designed by the Maians company. I like to wear hats all the time but it's just too hot in the summer. I've experimented with straw hats and light cotton but I just end up with my hair plastered to my head, it's really not attractive. I end up feeling like this fella...

There are a couple of branches of HatQuarters here in Barcelona (we went to the one in El Born) and one in Istanbul and it looks like they'll be offering online shopping soon too. If you want to get your hands on a pair of Maians they're available in quite a few stores around the world, check out the store locator on the website to find one near you.  


I still haven't managed to get up to the big flea market at Glories yet, the early start required has defeated me so far, but I will do it soon. I swear!

Trendenzas, Online Shop...

One of the drawbacks of starting a new job is that it takes a while to get into a routine. I’ve been feeling quite pressed for time which has meant that I haven’t been out and about finding new places to write about (and shop in) as much as I’d like. This is when the internet really is useful, as I can just search online for good stuff instead. I’m a big fan of online shopping, much to the despair of His Nibs and my bank manager. It’s just too easy to click that buy now button.

Pic from the website, though mine is much lighter than this...

One of my recent discoveries is Trendenzas which is an American site offering accessories for sale in a ‘deal of the day’ format. The idea is that they have a different item for sale each day, at a discount price. After signing up for free membership, you get a daily email with the special offer.  If you miss out on that day’s deal, they also have a section which has some of the older items for a slightly higher price, but still discounted. Some of the items have limited availability, so it’s good to grab them while you can. They’re also offering a ‘get the look for less’ service where you send them a picture or link to an item you’ve seen somewhere, and they’ll try to find it for you, or something similar, for a good price. 

Excuse the bad photography...

I recently received a bracelet from them, which I love. It’s a creamy beige leather strap with what I can only describe as big gold rivets studded into it. Actually, the rivets do look a bit like big gold aspirin, but maybe that’s just me? Regardless of the slightly medical look, I’ve been wearing this a lot, as it’s quite funky and goes with practically everything. I don’t often wear gold as I feel that silver suits me more, but the neutral colour of the strap makes this wearable on my skin tone. Another plus is that I have sensitive skin and the leather hasn’t irritated it at all. There are two press stud fasteners as well to make the size adjustable. It’s so wearable; I’m really pleased with it. 

See what I mean about giant Aspirin? 

So sadly for my bank manager and His Nibs, I’ve found another online shop that I’ll be checking out regularly. I like the way that the offer changes daily; it can often be a pain trawling through lots of thumbnails of items, with one item a day you either like it or you don’t, it’s simple. They only charge $6 for international shipping as well, which is a bargain. Check them out and let me know what you think.

I seriously need a tripod...

(By the way, I'll be out and about again next week with a trip to the big flea market at Glories and the numerous shops to be found on Carrer D'Avinyo.)

Sabon, Barcelona...

Strolling along Carrer de València the other day, I noticed a bath and beauty shop called Sabon at number 260. It's not a familiar name to me so I popped in to check it out. 

Apparently they're an American firm and I think this is their first store in Spain. There isn't a whole lot of information available on the website about Europe, I assume they'll be updating it soon. What really piques my interest is the fact that they make SLS and paraben free shampoos, which I've had a hard time finding here, outside of stores like Lush. The ingredients seem to be good in all of the products, and the smell in there was incredible. 

Everything in the store is gorgeous to look at with traditional style packaging. I would say the prices are more towards the luxury end of the market and not for everyday use (unless you can afford it, which I know I can't). This is a great place for those one off treats and definitely for gift shopping. As I say, I have no idea where and how many stores they're planning to open in Europe but if you're a fan of brands like L'Occitane and Kiehls, this will be right up your street. Just in case anyone would like to know, my favourite item so far is the  Fig Coco body scrub and I do have a birthday coming up... 

Riera Baixa Street, Barcelona…

It’s been a bit of a hectic summer so far, what with my new job, Sonar festivities and visits from friends. No excuse really for the lack of activity on this blog but I promise that this is going to change. With that in mind, I’ve decided to start a (very) occasional series of posts where I focus on a particular street and take you through all of my favourite shops there.


As I’m such a lover of second-hand shops, there’s no better place to start than Carrer De La Riera Baixa in El Raval. This tiny street is home to an amazing selection of vintage stores and independent boutiques and as its right in the heart of El Raval and not far from Las Ramblas, is well worth a visit. 


There’s so much variety on this street so rather than list all of the shops, I’m just going to run through my favourites with a brief description of what you can expect to find in each one.

First up is Lailo, which is exactly the kind of second-hand shop I like. It’s full of clothes and accessories from every decade since the 1930s, and possibly even earlier. There are quite a few items that look like they could be theatrical costumes, so it’s a great place to go if you’re looking for an outfit for a fancy dress party. They also have lots of bargain baskets dotted around too, so great for rummaging in. I do love a good rummage. The whole street is full of great shops but I have to say, this is my favourite one. You could easily spend an hour or more in here, just looking through everything. The prices run from €2 for scarves up to the hundreds for some of the really rare pieces, and I feel that the pricing here is well thought out and fair and accurate for each piece. If you don’t have a lot of time, this is the shop I recommend you visit first.

Next up is Carrousel, which is different to Lailo by dint of the fact that they have less stock, but I have to say that I always love everything that they have here as you can tell that they’ve selected only the best quality items. There’s no cheap tat masquerading as vintage here. On my last visit I hankered after a beautiful crepe shirt dress, which was only €29 but sadly not my size. The accessories are good here too. It’s more of a boutique than Lailo, so good for those of you who don’t like to wade through lots of items.  

The last shop that really is a stand out for me is Smart and Clean . This place is a Mod Mecca and if you want to get your hands on some Harrington or Sta-Prest goodies, this place has everything you could want. I don’t wear this style myself but have a fondness for the look as many of my friends (and my first crushes) were mods in the early eighties so it will always have nostalgic appeal for me. It’s quite a high maintenance look but I respect that, even if I couldn’t commit to it myself. 

If you’re feeling peckish after all that shopping there’s a great little tapas bar, Resolis, where you can refuel and fortify yourself with some wine. You may want to leave off the wine till you finish shopping, however, as otherwise you’ll probably end up spending way too much as there is such a lot of temptation on this little street.


Don’t forget that I’m open to suggestions for shops and places to cover so if there’s anything any of you want to know about, or you have some favourites you think I should write about, let me know. 

Leeds en Barcelona...

When you think of Barcelona, the next city to pop into your head wouldn’t necessarily be Leeds, but a group of influential movers and shakers from both cities are determined to show you why it should be.  This May in Barcelona saw the second ‘Leeds in Barcelona’ event, created by collaboration between Marketing Leeds,  the UK city’s strategic marketing organisation, Hebe Media, a Leeds based company, and LeLook, which is arguably Spain’s most influential fashion and style website.

Discussion panel - photo courtesy of lelook.eu

The two day event began on Friday 21st of May with a talk and Q & A session at the European Institute of Design (IED) in Gracia. The panel was headed by Lee Hicken of Hebe Media and Jurgen Salenbacher, the director of the institute, joined by technology expert Imran Ali, Barcelona fashion designers Juan Antonio Avalos and Chidy Wayne, Leeds designer Dom of Dom, Dick and Harry and lead singer Guiseppe de Luca of Leeds band ICS (I Call Shotgun). It was fascinating to hear the panel’s thoughts on the similarities and parallels between the two cities, and the qualities that all felt were going to be necessary for either city to grow in the future.  The current economic climate and the important role of new technologies, as well as environmental concerns and the influence of music on fashion, were just some of the issues that were discussed. The Leeds contingent did an excellent job of selling their city to the audience during the discussion, although Barcelona had the last word by making sure that everyone was well fed after the discussion ended with a selection of tapas and some macaroons from the popular Vioko,washed down with plenty of Cava and beer.

Vioko macaroons - photo courtesy of lelook.eu

After all the focus and discussion on Friday night, Saturday was all about fun and celebration. The Hotel Me on Diagonal was the perfect venue for a night of music, fashion and style. The lobby was a maelstrom of beautiful people being treated to a performance from the band ICS, makeup artists preparing the best dressed from the crowd for a photo shoot and a catwalk show of fashion by the Leeds designers James Stewart, Dom Dick and Harry and Nicholas Deakin, with glasses provided by RETROSUPERFUTURE®.  As if all that wasn’t enough, upstairs on the sixth floor we were treated to DJ sets from DJ Mustache representing Barcelona, and Dave Beer and Tristan da Cunha from Back to Basics representing Leeds.

Tristan da Cunha and Dave Beer of Back to Basics - photo lelook.eu

As someone with a good knowledge and love of both cities, I hope there are many more opportunities for collaboration between Barcelona and Leeds. As mentioned by members of the panel on Friday night, neither one is Paris or London, but they are both known for punching well above their weight when it comes to industry, the arts and the vitality of their citizens. The event made me very happy that I live here in Barcelona, but when it gets really hot in August, I’ll be seriously considering heading to the cool surroundings of Leeds for a short getaway and some Theakstons Old Peculier Ale.

Audience members - photo courtesy of lelook.eu

You can also find some photos of Saturday's event on Le Look. 

United Jumble: First Flea In Public

Yesterday, as well as visiting Plaça Catalunya to see how the protests are progressing, we also paid a very quick visit to El Flea, the really good market I covered in one of my previous posts. Here is a link to their blog with some photos from yesterday's event behind the Maritime museum in the Raval. This is the first time they've held it in the street and it seemed to be a success from what we saw, so here's hoping they'll get permission to do more. Sadly I'm on a buying ban till June (nearly here!) so didn't do any shopping, even though there were bargains galore. Definitely at the next one!

United Jumble: First Flea In Public

I'll be back soon with some longer posts and some photos, including a visit to a street full of second hand shops. I'm starting a new job so it's all been a bit mad here, but routine and order will soon return (well, as much routine and order as there ever was, anyway).

Anthony Llobet Hair Salon, Barcelona

I’ve been putting off getting my hair cut for ages, for a number of reasons. Not only have I been trying to grow out quite a short bob, which I had dyed a bit too dark, but I’ve also been anxious about finding a hairdresser here that I’ll like as much as my London one. I have very annoying hair; it’s the bane of my life. It’s fine but there’s lots of it so it looks quite thick, it’s wavy and it takes any bit of moisture in the air and uses it to puff up and frizz in quite an alarming way. 

Phil Spector (or me on a really bad day)

However, recently I’ve been losing the daily battle with it more often than not, so it was time to take action. I’d heard very good things about the Anthony Llobet salons here, they’re a small chain owned and run by the aforementioned Anthony, who is of Anglo-Catalan descent. He actually grew up and trained as a hairdresser in West London, finally making his home in Barcelona in 2000. I’d been looking at his Facebook page and thinking about making an appointment for a while, and luckily managed to win their 10 year birthday competition for a free cut. So it really would have been rude not to check it out.

My appointment was with Kelly (from Manchester!) in the Gracia branch. It was reassuring having someone that I could explain what I wanted to, without struggling over the translation. I’m sure I will feel more able to tackle that someday, but as I find it tricky to explain what my hair’s needs and issues (oh, such issues!) are in English sometimes, I think it’s best to leave that for a future date.  I had a bit of a comedy moment trying to get into the salon at first, there are 4 locals joined together and they all have doors but only one opens. Cue me trying all of them like an eejit till I got to the proper door. The salons have a great retro vibe with proper old school barber chairs and vintage style wall posters. Right up my street.

I wasn’t after anything too drastic, my main concern was not losing too much length while getting rid of the darkest dyed bits, and having something that I wouldn’t have to blow dry straight, as I’ve had enough of wrestling with the hairdryer, especially in this warm weather. Kelly got what I wanted straight away; she was lovely and friendly and had some great tips for me as well. She was quick too, I hate spending too long in the chair and love it when someone can get straight to it but still give you a good cut. I’ve popped in some photos so you can see the results. (No before shots, they’re censored). I’m very happy as I think it’s a good transition style to get me to the longer hair I want, as well as getting rid of the blunt fringe that I’ve had for ages. Excuse the terrible quality of the photos, I need to get a tripod so I can do better timer shots.

Bizarrely it also turned out that one of my neighbours from my building works in the same branch; I hadn’t even known she was a hairdresser. I thought she looked a bit familiar when I walked in but as she had her back to me I wasn’t sure at first. I’ll try not to harass her too much for freebies now that I know…

 Anthony Llobet have made another convert in me and I’d recommend them if you’re looking for a haircut while you’re here. They have branches in pretty much every corner of the city, so wherever you are, they should be easy to find. I’m going to leave my colour for a bit, as I want to go lighter and still need to grow a bit of the darkest brown hair out, so I’ll post another review when I go back for that.